Curcuma Longa Abolishes Phenylephrine-Induced Contractions in Isolated Aortic Artery of Rats

Curcuma longa has biological effects. Its cardiovascular activities are yet to be scientifically studied. Objectives: To investigate the vasorelaxant effects of the aqueous extract of Curcuma longa (AECL). Methods: Aortic annuli of normotensive rats, with or without endothelium, were set up in a data storage system with nutrient solution in recipients, with scientifically recommended temperature, aeration and tension. Over contraction by Phenylephrine, the AECL (1, 3, 10, 30, 100, 300 and 1000 µg/mL) was incubated before and after incubation with atropine or L-name or indomethacin. An AECL concentration-response curve was also built over contractions caused by elevation of extracellular K+. Data were significant when p < 0.05, with GraphPad Prism 6.0 software resolutions. Results: The AECL induced 100% vasorelaxation also in the endothelium-free annuli. The part of the endothelium-dependent effect had EC50 = 4.32 ± 0.05 µg/mL. With inhibition of NO production, the EC50 increased to 126.50 ± 2.35 µg/mL; after inhibition of prostacyclin production, to 124.6 ± 0.05 µg/mL; and after muscarinic blockade, to 437.10 ± 0.2 µg/mL. Opening of K+ channels (relaxation of 56.98%) and VOCC blockade (relaxation of 31.56%) were evident. Conclusion: AECL induced significant vasorelaxation, being more significant in the presence of endothelium. The muscarinic pathway seems to be the main one involved in this effect, followed by the NO production and prostacyclin pathways. The activity in K+ channels by AECL was more significant than its VOCC blockade. The use of other models and tools to study action mechanisms will be important and elucidating

Anticonvulsant Effects of Fractions Isolated from Dinoponera quadriceps (Kempt) Ant Venom (Formicidae: Ponerinae).

Natural products, sources of new pharmacological substances, have large chemical diversity and architectural complexity. In this context, some toxins obtained from invertebrate venoms have anticonvulsant effects. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects about 65 million people worldwide, and approximately 30% of cases are resistant to pharmacological treatment. Previous studies from our group show that the denatured venom of the ant Dinoponera quadriceps (Kempt) protects mice against bicuculline (BIC)-induced seizures and death. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticonvulsant activity of compounds isolated from D. quadriceps venom against seizures induced by BIC in mice. Crude venom was fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) resulting in six fractions referred to as DqTx1-DqTx6. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis revealed a major 431 Da compound in fractions DqTx1 and DqTx2. Fractions DqTx3 and DqTx4 showed a compound of 2451 Da and DqTx5 revealed a 2436 Da compound. Furthermore, the DqTx6 fraction exhibited a major component with a molecular weight of 13,196 Da. Each fraction (1 mg/mL) was microinjected into the lateral ventricle of mice, and the animals were observed in an open field. We did not observe behavioral alterations when the fractions were given alone. Conversely, when the fractions were microinjected 20 min prior to the administration of BIC (21.6 nM), DqTx1, DqTx4, and DqTx6 fractions increased the latency for onset of tonic-clonic seizures. Moreover, all fractions, except DqTx5, increased latency to death. The more relevant result was obtained with the DqTx6 fraction, which protected 62.5% of the animals against tonic-clonic seizures. Furthermore, this fraction protected 100% of the animals from seizure episodes followed by death. Taken together, these findings indicate that compounds from ant venom might be a potential source of new anticonvulsants molecules.

Rat atrial responses to Bothrops jararacussu (jararacuçu) snake venom.

Envenoming by the pitviper Bothrops jararacussu produces cardiovascular alterations, including coagulopathy, systemic hemorrhage, hypotension, circulatory shock and renal failure. In this work, we examined the activity of this venom in rat isolated right atria. Incubation with venom (0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2mg/ml) caused concentration-dependent muscle contracture that was not reversed by washing. Muscle damage was seen histologically and confirmed by quantification of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) release. Heating and preincubation of venom with p-bromophenacyl bromide (a phospholipase A2 inhibitor) abolished the venom-induced contracture and muscle damage. In contrast, indomethacin, a non-selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, and verapamil, a voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel blocker, did not affect the responses to venom. Preincubation of venom with Bothrops or Bothrops/Crotalus antivenom or the addition of antivenom soon after venom attenuated the venom-induced changes in atrial function and tissue damage. These results indicate that B. jararacussu venom adversely affected rat atrial contractile activity and muscle organization through the action of venom PLA2; these venom-induced alterations were attenuated by antivenom.

Phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) and species abundance in an endemic area of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil.

This study was undertaken to identify the phlebotomine fauna and species abundance in domiciliary and peridomiciliary (hen-house and guava-tree) environments, on a lake shore, a cultivated area of coffee and banana, and a forested area of Conceição da Aparecida municipality, southeastern the state of Minas Gerais, to provide information for the control and epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis in this area. The captures were carried out monthly between May 2001 and November 2002, with automatic light and Shannon traps. A total of 1444 sand flies were captured, 951 (76.5%) with automatic light traps and 493 (23.5%) with the Shannon trap. Thirteen species were captured, the most frequent being Nyssomyia whitmani (62.7%), Migonemyia migonei (21.4%), Pintomyia fischeri (6.9%), and Evandromyia lenti (3.6%). Species abundance was determined using the automatic light traps installed in the six environments. The most abundant species according to the standardized index of species abundance were Ny. whitmani (1.0) and Mg. migonei (0.82). In view of the dominance of these two species, known vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis in other Brazilian areas, their participation in the transmission of the disease in this county is suggested. The diversity and evenness indexes in the domicile were the lowest due to the high frequency (83%) of Ny. whitmani. The capture of Lutzomyia longipalpis, rarely recorded in the south-eastern and southern regions of Minas Gerais, is also noteworthy.

Phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) and species abundance in an endemic area of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil

This study was undertaken to identify the phlebotomine fauna and species abundance in domiciliary and peridomiciliary (hen-house and guava-tree) environments, on a lake shore, a cultivated area of coffee and banana, and a forested area of Conceição da Aparecida municipality, southeastern the state of Minas Gerais, to provide information for the control and epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis in this area. The captures were carried out monthly between May 2001 and November 2002, with automatic light and Shannon traps. A total of 1444 sand flies were captured, 951 (76.5 percent) with automatic light traps and 493 (23.5 percent) with the Shannon trap. Thirteen species were captured, the most frequent being Nyssomyia whitmani (62.7 percent), Migonemyia migonei (21.4 percent), Pintomyia fischeri (6.9 percent), and Evandromyia lenti (3.6 percent). Species abundance was determined using the automatic light traps installed in the six environments. The most abundant species according to the standardized index of species abundance were Ny. whitmani (1.0) and Mg. migonei (0.82). In view of the dominance of these two species, known vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis in other Brazilian areas, their participation in the transmission of the disease in this county is suggested. The diversity and evenness indexes in the domicile were the lowest due to the high frequency (83 percent) of Ny. whitmani. The capture of Lutzomyia longipalpis, rarely recorded in the south-eastern and southern regions of Minas Gerais, is also noteworthy.

Aspectos ecológicos da fauna flebotomínea (Diptera,Psychodidae) e suas implicações na Epidemiologia da Leishmanioses em Cotia,Estado de São Paulo, Brasil / Ecological aspects of the phlebotomine fauna (Diptera, Psychodidae) and their implications for the epidemiology of Leishmaniases in Cotia county, São Paulo state, Brazil

As leishmanioses são antropozoonoses cujos agentes etiológicos são parasitos do gênero Leishmania e transmitidos aos vertebrados por flebotomíneos (Diptera, Psychodidae).No estado de São Paulo(SP) a incidência das leishimanioses tegumentar (LT) e visceral (LV) vem aumentando.No município de Cotia , região da Grande São Paulo, casos humanos de LT têm sido notificados e, recentemente também, casos caninos de LV.O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a ocorrência da LT nos municípios que compõem a Dir V (Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, Centro de Vigilância Epidemiológica), onde se insere Cotia e estudar a fauna flebotomínea em área de transmissão de ambas as parasitoses nestes municípios, para identificação de seus vetores.Metodologia: estimou-se a incidência da LT na população humana através de dados obtidos no Centro de Vigilância Epidemiológica (CVE/SP) e IBGE.Para o estudo dos insetos foram amostrados cinco pontos no município de Cotia, no período de junho de 2004 a agosto de 2005.Para captura dos alados utilizou-se as técnicas de armadilha de Shannon, armadilhas automáticas luminosas tipo CDC e aspiração.Para as formas imaturas, armadilhas de Casanova e amostragem de solo.As capturas com armadilhas de Shannon modificadas, nas cores branca e preta, foram mensais, durante 13 horas, para determinação do ritmo horário noturno, e uma vez a cada estação do ano, por 25 horas.As armadilhas automáticas luminosas foram instaladas mensalmente das 18:00 às 06:00, por três noites consecutivas em ambiente domiciliar, peridomiciliar e mata. Foi investigada a infecção natural por flagelados por dissecção e por PCR da fêmeas.Resultados e Discussão: Os coeficientes de incidência média acumulada (CI) para os municípios da diretoria V-Osasco mostraram-se variáveis, porém sempre abaixo de 10/100.000 hab. Cotia apresentou um CI=2,39/100.000 hab..O total de flebotomíneos capturados durante o período de estudo foi de 2.690 espécimes pertencentes à...

Improving perception of letters and visual structure of language.

Information about letters and the physical structure of language printed in Roman characters was given to children beginning to read. Experimental investigations coupled three alternative graphic modes of printing upper- and lower-case letters with an instructional intervention termed "Alpha-Beta" which provides practice in letter sorting, matching of letters, associative matching, and memory matching. In respect to graphics, Mode A letters were in standard alphabet form. Mode B provided standard letters with each backed by a unique half-tone (Visually Stippled Alphabet); Mode C provided standard letters with each backed by a unique visual texture (Visually Patterned Alphabet). Pre-posttest change in reading readiness was measured using the Metropolitan Readiness Test. In the first study 224 English-speaking 5- to 6-yr.-old children were tested. In the second there were 158 Spanish-speaking girls and boys 6 to 7 years old. It was predicted that Alpha-Beta intervention involving visually patterned alphabet would lead to the greatest increases in readiness scores. This is confirmed in both studies for children low in reading readiness preexperiment. Children high in reading readiness are less affected. The second experiment involved Spanish-speaking children and investigated intervention by Alpha-Beta against a no-intervention control. This confirms the value of Alpha-Beta per se. Possible explanations for the improvements are identified.