Phenotypic characterisation and production system of the Nordestino horse from a multivariate perspective.

Zootechnical data is a big challenge in the extensive rearing system of Brazilian locally adapted breeds once smallholdings with limited resources and funds rear them. So, information on Brazil's breeding system of locally adapted breeds is still scarce; this situation is more challenging for equine breeds. The present study aimed to describe the local rearing systems and the phenotypic profile of the Nordestino horse breed in Paraíba state and contribute to breed conservation. Data from males (entire and castrated) and females from 50 municipalities in Paraíba state were used. Two hundred sixty-nine animals (111 females, 121 castrated males, and 37 entire males) from 129 breeders were analyzed. A questionnaire consisting of direct and objective questions was applied to understand the breeding system adopted. There was a predominance of the extensive breeding system (85%), which reflects the adaptation of the Nordestino Horse to the region's natural conditions. The lower frequency of use of cultivated pastures may be related to issues of economic viability since the maintenance of cultivated pastures may require additional investments compared to the use of natural pastures. Entire males had a minimum withers height (WH) of 135 cm. Of the 11 morphometric measurements, only five were considered discriminating by the stepwise analysis. The remaining Nordestino horses have morphological characteristics within the breed standard.

Comics as a Physical Education Tool for Health Promotion in Brazilian Primary Education, Based on Paulo Freire's Principles of Empowerment.

Incorrect postural habits developed already at an early age are predictors of low back pain and functional limitations in adult life. Postural education programs (PEPs) are activities developed in Physical Education classes with the aim of promoting healthy habits. One tool used by PEPs is comics. The objective of this study was to develop comics and apply them as a teaching tool in PEPs for students aged seven to ten years. The procedures were based on individual empowerment principles, including creation activities, reading, painting, crosswords, and discussion of comics. The activities strengthened the students' interactions, gaining new knowledge that required cognitive and expressive resources to interpret, associate, and conceptualize themes of correct body posture. During six weeks of intervention, knowledge about body posture, anatomy, and health promotion exercises increased significantly in relation to the beginning of activities. The comic book proved to be an effective, attractive, and low-cost didactic resource.

The first Brazilian bovine breed: structure and genetic diversity of the Curraleiro Pé-duro.

Background: The production of animal-based foods from native breeds have a synergistic relationship with the regional culture, the local climate, and mainly the maintenance of alternative genetic resources for a system with a lower environmental impact. Thus the efficiency of conservation and production depends on assessing the variability of these local breeds. In the case of Curraleiro Pé-duro cattle, the most adapted individuals have undergone natural selection over five hundred years in the Brazilian savannas, mating with little or no human interference. The peculiarities of these biomes, where the regional flora is the food base and cattle is raised in extensive areas, likely influenced the genetic composition of the different groups that make up the first cattle breed of Brazil. Methods: To evaluate the composition, diversity, variation, differentiation, and genetic structure of the populations studied, samples of hair follicles from 474 individuals of different animal categories (calves, yearlings, heifers, cows, and bulls) from three farms, defined as subpopulations "A", "B", and "C", were collected. The animals were genotyped for 17 microsatellite markers using a DNA sequencer. After verification of monomorphic alleles, alleles outside the expected size range, and for the presence of stutter bands, the results were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The markers used were suitable for the proposed application with a mean Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) of 0.62. On average, the effective alleles were 4.25 per marker, with mean heterozygosities of 0.74 (observed and expected), which was lower in herd A (0.70) in comparison to herds B (0.77) and C (0.74). The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a higher rate of variation within herds (98.5%) and lower among herds (1.5%) (FSTranging from 0.00723 and 0.03198; p-values < 0.05). However no significant differences among herds where found with the Mantel test based on geographic distances. The formation of genetic clusters of all animals sampled with the software Structure resulted in minimum cluster values, with two main genetic groups (K = 2) observed among the evaluated animals. Therefore, based on PIC and heterozygosity values, a wide genetic diversity was observed, despite little differences in population structure (AMOVA, FST, and Structure results) among sampling sites.

