Ilex paraguariensis extracts extend the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster fed a high-fat diet

Studies have suggested that total energy intake and diet composition affect lifespan and ageing. A high-fat diet induces oxidative stress and affects the development of diseases. In contrast, antioxidants are capable of reducing its harmful effects. Yerba mate beverages are an important source of antioxidants, but there is scarce knowledge about their effects on suppressing fat accumulation. Here, we investigated the compounds present in yerba mate extracts and assessed their effects on Drosophila melanogaster given a high cholesterol diet. LS-ESI-MS analysis showed the presence of matesaponins, phenolic compounds and methylxanthines in all of the examined extracts. In Drosophila, under extract treatment conditions, the mean lifespan was significantly extended from 38 to 43 days, there was an increase in the ability to support induced stress and decrease in lipid peroxidation products. Moreover, yerba mate extracts recovered the glutathione S-transferases (GST) activity and reduced the cholesterol level. Taken together, our results support that extracts can extend lifespan by reducing the detrimental effect of a high-fat diet in D. melanogaster, and this outcome can be associated with the compound content in the extracts. This study improves the understanding of natural interventions that reduce stress-induced oxidative damage, which is fundamental in promoting healthy ageing.

Systematic head and neck physical examination as a predictor of obstructive sleep apnea in class III obese patients

Our aim was to determine if anatomical abnormalities of the upper airway (UA) and facial skeleton of class III severely obese patients are related to the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Forty-five patients (69 percent females, mean age 46.5 ± 10.8 years) with a body mass index (BMI) over 40 kg/m² underwent UA and facial skeletal examinations as well as polysomnography. Mean BMI was 49 ± 7 kg/m² and mean neck circumference was 43.4 ± 5.1 cm. Polysomnographic findings showed that 22 percent had a normal apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and 78 percent had an AHI over 5. The presence of OSAS was associated with younger age (P = 0.02), larger neck circumference (P = 0.004), presence of a voluminous lateral wall (P = 0.0002), posteriorized soft palate (P = 0.0053), thick soft palate (P = 0.0014), long uvula (P = 0.04), thick uvula (P = 0.0052), and inferior turbinate hypertrophy (P = 0.04). A larger neck circumference (P = 0.02), presence of a voluminous lateral wall (P = 0.04), posteriorized soft palate (P = 0.03), and thick soft palate (P = 0.04) were all associated with OSAS severity. The prevalence of OSAS in this group was high. A larger neck circumference and soft tissue abnormalities of the UA were markers for both the presence and severity of OSAS. Conversely, no abnormalities in the facial skeleton were associated with OSAS in patients with morbid obesity.

The role of IFN-gamma and IL-4 in gastric mucosa inflammation associated with Helicobacter heilmannii type 1 infection

Although Helicobacter heilmannii infection is less common than H. pylori infection in humans, it is considered to be of medical importance because of its association with gastritis, gastric ulcer, carcinoma, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the stomach. However, there have been no studies evaluating the role of the Th cell response in H. heilmannii gastric infection. We evaluated the participation of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, IFN-gamma and IL-4, in H. heilmannii gastric infection in genetically IFN-gamma- or IL-4-deficient mice. The serum IFN-gamma and IL-4 concentrations were determined by ELISA. The gastric polymorphonuclear infiltrate was higher (P = 0.007) in H. heilmannii-positive than in H. heilmannii-negative wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice, whereas no significant inflammation was demonstrable in the stomach of H. heilmannii-positive IFN-gamma-/- C57BL/6 mice. The degree of gastric inflammatory cells, especially in oxyntic mucosa, was also higher (P = 0.007) in infected IL-4-/- than in WT BALB/c mice. Serum IFN-gamma levels were significantly higher in IL-4-/- than in WT BALB/c mice, independently of H. heilmannii-positive or -negative status. Although no difference in serum IFN-gamma levels was seen between H. heilmannii-positive (11.3 ± 3.07 pg/mL, mean ± SD) and -negative (11.07 ± 3.5 pg/mL) WT BALB/c mice, in the group of IL-4-/- animals, the serum concentration of IFN-g was significantly higher in the infected ones (38.16 ± 10.5 pg/mL, P = 0.04). In contrast, serum IL-4 levels were significantly decreased in H. heilmannii-positive (N = 10) WT BALB/c animals compared to the negative (N = 10) animals. In conclusion, H. heilmannii infection induces a predominantly Th1 immune response, with IFN-gamma playing a central role in gastric inflammation.

