Development of ibuprofen-loaded electrospun materials suitable for surgical implantation in peripheral nerve injury.

The development of nerve wraps for use in the repair of peripheral nerves has shown promise over recent years. A pharmacological effect to improve regeneration may be achieved by loading such materials with therapeutic agents, for example ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with neuroregenerative properties. In this study, four commercially available polymers (polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL) and two co-polymers containing different ratios of PLA to PCL) were used to fabricate ibuprofen-loaded nerve wraps using blend electrospinning. In vitro surgical handling experiments identified a formulation containing a PLA/PCL 70/30 molar ratio co-polymer as the most suitable for in vivo implantation. In a rat model, ibuprofen released from electrospun materials significantly improved the rate of axonal growth and sensory recovery over a 21-day recovery period following a sciatic nerve crush. Furthermore, RT-qPCR analysis of nerve segments revealed that the anti-inflammatory and neurotrophic effects of ibuprofen may still be observed 21 days after implantation. This suggests that the formulation developed in this work could have potential to improve nerve regeneration in vivo.

Stage-independent biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease from the living retina: an animal study.

The early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders is still an open issue despite the many efforts to address this problem. In particular, Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains undiagnosed for over a decade before the first symptoms. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is now common and widely available and has been used to image the retina of AD patients and healthy controls to search for biomarkers of neurodegeneration. However, early diagnosis tools would need to rely on images of patients in early AD stages, which are not available due to late diagnosis. To shed light on how to overcome this obstacle, we resort to 57 wild-type mice and 57 triple-transgenic mouse model of AD to train a network with mice aged 3, 4, and 8 months and classify mice at the ages of 1, 2, and 12 months. To this end, we computed fundus images from OCT data and trained a convolution neural network (CNN) to classify those into the wild-type or transgenic group. CNN performance accuracy ranged from 80 to 88% for mice out of the training group's age, raising the possibility of diagnosing AD before the first symptoms through the non-invasive imaging of the retina.

Electrospun oral formulations for combined photo-chemotherapy of colon cancer.

In this work, we report new formulations for the combined photo-chemotherapy of colon cancer. Fibers were fabricated via coaxial-electrospinning with the intent of targeting delivery of the anti-cancer drug carmofur (CAR) and the photosensitizer rose bengal (RB) selectively to the colon site. The fibers comprised a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) core loaded with the active ingredients, and a pH-sensitive Eudragit L100-55 shell. The fibers were found to be homogeneous and cylindrical and have visible core-shell structures. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that both CAR and RB were present in the fibers in the amorphous physical form. In vitro drug release studies showed that the fibers have the potential to selectively deliver drugs to the colon, with only 10-15 % release noted in the acidic conditions of the stomach but sustained release at pH 7.4. Cytotoxicity studies were undertaken on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and colon cancer (Caco-2) cells, and the influence of light on cell death was also explored. The fibers loaded with CAR alone showed obvious toxicity to both cell lines, with and without the application of light. The RB-loaded fibers led to high viability (ca. 80% for both cell types) in the absence of light, but much greater toxicity was noted (30-50%) with light. The same trends were observed with the formulation containing both CAR and RB, but with lower viabilities. The RB and RB/CAR loaded systems show clear selectivity for cancerous over non-cancerous cells. Finally, mucoadhesion studies revealed there were strong adhesive forces between the rat colonic mucosa and the fibers after they had passed through an acidic environment. Such electrospun fibers thus could have potential in the development of oral therapies for colon cancer.

Chloramidine/Bisindolylmaleimide-I-Mediated Inhibition of Exosome and Microvesicle Release and Enhanced Efficacy of Cancer Chemotherapy.

