Does a single application of contraceptive cause pathological changes in bitches? / [Uma única aplicação de anticoncepcional causa alterações patológicas em cadelas?]

O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar os efeitos da administração em dose única de progestágenos em fêmeas caninas hígidas, as quais nunca haviam recebido tais fármacos. Foram selecionadas 20 cadelas, que foram examinadas clinicamente e por meio de exames complementares. Nessas cadelas, foi aplicado medroxiprogesterona por via subcutânea. Noventa dias após, as fêmeas foram esterilizadas cirurgicamente, sendo os tecidos reprodutivos encaminhados para histopatologia. Foi possível verificar que, aos 30 dias, 12 animais (60%) apresentaram hiperplasia mamária. Aos 90 dias, 18 animais (90%) apresentavam sinais de hiperplasia endometrial cística, tendo cinco (27,77%) destes animais apresentado conteúdo purulento no lúmen uterino. No exame microscópico, apenas uma fêmea não demonstrou alterações patológicas, sendo a única que recebeu o contraceptivo na fase correta (anestro). As demais fêmeas apresentaram alterações que variaram entre alterações circulatórias a hiperplasia endometrial cística grave. Assim, foi possível concluir que uma única aplicação de anticoncepcional em fêmeas hígidas pode causar complicações leves a graves.(AU)

Classificação anestésica do estado físico e mortalidade anestésico-cirúrgica em cães / Anesthetic classification of the physical status and surgical-anesthetic mortality in dogs

A classificação de estado físico ASA (Sociedade Americana de Anestesiologistas) é uma ferramenta importante para a avaliação pré-anestésica do paciente. Assim, é utilizada em diversos estudos por possuir estreita relação com a morbidade e a mortalidade anestésica. Realizou-se tal classificação em 243 pacientes caninos submetidos a procedimentos cirúrgicos em um Hospital Veterinário Universitário. Os resultados obtidos foram os seguintes: ASA I (38; 15,64%), ASA II (53; 21,81%), ASA II emergencial (E) (2; 0,82%), ASA III (78; 32,10%), ASA III E (23; 9,46%), ASA IV (11; 4,53%), ASA IV E (36; 14,81%) e ASA V (2; 0,82%). Verificou-se que a maior parte dos pacientes foram classificados como ASA III (doença sistêmica moderada), o que demonstra que, no serviço analisado, a maioria dos animais submetidos à cirurgia são portadores de enfermidades. A mortalidade foi de 2,46%, com a maioria dos óbitos ocorridos no pós-operatório e em pacientes com emergências. Concluiu-se que, no serviço analisado, os maiores riscos estão relacionados aos pacientes com categorias ASA de maior gravidade, em cirurgias emergenciais e, especialmente, no período pós-operatório.(AU)

The classification ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) is an important tool for assessing a patient's pre anesthetic. Thus, it is used in many studies because it has close relation with anesthetic morbidity and mortality. This classification was performed on 243 canine patients undergoing surgical procedures at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The results obtained were as follows: ASA I (38, 15.64%), ASA II (53; 21.81%), ASA II Emergency (E) (2; 0.82%), ASA III (78; 32.10%), ASA III E (23; 9.46%), ASA IV (11; 4.53 %), ASA IV E (36; 14.81%), and ASA V (2; 0.82%). Most patients were ASA III (moderate systemic disease), demonstrating that in the analyzed service the most operated animals are carriers of disease. The mortality rate was 2.46%, with most deaths occurring postoperatively and in patients with an emergency. The greatest risks are related to patients with more severe categories of the classification ASA, in emergency surgery, and especially in the postoperative period.(AU)

Fructans, ascorbate peroxidase, and hydrogen peroxide in ryegrass exposed to ozone under contrasting meteorological conditions.

