Characterization and anti-staphylococcal activity of the essential oil from Turnera subulata Sm

The present study is pioneer in analyzing the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Turnera subulata Sm. and evaluates their antibacterial activity against a panel of drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. The aerial parts were kiln-dried and then powdered in mechanical mill, and was subjected to hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus. The components were analyzed using a mass spectrometrycoupled gas chromatography (GC-MS), and the identification of substances was performed by comparison of the mass spectra obtained with the mass spectra of the database of the GC-MS and retention indices . The essential oil was evaluated using the method of broth dilution at concentrations ranging from 3.125µg/mL to 3200µg/mL. It was possible to identify 45 substances (92.1%) of the essential oils, and the major components were trans-caryophyllene (6.7%), citronellol (5.6%), sphatulenol (5.3%), α-cadinol (4.3%), n-tricosano (4.3%), geraniol (4.1%) and trans-geranilacetone (3.7%), n-pentacosano (3.5%), globulol (3.4%), caryophyllene oxide (3.2%). The essential oil of T. subulata Sm. showed effective antibacterial activity for the various strains of S. aureus tested, with the MIC values between 25 µg/mL and 1600 µg/mL. The study of the essential oil of Turnera subulata Sm. showed that it consists of a complex mixture of several classes of compounds having the sesquiterpenes as major constituents followed by monoterpenes, and showed an antibacterial activity significant front the strains tested.

O presente estudo é pioneiro em analisar a composição química dos óleos essenciais das partes aéreas de Turnera subulata Sm. e sua atividade antibacteriana frente à Staphylococcus aureus resistentes a antibióticos. As partes aéreas da planta foram secas em estufa, pulverizadas em moinho mecânico e submetidas à hidrodestilaçao em aparato tipo Clevenger. A composição dos óleos essenciais foi analisada por cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massas (CG-EM), e a identificação realizada por comparação dos espectros de massas com a biblioteca do CG-EM e índices de retenção. A atividade antimicrobiana do óleo essencial foi avaliada usando o método de diluição em caldo, em concentrações que variaram de 3.125µg/mL to 3200µg/mL. Foi possível identificar 45 substâncias (92,1%) do óleo essencial, sendo os componentes majoritários: trans-cariofileno (6,7%), citronelol (5,6%), espatulenol (5,3%), α-cadinol (4,3%), n-tricosano (4,3%), geraniol (4,1%) e trans-geranilacetona (3,7%), n-pentacosano (3,5%), globulol (3,4%) e óxido de cariofileno (3,2%). O óleo essencial de T. subulata Sm. mostrou atividade antibacteriana eficaz para as várias cepas de S. aureus testadas, com valores de CIM entre 25 µg/mL e 1600 µg/mL. O estudo do óleo essencial de Turnera subulata Sm. evidenciou sua complexa mistura, contendo várias classes de substâncias, tendo os sesquiterpenos como constituintes majoritários seguido dos monoterpenos, e mostrou significativa atividade antibacteriana frente as cepas testadas.

Seizure occurrence in patients with chronic renal insufficiency in regular hemodialysis program

Hemodialysis-associated seizure is a complication of hemodialysis. This report describes the occurrence of seizures in patients with end stage renal disease on dialysis therapy at the Nephrology Institute of Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo State, Brazil. A retrospective medical history of 189 patients was reviewed to investigate the occurrence of convulsive seizures during dialytic program. Seven patients with history of seizures were selected but five of them were included in our study. Three patients presented generalized tonic-clonic seizures, one had partial seizure with secondary generalization, and one presented unclassified seizure. Three patients presented seizure just during the dialysis (unique seizure) and one of them presented convulsive status epilepticus. The two other patients had already presented seizures prior the beginning of dialysis. We conclude that seizures in renal failure could be considered as occasional events that do not usually become chronic.

Convulsões durante o tratamento dialítico podem constituir uma complicação da hemodiálise. Esse artigo descreve a ocorrência de crises em pacientes em estágio final de insuficiência renal crônica sob tratamento dialítico no Instituto de Nefrologia de Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brasil. Foram revistos os prontuários de 189 pacientes, com o objetivo de investigar a ocorrência de crises convulsivas durante o tratamento dialítico. Dos sete pacientes selecionados com história de crises, cinco concordaram em participar de nosso estudo. Três pacientes apresentaram crises generalizadas tônico-clônicas, um apresentou crise parcial com generalização subseqüente e um apresentou crise inclassificada. Três pacientes apresentaram crises apenas durante o processo dialítico (crise única) sendo que um deles apresentou status epilepticus convulsivo. Os outros dois pacientes já haviam apresentado crises antes do início do tratamento dialítico. Nós concluímos que as crises convulsivas que ocorrem em pacientes com falência renal podem ser consideradas como eventos ocasionais e que usualmente não se tornam crônicas.

