Revisão do Herbário URM: novas ocorrências de Aphyllophorales para a Amazônia brasileira

Cento e setenta e oito registros de Aphyllophorales para região amazônica constam no Herbário URM. Desses, 169 foram revisados no período de setembro de 2006 a maio de 2007 e representam, atualmente, oito famílias, 23 gêneros e 35 espécies. Estas exsicatas representando, atualmente, oito famílias, 23 gêneros e 35 espécies. Polyporaceae apresentou o maior número de espécies e gêneros. Ganoderma colossus (Fr.) C. F. Baker, G. orbiforme (Fr.) Ryvarden, Lenzites betulina (L.) Fr. e Panus tephroleucus (Mont.) T. W. May & A. E. Wood representam novas ocorrências para região amazônica.

Tem orixá no samba: Clara Nunes e a presença do candomblé e da umbanda na música popular brasileira

Algumas informações sobre as religiões afro-brasileiras (candomblé e umbanda) nos chegam por meios como a indústria fonográfica, o rádio e a televisão. Nesse cenário, a música popular brasileira (MPB) ocupa importante papel de divulgadora dessa religiosidade. Em vista disso, nesse trabalho procuro interpretar os modos pelos quais os valores dessas religiões aparecem na MPB tendo como campo empírico a produção artística de Clara Nunes (análise de letra de música, da performance em shows, clipes e apresentações em programas de TV, assim como dos símbolos escolhidos na divulgação de seu trabalho, presentes em encartes e capas de LPs).

Influência e contribuição: a igreja católica progressista brasileira e o fórum social mundial

Desde o começo dos anos 1980, a Igreja Católica Progressista organizou e influenciou as práticas, as ideias e os objetivos da sociedade civil brasileira. A proposta do presente artigo consiste em analisar as diferentes maneiras pelas quais a Igreja Católica Progressista influenciou o Fórum Social Mundial (FSM). Os dois principais eixos de análise são, primeiro, a influência dos princípios, da visão de mundo e da metodologia da Igreja Católica Progressista sobre indivíduos e organizações da sociedade civil que estiveram envolvidos na concepção e na realização do FSM e, segundo, a participação da Igreja Católica Progressista no FSM através de organizações ligadas à Igreja Católica, forçando a inclusão da agenda da Igreja Progressista naquela do FSM. O artigo analisa como e por que a Teologia da Libertação e a Igreja Popular brasileiras influenciaram as ideias que levaram à criação e organização do FSM, além de discutir em detalhe a participação da Igreja Católica Progressista nas edições subsequentes do Fórum.

Comunidades "no sentido social da evangelização": CEBs, camponeses e quilombolas na Amazônia Oriental Brasileira

O estudo sobre novos movimentos eclesiais na Igreja Católica, desenvolvido na Amazônia Oriental brasileira, permite uma reflexão sobre a influência dessa Igreja em duas áreas rurais do estado do Pará: a Transamazônica e a microrregião de Tomé Açu. Em ambas, sua atuação, através das chamadas Comunidades Eclesiais de Base (CEBs), muito ativas, desempenha papel relevante entre as populações dessas áreas. O artigo se propõe a analisar a condição social dessas populações que, em função de suas vivências e práticas, incorporando criticamente a influência de agentes de pastoral, assumem novas identidades e novas práticas de natureza política e religiosa, antes não existentes em seu meio.

Analysis of p53 expression and proliferative assessment using PCNA in localized prostate carcinoma

The surgical specimens from 51 men submitted to radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer were examined by immunohistochemistry using proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) monoclonal antibody to evaluate the proliferative index (PI). The relationship between PI, biological variables and p53 protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. PI was low in invasive localized prostate carcinoma (mean, 12.4%) and the incidence of PCNA-positive cells was significantly higher in tumors with p53 expression (P = 0.0226). There was no statistical difference in PCNA values when biological parameters such as Gleason score, tumor volume, extraprostatic involvement, seminal vesicle infiltration or lymph node metastasis were considered. We conclude that proliferative activity is usually low in prostate carcinoma but is correlated with p53 immune staining, indicating that p53 is important in cell cycle control in this neoplasm.

Properties of a constitutive alkaline phosphatase from strain 74A of the mold Neurospora crassa

A constitutive alkaline phosphatase was purified to apparent homogeneity as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis from mycelia of the wild strain 74A of the mold Neurospora crassa, after growth on acetate and in the presence of saturating amounts of inorganic phosphate (Pi) for 72 h at 30ºC. The molecular mass was 58 kDa and 56 kDa as determined by exclusion chromatography and SDS-PAGE, respectively. This monomeric enzyme shows an apparent optimum pH ranging from 9.5 to 10.5 and Michaelis kinetics for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate (the Km and Hill coefficient values were 0.35 mM and 1.01, respectively), alpha-naphthyl phosphate (the Km and Hill coefficient values were 0.44 mM and 0.97, respectively), ß-glycerol phosphate (the Km and Hill coefficient values were 2.46 mM and 1.01, respectively) and L-histidinol phosphate (the Km and Hill coefficient values were 0.47 mM and 0.94, respectively) at pH 8.9. The purified enzyme is activated by Mg2+, Zn2+ and Tris-HCl buffer, and is inhibited by Be2+, histidine and EDTA. Also, 0.3 M Tris-HCl buffer protected the purified enzyme against heat inactivation at 70ºC(half-life of 19.0 min, k = 0.036 min-1) as compared to 0.3 M CHES (half-life of 2.3 min, k = 0.392 min-1) in the same experiment.