Theta and gamma oscillations in the rat hippocampus support the discrimination of object displacement in a recognition memory task.

Episodic memory depends on the recollection of spatial and temporal aspects of past experiences in which the hippocampus plays a critical role. Studies on hippocampal lesions in rodents have shown that dentate gyrus (DG) and CA3 are necessary to detect object displacement in memory tasks. However, the understanding of real-time oscillatory activity underlying memory discrimination of subtle and pronounced displacements remains elusive. Here, we chronically implanted microelectrode arrays in adult male Wistar rats to record network oscillations from DG, CA3, and CA1 of the dorsal hippocampus while animals executed an object recognition task of high and low spatial displacement tests (HD: 108 cm, and LD: 54 cm, respectively). Behavioral analysis showed that the animals discriminate between stationary and displaced objects in the HD but not LD conditions. To investigate the hypothesis that theta and gamma oscillations in different areas of the hippocampus support discrimination processes in a recognition memory task, we compared epochs of object exploration between HD and LD conditions as well as displaced and stationary objects. We observed that object exploration epochs were accompanied by strong rhythmic activity in the theta frequency (6-12 Hz) band in the three hippocampal areas. Comparison between test conditions revealed higher theta band power and higher theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling in the DG during HD than LD conditions. Similarly, direct comparison between displaced and stationary objects within the HD test showed higher theta band power in CA3 during exploration of displaced objects. Moreover, the discrimination index between displaced and stationary objects directly correlated with CA1 gamma band power in epochs of object exploration. We thus conclude that theta and gamma oscillations in the dorsal hippocampus support the successful discrimination of object displacement in a recognition memory task.

Congenital epulis of the newborn: a case report.

The objective of this case report is to describe a congenital epulis of the newborn. A 10-day-old female neonate was brought to a dental clinic for examination of an intraoral lesion that was present at birth. No systemic changes were noted during the extraoral examination. During the intraoral examination, a nodular exophytic lesion was found in the maxillary left alveolar ridge. The appearance suggested a congenital epulis. The nodular, pedunculated lesion had a diameter of 13 mm, firm consistency, smooth surface, and color varying from pink to red. Newborns with such lesions usually have difficulty breastfeeding and may experience respiratory difficulties. The patient underwent an excisional biopsy under local infiltrative anesthesia with 2% lidocaine. Histopathologic examination of the lesion confirmed the diagnosis of congenital epulis. There were no postoperative complications. At the follow-up examination 8 days after the biopsy, her weight and length had already increased, and the oral mucosa had a normal appearance. At 8 months of age, she demonstrated continued gains in weight and length. Dentists must familiarize themselves with abnormalities that may affect the oral cavity of neonates as well as the differential diagnoses and treatment options.

Uso de laser de alta potência para remoção de granuloma piogênico em palato: relato de um caso / Use of high power laser to remove piogenic granuloma in the palate: a case report

A laserterapia na área odontológica oferece ao paciente e ao profissional uma alternativa terapêutica em relação a métodos convencionais. O uso do laser de alta potência em procedimentos cirúrgicos apresenta inúmeras vantagens, uma vez que reduz o sangramento durante a diérese, proporciona uma boa visão do campo operatório e torna mais curto e conveniente o tempo do procedimento. O objetivo deste trabalho é relatar um caso de remoção cirúrgica de granuloma piogênico em palato mole com Laser de diodo de alta potência. A paciente do sexo feminino com 75 anos foi encaminhada à Clínica Escola de Odontologia com lesão em palato, com hipótese diagnóstica de granuloma piogênico. O tratamento de escolha foi a exérese da lesão com o Laser de diodo Thera Lase surgery (DMC equipamentos, São Carlos/SP, Brasil) 808nm, meio ativo de Gallium-Indium-Arsenide (InGaAs), 3500mW, 4J e frequência contínua, a amostra foi encaminhada para o Laboratório de Histopatologia oral para análise histopatológica, sendo confirmado como granuloma piogênico fibrosado. O Laser cirúrgico utilizado foi eficaz na excisão da lesão, permitindo excelente hemostasia, acesso cirúrgico à lesão e fácil manuseio, não ocorrendo intercorrências trans- e/ou pós-operatórias. Após 3 anos de acompanhamento periódico, não houve recidiva da lesão... (AU)

Laser therapy in the dental field offers the patient and the professional an alternative to conventional methods. The use of high-powered laser in surgical procedures has numerous advantages, since it reduces bleeding during the incision, provides a good view of the operative field, the procedure time becomes shorter and more convenient. The objective of this work is to report a case of surgical removal of pyogenic granuloma in the soft palate with a high-power diode laser. The 75 year old female patient was referred to the Dental School Clinic with a palate lesion, with a diagnostic hypothesis of pyogenic granuloma. The treatment of choice was the excision of the lesion with the Thera Lase surgery diode laser (DMC equipment, São Carlos / SP, Brazil) 808 nm, active medium Gallium-Indium-Arsenide (InGaAs), 3500mW, 4J and continuous frequency, the sample was sent to the Oral Histopathology Laboratory for histopathological analysis, being confirmed as fibrous pyogenic granuloma. The surgical laser used was effective in excising the lesion, hemostasis was satisfactory, handling was practical, easy access to the area to be excised, there was no intraoperative complication and no postoperative complications were reported. The patient after about 3 years of periodic follow-up is healthy and has no recurrence of the lesion... (AU)

Polymorphisms of matrix metalloproteinase-7 and -9 are associated with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Matrix degradation is an important event in the progression, invasion and metastasis of malignant head and neck lesions. Imbalances, mutations and polymorphisms of MMPs and their inhibitors are observed in several cancer subtypes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the MMP-7 gene promoter (181 A/G) and MMP-9 (-1562 C/T) polymorphisms in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). MMP-7 (rs11568818) and MMP-9 (rs3918242) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis in 71 cases of OTSCC. Normal tissue specimens were obtained from 60 healthy volunteers to serve as the control. The MMP-7 G allele and MMP-9 T allele were more frequent in the OTSCC group than the control group, but only when these two SNPs were taken together was a significant association found with the nodal metastasis of OTSCC (p < 0.001). Based on our results, SNPs in the promoter region of MMP-7 and MMP-9 appear to be associated with greater risk of developing OTSCC, and with a higher propensity to form metastatic tumors. In this respect, molecular studies investigating polymorphisms may be useful in predicting tumor behavior.

Polymorphisms of matrix metalloproteinase-7 and -9 are associated with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Matrix degradation is an important event in the progression, invasion and metastasis of malignant head and neck lesions. Imbalances, mutations and polymorphisms of MMPs and their inhibitors are observed in several cancer subtypes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the MMP-7 gene promoter (181 A/G) and MMP-9 (-1562 C/T) polymorphisms in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). MMP-7 (rs11568818) and MMP-9 (rs3918242) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis in 71 cases of OTSCC. Normal tissue specimens were obtained from 60 healthy volunteers to serve as the control. The MMP-7 G allele and MMP-9 T allele were more frequent in the OTSCC group than the control group, but only when these two SNPs were taken together was a significant association found with the nodal metastasis of OTSCC (p < 0.001). Based on our results, SNPs in the promoter region of MMP-7 and MMP-9 appear to be associated with greater risk of developing OTSCC, and with a higher propensity to form metastatic tumors. In this respect, molecular studies investigating polymorphisms may be useful in predicting tumor behavior.

