Quelidónia: um dom de Deus dos alquimistas

Conferência Kurt Jacobsohn, realizada no Instituto de Investigação Bento da Rocha Cabral, Lisboa, 8 de Maio de 2001.[…] a fim de verificar os efeitos antissépticos referidos, experimentou-se, in vitro, a acção do látex da planta sobre culturas de Staphylococcus desenvolvidas a partir de um inóculo de pús de uma pequena lesão cutânea sobre culturas puras de Bacillus subtilis. […]

Efeitos biológicos das radiações: programa, conteúdos e métodos de ensino

Relatório apresentado no âmbito das Provas Públicas requeridas para a obtenção do título de agregado no grupo de disciplinas de Bioquímica, 19 de Janeiro de 2007."ENQUADRAMENTO, NATUREZA E ORIENTAÇÃO GERAL DA DISCIPLINA. A presente proposta foi elaborada com o objectivo de constituir uma disciplina semestral de carácter optativo do curso de licenciatura em Biologia, ramo de Biotecnologia, da Universidade dos Açores, nos termos definidos no Plano de Estudos em vigor a partir do ano lectivo de 2004-2005. No entanto, reconhece-se que, quer pelo seu conteúdo, quer pela formação prévia requerida a quem a frequenta, pode ser integrada, igualmente como disciplina de opção, nos cursos de Física e Química (ensino de) ou de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde existentes na mesma instituição. Trata-se de uma disciplina nova, incluída na área disciplinar de Química, com carácter de seminário, cujo programa nunca foi testado como tal. Na realidade, o núcleo central do mesmo chegou a constar como uma pequena parte de uma proposta de programa da disciplina de Bioquímica III, de carácter obrigatório, a qual nunca foi efectivamente levada à prática devido à diminuição do número de horas entretanto atribuído à disciplina numa das remodelações do curso. Em relação ao número de créditos que confere (2) e à carga horária definida (4 horas semanais), o presente conteúdo programático deverá ser cumprido num período compreendido entre 13 e 15 semanas. O tempo exacto será determinado fundamentalmente, em cada ano, pela data de início do ano escolar e pelo horário fixado para a disciplina. Assim, determinados aspectos da matéria poderão ser mais ou menos desenvolvidos nas sessões lectivas, remetendo-se para leituras posteriores e para os trabalhos a apresentar pelos estudantes o aprofundamento de alguns pontos. As 4 horas semanais atribuídas à disciplina (2h+2h) serão utilizadas de forma variável ao longo do semestre, sendo que as aulas teóricas expositivas não deverão ultrapassar as 23 sessões. As restantes serão distribuídas por aulas práticas ou de resolução de problemas, sessões de exploração e apresentação de artigos, sessões de preparação e apresentação de monografias ou de trabalhos de divulgação e uma sessão (2h) para a realização de um teste de avaliação. O posicionamento da disciplina no programa do curso pressupõe que os estudantes que a frequentem tenham já concluído a sua formação de base em Biologia, Física, Química e Bioquímica, nomeadamente, nestas últimas áreas, através das cadeiras semestrais de Química Geral, Bioquímica I e Bioquímica II. Assim, no que diz respeito a estas duas últimas, já terão sido tratados os temas centrais habitualmente inseridos nestas disciplinas de formação inicial – estrutura química, relação estrutura/função e metabolismo de glícidos, lípidos, prótidos e nucleótidos - bem como os principais aspectos da sua regulação, quer ao nível metabólico quer hormonal, numa perspectiva de visão integrada do funcionamento de um organismo vivo. Concomitantemente, funcionará para os mesmos alunos a disciplina de Bioquímica III, de carácter obrigatório, cujo conteúdo diz respeito fundamentalmente aos processos de aquisição e utilização dos elementos químicos ditos “inorgânicos” e à utilização do oxigénio (nomeadamente na sua forma molecular) pelos sistemas biológicos. Sobre a última parte referida do programa de Bioquímica III, poderá dizer-se que haverá uma certa complementaridade em relação ao tema da disciplina agora proposta, na medida em que contempla os sistemas antioxidantes de defesa desenvolvidos pelos organismos aeróbios para fazer face aos efeitos nocivos das espécies reactivas do oxigénio, cuja formação também pode ser desencadeada pelas radiações ionizantes. Na sequência do exposto, pretende-se que a disciplina de “Efeitos biológicos das radiações” permita a abordagem, ainda que a um nível necessariamente introdutório, de um tema de extraordinário interesse e actualidade, geralmente ausente dos programas dos cursos de Biologia e até dos mais directamente relacionados com a saúde humana. A disciplina estará pois essencialmente orientada no sentido da valorização da vida e do ambiente, em geral, e da preservação da saúde do homem (em particular), inadvertida ou irremediavelmente exposto à acção deletéria de agentes que, sendo de origem exógena, são todavia em grande parte resultantes da alteração do ambiente natural pela intervenção humana ou da criação e manipulação de fontes artificiais de radiação ionizante. […]"

