Supplementation of sulfate polysaccharides in the seminal cooling medium of common curimata (Prochilodus brevis).

BACKGROUND: The use of sulfated polysaccharides (PS) in seminal cooling is known to improve seminal quality. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of different concentrations of PS, extracted from the macroalgae Gracilaria domigensis as a supplement to the seminal cooling medium of the reophilic fish Prochilodus brevis (common curimatã). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five semen pools were diluted in ACP-104 (treatment T1), in BTS® (T2) and in BTS® with different concentrations of PS (0.5 [T3]; 1.0 [T4] and 1.5 [T5]). The samples were cooled for different times (0, 6, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h) and after each hour they were analyzed for: morphology, membrane integrity, DNA integrity and sperm kinetics. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the treatments containing different concentrations of sulfated polysaccharides. Regarding the different cooling times, it was possible to observe that after hour 96, there was a reduction in the parameters of sperm kinetics. For DNA integrity there was no significant difference in relation to the treatments nor in relation to the hours. For membrane integrity, a reduction was noted as of hour 96, but there was no influence of polysaccharides. For the sperm morphology, there was no statistical difference between the hours, however the BTS was better than the ACP-104. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the use of polysaccharides in seminal cooling has no negative effect on sperm parameters and proves that seminal cooling keeps the material viable for up to 72 hours. Doi: 10.54680/fr23410110512.

Sulfated polysaccharides from seaweed as a supplement to Prochilodus brevis sperm freezing medium.

BACKGROUND: Using sulfated polysaccharides (SP) in fish sperm freezing medium promotes cell maintenance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of different SP concentrations, extracted from two seaweeds (Gracilaria domingensis and Ulva fasciata), as a supplement to the sperm freezing medium of Prochilodus brevis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five semen pools were diluted in a solution composed of 5% glucose, 10 % dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and different SP concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 or 3.0 mg/mL). The samples were cryopreserved and, after 7 days, rewarmed and analyzed for morphology, plasma membrane integrity, DNA integrity, mitochondrial activity and sperm kinetics [total motility, progressive motility, curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP), linearity (LIN), and wobble (WOB)]. RESULTS: There was no interaction between seaweed and SP concentrations. Similar effects were observed with SP extracted from the two seaweeds, regardless of concentration. When comparing the SP concentrations, regardless of the seaweed, 1.0 mg/mL SP showed better results for VCL and VSL. For VAP and WOB, 1.0 mg/mL SP showed better results, but differed from 3.0 mg/mL. LIN followed the same pattern, but differed from SP at 2.5 and 3.0 mg/mL. For progressive motility, 1.0 mg/mL G. domingensis showed superior results compared to the control. For mitochondrial activity, G. domingensis was superior to U. fasciata, regardless of concentration. The lowest concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 mg/mL) showed the best results, regardless of the seaweed. However, the control was superior to all treatments tested. CONCLUSION: G. domingensis SP at the lowest concentrations might be a potential supplement to the P. brevis freezing medium. doi.org/10.54680/fr22210110412.

The effect of glycosaminoglycans, extracted from the skin of tilapia, in the sperm freezing medium of Colossoma macropomum.

BACKGROUND: Sulfated polysaccharides from the skin of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), added to the tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) semen diluting medium, can be potential antioxidants and promote the maintenance of sperm quality. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of different concentrations of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) from the skin of Nile tilapia as a supplement in two cryogenic media for tambaqui semen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tambaqui males received a single dose of pituitary carp extract. The semen was collected for pool analysis and, later, cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. The pools were diluted and frozen in a solution containing fish-specific powdered coconut water (ACP-104) and 10% DMSO or 5% Glucose and 10% DMSO and supplemented with different concentrations of GAGs. The controls had no GAGs addition. After 45 days, the samples were thawed by immersion in a water bath and evaluated for membrane and DNA integrity, morphology and sperm kinetics. RESULTS: The parameters of linearity (LIN), straightness (STR) and DNA integrity of sperm frozen in 5% Glucose showed better results than ACP-104. For membrane integrity, concentrations of 0 and 1.0 mg/mL were better than 5 mg/mL. Semen motility in 5% Glucose showed superior results at concentrations lower than 5 mg/mL of GAGs. For VCL and VAP, in ACP-104, 3.0 mg/mL exceeded the other treatments. In 5% Glucose, for VCL, 4.0 mg/mL showed the lowest results compared to concentrations of <3.5 mg/mL and, for VAP, it also differed from 4.5 mg/mL CONCLUSION: Therefore, the skin of Nile tilapia has GAGs, in low concentrations, capable of improving the post-thawed sperm quality of tambaqui, especially in 5% Glucose medium.

Acute admissions to medical departments. A comparison between an urban and a rural district.

