Lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes and glutathione levels in human erythrocytes exposed to colloidal iron hydroxide in vitro

The free form of the iron ion is one of the strongest oxidizing agents in the cellular environment. The effect of iron at different concentrations (0, 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 µM Fe3+) on the normal human red blood cell (RBC) antioxidant system was evaluated in vitro by measuring total (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and reductase (GSH-Rd) activities. Membrane lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS). The RBC were incubated with colloidal iron hydroxide and phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.45, at 37oC, for 60 min. For each assay, the results for the control group were: a) GSH = 3.52 + ou - 0.27 µM/g Hb; b) GSSG = 0.17 + ou - 0.03 µM/g Hb; c) GSH-Px = 19.60 + ou - 1.96 IU/g Hb; d) GSH-Rd = 3.13 + ou - 0.17 IU/g Hb; e) catalase = 394.9 + ou - 22.8 IU/g Hb; f) SOD = 5981 + ou - 375 IU/g Hb. The addition of 1 to 100 µM Fe3+ had no effect on the parameters analyzed. No change in TBARS levels was detected at any of the iron concentrations studied. Oxidative stress, measured by GSH kinetics over time, occurs when the RBC are incubated with colloidal iron hydroxide at concentrations higher than 10 µM of Fe3+. Overall, these results show that the intact human RBC is prone to oxidative stress when exposed to Fe3+ and that the RBC has a potent antioxidant system that can minimize the potential damage caused by acute exposure to a colloidal iron hydroxide in vitro.

The evaluation of clotting time in bovine thrombin, reptilase©, and thrombin-like fraction of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom using bovine, equine, ovine, bubaline and human cryoprecipitates

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the thrombin-like fraction of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, Reptilase©, and bovine thrombin of fibrinogen polls on bovine, equine, ovine, bubaline and human cryoprecipitates. The authors also made a comparative study between animal and human cryoprecipitates to see if there was any possibility of future use in medicine. Fibrinogen levels in cryoprecipitate were studied using 48 blood samples obtained as follows: 12 samples from humans, 9 from bovine, 10 from equine, 10 from ovine and 7 from bubaline. The results obtained showed average levels of 375.50 mg per cent for humans, 218.33 mg per cent for bovine, 240.80 mg per cent for equine, 267.70 mg per cent for ovine and 664.00 mg per cent for bubaline. Upon the formation of pools of human and animals fibrinogens, the following results were obtained: 435 mg per cent for humans, 444 mg per cent for bovine, 337 mg per cent por equine, 390 mg per cent for ovine and 530 mg per cent for bubaline. Statistical analysis (using the analysis of variance for entirely randomized experiment for the calculation of F statistics) demonstrated that the bubaline fibrinogen level was higher than that of human, and both were higher than those of ovine, equine, and bovine. Clotting times were determined using different dilutions of bovine thrombin, thrombin-like fraction of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, and Reptilase©. Comparing these clotting times, results for human and bovine were found to be very similar, whereas using equine, ovine and bubaline the results above a dilution of 1:3 were markedly different. The results obtained permitted the following conclusions to be drawn show that: 1) bovine thrombin presented better interactivity with fibrinogen extracted both from human and bovine cryoprecipitates; 2) there was similar behavior when bovine thrombin was substituted for Reptilase© and for the thrombin-like fraction of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom; 3) cryoprecipitate from bovine can, in special circumstances, substitute human cryoprecipitate in medical practice; 4) human and bovine cryoprecipitates can be used with both Reptilase© and Crotalus durissus terrificus fractions using a dilution up to 1:5; 5) the use of bovine cryoprecipitate can be recomended using either bovine thrombin, Reptilase©, or thrombin-like fraction of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom.

