Penetration of 0. 3% ciprofloxacin, 0. 3% ofloxacin, and 0. 5% moxifloxacin into the cornea and aqueous humor of enucleated human eyes

We aimed to quantify the penetration of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and moxifloxacin into the cornea and aqueous humor of cadaver eyes. A total of 60 enucleated eyes, not eligible for corneal transplantation, were divided into three groups and immersed in commercial solutions of 0.3% ciprofloxacin, 0.3% ofloxacin, or 0.5% moxifloxacin for 10 min. Whole corneas and samples of aqueous humor were then harvested and frozen, and drug concentrations analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The mean corneal concentration of moxifloxacin was twice as high as ofloxacin, and the latter was twice as high as ciprofloxacin. The mean concentration of moxifloxacin in the aqueous humor was four times higher than the other antibiotics, and the mean concentrations of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin were statistically similar. The amount of drug that penetrated the anterior chamber after a 10-min immersion was far below the safe limit of endothelial toxicity of each preparation. Moxifloxacin demonstrated far superior penetration into the cornea and anterior chamber of cadaver eyes compared to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. One should not expect endothelial toxicity with the commercial eye drops of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and moxifloxacin that reach the anterior chamber through the cornea.

Histomorphometric analysis of the response of rat skeletal muscle to swimming, immobilization and rehabilitation

The objective of the present study was to determine to what extent, if any, swimming training applied before immobilization in a cast interferes with the rehabilitation process in rat muscles. Female Wistar rats, mean weight 260.52 ± 16.26 g, were divided into 4 groups of 6 rats each: control, 6 weeks under baseline conditions; trained, swimming training for 6 weeks; trained-immobilized, swimming training for 6 weeks and then immobilized for 1 week; trained-immobilized-rehabilitated, swimming training for 6 weeks, immobilized for 1 week and then remobilized with swimming for 2 weeks. The animals were then sacrificed and the soleus and tibialis anterior muscles were dissected, frozen in liquid nitrogen and processed histochemically (H&E and mATPase). Data were analyzed statistically by the mixed effects linear model (P < 0.05). Cytoarchitectural changes such as degenerative characteristics in the immobilized group and regenerative characteristics such as centralized nucleus, fiber size variation and cell fragmentation in the groups submitted to swimming were more significant in the soleus muscle. The diameters of the lesser soleus type 1 and type 2A fibers were significantly reduced in the trained-immobilized group compared to the trained group (P < 0.001). In the tibialis anterior, there was an increase in the number of type 2B fibers and a reduction in type 2A fibers when trained-immobilized rats were compared to trained rats (P < 0.001). In trained-immobilized-rehabilitated rats, there was a reduction in type 2B fibers and an increase in type 2A fibers compared to trained-immobilized rats (P < 0.009). We concluded that swimming training did not minimize the deleterious effects of immobilization on the muscles studied and that remobilization did not favor tissue re-adaptation.

Correlação entre a proporção de fibras rápidas do músculo bíceps braquial e o torque relativo da flexão do cotovelo em sujeitos com hipótese clínica de miopatia / Correlation between the proportion of fast fibers in the biceps brachii muscle and the relative torque during elbow flexion in subjects with clinical hypothesis of myopathy

A produção de força muscular pode estar comprometida em pacientes portadores de miopatias. Estas representam um grupo heterogêneo de doenças com distintas características clínicas e morfológicas. Supõe-se que achados de desempenho funcional estejam relacionados com o tipo predominante de fibra expresso no músculo em análise. OBJETIVO: Correlacionar a proporção das fibras tipo 2 (FT2) do músculo bíceps braquial de sujeitos com hipótese clínica de miopatia (HCM) com picos de torque isométrico e isocinético de flexão do cotovelo. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Participaram deste estudo sete sujeitos com HCM: quatro do sexo feminino com média de idade de 37 anos (dp= 9), peso de 73kg (dp= 26) e altura de 155cm (dp= 6); e três do sexo masculino com média de idade de 39 anos (dp= 1), peso de 88kg (dp= 5) e altura de 172cm (dp= 4). Pela técnica histoquímica de mATPase, foi realizada análise de proporção das fibras musculares. Após um mês da realização das biópsias, os sujeitos realizaram teste de força isométrica e isocinética concêntrica de flexão e extensão do cotovelo em dinamômetro isocinético. Avaliou-se o pico de torque (PT) isométrico a 90ºs-Õ e 180ºs-Õ e calculou-se o torque relativo 90 (TR90) e 180 (TR180). Para análise estatística, utilizou-se correlação de Spearman (r). RESULTADOS: A proporção de FT2 se correlacionou positivamente com TR180 (r= 0,89, p= 0,01). Uma moderada correlação foi encontrada entre FT2 e TR90 (r= 0,75, p= 0,05). CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados sugerem que o comportamento contrátil das FT2 não foi modificado nestes sujeitos. O dinamômetro isocinético mostrou ser um instrumento que pode avaliar, de forma não invasiva, a predominância do tipo de fibra muscular.

Muscular strength production may be impaired in myopathic patients. Myopathies represent a heterogeneous group of diseases with distinct clinical and morphological characteristics. It has been hypothesized that functional performance findings may be related to the predominant fiber type expressed in the muscle analyzed. OBJECTIVE: To correlate the proportion of type 2 fibers in the biceps brachii muscles of subjects with a clinical hypothesis of myopathy with their peak isometric and isokinetic torque during elbow flexion. METHOD: Seven subjects with a clinical hypothesis of myopathy participated in this study: four females of mean age 37 years (sd = 9), weight 73kg (sd= 26) and height 155cm (sd= 6); and three males of mean age 39 years (sd= 1), weight 88kg (sd= 5) and height 172cm (sd= 4). The muscle fiber proportion was analyzed using the mATPase technique. One month after taking biopsies, the subjects performed concentric isometric and isokinetic strength tests for elbow flexion and extension using an isokinetic dynamometer. The isometric and isokinetic peak torques at 90ºs-Õ and 180ºs-Õ were evaluated and the relative 90º (RT90) and 180º (RT180) torques were calculated. Spearman's correlation (r) was used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The proportion of type 2 fibers correlated positively with RT180 (r= 0.89, p= 0.01), and there was a moderate correlation with RT90 (r= 0.75, p= 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the contractile behavior of type 2 fibers was not modified in these subjects. The isokinetic dynamometer was shown to be an instrument capable of noninvasively evaluating muscle fiber type predominance.

C-Myc protein expression is not an independent prognostic predictor in cervical squamous cell carcinoma

The c-myc protein is known to regulate the cell cycle, and its down-regulation can lead to cell death by apoptosis. The role of c-myc protein as an independent prognostic determinant in cervical cancer is controversial. In the present study, a cohort of 220 Brazilian women (mean age 53.4 years) with FIGO stage I, II and III (21, 28 and 51 percent, respectively) cervical squamous cell carcinomas was analyzed for c-myc protein expression using immunohistochemistry. The disease-free survival and relapse-rate were analyzed using univariate (Kaplan-Meier) survival analysis for 116 women who completed the standard FIGO treatment and were followed up for 5 years. Positive c-myc staining was detected in 40 percent of carcinomas, 29 percent being grade 1, 9 percent grade 2, and 2 percent grade 3. The distribution of positive c-myc according to FIGO stage was 19 percent (17 women) in stage I, 33 percent (29) in stage II, and 48 percent (43) in stage III of disease. During the 60-month follow-up, disease-free survival in univariate (Kaplan-Meier) survival analysis (116 women) was lower for women with c-myc-positive tumors, i.e., 60.5, 47.5 and 36.6 percent at 12, 36, and 60 months, respectively (not significant). The present data suggest that immunohistochemical demonstration of c-myc does not possess any prognostic value independent of FIGO stage, and as such is unlikely to be a useful prognostic marker in cervical squamous cell carcinoma