Ultrasonographic criteria and tumor marker assay are good procedures for the diagnosis of ovarian neoplasia in preselected outpatients.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To identify parameters for the diagnosis of ovarian neoplasia using ultrasonography (US) and serum tumor marker (TM: CA125, CA19.9, CA15.3, AFP, CEA and estradiol) assay. METHODS: Prospective study which included 373 women with increased ovarian volume (> 18 cm3 in premenopause and > 8 cm3 in postmenopause). US criteria (> or = 1) for surgery were: persistent (> 4 months) or increased cyst, cysts with > 1 thick septum or > or = 2 thin septa, cyst diameter > or = 7 cm, vegetation, calcification or cystic predominance (> 50%), solid tumor (> 50%). Doppler with a resistance index (RI) < 0.4 was considered abnormal. RESULTS: Laparotomy was performed in 164 (44%) patients with 66 (40.2%) benign neoplasias and 19 (11.6%) malignant cases (73.6% at Stage I or II). Two hundred and nine patients were maintained on clinical follow-up. The sensitivity for neoplasia and malignant neoplasia was, respectively, for RI: 17 and 63.6 and RI plus TM: 53.1 and 90.9. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound criteria and TM assay were indicated for the diagnosis of ovarian neoplasia.

Purification and partial characterization of cathepsin D from porcine (Sus scrofa) liver using affinity chromatography.

Cathepsin D, a lysosomal aspartic protease, has been purified from porcine liver using a combination of pepstatin-A agarose and Affi-Gel Blue affinity chromatography, followed by size-exclusion chromatography. The purified protein consists of two polypeptide chains of 15 and 30 kDa, and has an isoelectric point of 6.8. Porcine liver cathepsin D has maximum activity at pH 2.5-3.0 as determined by its activity against hemoglobin, with a Kcat of 14.3 s-1 and a kcat/KM of 2.70 x 10(6) s-1M-1 as determined by the hydrolysis of a fluorogenic peptide substrate.

Intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptide substrates for human renin.

Six intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptides related to the sequences Phe8 to His13, His6 to His13, and Tyr4 to His13 of the human angiotensinogen, containing o-aminobenzoyl (Abz) and ethylenediamine dinitrophenyl (EDDnp) groups at amino- and carboxyl-terminal amino acids residues, were synthesized by classical solution methods. The Leu-Val is the only bond of all obtained peptides that was hydrolyzed by human renin with different degrees of purity and was resistant to hydrolysis by pig renin and cathepsin D. The hydrolysis of Abz-His-Pro-Phe-His-Leu-Val-Ile-His-EDDnp by human renin was inhibited by a highly specific transition-state analog of angiotensinogen (IC50 = 7.8 x 10(-9) M), described by K. Iizuka et al. (1990, J. Med. Chem. 33, 2707-2714). Therefore, specific and sensitive substrates for the continuous assay of human renin in which as little as 70 microGU of human renin could be detected by Abz-Phe-His-Leu-Val-Ile-His-EDDnp were described. The optimal pHs of hydrolysis of the substrates were in the range 4 to 6.

Atividade colinesterasica no plasma e em eritrocitos de portadores de megacolo chagasico. / Plasma and erythrocyte cholinesterase activity of patients with Chagas' megacolon

A atividade colinesterasica foi medida no plasma e em eritrocitos de 32 individuos.Em 16 pacientes, seguramente portadores de megacolo chagasico, os niveis de colinesterase no plasma (1.540 +/- 318 UI/L) e nos eritrocitos (53,2 +/- 9,1 UI/g Hb) estavam significativamente diminuidos, quando comparados com os niveis enzimaticos no plasma (2.554 +/- 826 UI/L) e nos eritrocitos (63,6 +/- 11UI/g Hb) do grupo controle (n = 16). Os resultados mostraram um paralelismo entre a atividade colinesterasica sistemica e os achados histopatologicos

A quantative study for starvation-induced photoresistance in E. coli.

Curvas de sobrevivencia a radiacao ultravioleta de culturas de diversas cepas de E. coli K 12, proficientes ou nao em sistemas de reparacao, foram obtidas apos carenciamento em glicose e em fatores indispensaveis a multiplicacao bacteriana. Estas curvas foram matematicamente ajustadas a modelo previamente descrito, o que permitiu estabelecer parametro para expressar o aumento de fotorresistencia induzida pelo carenciamento (SIRE). Os resultados obtidos reforcam a hipotese de estar o SIRE relacionado com o mecanismo de reparacao por excisao

Thermal degradation products of sugars in alkaline pH. II - Effect of mono and disaccharide phosphate solutions on Escherichia coli.

A esterilizacao a quente de mono-e dissacarideos redutores, na presenca de fosfatos, em pH alcalino, promove reacoes de caramelizacao que resultam em uma serie de produtos de degradacao. Dentre estes, os de natureza aldeidica parecem ser os responsaveis pela diminuicao da viabilidade de celulas de E. coli proficientes em reparo de DNA, quando previamente irradiadas com UV. O efeito das solucoes de sacarideos redutores testados, quando mantidas as condicoes experimentais, e expresso atraves de cineticas de inativacao cujas caracteristicas sao similares; durante a incubacao o fenomeno e inibido pela presenca de catalase. Com solucoes de dissacarideos nao redutores, observa-se uma alteracao negligenciavel na viabilidade celular, sugerindo que a geracao de substancias toxicas pode estar associada a existencia de, pelo menos, um grupamento carbonila livre na estrutura do sacarideo