OBJETIVOS: Descrever os aspectos clínicos, laboratoriais, radiológicos e anatomopatológicos encontrados em tecidos pulmonares de necrópsias de crianças com Aids e acometimento pulmonar. MÉTODOS: Foram revisados, retrospectivamente, prontuários, radiografias simples de tórax e laudos de necrópsias de 14 crianças com Aids e acometimento pulmonar. RESULTADOS: Oito casos eram do sexo masculino e seis do feminino. As idades variaram de três meses a nove anos, mediana de 1,2, sendo nove deles menores de dois anos. A transmissão foi vertical em 10 pacientes, dos quais cinco mães tinham história de contaminação por relação heterossexual; três, por hemotransfusão e em duas, ignorada. Pneumonia (n=8), candidíase oral (n=8) e diarréia (n=5) foram as doenças prévias mais referidas. Os sinais e sintomas observados à internação foram febre (n=12), dispnéia (n=10), tosse (n=11), linfoadenomegalia (n=11), hepato e/ou esplenomegalia (n=10), desnutrição (n=9), palidez (n=8), cianose (n=5) e baqueteamento digital (n=2). Os achados radiológicos mais comuns foram infiltrados difusos (n=6) e condensações (n=5). As alterações histológicas pulmonares foram compatíveis com pneumonia pelo citomegalovírus (n=9), por bactérias (n=8), por Pneumocystis carinii (n=3), por Hystoplasma capsulatum (n=1), por Toxoplasma gondii (n=1) e pneumonia intersticial linfocítica (n=1). A associação CMV e bactéria foi observada em seis casos. CONCLUSÕES: Houve predomínio de menores de dois anos, de transmissão vertical, de quadro clínico inespecífico de doença pulmonar e de infiltrados e condensações à radiografia. Citomegalovírus e bactérias foram os agentes mais comuns, sendo freqüente a sua associação. Pneumonia Intersticial Linfocítica e Pneumonia pelo P. carinii não foram causas freqüentes de doenças pulmonares.

BACKGROUND: To describe clinical, laboratorial, radiological, and histopathological lung findings from necroscopy of aidetic children with pulmonary disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fourteen children admitted at the Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro - Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, and Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria Martagão Gesteira - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, between 1989 and 1996, were revised in a retrospective survey. RESULTS: Eight were males (57%). The median age was 1.2 years old (from three months to nine years). Nine children (64.4%) were younger than 24 months old. The HIV transmission was vertical in 10 (71%) children. In these cases, five mothers were contaminated from heterosexual relations. Pneumonia (n=8), oral candidiasis (n=8), and diarrhea (n=5) were the most common previous conditions. The most frequent signs and symptoms on admission were fever (n=12), respiratory distress (n=10), cough (n=10), peripheral lymphadenopathy (n=11), hepatomegaly and/or splenomegaly (n=10), and malnutrition (n=9). The chest x-rays findings were condensation (n=5) and diffuse infiltrates (n=6) patterns. The microscopic lung characteristics were compatibles with pneumonia by cytomegalovirus (CMV) (n=9), bacteria (n=8), Pneumocystis carinii (n=3), Toxoplasma gondii (n=1), Hystoplasma capsulatum (n=1) and Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (n=1). The association between CMV and bacteria was observed in six cases. CONCLUSIONS: Age less than two years old, vertical transmission, inespecific clinical presentation of pneumonia, and infiltrates and condensation patterns at the x-rays were the predominant characteristics . Cytomegalovirus and bacteria were the most common etiologic agents, being their association frequent. Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia and pneumonia by P. carinii were not common causes of pulmonary disease.

ß-Myrcene (MYR) is a monoterpene found in the oils of a variety of aromatic plants including lemongrass, verbena, hop, bay, and others. MYR and essential oils containing this terpenoid compound are used in cosmetics, household products, and as flavoring food additives. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of MYR on fertility and general reproductive performance in the rat. MYR (0, 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg) in peanut oil was given by gavage to male Wistar rats (15 per dose group) for 91 days prior to mating and during the mating period, as well as to females (45 per dose group) continuously for 21 days before mating, during mating and pregnancy, and throughout the period of lactation up to postnatal day 21. On day 21 of pregnancy one-third of the females of each group were submitted to cesarean section. Resorption, implantation, as well as dead and live fetuses were counted. All fetuses were examined for external malformations, weighed, and cleared and stained with Alizarin Red S for skeleton evaluation. The remaining dams were allowed to give birth to their offspring. The progeny was examined at birth and subsequently up to postnatal day 21. Mortality, weight gain and physical signs of postnatal development were evaluated. Except for an increase in liver and kidney weights, no other sign of toxicity was noted in male and female rats exposed to MYR. MYR did not affect the mating index (proportion of females impregnated by males) or the pregnancy index (ratio of pregnant to sperm-positive females). No sign of maternal toxicity and no increase in externally visible malformations were observed at any dose level. Only at the highest dose tested (500 mg/kg) did MYR induce an increase in the resorption rate and a higher frequency of fetal skeleton anomalies. No adverse effect of MYR on postnatal weight gain was noted but days of appearance of primary coat, incisor eruption and eye opening were slightly delayed in the exposed offspring. On the basis of the data presented in this paper the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for toxic effects on fertility and general reproductive performance can be set at 300 mg of ß-myrcene/kg body weight by the oral route.

Na tentativa de reproduzir experimentalmente os achados morfológicos e eletroforéticos (proteínas no soro) observados na desnutrição infantil, dois grupos de experiências foram realizados em ratos albinos jovens, submetendo-os a uma dieta pobre em proteínas (2%) por períodos de 41 a 88 dias. O modelo experimental reproduz em linhas gerais os principais danos estruturais vistos na patologia humana, ficando num meio termo entre kwashiorkor e marasmo. Alterações atróficas tegumentares foram assinaladas como achado tardio. O achado mais conspícuo foi metamorfose gordurosa hepática do tipo perilobular. A regeneração hepatocelular foi abortiva, aparecendo nos estágios finais das experiências ao lado dos fenômenos regressivos. Foi possível estabelecer seqüência lesional nas alterações estruturais do pâncreas, desde mofificações da quantidade de grânulos de zimogênio nos estágios iniciais até a atrofia acinosa acentuada, subvertendo a arquitetura do órgão, nos estágios finais. As alterações intestinais culminaram com o quadro de atrofia, não comparável em intensidade com a patologia humana, correspondem à diminuição da altura do epitélio mucoso, hipocelularidade da lâmina própria, criptas pequenas, pobreza em mitoses, que encurtam as vilosidades, assemelhando-se ao padrão mucoso dos chamados animais "germ-free". Além disso, os autores chamam a atenção para a intensa dimuição das célular muco-secretoras ao nível do epitélio do intestino delgado e grosso. No modelo surpreende-se também uma depleção linfo-histiocitária, representada por atrofia das placas de Peyer, diminuição das célular de Kupffer, atrofia do timo e depleção linfóide ganglionar e esplênica. O estudo bioquímico do soro revelou baixa das proteínas totais e do colesterol. A eletroforese de proteínas demonstrou acentuada baixa da fração albumina, com inversão A/G. Entre as globulinas, as frações alfa1 e alfa2 estão aumentadas no grupo desenutrido. Estes achados podem ser atribuídos à carência protéica, porquanto os controles utilizados, mesmo aqueles com restrição calórica, não apresentaram alterações histológicas ou hipoalouminemia.

Using a low protein diet (aproximately 2%), two experiments were performed trying to reproduce the morphologic and electrophoretic (serum proteins) findings known to ocurr in infantile malnutrition. The model shows in young albino rats the major lesion seen in humans, standing between kwashiorkor and marasmus. The consequence of the diet is well seen by the stationary body weight. Atrophic dermal lesions were seen after 30 days. The most striking lesion was a perilobular fatty liver. Hepatocellular regeneration was abortive appearing in the final stages with regressive changes. It was possible to stablish a gradation of pancreatic changes, from small zimogenic degranulation in the begining to severe acinar atrophy after 30 days of diet, with subversion of its normal frame. The intestinal changes which ended in atrophy not comparable with that of humans, correspnd to reduction in height of the mucous epithelium, hipocellularity of the lamina propria, small crypts, decreased number of mitoses, shortening of the villi giving them a resemblance of the "germ free" animals mucosal pattern. Besides this, the authors call attention for the important decrease in size and number of the goblet cells in the ileum and in the large bowel. The model also shows a lympho-histiocitic depletion, seen by the atrophy of Peyer's patches, decrease of Kuppfer cells, thymic, lumph node and spleen lymphoid depletion. The biochemical study of the serum, has revealed a low total protein and cholesterol. The electrophoretic study has shown a decrease o albumin, with A/G inversion. Alfa1 and Alfa2 globulins were increased in the deprived animals, while Beta and Gama did not show significant difference. These findings may be atributed to protein deficiency because the control groups, even those with caloric restriction, have not presented lesions or changes of the serum proteins.