Fresh Carrier for an Old Topical Local Anesthetic: Benzocaine in Nanostructured Lipid Carriers.

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) have emerged as innovative drug delivery systems, offering distinct advantages over other lipid-based carriers, such as liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles. Benzocaine (BZC), the oldest topical local anesthetic in use, undergoes metabolism by pseudocholinesterase, leading to the formation of p-aminobenzoic acid, a causative agent for allergic reactions associated with prolonged BZC usage. In order to mitigate adverse effects and enhance bioavailability, BZC was encapsulated within NLC. Utilizing a 23 factorial design, formulations comprising cetyl palmitate (solid lipid), propylene glycol monocaprylate (liquid lipid), and Pluronic F68 as surfactants were systematically prepared, with variations in the solid/liquid lipid mass ratios (60:40-80:20%), total lipid contents (15-25%), and BZC concentrations (1-3%). The optimized formulation underwent characterization by dynamic light scattering, differential scanning calorimetry, Raman imaging, X-ray diffraction, small-angle neutron scattering, nanotracking analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/cryo-TEM, providing insights into the nanoparticle structure and the incorporation of BZC into its lipid matrix. NLCBZC exhibited a noteworthy encapsulation efficiency (%EE = 96%) and a 1 year stability when stored at 25 °C. In vitro kinetic studies and in vivo antinociceptive tests conducted in mice revealed that NLCBZC effectively sustained drug release for over 20 h and prolonged the anesthetic effect of BZC for up to 18 h. We therefore propose the use of NLCBZC to diminish the effective anesthetic concentration of benzocaine (from 20 to 3% or less), thus minimizing allergic reactions that follow the topical administration of this anesthetic and, potentially, paving the way for new routes of BZC administration in pain management.

Biomechanical analysis of the anterior cervical fusion.

This paper presents a biomechanical analysis of the cervical C5-C6 functional spine unit before and after the anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. The aim of this work is to study the influence of the medical procedure and its instrumentation on range of motion and stress distribution. First, a three-dimensional finite element model of the lower cervical spine is obtained from computed tomography images using a pipeline of image processing, geometric modelling and mesh generation software. Then, a finite element study of parameters' influence on motion and a stress analysis at physiological and different post-operative scenarios were made for the basic movements of the cervical spine. It was confirmed that the results were very sensitive to intervertebral disc properties. The insertion of an anterior cervical plate influenced the stress distribution at the vertebral level as well as in the bone graft. Additionally, stress values in the graft decreased when it is used together with a cage.

Myofibroblastic inflammatory breast tumor and fibrosarcoma: a case report.

Myofibroblastic inflammatory tumors can occur in any human tissue. They are benign lesions and more common in young patients. We describe the case of a 41-year-old patient with a nodule measuring 2.5 x 1.5 cm in the superior lateral quadrant of the left breast. The pathological examination showed proliferation of the spindle cells in dense fascicles interspersed by colagen among frequent plasmocytes, lymphocytes and eosinophils, associated with scarce typical mitosis. In the same site ten years before the patient had undergone a nodulectomy and the diagnosis was a benign filloid tumor. The patient returned with a nodule in the surgical scar at follow-up and the incisional biopsy showed a malignant filloid tumor with a sarcomatous component. A mastectomy was performed.

A mobile bioassay laboratory for the assessment of internal doses based on in vivo and in vitro measurements.

Internal exposures may occur in nuclear power plants, radioisotope production, and in medicine and research laboratories. Such practices require quick response in case of accidents of a wide range of magnitudes. This work presents the design and calibration of a mobile laboratory for the assessment of accidents involving workers and the population as well as for routine monitoring. The system was set up in a truck with internal dimensions of 3.30 m × 1.60 m × 1.70 m and can identify photon emitters in the energy range of 100-3,000 keV in the whole body, organs, and in urine. A thyroid monitor consisting of a lead-collimated NaI(Tl)3" × 3" (7.62 × 7.62 cm) detector was calibrated with a neck-thyroid phantom developed at the IRD (Instituto de Radioproteção e Dosimetria). Whole body measurements were performed with a NaI(Tl)8" × 4" (20.32 × 10.16 cm) detector calibrated with a plastic-bottle phantom. Urine samples were measured with another NaI(Tl) 3" × 3" (7.62 × 7.62 cm) detector set up in a steel support. Standard solutions were provided by the National Laboratory for Metrology of Ionizing Radiation of the IRD. Urine measurements are based on a calibration of efficiency vs. energy for standard volumes. Detection limits were converted to minimum committed effective doses for the radionuclides of interest using standard biokinetic and dosimetric models in order to evaluate the applicability and limitations of the system. Sensitivities for high-energy activation and fission products show that the system is suitable for use in emergency and routine monitoring of individuals under risk of internal exposure by such radionuclides.

Amarelinha do Amapá: a carotenoid-rich cassava cultivar.

Eight cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivars, of which four are indigenous to the Amazon region, along with an interspecific hybrid, were assessed for their carotenoid content. They were propagated and are maintained in the living Manihot collection at the University of Brasília. The cultivar "Amarelinha do Amapá", which was collected from the State of Amapá, was found to have a very high content of beta-carotene: 27 mg per 100 mg, which is more than 50-fold higher than in other cassava cultivars. This cultivar, which also has excellent palatability, could be an important source of beta-carotene for cassava breeding.

Peri- and intratumoral T and B lymphocytic infiltration in breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate peritumoral and intratumoral infiltrates in surgical specimens obtained from patients with invasive breast cancer, and of relating these to tumor size. METHODS: Twenty-six surgical specimens obtained from patients diagnosed with breast cancer underwent immunohistochemical preparation and CD3, CD8, CD20 and CD68 labeling. The positive cells were counted in the tissue samples and correlated with the tumor size determined by imaging methods (TIA < or = 2 or TIB > 2 cm). RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in intratumoral B lymphocytes (CD20+), although this reduction could only be observed in TIA. In relation to peritumoral T lymphocytes (CD3+), there was a significant reduction in TIB, in comparison with TIA. Peritumoral and intratumoral CD3+ and CD68+ presence in completely opposite ways in both sizes of tumors. CONCLUSION: Peritumoral and intratumoral infiltrates of T and B lymphocytes are different and depend on tumor size.

Circulating neutrophils may play a role in the host response in cervical cancer.

Neutrophil migration is a key event in the inflammatory response of any origin, and neutrophils may present antitumor activity. We investigated the number and function of circulating neutrophils obtained from patients with cervical neoplasia at different stages. Patients with preinvasive (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN3, n= 6) or microinvasive ([MICRO] stage IA1, n= 4) neoplasia were evaluated together as CIN/MICRO group (n= 10), while patients at stages II-IV were evaluated as invasive group (INV, n= 12). Healthy women served as controls (n= 15). For patients, analysis of leukogram on diagnosis showed a significant elevated neutrophil count in INV group compared with that in CIN/MICRO group. A neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio >/=5 was observed in 67% patients from INV group compared with only 10% from CIN/MICRO group. Neutrophil migration, assayed in a microchemotaxis chamber in response to the chemoattractants (10(-7) M) N-formyl-l-methionyl-l-leucyl-l-phenylalanine, leukotriene B(4), or interleukin-8, was reduced in INV group than in controls or CIN/MICRO group. Surgical treatment in randomly selected patients from CIN/MICRO group (four CIN, one MICRO) increased neutrophil migration to all chemoattractants compared with time on diagnosis. The serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, assayed by the Griess reaction, were higher in patients (n= 19) than in controls (n= 15), without differences related to tumor stage, but were reduced in patients after surgery compared with pretreatment (n= 10). Taken together, the results suggest that neutrophils play a role in the host response in cervical cancer. Soluble circulating mediators released by tumor cells, such as NO, could interfere early in the capacity of neutrophils to migrate, thus impairing host immune response.

Determination of 238U, 234U, 232Th, 228Th, 228Ra, 226Ra and 210Pb concentration in excreta samples of inhabitants of a high natural background area.

The high concentration of uranium and thorium in certain Brazilian areas provides an opportunity to evaluate the radiation exposure due to intake of radionuclides by the populations that live and work in areas with a high natural radiation background. Buena, where this study was conducted, is a small village on the coast in the northern part of Rio de Janeiro State, characterised by the presence of a large deposit of monazite sand. In this paper, the concentrations of 238U, 234U, 232Th, 228Th, 228Ra, 226Ra and 210Pb in faecal samples from inhabitants of this area were determined by a sequential analytical method. The results of the average concentrations in faeces of inhabitants of Buena are 9.4 +/- 3.4 mBq g(ash)(-1) for 238U, 9.2 +/- 4.0 mBq g(ash)(-1) for 234U, 7.0 +/- 4.2 mBq g(ash)(-1) for 232Th, 256.1 +/- 134.6 mBq g(ash)(-1) for 228Th, 335.5 +/- 192.8 mBq g(ash)(-1) for 228Ra, 156.6 +/- 74.1 mBq g(ash)(-1) for 226Ra and 66.7 +/- 17.7 mBq g(ash)(-1) for 210Pb. The results were compared with background concentrations from faecal samples from individuals living in Rio de Janeiro City. For most of the radionuclides analysed, the average concentration in faeces from inhabitants of the high natural radiation background was higher than the concentration found in Rio de Janeiro, considered a 'normal' background area.

