Aspectos institucionais, legais, políticos e técnicos para a implementação da Convenção de Estocolmo sobre Poluentes Orgânicos Persistentes: os éteres difenilícos polibromados / Institutional, legal, political and technical aspects for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Implementation the polybrominated diphenyl ethers

Novos poluentes orgânicos persistentes (POPs) têm sido adicionados à lista da Convenção de Estocolmo, exemplificado nesta pesquisa pelos éteres difenílicos polibromados (polybrominated diphenyl ethers-PBDEs) aplicados como retardantes de chama em diversos artigos de consumo (eletrônicos, têxteis, móveis, automóveis e na construção civil). São substâncias semi voláteis, persistentes no ambiente, bioacumulativos nos tecidos adiposos e podem interferir no sistema endócrino humano e dos animais. Os países signatários devem cumprir as medidas estabelecidas e enfrentam desafios para a sua implementação, a julgar pelos poucos países que atualizaram os Planos Nacionais de Implementação (National Implementation Plans-NIPs). Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo identificar os aspectos institucionais, legais, políticos e técnicos para a implementação das exigências oriundas da Convenção de Estocolmo, no que diz respeito aos PBDEs, realizar revisão sistematizada da literatura sobre os artigos colocados no mercado e em unidades de reciclagem de resíduos contendo PBDE e apresentar as experiências de dois países na implementação das medidas. O método de pesquisa de estudo de casos comparados, com o delineamento de casos mais diferentes com o mesmo resultado, foi empregado para a República Tcheca e a Suécia, apoiado por análise de congruência. Entrevistas foram realizadas com profissionais envolvidos com as atividades para a elaboração e a implementação da Convenção de Estocolmo. A revisão sistematizada para PBDEs indicou o aumento da quantidade de artigos científicos a partir de 2008 e os estudos revelaram a presença de PBDEs na poeira e no ar em ambientes internos, como residências e escritórios e nos ambientes internos e externos às instalações de reciclagem de resíduos com avaliação da exposição humana aos PBDEs, e novos estudos devem ser desenvolvidos. A revisão mostrou também que na América Latina e Caribe as publicações ainda são em pequeno número, mas o Brasil tem posição de destaque. O estudo dos dois países revelou que é requerida uma complexa abordagem para a transposição das medidas em âmbito nacional, incluindo legislação sobre gestão de produtos químicos, arranjos institucionais nacionais para a implementação do NIP apoiados por instituições de pesquisas científicas, existência de programas de monitoramento ambiental e de controle de POP-BDEs em artigos de consumo colocados no mercado. Os principais desafios técnicos são a segregação de plásticos, contendo PBDEs em parceria com o setor industrial para identificar o conteúdo PBDEs em artigos em uso que se tornarão resíduos e a viabilização do uso das alternativas tecnológicas. Os benefícios gerados pela implementação da Convenção são a proteção da saúde humana e do meio ambiente, a melhoria da governança, a promoção de assistência técnica, a maior visibilidade sobre riscos de uso de produtos tóxicos, em especial os POPs, a maior interação entre a ciência e as políticas públicas e o aumento das pesquisas cientificas. A Convenção de Estocolmo é um acordo complexo porém contribui com o entendimento mais amplo dos riscos químicos e sobre gestão coordenada das substâncias químicas