Hepatic changes in mice chronically infected with Helicobacter trogontum

We infected NIH germ-free female mice with Helicobacter trogontum, a recently described intestinal bacterium of rats, in order to study the lesions it induced in the liver of this host. Fifteen mice were challenged with a single dose of H. trogontum (test group) and killed 6, 12 and 18 months after inoculation (5 animals/group). Nine animals were challenged with 0.85 percent saline alone (control group) and killed at the same times. Fragments from the liver, cecum and colon were obtained for microbiologic and histologic examination. Stool samples were also collected. H. trogontum was detected in the cecum, colon and/or stool samples of all test mice. As expected, the bacterium was not isolated from any specimen obtained from the control animals. On the other hand, although we could not cultivate the bacterium from the liver, 13 test animals (86.7 percent) presented histological changes in this organ. The 6-month group presented infiltration of mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells in the hepatic parenchyma and the two other groups presented foci of mononuclear cells. The results suggest that H. trogontum can elicit a hepatic inflammatory response in mice since the only difference between control and test animals was the presence of H. trogontum in the latter. This result, together with the growing number of related reports in the literature, reinforces the possible role of Helicobacter infection in the pathogenesis of hepatobiliary diseases

Diel variation of larval fish abundance in the Amazon and Rio Negro

Many streams and large rivers present higher ichthyoplankton densities at night. However, in some rivers this does not occur and larvae are equally abundant during the day. Larval drift diel variation is an important information for planning sampling programs for evaluating larval distribution and production. The aim of this study was to test whether the abundance of larval fish was different at either period. We tested it by comparing day and night densities of characiform, clupeiform and siluriform larvae during five years in the Amazon and one year in Rio Negro. We found that larvae of three species of characiform and larvae of siluriform were equally abundant during day and night in the Amazon. Conversely, the catch of Pellona spp. larvae was significantly higher during the day. In Rio Negro, however, larval abundance was higher during the night. These results imply that day samplings estimate adequately the abundance of these characiform and siluriform larvae in the Amazon, but not Pellona larvae. Evaluations of larved densities of Rio Negro will have to consider night sampling.

Em muitos riachos e rios o ictioplâncton é mais abundante à noite do que de dia. Entretanto, em alguns rios isto não acontece e as larvas são igualmente abundantes durante o dia. Essa informação é importante para avaliar a distribuição e a produção de larvas nos rios. O objetivo deste trabalho foi testar se ocorrem diferenças na deriva larval durante os dois períodos do dia no Rio Solimões/Amazonas e no Rio Negro. Testamos esta hipótese comparando as densidades diurna e noturna em larvas de characiformes, clupeiformes e siluriformes durante cinco anos no Rio Solimões/Amazonas e um ano no Rio Negro. Encontramos que as larvas de três espécies de Characiformes e as larvas de Siluriformes de fato não modulavam sua deriva sendo igualmente abundantes durante o dia e à noite. Ao contrário, as larvas de Pellona spp. eram mais abundantes durante o dia. No Rio Negro as larvas eram mais abundantes à noite. Este resultado tem impor-tantes implicações para o planejamento de amostragem de larvas no Rio Solimões/Amazonas, pois indica que coletas diurnas estimam adequadamente a deriva de larvas de algumas espécies de characiformes e siluriformes no Rio Solimões/Amazonas, mas não das larvas de clupeiformes e das larvas do Rio Negro.

Diel variation of larval fish abundance in the Amazon and Rio Negro

Many streams and large rivers present higher ichthyoplankton densities at night. However, in some rivers this does not occur and larvae are equally abundant during the day. Larval drift diel variation is an important information for planning sampling programs for evaluating larval distribution and production. The aim of this study was to test whether the abundance of larval fish was different at either period. We tested it by comparing day and night densities of characiform, clupeiform and siluriform larvae during five years in the Amazon and one year in Rio Negro. We found that larvae of three species of characiform and larvae of siluriform were equally abundant during day and night in the Amazon. Conversely, the catch of Pellona spp. larvae was significantly higher during the day. In Rio Negro, however, larval abundance was higher during the night. These results imply that day samplings estimate adequately the abundance of these characiform and siluriform larvae in the Amazon, but not Pellona larvae. Evaluations of larved densities of Rio Negro will have to consider night sampling

Comparison of AutoSet TM and polysomnography for the detection of apnea-hypopnea events

The use of the flow vs time relationship obtained with the nasal prongs of the AutoSet TM (AS) system (diagnosis mode) has been proposed to detect apneas and hypopneas in patients with reasonable nasal patency. Our aim was to compare the accuracy of AS to that of a computerized polysomnographic (PSG) system. The study was conducted on 56 individuals (45 men) with clinical characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Their mean (+/- SD) age was 44.6 +/- 12 years and their body mass index was 31.3 +/- 7 kg/m2. Data were submitted to parametric analysis to determine the agreement between methods and the intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated. The Student t-test and Bland and Altman plots were also used. Twelve patients had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 10 in bed and 20 had values > 40. The mean (+/- SD) AHI PSG index of 37.6 (28.8) was significantly lower (P = 0.0003) than AHI AS (41.8 (25.3)), but there was a high intraclass correlation coefficient (0.93), with 0.016 variance. For a threshold of AHI of 20, AS showed 73.0 percent accuracy, 97 percent sensitivity and 60 percent specificity, with positive and negative predictive values of 78 percent and 93 percent, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive values increased in parallel to the increase in AHI threshold for detecting OSA. However, when the differences of AHI PSG-AS were plotted against their means, the limits of agreement between the methods (95 percent of the differences) were +13 and -22, showing the discrepancy between the AHI values obtained with PSG and AS. Finally, cubic regression analysis was used to better predict the result of AHI PSG as a function of the method proposed, i.e., AHI AS. We conclude that, despite these differences, AHI measured by AutoSetä can be useful for the assessment of patients with high pre-test clinical probability of OSA, for whom standard PSG is not possible as an initial step in diagnosis.

Diagnóstico de leishmaniose canina na área urbana do município de Cuiabá, Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil / Diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis in the urban area of the District of Cuiabá, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Iniciou-se um estudo sobre a ocorrência de leishmaniose visceral e tegumentar em cäes da área urbana de Cuiabá, Estado de Mato Grosso. No período de agosto de 1997 a julho de 1998, foram coletadas amostras de sangue de 800 cäes, de diferentes bairros de Cuiabá, escolhidos aleatoriamente, e remetidos ao Serviço de Parasitologia do Instituto Municipal de Medicina Veterinária Jorge Vaitsman, no Rio de Janeiro, para exame pelo teste de imunofluorescência indireta. Foram processadas preliminarmente 62 amostras de soro, das quais 64,5 por cento (40 amostras) estavam positivas para leishmaniose. Quanto às titulaçöes encontradas nos soros reagentes, 92,5 por cento (37 amostras) apresentaram títulos acima de 1:160, sugerindo forte suspeita da presença de leishmaniose visceral. Deste total, 72,5 por cento (29 amostras) dos soros positivos sao provenientes de cäes da regiäo Sul-Leste e 27,5 por cento (11 amostras) da regiäo Centro-Leste de Cuiabá. Este é o primeiro registro da detecçäo de cäes sorologicamente positivos para leishmaniose em área urbana do Estado de Mato Grosso

Serodiagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection by Cobas Core ELISA in adults from Minas Gerais, Brazil

We evaluated the accuracy of a 2nd generation ELISA to detect Helicobacter pylori infection in adults from a developing country in view of variations in sensitivity and specificity reported for different populations. We studied 97 non-consecutive patients who underwent endoscopy for evaluation of dispeptic symptoms. The presence of H. pylori was determined in antral biopsy specimens by culture, by the preformed urease test and in carbolfuchsin-stained smears. Patients were considered to be H. pylori positive if at least two of the three tests presented a positive result or if the culture was positive, and negative if the three tests were negative. Sixty-five adults (31 with peptic ulcer) were H. pylori positive and 32 adults were H. pylori negative. Antibodies were detected by Cobas Core anti-H. pylori EIA in 62 of 65 H. pylori-positive adults and in none of the negative adults. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of the test were 95.4, 100, 100 and 91.4 per cent, respectively. The Cobas Core anti-H. pylori EIA presented high sensitivity and specificity when employed for a population in Brazil, permitting the use of the test both to confirm the clinical diagnosis and to perform epidemiologic surveys.

