Do urban rivers in the amazon coast trap macroplastic?

Amazon Rivers are important sources of macroplastic that enter the oceans. The estimated macroplastic transport is still inaccurate as hydrodynamics are not considered and data are not collected in situ. The present study shows the first quantification of floating macroplastics at different temporal scales, and an annual transport estimate through urban rivers in the Amazon: the Acará and Guamá Rivers, which discharge into the Guajará Bay. We conducted visual observations of macroplastics (>2.5 cm) in different river discharges and tidal stages, and we measured current intensity and direction in the three rivers. We quantified 3481 floating macroplastics, which varied according to tidal cycle and seasonality. Although connected to and affected by the same tidal regime, the urban estuarine system had an import rate of 12 ton.y^-1 through the Guamá River and an export rate of 21.7 ton.y^-1 of macroplastics through the Guajará Bay, affected by local hydrodynamics.

Morphological changes in the midgut of Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae following exposure to an Annona coriacea (Magnoliales: Annonaceae) extract

Bioinsecticides are important in the control of disease vectors, but data regarding their physiological effects on target insects are incomplete. This study describes morphological changes that occur in the midgut of third instar Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) following treatment with a methanolic extract of Annona coriacea (Magnoliales: Annonaceae). Dissected midguts were subdivided into anterior and posterior regions and analyzed by light and scanning electron microscopy. Insects exposed to the extract displayed intense, destructive cytoplasmic vacuolization in columnar and regenerative midgut cells. The apical surfaces of columnar cells exhibited cytoplasmic protrusions oriented toward the lumen, suggesting that these cells could be involved in apocrine secretory processes and/or apoptosis. We report that A. coriacea extracts induced morphological alterations in the midgut of A. aegypti midgut larvae, supporting the use of plant extracts for control of the dengue vector.

Low level laser therapy (LLLT): attenuation of cholinergic hyperreactivity, beta(2)-adrenergic hyporesponsiveness and TNF-alpha mRNA expression in rat bronchi segments in E. coli lipopolysaccharide-induced airway inflammation by a NF-kappaB dependent mechanism

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

It is unknown if the decreased ability to relax airways smooth muscles in asthma and other inflammatory disorders, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), can be influenced by low level laser therapy (LLLT) irradiation. In this context, the present work was developed in order to investigate if LLLT could reduce dysfunction in inflamed bronchi smooth muscles (BSM) in rats.

STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS

A controlled ex vivo study was developed where bronchi from Wistar rat were dissected and mounted in an organ bath apparatus with or without a TNF-alpha.

RESULTS

LLLT administered perpendicularly to a point in the middle of the dissected bronchi with a wavelength of 655 nm and a dose of 2.6 J/cm(2), partially decreased BSM hyperreactivity to cholinergic agonist, restored BSM relaxation to isoproterenol and reduced the TNF-alpha mRNA expression. An NF-kappaB antagonist (BMS205820) blocked the LLLT effect on dysfunction in inflamed BSM.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in this work indicate that the LLLT effect on alterations in responsiveness of airway smooth muscles observed in TNF-alpha-induced experimental acute lung inflammation seems to be dependent of NF-kappaB activation.

Low level laser therapy (LLLT) decreases pulmonary microvascular leakage, neutrophil influx and IL-1beta levels in airway and lung from rat subjected to LPS-induced inflammation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is a known anti-inflammatory therapy. Herein we studied the effect of LLLT on lung permeability and the IL-1beta level in LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation. STUDY DESIGN/METHODOLOGY: Rats were divided into 12 groups (n = 7 for each group). Lung permeability was measured by quantifying extravasated albumin concentration in lung homogenate, inflammatory cells influx was determined by myeloperoxidase activity, IL-1beta in BAL was determined by ELISA and IL-1beta mRNA expression in trachea was evaluated by RT-PCR. The rats were irradiated on the skin over the upper bronchus at the site of tracheotomy after LPS.

RESULTS

LLLT attenuated lung permeability. In addition, there was reduced neutrophil influx, myeloperoxidase activity and both IL-1beta in BAL and IL-1beta mRNA expression in trachea obtained from animals subjected to LPS-induced inflammation.

CONCLUSION

LLLT reduced the lung permeability by a mechanism in which the IL-1beta seems to have an important role.

COX-2 mRNA expression decreases in the subplantar muscle of rat paw subjected to carrageenan-induced inflammation after low level laser therapy

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN

Low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been presented as a novel therapy to treat inflammation. Herein we studied the effect of LLLT on the COX-2 mRNA expression in subplantar tissue taken from rats treated with carrageenan.

MATERIAL

The groups consisted of 32 rats: A(1) (Saline), A(2) (Carrageenan), A(3) (Carrageenan + laser 660 nm) and A(4) (Carrageenan + laser 684 nm).

TREATMENT

A(3) and A(4) were irradiated in the first hour after carrageenan.

METHODS

The edema was measured by a plethysmometer and COX-2 mRNA was by RT-PCR. Statistical were evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer Test.