To compare hospitalization into medical departments, acute admissions into a city hospital and into a district hospital were compared prospectively over a two-week period. Patients referred to the city hospital were on average older, were more frequently living alone and they had a greater amount of social care attendance in their homes. On the other hand, distribution of referral diagnoses, overall patient activity, occupational status and contact with relatives were similar in the two areas. Sub-acute or acute illness was considered the main cause of admission in both areas; the amount of admissions for social reasons was 13 percent to the city hospital versus 3 percent to the district hospital. Relevant alternatives to hospitalization seemed to exist in 50 percent of the admissions to the city hospital versus only 3 percent to the district hospital. Since patients admitted for social reasons block hospital beds for a longer time period than those admitted for other reasons, these differences may to some extent explain why length of hospital stay is longer in city hospitals than in rural ones.

Quantitative high-performance liquid chromatographic, gas chromatographic, and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of ticlopidine in baboon plasma after solid-phase extraction.

High-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV) and gas chromatography with either nitrogen phosphorus (GC-NPD) or mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detection were used for the determination of ticlopidine in plasma. Solid-phase extraction of ticlopidine from plasma was performed using Extrelut columns without pH adjustment, and using hexane as the solvent of elution. With HPLC, a mobile phase of 0.01 M pH 7.8 phosphate buffer:acetonitrile (70:30) was passed through a mu Bondapack C-18 column at a rate of 1.3 mL/min. Ultraviolet detection at 235 nm was sensitive to plasma ticlopidine concentrations of 0.05 micrograms/mL. The GC-NPD and GC-MS were performed on a DB-17 fused-silica column using on-column injection. For GC-NPD and GC-MS, limits of quantification were found to be 0.020 and 0.005 micrograms/mL, respectively. Compared with HPLC-UV, the GC methods were found to be more reproducible, sensitive, and specific and therefore more suitable for pharmacokinetic applications.

Circulating and brain metabolites of minaprine in the baboon.

A mixture of 15N-labelled, 14C-labelled and unlabelled minaprine was administered orally to three baboons, and metabolites in blood, urine and brain investigated. Biological samples were extracted with dichloromethane and the radioactive components extracted were analysed by t.l.c. and autoradiography. Compounds identified by comparing their physiochemical properties with those of synthetic standards and by g.l.c.-mass spectrometry were minaprine, 3-[2-(3-oxo)morpholino-ethylamino]-4-methyl-6-phenylpyridazine, 3-amino-4-methyl-6-phenylpyridazine, 3-[2-(aminoethyl)ethylamino]-4-methyl-6-phenylpyridazine, p-hydroxyminaprine and minaprine N-oxide. In addition to the urinary metabolites, two circulating metabolites were detected: metabolite A, 3-[2-(3-oxo)morpholino-ethylamino]-4-methyl-6-phenylpyridazine, and metabolite B (unidentified). All circulating metabolites appeared very early in blood, confirming the rapid and extensive metabolism of the drug. Metabolites A, B and 3 (p-hydroxyminaprine) were the major metabolites present in plasma. The parent drug was not the major circulating form, and was present in a higher concentration in erythrocytes than in plasma. Erythrocytes might act as a reservoir of the drug and could explain the relatively slow blood clearance of minaprine despite its rapid metabolism. The qualitative metabolic profile in brain tissue was similar to that in blood.

Metabolism of ethyl loflazepate in the rat, the dog, the baboon and in man.

The metabolism of ethyl loflazepate (Victan), a new benzodiazepine used as an anxiolytic drug, was studied in man and several animal species. The urinary metabolites were determined and quantified following oral administration of the 14C-labeled drug. Further analysis of blood samples was carried out in order to get information on the circulating metabolites in man. Except the rat, from which only 25% of the administered dose were excreted via the kidneys, the urine appeared to be the main excretion route in man (63%) and the other animal species (80%). The major urinary metabolites were identified as being loflazepate, 3-hydroxyloflazepate, 3-hydroxydescarbethoxyloflazepate, 4'-hydroxydescarbethoxyloflazepate and 6-chloro-4-(2'-fluorophenyl)-2(1H)-quinazolinone. The observed differences on the excretion patterns between the species resulted from the presence of a large number of quantitatively minor metabolites. Analysis of human blood samples indicated that the radioactivity was almost entirely in the plasma. The main circulating metabolites were detected as descarbethoxyloflazepate, loflazepate, and 3-hydroxydescarbethoxyloflazepate.

Analysis of the metabolites of ethyl loflazepate by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection.

A gas chromatographic assay with electron-capture detection (GC--EC) is described for the metabolites of ethyl loflazepate (Victan), a new benzodiazepine with a potent anti-anxiety activity, in biological fluids. Since the parent drug undergoes a first-pass effect, pharmacokinetic data may only be obtained by measuring the total levels of two of the major metabolites. Accurate data can not be obtained for the metabolites separately since one of them (M1) is chemically transformed to the other (M2) during plasma sampling, storage and extraction. A sensitive, specific and accurate GC--EC assay is developed using a synthetic analogue of M2 as an internal standard. The limit of detection in plasma is approximately 2 ng/ml and the precision about 3% (within-run and between-run). The method is applied to plasma samples collected after oral administration of 2 mg and 4 mg of the drug in tablet form to human volunteers. The results obtained are correlated with those from an existing gas chromatographic--mass spectrometric assay. A very good correlation between the results (inter-laboratory comparison) is obtained, validating both techniques.