Ovarian hormones influence immune response to liver ischemia-reperfusion.

Liver injury occurs after ischemia and reperfusion (IR), as seen in transplant settings. Sex hormones have been implicated in many pathophysiological mechanisms in females and this could lead to liver protection under inflammatory reperfusion conditions where an excessive immune response occurs. Despite such assumptions, this fact needs to be further investigated. To address this, female and male C57BL/6J mice (8-12 weeks old) were studied. Bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) was performed in females to decrease estradiol levels. IR was performed, and after two weeks, all animals underwent a sham control operation or IR with euthanasia at the following time points after reperfusion: 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. IR triggered an inflammatory process in the liver with recruitment of neutrophils into the parenchyma of male mice. The female sham mice were protected against liver IR presenting no alteration of aminotransferase (ALT) levels compared to males. OVX caused loss of protection, increasing hepatic injury as represented by increased ALT levels and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Female sham mice showed increased Akt phosphorylation and activation, while males showed reduced Akt activation. Estradiol pretreatment recovered ALT levels after IR injury, which was associated with decreased liver injury.

Ovarian hormones influence immune response to liver ischemia-reperfusion

Liver injury occurs after ischemia and reperfusion (IR), as seen in transplant settings. Sex hormones have been implicated in many pathophysiological mechanisms in females and this could lead to liver protection under inflammatory reperfusion conditions where an excessive immune response occurs. Despite such assumptions, this fact needs to be further investigated. To address this, female and male C57BL/6J mice (8-12 weeks old) were studied. Bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) was performed in females to decrease estradiol levels. IR was performed, and after two weeks, all animals underwent a sham control operation or IR with euthanasia at the following time points after reperfusion: 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. IR triggered an inflammatory process in the liver with recruitment of neutrophils into the parenchyma of male mice. The female sham mice were protected against liver IR presenting no alteration of aminotransferase (ALT) levels compared to males. OVX caused loss of protection, increasing hepatic injury as represented by increased ALT levels and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Female sham mice showed increased Akt phosphorylation and activation, while males showed reduced Akt activation. Estradiol pretreatment recovered ALT levels after IR injury, which was associated with decreased liver injury.

Probiotic and synbiotic in broiler diet: performance and Enterobacteriaceae / [Probiótico e simbiótico em ração para frangos: desempenho e Enterobacteriaceae]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of probiotics and synbiotics on the performance and Enterobacteriaceae count of broiler chickens. A total of 640 one-day-old male broiler chicks were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and eight replicates with 20 birds each. The treatments were: ration with performance enhancer (zinc bacitracin; positive control); ration without performance enhancer and probiotic/synbiotic (negative control); ration with probiotics; and ration with synbiotics. At 35 days, five birds from each treatment were euthanized and intestinal contents were harvested for determining the Enterobacteriaceae count. The performance data and average colony-forming units (CFUs) transformed as log CFU/g were subjected to analysis of variance and Tukey's test. The effects of probiotics and synbiotics were observed in the initial phase, with supplemented birds exhibiting comparable weight gain to those supplemented with bacitracin. No effect of the treatment on broiler performance was observed after 42 days. The enterobacterial count was comparable among all experimental treatments. Supplementation with probiotics and synbiotics did not compromise the performance of broilers and did not alter the Enterobacteriaceae count.(AU)

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito do probiótico e do simbiótico sobre o desempenho e a contagem de Enterobacteriaceae em frangos. Foram utilizados 640 pintos de corte, machos, de um dia de idade, distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro tratamentos, oito repetições com 20 aves cada. Os tratamentos foram: ração com melhorador de desempenho (bacitracina de zinco) (controle positivo); ração sem melhorador de desempenho e sem probiótico/simbiótico (controle negativo); ração com probiótico e ração com simbiótico. Aos 35 dias, cinco aves por tratamento foram eutanasiadas para retirada de conteúdo intestinal e determinação de Enterobacteriaceae. As médias das unidades formadoras de colônias, transformadas em log/UFC/g, e de desempenho foram submetidas à análise de variância e comparadas pelo teste Tukey. Foi observado efeito do probiótico e do simbiótico na fase inicial, sendo que aves apresentaram os mesmos resultados de ganho de peso e de peso corporal que o grupo de aves alimentado com bacitracina. Aos 42 dias, não houve efeito dos tratamentos sobre o desempenho. Aves que não receberam nenhum aditivo não apresentaram maior contagem de enterobactérias, sendo semelhantes aos demais tratamentos. A adição do probiótico e do simbiótico não compromete o desempenho dos frangos e não altera a contagem de Enterobacteriaceae.(AU)

Education and severe maternal outcomes in developing countries: a multicountry cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between education and severe maternal outcomes among women delivering in healthcare facilities. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Twenty-nine countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. POPULATION: Pregnant women admitted to 359 facilities during a period of 2-4 months of data collection between 2010 and 2011. METHODS: Data were obtained from hospital records. Stratification was based on the Human Development Index (HDI) values of the participating countries. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between maternal morbidity and education, categorised in quartiles based on the years of formal education by country. Coverage of key interventions was assessed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Severe maternal outcomes (near misses and death). RESULTS: A significant association between low education and severe maternal outcomes (adjusted odds ratio, aOR, 2.07; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 1.46-2.95), maternal near miss (aOR 1.80; 95% CI 1.25-2.57), and maternal death (aOR 5.62; 95% CI 3.45-9.16) was observed. This relationship persisted in countries with medium HDIs (aOR 2.36; 95% CI 1.33-4.17) and low HDIs (aOR 2.65; 95% CI 1.54-2.57). Less educated women also had increased odds of presenting to the hospital in a severe condition (i.e. with organ dysfunction on arrival or within 24 hours: aOR 2.06; 95% CI 1.36-3.10). The probability that a woman received magnesium sulphate for eclampsia or had a caesarean section significantly increased as education level increased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Women with lower levels of education are at greater risk for severe maternal outcomes, even after adjustment for key confounding factors. This is particularly true for women in countries that have poorer markers of social and economic development.

[Nurses work in the organization of health services and its inclusion in the informatics department of the health bureau of the city of Ribeirao Preto]. / O trabalho do enfermeiro na organização dos serviços de saúde e sua inserção no departamento de Informática da SMS-RP.

The purpose of this investigation was to analyse nurse's role in the organization of the health work at the Informatics Department of the Health Bureau of the city of Ribeirão Preto, regarding the process of municipalization. We verified that nurses were involved in the organization of this area since its implementation. Nurses also performed organization and control activities related to the production, storage and analysis of the necessary data about the different stages of the health care, as well as training and supervising activities of the individuals who work with the information system.