Effect of follicular wave stage on potential fertility predictors and their repeatability coefficient in prepubertal Bos indicus (Nellore) and Bos taurus (Caracu) heifers.

In an attempt to develop accessible methods for the precocious individual selection based on phenotypic attributes related to reproductive superiority, this study evaluated the effects of follicular wave stages (emergence and dominance) and the repeatability coefficients of potential fertility predictors (vulvar morphometry, uterine biometry, echogenicity and echotexture, ovarian biometry, and antral follicle count - AFC) in two breeds of purebred prepubertal heifers. Nellore (n = 30) and Caracu (n = 28) heifers were submitted to a sequence of 11 evaluations conducted every 48 h (D0 - random day of the antral follicular wave until D20) to study potential fertility indicators under natural conditions. The data obtained were compared according to breed and follicular wave stage. Statistical analysis included the fixed effects of breed, evaluation day, and their statistical interaction and was performed using MIXED, GENMOD, GLM, and CORR procedures of the SAS program. Breed was found to influence rima height, ovarian area, and AFC, which were greater in Nellore heifers (P < 0.02). The follicular wave stage also influenced most of the potential predictors, highlighting AFC which was higher in the presence of a dominant follicle in both breeds (P < 0.0001). The repeatability coefficients for vulvar width (0.76 and 0.66), ovarian area (0.70 and 0.62), and AFC (0.76 and 0.74) were considered to be high in Nellore and Caracu heifers, respectively. Only ovarian biometry was able to predict AFC (Pearson correlation coefficient ≥ 0.66; P < 0.0001) in prepubertal heifers. The results indicate that most of the phenotypic reproductive parameters analyzed can be characterized throughout prepuberty using a single measure since they are intrinsic attributes of the individual.

Paradoxical Effect of Quercetin Antioxidant on Goat Sperm Parameters After Cryopreservation.

BACKGROUND: Some antioxidants have been used in semen extenders to reduce adverse effects caused by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The study was carried out to assess the effect of quercetin (QC) antioxidant therapy on goat semen submitted to cryopreservation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of quercetin incorporation in different phases of the cryopreservation process of goat spermatozoa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five ejaculates from each of four goats (n= 20) were collected and split into four groups: Control (G1), without QC; G2, 15 µM of QC added to semen before centrifugation; G3, 15 µM QC added to semen after centrifugation; G4, 15 µM QC added to semen before centrifugation and 15 µM of QC added to semen after centrifugation (total of 30 µM of QC); and cryopreserved. All semen samples were evaluated after thawing for sperm kinetics, plasma membrane integrity, and ROS levels. RESULTS: Although lower concentrations of ROS were associated with groups that received antioxidant supplementation (P=0.0213), linear and dose dependent (P<0.05) reductions of the total and progressive sperm motility, velocity and percentage of fast cells were related to the QC groups. Likewise, plasma membrane integrity was better preserved (P=0.0154) in the control group (35.5%) than in groups that received QC (G2=32.6%, G3=32.4% and G4=26.7%). CONCLUSION: Although quercetin was efficient at reducing the oxidative stress related to sperm cryopreservation, it exerted a deleterious dose-dependent effect on the kinetics and integrity of the frozen goat semen, contradicating its use in the tested concentrations.

Anaphylaxis in Latin American children and adolescents: the Online Latin American Survey on Anaphylaxis (OLASA).

OBJECTIVES: To identify the main clinical manifestations, triggers, and treatment of severe allergic reactions (SAR) in children and adolescents (n=191, up to 18 years of age) seen by allergologists and registered in the Online Latin American Survey of Anaphylaxis (OLASA). RESULTS: 53.0% of the patients were males and the aetiological agent was identified in 85.5% of them as follows: foods (36.1%), drugs (27.7%), and insect stings (26.2%). The most common symptoms during an acute episode were cutaneous (94.2%), and respiratory (78.5%). Most patients were treated in emergency setting, yet only 34.6% received parenteral epinephrine and 14.3% had to be hospitalised. CONCLUSION: Cutaneous symptoms ranked the order of clinical presentation of SAR. Food was the main triggering agent in the younger cases and insect sting and drugs in the adolescents. Treatment provided for SAR was not appropriate. It is necessary to improve educational programmes in order to enhance the knowledge on this potentially fatal emergency.

Infarto agudo do miocárdio na era trombolítica: elevada mortalidade em pacientes idosos / Acute myocardial infarction in the thrombolytic era: elevated mortality in elderly patients

Pacientes com infarto agudo do miocárdio internados em um hospital geral säo muitos heterogêneros e diferem daqueles relatados em grandes estudos multicêntricos. Objetivo. Analisar a mortalidade intra-hospitalar dos pacientes com infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM) internados em um hospital geral na era trombilítica, bem como determinar fatores associados com pior prognóstico. Métodos. Foram estudados 113 pacientes com IAM internados consecutivamente no período de um ano no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Foram coletadas diversas variáveis clínicas e laboratoriais relacionadas a um maior risco em pacientes com infarto. Seguindo a rotina do hospital, 47// dos pacientes receberam traombolíticos e seus efeitos e complicaçöes foram estudados. Resultados. A mortalidade intra-hospitalar foi de 19,5//. Na análise univariada, a idade, o sexo e o pico de creatinafosfoquinase se mostraram significativos em predizer o óbito hospitalar. Utilizando o modelo de regressäo logística múltipla, o único fator prognóstico significativo foi a idade, mesmo após ajuste de fatores de pior prognóstico. Em pacientes acima de 70 anos, a mortalidade intra-hospitalr chegou a 41// versus 8,1// nos pacientes com idade inferior a 70 anos. Näo houve diferença significativa na taxa de mortalidade com a presença de outros fatores como: IAM prévio, uso de trombolíticos, insuficiência cardíaca, área infartada, diabétes e hipertensäo arterial. Nos pacientes que receberam trombolíticos, observou-se número elevado de complicaçöes pelo seu uso, das quais em 9,4// foram consideradas graves. Conclusäo. A alta mortalidade intra-hospitalar no IAM, em um hospital geral, está associada à idade avançada dos pacientes. A despeito dos recentes avanços terapêuticos, este grupo de pacientes näo obteve beneficio comparável ao dos pacientes mais jovens

[Acute myocardial infarction in the thrombolytic era: high mortality in elderly patients]. / Infarto agudo do miocárdio na era trombolítica: elevada mortalidade em pacientes idosos.

UNLABELLED: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) admitted to a general hospital are very different from those reported in large multicenter trials. PURPOSE: To evaluate the in-hospital mortality in patients with AMI admitted to a general hospital in the thrombolytic era, and to identify factors associated with poor prognosis. METHODS: 113 consecutive patients admitted with AMI in one year at the Hospital de Clínicas of Porto Alegre were studied. Several clinical and laboratory variables related to higher risk were evaluated. According to the hospital routine, 47% of the patients received thrombolytic therapy, and the effects and complications of its use were studied. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 19.5%. By univariate analysis, age, female gender and peak creatinephosphokinase level were significantly associated with early mortality. By multiple logistic regression analysis, advanced age was the only predictive variable, even after adjusting for other baseline risk factors. In patients older than 70 years, in-hospital mortality was 41% versus only 8.1% in the younger group. There was no difference in survival with the presence of others factors such as previous myocardial infarction, use of thrombolytic therapy, heart failure, infarcted area, diabetes, and systemic hypertension. Among patients who received thrombolytic therapy, an elevated number of adverse effects was observed, and in 9.4% of the cases the complications were serious. CONCLUSION: The high in-hospital mortality after AMI in a general hospital is associated with the patients' advanced age. In spite of recent therapeutic advances in the treatment of AMI, older patients have not obtained a comparable benefit as that achieved by the younger group.

Allelic polymorphism of murine IgE controlled by the seventh immunoglobulin heavy chain allotype locus.

Two alloantisera against hybridoma-derived IgE detected allotypic determinants expressed on the murine epsilon chain. An antiserum raised in BALB/c mice against monoclonal IgE of C57BL/6 origin reacted exclusively with IgE of strains having Igh-1b (IgG2 a) allotype. The second antiserum, C57BL/6 anti-BALB/c monoclonal IgE, reacted with IgE of strains having Igh-1a, Igh-1d, Igh-1e and Igh-1j allotypes. The genetic studies of (BALB/c x C57BL/6)F1 and backcross F2 animals indicated that the locus controlling the IgE allotype is linked to the Igh-1 locus. This was further confirmed by the possession of respective IgE allotypes by Igh-C congenic mice, BALB/c and BAB-14, C3H.SW/Hz and CWB/Hz. Thus, the allotype detected on the epsilon chain is controlled by the seventh murine immunoglobulin allotype locus, and should be designated as the Igh-7 allotype.

Suppression of IgE antibody response by the fatty acid-modified antigen.

Ovalbumin (OA) of hens was chemically coupled with fatty acids (lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid). These hydrophobically modified antigens were unable to react with mouse antiserum against native OA and were incapable of eliciting primary and secondary anti-OA antibody responses in BALB/c mice. Preadministration of these modified antigens, especially of palmitoyl OA (OA-pal), suppressed both primary and secondary anti-OA IgE antibody responses without affecting IgG antibody production. Administration of OA-pal after the primary immunization resulted in a rapid decrease of the ongoing anti-OA IgE antibody production and inhibited the anamnestic anti-OA IgE antibody response upon subsequent immunization with OA. The passive transfer of spleen cells from OA-pal-treated animals with OA-primed spleen cells suppressed the adoptive secondary anti-OA IgE antibody response in irradiated recipients. The suppressive effect was abrogated by treatment with an anti-T-cell antiserum indicating that suppressor T cells were primed by administration of hydrophobically modified antigens.