Background: Total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis (IRA) is an alternative to the ileoanal pouch for the surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis in a selected group of patients. This technique leaves rectal mucosa Hable to develop persistent proctitis, dysplasia and cancer Aim: To describe short and long-term results of IRA and to assess the presence of dysplasia. Material and methods: Descriptive study of patients treated with IRA. The data were obtained from the clinical records, and the present status was evaluated with an interview. A proctoscopy and biopsy was offered free of cost to the contacted patients. Results: Between 1978 and 2005, 26 patients were operated. One patient presented an anastomotic leakage that was treated with a loop ileostomy There was no operative mortality. Twenty-three patients were followed for a períod of 1 to 23 years. Three patients evolved as Crohn 's disease and two of them needed a proctectomy. Three patients died of non-related diseases. In the remaining 17, the average evacuation rate was 3.7/24 h and all were continent. None developed a rectal cancer Only two patients had their planned annual endoscopic surveillance. In 2 of the 11 patients who accepted endoscopy and biopsy, a low-grade dysplasia was found. Conclusions: IRA has low morbidity and acceptable functional results in this selected group of patients. No patient present high-grade dysplasia or cancer; however, the adherence to the endoscopic follow-up ispoor.

Lyophilized aqueous extract (LAE) from Lychnophora pinaster Mart (Asteraceae) aerial parts was evaluated in the search of possible biological activities. LAE exhibited trypanocidal activity (113.62 mg/mL), but could not inhibit 5-lipoxygenase in vitro (17% of inhibition). LAE chemical characterization by HPLC with UV-Diode Array Detector showed the presence of caffeic acid, isochlorogenic acid, vitexin, isovitexin and quercetin, in comparison with authentic samples.

Do extrato hexânico das raízes de Zeyheria montana M., uma Bignoniácea conhecida como bolsa‑de‑pastor, empregada popularmente contra doenças de pele, foram isolados os seguintes compostos: lapachol, α‑lapachona, desidro‑α‑lapachona, 4‑hidróxi-α‑lapachona, β‑sitosterol, ácido esteárico e uma mistura de ácidos graxos. Estas substancias foram identificadas por métodos espectrométricos usuais e/ou comparação com amostras autênticas. No cromatograma do extrato etanólico, obtido por CLAE, foram identificados os picos correspondentes às naftoquinonas isoladas e ao ácido esteárico. A ocorrência de naftoquinonas nas raizes de Z. montana e a atividade antimicrobiana comprovada para o lapachol e a α‑lapachona justificam o uso popular desta espécie.

Zeyheria montana M. (Bignoniaceae) is a widespread species in the Cerrado area of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and is popularly known as bolsa‑de‑pastor. In the Brazilian tradicional medicine its roots are used for the treatment of skin diseases. Several species of Bignoniaceae contain naphthoquinones, and lapachol was previously reported in the stem wood of Z. digitalis. This paper describes the isolation of three naphtoquinones from Z. montana stem barks, namely α‑lapachone, dehydro‑α‑lapachone and 4‑hydroxy‑α‑lapachone, besides lapachol, stearic acid and β‑sitosterol. Furthermore, we report the HPLC fingerprint for the species, which allowed the identification of the isolated compounds, except β‑sitosterol. Since the in vitro antimicrobial activity of lapachol and α‑lapachone has been previously described, the presence of these naphthoquinones in the roots of Z. montana corroborates its popular use for the treatment of skin diseases.