2p24.2 (rs7552) is a susceptibility locus for nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in the Brazilian population.

The population of Brazil is highly admixed, with each individual showing variable levels of Amerindian, European and African ancestry, which may interfere in the genetic susceptibility of known risk loci to nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL±P). Here, we investigated 5 reported genome-wide loci for NSCL±P in an ancestry-structured case-control study containing 1697 Brazilian participants (831 NSCL±P and 866 healthy controls). SNPs rs7552 in 2q24.2, rs8049367 in 16p13.3, rs1880646, rs7406226, rs9891446 in 17p13, rs1588366 in 17q23.2 and rs73039426 in 19q13.11 were genotyped using TaqMan allelic discrimination assays and genomic ancestry was estimated using a panel of 40 biallelic short insertion/deletion polymorphic markers informative of the Brazilian population. Logistic regression analysis of the single-markers revealed rs7552 in 2p24.2 as a susceptibility risk marker for NSCL±P, yielding an odds ratio (OR) of 1.71 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31-2.24, P = 9 × 10-6 ) in the homozygous state. Several SNP-SNP interactions containing rs7552 reached significance after adjustment for multiple tests (both Bonferroni assumption and 1000 permutation test), with the most significant interaction involving the 3-loci among rs7552, rs9891446 and rs73039426 (P = 6.1 × 10-9 and p1000 permutation = 0.001). Our study is the first to support the association of rs7552 in 2p24.2 with NSCL±P in the highly admixed Brazilian population.

Hypoadiponectinaemia in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease obese women is associated with infrequent intake of dietary sucrose and fatty foods.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between adiponectinaemia and food intake among obese women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: In total, 60 obese women were examined by abdominal ultrasound for liver steatosis and subcutaneous and visceral adiposity. A standard interview (including questions about alcohol intake, medical history and physical activity), a physical examination (including height, weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumferences, waist-to-hip ratio, and body composition) and biochemical and clinical parameters (including serum glucose and insulin, homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance, lipid profile, aminotransferases, C-reactive protein, adiponectin, leptin, resistin, tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 levels and blood pressure) were performed. Food intake was evaluated by a qualitative food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Twenty-four NAFLD patients and thirty-six controls were analysed. The Mann-Whitney test showed lower adiponectin levels in the liver disease group compared to controls (P < 0.05). The Pearson correlation coefficient indicated that adiponectinaemia was negatively correlated with lipid profile and serum tumour necrosis factor-α (P = 0.05) and was positively associated with adiposity measures and serum leptin (P < 0.05). By simple linear regression, all of these variables predicted serum adiponectin levels. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests indicated that, in both groups, food intake showed no differences, although sucrose and fatty foods were associated with lower adiponectin levels in the liver disease group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively), as well as in the control group (P = 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Hypoadiponectinaemia in NAFLD was associated with dietary sucrose and fatty food intake, emphasising the important role of diet in the occurrence of this disease.

Genetic parameters of libido in Brazilian Nellore bulls.

Genetic, environmental and phenotypic correlations between libido, testicular measurements, body weight and semen traits were estimated by multiple-trait-restricted maximum likelihood (MTDFREML) under animal models. Reproductive records, collected from 1992 to 1997, of 288 Nellore bulls were used. Estimates of heritability for libido unadjusted, adjusted for scrotal circumference and adjusted for body weight, were 0.34 +/- 0.10, 0.31 +/- 0.10, and 0.19 +/- 0.11, respectively. Genetic correlations between libido and body weight, scrotal circumference, testis length, testis width, testis volume and testis consistency were, respectively, 0.69, -0.43, -0.31, -0.16, 0.10, 0.87, and between libido and semen volume, sperm motility, vigor, gross motility, major, minor and total defects were, respectively, 0.71, 0.51, 0.12, 0.16, 0.31, 0.26 and 0.43. Results suggested that selection for libido would be effective and that it would lead to desirable correlated response for scrotal circumference, physical and morphological semen traits and undesirable correlated response in body weight.

Effect of growth hormone and induced IGF-I release on germ cell population and apoptosis in the bovine testis.

Bovine growth hormone has been used in dairy cattle to increase milk production,but it also increases the twin parturition rate. This effect is mediated by insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), which prevents follicular atresia by hindering apoptosis of granulosa cells. The action of GH and IGF-I on testicular function remains unclear. The goal of this study, therefore, was to verify the effects of short-term administration of GH and induced IGF-I release on the number of testicular germ cells, testicular morphology, and apoptosis in the bovine testis. Twenty Zebu bulls were split into 2 groups. The bulls in Group 1 (n = 10) were treated with 2 subcutaneous injections of bovine GH (500 mg/bull) 7 d apart. Group 2 bulls (n = 10) received placebos under the same protocol. All of the bulls were slaughtered 14 d after the start of treatment. Fragments of the testis were collected, fixed in Bouin's solution, embedded in paraffin, and the sections stained with hematoxilin and eosin. The paraffin-embedded sections were also used for in situ detection of apoptotic cells. Blood samples were collected at slaughter to measure serum levels of IGF-I, FSH and LH. Neither the number of Stage I seminiferous epithelium germ cells and the morphometric parameters (tubular diameter, seminiferous epithelium height, and volumetric proportions of structural components) nor the blood levels of FSH and LH showed a significant difference between the 2 groups. However, the treated animals showed an increase in serum IGF-I (P<0.01). Apoptotic germ cells were detected in the testis of both groups, showing the same pattern and a stage-specific apoptosis pattern. Most of the labeled cells were spermatocytes. The localization of apoptotic germ cells did not differ between groups. These results suggest that short-term administration of GH does not affect bovine spermatogenesis in adult bulls.

