Evolution of potential biomarkers of acute muscle injury after physical exercise

Skeletal muscle injury is a frequent event and diagnosis using the classical blood markers sometimes produces unsatisfactory results. Therefore, objective of the study was to detect new biomarkers in plasma, saliva and urine in response to acute muscle damage induced by physical exercise. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 27 American football players. Before the physical exercises (T0), 60 minutes (T1) and 24 hours (T2) after physical exercise, was determined the clinical, biochemical and molecular parameters, including ADA, TBARS, leukocytes, lymphocytes and comet assay. The serum ADA was significantly higher in T1 and T2, in the urine there was a significant increase in T1, in the saliva there was no significant differences. There was an increase in serum TBARS in T2, saliva and urine in T1. The leukocytes increased in T1 and decreased in T2. Through the comet assay was observed significant DNA damage in T1 and T2. Serum and urinary ADA activity, serum, urinary and salivary TBARS are robust and promising biomarkers of acute muscle injury and that the comet assay allows a quick and effective evaluation of DNA lesions induced by physical exercise and could be used to monitor athletes avoiding injuries that are more serious.

Presence of parasitic structures in lettuces served in self-service restaurants of São Miguel do Oeste, Santa Catarina State, Brazil / Presença de estruturas parasitárias em alfaces servidas em restaurantes self-service de São Miguel do Oeste, SC, Brasil

Consuming raw food like lettuce may carry protozoa cysts and helminth eggs, causing parasitic infections. Therefore, the parasitological analysis of this type of food it’s important for public health because it provides data on the hygiene conditions in which these vegetables were produced, transported, processed and handled until the ingestion. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of parasitic structures in samples of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) sold in self-service restaurants in São Miguel do Oeste, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The samples were randomly collected in 20 locations in duplicate, prepared according to the method of Hoffman, Pons, and Janer (1934) and analyzed with an optical light microscopy. The parasitic structures found were Cysts Balantidium coli, Giardia spp. and Entamoeba spp. Ascaris lumbricoides eggs and grubs of Strongyloides stercoralis. These results demonstrate that the lettuce served at most self-service restaurants evaluated is unfit for intake and indicates the need to implement hygienic and educational measures to minimize contamination and ensure the safety of the ingestion of this vegetable.

Alimentos consumidos crus como a alface (Lactuca sativa), podem carrear cistos de protozoários e ovos de helmintos causando infecções parasitárias. Assim, a análise parasitológica deste tipo de alimento é importante para a saúde pública, pois fornece dados sobre as condições de higiene em que esses vegetais foram produzidos, transportados, processados e manipulados até o consumo. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a ocorrência de estruturas parasitárias em amostras de alface servidas em restaurantes self-service em São Miguel do Oeste, SC. As amostras foram colhidas aleatoriamente em 20 estabelecimentos em duplicata, preparadas de acordo com o método de Hoffman et al. (1934) e analisadas sob microscopia óptica de luz. As estruturas parasitárias encontradas foram Cistos Balantidium coli, Giardia spp. e Entamoeba spp., ovos de Ascaris lumbricoides e larvas de Strongyloides stercoralis. Esses resultados demonstram que a alface servida na maioria dos restaurantes self-service avaliados é imprópria para consumo e indica a necessidade de implementar medidas higiênicas e educativas para minimizar a contaminação e garantir a seguridade do consumo deste vegetal.

Regeneração de plantas a partir de dois tipos de explantes de milho submetidos à transformação genética por biobalística / Regeneration of plants from two types of maize explants submitted to transformation by biolistic

O uso da biobalística na transformação genética de plantas requer a otimização de diversos parâmetros, entre eles, o desenvolvimento de protocolos para regeneração de plantas a partir de células transformadas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência de regeneração de plantas de milho a partir de calos embriogênicos e de explantes sementes divididas, submetidos à transformação por biobalística, utilizando o gene bar como marcador de seleção. Foram submetidos 2000 agrupamentos de calos embriogênicos de milho e 2000 explantes sementes divididas à transformação por biobalística. A seleção dos eventos de transformação foi realizada em meios de cultivo suplementados com glifosinato de amônio. As plântulas selecionadas foram aclimatadas e transplantadas para vasos em casa de vegetação. Com a utilização de embriogênese somática, a eficiência de regeneração foi de 0,2%, enquanto que, com a utilização de sementes divididas, a eficiência de regeneração foi de 1,3%. Embora ambos os protocolos possibilitem a regeneração de plantas de milho submetidas à transformação por biobalística, há a necessidade de aumentar sua eficiência.

The use of biolistic on genetic transformation of plants requires an optimization of several parameters, including the protocol development for plant regeneration from transformed cells. The objective of this research was to evaluate the regeneration efficiency of maize plants from embryogenic callus and explants from split seeds submitted to transformation by biolistic using the gene bar as a selectable marker. It was submitted 2000 clusters of embryogenic callus and 2000 divided maize seeds to transformation by biolistic. The selection of transformation events was in culture medium supplemented with ammonium glifosinate. Selected seedlings were acclimatized and transplanted to pots in a greenhouse. Using somatic embryogenesis, the regeneration efficiency was 0.2%, while using split seeds explants the regeneration efficiency was 1.3%. Although both protocols allow the maize plant regeneration after transformation by biolistic, there is a need to increase its efficiency.