Descodificação da metáfora em Limite de Idade

Acta de Comunicação apresentada em "Colóquio Internacional Vitorino Nemésio. Vinte Anos Depois", promovido pelo Seminário Internacional de Estudos Nemesianos e realizado na Universidade dos Açores, em Ponta Delgada, em 18-21 de Fevereiro de 1998.[...]. Fica pois, aqui, uma forma de homenagem simples ao poeta «pinsador», como se disse «paternalmente» chamado por Aurélio Quintanilha, o eminente geneticista português, a quem dedicou "Limite de Idade", e uma justificação, em jeito de apaziguamento dos meus receios, para o trabalho que se segue. [...]

Assessment of some atherosclerosis risk factors in apparently healthy subjects from two Azorean populations

XV International Symposium of Atherosclerosis (ISA):Abstract P331.Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.OBJECTIVES: In Azores, the death rate from coronary artery disease (CAD) is about twice than in mainland Portugal. The aim of this study was to assess some major risk factors of atherosclerosis-AT (serum lipid profile and apoB and apoA-1 levels) in subjects from two populations in S. Miguel Island. Hypertension and obesity were also considered. METHODS: The study group was formed by 147 apparently healthy subjects with no chronic diseases, aged 20 to 60 years, born living, respectively, in the villages of Nordeste –ND (53 men and 39 women) and Povoação-PV (22 men and 51 women). Clinical information and life habits were also registered. RESULTS: In both groups about 62% of subjects were hyperlipidemic and 30% obese. Hypertension was observed in about 36% in PV and 43% in the ND group. Both apoB levels and apoB/apoA-1 ratio were significantly higher in ND than in the PV subjects, namely in men (31% and 19%, respectively). Also apoA-1 levels in men were 9% higher in ND than in PV. In the ND group, sex-related differences were found in apoB levels and apoB/apoA-1 ratio, being higher in men. In the PV group, apoA-1 levels were significantly lower (15%) in men than in women. CONCLUSION: Although apparently healthy, most subjects from the two studied populations were hyperlipidemic, mainly due to hypercholesterolemia (TC and LDL-C). However, HDL-C was at high levels (60 mg/dL) in both groups. The coexistence of dyslipidemia, hypertension and obesity (26% of cases in ND and 17% in PV group) can aggravate the risk of developing AT (and CAD), which is higher in ND than in PV, mainly in men. ApoB/apoA-1 ratio revealed to be a simpler index of atherogenic risk than the classic serum lipid profile.Governo Regional dos Açore

Rapid, sensitive and simultaneous determination of ascorbic and uric acids in human plasma by ion-exclusion HPLC-UV

Copyright © 2013 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.OBJECTIVES: Ascorbic (AA) and uric (UA) acids act as antioxidants and are capable to react with biologically relevant oxidants. We aimed to developed a simple, rapid, sensitive, and accurate ion-exclusion HPLC-UV methodology for the simultaneously determination of AA and UA in human plasma. METHODS: Analytical pre-requisites, such as the use of heparin as an anticoagulant and meta-phosphoric acid as a stabilizer were added for accurate and reliable measurements. Chromatographic separation was achieved by an isocratic elution on a HEMA-BIO 1000 SB analytical column using a phosphate buffer, pH 2.4, as a mobile phase. RESULTS: Results indicated an excellent linearity with correlation coefficients (r²) ≥ 0.999. The LOD of AA and UA was 1.02 and 1.42 nmol/mL, respectively, while LOQ ranged from 0.306 to 0.426 nmol/mL. A great repeatability for both antioxidants was found, where the CV (%) values for intra-day were lower than 1.8% and under 6.5% for the inter-day assay. The recovery of AA ranged from 92% to 96% and from 99% to 100% for UA. CONCLUSION: This validated method allows the determination of both antioxidants within 10 min, and is well suited to routine measurements and/or high-throughput clinical analysis. The methodology was applied to assess the antioxidant status of a group of Azorean subjects.Governo Regional dos Açores

Plasma aminothiol profile in apparently healthy subjects from the Azores Archipelago, Portugal

79th Congress of the European- Atherosclerosis -Society (AES): Abstract 518.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Inhibition of mouse liver respiration by Chelidonium majus isoquinoline alkaloids

