Resumo O aumento da produção agrícola tem levado ao aumento do uso de pesticidas em todo o mundo, o que representa uma ameaça para a saúde humana e ambiental. Estudos recentes sugerem que vários organismos não-alvo, de abelhas a mamíferos, apresentam uma grande variedade de efeitos tóxicos após a exposição aos pesticidas a pesticidas, incluindo alterações de comportamento, no desenvolvimento e na reprodução. Entre os mamíferos, os morcegos geralmente são negligenciados entre os estudos ecotoxicológicos, embora desempenhem importantes papéis ecológicos e econômicos nos ecossistemas florestais e na agricultura por meio do controle de dispersão de sementes e de populações de insetos. Considerando sua ampla variedade de hábitos alimentares, eles estão expostos a poluentes ambientais através da contaminação de alimentos ou água, ou através do contato direto com a pele em suas áreas de descanso. Para entender melhor o risco que os agrotóxicos representam para as populações de morcegos, compilamos estudos que investigaram os principais efeitos toxicológicos de agrotóxicos em morcegos, visando à discussão sobre os riscos ambientais associados ao uso de agrotóxicos.

Abstract Increased agricultural production has been increased use of pesticides worldwide, which poses a threat to both human and environmental health. Recent studies suggest that several non-target organisms, from bees to mammals, show a wide variety of toxic effects of pesticides exposure, including impaired behavior, development and reproduction. Among mammals, bats are usually a neglected taxon among ecotoxicological studies, although they play important ecological and economical roles in forest ecosystems and agriculture through to seed dispersal and insect population control. Considering their wide variety of food habits, bats are exposed to environmental pollutants through food or water contamination, or through direct skin contact in their roosting areas. In order to better understand the risk posed by pesticides to bats populations, we compiled studies that investigated the main toxicological effects of pesticides in bats, aiming at contributing to discussion about the environmental risks associated with the use of pesticides.

RESUMOO objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar possíveis efeitos do extrato das vargens de bordão-de-velho (Samanea tubulosa benth) sobre a reprodução em ratas Wistar. O extrato foi preparado a partir da secagem e trituração das vagens, seguida por maceração com etanol e, posteriormente, concentrado em rotavapor. Ratas Wistar gestantes foram tratadas com 75 mg.100 g-1 de peso corporal de extrato de S. tubulosa e o grupo controle recebeu 1ml/100 g-1 de peso corporal de solução salina por gavagem durante 19 dias. Após eutanásia no 20º dia, as seguintes variáveis foram analisadas: peso corporal fetal, peso dos fetos e placentas, número de corpos lúteos e de reabsorções, implantação, fetos vivos e mortos. O extrato de vagens de S. tubulosa apresenta toxicidade para o feto causando malformações, reabsorções fetais e diminuição pronunciada do peso ao nascer. Contudo, o extrato de vagens de S. tubulosanão influencia no número de corpos lúteos e número de implantações.

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to evaluate possible effects of pods from bordão-de-velho (Samanea tubulosa benth) extract on the reproduction of female rats.The extract was prepared by maceration wtith ethanol of dried and crushed pods, then it was concentrated in rotary evaporator. The pregnant Wistar rats were treated with a dose of 75 mg.100 g-1of body weight of Samanea tubulosa extract, by gavage , whereas the control group received 1ml.100g-1of saline by the same route for 19 days. After the euthanasia of the animals at day 20th,the following variables were analyzed: fetal body weight, weight of fetuses and placentas, number of corpora lutea, resorption points, live and dead fetuses and number of embryonic implantations. The extract from S. tubulosa pods, at the dose studied, showed toxicity causing fetal abnormalities, fetal resorption and pronounced decrease in the weight of offspring at birth. On the other hand, , the treatment with extract of S.tubulosa pods had no influence over corpora lutea and implantation numbers.

PURPOSE: We examined the significance of the CAG repeat polymorphism in the pathogenesis of cryptorchidism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from blood samples from 42 cryptorchid boys and from 31 non-cryptorchid control subjects. In the cryptorchid group, 7 had bilateral cryptorchidism and 6 had patent processus vaginalis in the contralateral side. To determine the number of CAG repeats, the DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. RESULTS: The mean CAG repeat length in the AR gene was 22.5 (range 16 to 28) in patients and 21.5 (range 17 to 26) in controls (non-significant). Patients with bilateral cryptorchidism had a mean length of 24.3 (range 21 to 26) and patients with unilateral cryptorchidism and patent processus vaginalis in the contra lateral side had a mean of 25.2 (range 21 to 28), which was statistically different from controls (p = 0.015 and p = 0.005 respectively). CONCLUSION: CAG repeat length of the AR gene does not seem to play a major role in patients with unilateral cryptorchidism. However, in patients with bilateral undescended testis, a less functional androgen receptor through a longer polyglutamine chain may have a role in its pathogenesis. In the same way, patients with unilateral cryptorchidism a contralateral patent processus vaginalis have longer CAG repeats that might be responsible for a slower testicular descent and incomplete closure of the processus vaginalis.