Microvesicle (MV) release from tumour cells influences drug retention, contributing to cancer drug resistance. Strategically regulating MV release may increase drug retention within cancer cells and allow for lower doses of chemotherapeutic drugs. The contribution of exosomes to drug retention still remains unknown. Potential exosome and MV (EMV) biogenesis inhibitors, tested on human prostate cancer (PC3) cells for their capacity to inhibit EMV release, were also tested on PC3 and MCF-7 (breast cancer) cells for improving chemotherapy. Agents inhibiting EMV release most significantly, whilst maintaining cell viability, were chloramidine (Cl-amidine; 50 µM) and bisindolylmaleimide-I (10 µM). Apoptosis mediated by the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was significantly enhanced in PC3 cells in the presence of both these EMV inhibitors, resulting in a 62% (Cl-amidine + 5-FU) and 59% (bisindolylmaleimide-I + 5-FU) decrease in numbers of viable PC3 cells compared to 5-FU alone after 24 h. For MCF-7 cells, there were similar increased reductions of viable cells compared to 5-FU treatment alone ranging from 67% (Cl-amidine + 5-FU) to 58% (bisindolylmaleimide-I + 5-FU). Using combinatory treatment, the two EMV inhibitors further reduced the number of viable cancer cells tested. Neither inhibitor affected cell viability. Combining selected EMV inhibitors may pose as a novel strategy to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drug-mediated apoptosis.

Tau Deletion Prevents Stress-Induced Dendritic Atrophy in Prefrontal Cortex: Role of Synaptic Mitochondria.

Tau protein in dendrites and synapses has been recently implicated in synaptic degeneration and neuronal malfunction. Chronic stress, a well-known inducer of neuronal/synaptic atrophy, triggers hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein and cognitive deficits. However, the cause-effect relationship between these events remains to be established. To test the involvement of Tau in stress-induced impairments of cognition, we investigated the impact of stress on cognitive behavior, neuronal structure, and the synaptic proteome in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of Tau knock-out (Tau-KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. Whereas exposure to chronic stress resulted in atrophy of apical dendrites and spine loss in PFC neurons as well as significant impairments in working memory in WT mice, such changes were absent in Tau-KO animals. Quantitative proteomic analysis of PFC synaptosomal fractions, combined with transmission electron microscopy analysis, suggested a prominent role for mitochondria in the regulation of the effects of stress. Specifically, chronically stressed animals exhibit Tau-dependent alterations in the levels of proteins involved in mitochondrial transport and oxidative phosphorylation as well as in the synaptic localization of mitochondria in PFC. These findings provide evidence for a causal role of Tau in mediating stress-elicited neuronal atrophy and cognitive impairment and indicate that Tau may exert its effects through synaptic mitochondria.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts in grape varieties of the São Francisco Valley.

The aims of this work was to characterise indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains in the naturally fermented juice of grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Tempranillo, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo used in the São Francisco River Valley, northeastern Brazil. In this study, 155 S. cerevisiae and 60 non-Saccharomyces yeasts were isolated and identified using physiological tests and sequencing of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit of the rRNA gene. Among the non-Saccharomyces species, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was the most common species, followed by Pichia kudriavzevii, Candida parapsilosis, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Kloeckera apis, P. manshurica, C. orthopsilosis and C. zemplinina. The population counts of these yeasts ranged among 1.0 to 19 × 10(5) cfu/mL. A total of 155 isolates of S. cerevisiae were compared by mitochondrial DNA restriction analysis, and five molecular mitochondrial DNA restriction profiles were detected. Indigenous strains of S. cerevisiae isolated from grapes of the São Francisco Valley can be further tested as potential starters for wine production.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts in grape varieties of the São Francisco Valley

The aims of this work was to characterise indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains in the naturally fermented juice of grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Tempranillo, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo used in the São Francisco River Valley, northeastern Brazil. In this study, 155 S. cerevisiae and 60 non-Saccharomyces yeasts were isolated and identified using physiological tests and sequencing of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit of the rRNA gene. Among the non-Saccharomyces species, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was the most common species, followed by Pichia kudriavzevii, Candida parapsilosis, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Kloeckera apis, P. manshurica, C. orthopsilosis and C. zemplinina. The population counts of these yeasts ranged among 1.0 to 19 x 10(5) cfu/mL. A total of 155 isolates of S. cerevisiae were compared by mitochondrial DNA restriction analysis, and five molecular mitochondrial DNA restriction profiles were detected. Indigenous strains of S. cerevisiae isolated from grapes of the São Francisco Valley can be further tested as potential starters for wine production.