Cytomorphological and immunocytochemical evaluation of fine needle aspirates from high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Fine needle aspirates from ten patients with high-grade malignant non-Hodgkin's lynmphomas were analyzed by cytomorphology and immunocytochemistry. The following morphologic diagnoses were made: lymphoblastic lymphoma (3 cases), Burkitt's lymphoma (3 cases), mixed small and large cell lymphomas with predominance of large cells (2 cases), and centroblastic lymphoma (2 cases). Immunocytochemistry showed a B-cell phenotype in five cases and a T-cell phenotype in four. One case of lymphoblastic lymphoma was negative for the T and B cell markers used.The results of histological and immunohistochemical analyses performed on surgical biopsies from 8 patients confirmed the morphological diagnosis in all cases. Two cases of Burkitt's lymphoma were submitted only to cytological and immunological diagnosis. The high diagnostic accuracy of combined cytomorphology and immunocytochemical assessmentof fine needle aspirate samples validates the use of the technique in the diagnostic work-up of high-grade non Hodgkin's lymphomas

Influence of diabetes mellitus on the glutathione redox system of human red blood cells

Several components of the erythrocyte-dependent glutathione redox system (reduced glutathione, GSH; oxidized glutathione, GSSG; glutathione peroxidase, GSH-Px; glutathione reductase, GSH-Red) were determined in patients with types I and II diabetes mellitus (DM). All groups studied were male subjects: G1, 200 young healthy individuals (aged 23.7 ñ 4.2 years); G2, 15 young insulin-treated type I DM patients; G3, 20 older older insulin-treated type II DM patiens; G4, 21 older oral hypoglycemic agent-treated type II DM patients; G5, 28 aged healthy individuals (aged 68.9 ñ 11.5 years). There were no differences between G1 and G3 or G4 regarding erythrocyte GSH, GSSG, and GSH-Red (without FAD) levels. GSH-Px activity was significantly lower in G2 when compared to G1 (15.2 ñ 4.9 vs 20.6 ñ 6.6 IU/g Hb). The GSH-Red and GSH-Px activities and GSH levels were significantly higher in G3 (4.6 ñ 1.7 IU/g Hb, 20.2 ñ 8.7 IU/g Hb and 3.5 ñ 1.3 uM/g Hb) and G4 (5.0 ñ 2.2 IU/g Hb, 16.9 ñ 6.1 IU/g Hb and 5.0 ñ 2.3 uM/g Hb) when compared to G5 (3.4 ñ 0.9 IU/g Hb, 12.0 ñ 3.6 IU/g Hb and 2.3 ñ 0.9 uM/g Hb). The findings suggest that treatment of DM can stimulate the redox activity of red blood cells in aged subjects

Age-related changes of glutathione content, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase activity of human erythrocytes

In order to investigate the effect of aging on the erythrocyte glutathione system, total glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GSH-red) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) levels were measured in erythrocyte from 33 young (mean age=30.5ñ9.7 years) and 28 aged (mean age+68.9ñ11.4 years) healthy individuals. GSH was 3.5ñ1.8 *M/g Hb for the young group, a value significantly greater (P<0.01) than 2.3ñ0.9 *M/g Hb found for the aged group. Similary, GSH-red activity, 5.5ñ1.8 IU/g Hb, was higher (P,0.05) for the young group than 3.4ñ0.9 IU/g Hb found for the aged group. The GSH-px activity levels for the young group, 21.1ñ5.9 IU/g Hb, were significantly greater (P<0.01) than 12.0ñ3.3 IU/g Hb for the age group. The lower activity detected in the aged group for all of these parameters of the glutathione redox system was not related to low levels of hematocrit or hemoglobin. There was no statistical difference in the activation coefficient (AC) of reductase (+FAD/-FAD) between groups, which seems to indicate that the lower activity of glutathione reductase observed in the aged group was not due to riboflavin deficiency. Additional information is required to determine the mechanisms controlling the glutathione redox system and its role in the aging process

Estudo de hemoglobinopatia S em portadores de doenca de Chagas. / Hemoglobinopathy S in patients with Chagas' disease

Reacao de Machado-Guerreiro (MG) e eletroforesse de hemoglobina, para deteccao de hemoglobinopatia S, foram realizadas em amostras de sangue de 384 individuos residentes em Bambui (MG), regiao endemica de doenca de Chagas. Observou-se prevalencia de 73,9% de MG positivo e 3,l% de hemoglobinopatia S na amostra analisada. Nao se verificou nenhuma relacao entre presenca de hemoglobina S e reacao de Machado-Guerreiro, tampouco influencia do sexo nas prevalencias de Machado-Guerreiro e hemoglobinopatia S. A prevalencia de MachadoGuerreiro positivo foi maior nas faixas etarias mais avancadas e diminuiu acentuadamente na faixa mais jovem. Os autores sugerem que houve diminuicao da incidencia de doenca de Chagas na populacao, atribuida a melhoria das condicoes socio-economicas e vigilancia epidemiologica local, e que os portadores de hemoglobina S nao sao diferentemente susceptiveis a infestacao pelo Trypanosoma cruzi que a populacao normal

Malaria no municipio de Humaita, Estado do Amazonas. XIV - Inquerito coprologico em habitantes da regiao em relacao as taxas de hemoglobina. / Malaria in the municipality of Humaita, State of Amazonas. XIV - Coprological survey in inhabitants of the region in relation to hemoglobin levels

Em outubro de 1981, foram estudados 213 individuos do Municipio de Humaita, Estado do Amazonas, dos quais 91 eram habitantes de localidades situadas ao longo da calha do Rio Madeira e 122 do Bairro da Olaria, na zona urbana. Todos foram submetidos a inquerito clinico, epidemiologico e parasitologico de fezes pelas tecnicas de BAERMANN, FAUST & col. e HOFFMAN, PONS & JANER. De 65 habitantes da zona urbana e de 43 do Rio Madeira, foi feita determinacao da hemoglobina. De 25 habitantes da zona urbana e de 16 Rio Madeira, foi feita determinacao hemoglobina A2 pela cromatografia em microcoluna de D.E.A.E. celulose Os resultados revelaram que houve maior proporcao de infestacao parasitaria unica ou multipla entre os habitantes do Rio Madeira. Estes achados pode ser explicado pela diferenca das condicoes de higiene locais, pois, os habitantes do Rio Madeira nao dispoe de qualquer elemento de saneamento basico. Essas diferencas, contudo, nao influiram nos niveis de hemoglobina e de hemoglobina A2 que se mostraram semelhantes nos dois grupos

Malaria no municipio de Humaita, Estado do Amazonas. VIII - Comportamento das taxas de hemoglobina A2 em habitantes da regiao e em doentes. / Malaria en the municipality of Humaita, State of Amazonas VIII - Behavior of hemoglobin A2 level in inhabitants of the region and in patients

Em agosto de 1979 foram estudados 25 doentes com diagnostico confirmado de malaria e 45 individuos da populacao geral do Municipio de Humaita, Estado do Amazonas, 22 dos quais eram habitantes de localidades situadas ao longo do Rio Madeira, ll indios da tribo Tenhairim residentes no Km 126 da rodovia Transamazonica e, 12 do bairro da Olaria na zona urbana. Em todos eles foi determinado o nivel de hemoglobina A2 pela cromatografia em microcoluna de D.E.A.E. celulose. Os resultados observados revelaram o seguinte nivel de hemoglobina A2: 3,13% (mais ou menos 0,67%) entre os indios, 2,79% (mais ou menos 0,59%) nos habitantes do Rio Madeira; 2,18% (mais ou menos 0,44%) nos da zona urbana; e 3,06% (0,62%) nos doentes com malaria. A analise dos resultados mostrou que nao houve diferenca de comportamento do nivel de hemoglobina A2 na comparacao entre os doentes com malaria os habitantes do Rio Madeira e os indios. Os habitantes da zona urbana, entretanto, apresentaram nivel maior de hemoglobina A2. Esse fato poderia estar relacionado talvez, a um mais baixo padrao de vida e maior infestacao parasitaria dos habitantes do bairro da Olaria, que estariam acarretando deficiencia de ferro, com consequente menor sintese de hemoglobina A2