Diphenyl diselenide supplementation delays the development of N-nitroso-N-methylurea-induced mammary tumors.

The effect of dietary diphenyl diselenide (1 ppm) on N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU)-induced mammary carcinogenesis was examined in female Wistar rats. Beginning at 5 weeks of age, the animals were fed with either control or diphenyl-diselenide-supplied diets until the end of the study (210 days). At 50 days of age, mammary tumor was induced by the administration of three doses of NMU (50 mg/kg body wt, intraperitoneally) once a week for 3 weeks. In experimental trials, latency to tumor onset was extended in rats fed with diet supplemented with diphenyl diselenide (P < 0.05). The incidence and frequency of tumors were significantly small in animals supplemented with diphenyl diselenide. However, the multiplicity of tumors was not altered by dietary diphenyl diselenide. Diphenyl diselenide supplementation also restored superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and vitamin C levels altered in the NMU group (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that diphenyl diselenide can be considered a chemopreventive agent, even when supplemented at a relatively low concentration.

Estudo do perfil lipidico e da prevalencia de dislipidemias em adultos / Estudy of lipidic profile and prevalence of dyslipidemias in adult

As doenças ateroscleróticas são consideradas as principais causas de morbimortalidade em adultos, em países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. As dislipidemias estão entre os principais fatores para o desenvolvimento destas patologias. Estudos de prevalência de dislipidemias podem subsidiar políticas públicas na prevenção e controle de doenças ateroscleróticas. O presente estudoteve como objetivo conhecer e analisar o perfil lipídico e determinar a prevalência de dislipidemias em indivíduos adultos atendidosno Laboratório São Lucas, Guarani das Missões-RS, no período de um ano. Os critérios do perfil lipídico utilizados foram os estabelecidos pela III Diretrizes Brasileiras Sobre Dislipidemias. Os dados mostraram que as prevalências totais das dislipidemias na população estudada foram: triglicerídeos ≥ 201mg/dL (25,1%); colesterol total ≥ 240mg/dL (27,3%); LDL-colesterol ≥ 160mg/dL (26,0%)e; HDL-colesterol < 40mg/dL (25,4%). Observou-se haver diferença significativamente maior no sexo feminino, na prevalência de níveiselevados de CT (p = 0,019) e diferença significativamente maior no sexo masculino, na prevalência de baixos níveis de HDL-c (p<0,001). As prevalências das alterações lipídicas foram elevadas na população estudada e foram similares às encontradas por trabalhos que utilizaram metodologia semelhante. Sendo assim, um percentual elevado dessa população apresenta alterações lipídicas, um dosfatores de risco, segundo a Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia, para o desenvolvimento de doenças ateroscleróticas.

Atherosclerotics diseases are considered the main causes of morbimortality in adults from developed countries and developing countries. Dyslipidemias are among the main factors to development of those pathologies. Dyslipidemias prevalence studies can subsidize public politics on prevention and control of atherosclerotics diseases. This study had as objective knowing and analyzinglipidic profile and determining dyslipidemias prevalence in adults who had made their exams at São Lucas Laboratory Guarani das Missões-RS, during a year. Lipidic profile criteria used were established by Brazilian Directrixes about Dyslipidemias. Data shows that total dylipidemias prevalence on studied population were: triglyceride ≥ 201mg/dL (25,1%); total cholesterol ≥ 240mg/dL;(27,3%);LDL-cholesterol ≥ 160mg/dL (26,0%) e; HDL-cholesterol < 40mg/dL (25,4). It was noted significant difference higher on women in prevalence of high levels of CT (p = 0,019), and significant difference higher on men in prevalence of low levels of HDL-c (p< 0,001).Lipidic alterations prevalence was high on the studied population and similar to the ones found by works that has used similar methodology. Thus, a high percentage of this population presents lipidic alterations, one of the risk factors to development of atheroscleroticsdiseases according Cardiology Brazilian Association.

Biodegradation of the herbicide trifluralin by bacteria isolated from soil.

Trifluralin (alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine; TFL) is a pre-emergence, soil-incorporated herbicide that has been in agricultural use since the early 1960s and is moderately persistent in soil. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterise TFL-resistant bacteria from a soil in which this pesticide has been used for the last four decades and to determine their ability to degrade TFL using HPLC. Eight bacteria were isolated by repeated subculture in liquid medium with TFL as carbon source and a ninth (isolate 9) from growth around TFL crystals on solid medium. The bacteria from enriched liquid culture were identified by biochemical tests and 16S rDNA sequencing. In a mineral salts medium with 0.1% succinate, 0.1% yeast extract and 50 mg l(-1) TFL, reductions in the level of pesticide of 24.6% for Klebsiella sp., 16.4% for Herbaspirillum sp., 25.0% and 16.0% for two strains of Bacillus sp. and 21.0% for unidentified isolate number 9 were obtained after 30 days. These were similar to the level obtained using a known TFL-degrading bacterium, Brevundimonas diminuta (NCIMB 10329). Three Pseudomonas sp. and one Bacillus sp. reduced levels by less than 5%. The five positive isolates can be used to study the biochemical and molecular biology of TFL biodegradation with the aim of optimising the degradative ability of one or more of the isolates for future use in bioremediation processes.