Evaluation of the hepatotoxicity of Abarema cochliacarpos extracts in mice Mus musculus

Abarema cochliacarpos (Gomes) Barneby & J.W. Grimes, Fabaceae, is a native species of Brazil popularly known as "barbatimão", frequently found along the north coast of the state of Bahia. Local communities make an infusion from its stem bark, which is used to treat several diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of A. cochliacarpos extracts in mice Mus musculus. The bark infusion and hydroalcoholic extract were administered nasogastrically into two groups of eight animals (four male and four female each). After 45 days all mice were killed and the livers were collected for further histological analysis. Hepatic steatosis, congestion of the hepatic vessels and medicinal plantspresence of macrophages and lymphocytes infiltrates in the liver, were observed in both steatosis group of animals, additionally animals that received the stem bark infusion presented an accumulation of pigments. None of the animals belonging to the negative control group showed any of the symptoms described above. In conclusion, the hydroalcoholic extract and infusion of A. cochliacarpos stem bark were proven to cause intoxication in mice. The hepatotoxicity of the infusion was more aggressive in females. Further studies are necessary to isolate compounds responsible for the toxic characteristics of A. cochliacarpos.

Biological activity of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii from clinical and environmental isolates / Atividade biológica de Cryptococcus neoformans e Cryptococcus gattii provenientes de isolados clínicos e ambientais

INTRODUCTION: Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are encapsulated basidiomycetous yeasts with worldwide distribution. They cause cryptococcosis with features of systemic infection, affecting the central nervous system, lungs and skin in humans and animals. These fungi present numerous virulence factors that allow them to invade the host and multiply, among which extracellular enzyme capacity and microbial adaptation to different temperatures are worth mentioning. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the production of protease and investigate possible differences in thermotolerance and urease activity in clinical and environmental yeast isolates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Culture methods and Pz analysis were applied to assess urease and protease, whereas the optical density method was used to analyze biological activity in thermotolerance. RESULTS: There was no significant results as to microbial growth at the tested temperatures (25º, 37º and 42ºC). It was observed that clinical specimens grew better than environmental ones at elevated temperatures. As to C. neoformans, the moderate production of urease enzyme prevailed in both clinical and environmental isolates within 24h or 48h. Moreover, there was significant production on the seventh day of reading. The best reading time for viewing protease production in both isolates and species was the seventh day: 96% clinical samples and 94% environmental isolates. CONCLUSION: Further studies are required in order to investigate the virulence factors of C. neoformans and C. gattii cerebrospinal isolates from patients with meningoencephalitis and environmental samples from Sergipe. Furthermore, a higher technical accuracy and statistical precision are indispensable.

INTRODUÇÃO: Cryptococcus neoformans e Cryptococcus gattii são leveduras encapsuladas basidiomicéticas com distribuição mundial. Causam criptococose com características de infecção sistêmica, afetando o sistema nervoso central, pulmão e pele em humanos e animais. Esses fungos possuem inúmeros fatores de virulência que permitem invadir o hospedeiro e se multiplicar, entre eles destacam-se a capacidade enzimática extracelular e a adaptação microbiana a diversas temperaturas. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a produção de proteinase por essas leveduras, de isolados clínicos e ambientais, além de verificar possíveis diferenças na termotolerância e na atividade da urease. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Para urease e proteinase, foi utilizado o sistema de cultivo e análise Pz. Já para atividade biológica em termotolerância, foi analisado o método de densidade óptica. RESULTADOS: Não há resultado significativo no crescimento, mesmo nas temperaturas testadas (25º, 37º e 42ºC). Foi verificado que, em temperaturas elevadas, as amostras clínicas cresceram melhor que as ambientais. Para C. neoformans, tanto nos isolados ambientais como nos clínicos, em 24h ou 48h, prevaleceu a produção moderada da enzima urease. Já no sétimo dia de leitura, houve produção significativa. O melhor tempo de leitura para visualização da produção de proteinase em ambos isolados e espécies foi no sétimo dia, sendo: 96% amostras clínicas e 94% ambientais. CONCLUSÃO: São necessários novos estudos acerca da determinação dos fatores de virulência de C. neoformans e C. gattii isolados de liquor oriundos de pacientes com meningoencefalite e amostras ambientais em Sergipe, além de maior acuidade técnica e precisão estatística dos resultados.

