RESUMO O Material Particulado (MP) está entre os principais contaminantes do ar. A Infraestrutura Verde (IV) vem sendo reconhecida como alternativa para melhorar a qualidade do ar. As árvores podem afetar diretamente os níveis de MP, interceptando partículas em sua superfície. Devido a essa capacidade, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo contribuir com informações sobre a viabilidade da vegetação verde para interceptar e identificar as principais fontes de poluentes atmosféricos. Amostras de cascas de árvores de parques urbanos de São Paulo (SP) foram utilizadas como monitor biológico de poluentes atmosféricos. Foi observado um decaimento exponencial das concentrações e aprisionamento de poluentes em direção à região mais interna dos parques. Além disso, foi possível distinguir a emissão de veículos leves das emissões de veículos pesados. O baixo custo do monitoramento e sua eficácia mostram que a IV ocupa papel de destaque na melhoria da saúde e a qualidade de vida das pessoas, bem como nas ações que buscam atenuar os efeitos da poluição do ar em cidades de médio e grande porte.

ABSTRACT Particulate Matter (PM) ranks among the main air contaminants. A Green Infrastructure (GI) has been recognized as an alternative to improve air quality. Trees can directly affect PM levels by trapping it on their surface. This study aimes to provide extra information on the feasibility of using green vegetation to trap pollution and also to identify the main sources of air pollutants in urban areas. Tree bark samples from urban parks in São Paulo, Brazil, were used as biological monitors of air pollutants. The trapping of pollutants and an exponential decay of their concentrations were observed towards the more inner sites of the parks. Furthermore, it was possible to discriminate light-duty from heavy-duty vehicle emissions. The low cost of monitoring and its effectiveness emphasize that a GI has a pivotal position in enhancing health and quality of life and in dealing with the effects of air pollution in medium-size and large cities.

Periodontal disease (PD) is a chronic infection that may have local and systemic rebound. Although a series of inflammatory mediators are involved in PD, the mechanisms involved in chronic craniofacial pain associated with it require elucidation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunoreactivity of substance P (SP), neuronal (nNOS) and inducible (iNOS) nitric oxide synthases in gingival samples of patients with severe PD with and without chronic craniofacial pain. Gingival specimens were obtained during routine periodontal surgery while managing 20 patients with both PD and chronic craniofacial pain (CFP Group) and 18 patients with only PD (PD Group). Following surgical removal, the tissue underwent routine histological techniques and was stained by immunohistochemistry with antibodies against SP, nNOS and iNOS. Using an image analysis system, we assessed the SP, nNOS and iNOS content in total gingival tissue as well as in both epithelial and connective gingival area. We observed high expression of nNOS in gingival tissue obtained from CFP patients (p<0.001), particularly in the epithelium area (p<0.001) comparatively to PD patients. In addition, the iNOS expression was also increased in the CFP group in the connective gingival tissue (p=0.003). There was no difference concerning SP expression between the groups. Our results suggest that nitric oxide, particularly derived from nNOS, modulates not only PD but also chronic craniofacial pain, since patients with this association presented an increase in nNOS and iNOS expression in gingival tissue.

La enfermedad periodontal (EP) es una patología crónica que pueden tener acción local y sistémica. A pesar de que hay una serie de mediadores inflamatorios implicados en la EP, los mecanismos implicados en el dolor craneofacial crónico asociado con la EP aún no están elucidados. El objetivo fue evaluar la inmunoreactividad de la sustancia P (SP), óxido nítrico sintetasas neuronal (nNOS) e inducible (iNOS) en muestras gingivales de pacientes con enfermedad periodontal severa con y sin dolor craneofacial crónico. Fueron obtenidas muestras gingivales durante la cirugía periodontal rutinaria de 20 pacientes que presentaron con EP y dolor craneofacial crónico (Grupo PPC) y 18 pacientes sólo con PD (Grupo PD). Después de la extirpación quirúrgica, el tejido se sometió a las técnicas histológicas de rutina y se tiñó por inmunohistoquímica con anticuerpos contra el SP, nNOS e iNOS. Se evaluaron el contenido de SP, nNOS e iNOS en el tejido gingival total, así como la superficie gingival, epitelio y tejido conectivo mediante análisis de imagen. Se observó alta expresión de nNOS en el tejido gingival obtenido a partir de pacientes PPC (p<0,001) en comparación a los pacientes con EP, particularmente en el área de epitelio (p<0,001). Además, la expresión de iNOS se incrementó en el tejido conjuntivo gingival (p= 0,003) del grupo PPC. No hubo diferencia en la expresión de SP entre los grupos. Nuestros resultados sugieren que el óxido nítrico, en particular derivado de nNOS, modula no sólo PD, sino también el dolor craneofacial crónico, ya que los pacientes con esta asociación presentan un aumento de la expresión de nNOS e iNOS en el tejido gingival.