Polymorphisms of leptin, beta-lactoglobulin and pituitary transcription factor have no effect on milk characteristics in crossbred cows / Polimorfismos da leptina, beta-lactoglobulina e fator de transcrição da hipófise não afetam as características do leite em vacas mestiças

O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar polimorfismos genéticos de leptina, ß-lactoglobulina e fator de transcrição pituitária (PIT1) e avaliar seus efeitos na composição química e na contagem de células somáticas de leite de vacas leiteiras mestiças que vivem em um clima quente. Um total de 291 vacas leiteiras mestiças foram investigadas. Foram coletadas amostras de sangue para extração de DNA e amostras de leite. As amostras foram classificadas em três grupos genéticos: 12/ (42), 34/ (83) e 78/ (166) Holandês x Guzerá. As frequências de alelos e genótipos foram determinadas e o equilíbrio Hardy-Weinberg foi avaliado. Foram realizadas análises da composição do leite (gordura, proteína, lactose e extracto seco desengordurado), contagem de células somáticas e rendimento leiteiro. Os grupos genéticos e os polimorfismos genéticos para cada gene foram utilizados como efeitos fixos na análise. O único polimorfismo encontrado em equilíbrio de Hardy-Weinberg foi para o genótipo da ß-lactoglobulina. No presente estudo, era esperado que a maioria das variáveis de composição variasse entre os genótipos. Já se sabe que os cruzamentos dão origem a animais com características fenotípicas e genotípicas. No entanto, os polimorfismos não influenciaram a composição e a qualidade do leite nas vacas 12/ , 34/ e 78/ Holstein x Guzerá mantidas em um clima quente.(AU)

Degradabilidade in situ do bagaço de cana-de-açúcar para pequenos ruminantes de raças naturalizadas do Nordeste brasileiro / In situ degradability of sugarcane bagasse for naturalized small ruminant breeds from the northeastern Brazil

Com o crescimento da indústria sucroalcooleira, buscam-se alternativas de uso dos resíduos gerados por ela. Os pequenos ruminantes de raças naturalizadas do Nordeste brasileiro mostram-se como grupos potenciais para que seja utilizado o bagaço de cana-de-açúcar (BCA) nas dietas. Nesse contexto, objetivou-se determinar a degradabilidade ruminal in situ da matéria seca (MS) e da fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) do BCA e os parâmetros ruminais em caprinos Moxotó e ovinos Morada Nova, fistulados no rúmen. Contidos em sacos de náilon, 3g de BCA foram incubados no rúmen nos tempos seis, 24 e 96 horas, determinando-se o conteúdo de MS e FDN nos resíduos obtidos. Nos tempos zero, seis e 12 horas após a primeira refeição, mediram-se no líquido ruminal pH e nitrogênio amoniacal (N-NH3) ruminal. O CMS não diferiu entre caprinos e ovinos. O potencial de máxima degradação da MS foi semelhante entre espécies, e da FDN foi superior em caprinos. Ovinos apresentaram maiores tempo de colonização, taxa de degradação e degradabilidade efetiva da MS e FDN. O pH não diferiu entre as espécies. Observou-se maior concentração de N-NH3 ruminal em caprinos, no tempo zero. Diante da maior velocidade de degradação da MS do BCA pelos ovinos, essa espécie se mostra detentora de uma microbiota ruminal com crescimento mais eficiente sobre o BCA.

With the increase of the sugar and alcohol industries, alternative uses for residue are sought, and the small ruminants from the naturalized breeds of northeastern Brazil are potential groups to make use of the sugarcane bagasse (SCB) in their diets. In this context, the objective was to determine the in situ degradability of dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of SCB and ruminal parameters in Moxotó goats and Morada Nova sheep rumen fistulated. Three grams of SCB were placed in naylon bags and incubated in the rumen at 6, 24 and 96 hours, and the residues analyzed for DM and NDF. Rumen fluid was collected at zero, 6 and 12 hours after the first meal and pH and ammonia nitrogen (N-NH3) were determined. DMI did not differ between goats and sheep. The maximum degradation potential of DM was similar between species and the A of NDF was higher in goats. Sheep had higher colonization time, rate of degradation and effective degradability of DM and NDF. The pH did not differ between species. The highest concentration of ruminal N-NH3in goats was at time zero. Given the higher rate of degradation of bagasse dry matter by sheep, this specie shows a more efficient rumen microbial growth on SCB.

