Phytochemical prospection, hemagglutinating and insecticidal activity of saline extracts from the seeds of Tamboril (Enterolobium contortisiliquum) Vell. Morong (Fabaceae) on Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

This study evaluated the insecticidal activity of crude extracts from Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) seeds on eggs and larvae of A. aegypti, and also verified the phytochemical profile and the presence of lectins in the extract. The 0.15 M NaCl saline solution was used as the extracting substance. For tests with eggs and larvae, the crude extract was used in its raw form (RCE) and boiled at 100º C for 5 min (BCE). Concentrations of 4.68; 9.37; 18.75; 28.13; 37.13 and 46.89 mg/mL, with distilled water as a negative control. Assays were performed in triplicate. The results were subjected to analysis of variance, Tukey's test and Log-Probit analysis to determine LC50 and LC90. BCE showed better results on eggs than RCE, managing to prevent the hatching of larvae in 81.66% ± 10.40 of treated eggs, at a concentration of 46.89 mg/mL. The LC50 and LC90 were set at 35.95 and 52.67 mg/mL, respectively. In tests with larvae, concentrations of 46.89 and 37.13 mg/mL, for RCE and BCE, caused 100% mortality in 24 hours of exposure. Larval mortality at the other concentrations increased with exposure time extending to 48 h. RCE, at 48 h exposure is the most promising extract on larvae (E = 72.77%, LC90 = 10.86 mg/mL). In RCE, the presence of lectins and secondary metabolites: flavonoids, xanthones and phenols, were detected. The results demonstrate the potential of E. contortisiliquum seed extracts with ovicidal and larvicidal action on A. aegypti.

Computed tomography bone density variations in oncological patients undergoing antiresorptive medication.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare jaw and cervical vertebrae bone density in computed tomography (CT) analyses of oncological patients undergoing antiresorptive medication with control patients, aiming to find information that may assist the radiologist and clinician in predicting risks and monitoring osteonecrosis in the jaw. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients treated with zoledronic acid and 37 control were included in the study. Two areas in regions of interest were chosen and standardized, one in the lower portion of the mandible and another in the axial cervical vertebra (C2) of patients undergoing antiresorptive drug treatment (experimental group) and the control group. Density analysis was performed using Hounsfield scale grayscale values obtained from multislice CT exams. Interclass correlation coefficient test (ICC) was performed to assess reproducibility and repeatability. The test of normality of the samples was demonstrated using the Shapiro-Wilk test and the comparison performed using Mann-Whitney U non-parametric test. RESULTS: When compared to patients in the control group, patients undergoing antiresorptive medication depicted an increase in bone density in both jaw bone (p=0.021) and cervical vertebrae (p=0.002). The same pattern could be observed in patients who used the medication on a monthly basis for analysis of jaw bone (p=0.021), the cervical vertebrae (p=0.002), and the cervical vertebrae of the patients who used the medication on a quarterly basis (p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: CT can be a potentially useful method for detecting alterations associated with antiresorptive therapy, serving as a possible tool in the prediction of the disease progression.

Activation of the growth plates on three-phase bone scintigraphy: the explanation for the overgrowth of fractured femurs.

Children with an uncomplicated femoral fracture, treated with superimposition of fragments and intentional shortening, usually develop overgrowth of the fractured femur and the ipsilateral tibia which may compensate for the initial shortening and enable the limb in question to reach a length similar to that on the normal side. The overgrowth is evaluated clinically and by scanography. The increased metabolic activity of the growth plates that support this overgrowth has not been documented by any laboratory method. In order to evaluate the metabolic activity of the growth plates, 18 patients (11 males, seven females; mean age 6.1 years) with fractures of the femur were studied at three different time intervals (2-5 months, 6-12 months and 18-24 months). Three-phase bone scintigraphy was performed in all patients. Ten children (five males, five females; mean age 7.5 years) who had had bone imaging for other reasons were used as the control group. Visual analysis of the flow and equilibrium phases was performed for the distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates. Visual and semi-quantitative analyses of the delayed images were performed for the distal femoral and proximal and distal tibial growth plates. Semi-quantitative analyses yielded the following activity ratios: (a) the distal femoral growth plate of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (FR); (b) the proximal growth plate of the tibia on the side of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (TpR); (c) the distal growth plate of the tibia on the side of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (TdR); and (d) in the control group, the distal growth plates of both femora (FCG) and the proximal (TCGp) and distal (TCGd) growth plates of the tibiae. Visual analysis of the blood flow, equilibrium and delayed images showed increased activity in the distal femoral growth plates during the first and second time intervals, but not during the third. No significant activity changes were found in the proximal and distal tibial growth plates during any of the phases analysed. The mean and standard deviation for FR in the three time intervals were: FRI=1.22+/-0.27, FRII=1.17+/-0.16 and FRIII=1.09+/-0.20. FR values were significantly higher than in the control group (FCG=0.99+/-0.03) (P=0.033). The mean and standard deviation for TpR in the three time intervals were: TpRI=1.08+/-0.18, TpRII=0.94+/-0.09 and TpRIII=0.96+/-0.20. TpR values were not significantly different from those in the control group (TCGp=1.00+/-0.05). However, TpRI was significantly higher than TpRII (P=0.043). The mean and standard deviation for TdR in the three time intervals were: TdRI=1.10+/-0.41, TdRII=1.05+/-0.15 and TdRIII=1.13+/-0.36. TdR values were not significantly higher than in the control group (TCGd=1.00+/-0.04) (P=0.777). These results support the concept that three-phase bone imaging is able to quantify and determine that activation occurs in the distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates of fractured femora. This phenomenon may explain the overgrowth observed in this injured bone structure.

[Computerization of a clinical chemical laboratory. A contribution for quality assurance]. / Informatização de um laboratório de química clínica. Um contributo para a garantia de qualidade.

The application of computer science to the practice of laboratory medicine, one of the medical informatics fields, brings a complete revolution in laboratory work and the clinical pathologists profile. The authors explain the methodology for the implementation of such a system, in a perspective of quality assurance, defining the goals, objectives, customer requirements and analysis of the benefits they achieve. Finally the authors explain the future perspectives.

[Urinary calcium, magnesium and uric acid in normal children]. / Calciúria, magnesiúria e uricosúria em crianças normais.

In a group of 327 normal children, aged 4 to 11, we measured Calcium (Ca) and Creatinine (Cr) in the second morning urine. In 226 of them, Magnesium (Mg) and Uric Acid (UA) were also calculated. Means and SD were respectively Ca/Cr: 0.11 +/- 0.09, Mg/Cr: 0.10 +/- 0.03, Mg/Ca: 1.56 +/- 1.48 and UA/Cr: 0.093 +/- 0.29. Distribution was not normal, so we used the 97.5 centile for the upper acceptable limit. This value was higher for Ca/Cr (0.37) and different for Mg/Cr (0.17), compared to the previous reports. Our values of Mg/Ca were related to age (p less than 0.01). These results suggest the need for local establishment of normal ranges and a better definition of hypercalciuria and hypermagnesiuria.

[Alcoholism in an industrial population: diagnosis, prevalence and conditioning factors]. / Alcoolismo na população industrial: diagnóstico, prevalência e condicionantes.

The pattern of alcohol consumption has been studied among 92 males, workers in a factory of the Lisbon area. In this population there were three groups of ethanol consumers: I--non consumers, 6%; II--medium, up to 80g/day, 68%; III--heavy consumers, more than 80g/day, 26%. Another group (IV) was considered, for reference, with 23 patients with heavy alcoholism in the outpatients of an alcoholic addicts clinic. Besides the clinical questionnaire and medical examination, the following methods have been used and analysed: brief MAST; Le Gô, Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), serum glutamic oxalacetic Trasaminase (SGOT), and gama-glutamyl transpepticlase (gamma GT). The mean ethanol consumption in group IV was significantly higher than in group III (p less than 0.005), and in group III higher than in group II (p less than 0.001). Group IV demarked itself form group III due to a higher prevalence of symptoms of physical dependence (p less than 0.001), and of consumption of tranquilizers (p less than 0.01). In group III the sensitivity of brief MAST has been only 8.5% and of Le Gô 13%. An increased MCV was found in 20% of individuals in group I, 4.9% in group II, 20% in group IV. The SGOT was normal in groups I and II, and increased in 8.7% of group III and 30.4% of group IV (p less than 0.05). The gamma GT was normal in group I and abnormal in 4.7% of group IV (p less than 0.01). In conclusion, approximately 25% of the workers have an excessive ethanol consumption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)