Additional new Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have been included to the list of Stockholm Convention, in the research exemplified by means of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) which resist degradation, are transported far from their place of release, where they accumulate in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and possess toxic properties, since they are classified as endocrine disruptive chemicals. They were used as brominated flame retardants and applied in many articles/consumer products such as electronics, textiles, vehicles, furniture and building materials. The signatories countries must comply with obligations and measures taken by Convention however they are facing many challenges in order to implement them, once few countries submitted the updated National Implementation Plans (NIPs) to the Convention. This research aims at identifying the institutional, legal, technical and politics aspects in order to transpose those measures to the national level, conducting a systematized research of literature on consumer products that may contain c-BDE put in the market besides recycling units of articles upon becoming wastes, consisting of, containing or contaminated with a chemical PBDEs and presenting the experience of two countries in implementing PBDEs actions plans of the NIPs. The comparative case studies was used as the research method, improved by the most different cases and most similar outcomes, designed for two countries as Czech Republic and Sweden, supported by the congruence analyses. Standardized interviews were applied to professionals involved in elaborating and implementing the Stockholm Convention in the countries. The systematized research indicated the increase from 2008 of the scientific number articles related to PBDEs which presented the occurrence of PBDEs in indoor house, office and recycling units dust and air internal and outdoor environments nearby waste electronic and electric equipment recycling units, with human exposure analyses related to and the researches must be continued, accordingly the conclusions. The comparative case studies of two countries revealed the requirement of a complex chemical substances management approach in order to transpose the PBDEs obligations to the national level, including the industrial chemical and environmental legislations, especially on POP-BDEs in products, a integrated institutional arrangement with the scientific institutional support, environmental monitoring programs and chemical control of the spread of POP-BDEs substances present in a number of consumer products put on the market; as the main challenges are the segregation of plastics containing PBDE in order to avoid recycled articles containing PBDEs and the importance of dialogue with the industrial sector in order to identify the PBDEs content in articles in use and to evaluate technology alternatives to PBDEs as well as promote technical capacities to raise awareness of chemicals to importers and private sector. The benefits generated by the Convention implementation are protection on healthy and environmental, the governance improvement, technical assistance promotion, POPs visibility, science and politics integration and the increase of scientific research

Efficacy and safety of a single dose pentamidine (7mg/kg) for patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. guyanensis: a pilot study

Abstract: BACKGROUND: There have been few studies on pentamidine in the Americas; and there is no consensus regarding the dose that should be applied. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the use of pentamidine in a single dose to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis. METHODS: Clinical trial of phase II pilot study with 20 patients. Pentamidine was used at a dose of 7 mg/kg, in a single dose. Safety and adverse effects were also assessed. Patients were reviewed one, two, and six months after the end of treatments. RESULTS: there was no difference between the treatment groups in relation to gender, age, number or location of the lesions. Pentamidine, applied in a single dose, obtained an effectiveness of 55%. Mild adverse events were reported by 17 (85%) patients, mainly transient pain at the site of applications (85%), while nausea (5%), malaise (5%) and dizziness (5%) were reported in one patient. No patient had sterile abscess after taking medication at a single dose of 7mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical studies with larger samples of patients would enable a better clinical response of pent amidine at a single dose of 7mg, allowing the application of more powerful statistical tests, thus providing more evidences of the decrease in the effectiveness of that medication. Hence, it is important to have larger studies with new diagrams and/or new medications.

VEGF receptor expression decreases during lung development in congenital diaphragmatic hernia induced by nitrofen

Changes in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in pulmonary vessels have been described in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and may contribute to the development of pulmonary hypoplasia and hypertension; however, how the expression of VEGF receptors changes during fetal lung development in CDH is not understood. The aim of this study was to compare morphological evolution with expression of VEGF receptors, VEGFR1 (Flt-1) and VEGFR2 (Flk-1), in pseudoglandular, canalicular, and saccular stages of lung development in normal rat fetuses and in fetuses with CDH. Pregnant rats were divided into four groups (n=20 fetuses each) of four different gestational days (GD) 18.5, 19.5, 20.5, 21.5: external control (EC), exposed to olive oil (OO), exposed to 100 mg nitrofen, by gavage, without CDH (N-), and exposed to nitrofen with CDH (CDH) on GD 9.5 (term=22 days). The morphological variables studied were: body weight (BW), total lung weight (TLW), left lung weight, TLW/BW ratio, total lung volume, and left lung volume. The histometric variables studied were: left lung parenchymal area density and left lung parenchymal volume. VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression were determined by Western blotting. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance with the Tukey-Kramer post hoc test. CDH frequency was 37% (80/216). All the morphological and histometric variables were reduced in the N- and CDH groups compared with the controls, and reductions were more pronounced in the CDH group (P<0.05) and more evident on GD 20.5 and GD 21.5. Similar results were observed for VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression. We conclude that N- and CDH fetuses showed primary pulmonary hypoplasia, with a decrease in VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression.