Amelogênese imperfeita do tipo hipoplásica: relato de dois casos familiares / Amelogénesis imperfecta del tipo hipoplásico: informe de dos casos familiares / Hypoplastic amelogenesis imperfecta: report of two family cases

RESUMO Introdução: Diariamente o cirurgião dentista se depara com diversos casos que exigem acurácia no diagnóstico inicial e atenção para o tratamento que irá ser proposto, uma dessas é a amelogênese imperfeita, que é uma rara alteração dentária de caráter hereditário. As características principais da amelogênese imperfeita são hipomineralização ou hipoplasia da matriz de esmalte, o que ocasiona descoloração, sensibilidade e fragilidade deste tecido, apresentando diferentes subtipos clínicos, sendo a variante hipoplásica a mais prevalente. Objetivo: Relatar dois casos de amelogênese imperfeita do tipo hipoplásica entre membros de uma mesma família, correlacionando-os. Apresentação do caso: O diagnóstico foi feito através dos exames clínico e radiográfico, além da correlação entre os achados clínicos encontrados em cada paciente e com outros familiares, sendo proposto um plano de tratamento multidisciplinar e consistente com a condição adequada. Conclusões: É importante para o cirurgião dentista estudar e conhecer essas alterações raras para poder estabelecer diagnóstico preciso. Além disso, deve-se ampliar a conduta clínica através de um planejamento individualizado e/ou familiar, tratando não apenas aspectos estéticos e funcionais, mas também psicológico e sociais(AU)

RESUMEN Introducción: Diariamente el cirujano dentista se enfrenta a varios casos que exigen precisión en el diagnóstico inicial y atención para el tratamiento que se propondrá, una de las cuales es la amelogénesis imperfecta, que es un rara alteración dental de carácter hereditario. Las características principales de la amelogénesis imperfecta son hipomeralización o hipoplasia de la matriz de esmalte, lo que ocasiona decoloración, sensibilidad y fragilidad de este tejido, con la presencia de diferentes subtipos clínicos, siendo la variante hipoplásica la más prevalente. Objetivo: Informar dos casos de amelogénesis imperfecta del tipo hipoplásica entre miembros de una misma familia, correlacionándolos. Presentación del caso: El diagnóstico se realizó a través de los exámenes clínicos y radiográficos, además de la correlación entre los hallazgos clínicos encontrados en cada paciente y con otros familiares, por lo que fue propuesto un plan de tratamiento multidisciplinario y consistente con la condición adecuada. Conclusiones: Es importante para el cirujano dentista que estudie y conozca estos cambios raros para poder establecer un diagnóstico preciso. Además, se debe ampliar la conducta clínica a través de una planificación individualizada y / o familiar, tratando no solo aspectos estéticos y funcionales, sino también psicológicos y sociales(AU)

ABSTRACT Introduction: Dental surgeons are confronted every day with several cases that require accuracy in the initial diagnosis and attention to the treatment that will be proposed. One of these is amelogenesis imperfecta, a rare hereditary tooth alteration. The main features of amelogenesis imperfecta are hypomineralization or hypoplasia of the enamel matrix resulting in discoloration, sensitivity and fragility of this tissue. Of the existing clinical subtypes, the hypoplastic variant is the most prevalent. Objective: Report and correlate two cases of hypoplastic amelogenesis imperfecta in members of the same family. Case presentation: The diagnosis was based on clinical and radiographic examination, as well as analysis of the correlation between the clinical findings obtained from each patient and other relatives. The treatment plan proposed was therefore multidisciplinary and appropriately consistent with the condition. Conclusions: It is important for dental surgeons to study and be aware of these rare changes to be able to establish an accurate diagnosis. On the other hand, clinical management should be broadened through individualized and/or family planning, paying attention not only to esthetic and functional aspects, but psychological and social as well(AU)

Motor neuroprosthesis for promoting recovery of function after stroke.

