Cytotoxicity of Extracts from Petiveria alliacea Leaves on Yeast.

Petiveria alliacea L. is a plant used in traditional medicine harboring pharmacological properties with anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, hypoglycemiant and anesthetic activities. This study assessed the potential cytotoxic, genotoxic and mutagenic effects of ethanolic extract of P. alliacea on Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. S. cerevisiae FF18733 (wild type) and CD138 (ogg1) strains were exposed to fractioned ethanolic extracts of P. alliacea in different concentrations. Three experimental assays were performed: cellular inactivation, mutagenesis (canavanine resistance system) and loss of mitochondrial function (petites colonies). The chemical analyses revealed a rich extract with phenolic compounds such as protocatechuic acid, cinnamic and catechin epicatechin. A decreased cell viability in wild-type and ogg1 strains was demonstrated. All fractions of the extract exerted a mutagenic effect on the ogg1 strain. Only ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions increased the rate of petites colonies in the ogg1 strain, but not in the wild-type strain. The results indicate that fractions of mid-polarity of the ethanolic extract, at the studied concentrations, can induce mutagenicity mediated by oxidative lesions in the mitochondrial and genomic genomes of the ogg1-deficient S. cerevisiae strain. These findings indicate that the lesions caused by the fractions of P. alliacea ethanolic extract can be mediated by reactive oxygen species and can reach multiple molecular targets to exert their toxicity.

Genotoxic and Cytotoxic Safety Evaluation of Papain (Carica papaya L.) Using In Vitro Assays.

Papain, a phytotherapeutic agent, has been used in the treatment of eschars and as a debriding chemical agent to remove damaged or necrotic tissue of pressure ulcers and gangrene. Its benefits in these treatments are deemed effective, since more than 5000 patients, at the public university hospital at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have undergone papain treatment and presented satisfactory results. Despite its extensive use, there is little information about toxic and mutagenic properties of papain. This work evaluated the toxic and mutagenic potential of papain and its potential antioxidant activity against induced-H(2)O(2) oxidative stress in Escherichia coli strains. Cytotoxicity assay, Growth inhibition test, WP2-Mutoxitest and Plasmid-DNA treatment, and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to investigate if papain would present any toxic or mutagenic potential as well as if papain would display antioxidant properties. Papain exhibited negative results for all tests. This agent presented an activity protecting cells against H(2)O(2)-induced mutagenesis.

Drug interaction with radiopharmaceuticals: effect on the labeling of red blood cells with technetium-99m and on the bioavailability of radiopharmaceuticals

The evidence that natural and synthetic drugs can affect radiolabeling or bioavailability of radiopharmaceuticals in setting of nuclear medicine clinic is already known. However, this drug interaction with radiopharmaceuticals (DIR) is not completely understood. Several authors have described the effect of drugs on the labeling of blood elements with technetium-99m (99mTc) and on the biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals. When the DIR is known, if desirable or undesirable, the natural consequence is a correct diagnosis. However, when it is unknown, it is undesirable and the consequences are the possibility of misdiagnosis and/or the repetition of the examination with an increase of radiation dose to the patient. The possible explanation to the appearance of DIR are (a) radiopharmaceutical modification, (b) alteration of the labeling efficiency of the radiopharmaceutical, (c) modification of the target, (d) modification of no target and/or the (e) alteration of the binding of the radiopharmaceutical on the blood proteins. The effect of drugs on the labeling of blood elements with 99mTc might be explained by (i) a direct inhibition (chelating action) of the stannous and pertechnetate ions, (ii) damage induced in the plasma membrane, (iii) competition of the cited ions for the same binding sites, (iv) possible generation of reactive oxygen species that could oxidize the stannous ion and/or (v) direct oxidation of the stannous ion. In conclusion, the development of biological models to study the DIR is highly relevant

Biological effects of rutin on the survival of Escherichia coli AB1157 and on the electrophoretic mobility of plasmid PUC 9.1 DNA.

The use of natural products as medicines is growing in the world. The rutin, a compound isolated from Ruta graveolens, is a flavonoid, which has been suggested to have antioxidant properties and to reduce the triacylglycerol levels. In this study, plasmid desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was exposed to rutin (0.33, 10, 20, 30 microg/ml) in presence of stannous chloride (SnCl2), a reducing agent widely used to obtain radiopharmaceuticals labeled with technetium-99m. Samples of the plasmid DNA were analyzed through agarose gel electrophoresis. E. coli AB1157 culture was also incubated with rutin (3, 30, 50, 100 microg/ml) and the survival fractions were calculated. The results show that the rutin, in these concentrations, is not capable of: i/ damaging the DNA, ii/ protecting the DNA from the SnCl2 redox action, and iii/ inactivating the E. coli AB1157 culture. The analysis of our data indicates that rutin do not present toxic activity in the evaluated systems.

Assessment of the effect of antiseizure drugs on the labeling process of red blood cells and plasma proteins with technetium-99m.

