How omnivory affects the survival and choices of earwig Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)? / Como a onivoria afeta a sobrevivência e escolhas da tesourinha Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)?

Doru luteipes (Scudder, 1876) is an omnivorous predator that finds different food resources in the corn plant: eggs of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797), uredospores of Puccinia polysora (Underw, 1897), and pollen. Knowing the survival and food preferences of this predator is essential to define its relevance as a biological control agent. We hypothesize that the foraging behavior and predatory capacity of D. luteipes may be affected when several food resources, especially eggs of S. frugiperda, uredospores of P. polysora, and pollen are concurrently in the same plant. The survival of D. luteipes in the nymph stage and their preference among food resources, often available in corn plants, were determined. To verify the survival of D. luteipes, newly hatched nymphs were fed exclusively with 1- uredospores of P. polysora, 2- eggs of S. frugiperda, 3- corn pollen, 4- a combination of uredospores + eggs, and 5- artificial diet (control). In another experiment, nymphs and adults of D. luteipes with 24 and 48 hours of fasting were individually released in the center of a container with four diets: 1- uredospores of P. polysora, 2- eggs of S. frugiperda, 3- corn pollen, 4- artificial diet, and maintained for 10 minutes, to evaluate the food choice and feeding time. The exclusive feeding with S. frugiperda eggs caused low nymph survival (8%), but the combination of P. polysora uredospores + S. frugiperda eggs allowed 58.3% survival. D. luteipes preferred feeding during the nighttime and the most significant proportions of choices by nymphs and adults were for pollen and diet, with adults spending more time eating pollen. These findings indicate that the trophic choices of D. luteipes are relevant to understand its contribution as an agent to control pest insects and fungal diseases in corn.

Doru luteipes (Scudder, 1876) é um predador onívoro, que encontra na planta do milho diferentes recursos alimentares: ovos de Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797), uredósporos de Puccinia polysora (Underw, 1897) e pólen. Para definição da relevância desse predador como agente de controle biológico, conhecer a sobrevivência e preferência alimentar é essencial. Nós hipotetizamos que o comportamento de forrageamento e a capacidade de predação de D. luteipes podem ser afetados quando uma mesma planta oferece ovos, uredósporos e pólen, concomitantemente. A sobrevivência de D. luteipes na fase de ninfa e sua preferência entre os recursos alimentares, frequentemente disponíveis nas plantas de milho, foram determinados. Para verificar a sobrevivência de D. luteipes, ninfas recém eclodidas foram alimentadas exclusivamente com 1- uredósporos de P. polysora, 2- ovos de S. frugiperda, 3- pólen de milho, 4- combinação de uredósporos + ovos e 5- dieta artificial (controle). Em outro experimento, ninfas e adultos de D. luteipes com 24 e 48 horas de jejum foram liberadas individualmente, em recipientes contendo quatro dietas: 1- uredósporos de P. polysora, 2- ovos de S. frugiperda, 3- pólen de milho, 4- dieta artificial e mantidas durante 10 min, sendo avaliados a escolha pelo alimento e o tempo de alimentação. A alimentação exclusiva com ovos de S. frugiperda ocasionou baixa sobrevivência das ninfas (8%), porém a combinação de uredósporos de P. polysora + ovos de S. frugiperda possibilitou sobrevivência de 58,3%. D. luteipes preferiu se alimentar durante o período noturno e as maiores proporções de escolhas das ninfas e dos adultos ocorreram no pólen e na dieta, sendo que os adultos gastaram mais tempo se alimentando de pólen. Estas descobertas indicam que as escolhas tróficas de D. luteipes são relevantes para compreender sua contribuição como agente de controle de insetos-praga e doença fúngicas em milho.

How omnivory affects the survival and choices of earwig Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)?

