Caracterização fenotípica de vacas F1 Holandês x Zebu de diferentes bases maternas / [Phenotypic characterization of Holsteins x Zebu F1 cows from different maternal bases]

Caracterizaram-se fêmeas F1 Holandês x Zebu de diferentes bases maternas quanto às pelagens, despigmentações e características morfométricas. Foram utilizadas 266 fêmeas F1, progênies do cruzamento de 26 touros da raça Holandesa com fêmeas de composição genética zebuínas: Gir, Nelore, Guzonel, Nelogir. Foram aplicadas análise de distribuição de frequência para características qualitativas e medidas de dispersão e tendência central para características morfométricas, e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. Acima de 60,0% dos animais foram de pelagem preta. As vacas que tiveram origem na raça Gir apresentaram comprimento de cabeça 2,8cm maior (P<0,05) que as fêmeas da raça Nelore. O comprimento da orelha variou (P<0,05) conforme a base materna utilizada. As vacas com genes da raça Nelore são 5,0cm mais altas (P<0,05). O perímetro torácico foi a característica morfométrica que teve correlação fenotípica de elevada magnitude com o peso, acima de 0,70, para as fêmeas das bases maternas Gir, Nelore e Nelogir. A pelagem não é indicativa da base materna utilizada. As vacas F1 de base materna Gir tiveram estrutura corporal menor que as fêmeas que portam genes da raça Nelore.(AU)

F1 Holstein x Zebu females from different maternal bases were characterized regarding coat, depigmentation and morphometric characteristics. A total of 266 F1 female progenies from the crossbreeding of 26 Holstein bulls with females of Zebu genetic composition were used: Gir, Nellore, Guzonel, Nellogir. Frequency distribution analysis was applied for qualitative characteristics and dispersion measures and central tendency for morphometric characteristics, and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. Over 60.0% of the animals had a black coat. The cows that originated from the Gir breed had a head length of 2.8cm (P<0.05) higher than the Nellore females. Ear length varied (P<0.05) according to the maternal base used. Cows with Nelore genes were 5.0cm taller (P<0.05). The thoracic perimeter was the morphometric characteristic that had a high magnitude phenotypic correlation with weight, above 0.70, for the females of the Gir, Nellore and Nellogir maternal bases. The coat is not indicative of the maternal base used. F1 Gir-based cows had a smaller body structure than females with Nellore genes.(AU)

Circulating levels of adiponectin and extent of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing elective coronary angiography

Adiponectin (APN), an adipose tissue-released adipokine with demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic properties, is encoded by a gene whose polymorphisms are associated with presence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Serum APN levels are inversely related with presence and complexity of CAD. Within this context, we sought to compare levels of total APN and its high molecular weight form (HMW APN) according to clinical presentation and extent of CAD in patients undergoing elective cardiac catheterization. From March 2008 to June 2010, clinical data and blood samples for APN and HMW APN measurements were collected from 415 subjects undergoing cardiac catheterization at two tertiary centers. CAD extent was estimated by the number of coronary arteries with significant stenosis (≥70% obstruction in a major coronary artery) and by Duke Jeopardy Score (DJS). Serum APN levels were similar between groups with stable or unstable CAD (APN 9.20±5.88 vs 9.47±6.23 μg/mL, P=0.738, and HMW APN 5.31±3.72 vs 5.91±4.16 μg/mL, P=0.255), even after stratification by the number of arteries involved (single-vessel vs multivessel disease: APN 9.39±5.76 vs 9.26±6.27 μg/mL, P=0.871; HMW APN 5.29±3.79 vs 5.83±4.04 μg/mL, P=0.306) and DJS score (APN, P=0.718; HMW APN, P=0.276). We conclude that APN and HMW APN serum levels are similar across clinical presentations and different extents of CAD, despite being significantly lower in the presence of obstructive CAD.