Ocorrência de Salmonella spp. e Staphylococcus coagulase positiva em pescado no nordeste, Brasil / Occurrence of Salmonella spp. and coagulse positive Staphylococcus in fish and crustaceans in the northeast of Brazil

O presente estudo foi conduzido com o objetivo de verificar a ocorrência de Salmonella spp. e Staphylococcus coagulase positiva em pescados e crustáceos provenientes da região nordeste no período de fevereiro de 2004 a dezembro de 2005. Das 143 amostras de peixes e crustáceos (camarão congelado e cauda de lagosta), 5 (3,5%) apresentaram-se positivas para Salmonella spp. Enquanto nas amostras de peixe e cauda de lagosta a contagem de Staphylococcus coagulase positiva foi < 1,0 x 102UFC/g estimado, nas amostras de camarão congelado, em duas a contagem foi 1,0 x 101UFC/g estimado e em uma 2,6 x 101UFC/g estimado, as demais <1,0 x 101UFC/g estimado. Com base nos resultados obtidos conclui-se que as amostras analisadas apresentaram baixos níveis de ocorrência de Salmonella spp. e Staphylococcus coagulase positiva e que, mesmo com estes baixos índices, constantemente deve-se buscar uma melhora na qualidade dos produtos da pesca, melhora esta que passa pelo treinamento constante em boas práticas de fabricação, procedimentos padrões de higienização e análise de perigos e pontos críticos de controle do pessoal que trabalha na pesca ou em fazendas de criação de camarão, bem como dos funcionários das indústrias.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the occurrence of Salmonella spp. and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus in fish and crustaceans from the Brazilian Northeast. Five out of the 143 samples (3.5%) were positive for Salmonella spp. While none of the fish and lobster tail samples were positive for coagulase positive Staphylococcus, two shrimp samples presented an estimated count of 1.0 x 101colony forming units per gram (cfu/g), and one presented 2.6 x 101 cfu/g. The results showed a low level of Salmonella and coagulase positive Staphylococcus occurrence. However, even with these low levels of bacterial numbers in fish and crustaceans we should search look for an improvement in their quality. This improvement should be associated to constant training for good manufacturing practice, a standard procedure of hygiene and analysis of hazards and critical control points related to employees that work as fishers or on shrimp farms, as well as those working in the industry as a whole.

[Bioavailability of 3 formulations of diltiazem]. / Estudo da biodisponibilidade de três formulações de diltiazem.

The plasma concentration profiles of diltiazem were determined in three series of twelve male volunteers to whom a single doses of 60 mg of diltiazem was administered. Three commercial diltiazem preparations, labelled A, B and C were evaluated. The plasmas were analysed for diltiazem concentration by a new HPLC technique and from the data on concentration profiles, the pharmacokinetic parameters, Cmax, Tmax, T1/2, AUC0-12 and AUC0-infinity were calculated from the function derived by computerized curve fitting and integration. Computerized Pattern Analysis was used for product comparison, based on the plasmatic concentration and the calculated pharmacokinetic data. Differences observed between the three products regarding plasmatic levels and pharmacokinetic, were within the range values defined by individual variation, and were similar to the ones described in the literature for single doses of diltiazem - 60 mg. However, the multiparametric analysis showed that the studied preparations formed two distinct groups: preparation B was different from preparations A and C. This means that preparation B was not bioequivalent to preparations A and C, both considered as bioequivalent.

Capillary gas chromatography of amino acids, including asparagine and glutamine: sensitive gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric and selected ion monitoring gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric detection of the N,O(S)-tert.-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives.

Amino acids and the amino acid amides glutamine and asparagine can be simultaneously derivatized to the corresponding N,O(S)-tert.-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives in a one-step reaction with N-methyl-N-(tert.-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide in acetonitrile. The solution is used directly for gas chromatography (GC). Losses due to evaporation steps are avoided. Except for the more basic amino acids, derivatization occurs at room temperature. Lysine, arginine and histidine require additional heating at 150 degrees C for 2.5 h in order to complete derivatization. The derivatization has high reproducibility. The response factors relative to norvaline or cycloleucine lie between 0.40 and 1.30. Arginine is the most difficult amino acid to derivatize. The size of the tert.-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) group prevents multiple silylation of the nitrogen atoms. Only a single peak is observed for each compound. Twenty-seven amino acid (and glutamine and asparagine) derivatives were simultaneously chromatographed and well separated in a single run on a 25 m X 0.20 mm I.D. glass capillary column coated with OV-1. The TBDMS derivatives possess very characteristic EI mass spectra at 70 eV, with intense diagnostic ions. This makes them very appropriate for GC-mass spectrometric (MS) work and selected ion monitoring GC-MS at the picomole level. The detection limit for arginine as the TBDMS derivative is less than 0.3 ng. The usefulness of the method is illustrated by the detection of amino acids in a peptide hydrolysate obtained from 1 microgram of bovin insulin B-chain.

[Fulminating acne]. / Acné fulminante.

A 17 years old male patient with acne vulgaris since the age of 13 is reported in whom a sudden exacerbation occurred with large, inflammatory, exquisitely tender, nodular lesions on the back and shoulders. Some were ulcerated and covered by hemorrhagic crusts. The lesions healed with large, unsightly, atrophic scars. With the cutaneous flare there was fever, arthralgia, loss of weight, leucocytosis and increased ESR. Systemic antibiotics (tetracycline, dicloxacillin, erythromycin) were unable to prevent or control the general and cutaneous symptoms that rapidly subsided on oral steroids. The initial relatively low dose could not be significantly reduced without further relapses. Attempts to replace prednisone by dapsone or clofazimine were unsuccessful. The relevant literature is reviewed and commented upon.