Lidocaine administered at a continuous rate infusion does not impair left ventricular systolic and diastolic function of healthy rabbits sedated with midazolam.

Lidocaine is a versatile drug that not only provides local anesthesia, but also reduces anesthetic requirements of other agents and has antiarrhythmic, pro-kinetic, anti-inflammatory, antiendotoxemic and antioxidant effects. As it is a drug commonly used in critically ill patients, its safety from the cardiovascular system should be ensured. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a continuous rate infusion (CRI) of lidocaine on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function of healthy rabbits sedated with midazolam by use of transthoracic echocardiography. Ten New Zealand healthy rabbits were sedated with intramuscular midazolam (1 mg/kg) and enrolled in two experimental treatments (control or lidocaine). The control treatment (CT) comprised an intravenous bolus of 0.9% sodium chloride (0.05 mL/kg) followed by CRI at 5 mL/h, whereas the lidocaine treatment (LT) comprised a bolus of 2% lidocaine without epinephrine at 1 mg/kg followed by CRI at 50 µg/kg/minute. Echocardiographic and hemodynamic variables were studied. Variables were recorded at baseline (TB) and 20, 40 and 60 minutes following start of CRI (T20, T40 and T60, respectively). No differences were found between treatments. The results of this study demonstrate that a continuous rate infusion of lidocaine at 50 µg/kg/minute does not impair echocardiographic indices of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function of healthy rabbits sedated with midazolam.

Microwave assisted synthesis of N-arylphthalamic acids with hyperlipidemic activity.

A series of substituted N-arylphthalamic acids 3a-i has been synthesized by the reaction of phthalic anhydride 1 and aryl- or heterocyclic amines 2a-i, in the absence of solvents, in a domestic microwave oven. The formation of nine N-arylphthalamic acids was accomplished in 1-3 min giving excellent yields for compounds 3a-g, but moderate yield of compounds 3h and 3i, respectively. Compounds 3h and 3i are new. Interestingly, N-arylphthalamic acids 3a-i induced hyperlipidemia in Swiss white mice and also increased animals' body weight.

Synthesis and hypolipidemic activity of N-phthalimidomethyl tetra-O-acyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosides.

A facile synthesis of anomerically pure phthalimidomethyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl- and phthalimidomethyl 2,3-di-O-acetyl-4,6-di-O-benzoyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosides (6 and 9b) starting from N-hydroxymethylphthalimide and tri-O-acetyl-D-glucal is described. Compounds 3, 6, 8, 9a and 9b have been tested for their hypolipidemic activity in mice. All these compound showed significant reduction of plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Compound 9b has been found to possess the highest activity.

Changes in food consumption in Brazil.

Changes in eating habits have occurred in the last decades in several countries associated to demographic, economic, social and epidemiologic factors. In Brazil, the available data about food consumption are the result of Family Budget Surveys undertaken by Getúlio Vargas Foundation and IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) in 1961/1963 and 1987/88, respectively, and the National Study of Family Expenditure (ENDEF), carried out by IBGE during 1974/75. They reveal as principal tendencies the decreasing consumption of staple foodstuffs (beans, rice, manioc flour), pork meat, lard and butter, the replacement of bovine meat for chicken, and the increase in the consumption of eggs, milk products and vegetable oils. Based on these surveys, the intake of macronutrients in urban areas showed a decrease of carbohydrate and an increase of fat contribution as sources of calories, an increase in the consumption of animal protein in detriment of vegetable protein, and substitution of animal fats for vegetable fats. It was also observed an increase in the use of industrialized foodstuffs, directly related to income, leading to a greater diversity of foodstuffs and lower consumption of staple foods. Recent studies with adult and elderly population from the city of São Paulo show a reduction in the consumption of fatty and fried foods and sugar, and an increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables because of health concern. Studies that take into account the verified changes in eating habits and the new consumption tendencies, as well as their impact on nutritional and health conditions of the Brazilian urban population, are presently needed.

[Food consumption: in search of a multidisciplinary approach]. / Estudo do consumo alimentar: em busca de uma abordagem multidisciplinar.

Changes in eating habits have been observed in many countries in recent decades revealing the complexity of consumption models and their determining factors. Thus it is that the adoption of a multidisciplinary and comparative approach by which the various aspects of eating habits (economic, social, cultural and nutritional) may be assessed so as to permit the elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for these changes and their consequences in different socio-economic contexts, becomes even more necessary. The contributions of the various areas of knowledge to the study of the nutritional situation are here analysed and the approach to this theme in countries of the North and the South is discussed, as is, specifically, the situation in Brazil. Finally, the analysis of the consumption of food-stuffs on the basis of the notion of "food systems", within a historical perspective, is proposed. The various social agents (producers, distributors, consumers, State), their systems of logic, their strategies and the relationships which they establish among themselves over time are taken into account in such a way as to make possible an understanding of the process by which eating habits are constructed and developed.