Padrão respiratório e movimento toracoabdominal de crianças respiradoras orais / Breathing pattern and thoracoabdominal motion in mouth-breathing children

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar o padrão respiratório e o movimento toracoabdominal de crianças respiradoras orais, na faixa etária entre oito e dez anos, e compará-lo ao de seus pares respiradoras nasais. MÉTODOS: Estudo observacional realizado em laboratório universitário. O número amostral calculado com base em um estudo piloto com dez crianças em cada grupo, perfazendo um total de 20 crianças, foi de 50 para um nível de significância de 0,05 e um poder estatístico de 0,80. Participaram do estudo 26 crianças respiradoras orais e 25 respiradoras nasais. A pletismografia respiratória por indutância calibrada foi o instrumento utilizado para a análise das seguintes variáveis, entre outras: freqüência respiratória (FR), contribuição da caixa torácica para o volume corrente ( por centoCT/Vc), ângulo de fase (Angfase) e a razão entre o tempo para alcançar o pico de fluxo inspiratório e o tempo inspiratório (PifT/Ti). A saturação periférica da hemoglobia em oxigênio (SpO2) foi medida pela oximetria de pulso. A análise estatística foi realizada por meio do teste t de Student para grupos independentes e do teste U de Mann-Whitney, em função da distribuição das variáveis. RESULTADOS: No total, 4.816 ciclos respiratórios foram analisados, sendo 2.455 de respiradores orais e 2.361 de respiradores nasais, com média de 94 ciclos por criança. Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos nas variáveis estudadas (FR=20,00±2,68 versus 20,73±2,58, p=0,169; por centoCT/Vc=39,30±11,86 versus 38,36±10,93, p=0,769; Angfase=14,53±7,97 versus 13,31±7,74, p=0,583; PifT/Ti=57,40±7,16 versus 58,35±5,99, p=0,610; SpO2=96,42±1,52 por cento versus 96,88±1,01 por cento, p=0,208; respectivamente). CONCLUSÕES: Estes resultados sugerem que as crianças respiradoras orais apresentam padrão respiratório e movimento toracoabdominal semelhantes às de respiradores nasais de mesma faixa etária.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the breathing pattern and thoracoabdominal motion of mouth-breathing children aged between eight and ten years and to compare these characteristics with those of nose-breathing children of the same ages. METHODS: This observational study was carried out in a university laboratory. The sample size of 50 subjects was estimated based on the results of a pilot study with ten children in each group (total of 20 children) and considering a significance level of 0.05 and statistical power of 0.80. Twenty-six mouth-breathing and 25 nose-breathing children participated. Calibrated respiratory inductive plethysmography was used to analyze the following variables, among others: respiratory frequency (f), rib cage contribution towards tidal volume ( percentRC/Vt), phase angle (PhAng) and the ratio between time taken to reach peak inspiratory flow and total inspiratory time (PifT/Ti). Peripheral oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (SpO2) was measured using pulse oximetry. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t test for independent groups or the Mann-Whitney U test, according to the sample distribution of the variables. RESULTS: A total of 4,816 respiratory cycles were analyzed: 2,455 from mouth-breathers and 2,361 from nose-breathers, with a mean of 94 cycles per child. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups, for the variables studied (f=20.00±2.68 versus 20.73±2.58, p=0.169; percentRC/Vt=39.30±11.86 versus 38.36±10.93, p=0.769; PhAng=14.53±7.97 versus 13.31±7.74, p=0.583; PifT/Ti=57.40±7.16 versus 58.35±5.99, p=0.610; SpO2=96.42±1.52 percent versus 96.88± 1.01 percent, p=0.208; respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that mouth-breathing children show breathing patterns and thoracoabdominal motion that are similar to those of nose-breathing children in the same age group.

Low levels of sex hormone-binding globulin and hyperproinsulinemia as markers of increased pancreatic Beta-cell demand in men

