Analysis of the GSTM1-null polymorphism in patients with pterygium from Goiânia, Goiás Brazil.

The first reports about pterygium date back to Hippocrates, and this disease still threatens vision health around the world. Pterygium is a formation of fibrous tissue consisting of highly vascularized epithelial and subepithelial tissue that grows excessively and with an abnormal shape on the cornea. Many physical and biological factors are associated with the pathogenesis of pterygium, including heat, dust, and other particles in the atmosphere, and immunological mechanisms, mechanisms involving extracellular matrix reorganization, growth factors, cytokines, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to further investigate the association between polymorphisms in GSTM1 and the formation of pterygium. We collected peripheral blood samples from 90 patients diagnosed with pterygium and from 23 subjects with-out the disease in order to perform molecular analysis of the GSTM1 gene. Subjects with one or two copies of the GSTM1 allele had a normal genotype while those without any copies of the allele had a null geno-type. The chi-square test or the Fisher exact test was performed in order to investigate possible associations between the molecular analysis and the risk of pterygium. A significant difference between the frequency of the GSTM1-null genotype in patient and control groups was identified. However, sub-group analysis found that the GSTM1-null genotype was statistically significant in men, but not in women, and in Caucasians, but not in Brown or Black groups. Furthermore, the GSTM1-null geno-type was not related to any of the risk factors analyzed: cases in family, occupational exposure, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes.

Pterygium in patients from Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

Pterygium is an inflammatory and degenerative ocular surface disease in which the conjunctiva on the cornea grows to form a fibrous tissue in the shape of a triangle. The disorder may be characterized by cell proliferation, inflammatory processes, fibrosis, angiogenesis, and destruction of the extracellular matrix. The anomaly is considered a degenerative eye disease and is erroneously confused with cataract. It displays similar features to those of tumors, such as local invasion, metaplasia of epithelial cells, presence of oncogenic viruses (human papilloma virus), inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (e.g., p53), and loss of heterozygosity. The treatment of pterygium is based on factors such as the evolution and progression of the disease, risk factors, symptoms, and patient age. Considerations about the best technique for the surgical removal of pterygium remain controversial, and complications and recurrence are very common. The development of new surgical techniques and adjuvant drugs is thus necessary. This study aims to analyze and compare the frequency of the GSTT1 genotypes in relation to pterygium through statistical analyzes in order to build a genotypic profile for the Replicon patients. The genotypic profile of the GSTT1-null polymorphism in Goiânia showed no significant difference when the frequency of the null genotype was compared between the control and experimental groups. The null genotype was more frequent in the population studied. Furthermore, the GSTT1 genotype was not related to the analyzed risk factors for pterygium, namely gender, ethnicity, family history, occupational exposure, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes.

Spawning failure in Brycon amazonicus may be associated with ovulation and not with final oocyte maturation / A falha na desova de fêmeas de Brycon amazonicus pode estar relacionada com ovulação e não com a indução a maturação final dos ovócitos

Avaliaram-se os possíveis mecanismos envolvidos com a falha na desova de matrinxãs (Brycon amazonicus), submetidas à indução hormonal por extrato bruto de hipófise de carpa. Para tal, após a extrusão, os ovários foram coletados e analisados histomorfometricamente. Nas fêmeas que não desovaram (FNDs), a maioria dos ovócitos vitelogênicos remanescentes nos ovários atingiu a maturação final, apresentando quebra de vesícula germinativa, mas não foram ovulados (NOs). Consequentemente, estas fêmeas apresentaram frequências mais baixas de folículos pós ovulatórios (5%) quando comparadas com a que desovou (FD) (23%). Com relação aos NOs, os valores se inverteram e a frequência destes nas FNDs (21%) foi maior do que na FD (3%). Estes dados indicam que as falhas na desova desta espécie estão provavelmente relacionadas com a ovulação, uma vez que a maturação final dos ovócitos ocorre de forma similar tanto nas FNDs como na FD. Os dados sugerem que as substâncias que promovem a ovulação, como as prostaglandinas, podem aumentar o sucesso de desova em peixes reofílicos.

Consumo e digestibilidade aparente da matéria seca, proteína e energia bruta, e balanço de nitrogênio das silagens de cinco genótipos de milho / Consumption and apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and crude energy, and balance of nitrogen of silages of five maize genotypes

Quantificaram-se o consumo voluntário e a digestibilidade aparente da matéria seca, proteína bruta, energia bruta e balanço de nitrogênio das silagens de cinco genótipos de milho (HT01, HT47C, HT129, AG 5011 e BR 3123). Foram utilizados 15 carneiros alojados em gaiolas metabólicas para coleta total de fezes e urina. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente ao acaso com cinco tratamentos e seis repetiçöes. Näo foram observadas diferenças entre os genótipos quanto ao consumo e digestibilidade da MS, da EB e da PB (P>0,05). Os consumos de MS, EB e PB digestíveis e energia metabolizável também näo foram diferentes entre os híbridos (P>0,05). Quanto às relaçöes consumo de energia digestível/consumo de MS e consumo de energia metabolizável/consumo de MS, o genótipo AG5011 foi semelhante ao HT01 (P>0,05) e superior aos demais (P<0,05). Todos os tratamentos apresentaram balanço de nitrogênio positivo e näo diferiram entre si (P>0,05). Todos os genótipos produziram silagens de bom valor nutritivo, entretanto o genótipo AG5011 apresentou maior eficiência na utilizaçäo da energia (P<0,05).

Antinociceptive effect of meloxicam, in neurogenic and inflammatory nociceptive models in mice.

OBJECTIVE: The antinociceptive effect of the new cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor, meloxicam, given intraperitoneally (i.p.), was assessed in different models of chemical and thermal nociception in mice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analgesic effect was analysed using acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction (AA), formalin and capsaicin-induced licking, and hot-plate tests. RESULTS: The treatment of animals with meloxicam or diclofenac (2.8-94.3 micromol/kg, i.p. 30 min prior) caused graded and significant inhibition of AA, with mean ID50 values of 7.4 and 38.0 micromol/kg, respectively. At the ID50 level, meloxicam was about 5-fold more potent than diclofenac. In the formalin test, meloxicam or diclofenac (0.8-94.3 micromol/kg, i.p. 30 min prior) also caused significant inhibition of both the early (neurogenic pain) and the late (inflammatory pain) phases of formalin-induced licking. The calculated mean ID50 values for the early phase were: 7.1 and > 94.3 micromol/kg, while for the late phase they were 2.8 and 34.5 micromol/kg, respectively, for meloxicam and diclofenac. Meloxicam also caused significant inhibition of formalin-induced oedema (p < 0.05). Meloxicam and diclofenac (0.8-314.4 micromol/kg, i.p. 30min prior) produced significant and dose-related inhibition of neurogenic nociception caused by topical injection of capsaicin, with mean ID50 values of 4.0 and 47.4 micromol/kg, respectively, but were ineffective in the hot-plate model of nociception. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that meloxicam dose-dependently exhibited systemic antinociceptive action when assessed against neurogenic and inflammatory pain caused by acetic acid, formalin and capsaicin models. In contrast, when assessed in the hot-plate test, meloxicam had no significant effect. Thus, meloxicam and other COX-2 inhibitors might be useful for therapeutic intervention in the management of neurogenic and inflammatory pain.