Maintenance enteral electrolyte solutions for neonatal calves: sodium acetate and osmolarity effects / Soluções eletrolíticas enterais de manutenção para bezerros neonatos: efeitos do acetato de sódio e da osmolaridade

The use of hypotonic electrolytic solutions in enteral fluid therapy is still understudied in calves. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of maintenance enteral electrolytic solutions with different concentrations of sodium acetate and different osmolarities in calves. For this, 18 Holstein calves, six male and 12 female, 20 days old and weighing around 52kg, were used. The animals were randomly divided into three groups and each group received one of the treatments. The three electrolytic solutions contained the same components in different concentrations, resulting in a hyposmotic, an isosmotic and a hyperosmotic solution. Each animal was maintained in enteral fluid therapy for 12 hours with infusion rate of 15mL kg-1 h-1. Abdominal circumference, body weight, feces consistency, glucose and plasma lactate, pH, pCO2, HCO- 3 and BE were measured at the following times: T0h, T6h, T12h and T24h. The hyposmotic solution did not generate the onset of diarrhea, while the isosmotic and the hyperosmotic did. Regardless of the dose used, acetate did not cause metabolic alkalosis in the evaluated animals. The results suggest that the use of hyposmotic solution in diarrheic calves, dehydrated and without metabolic acidosis, may be clinically important.(AU)

O uso de soluções eletrolíticas hipotônicas na hidratação enteral ainda é pouco estudado em bezerros. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar os efeitos de soluções eletrolíticas enterais de manutenção com diferentes concentrações de acetato de sódio e diferentes osmolaridades em bezerros. Para isso, foram utilizados 18 bezerros, seis machos e 12 fêmeas, holandeses, com 20 dias de nascidos e pesando por volta dos 52kg. Os animais foram divididos aleatoriamente em três grupos e cada grupo recebeu um dos tratamentos. As três soluções eletrolíticas continham os mesmos componentes, mas em diferentes concentrações, resultando em uma solução hiposmótica, uma isosmótica e uma hiperosmótica. Cada animal foi mantido em hidratação enteral durante 12 horas com taxa de infusão de 15mL kg-1h-1. Foram aferidos perímetro abdominal, peso corporal, consistência das fezes, glicose e lactato plasmático, pH, pCO2, HCO- 3 e excesso de base nos seguintes tempos: T0h, T6h, T12h e T24h. A solução hiposmótica não gerou aparecimento de diarreia, enquanto a isosmótica e a hiperosmótica geraram. Independentemente da dose utilizada, o acetato não causou alcalose metabólica nos animais avaliados. Os resultados sugerem que o uso da solução hiposmótica em bezerros diarreicos, desidratados e sem acidose metabólica, pode ser clinicamente importante.(AU)

Edaphic macrofauna in degradation of animal and vegetable residues / Macrofauna edáfica no processo de vermicompostagem de resíduos animais e vegetais

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability to degrade organic matter by edaphic macrofauna (worms), carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio and hydrogenation potential (pH) during the vermicomposting process in different organic residues. The treatments were constituted by organic residues of animal origin (bovine, ovine and equine manure) and vegetable (herb-checkmate and coffee drag), which were conditioned in plastic pots with a capacity of 10 liters, comprising five treatments in a completely randomized experimental design, with five replications. Were inoculated 150 earthworms of the species Eisenia foetida, into each plot. After 87 days, the evaluation of the multiplication of the earthworms was carried out, through its manual count and its cocoons. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, the samples were submitted to analysis of humidity at 60 °C, pH, volumetric density, chemical analysis of macronutrients and C/N ratio. There was a dominance of worms and cocoons in the process of vermicomposting in the residues of ovine manure and herb-checkmate. The macronutrients (P, K and Mg) and C/N ratio were higher in the vegetal residues, while for N higher values were found in ovine manure and coffee drag treatments, and for Ca higher value among treatments was observed in the coffee drag treatment at the end and the lowest value at initiation. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the importance of the edaphic macrofauna to the vermicomposting process, since it allows more information about its influence on the continuity of soil organic matter decomposition processes.