Perfil microbiológico de carnes bovinas in natura comercializadas em feiras livres / Microbiological profile of fresh beef commercialized in street markets

Nas feiras livres, onde geralmente não há inspeção rigorosa pela vigilância sanitária, os alimentos de origem animal bem como seis subprodutos são sujeitos à ação direta de micro-organismos patogênicos ou não, provenientes de precárias condições higiênico-sanitárias nos locais de comercialização. Diante disto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade microbiológica de carnes bovinas in natura comercializadas em 27 feiras livres.

Spoligotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates from patients residents of 11 states of Brazil.

One of the high tuberculosis (TB) incidence countries in the world, Brazil is characterized by considerable differences in TB incidence on regional and state level. In the present study, we describe Brazilian spoligotypes of 1991 Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) clinical isolates from patients residents of 11 states from different regions of the country, diagnosed between 1996 and 2005. By performing spoligotyping on a large number of M. tuberculosis clinical isolates, one of the main objectives of this study was to determine the major genotype families causing TB in Brazil and to verify the region-associated genotype distribution. We observed a total of 577 distinct spoligopatterns, 12.6% of these corresponded to orphan patterns while 87.4% belonged to 326 shared-types (SITs). Among the latter, 86 SITs (isolated from 178 patients) had been observed for the first time in this study, the most frequent being SIT2517 which belonged to the T3-ETH lineage and was exclusively found among patients residents of Belém, the capital of the state of Pará (n=8 isolates). Irrespective of shared-type labeling, a total of 19.5% strains were unique (unclustered) in our study as opposed to 80.5% clustered isolates (189 clusters, size range from 2 to 205 isolates). The three largest clusters were SIT42 of the Latin-America & Mediterranean (LAM) 9 clade (10.3%), SIT53 of the T clade (7.6%), and SIT50 of the Haarlem clade (5.4%). The predominant MTC lineages in Brazil in decreasing order belonged to the LAM (46%); the ill-defined T (18.6%); the Haarlem (12.2%), the X (4.7%), the S (1.9%), and the East African Indian (EAI) (0.85%) families. The rest of clades grouped together as Mycobacterium africanum, Mycobacterium bovis, Beijing, Central Asian (CAS), and the Manu types, represented less than 1% of the strains. Finally, about 15% of the isolates showed spoligotype signatures that were not yet classified among well-defined lineages. In conclusion, we provide hereby a first insight into the population structure of MTC isolates in Brazil, showing the predominance of both LAM and T family and the existence of region-associated genotypes.

Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis analysis and exoenzymatic activity of Candida albicans strains isolated from women with vaginal candidiasis.

Twenty-eight Candida albicans strains obtained from women with vaginal candidiasis were tested for phospholipase and proteinase production and clustered by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE). The proteolytic and phospholipidic activity were considered moderate (0.56 ± 0.12 mm and 0.53 ± 0.09 mm, respectively) for all isolates. The isoenzymes malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) showed strong intra-specific discriminatory power. The numerical and genetic interpretation of the bands produced by the isoenzymes tested presented similar discriminatory power. The genetic diversity of the isolates was measured by allelic and genic frequency, perceptual index of polymorphic loci (P = 87.5%), average number of alleles per locus, average number of alleles per polymorphic locus, average heterozygosity observed and average heterozygosity expected. We verified that three isoenzymatic loci (Adh, Gdh and Sdh-2) were not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. A dendrogram constructed based on the genetic distance matrix of Nei showed seven clusters; 57.15% (16) of the isolates were considered highly related or indistinguishable, and 42.85% were considered moderately related or unrelated. We did not find a relationship between the clusters and the exoenzymes production.

