Toxicological Study Employing Repeated Doses of Garcinielliptone FC, a Polyisoprenylated-Benzophenone Isolated from Seed of Platonia Insignis Mart

The major constituent from the hexane extract of the seeds of P. insignis is GFC (garcinielliptone FC). Doses of 25, 50and 75 mg/kg of GFC were aseptically suspended in 0.05% Tween 80 dissolved in 0.9% saline (vehicle) and orally administered for30, 90 and 120 consecutive days to adult Swiss mice. In this work, the repeated oral administration, in animals of both sexes,demonstrates that this compound is not able to induce mortality and/or behavioral changes in adult mice. In addition, body weightgain, feed intake and disposal of excreta were not altered by the administration of this compound with repeated doses. Furthermore,no differences in weight and macroscopic structure of the brain, liver, kidney, lung, heart and spleen between groups of male andfemale adult mice were observed after treatment. During the periods of treatment, GFC produced no significant changes onhaematological and biochemical parameters in male and female mice treated with all doses used. The aim of this study was toinvestigate the toxicological potential of GFC through behavioral, hematological, biochemical and morphological parameters inanimals in order to ensure the safe use of Platonia insignis in folk medicine.Fil: Silva, Ana P.. Federal University of Piauí; BrasilFil: Filho, José Carlos C. L. S.. North Union of Parana; BrasilFil: da Costa Júnior, Joaquim S.. Federal Institute of Piauí; BrasilFil: Peláez, Walter José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Faillace, Martín Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Falcão Ferraz, Alexandre de B.. Lutheran University of Brazil; BrasilFil: David, Jorge M.. Institute Of Chemistry, Federal University Of Bahia; Brasil. Universidade Federal da Bahia; BrasilFil: Freitas, Rivelilson M.. Federal University of Bahia; Brasi

BLOOD BIOCHEMICAL HEPATIC PROFILE IN THE COATI (NASUA NASUA) REARED IN CAPTIVITY

El objetivo de este estudio fue establecer valores de referencia para el suero de alanina aminotransferasa (ALT), aspartato aminotransferasa (AST), bilirrubina (total y directa), fosfatasa alcalina, proteínas totales y albúmina en cautiverio coatí sudamericano (Nasua nasua). Un total de 19 coatíes (11 hombres y 8 mujeres) de dos parques zoológicos en la zona de Lima, Perú se tomaron muestras de sangre. Los coatíes se le impidió químicamente usando clorhidrato de ketamina (10 mg / kg de peso corporal) y xilacina clorhidrato (1 mg / kg de peso corporal) por vía IM. sangre muestras (4 ml) se recogieron a través de punción de la vena femoral utilizando tubos vacutainer sin anticoagulante. Los valores de química sanguínea obtenidos fueron ALT: 94,0 ± 48,5 UI / L, AST: 124,7 ± 49,4 UI / L, bilirrubina total: 0,72 ± 0,55 mg / dl, bilirrubina directa: 0,19 ± 0,21 mg / dl, bilirrubina indirecta: 0,52 ± 0,52 mg / dl, fosfatasa alcalina: 46,8 ± 26,4 UI / l, proteínas totales: 8,0 ± 1,1 g / dl y albúmina: 3,9 ± 0,5 g / dl.The objective of this study was to establish reference serum values for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin (total and direct), alkaline phosphatase, total proteins and albumin in captive South American coati (Nasua nasua). A total of 19 coatis (11 males and 8 females) from two zoo parks in the area of Lima, Peru were blood sampled. The coatis were chemically restrained using ketamine clorhidrate (10 mg/kg body weight) and xilacine clorhidrate (1 mg/kg body weight) via IM. Blood samples (4 ml) were collected through femoral vein puncture using vacutainer tubes without anticoagulant. The blood chemistry values obtained were ALT: 94.0 ± 48.5 UI/L, AST: 124.7 ± 49.4 UI/L, total bilirubin: 0.72 ± 0.55 mg/dl, direct bilirubin: 0.19 ± 0.21 mg/dl, indirect bilirubin: 0.52 ± 0.52 mg/dl, alkaline phosphatase: 46.8 ± 26.4 UI/L, total proteins: 8.0 ± 1.1 g/dl, and albumin: 3.9 ± 0.5 g/dl

Microfluidic-assisted electrospinning, an alternative to coaxial, as a controlled dual drug release system to treat inflammatory arthritic diseases

Inflammatory arthritic diseases are characterized by a persistent inflammation of the synovial tissues where tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) pro-inflammatory cytokines are over-expressed, leading to progressive musculoskeletal disability. Methotrexate (MTX), a disease-modifying-anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) commonly applied in their treatment, can be used in combination with biological-DMARDs as anti-TNFα antibody to improve the treatments efficacy. However, their systemic administration comes with severe side-effects and limited therapeutic efficacy due to their off-target distribution and short half-life. To overcome such limitations, encapsulation of clinically relevant concentrations of MTX and anti-TNFα antibody into polycaprolactone (PCL) or poly(vinyl-alcohol) (PVA) microfluidic-assisted or coaxial electrospun fibrous meshes is proposed as local controlled dual drug release systems. Release studies show that microfluidic-assisted electrospinning meshes encapsulating both drugs achieved higher concentrations than coaxials. Biological assays using human articular chondrocytes (hACs) and monocytic cells (THP-1 cell line) demonstrate that fibrous meshes encapsulating the drugs are non-toxic. The systems' efficacy is proved by a significant decrease of TNFα and IL-6 concentrations in conditioned medium of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated THP-1 cells, especially in the presence of microfluidic-assisted electrospun meshes, when compared with THP-1 conditioned medium (59.5% and 83.9% less, respectively). Therefore, microfluidic-assisted electrospinning fibrous meshes with encapsulating drugs represent an alternative to coaxial, as a local therapy for inflammatory arthritis diseases.This work was supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, for the Ph.D grant of Catarina Silva (UMINHO/BD/33/2016; NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000012), and by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) for the cells project Cells4_ID (PTDC/BTM-SAL/28882/2017)

Lava flow hazard at Fogo Volcano, Cabo Verde, before and after the 2014–2015eruption

Abstract. Lava flow simulations help to better understand volcanic hazards and may assist emergency preparedness at active volcanoes. We demonstrate that at Fogo Volcano, Cabo Verde, such simulations can explain the 2014–2015 lava flow crisis and therefore provide a valuable base to better prepare for the next inevitable eruption. We conducted topographic mapping in the field and a satellite-based remote sensing analysis. We produced the first topographic model of the 2014–2015 lava flow from combined terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and photogrammetric data. This high-resolution topographic information facilitates lava flow volume estimates of 43.7 ± 5.2 × 106 m3 from the vertical difference between pre- and posteruptive topographies. Both the pre-eruptive and updated digital elevation models (DEMs) serve as the fundamental input data for lava flow simulations using the well-established DOWNFLOW algorithm. Based on thousands of simulations, we assess the lava flow hazard before and after the 2014–2015 eruption. We find that, although the lava flow hazard has changed significantly, it remains high at the locations of two villages that were destroyed during this eruption. This result is of particular importance as villagers have already started to rebuild the settlements. We also analysed satellite radar imagery acquired by the German TerraSAR-X (TSX) satellite to map lava flow emplacement over time. We obtain the lava flow boundaries every 6 to 11 days during the eruption, which assists the interpretation and evaluation of the lava flow model performance. Our results highlight the fact that lava flow hazards change as a result of modifications of the local topography due to lava flow emplacement. This implies the need for up-to-date topographic information in order to assess lava flow hazards. We also emphasize that areas that were once overrun by lava flows are not necessarily safer, even if local lava flow thicknesses exceed the average lava flow thickness. Our observations will be important for the next eruption of Fogo Volcano and have implications for future lava flow crises and disaster response efforts at basaltic volcanoes elsewhere in the world

A large X-ray flare from the Herbig Ae star V892 Tau

We report the XMM-Newton observation of a large X-ray flare from the Herbig Ae star V892 Tau. The apparent low mass companion of V892 Tau, V892 Tau NE, is unresolved by XMM-Newton. Nevertheless there is compelling evidence from combined XMM-Newton and Chandra data that the origin of the flare is the Herbig Ae star V892 Tau. During the flare the X-ray luminosity of V892 Tau increases by a factor of ~15, while the temperature of the plasma increases from kT ~ 1.5 keV to kT ~ 8 keV. From the scaling of the flare event, based on hydrodynamic modeling, we conclude that a 500 G magnetic field is needed in order to confine the plasma. Under the assumptions that a dynamo mechanism is required to generate such a confining magnetic field and that surface convection is a necessary ingredient for a dynamo, our findings provide indirect evidence for the existence of a significant convection zone in the stellar envelope of Herbig Ae stars.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A (12 pages - 6 figures

Serum values of urea and creatinine in agoutis (Dasyprocta fuliginosa) raised in a zoo in Lima

El objetivo del presente estudio fue hallar los valores séricos de urea y creatinina en añujes (Dasyprocta fuliginosa) saludables criados en un zoológico de Lima. Se colectaron muestras de sangre de 23 añujes. El suero se separó por centrifugación y los valores de urea y creatinina sérica se determinaron mediante métodos colorimétricos con kits comerciales. El valor promedio de urea fue de 11.47 ± 1.72 mg/dl y de creatinina de 2.41 ± 1.06 mg/dl. No se encontró diferencia estadística entre sexos ni edades.The aim of the study was to establish values for urea and creatinine in serum from 23 healthy Black Agouti (Dasyprocta fuliginosa) kept in captivity in a Zoo in Lima. The sera were harvested after centrifugation and levels of urea and creatinine determined by colorimetric methods using diagnostic commercial kits. The mean value of urea was 11.47 ± 1.72 mg/dl and for creatinine was 2.41 ± 1.06 mg/dl. None statistical difference was found due to sex or age

