Diene Valepotriates from Valeriana glechomifolia Prevent Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Sickness and Depressive-Like Behavior in Mice.

Valeriana glechomifolia, a native species from southern Brazil, presents antidepressant-like activity and diene valepotriates (VAL) contribute to the pharmacological properties of the genus. It is known that depression can develop on an inflammation background in vulnerable patients and antidepressants present anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated the effects of VAL (10 mg/kg, p.o.) on sickness and depressive-like behaviors as well as proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß and TNF-α) and BDNF expression in the cortex of mice exposed to a 5 min swimming session (as a stressful stimulus) 30 min before the E. coli LPS injection (600 µg/kg, i.p.). The forced swim + LPS induced sickness and depressive-like behaviors, increased the cortical expression of IL-1ß and TNF-α, and decreased BDNF expression. VAL was orally administered to mice 1 h before (pretreatment) or 5 h after (posttreatment) E. coli LPS injection. The pretreatment with VAL restored the behavioral alterations and the expression of cortical proinflammatory cytokines in LPS-injected animals but had no effects on BDNF expression, while the posttreatment rescued only behavioral alterations. Our results demonstrate for the first time the positive effects of VAL in an experimental model of depression associated with inflammation, providing new data on the range of action of these molecules.

Comparison of iPTH values in serum and plasma samples depending on the time and temperature in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Renal osteodystrophy is a systemic disorder associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with abnormal values of biochemical parameters related to bone and mineral metabolism. Assessing renal osteodystrophy subtypes is especially important for diagnostic and therapeutic decision. Management of these disorders includes monitoring of homeostasis of calcium, phosphorus and parathormone (PTH). PTH is a significant regulator of mineral balance and it´s level is used as a surrogate biomarker for the type of underlying renal osteodystrophy. Worldwide, nephrologists rely on KDIGO - Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, Prevention, and Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease - Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD) to maintain PTH levels within defined narrow range of optimal values for each stage of CKD and adjust such PTH - lowering treatments as active vitamin D sterols or calcimimetics accordingly. PTH is rapidly degraded in vivo, with half life of 5 minutes and it is also unstable in blood samples. Values can differ significantly when samples are not collected in a standard way and when recommended conditions for transport and sample processing are not followed. It is also important to standardize pre-analytic conditions that may influence the variability in PTH results. The goal of the present study was to compare iPTH stability in serum and plasma samples and evaluate possible pre-analytic errors in sample collection, effect of temperature during transportat and storing prior to analysis (Tab. 1, Fig. 1, Ref. 5).

Dados químicos e farmacológicos sobre as plantas utilizadas como medicinais pela comunidade do bairro Ponta Grossa, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul / Chemical and pharmacologic data on medicinal plants used by the community of the Ponta Grossa neighborhood, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

A partir do levantamento das plantas utilizadas como medicinais por moradores e Agentes Comunitários de Saúde, do Posto de Saúde da Família do bairro Ponta Grossa, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, foram selecionadas as dez espécies mais importantes para a comunidade. Para estas espécies foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica, buscando estudos sobre sua constituição química e atividade farmacológica. Para todas as espécies foram encontrados dados químicos e para nove delas dados de atividade farmacológica. Foram encontrados estudos clínicos para quatro espécies e usos terapêuticos aprovados por organismos internacionais para três espécies. Efeitos adversos foram encontrados, na literatura, para cinco das dez espécies pesquisadas e para seis destas, o uso durante a gestação é desaconselhado.

The ten most important species among all plants used as medicinal by the residents and Communitary Agents of Health from the Family Health Office of Ponta Grossa neighborhood, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil were selected. A bibliographical review for these species was accomplished, finding studies about the chemical constitution for all species and some pharmacologic activity for nine of them. Clinical studies for four species and therapeutic uses approved by international organisms for three species were found. It was verified that according to the literature, adverse effects for five of the ten researched species and for six of these the use is dissuaded during the gestation.

Clinical symptoms and complications of pars planitis in childhood.

UNLABELLED: Pars planitis is the idiopathic form of intermediate uveitis; it most commonly affects persons between 5 and 40 years of age. In childhood, the disease is largely asymptomatic until in a well advanced stage with markedly reduced vision. Lack of early diagnosis and treatment may lead to permanent visual loss and amblyopia. AIM: To report on the clinical symptoms, complications, treatment and visual outcome of pars planitis in childhood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients (8 boys and 2 girls) all younger than 16 years were diagnosed with and treated for pars planitis at our clinic between January 1993 and August 2004.

The role of somatostatin analogues in complete antiandrogen treatment in patients with prostatic carcinoma.

Somatostatin analogues (SMS-A) have been found to inhibit the growth of experimental tumors, as of prostate cancer, via several mechanisms as antihormonal and direct antimitogenic actions. It was demonstrated also that several SMS-A induce greater prostatic tumor regression with more pronounced histological changes if combined with LHRH analogues or in association with complete androgen blockade (CAB). In a phase II clinical trial we administered, in addition to CAB, SMS-A octreotide in 14 patients with stage D2 (group B) prostate cancer-8 previously hormonally treated (PHT) and 6 without any previous hormone treatment (NPHT); 4 other patients, 3 NPHT and one PHT, were treated with CAB only (group A). Antiandrogen and antitumoral activity followed assaying a) plasma testosterone b) prostatic specific antigen (PSA) c) prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) levels and d) objective (o) and subjective (s) clinical improvement according to WHO criteria. Somatostatin activity was evaluated assaying Insulin like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF). In group B we observed 3 responses, with the best quality of response (oPR/sCR) among the 6 NPHT-patients (50%) and 3 responses among the PHT-patients (37,5%), two of them with an incomplete PHT. In group A, 2 out of 3 NPHT-patients had a response (oPR/sPR). Among group B patients we observed long symptom-free survival, when they responded (17 months), in comparison to group A patients (12 months), but almost the same total duration of survival in the two groups, 18.5 and 18 months, respectively. EGF and IGF-1 serum levels showed a distinct drop parallel to the decrease of PSA serum levels, among the patients with response vs. nonrespondent patients of group B during the treatment. Although our results showed that octreotide in small doses, in addition to CAB, having mild toxicity, enhance number, quality and perhaps the duration of symptom-free responses in patients with stage 2 prostate cancer, the therapeutic efficacy of this combined treatment remains to be ascertained in wider and better randomized clinical trials.

[Blind insertion of a peritoneal catheter in continuous peritoneal dialysis therapy]. / Zavádzanie peritoneálneho katétra metódou na slepo v liecbe kontinuálnou peritoneálnou dialýzou (CAPD).

Insertion of the peritoneal catheter is most important for peritoneal continual dialysis. Various techniques described in the literature do not indicate an unequivocal preference of methods and the blind method used by the authors makes it possible to perform the procedure safely by a team of experienced well trained nephrologists and specialists in internal medicine.