Presença de aditivos conservantes (nitrito e sulfito) em carnes bovinas moídas, comercializadas em mercados varejistas / Presence of additive conserving (nitrite and sulphite) in grounded beef, commercialized in the retail markets

No presente trabalho, objetivou-se avaliar a prática fraudulenta da adição de nitrito e sulfito, e parâmetros físico-químicos de qualidade em carnes bovinas moídas in natura e resfriadas, comercializadas em mercados varejistas do estado do Rio de Janeiro. Avaliou-se também o grau de depleção do nitrito pós-cocção. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que de 35 amostras analisadas, 37,14% apresentaram nitrito, 11,42% sulfito, 17,14% amônia e 17,14% odor desagradável na prova da cocção. Todas as amostras apresentaram o valor de pH dentro do padrão oficial. A maior concentração de nitrito detectada foi 1,17mg.Kg-1 e a menor 0,173 mg.Kg-1. Após cozimento de amostras onde se detectou nitrito, houve depleção significativa desta substância. A detecção de nitrito e sulfito em carnes in natura além de caracterizar o descumprimento da legislação vigente por parte dos comerciantes, pode representar um risco à saúde da população, devido ao potencial tóxico destas substâncias quando ingeridas em excesso.

So, the present work aims to evaluate the quality physiochemical parameters as well as the nitrite and sulphite fraudulent addition to “in natura” grounded beef which was cooled commercialized in the State of Rio retail markets. The nitrite depletion degree after cooking was also evaluated. Our results have demonstrated that in 35 analyzed samples, 37.14% presented sodium nitrite while 11.42% sulphite, 17.14% ammonia and 17.14% unpleasant smell at cooking test. All the samples presented standard pH value. 1.17 mg.Kg-1 and 0.173 mg.Kg-1 were the highest and the lowest nitrite concentration detected, respectively. We found significant depletion of the nitrite after cookihg the samples with this substance. The detention of nitrite and sulfite in meats “in natura” characterizes the disobedience of the current law. The addition of these substances can represent a risk to the health of the population. They are potentially toxic substances when ingested in excess.

Graft versus host disease in a rat small bowel transplant model after T-cell depleted donor specific bone marrow infusion

Low cytoreductive regimen of irradiation associated to unmodified bone marrow infusion (UBM) does not prevent the occurrence of graft versus host disease (GVHD) after transplant. PURPOSE: In this study we evaluated the potential advantages of a long-term immunossupression and T-cell depleted bone marrow infusion (TCDBMI) in preventing the occurrence of GVHD after small bowel transplantation (SBTx). METHODS: Heterotopic SBTX was performed with Lewis rats as recipients and DA as donors and distributed into 5 groups according to the irradiation, duration of immunossupression and the use of UBM or TCDBMI: G1 (n=6), without irradiation and G2 (n=9), G3 (n=4), G4 (n=5) and G5 (n=6) was given 250 rd of irradiation. Groups 1,2,4 and G3 and 5 were infused with 100 x 106 UBM and TCDBM respectively. Animals in G1, 2, 3 were immunossupressed with 1mg/ FK506/Kg/IM for 5 days and G4 and G5 for 15 days. Anti CD3 monoclonal antibodies and immunomagnetic beads were used for T-cell depletion.Animals were examined for rejection, GVHD, chimerism characterization and ileal and skin biopsies. RESULTS: Minimal to mild rejection was observed in all groups; however, GVHD were present only in irradiated groups. Long-term immunossupression changed the severity of GVHD in G4 and G5. Rejection was the cause of death in G1 while GVHD in G2, 3, 4 and 5, not avoided by the use of TCDBMI. Total chimerism and T-cell chimerism was statistically higher in irradiated groups when compared to G1. CONCLUSION: Extended immunossupression associated to low dose of irradiation decrease the severity of GVHD, not avoided by the use of TCDBMI.

Treatment results of 23 cases of severe aplastic anemia with lymphocytapheresis

We report the results of 23 patients with aplastic anemia (AA) treated with a program of 14 lymphocytapheresis (LC). Treatments were performed with apheresis machines, models Haemonetics 30-S and Baxter CS3000, using the standard program. This procedure was done because AA in many cases appears as a result of the action of a T cell population that inhibits hematopoiesis. Theorically, removal of this clonal population would produce hematopoietic recovery. Of the total of 23 patients, 9 were excluded for final evaluation of treatment results because 7 died during or shortly after treatment (0.7-3 months); one patient abandoned treatment after three LC and another died 7 months later because of transformation to acute leukemia. The ramaining 14 patients were included in the final evaluation of treatment; seven females and seven males, average age 46.1 years (range 22-69); 13 with severe, and one with moderate AA; 11 with recently diagnosed, and 3 with chronica AA; 12 without previous treatment and two treated before with antilymphocyte globulin + oxymetholone (OXN) + cyclosporine A (CsA) with transiet partial remission (PR). Besides lymphocytapheresis, 13 patients received OXM; 4 of them GM-CSF ad one low dose CsA. Four patients had complete remission lasting >59.5 months (range 42-78); eight PR (average duration of >38.6 months), and two minimal remission (>37 and 29 months). Platelet, reticulocyte and granulocyte counts increased on average at 48.7, 73.3 and 91.4 days, respectively. In cocnlusion, 14 (60.8 perecent) of 23 patients with AA showed an improvement related to LC treatment, with a survival probability of 63 percent from the fourth month, the latter with and added beneficial effect of the other therapies used. Larger numbers of patients have to be treated with LC to determine its real usefulness, mechanism of action and the best conditions for its use

Is there a role for leukocyte depletion filters to remove Trypanosoma cruzi infection from donor blood?

First and third generation leukocyte filters were used to filter blood units inoculated with trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. After blood filtration an aliquot of preor post-filtered blood was infected in isogenic mice. Infection evolution was followed by microscopic parasite count, indirect immunofluorescence and histopathological examination. All the animals that received pre-filtered blood (n = 27) accquired infection, while 26 percent of the mice injected with post-filtered blood (n = 27) were apparently not infected. A trend for late onset and peak of the parasitaemia was also observed among infected animals that received post-filtered blood (p<0.05). Additionally, the apparently non-infected mice also tested negative for both indirect immunofluorescence and histopathological examination. The results of this study, though very preliminary, suggest that that leukocyte filters might help to improve the safety of blood with regard to Trypanosoma, cruzi transmission.