Detection of immunoglobulin G in the lung and liver of hamsters with visceral leishmaniasis

Several organs are affected in visceral leishmaniasis, not only those rich in mononuclear phagocytes. Hypergammaglobulinemia occurs during visceral leishmaniasis; anti-Leishmania antibodies are not primarily important for protection but might be involved in the pathogenesis of tissue lesions. The glomerulonephritis occurring in visceral leishmaniasis has been attributed to immune complex deposition but in other organs the mechanism has not been studied. In the current study we demonstrated the presence of IgG in the lung and liver of hamsters with visceral leishmaniasis. Hamsters were injected intraperitoneally with 2 x 10(7) amastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi and the presence of IgG in the liver and lung was evaluated at 7, 15, 30, 45, 80 and 102 days postinfection (PI) by immunohistochemistry. The parasite burden in the spleen and liver increased progressively during infection. We observed a deposit of IgG from day 7 PI that increased progressively until it reached highest intensity around 30 and 45 days PI, declining at later times. The IgG deposits outlined the sinusoids. In the lung a deposit of IgG was observed in the capillary walls that was moderate at day 7 PI, but the intensity increased remarkably at day 30 PI and declined at later times of infection. No significant C3 deposits were observed in the lung or in the liver. We conclude that IgG may participate in the pathogenesis of the inflammatory process of the lung and liver occurring in experimental visceral leishmaniasis and we discuss an alternative mechanism other than immune complex deposition.

Ectonucleotidase activities in Sertoli cells from immature rats

Sertoli cells have been shown to be targets for extracellular purines such as ATP and adenosine. These purines evoke responses in Sertoli cells through two subtypes of purinoreceptors, P2Y2 and P A1. The signals to purinoreceptors are usually terminated by the action of ectonucleotidases. To demonstrate these enzymatic activities, we cultured rat Sertoli cells for four days and then used them for different assays. ATP, ADP and AMP hydrolysis was estimated by measuring the Pi released using a colorimetric method. Adenosine deaminase activity (EC 3.5.4.4) was determined by HPLC. The cells were not disrupted after 40 min of incubation and the enzymatic activities were considered to be ectocellularly localized. ATP and ADP hydrolysis was markedly increased by the addition of divalent cations to the reaction medium. A competition plot demonstrated that only one enzymatic site is responsible for the hydrolysis of ATP and ADP. This result indicates that the enzyme that acts on the degradation of tri- and diphosphate nucleosides on the surface of Sertoli cells is a true ATP diphosphohydrolase (EC 3.6.1.5) (specific activities of 113 ± 6 and 21 ± 2 nmol Pi mg-1 min-1 for ATP and ADP, respectively). The ecto-5'-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) and ectoadenosine deaminase activities (specific activities of 32 ± 2 nmol Pi mg-1 min-1 for AMP and 1.52 ± 0.13 nmol adenosine mg-1 min-1, respectively) were shown to be able to terminate the effects of purines and may be relevant for the physiological control of extracellular levels of nucleotides and nucleosides inside the seminiferous tubules.

Effects of 60Co gamma radiation on crotamine

Ionizing radiation can change the molecular structure and affect the biological properties of biomolecules. This has been employed to attenuate animal toxins. Crotamine is a strongly basic polypeptide (pI 10.3) from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom composed of 42 amino acid residues. It induces skeletal muscle spasms leading to a spastic paralysis of hind limbs in mice. The objective of the present study was to carry out a biochemical study and a toxic activity assay on native and irradiated crotamine. Crotamine was purified from C.d. terrificus venom by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration followed by ion-exchange chromatography, and irradiated at 2 mg/ml in 0.15 M NaCl with 2.0 kGy gamma radiation emitted by a 60Co source. The native and irradiated toxins were evaluated in terms of structure and toxic activity (LD50). Irradiation did not change the protein concentration, the electrophoretic profile or the primary structure of the protein although differences were shown by spectroscopic techniques. Gamma radiation reduced crotamine toxicity by 48.3%, but did not eliminate it.

Nephrotoxicity of Bence-Jones proteins: interference in renal epithelial cell acidification

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the acidification of the endosome-lysosome system of renal epithelial cells after endocytosis of two human immunoglobulin lambda light chains (Bence-Jones proteins, BJP) obtained from patients with multiple myeloma. Renal epithelial cell handling of two BJP (neutral and acidic BJP) was evaluated by rhodamine fluorescence. Renal cells (MDCK) were maintained in culture and, when confluent, were incubated with rhodamine-labeled BJP for different periods of time. Photos were obtained with a fluorescence microscope (Axiolab-Zeiss). Labeling density was determined on slides with a densitometer (Shimadzu Dual-Wavelength Flying-Spot Scanner CS9000). Endocytosis of neutral and acidic BJP was correlated with acidic intracellular compartment distribution using acridine orange labeling. We compared the pattern of distribution after incubation of native neutral and acidic BJP and after complete deglycosylation of BJP by periodate oxidation. The subsequent alteration of pI converted neutral BJP to acidic BJP. There was a significant accumulation of neutral BJP in endocytic structures, reduced lysosomal acidification, and a diffuse pattern of acidification. This pattern was reversed after total deglycosylation and subsequent alteration of the pI to an acidic BJP. We conclude that the physicochemical characteristics of BJP interfere with intracellular acidification, possibly explaining the strong nephrotoxicity of neutral BJP. Lysosomal acidification is fundamental for adequate protein processing and catabolism.