Abstract Doru luteipes (Scudder, 1876) is an omnivorous predator that finds different food resources in the corn plant: eggs of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797), uredospores of Puccinia polysora (Underw, 1897), and pollen. Knowing the survival and food preferences of this predator is essential to define its relevance as a biological control agent. We hypothesize that the foraging behavior and predatory capacity of D. luteipes may be affected when several food resources, especially eggs of S. frugiperda, uredospores of P. polysora, and pollen are concurrently in the same plant. The survival of D. luteipes in the nymph stage and their preference among food resources, often available in corn plants, were determined. To verify the survival of D. luteipes, newly hatched nymphs were fed exclusively with 1- uredospores of P. polysora, 2- eggs of S. frugiperda, 3- corn pollen, 4- a combination of uredospores + eggs, and 5- artificial diet (control). In another experiment, nymphs and adults of D. luteipes with 24 and 48 hours of fasting were individually released in the center of a container with four diets: 1- uredospores of P. polysora, 2- eggs of S. frugiperda, 3- corn pollen, 4- artificial diet, and maintained for 10 minutes, to evaluate the food choice and feeding time. The exclusive feeding with S. frugiperda eggs caused low nymph survival (8%), but the combination of P. polysora uredospores + S. frugiperda eggs allowed 58.3% survival. D. luteipes preferred feeding during the nighttime and the most significant proportions of choices by nymphs and adults were for pollen and diet, with adults spending more time eating pollen. These findings indicate that the trophic choices of D. luteipes are relevant to understand its contribution as an agent to control pest insects and fungal diseases in corn.

Resumo Doru luteipes (Scudder, 1876) é um predador onívoro, que encontra na planta do milho diferentes recursos alimentares: ovos de Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797), uredósporos de Puccinia polysora (Underw, 1897) e pólen. Para definição da relevância desse predador como agente de controle biológico, conhecer a sobrevivência e preferência alimentar é essencial. Nós hipotetizamos que o comportamento de forrageamento e a capacidade de predação de D. luteipes podem ser afetados quando uma mesma planta oferece ovos, uredósporos e pólen, concomitantemente. A sobrevivência de D. luteipes na fase de ninfa e sua preferência entre os recursos alimentares, frequentemente disponíveis nas plantas de milho, foram determinados. Para verificar a sobrevivência de D. luteipes, ninfas recém eclodidas foram alimentadas exclusivamente com 1- uredósporos de P. polysora, 2- ovos de S. frugiperda, 3- pólen de milho, 4- combinação de uredósporos + ovos e 5- dieta artificial (controle). Em outro experimento, ninfas e adultos de D. luteipes com 24 e 48 horas de jejum foram liberadas individualmente, em recipientes contendo quatro dietas: 1- uredósporos de P. polysora, 2- ovos de S. frugiperda, 3- pólen de milho, 4- dieta artificial e mantidas durante 10 min, sendo avaliados a escolha pelo alimento e o tempo de alimentação. A alimentação exclusiva com ovos de S. frugiperda ocasionou baixa sobrevivência das ninfas (8%), porém a combinação de uredósporos de P. polysora + ovos de S. frugiperda possibilitou sobrevivência de 58,3%. D. luteipes preferiu se alimentar durante o período noturno e as maiores proporções de escolhas das ninfas e dos adultos ocorreram no pólen e na dieta, sendo que os adultos gastaram mais tempo se alimentando de pólen. Estas descobertas indicam que as escolhas tróficas de D. luteipes são relevantes para compreender sua contribuição como agente de controle de insetos-praga e doença fúngicas em milho.

How omnivory affects the survival and choices of earwig Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)? / Como a onivoria afeta a sobrevivência e escolhas da tesourinha Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)?

Abstract Doru luteipes (Scudder, 1876) is an omnivorous predator that finds different food resources in the corn plant: eggs of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797), uredospores of Puccinia polysora (Underw, 1897), and pollen. Knowing the survival and food preferences of this predator is essential to define its relevance as a biological control agent. We hypothesize that the foraging behavior and predatory capacity of D. luteipes may be affected when several food resources, especially eggs of S. frugiperda, uredospores of P. polysora, and pollen are concurrently in the same plant. The survival of D. luteipes in the nymph stage and their preference among food resources, often available in corn plants, were determined. To verify the survival of D. luteipes, newly hatched nymphs were fed exclusively with 1- uredospores of P. polysora, 2- eggs of S. frugiperda, 3- corn pollen, 4- a combination of uredospores + eggs, and 5- artificial diet (control). In another experiment, nymphs and adults of D. luteipes with 24 and 48 hours of fasting were individually released in the center of a container with four diets: 1- uredospores of P. polysora, 2- eggs of S. frugiperda, 3- corn pollen, 4- artificial diet, and maintained for 10 minutes, to evaluate the food choice and feeding time. The exclusive feeding with S. frugiperda eggs caused low nymph survival (8%), but the combination of P. polysora uredospores + S. frugiperda eggs allowed 58.3% survival. D. luteipes preferred feeding during the nighttime and the most significant proportions of choices by nymphs and adults were for pollen and diet, with adults spending more time eating pollen. These findings indicate that the trophic choices of D. luteipes are relevant to understand its contribution as an agent to control pest insects and fungal diseases in corn.

Resumo Doru luteipes (Scudder, 1876) é um predador onívoro, que encontra na planta do milho diferentes recursos alimentares: ovos de Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797), uredósporos de Puccinia polysora (Underw, 1897) e pólen. Para definição da relevância desse predador como agente de controle biológico, conhecer a sobrevivência e preferência alimentar é essencial. Nós hipotetizamos que o comportamento de forrageamento e a capacidade de predação de D. luteipes podem ser afetados quando uma mesma planta oferece ovos, uredósporos e pólen, concomitantemente. A sobrevivência de D. luteipes na fase de ninfa e sua preferência entre os recursos alimentares, frequentemente disponíveis nas plantas de milho, foram determinados. Para verificar a sobrevivência de D. luteipes, ninfas recém eclodidas foram alimentadas exclusivamente com 1- uredósporos de P. polysora, 2- ovos de S. frugiperda, 3- pólen de milho, 4- combinação de uredósporos + ovos e 5- dieta artificial (controle). Em outro experimento, ninfas e adultos de D. luteipes com 24 e 48 horas de jejum foram liberadas individualmente, em recipientes contendo quatro dietas: 1- uredósporos de P. polysora, 2- ovos de S. frugiperda, 3- pólen de milho, 4- dieta artificial e mantidas durante 10 min, sendo avaliados a escolha pelo alimento e o tempo de alimentação. A alimentação exclusiva com ovos de S. frugiperda ocasionou baixa sobrevivência das ninfas (8%), porém a combinação de uredósporos de P. polysora + ovos de S. frugiperda possibilitou sobrevivência de 58,3%. D. luteipes preferiu se alimentar durante o período noturno e as maiores proporções de escolhas das ninfas e dos adultos ocorreram no pólen e na dieta, sendo que os adultos gastaram mais tempo se alimentando de pólen. Estas descobertas indicam que as escolhas tróficas de D. luteipes são relevantes para compreender sua contribuição como agente de controle de insetos-praga e doença fúngicas em milho.

Analysis of the Frequency of the Toll-like 2 Gene Polymorphism in Leprosy

Polymorphisms in genes that are responsible for encoding cytokines and receptors involved in the immune response, such as Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 2 in leprosy, are of great interest for immunogenetic studies. This work aimed to analyze the possible association of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), synonymous, rs3804100 of the TLR2 gene with leprosy. The study was conducted in Bacteriology and Mycology section of Evandro Chagas Institute, Brazil between August 2020 and July 2021.The scope of the study consisted of 122 subjects from cities of Goian閟ia, Rondon, Curion髉olis, Altamira, Parauapebas and Reden玢o of the State of Par�, Brazil. Genotyping was performed by conventional PCR and sequencing in the ABI 3130 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems�) using primer nucleotides designed by the Primer3Plus program from the genomic region 揌omo sapiens toll like receptor 2 (TLR2) transcript variant X6, mRNA�, deposited in GenBank with reference XM_011532216.2. The analyzes were performed based on Fisher's exact test. It was managed in accordance with Helsinki Declaration and the Brazilian National Health Council and with approval of the ethics committee at Evandro Chagas Institute, under opinion number: 3.950.570. No associations between gender and leprosy were possible (P> 0.05). However, associations were observed between age groups, which were significant between those over 46 years old (P=0.004) and the 2nd dose of BCG as a more protective agent between the groups analyzed (P=0.004). For the subjects with the typed genotypes, 68 contacts had T/T genotype and only 4 T/C genotypes, while in multibacillary (MB) group only 1 T/C genotype was found and none in paucibacillary (PB) (P> 0.05). We conclude that there is no association between the TLR2 SNP rs3804100 and leprosy in the Par� population, which still indicates the need for new immunogenetic studies with other genes involved in the immune response and a greater number of polymorphisms.

Spatio-temporal analysis of tuberculosis and its correlation with the Living Conditions Index in an elderly population in Brazil

The aim of this study was to analyze the spatio-temporal distribution of tuberculosis (TB) in the elderly population in the city of Belém, PA from 2011 to 2015 according to the Living Conditions Index (LCI). This was an epidemiological, descriptive, ecological, and retrospective study involving 1,134 cases. Data were collected through the Information System of Notifiable Diseases (SINAN). For data analysis, we used the incidence coefficient, global and local empirical Bayesian model, Kernel density, and Kernel ratio. The construction of the LCI was based on the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) method. The incidence of TB remained the same over the five years studied. No neighborhood was found to have a high incidence of TB and a high LCI, but most of the cases occurred in the south of the city where the neighborhoods with the most precarious conditions are located. Moreover, the lowest incidence was in neighborhoods that historically had better infrastructure. Spatial analysis tools facilitate studies on the dynamics of disease transmission such as TB. In this study, it was shown that TB is heterogeneously distributed throughout the municipality. Living conditions, especially in slums, influenced TB incidence.

