Intact triacylglycerol profiles of fats and meats via thermal imprinting easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Thermal imprinting (TI) on a paper surface, using minimal solvent amounts, followed by direct analysis of the triacylglycerols (TAG) content via easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS) is shown to provide a fast protocol to analyze TAG in meats and fats. The technique is simple, fast and eco-friendly requiring no hydrolysis, derivatization or chromatographic separation. The entire TI-EASI-MS protocol is performed in a few minutes and with minimal sample handling and solvent consumption. The TAG profiles obtained via TI-EASI-MS are shown to be quite similar to those obtained using GC and MALDI-MS analyses, and the imprinting and mailing of the imprinted paper in a sealed plastic bag is proposed for remote TI-EASI-MS analysis of meat and fat samples.41135513557Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Financing Agency of Studies and Projects (FINEP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

A New Method to Predict the Epidemiology of Fungal Keratitis by Monitoring the Sales Distribution of Antifungal Eye Drops in Brazil

Purpose: Fungi are a major cause of keratitis, although few medications are licensed for their treatment. The aim of this study is to observe the variation in commercialisation of antifungal eye drops, and to predict the seasonal distribution of fungal keratitis in Brazil. Methods: Data from a retrospective study of antifungal eye drops sales from the only pharmaceutical ophthalmologic laboratory, authorized to dispense them in Brazil (Opthalmos) were gathered. These data were correlated with geographic and seasonal distribution of fungal keratitis in Brazil between July 2002 and June 2008. Results: A total of 26,087 antifungal eye drop units were sold, with a mean of 2.3 per patient. There was significant variation in antifungal sales during the year (p < 0.01). A linear regression model displayed a significant association between reduced relative humidity and antifungal drug sales (R-2 = 0.17, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Antifungal eye drops sales suggest that there is a seasonal distribution of fungal keratitis. A possible interpretation is that the third quarter of the year (a period when the climate is drier), when agricultural activity is more intense in Brazil, suggests a correlation with a higher incidence of fungal keratitis. A similar model could be applied to other diseases, that are managed with unique, or few, and monitorable medications to predict epidemiological aspects.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnologicoConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico [302005/2009-9]Fundacao de Apoio ao Ensino, Pesquisa e Assistencia do Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto da Universidade de Sao PauloFundacao de Apoio ao Ensino, Pesquisa e Assistencia do Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto da Universidade de Sao Paul

Effects of bromopride on the healing of left colon anastomoses of rats

Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos da bromoprida sobre a formação de aderências e a cicatrização de anastomoses de cólon esquerdo de ratos. Métodos: Foram incluídos 40 ratos, divididos em dois grupos contendo 20 animais, para administração de bromoprida (grupo de estudo- E) ou solução fisiológica (grupo controle- C). Cada grupo foi dividido em subgrupos contendo 10 animais cada, para eutanásia no terceiro (E3 e C3) ou no sétimo dia (E7 e C7) de pós-operatório. Os ratos foram submetidos à secção do cólon esquerdo e anastomose término-terminal. No dia da relaparotomia, foi avaliada a quantidade total de aderências e removido um segmento colônico contendo a anastomose para análise histopatológica, da força de ruptura e da concentração de hidroxiprolina. Resultados: Não houve diferença entre os grupos em relação à evolução clínica. Dois animais do grupo de estudo apresentaram deiscência de anastomose bloqueada. Os animais que receberam bromoprida apresentaram número de aderências intracavitárias e aderências à anastomose semelhantes ao grupo controle. As anastomoses dos animais do grupo E3 apresentaram menor resistência de ruptura do que as do grupo C3 (p=0,04). Este efeito não ocorreu no sétimo dia de pós-operatório (p=0,37). Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos em relação à histopatologia ou concentração de hidroxiprolina das anastomoses. Conclusão: O uso da bromoprida está associado à diminuição da resistência tênsil de anastomoses do cólon esquerdo de ratos no terceiro dia de pós-operatório.Objective: To evaluate the effects of bromopride on the formation of adhesions and anastomotic healing in the left colon of rats. Methods: We divided 40 rats into two groups of 20 animals, administration of bromopride (study group-E) or saline (control group- C). Each group was divided into subgroups containing 10 animals each for euthanasia in the third (C3 and E3) or the seventh (E7 and C7) postoperative days. The rats were submitted to section of the left colon and end-to-end anastomosis. On the day of reoperation, we evaluated the total amount of adhesions and removed a colonic segment containing the anastomosis for histopathological analysis, assessment of rupture strength and hydroxyproline concentration. Results: There was no difference between groups in relation to clinical outcome. Two animals in the study group had blocked anastomotic leakage. The animals that received bromopride had the number of intracavitary adhesions and adhesions to the anastomosis similar to the control group. The anastomoses from the group E3 animals showed lower resistance to rupture the one from the C3 group (p = 0.04). This effect did not occur on the seventh postoperative day (p = 0.37). There was no significant difference between groups in relation to histopathology and hydroxyproline concentration in the anastomoses. Conclusion: The use of bromopride was associated with decreased tensile strength of left colon anastomosis in rats in the third postoperative day

