Construct, Face, and Predictive Validity of Parkinson's Disease Rodent Models.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease globally. Current drugs only alleviate symptoms without halting disease progression, making rodent models essential for researching new therapies and understanding the disease better. However, selecting the right model is challenging due to the numerous models and protocols available. Key factors in model selection include construct, face, and predictive validity. Construct validity ensures the model replicates pathological changes seen in human PD, focusing on dopaminergic neurodegeneration and a-synuclein aggregation. Face validity ensures the model's symptoms mirror those in humans, primarily reproducing motor and non-motor symptoms. Predictive validity assesses if treatment responses in animals will reflect those in humans, typically involving classical pharmacotherapies and surgical procedures. This review highlights the primary characteristics of PD and how these characteristics are validated experimentally according to the three criteria. Additionally, it serves as a valuable tool for researchers in selecting the most appropriate animal model based on established validation criteria.

[Montenegro intradermoreaction after the test sequential repetitions in Porteirinha, Minas Gerais State, Brazil]. / Intradermorreação de Montenegro após sucessivas repetições do teste em Porteirinha, MG.

With the purpose of evaluating the response of sequential applications of Montenegro intradermoreaction (IDRM), we have repeated four times the test in the inhabitants of an endemic area for kala-azar, that resulted negative 3-4 years ago. Firstly, we have repeated three IDRM in those who remained negative, with a 60-day interval among them. In the second stage, we have performed a last reaction in all participants of the study. From the total of 49 individuals with prior negative IDRM, 19 (38.8%) have positivated the test in some of the times, 17 (34.7%) have given up the study and 13 (26.5%) remained with a negative result in all the applications. In the second stage, the repetition of IDRM has shown that from the 14 positive in some of the tests, 8 remained like this and 6 have become negative. Our results confirm the possibility of late hypersensitivity induction in some individuals as a consequence of IDRM application.

A cineangiocoronariographical study of the irrigation of the sinuatrial node and perinodal area in human hearts

Since the initial description of the sinuatrial node and its vascularization, numerous studies have shown the importance of the sinuatrial nodal branch (SNA). In this work, we examined the anatomy of this atrial branch using cineangiography. We reviewed the records of 100 cineangiocoronariographies done between October 1991 and November 1992 in the teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Triângulo Mineiro. The records of patients with artificial pacemakers or who had undergone cardiac surgery were not included. All the records showed left anterior oblique and right anterior oblique projections of both coronary arteries. In 65 por cento of the cases, the SNA occurred as a branch of the right coronary artery, and in 33 por cento it derived from the left coronary artery. Double irrigation of the sinuatrial area was seen in 1 por cento of the cases, and in 1 por cento of the cases the SNA originated from the aorta. In 76.9 por cento of the cases, the branch was of the medial anterior type and became less frequent in the distal part of the coronaries. There were no significant sex-related (χ2 = 0.0092), or racial (χ2 = 0.1241) differences. These finding were similar to those of studies based on anatomical or angiographic approaches. We conclude that the SNA can arise from any coronary artery, with no single, specific origin, and that there are no gender or race-related differences in this pattern.

Intradermorreação de Montenegro após sucessivas repetições do teste em Porteirinha, MG / Montenegro intradermoreaction after the test sequential repetitions in Porteirinha, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Para avaliar a resposta a sucessivas aplicaçöes da intradermorreaçäo de Montenegro (IDRM), repetimos quatro vezes o teste em moradores de uma área endêmica de calazar que tiveram o exame negativo há 3-4 anos. Inicialmente, repetimos três IDRM nos que permaneceram negativos, com intervalo de 60 dias entre elas. Na segunda etapa, realizamos uma última reaçäo em todos participantes do estudo. Do total de 49 indivíduos com IDRM prévia negativa, 19 (38,8 por cento) positivaram o teste em alguma das vezes, 17 (34,7 por cento) abandonaram o estudo e 13 (26,5 por cento) permaneceram com resultado negativo em todas as aplicaçöes. Na segunda etapa, a repetiçäo da IDRM mostrou que dos 14 que eram positivos em algum dos testes, 8 assim permaneceram e 6 tornaram-se negativos. Nossos resultados confirmam a possibilidade de induçäo de hipersensibilidade tardia em alguns indivíduos pela aplicaçäo da IDRM