This study assessed the bioactive properties of an aqueous extract of M. officinalis for its anti-inflammatory activity and its protection against hepatic and renal lesions induced by acetaminophen (APAP). Animals pre-treated with the crude extract in pleurisy induced by carrageenan showed a reduction in the amounts of exudate, in the numbers of leukocytes and polymorphonuclear cells. Intragastric administration of the extract for seven days prior to the APAP-induced lesion showed no protective effect on the liver. The treatment with the extract induced an increase of serum aspartate aminotransferase, indicating a rise of toxicity. Contrarily, the same treatment reduced the APAP induced lesion in kidney, with respect to ν-glutamyltransferase. The results suggested that the extract was not hepatoprotective and could lead to an increase in the lesions induced by the APAP. On the other hand, the extract was nephroprotective against the lesions induced by the APAP and showed an anti-inflammatory effect on pleurisy carrageenan-induced.

CONTEXTO:O câncer gástrico é uma das principais neoplasias que causam o óbito no Brasil e no mundo. Helicobacter pylori é um carcinógeno do tipo I relacionado à gastrite crônica. Diferenças no grau de virulência de suas cepas levam a maior risco de desenvolvimento de doenças gástricas. A metilação de ilhas CpGs está envolvida com o processo de tumorigênese em diferentes tipos de câncer. CDH1 é um gene supressor tumoral que, quando inativado, pode aumentar as chances de metástase. A metilação deste gene em estágios precoces da carcinogênese gástrica ainda não é totalmente compreendida. OBJETIVO: Investigar o padrão de metilação do gene CDH1 em amostras de gastrites crônicas e correlacionar com a presença do H. pylori. MÉTODOS: Foram usadas 60 biopsias de mucosas gástricas. A detecção de H. pylori foi realizada por PCR para o gene da urease C e a genotipagem com PCR para os genes cagA e vacA (região s e m). O padrão de metilação do gene CDH1 foi analisado usando a técnica de PCR e específica para a metilação e sequenciamento direto dos produtos de PCR. RESULTADOS: A bactéria H. pylori foi detectada em 90% das amostras de gastrites crônicas; destas, 33% portavam o gene cagA e 100% vacA s1. O genótipo vacA s2/m1 não foi detectado nas amostras analisadas. Metilação de CDH1 foi detectada em 63,3% das amostras de gastrites e 95% delas eram portadoras de H. pylori. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados deste estudo sugerem que a metilação em CDH1 e a infecção pelo H. pylori são eventos frequentes em amostras de pacientes brasileiros com gastrite crônica e reforça a correlação entre infecção por H. pylori e inativação do gene CDH1 em estágios precoces da tumorigênese gástrica.

CONTEXT: Gastric cancer is one of the top list of cancer types that most leads to death in Brazil and worldwide. Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) is a class I carcinogen and infect almost 90% of chronic gastritis patients. Some genotypes confer different virulent potential to H. pylori and can increase the risk of gastritis development. Methylation of CpG islands can inactivate tumor suppressor genes and therefore, it can be involved in the tumorigenic process. CDH1 is a tumor suppressor gene that encodes the E-cadherin protein, which is important in maintaining cell-cell contacts. The inactivation of this gene can increase the chance of metastasis. Promoter methylation of CDH1 at early steps of gastric carcinogenesis is not yet completely understood. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the methylation status of CDH1 in chronic gastritis samples and correlated it with the presence of H. pylori. METHODS: Sixty gastric mucosal biopsies were used in this study. The detection of H. pylori was performed with the PCR primers specific to urease C gene. H. pylori genotyping was performed by PCR to cagA and vacA (s and m region). The methylation status of these gene CDH1 was analyzed using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing of the PCR products was performed using primers methylated and unmethylated in both forward and reverse directions. RESULTS: H. pylori was detected in 90% of chronic gastritis samples; among these 33% were cagA positive and 100% vacA s1. The genotype vacA s2/m1 was not detected in any sample analyzed. Methylation of CDH1 was detected in 63.3% of chronic gastritis samples and 95% of them were also H. pylori-positive. CONCLUSION: This work suggests that CDH1 gene methylation and H. pylori infection are frequent events in samples from Brazilian patients with chronic gastritis and reinforces the correlation between H. pylori infection and CDH1 inactivation in early steps of gastric tumorigenesis.

As cucurbitáceas apresentam grande demanda no mercado mundial e uma das principais pragas que atacam essas culturas é o pulgão Aphis gossypii. Assim, objetivou-se estudar aspectos da biologia desse afídeo em função da temperatura na cultivar de abobrinha Caserta (Cucurbita pepo L.). Utilizaram-se discos foliares (2,5cm de ∅) acondicionados, com a face abaxial para cima, em placas de Petri (5cm de ∅) contendo uma lâmina de ágar-água. Em cada placa foi deixada uma ninfa recém-nascida, acompanhandose o seu desenvolvimento ao longo de todo o ciclo de vida, em diferentes temperaturas (18, 21, 24, 27 e 30±1ºC), 70±10% UR e fotofase de 12 horas. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado, com 60 repetições. Verificou-se que as temperaturas afetaram o desenvolvimento de A. gossypii. Menor duração do período ninfal e maior produção diária de ninfas foram observadas a 24 e 27ºC. A temperatura de 30ºC provocou efeito deletério, causando 68% de mortalidade na fase ninfal.

The cucurbitaceous plants are always on demand in world market and one of the main pests on these crop is the aphid Aphis gossypii. This work aimed to study the biological aspects of A. gossypii on the Caserta (Cucurbita pepo L.) cultivar in different temperatures. To determine the biological aspects of A. gossypii, nymphs were kept on leaf disks (2.5 cm ∅) with the abaxial side up in Petri dishes (5 cm ∅) containing a thin layer of agar-water. Each dish contained one nymph of the first instar of the aphid. The development and the other biological parameters were evaluated in different temperatures (18, 21, 24, 27 e 30±1ºC), 70±10% RH and 12h photophase. The experiments were complete randomized design with 60 replicates. The results showed that the temperature influenced the development of A. gossypii. The shorter nymphal period and higher daily nymph s production were observed at 24 and 27 ºC. The temperature of 30 ºC was deleterius inducing to 68% of mortality at the nymphal stage of A. gossypii.