Constructivist pedagogic method used in the teaching of human anatomy / Método constructivista pedagógico usado en la enseñanza de la anatomía humana

This study aimed to demonstrate that the learning in the discipline of human anatomy is more significant with the use of a constructivist pedagogic methodology in relation to traditional teaching, enabling students to the effective construction of knowledge. Practical lessons in human anatomy were given for students from first semesters of the Physical Education course, Federal University of Goiás, using a constructivist methodology for the teaching of the Digestive System. The students were divided into 5 groups containing 7 students each. Each group used the class guide prepared by teachers, containing the structures to be studied, in addition to textbook and Anatomy Atlas. The data were analyzed using the Graph pad prism software (version 5.00) and submitted to testing for comparison of means (t test at 5 percent probability). The use of the new constructivist pedagogic methodology facilitated the learning for most students (80.65 percent) and 61.29 percent rated their learning as good. There was an increase in the time of permanence in the classroom, in the participation in practical classes and in the consultation to bibliographies recommended. About 64.51 percent of students felt that the practical lessons contributed to a better learning and most students (90.31 percent) considered their participation in the practical classes more active. In conclusion, the use of constructivist pedagogic methodology in teaching human anatomy facilitated the learning by the students involved in this work, making it more significant when compared to the traditional methodology.

El objetivo de este estudio fue demostrar que el aprendizaje en la disciplina de anatomía humana es más significativa con el uso de una metodología pedagógica constructivista, en relación a la enseñanza tradicional, capacitando así a los alumnos en una construcción efectiva de conocimiento. Se impartieron lecciones prácticas en Anatomía Humana a los alumnos de primer semestre del curso de Educación Física, Universidad Federal de Goiás, usando una metodología constructivista para la enseñanza del Sistema Digestivo. Los alumnos fueron divididos en 5 grupos con 7 alumnos por grupo. Cada grupo utilizó la guía de clase preparada por los profesores, las que contenían las estructuras a estudiar, además del texto y de un Atlas de Anatomía. La información fue analizada usando el software Graph pad prism (versión 5.00) y sometido a prueba para la comparación de los medios (t test al 5 por ciento de probabilidad). El uso de la nueva metodología pedagógica constructivista, facilitó el aprendizaje para la mayoría de los estudiantes (80.65 por ciento) y el 61.29 por ciento calificaron su aprendizaje como bueno. Aumentó el tiempo de permanencia en la sala de clases, en la participación de clases prácticas y en la consulta de bibliografías recomendadas. Aproximadamente un 64.51 por ciento de los alumnos indicaron que la lección práctica contribuyó a un mejor aprendizaje, y la mayoría de los alumnos (90.31 por ciento) consideraron que su participación en las clases prácticas fue más activa. En conclusión el uso de la metodología pedagógica constructivista en la docencia de Anatomía Humana, facilitó el aprendizaje de los alumnos involucrados en ese trabajo, haciéndolo más significativo al ser comparado con la metodología tradicional.

Pequeno comprometimento do encéfalo em ratos Holtzman imunossuprimidos e infectados por Trypanosoma cruzi / Encephalic damage in Holtzman rats submitted to immunosuppression and infected by Trypanosoma cruzi

A tripanossomíase americana ainda constitui problema de saúde pública. O curso da infecção depende das características de cada isolado de Trypanosoma cruzi e do hospedeiro considerado. Foi aventada a hipótese de tropismo para o sistema nervoso central(SNC) de algumas cepas. Neste trabalho, foi testado o grau de infecção de encéfalos de ratos Holtzman imunossuprimidos. Foram utilizadas as cepas Y e PNM e o clone CL-Brener emratos Holtzman irradiados (irradiação gama 700 rad) aos 29 dias de idade e inoculados aos 30 dias. A imunossupressão aumentou a parasitemia sanguínea pelo T. cruzi para todas as cepas analisadas em relação aos animais-controle. Entretanto, para as condições do experimento atual não se verificou o neurotropismo do parasito, como se verifica na literatura. A parasitemia encontrada no SNC foi pequena em relação aos dados já publicados, possivelmente pelo pouco tempo de exposição ao parasita.

American trypanosomiasis is still a public health problem in Brazil and Latin America. The infection depends on the characteristics of each isolate of Trypanosoma cruzi and its host. The hypothesis of central nervous system (CNS) tropism has been proposed for certain strains. This work tested the infection rate of the encephalon of immunosuppressed Holtzman rats. The Y and PNM strains were used as well as the CL-Brener clone, inoculated in Holtzman rats irradiated (700 rad gamma) at 29 days of age and inoculated at 30 days of age. Immunosuppression increased the parasitemia by T. cruzi on SNC for all analyzed strains in comparison to the control animals. Neurotropism not was verified of T. cruzi under these conditions as in the literature. The parasitemia detected in the SNC was small compared to literature data, perhaps due to the short time of parasite exposure.

Alterações morfológicas do sistema nervoso central induzidas em camundongos por Trypanosoma cruzi / Morphological alterations in the central nervous system induced in mice by Trypanosoma cruzi

Crianças até quatro anos de idade apresentam maior susceptibilidade à infecção chagásica com comprometimento do sistema nervoso central. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o peso corporal, as alterações morfológicas do sistema nervoso central de camundongos inoculados aos dez dias de idade com 4.000 ou 200.000 tripomastigotas do Trypanosoma cruzi e a parasitemia em animais inoculados aos 25 dias com e sem imunossupressão. Os animais foram sacrificados e fixados com paraformaldeído 4%. Fragmentos encefálicos e da medula foram processados pela técnica histológica e corados com hematoxilina/eosina. A parasitemia foi maior nos animais inoculados e imunossuprimidos. Animais inoculados apresentaram ganhos de pesos menores que os controles. No encéfalo, ocorreram ninhos de amastigotas íntegros, nódulos gliais e infiltrados perivasculares. Na medula espinhal não foi encontrado alterações teciduais. Animais jovens foram mais susceptíveis às infecções pelo Trypanosoma cruzi apresentando comprometimento encefálico mais intenso. O isolado estudado demonstrou comportamento compatível com cepa tipo III.

Children up to four years old are most susceptible to infection by Trypanosoma cruzi, which can compromise the central nervous system. The objective of this study was to quantify body weight, evaluate the histological alterations in the nervous system of 10-day-old mice inoculated with 4.000 or 20.000 trypomastigotes of T. cruzi , and also study the parasitemia of the inoculated animals at 25 days of age, with and without immunosuppression. The animals were sacrificed and fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. Encephalic and medullar fragments were processed using the histological technique and stained with hematoxilin-eosin. Parasitemia was major in inoculated and immunosuppressed animals. Inoculated animals presented lower body weight than controls. In the encephalon, amastigote nests, glial nodes and perivascular infiltrates were found. In the medulla, no histological alterations were. Young animals were more susceptible to T. cruzi infection, with more severe encephalic implications. The studied isolate presented behavior compatible with type III strains.