Urethral dysfunction due to alloxan-induced diabetes. Urodynamic evaluation and action of sildenafil citrate

To evaluate the effect of diabetes mellitus and of sildenafil citrate on female urethral function. Twenty nine female rats were divided into four groups: G1 - (n=9), normal rats; G2 - (n=6), normal rats treated with sildenafil citrate; G3 - (n=9) rats with alloxan-induced diabetes; G4 - (n=5) rats with alloxan-induced diabetes treated with sildenafil citrate. Under anesthesia, urodynamic evaluation was performed by cystometry and urethral pressure simultaneously. A significant increase in urethral pressure was observed during micturition. Sildenafil citrate can partially reduced urethral pressure in diabetic female rats.

Alloxan diabetes alters the tensile strength, morphological and morphometric parameters of abdominal wall healing in rats

To investigate the effects of alloxan diabetes on the abdominal wall healing of rats undergoing laparotomy. METHODS: Ninety-six male Wistar rats weighing between 200 and 300 grams, divided into two groups: non-diabetic group (G1) and another with untreated diabetes (G2). Three months after diabetes induction, the animals underwent a 5cm-long- laparotomy and 5.0 nylon monofilament suture. After the surgery, 12 animals from each group were euthanized on days 4, 14, 21 and 30 corresponding to the moments M1, M2, M3 and M4. In each moment a fragment of the abdominal wall containing the scar was removed for tensile strength measurement, histological and morphometric study. Clinical and biochemical parameters were also analyzed. RESULTS: G2 animals showed parameters compatible with severe diabetes and decreased plasma levels of insulin. The tensile strength in G2 was significantly smaller in M2 and M4, with a tendency to fall in the other two. Through light microscope, diabetic animals showed more difficulty to increase collagen density and contraction. G2 animals showed high cellularity of fibroblasts in later healing moments, with collagen thinning in M2 and M4. CONCLUSION: The abdominal wound healing in untreated diabetic animals was altered and led to a higher incidence of dehiscence and infections.

Evaluation of the Antidiabetic and antibacterial activity of Cissus sicyoides

No presente trabalho foram investigados os efeitos antibacteriano e antidiabético da planta Cissus sicyoides (CS) coletada no Brasil. Ratos diabéticos receberam água (grupo A) ou extratos da parte aérea da planta (grupo CS) durante 4 semanas. Após este período, os níveis séricos de glicose, colesterol e triglicerídeos dos ratos foram determinados. A glicemia näo foi afetada pelo tratamento com CS. Entretanto, houve aumento nos níveis de colesterol e triglicerídeos nos ratos do grupo CS. Em adiçäo, fracionamento biomonitorado foi realizado para o isolamento de compostos com atividade antibacteriana. á-sITOSTEROL E SITOSTEROL á-D-glucopiranosídeo isolados mostram atividade antibacteriana contra Bacillus subtilis com concentrações mínimas inibitórias MICs de 50 ug/ml e 100 ug/ml, respectivamente. Apesar da crença popular, CS näo mostrou atividade antidiabética. Entretanto, dois compostos isolados da parte aérea da planta (á-sitosterol e sitosterol á-D-flucopiranosídeo) apresentaram fraca atividade antibacteriana

Antigen-induced pleural eosinophilia is suppressed in diabetic rats: role of corticosteroid hormones

Previous studies have evidenced for the existence of interactive regulatory mechanisms between insulin and steroid hormones in different systems. In this study, we have investigated whether endogenous corticosteroids could be implicated in the hyporeactivity to antigen challenge observed in sensitized diabetic rats. Alloxinated rats showed a long-lasting increase in the blood glucose levels and a reduction in the number of pleural mast cells at 48 and 72 hr, but not at 24 hr after alloxan administration. In parallel, they also showed a significant elevation in the plasma levels of corticosterone together with an increase in the adrenal/body weight ratio. Antigen-evoked eosinophil accumulation appeared significantly reduced in rats pretreated with dexamethasone as weel as in those rendered diabetic 72 hr after alloxan. In the same way, naive animals treated with dexamethasone also responded with a significant decrease in the number of pleural mast cells. Interestingly, when sensitized diabetic rats were pretreated with the steroid antagonist RU 38486 a reversion of the reduction in the allergen-induced eosinophil accumulation was noted. We conclude that the down-regulation of the allergic inflammatory response in diabetic rats is close-related to reduction in mast cell numbers and over expression of endogenous corticosteroids.

Resultats des recherches de l'etude fluorometrique des medicaments homeopathiques / Research's results of fluorimetric assay with homeopathic medicines

Determinou-se o espectro fluorimetrico das altas dinamizacoes dos medicamentos homeopaticos que ja tinham sido estudados em 2DH e 2CH. Observou-se que, quando as dinamizacoes sao baixas, o lugar da fluorescencia varia de uma dinamizacao a outra, talvez devido a presenca da grande variedade de compostos que ainda se encontram presentes nessas potencias. Parecia que a partir da 6CH as dinamizacoes se "incorporassem" ao medicamento, sendo minima a variacao da regiao da fluorescencia, dando lugar entao a uma notavel variacao da intensidade das curvas, ja que ainda na 12CH e 30CH seguem fluorescendo, apesar de encontrar-se alem do numero de Avogadro. E tambem muito interessante que a intensidade relativa das curvas, aumente a medida que aumenta o numero de agitacoes, chegando ao seu ponto maximo de intensidade nas 100 sucussoes