Genotoxicity and mutagenicity of Echinodorus macrophyllus (chapéu-de-couro) extracts

Echinodorus macrophyllus, commonly known as chapéu-de-couro, is a medicinal plant used in folk medicine to treat inflammation and rheumatic diseases. In this work, we used short-term bacterial assays based on the induction of SOS functions to examine the genotoxicity and mutagenicity of an aqueous extract of E. macrophyllus leaves. Whole extract and an ethyl acetate fraction showed similar genotoxicity and caused an ~70-fold increase in lysogenic induction. The extract also gave a positive result in the SOS chromotest with an increase of 12-fold in β-Galactosidase enzymatic units. There was a strong trend towards base substitutions and frameshifts at purine sites in the mutations induced by the extract in Escherichia coli (CC103 and CC104 strains) and Salmonella typhimurium test strains (22-fold increase in histidine revertants in TA98 strain). Since reactive oxygen species may be implicated in aging process and in degenerative diseases, we used antioxidant compounds as catalase, thiourea and dipyridyl in the lysogenic induction test. All this compounds were able to reduce the induction factor observed in the treatment with chapéu-de-couro, thus suggesting that the genotoxicity and mutagenicity were attributable to the production of reactive oxygen species that targeted DNA purines

Automedicação na adolescência: um desafio para a educação em saúde Self-medication in adolescence: a challenge to health education

O estudo visa analisar o conhecimento dos estudantes de escolas públicas e privadas do município de Fortaleza (CE) sobre o uso de medicamentos e suas implicações para a saúde. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, com 722 adolescentes matriculados em dez escolas do município de Fortaleza. Levantou-se, por meio de um questionário, aspectos relativos ao consumo, indicação e orientação de medicamentos e a influência da mídia. Relataram uso de medicamentos, nos últimos sessenta dias, 72,0% dos participantes, sendo os analgésicos os mais citados (65,4%). Os responsáveis pelas indicações foram familiares (51,2%) e médicos (33,1%), sendo a automedicação relatada por 20,8% dos estudantes. Não receberam orientações sobre o uso correto de medicamentos 70,9% dos alunos. Do total, 34,1% revelaram já terem sido influenciados por meios de comunicação na compra de medicamentos. É possível concluir que o conhecimento dos adolescentes sobre medicamentos e suas implicações na saúde é bastante incipiente e desprovido de qualquer noção básica sobre o uso racional deles. Além disso, os estudantes da rede pública são mais orientados sobre o uso correto de medicamentos, por parte dos profissionais do sistema público de saúde, o que demonstra a eficiência do sistema como promotor de saúde da população matriculada em escolas públicas de Fortaleza.<br>The study aims to examine the knowledge of students of public and private schools in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará State, Brazil on the use of medicine and their health implications. It is a descriptive study of 722 adolescents enrolled in ten schools in the city of Fortaleza. He got up aspects of consumption, indication and guidance medicine and influence of the media using a questionnaire. Seventy two percent of the participants reported use of medicine the last 60 days, and painkillers were the most cited (65.4%). The indications were responsible for the family (51.2%) and physicians (33.1%), and the self-medication by 20.8% of the students. Regarding the use of medicine 70.9% of the students were not instructed on the proper use of the medicine. Of the total, 34.1% had already been influenced by media in the purchase of medicine. It's possible to conclude that teenagers' knowledge about medicine and its implications on health is very weak and devoid of any basic notion of the rational use of medicine. In addition, public school students are more oriented on the proper use of medicines by professionals in the public health system, which demonstrates the efficiency of the promoter of health of the population enrolled in public schools in Fortaleza

Stress neuropeptide levels in adults with chest pain due to coronary artery disease: potential implications for clinical assessment

: Substance P (SP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) are neuropeptides involved in nociception. The study of biochemical markers of pain in communicating critically ill coronary patients may provide insight for pain assessment and management in critical care. Purpose of the study was to to explore potential associations between plasma neuropeptide levels and reported pain intensity in coronary critical care adults, in order to test the reliability of SP measurements for objective pain assessment in critical care