Impact of ethanol and heat stress-dependent effect of ultra-diluted Arnica montana 6 cH on in vitro embryo production in cattle.

This study evaluated the effect of adding ultra-diluted and dynamized Arnica montana 6 cH, and its vehicle (0.3% ethanol) to the in vitro maturation (IVM) medium, in the absence (experiment 1) or presence (experiment 2) of heat stress (HS), on bovine oocyte maturation and in vitro embryo production (IVEP). In experiment 1 (n = 902 cumulus oocyte complexes, COCs), the treatments were 1) IVM medium (Control treatment), 2) IVM medium + 0.3% ethanol, and 3) IVM medium + Arnica montana 6 cH. In experiment 2 (n = 1064 COCs), the treatments were 1) IVM medium without HS, 2) IVM medium under HS, 3) IVM medium + ethanol under HS, and 4) IVM medium + Arnica montana under HS. In the absence of HS (experiment 1), the addition of Arnica montana to the IVM medium had a deleterious effect on the IVEP (cleavage and blastocyst rates) and the total cell number/blastocysts. On the other hand, ethanol (0.3%) increased IVEP in relation to the Control and Arnica montana treatments. However, in the presence of HS during IVM (experiment 2), the addition of ethanol or Arnica montana increased IVEP when compared to the HS treatment alone, and the Arnica montana treatment resulted in greater total cell number/blastocysts compared to the other treatments. In conclusion, this study showed for the first time that the negative or positive effect of Arnica montana 6 cH on IVEP depends on the culture condition (i.e., absence or presence of HS during IVM). On the other hand, ethanol showed beneficial and consistent results on IVEP regardless of exposure to HS.

Effect of different extracts and fractions of Senecio biafrae (Oliv. &Hiern) J. Moore on in vivo and in vitro parameters of folliculogenesis in experimental animals.

BACKGROUND: Senecio biafrae is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine to cure female infertility. Some effects have been pharmacologically demonstrated on immature female rats but in vivo and in vitro investigations are still necessary for determining its mechanism of action. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the estrogenic and FSH-like effects of the plant extracts and fractions on some fertility parameters in immature female rats and on in vitro survival and growth of swine preantral follicles. METHODS: 21-23 days old female Wistar rats orally received extracts and fractions of S. biafrae at 0, 8 and 64 mg/kg doses over 20 days. The LH, FSH, estradiol and progesterone serum levels were evaluated as well as the ovarian cholesterol, uterus and ovaries masses and proteins. The numbers of follicles at different developmental stages were recorded in ovarian cortexes after histology. Slices of swine ovarian cortexes were cultured along 1 or 7 days in alpha-minimum essential medium (α-MEM) and fixed for morphological analysis of preantral follicles. The fresh control, cultured control (CIV control) and different Senecio biafrae-treated ovarian fragments were analyzed for preantral follicles development. Treatments that showed the best follicle growth in culture were submitted to AgNOR test. The aqueous and MeOH/CH2Cl2 extracts as well as the ethyl acetate and hexane fractions of S. biafrae were submitted to the HPLC for analysis of polyphenolic secondary metabolites. RESULTS: Ovarian and uterine proteins were significantly high (p < 0.01) in animals treated with the two dosages of ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions. The same result was recorded with uterine proteins in animals treated with the hexane fraction. The FSH level significantly dropped with all ethanolic extract doses and with the 64 mg/kg dosage of the methanol/methylene chloride (MeOH/CH2Cl2) extract while LH was reduced (p < 0.01) in almost all the treated groups. Estradiol level was significantly increased (p < 0.001) in the three groups receiving the extracts, but reduced (p < 0.001) in the three groups receiving the fractions of the plant. The progesterone level increased with almost all the treated groups. Primary and secondary follicles augmented (p < 0.01) in MeOH/CH2Cl2 extract and n-butanol fraction while tertiary follicles increased with the same extract and the ethyl acetate fraction (p < 0.05). Treatments with aqueous and ethanolic extracts as well as ethyl acetate fraction led to a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the number of morphologically normal follicles after 7 days of culture as compared to the CIV control. The number of AgNOR dots per follicle was significantly low (p < 0.05) in all cultured groups as compared to the fresh control, except the ethyl acetate 2.8 ng/ml dosage. The same observation was done with AgNOR dots per cell in the 2.8 ng/ml dosage aqueous extract-treated fragments. The phenolic compounds mainly encountered in the plant, independently of the extract or fraction are apigenin, eugenol and rutin. CONCLUSION: Extracts and fractions of S. biafrae have an important FSH-like effect which induces follicular survival and growth.

