The role of indomethacin and tezosentan on renal effects induced by Bothrops moojeni Lys49 myotoxin I.

Renal changes determined by Lys49 myotoxin I (BmTx I), isolated from Bothrops moojeni are well known. The scope of the present study was to investigate the possible mechanisms involved in the production of these effects by using indomethacin (10 microg/mL), a non-selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, and tezosentan (10 microg/mL), an endothelin antagonist. By means of the method of mesenteric vascular bed, it has been observed that B. moojeni myotoxin (5 microg/mL) affects neither basal perfusion pressure nor phenylephrine-preconstricted vessels. This fact suggests that the increase in renal perfusion pressure and in renal vascular resistance did not occur by a direct effect on renal vasculature. Isolated kidneys from Wistar rats, weighing 240-280 g, were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution. The infusion of BmTx-I increased perfusion pressure, renal vascular resistance, urinary flow and glomerular filtration rate. Sodium, potassium and chloride tubular transport was reduced after addition of BmTx-I. Indomethacin blocked the effects induced by BmTx-I on perfusion pressure and renal vascular resistance, however, it did not revert the effect on urinary flow and sodium, potassium and chloride tubular transport. The alterations of glomerular filtration rate were inhibited only at 90 min of perfusion. The partial blockade exerted by indomethacin treatment showed that prostaglandins could have been important mediators of BmTx-I renal effects, but the participation of other substances cannot be excluded. The blockage of all renal alterations observed after tezosentan treatment support the hypothesis that endothelin is the major substance involved in the renal pathophysiologic alterations promoted by the Lys49 PLA(2) myotoxin I, isolated from B. moojeni. In conclusion, the rather intense renal effects promoted by B. moojeni myotoxin-I were probably caused by the release of renal endothelin, interfering with the renal parameters studied.

Ethanol challenge in non-alcoholic patients with schistosomiasis.

AIMS: To evaluate serum gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity in a group of non-alcoholic patients with the hepatointestinal form of schistosomiasis; and the response of both GGT and alkaline phosphatase to an ethanol challenge in two subgroups of patients with different baseline serum concentrations of GGT. METHODS: Seventy six non-alcoholic, non-smoking hepatitis B virus (HBV) negative men with normal body mass index, who denied blood product transfusion or use of medication, were studied (30 healthy volunteers (control group) and 46 patients with the hepatointestinal form of schistosomiasis). GGT activities were determined in all subjects and the ethanol test (measurement of GGT and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) before and 24 hours after the ingestion of 1 g/kg of ethanol) was performed in 14 patients (7 with GGT below 25 IU/l and seven with GGT above 25 IU/l). The ethanol serum concentrations were determined in the samples collected one hour after ingestion of the solution in four patients with schistosomiasis. RESULTS: The mean serum ethanol concentration one hour after the ingestion was 0.7 g/l and all patients were clinically intoxicated. GGT was below 25 IU/l in all 30 volunteers and in 33 of the patients with schistosomiasis. In 13 patients the GGT varied from 28 to 140 IU/l. The two enzymes GGT and ALP determined in the 14 patients submitted to the test were positively correlated in the baseline samples (r = 0.8130) as well as in the samples obtained 24 hours after stimulation (r = 0.7921). Neither the plasma activity of GGT nor the GGT:ALP ratio was affected by the ethanol challenge. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the mechanisms for the increase of GGT serum activity in schistosomiasis and in alcoholism differ. In the latter, microsomal induction increases GGT serum activity, while alterations in the biliary tree may be responsible for the increase observed in patients with schistosomiasis.