[Evaluation of the prevalence of dental caries in school-children from an urban area of Southeastern Brazil]. / Avaliação da prevalência de cárie dentária em escolares de localidade urbana da região Sudeste do Brasil.

An epidemiologic survey of dental caries was undertaken in the town of Paulínia. S. Paulo state, south-eastern Brazil, in 1994, for the purpose of comparing the present prevalence with that registered during the previous study of 1980. The children examined numbered 1,416, were of both sexes and aged 7-14. Ten dentists, preciously trained, used DMF.T and DMF.S dental caries indexes. A level of prevalence of dental caries 67.8% below that of 1980 was found. Further, there had been an inversion of DMF.T index components. Whereas in 1980 the component caries was higher (69.5%), while the filing component prevailed (79.0%) in 1994. The missing tooth component has disappeared altogether in this recent survey.

[Use of fiber enriched biscuit in the treatment of chronic intestinal constipation]. / Uso de biscoito rico em fibras no tratamento da constipação intestinal crônica.

Fiber rich cereal brans have been used for the therapeutic treatment of intestinal constipation. To improve acceptability and routine use, cookies were produced from fresh corn pericarp containing 23.3% of dietary cookies. The therapeutic effect of such cookies on simple intestinal constipation was evaluated. 8 individuals with chronic intestinal constipation and without other gastrointestinal diseases were selected. Each individual was given two diets, each of them during a seven day period: first, "normal diet" and, second, "normal" diet supplemented with 100 g of the cookies, i.e., with an increase of 23 g of dietary fiber per day. The cookies produced an increase in the frequency of evacuation (from 0.27 to 0.81 times/day), in fecal weight (from 38.3 to 117.4 g of feces/day), in water content of the feces (from 29.1 to 91.0 g of water/day), in the dry matter of the feces (from 9.1 to 26.4 g/day), and in the fiber content of the feces (from 1.59 to 8.52 g/day). As the addition of the cookies to the diet promoted increases in all fecal parameters studied, they could be considered an option in the treatment of intestinal constipation.

Programa integrado de educaçäo e saúde escolar (PIESE): relato de uma experiência / Integrated program of education and school health (PIESE): report of an experience

Os autores têm como objetivo relatar a experiência desenvolvida no Centro de Saúde Escola de Paulínia - UNICAMP, com o Programa Integrado de Educaçäo e Saúde Escolar (PIESE), que desde 1983 vem atendendo todas as escolas de 1§ grau do município desenvolvendo atividades de Atençäo Médica, Saúde Bucal e Educaçäo em Saúde realizadas por uma equipe multiprofissional do serviço

[Meningomyeloradiculitis caused by Schistosoma mansoni. Research protocol and report of 21 cases]. / Meningomielorradiculite por Schistosoma mansoni. Protocolo de investigação e registro de 21 casos.

Twenty one cases of schistosomal meningomyeloradiculopathy due to Schistosoma mansoni are reported. This result was attained after a 4- year research period based on a "Clinical and Laboratory Investigation Protocol" applied on 212 patients in Itabuna, a city of Southeast region of Bahia state in the Northeast of Brazil. This region is a non endemic one for schistosomiasis. The Protocol consisted in leading to investigation every patient that presented a clinical triad characterized by: lumbar pain, paresthesias in the inferior limbs, miction difficulties. Diagnostic criteria were based on clinical neurologic signs, presence of Schistosoma mansoni eggs on feces or rectum biopsy, positive immunofluorescence reaction for schistosomiasis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the inflammatory CSF characteristics, and an exhaustive research for differential diagnosis. The diagnosis has been essentially based on clinical and laboratory data, not having for any of the cases an histopathological study. The treatment was performed the earliest as possible, and corticosteroids associated to oxaminiquine were used for all cases. The patients were studied as to sex, age, profession, city of origin, initial symptoms, laboratory tests related to schistosomiasis, the onset type of neurologic clinical symptoms and several CSF aspects. Treatment beginning was related with time of disease. Clinical evolution and sequelae were analysed. Abdominal contractions were observed in 10 cases several hours before the clinical picture had been clearly presented. Clinical diagnosis is justified since it is performed under severe clinical and laboratory evidences, as well as an accurate search for differential diagnosis. The authors think that the schistosomal meningomyeloradiculopathy is a well defined nosological entity by its neurological picture, as also from the pathological point of view. Finally, the authors suggest to neurological services of the country the planning and application of similar or even more detailed Protocol in order to obtain an early diagnosis and treatment for the disease, preventing so irreversible damages and sequelae very harmful for the patients in their social life.