[Contribution to the study of dental caries in 0-30-month-old infants]. / Contribuição ao estudo da cárie dentária em crianças de 0-30 meses.

This study evaluated the oral health conditions of 340 children, aged 0-30 months (21.3 +/- 5.6)--54.4% of girls and 45.6% of boys--from 20 public day nurseries of Salvador (Brazil), as to the presence of incipient carious lesions. The exam was carried out by a single examiner, who utilized a mirror, a probe and a penlight. The teeth were wiped with gauzes in order to remove the dental plaque. A questionnaire was answered by the children's parents or caretakers in order to assess information regarding knowledge on caries, caries risk factors, socioeconomic status of the family and utilization of fluoride. Two hundred and twenty-nine answered questionnaires (67.35%) were obtained. The observed lesions were classified in five stages, according to their severity (C0-C4; active/inactive). The data were analyzed using the Epi-info 6.02. The prevalence of caries was 55.3% when all stages were registered: 25% for subjects aged 0-12 months, 51.18% for subjects aged 13-24 months and 71.03% for those aged 25-30 months (chi 2 = 25.31, p < 0.01). When only active white spots were considered, 49.7% of the children were affected; 17.6% of the children presented with cavitated lesions. Among the affected children, 90.96% had lesions only on anterior teeth: 80% of the lesions were white spots and 20%, cavities. No significant difference was observed between genders. The increased amount of biofilm was positively associated with dental decay in toddlers (chi 2 = 67.61, p < 0.01), and the number of affected children increased when the sleep-time nursing habit was present (chi 2 = 0.24, p = 0.62). The prevalence of lesions increased with age and with the number of erupted teeth (chi 2 = 25.31, p < 0.01; chi 2 = 122.95, p < 0.01). Early oral health attention, diagnosis of incipient lesions, as well as educative and preventive programs to change oral hygiene and dietary habits are suggested.

[Assessment of effectiveness of the Tanaka-Johnston method for prediction of the mesiodistal diameter of unerupted canines and premolars]. / Avaliação da efetividade do método de Tanaka-Johnston para predição do diâmetro mésio-distal de caninos e pré-molares não-irrompidos.

In the present study, the authors evaluated the Tanaka-Johnston method of prediction, with the objective of verifying its effectiveness for the right and left sides, for both genders and for the white, light mulatto, medium mulatto, dark mulatto and black races in the city of Salvador, Bahia. The mesiodistal diameter of the inferior permanent incisors, canines and premolars that had already erupted was measured with the aid of a digital caliper rule in the oral cavity of 98 individuals (45 males and 53 females), aging from 13 to 29 years. The results obtained with the application of the Tanaka-Johnston formulas were compared with the real values through statistical tests. After the analysis of the results, it was observed that the correlation between the estimated values and the real values was greater for females than it was for males. As to race, the coefficients of correlation were satisfactory. They were greater in the superior arch for the dark mulatto race (0.67), and in the inferior arch for the light mulatto race (0.74). Considering the sides, the findings revealed a greater coefficient of correlation for the inferior arch on the left side (0.61). It was concluded that the Tanaka-Johnston method, in spite of originating from a sample of European descendants, is indicated for the prediction of the mesiodistal diameter of canines and premolars in the different races evaluated in this research. The effectiveness of the referred method was also checked for both genders and sides in the studied sample.

Antibioticoterapia para controle da mastite subclínica de vacas em lactação / Antibiotic therapy for subclinical mastitis control of lactating cows

Avaliou-se a eficiência da antibioticoterapia como estratégia para o controle de mastite subclínica em animais em lactação. Foram tratados 83 tetos infectados de 31 animais de três propriedades leiteiras, divididos em dois estádios da lactação:15 a 100 dias (grupo I) e 101 a 200 dias (grupo II), com aplicação intramamária de 250mg de cefacetril sódico (cefalotina). A droga permaneceu 24 horas dentro dos quartos do úbere dos animais tratados. Vinte e oito tetos de 14 animais infectados foram mantidos como controle, sem tratamento. Os grupos tratados e controle foram avaliados nos dias zero, 14, 25 e 40 após o tratamento por meio de provas de California Mastitis Test (CMT), contagem de células somáticas (CCS), isolamento e identificação de patógenos e produção leite. Staphylococcus aureus e Staphylococcus coagulase-negativo foram os microrganismos mais isolados (43,1 por cento), seguidos por Bacillus spp, Corynebacterium bovis, Streptococcus uberis e Escherichia coli. Quatorze dias após o tratamento houve redução de 61,4 por cento das infecções intramamárias e acentuada diminuição da CCS e de reações positivas ao CMT nos animais tratados, nos dois estádios da lactação. Entre os dias 25 e 40 após tratamento as diferenças não foram significativas (P> 0,05). Ocorreram recidivas ou reinfecções nos tetos tratados. O aumento de produção de leite não foi significativo entre os animais tratados (P> 0,05). A antibioticoterapia durante a lactação não foi efetiva para o controle das mastites subclínicas, mesmo em animais que apresentaram alta contagem de células somáticas