CCS e amiloide A do leite de quartos mamários tratados na secagem com plasma rico em plaquetas autólogo, associado ou não a antibiótico / [CCS and Amyloid A of milk from breast quarters treated in drying with autologous platelet-rich plasma, with or without antibiotics]

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar biomarcadores de mastite após terapia da secagem com plasma rico em plaquetas (PRP), associado ou não a antibiótico. Trinta e seis quartos mamários foram utilizados em três tratamentos (T): T1 - antibiótico (ATB), T2 - PRP e T3 - PRP + ATB. Amostras de leite foram coletadas antes da secagem (A1), no parto (D0) e 14, 30 e 60 dias pós-parto (D14, D30 e D60), para determinar contagem de células somáticas (CCS) e amiloide A (AA). O delineamento foi inteiramente ao acaso, com arranjo em parcelas subdivididas (SigmaPlot®). Dados de CCS foram transformados (log 10). As médias foram comparadas utilizando-se testes de Tukey ou Holm-Sidak (P<0,05). A CCS em A1 foi elevada em todos os grupos (P>0,05). No D30, CCS foi maior em T2 (P<0,05), igualando-se no D60. Não houve diferença na AA entre Ts em qualquer dia de coleta (P>0,05). Houve diferença nos momentos de coleta (P<0,05), A1 maior que D14 e D30. Houve uma correlação positiva fraca com CCS (0,280). Os tratamentos foram semelhantes em manter a saúde da glândula mamária na lactação subsequente. O PRP intramamário pode ser usado para terapia de vaca seca em casos de mastite subclínica.(AU)

This study aimed to evaluate biomarkers of mastitis after autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) dry cow therapy, associated or not with antibiotic, compared to conventional treatment. Thirty-six mammary quarters were used in three treatments (T): T1 - antibiotic, T2 - PRP and T3 - PRP + ATB. Milk samples were collected before drying (A1), on calving (D0) and at 14, 30 and 60 days postpartum (D14, D30 and D60), for Somatic Cell Count (CCS) and amyloid dosage A (AA). The design was completely randomized with arrangement in subdivided plots (SigmaPlot ®). Data from CCS were transformed in log10. Means were compared using the Tukey or Holm-Sidak tests, at a 95% confidence level (P<0.05). CCS in A1 was elevated in allgroups (P>0.05). On D30 CCS was higher in T2 (P<0.05), matching D60. There was no difference in AA among T on any day of collection (P>0.05). There was difference in collection moments (P<0.05), A1 different from D14 and D30. There was a weak positive correlation with CCS (0.280). Three treatments were similar in maintaining the health of the mammary gland at subsequent lactation. PRP intramammary can be used for dry cow therapy in subclinical mastitis.(AU)

Avaliação biométrica de caracteres do melão de São Caetano (Momordica charantia L) / Biometric evaluation of the characters of the melon from Sao Caetano (Momordica charantia L)

RESUMOO melão de São Caetano, planta trepadeira originaria do leste indiano e sul da Índia, é encontrada no bioma caatinga. Neste trabalho objetivou-se avaliar a biometria dos frutos e o número de sementes por fruto do melão de São Caetano. Os frutos foram coletados em área de vegetação nativa do campus da Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), situada no município de Mossoró, RN, seguindo para o laboratório de fitotecnia para a determinação das seguintes características: comprimento, diâmetro e peso dos frutos, bem como o número de sementes por fruto. As análises descritivas e gráficas foram realizadas utilizando o pacote estatístico software R-project. As variáveis, comprimento e diâmetro apresentaram baixa amplitude de variação e bons valores de coeficiente de variação. Já o peso do fruto e o número de sementes por fruto mostraram alta amplitude de variação. Verificou-se alto grau de simetria e distribuição mesocúrtica para todas as características avaliadas nesse estudo. Constatou-se também a correlação linear simples positiva significativa entre o comprimento e o diâmetro, e não significativa entre o peso e o número de sementes por fruto, e que os dados referentes a todas as características do fruto do melão de São Caetano avaliadas neste trabalho se ajustaram à distribuição normal de probabilidade, o que permite a realização de inferências com base estatística.