BACKGROUND: Motor neuroprosthesis (MN) involves electrical stimulation of neural structures by miniaturized devices to allow the performance of tasks in the natural environment in which people live (home and community context), as an orthosis. In this way, daily use of these devices could act as an environmental facilitator for increasing the activities and participation of people with stroke. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of MN for improving independence in activities of daily living (ADL), activities involving limbs, participation scales of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), exercise capacity, balance, and adverse events in people after stroke. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (searched 19 August 2019), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (August 2019), MEDLINE (1946 to 16 August 2019), Embase (1980 to 19 August 2019), and five additional databases. We also searched trial registries, databases, and websites to identify additional relevant published, unpublished, and ongoing trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and randomized controlled cross-over trials comparing MN for improving activities and participation versus other assistive technology device or MN without electrical stimulus (stimulator is turned off), or no treatment, for people after stroke. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected trials, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias of the included studies. Any disagreements were resolved through discussion with a third review author. We contacted trialists for additional information when necessary and performed all analyses using Review Manager 5. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence. MAIN RESULTS: We included four RCTs involving a total of 831 participants who were more than three months poststroke. All RCTs were of MN that applied electrical stimuli to the peroneal nerve. All studies included conditioning protocols to adapt participants to MN use, after which participants used MN from up to eight hours per day to all-day use for ambulation in daily activities performed in the home or community context. All studies compared the use of MN versus another assistive device (ankle-foot orthosis [AFO]). There was a high risk of bias for at least one assessed domain in three of the four included studies. No studies reported outcomes related to independence in ADL. There was low-certainty evidence that AFO was more beneficial than MN on activities involving limbs such as walking speed until six months of device use (mean difference (MD) -0.05 m/s, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.10 to -0.00; P = 0.03; 605 participants; 2 studies; I2 = 0%; low-certainty evidence); however, this difference was no longer present in our sensitivity analysis (MD -0.07 m/s, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.02; P = 0.13; 110 participants; 1 study; I2 = 0%). There was low to moderate certainty that MN was no more beneficial than AFO on activities involving limbs such as walking speed between 6 and 12 months of device use (MD 0.00 m/s, 95% CI -0.05 to 0.05; P = 0.93; 713 participants; 3 studies; I2 = 17%; low-certainty evidence), Timed Up and Go (MD 0.51 s, 95% CI -4.41 to 5.43; P = 0.84; 692 participants; 2 studies; I2 = 0%; moderate-certainty evidence), and modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile (MD 14.77 s, 95% CI -12.52 to 42.06; P = 0.29; 605 participants; 2 studies; I2 = 0%; low-certainty evidence). There was no significant difference in walking speed when MN was delivered with surface or implantable electrodes (test for subgroup differences P = 0.09; I2 = 65.1%). For our secondary outcomes, there was very low to moderate certainty that MN was no more beneficial than another assistive device for participation scales of HRQoL (standardized mean difference 0.26, 95% CI -0.22 to 0.74; P = 0.28; 632 participants; 3 studies; I2 = 77%; very low-certainty evidence), exercise capacity (MD -9.03 m, 95% CI -26.87 to 8.81; P = 0.32; 692 participants; 2 studies; I2 = 0%; low-certainty evidence), and balance (MD -0.34, 95% CI -1.96 to 1.28; P = 0.68; 692 participants; 2 studies; I2 = 0%; moderate-certainty evidence). Although there was low- to moderate-certainty evidence that the use of MN did not increase the number of serious adverse events related to intervention (risk ratio (RR) 0.35, 95% CI 0.04 to 3.33; P = 0.36; 692 participants; 2 studies; I2 = 0%; low-certainty evidence) or number of falls (RR 1.20, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.55; P = 0.08; 802 participants; 3 studies; I2 = 33%; moderate-certainty evidence), there was low-certainty evidence that the use of MN in people after stroke may increase the risk of participants dropping out during the intervention (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.97; P = 0.007; 829 participants; 4 studies; I2 = 0%). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence indicates that MN is no more beneficial than another assistive technology device for improving activities involving limbs measured by Timed Up and Go, balance (moderate-certainty evidence), activities involving limbs measured by walking speed and modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile, exercise capacity (low-certainty evidence), and participation scale of HRQoL (very low-certainty evidence). Evidence was insufficient to estimate the effect of MN on independence in ADL. In comparison to other assistive devices, MN does not appear to increase the number of falls (moderate-certainty evidence) or serious adverse events (low-certainty evidence), but may result in a higher number of dropouts during intervention period (low-certainty evidence).

Hippocampal and cortical communication around micro-arousals in slow-wave sleep.

