Determinação de ácido rosmarínico em Cordia verbenacea por cromatografia líquida: aplicabilidade em estudo sazonal / Determination of rosmarinic acid in Cordia verbenacea by liquid chromatography: applicability in seasonal study

RESUMO Neste estudo, uma técnica de cromatografia líquida de alta resolução em fase reversa (CLAE-FR) para a determinação de ácido rosmarínico em Cordia verbenacea foi desenvolvida e validada. A análise de regressão foi avaliada, com observação de uma boa linearidade (r = 0,9997). Os valores obtidos para a precisão e exatidão estão de acordo com as diretrizes do ICH e com a legislação brasileira. Os valores de repetibilidade e precisão intermediária foram 2,79% e 4,76%, respectivamente. Os limites de detecção e de quantificação de ácido rosmarínico foram de 1,92 µg/mL e 5,81 µg/mL, respectivamente. Os resultados mostraram que o método desenvolvido é uma técnica por CLAE-FR de confiança para a determinação de ácido rosmarínico em tintura de C. verbenacea. Além disso, essa metodologia foi aplicada em estudo sazonal, que revela uma correlação positiva relativamente forte entre o período de chuvas e o teor de ácido rosmarínico.

ABSTRACT In this study, a reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) technique for determination of rosmarinic acid in the Cordia verbenacea was developed and validated. A regression analysis was performed, with the observation of good linearity (r =0.999949). The values obtained for precision and accuracy determination are in agreement with ICH guidelines and the Brazilian legislation. The values of repeatability and intermediate precision were 2.79% and 4.76%, respectively. The detection and the quantitation limits of the rosmarinic acid were 1.92 µg/mL and 5.81 µg/mL, respectively. The results demonstrated that the developed method is a reliable RP-HPLC technique for the determination of rosmarinic acid in C. verbenacea tincture. In addition, this methodology was applied at a seasonal study indicating relatively strong positive correlation between the rain period and the rosmarinic acid content.

[Cerebrovascular diseases in patients aged 15 to 40 years: neuropathological findings in 47 cases]. / Doenças cerebrovasculares em pacientes entre 15 e 40 anos: achados neuropatológicos em 47 casos.

Cerebrovascular diseases in patients between 15 and 40 years old are not a frequent subject in Latin-American literature, especially when focusing on neuropathology. We analyzed 47 brains from necropsies performed from 1987 to 1997 and selected on a basis of age and the presence of vascular pathology. From the 47 analyzed brains, 26 belonged to females (55.3%). When distributed among age groups, 12.8% (n=6) affected patients from 15 to 20 yo, 51,1% (n=24) from 21 to 30 yo, 36,2% (n=17) from 31 to 40 yo. The underlying diseases were: cardiac and haemathologic (19.2%), pregnancy complications (12.76%), infections, diseases of blood vessels and neurological (10.1% each) amongst others. The neuropathological abnormalities included cerebral and/or cerebellar herniation (16%), cerebral edema (13.8%), subarachnoid hemorrhage (10%), recent cerebral infarction (9%), intraparenchymatous hemorrhage (8.14%), hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (3%) and other events such as Sneddon syndrome and Lupus vasculitis. These findings express that the cerebrovascular phenomena in this age group are unique and closely related with the underlying disease.

[Ependymomas: Clinical, epidemiological and clinico-pathological findings of 22 cases]. / Ependimomas. Achados clínicos, epidemiológicos e anatomopatológicos de 22 casos.

Ependymomas are composed of neoplastic ependymal cells, affecting mainly children and young adults. We report the clinical and pathological findings of 22 cases of ependymomas. Fourteen patients were males and 8 were females. The ages ranged between 1 and 58 years, with a mean of 24.63 years. The symptoms reflected the growth and topography of the tumours; muscle weakness (59.1%), gait disorders (36.3%), sensitive disorders (36.3%), hyperreflexia and intracranial hypertension syndrome were the most frequent symptoms. Ten tumours affected the medulla, 7 the cerebral hemispheres, 2 the cerebral ventricles and 1 brain stem. Seven patients were submitted total resection of the tumor, from which one received adjuvant radiotherapy. 15 other patients were submitted to partial resection; from which 4 received adjuvant radiotherapy, 3 adjuvant chemotherapy and 1 chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The recurrence rate was 18.2%. These results are similar with the literature and may contribute to further understanding the biological behavior of these tumours.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: which electrodiagnostic path should we follow? A prospective study of 100 consecutive patients.

We prospectively studied 100 consecutive patients (200 hands) sent to our Neurophysiopathology Service for a suspected Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (C.T.S.). We performed 6 different motor and sensitive electrodiagnostic tests on both hands of each patients and on 25 healthy subjects. We calculated the sensibility and the specificity of each test by comparing each parameter with all the other ones, and then, again, using the clinical evaluation as a "gold standard". The routinely performed tests proved to have a high sensibility in detecting C.T.S., nevertheless, sometimes they do not give a definite response. In these cases we suggest to carry out the neurophysiological examination by performing some of the newly proposed tests. We end our study by drawing a "flow-chart", which considers reliability, sensibility, difficulty in performing and/or evaluating, and discomfort for patients, of each test; by this we would give a guide and a practical aid in determining the electrophysiological path for C.T.S. diagnosis.