It is estimated that about 2.5 million people only in the United States are affected by epilepsy. Labelled red blood cells (RBC) and plasma proteins (PP) are used for several evaluations in nuclear medicine and drugs affecting those labelings have previously been described. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the most popular antiseizure drugs interfere with the 99mTc labeling process of RBC and PP. Heparinized blood withdrawn from Wistar rats was incubated with phenobarbital (0.2, 2, 20, 200, 2,000 microg/ml), phenytoin (0.15, 1.5, 15, 150, 1,500 microg/ml), carbamazepine (0.7, 7, 70 microg/ml), clonazepam (0.5, 5, 50, 500 microg/ml) or valproic acid (0.5, 5, 50, 500 microg/ml) for I hr. Stannous chloride (SnCl2), in two different concentrations (0.012 or 1.2 microg/ml) and 99mTc were added. Plasma and cellular fractions were isolated by centrifugation, soluble and insoluble fractions were separated by trichloroacetic acid precipitation. The percentage of radioactivity was calculated for each fraction. Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA and Dunnet tests. The analysis of the results has shown that phenobarbital (2,000 microg/ml) and clonazepam (50 microg/ml) significantly have reduced the RBC labeling efficiency when it was used the optimal SnCl2 concentration (1.2 microg/ml) and clonazepam (5, 50 microg/ml) has significantly decreased the PP labeling efficiency with 99mTc. Phenytoin (1,500 microg/ml) has decreased the RBC labeling efficiency when the experiments were carried out with a small SnCl2 concentration (0.012 microg/ml). We can suggest that with this in vitro assay, at the therapeutic level of phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine and valproic acid will not interfere on the 99mTc labeling process of RBC. Interference is displayed at higher phenobarbital concentrations (2,000 microg/ml). However, humans do not tolerate this concentration. On the other hand, a decreased RBC and PP labeling efficiency with 99mTc may be expected for clonazepam at therapeutic levels.

Aplicaçao do teste Elisa anti-PGL-1 em localidade com alta edemicidade de hanseniase, na Regiao Norte do Estado de Sao Paulo / Use of anti-PGL-1 Elisa in highly endemic leprosy locations in the North of the State of Sao Paulo

Testes sorologicos de hanseniase utilizando o antigeno glicolipideo fenolico-1 (PGL-1) abriram varias possibilidades para o estudo do comportamento epidemiologico dessa doença. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar os resultados da aplicaçao do teste de Elisa anti-PGL-1 em uma comunidade urbana com alta endemicidade de hanseniase no estado de Sao Paulo. Nela se conseguiu, na epoca do estudo, coeficientes de detecçao e prevalencia de 27,1 e 167,2 casos por 10.000 habitantes, respectivamente. Foram recenseados 8.491 residentes na area urbana e destes 6.666 foram avaliados com o teste Elisa IgM anti-PGL-1. A sorologia se revelou positiva em 9,0 por cento da populaçao geral, sendo que, para as mulheres, a taxa de positividade encontrada foi de 10,1 por cento e para os homens de 7,6 por cento...

Fatores de risco para doenças crônicas näo-transmissíveis: inquérito domiciliar no Município de Säo Paulo, SP (Brasil). Metodologia e resultados preliminares / Risk factors for non-communicable chronic diseases: a domiciliary survery in the Municipality of Säo Paulo, (Brazil). Methodology and preliminary results

As doenças crônicas näo transmissíveis säo causa importante de morte no Brasil, principalmente nos grandes centros urbanos. Existem inúmeros fatores de risco relacionados a este tipo de doenças, cuja remoçäo, ou atenuaçäo, pode contribuir para o declínio da mortalidade. Descreve-se a metodologia do primeiro estudo multicêntrico abrangente realizado na América Latina sobre a questäo dos fatores de risco de doenças crônicas näo-transmissíveis. No Brasil o estudo foi realizado nos municípios de Säo Paulo, SP e Porto Alegre, RS. Säo apresentados resultados preliminares para o Município de Säo Paulo quanto à prevalência de hipertensäo arterial (22,3 por cento), tabagismo (37,9 por cento) obesidade (18,0 por cento), alcoolismo (7,7 por cento) e sedentarismo (69,3 por cento). Os resultados obtidos säo comprovados com dados existentes para o Brasil e outros países, e discute-se a relaçäo entre a magnitude dos diversos fatores de risco e a mortalidade por doenças cardiovasculares em Säo Paulo e alguns países desenvolvidos

Vigilância epidemiológica do tracoma no Estado de Säo Paulo / Epidemiological surveillance of trachoma in the State of Säo Paulo

O tracoma era considerado "erradicado" no Estado de Säo Paulo desde a década de 70. Entretanto, a partir e 1982, novos casos começaram a ser diagnosticados no município de Bebedouro, regiäo noroeste do estado. Uma série de medidas foram adotadas no sentido de controle da doença, dentre elas destacam-se o estabelecimento de açöes de vigilância epidemiológica e notificaçäo compulsória dos casos de tracoma verificados no município. No período de janeiro de 1984 a dezembro de 1985 foram notificados pelo Serviço de Oftalmologia do Centro de Saúde I de Bebedouro 749 casos de tracoma residentes no município. No presente estudo os autores analisam as informaçöes obtidas através das 749 Fichas Epidemiológicas de tracoma referentes aos casos do período. Os dados säo analisados dentro dos padröes da metodologia epidemiológica, e discutidos em relaçäo as informaçöes fornecidas pela literatura especializada. Esta avaliaçäo forneceu informaçöes valiosas a respeito da ocorrência do tracoma em Bebedouro, além de possibilitar um diagnóstico das açöes de Vigilância Epidemiológica do tracoma. Apresentam-se série de sugestöes visando a ampliaçäo dos conhecimentos em relaçäo a epidemiologia do tracoma no Estado e a melhoria das açöes de controle da doença