Assessment of ventilatory neuromuscular drive in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

The presence of abnormalities of the respiratory center in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients and their correlation with polysomnographic data are still a matter of controversy. Moderately obese, sleep-deprived OSA patients presenting daytime hypersomnolence, with normocapnia and no clinical or spirometric evidence of pulmonary disease, were selected. We assessed the ventilatory control and correlated it with polysomnographic data. Ventilatory neuromuscular drive was evaluated in these patients by measuring the ventilatory response (VE) the inspiratory occlusion pressure (P.1) and the ventilatory pattern (VT/TI, TI/TTOT) at rest and during submaximal exercise, breathing room air. These analyses were also performed after inhalation of a hypercapnic mixture of CO2 (deltaP.11/deltaPETCO2, deltaVE/deltaPETCO2). Average rest and exercise ventilatory response (VE: 12.2 and 32.61/min, respectively), inspiratory occlusion pressure (P.1: 1.5 and 4.7 cmH2O, respectively), and ventilatory pattern (VT/TI: 0.42 and 1.09 1/s; TI/TTOT: 0.47 and 0.46 1/s, respectively) were within the normal range. In response to hypercapnia, the values of ventilatory response (deltaVE/deltaPETCO2: 1.51 lmin(-1) mmHg(-1)) and inspiratory occlusion pressure (deltaP.1/deltaPETCO2: 0.22 cmH2O) were normal or slightly reduced in the normocapnic OSA patients. No association or correlation between ventilatory neuromuscular drive and ventilatory pattern, hypersomnolence score and polymnographic data was found; however a significant positive correlation was observed between P.1 and weight. Our results indicate the existence of a group of normocapnic OSA patients who have a normal awake neuromuscular ventilatory drive at rest or during exercise that is partially influenced by obesity.

Mouse inoculation for the detection of non-cultivable gastric tightly spiralled bacteria

In the present study we compared the inoculation of swine gastric mucus into the stomach of mice, the urease test and carbolfuchsin-stained smears for the diagnosis of the infection with "Gastrospirillum suis" ("Helicobacter heilmmannii" type 1), an uncultivated tightly spiralled gastric bacterium. Fragments obtained from the antral and oxyntic mucosa of the stomach of 50 slaughtered pigs were used for urease test, for carbolfuchsin-stained smears and for obtaining scrapings of mucus for mouse inoculation. The mice were killed by spinal dislocation 10 days after inoculation and fragments of the antral and oxyntic mucosa were used for spiral bacterium identification (urease test and carbolfuchsin-stained smears).Among the method employed for the diagnosis of "H. heilmannii" infection, the inoculation of gastric mucus into the stomach of mice was the most sensitive and demonstrated bacterial positivity in 31 (62.0 percent) swine. Direct examination showed tightly spiralled bacteria in the gastric mucosa of only 4 (8.0 percent) of the 50 pigs studied. Among them, 3 (6.0 percent) presented a positive preformed urease test. Spiral bacteria were not seen in the gastric mucosa of any control mice. These results show that the use of the mouse inoculation method improved the detection of "H. heilmannii" in swine.

Indirect immunofluorescence determination of the frequency of anti-H. pylori antibodies in brazilian blood donors

The accuracy of an indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test for the serodiagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infections was evaluated in adult patients and compared with culture, preformed urease test and smears stained with carbolfuchsin. We studied 80 consecutive patients submitted to gastroduodenioscopy (17 of whom were found to have duodenal ulcer) plus 57 patients with duodenal ulcer. H. pylori was identified by microbiological mehtods in 65 of the 80 consecutive patients and in all 57 patients with duodenal ulcer. Among the 74 patients with duodenal ulcer, 71 presented antibody titers *1:20 and 46 of the 48 H. pylori-positive patients without duodenal ulcer presented antibody titers *1:20. Thirteen of the 15 H. pylori-negative patients presented antibody titers *1:10. The sensitivity,m specificity and positive predictive value of the IIF test were 95.9%, 88.8% and 98.4%, respectively. The seroprevalence of H. pylori in 380 asymptomatic Brazilian was also studied by the IIF teset. The presence of IgG antibodies against H. pylori was observed in 62.1% of the individuals. The prevalence of H. pylori infection increased with age and no difference was observed between males (60.3%) and females (66.6%)