RESULTS

Carrageenan increased both edema (A 1)= 0.6 +/- 0.04 vs. A(2)= 2.24 +/- 0.08) and COX-2 mRNA (A(1)= 1.1 +/- 0.26 vs. A(2)= 3.52 +/- 0.69). Irradiation reduced the edema (A(3)= 0.84 +/- 0.09; A(4)= 1.31 +/- 0.05) and the COX-2 mRNA (A(3)= 2.16 +/- 0.28; A(4)= 1.86 +/- 0.20).

CONCLUSION

LLLT reduce the expression of COX-2 mRNA.

Low level laser therapy modulates kinin receptors mRNA expression in the subplantar muscle of rat paw subjected to carrageenan-induced inflammation

Low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used clinically in order to treat inflammatory processes. In this work, we evaluated if LLLT alters kinin receptors mRNA expression in the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. Experimental groups were designed as followed: A1 (Control-saline), A2 (Carrageenan-only), A3 (Carrageenan+laser 660 nm) and A4 (Carrageenan+laser 684 nm). Edema was measured by a plethysmometer. Subplantar tissue was collected for kinin receptors mRNA quantification by Real time-PCR. LLLT of both 660 and 684 nm wavelengths administrated 1 h after carrageenan injection was able to promote the reduction of edema produced by carrageenan. In the A2 group, B1 receptor expression presented a significantly increase when compared to control group. Kinin B1 receptor mRNA expression significantly decreased after LLLT's 660 or 684 nm wavelength. Kinin B2 receptor mRNA expression also diminished after both laser irradiations. Our results suggest that expression of both kinin receptors is modulated by LLLT, possibly contributing to its anti-inflammatory effect.

Neurochemical characterization of traumatic brain injury in humans

Trauma is the leading cause of death in individuals between the ages of 1 and 44 years. And, in the case of severe head injury mortality can reach as high as 35-70%. Despite this fact, there has been little progress in the development of effective pharmacological agents to protect brain injured patients. To date, there is little data on the mechanisms involved in neuronal cellular insult after severe head injury, especially in humans. Glutamate acts both as a primary excitatory neurotransmitter and a potential neurotoxin within the mammalian brain. Evidence indicates that hyperactivity of the glutamate system contributes to neuronal death in brain trauma. Also, in animal models of neurotrauma, this neural injury is followed by gliosis which has been linked to the severity of brain injury. To investigate the glutamate system in brain trauma, we carried out [3H]glutamate and [3H]MK801 (a noncompetitive NMDA-receptor antagonist) binding and [3H]glutamate uptake assays in human cerebral cortex preparations obtained from severely brain injured and control victims. Additionally, to investigate gliosis following brain injury, we performed GFAP immunohistochemistry. There were no significant differences in [3H]glutamate binding (affinity or density of sites) between the control and head injured groups. In contrast, cerebral cortical [3H]MK801 binding revealed both a significant increase in the density of sites (Bmax) and a decrease in the dissociation constant (Kd) in the head injured group when compared to controls. There were no significant differences in [3H]glutamate uptake between groups. The injured brains presented an increased number of GFAP-positive astrocytes and more intense GFAP reaction in comparison to control brains. In the context of traumatic brain injury, our results encourage further investigation into compounds capable of selective modulation of NMDA receptor subtype in humans while also therapeutically manipulating glial cell responses following brain trauma.

[Brazilian Nursing Association-Ceará Chapter: a journey through history]

In this study, the members of the Brazilian Association of Nursing (ABEn) in Ceará federal state present aspects of the history of this association along its fifty years of work. The information, facts and pictures collected for this study were obtained from documents available in the branch, as well as from semi-structure interviews applied to former presidents of the association. The objective of the interviews was to understand the peculiarities of the experience of these administrators during their participation in the association.

Retinohypothalamic projections in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus): A study using cholera toxin subunit B

Retinal projections in vertebrates reach the primary visual, accessory optic, and circadian timing structures. The central feature of the circadian timing system is the principal circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The direct projections from the retina to the SCN are considered the entrainment pathway of the circadian timing system. In this study, unilateral intravitreal injections of cholera toxin subunit B were used to trace the retinal projections to the marmoset hypothalamus. The retinohypothalamic tract reaches the ventral suprachiasmatic nucleus bilaterally, as anticipated from previous studies. However, labeled fibers were found in several other hypothalamic regions, such as the medial and lateral preoptic areas, supraoptic nucleus, anterior and lateral hypothalamic areas, retrochiasmatic area, and subparaventricular zone. These results reveal new aspects of retinohypothalamic projection in primates and are discussed in terms of their implications for circadian as well as noncircadian control systems.

Calbindin immunoreactivity delineates the circadian visual centers of the brain of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus and the thalamic pregeniculate nucleus (which includes the intergeniculate leaflet) comprise the circadian visual system in the primate brain. In this study, we used intraocular injections of cholera toxin subunit B to identify those nuclei in the common marmoset brain, and demonstrated that calbindin D-28k immunoreactivity apparently labels most neurons in both the suprachiasmatic and pregeniculate nuclei. These data suggest that calbindin D-28k could represent a reliable neuronal marker for structures of the circadian visual system in marmosets and provide anatomical information on the primate equivalent of the rodent intergeniculate leaflet.

