Presumed post-traumatic ocular chondrosarcoma with intrathoracic metastases in a cat.

An indoor-only, 5-year-old, spayed female domestic shorthair cat presented for an ophthalmic examination of the left eye. An intraocular tumor with secondary glaucoma and blindness was diagnosed; the globe was enucleated and sent for histopathological examination. Gross examination revealed a solid white mass filling the entire vitreous space and replacing the iris and ciliary body.

Serine proteases as candidates for proteolytic processing of angiotensin-I converting enzyme.

Somatic angiotensin-I converting enzyme (sACE) is a broadly distributed peptidase which plays a role in blood pressure and electrolyte homeostasis by the conversion of angiotensin I into angiotensin II. N-domain isoforms (nACE) with 65 and 90 kDa have been described in body fluids, tissues and mesangial cells (MC), and a 90 kDa nACE has been described only in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The aim of this study was to investigate the existence of proteolytic enzymes that may act in the hydrolysis of sACE generating nACEs in MC.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome in pediatric intensive care units in são paulo, Brazil.

The hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is one of the most frequent causes of pediatric acute renal failure. The aim of this study was to report the clinic and microbiologic features associated with 13 post-diarrheal HUS cases identified in pediatric intensive care units in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, from January 2001 to August 2005. Epidemiologic, clinic, and laboratorial information, along with fecal and serum samples, were collected for identifying the genetic sequences of Stx and for studying antibodies directed against LPS O26, O111 and O157.

Lowe syndrome: report of five cases.

Introduction: Lowe Syndrome, or Oculocerebrorenal Dystrophy (OCRL), has a recessive inheritance linked to X chromosome. It presents cataracts and glaucoma, delay in neuropsychomotor development, cognitive deficits, and renal Fanconi syndrome.

Objective: Describe five patients with OCRL, attended at Tubulopathy outpatient clinic.

Spectroscopic and structural analysis of somatic and N-domain angiotensin I-converting enzyme isoforms from mesangial cells from Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) plays a key role in the renin-angiotesin aldosterone cascade. We analysed the secondary structure and structural organization of a purified 65kDa N-domain ACE (nACE) from Wistar rat mesangial cells, a 90 kDa nACE from spontaneously hypertensive rats and a 130 kDa somatic ACE. The C-terminal alignment of the 65 kDa nACE with rat ACE revealed that the former was truncated at Ser(482), and the sequence of the 90 kDa nACE ended at Pro(629).

ACE-dependent and chymase-dependent angiotensin II generation in normal and glucose-stimulated human mesangial cells.

High glucose (HG) increases angiotensin II (AngII) generation in mesangial cells (MC). Chymase, an alternative AngII-generating enzyme, is upregulated in the glomeruli of diabetic kidneys. In this study, we examined AngII synthesis by human MC via angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-dependent and chymase-dependent pathways under normal glucose (NG, 5 mM) and HG (30 mM) conditions.

Primary antiphospholipid nephropathy beginning during pregnancy.

We describe a 29-year-old pregnant woman at 16 weeks gestation and antiphospholipid antibodies who developed nephrotic syndrome with massive hematuria. Renal biopsy evidenced chronic glomerular lesions of ischemic nature without proliferative changes and immune deposits suggestive of lupus nephritis. Anticoagulation was initiated, along supportive measures, and the patient recovered completely.

Anti-bacterial activity of some Brazilian medicinal plants.

Extracts from various organs of 25 plants of Brazilian traditional medicine were assayed with respect to their anti-bacterial activities against Escherichia coli, a susceptible strain of Staphylococcus aureus and two resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus harbouring the efflux pumps NorA and MsrA. Amongst the 49 extracts studied, 14 presented anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, including the ethanolic extracts from the rhizome of Jatropha elliptica, from the stem barks of Schinus terebinthifolius and Erythrina mulungu, from the stems and leaves of Caesalpinia pyramidalis and Serjania lethalis, and from the stem bark and leaves of Lafoensia pacari. The classes of compounds present in the active extracts were determined as a preliminary step towards their bioactivity-guided separation.

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in a nephrotic child.

Nephrotic syndrome in infancy and childhood is known to be associated with a hypercoagulable state and thromboembolic complications, but cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CST) is a very rare and serious one, with only a few isolated reports in the literature. A case is presented of a 9-year-old boy with nephrotic syndrome that acutely developed signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension syndrome. CST was diagnosed on cranial CT and MRI and he gradually recovered after treatment with anticoagulants.

Determination of sirolimus blood concentration using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

Background: Different HPLC methods have been developed and used to determined sirolimus blood concentrations. These methods show different performance characteristics, mostly related to peak interference, recovery, assay sensitivity, and turnaround times.

Objective: We adapted, improved, and validated an HPLC method with UV detection for measurement of sirolimus in whole blood clinical samples.