Metabolic effects of dietary sucrose and fructose in type II diabetic subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the metabolic effects of dietary fructose and sucrose in type II diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Sixteen well-controlled type II diabetic subjects were fed three isocaloric diets for 28 days each. The three diets provided 50-55, 15, and 30-35% of total energy from carbohydrate, protein, and fat, respectively. In one diet, 20% of total calories were derived from fructose; in another, 19% of total calories were derived from sucrose; and in the control diet, only 5% of daily calories were derived from sugars, all other carbohydrates being supplied as polysaccharides. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between either the fructose or the sucrose diet and the control polysaccharide diet in any of the measures of glycemic control, serum lipid levels, or insulin and C-peptide secretion. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that in the short and middle terms, high fructose and sucrose diets do not adversely affect glycemia, lipemia, or insulin and C-peptide secretion in well-controlled type II diabetic subjects.

Infection by Trypanosoma vivax in goats and sheep in the Brazilian semiarid region: from acute disease outbreak to chronic cryptic infection.

A study was undertaken to investigate the role of Trypanosoma vivax in sheep and goat mortality and abortions in the Brazilian semiarid region, where outbreaks had been previously reported in bovines. For this purpose, 177 goats and 248 sheep (20% of herds) were randomly sampled on four farms in the State of Paraiba in May and October 2008. The animals were screened for trypanosomes by the buffy coat technique (BCT) and PCR. Infected animals, approximately 25% in both surveys, manifested apathy, pale mucous membranes, enlarged lymph nodes, weakness, weight loss, opacity of the cornea, blindness and abortion. However, the animals with acute and severe disease showing the highest levels of parasitemia and fever, which many times resulted in death, were only detected in the first survey. These severely diseased animals exhibited progressive weight loss and had the smallest packed cell volume (PCV) values. During survey 2, done in October 2008 on the same farms, only animals with low parasitemia and normal temperatures, PCV values and body weights were detected. Therefore, animals that spontaneously recovered from acute infection developed chronic and asymptomatic disease. This finding demonstrated for the first time that sheep and goats, which are the most important livestock in the semiarid region of Brazil, may be severely injured by T. vivax infection and also play a role as asymptomatic carriers and important sources of T. vivax to ruminants in general.

Avaliação da atividade cicatrizante do óleo de pequi (Caryocar coriaceum Wittm) em feridas cutâneas produzidas experimentalmente em ratos / Evaluation of the healing activity of pequi (Caryocar coriaceum Wittm) oil in cutaneous wounds induced experimentally in rats

O objetivo deste estudo foi demonstrar os efeitos do tratamento tópico do creme à base de óleo de pequi (Caryocar coriaceum Wittm) utilizando 40 ratos (Rattus norvegicus albinus) da linhagem Wistar, machos, com 60 dias de idade. Esses foram divididos em dois grupos: I) composto por 20 ratos com feridas cutâneas tratados com aplicação tópica do creme base com 10% de óleo de pequi; II) com o mesmo número de animais que receberam a aplicação tópica do creme base sem o óleo de pequi. Após antissepsia e anestesia local foi produzida cirurgicamente ferida circular de 1 cm de diâmetro na região dorso lombar. As lesões cutâneas foram avaliadas sob o aspecto clínico, morfométrica e histológico no 3o, 7o, 14o e 21o dias pós-operatório. No grupo tratado com creme à base de óleo de pequi houve aceleração na evolução do processo cicatricial. As feridas dos animais desse grupo apresentaram redução significativa a partir do décimo quarto dia pós-operatório, bem como foram verificados nesse período achados histológicos característicos da etapa final do processo de cicatrização tais como: acentuada quantidade de fibroblastos, fibras colágenas e completo processo de reepitelização, enquanto que as feridas do grupo controle necessitaram de mais tempo para resolução do processo cicatricial.

The main objective of this study was to demonstrate the effects of topical treatment with ointment containing pequi oil (Caryocar coriaceum Wittm), using 40 male 60-day-old mice (Rattus norvegicus albinus) from the Wistar line. These were divided into two groups: I) composed by 20 mice with cutaneous wounds treated by topical application of the ointment based on 10% pequi oil; II) the same number of mice, receiving the topical application of ointment without pequi oil. After antisepsis and local anesthesia, round 1-cm-diameter wounds were made on the lower back region. The wounds were evaluated in regard to clinical, morphometric and histological aspects on the 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st postoperative days. The group treated with the pequi ointment presented acceleration in the healing process. The animals' wounds of this group showed a meaningful reduction from the 14th postoperative day, when histological characteristics from the ending of the healing process were noted, such as a large amount of fibroblasts, collagen fibers and a complete process of reepithelialization, while the wounds of the control group needed more time for the healing process.