ABSTRACTThe melon from Sao Caetano is a climbing plant, originally from India and South East India and is found in the savanna biome. This study aimed to evaluate the biometric fruit and the number of seeds per fruit of the melon Sao Caetano. The fruits were collected inside a native vegetation area of the campus at the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), located in the city of Mossoró, RN. They were then taken to the laboratory of crop science, for the determination of the following characteristics: length, diameter and fruit weight as well as number of seeds per fruit. The descriptive and graphical analyzes were performed by using the statistical package R -project software. The length and diameter variables exhibited a low amplitude variation and a good value for the coefficient of variation. However, the fruit weight and number of seeds per fruit showed a high amplitude variation. There was a high degree of symmetry and a flattened distribution for all traits evaluated in this study. It was also found significant positive simple linear correlation between the length and diameter, and no significant difference between the weight and number of seeds per fruit. The data related to all features of the São Caetano melon fruit evaluated in this study were adjusted to normal distribution of probability which allows the performance of interferences with statistical basis.

Rendimento do coentro (Coriandrum sativum L) adubado com esterco bovino em diferentes doses e tempos de incorporação no solo / Yield of the coriander [Coriandrum sativum (L)] fertilized with manure at different doses and incorporation times in the soil

RESUMO O uso de esterco bovino é de suma importância para os agricultores familiares que produzem coentro na região de Mossoró-RN, pois esse insumo é amplamente disponível e utilizado pelos agricultores. Objetivando-se avaliar o Rendimento do coentro fertilizado com esterco bovino em diferentes doses e tempos de incorporação ao solo foi conduzido um experimento no período de setembro a novembro de 2011, na Fazenda Experimental Rafael Fernandes, da Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido - UFERSA, Brasil. Os tratamentos consistiram da combinação de quatro doses de esterco bovino incorporadas ao solo: 15,0; 30,0; 45,0 e 60,0 t ha-1 em base seca, com quatro tempos de incorporação: 28; 49; 64 e 80 dias antes da semeadura do coentro - DAS, mais um tratamento controle (ausência de adubação). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos completos casualizados com os tratamentos arranjados em esquema fatorial 4 x 4 + 1 com 3 repetições. A cultivar de coentro utilizado foi a Verdão e as variáveis determinadas foram altura e número de hastes por planta e rendimento de coentro. O coentro respondeu à aplicação de esterco bovino, produzindo rendimentos máximos de 6453 e 6349 kg ha-1 de massa verde, com a dose de 60 t ha-1 e aos quarenta e seis dias de incorporação antes da semeadura, respectivamente.

ABSTRACT The use of manure is very important to family farmers who produce coriander in the region of Mossoró-RN, because this input is widely available and used by farmers. Aiming to evaluate the yield of the coriander fertilized with manure at different doses and incorporation times in the soil, a trial was conducted from September to November 2011, at the Experimental Farm Rafael Fernandes in the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, Brazil. The treatments consisted on the combination of four levels of manure incorporated into the soil: 15.0; 30.0; 45.0 and 60.0 t ha-1 at dry basis, with four incorporation times: 28; 49; 64 and 80 days before the coriander"s sowing - DAS, plus a control treatment (without fertilization). The experimental design was a randomized complete block with treatments arranged in a 4 x 4 + 1, with three replications. The coriander planted was the "Verdão" and the specific variables were height and number of stalks per plant and yield of the coriander. The coriander responded to the application of the manure, producing maximum yields of 6453 and 6349 kg ha-1 of fresh mass, with the dose of 60 t ha-1 and at forty-six days of incorporation before the sowing, respectively.

Protective effects of 4-nerolidylcatechol against genotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide.

In the present work we evaluated both the mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of the Pothomorphe umbellata root extract (PUE) and its isolated active principle, the 4-nerolidylcatechol (4-NC), in bone marrow cells of mice using the micronucleus test. Swiss male mice were orally treated for 4 days with PUE (200, 100 or 50mg/kg/day) or 4-NC (50, 25 or 12.5mg/kg/day) prior to exposition with a single dose (200mg/kg) of cyclophosphamide (CP), 24h after the end of the treatment. The results demonstrated that the PUE and 4-NC did not have any mutagenic effect on mouse bone marrow cells; quite the opposite, there was a protective effect against genotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide. Taken together, under the conditions tested herein, mice treated with PUE and 4-NC showed, in a dose-dependent manner, protective effect against CP-induced genotoxicity. Due to their ability to prevent chromosomal damage, with apparent low toxicity and cost, PUE or pure 4-NC are likely to open a field of interest concerning their possible use in clinical applications.

Myasthenia gravis and thymoma. Evaluation of 41 patients.

We evaluated the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and therapeutical aspects of 41 patients with thymomatous myasthenia gravis. Thirty five patients (85.36%) were submitted to thymectomy. Follow-up ranged from two to 18 years. Diagnosis of thymoma was based upon clinical investigations and CT scan of the anterior mediastinum and in 11 patients supported by immunological tests of anti-striated muscle antibodies with a positive result in more than 80% of cases. Histopathologic examination of all thymomectomized patients confirmed the diagnosis of thymoma. There was a significant predominance of benign over malignant thymoma. Occurred higher prevalence of male patients and of patients over 40 years of age. The therapeutical strategy to control myasthenic clinical findings was the same as that for non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis. The corticosteroids associated to cytotoxic drugs were less often used. Radiotherapy of the anterior mediastinum was more often used in patients having invasive tumors submitted to surgery or not. With regard to survival and control of myasthenia gravis, especially in younger patients and in those submitted to early surgery, results of treatment were surprisingly favorable.

Evaluation of the respiratory function in myasthenia gravis. An important tool for clinical feature and diagnosis of the disease.

Myasthenic gravis may affect both inspiratory and expiratory muscles. Respiratory involvement occurred in almost all patients with myasthenia gravis in all clinical forms of the disease: 332 lung function tests done in 324 myasthenic patients without respiratory symptoms (age 34.6 +/- 18.3 years) were examined. Lung volumes analysis showed that all the patients of both sexes with generalized or ocular myasthenia gravis showed "myasthenic pattern". Male patients with "ocular" form only presented the "myasthenic pattern" with lung impairment and had, from the lung function point of view, a more benign behaviour. Female patients with the "ocular" form exhibited a behaviour of respiratory variables similar to that of the generalized form. It was not observed modification of the variables that suggested obstruction of the higher airways. The "myasthenic pattern" was rarely observed in other neuromuscular diseases, except in patients with laryngeal stenosis.

[History of the study of myasthenia gravis at the Neurologic Clinic of the Hospital of Medical School Clinics of the University of São Paulo]. / História do estudo da miastenia grave no Clínica Neurológica do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Universidade da São Paulo.

It is synthetized the evolution of the researches on myasthenia gravis at the Department of Neurology of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine, Medical School of the University of São Paulo (Brazil) between 1950 and 1992. The most important results observed about therapeutical, clinical and pathophysiological researches are reviewed. Immunologic studies and advances on molecular biology are emphasized.

Atrophy of the tongue with persistent articulation disorder in myasthenia gravis: report of 10 patients.

Ten patients with atrophy of the tongue, from a group of 752 with generalized acquired myasthenia gravis (MG), were studied. Tongue atrophy developed late in the majority of patients and was accompanied by tongue paresis (70% of the cases) and eventually associated to atrophy of other muscles of the palate, especially the uvula. All the patients exhibited severe forms of MG with bulbar involvement, mainly persistent dysphonia and dysphagia, almost always refractory to treatment. There is no correlation among atrophy of the tongue, sex, and thymus pathology. There is correlation between severeness of symptoms and early, persistent and treatment refractory dysphonia and dysphagia.

Thymectomy in over 50 years-old patients with myasthenia gravis: long and short-term results in 21 patients.

Thymectomy is considered to be an important method for the treatment of myasthenia gravis in older patients when the improvement cannot be achieved with the use certain drugs such as anticholinesterasic, corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents. In our series of 281 thymectomized patients, 13 were male and 8 female, varying their age between 50 and 73 years. The duration of the disease prior to the thymectomy varied between 30 days and 15 years; in 12 of them (57%) it lasted already 2 years. Eleven patients had the severe and eight the moderate clinical form of the disease. Nine patients were treated with corticosteroids before submitted to thymectomy. In 11 patients the histopathological changes in the thymus were evaluated: eight had thymomas, one atrophic changes, one lipomatosis and one a normal thymus. The short-term follow-up revealed important improvement in 12 patients, slight improvement in four and worsening in two; two patients died. It is concluded that thymectomy may be indicated in older patients when their condition worsens in spite of the use of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents, in the presence of serological markers or computerized tomography image indicating thymoma, and intolerance for corticosteroids.

Juvenile myasthenia gravis and thymectomy: report of ten cases.

Ten patients from 7 to 12 years of age presented generalized acquired myasthenia gravis: six had a severe form and four a moderate one. All patients showed progressive worsening and poor response to the medical treatment; all of them were submitted to thymectomy by median sternotomy. Long-term results were beneficial for 60% of the patients who experimented a marked improvement or even complete remission. One patient improved without medication being followed for two years. Another patient has been in remission taking only a minimal dose of anticholinesterase drug for seven years. In most cases prednisone has been used as long-term maintenance in the postoperative phase. Short-term results were not favorable: one death occurred and 30% of the patients worsened.

Thymectomy for myasthenia gravis: evaluation of results in 282 patients.

The results of thymectomy in 282 patients with acquired and generalised myasthenia gravis are presented. The study includes patients submitted to surgical treatment in the period between 1958 and 1990. Remission or marked improvement was obtained in 70% of the patients with follow-up extending from one to 25 years. The total post-operative mortality rate was 8% dying predominantly patients with thymoma. Median sternotomy was made in 278 patients, transcervical thymectomy in two patients and thyroidectomy with concomitant thymectomy in other two. Surgical methods, operatory phases, previous treatment with prednisone and long term evolution with final results are discussed.

Aspectos epidemiologicos e clinicos em 1.319 pacientes climatericas / Epidemiological and clinical findings in 1319 pos-menopausal woman

No periodo de junho de 1983 a setembro de 1989, foram estudadas 1319 mulheres climatericas (fase pos-menopausica) cujas idades variaram de 41 a 62 anos (media 51,3 anos), com o objetivo de avaliar, retrospectivamente, os principais parametros concernentes ao climaterio. Os seguintes resultados foram obtidos: a media etaria da menopausa foi 47,8 anos e a duracao media da menacme foi 34,3 anos; nao houve correlacao entre idade da menarca e a idade da menopausa; os sintomas vasomotores presentes em 74,6 por cento prevaleceram sobre todos os sintomas climatericos: queda de cabelo em 13,5 por cento; dor nas mamas 12,0 por cento; cefaleia 10,1 por cento; nervosismo 9,1 por cento; palpitacao 8,7 por cento, e outros. Entre as doencas associadas 28,4 por cento apresentavam hipertensao arterial; 14,1 por cento incontinencia urinaria; 13,8 por cento mioma uterino; 11,1 por cento doencas cardiovasculares; 5,4 por cento doencas osteoarticulares e 4,6 por cento diabetes mellitus. Concluem os autores que houve diferenca significativa quanto a sintomatologia entre as pacientes de peso normal e as obesas, quando comparadas com as pacientes magras, sendo a sintomatologia menos intensa nas pacientes de baixo peso; e, houve diferenca estatistica significativa quanto a sintomatologia entre as pacientes normotensas e hipertensas, pois os sintomas foram mais intensos nas hipertensas.

[Myasthenia gravis: critical evaluation of the treatment]. / Miastenia grave: avaliação crítica dos tratamentos.

The author emphasizes the difficulty of the subject since on the one hand there is no assurance about the value of the treatment methods performed commonly at the moment, and on the other hand there is an evident lack of prospectively controlled trials and double-blind studies. Mostly this dilemma occurs by the lack at the moment of any specific treatment. The author deals with the four therapeutic methods most commonly used: cholinergic drugs, thymectomy, immunosuppressive drugs and plasmapheresis. At last, the experimental specific immunotherapy by the use of antibodies and suppressive cells and the irradiation methods are discussed.

Acetylcholine receptor antibody in myasthenia gravis.

Radioimmunoassay techniques were used to detect antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AAChR) in 164 patients with adult-onset myasthenia gravis. AAChR levels above 0.6 nM/l were considered pathological and were found in 67% of the patients with an average value of 58.99 +/- 125.02 nM/l (0.6-900.0). Correlation, with clinical functional status, the histopathological thymus alterations and the different therapeutics used did not disclose any statistically significant differences.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in myasthenia gravis. Report of a case.

The case of an 11-year-old boy with external ophthalmoparesia, tetraparesia and bilateral eyelid ptosis is reported. He was 7-years-old when first symptoms appeared. Anticholinesterasic drugs were used. He was submitted to muscle biopsy. The results of histochemistry analysis showed storage of granulous material at the subsarcolemmal region of muscle fibers by SDH. Increase in the number of mitochondria with electron dense bodies was found at electron microscopy. Anticholinesterasic drugs administration was interrupted and consequently he got worse, and bouts of dyspnea occurred. Due to this worsening anticholinesterasic agents were reintroduced together with prednisone, and he improved. Due to clinical and histological expressions we think it is possible that morphological mitochondrial alterations may occur also in myasthenia gravis.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in myasthenia gravis: report of a case

É relatado o caso de um paciente de 11 anos de idade com oftalmoparesia extrínseca, ptose palpebral bilateral e tetraparesia desde os 7 anos de idade. A concentraçäo de anticorpos contra receptor de acetilcolina por radioimunoensaio foi 0,6 nM/1; a pesquisa de anticorpos contra músculo estriado foi negativa. Exame eletromiográfico revelou decremento de 26,1%. Foi tratado com brometo de piridostigmina na dose de 60 mg/d. Submetidos a biópsia de tecido muscular estriado (biceps braquial esquerdo) com avaliaçöes por métodos histoquímicos e microscopia eletrônica, que revelaram: acúmulos de mitocôndrias na regiäo subsarcolemal na coloraçäo pela SDH; aumento da concentraçäo de mitocôndrias e corpúsculos eletrodensos a microscopia eletrônica; esses achados säo sugestivos de miopatia mitocondrial. Em conseqüência da interrupçäo das drogas anticolinesterásicas ocorreu piora das manifestaçöes deficitárias, disfagia e dispnéia. Reintroduzidos os anticolinesterásicos, associados a imunossupressäo com corticosteróides, houve melhora e retomada pelo paciente de suas atividades habituais. Destarte, é discutido o caráter inespecífico das alteraçöes morfogenéticas e disfunçöes de mitocôndrias em outras patologias neuromusuclares, incluindo a miastenia grave, como neste casos em particular

Failure of treatment of myasthenia gravis by cyclosporin-A: A case report.

Recently, cyclosporin-A (Cy-A) has been used in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG). This drug could be employed in some patients refractory to classic treatments or that develop undesirable side effects. It is reported the case of a 22 year-old woman with generalized and severe MG, and diabetes mellitus. She had been submitted to thymectomy and reoperated, to the classic ethiopathogenic methods of therapy, and to total body irradiation. No therapeutical results were observed. Also, she developed transient and slow bone marrow depression, and liver dysfunction. Owing to these limitations and to the absence of response to treatments mentioned. Cy-A use was attempted in this case. Unfortunately, Cy-A did not influence the myasthenic symptomatology. Cy-A also failed in suppressing anti-AChR production, which increased during Cy-A therapy. Results observed in this case are in disagreement with literature data on the subject.

[Study of circulating lymphocytes by monoclonal antibodies in myasthenia gravis]. / Estudo dos linfócitos circulantes por anticorpos monoclonais na miastenia grave.

A significant decline of CD3 cell detected by rosettes and a significant increased of B cell populations were observed. The total CD3+, helper CD4+ and suppressor CD8+ T-cell subsets showed no significant variation em relation to sex, age thymectomy and corticotherapy by monoclonal antibodies.