AVALIAÇÃO DA ATIVIDADE CICATRIZANTE DE PREPARADOS À BASE DE JUCÁ (Caesalpinia ferrea Mart.)

A Cesalpinia ferrea, conhecida popularmente como jucá, possui diversas atividades farmacológicas comprovadas. Na região nordeste do Brasil esta planta é frequentemente usado no tratamento de feridas cutâneas, apresentando bons resultados, o que desperta grande interesse nos estudos biotecnológicos e farmacológicos dessa espécie. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a atividade cicatrizante da vagem de jucá (C. ferrea) isolada ou em associação com o açúcar, na cicatrização de feridas cutâneas de coelhos. Foram utilizados 40 coelhos (Oryctalagus cunicullus) adultos, divididos em cinco grupos: controle, pó das vagens in natura, pó das vagens in natura acrescido de açúcar (1:1), jucá em pomada com veículo glicerinado, e jucá acrescido de açúcar em pomada com veículo glicerinado, administrados três vezes ao dia. Após anestesia dissociativa foi realizada a confecção cirúrgica de feridas padronizadas, na dimensão de 2,5 cm2. Foram realizadas avaliações clínicas diárias, análises macroscópicas e histopatológicas das lesões nos dias três e dez após a confecção cirúrgica das feridas. Os resultados revelaram que não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos com relação ao tempo de cicatrização, porém o tratamento tópico com pomada formulada com o pó oriunda da vagem de jucá promoveu um aumento significativo da contração da área da lesão no terceiro e décimo dia.

Electrocardiographic Pattern of Agoutis (Dasyprocta prymnolopha) Chemically Contained by the Association of Ketamine and Xylazine

Background: The agouti (Dasyprocta prymnolopha, Wagler, 1831) is an existing wild rodent in almost all of Brazil, used as a biological model in several scientific studies. Veterinary cardiology has showed great advances in the diagnostic area due to the possibility of cardiac evaluation by non-invasive methods. For the practice of scientific or handling procedures in wild animals, chemical containment is essential. Thus, it is important to know the effect of anesthetic protocols on the cardiovascular system, observed through complementary tests, such as the electrocardiogram. The objective of this study was to describe the computerized electrocardiographic tracing of agoutis chemically contained by the association of Ketamine and Xylazine.Materials, Methods & Results: Eighteen male and female clinically healthy animals, aged among 2 years, submitted to digital electrocardiographic examination, were used. The device used to obtain the tracing was the veterinary electrocardiograph (Electrocardiogram Acquisition Module for Computer) - Brazilian Electronic Technology (TEB). The analysis was always made from derivation II (DII). Chemical containment was performed by the combination of Ketamine and Xylazine, intramuscularly. The results showed that the heart rate for males was on average 113.25 bpm, while for females the value of 124.60 bpm was observed, and there was no significant difference between the genders (P > 0.05). The mean weight of males was 2.31 kg and for females 2.28 kg; there was no statistical difference for this variable (P > 0.05). For the QRS duration of 46.14 ± 5.05 ms (males) and 44.66 ± 5.94 ms (females) and PR interval of 79.94 ± 12.01ms (males) and 84.29 ± 12.37ms (females), there was no statistical difference (P > 0.05). The amplitude of the R wave of 0.42 ± 0.31 mV (males) and 0.36 ± 0.22 mV (females) showed no statistical difference (P > 0.05). The T wave showed itself both negative (10 animals) and positive (8 animals), with amplitude measured at 0.24 ± 0.16 mV for males and 0.25 ± 0.10 mV for females (P > 0.05). The anesthetic protocol was well tolerated by the animals of this experiment, and there were no episodes of arrhythmias during the time of their monitoring.Discussion: Wild animals, in general, need chemical containment, with a view to reducing stress during scientific and handling procedures. The protocols established in this work can be used in future experiments which require a longer handling time. The values found for heart rate (HR) of anesthetized agoutis were lower than those for non-anesthetized agoutis, proving the influence of the stress during retention and the depressant cardiovascular effect of the anesthetic drug used. The electrocardiographic parameters and the tracing morphology of the agoutis were like the results found for anesthetized small rodents. The QT interval was higher in males than in females, justifying the fact that it could be influenced by variations in HR, which also showed superior results for males. Taking into consideration the morphological similarity between different individuals, the QT interval in anesthetized agoutis did not present significant differences between the genders, a characteristic also found in ferrets. The animals of this experiment were submitted to food fasting, a fact that contributed to a better standardization of the experiment, preventing alterations in the morphology of the QRS complex, which could lead to changes in the measurements

Cognitive outcome in adults with moderate disability after pneumococcal meningitis

Objectives To assess cognitive outcome and quality of life in patients with moderate disability after bacterial meningitis as compared to patients with good recovery. Methods Neuropsychological evaluation was performed in 40 adults after pneumococcal meningitis; 20 patients with moderate disability at discharge on the glasgow outcome scale (GOS score 4) and 20 with good recovery (GOS score 5). Results Patients with GOS score 4 had similar test results as compared to patients with GOS score 5 for the neuropsychological domains ‘intelligence’, ‘memory’ and ‘attention and executive functioning’. Patients with GOS score 4 showed less cognitive slowness than patients with GOS score 5. In a linear regression analysis cognitive speed was related to current intelligence, years of education and time since meningitis. Overall performance on the speed composite score correlated significantly with time since meningitis (−0.62; P<0.001). Therefore, difference between both groups may have been related to a longer time between meningitis and testing for GOS four patients (29 vs. 12 months; P<0.001). Conclusions Patients with moderate disability after bacterial meningitis are not at higher risk for neuropsychological abnormalities than patients with good recovery. In addition, cognitive slowness after bacterial meningitis may be reversible in time

Comparative study by computed radiography, histology, and scanning electron microscopy of the articular cartilage of normal goats and in chronic infection with caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus

In the northeast of Brazil, caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) is one of the key reasons for herd productivity decreasing that result in considerable economic losses. A comparative study was carried out using computed radiography (CR), histological analysis (HA), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) of the joints of CAE infected and normal goats. Humerus head surface of positive animals presented reduced joint space, increased bone density, and signs of degenerative joint disease (DJD). The carpal joint presented no morphological alterations in CR in any of the animals studied. Tarsus joint was the most affected, characterized by severe DJD, absence of joint space, increased periarticular soft tissue density, edema, and bone sclerosis. Histological analysis showed chronic tissue lesions, complete loss of the surface zone, absence of proteoglycans in the transition and radial zones and destruction of the cartilage surface in the CAE positive animals. Analysis by SEM showed ulcerated lesions with irregular and folded patterns on the joint surface that distinguished the limits between areas of normal and affected cartilage. The morphological study of the joints of normal and CAE positive goats deepened understanding of the alteration in the tissue bioarchitecture of the most affected joints. The SEM finding sustained previous histological reports, similar to those found for rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting that the goat infected with CAE can be considered as a potential model for research in this area.Contract grant sponsor: National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)

Núcleos de Ensino da Unesp: artigos 2012: volume 7: educação inclusiva

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP