A protein extract and a cysteine protease inhibitor enriched fraction from Jatropha curcas seed cake have in vitro anti-Toxoplasma gondii activity.

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite of great medical and veterinary importance that has worldwide distribution and causes toxoplasmosis. There are few treatments available for toxoplasmosis and the search for plant extracts and compounds with anti-Toxoplasma activity is of utmost importance for the discovery of new active drugs. The objective of this study was to investigate the action of a protein extract and a protease inhibitor enriched fraction from J. curcas seed cake on developing tachyzoites of T. gondii-infected Vero cells. The protein extract (JcCE) was obtained after solubilization of the J. curcas seed cake with 100 mM sodium borate buffer, pH 10, centrifugation and dialysis of the resulting supernatant with the extracting buffer. JcCE was used for the in vitro assays of anti-Toxoplasma activity at 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1.5, 3.0 and 5.0 mg/ml concentration for 24 h. The results showed that JcCE reduced the percentage of infection and the number of intracellular parasites, but had no effect on the morphology of Vero cells up to 3.0 mg/mL. The cysteine protease inhibitor enriched fraction, which was obtained after chromatography of JcCE on Sephadex G-75 and presented a unique protein band following SDS-PAGE, reduced both the number of T. gondii infected cells and intracellular parasites. These results suggest that both JcCE and the cysteine protease inhibitor enriched fraction interfere with the intracellular growth of T. gondii.

Phenobarbital in newborns with neonatal seizures. A study of plasma levels after intravenous administration.

Phenobarbital plasma levels were studied in a group of 25 newborn infants. Phenobarbital was administered i.v. in all cases throughout the study period. The mean loading dose was 19.4 mg/kg, ranging from 16.4 to 20.5, and the mean maintenance dose was 4.0 mg/kg/day, varying from 2.6 to 5.0. We obtained mean plasma levels of 22.9 micrograms/ml, 24 h after administering the loading dose. Mean plasma levels at 4, 7, 14 and 21 days were in the therapeutic range (15-40 micrograms/ml), with only a few cases falling outside of it. There was no difference in plasma phenobarbital levels between term and pre-term infants. Side effects were not seen in infants without a severe neurological impairment prior to drug administration.

Neurological follow-up of small-for-gestational age newborn infants. A study of risk factors related to prognosis at one year of age.

To examine the relative importance of some risk factors and neurological prognosis in the first year of life, 37 small-for-gestational age newborns were followed prospectively to 1 year of conceptional age. An abnormal neurological examination was found in 51.3% of the newborns and, at 12 months, 32.5% were still considered abnormal. Only 8.1% of the group had severe neurological sequelae at 1 year of corrected age. The developmental tests showed little changes during the first year, with abnormality rates varying from 16.1 to 25%. The following risk factors were analyzed concerning their relation to neurological and developmental abnormalities: high-risk pregnancy, maternal hypertension, social class, pre-term birth, neonatal asphyxia and weight and height less than 2.5 percentile at the age of 1 year. The statistical analysis showed a high correlation between subnormal weight gain and neurological (p = 0.0001) and developmental (p = 0.001) abnormalities at 1 year. None of the other risk factors were statistically related to neurological prognosis at 1 year.

[Incidence of peri-intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm newborn infants with birth weight less than 1500 gms: evaluation of brain ultrasonographic studies and necropsy]. / Incidéncia de hemorragia peri-intraventricular em recém-nascidos pré-termo com peso ao nascimento inferior a 1500 gramas. Avaliação dos estudos ultrassonográficos de crãnio e necrópsia.

From January to December 1986, 120 preterm infants were born with birth-weight under 1500 gm. Eighty-five infants were included in the study group either because they had a cranial sonographic evaluation or a necropsy. The mortality rate was 70% for the study group, but was 52.5% for the whole period. The sonographic examination was performed in 41 infants. The incidence of periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH) was 42.3%. Twenty-three cases had PIVH grade II (63.8%), 10 grade I (27.7%), and 3 (8.3%) grade IV. Thirteen infants had sonographic and necroscopic examinations. We observed a total agreement between sonographic and necroscopic diagnosis in 9 cases (69%). Two cases were classified as partial agreement as they differed only in the grading of PIVH, whereas in two cases there was a false negative diagnosis in the ultrasound examination. The interval between the examinations in these two false negative cases was 53 and 20 days, respectively. We conclude that the incidence of PIVH found in our study is comparable to that of the literature and that cranial ultrasonography is a sensitive neuroimage technique for the diagnosis of PIVH in the newborn preterm infant.

[Hyperexcitability syndrome in the neonatal period: study of etiological factors]. / Síndrome de hiperexcitabilidade no período neonatal. Estudo de fatores etiológicos.

Forty-five newborn infants with hyperexcitability lasting more than 72 hours were studied in the neonatal period. The association with metabolic disturbances, mainly hypocalcemia, was observed in 53% of cases. Neonatal asphyxia was observed in 21 cases (46%), although all infants had 5 minutes Apgar scores above 6. Only 6 cases had association between neonatal asphyxia and metabolic disturbances. The hyperexcitability syndrome faded away in 1/3 of the infants with metabolic abnormalities after their correction.

[Growth of premature infants fed own mother's milk supplied with two milk formulas]. / Crescimento de prematuros alimentados com leite materno suplementado com duas fórmulas lácteas.

The purpose of the authors in this article was to evaluate the effects of supplementing maternal milk with two different caloric formulas on the growth of premature newborns until they reached 40 weeks of post-conceptional age. Seventy premature infants weighing < 1750g at birth were randomized: 35 adequate for gestational age (AGA) and 35 small for gestational age received maternal milk and either a special preterm formula or a modified formula. Anthropometric measurements and clinical evaluations were used to determine the nutritional status and the postnatal growth of these infants, who were analyzed in six different moments: at maximum weight loss, at return to birth weight, at definite weight gain, when exclusively fed with formula, at 2000g, and when they reached 40 weeks of post-conceptional age. The AGA premature newborns on preterm formula had greater daily weight gain, cephalic circumference increase and growth. The SGA premature newborns on preterm formula had greater daily weight gain and cephalic circumference increase observed from the third week of life onward. The AGA premature newborns on modified formula had less weight gain and smaller increments in the cephalic circumference. The SGA premature on modified formula had the worst anthropometric results. The preterm formula was more efficient than the modified formula in promoting postnatal growth of AGA and SGA premature infants. We believe that, due to their special characteristics, SGA premature should receive individualized nutritional caloric planning

Síndrome de hiperexcitabilidade no período neonatal: estudo de fatores etiológicos / Hyperexcitability syndrome in the neonatal period: study of etiological factors

Quarenta e cinco RN que apresentaram a síndrome da hiperexcitabilidade, após 72 horas de vida, constituiram o grupo de estudo. Distúrbios metabólicos foram identificados em 53// dos casos, sendo a hipocalcemia o mais freqüente. A anoxia neonatal ocorreu em 21 casos (46//), apesar de todos terem apresentado notas na escala de Apgar acima de 6, no 5§ minuto. Apenas 6 casos apresentaram associaçäo de anoxia neonatal e distúrbios metabólicos. A correçäo dos distúrbios metabólicos levou ao desaparecimento dos sintomas em apenas 1/3 das crianças

Incidência de hemorragia peri-intraventricular em recém-nascidos pré-termo com peso ao nascimento inferior a 1500 gramas: avaliaçäo dos estudos ultrassonográficos de crânio e necrópsia / Incidence of peri-intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm newborn infants with birth weight less than 1500 gms: evaluation of brain ultrasonographic studies and necropsy

De janeiro a dezembro-1986, nasceram 120 crianças com peso ao nascimento inferior a 1500 gramas. Dessas, 85 foram escolhidas para estudo por apresentarem avaliaçäo ultrassonográfica de crânio e/ou estudo necroscópico. A mortalidade do grupo de estudo foi de 70//, porém a mortalidade geral do período foi de 52,5//. A avaliaçäo ultrassonográfica foi realizada em 41 crianças. A incidência de hemorragia peri-intraventricular (HPIV) foi de 42,3//. Vinte e três crianças (63,8//) apresentaram HPIV grau II ou III; 10 apresentaram HPIV grau I (27,7//) e apenas 3 (8,3//) tinham o grau IV. Treze crianças tinham realizado ultrassonografia de crânio e exame necroscópico. Houve concordância total entre as duas avaliaçöes em 9 (69//), enquanto 2 casos (16//) apresentavam concordância parcial, pois o diagnóstico dos graus de HPIV foram divergêntes. Apenas 2 casos apresentavam discorância entre as avaliaçöes de ultrassom e necrópsia. Em ambos a avaliaçäo ultrassonográfica inicial mostrou ausência de hemorragia intracraniana e a necrópsia, HPIV. Entretanto, o óbito ocorreu 20 e 53 dias, respectivamente, após a avaliaçäo sonográfica. Concluimos que a incidência de HPIV foi comparável à referida na literatura e que no exame ultrassonográfico de crânio é bastante confiável para o seu diagnóstico

Meningite neonatal causada pelo Flavobacterium meningosepticum: relato de caso tratado com ceftriaxona / Neonatal meningitis caused by Flavobacterium meningosepticum: report treated with ceftriayone

O artigo descreve um caso de meningite neonatal causada pelo Flavobacterium meningosepticum. O recém-nascido desenvolveu uma ventriculite e hidrocefalia como complicaçöes. O tratamento inicial com antibióticos usualmente utilizados em casos de meningite nessa faixa etária foi ineficaz, tendo sido introduzida a ceftriaxona. A dose utilizada foi de 70mg/Kg/dia, via endovenosa, com esterilizaçäo liquórica após 10 dias. A criança evolui com hidrocefalia descompensada e anormalidades neurológicas por ocasiäo da alta hospitalar