Economic, human and environmental health benefits of replacing formaldehyde in the preservation of corpses.

Formaldehyde has been prominent in preserving biological tissues since the nineteenth century. Despite being admittedly harmful to health and to the environment, it is still widely used. The Morphology Department of the University of Brasília - Brazil, applied the rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle and responsibility methodology to their activities in an effort to protect the health of laboratory workers and users, save resources and reduce damage to the environment. Here we evaluate the results obtained a decade after the implementation of this proposal (2005-2015). Formaldehyde was replaced by alcohol and glycerol solutions in corpse conservation. Over five thousand dollars in public funds that would have been destined to buying preserving substances were saved annually, and over a hundred thousand liters of water that would have been contaminated and thrown into the sewage system were spared. The environment used to implement the study was improved and anatomical parts kept for study had their lifespan extended. It is noteworthy that such simple adjustments could cause pronounced changes in laboratory activities. We would avoid contaminating billions of liters of water and it would be possible to save millions if similar practices were implemented in all educational institutions having similar routines.

Modelo de suprimento sanguíneo do intestino delgado e grosso da preguiça de coleira (Bradypus torquatus) / Blood supply model of the small and large intestine of the maned three-toed sloth (Bradypus torquatus)

O Bradypus torquatus, conhecido como preguiça de coleira, está classificado na lista vermelha da IUCN como vulnerável. Este animal é um folívoro estrito que se alimenta de um pequeno número de plantas. O suprimento sanguíneo do intestino delgado e grosso de oito Bradypus torquatus, pertencentes ao acervo da Anatomia dos Animais Domésticos e Sivestres da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, foi estudado. O método incluiu preparação de relatório macroscópico, perfusão do sistema arterial com água (40°C), injeção de látex corado (Neoprene® 650, Sulvinil® 2350-0003), fixação com formaldeído (10%), conservação em solução modificada de Laskowiski e dissecação por mesoscopia de luz (Lupa LTS® 3700). A irrigação dos intestinos delgado e grosso dependeu da aorta abdominal, cujo ramo visceral ventral identificado como artéria mesentérica comum distribuiu-se no mesentério e mesocólon. Uma sequência de 9 a 25 ramos colaterais primários craniais destinaram-se ao duodeno, jejuno, íleo e parte da bolsa cecal. Outra sequência de 4 a 11 ramos caudais destinaram-se à bolsa cecal e cólons. No animal adulto, o modelo de vascularização do intestino diferiu dos outros vertebrados recentes em razão de não ocorrer coalescência peritoneal ao longo do intestino delgado e grosso.

The Bradypus torquatus also known as maned three-toed sloth is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN red list. This species is strict folivorous that feeds on a relatively small number of food plants. The blood supply in the small and large intestines of eight Bradypus torquatus was studied. These animals are from the Anatomia dos Animais Domésticos e Silvestres collection of the Universidade de São Paulo . The method included preparation of the macroscopic collection report, perfusion of the arterial network with water (40°C), injection of colored latex (Neoprene 650®, 2350-0003 Suvinil® dye), fixation in formaldehyde (10%), preservation in modified Laskowski solution and dissection under mesoscopic light (Lupa LTS® 3700). The blood supply of small and large intestine depends on the abdominal aorta, whose ventral visceral branch identified as the common mesenteric artery was distributed in the mesentery and mesocolon. A sequence of 9 to 25 primary collateral branches cranial is allocated to the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and part of the cecum. Another sequence of 4 to 11 caudal branches are destined to the cecum and colon pouch. The vascular pattern of adult maned three-toed sloth intestine differs from those of other previously described vertebrates, because there is no occurrence of coalescence peritoneal through small and large intestine.