Ozone (O3) is the most abundant tropospheric oxidant as well as an important component of photochemical pollution. Once inside the plant, ozone can produce reactive oxygen species that change the antioxidative pool and the carbohydrate metabolism. The current study aimed to analyze whether the contents and the composition of the fructan, the ascorbate peroxidase activity, and the H2O2 accumulation were changed in Lolium multiflorum ssp. italicum cv. Lema plants as response to short-term exposure to ozone and/or to different meteorological conditions, in two contrasting seasons (winter and summer). Results showed that higher solar radiation tends to decrease fructose content and, along with temperature, increases the ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity. Such activity and levels of fructans practically did not vary during the time the experiment was being done, but APX daylight variation was modified by the ozone. Thus, the higher levels of this pollutant decreased the APX activity and increased fructose content, as well as changed the size of the fructan chains. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation was higher in plants that were fumigated with ozone when compared to the control, and it decreased throughout the day. As a conclusion, fructan contents increased when the APX activity decreased. It suggested that fructans could also help the defense system when there is a reduction on the APX activity in the plant.

Different measurements of waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter and their relationship with cardiometabolic risk factors in elderly men.

BACKGROUND: Measures of central adiposity such as waist circumference (PC) and sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) are better predictors of metabolic complications than measures of total body fat. Thus, this study aimed to assess the relationship of different measures of WC and SAD with cardiometabolic risk factors in elderly men. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that included 69 men (aged 60-92 years old) enrolled in the Family Health Program of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The evaluations comprised anthropometric, biochemical and haemodynamic measurements. The WC (i.e., umbilical level; the narrowest waist; immediately above the iliac crests; and the midpoint between the last rib and iliac crest) and SAD (i.e., the narrowest point between the last rib and the iliac crest; higher abdominal diameter; umbilical level; and the midpoint between the iliac crests) were measured at different anatomical sites. Statistical analysis consisted of correlation coefficients between measures of abdominal adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors. RESULTS: The strongest correlations were between the WC measured at the narrowest waist and triglycerides (TG), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and between the SAD measured at the midpoint between the iliac crests and TG, FBG and HDL-C. CONCLUSIONS: SAD measured at the midpoint between the iliac crests and WC measured at the narrowest waist showed the best relationships with cardiometabolic risk factors in elderly men.

Seasonal variation of soluble carbohydrates and starch in Echinolaena inflexa, a native grass species from the Brazilian savanna, and in the invasive grass Melinis minutiflora.

Echinolaena inflexa (Poir.) Chase is an abundant C3 grass species with high biomass production in the Brazilian savanna (cerrado); Melinis minutiflora Beauv. is an African C4 forage grass widespread in cerrado and probably displacing some native herbaceous species. In the present work, we analysed seasonally the content and composition of soluble carbohydrates, the starch amounts and the above-ground biomass (phytomass) of E. inflexa and M. minutiflora plants harvested in two transects at 5 and 130 m from the border in a restrict area of cerrado at the Biological Reserve and Experimental Station of Mogi-Guaçu (SP, Brazil). Results showed that water soluble carbohydrates and starch amounts from the shoots of both species varied according to the time of the year, whilst in the underground organs, variations were observed mainly in relation to the transects. Marked differences in the pattern of the above-ground biomass production between these two grasses relative to their location in the Reserve were also observed, with two peaks of the invasive species (July and January) at the Reserve border. The differences in carbohydrate accumulation, partitioning and composition of individual sugars concerning time of the year and location in the Reserve were more related to the annual growth cycle of both grasses and possibly to specific physiological responses of M. minutiflora to disturbed environments in the Reserve border.

