The effects of acute ethanol exposure and ageing on rat brain glutathione metabolism.

Binge alcohol consumption in adolescents is increasing, and it has been proposed that immature brain deals poorly with oxidative stress. The aim of our work was to study the effect of an acute dose of ethanol on glutathione (GSH) metabolism in frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum of juvenile and adult rats. We have observed no change in levels of glutathione produced by acute alcohol in the three brain areas studied of juvenile and adult rats.

Nucleus of the solitary tract chemical stimulation induces extracellular norepinephrine release in the lateral and basolateral amygdala.

The NTS catecholaminergic neurons, activated by a variety of afferent stimuli, are ideally situated to coordinate afferent signaling to multiple brain regions. In particular, there is evidence that systemic epinephrine injections induce a significant increase of norepinephrine (NE) in the amygdala during enhanced memory, which can be disrupted by NTS chemical blockade or interruption of vagal afferents. The present experiment was conducted to obtain information about the levels of NE release induced by activation of the whole NTS, which projects to the lateral and basolateral amygdala.

Activation of nucleus accumbens NMDA receptors differentially affects appetitive or aversive taste learning and memory.

Taste memory depends on motivational and post-ingestional consequences; thus, it can be aversive (e.g., conditioned taste aversion, CTA) if a novel, palatable taste is paired with visceral malaise, or it can be appetitive if no intoxication appears after novel taste consumption, and a taste preference is developed.

Noninferiority of miltefosine versus meglumine antimoniate for cutaneous leishmaniasis in children.

Background: Children have a lower response rate to antimonial drugs and higher elimination rate of antimony (Sb) than adults. Oral miltefosine has not been evaluated for pediatric cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Methods: A randomized, noninferiority clinical trial with masked evaluation was conducted at 3 locations in Colombia where Leishmania panamensis and Leishmania guyanensis predominated.

Efficient wheat germ agglutinin purification with a chitosan-based affinity chromatographic matrix.

An efficient affinity chromatographic matrix based on chitosan for wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) purification was developed. The matrices assayed consisted of chitosan mini-spheres cross-linked with epichlorhydrin 45, 250 or 500 mM. The maximum adsorption capacity of pure WGA - calculated from the corresponding isotherms - was between 43.

Effects of a novel estrogen-free, progesterone receptor modulator contraceptive vaginal ring on inhibition of ovulation, bleeding patterns and endometrium in normal women.

Background: Progesterone receptor modulators (PRMs) delivered by contraceptive vaginal rings provide an opportunity for development of an estrogen-free contraceptive that does not require daily oral intake of steroids. The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to determine whether continuous delivery of 600-800 mcg of ulipristal acetate (UPA) from a contraceptive vaginal ring could achieve 80% to 90% inhibition of ovulation.

Study Design: This was a prospective, controlled, open-labeled, multicenter international trial to examine the effectiveness and safety of this prototype vaginal ring.

Malondialdehyde in early phase of acute pancreatitis.

Aims: to assess oxidative stress in acute pancreatitis, its evolution over time and its relationship with the severity of the disease.

Methods: during a two-year period, patients with acute pancreatitis with less than 24 hours of pain were evaluated. Serum was obtained the first, second and fourth day from admittance, if complications were detected, and after recovery.

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in Italy.

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined mean level similarities and differences as well as correlations between mothers' and fathers' attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations and progressive versus authoritarian attitudes. DESIGN: Interviews were conducted with both mothers and fathers in 177 Italian families from Rome and Naples. RESULTS: Fathers' attributions reflected higher perceived control over failure than did mothers' attributions, whereas mothers reported attitudes that were more progressive than did fathers.

Protection by DHA of early hippocampal changes in diabetes: possible role of CREB and NF-κB.

The mechanisms underlying diabetic encephalopathy, are only partially understood. In this study, we try to address the mechanisms of diabetes induced damage and whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) could attenuate the degenerative changes in diabetic hippocampus in a rodent model of diabetes. Diabetes was induced in rats by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.

β-Adrenergic receptors in the insular cortex are differentially involved in aversive vs. incidental context memory formation.

The goal of this research was to determine the effects of β-adrenergic antagonism in the IC before or after inhibitory avoidance (IA) training or context pre-exposure in a latent inhibition protocol. Pretraining intra-IC infusion of the β-adrenergic antagonist propranolol disrupted subsequent IA retention and impaired latent inhibition of IA, but had no effect on formation of memory for an inert context (termed incidental memory). These results indicate that IC β-adrenergic receptors are necessary for memory acquisition of an aversive, but not an inconsequential, context.

Recombinant protein purification using complementary peptides as affinity tags.

Affinity tags have become highly popular tools for purifying recombinant proteins from crude extracts by affinity chromatography. Besides, short peptides are excellent ligands for affinity chromatography, as they are not likely to cause an immune response in case of leakage into the product, they are more stable than antibodies to elution and cleaning conditions and they usually have very acceptable selectivity. Hydropathically complementary peptides designed de novo show enough selectivity to be used successfully as peptide ligands for protein purification from crude extracts.

[Risk Analysis applied to food safety in Brazil: prospects and challenges].

The scope of this case study is to discuss the ideas of the Brazilian Codex Alimentarius Committee (CCAB) coordinated by National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro), with respect to the Codex Alimentarius norm on Risk Analysis (RA) applied to Food Safety. The objectives of this investigation were to identify and analyze the opinion of CCAB members on RA and to register their proposals for the application of this norm in Brazil, highlighting the local limitations and potential detected. CCAB members were found to be in favor of the Codex Alimentarius initiative of instituting an RA norm to promote the health safety of foods that circulate on the international market.

Intracellular calcium chelation and pharmacological SERCA inhibition of Ca2+ pump in the insular cortex differentially affect taste aversive memory formation and retrieval.

Variation in intracellular calcium concentration regulates the induction of long-term synaptic plasticity and is associated with a variety of memory/retrieval and learning paradigms. Accordingly, impaired calcium mobilization from internal deposits affects synaptic plasticity and cognition in the aged brain. During taste memory formation several proteins are modulated directly or indirectly by calcium, and recent evidence suggests the importance of calcium buffering and the role of intracellular calcium deposits during cognitive processes.

Clinical features and outcome of children and adolescents hospitalized with influenza A (H1N1) virus infection compared with flu-like symptoms and negative rapid tests for influenza A (H1N1) admitted in the same period of time.

This report describes the clinical features and outcome of 61 pediatric hospitalized patients with influenza-like infection. Fever, cough and respiratory distress were the most common symptoms of the infection. Fifteen patients presented positive RT-PCR results for influenza A (H1N1).

Rachiplusia nu larva as a biofactory to achieve high level expression of horseradish peroxidase.

A process based on orally-infected Rachiplusia nu larvae as biological factories for expression and one-step purification of horseradish peroxidase isozyme C (HRP-C) is described. The process allows obtaining high levels of pure HRP-C by membrane chromatography purification. The introduction of the partial polyhedrin homology sequence element in the target gene increased HRP-C expression level by 2.

Will seizure control improve by switching from the modified Atkins diet to the traditional ketogenic diet?

It has been reported that children can maintain seizure control when the ketogenic diet (KD) is transitioned to the less-restrictive modified Atkins diet (MAD). What is unknown, however, is the likelihood of additional seizure control from a switch from the MAD to the KD. Retrospective information was obtained from 27 patients who made this dietary change from four different institutions.

[Challenges to the national network of sanitary surveillance laboratories: the case of manipulated drugs].

From the research on the "Status of Pharmacy Formulated Medicines (PFM) in health surveillance laboratories (HSL)" as result of an agreement between Ensp and Anvisa, we present and question issues that may contribute for reflections about the National Network of HSL organization in confronting analytical demands, having PFMs as discussion organizers. The Public Laboratories (PL) that evaluated PFMs from 2000 to 2005 were identified; its analysts and samples were scanned, and three laboratories were selected to be visited. Sample processing was analyzed from its entry till the final report's issuance.

Danish study of a modified Atkins diet for medically intractable epilepsy in children: can we achieve the same results as with the classical ketogenic diet?

Modified Atkins diet (MAD) is a less restrictive variety of the classical ketogenic diet (KD), used for treating patients with medically resistant epilepsy. There are only few reports comparing the two types of diets in terms of seizure reduction and tolerability. We compared the effect of a MAD evaluated prospectively on 33 consecutive children with medically resistant epilepsy, with a group of 50 patients, previously treated with KD.

Integrating reproductive planning with primary health care: an exploration among low-income, minority women and men.

Introduction: Despite recommendations to integrate reproductive and preconception health care services with primary health care, integration of such services is uncommon. The purpose of this study was to explore the acceptability and utility of integrating an assessment of reproductive plans into primary care encounters.

Methodology: Using a purposive sampling strategy, we purposively selected 144 African-American and Hispanic females and males from publicly-funded clinics.

[Biodiversity of land gastropods (Mollusca) in Sierra de San Javier Park, Tucumán, Argentina].

Studies related to land mollusk diversity in tropical and subtropical forests are scarce. To assess this, a study on land snail diversity of subtropical cloudforest (Yungas) and dry forest (Chaco) areas of Sierra de San Javier Park, Tucumán, Argentina, was carried out. Taxonomic identifications were performed to species level and built a species per stations data matrix to analyze diversity patterns on qualitative and quantitative samples processed from 10x10m quadrates in altitudinal transects.

Characterization of proteinases from the midgut of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus involved in the generation of antimicrobial peptides.

Background: Hemoglobin is a rich source of biologically active peptides, some of which are potent antimicrobials (hemocidins). A few hemocidins have been purified from the midgut contents of ticks. Nonetheless, how antimicrobials are generated in the tick midgut and their role in immunity is still poorly understood.

Comparison of the acute effects of anti-TNF-alpha drugs on a uveitis experimental model.

Purpose: To compare histopathological and biochemical effects of the anti-TNF-alpha drugs adalimumab and infliximab in a uveitis experimental model.

Methods: Histopathological evaluation was performed 24 h after endotoxin (200 microg into the footpad) and drug administration, as well as biochemical analysis of oxidative stress-related markers in the aqueous humor.

Results: Severe inflammation was found in rat anterior chamber of the eye 24 h after endotoxin.

Bio-accumulation and toxicity of lead (Pb) in Lemna gibba L (duckweed).

The vascular aquatic plant Lemna gibba (duckweed) was exposed during seven days to lead (Pb) at concentrations ranging from 50 to 300 mg/L in a greenhouse with controlled photoperiod and temperature. The effects of Pb on growth of Lemna gibba were examined during 13 days in the same experimental design. The maximum accumulation of lead by Lemna gibba occurs during the third day in the 50 mg/L test, and at the sixth day, lead in all test concentrations produces approximately a 100% inhibitory effect on duckweed growth.

[Bladder stones in acute spinal cord injury].

Urologic complications are an important cause of morbidity and even mortality in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). It has been estimated that within eight years after injury, approximately 7% of SCI patients would develop kidney stones, whereas 36% would have bladder stones. Risk factors for urolithiasis among patients with SCI include complete spinal cord injury, lesions at or above the 4th thoracic spinal cord segment, upper motor neurone type of bladder, urinary tract infection with urease producing bacteria, recurrent urinary tract infection, indwelling catheters, presence of residual urine and immobilization.

IL-2 and IFN-gamma in the retina of diabetic rats.

Background: The pathophysiology of the early events leading to diabetic retinopathy is not fully understood. It has been suggested that Inflammatory processes are involved in the development of the disease; however, the concentrations of tissue retinal inflammatory mediators and their possible alteration in diabetic retinopathy have not been described. The aim of this work was to study T-helper cell cytokine and chemokine profiles, and tyrosine nitration in retinal tissue of diabetic rats.