Copyright © 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.The alkaloids from Chelidonium majus L. which had a significant inhibitory effect in mitochondrial respiration were those which contain a positive charge due to a quaternary nitrogen atom, i.e., chelerythrine, sanguinarine, berberine and coptisine, both with malate+glutamate or with succinate as substrates. When malate+glutamate was used as substrate, chelerythrine and berberine, which contain methoxy groups, were particularly more active, since they had a strong effect even at low concentrations. In submitochondrial particles, berberine and coptisine had a marked inhibitory effect on NADH dehydrogenase activity but practically no effect on succinate dehydrogenase activity, whereas chelerythrine and sanguinarine inhibited more strongly succinate dehydrogenase than NADH dehydrogenase, which is in agreement with the results found for mitochondrial respiration. Protopine and allocryptopine, which did not inhibit mitochondrial respiration, strongly inhibited NADH dehydrogenase in submitochondrial particles, but had no effect on succinate dehydrogenase activity

Prevalence of Heart Disease Risk Factors in the Azores

Abstract(157) de Comunicação em Painel apresentada em "81st European Atherosclerosis Society (AES) Congress", 2013, 2-5 Jun, Lyon, France.BACKGROUND and AIMS: In the Azores age adjusted death rates from coronary heart disease (CHD) are two-fold higher than in mainland Portugal. We determined the prevalence of standard and emerging CHD risk factors in 206 female and 146 male Azorean subjects (mean age 41 years)

Blood antioxidant parameters in subjects from Azorean populations with different sociocultural profile

Abstract de Comunicação em Painel (PS4-02730) apresentada em "27th Meeting of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS)", 30 Jun-6 Jul, 2001, Lisboa, Portugal.Age, sex, physiological and pathological conditions, as well as geographical location reflected in diet, social and environmental conditions and even in life habits are relevant factors in the assessment of the prooxidant/antioxidant status of individuais. The aim of this work is to compare some antioxidant parameters, such as whole blood Se-glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and erythrocyte Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, serum selenium, copper and zinc leveis in healthy subjects from three populations with different sociocultural characteristics. Volunteer men and women aged 20-60 were selected from Ponta Delgada (urban population), Ribeira Quente (fishing population) and Água Retorta (rural population) located in the island o f S. Miguel (Azores’ Archipelago, Portugal). No significant differences in GSH-Px activity were found in interpopulation analysis, but the activity tended to be higher in women than in men; in turn, selenium levels, which were maximum in subjects from Ribeira Quente, were significantly bigher in male than in female groups, except in the rural population where they were similar. SOD activities, as well as zinc leveis were significantly higher in both men and women from the fishing population than in the others, where they did not differ. Also SOD, but not zinc or copper, was higher by 13% in women than in men from Ribeira Quente. The rural population exhibited the highest copper concentrations, being much higher in these women than in those from Ribeira Quente or Ponta Delgada. Diet, either food or drinking water might be a major cause for the differences observed

Plasma aminothiol status in the population of the Island of São Jorge (The Azores Archipelago, Portugal)

78th Congress of the European- Atherosclerosis -Society (AES): Abstract MS269.Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Hcy, Cys, Cys-Gly and GSH are low molecular weight thiols that play important roles in the metabolism and homeostasis of the organism. An altered plasma aminothiols status can cause oxidative stress, thus contributing to atherogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma levels of total Hcy, Cys, Cys-Gly and GSH, as well as GGT activity in apparently healthy subjects from the Island of S˜ao Jorge, taking into consideration gender and lipid profile. The study group was formed by 73 subjects with no chronic diseases, aged 20 to 60 years, born living in the island of S˜ao Jorge. The evaluation of the four aminothiols was carried out by HPLC with an isocratic reversephase column using a fluorescence detector. Mean values of GSH (1.8±0.6mM) and Cys (240±35mM) content were under reference values, but Cys-Gly was above. Plasma total Hcy, Cys and Cys-Gly levels, as well as GGT activity were significantly higher in men than in women (respectively, 30%, 7%, 17% and 65%). About 63% of subjects were hyperlipidemic, mainly hypercholesterolemic. Cys concentration was increased by 9% in hyperlipidemics vs. normolipidemics. In subjects with altered thiol status men, but not women, revealed a moderate hyperhomocysteinemia. Also Cys-Gly concentrations were significantly higher in men than in women. In spite of being apparently healthy, all subjects (namely men) have depleted antioxidant defenses, indicating high oxidative stress. Alterations in plasma GSH, Cys-Gly and Cys concentrations, taken together, and independently of dyslipidemia, could be considered as early markers of atherosclerosis