Resumo O Lobo-Guará (Chrysocyon brachyurus) é considerado um dos maiores e mais belos canídeos da América do Sul, habita o cerrado e apresenta hábitos notívagos, com preferência crepuscular. Motivado, principalmente, pela atividade antrópica em seu habitat, encontra-se em risco de extinção, o que, certamente, eleva a importância de se estudar e compreender melhor a sua Biologia. Nesse contexto, sabe-se que o Nervo Facial de mamíferos é o sétimo par craniano e se envolve com o comando da função dos músculos da expressão facial e outros, porém como as descrições anatômicas desse canídeo são escassas, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi descrever e correlacionar a Anatomia do N. Facial de Lobo-Guará com canídeos domésticos, espécie esta filogeneticamente próxima. Para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho foram utilizados quatro exemplares de Lobo-Guará adultos, cujas carcaças foram recolhidas às margens de rodovias do sudeste goiano (SISBIO 37072-2) ou doadas pelo CETAS-Catalão. Os espécimes foram fixados em solução aquosa de formol a 10% e conservados em igual solução. A dissecação foi realizada sob a luz de técnicas usuais em Anatomia Macroscópica. Ressalta-se que a pesquisa foi desenvolvida com o parecer favorável do CEUA/UFU nº 067/12. As preparações anatômicas envolvendo o Lobo-Guará não revelaram a presença dos nervos: Auricular caudal, Auricular interno e Estilohioideo, apenas pequenos ramos, considerados como ramos colaterais. O n. Facial emergia como um tronco único, o Tronco do N. Facial, o qual se dividia em n. Auriculopalpebral, Bucal dorsal e Bucal ventral.

Abstract: Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is considered one of the largest and most beautiful canids in South America, inhabits the Cerrado biome, and presents nocturnal habits, especially during the twilight period. It is in danger of extinction, mainly due to anthropic activity in its habitat. What certainly raises the importance of studying and better understanding its biology. The mammalian Facial Nerve is the seventh cranial pair and controls the functions of facial expression muscles and others. Once the anatomical descriptions of this canid are scarce, this paper aimed to describe the anatomy of Facial n. in Maned Wolf and correlate it with that of domestic canids, a phylogenetically close species whose anatomy is well known. For this research, four adult specimens were used, whose carcasses were collected along highways in southeastern Goiás State - Brazil (SISBIO 37072-2), or donated by the Wildlife Screening Center (CETAS) in Catalão - Goiás State. The specimens were fixed in a 10% aqueous formalin solution and stored in the same solution. Dissection was performed by macroscopic anatomical methods. The research was carried out with a favorable opinion of the Animal Use Ethics Committee (CEUA) of the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU) (under n° 067/12). Anatomical preparations of post-mortem Maned Wolf did not reveal the presence of Caudal Auricular, Internal Auricular, nor Stylohyoid n.. Small ramifications of Facial n. can be considered as collateral branches. The Facial n. emerged as a single trunk, Facial n. Trunk, which branches into Auriculopalpebral, Dorsal Buccal, and Ventral Buccal n..

ABSTRACT Caryocar brasiliense Cambess., Caryocaraceae (pequi) is a typical Brazilian Cerrado tree. A previous study showed that the butanolic fraction of pequi leaves promotes endothelium-dependent relaxation mediated by nitric oxide and that it causes reversible hypotension in rats. In the present study, we investigated the cell signaling pathways associated with the butanolic fraction-induced nitric oxide release, and we characterized the chemical composition of its fraction. Vascular reactivity tests, a western blotting analysis, and a chemiluminescence assay were used to investigate the signaling pathways involved in the vasorelaxant effect of the butanolic fraction. Electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry was used to characterize the butanolic fraction chemical composition. Vasorelaxation was mediated through the activation of the calmodulin and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathways, leading to subsequent endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation and nitric oxide production, as evidenced by western blotting and chemiluminescence assays, respectively. The chemical characterization of the butanolic fraction revealed the presence of 72 oxygenated compounds, whose molecular formulae are compatible with phenolic compounds, suggesting a potential contribution of these compounds for the butanolic fraction vasorelaxant effect. These findings show that the calmodulin and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathways are involved in the butanolic fraction-induced endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation and are promoted by polyphenol compounds present in the C. brasiliense leaves.