Renal morphometry of fetuses rats treated with cadmium

El cadmio es un metal pesado que se encuentra en la tierra, aire y alimentos. Está presente en forma coditiana todos los días de la vida y actualmente es catalogado como un tóxico, teratogénico y agente carcinogénico. El cadamio causa numerosas lesiones a los órganos humanos y animales. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo investigar los efectos tóxicos en fetos de ratas expuestas a tratamiento con cloruro de cadmio. 10 ratas pre¤adas fueron divididas en dos grupos. Cinco ratas recibieron por administración intraperitoneal 5 mg/Kg de cloruro de cadmio por peso corporal, durante 10 días de pre¤ez y otras cinco ratas recibieron bajo las mismas condiciones del otro grupo, una solución de cloruro de sodio al 0.85 por ciento . Los fetos fueron extraídos junto con las placentas y funículos umbilicales a los 20 días de pre¤ez. La administración del cloruro de cadmio causó una reducción significativa en los pesos de los fetos y placentas. La longitud del funículo umbilical fue más corta en el grupo experimental que en el grupo control. El estudio evaluó las alteraciones morfológicas causadas en los túbulos proximal, distal, contorneados y colectores renales como también en las células del glomérulo renal. La morfometría evidenció alteraciones significativas en los túbulos proximales y en las células glomerulares y, en menor grado, en los túbulos distales. El borde en cepillo de la membrana celular se observó muy sensible y se visualizaron algunas alteraciones. Los glomérulos se presentaron con edema y la cápsula del glomérulo fue también afectada.

Ambulatory blood pressure and Doppler echocardiographic indexes of borderline hypertensive men presenting an exaggerated blood pressure response during dynamic exercise

Borderline hypertension (BH) has been associated with an exaggerated blood pressure (BP) response during laboratory stressors. However, the incidence of target organ damage in this condition and its relation to BP hyperreactivity is an unsettled issue. Thus, we assessed the Doppler echocardiographic profile of a group of BH men (N = 36) according to office BP measurements with exaggerated BP in the cycloergometric test. A group of normotensive men (NT, N = 36) with a normal BP response during the cycloergometric test was used as control. To assess vascular function and reactivity, all subjects were submitted to the cold pressor test. Before Doppler echocardiography, the BP profile of all subjects was evaluated by 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring. All subjects from the NT group presented normal monitored levels of BP. In contrast, 19 subjects from the original BH group presented normal monitored BP levels and 17 presented elevated monitored BP levels. In the NT group all Doppler echocardiographic indexes were normal. All subjects from the original BH group presented normal left ventricular mass and geometrical pattern. However, in the subjects with elevated monitored BP levels, fractional shortening was greater, isovolumetric relaxation time longer, and early to late flow velocity ratio was reduced in relation to subjects from the original BH group with normal monitored BP levels (P<0.05). These subjects also presented an exaggerated BP response during the cold pressor test. These results support the notion of an integrated pattern of cardiac and vascular adaptation during the development of hypertension

Monitoraçäo da leucose enzoótica bovina no gado leiteiro da regiäo de Pitangueiras (SP) / Monitoring of enzootic bovine leukosis in dairy cattle from the Pitangueiras region in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Anticorpos precipitantes contra o antígeno gp51 do vírus da Leucose Enzoótica Bovina foram pesquisados em amostras de soros de vacas leiteiras da regiäo do Município de Pitangueiras, no Estado de Säo Paulo. As amostras sanguíneas eram de animais provenientes de sete propriedades rurais que foram acompanhadas anualmente de 1992 até 1995. Durante o ano de 1992 foram analisados 140 soros, dos quais 24 (17,1 por cento) eram reagentes positivos, 21 (15,0 por cento) suspeitos e 95 (67,9 por cento) negativos. Em 1993, dos 122 soros testados, 25 (20,5 por cento) foram positivos, 8 (6,6 por cento) suspeitos e 89 (72,9 por cento) negativos. No ano de 1994 foram testadas 135 amostras, das quais 45 (33,3 por cento) eram positivas, 19 (14,1 por cento) suspeitas e 71 (52,6 por cento) negativas. Finalmente, em 1995, foram analisadas as amostras de 119 animais sendo que 60 (50,4 por cento) eram positivas, 11 (9,2 por cento) suspeitas e 48 (40,4 por cento) negativas. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam que no decorrer do experimento houve um nítido aumento na prevalência da Leucose Enzoótica Bovina com o passar do tempo. Sob o prisma da Defesa Sanitária Animal, a crescente disseminaçäo da doença na populaçäo estudada serve como alerta sobre o comportamento epidemiológico e sobre a evoluçäo na difusäo da enfermidade em nosso meio

Arterial pressure reactivity to experimental stress tests in normotensive humans with arterial pressure hyperreactivity during submaximal exercise

Normotensive individuals with a sedentary life style and low occupational physical activity presenting an elevated arterial pressure response during the bicycle exercise test (systolic pressure, SP, > or = 220 and/or an increase in diastolic pressure, delta DP, > or = 15 mmHg) (hyperreactive group, HG, N = 45) were submitted to the following tests: isometric hand-grip, cold pressor, mathematical calculation and word/color conflict (Stroop). Their results were compared with those obtained for a control group of normotensive individuals with normal response during the bicycle exercise test (SP < 220 and delta DP < 15 mmHg) (normoreactive group, NG, N = 45). In the isometric hand-grip a differentiated increase of SP and DP (P < 0.01) was observed in the HG as compared with the NG. In the cold pressor test a different increase of SP and DP was also demonstrable (P < 0.05). The mathematical and word/color conflict tests produced highly differentiated responses of SP (P < 0.01) and DP (P < 0.05) between groups. These results indicate that HG individuals present an arterial pressure response significantly higher than the NG during stress tests. Although the elevated levels of arterial pressure used for group selection may have contributed to the formation of an indiscriminate arterial pressure hyperreactive group, the results, taken as a whole, suggest that hyperreactive individuals present higher levels of sympathetic drive and/or an increased response of the cardiovascular system to adrenergic stimulation.

Avaliação cardiorrespiratória em indivíduos sedentários durante programa de condicionamento físico / Cardiorespiratory evaluation in sedentary subjects during a physical conditioning program

Foram estudados 20 pacientes assintomaticos, sedentarios, do sexo masculino, submetidos a um programa de condicionamento fisico por 4 meses. A prescricao de exercicios foi feita segundo o proposto por Balke em 1974. Foram analisados: frequencia cardiaca de repouso, frequencia cardiaca maxima, pressao arterial em repouso, consumo de oxigenio, tempo de esforco e carga maxima atingida. Ficaram evidenciadas as adaptacoes organicas consequentes ao condicionamento fisico, caracterizadas por reducao significativa de frequencia cardiaca de repouso e de esforco para uma determinada carga, queda de valores tensionais, elevacao do consumo maximo de oxigenio e aumento da capacidade de desenvolver trabalho, determinado pela aptidao do individuo em alcancar maiores valores de carga (watts), antes de atingir a fadiga muscular