Low-dose gamma irradiation of food protein increases its allergenicity in a chronic oral challenge.

Few chronic food protein models have described the relationship between allergenicity and the molecular structure of food protein after physical processing. The effect of γ-radiation on the structure of food protein was measured by fluorescence, circular dichroism and microcalorimetry. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally sensitized and then given non-irradiated and irradiated Con-A by daily gavage for 28days. The tendency to form insoluble amorphous aggregates and partially unfolded species was observed after irradiation. The administration of non-irradiated and irradiated samples at low-dose significantly increased weight loss as well as plasma levels of eotaxin in animals repeatedly exposed to Con-A. Significant lymphocytic infiltrate filling completely the stroma of microvilli and tubular glands was observed in the small intestinal of the group given Con-A irradiated at a low dose. This phenotype was not observed in animals treated with Con-A irradiated at a high dose.

Avaliação radiográfica de cães com displasia coxofemoral tratados pela sinfisiodese púbica / Radiographic evaluation in dogs with hip dysplasia treated by pubic symphysiodesis

Avaliou-se a progressão dos sinais radiográficos de cães com displasia coxofemoral ou potencialmente displásicos tratados pela técnica da sinfisiodese púbica. Foram utilizados 14 cães, seis machos e oito fêmeas, com idades entre quatro e seis meses. Após exame físico, procedeu-se ao exame radiográfico para avaliação da articulação coxofemoral, segundo padrão estabelecido pelo Colégio Brasileiro de Radiologia Veterinária. Três deles foram também avaliados pelo método PennHIP. Pelo histórico clínico, nove (64 por cento) animais foram trazidos por manifestarem sinais de dificuldade locomotora com os membros pélvicos, manifestada especialmente por claudicação unilateral ou bilateral e dificuldade de se levantar. Cinco (36 por cento) cães não tinham qualquer sinal clínico, e em quatro (29 por cento) realizou-se o exame radiográfico como prevenção. O sinal físico mais evidente foi dor à palpação da articulação coxofemoral, e dois (14 por cento) cães apresentaram sinal de Ortolani positivo. Com exceção de um cão que apresentou infecção nos pontos cutâneos, todos os demais evoluíram sem complicações no período pós-operatório. Radiograficamente houve progressão das lesões articulares em seis (43 por cento) animais e oito (57 por cento) mantiveram a classificação inicial. Concluiu-se que cães tratados pela sinfisiodese púbica não apresentam melhora dos sinais radiográficos iniciais.

The radiographic findings in hip dysplastic or potentially hip dysplastic dogs treated by the pubic symphysiodesis were evaluated using 14 dogs - six males and eight females -, aging from four to six-month-old. After physical examination, the hip joint was evaluated by radiographic examination according to pattern established by the Colegio Brasileiro de Radiologia Veterinária. In addition, three dogs were evaluated by PennHIP method. According to medical history, nine (64 percent) dogs were admitted due to signs of locomotor difficulty in pelvic limbs, especially characterized by uni or bilateral lameness and stiffness on rising. Five (36 percent) dogs had no clinical signs. Radiographic examination was performed in four (29 percent) dogs as prevention. The most evident physical sign was pain on manipulation of the hip with Ortolani-positive in two (14 percent) dogs. Except for one dog that presented infection signs in the skin suture, no other postoperative complication was observed. The follow-up radiographic examination revealed progression of the degenerative articular changes in six (43 percent) dogs, and eight (54 percent) had no progression. In conclusion, the dogs treated by pubic symphysiodesis did not have improvement of the preoperative radiographic signs.

Azithromycin inhibits vertical transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in Calomys callosus (Rodentia: Cricetidae).

Toxoplasma gondii infection during pregnancy may cause severe consequences to the embryo. Current toxoplasmosis treatment for pregnant women is based on the administration of spiramycin or a drug combination as sulphadiazine-pyrimethamine-folinic acid (SPFA) in cases of confirmed fetal infection. However, these drugs are few tolerated and present many disadvantages due to their toxic effects to the host. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments on the vertical transmission of T. gondii, including azithromycin, Artemisia annua infusion, spiramycin and SPFA in Calomys callosus as model of congenital toxoplasmosis. C. callosus females were perorally infected with 20 cysts of T. gondii ME49 strain at the day that a vaginal plug was observed (1st day of pregnancy - dop). Treatment with azithromycin, A. annua infusion, and spiramycin started at the 4th dop, while the treatment with SPFA started at the 14th dop. Placenta and embryonic tissues were collected for morphological and immunohistochemical analyses, mouse bioassay and PCR from the 15th to 20th dop. No morphological changes were seen in the placenta and embryonic tissues from females treated with azithromycin, spiramycin and SPFA, but embryonic atrophy was observed in animals treated with A. annua infusion. Parasites were found in the placenta and fetal (brain and liver) tissues of animals treated with SPFA, A. annua infusion and spiramycin, although the number of parasites was lower than in non-treated animals. Parasites were also observed in the placenta of animals treated with azithromycin, but not in their embryos. Bioassay and PCR results confirmed the immunohistochemical data. Also, bradyzoite immunostaining was observed only in placental and fetal tissues of animals treated with SPFA. In conclusion, the treatment with azithromycin showed to be more effective, since it was capable to inhibit the vertical transmission of T. gondii in this model of congenital toxoplasmosis.