Alendronate induces postnatal maxillary bone growth by stimulating intramembranous ossification and preventing premature cartilage mineralization in the midpalatal suture of newborn rats.

Cleft palate is a common malformation of craniofacial development, and postnatal deficiencies in palate formation may occur. The aim of this study was to determine whether alendronate treatment could induce maxillary mineralization and thus reduce the need for surgical procedures. The effects of alendronate on maxillary bone development, the midpalatal suture, and the levels of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-ß1), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), collagen I and II, and V-ATPase were evaluated in newborn rats. Thirty newborn rats were placed in a control group and 30 in a group that received intraperitoneal alendronate (2.5 mg/kg/day). The animals were euthanized on day 7 or 12, and the heads were subjected to histological and immunohistochemical analyses. Specimens from rats that received alendronate presented larger bone matrix deposition in areas of intramembranous ossification of the maxillary bone when compared to controls. Furthermore, higher levels of TGF-ß1, BMP-2, and collagen I were observed, whereas osteoclasts showed no V-ATPase. The alendronate group also showed higher levels of TGF-ß1 and collagen II in the midpalatal suture, whereas BMP-2 levels were lower than in controls. These results coincided with an expansion of the chondroid. In conclusion, alendronate increased the intramembranous ossification in the maxillary bone in association with increased expression of TGF-ß1, BMP-2, and collagen I and decreased V-ATPase. The drug induced an expansion of chondrocytes and a decrease in mineral bone deposition despite the high levels of TGF-ß1 in this area. Alendronate may therefore be useful in the treatment of diseases affecting bone growth.

Aetiology of molar-incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) in Brazilian children.

AIM: To determine the potential aetiological factors related to molar-incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) in Brazilian children. METHODS: A total of 1,151 children aged 7-12 years (mean 8.86 ± 1.28), born and living in the urban area of Araraquara, Brazil, were examined by two examiners evaluating the presence of MIH according to criteria suggested by the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (2003). Their mothers completed a structured questionnaire about medical history, from pregnancy to the first 3 years of the children's life. Descriptive analyses of data and odds ratios (OR) with 95 % test-based confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the differences between groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of MIH in the children was 12.3 %. The interviewing response rate was 90.4 %. The prevalence of miscarriage history (25 vs. 15.4 %; OR = 1.21; 95 % CI 0.30-4.92) and occurrence of anaemia (23 vs. 12.4 %; OR = 2.07; 95 % CI 0.50-8.63) were higher in mothers from MIH group than those from non-MIH group. However, these associations were not statically significant. In the children's medical history, rhinitis, bronchitis (56.5 vs. 52.5 %; OR = 1.17; 95 % CI 0.82-1.68), and high fever (20.4 vs. 18.2 %; OR = 1.14; 0.73-1.76) were more prevalent in MIH group, but there were no significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No possible aetiological factor investigated was associated with MIH. Prospective studies are needed to define the aetiological factors involved with MIH.

Molar incisor hypomineralisation: possible aetiological factors in children from urban and rural areas.

AIM: To analyse factors potentially associated with molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) development. METH¬ODS: A population-based study was carried out with 903 children aged from 6-12 years old, born and residing in rural and urban areas of the town of Botelhos, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Their mothers completed a structured medical history questionnaire, from pregnancy to the child's 3rd year of life. Two examiners evaluated children for MIH according to criteria suggested by the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry. Descriptive analyses of the data and odds ratios (OR) with 95% test-based confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the differences between groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of MIH in children from rural area (RA) was significantly higher than those from the urban area (UA) (24.9% versus 17.8%, p= 0.01). In urban children, neither significant associations with MIH nor medical problems were found. In rural children, however, MIH was significantly more common among those whose mothers had experienced medical problems during pregnancy (OR=2.11; 1.01-4.37 CI 95%; p=0.04), who had throat infections (OR=2.93; 1.47-5.87 CI 95%; p=0.01), who had high fever (OR=1.91; 1.07-3.39 CI 95%; p=0.02), and who had used amoxicillin associated with other antibiotics (OR=1.92; 1.02-3.62 CI 95%; p=0.04) during the first 3 years of life. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a link between MIH and health problems during pregnancy, as well as environmental factors.

Muscular force is reduced in neurofibromatosis type 1.

OBJECTIVES: To measure muscular force in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients. METHODS: The maximal voluntary muscular force (F(max)) was measured in the first 21 volunteer patients without acute health problems at the routine annual examination in the Neurofibromatosis Outpatient Reference Center during October-November (2007). The NF1 individuals were 9 males and 12 females, aged from 7 to 60 years and physically sedentary. The healthy control group was 21 healthy subjects matched to NF1 group by age, sex and physical activity. A handgrip test instrument was used to measure maximal force. To allow comparisons between physically different patients, forearm circumference (cm) was measured with a tape and forearm cross sectional area was derived to express the force per unit of forearm area. Data were compared using a t Student test (P<0.05). RESULTS: The mean F(max) of NF1 male (260-/+136 N) and NF1 female (217-/+76 N) were lower than expected for their sex and age. Healthy men showed greater F(area) (9.8-/+3.2 N x cm(-2)) than NF1 men (5.7-/+2.6 N x cm(-2)) and healthy women (6.7-/+1.6 N x cm(-2)) showed greater F(area) than NF1 females (5.7-/+1.9 N x cm(-2)). CONCLUSION: Maximal voluntary muscle force was reduced in NF1 patients.

Human herpesvirus-8 infection in hemodialysis patients from São Paulo, Brazil: preliminary results.

Epidemiological studies conducted in endemic areas of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection have shown iatrogenic Kaposi's sarcoma in renal transplant recipients. Hemodialysis has not yet been demonstrated to be a route of virus transmission/acquisition, although recently blood transfusion has been suggested as a vehicle of HHV-8 transmission. The present study searching HHV-8 antibodies among serum samples from 70 hemodialysis patients disclosed a high prevalence of infection (22.9%). There was an association between HHV-8 seroreactivity and previous transfusions and transplantation, as well as with a black/pardum ethnic background of patients. These results emphasized that chronic renal patients are at risk of developing HHV-8-related diseases.

Cryoglobulinemia in kidney transplant recipients.

The aim of this study was to assess the presence of cryoglobulins, the constitution of the cryoprecipitate, as well as the possible etiology and clinical features in kidney transplant recipients. We excluded patients with clinical or laboratory evidence of autoimmune, liver or neoplasm disease, infections, blood transfusions or immunizations in the previous 3 months. Detection of cryoglobulins was obtained from the peripheral venous blood. In cases of cryoprecipitate formation it was analyzed using anti-IgG, anti-IgM, anti-IgA, anti-C3, and anti-C4 antibodies. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) was detected by the polymerase chain reaction. Thirty-nine patients were selected, of whom 23 were men and the overall mean age was 40.6 +/- 12.7 years. Cryoprecipitate was detected in 74.4% (29/39) patients. Among patients with or without cryoprecipitate formation, the serum creatinine values, the percentage of patients with proteinuria, and the posttransplantation times were similar. In patients with cryoglobulins, 37.9% (11/29) were HCV positive. The etiology was not determined for the other patients. The IgG, IgM, and IgA immunoglobulins and the complement fractions C3 and C4 were found in the cryoprecipitate. Their compositions were similar among patients with or without HCV. Few clinical features were associated with the presence of cryoglobulins, including deep venous thrombosis, cutaneous purpura and peripheral neuropathy. In conclusion, cryoglobulinemia was prevalent in kidney transplant recipients, but appeared to not affect graft function. HCV infection was the most frequently associated etiology and clinical features were infrequent.

An improved mouth-piece to prevent environmental contamination during radioaerosol inhalation procedures.

The literature suggests that environmental contamination is common during labeled aerosol inhalation procedures in nuclear medicine. We have tested an adherent mask to prevent environmental contamination in 70 procedures. Two groups of patients were evaluated. Group 1 (60 inhalation cases in which the mask was used) presented no environmental contamination in 95% of the procedures (means of 553 dpm and 596 dpm before and after inhalation, p > 0.05, mean of the differences before/after inhalation 6.95, SD = 21.2 dpm) and the only 3 cases in which contamination did occur concerned bearded men; Group 2 (10 inhalation cases in which the mask was not used) showed large increases of environmental radioactive levels in 70% of the procedures (means of 601 dpm and 2,756 dpm before and after inhalation, p < 0.05, mean of the differences 3,066, SD = 2,98 dpm). We conclude that such a mask is very helpful in avoiding environmental contamination during radioaerosol inhalation procedures.

[Morphological changes in muscular arterial walls in hypertensive patients]. / Alterações morfológicas na parede de artéria muscular em pacientes hipertensas.

PURPOSE: To identify structural lesions in the wall of uterine arteries in hypertensive women. METHODS: Twenty six patients who underwent an elective hysterectomy were selected and separated in two groups. Group 1 was formed by women with normal blood pressure and group 2 consisted of hypertensive patients without regular treatment. Two segments of the uterine artery were obtained from every patient shortly after surgery. The fragments were fixed, sliced and stained. The morphological study was carried out using optical microscopy. RESULTS: Age was similar in both groups with means of 46.8 +/- 7.6 and 46.7 +/- 6.4 years-old in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The average maximal systolic and diastolic blood pressure during hospital admission were 130.0 +/- 3.4 and 83.8 +/- 6.5 mmHg in the control group and 163.8 +/- 4.3 and 105.8 +/- 9.9 mmHg in the hypertensive group (p < 0.0001). Hypertensive women had larger intimal thickness (p < 0.05). Elastic fibers were also more numerous and homogeneous in group 2. Cellular hypertrophy was more common in this group than in control patients (53.8% vs 23.1%). CONCLUSION: Hypertension seems to accelerate the age-related increase in intima thickness. Hypertensive women have more numerous and homogeneous elastic fibers in the wall of the uterine artery. These findings indicate that hypertension may determine structural changes similar to vascular aging.

[Recurrent inguinal hernia: study of 87 cases]. / Hérnias inguinais recidivadas: estudo de 87 casos.

A retrospective analysis is made of the data of 87 patients with recurrent inguinal hernias operated at the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo in a period of six years. As it happened with other authors, frequency of recurrence was: direct hernia (43.5%), indirect hernia (50%), the less often seen mixed form (3.9%), and crural hernia (2.6%). They discuss local and systemic etiopathogenic factors, strain in the early postoperative period being indicated as a major factor, responsible for 43.1% of the cases. More than half of recurrences (48/85) occurred in the first year, some occurring after a longer period of time (30.6% after three years). The mostly used repair techniques were modified Bassani's technique (suture of the transverse arch to the inguinal ligament) and the Lotheissen-McVay technique, in 46.1% and 42.5% of the cases, respectively. In 9 of the 85 cases, tightening the deep inguinal orifice was enough. Analysis of the rate of surgical failure was difficult, as patients did not routinely return for follow-up visits.

Possible mechanism of action of piperazine derivatives on liver mitochondria. I--Effect of p-toluyl m-nitro-piperazine (p-TNP).

The effect of p-toluyl m-nitro-piperazine on energy conservation processes in rat liver mitochondria is presented. The drug showed an inhibitory effect on the three segments of the respiratory chain and on the ATPase system. NADH oxidase and NADH dehydrogenase activity was inhibited 100%. The velocity and amplitude of swelling induced by glutamate, succinate, ascorbate + TMPD, and ATP was significantly changed by p-toluyl m-nitro-piperazine. It was suggested that the general action of the drug on mitochondrial metabolism would be concerning with modifications on mitochondrial membrane.

Schwanoma maligno de mediastino posterior - apresentacao de caso. / Malignant schwannoma of the posterior mediastinum - case report

Os autores apresentam um caso de schwanoma maligno solitario do mediastino posterior, com sintomas evidentes de compressao radicular. Comentam sua sinonimia, histogenese e propagacao. Ainda que haja ausencia de linfonodos loco regionais, a presenca de pequeno tumor no hemitorax esquerdo, metastases osseas e sinais de hipertensao intra craniana, sugerem uma possivel disseminacao hematogenica do tumor