Effect of nitrofen in the final stages of development of the diaphragm muscle in rats / Efeito do nitrofen na fase final do desenvolvimento da musculatura do diafragma em ratos

PURPOSE: To evaluate the expression of myosin in muscle fibers of the diaphragm in experimental congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). METHODS: Fetuses of pregnant rats were divided into four groups: External Control (EC), composed of non-manipulated rats; Nitrofen, composed of pregnant rats that received 100 mg of nitrofen (2,4-dichloro-4'nitrodiphenyl ether) diluted in olive oil on gestational day (GD) 9.5, whose fetuses developed CDH (N+) or not (N-), and Olive Oil Placebo (OO), composed of pregnant rats that received the oil on the same GD. The fetuses were collected on GD 18.5, 19.5, 20.5 and 21.5 (term = 22 days). We obtained body weight (BW) and photographed the diaphragm area (DA), hernia area (HA) and subsequent calculated the HA/DA ratio in N+ group. Samples of Diaphragm muscle were processed for histological staining with H/E and immunohistochemistry (IHQ) for myosin.} RESULTS: The fetuses of N- and N+ groups had decreased BW and DA compared to EC and OO groups (p <0.001). HA was decreased on GD 18.5 compared to 21.5 (p <0.001) and the HA/DA ratio showed no difference. IHQ showed decreased expression of myosin in nitrofen groups. CONCLUSION: CDH induced by nitrofen model contributes to the understanding of muscularization in the formation of the diaphragm where the myosin expression is decreased.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a expressão da miosina na muscularização do diafragma na hérnia diafragmática congênita (CDH) experimental. MÉTODOS: Fetos de ratas foram divididos em quatro grupos: Controle Externo (EC), composto de ratas não manipuladas; Nitrofen, composto de ratas que receberam 100 mg de nitrofen (2,4-dicloro-4'nitrodifenil éter) diluído no azeite no dia de gestação (GD) 9.5, cujos fetos desenvolveram CDH (N+) ou não (N-) e Placebo óleo de oliva (OO), composto de ratas que ingeriram apenas óleo no mesmo GD. Os fetos foram coletados com 18,5, 19,5, 20,5 e 21,5 GD (termo = 22 dias). Foi obtido o peso corporal (BW) e tiradas fotografias da área do diafragma (DA), da hérnia (HA) e calculada a relação HA/DA no grupo N+. Amostras de diafragmas foram processadas histologicamente para coloração com H/E e imunohistoquímica. RESULTADOS: Os fetos dos grupos N- e N+ tiveram BW e DA diminuídos em relação aos grupos EC e OO (p<0.001). Só houve diferença na HA entre os GD 18.5 e 21.5 (p<0.001) e a relação HA/DA não mostrou diferença entre os grupos. A imunohistoquímica mostrou menor expressão de miosina nos grupos que receberam nitrofen. CONCLUSÃO: O modelo de CDH induzida por nitrofen contribui para entender a muscularização na formação do diafragma onde a expressão da miosina está diminuída.

Efeito da radiação ionizante sobre a oxidação do colesterol em hambúrgueres de frango e bovino congelados / Effect of the ionizing radiation about the oxidation of the cholesterol in chicken and bovine hamburgers frozen

Várias tecnologias vêm sendo desenvolvidas com o intuito de assegurar a qualidade dos alimentos. Dentre estes processos tecnológicos, a radiação ionizante vem sendo apontada como uma alternativa viável na conservação de alimentos, principalmente produtos cárneos, por manter inalterado seu estado natural. A utilização da irradiação em hambúrgueres tem sido enfocada devido ao freqüente envolvimento deste produto em surtos de toxinfecção alimentar, geralmente provocados pela E. coli O157:H7, muitas vezes com registro de óbitos. Entretanto, a utilização de radiação ionizante neste produto pode gerar radicais livres capazes de desencadear a oxidação lipídica no tecido muscular...