Resumo Este estudo objetivou avaliar a capacidade de degradar a matéria orgânica pela macrofauna edáfica (minhocas), a relação carbono/nitrogênio (C/N) e o potencial hidrogeniônico (pH), durante o processo da vermicompostagem em diferentes resíduos orgânicos. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por resíduos orgânicos de origem animal (esterco bovino, ovino e equino) e vegetal (resíduo de erva-mate e borra-de-café), os quais foram acondicionados em vasos plásticos com capacidade de 10 litros, compondo cinco tratamentos em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualisado, com cinco repetições. Foram inoculadas 150 minhocas da espécie Eisenia foetida, em cada recipiente. Após 87 dias, foi realizada a avaliação da multiplicação das minhocas, através da sua contagem manual e seus casulos. Os resíduos foram submetidos, ao inicio e ao final do experimento, a análises de umidade a 60 °C, pH, densidade volumétrica, análise química de macronutrientes e relação C/N. Houve uma dominância de minhocas e casulos no processo da vermicompostagem nos resíduos de esterco ovino e erva-mate. Observou-se para os macronutrientes (P, K e Mg) e para a relação C/N uma maior quantidade nos resíduos vegetais, enquanto que para N valores maiores foram encontrados nos tratamentos esterco ovino e borra-de-café, e para Ca o maior valor entre os tratamentos foi observado no tratamento com borra de café ao final e o menor valor no inicio. Os resultados obtidos neste estudo demonstram a importância da macrofauna edáfica para o processo da vermicompostagem por possibilitar maiores informações sobre sua influência na continuidade dos processos de decomposição da matéria orgânica.

Down-regulation of the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum ryanodine channel in severely food-restricted rats

We have shown that myocardial dysfunction induced by food restriction is related to calcium handling. Although cardiac function is depressed in food-restricted animals, there is limited information about the molecular mechanisms that lead to this abnormality. The present study evaluated the effects of food restriction on calcium cycling, focusing on sarcoplasmic Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2), phospholamban (PLB), and ryanodine channel (RYR2) mRNA expressions in rat myocardium. Male Wistar-Kyoto rats, 60 days old, were submitted to ad libitum feeding (control rats) or 50 percent diet restriction for 90 days. The levels of left ventricle SERCA2, PLB, and RYR2 were measured using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Body and ventricular weights were reduced in 50 percent food-restricted animals. RYR2 mRNA was significantly decreased in the left ventricle of the food-restricted group (control = 5.92 ± 0.48 vs food-restricted group = 4.84 ± 0.33, P < 0.01). The levels of SERCA2 and PLB mRNA were similar between groups (control = 8.38 ± 0.44 vs food-restricted group = 7.96 ± 0.45, and control = 1.52 ± 0.06 vs food-restricted group = 1.53 ± 0.10, respectively). Down-regulation of RYR2 mRNA expressions suggests that chronic food restriction promotes abnormalities in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release.

Relato de 7 casos de pacientes portadores de Hepatite B em acompanhamento no Ambulatório de Hepatologia do Hospital do Servidor Público Municipal

Vários estudos têm demonstrado a preocupação em relação ao HBV devido a sua evolução para formas crônicas e o aparecimento de hepatocarcinoma. Hoje temos um novo arsenal de medicamentos para diminuir a carga viral dos portadores HBV quando em atividade replicativa, sendo a carga viral extremamente importante, num futuro próximo os genótipos também orientarão para o prognóstico

Prolactin and cortisol levels in women with endometriosis

Endometriosis is a progressive estrogen-dependent disease affecting women during their reproductive years. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether endometriosis is associated with stress parameters. We determined cortisol and prolactin levels in serum, peritoneal and follicular fluid from infertile women with endometriosis and fertile women without the disease. The extent of the disease was staged according to the revised American Fertility Society classification (1997). Serum and peritoneal fluid were collected from 49 women aged 19 to 39 years undergoing laparoscopy. Eighteen women had stage I-II endometriosis and 10 had stage III-IV. Controls were 21 women undergoing laparoscopy for tubal sterilization. Follicular fluid was obtained from 39 women aged 25-39 years undergoing in vitro fertilization (21 infertile women with endometriosis and 18 infertile women without endometriosis). Serum prolactin levels were significantly higher in infertile women with stage III-IV endometriosis (28.9 ± 2.1 ng/mL) than in healthy controls (13.2 ± 2.1 ng/mL). Serum cortisol levels were significantly higher in infertile women with stage III-IV endometriosis (20.1 ± 1.3 ng/mL) than in controls (10.5 ± 1.4 ng/mL). Cortisol and prolactin levels in follicular fluid and peritoneal fluid did not differ significantly between groups. The high levels of cortisol and prolactin in the serum from women with endometriosis might contribute to the subfertility frequently associated with the disease. Moreover, since higher levels of cortisol and prolactin are often associated with stress, it is probable that stress might contribute to the development of endometriosis and its progression to advanced stages of the disease.