Low levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) are considered to be an indirect index of hyperinsulinemia, predicting the later onset of diabetes mellitus type 2. In the insulin resistance state and in the presence of an increased pancreatic ß-cell demand (e.g. obesity) both absolute and relative increases in proinsulin secretion occur. In the present study we investigated the correlation between SHBG and pancreatic ß-cell secretion in men with different body compositions. Eighteen young men (30.0 ± 2.4 years) with normal glucose tolerance and body mass indexes (BMI) ranging from 22.6 to 43.2 kg/m2 were submitted to an oral glucose tolerance test (75 g) and baseline and 120-min blood samples were used to determine insulin, proinsulin and C-peptide by specific immunoassays. Baseline SHBG values were significantly correlated with baseline insulin (r = -0.58, P<0.05), proinsulin (r = -0.47, P<0.05), C-peptide (r = -0.55, P<0.05) and also with proinsulin at 120 min after glucose load (r = -0.58, P<0.05). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that proinsulin values at 120 min were the strongest predictor of SHBG (r = -0.58, P<0.05). When subjects were divided into obese (BMI >28 kg/m2, N = 8) and nonobese (BMI £25 kg/m2, N = 10) groups, significantly lower levels of SHBG were found in the obese subjects. The obese group had significantly higher baseline proinsulin, C-peptide and 120-min proinsulin and insulin levels. For the first time using a specific assay for insulin determination, a strong inverse correlation between insulinemia and SHBG levels was confirmed. The finding of a strong negative correlation between SHBG levels and pancreatic ß-cell secretion, mainly for the 120-min post-glucose load proinsulin levels, reinforces the concept that low SHBG levels are a suitable marker of increased pancreatic ß-cell demand

Fractures of the proximal femur: correlation with vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism

Fractures are the feared consequences of osteoporosis and fractures of the proximal femur (FPF) are those that involve the highest morbidity and mortality. Thus far, evaluation of bone mineral density (BMD) is the best way to determine the risk of fracture. Genetic inheritance, in turn, is one of the major determinants of BMD. A correlation between different genotypes of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and BMD has been recently reported. On this basis, we decided to determine the importance of the determination of VDR genotype in the presence of an osteoporotic FPF in a Brazilian population. We studied three groups: group I consisted of 73 elderly subjects older than 65 years (78.5 + 7.2 years) hospitalized for nonpathological FPF; group II consisted of 50 individuals older than 65 years (72.9 + 5.2 years) without FPF and group III consisted of 98 young normal Brazilian individuals aged 32.6 + 6.6 years (mean+SD). Analysis of VDR gene polymorphism by restriction fragment lenght polymorphism (RFLP) was performed by PCR amplification followed by BsmI digestion of DNA isolated from peripheral leukocytes. The genotype distribution in group I was 20.5 percent BB, 42.5 percent and 37 percent bb did not differ significantly from the values obtained for group II (16 percent BB, 36 percent Bb and 48 percent bb) or for group III (10.2 percent BB, 47.6 percent Bb and 41.8 percent bb). No differences in genotype distribution were observed between sexes or between the young and elderly groups. We conclude that determination of VDR polymorphism is of no practical use for the prediction of FPF. Other nongenetic factors probably start to affect bone mass, the risk to fall and consequently the occurence of osteoporotic fractures with advancing age.

Risco e gravidez. I. Revisao dos modelos de avaliacao do risco fetal e identificacao de fatores intragestacionais associados a morbi-mortalidade perinatal.Nota Previa. / Risk and pregnancy. I.Review of models for fetal risk evaluation and identification of intergestational factors associated with perinatal morbi-mortality. Preliminary note

Os autores discutem os metodos de avaliacao de gravidez de alto risco e suas aplicacoes e utilidades em determinar procedimentos e prognosticos em programas de assistencia materno-infantil. Fazem uma revisao dos Modelos de Avaliacao do risco fetal publicados na literatura classificando as variaveis neles contidas. Sao discutidos os modelos de risco reprodutivo, intragestacionais e intraparto questionando sua validade como prognostico perinatal

Risco e gravidez. II. Prontuario pre-natal orientado para rastreamento da gestacao de maior risco. Nota previa. / Risk and pregnancy. II. Oriented pre-natal record to search a righ-risk pregnancy.Preliminary note

No programa integrado de Saude Materno-Infantil e Familiar,sediado no Instituto de Pediatria e Puericultura da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro sao utilizadas papeletas de anamnese obstetrica e exame clinico, orientados para apontar riscos de gravidez. Os autores discutem a importancia da sistematizacao de variavel como recurso primario para avaliacao de riscos e defendem a sua classificacao implementados em programas de assistencia materno-infantil, na identificacao do feto de maior risco