Sleep plays a crucial role in the regulation of body homeostasis and rhythmicity in mammals. Recently, a specific component of the sleep structure has been proposed as part of its homeostatic mechanism, named micro-arousal. Here, we studied the unique progression of the dynamic behavior of cortical and hippocampal local field potentials (LFPs) during slow-wave sleep-related to motor-bursts (micro-arousals) in mice. Our main results comprised: (i) an abrupt drop in hippocampal LFP amplitude preceding micro-arousals which persisted until the end of motor-bursts (we defined as t interval, around 4s) and a similar, but delayed amplitude reduction in cortical (S1/M1) LFP activity occurring at micro-arousal onset; (ii) two abrupt frequency jumps in hippocampal LFP activity: from Theta (6-12 Hz) to Delta (2-4 Hz), also t seconds before the micro-arousal onset, and followed by another frequency jump from Delta to Theta range (5-7 Hz), now occurring at micro-arousal onset; (iii) a pattern of cortico-hippocampal frequency communication precedes micro-arousals: the analysis between hippocampal and cortical LFP fluctuations reveal high coherence during τ interval in a broader frequency band (2-12 Hz), while at a lower frequency band (0.5-2 Hz) the coherence reaches its maximum after the onset of micro-arousals. In conclusion, these novel findings indicate that oscillatory dynamics pattern of cortical and hippocampal LFPs preceding micro-arousals could be part of the regulatory processes in sleep architecture.

Immunohistochemical Analysis of Cyclooxygenase-2 and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in Periapical Lesions.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in periapical granuloma (PG) and radicular cyst (RC) samples and to correlate it with the type of lesion, the intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate, and the thickness of the epithelial lining. METHODS: A total of 51 cases of periapical lesions (25 PGs and 26 RCs) were subjected to morphologic analysis and immunohistochemical study. The anti-COX-2 and anti-TNF-α antibodies were applied using the immunoperoxidase technique. Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test, Pearson chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and Spearman correlation. RESULTS: Analysis of the inflammatory infiltrate revealed that 80% of PGs exhibited a grade III infiltrate as opposed to a 19% rate in RCs (P < .001). Morphologic evaluation of the epithelial thickness of RCs revealed the presence of atrophic epithelium in 73% of cases. The majority of PGs had a score of 1 for COX-2 immunoexpression (n = 14, 54%) and a score of 2 for TNF-α expression (n = 16, 64%), whereas in cases of RCs a score of 1 was more prevalent for COX-2 and TNF-α expression (n = 17, 65%). Significant differences in the expression scores of COX-2 and TNF-α were detected in periapical lesions (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, we emphasize that RCs and PGs have a similar expression of inflammatory mediators (COX-2 and TNF-α) although the secretion of TNF-α by macrophages and of COX-2 by several cells was higher in PGs, indicating a greater inflammatory response in these lesions.

Optimizing the detection of nonstationary signals by using recurrence analysis.

Recurrence analysis and its quantifiers are strongly dependent on the evaluation of the vicinity threshold parameter, i.e., the threshold to regard two points close enough in phase space to be considered as just one. We develop a new way to optimize the evaluation of the vicinity threshold in order to assure a higher level of sensitivity to recurrence quantifiers to allow the detection of even small changes in the dynamics. It is used to promote recurrence analysis as a tool to detect nonstationary behavior of time signals or space profiles. We show that the ability to detect small changes provides information about the present status of the physical process responsible to generate the signal and offers mechanisms to predict future states. Here, a higher sensitive recurrence analysis is proposed as a precursor, a tool to predict near future states of a particular system, based on just (experimentally) obtained signals of some available variables of the system. Comparisons with traditional methods of recurrence analysis show that the optimization method developed here is more sensitive to small variations occurring in a signal. The method is applied to numerically generated time series as well as experimental data from physiology.

The Bisindole Alkaloid Caulerpin, from Seaweeds of the Genus Caulerpa, Attenuated Colon Damage in Murine Colitis Model.

