In Vitro

Stryphnodendron species, popularly named “barbatimão,” are traditionally used in Brazil as anti-inflammatory agents. This study aimed to investigate the effect of barbatimão and 11 other species on the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated THP-1 cells, as well as their anti-arthritis activity. The extracts of Stryphnodendron adstringens, Stryphnodendron obovatum, Campomanesia lineatifolia, and Terminalia glabrescens promoted a concentration-dependent inhibition of TNF-α. Mice injected with LPS in the knee joint were treated per os with fractions from the selected extracts. Both the organic (SAO) and the aqueous (SAA) fractions of S. adstringens promoted a dose-dependent reduction of leukocyte migration and neutrophil accumulation into the joint, but none of them reduced CXCL1 concentration in the periarticular tissue. In contrast, treatment with C. lineatifolia and T. glabrescens fractions did not ameliorate the inflammatory parameters. Analyses of SAO by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) led to the identification of gallic acid along with 11 prodelphinidins, characterized as monomers and dimers of the B-type. Our findings contribute to some extent to corroborating the traditional use of S. adstringens as an anti-inflammatory agent. This activity is probably related to a decrease of leukocyte migration into the inflammatory site. Polyphenols like gallic acid and prodelphinidins, identified in the active fraction, may contribute to the observed activity

Abundância de Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) em diferentes subprodutos canavieiros

Um aumento na abundância de Stomoxys calcitrans tem sido observado em áreas de produção sucroalcooleira devido aos subprodutos orgânicos resultantes desta atividade. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a abundância desta espécie em diferentes subprodutos da cana-de-açúcar. De janeiro a dezembro de 2011, a abundância de S. calcitrans foi monitorada em quatro subprodutos: bagaço, palha, torta de filtro (TF) e palha com vinhaça (PV), em uma usina sucroalcooleira no município de Angélica, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Mensalmente, 20 armadilhas de emergência foram distribuídas em cada substrato, mantidas ativas por quatro semanas. Durante todo o período de estudo, 4.049 espécimes de S. calcitrans foram coletados nos diferentes substratos, representando 9,22% do total de dípteros capturados nas armadilhas. Os quatro subprodutos amostrados apresentaram significativas diferenças em relação à abundância de S. calcitrans, sendo maior na TF (67,20%) e na PV (29,19%). Picos de abundância foram observados em junho (PV) e outubro (PV e TF). Maior produtividade de S. calcitrans foi observada na TF (55,8 moscas/mII) e na PV (24,2 moscas/mII), com produção média mensal de S. calcitrans na usina estimada em 37 mil e 24 milhões, respectivamente. A elevada capacidade de reprodução da S. calcitrans em subprodutos da usina explica as explosões populacionais desta espécie, ocorridas recentemente em fazendas pecuárias próximas a usinas sucroalcooleiras

AVALIAÇÃO DA EFICIÊNCIA DO MÉTODO TO-15 PARA DETERMINAÇÃO DE COMPOSTOS ORGÂNICOS VOLÁTEIS EM CONDIÇÕES TÍPICAS DE AMBIENTE URBANO

The efficiency of U.S.EPA TO-15 Method was evaluated under typical conditions of an urban environment with natural and anthropic emission sources. The performance criteria which should be met for a system to qualify, were fulfilled: a detection limit of ≤0.2 ng for all target compounds, replicate precision for a calibration standard and ambient samples within 20%. The stability of the target compounds during storage of sampled air in canisters was also evaluated at atmospheric pressure and relative humidity of 50%. Results show that, in the sampling conditions, compounds are not stable for more than a week. For validation experiments, samples were collected at the entrance of Tijuca National Park, located at the city of Rio de Janeiro. Isoprene was selected as a marker of biogenic emissions, and aromatic compounds were selected as markers of anthropogenic emissions, primarily vehicular emissions. Then, samples were collected in Saens Peña Square, a central area in the Tijuca District, in the northern part of the city, approximately 10 km from the entrance of Tijuca National Park. Volatile organic compounds were determined and the results were compared with previous data obtained in the same local using other methods

Nasal patency and craniocervical posture in scholar children

<div><p>ABSTRACT Changes in head posture have been observed as a compensatory mechanism for the nasal airflow impairment. This study aimed to compare the craniocervical posture between children with normal and decreased nasal patency and correlate nasal patency with craniocervical posture. Children aging from six to twelve years went through nasal patency and craniocervical assessments. The biophotogrammetric measures of craniocervical posture used were Cervical Distance (CD), Head Horizontal Alignment (HHA) and Flexion-Extension Head Position (FE), evaluated by SAPO software (v.0.68). Nasal patency was measured using Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flow meter (PNIF) and Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale. One hundred thirty-three children were distributed into two groups: G1 (normal nasal patency - PNIF higher than 80% of predicted value) with 90 children; G2 (decreased nasal patency - PNIF lower than 80% of predicted value) with 43 children. Differences between groups were not found in CD and HHA measures. FE was significantly higher in G2 than G1 (p=0.023). Negative weak correlation between FE and %PNIF (r=-0.266; p=0.002) and positive weak correlation between CD and PNIF (r=0.209; p=0.016) were found. NOSE scores negatively correlated with PNIF (r=-0.179; p=0.039). Children with decreased nasal patency presented greater head extension. This postural deviation is prone to increase as nasal airflow decreases, thus indicating the relationship between craniocervical posture and nasal patency. Lower values of PNIF reflected on additional problems caused by nasal obstruction symptoms.</p></div

Hybrid Materials Based on Magnetic Iron Oxides with Benzothiazole Derivatives: A Plausible Potential Spectroscopy Probe

Rare diseases affect a small part of the population, and the most affected are children. Because of the low availability of patients for testing, the pharmaceutical industry cannot develop drugs for the diagnosis of many of these orphan diseases. In this sense, the use of benzothiazole compounds that are highly selective and can act as spectroscopy probes, especially the compound 2-(4′-aminophenyl)benzothiazole (ABT), has been highlighted. This article reports the design of potential contrast agents based on ABT and iron to develop a new material with an efficient mechanism to raise the relaxation rate, facilitating diagnosis. The ABT/δ-FeOOH hybrid material was prepared by grafting (N-(4’-aminophenyl) benzothiazole-2-bromoacetamide) on the surface of the iron oxyhydroxide particles. FTIR spectra confirmed the material formations of the hybrid material ABT/δ-FeOOH. SEM analysis checked the covering of nanoflakes’ surfaces in relation to the morphology of the samples. The theoretical calculations test a better binding mode of compound with iron oxyhydroxide. Theoretical findings show the radical capture mechanism in the stabilization of this new material. In this context, Fe3+ ions are an electron acceptor from the organic phase