Chronic aerobic exercise associated to low-dose L-NAME improves contractility without changing calcium handling in rat cardiomyocytes.

Nitric oxide (NO) inhibition by high-dose NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) is associated with several detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. However, low-dose L-NAME increases NO synthesis, which in turn induces physiological cardiovascular benefits, probably by activating a protective negative feedback mechanism. Aerobic exercise, likewise, improves several cardiovascular functions in healthy hearts, but its effects are not known when chronically associated with low-dose L-NAME. Thus, we tested whether the association between low-dose L-NAME administration and chronic aerobic exercise promotes beneficial effects to the cardiovascular system, evaluating the cardiac remodeling process. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to control (C), L-NAME (L), chronic aerobic exercise (Ex), and chronic aerobic exercise associated to L-NAME (ExL). Aerobic training was performed with progressive intensity for 12 weeks; L-NAME (1.5 mg·kg-1·day-1) was administered by orogastric gavage. Low-dose L-NAME alone did not change systolic blood pressure (SBP), but ExL significantly increased SBP at week 8 with normalization after 12 weeks. Furthermore, ExL promoted the elevation of left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic pressure without the presence of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Time to 50% shortening and relaxation were reduced in ExL, suggesting a cardiomyocyte contractile improvement. In addition, the time to 50% Ca2+ peak was increased without alterations in Ca2+ amplitude and time to 50% Ca2+ decay. In conclusion, the association of chronic aerobic exercise and low-dose L-NAME prevented cardiac pathological remodeling and induced cardiomyocyte contractile function improvement; however, it did not alter myocyte affinity and sensitivity to intracellular Ca2+ handling.

Chronic aerobic exercise associated to low-dose L-NAME improves contractility without changing calcium handling in rat cardiomyocytes

Nitric oxide (NO) inhibition by high-dose NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) is associated with several detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. However, low-dose L-NAME increases NO synthesis, which in turn induces physiological cardiovascular benefits, probably by activating a protective negative feedback mechanism. Aerobic exercise, likewise, improves several cardiovascular functions in healthy hearts, but its effects are not known when chronically associated with low-dose L-NAME. Thus, we tested whether the association between low-dose L-NAME administration and chronic aerobic exercise promotes beneficial effects to the cardiovascular system, evaluating the cardiac remodeling process. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to control (C), L-NAME (L), chronic aerobic exercise (Ex), and chronic aerobic exercise associated to L-NAME (ExL). Aerobic training was performed with progressive intensity for 12 weeks; L-NAME (1.5 mg·kg-1·day-1) was administered by orogastric gavage. Low-dose L-NAME alone did not change systolic blood pressure (SBP), but ExL significantly increased SBP at week 8 with normalization after 12 weeks. Furthermore, ExL promoted the elevation of left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic pressure without the presence of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Time to 50% shortening and relaxation were reduced in ExL, suggesting a cardiomyocyte contractile improvement. In addition, the time to 50% Ca2+ peak was increased without alterations in Ca2+ amplitude and time to 50% Ca2+ decay. In conclusion, the association of chronic aerobic exercise and low-dose L-NAME prevented cardiac pathological remodeling and induced cardiomyocyte contractile function improvement; however, it did not alter myocyte affinity and sensitivity to intracellular Ca2+ handling.

Conhecimento botânico medicinal sobre espécies vegetais nativas da caatinga e plantas espontâneas no agreste da Paraíba, Brasil / Botanical medical knowledge of native species of the Caatinga and spontaneous plants in the Agreste region of the state of Paraíba, Brazil

O bioma Caatinga apresenta diversas espécies vegetais amplamente empregadas pelas populações rurais, especialmente na fitoterapia, abrangendo diversos usos no tratamento de determinadas enfermidades. As plantas espontâneas, apesar de serem entendidas como espécies daninhas ou invasoras, concomitantemente apresentam propriedades fitoquímicas que podem ser aproveitadas no âmbito medicinal. Nesta concepção, o referente trabalho tem como objetivo identificar espécies vegetais nativas da Caatinga, assim como plantas espontâneas, empregadas na medicina popular através de estudo etnobotânico desenvolvido na zona rural do município de Serra da Raiz, Agreste da Paraíba, Nordeste do Brasil. O levantamento das plantas de uso fitoterápico foi estabelecido através de questionamentos e entrevistas semiestruturadas com 57 famílias da região. Foram coletadas informações referentes a 55 espécies vegetais e seus empregos terapêuticos, destacando-se entre elas: Myracrodruom urundeuva Allemão (Aroeira), Genipa americana L. (Jenipapo), Solanum paniculatum L. (Jurubeba) e Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan (Angico) por serem amplamente utilizadas no tratamento de diversas enfermidades pelos moradores locais.

The Brazilian Caatinga has several plant species widely used by rural populations, especially in phytotherapy, covering many uses in the treatment of diseases. The spontaneous plants, although regarded as invasive plants or weeds, present phytochemical properties that can be exploited in medicine. This study aims to identify native plant species of the Caatinga and spontaneous plants used in medicine through an ethnobotanical study developed in the municipality of Serra da Raiz, Agreste area of the state of Paraíba, Brazil. The survey of plants used in herbal medicine was established through the questioning of and semi-structured interviews with 57 families in the region. Information was record on 55 plant species and their therapeutic uses. The species most used in the treatment of various diseases were Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão, Genipa americana L., Solanum paniculatum L. and Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan..

Plants used by Megachile (Moureapis) sp. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in the provisioning of their nests.

This study was carried out in the Parque Municipal das Araucárias, located in the municipality of Guarapuava (PR) from May (06) to April (07). Its aim was to investigate which plants are used by Megachile (Moureapis) sp in provisioning of larvae, and to verify if this bee is oligolectic or polilectic. The collection of the plants was carried out during the bees activity period and in an area covering a 500 m radius from where the nests had been built. A sample of pollens from founded nests and from flowers was used to make permanent slides using the acetolysis method and with the aid of a light microscope, all pollen grains were examined in order to identify the plants used by this bee. A total of 80 pollen grain slides, from 16 nests were analysed. Although 99 plants were collected close to the bee's nesting site, in nest slides, the pollen of Ludwigia peruviana (36%) and Ludwigia sericea (63.6%) (Onagraceae) accounted for 99.6% of the total amount of pollen collected. With these results we are able to conclude that Megachile (Moureapis) sp is an oligolectic species and that these plants species are their important pollen source.

Plants used by Megachile (Moureapis) sp. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in the provisioning of their nests / Plantas usadas por Megachile (Moureapis) sp (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) no aprovisionamento de seus ninhos

This study was carried out in the Parque Municipal das Araucárias, located in the municipality of Guarapuava (PR) from May (06) to April (07). Its aim was to investigate which plants are used by Megachile (Moureapis) sp in provisioning of larvae, and to verify if this bee is oligolectic or polilectic. The collection of the plants was carried out during the bees activity period and in an area covering a 500 m radius from where the nests had been built. A sample of pollens from founded nests and from flowers was used to make permanent slides using the acetolysis method and with the aid of a light microscope, all pollen grains were examined in order to identify the plants used by this bee. A total of 80 pollen grain slides, from 16 nests were analysed. Although 99 plants were collected close to the bee's nesting site, in nest slides, the pollen of Ludwigia peruviana (36 percent) and Ludwigia sericea (63.6 percent) (Onagraceae) accounted for 99.6 percent of the total amount of pollen collected. With these results we are able to conclude that Megachile (Moureapis) sp is an oligolectic species and that these plants species are their important pollen source.

Esse estudo foi realizado no Parque Municipal das Araucárias, Guarapuava, PR, no período de maio (06) a abril (07). Seu objetivo foi investigar as plantas utilizadas por Megachile (Moureapis) sp. no aprovisionamento larval, e se essa é uma espécie oligolética ou polilética. No período de atividade destas abelhas foram realizadas coletas das plantas floridas num raio de 500 m dos locais onde elas estavam nidificando. Foram preparadas amostras do material polínico dos ninhos e das plantas pelo método de acetólise e com a ajuda de microscopia de luz, identificados os tipos de pólen. Foi analisado o pólen de 16 ninhos, totalizando 80 lâminas. Embora 99 plantas tenham sido coletadas próximo aos locais de nidificação desta abelha, nas lâminas provenientes dos ninhos os pólens de Ludwigia peruviana (36 por cento) e Ludwigia sericea (63,6 por cento) (Onagraceae) corresponderaram a 99,6 por cento dos daqueles coletados. Através desses resultados nos concluímos que Megachile (Moureapis) sp. é uma espécie oligolética e que essas plantas são suas importantes fontes de pólen.

[Research on psychosomatic disease. Various theoretical and methodologic aspects]. / A investigação em psicossomática. Alguns aspectos teóricos e metodológicos.

This article mentions ther present main lines of psychosomatic research either in what concerns the elimination of the concept of psychosomatic illness, or in what concerns its etiological understanding of the peculiar ways of therapeutic approach. We specify some methodological problems resulting from using several instruments to collect data and measure them. We analyse the theoric relevance of the constructs: depressive equivalents and, specially, the alexithymia one. Starting from the consensual phenomonological description of this construct, we explain its psychodynamic understanding, its neurophysiologic basis and sociocultural determination. We question the relationship between alexithymia and psychosomatic illness. We point out the pertinency of its utilization as a risk or maintainance factor and the possibility of its modelling by ambiance factors. We clarify the main heuristic contributions of this construct to psychosomatic investigation and we analyse, critically and concisely, the validity and fidelity of some instruments of measure built to measure it. It is necessary to pay prior attention to psychosomatic investigation in the health area. We propose lines of investigation to be developed in our country that should have a multidisciplinary perspective.

Treatment of 160 cases of acute bacterial meningitis with cefotaxime.

One hundred and sixty cases of acute bacterial meningitis were treated with cefotaxime. Patients were between 9 days and 79 years old: 7 new borns, 37 infants, 43 children, 19 adolescents and 54 adults. Fifty-eight patients (36%) were in coma when admitted. Aetiology was determined in 110 patients (68.8%): Neisseria meningitidis in 42, Streptococcus pneumoniae in 36, Haemophilus influenzae in 16, Salmonella spp. in 7, Staphylococcus aureus in 2, Enterobacter spp. in 2 and Haemophilus parainfluenzae, pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii and Klebsiella pneumoniae in one patient each. All isolates were sensitive to cefotaxime, with MIC's for 26 strains ranging from 0.01 to 0.50 mg/l. One hundred and fifty-six of the 160 patients were treated with cefotaxime alone and the four others with cefotaxime in association with an aminoglycoside in three and rifampicin in one. Cefotaxime was administered by intravenous infusion, in a daily dose 100 to 300 mg/kg. Duration of treatment ranged from 8 days to 6 weeks, with a mean of 15 days. One hundred and forty-nine patients (93.1%) were cured, two after a relapse. Three patients had sequelae. Most (88.5%) had sterile CSF within 72 h after starting treatment. Eleven patients (6.9%) died, eight within the first 48 h. The only side-effects observed were mild transient eosinophilia in some patients and rash and leukopenia in 2 each. The study demonstrates that cefotaxime is effective in the treatment of acute bacterial meningitis.