Effect of the addition of antifreeze protein type I on the quality of post-thawed domestic cat epididymal sperm.

Cryopreservation of domestic cat semen is mainly performed as a model for the establishment of endangered wild feline protocols. The supplementation of antifreeze protein type I (AFP I) to cryopreservation medium has shown improvement in frozen-thawed sperm quality in other species, but its effect on cat semen has not yet been tested. This study aimed to assess the addition of AFP I to cryopreservation medium in domestic cats. Sperm was obtained from the cauda epididymis of orchiectomized cats; sperm was then pooled in Tris buffer and allocated into three treatments, according to AFP I final concentration: 0 (control), 0.1, and 0.5 µg/ml. Nine replicates were cryopreserved in a two-step protocol and subsequently thawed at 37°C for 30 s. There was no difference (P > 0.05) among the control, 0.1 and 0.5 µg/ml groups for parameters such as motility, vitality, functional membrane integrity, mature chromatin, normal morphology, and sperm binding to egg perivitelline membrane. In the 0.5 µg/ml group only, percentages of live sperm with intact acrosome and of sperm with most inactive mitochondria (DAB III) showed a significant reduction, along with a tendency (P = 0.053) to an increase in the percentage of sperm with most active mitochondria (DAB II). In conclusion, the supplementation of 0.1 and 0.5 µg/ml of AFP I did not promote consistent beneficial effects on the overall sperm cryotolerance in domestic cats.

Eugenol influences the expression of messenger RNAs for superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase 1 in bovine secondary follicles cultured in vitro.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of eugenol on growth, viability, antrum formation and mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) and peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) in bovine secondary follicles cultured in vitro. To this end, bovine ovaries were collected from a local slaughterhouse and in the laboratory the follicles were isolated from the ovarian cortex. The follicles were then cultured in TCM-199+ alone or supplemented with different concentrations of eugenol (0.5, 5.0 and 50.0 µM). Follicular diameters and antrum formation were evaluated on days 0, 6, 12 and 18. Viability analysis was performed using calcein and ethidium homodimer. Real-time PCR was used to quantify mRNA levels for SOD, CAT, GPX1 and PRDX6 in cultured follicles. Follicular diameters and mRNA levels in follicles cultured in vitro were compared using analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests, while follicular survival and antrum formation were compared using the chi-squared test (P < 0.05). The results showed that secondary follicles cultured with eugenol maintained similar morphology and viability to follicles cultured in the control group. A progressive increase in follicular diameter was observed between days 0 and 12 for all treatments, except for follicles cultured with 50 µM eugenol. Eugenol (5.0 and 50.0 µM) increased mRNA levels for GPX1 in cultured follicles, but 0.5 µM eugenol reduced mRNA levels for SOD. The addition of eugenol did not influence mRNA expression for CAT and PRDX6. In conclusion, eugenol supplementation reduces mRNA levels for SOD and increases mRNA levels of GPX1 in bovine secondary follicles cultured in vitro.

Influência do tabagismo sobre as análises laboratoriais de rotina: um estudo piloto em adultos jovens / Influence of tobacco smoking on standard clinical blood tests: a pilot study in young adults

Várias doenças estão relacionadas ao tabagismo, mas não se sabe ao certo o momento em que os malefícios superamos mecanismos de defesa do organismo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar as alterações bioquímicas, hematológicas e imunológicas, em adultos jovens fumantes, comparando com adultos jovens, não fumantes. Vinte e quatro não-fumantes e 14 fumantes (fumam há 8 mais ou menos 1 ano, e uma quantidade média de cigarros/dia = 10 mais ou menos 4,9), alunos da UNISO dos cursos da saúde (Farmácia, Nutrição e Terapia Ocupacional), com idade média de 23 mais ou menos 3,6 anos, participaram do estudo. As amostras de sangue foram coletadas de acordo com as exigências para as seguintes análises: colesterol total, HDL-colesterol, LDL-colesterol, VLDL-colesterol, triacilgliceróis, glicose, uréia, ácido úrico e creatinina sérica. Os grupos demonstraram ser normolipidêmicos, euglicêmicos, com valores séricos de uréia, creatinina, ácido úrico, proteína C reativa (PCR), imunoglobulinas G (IgG) e M (IgM), complemento C3 e contagem global de glóbulos brancos e vermelhos, dentro dos valores de referência. A maior concentração sérica da uréia foi observada no grupo de fumantes e nenhuma outra diferença significativa foi observada entre os grupos, indicando talvez que a duração do tabagismo não foi ainda suficiente para alterar algum parâmetro laboratorial

