Honório Sampaio Menezes

Padrão de consumo de medicamentos sem prescrição médica na cidade de Porto Alegre, RS

Self-medication is a very common prac- tice not only in Brazil but also in other countries. It is defined as medication of oneself without med- ical advice, the patient himself deciding which drug to use. The overall objective of this study is to de- scribe the pattern of drug consumption without medical prescription in the city of Porto Alegre between January and February 2007. It was an observational, transversal, descriptive and prospec- tive study. Seven hundred and forty two individu- als of both sexes, aged between 18 and 70 years and resident in Porto Alegre where interviewed be- tween January and February 2007 after self-med- ication had been confirmed. With respect to sex, there was a predominance of self-medicating wom- en (57.54%) in the studied sample. As refers to media influence, the majority (76.28%) was not influenced by the media in the choice of a medica- ment. In relation to the variable medical consul- tations during the last twelve months the majority (26.81%) had seen the doctor twice. The data here presented confirm the importance of studying the practice of self-medication and support the hy- pothesis of a naive and excessive belief of our soci- ety in the power of medicines.

Fetal myocardial hypertrophy in an experimental model of gestational diabetes.

INTRODUCTION The frequent occurrence of prenatal hypertrophy of the muscular ventricular septum has been widely reported in fetuses of diabetic mothers. OBJECTIVES This experimental study was carried out to test the hypothesis that the weight of the heart, the ratio of the cardiac weight to that of the body, the thickness of the muscular ventricular septum, and the myocytic profile within the ventricular septum are all increased in fetuses of diabetic rats in comparison to fetuses of normal rats. METHODS Diabetes was induced in 5 pregnant Wistar rats, bearing 30 fetuses, on the eighth day after conception, by intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg of streptozotocin. Five normal pregnant Wistar rats, bearing 20 fetuses, made up the control group. Morphometric data were obtained by a computer-assisted method applied to the measurements of the thickness of the ventricular septum, and myocytic nuclear area. Statistical analysis utilized Students t-test and Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS The mean thickness of the septum was 675.56 microm (+/-159) in the control fetuses, and 904.39 microm (+/-262) in the fetuses carried by diabetic mothers (p < 0.001). The cardiac weight was 0.016 g (+/-0.004) in the control group, and 0.023 g (+/-0.005) in the group of diabetic fetuses (p < 0.001). The ratio of cardiac to body weight was 0.294% (+/-0.079) in the control group, and 0.514% (+/-0.073) in the diabetic group (p < 0.001). The myocytic nuclear area was 14.70 microm2 in the control group, and 21.43 microm2 in the diabetic group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The presence of cellular and morphologic cardiac hypertrophy in fetuses of diabetic rats was demonstrated by the significant difference between the two groups for each analyzed feature.

Antidepressant behavioral effects of duloxetine and amitriptyline in the rat forced swimming test

PURPOSE To compare the effects of the antidepressant drugs duloxetine and amitriptyline on depressive behaviors in rats. METHODS Fifteen male Wistar rats were given systemic injections of duloxetine, amitriptyline or saline prior to a Forced Swimming Test (FST). Immobility and number of stops were measured. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Kruskall-Wallis. RESULTS Rats given injections of duloxetine displayed fewer stops than the amitriptyline and control group (p< 0.05). The control group and Amitriptyline showed no difference (p=0.8). CONCLUSION Duloxetine reduced depressive behaviors in the Forced Swimming Test been more effective than amitriptyline.

Fetal ductal constriction caused by maternal ingestion of green tea in late pregnancy: an experimental study

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that experimental maternal intake of green tea in late pregnancy causes fetal ductus arteriosus constriction, probably because of prostaglandin inhibition.

Efeitos antidepressivos da duloxetina e da fluoxetina no teste do nado forçado em ratos

Purpose: To compare the effects of the antidepressant drugs duloxetine and amitriptyline on depressive behaviors in rats. Methods: Fifteen male Wistar rats were given systemic injections of duloxetine, amitriptyline or saline prior to a Forced Swimming Test (FST). Immobility and number of stops were measured. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Kruskall-Wallis. Results: Rats given injections of duloxetine displayed fewer stops than the amitriptyline and control group (p< 0.05). The control group and Amitriptyline showed no difference (p=0.8). Conclusion: Duloxetine reduced depressive behaviors in the Forced Swimming Test been more effective than amitriptyline.

The effect of maternal hypercholesterolemia on the placenta and fetal arteries in rabbits

PURPOSE To investigate the degree of placental permeability in dyslipidemic rabbits and the consequent vascular dysfunction in fetuses of female rabbits with high lipoprotein levels. METHODS Fifteen adult females New Zealand White rabbits were divided into two groups. Group 1(n=5) - hypercholesterolemic diet with 0.5% cholesterol, and Group 2 (n=10) - control. On day 30, the levels of plasma lipoproteins and triglycerides were analyzed in the mothers, and the presence of collagen was analyzed in the placenta as well as in fetal coronary and aorta. Statistical analyses used the Students t and the Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS Lipoprotein levels were significantly different (p=0.02 to p<0.001) in experimental and control groups. In the hypercholesterolemic group, total cholesterol levels were in average 793 mg/dl; triglycerides were in average 257 mg/dl; HDL-C was 48 mg/dl, and LDL-C was in average 692 mg/dl. The amount of collagen per micrometers square (mµ²) in samples from hypercholesterolemic animals was significantly higher than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS The study confirmed placental permeability to lipoproteins, shown by increased amounts of collagen in fetal tissues. This alteration results in increased susceptibility to atherosclerosis in adult life, representing a risk factor for the early development of disease, which may appear even in the prenatal period.

Ácido Láctico como indicativo de aptidão física em ratos

INTRODUCTION: Experimental models are used for simulation of situations related to physical training. OBJECTIVE: This study had the objective of verifying the fitness of rats in training; this was achieved through the measurement of the concentration of lactic acid in the blood serum. METHODOLOGY: An experimental study using 40 Wistar male adult rats, divided into five groups of eight individuals and a control group was carried out. The first test of Maximum Effort (TE) was applied after one week of familiarization with the treadmill running and right before the first day of training. The following effort tests were applied at every ten days. In order to measure the concentration of lactic acid in the blood after the test; it 1ml of blood was collected from each rat. The Student t test was used to compare the means. RESULTS: Lactic acid serum significantly decreased in groups GE10, 20, 30 between the first and the last effort test. In the G30 there was a significant difference between the initial and final tests regarding speed (p = 0.003) and time (p = 0.018), as well as in the G40 group, where the initial velocity was (p = 0.0006) and time (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The results measured through the lactic acid in the blood showed that rats submitted to physical training present better metabolic capacity and that with suitable training, the physical fitness increased after the physical effort. This effort is well tolerated by the rats up to 40 days of treadmill running.

Regression of gestational diabetes induced cardiomegaly in offspring of diabetic rat

PURPOSE To compare body weight and length, heart weight and length, heart-to-body weight ratio, glycemia, and morphometric cellular data of offspring of diabetic rats (ODR) and of normal rats (control). METHODS Diabetes was induced in 3 pregnant Wistar rats, bearing 30 rats, on the 11th day after conception by intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg of streptozotocin. Six normal pregnant Wistar rats, bearing 50 rats, made up the control group. Morphometric data were obtained using a scale for the weight, length, heart and body measurements. Morphometric cellular data were obtained by a computer assisted method applied to the measurements of myocytes. Statistical analysis utilized Students t-test, ANOVA and Levene test. RESULTS Control offspring had greater mean body weight and length than offspring of diabetic rats (p < 0.001). Heart weight and length and heart-to-body ratios of newborn rats differed between groups at birth (p < 0.001), but showed no difference at 21 days. Mean nuclei area and perimetric value of the myocytes decrees throughout the first 21 days of life (p < 0.01) in the diabetic group. CONCLUSIONS Heart hypertrophy on the offspring of diabetic rats at birth was demonstrated by the significant difference between the groups. After the eleventh day, no difference was found, which confirmed regression of cardiomegaly. The significant difference between the first and the 21th day of life, for nuclei area feature, demonstrate regression of cardiac hypertrophy in the offspring of diabetic rats.

Oclusão Percutânea da Persistência do Ducto Arterioso

Background: Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital condition with high morbidity, especially in preterm infants of extremely low birth weight, representing 5% to 10% of congenital heart diseases. Our objective was to describe the approaches used at a reference hospital for the percutaneous occlusion of PDA. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on the transcatheter treatment of patent ductus arteriosus from April of 2008 to April of 2010. Results: Forty-seven cases were reviewed and most of them (78.8%) were treated with FlipperTM coils while the remaining patients received the AmplatzerTM device. Ductal morphological configuration was Krichenko type A in 89.4% (34 in the FlipperTM coil group and 8 in the AmplatzerTM group), type D in 6.4% (2 in the FlipperTM coil group and 1 in the AmplatzerTM group) and type E in 4.2% (1 in each group) of patients. Pre-catheterization minimum diameters were 2.6 ± 0.8 mm and 3.8 ± 1.6 mm for the FlipperTM coil and AmplatzerTM groups, respectively. Immediate total occlusion of the defect was obtained in the control angiography in 72.3% of the patients. Seven patients treated with the FlipperTM coil received additional coils and two patients treated with the AmplatzerTM device presented minimal residual shunts. There were no procedure-related complications. In the follow-up after hospital discharge, one patient presented minimal residual shunt at the echography, 45 days after catheterization. Conclusions: Percutaneous patent ductus arteriosus occlusion has proven to be safe and effective in most cases.

Comparison of rimonabant and sibutramine treatment effects on food compulsion in rats

PURPOSE To compare the therapeutic effect of rimonabant, a new drug which is a selective antagonist of CB1 receptors, with the sibutramine. METHODS It is an experimental clinical trial, prospective, placebo controlled. Our test was performed in 38 rats, adults females with a hyper caloric diet. We collected their blood 3 times and weighted them once a week. We divided the rats in 3 groups: Rimonabant, Sibutramine and Control. Statistic analysis has been made through ANOVA test, Tukey test and t Student test. RESULTS The Rimonabant group demonstrated a significant reduction of the weight increase in rats. The Sibutramine group showed a significant reduction on blood glycemia compared to Rimonabant group and Control group. CONCLUSIONS Rimonabant showed to be more effective than Sibutramine by decreasing weight gain. Sibutramine has been more effective than Rimonabant and Control groups by decreasing the blood glycemia.