Modulation of maize roots H(+)-ATPase by sulfated polysaccharides

Vesicles derived from maize roots retain a membrane bound H(+)-ATPase that is able to pump H+ at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. In this work it is shown that heparin, fucose-branched chondroitin sulfate and dextran sulfate 8000 promote a shift of the H(+)-ATPase optimum pH from 6.0 to 7.0. This shift is a result of a dual effect of the sulfated polysaccharides, inhibition at pH 6.0 and activation at pH 7.0. At pH 6.0 dextran 8000 promotes an increase of the apparent K(m) for ATP from 0.28 to 0.95 mM and a decrease of the Vmax from 14.5 to 7.1 mumol Pi/mg x 30 min-1. At pH 7.0 dextran 8000 promotes an increase in Vmax from 6.7 to 11.7 mumol Pi/mg x 30 min-1. In the presence of lysophosphatidylcholine the inhibitory effect of the sulfated polysaccharides observed at pH 6.0 was not altered but the activation of pH 7.0 decreased. It was found that in the presence of sulfated polysaccharides the ATPase became highly sensitive to K+ and Na+. Both the inhibition at pH 6.0 and the activation promoted by the polysaccharide were antagonized by monovalent cations (K+ > Na+ > > Li+).

Regulation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase from corn-root by Mg2+ and pH

The plasma membrane H+-ATPase of corn-root is activated by free Mg2+ at pH 6.0 (Ks = 2.9 mM) but not at pH 7.0. As a result, the pH dependence of the enzyme varies depending on the Mg2+ concentration of the medium. The activation by Mg2+ is promoted by an increase in Vmax with no effect on the apparent Km for Mg.ATP. Different from Mg2+, free Mn2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ do not activate at pH 6.0 and inhibit the H+-ATPase at pH 7.0. The effects of divalent cations on the corn ATPase observed in this report are different from those previously described for the yeast enzyme (Brooker, R.J. and Slayman, C.W. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 8833-8838), suggesting different mechanisms of regulation for the isoforms of yeast and corn H+-ATPase.

Afferent connections of the parvocellular reticular formation: a horseradish peroxidase study in the rat

The afferent connections of the parvocellular reticular formation were systematically investigated in the rat with the aid of retrograde and anterograde horseradish peroxidase tracer techniques. The results indicate that the parvocellular reticular formation receives its main input from several territories of the cerebral cortex (namely the first motor, primary somatosensory and granular insular areas), districts of the reticular formation (including its contralateral counterpart, the intermediate reticular nucleus, the nucleus of Probst's bundle, the dorsal paragigantocellular nucleus, the alpha part of the gigantocellular reticular nucleus, the dorsal and ventral reticular nuclei of the medulla, and the mesencephalic reticular formation), the supratrigeminal nucleus and the deep cerebellar nuclei. Moderate to substantial input to the parvocellular reticular formation appears to come from the central amygdaloid nucleus, the parvocellular division of the red nucleus, and the orofacial and gustatory sensory cell groups (comprising the mesencephalic, principal and spinal trigeminal nuclei, and the rostral part of the nucleus of the solitary tract), whereas many other structures, including the substantia innominata, the field H2 of Forel, hypothalamic nuclei, the superior colliculus, the substantia nigra pars reticulata, the retrorubral field and the parabrachial complex, seem to represent relatively modest additional input sources. Some of these projections appear to be topographically distributed within the parvocellular reticular formation. From the present results it appears that the parvocellular reticular formation receives afferents from a restricted group of sensory structures. This finding calls into question the traditional characterization of the parvocellular reticular formation as an intermediate link between the sensory nuclei of the cranial nerves and the medial magnocellular reticular districts, identified as the effector components of the reticular apparatus. Some of the possible physiological correlates of the fiber connections of the parvocellular reticular formation in the context of oral motor behaviors, autonomic regulations, respiratory phenomena and sleep-waking mechanisms are briefly discussed.

Partial characterization, origin and turnover of glycoproteins of the rabbit vitreous body

L-[3H]fucose was injected intravitreally into rabbits that were killed from 1 hr to 28 days after injection. The vitreous bodies were processed for radiometric techniques, and electrophoresis followed by fluorography. Unbound [3H]fucose remained at a high level up to 1 day, whereas the peak of [3H]fucose bound to glycoproteins was observed at 3 days after injection with a continuous decrease afterwards. The turnover rate of vitreous glycoproteins was estimated at 4.37% per day and their turnover time at 22.85 days. Electrophoresis and fluorography combined revealed about 14 bands of glycoproteins with fucose residues and there were strong indications of differences in turnover rate among individual glycoproteins. The most prominent band in the Coomassie blue-stained gels was the one having a molecular weight of 69 kDa and it was not labeled with [3H]fucose. This band was tentatively identified as serum albumin. On the other hand, the 14 bands labeled with [3H]fucose were glycoproteins originating from within the eye, that is, they are intrinsic constituents of the vitreous body.