EVALUACIÓN BIOLÓGICA EN RATAS DE LABORATORIO (Rattus norvegicus) DE FUENTES PROTEICAS USADAS EN ALIMENTOS COMERCIALES PARA PERROS

El objetivo del estudio fue realizar una evaluación biológica a tres insumos proteicos utilizados en la alimentación comercial de perros: torta de soya (TS), harina de carne (HC) y harina de pollo (HP). Se utilizaron las pruebas biológicas de Relación de Eficiencia Proteica (PER), Digestibilidad Verdadera (DV), Utilización Neta de las Proteínas (NPU) y Valor Biológico (VB). Se empleó 40 ratas albinas de 23 días de edad distribuidas en grupos de acuerdo al insumo proteico utilizado en la dieta: grupos TS, HC, HP, control (caseinato de sodio) y aproteico. Los resultados obtenidos fueron: PER: TS = 1.86, HC = 1.39, HP = 1.69, control = 2.11; DV: TS = 98.76, HC = 96.95, HP = 98.13, control = 99.19; NPU: TS = 58.19, HC = 35.52, HP = 60.19, control = 96.46; VB: TS = 0.59, HC = 0.37, HP = 0.61, control = 0.97. La PER de la HC fue significativamente menor que la PER de los otros insumos (p<0.05). No hubo diferencias estadísticas entre la PER de la HP y TS. Los insumos proteicos evaluados tuvieron una alta DV. La HC es el insumo proteico de menor calidad (menor PER, NPU y VB). Se concluye que para evaluar la calidad de los insumos proteicos no es suficiente determinar su contenido proteico y digestibilidad, sino que además se requiere realizar las evaluaciones biológicas.The aim of this study was to biologically assess three protein sources used in commercial dog food: soy meal (TS), meat meal (HC), and chicken meal (HP) using four biological tests: Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), True Digestibility (DV), Net Protein Utilization (NPU) and Biological Value (VB). 40 albino laboratory rats of 23 days of age were used. Five groups were formed according to the protein source: groups TS, HC, HP, control group (sodium caseinate) and a non protein-group. The results were: PER: TS = 1.86, HC = 1.39, HP = 1.69, control = 2.11; DV: TS = 98.76, HC = 96.95, HP = 98.13, control = 99.19; NPU: TS = 58.19, HC = 35.52, HP = 60.19, control = 96.46; VB: TS = 0.59, HC = 0.37, HP = 0.61, control = 0.97. PER results in the HC group were significantly lower than other groups (p<0.05). There was not statistical differences on PER between groups HP and TS. All protein sources had a high true digestibility. The HC was the protein source of less quality because the lowest PER, NPU and VB values. It is concluded that to asses the quality of protein nutrients is not enough to establish the protein content and digestibility, but to conduct biological tests

REFERENTIAL HAEMATOLOGICAL VALUES IN AGOUTIS (DASYPROCTA FULIGINOSA) KEPT IN CAPTIVITY

El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar los valores hematológicos del añuje (Dasyprocta fuliginosa) criado en cautiverio en el Zoológico Patronato Parque Las Leyendas (PATPAL). Se utilizaron 23 animales (11 machos y 12 hembras; 13 juveniles y 10 adultos). Los animales fueron anestesiados con una combinación de Ketamina (10 mg/kg peso vivo) y Xilacina (1 mg/kg peso vivo) i.m. El análisis hematológico incluyó hemoglobina (Hb), hematocrito (Ht), contaje de eritrocitos y leucocitos, Volumen Corpuscular Medio (VGM), Concentración de Hemoglobina Corpuscular Media (CHGM) y Hemoglobina Corpuscular Media (HCM), y el diferencial de leucocitos. Los resultados fueron: 6.17 x 106/μl eritrocitos, 5,739 x 103/μl leucocitos, 40.4% Ht, 12.42 g/dl Hb, 66.56 fl VGM, 20.56 pg HCM, 30.88 g/dl CHGM; y 67.1% neutrófilos, 29.6% linfocitos, 2.39% eosinófilos, 0.26% monocitos y 0.56% abastonados. Los valores encontrados son similares a otros valores reportados en la literatura.The purpose of the present study was to determine the haematologic values of agoutis (Dasyprocta fuliginosa) bred in captivity at the Patronato Parque Las Leyendas zoo (PATPAL). Twenty three animals were used (11 males and 12 females; 13 juvenile and 10 adults). They were anesthetized with a combination of Ketamine (10 mg/kg BW) and Xilacine (1 mg/kg BW) i.m. The haemathological analysis included haemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Ht), count of erythrocytes (RBC) and leucocytes (WBC), mean cell volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and the leukocyte differential. The obtained values were: 6.17 x 106/μl RBC, 5,739 x 103/μl WBC, 40.4% Ht, 12.42 g/dl Hb, 66.56 fl MCV, 20.56 pg MCH, 30.88 g/dl MCHC; and 67.1% neutrophils, 29.6% lymphocytes, 2.39% eosinophils, 0.26% monocytes and 0.56% band neutrophils. The encountered values were similar to those reported in the literature