RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da ω-conotoxina MVIIC e das células-tronco mesenquimais (CTM) de forma isolada e sua associação nos ratos submetidos ao trauma medular agudo (TMA). Trinta Rattus novergicus, linhagem Wistar, três meses de idade, foram distribuídos igualmente em cinco grupos experimentais: controle negativo (CN), controle positivo (CP), ω-conotoxina MVIIC (MVIIC), células-tronco mesenquimais da medula óssea (CTM-MO) e associação (MVIIC + CTM-MO). O grupo CN foi submetido à laminectomia sem trauma medular, e os grupos CP, MVIIC, CTM-MO e MVIIC + CTM-MO foram submetidos ao trauma medular contusivo. O grupo CP recebeu, uma hora após o TMA, 10μL de PBS estéril, e os grupos MVIIC e MVIIC + CTM-MO receberam 10μL de PBS contendo 20pmol da ω-conotoxina MVIIC, todos por via intratecal. Os grupos CTM-MO e MVIIC + CTM-MO receberam, 24 horas após, 1x106 de CTM via intravenosa. Avaliou-se a recuperação da função locomotora até o sétimo dia pós-trauma. Os animais tratados com MVIIC + CTM-MO obtiveram recuperação motora após o trauma medular agudo (P<0,05). Conclui-se que essa associação apresentou efeito neuroprotetor com melhora na função locomotora em ratos Wistar.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of isolated ω-conotoxin MVIIC and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and its association in rats submitted to acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Thirty Rattus norvegicus, Wistar strain, three-month-old rats were randomly distributed in five experimental groups with six animals: negative control (CN), positive control (CP), ω-conotoxin MVIIC (MVIIC), bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (CTM-MO) and the association (MVIIC + CTM-MO). The CN group underwent laminectomy without spinal cord trauma, and groups CP, MVIIC, CTM-MO and MVIIC + CTM-MO were submitted to contusive spinal cord trauma. The CP group received 10μl of PBS one hour after SCI, and groups MVIIC and MVIIC + CTM-MO received 10μl of PBS containing 20pmol of ω-conotoxin MVIIC, both intrathecally. Groups CTM-MO and MVIIC + CTM-MO received 1x106 of MSCs intravenously 24 hours later. The recovery of locomotor function was evaluated up to seven days post-injury. The animals treated with MVIIC + CTM-MO obtained motor recovery after SCI (P<0.05). It is concluded that this association showed neuroprotective effect with improvements in locomotor function in Wistar rats.

The ideal feeding for premature babies has been the source of extensive debate. The aim of this study was to assess the association between type of feeding at discharge and the nutritional status of very low birth weight infants. This was a retrospective cohort of preterm babies with birth weight ≤1500 g, born between January 2006 and December 2013. The infants were divided into 3 groups according to type of feeding at discharge: exclusive breast milk (group 1), mixed feeding (group 2) and exclusive artificial formula (group 3). Frequencies of each group were calculated, as well as mean Z-score differences in weight, length and head circumference. Six hundred and forty-nine newborns were included. The mean weight of groups 1, 2, and 3 was 1338.7, 1104.0, and 1254.7 g, respectively, and their mean gestational age was 31.9, 30, and 31.2 weeks, respectively. The Z-score differences (means±SD) for groups 1, 2, and 3 were: −0.84±0.68, −1.02±0.75, and −0.86±0.71 for weight, −0.21±1.23, −0.52±1.64 and −0.08±1.34 for head circumference, and −1.10±1.18, −1.54±1.37, and −0.97±1.21 for length. A significant difference was observed between groups 2 and 3 in the adjusted Z-score model for length, with no significant differences in anthropometric measurements for the other comparative analyses. Because of its many advantages, breastfeeding should be stimulated within neonatal units since nutritional status was not influenced by the different types of feeding.

