Anti-hemorrhagic effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of the leaves of Mikania glomerata in lesions induced by Bothrops jararaca venom in rats

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Mikania glomerata Spreng (Asteraceae) on the activity of Bothrops jararaca snake venom in Wistar rats. METHODS: Fifty four rats Wistar were divided into six groups of nine animals in each: control treated with saline; control treated with B. jararaca venom; control treated with M. glomerata extract; B. jararaca venom incubated with M. glomerata extract at proportions of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4. RESULTS: Histopathological and morphometric analysis showed that intradermal administration of snake venom incubated with the hydroalcoholic extract at proportions of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4 promoted a significant reduction in the number of inflammatory cells and a marked decrease in edema after the third hour. There was also a significant reduction in the intensity of the hemorrhagic halo in animals receiving the snake venom incubated with the extract, with the observation of a progressive and parallel inhibition with increasing proportion of M. glomerata. CONCLUSION: The Mikania glomerata hydroalcoholic extract exerted effective anti-inflammatory and antihemorrhagic activity against the effects induced by Bothrops jararaca snake venom.2913037Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)CNPq [108113/2010-8

Electrospun Membranes of Poly(Lactic Acid) (PLA) Used as Scaffold in Drug Delivery of Extract of Sedum Dendroideum

Biomaterials nanofibrous electrospun with biodegradable polymers have the advantage of the similarity to natural extracellular matrices, showing promising as scaffolds for application in tissue engineering. Sedum dendroideum is a phytotherapic drug that stands out for its healing properties and anti-inflammatory. This study presents the efficacy of PLA electrospun membranes used as support S. dendroideum extract releasing on excisional skin lesions of Wistar rats. The PLA porous membranes, which are nonwoven fibrous mats, were obtained by electrospinning using a conventional apparatus with a flat collector. The animals were randomly divided into nine groups: control (C), animals treated with electrospun membranes of PLA (M), animals treated with extract of S. dendroideum dissolved in saline (F), animals treated with membranes of PLA with 10% S. dendroideum (MF10), animals treated with membranes of PLA with 25% S. dendroideum (MF25). Tissue samples were taken after 2, 6 and 10 days after surgery and were subjected to structural analysis and morphology. The experimental observations showed the application of the phytotherapic incorporated in the membrane promoted a significant response regarding the number of inflammatory cells, percentage of mature collagen fibers and epithelium birrefringent in thickness excisional skin lesions in Wistar rats. It was also demonstrated that the application of the PLA membranes without the extract promoted similar responses tissues.1374694470

Avaliação do perfil auditivo de militares de um quartel do Exército Brasileiro Audiometric assessment for military personnel

No serviço militar, os sujeitos estão expostos a ruídos contínuos em oficinas e a ruídos de impacto provenientes de armas de fogo e detonações. Estes ruídos indesejáveis são capazes de causar lesão ao sistema auditivo, muitas vezes irreversível, além de outros efeitos em todo o organismo. OBJETIVO: Avaliar os perfis auditivos de um grupo de militares e, em face dos resultados, incentivar a implementação de medidas preventivas para perdas auditivas, como programa de conservação auditiva. FORMA DE ESTUDO: Coorte transversal. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Avaliação auditiva de 97 sujeitos que trabalham em uma organização militar do Exército, por meio de entrevista, otoscopia e exames audiométricos. RESULTADOS: 38,1% dos militares examinados apresentaram alterações audiométricas supostamente induzidas por ruído, predominantemente nos artilheiros, com predomínio da perda auditiva unilateral. 64,5% dos militares examinados não utilizava proteção adequada. CONCLUSÃO: A grande ocorrência da perda auditiva entre os militares e a falta de proteção adequada à exposição ao ruído indica a necessidade de se implantarem, nesta categoria, medidas de prevenção de perda auditiva.<br>The individuals rendering the military service are often liable to frequent noise in factories and discharge sounds deriving from firearms and detonations. These sort of undesirable sounds cause lesions the auditory system, which are sometimes irreversible, besides provoking bad effects to the body as a whole. AIM: Evaluating the auditory profiles from a specific group of military personnel, and according to the achieved results to promote the incentive towards the implantation of preventive measures related to auditory losses, such as auditory preservation programs. STUDY DESIGN: Transversal cohort. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Auditory evaluation of 97 individuals working in a military organization, which included interviews, as well as otoscopic and audiometric tests. RESULTS: From the total examined personnel, 38,1% presented audiometric changes supposedly noise-induced since these changes prevailed in the artillerymen, being the unilateral hearing loss predominant. The use of no proper protection equipment was observed in 64,5% of the total examined military personnel. CONCLUSION: The high level of hearing loss occurrences found between the military personnel joined to the absence of proper protection equipment for the exposition to noises, indicate the need of implanting prevention measures to avoid hearing losses among theses professionals

The comparative efficiency of a brown algal-derived biostimulant extract (AMPEP), with and without supplemented PGRs: the induction of direct, axis shoots as applied to the propagation of vegetative seedlings for the successful mass cultivation of three commercial strains of Kappaphycus in Sabah, Malaysia

Three strains of Kappaphycus spp. (viz. K. alvarezii tambalang brown and green and K. striatus sacol green) were used in the present study to optimize the use of Ascophyllum (Acadian) marine plant extract powder (AMPEP) as a culture medium ingredient acting as a biostimulant, applied with, and without, the addition of terrestrial plant growth regulators (PGRs). This was undertaken in order to develop management tools and best practice recommendations for the mass production of new plantlets (seedlings) for industrial, nursery, and out-planting purposes in eastern Malaysia, Sabah, and Peninsular Malaysia (i.e., Langkawi, Kedah and Batu Maung, Penang). After 45 days of laboratory incubation, the three strains tested demonstrated their best performances at 3 mg L−1 of AMPEP, supplemented with PGR. This evaluation was based on the longest direct axes formed, the shortest time to their appearance, and also their highest percentage emergence. Kappaphycus alvarezii (tambalang green) had the longest direct axes (7.0 ± 0.23 mm), followed by K. alvarezii (tambalang brown) at (6.4 ± 0.48 mm) and finally K. striatus (sacol green). In terms of the highest percentage of direct axes formed, K. alvarezii (tambalang brown), K. alvarezii (tambalang green), and K. striatus (sacol green) were recorded as follows: 100 ± 0.00, 99 ± 1.34, and 98 ± 2.66, respectively. The shortest duration taken for the emergence of direct axes was observed in K. alvarezii (tambalang green) followed by tambalang brown and K. striatus (sacol green) on days 9, 10, and 15, respectively. The use of a brown seaweed-derived extract acting as a biostimulant and as the main ingredient of the culture medium for the micropropagation of three strains of Kappaphycus was highly encouraging and one which may be promoted as a protocol for the economic and commercial mass production of new plantlets (asexual seedlings) which are an urgent requirement for Malaysian seaweed farming to meet its full potential