Uso empírico de plantas medicinais para tratamento de diabetes / Empirical use of medicinal plants for diabetes treatment

Diabetes é alvo interessante para a busca de novos métodos de tratamento com a possibilidade de uso de várias espécies de plantas medicinais. Este trabalho objetivou descrever a prevalência do uso de plantas medicinais consideradas hipoglicemiantes por pacientes diabéticos em Vitória de Santo Antão. O estudo foi do tipo descritivo transversal realizado com 158 pacientes diabéticos atendidos pelo programa HIPERDIA nos PSF's da cidade entre julho de 2009 a maio de 2010, com a coleta de dados realizada por meio de formulário estruturado. Entre os entrevistados, 36% relatavam uso de plantas medicinais consideradas hipoglicemiantes. Foram citadas 35 plantas diferentes pertencentes à 24 famílias, sendo as mais freqüentes: Asteraceae (12,5%) e Myrtaceae (9,37%). A planta medicinal mais prevalente foi a pata de vaca (Bauhinia sp), com 16,8%, seguida por azeitona roxa (Syzygium jambolanum DC.) e insulina (Cissus sicyoides L.). A maioria dos indivíduos (58%) cultivava a planta medicinal que usavam e, entre aqueles que adquiriam, a principal fonte foi a de raizeiros (28,16%).

Diabetes is an attractive target to search for new methods of treatment, with the possibility of using several medicinal plant species. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of the use of medicinal plants considered hypoglycemic for diabetic patients from Vitoria de Santo Antão-Pernambuco State, Brazil. This was a transversal descriptive study conducted with 158 diabetic patients enrolled in the program HIPERDIA at the PSF's of this city, between July 2009 and May 2010 with data collected by means of structured form. Among interviewees, 36% reported the use of medicinal plants considered hypoglycemic. A total of 35 different plants belonging to 24 families were cited and the most frequent species were: Asteraceae (12.5%) and Myrtaceae (9.37%). The most prevalent medicinal plant was "pata-de-vaca" (Bahuinia sp.), with 16.8%, followed by "azeitona roxa" (Syzygium jambolanum DC.) and "insulina" (Cissus sicyoides L.). Most individuals (58%) cultivated the medicinal plant they used, and for those who acquired them, the main source was "raizeiros" [people similar to healers but who only sell medicinal plants] (28.16%).

CD57+ cells in radicular cyst.

AIM: As CD57 antigen is an important modulator of the immune system, the purpose of the present study was to compare the expression of this antigen on radicular cysts (RC) with hyperplastic or atrophic epithelium. METHODOLOGY: Twenty cases of RC were retrieved and classified as atrophic or hyperplastic. A biotin-streptavidin amplified system was used for identification of the CD57 receptor. RESULTS: The results demonstrated a greater percentage of CD57+ cells in RC with atrophic epithelium compared to hyperplastic epithelium. CONCLUSION: As the expression of CD57 is indicative of immunosuppression, it may constitute a negative immunomodulator of RC's epithelium growth. Further studies are necessary to understand the importance of this cell to the biological activity or inactivity of RC's epithelium development.

Endoscopic, ultrasonographic, and US-Doppler parameters as indicators of variceal bleeding in patients with schistosomiasis.

Bleeding from esophagogastric varices is a potentially deadly complication in patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. The aim of this study is to establish indicators of variceal bleeding. We studied 40 patients with compensated hepatosplenic schistosomiasis and varices, analyzing four endoscopic (variceal size, red color signs, fundic varices, and congestive gastropathy), nine ultrasonographic (right and left hepatic lobe size, periportal and gallbladder wall thickness, portal and splenic veins diameter, spleen longitudinal axis and volume, and presence of collateral circulation), and five US-Doppler parameters (portal and splenic veins velocity and flow and portal vein congestion index). Patients were divided in two groups according to previous history of variceal bleeding. The group with bleeding episodes was again divided in two groups: with and without treatment, namely endoscopic sclerotherapy. All endoscopic parameters and two ultrasonographic (periportal thickness and portal vein diameter) were statistically different between the groups with and without previous bleeding. The likelihood index, adopted to determine the best parameters related to previous bleeding showed that the most important combinations are: gastropathy and red signs followed by portal vein diameter and variceal size. In conclusion, although aware of the limits of the statistical analysis due to the small number of patients, our results demonstrated that endoscopic and US parameters (isolated or combined) can identify patients with a high risk of variceal bleeding, allowing physicians to optimize prophylactic therapy.