Propolis and swimming in the prevention of atherogenesis and left ventricular hypertrophy in hypercholesterolemic mice.

AIMS: The present study verified the effect of propolis alone and its association with swimming in dyslipidemia, left ventricular hypertrophy and atherogenesis of hypercholesterolemic mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: The experiments were performed in LDLr-/- mice, fed with high fat diet for 75 days, and were divided into four experimental groups (n=10): HL, sedentary, subjected to aquatic stress (5 min per day, 5 times per week); NAT submitted to a swimming protocol (1 hour per day, 5 times per week) from the 16th day of the experiment; PRO, sedentary, submitted to aquatic stress and which received oral propolis extract (70 uL/animal/day) from the 16th day of the experiment; HL+NAT+PRO, submitted to swimming and which received propolis as described above. After 75 days, blood was collected for analysis of serum lipids. The ratio between the ventricular weight (mg) and the animal weight (g) was calculated. Histological sections of the heart and aorta were processed immunohistochemically with anti-CD40L antibodies to evaluate the inflammatory process; stained with hematoxylin/eosin and picrosirius red to assess morphological and morphometric alterations. The HL animals showed severe dyslipidemia, atherogenesis and left ventricular hypertrophy, associated with a decrease in serum HDLc levels and subsequent development of cardiovascular inflammatory process, characterized by increased expression of CD40L in the left ventricle and aorta. Swimming and propolis alone and\or associated prevented the LVH, atherogenesis and arterial and ventricular inflammation, decreasing the CD40L expression and increasing the HDLc plasmatic levels. CONCLUSION: Propolis alone or associated with a regular physical activity is beneficial in cardiovascular protection through anti-inflammatory action.

Oviposition and predation by Speciomerus revoili (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) on seeds of Acrocomia aculeata (Arecaceae) in Brasília, DF, Brazil.

Oviposition and predation levels by Speciomerus revoili bruchid beetles were quantified on fruits and seeds of the macaúba palm, Acrocomia aculeata, collected from below mother-trees within the Sarah Kubitschek Park of Brasília, DF, Brazil. A maximum of 12 eggs per fruit were found, with high variations observed between samples. No clear pattern was found for the distribution of the number of eggs per fruit, perhaps due to the artificial conditions of the study area, the absence of dispersers and/or the plasticity in the oviposition behavior of the insect. The number of eggs per fruit was not related to fruit size, but was associated with their availability under the tree-mother. This suggests that the density of eggs per fruit is a balance between the availability of this resource and the number of females in the beetle population. The observed mortality rate, from the egg phase to the final larval stages, was over 75%. About 40% of the seeds of Acrocomia aculeata were predated by Speciomerus revoili.

Oviposition and predation by Speciomerus revoili (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) on seeds of Acrocomia aculeata (Arecaceae) in Brasília, DF, Brazil

Oviposition and predation levels by Speciomerus revoili bruchid beetles were quantified on fruits and seeds of the macaúba palm, Acrocomia aculeata, collected from below mother-trees within the Sarah Kubitschek Park of Brasília, DF, Brazil. A maximum of 12 eggs per fruit were found, with high variations observed between samples. No clear pattern was found for the distribution of the number of eggs per fruit, perhaps due to the artificial conditions of the study area, the absence of dispersers and/or the plasticity in the oviposition behavior of the insect. The number of eggs per fruit was not related to fruit size, but was associated with their availability under the tree-mother. This suggests that the density of eggs per fruit is a balance between the availability of this resource and the number of females in the beetle population. The observed mortality rate, from the egg phase to the final larval stages, was over 75 percent. About 40 percent of the seeds of Acrocomia aculeata were predated by Speciomerus revoili

[Exogenous surfactant treatment for severe acute viral bronchiolitis: case report] / Uso de surfactante exógeno no tratamento da bronquiolite viral grave: relato de caso.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the possible clinical and laboratory effects of exogenous surfactant instillation into the tracheal tube of a child with severe acute bronchiolitis undergoing mechanical ventilation. CASE REPORT: a 2-month-old girl with clinical diagnosis of acute viral bronchiolitis underwent mechanical ventilation. She required high positive inspiratory peak pressure (35 to 45 cmH(2)O) and high inspiratory fraction of oxygen (FiO(2) = 0.9), but showed no clinical response or improvement in the arterial blood gas analysis. An exogenous surfactant (Exosurf(R), Glaxo - 50 mg/kg) was used to facilitate the use of a less aggressive ventilatory strategy. RESULTS: Four hours after surfactant administration, it was possible to reduce the positive peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) from 35 to 30 cmH(2)O, and FiO(2) from 0.9 to 0.6; and to increase the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) from 6 to 9 cmH(2)O. During this period the paO(2)/FiO(2) ratio increased from 120 to 266. At the end of 24 hours, FiO(2) could be reduced to 0.4. DISCUSSION: Surfactant inactivation may be a decisive factor in the unfavorable evolution of some severe cases of acute bronchiolitis. The tracheal instillation of exogenous surfactant, in these cases, allows us to adopt less aggressive ventilatory strategies, and promotes rapid clinical responses.