Concentrados protéicos para bovinos: 1. Digestibilidade in situ da matéria seca e da proteína bruta / Protein concentrates for bovines: 1. In situ digestibility of dry matter and crude protein

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a degradaçäo ruminal, pela técnica in situ, da matéria seca (MS) e da proteína bruta (PB) de 10 concentrados protéicos. As degradaçöes potenciais da MS e da PB das farinhas de origem vegetal, soja, algodäo, mamona e palmiste, mostraram-se elevadas (próximas a 100 por cento), porém em funçäo de taxas de degradaçäo mais altas para o farelo de soja (10 por cento) e menores para o algodäo (4 por cento), mamona (MS:3 por cento; PB:1,2 por cento) e palmiste (1,7 por cento), as degradabilidades efetivas (DE) foram bem superiores para o farelo de soja, independentemente da taxa de passagem, o que a torna a fonte protéica de maior disponibilidade ruminal. O glúten de milho mostrou ser uma fonte protéica de baixa degradabilidade ruminal (DE da PB: 16 por cento para 0,05 de taxa de passagem). Dentre os alimentos de origem animal, a maior degradabilidade potencial da proteína bruta foi verificada para a farinha de carne e ossos ( 75,5 por cento), seguida das farinhas de peixe I (58,5 por cento), de penas e vísceras (52,3 por cento) e de sangue (36,7 por cento). A maior degradabilidade efetiva para a taxa de passagem de 5 por cento foi a da farinha de carne e ossos (51 por cento), seguida da farinha de peixe I (41 por cento), de penas e vísceras (40,0 por cento) e de sangue (33 por cento). A farinha de peixe II apresentou valores muito baixos de degradabilidade, apenas 22 por cento com 48h de incubaçäo ruminal.

Concentrados protéicos para bovinos. 2. digestão pós-ruminal da matéria seca e da proteína / Protein concentrates for bovines. 2. post-ruminal digestion of protein and dry matter

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a digestão pós-ruminal de fontes protéicas. Utilizou-se a técnica de sacos de náilon móveis introduzidos no duodeno e colhidos nas fezes. Os alimentos introduzidos no intestino foram anteriormente incubados em sacos de náilon no rúmen ou foram separados das frações solúveis em água. O farelo de soja foi a fonte protéica de maior degradabilidade ruminal (73%) e altíssima digestibilidade intestinal (98%). O glúten de milho foi a fonte protéica menos degradada no rúmen (16%) e sua parcela sobrepassante foi altamente digerida no intestino (95%). Os farelos de algodão e de mamona mostraram características semelhantes com digestibilidade total da proteína de 95% e em torno de 65% de degradabilidade ruminal. O farelo de palmiste foi menos digerido (87% digestibilidade total quando incubado). Farinhas de origem animal foram menos digeridas no intestino e também no rúmen (fora o glúten), com digestibilidades totais de 75% para farinha de carne e ossos, 85% para farinha de penas e vísceras e farinha de peixe I, 67% para farinha de peixe II e apenas 46% para farinha de sangue.

Efeito da lignina dos resíduos agrícolas de milho e de soja submetidos à fermentaçäo ruminal sobre a digestibilidade dos carboidratos estruturais / Effect of corn and soybean lignin residues submitted to the ruminal fermentation on structutal carbohydrates digestibility

Foram utilizados dois restos de cultura, resíduo da cultura de milho (RM) e resíduo da cultura de soja (RS) submetidos a extraçäo com solventes orgânicos para isolamento da lignina. O efeito da lignina sobre a digestibilidade da fibra foi verificado por meio do estudo de digestibilidade in situ. Encontraram-se valores de taxa de degradaçäo da matéria seca (MS) inferiores para RM em relaçäo a RS, respectivamente, 18,38 por cento e 41,94 por cento. As taxas de degradaçäo ruminal, obtidas no modelo linear até 24 horas de incubaçäo para hemicelulose (Hem) e celulose (Cel) em RM e RS, foram 12,99 por cento e 3,30 por cento para RM; 44,68 por cento e 36,33 por cento para RS