Enterococcus faecalis em retratamentos endodônticos e em casos de infecção primária associados à periodontite apical assintomática / Enterococcus faecalis in root-filled teeth and primary endodontic infection associated with apical periodontitis

Objetivo: investigou-se a presença de Enterococcus faecalis em 25 dentes submetidos à retratamento endodôntico e em 10 casos com infecção endodôntica primária, ambos associados à periodontite apical assintomática. Realizou-se a coleta microbiológica e análise dos isolados clínicos por método de cultura tradicional e sistema automatizado. Dos 25 casos de retratamento, 18 apresentaram E. faecalis. Nos 10 casos de infecção primária, dois apresentaram o microrganismo. O percentual de ocorrência de E. faecalis foi mais elevado nos dentes submetidos à retratamento (72%) que nos casos de infecção endodôntica primária (20%). No entanto, para melhor entender o papel desse microganismo na infecção endodôntica, mais casos de infecção primária e de retratamento sem evidência de periodontite apical devem ser investigados, para que de fato se esclareça a importância do E. faecalis no insucesso endodôntico.

The aim of this study was investigate the presence of E. faecalis in samples obtained from 25 previously root-filled teeth and 10 cases of primary endodontic infection, both of which were asymptomatic apical periodontitis. Microbiological sampling was carried out, than the samples were analyzed by conventional culture methods and Micro-Scan Gram-positive identification panel. Results showed that of the 25 cases of previously root-filled teeth, E. faecalis occurred in 18, and in 10 cases of primary endodontic infection, E. faecalis occurred in two teeth. The data of this investigation showed a higher occurrence of E. faecalis in root-filled teeth (72%) compared with cases primary endodontic infection (20%). However, to better understanding the role of bacteria in endodontic infection, most cases of primary infection and re-treatment without evidence of apical periodontitis should be investigated, so that in fact makes clear the importance of E. faecalis in endodontic failure.

Identification of yeasts isolated from the pulp in nature and the production of homemade "umbu" wine

The goal of this work was to select strains of fermentation yeasts and test them in a small-scale production of " umbu" fruit wine. The fruits were collected in N. Sra da Glória city in Sergipe, Brazil. The fruit pulp was diluted and aliquots were inoculated on YMA plates. The yeasts strains were submitted to fermentation using "umbu" fruit juice as substrate, exception with to those strains of species related to pathological processes. The yeasts tested produced a beverage characterized between dry to light due to its alcoholic content with very nice taste, translucent appearance, of green to light yellow color.

As leveduras são essenciais na fabricação de bebidas alcoólicas devido a sua alta capacidade de fermentação. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi selecionar linhagens de leveduras fermentadoras e testá-las na produção de vinho semi-artesanal. Os frutos foram coletados em Nossa Senhora da Glória - SE, Brasil. A polpa foi diluída e alíquotas foram inoculadas em placas contendo YMA. Após essa etapa foi realizadas a seleção, purificação e identificação dos morfotipos. As leveduras foram posteriormente submetidas ao teste de fermentação, excetuando-se aquelas relacionadas a processos patológicos, As leveduras testadas produziram vinhos com teor alcoólico que os caracterizaram entre seco e suave, sabor e aparência agradáveis, translúcidos, e cor intermediária entre o verde e o amarelo claro.

Atividade antimicrobiana dos óleos essenciais: uma abordagem multifatorial dos métodos / Antimicrobial activity of the essentials oils: a multifactor approach of the methods

Os dados obtidos na literatura sobre a atividade antimicrobiana dos óleos essenciais são tratados do ponto de vista experimental, considerando-se uma possível aplicação clínica dos óleos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar os fatores que influenciam na atividade antimicrobiana de óleos essenciais, in vitro, com base nos resultados descritos na literatura. Foi verificado que os testes e avaliações da atividade antimicrobiana dos óleos essenciais podem ser dificultados pela volatilidade do óleo, sua insolubilidade em água e sua complexidade química. Tais dificuldades tornam os resultados disponíveis na literatura, difíceis de comparar. Por outro lado, os métodos usados diferem largamente e fatores importantes que influenciam os resultados são freqüentemente negligenciados. Assim, após breve levantamento, concluiu-se que alguns fatores devem ser levados em consideração, tais como: a técnica usada, o meio de cultura, densidade do inóculo, o óleo essencial e o emulsificador utilizado. Portanto, para a realização de testes que visam verificar a atividade antimicrobiana de óleos essenciais, é necessário definir e adotar uma metodologia adequada e bem padronizada.

The given data of the literature on the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils are treated from the experimental point of view, and they consider a possible clinical application of the oils. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that can influence on antimicrobial activity of essential oils, in vitro, based on preview data from literature. We noticed that the tests and evaluations of the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils can be hindered by the volatility of the oil, its insolubility in water and its chemistry complexity. These details make the results obtained on literature difficult to compare. The used methods differ broadly and important factors that influence the results are frequently neglectful. After a bibliographical rising, we concluded that a large attention should be given to some factors when we work with essential oils: the used technique, the growth medium, the inoculums density, the tested essential oil and the used emulsifying. Its necessary to define and follow a right and standard methodology to make antimicrobial activity testes of essential oils.

Comparative study of smile analysis by subjective and computerized methods.

PURPOSE: This study compared: 1) the subjective analyses of a smile done by specialists with advanced training and by general dentists; 2) the subjective analysis of a smile, or that associated with the face, by specialists with advanced training and general dentists; 3) subjective analysis using a computerized analysis of the smile by specialists with advanced training, verifying the midline, labial line, smile line, the line between commissures and the golden proportion. METHODS: The sample consisted of 100 adults with natural dentition; 200 photographs were taken (100 of the smile and 100 of the entire face). Computerized analysis using AutoCAD software was performed, together with the subjective analyses of 2 groups of professionals (3 general dentists and 3 specialists with advanced training), using the following assessment factors: the midline, labial line, smile line, line between the commissures and the golden proportion. The smile itself and the smile associated with the entire face were recorded as being agreeable or not agreeable by the professionals. RESULTS: The McNemar test showed a highly significant difference (p=0.0000) among the subjective analyses performed by specialists compared to general dentists. Between the 2 groups of dental professionals, there were highly significant differences (p=0.0000) found between the subjective analyses of the smile and that of the face. The McNemar test showed statistical differences in all factors assessed, with the exception of the midline (p=0.1951), when the computerized analysis and subjective analysis of the specialists were compared. In order to establish harmony of the smile, it was not possible to establish a greater or lesser relevance among the factors analyzed.

Avaliação dos exames laboratoriais para o diagnóstico das meningites infecciosas no Estado de Sergipe, durante o período de 1977 a 2003 / Assessment of the laboratorial examinations for diagnosing infectious meningitis performed in the Sergipe state, during the period from 1997 to 2003

As meningites infecciosas continuam a ocorrer no país com alta incidência e elevados índices de mortalidade, apesar da existência de programas de prevenção da doença e dos avanços na tecnologia empregada na detecção dos microrganismos envolvidos. O exame laboratorial do líquido céfalorraquidiano (LCR) é a base para efetuar o diagnóstico e para introdução de tratamento eficaz ao paciente. Na rotina laboratorial, são utilizados para o diagnóstico: exame microscópico, cultura e pesquisa de antígeno. Visando conhecer a eficiência e a capacidade de resposta, bem como para efetuar a correlação das referidas técnicas laboratoriais com os dados clínicos, este trabalho investigou 510 fichas de registros de pacientes com suspeita de meningite, atendidos pelo Serviço Único de Saúde, que deram entrada no período de 1997 a 2003, no Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública no estado de Sergipe, no Instituto Parreiras Horta. Foi realizada a análise de freqüências absolutas dos testes utilizados no diagnóstico das meningites infecciosas. Os dados mostram uma diminuição, nos últimos anos, da porcentagem de confirmação de diagnóstico de meningite por meio de cultura, fato que pode ser observado em pesquisas realizadas em outros laboratórios do Brasil. Em contrapartida, verifica-se um aumento expressivo no número de paciente com meningites confirmado por meio de bacterioscopia, utilizando-se a coloraçãode Gram. Os resultados apresentados confirmam a importância do diagnóstico rápido e preciso que ofereça vantagens clínicas significativas para o emprego da terapia antimicrobiana adequada e acompanhamento da evolução da doença.

