Rhinella jimi toads (Stevaux, 2002) belong to the Bufonidae family, are endemic in the Brazilian Northeast and are commonly found during rainy periods. In general, amphibians of this family have in their poisons different metabolites that show a diversity of pharmacological activities. The isolation and identification of these compounds are of great importance, and techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry are widely used for the discovery of novel and known compounds in these poisons. For R. jimi poison, the ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts were obtained and thirty compounds were identified by combining ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) with direct infusion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (DI-APCI-MS/MS) and direct infusion electrospray mass spectrometry (DI-ESI-MS/MS) for each extract, respectively. Marinobufagin (2) and marinobufotoxin (19) were the majorities of each extract, respectively. In addition, other bufadienolides mainly present in the ethyl acetate extract, such other bufotoxins, alkaloids and arginine diacid derivatives were identified in the methanol extract. In a cytotoxic assay by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), the extracts and compound 2 demonstrated half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values better than the positive control doxorubicin, evidencing excellent cytotoxic. This is the most complete study of the chemical composition of R. jimi toad poison and its respective cytotoxic activity, promoting the enrichment of knowledge about this family and species.

ABSTRACT Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) ensilage presents serious limitations due to the conversion of soluble carbohydrates into ethanol, thus, it is necessary to use additives that reduce losses of DM during the ensilage process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of detoxified castor-bean (Ricinus communis L.) meal (DCBM) on the nutritive value, fermentation pattern, stability and losses of sugarcane silages. Twenty mini-silos with sugarcane and five different concentrations of DCBM (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g kg-1 fresh matter) were prepared in a completely randomized design with five replicates per treatment. After 60 d, silage was sampled to determine chemical-bromatological composition, fractionation of carbohydrates and protein content, ammoniacal N (N-NH3) and losses through gases and effluents. The addition of DCBM increased (P < 0.05) DM content, crude protein, fraction A + B1 of the total carbohydrates. However, it reduced (P < 0.05) the levels of neutral and acid detergent insoluble fiber, fraction B1 + B2 of total N and N-NH3. The addition of DCBM reduced the losses of total DM but decreased silages aerobic stability. The addition of 150 g kg-1 DBCM improved the nutritional value, fermentation pattern and reduced losses of sugarcane silages

Os autores relatam o caso de uma criança de 7 anos de idade com aneurisma dia porção distal da artéria cerebelar posterior e inferior (PICA), que foi operada com sucesso. Ênfase é dada à baixa incidência de aneurismas saculares intracranianos na primeira década de vida e à raridade de aneurismas da porção distal da PICA em qualquer faixa etária. As teorias relacionadas à origem dos aneurismas saculares intracranianos são discutidas.

The case of a 7-year-old boy presenting with recurrent episodes of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm (PICA), successfully operated, is reported.' The low incidence of intracranial aneurysms in the first decade of life and the rare occurrence of distal PICA aneurysms are unusual features of this case. The theories regarding the origin of intracranial berry aneurysms are discussed.

Metástases osteoblásticas de câncer de próstata podem mimetizar meningiomas tanto do ponto de vista de radiologia simples, como de TC e de arteriografia cerebral. Os autores apresentam o caso de um paciente em que metástase craniana de adenocarcinoma prostático simulava meningioma parietal parassagital e chamam a atenção para a importância da correta interpretação dos achados clínicos no dignóstico desta patologia.

The authors report the case of a 69 year-old man in whom X-Ray, CT and angiography findings typical for a parietal parasagital meningioma were caused by cranial metastasis from prostatic adenocarcinoma. The authors stress the importance of the correct interpretation of the clinical features in order to achieve a correct diagnosis.

Estudos de nosso laboratório surgerem que o ácido tânico (AT) exerce diversos efeitos "in vitro" ou "in vivo", podendo ser responsável por várias ações inespecíficas freqüentemente observadas com extratos brutos de plantas medicinais. O presente trabalho amplia estes estudos em outos modelos biológicos. A administração crônica ou aguda, por vida oral (v.o.), de AT em ratos não produziu alterações gástricas ou no processo inflamatório. Em ratos não-diabéticos observou-se modificações variáveis na glicemia de acordo com a metodologia empregada. O AT, cronicamente (v.o.), não interferiu na reprodução de fêmeas, embora constatou-se redução do número de filhotes de machos tratados. O AT (3mg/kg, v.o.) provocou aumento da diurese, porém doses mais elevadas não modificaram o volume urinário. Os testes hematológicos demonstraram que o AT possui efeito anticoagulante "in vitro", sem modificar a fragilidade de hemácias ou na homeastase sanguínea "in vivo". No músculo esquelético, o AT reduziu a resposta contrátil à acetilcolina, enquanto no músculo cardíaco (átrio esquerdo) observou-se efeito inotrópico positivo ou negativo. Estes resultados estendem os estudos anteriores e reforçam a sugestão de que parte significativa dos efeitos inespecíficos observados com extratos brutos de plantas medicinais podem estar relacionados com a presença de taninos nos mesmos.

Extending previous studies the present report analyses the pharmacological effects of tannic acid (TA) in several tests. TA prevented carragenin-induced edema when administered by i.p. but not p.o. route. Long term p.o. treatment with TA did not induce gastric lesions and showed inconsistent effects on glicemia in non-diabetic rats. Rats chronically exposed to TA during the fetal stage or following birth did not exhbit changes in gain of or organ weights, but adult male rats showed a lower fertility ratio. Urinary output was slightly increased by administration of a small dose of TA (3mg/kg, p.o.), but not by higher doses. The addition of TA "in vitro" to blood samples did not influence osmotic fragility but prevented clotting for at least 30 min. In isolated tissues, TA non competitively antagonized acetylcholineinduced contractions of the frog rectus-abdominal muscle and induced, depending of the dose, both positive and negative inotropic effects in the electrically-stimulated left rat atrium. These results confirm and extend our previous observations and suggest that a great number of non-specific effects detected in studies on the pharmacology of different folk medicinal plants may be related to the presence of tannins.