Protection and pathology during parasite infection: IL-10 strikes the balance.

The host response to infection requires an immune response to be strong enough to control the pathogen but also restrained, to minimize immune-mediated pathology. The conflicting pressures of immune activation and immune suppression are particularly apparent in parasite infections, where co-evolution of host and pathogen has selected many different compromises between protection and pathology. Cytokine signals are critical determinants of both protective immunity and immunopathology, and, in this review, we focus on the regulatory cytokine IL-10 and its role in protozoan and helminth infections. We discuss the sources and targets of IL-10 during parasite infection, the signals that initiate and reinforce its action, and its impact on the invading parasite, on the host tissue, and on coincident immune responses.

Halotano e óxido nitroso em anestesia com fluxo basal de gases e intervalos duplos / Halothane and nitrous oxide in low flow anesthesia method

Los autores proponen una técnica alternativa para el uso de óxido nitroso en anestesia cuantitativa. Para evaluar la técnica propuesta fueron anestesiados dos grupos de pacientes (Gl = 14 y GII = 16 pacientes). El GI, control, fue anestesiado con halotano y oxígenio y el GII, siguiendo las técnicas propuestas, asociándose el N2O y reduciendo la cantidad calculada de halotano a la mitad. Fueron evaluadas variables hemodinámicas y el consumo de anestésicos. El GII mantuvo niveles de presión (PAS y PAD) superiores al GI. La frecuencia cardíaca (FC) presentó evolución estable semejante entre ambos grupos. El consumo de N2O siguió el padrón previsto, correspondiendo a una FIO2 de 32%. El consumo de halotano fue el previsto para el Gl. En el GII, se elevaron progresivamente los valores al doble de lo previsto

Reduced growth velocity in exclusively breast-fed infants.

A number of recent studies have reported reduced growth velocity among breast-fed infants, as compared with standard growth curves. Contradictions between these and previous studies of breast-feeding have been difficult to resolve because of methodological problems, particularly supplementation of breast-feeding with other nutrients. In the present study, 33 term infants, exclusively breast-fed for six months, showed significantly slower rates of growth compared with data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Between birth and 6 months of age, these infants lost an average of 20 percentiles in weight for age and 30 percentiles in length in relation to the NCHS population. We discuss these findings in terms of the appropriateness of the NCHS data as standards and the adequacy of exclusive breast-feeding for providing optimum growth through 6 months of age.

Cancer de mama. Fatores de prognostico - estudo preliminar. / Breast cancer. Prognosis factor - preliminary study

E feito um estudo preliminar dos fatores de prognostico em oito casos de cancer de mama. Utilizam-se como parametros a dimensao, a localizacao e o grau de diferenciacao nuclear (gN) do tumor primario, a invasao vascular e o status histologico da axila (pN), e o fenomeno de sino-histiocitose. Entre os fatores estudados, atribui-se especial importancia a presenca da invasao vascular e a sino-histiocitose negativa (sino-histiocitose minima ou ausente). Consideram-se estes dois fenomenos como expressao da doenca sistemica em potencial, independentemente do estadiamento clinico. Em consequencia, preconiza-se o emprego da quimioterapia na complementacao da cirurgia radical, para melhor controle da doenca

Differential behavioral responses of male and female adult rats treated with five psychotropic drugs in the neonatal stage.

Male and female rats received during infancy either handling or injections of saline, phenobarbital, haloperidol, diazepam, chlorpromazine, and amphetamine. On reaching adulthood, the behavior of these animals was measured in an open-field arena and in a Lashley III maze. Saline injections per se affected the behavior of males but were unable to change that of females. The drugs provoked increased ambulation and/or decreased defecation of males in the open field, whereas with the females the opposite was observed, that is, a decreased ambulation and/or an increased defecation. Consequently, the early drug treatments abolished the sexual differences normally observed in ambulation and defecation of rats. Four of the 5 drugs tested deteriorated the maze performance of both male and female rats.