Reconstruction of humeral length from measurements of its proximal and distal fragments

The aim of the present study was to estimate the length of humeri from measurements of their proximal and distal fragments. This information is important in archaeological studies and forensic investigations, particularly when fragmented material is examined. Forty humerus of adults individuals, sex-aggregated, of the Departamento de Anatomia/UFRJ collection were selected to analysis (right = 20; left = 20). Maximum length and measures of 12 fragments of the humerus (proximal = 7; distal = 5), named P1-P7 and D1-D5, were obtained by means an osteometrical board and an analogical caliper. Simples and multiple linear regressions (p < 0.01) were made to correlate each fragment with total length of the humerus. In right humeri, best estimates were observed with P1, P4, P6, P7 (proximal fragments) and D1, D2, D3, and D4 (distal fragments). In left side, P1, P6 (proximal fragments) and D1, D2, D3 (distal fragments) showed best results. Multiple regressions did not show significant increase in estimates of the humeral length. Regressions formulae were obtained to define these estimative. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that length of the humerus can be estimated from measures of proximal or distal fragments.

Novel dopamine releasing response of an anti-convulsant agent with possible anti-Parkinson's activity.

We used cerebral microdialysis to assess the ability of the anticonvulsant drug Zonisamide (ZNS) to release striatal dopamine in 6-hydroxydopamine nigrotomized rats. Following exogeneously administered ZNS we measured dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) levels in striatal dialysates obtained from the ipsilateral side of the nigrotomy. ZNS administration alone had no effect on levels of DA and its metabolites or rotational behavior. Administration of carbidopa-levodopa alone led to small but insignificant increases in rotational behavior contralateral to the side of the nigrotomy but no corresponding increases in indices of striatal catecholamine release. In contrast, if animals were preloaded with carbidopa and ZNS was co-administered with levodopa 30 minutes later significant increases in contralateral rotational behavior occurred within 20 minutes of ZNS-levodopa injection that lasted for at least 90 minutes. In contrast to the uniform rotational behavioral responses observed in all our nigrotomized animals, less than half demonstrated neurochemical evidence of DA release. In these "responder" animals DOPAC levels increased 300% following carbidopa-levodopa-ZNS administration. We conclude that these results support previously reported findings and provide additional evidence that the anticonvulsant ZNS appears to possess anti-Parkinson's properties. ZNS could therefore be a novel agent for the treatment of PD that could delay the use of or reduce the amount of levodopa needed to treat patients with PD.

Structure of cruzipain/cruzain inhibitors isolated from Bauhinia bauhinioides seeds.

The saline extract of Bauhinia bauhinioides dry seeds was shown to inhibit cruzipain, a cysteine proteinase from Trypanosoma cruzi. The inhibitory activity was assigned to a protein with 164 amino acid residues and molecular mass of 18 034 Da that was purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex, trypsin-Sepharose (removal of trypsin inhibitors), Mono Q and a reversed-phase C4 column. The primary structure is homologous to other plant Kunitz-type inhibitors, but it lacks cysteine residues and therefore the disulfide bridges. No methionine residue was identified by amino acid sequencing. The inhibition of cruzipain fits into a slow-tight binding mechanism with a low dissociation constant (Ki 1.2 nM). The studied Bauhinia protein also inhibits cruzain (Ki 0.3 nM), a C-terminally truncated recombinant species of cruzipain. Cathepsin L, a cysteine proteinase with high homology to cruzipain, is also inhibited (Ki 0.22 nM), but not cathepsin B, papain, bromelain or ficin.

[Programmed atrial pacemaker in the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in the elderly]. / Marcapasso atrial programável no tratamento da hipotensão ortostática neurogênica no idoso.

A programmable atrial pacemaker was implanted in an elderly man, 75 years-old, with incapacitating orthostatic hypotension due to automatic dysfunction (Shy-Drager) unresponsive to traditional therapy. Initially, a temporary programmed atrial pacing was implanted paced at 96 beats/minute during the day, reducing the rate at night to 60 betas/minute. An increase in cardiac output was achieved. Favourable results encouraged us to implant a permanent programmed pacemaker. The manufacturer designed a simple, safe programmer operable by the patient which only alters the rate from night (60) to day (96). A marked improvement in symptoms has been observed during a follow-up of nine months without complications. It is recommended that this sort of treatment be considered in elderly patients with symptomatic orthostatic hypotension due to autonomic dysfunction with inadequate compensatory tachycardia who have not responded to traditional therapy.