Caulerpin (CLP), an alkaloid from algae of the genus Caulerpa, has shown anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effect of CLP in the murine model of peritonitis and ulcerative colitis. Firstly, the mice were submitted to peritonitis to evaluate which dose of CLP (40, 4, or 0.4 mg/kg) could decrease the inflammatory infiltration in the peritoneum. The most effective doses were 40 and 4 mg/kg. Then, C57BL/6 mice were submitted to colitis development with 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and treated with CLP at doses of 40 and 4 mg/kg. The disease development was analyzed through the disease activity index (DAI); furthermore, colonic tissue samples were submitted to histological analysis, NFκB determination, and in vitro culture for cytokines assay. Therefore, CLP at 4 mg/kg presented the best results, triggering improvement of DAI and attenuating the colon shortening and damage. This dose was able to reduce the TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-17, and NFκB p65 levels, and increased the levels of IL-10 in the colon tissue. Thus, CLP mice treatment at a dose of 4 mg/kg showed promising results in ameliorating the damage observed in the ulcerative colitis.

Differential expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and cyclin D1 in salivary gland tumors.

PURPOSE: Salivary gland tumors are complex and have a great histomorphological diversity; more than 30 histological subtypes are currently described and the study of proteins that help understand and differentiate these tumors is essential. We aimed to analyze the immunoexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and cyclin D1 proteins in pleomorphic adenomas (PA), mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC) and adenoid cystic carcinomas (AdCC) of salivary glands. METHODS: A total of 38 PA, 12 AdCC and 12 MEC underwent immunohistochemical study by the polymeric biotin-free technique. Immunopositive cells were analyzed semi-quantitatively. For statistical analysis, a significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: Overall, these tumors were more prevalent in women (n = 37). The mean age of these patients was 58-year-old and the parotid gland was the most affected anatomic site (n = 33). All cases of AdCC and MEC showed immunopositivity to cyclin D1; however, 39.5% of the PAs were negative (p < 0.001). Regarding COX-2 immunoexpression, we observed that all cases of CME were positive, whereas 60.5% of the PA and 75% of the CAC analyzed were completely negative (p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: The overexpression of COX-2, observed only in MEC, emphasizes that salivary gland tumors have different profiles. Cyclin D1 is more immunoexpressed in malignant tumors. Together, these immunohistochemical findings may be useful in differentiating the studied tumors.

Desordens orais potencialmente malignas: um estudo de prevalência / Potentially malignant oral disorders: a prevalence study

Este estudo realizou a prevalência das desordens orais com potencial de transformação maligna diagnosticadas nos pacientes atendidos pela Clínica-Escola de Odontologia da Universídade Federal de Campina Grande. A pesquisa foi realizada nos prontuários arquivados dos pacientes atendidos na clínica-escola. Os pacientes diagnosticados com lesão foram convidadas a comparecerem novamente à clínica-escola para a realização do controle clínico. De um total de 2.706 prontuários, foram encontrados 131 pacientes com desordens orais, revelando uma prevalência de 4,84%. A queilite actínica foi a mais frequente com 68 (50,4%) casos, seguida da leucoplasia com 61 (45,2%). Homens corresponderam a 85 (64,9%) casos; o tipo de pele mais comum foi o feoderma com 64 (48,8%), e a média de idade dos pacientes foi de 45,11 anos. Também foi observado que 89 (68%) pacientes não realizaram o tratamento preconizado para a lesão e que o resultado histopatológico mais comum foi a hiperceratose com 11 (18%) casos, seguida da displasia epitelial leve com 5 (8,2%) ocorrências. Com relação ao controle clínico, apenas 33 (25,2%) pacientes retornaram, sendo 22 livres da doença. Diante do exposto, conclui-se que a prevalência das desordens encontradas foi semelhante à prevalência mundial e que existe uma grande evasão por parte dos pacientes no tratamento e no controle clínico... (AU)

