Resveratrol and Red Wine Function as Antioxidants in the Nervous System without Cellular Proliferative Effects during Experimental Diabetes

Chronic hyperglycemia increases oxidative stress status and has been associated with neurological complications in diabetic individuals. This study compared the antioxidant properties of red wine or resveratrol in different brain areas of diabetic and non-diabetic rats, and investigated the effect of them on hippocampal cell proliferation in hippocampal dentate gyrus of diabetic rats. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic and control rats were treated with red wine (4 mL/kg), resveratrol (20 mg/kg) or saline, by oral gavage, for 21 days. Lipid peroxidation (TBARS), catalase and superoxide dismutase were measured to evaluate the oxidative stress and the BrdU-positive cells were assessed to measure changes in cellular proliferation. In diabetic animals, resveratrol showed antioxidant property in the hippocampus and in the striatum, while red wine had an antioxidant effect only in the hippocampus. Neither red wine nor resveratrol reversed the lower hippocampal cell proliferation in diabetic rats. Daily doses of red wine or resveratrol have an antioxidant effect in rats depending on the brain area and the glycemic status

Estudo da hidratação da pele por emulsões cosméticas para xerose e sua estabilidade por reologia

Foram desenvolvidas as emulsões NI (não-iônica) e CL (cristal líquido) e avaliados os parâmetros reológicos, assim como o efeito hidratante das emulsões NI e CL em mulheres, com faixa etária de 20 ± 2 anos e da emulsão NI em mulheres com faixa etária de 70 ± 7 anos. Os resultados demonstraram adequada estabilidade das emulsões e comportamento pseudoplástico, além de tixotropia aparente. Para a emulsão NI, foi alcançado o melhor perfil reológico com menor ponto de fluidez (13,57 ± 3,19 Pa) e maior espalhabilidade (4,99 ± 0,54 mm²/g). Não houve diferença significativa de hidratação dos produtos em mulheres com faixa etária de 20 ± 2 anos da emulsão NI e CL (16,0 ± 5,1%, 14,2 ± 5,5%). No entanto, a hidratação do grupo de mulheres com faixa etária de 70 ± 7 anos foi de 13,1 ± 5,6% para a emulsão NI. Esse resultado demonstra hidratação significativamente menor nesse grupo, quando comparada ao grupo com menor faixa etária. Dessa forma, foi comprovada para esse estudo a importância da avaliação reológica como fator de seleção entre formulações cosméticas semelhantes. Além disso, observou-se a relevância da seleção etária para a avaliação da hidratação cutânea de cosméticos.NI (nonionic) and LC (liquid crystal) emulsions were developed, and their rheological parameters were evaluated. Also, the hydrating effect of NI and LC emulsions was tested among women with 20 ± 2 years, as well as NI emulsions among women with 70 ± 7 years of age. The results showed that the emulsions were stable and they had a pseudoplastic behavior and apparent thixotropy. The data revealed the best rheological profile of the NI emulsion with the lowest pour point (13.57 ± 3.19 Pa) and the highest spreadability (4.99 ± 0.54 mm²/g). There was no significant difference in hydration between NI and LC emulsions (16.0 ± 5.1%; 14.2 ± 5.5%) among younger women. However, hydration among elderly women was of 13.1 ± 5.6% for NI emulsion, revealing that it was significantly lower in this group when compared to the younger one. These data revealed the importance of rheological evaluation as a factor of choice among similar cosmetic formulations. Age bracket selection also proved to be very important in the assessment of skin hydration by cosmetic products

Determination of amitriptyline and its main metabolites in human plasma samples using HPLC-DAD: application to the determination of metabolic ratios after single oral dose of amitriptyline

A simple and sensitive HPLC-DAD method for the simultaneous determination of amitriptyline, nortriptyline, E-10-hydroxyamitriptyline, Z-10-hydroxyamitriptyline, E-10-hydroxynortriptyline, Z-10-hydroxynortriptyline and desmethylnortriptyline in human plasma samples was developed and validated. The method employs a two step liquid-liquid extraction and a reversed phase separation with isocratic elution. Precision assays showed R.S.D % lower than 12.1% and accuracy was in the range of 93.1 to 102.5%. Lowest Limit of detection was 5 ng mL-1 for all analytes. Metabolic ratios of amitriptyline demethylation were evaluated in individuals genotyped for CYP2C19, with clear differences between volunteers with zero or two active alleles. The method is suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of patients under amitriptyline treatment, also allowing the indication of CYP2C19 activity

Identificação de substâncias em análise toxicológica sistemática utilizando um sistema informatizado para cálculo de parâmetros cromatográficos e busca em bases de dados Substance identification in systematic toxicological analysis using a computer system for chromatographic parameter calculation and database retrieval

<abstract language="eng">In spite of the availability of large databases of chromatographic data on several standardized systems, one major task in systematic toxicological analysis remains, namely how to handle the experimental data and retrieve data from the large available databases in a meaningful and productive way. To achieve this purpose, our group proposed an Internet-based tool using previously published STA databases, which interlaboratorial reproducibility tests have already evaluated. The developed software has the capability to calculate corrected chromatographic parameters, after the input of data obtained with standard mixtures of calibrators, and search the databases, currently incorporating TLC, color reactions, GC and HPLC data. At the end of the process, a list with candidate substances and their similarity indexes is presented

Relation between CYP2C19 phenotype and genotype in a group of Brazilian volunteers

The CYP2C19 gene presents polymorphism affecting the pharmacokinetics of several drugs of clinical importance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between CYP2C19 genotype and metabolic phenotype in a group of 38 Brazilian volunteers, evaluating the phenotype prediction capacity of the genotyping procedure. For CYP2C19 phenotyping, omeprazole was used as the probe drug, using the hydroxylation metabolic ratio as the phenotypic indicator. Venous blood samples were drawn before and three hours after an oral administration of 20 mg omeprazole. The plasma concentrations of omeprazole and hydroxy-omeprazole were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The genotyping assay was carried out using a Real-Time-PCR-based assay, identifying the alleles *1 (completely functional), *2, *3 and *4 (null). The phenotyping procedure estimated the presence of 4 poor, 34 extensive and 1 ultra-extensive metabolizer. The genotyping identified 4 poor, 23 extensive and 11 intensive metabolizers. The groups of volunteers classified according to the number of active alleles of CYP2C19 had significant differences in the metabolic ratios of omeprazole hydroxylation. However, volunteers exhibiting the same number of active alleles presented different phenotypes. Therefore, the phenotyping of CYP2C19 is a more promising alternative to dose individualization of CYP2C19 substrate drugs