Avaliação da atividade cicatrizante do jucá (Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. ex Tul. var. ferrea) em lesões cutâneas de caprinos / Evaluation of the Brazilian ironwood (Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. ex Tul. var. ferrea) healing activity on cutaneous lesions of goats

O objetivo deste estudo foi demonstrar os efeitos do tratamento tópico do jucá (Caesalpinia ferrea) em feridas cutâneas. Quinze caprinos machos sem raça definida foram divididos em 3 grupos de acordo com o pós-cirúrgico (7º, 14º e 21º dias). As feridas experimentais foram tratadas com a pomada composta pela casca da Caesalpinia ferrea em pó misturada com a vaselina estéril e as do grupo controle apenas com a vaselina esterilizada. A aplicação diária da pomada e da vaselina estéril foi realizada sobre ferida circular padronizada de 16 cm² de área na região torácica de cada animal. As avaliações das feridas foram feitas do ponto de vista clínico, bacteriológico, morfométrico e histopatológico nos períodos pré-determinados (7º, 14º e 21º dias). Morfometricamente, as feridas do controle apresentaram áreas cirúrgicas menores e grau de contração maior que as do grupo tratado, entretanto, histologicamente, houve completa epitelização das feridas tratadas no 21º dia, enquanto que as feridas do grupo controle necessitavam de mais tempo para resolução do processo cicatricial. No exame microbiológico realizado no momento da produção da ferida, não se observou crescimento bacteriano e no momento das biópsias, identificou-se a presença de bactérias da família Enterobacteriaceae e Staphylococcus aureus, sendo que a partir do 14º dia observou-se Staphylococcus aureus apenas no grupo controle. A utilização tópica da pomada de Caesalpinia ferrea apresentou eficiência significativa no auxílio da reparação cicatricial de feridas cutâneas de caprinos.

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effects of the topical treatment with Brazilian ironwood (Caesalpinia ferrea) on cutaneous wounds. Fifteen male mongrel goats were divided into 3 groups according to the postoperative period ((7th, 14th and 21st days). The experimental wounds were treated with an ointment composed of Brazilian wood powder bark mixed with sterile vaseline, whereas controls were only treated with sterile Vaseline. The ointment and the sterile vaselin were daily applied on a standardized circular wound (16 cm² area) in the thoracic region of each animal. Clinical, bacteriological, morphometric and histopathological evaluations were performed in the wounds at predetermined periods (7th, 14th and 21st postoperative days). Morphometrically, control wounds had smaller surgical areas and greater degree of contraction than those from the treated group. However, histologically, there was a complete epithelialization of the treated wounds on the 21st day, whereas control wounds required longer time for healing. In the microbiological evaluation performed at the moment of wound production, there was no bacterial growth. During biopsies, Enterobacteriaceae bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus were identified; from the 14th day, the latter was only observed in the control group. The topical use of Caesalpinia ferrea ointment was significantly efficient to help healing cutaneous wounds in goats.

Characterisation of uveitis in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics of uveitis related to psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and also to compare the uveitis in PsA to the uveitis in spondyloarthropathy (SA). METHODS: Sixteen patients with uveitis and PsA were evaluated in a tertiary care uveitis clinic. These patients were compared retrospectively to a series of 89 patients with uveitis and SA. RESULTS: Eight (50%) of the 16 patients with uveitis had strictly peripheral arthritis, while two (12.5%) had axial only, and six (37.5%) had axial and peripheral arthritis. Patients with uveitis and axial disease were more likely to be male (100% v 38%) and HLA-B27 positive (6 of 6 typed positive v 0 of 3 typed positive) when compared with those with uveitis and peripheral arthritis only. Compared with patients with SA, those with PsA were more likely to have insidious onset (19% v 3%), simultaneously bilateral (37.5% v 7%), chronic duration (31% v 6%), or posterior (44% v 17%) uveitis. Complications of uveitis were similar in the SA and PsA groups. CONCLUSION: Uveitis in patients with PsA was more likely to be insidious in onset, continuous, posterior, and active bilaterally compared with uveitis in patients with SA. Patients with uveitis and axial involvement were more likely to be male and HLA-B27 positive compared with patients with uveitis and peripheral arthritis alone. Patients with seronegative arthritis and uveitis that begins insidiously, lasts longer than six months, is bilateral, or is posterior, should be carefully questioned about the presence of either psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease.