Adaptaçöes fisiológicas precoces e tardias após valvotomia mitral por cateter baläo / Early and late physiological effects of balloon mitral valvuloplasty

OBJETIVO - avaliaçäo näo invasiva das respostas cardiopulmonares ao exercício a curto e longo prazo após valvotomia por cateter baläo. MÉTODOS - Estudaram-se 9 pacientes do sexo feminino, 35ñ9 anos, com estenose mitral, tipo funcional II ou III, em uso de digitálicos e diuréticos, através de teste ergoespirométrico, eletrocardiograma e ecocardiograma, antes e após valvotomia em fase precoce (3 a 5 dias) e tardia (8 a 12 meses). RESULTADOS - Os pacientes evoluíram para tipo funcional II (44 por cento) ou I (56 por cento), na fase tardia. Houve reduçÝo da freqüência cardíaca de repouso (87ñ11bpm vs 85ñ7bpm vs 75ñ9bpm) e elevaçäo do número de estágios (4ñ1 estágios vs 5ñ2 estágios vs 6ñ1 estágios); a capacidade aeróbica máxima aumentou apenas na fase tardia (16ñ3mL/kg/min vs 18ñ4mL/kg/min vs 22ñ7mL/kg/min). O limiar anaeróbico, a ventilaçäo pulmonar e o equivalente ventilatório do O2 (Oxigênio 2) permaneceram inalterados. Nas cargas submáximas de exercício ocorreu reduçäo da freqüência cardíaca (estágio I: 124ñ18bpm vs 112ñ13bpm vs 87ñ15bpm), consumo de O2 (Oxigênio 2) (estágio I: 10ñ2mL/kg/min vs 8ñ2mL/kg/min vs 8ñmL/kg/min) e ventilaçäo pulmonar, nas fases precoce e tardia. A área valvar mitral mostrou reduçöes na fase tardia (0,94cm² vs 1,66cm² vs 1,20cm²). CONCLUSÄO - Apesar da tendência à reestenose parcial, houve melhora no tipo funcional e no desempenho cardiopulmonar com diminuiçäo da sobrecarga circulatória no exercício submáximo.

Quimioprofilaxia da doença de Chagas: bloqueio da transmissão transfusional por produtos naturais / Chemyprophylaxis of Chagas disease: blockage of blood transfusion transmission by natural products

Em busca da solução para o serio problema da transmissão transfusional da doença de Chagas em nosso meio, realizamos a avaliação de produtos naturais corn atividade tripanosomicida. Os testes "in vitro" foram realizados incubando-se a 4°C, sangue de camundongos contendo ± 10(6)/ ml formas tripomastigotas de Trypanosoma cruzi corn os extratos vegetais. Após diferentes períodos de incubação, frações sangüíneas foram examinadas em microscopia de fase. Os extratos que apresentaram atividade tripanosomicida ate 48 horas de incubação, foram examinados em microscopia eletrônica corn intuito de verificarmos sua toxicidade contra os elementos normais do sangue. Foram testados 242 extratos obtidos de 81 vegetais a 56 demonstraram atividade.

Considering the serius problem of blood transfusion transmission of Chagas disease in our environment, we realized the evalution of natural products against Chagas diseases. The tests were realized "in vitro" by in incubation at 4ºC mouse blood having ± 10(6)/ml of Trypanosoma cruzi, sample "y" and "Colombina" with the plant extracts. After different times of incubation, blood fractions were examined by phase microscopy. The drugs that showed activity until 48 hours of incubation, were examined by electron microscopy to virify the toxicity to blood elements. The tests were realized with 242 extracts from 81 plants and 56 extracts showed activity against T. cruzi.

[Chemoprophylactic activity on Schistosomiasis mansoni of soaps containing essential oil from the fruits of Pterodon pubescens]. / Atividade quimioprofilática na esquistossomose mansoni de sabonetes contendo óleo essencial de frutos de Pterodon pubescens.

