Comparative effects of dexmedetomidine and propofol on brain and lung damage in experimental acute ischemic stroke.

Acute ischemic stroke is associated with pulmonary complications, and often dexmedetomidine and propofol are used to decrease cerebral metabolic rate. However, it is unknown the immunomodulatory actions of dexmedetomidine and propofol on brain and lungs during acute ischemic stroke. The effects of dexmedetomidine and propofol were compared on perilesional brain tissue and lung damage after acute ischemic stroke in rats. Further, the mean amount of both sedatives was directly evaluated on alveolar macrophages and lung endothelial cells primarily extracted 24-h after acute ischemic stroke. In twenty-five Wistar rats, ischemic stroke was induced and after 24-h treated with sodium thiopental (STROKE), dexmedetomidine and propofol. Dexmedetomidine, compared to STROKE, reduced diffuse alveolar damage score [median(interquartile range); 12(7.8-15.3) vs. 19.5(18-24), p = 0.007)], bronchoconstriction index [2.28(2.08-2.36) vs. 2.64(2.53-2.77), p = 0.006], and TNF-α expression (p = 0.0003), while propofol increased VCAM-1 expression compared to STROKE (p = 0.0004). In perilesional brain tissue, dexmedetomidine, compared to STROKE, decreased TNF-α (p = 0.010), while propofol increased VCAM-1 compared to STROKE (p = 0.024). In alveolar macrophages and endothelial cells, dexmedetomidine decreased IL-6 and IL-1ß compared to STROKE (p = 0.002, and p = 0.040, respectively), and reduced IL-1ß compared to propofol (p = 0.014). Dexmedetomidine, but not propofol, induced brain and lung protection in experimental acute ischemic stroke.

Removal of naphthalene from aqueous systems by poly(divinylbenzene) and poly(methyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) resins.

Treatment of the oily wastewater from crude oil extraction is a growing challenge due to rising concern for the environment. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) deserve special attention because of their high toxicity. There is a need to develop processes able to minimize the discharge of these compounds and analytic techniques to monitor the levels of PAHs in aqueous media. In this study poly(methyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) (MMA-DVB) and poly(divinylbenzene) (DVB) were assessed with respect to their capacity to retain naphthalene (NAF) in continuous flow and batch processes (adsorption equilibrium and kinetics). The analytic techniques applied were gas chromatography and spectrofluorimetry, which was adapted for quantification of NAF. The batch adsorption studies showed that DVB is more efficient in adsorption than MMA-DVB, and the Freundlich model and pseudo-second-order model better fitted the equilibrium data and adsorption kinetics, respectively. The elution results showed that both resins are highly efficient in removing NAF, with DVB outperforming MMA-DVB. However, MMA is cheaper raw material, making MMA-DVB more competitive for treatment of oily wastewater. The resins were regenerated by eluting about 7.2 and 2.5 L of methanol:water (70:30 v/v), respectively for DVB and MMA-DVB. Regarding to the useful life after regeneration, the resins presented a reduction about 30%, relating to zero concentration of NAF.