Cellular and molecular studies of the effects of a selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib in the cardiac cell line H9c2 and their correlation with death mechanisms

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and evidence indicates a correlation between the inflammatory process and cardiac dysfunction. Selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme are not recommended for long-term use because of potentially severe side effects to the heart. Considering this and the frequent prescribing of commercial celecoxib, the present study analyzed cellular and molecular effects of 1 and 10 µM celecoxib in a cell culture model. After a 24-h incubation, celecoxib reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner as also demonstrated in MTT assays. Furthermore, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the drug modulated the expression level of genes related to death pathways, and Western blot analyses demonstrated a modulatory effect of the drug on COX-2 protein levels in cardiac cells. In addition, the results demonstrated a downregulation of prostaglandin E2 production by the cardiac cells incubated with celecoxib, in a dose-specific manner. These results are consistent with the decrease in cell viability and the presence of necrotic processes shown by Fourier transform infrared analysis, suggesting a direct correlation of prostanoids in cellular homeostasis and survival.

Correlação entre as atividades antiradical, antiacetilcolinesterase e teor de fenóis totais de extratos de plantas medicinais de farmácias vivas / Correlation between the anti-radical, anti-acetylcholinesterase activities and phenolic content of some extracts of live herbal pharmacies in the Northeast of Brazil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a correlação entre o conteúdo de fenóis de extratos de 18 plantas medicinais comuns nas Farmácias Vivas com a atividade sequestradora do radical livre DPPH e com a inibição da enzima acetilcolinesterase. Maiores conteúdos de fenóis totais foram encontrados nas plantas: Eugenia uniflora, Lippia alba, Lippia microphylla, Mentha x villosa, Ocimum gratissimum e Ocimum selloi. As espécies que apresentaram maior atividade antioxidante, semelhante a quercetina, foram: Spondias mombim, Malphigia glabra, L. alba e Croton zenhtneri,. As plantas Cecropia pachystachia, L. alba, L. microphylla, M. glabra, O. gratissimum e Plectranthus ornatus mostraram maiores halos de inibição da enzima acetilcolinesterase. Combinando as duas ações, as plantas mais ativas foram a M. glabra e a L. alba e somente a segunda correlaciona-se diretamente com o maior teor de fenóis totais. Através deste estudo, M. glabra e L. alba foram consideradas as plantas mais promissoras para estudos subsequentes a fim de encontrar novos compostos com ação potencial contra a doença de Alzheimer.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the phenolic content of 18 medicinal plant extracts of "Live Pharmacies" and correlate them with their free radical scavenging activity and inhibition of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. Higher amounts of phenolic compounds were found in the following plants: Eugenia uniflora, Lippia alba, Lippia microphylla, Mentha x villosa, Ocimum gatissimum, and Ocimum selloi. The species that showed higher anti-radical activity were Croton zenhtneri, Lippia alba, Malphigia glabra, and Spondias mombim, similar to quercetin. The plants Cecropia pachystachia, L. alba, L. microplylla, M. glabra, O. gratissimum, and Plectranthus ornatus showed larger inhibition zones of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. By correlating the two actions L. alba and M. glabra are common as more active to both tests and only L. alba correlates directly with the phenolic content. Through this study, L. alba and M. glabra are considered the most promising plants for further studies to find new compounds with potential action against Alzheimer's disease.

Effects of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) on the performance of broiler chickens / Efeitos do líquido da casca da castanha de caju (LCC) sobre o desempenho de frangos de corte

The effects of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) on growth performance, carcass yield, relative weight of internal organs and microbiology of digestive tract of broiler chickens were investigated. Five hundred and forty male broiler chicks at one day of age were arranged in a completely randomized design with six treatments and six repetitions with 15 broiler chicks each. The treatments were: control (T1 - without growth promoter virginiamycin and CNSL); inclusion levels of 0.10mL (T2), 0.20mL (T3), 0.30mL (T4) and 0.40mL (T5) of CNSL/kg of feed; and commercial promoter virginiamycin (T6). At 21 and 40 days of age, body weight, feed intake, feed conversion and viability of birds were similar in all treatments. Carcass yield was higher in the treatment with the growth promoter when compared to the control treatment. There was a linear increase in carcass yield when the level of CNSL was increased in the diet. The relative weight of the intestine was lower in the treatment containing virginiamycin when compared to the treatment without the inclusion of additives. The relative weight of the intestines decreased when the levels of inclusion of CNSL were increased. There was a gradual reduction of Escherichia coli concentration reaching the lowest number on the CNSL level of 0.30mL/kg. It was concluded that CNSL showed similar performance and slaughter yield as the growth promoter and reduced the concentration of Escherichia coli in the intestinal contents.