The chemoprophylactic action of the essential oil of the fruit of Pterodon pubescens Benth (Leguminosae), incorporated in different soap formulations, was studied in experimental schistosomiasis. The formulations were used locally on the tails of mice which were exposed to Schistosoma mansoni cercariae immediately, 24, 72 or 168 hours later by the method of tail immersion. Protection was evaluated 45 days after exposure when the mice were sacrificed and the worms collected by perfusion. The results showed levels of protection varying from 0.0 to 100% depending on the formulation used. A methodology that allowed the evaluation of soap protection of mice exposed to natural infection in snail infested streams on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte, MG, was also developed. Promising results were obtained in that protection of between 57.5 and 31.1% was observed in field trials when soap was applied to the animals 24 and 48 hours earlier. Preliminary studies evaluating irritation and toxicity were favorable and showed that this new prophylactic weapon could contribute to the control of schistosomiasis.

Antimalarial activity of crude extracts from Brazilian plants studied in vivo in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice and in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum in culture

1. Ninety-five crude extrat obtained with either organic solvents or water from 48 Brazilian plants or parts of plants were evaluated experimentally as blood schizontocides. Seventy-three extracts wee obtained from 33 plants randomly collected using an empirical approach, and 22 from 15 "medicinal" plants. 2. The crude extracts were screened in vivo at up to 1.0g/Kg, po, for 4 days in mice infected with blood forms of Plasmodium berghei and parasitemia was determined on the fifth day. 3. Six plants, 2 randomly collected, Vernonia brasiliana and Eupatorium squalidum, and 4 "medicinal" plants, Acanthospermum australe, Esenbeckia febrifuga, Lisianthus speciosus, and Tachia guianensis, were partly active aginst the rodent malaria, i.e., they showed 40-50% inhibition of P. berghei multiplication. Forthy-two plants whose extracts presented no antimalarial activity are reported. 4. Four extracts with antimalarial activity were also tested in vitro using P. falciparum cultures and two of them, V. brasiliana and A. australe, were active. Extracts of V. brasiliana caused about 50% inhibition of parasite multiplication at relatively low doses (40ng/ml) as compared to chloroquine (30ng/ml) and quinine (50ng/ml). The relatively high percentage of positive results obtained here for "medicinal" plants vs randomly chosen plants demonstrates the effectiveness of the ethnopharmacological approach to drug testing

[Chemoprophylactic activity of soaps containing essential oil from the fruit of Pterodon pubescens in schistosomiasis mansoni]. / Atividade quimioprofilática de sabonetes contendo óleo essencial de frutos de Pterodon pubescens na esquistossomose mansoni.

It has been studied the chemoprophylactic action on experimental schistosomiasis of the essential oil from Pterodon pubescens "sucupira branca" as an additive through different formulations, in toilet soap. Immediately or 24 hours later, groups of mice were exposed by tail method to Schistosoma mansoni cercariae. After 45 days of the exposition, the protective action of these soaps were evaluated. The results showed different levels of protection, ranging from 29.0 to 100.0%. Further studies are on going with the most promising formulations.

Atividade quimioprofilática de sabonetes contendo óleo essencial de frutos de Pterodon pubescens na esquistossomose mansoni / Chemoprophylactic activity of soaps containing essential oil of Pterodon pubescens fruits in Schistosomiasis mansoni

It has been studied the chemoprophylactic action on experimental schistosomiasis of the essential oil from Pterodon pubescens "sucupira branca" as an additive through different formulations, in toilet soap. Immediately or 24 hours later, groups of mice were exposed by tail method to Schistosoma mansoni cercariae. After 45 days of the exposition, the protective action of these soaps were evaluated. The results showed different levels of protection, ranging from 29.0 to 100.0%. Further studies are on going with the most promising formulations.

Quimioprofilaxia da esquistossomose: atividade moluscicida de produtos naturais - ensaios com caramulos adultos e desovas. / Chemoprophylaxis of schistosomiasis: molluscacidal activity of natural products - assays with adult snails and oviposition

Sao apresentados os dados relativos a atividade moluscicida de 159 extratos, de 84 plantas brasileiras, sobre Biomphalaria glabrata, o mais importante hospedeiro intermediario do Schistosoma mansoni no Brasil. Setenta e oito (49,0%) dos extratos mostraram atividade contra caramujos ou desovas, porem, somente vinte e nove (18,2%)foram ativos sobre ambos. Os extratos de duas especies de vegetais (Mikania hirsutissima e Qualea multiflora) foram letais aos caramujos adultos, na concentracao de 10 ppm