Plectranthus barbatus Andrews (Lamiaceae) é uma planta muita utilizada na medicina popular para o tratamento de doenças gastrointestinais e hepáticas. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar o efeito protetor do extrato aquoso de P. barbatus (EAPB) sobre os danos hepáticos causados pela sobrecarga de ferro provocada pelo ferro-dextran em ratos. O tratamento com ferro-dextran induziu uma redução significativa na concentração de glutationa reduzida nos animais tratados em relação ao grupo controle e o tratamento prévio dos animais com o EAPB protegeu o fígado do efeito provocado pelo ferro neste parâmetro. Com relação à lipoperoxidação, houve aumento significativo na concentração de malondialdeído (MDA) nos animais tratados em relação ao controle, entretanto, quando os animais receberam o tratamento prévio com o EAPB, houve redução significativa na concentração do MDA. A análise histopatológica mostrou que o grupo tratado com ferro-dextran apresentou grânulos de ferro no citoplasma das células de Kupffer com alargamento das mesmas e algumas com os núcleos hipertróficos. O tratamento prévio com EAPB resultou no desaparecimento dos sinais de danos às células de Kupffer sem nenhum núcleo hipertrófico, mas com a presença de grânulos de ferro totalmente fagocitados, o que demonstra uma aparência morfológica normal. Portanto, o EAPB pode ser útil na prevenção de danos hepáticos induzidos por sobrecarga de ferro.

The Plectranthus barbatus Andrews (Lamiaceae) is a plant largely used in folk medicine to treat gastrointestinal and liver diseases. The objective of this work was to study the protective effect of the aqueous extract of P. barbatus (EAPB) against damage caused by iron overload induced by iron dextran in rat liver. Treatment with iron-dextran induced a significant reduction in the glutathione levels in treated animals compared to control group, and the pretreatment of animals with EAPB protected the liver from the effects caused by iron in this parameter. With respect to lipid peroxidation, a significant increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in treated animals compared to control was observed; however, when the animals were pretreated with EAPB, there was a significant reduction in the MDA levels. Histopathological analysis showed that the group treated with iron-dextran showed iron granules in the cytoplasm of the Kupffer cells and some of them presented enlarged nuclei. The group previously treated with EAPB showed the disappearance of the signs of damage to the Kupffer cells with no nucleus hypertrophy but with the presence of iron granules completely phagocytosed by these cells, which showed a normal morphological appearance. Therefore, the EAPB may be useful in the prevention of liver damage induced by iron overload.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) has been evaluated in breast cancer patients to identify those most likely to benefit from herceptin-targeted therapy. HER2 amplification, detected in 20-30% of invasive breast tumors, is associated with reduced survival and metastasis. The most frequently used technique for evaluating HER2 protein status as a routine procedure is immunohistochemistry (IHC). HER2 copy number alterations have also been evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in moderate immunoexpression (IHC 2+) cases. An alternative procedure to evaluate gene amplification is chromogenic in situhybridization (CISH), which has some advantages over FISH, including the correlation between HER2 status and morphological features. Other methodologies have also been used, such as silver-enhanced in situ hybridization (SISH) and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, to determine the number of HER2 gene copies and expression, respectively. Here we will present a short and comprehensive review of the current advances concerning HER2 evaluation in human breast cancer.

Dados de 19240 animais Tabapuã, provenientes de 152 fazendas localizadas em diversos estados brasileiros, nascidos entre 1976 e 1995, foram utilizados para predição do valor genético do peso aos 205 dias de idade (VG_P205) por meio de redes neurais artificiais (RNAs) e usando o algoritmo LM - Levenberg Marquardt - para treinamento dos dados de entrada. Por se tratar de rede com aprendizado supervisionado, foram utilizados, como saída desejada, os valores genéticos preditos pelo BLUP para a característica P205. Os valores genéticos do P205 obtidos pela RNA e os preditos pelo BLUP foram altamente correlacionados. A ordenação dos valores genéticos do P205 oriundos das RNAs e os valores preditos pelo BLUP (VG_P205_RNA) sugeriram que houve variação na classificação dos animais, indicando riscos no uso de RNAs para avaliação genética dessa característica. Inserções de novos animais necessitam de novo treinamento dos dados, sempre dependentes do BLUP.

Data from 19,240 Tabapuã animals from 152 farms located in different states of Brazil, born from 1976 to 1995, were used to predict the genetic value of body weight at 205 days of age (BV_P205) of Tabapuã beef cattle using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and LM algorithm - Levenberg Marquardt training for data entry. Due to the use of networks with supervised learning, the predicted breeding values for P205 from BLUP were used as desired output. The breeding values for P205 obtained from RNA and those predicted by BLUP were highly correlated. The ranked breeding values for body weight at 205 days through RNA and those predicted by BLUP (VG_P205_RNA) showed a variation in the classification of animals indicating risks in the use of ANNs procedure for genetic evaluation of this trait. Insertions of new animals require new training data always dependent on BLUP.