Changes in soluble carbohydrates during storage of Caesalpinia echinata LAM. (Brazilwood) seeds, an endangered leguminous tree from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Caesalpinia echinata seeds stored in laboratory environmental conditions lose their viability in one month whilst under low temperatures germination is maintained for 18 months of storage. These seeds are tolerant to desiccation, keeping their viability up to 0.08 gH2O.gDW-1. Since soluble carbohydrates are believed to be involved with desiccation tolerance and seed storability, the aim of this work is to analyze the content and composition of soluble carbohydrates in C. echinata seeds during storage in paper bags (PB) and glass flasks (GF) at laboratory room (RT) and cool (CT) temperatures. In freshly harvested seeds, total soluble carbohydrates comprised approximately 10% of the dry weight, decreasing to ca. 8% over 18 months of storage at RT. In seeds stored at CT, sugars varied differently decreasing initially and being restored at the end of the analysis period. The main neutral sugars in seeds from all treatments were sucrose, fructose and glucose. Raffinose and stachyose were present as traces. Free myo-inositol and other cyclitols were also detected. The main tendency observed was the variation in levels of both glucose and fructose in relation to sucrose, the highest levels of monosaccharides which were found in seeds stored at CT. The values of glucose and fructose were practically constant in seeds stored in paper bags for 18 months at CT, decreasing consistently in the other treatments, mainly at RT. Sucrose contents remained relatively stable. Changes in soluble sugars during storage suggest that the loss of germinability of seeds of C. echinata could be associated with low levels of glucose and fructose in relation to sucrose.

The influence of education in the validation process of a food frequency questionnaire for adults in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the educational influence in the relative validation of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQs) for adults in the city of Viçosa, Brazil. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Four 24-h dietary recalls (reference method) were applied to a sample of 94 adults of both genders, at intervals of 1 month. At the end of the study, an FFQs consisting of 58 food items was also applied. Then, the individuals were divided into two main groups according to their educational level (lower and higher). The dietary data were calculated by the Diet Pro 4.0 software and analyzed according to differences of means or medians and Pearson's correlation coefficients. These coefficients were adjusted by the energy and corrected by the within-person variance for each educational group, considering the extreme quartiles of the data distribution. RESULTS: The intake of energy and nutrients, based on the 24 h dietary recalls, was inferior for the lower educational group (P < 0.05). For the FFQs, just the protein and calcium intakes were statistically different, suggesting interference of the education variable in this assessment. Over estimations in the FFQs were identified in the analyses of means and medians for vitamin C and retinol intakes in the lower education group and for retinol in the higher education one. However, when evaluated by correlation coefficients non-adjusted and adjusted, they were well correlated. On the other hand, lipid (r = 0.34) and calcium (r = 0.13) coefficients of the group with less instruction showed beneath the desirable values, suggesting weak consistence of the estimates provided by the FFQs for these nutrients. Correlation means of r = 0.65 and 0.54 were found for the higher and lower educational groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that FFQs showed acceptable performance on evaluating the habitual food consumption for most of the nutrients in the studied population. A tendency for better quantifications in the groups with higher education was observed, inferring its influence in the assessment of the dietary intake.

Changes in soluble carbohydrates during storage of Caesalpinia echinata LAM. (Brazilwood) seeds, an endangered leguminous tree from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Sementes de Caesalpinia echinata (pau-brasil) perdem a viabilidade em um mês quando armazenadas no ambiente de laboratório, enquanto a capacidade germinativa é mantida quando armazenadas sob temperturas baixas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivos analisar o conteúdo e a composição dos carboidratos de sementes de C. echinata armazenadas em câmara fria (CT) e em temperatura ambiente do laboratório (RT), em duas embalagens distintas (permeável e impermeável), visando a avaliar o envolvimento desses compostos com a capacidade germinativa das sementes. Os resultados mostraram que os carboidratos solúveis são constituídos principalmente de sacarose, glicose, frutose, myo-inositol e traços de rafinose e estaquiose, totalizando cerca de 10% da massa seca das sementes. As variações nos carboidratos solúveis foram semelhantes nos dois tipos de embalagem, mas diferentes quanto à temperatura de armazenamento. Em CT, as proporções dos monossacarídeos encontradas nas sementes recém-colhidas foram mantidas por cerca de 18 meses de armazenamento, coincidindo com alta porcentagem de germinação (80%). Nas armazenadas em RT houve redução expressiva nas proporções de glicose e frutose e perda completa da germinabilidade. O conteúdo de sacarose se manteve relativamente estável durante todo o período de análise. Os resultados indicam que a perda da germinabilidade de sementes de C. echinata está associada à diminuição dos níveis de glicose e frutose em relação aos níveis de sacarose.

