Suplementação de novilhos Nelore sob pastejo, no período de transição águas-seca / Supplementation of Nelore steers under grazing during the rainy/dry transition period

Avaliou-se o efeito da suplementação proteica sobre o consumo e o desempenho de novilhos recriados em pastagens de capim-piatã (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Piatã), durante o período de transição águas-seca. Utilizaram-se 20 novilhos Nelore, com peso médio inicial de 260kg, distribuídos ao acaso, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas. Os suplementos foram: sal mineral com ureia (controle) - ofertado ad libitum; sal proteinado - ofertado a 0,2% do peso vivo; suplemento proteico-energético - ofertado a 0,3% do peso vivo; e suplemento proteico-energético - ofertado a 0,5% do peso vivo. A suplementação teve efeito aditivo sobre o consumo de matéria seca total. O consumo médio diário dos suplementos foi de 0,167; 0,597; 0,865 e 1,469kg/animal, sendo observado ganho médio diário de 0,686; 0,761; 0,719 e 0,850kg/animal para os tratamentos controle e suplementados com 0,2; 0,3 e 0,5% do peso vivo, respectivamente. Verificou-se que as estratégias de suplementação avaliadas foram economicamente viáveis e proporcionaram desempenho semelhante sob condições de elevada oferta de forragem, sendo recomendado iniciar a suplementação proteica no período de transição águas-seca.

The effects of proteic supplementation on performance and forage dry matter intake of steers grazing on Brachiaria grass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Piatã) during the rainy/dry transition period were evaluated. Twenty Nelore steers with an average body weight (BW) of 260kg, were assigned in a split plot design. The treatments were: mineral salt plus urea offered ad libitum (control); proteic supplement offered at 0.2% BW, proteic-energetic supplement offered at 0.3% BW and proteic-energetic supplement offered at 0.5% BW. The supplementation increased total dry matter intake. The average intake of supplements was 0.167; 0.597; 0.865 and 1.469kg/animal/day and the average daily gain (ADG) was 0.686; 0.761; 0.719 and 0.850kg/animal/day, for control, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5% BW, respectively. It was verified that all strategies of supplementation are economically viable and similar in performance, under high herbage availability conditions. It is suggested that proteic supplementation begin during the rainy/dry transition period, for better animal performance and economic results.

Osseointegração clínica-radiológica do compósito hidroxiapatita-lignina entre implante metálico e tecido ósseo em coelho / Clinical-radiographic osseointegration of hydroxyapatite-lignin composite between metallic implant and bone tissue in rabbit

Para avaliar o compósito hidroxiapatita-lignina na osseointegração entre implante metálico e o tecido ósseo, foram utilizados 20 coelhos adultos, nos quais foi realizada uma falha óssea na face lateral proximal de ambas as tíbias. Na tíbia esquerda, introduziu-se, no canal medular, um pino intramedular de Schanz revestido com o compósito em sua parte rosqueada, após o preenchimento daquele com 1000mg do compósito. A falha cortical foi preenchida com o compósito. O mesmo foi feito na tíbia direita, porém sem a utilização do compósito, servindo como controle. A avaliação clínica baseou-se na deiscência, claudicação, sensibilidade dolorosa e circunferência tibial. Foram realizadas radiografias imediatamente após a cirurgia e aos oito, 30, 60, 90 e 120 dias do pós-operatório. A maioria dos animais apresentou evolução clínica normal. Nas radiografias do grupo tratado, houve decréscimo da radiopacidade no defeito e no espaço medular até tornar-se semelhante à do osso circunvizinho, quadro inverso ao do grupo-controle. Conclui-se que o compósito hidroxiapatita-lignina não mostrou indícios clínicos de rejeição e que o tecido visualizado na altura da falha óssea e ao redor do pino intramedular tinha radiopacidade semelhante à do osso circunvizinho, o que sugere que o material promoveu a integração com o tecido ósseo.

This study evaluated a sinthetic hydroxyapatite-lignin composite for osseoingration between metallic implant and bone tissue. Twenty New Zealand rabbits were used. A defect was made a the proximal region of lateral surfaces of both tibias. An intramedullary pin was inserted in the medullary cavity of the left tibia after filling the cavity with 1,000mg of the composite and covering the thread part of the pin with the composite. The same procedure was made in control tibias without the composite. Clinical evaluation was based on inflammatory reaction, dehiscence, lameness, pain, and tibial circumference. Radiographs were made immediately after surgery and then on days eight, 30, 60, 90, and 120. Most of the animals presented normal clinical progression. Radiographies of treated group showed decrease in the defect and medullary cavity radiopacity to the same pattern of the surrounding bone, while the contrary happened in control group; but, in this group, the medullary cavity remained radioluscent at the last observation date. It can be concluded that the hydroxyapatite-lignin composite did not show clinical signs of rejection and that radiopacity of the tissue in the bone defect and surrounding the pin was similar to bone radiopacity, suggesting that the material promoted osseointegration.

Microencapsulation and tissue engineering as an alternative treatment of diabetes

In the 70's, pancreatic islet transplantation arose as an attractive alternative to restore normoglycemia; however, the scarcity of donors and difficulties with allotransplants, even under immunosuppressive treatment, greatly hampered the use of this alternative. Several materials and devices have been developed to circumvent the problem of islet rejection by the recipient, but, so far, none has proved to be totally effective. A major barrier to transpose is the highly organized islet architecture and its physical and chemical setting in the pancreatic parenchyma. In order to tackle this problem, we assembled a multidisciplinary team that has been working towards setting up the Human Pancreatic Islets Unit at the Chemistry Institute of the University of São Paulo, to collect and process pancreas from human donors, upon consent, in order to produce purified, viable and functional islets to be used in transplants. Collaboration with the private enterprise has allowed access to the latest developed biomaterials for islet encapsulation and immunoisolation. Reasoning that the natural islet microenvironment should be mimicked for optimum viability and function, we set out to isolate extracellular matrix components from human pancreas, not only for analytical purposes, but also to be used as supplementary components of encapsulating materials. A protocol was designed to routinely culture different pancreatic tissues (islets, parenchyma and ducts) in the presence of several pancreatic extracellular matrix components and peptide growth factors to enrich the beta cell population in vitro before transplantation into patients. In addition to representing a therapeutic promise, this initiative is an example of productive partnership between the medical and scientific sectors of the university and private enterprises.

Purification of bovine pancreatic glucagon as a by-product of insulin production

A process for purifying bovine pancreatic glucagon as a by-product of insulin production is described. The glucagon-containing supernatant from the alkaline crystallization of insulin was precipitated using ammonium sulfate and isoelectric precipitation. The isoelectric precipitate containing glucagon was then purified by ion-exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose FF, gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 and ion-exchange chromatography on S-Sepharose FF. A pilot scale test was performed with a recovery of 87.6 percent and a purification factor of 8.78 for the first chromatographic step, a recovery of 75.1 percent and a purification factor of 3.90 for the second, and a recovery of 76.2 percent and a purification factor of 2.36 for the last one. The overall yield was 50 percent, a purification factor of 80.8 was obtained and the fraction containing active glucagon (suitable for pharmaceutical preparations) was 84 percent pure as analyzed by HPLC.