O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência de alguns fatores químicos na sensibilidade da levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE-2 ao cádmio. Em um primeiro ensaio, os meios YED com diferentes valores de pH (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, e 8) e acrescidos de 0,0 e 0,05 mmol Cd L-1 foram inoculados e incubados a 30 °C por 18 horas. Durante o crescimento anaeróbio foi determinada a concentração celular. No início e ao final do estágio de crescimento determinaram-se os teores de trealose, a viabilidade celular e a taxa de brotamento da levedura. Em um segundo ensaio, os meios foram diluídos a ½ e ¼ para dextrose e extrato de levedura e adicionados de 0,0 e 0,05 mmol Cd L-1. O pH dos meios foi ajustado para 5. Após a inoculação, os frascos foram incubados a 30 °C por 18 horas. O crescimento não foi afetado pelo cádmio, porém em níveis mais baixos os sintomas de toxidade apareceram. O decréscimo da concentração de extrato de levedura e o incremento na concentração de dextrose aumentaram a susceptibilidade da levedura ao cádmio.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pH, dextrose and yeast extract on the cadmium toxicity on Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE-2. In the first assay, the YED mediums with different pH (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8) containing 0.0 and 0.05 mmol Cd L-1 were inoculated with yeast suspension and incubated at 30 °C for 18 hours. During the anaerobic growth, the biomass concentration was determined. The yeast trehalose content, cell viability, and the growth rate were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the growth stages. In the second assay the YED mediums were diluted to the total, ½, and ¼ content of dextrose and yeast and 0.0 and 0.05 mmol Cd L-1 were added. The pH of the mediums was adjusted to 5. The culture mediums were inoculated and incubated at 30 °C for 18 hours. The yeast growth was not affected by cadmium at high pH, but at low pH the yeast becomes more sensitive to the toxic effect. The yeast susceptibility to cadmium was enhanced by the decrease of yeast extract strength and the increase of dextrose strength.

Preeclampsia is an obstetric disease of unknown cause that affects approximately 5% of pregnant women. The visual system may be affected with variable intensity, being the retinal detachment a rare complication. The retinal detachment in preeclampsia is usually bilateral and serous, and its pathogenesis is related to the choroidal ischemia secondary to an intense arteriolar vasospasm. The majority of patients have complete recovery of vision with clinical management, and surgery is unnecessary. This is a case report of a 27 year old patient who developed the severe form of preeclampsia on her first pregnancy. She had progressive blurred vision, until she could see only shadows. Ophthalmic examination diagnosed spread and bilateral retinal detachment. With blood pressure control at postpartum, the patient had her retina reattached, and recovery of vision.