Human aging and somatic point mutations in mtDNA: A comparative study of generational differences (grandparents and grandchildren)

The accumulation of somatic mutations in mtDNA is correlated with aging. In this work, we sought to identify somatic mutations in the HVS-1 region (D-loop) of mtDNA that might be associated with aging. For this, we compared 31 grandmothers (mean age: 63 ± 2.3 years) and their 62 grandchildren (mean age: 15 ± 4.1 years), the offspring of their daughters. Direct DNA sequencing showed that mutations absent in the grandchildren were detected in a presumably homoplasmic state in three grandmothers and in a heteroplasmic state in an additional 13 grandmothers; no mutations were detected in the remaining 15 grandmothers. However, cloning followed by DNA sequencing in 12 grandmothers confirmed homoplasia in only one of the three mutations previously considered to be homoplasmic and did not confirm heteroplasmy in three out of nine grandmothers found to be heteroplasmic by direct sequencing. Thus, of 12 grandmothers in whom mtDNA was analyzed by cloning, eight were heteroplasmic for mutations not detected in their grandchildren. In this study, the use of genetically related subjects allowed us to demonstrate the occurrence of age-related (> 60 years old) mutations (homoplasia and heteroplasmy). It is possible that both of these situations (homoplasia and heteroplasmy) were a long-term consequence of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation that can lead to the accumulation of mtDNA mutations throughout life

IMPACT OF ROUX-EN-Y GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY (RYGB) ON METABOLIC SYNDROME COMPONENTS AND ON THE USE OF ASSOCIATED DRUGS IN OBESE PATIENTS

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND The prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome is increasing worldwide and both behavior modification and drug therapy have low adherence. Gastric bypass has shown effective results in both reducing weight and improving comorbidities. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery (RYGB) on both metabolic syndrome components and the use of associated drugs in obese patients. METHODS Historical cohort of patients subjected to Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery (RYGB) between January 2007 and March 2014 in a private clinic. The sample consisted of 273 obese class II and III individuals, 86.4% of whom were female, with age ≥20 years, followed up for 2 months after surgery. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and drug-use data were collected from patients’ medical records. RESULTS Significant differences were found in weight, body mass index and waist circumference, after 60 postoperative days. Components for metabolic syndrome diagnosis (hypertension P=0.001; hyperglycemia P<0.001; hypertriglyceridemia P=0.006) were reduced after 60 days of postoperative, with the exception HDL-c (P=0.083). There was a significant reduction in the use of antihypertensive (P<0.001), hypoglycemic (P=0.013), lipid lowering (P<0.001), and antiobesity (P=0.010) drugs and increased use of gastroprotective drugs, vitamins, and minerals (P<0.001) after 60 postoperative days. CONCLUSION Patients subjected to Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery exhibited both weight loss and significant improvement not only in metabolic syndrome components (except for HDL-c) but in the use of drugs associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome