Chronic neurodegenerative processes have been identified in the rat forebrain after prolonged survival following hyperthermia (HT) initiated a few hours after transient global ischemia. Since transient global ischemia and ischemic penumbra share pathophysiological similarities, this study addressed the effects of HT induced after recirculation of focal brain ischemia on infarct size during long survival times. Adult male Wistar rats underwent intra-luminal occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery for 60 min followed by HT (39.0-39.5°C) or normothermia. Control procedures included none and sham surgery with and without HT, and middle cerebral artery occlusion alone. Part I: 6-h HT induced at recirculation. Part II: 2-h HT induced at 2-, 6-, or 24-h recirculation. Part III: 2-h HT initiated at recirculation or 6-h HT initiated at 2-, 6- or 24-h recirculation. Survival periods were 7 days, 2 or 6 months. The effects of post-ischemic HT on cortex and striatum were evaluated histopathologically by measuring the area of remaining tissue in the infarcted hemisphere at -0.30 mm from bregma. Six-hour HT initiated from 6-h recirculation caused a significant decrease in the remaining cortical tissue between 7-day (N = 8) and 2-month (N = 8) survivals (98.46 ± 1.14 to 73.62 ± 8.99%, respectively). When induced from 24-h recirculation, 6-h HT caused a significant reduction of the remaining cortical tissue between 2- (N = 8) and 6-month (N = 9) survivals (94.97 ± 5.02 vs 63.26 ± 11.97%, respectively). These data indicate that post-ischemic HT triggers chronic neurodegenerative processes in ischemic penumbra, suggesting that similar fever-triggered effects may annul the benefit of early recirculation in stroke patients over the long-term.

Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality and these patients, even without previous myocardial infarction, run the risk of fatal coronary heart disease similar to non-diabetic patients surviving myocardial infarction. There is evidence showing that particulate matter air pollution is associated with increases in cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of diabetes mellitus on the association of air pollution with cardiovascular emergency room visits in a tertiary referral hospital in the city of São Paulo. Using a time-series approach, and adopting generalized linear Poisson regression models, we assessed the effect of daily variations in PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, and O3 on the daily number of emergency room visits for cardiovascular diseases in diabetic and non-diabetic patients from 2001 to 2003. A semi-parametric smoother (natural spline) was adopted to control long-term trends, linear term seasonal usage and weather variables. In this period, 45,000 cardiovascular emergency room visits were registered. The observed increase in interquartile range within the 2-day moving average of 8.0 µg/m³ SO2 was associated with 7.0% (95%CI: 4.0-11.0) and 20.0% (95%CI: 5.0-44.0) increases in cardiovascular disease emergency room visits by non-diabetic and diabetic groups, respectively. These data indicate that air pollution causes an increase of cardiovascular emergency room visits, and that diabetic patients are extremely susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution on their health conditions.

Apresenta-se o estudo do efeito nas propriedades mecânicas de um novo grau de metal duro, em resultado do aumento da pressão de árgon aplicada num tratamento de pós-sinterização. O material foi previamente sinterizado a 1460ºC, à pressão de árgon de 2 MPa, a partir de misturas de pós de WC conjuntamente com 3,5 %p de Co e pequenas adições de VC, grafite e um lubrificante adequado à prensagem. Registou-se um aumento significativo da resistência à flexão de » 1500 MPa para » 3000 MPa quando se aumentou a pressão de árgon de 3 para 100 MPa, ao mesmo tempo que a dureza (HV30»2000) e a tenacidade à fractura (»8 MN.m-3/2) permaneceram praticamente inalteradas. Estudos microestruturais e de análise de fractura revelaram que este comportamento se deve fundamentalmente à diminuição da quantidade e do tamanho dos defeitos críticos (nomeadamente, poros e inclusões metálicas). Além disso, observou-se que a fractura ocorre devido a defeitos intrínsecos e não a defeitos de superfície, o que sugere que o acabamento de superfície aplicado não afecta a medida da resistência à flexão. Constata-se que a prensagem isostática a quente é uma técnica adequada para a obtenção de compósitos de WC-3,5%p Co com tamanho de grão submicrométrico, verificando-se que a diminuição do teor da porosidade residual provoca um notável aumento da resistência à flexão.

In this work, the effect of increasing argon pressure applied on a post-sintering treatment from 3 MPa to 100 MPa on the mechanical properties of a newly developed hardmetal grade, namely, hardness, flexural strength and fracture toughness, is reported. The as-received material has been previously sintered at 1460ºC under 2 MPa argon pressure from powder mixtures of WC and 3.5 wt% Co together with minor additions of VC, graphite and a pressing lubricant. By increasing the argon pressure, a significant increase in flexural strength from » 1500 MPa to » 3000 MPa was observed, whilst hardness (HV30»2000) and fracture toughness (»8 MN.m-3/2) remained practically unchanged. Both microstructural and fractographic studies revealed that this is mainly attributed to a decrease in the amount and size of microstructural defects (namely, pores and metallic inclusions). Furthermore, fracture has been found to occur mainly by intrinsic (bulk) defects rather than surface-related ones, suggesting that surface finishing did not affect flexural strength measurements. Hot isostatic pressing has been successfully used to consolidate WC-3.5wt% Co composites with submicron WC grains size confirming that porosity reduction results in flexural strength improvement.

OBJETIVO. No presente estudo propusemo-nos a avaliar, por meio da microscopia de luz, os aspectos morfológicos e morfométricos dos cardiomiócitos do ventrículo esquerdo de ratas albinas durante a prenhez. MÉTODOS. Acasalamos doze ratas virgens que foram dividas ao acaso em quatro grupos, de acordo com a idade gestacional. Os animais correspondentes a cada grupo foram sacrificados ao 1o(G-A), 7o(G-B), 14o(G-C) e 21o(G-D) dias de prenhez, sendo coletados fragmentos do terço médio do ventrículo esquerdo, os quais após processamento apropriado, permitiram observação adequada à microscopia de luz. A cariometria foi realizada mensurando-se os diâmetros maiores e menores dos cardiomiócitos com o auxílio de um tambor rotativo modelo K 8 X adaptado a um microscópio de luz. RESULTADOS. O estudo em nível da microscopia de luz praticamente não mostrou alterações com o decorrer da prenhez. No entanto, a morfometria revelou que os volumes dos cardiomiócitos estão aumentados no 14o dia da prenhez, mostrando-se estatisticamente significante quando comparado aos demais grupos estudados. Assim, nossos resultados demonstraram haver hipertrofia ventricular esquerda durante a gestação. CONCLUSÃO. Durante a gestação há um processo dinâmico reversível de remodelação ventricular em conseqüência das alterações adaptativas gravídicas.

PURPOSE. In the present study we evaluated, by light microscopy, and throughout morphometry, whether hypertrophy of cardiac striated muscular fibers of left ventricular occur in albino rat, during pregnancy. METHODS. After maiting, 12 nuliparous rats were divided into four groups with three animals for each group. The female rats corresponding to each group were killed at 1st, 7th, 14th and 21st days of pregnancy. RESULTS. Observation, on light microscopy (H.E) had at one view, did not display any alterations during pregnancy. However, the morphometry revealed that nuclei of cardiomyocytes are augmented in volume at 14th day of pregnancy and statistically significant data show the hypertrophy. CONCLUSION. The obtained data show the existence of a dinamic and reversible process of ventricular remodelling in consequence of adaptation physiological alterations of the cardiovascular normal pregnancy.

OBJETIVO. No presente estudo avaliamos, por intermédio da microscopia eletrônica de transmissão, a morfologia dos cardiomiócitos do ventrículo esquerdo de ratas albinas no decorrer do ciclo gravídico-puerperal. MÉTODOS. Obtida a prenhez, 77 ratas foram divididas ao acaso em dois grupos denominados, respectivamente, de: gestação (G) e puerpério (P). Os animais pertencentes ao grupo gestação foram ainda subdivididos em quatro subgrupos, de acordo com a idade gestacional; 1o (G-A), 7o (G-B), 14o (G-C) e 21o (G-D) dias de prenhez. O grupo definido como puerpério foi também subdividido em três subgrupos; 7o (P-A), 14o (P-B) e 21o (P-C) dias de puerpério. Findo o período estabelecido para cada subgrupo, os animais foram sacrificados, sendo coletados fragmentos do terço médio do ventrículo esquerdo, os quais após processamento apropriado, permitiram observação adequada à microscopia eletrônica de transmissão. RESULTADOS. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram hipertrofia gradativos dos cardiomiócitos no decorrer da prenhez (aumento das miofibrilas, que ao final da gestação apresentaram-se entremeadas de numerosas mitocôndrias). As paredes dos capilares sangüíneos, progressivamente, tornaram-se mais delgadas, com aumento das vesículas de pinocitose no interior das células endoteliais. Revelou ainda, acentuadas dobras do sarcolema em nível dos túbulos T (túneis capilares). No grupo puerpério, notamos gradativa regressão nessas alterações, com retorno às características pré-gestacionais. Os achados demonstram a ocorrência de hipertrofia no decorrer da gestação. CONCLUSÃO. Durante a prenhez há hipertrofia em cardiomiócito do ventrículo esquerdo com regressão durante o puerpério.

PURPOSE. In the present study we evaluated the morphology of left ventricular cardiomyocytes of albino rats during pregnancy and puerperium by means of transmission electron microscopy. METHODS. Once pregnancy was confirmed, 77 rats were randomly divided in two groups, respectively, gestation (G) and puerperium ( P). The animals of the gestation group were divided into four subgroups, according to gestational age: 1st (G-A), 7th (G-B), 14th (G-C) and 21st (G-D) days of pregnancy. The group defined as puerperium was divided into three subgroups: 7th (P-A), 14th (P-B) and 21st (P-C) days of puerperium. In the end of each established period, the animals were sacrificed and fragments of the medium third of the left ventricle were resected and routinely prepared for electron microscopy analysis. RESULTS. The results obtained with transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed a gradative increase of the cardiomyocytes during pregnancy (increase of myofibrils, which are permeated by numerous mitochondria at the end of gestation). The blood capillary wall showed progressive thinning, with an increase of pynocytotic vesicles in endothelial cells, and intense sarcolemal folding at T- tubule level (capillary tunnels). In the puerperium group, there is a progressive regression in these alterations returning to pre-gestational level at the end of the puerperium cycle. These findings indicate the occurrence of hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes during pregnancy. CONCLUSION. The findings indicate the occurrence of hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes during pregnancy.

Estudo recente sobre as variações da origem da artéria do nó sinoatrial demonstra sua importância na rede arterial perinodal da área sinusal em corações normais. OBJETIVO: Relatar o caso de um paciente com síncope de etiologia isquêmica. CONCLUSÃO: No paciente apresentado, a rede arterial perinodal não protegeu o nó da isquêmia causada pela obstrução da artéria do nó sinoatrial.

BACKGROUND: The recent study of the variations of the origin of the sinoatrial node and on the "arterial network of the perinodal sinusal area" in normal hearts points out the importance of this network. PURPOSE: Report on a case of patient with syncope of ischemic etiology. CONCLUSION: In this patient the arterial network did not protect the node from the ischemia caused by the obstruction of the artery of the sinoatrial node.