Hypoglycemic activity of polysaccharide fractions containing beta-glucans from extracts of Rhynchelytrum repens (Willd.) C.E. Hubb., Poaceae.

Beta-glucans are soluble fibers with physiological functions, such as interference with absorption of sugars and reduction of serum lipid levels. The objective of the present study was to analyze the distribution of beta-glucans in different tissues of the African grass species Rhynchelytrum repens and also to evaluate their hypoglycemic activity. Leaf blades, sheaths, stems, and young leaves of R. repens were submitted to extraction with 4 M KOH. Analysis of the fractions revealed the presence of arabinose, glucose, xylose, and traces of rhamnose and galactose. The presence of beta-glucan in these fractions was confirmed by hydrolyzing the polymers with endo-beta-glucanase from Bacillus subtilis, followed by HPLC analysis of the characteristic oligosaccharides produced. The 4 M KOH fractions from different tissues were subjected to gel permeation chromatography on Sepharose 4B, with separation of polysaccharides with different degrees of polymerization, the highest molecular mass (above 2000 kDa) being found in young leaves. The molecular mass of the leaf blade polymers was similar (250 kDa) to that of maize coleoptile beta-glucan used for comparison. The 4 M KOH fraction injected into rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes showed hypoglycemic activity, reducing blood sugar to normal levels for approximately 24 h. This performance was better than that obtained with pure beta-glucan from barley, which decreased blood sugar levels for about 4 h. These results suggest that the activity of beta-glucans from R. repens is responsible for the use of this plant extract as a hypoglycemic drug in folk medicine.

Hypoglycemic activity of polysaccharide fractions containing ß-glucans from extracts of Rhynchelytrum repens (Willd.) C.E. Hubb., Poaceae

ß-Glucans are soluble fibers with physiological functions, such as interference with absorption of sugars and reduction of serum lipid levels. The objective of the present study was to analyze the distribution of ß-glucans in different tissues of the African grass species Rhynchelytrum repens and also to evaluate their hypoglycemic activity. Leaf blades, sheaths, stems, and young leaves of R. repens were submitted to extraction with 4 M KOH. Analysis of the fractions revealed the presence of arabinose, glucose, xylose, and traces of rhamnose and galactose. The presence of ß-glucan in these fractions was confirmed by hydrolyzing the polymers with endo-ß-glucanase from Bacillus subtilis, followed by HPLC analysis of the characteristic oligosaccharides produced. The 4 M KOH fractions from different tissues were subjected to gel permeation chromatography on Sepharose 4B, with separation of polysaccharides with different degrees of polymerization, the highest molecular mass (above 2000 kDa) being found in young leaves. The molecular mass of the leaf blade polymers was similar (250 kDa) to that of maize coleoptile ß-glucan used for comparison. The 4 M KOH fraction injected into rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes showed hypoglycemic activity, reducing blood sugar to normal levels for approximately 24 h. This performance was better than that obtained with pure ß-glucan from barley, which decreased blood sugar levels for about 4 h. These results suggest that the activity of ß-glucans from R. repens is responsible for the use of this plant extract as a hypoglycemic drug in folk medicine.

Effects of irradiance on non-structural carbohydrates, growth, and hypoglycemic activity of Rhynchelytrum repens (Willd.) C.E. Hubb. (Poaceae).

