Bioactivity and Toxicity of Senna cana and Senna pendula Extracts.

This work investigated the content of total polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids as well as their toxicity and larvicidal and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. The antioxidant activities of two medicinal Senna species extracts (Senna cana and Senna pendula) were also investigated. The ethanol extract of the leaves of S. cana and the ethanol extract of the branches of S. pendula presented the best performance in the DPPH/FRAP and ABTS/ORAC assays, respectively. For the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, the hexane extract of the flowers of S. pendula presented the lowest IC50 value among the ethanol extracts of the leaves of S. cana and showed the best performance in some assays. The hexane extract of the leaves of S. pendula and the hexane extract of the branches of S. cana were moderate to Artemia salina Leach. In the quantification of phenols and flavonoids, the ethanol extract of the leaves of S. cana presented the best results. The ethanol extracts of the leaves of S. cana were found to be rich in antioxidants, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids. These results indicate the antioxidant potential of the extracts of Senna species and can be responsible for some of the therapeutic uses of these plants.

[Nosocomial infections. Some aspects]. / Infecções nosocomiais. Alguns aspectos.

Nosocomial infection is not a recent problem. However, it presents nowadays as a serious issue, not only due to the associated morbidity and mortality but also due to the economic burden on hospitals. The increased susceptibility of patients and the increased resistance to antibiotics by bacterial agents are important factors in the present situation. Among the different nosocomial pathogens, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile are two of the most distressing for hospitals worldwide. Knowledge of their epidemiology, pathological and clinical particularities and treatment are fundamental in the observation and control of these infections. As a result of my recent experience in two teaching hospitals in the United States of America, I have decided to write the present paper.

[Report of a case of megakaryoblastic leukemia]. / A propósito de um caso de leucemia megacarioblástica.

We diagnosed a 20 year old young girl, with clinical and laboratorial evidence of pancytopenia, an acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. The difficulty in arriving at this conclusion was only surpassed with the help of monoclonal antibodies. With the presentation of this case we approach the problematics in obtaining the diagnostic of the megakaryoblastic leukemia. This is fundamental, owing to the possibilities of morphological presentation under undifferentiated blasts or of the type M1 or L2 (FAB).

[Typhlitis]. / Tiflite.

Typhlitis, ileocecal syndrome and neutropenic enterocolitis are different terms, of what seems to be a localized infection in the cecal mucosa, caused by Clostridia species. Initially described in neutropenic patients, with leukaemias or after antineoplastic chemotherapy, typhlitis can also occur in HIV patients, as in the present case report. Their early diagnosis is not easy, becoming particularly difficult in immunodepressed patients, whom can be affected by multiple problems causing similar symptoms. Treatment, as well, can be problematic, and aggressive medical treatment should be pursued. If some patients may need surgery, others might be submitted to unnecessary surgical procedures. In the long range, medical control of this situation can be very difficult.

[Three years of AIDS. Experience of the Curry Cabral Hospital with HIV infections (1985-1988)]. / Três anos de SIDA. Experiência do Hospital Curry Cabral com as infecções pelo HIV (1985-1988).

The AA. present a retrospective study on their experience with HIV positive patients, followed on the Infectious Diseases Department of the Hospital Curry Cabral, in Lisbon. This study was done in 90 patients seen since 1985 till March 1988. From the 90 patients, 81 were HIV--1 positive, 6 HIV--2 and 3 HIV1 + HIV2 positives. It is presented their distribution by sex (Male = 97.8%), age (mean--36.5 years), risk groups (homosexuals--64.4%, heterosexuals--21.1%, IVDA--7.7%, blood-related--5.6%), and their Walter Reed and CDC classifications. It is emphasised the increasing incidence of infected people along the years and an unexpected high rate of heterosexual males infected. It is also pointed the incidence of Kaposi (22%), Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (55.6%), and Criptococosis (13.9%) in the WR6 group. The mortality rate was 31.3% for WR5 and 63.9% for WR6. We calculate some Relative Risks for clinical situations matched with risk groups and immunological status (meaning the T Helper lymphocitic count), and measured their statistical significance with the chi-square test. Besides the immunodeficiency, it was mentioned the associated lymphadenopathy and dermatological lesions, the HIV encephalopathy and the constitutional symptoms of the wasting syndrome.

Evidence of higher photosynthetic plasticity in the early successional Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. compared to the late successional Hymenaea courbaril L. grown in contrasting light environments.

The present study investigated changes in photosynthetic characteristics of Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. (early successional species) and Hymenaea courbaril L. (late successional species) grown in contrasting light conditions as a way of assessing photosynthetic plasticity. Early successional species typically inhabit gap environments being exposed to variability in multiple resources, hence it is expected that these species would show higher photosynthetic plasticity than late successional ones. In order to test this hypothesis, light and CO2 response curves and chlorophyll content (Chl) were measured in plants grown in high and low light environments. G. ulmifolia presented the highest amounts of both Chl a and b, especially in the low light, and both species presented higher Chl a than b in both light conditions. The Chl a/b ratio was higher in high light leaves of both species and greater in G. ulmifolia. Taken together, these results evidence the acclimation potential of both species, reflecting the capacity to modulate light harvesting complexes according to the light environment. However, G. ulmifolia showed evidence of higher photosynthetic plasticity, as indicated by the greater amplitude of variation on photosynthetic characteristics between environments shown by more significant shade adjusted parameters (SAC) and principal component analysis (PCA). Thus, the results obtained were coherent with the hypothesis that the early successional species G. ulmifolia exhibits higher photosynthetic plasticity than the late successional species H. courbaril.

Torcao primaria do grande epiploon. / Primary torsion of the great epiploon

Os autores apresentam um caso de torcao primaria do grande epiploon, cujo quadro clinico sugeriu apendicite aguda. Eles apresentam um breve revisao da literatura de lingua inglesa sobre a patologia

Duplicacao gastrica em comunicacao direta com o Wirsung produzindo pancreatite recidivante. / Gastric duplication in direct connection with Wirsung, causing recurrent pancreatitis

Os autores apresentam um caso raro de duplicacao gastrica em comunicacao direta com o Wirsung, produzindo pancreatite aguda recidivante. Uma breve revisao da literatura e as diversas formas de apresentacao da patologia sao citadas, assim como as varias teorias embriologicas que tentam explicar a duplicacao gastrica, particularmente a comunicacao com o canal pancreatico principal. As manifestacoes clinicas da patologia e os diversos procedimentos de diagnosticos realizados sao mencionados, dando destaque a colangiopancreatografia retrograda. Sao descritos os achados operatorios e a cirurgia realizad

Hernia de Spiegel estrangulada. / Strangulated Spiegelian hernia

Um caso raro de hernia de Spiegel na mulher e apresentado. Sao discutidos a anatomia, etiologia, quadro clinico, diagnostico e tratamento dessas hernias. O diagnostico diferencial e o exame fisico algumas vezes sao de pouca valia e o tratamento cirurgico e sempre indicado devido a possibilidade de estrangulamento

Substituiçäo do rádio distal pelo perônio proximal em tumor de células gigantes / Replacement of the distal end of the radius by the proximal fibula in giant cell tumor

Apresenta-se experiência no tratamento do tumor de células gigantes da porçäo distal do rádio mediante ressecçäo em bloco e substituiçäo deste pelo perônuio proximal, mostra-se a técnica utilizada e analisam-se os resultados em 5 pacientes com seguimento mínimo de 7 meses e máximo de 18 anos