[Epidemiological profile of elderly HIV/AIDS patients]. / Perfil epidemiológico dos clientes HIV/AIDS na terceira idade.

The present study is the result of an experience in the hospital Correia Picanço in Recife, Pernambuco Federal State, a reference hospital for HIV patients. The objective of this investigation is to supply the discrepancy of information on elderly carriers of HIV. This is a quantitative, transversal and retrospective research. A diagram form was used to organize the data collected from 46 medical records. Results showed that there was an increase on the number of women, especially married women, heterosexuals, and elderly infected by HIV. The study also showed an increase on the number of infections through sexual contact and the predominance of carriers who were undereducated. It was also observed that the medical records were incomplete. The conclusion was that preventive education programs have to be elaborated in order to reach the population in general, including the elderly.

[Popular education as a tool for redirecting strategies to deal with infectious and parasitic diseases]. / Educação popular como instrumento de reorientação das estratégias de controle das doenças infecciosas e parasitárias.

There has been a comprehensive debate among different methodological approaches in Primary Health Care Services which inform different types of action to deal with infectious diseases, some of them emphasizing the community involvement in the search for solutions. This study aimed to clarify methodologies for popular education in the health field, specifically those most appropriate for the present institutional context, besides analyzing their meaning in dealing with infectious and parasitic diseases. The study involved a health center on the outskirts of the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. While working to improve this clinic's educational practices, the author attempted to identify and investigate the difficulties and potentialities in the relationship between health professionals and the population. He also focused on showing how cultural, cognitive, and subjective issues can both hamper and facilitate the health services' functioning, indicating the need for health organizations to deal with such issues in a systematic and clear-cut way. This action-based research thus centers on participant observation, whereby involvement in the problems of malnourished children led to a series of changes in the relationship with the local community.

Padronizaçao de tecnicas bioquimicas no laboratorio clinico.II.Ureia / Standartization of kinetic and end-point techniques in clinic laboratory

O presente trabalho mostra apadronizaçao do metodo enzimatico para a quantificaçao da ureia em relaçao a reprodutibilidade e estabilidade da reaçao nas tecnicas "cinetica" e de "ponto-fina". Apesar da boa linearidade e reprodutibilidade apresentadas peloa "kits" estudados, alguns nao mostraram boa estabilidade.Fatores que influenciam, tais como temperatura e tempo de incubaçao, foram amplamente discutidos, objetivando obter o metodo mais adequado paradiferentes condiçoes de trabalho.

Padronizaçao de tecnicas bioquimicas no laboratorio clinico I. Creatinina / Kinetic and end-point technique in the determination of serum creatinine levels

Com a finalidade de avaliar algumas propriedades apresentadas pelas tecnicas "cinetica" e de "ponto final" na dosagem de creatinina serica, foram estudados alguns aspectos da reaçao (Reaçao de Jaffe) em "kits" de diferentes fabricantes. Os "kits" analisados pela tecnica de "ponto-final" apresentaram sempre boa estabilidade de reaçao e boa reprodutividade. A linearidade foicompativel com os dados apresentados pelo fabricante. Quanto a reaçao com soros diluidos, foi observado que alguns "kits" respondem satisfatoriamente. Na tecnica "cinetica", linearidade e reprodutividade, mostram bons resultados e a utilizaçao com soro diluido so e possivel em diluiçoes ate 1/10. Tempo de incubaçao e temperatura tambem foram estudados e todos esses dados foram discutidos.