Irradiance is a crucial factor in plant development. Different radiant energy levels cause different responses related to plant growth and the production and distribution of dry matter. Considering the relationship between light availability and metabolism of carbohydrates and derived compounds, the aim of this work was to assess the effects of irradiance on non-structural carbohydrate contents and composition, as well as on the hypoglycemiant activity of Rhynchelytrum repens, a pantropical grass species popularly used for diabetes treatment. Plants of R. repens growing under natural irradiance (NI) showed increased content of total soluble carbohydrate (TSC), higher fluctuations in starch content (SC) and higher number of tillers. The flowering process of these plants was preceded by an increase in sucrose. However, their water content was low when compared to that of plants cultivated under low irradiance (LI). The ratio root/aerial organs and SC showed no significant differences in plants grown under LI, although TSC increased and a lower number of tillers were observed during the experimental period. In both conditions, sucrose was the ubiquitous sugar and seemed to be involved in the flowering process. A reduction in the blood sugar level was observed through the intra-peritoneal (IP) administration of the precipitate of aqueous extracts obtained from plants growing in both conditions of light; the supernatant fraction showed no hypoglycemic effect.

Effects of irradiance on non-structural carbohydrates, growth, and hypoglycemic activity of Rhynchelytrum repens (Willd.) C.E. Hubb. (Poaceae)

A irradiância é um fator crucial em reações vitais para o crescimento e desenvolvimento das plantas. A utilização da energia radiante pelos vegetais afeta diferentes respostas em relação ao padrão de desenvolvimento e à produção de matéria seca e sua conseqüente distribuição. Tendo em vista a intrínseca relação entre disponibilidade de luz, acúmulo de biomassa e metabolismo de carboidratos e compostos relacionados, os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar o efeito da irradiância sobre o conteúdo e a composição dos carboidratos não-estruturais, sobre o desenvolvimento e sobre a atividade hipoglicemiante de Rhynchelytrum repens, uma gramínea pantropical de origem africana utilizada popularmente no tratamento de diabetes. O cultivo a pleno sol (PS) estimulou aumento no conteúdo de carboidratos solúveis totais (CST), no perfilhamento das plantas e nas flutuações do conteúdo de amido (CA). O florescimento dessas plantas foi precedido por um aumento de CST, especialmente de sacarose. Foi observado também menor conteúdo de água nas plantas sob PS quando comparado com as plantas cultivadas sob irradiância reduzida (IR). Nesta última condição, o CA e a razão raiz/parte aérea não sofreram alterações significativas, porém houve aumento no conteúdo de CST ao longo do período experimental, menor grau de perfilhamento e formação de raízes adventícias aéreas. Em ambas as condições de luminosidade, a sacarose foi o açúcar mais abundante e com maiores variações. Esse açúcar parece estar envolvido nos processos de florescimento da espécie. Uma redução no nível de glicose plasmática foi observada a partir da administração do precipitado do extrato aquoso de R. repens obtido de plantas cultivadas em PS e IR, não havendo diferença significativa entre os tratamentos. A fração sobrenadante não apresentou efeito hipoglicemiante.

Synthesis of fructans by fructosyltransferase from the tuberous roots of Viguiera discolor (Asteraceae)

Sucrose:sucrose fructosyltransferase (SST) and fructan:fructan fructosyl-transferase (FFT) activities from crude extracts of tuberous roots of Viguiera discolor growing in a preserved area of cerrado were analyzed in 1995-1996. SST activity was characterized by the synthesis of 1-kestose from sucrose and FFT activity by the production of nystose from 1-kestose. The highest fructan-synthesizing activity was observed during early dormancy (autumn), when both (SST and FFT) activities were high. The increase in synthetic activity seemed to start during the fruiting phase in the summer, when SST activity was higher than in spring. During winter and at the beginning of sprouting, both activities declined. The in vitro synthesis of high molecular mass fructans from sucrose by enzymatic preparations from tuberous roots collected in summer showed that long incubations of up to 288 h produced consistently longer polymers which resembled those found in vivo with respect to chromatographic profiles.