Mechanisms of hypercapnia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

A higher ventilatory drive evaluated by the inspiratory occlusion pressure (Poc) and a respiratory pattern characterized by smaller tidal volume (VT) and higher breathing frequency (f) was detected in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in relation to normals. The purpose of this study was to identify the possible mechanisms involved in the development of hypercapnia in those patients, at rest and during exercise. We have studied 11 normocapnic (PaCO2 ( 45 mmHg) and 9 hypercapnic (PaCO2 > 45 mmHg) COPD patients. As expected, no difference in the ventilatory response and neural drive was detected between the two groups. However, the hypercapnic patients have higher values of serum HCO-3 and lower values of PaO2 at rest and values of the ratio dead volume to tidal volume (VD/VT) significantly higher at rest (0.67 vs. 0.55) and during exercise (0.54 vs. 0.38) in relation to normocapnic individuals. There was also a significant positive correlation at rest (r = 0.66*) and during exercise (r = 0.65*; *p < 0.05), between PaCO2 and VD/VT, identifying a decreased alveolar ventilatory efficiency, important in the development of hypercapnia in those patients. when the COPD patients were divided into two distinct groups (PaCO2 ( 40 and ( 50 mmHg), a respiratory pattern characterized by higher f and smaller VT was detected in the hypercapnic group during exercise. In conclusion, a higher VD/VT linked to alterations of the respiratory pattern (lower VT) and to inequalities of ventilation/perfusion (high V/Q areas), seems to explain the hypercapnia of our COPD patients, since the ventilatory response and neural drive were similar in normo and hypercapnic patients.

Prevalência de insuficência renal em nefroesclerose diabética / Prevalence of renal failure in diabetic nephrosclerosis

Os autores apresentam 11 casos de NED, classificados em 04 casos de dm tipo II; 02 casos de NED nodular; 07 casos de NED difusa e 02 casos de NED mista. A IR predominante do tipo aguda foi significativamente prevalente no material de necrópsia estudado no HU, neste périodo (p menor que 0,05). A proteinúria e a hipertensäo arterial näo foram fatores fisiopatogênicos significativos na maior freqüência deste IR (p maior que 0,05). Os autores apresentam uma revisäo atualizada da bibliografia a propósito da NED, tentando explicar a maior freqüência de IR na populaçäo diabética

Contribuição do Laboratório Regional de Santos na epidemiologia da esquistossomose mansoni em Santos / Contribution of the Santos Regional Laboratory to the epidemiology of schistosomiasis mansoni in Santos

O autor faz um pequeno histórico da esquistossomose mansoni em Santos e, a seguir, enumera os trabalhos realizados pelo Laboratório Regional de Santos referentes à epidemiologia desta doença, nesta cidade. Relata como foram descobertos os focos dos bairros do Sabóo e do Jabaquara e como se verificou a extensão desta helmintose pelo Macuco e Ponta da Praia. Denuncia o perigo que representa à disseminação da esquistossomose mansoni a corrente imigratória de operários e trabalhadores vindos de zonas e Estados largamente atingidos por esta parasitose (Nordeste, Sergipe, Alagoas, Bahia e Minas Gerais), que se empregam, frequentemente, como serventes, vigias de obras, etc e que residem nos próprios locais de trabalho, em geral desprovidos de instalações sanitárias e cujas dejeções são lançadas no chão ou em precaríssimas fossas negras em geral em conexão com as valas de drenagem onde proliferam os moluscos hospedeiros intermediários. Mostra o que realizou uma comissão que foi designada para estudo e combate à esquistossomose, os resultados obtidos com inquéritos coprológicos feitos entre escolares, descreve os processos usados nos exames das amostras de fezes e analisa os meios empregados para o diagnóstico desta doença (AU).