ARBORIZAÇÃO URBANA NA CIDADE DE ASSIS-SP: UMA ABORDAGEM QUANTITATIVA

A arborização urbana da cidade de Assis foi analisada quantitativamente, utilizando-se uma abordagem por zonas sócio-econômicas. Encontrou-se 1915 indivíduos arbóreos pertencentes a 54 espécies de árvores, sendo as 10 mais freqüentes responsáveis por 82,77% das plantas levantadas. Licania tomentosa foi a espécie mais freqüente, com 410 indivíduos, cerca de 20 % do total. O índice de diversidade obtido para a cidade de Assis-SP foi de 2,91 demonstrando uma diversidade intermediária. Quanto à abundância de árvores foi encontrado para a cidade 37,87 árvores por quilômetro de calçada, índice que pode ser considerado de valor mediano. A arborização foi semelhante entre as diferentes zonas sócio-econômicas encontradas

Evaluation of extracts from Coccoloba mollis using the Salmonella/microsome system and in vivo tests

The common everyday use of medicinal plants is an ancient, and still very widespread practice, whereby the need for studies on their possible toxicity and mutagenic properties. The species Coccoloba mollis has been much used in phytotherapy, mainly in cases involving loss of memory and stress. In order to investigate its genotoxic and mutagenic potential, ethanolic extracts from the leaves and roots underwent Salmonella/microsome assaying (TA98 and TA100 strains, with and without exogenous metabolism – S9), besides comet and micronucleus tests in vivo.There was no significant increase in the number of revertants/plate of Salmonella strains in any of the analyzed root-extract concentrations, although the extract itself was extremely toxic to the Salmonella TA98 strain in the tests carried out with S9 (doses varying from 0.005 to 0.5 μg/plate). On the other hand, the leaf-extract induced mutations in the TA98 strain in the absence of S9 in the highest concentration evaluated, although at very low mutagenic potency (0.004 rev/ μg). Furthermore, there was no statistically significant increase in the number of comets and micronuclei, in treatments involving Swiss mice. It was obvious that extracts of Coccoloba mollis, under the described experimental conditions, are not mutagenic

Efeito das isoflavonas da soja daidzeína e genisteína em células MCF-7, HB4 e OVCAR-3: estudo da citotoxicidade, indução de apoptose, cinética de proliferação celular e expressão gênica

Atualmente, principalmente devido aos avanços na área de Nutrigenômica, sabe-se que a dieta tem grande influência na saúde e bem estar das pessoas. Uma dieta adequada pode contribuir para a prevenção de diversas doenças crônicas, dentre elas, o câncer. Estudos epidemiológicos apontam que as populações de países asiáticos sofrem menos com estas doenças, e o alto consumo de soja (e suas isoflavonas daidzeína e genisteína) está associado a este fato. As isoflavonas da soja daidzeína e genisteína possuem grande potencial de prevenção do câncer, uma vez que muitos estudos já demonstraram que elas interferem em diversos estágios do processo de carcinogênese. A modulação da proliferação e morte celular é um dos efeitos quimiopreventivos das isoflavonas mais investigados, porém a maioria dos estudos utiliza-se de concentrações fisiologicamente irrelevantes, ou seja, concentrações que não são encontradas no organismo humano. Portanto, o objetivo do nosso estudo foi analisar os efeitos da máxima concentração fisiologicamente relevante dessas isoflavonas em células humanas in vitro. Três linhagens celulares foram utilizadas: MCF-7 (tumoral de mama), HB4a (não tumoral de mama) e OVCAR-3 (tumoral de ovário). O efeito citotóxico, a expressão gênica (CASP-3, CASP-7, BAX, BCL-xL e COX-2) e a indução de apoptose foram investigadas nas três linhagens celulares. Além disso, foi estudado o efeito das isoflavonas sobre o ciclo celular das linhagens MCF-7 e HB4a. Somente uma concentração alta de genisteína (100 μM) após 72h de tratamento induziu citotoxicidade na linhagem OVCAR-3. Ambas as isoflavonas em concentração de 10 μM não induziram apoptose nesta linhagem, e a expressão dos genes analisados não mudou significativamente frente ao tratamento com daidzeína ou genisteína. O tratamento das...Nowadays, mainly because of Nutrigenomics advances, it is known that diet has a major influence on health and welfare of people. A proper diet can contribute to the prevention of several chronic diseases, including cancer. Epidemiological studies indicate that Asian populations suffer less from these diseases, and high intake of soy (and its isoflavones daidzein and genistein) is associated with this fact. The soy isoflavones daidzein and genistein have great potential for cancer prevention, since many studies have shown that they interfere with several stages of carcinogenesis. Modulation of cellular proliferation and death is one of the most investigated chemopreventive effects of isoflavones, but in most of the studies, physiological irrelevant concentrations are used, i.e., concentrations that are not found in human body. The objective of our study was to analyze the effects of maximal physiological relevant concentration of these isoflavones in in vitro human cell lines. Three cell lineages were used: MCF-7 (from breast carcinoma), HB4a (breast non-tumoral cell) and OVCAR-3 (from ovarian carcinoma). Cytotoxic effect, gene expression (CASP-3, CASP-7, BAX, BCL-xL and COX-2) and induction of apoptosis were investigated in all cell lines. In addition, it was studied the effect of the isoflavones on the cell cycle of MCF-7 and HB4a. Only the highest concentration of genistein (100 μM) was cytotoxic to OVCAR-3 after 72 hours of treatment of the cells. Both isoflavones at 10 μM did not induce apoptosis in this cell line and expression of the studied genes did not change in front of daidzein or genistein treatment. Daidzein treatment of HB4a cells was not cytotoxic in none of the experimental conditions. Daidzein 10 or 25 μM also was not able to induce apoptosis or to arrest cell cycle of nontumoral HB4a. Also in this lineage, concentration of 10... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Investigation of cytotoxic, apoptosis-inducing, genotoxic and protective effects of the flavonoid rutin in HTC hepatic cells

Rutin is a flavonoid with antioxidant, vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating activities. To study the toxicity of rutin and its protective effect, this work investigated the cytotoxic, apoptosis-inducing, genotoxic and protective effects of rutin in HTC cells. In the MTT assay, the highest concentration tested (810 mu M) showed cytotoxicity after 72 h of treatment, where cell viability and cell proliferation was diminished. None of the concentrations of rutin tested induced apoptosis after 24 h treatment. The highest concentration of rutin after 24 h treatment induced DNA damage, shown in the comet assay, but did have a genotoxic effect in the micronucleus test. Rutin was tested against the pro-carcinogenic agent benzo(a)pyrene, at concentrations of 90, 270 and 810 mu M, and was found to reduce induced DNA damage significantly. This protective effect of rutin against a pro-carcinogen, suggests an important biological activity for this compound, which can contribute to human health through the diet. (C) 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved

Effects of physiological levels of daidzein on cell proliferation of tumoral and non-tumoral breast cells lines

Introduction: Soy isoflavones are associated with the lower breast cancer risk found in Asiatic populations. They can interfere in various stages of the carcinogenesis process, preventing the development of this pathology and, for this reason, its consumption became popular. Instead of the beneficial effects found in literature, most chemopreventive in vitro studies use non-physiological levels of daidzein (> 30 µM). In our study, the effects of maximal physiological levels of daidzein was investigated in two human breast cell lines: HB4a (non-tumoral) and MCF-7 (tumoral). Experiments to verify cytotoxicity, induction of cell death by apoptosis and, additionally, cell cycle arrest were performed. Materials and methods: Cytotoxic effect of daidzein (0.1 - 100 µM) was assessed using resazurinbased assay. Flow cytometry tests were performed to investigate apoptosis induction (annexin VFITC/PI) and cell cycle arrest (propidium iodide staining of DNA content) by daidzein at 10 and 25 µM. Changes in expression of apoptosis related genes after treatment of cells with daidzein (10 and 25 µM) were investigated using quantitative real time PCR. Results: Daidzein ranging from 0.1 to 100 µM (for 24 and 48h) were not cytotoxic to both cell lines. Concentrations of 10 and 25 µM did not induce apoptosis in these cells, instead of statistical significant changes in gene expression of some of the target genes (CASP-3, CASP-7, BAX, BCL-xL, COX-2). Both concentrations of daidzein arrested cell cycle in G0/G1 phase only in MCF- 7. Conclusion: Daidzein at maximal achievable physiologic serum levels selectively arrested cell cycle only in the tumoral MCF-7, and did not induce cell death by apoptosis, one of the major effects described in literature. We hope that our study helps in understanding the chemopreventive effects of low levels of soy isoflavones in breast carcinogenesis.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

In Vitro Assessment of Mutagenic And Genotoxic Effects of Coumarin Derivatives 6,7-Dihydroxycoumarin and 4-Methylesculetin

Coumarins are naturally occurring compounds, widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom (Plantae), and possess important pharmacological properties, including inhibition of oxidative stress. In this context, newly synthesized coumarin compounds are being produced due to their potent antioxidant activities. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the in vitro cytotoxic, mutagenic, and genotoxic effects of 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin (6,7-HC) and 4-methylesculetin (4-ME) using the Salmonella/microsome test and in cultured human lymphocytes the comet assay and micronucleus test. The three coumarin derivatives concentrations evaluated in comet and MN assays were 2, 8, and 32 mu g/mL, selected through a preliminary trypan blue-staining assay. In the Ames test, the 5 concentrations tested were 62.5, 125, 250, 500, and 750 mu g/plate. Positive (methyl methane-sulfonate, MMS) and negative (dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO) control groups were also included in the analysis. Our results showed that 4-ME induced greater cytotoxicity at high concentrations than 6,7-HC. In addition, both compounds were not mutagenic in the Ames test and not genotoxic or clastogenic/aneugenic in cultured human lymphocytes.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP