ABSTRACT
Objective: In the present study, the hepatoprotective effects of ß-myrcene (MYR) on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity were investigated. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 Balb/c mice were randomly divided into five groups as follows: 1) Normal control group which received only carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), the vehicle used to dissolve acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP, paracetamol) and MYR; 2) APAP group which received a single dose of acetaminophen (250 mg/kg) orally on day 7; 3) Silymarin group which received 200 mg/kg/day of silymarin; and 4 and 5) pretreatment groups in which, mice were treated with 100 or 200 mg/kg/day of MYR. Liver and blood samples were collected to analyze serum aminotransferases, inflammatory response, oxidative stress markers, and histopathological insults. Results: Our results showed that MYR pretreatment attenuated liver damage and restored liver cells function and integrity as it decreased the leakage of serum aminotransferases (alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST, respectively)) into the blood (p<0.01). MYR treatment also reduced levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and nitric oxide (NO) (p<0.001). In addition, MYR pretreatment demonstrated significant antioxidant activity by decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels (p<0.001). Furthermore, it restored the hepatic level of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) (p<0.001). Conclusion: For the first time, our results showed that MYR treatment significantly improved liver function by reducing oxidative stress and the inflammatory response induced by APAP.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the confirmed or not-confirmed cases of neonatal screening (CH) screened in the Programa "Primeiros Passos", stratifying them into TSH blood-spot (TSH-BS) ranges. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To stratify, in ranges of TSH-BS as a function of TSH serum (TSH-S), the cases called for a confirmatory test from January, 2006 to July, 2009. RESULTS: Around 37% of the confirmed cases (475) showed TSH-F > 9.5 mUi/L, but most of the confirmed cases were in lower TSH-F ranges. Among the unconfirmed cases (4,613), most were found in the lower ranges. There was no TSH-F range exclusive to unconfirmed cases. CONCLUSION: TSH-BS cutoff value used is crucial in the diagnosis of CH and should be low, even if more confirmatory tests are performed. More studies are needed to determine the best cutoff value of TSH-BS for neonatal screening.
Subject(s)
Congenital Hypothyroidism/diagnosis , Neonatal Screening/methods , Thyrotropin/blood , Biomarkers/blood , Brazil , Humans , Infant, Newborn , National Health Programs , Reference Values , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
In endothelium-intact rat aortic ring preparations pre-contracted with norepinephrine or KCl, NG-nitro L-arginine (L-NOARG, 0.1 mM) and 1H-[1,2,4] oxidiazolo [4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 10 microM) antagonized the reduction of the vascular tone induced by stevioside, but this antagonism did not occur when the experiment was performed with endothelium-denuded aortic rings. The data indicates that the vasodilatation produced by stevioside is dependent on nitric oxide synthase and guanylate cyclase activities when the endothelium is not damaged.