Thyroid function in post-weaning rats whose dams were fed a low-protein diet during suckling

This study was designed to evaluate the thyroid and pituitary hormone levels in post-weaning rats whose dams were fed a low-protein diet during suckling (21 days). The dams and pups were divided into 2 groups:a control group fed a diet containing 22 per cent protein that supplies the necessary amount of protein for the rat and is the usual content of protein in most commercial rat chow, and a diet group fed a lowprotein (8 per cent) diet in which the protein was substituted by an isocaloric amount of starch. After weaning all dams and pups received the 22 per cent protein diet. Two hours before sacrifice of pups aged 21, 30 and 60 days, a tracer dose (0.6 mui) ofl25I was injected (ip) into each animal. Blood and thyroid glands of pups were collected for the determination of serum T4, T3 and TSH and radioiodine uptake. Low protein diet caused a slight decrease in radioiodine uptake at 21 days, and a significant decrease in T3 levels (l28 ñ 14 vs 74 ñ 9 ng/dl, P<0.05), while T4 levels did not change and TSH was increased slightly. At 30 days, T3 and TSH did not change while there was a significant increase in both T4 levels (4.8 ñ 0.3 vs 6.1 ñ 0.2 mug/dl, P<0.05) and in radioiodine uptake levels (0.34 ñ 0.02 vs 0.50 ñ 0.030 per cent/mg thyroid, P<0.05). At 60 days serum T3, T4 and TSH levels were normal, but radioiodine uptake was still significantly increased (0.33 ñ 0.02 vs 0.41 ñ 0.03 per cent/mg thyroid, P<0.05). Thus, it seems that protein malnutrition of the dams during suckling causes hypothyroidism in the pups at 21 days that has a compensatory mechanism increasing thyroid function after refeeding with a 22 per cent protein diet. The radioiodine uptake still remained altered at 60 days, when all the hormonal serum levels returned to the normal values, suggesting a permanent change in the thyroid function.

Da necessidade de se adotar e divulgar esquemas terapeuticos para tratamento de leishmaniose tegumentar no Parana / Necessity of adopt and disseminate therapeutic schemes for treatment of American tegumentary leishmaniasis

A leishmaniose tegumentar tem mostrado carater endemico no Norte-Nordeste do Parana, em areas que vem sendo ocupadas desde os anos 40, onde persistem matas residuais com modificacoes bastante acentuadas. A infeccao tem atingido sobretudo adultos do sexo masculino, mas tambem vem sendo constatada em mulheres e criancas, e por vezes em diversos componentes de uma mesma familia. Investigou-se 513 casos de leishmaniose tegumentar notificados pela SUCAM, com informacoes de terem tido apenas diagnostico clinico, de janeiro de 1987 a agosto de 1989, os quais iniciaram o tratamento com "Glucantime POT. R", em Centros de Saude do Estado ou na propria SUCAM. De 513 pacientes tratados 260 (50,67 por cento) tiveram alta por cura clinica e os 253 (49,33 por cento) nao retornaram para a verificacao da cura clinica ou abandonaram o tratamento. A quantidade de ampolas de "Glucantime POT. R" fornecidas para os pacientes oscilou de 10 a mais de 200, com ou sem intervalo durante o tratamento, sendo que 217 (85,46 por cento) dos 260 casos receberam de 10 a 75 ampolas. A ocorrencia de leishmaniose em 163 (31,75 por cento) mulheres e em 34 (6,62 por cento) criancas, de ambos os sexos, ate dez anos de idade, sugere a transmissao domiciliar. Nao se sabe se os 253 (49,33 por cento) individuos que nao retornaram ou abandonaram o tratamento seguiram a prescricao terapeutica e se restabeleceram...