Um estudo foi conduzido para investigar os efeitos do líquido da casca da castanha de caju (LCC) sobre o desempenho, o rendimento de carcaça, o peso relativo dos órgãos internos e a microbiologia do trato digestivo de frangos de corte. Foram utilizados 540 pintos machos de um dia de idade, distribuídos num delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com seis tratamentos e seis repetições de 15 aves cada. Os tratamentos consistiram em: controle (T1 - sem promotor comercial e sem LCC), níveis de inclusão de 0,10mL (T2), 0,20mL (T3), 0,30mL (T4) e 0,40mL (T5) de LCC/kg de ração e T6 (promotor comercial - virginiamicina). Aos 21 e 40 dias de idade, o peso corporal, o consumo de ração, a conversão alimentar e a viabilidade das aves foram semelhantes em todos os tratamentos. O rendimento de carcaça foi superior no tratamento com promotor de crescimento em relação ao tratamento-controle. Ocorreu uma resposta linear de incremento no rendimento de carcaça com o aumento do nível de LCC na dieta. O peso relativo dos intestinos foi menor no tratamento com virginiamicina em relação ao tratamento-controle. O peso relativo dos intestinos diminuiu com o aumento do nível de inclusão do LCC. Houve uma redução gradual da concentração de Escherichia coli, cuja menor concentração atingiu o nível de 0,30mL/kg. Conclui-se que o LCC mostrou desempenho e rendimento de abate semelhantes ao promotor de crescimento e reduziu a concentração de Escherichia Coli no conteúdo intestinal.

Rabies in the big fruit-esting bat Artibeus lituratus from Botucatu, Southeastern Brazil

Rabies is a viral disease of mammals transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. A frugivorous adult male bat, Artibeus lituratus, family Phyllostomidae, was diagnosed as positive to rabies by direct immunofluorescence (DIF) and mouse inoculation test (MIT) of the bat's brain, both performed at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry - FMVZ, UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. The animal collided with the window of a commercial establishment in the urban area during the day. With regard to DIF, a high amount of Negri bodies of several sizes was observed in the brain. The spleen and right kidney presented some Negri bodies too. In relation to MIT, the mice presented paralysis in the 7th day, and died in the day after with several characteristic small bodies. The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), followed by hemi-nested RT-PCR (hnRT-PCR) resulted in an amplification of fragments from the bat's brain viral RNA, 432bp in RT-PCR, and 274bp in hnRT-PCR, confirming the diagnosis. Therefore, the hnRT-PCR and DIF have good sensitivity and specificity, providing and confirming the diagnosis of the clinical samples in a short period of time.(AU)

Validation of a simple and inexpensive method for the quantitation of infarct in the rat brain

A gravimetric method was evaluated as a simple, sensitive, reproducible, low-cost alternative to quantify the extent of brain infarct after occlusion of the medial cerebral artery in rats. In ether-anesthetized rats, the left medial cerebral artery was occluded for 1, 1.5 or 2 h by inserting a 4-0 nylon monofilament suture into the internal carotid artery. Twenty-four hours later, the brains were processed for histochemical triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and quantitation of the schemic infarct. In each TTC-stained brain section, the ischemic tissue was dissected with a scalpel and fixed in 10 percent formalin at 0ºC until its total mass could be estimated. The mass (mg) of the ischemic tissue was weighed on an analytical balance and compared to its volume (mm ), estimated either by plethysmometry using platinum electrodes or by computer-assisted image analysis. Infarct size as measured by the weighing method (mg), and reported as a percent ( percent) of the affected (left) hemisphere, correlated closely with volume (mm , also reported as percent) estimated by computerized image analysis (r = 0.88; P < 0.001; N = 10) or by plethysmography (r = 0.97-0.98; P < 0.0001; N = 41). This degree of correlation was maintained between different experimenters. The method was also sensitive for detecting the effect of different ischemia durations on infarct size (P < 0.005; N = 23), and the effect of drug treatments in reducing the extent of brain damage (P < 0.005; N = 24). The data suggest that, in addition to being simple and low cost, the weighing method is a reliable alternative for quantifying brain infarct in animal models of stroke.

