Persistence of Parvovirus B19 in liver from transplanted patients with acute liver failure

Aim: In this study, we investigated the presence of B19V in liver tissues from patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and evaluated the viral activity in infected liver. Methods: Serum and liver samples from 30 patients who underwent liver transplantation for ALF were investigated for B19V infection by real-time PCR, serological tests and examination of B19V mRNA (transcript) expression in the liver. Results: The serum and liver samples from seven patients were B19V DNA positive (10³-10⁵ copies/ml). Most of them presented detectable anti-B19V IgG, indicating persistent infection. B19V mRNA was detected in all patients, demonstrating intra-hepatic replication. Conclusion: B19V infection of the liver during the course of non-A-E ALF suggested a role of B19V, which produced the worst outcome in co-infected patients and in patients with cryptogenic ALF, in liver damage.

Avaliação in vitro da Rugosidade de Superfície de Resinas Compostas Submetidas a Diferentes Técnicas de Acabamento e Polimento

O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar a rugosidade de superfície em resinas nanoparticuladas e de inserção única após serem submetidas a diferentes sistemas de acabamento e polimento. Foram preparados 10 espécimes (2,5 x 5 mm²) de cada tipo de resina: X-tra fill (Voco) Bulk Fill (3M) Filtek™ Z350XT (3M) e Grandio So (Voco). Os espécimes de cada resina foram aleatoriamente divididos em dois grupos de acordo com os protocolos de acabamento e polimento: G1: Discos Sof-Lex Pop-on (3M) e G2: Discos espirais Sof-Lex (3M). A rugosidade de superfície foi avaliada após fotoativação (T0), pós-lixamento (T1) e pós-acabamento e polimento (T2). Após a primeira leitura os espécimes foram tratados com uma lixa d’agua, granulação 180, por um tempo equivalente a 10s. O procedimento de acabamento e polimento foi realizado em baixa rotação por um período total de 40 segundos. A comparação entre os grupos foi realizada através de ANOVA Three way e teste de Tukey. Em todas as situações, foi adotado o nível de significância de 5%. Os resultados demonstraram haver diferença estatisticamente significativa somente entre a etapa de tratamento (p < 0,001), sendo T0 e T2 semelhantes (p 0,206), havendo diferença apenas entre T0 e T1, e entre T1 e T2 (p < 0,001). Os fatores resina composta e método de acabamento não apresentaram diferenças estatísticas (p 0,903 p 0,829, respectivamente). Dessa forma, ambos os sistemas de acabamento e polimento foram efetivos em reduzir a rugosidade de superfície, tanto em resinas nanoparticuladas quanto de inserção única.Palavras-chave: Polimento Dentário. Restauração, Resinas Compostas.

Mercury pollution and childhood in Amazon riverside villages

Mercury is a hazardous metal responsible for environmental contamination and human intoxication. Methylmercury, a very toxic organic compound, bio-accumulates through food chain, and is responsible for chronic mercury exposure of riverside Amazonian communities with a diet rich in fish. Uncertainties about the reference exposure dose that could have damaging consequences for nervous system development makes necessary the biomonitoring of these Amazonian populations, especially children. In this work, a comparative study was performed in exposed and non-exposed children living in the Amazon. A total of 168 children were analyzed to find possible correlations between gender, age, location, and hair mercury content. For each location, no statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were detected for gender and age versus mercury content. However, mean mercury levels in hair samples may indicate a tendency of boys to average higher hair concentrations. Also, in the community with highest levels of mercury, the limit of 10 micro g/g of mercury was surpassed by 65% of 2-6 years and 50% of 7-12 years children but only by 27% of 0-1 year babies, pointing to a lower bioaccumulation and/or the existence of a protection mechanism in babies. Log normal distributions of mercury concentrations for each location showed that children from populations under influence of gold mining activity contain the highest mercury levels in hair samples, though this intoxication may have decreased when compared to previous studies. Knowledge originated by this monitoring will better assist in the development of prevention strategies and government actions targeting the mercury contamination of Amazonian environment.

Biological activities of Curcuma longa L

There are several data in the literature indicating a great variety of pharmacological activities of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae), which exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-human immunodeficiency virus, anti-bacteria, antioxidant effects and nematocidal activities. Curcumin is a major component in Curcuma longa L., being responsible for its biological actions. Other extracts of this plant has been showing potency too. In vitro, curcumin exhibits anti-parasitic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and gastrointestinal effects; and also inhibits carcinogenesis and cancer growth. In vivo, there are experiments showing the anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory potency of curcumin and extracts of C. longa L. by parenteral and oral application in animal models. In this present work we make an overview of the pharmacological activities of C. longa L., showing its importance.

Studies on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of Curatella americana L

Curatella americana L. (Dilleneaceae) popularly known as 'cajueiro-bravo' and 'sambaiba' is used in Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of inflammation and ulcer. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic tests were conducted with the hydroalcoholic extract (HAE) of the bark of the plant. The HAE inhibited mouse ear oedema induced by o-tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA) and by capsaicin. While the ID50 values obtained for the HAE against these two irritants were 40.8 +/- 1.7 and 30 +/- 1.2 mg/kg i.p. (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 6), respectively, the corresponding value for carrageenan induced paw oedema (3 h) was 21.8 +/- 2.1 mg/kg, i.p., n = 6. In the established adjuvant-induced arthritis model, the HAE significantly inhibited the oedema in daily doses of 50 mg/kg, i.p. (n = 10). The HAE also inhibited acetic acid-induced writhing (ID50 23.2 +/- 0.8 mg/kg, i.p., n = 6) and the formalin-induced late phase paw licking response (ID50 11.9 +/- 1.2 mg/kg, i.p., n = 10) in the mice. However, the HAE was inactive in the formalin-induced initial paw licking response in mice or heat induced tail flick response in rats. The HAE has shown both anti-inflammatory and peripheral analgesic activities when administrated in the mouse by the intraperitoneal route in doses which are at least 12 times lower than its LD50 dose of 647 mg/kg, i.p.