Candida sergipensis, a new asexual yeast species isolated from frozen pulps of tropical fruits.

Sixteen strains of the new yeast species Candida sergipensis have been isolated from frozen pulps of the tropical fruits umbú ( Spondias tuberosa Avr. Cam.) and mangaba ( Hancornia speciosa Gom.). Candida sergipensis was one of the prevalent species in the yeast community of these substrates. The new asexual ascomycetous yeast is phylogenetically related to Candida spandovensis and Candida sorbophila, species belonging to the Wickerhamiella clade, as evidenced by the sequences of the D1/D2 domains of their large subunit ribosomal DNAs. The species C. sergipensis and C. spandovensis can be separated on the basis of growth on 50% glucose agar, xylose and succinate, negative for the first species and positive for the second. The type culture is strain UFMG-R188 (CBS 9567).

Yeasts associated with fresh and frozen pulps of Brazilian tropical fruits.

The occurrence of yeasts on ripe fruits and frozen pulps of pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L), mangaba (Hancornia speciosa Gom.), umbu (Spondias tuberosa Avr. Cam.), and acerola (Malpighia glaba L) was verified. The incidence of proteolytic, pectinolytic, and mycocinogenic yeasts on these communities was also determined. A total of 480 colonies was isolated and grouped in 405 different strains. These corresponded to 42 ascomycetous and 28 basidiomycetous species. Candida sorbosivorans, Pseudozyma antarctica, C. spandovensis-like, C. spandovensis, Kloeckera apis, C. parapsilosis, Rhodotorula graminis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Cryptococcus laurentii, Metchnikowia sp (isolated only from pitanga ripe fruits), Issatchenkia occidentalis and C. krusei (isolated only from mangaba frozen pulps), were the most frequent species. The yeast communities from pitanga ripe fruits exhibited the highest frequency of species, followed by communities from acerola ripe fruits and mangaba frozen pulps. Yeast communities from frozen pulp and ripe fruits of umbu had the lowest number of species. Except the yeasts from pitanga, yeast communities from frozen pulp exhibited higher number of yeasts than ripe fruit communities. Mycocinogenic yeasts were found in all of the substrates studied except in communities from umbu ripe fruits and pitanga frozen pulps. Most of the yeasts found to produce mycocins were basidiomycetes and included P. antarctica, Cryptococcus albidus, C. bhutanensis-like, R. graminis and R. mucilaginosa-like from pitanga ripe fruits as well as black yeasts from pitanga and acerola ripe fruits. The umbu frozen pulps community had the highest frequency of proteolytic species. Yeasts able to hydrolyse casein at pH 5.0 represented 38.5% of the species isolated. Thirty-seven percent of yeast isolates were able to hydrolyse casein at pH 7.0. Pectinolytic yeasts were found in all of the communities studied, excepted for those of umbu frozen pulps. The highest frequency of pectinolytic activity was found in mangaba frozen pulp communities. Around 30% of all isolates produced pectinases. The ability to split arbutin was observed in all communities ranging from 8% in yeasts from pitanga frozen pulps to 40.6% in acerola ripe fruit communities. Among 432 species tested, 125 were active for beta-glucosidase production, and Kloeckera apis, P. antarctica, C. sorbosivorans, and C. spandovensis-like were the most active species.