Ocorrência de leucose enzoótica bovina na microrregião da Serra de Botucatu / Occurrence of bovine leukosis virus in the microregion of the Serra de Botucatu, SP, Brazil

The aim of this study was characterize the positivity of the bovine leukosis virus in the Microregion of the Serra de Botucatu. Sera from 1193 bovine from 65 properties of the Microregion of the Serra de Botucatu were evaluated throught ELISA test. All the evaluated animals were adult and 16 of them only were male; 85.5 percent were crossbred, 6.45 percent Nellore and 8 percent dutch. Of the analyzed samples, 618 sera had resulted positive to the test. In only one flock it was not found seroreagents animals, the regional positivity was 52 percent (the seropositivity in the properties varied of 10 percent to 67 percent), the higher the percentage of positivity was in the animals of the dutch race (94.7 percent), followed for the crossbred (43.7 percent). The high percentage of positivity of the disease in our region is distinguished.

Tacrolimus (FK506) reduces ischemia-induced hippocampal damage in rats: a 7- and 30-day study

The neuroprotective effect of the immunosuppressant agent FK506 was evaluated in rats after brain ischemia induced for 15 min in the 4-vessel occlusion model. In the first experimental series, single doses of 1.0, 3.0 or 6.0 mg FK506/kg were given intravenously (iv) immediately after ischemia. In the second series, FK506 (1.0 mg/kg) was given iv at the beginning of reperfusion, followed by doses applied intraperitoneally (ip) 6, 24, 48, and 72 h post-ischemia. The same protocol was used in the third series except that all 5 doses were given iv. Damage to the hippocampal field CA1 was assessed 7 or 30 days post-ischemia on three different stereotaxic planes along the septotemporal axis of the hippocampus. Ischemia caused marked neurodegeneration on all planes (P<0.001). FK506 failed to provide neuroprotection to CA1 both when applied iv as a single dose of 1.0, 3.0 or 6.0 mg/kg (experiment 1), and after five iv injections of 1.0 mg/kg (experiment 3). In contrast, the repeated administration of FK506 combining iv plus ip administration reduced CA1 cell death on all stereotaxic planes both 7 and 30 days post-ischemia (experiment 2; P<=0.01). Compared to vehicle alone, FK506 reduced rectal temperature in a dose-dependent manner (P<=0.05); however, this effect did not alter normothermia (37ºC). FK506 reduced ischemic brain damage, an effect sustained over time and apparently dependent on repeated doses and on delivery route. The present data extend previous findings on the rat 4-vessel occlusion model, further supporting the possible use of FK506 in the treatment of ischemic brain damage

Poly-DL-lactide-co-glycolide microspheres as a controlled release antigen delivery system

Successful vaccine application means maximum protection with minimal number of administrations. A rational development of vaccines involves studies of the nature of the antigen as well as of the adjuvant to be used to improve the immune responses. This has provided the impetus for studies to design the degradable devices and for different approaches to antigen delivery by different routes of administration. The development of controlled release systems based on polymeric devices that permit a sustained or pulsed release of encapsulated antigens has attracted much interest. Polymeric delivery systems consist of polymers that release their content continuously in a controlled manner over a period of time. The development of a biocompatible delivery system for parenteral administration offers several advantages in terms of immunoadjuvanticity over other compounds. It was found that, in contrast to other carriers, microspheres are more stable, thus permitting administration by the oral or parenteral route. In the present study, we describe the main characteristics and potentialities of this new immunoadjuvant for oral and parenteral administration

Infeccoes pre-natais. Avaliacao de metodo simplificado (Rapi Tex IgM) em sua triagem. / Prenatal infections.Evaluation of a simplified method (Rapi Tex IgM) to their selection

Os autores submeteram 500 recem-nascidos a teste simplificado (Rapi Tex IgM) que por simples reacao de aglutinacao evidencia quantidades anormalmente elevadas de IgM no sangue do cordao umbilical. Os resultados obtidos pela triagem foram avaliados atraves de dosagens de IgM no sangue do cordao umbilical exame morfologico de placentas (macro e microscopia), acompanhamento clinico e laboratorial de alguns casos e exame anatomopatologico dos casos em que ocorreu o obito. Concluem pela validade do teste na triagem de infeccoes pre-natais