O extrato bruto hidroalcoólico das folhas de Piper caldense C. DC. na redução do consumo de álcool em ratos / The hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Piper caldense C. DC. decreases alcohol consumption in rats

A investigação de plantas medicinais como recurso terapêutico para combater o alcoolismo ainda é muito insipiente com poucas espécies investigadas. No presente trabalho avaliamos o efeito do extrato hidroalcoólico das folhas da planta Piper caldense C. DC. com relação ao consumo de álcool e também a sua potencialidade ansiolítica. Foram utilizados ratos Wistar machos, os quais foram divididos em grupos controle (solução fisiológica) e tratado (extrato da planta nas doses de 25, 50 e 150 mg/kg, e diazepam 2 mg/kg). Os animais foram tratados através da via intraperitoneal 1 h antes dos experimentos. Os modelos animais utilizados foram: Labirinto em Cruz Elevado (LCE) e auto-administração de álcool (AA). No LCE o extrato não apresentou efeito ansiolítico do tipo benzodiazepínico. Por outro lado, no comportamento relacionado a auto-administração de solução de álcool, o extrato apresentou efeito significativo reduzindo o consumo de álcool em relação ao grupo controle. Apesar do extrato não ter apresentado efeito ansiolítico, o mesmo parece apresentar potencialidades para combater o abuso e a dependência de álcool.

The investigation of medicinal plants as therapeutic resources in the combat of alcoholism is still very incipient with few species being investigated. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Piper caldense C. DC. in relation to alcohol consumption and also its anxiolytic potentiality. Male Wistar rats, which had been separated into control group (saline) and treated group (Plant extract doses of 25, 50 and 150 mg/kg and 2 mg/kg of diazepam), were used. Animals were injected intraperitoneally 1 h before the tests. The following models were used: Elevated plus maze (EPM) and alcohol self-administration (ASA). In the EPM, the extract did not show benzodiazepine anxiolytic effect. On the other hand, in the behavior related to alcohol self-administration, the extract showed a significant effect, reducing alcohol consumption compared to the control group. Although the extract has not shown any anxiolytic effect, the results suggest that the plant has potential to combat alcohol abuse and addiction.

Cyclin D1 expression in prostate carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cyclin D1 expression and clinicopathological parameters in patients with prostate carcinoma. We assessed cyclin D1 expression by conventional immunohistochemistry in 85 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate carcinoma and 10 normal prostate tissue samples retrieved from autopsies. We measured nuclear immunostaining in the entire tumor area and based the results on the percentage of positive tumor cells. The preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 8.68±5.16 ng/mL (mean±SD). Cyclin D1 staining was positive (cyclin D1 expression in REPLACE_GT5% of tumor cells) in 64 cases (75.4%) and negative (cyclin D1 expression in ≤5% of tumor cells) in 21 cases (including 15 cases with no immunostaining). Normal prostate tissues were negative for cyclin D1. Among patients with a high-grade Gleason score (≧7), 86% of patients demonstrated cyclin D1 immunostaining of REPLACE_GT5% (PREPLACE_LT0.05). In the crude analysis of cyclin D1 expression, the high-grade Gleason score group showed a mean expression of 39.6%, compared to 26.9% in the low-grade Gleason score group (PREPLACE_LT0.05). Perineural invasion tended to be associated with cyclin D1 expression (P=0.07), whereas cyclin D1 expression was not associated with PSA levels or other parameters. Our results suggest that high cyclin D1 expression could be a potential marker for tumor aggressiveness.

Comparison of voluntary ethanol intake by two pairs of rat lines used as genetic models of anxiety

The relationship between anxiety-related behaviors and voluntary ethanol intake was examined in two pairs of rat lines by the oral ethanol self-administration procedure. Floripa high (H) and low (L) rats selectively bred for contrasting anxiety responses in the open-field test, and two inbred strains, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Lewis rats which are known to differ significantly when submitted to several behavioral tests of anxiety/emotionality, were used (9-10 animals/line/sex). No differences in the choice of ethanol solutions (2 percent, days 1-4, and 4 percent, days 5-8, respectively) in a 2-bottle paradigm were detected between Floripa H and L rats (1.94 ± 0.37 vs 1.61 ± 0.37 g/kg for ethanol intake on day 8 by the Floripa H and L rat lines, respectively). Contrary to expectations, the less anxious SHR rats consumed significantly more ethanol than Lewis rats (respective intake of 2.30 ± 0.45 and 0.72 ± 0.33 g/kg on day 8) which are known to be both addiction-prone and highly anxious. Regardless of strain, female rats consumed more ethanol than males (approximately 46 percent). The results showed no relationship between high anxiety and voluntary intake of ethanol for Floripa H and L rats. A negative association between these two variables, however, was found for SHR and Lewis rat strains. Data from the literature regarding the association between anxiety and alcohol intake in animal models are not conclusive, but the present results indicate that factors other than increased inborn anxiety probably lead to the individual differences in ethanol drinking behavior.

Sindrome de Kluver-Bucy. / Kluver-Bucy syndrome

Os autores apresentam 4 casos de sindrome de Kluver Bucy parcial e completa comentam sobre o quadro clinico, a etiologia e associacao com atrofia de lobos temporais.Chamam atencao sobre a possibilidade de ocorrer casos cujo diagnostico passaria desapercebido

O EEG no prognostico do coma. / The EEG in the prognosis of coma

O autor, inicialmente, deu enfase a importancia da realizacao de um EEG, em pacientes comatosos e fez uma revisao bibliografica sobre o assunto. Em seguida, foram analisados os aspectos tecnicos de um exame deste tipo e os seus achados morfologicos.Foram discutidos, do ponto de vista eletroclinico, os diferentes niveis do disturbio da consciencia e as particularidades encontradas nos comas de etiologia diversa. Foram, tambem, estudados os niveis de disfuncao do sistema nervoso central e os aspectos eletroclinicos da morte cerebral

Aspectos eletrencefalograficos e da glutaminorraquia nas encefalopatias porto-sistemicas. / Electroencephalographic and CSF glutamine aspects in portal-systemic encephalopathies

Foi estudado um grupo de pacientes com encefalopatia porto-hepatica, tendo sido realizada uma analise dos disturbios da consciencia, dos achados eletrencefalograficos e dos niveis liquoricos da glutamina.Baseados nos resultados encontrados, os autores verificaram que o eletrencefalograma pode ser um exame util na determinacao do grau do coma hepatico e pode fornecer dados para a avaliacao do prognostico. Concluiram tambem que a dosagem liquorica da glutamina e o exame mais importante na caracterizacao do grau de encefalopatia hepatica

Leite humano - estudo das imunoglobulinas no colostro de maes de prematuros e de maes de criancas a termo. / Human milk - study of immunoglobulins in the colostrum of mothers of premature and full term infants

A composicao proteica e imunologica do colostro humano foi analisada em termos comparativos entre as maes de recem-nascidos prematuros e recem-nascidos a termo. Nenhuma diferenca estatisticamente significativa foi encontrada em termos de imunoglobulinas e proteinas