The in vitro schistosomicidal effects of the essential oil obtained from Tagetes erecta L. Asteraceae, leaves (TE-EO) collected in Brazil against Schistosoma mansoni worms are reported in this paper. The oil caused a significant decrease in the motor activity at 50 µg/mL as minimal concentration after 24 h. This oil also caused death of all the parasites and the separation of coupled pairs into individual male and female at 100 µg/mL after 24 h. The viability of adult worm groups treated with the TE-EO at 100 µg/mL was similar to that of groups treated with praziquantel (positive control). In addition, the oil promoted the inhibition of eggs development at all the tested concentrations. These data indicate that the TE-EO could be considered as a promising source for the development of new schistosomicidal agents.

This study investigated the possible antinociceptive effect of p-cymene in different tests of orofacial nociception. The animals (mice) were pretreated (i.p.) with p-cymene (25, 50, 100 mg/kg), morphine (5 mg/kg), or vehicle (0.2% Tween 80+saline), and were then subsequently administered, subcutaneously into their upper lip: formalin, capsaicin, and glutamate. The nociceptive behavior response was characterized by the time in s that the mice remained rubbing the orofacial region, for a period of 40 min in the formalin test (first phase, 0-6 min; and second phase, 21-40 min), and for 42 and 15 min in the capsaicin and glutamate tests, respectively. To verify the possible opioid involvement in the antinociceptive effects, naloxone (i.p.) was administered into the mice 15 min prior to the pretreatment with p-cymene (100 mg/kg). Finally, whether or not the p-cymene evoked any change in motor performance in the Rota-rod test was evaluated. The results showed that the treatment with p-cymene, at all doses, reduced (p<0.001) the nociceptive behavior in all nociception tests. The antinociceptive effect of p-cymene was antagonized by naloxone (1.5 mg/kg). Additionally, mice treated with p-cymene did not show any change in motor performance. In conclusion, p-cymene attenuated orofacial nociception, suggesting an involvement of the opioid system in this effect. Thus, p-cymene might represent an important biomolecule for management and/or treatment of orofacial pain.

Óxido de ferro foi dopado com íons de terras raras (ítrio e lantânio) para a produção de pigmentos cerâmicos com colorações que variaram de laranja a marrom. Os pigmentos foram produzidos na forma de pós sintetizados pelo método Pechini a partir de precursores poliméricos e calcinados entre 900 ºC e 1100 ºC. Os materiais resultantes foram caracterizados por BET, difração de raios X, colorimetria, UV-visível, espectroscopia no infravermelho (FTIR), análise granulométrica e térmica. A cor dos pós de La/Fe foi alterada a medida que a temperatura de calcinação aumentou de 900 ºC a 1100 ºC. As correspondentes coordenadas colorimétricas L* a* b* mudaram de 49,003; 10,541; 12,609 para 31,279; 6,096; 6,877. Por outro lado pós do sistema Y/Fe demonstraram maior estabilidade colorimétrica com a mudança da temperatura de calcinação. Nesse caso, as coordenadas colorimétricas L* a* b* mudaram de 45,230; 17,315; 28,750 para 51,631; 15,726; 25,825. O tamanho do íon de terra rara usado na dopagem também afetou a estrutura do material. A presença de lantânio estabilizou a estrutura perovisquita ABO3 após calcinação a 900 °C, enquanto a adição de ítrio resultou em uma mistura de óxidos calcinados.

Iron oxide has been doped with rare earth ions (yttrium or lanthanum) aiming at producing ceramic pigments with hues that vary from orange to brown. The powders were synthesized from polymeric precursors using the Pechini method and subsequently calcined between 900 and 1100 ºC. The resulting pigments were characterized by BET, X ray diffraction, colorimetric analysis, UV-visible, infrared (FTIR), particle size distribution and thermal analysis. The color depicted by La/Fe powders changed as the calcination temperature increased from 900 ºC to 1100 ºC, as established by the corresponding changes in the values of the colorimetric coordinates from L* a* b* = 49.003, 10.541, 12.609 to L* a* b* = 31.279, 6.096, 6.877. On the other hand, Y/Fe powders were little affected by similar changes in the calcination temperature, revealing the effect of yttrium on the color stability of the powder. The values of the colorimetric coordinates in this case varied from L* a* b* = 45.230, 17.315, 28.750 to L* a* b* =51.631, 15.726, 25.825. Structural changes were also noticed as a function of the size of the rare earth ion added to the structure. Upon calcination at 900°C, lanthanum stabilized the ABO3-type perovskite structure whereas the presence of yttrium resulted in a mixture of oxides.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the use of pubovaginal sling for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence in patients with intrinsic sphincteric deficiency and patients with urethral hypermobility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-two patients aging 22 to 73 years-old (mean = 49.6) with a median parity of 4.1 (range 0 - 14) who underwent pubovaginal autologous fascial sling procedures for stress urinary incontinence from August/1999 to August/2002 were prospectively analyzed. Objective pre and postoperative urodynamic evaluation was performed in all cases. The patients were divided into 2 groups: thirty-nine patients (62.9%) with urethral hypermobility (Valsalva leak point pressure equal or superior to 60 cm of H2O) and twenty-three patients (37.1%) with intrinsic sphincteric insufficiency (Valsalva leak point pressure below 60 cm of H2O). RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 24.8 months, ranging from 3 to 38 months. Three patients (4.8%) had detrusor overactivity before the operation, and 36 patients (58.1%) had voiding dysfunction before surgery. The postoperative objective cure rate was 88.7% for stress urinary incontinence. The study also showed that 32.2% of the patients had voiding dysfunction and 11.3% had detrusor overactivity. The mean hospital stay was 3.1 days (range 2 - 4). No difference in the above parameters was noticed between patients with intrinsic sphincteric deficiency and those with urethral hypermobility. CONCLUSION: Construction of a pubovaginal sling is an effective technique for the relief of severe stress urinary incontinence, for both patients with urethral hipermobility and with intrinsic sphincteric deficiency, having a cure rate of 88.7%. The high frequency of postoperative voiding urgency was not related to the detrusor overactivity as evaluated by urodynamic studies.

A injeção intravenosa de toxina escorpiônica (Tityus serrulatus) em ratos normais e infectados pelo Trypanosoma cruzi não causou alterações morfológicas ultra-estruturáis das células enterocromaflns-like (ECL) do estómago, embora tenha induzido a aumento significativo da secreção do suco gástrico. Nossos resultados parecem indicar que a estrutura das células ECL do estómago de ratos não é afetada pela estimulação com a toxina escorpiônica ou pela infecção aguda pelo T. cruzi.

Intravenous injection of scorpion toxin (Tityus serrulatus) in normal and Trypanosoma cruzi infected rats did not cause ultrastructural morphologic changes on enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells of the stomach, although it induced a significant increase of the gastric secretion. Our data seem to indicate that gastric ECL cells structure is not affected by stimulation with scorpion toxin or by acute infection with T. cruzi in the rat.