To show liver failure mediated by 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a heme precursor accumulated in inborn and acquired porphyrias, rats were treated with succinylacetone methyl ester (SAME). Treated rats underwent the expected ALA accumulation in plasma, liver and urine as a result from inhibition of ALA dehydratase (ALAD) activity. The enzyme activity decreased concomitantly with diminished urinary coproporphyrin levels. Additionally, liver protein carbonyls, iron and ferritin were higher in groups treated with a lower concentration of SAME whereas malondialdehyde was higher in the group treated with a higher ester dose. Consistent with these biochemical data, chronic treatment SAME was associated with induced oxidative subcellular and tissue damage revealed by cytosolic and mitochondrial changes within the liver cells. Altogether, these data expand the understanding of the direct biochemical mechanism for liver cell death in hepatic inborn disorders by generating excess ALA and may foster future therapeutic-driven strategies to preserve liver function.

Os hematomas placentários executam funções desconhecidas em várias espécies. Na ovelha, estas estruturas ocorrem na zona arcada do placentônio (topos dos septos maternos), região onde ocorre a eritrofagocitose trofoblástica. A função real do hematoma é desconhecida na espécie bufalina, a qual é muito importante no nosso estudo. Há grande possibilidade de transferência de ferro para o feto através destas estruturas, que ocorrem por extravasamento de sangue materno em determinadas regiões dos vilos (junção materno-fetal). Foram usadas placentas de búfalos entre 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 meses de prenhez, imediatamente após sacrifício e fixadas por perfusão de vasos uterinos com paraformaldeído a 4% em 0,1M em tampão fosfato; após a perfusão, os placentônios foram fixados por imersão para microscopia de luz. Depois de 24 horas, as amostras foram cortadas e processadas para inclusão em "paraplast" e "historesina" e coradas pelos métodos de HE, azul de Toluidina, reações de Perls e PAS e tricromos de Gomori e Mallory. Os hematomas estavam presentes em determinadas regiões do placentônio, nos quais havia áreas hemorrágicas entre o epitélio uterino e o trofoblástico, nas placentas de 7-8 e 9-10 meses de prenhez. Células sangüíneas maternas foram encontradas nas células trofoblásticas, elucidando a eritrofagocitose.

The placental haematomes execute unknown functions in some species. In ewe this structures occur in an arcade zone of the placenton (tips of the maternal septa), region where occurs the trophoblastic erythrophagocytosis. The real function of the haematome is unknown in bufaline specie, which is very important in our study. There is great possibility of maternal-fetal transfer of iron across of these structures, that occur by extravasated maternal blood in determinate regions of the villi (maternal-fetal junction). Water buffalo placentae were used within 4-5, 7-8 and 9-10 months of pregnancy, immediately after sacrifice and fixed by perfusion the uterine vessels with paraformoldehyde 4% in 0,1M phosphate buffer; after perfusion, the placentons were fixed for light microscopy by immersion, too. After 24 hours, the pieces were cut and processed for embed in paraplast and historesin and staining by HE, Toluidine blue, Perls and PAS reactions, Gomori's and Mallory's tricrome. The haematomes were present in determinate regions of the placenton, which had haemorragic areas within the uterine and trophoblastic epithelium, in placentae of 7-8, 9-10 months of pregnancy. Maternal red cells were found into the trophoblastic cells, clearing the erythrophagocytosis.

Para a realização deste estudo foram coletados os estômagos de 36 animais, 28 queixadas e 8 catetos. Através da porção torácica da aorta, a artéria celíaca recebeu injeção de neoprene-látex 650 corado com o objetivo de preencher ramificações arteriais deste vaso que se dirigiam aos compartimentos do estômago. Em seguida, as peças foram fixadas em solução aquosa a 10% para serem cuidadosamente dissecadas e analisadas. Os resultados mostraram que este órgão, em ambas as espécies, encontra-se suprido pela artéria celíaca em 100% das observações, sendo que nos queixadas, a trifurcação deste vaso, originando as artérias esplênica, gástrica esquerda e hepática, ocorreu com maior freqüência (71,41% ± 7,5), enquanto nos catetos o referido vaso originou principalmente (80% ± 14,14) o tronco gastroesplênico e a artéria hepática individual.

To carry out the study, the stomachs of 36 animals were used, from which 28 were white lipped peccary and 8 colored peccary. The celiac artery was injected with colored neoprene - latex 650, through the thoracic portion of the aorta, so as to fill the arterial ramifications of this vessel, which were directed to the stomach chambers. Then the samples were fixed in a 10% aqueous formol solution, to be carefully dissected and examined. The results show that, in both species, this organ is supplied by the terminal branches of the celiac artery. The conclusions listed in this research are based on the statistics of this distribution pattern.