This study evaluated the prevalence of oral disorders with potential malignant transformation diagnosed in the patients attended by the Clinical School of Dentistry of the Federal University of Campina Grande. The research was carried out from medical files of patients attended at the school-clinic. Patients diagnosed with an injury were called to attend the school clinic again for clinical control. From a total of 2,706 medical records, 131 patients with oral disorders were found, showing a prevalence of 4.84%. Actinic cheilitis was the most frequent with 68 (50.4%) cases, followed by leukoplakia with 61 (45.2%). Men corresponded to 85 (64.9%) cases, the most common skin type was feoderma with 64 (48.8%), and the mean age of the patients was 45.11 years. It was also observed that 89 (68%) patients did not perform the recommended treatment for the lesion, and that the most common histopathological result was hyperkeratosis with 11 (18%) cases, followed by mild epithelial dysplasia with 5 (8.2%) occurrences. Regarding the clinical control, only 33 (25.2%) patients returned, being 22 free of the disease. In view of the above, it is concluded that the prevalence of the disorders found was similar to the worldwide prevalence and that there is a great deal of evasion by the patients to the treatment and in the clinical control... (AU)

Investigation of the BOLD and CBV fMRI responses to somatosensory stimulation in awake marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

Understanding the spatiotemporal features of the hemodynamic response function (HRF) to brain stimulation is essential for the correct application of neuroimaging methods to study brain function. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal evolution of the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) HRF in conscious, awake marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a New World non-human primate with a lissencephalic brain and with growing use in biomedical research. The marmosets were acclimatized to head fixation and placed in a 7-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Somatosensory stimulation (333-µs pulses; amplitude, 2 mA; 64 Hz) was delivered bilaterally via pairs of contact electrodes. A block design paradigm was used in which the stimulus duration increased in pseudo-random order from a single pulse up to 256 electrical pulses (4 s). For CBV measurements, 30 mg/kg of ultrasmall superparamagnetic ironoxide particles (USPIO) injected intravenously, were used. Robust BOLD and CBV HRFs were obtained in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) and caudate at all stimulus conditions. In particular, BOLD and CBV responses to a single 333-µs-long stimulus were reliably measured, and the CBV HRF presented shorter onset time and time to peak than the BOLD HRF. Both the size of the regions of activation and the peak amplitude of the HRFs grew quickly with increasing stimulus duration, and saturated for stimulus durations greater than 1 s. Onset times in S1 and S2 were faster than in caudate. Finally, the fine spatiotemporal features of the HRF in awake marmosets were similar to those obtained in humans, indicating that the continued refinement of awake non-human primate models is essential to maximize the applicability of animal functional MRI studies to the investigation of human brain function.

Immunohistochemical expression of TGF-ß1 and MMP-9 in periapical lesions.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß1) in periapical lesion samples correlated with the intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate and thickness of the epithelial lining. Forty-five cases of periapical lesions (23 periapical granulomas and 22 radicular cysts) were subjected to morphological and immunohistochemical analyses using anti-MMP-9 and anti-TGF-ß1 antibodies. The data were analyzed using the following tests: non-parametric Mann-Whitney, chi-square, Fisher's exact test and Spearman's correlation test (P<0.05). Analysis of inflammatory infiltrate revealed that 78% of periapical granulomas presented infiltrate grade III, in contrast with 32% of radicular cysts (P<0.001). Morphological evaluation of the epithelial thickness in radicular cysts revealed the presence of atrophic epithelium in 86% of the cysts. The immunostaining of MMP-9 was score 2 in 67% of the granulomas and 77% of the cysts. Both lesions were predominantly score 1 for TGF-ß1. Significant differences were confirmed between the expression scores of TGF-ß1 and MMP-9 in periapical granulomas (p = 0.004) and in radicular cysts (p < 0.001). Expression of TGF-ß1 was different for periapical granulomas and radicular cysts. This immunoregulatory cytokine seems more representative in asymptomatic lesions. The extracellular matrix remodeling process dependent on MMP-9 seems to be similar for both periapical granulomas and radicular cysts. TGF-ß1 and MMP-9 may play an important role in the maintenance of periapical lesions.