Mario Bernardo-Filho

Assessment of effects of a formula used in the traditional Chinese medicine (Buzhong Yi Qi Wan) on the morphologic and osmotic fragility of red blood cells

Buzhong Yi Qi Wan (BYQW) is a combination of some medicinal herbs widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat blood, spleen and stomach disorders. Morphometric analysis and osmotic fragility assay have been used to evaluate changes on membrane integrity of red blood cells. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of an aqueous BYQW extract on the morphology and osmotic fragility of red blood cells. Blood samples were treated with BYQW extract, quantitative/qualitative morphological analysis and osmotic fragility assay were carried out against control groups treated with saline. The data obtained indicated no modification on morphology but osmotic fragility assay suggested a significant (p<0.05) increasing of hemolysis in red blood cells isolated from blood treated with aqueous BYQW extract. In conclusion, the aqueous BYQW extract could affect the membrane integrity decreasing the osmotic resistance but without altering the shape of red blood cells.

Evaluation of the effect of an extract of sabugueiro (Sambucus australis) on the labeling of blood constituents with technetium-99m

Sambucus australis (sabugueiro) has been used to treat inflammatory and rheumatologic disorders. Blood constituents labeled with technetium-99m (99mTc) have been used in nuclear medicine to obtain diagnostic images. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of a sabugueiro extract on the labeling of blood cells with 99mTc. Blood samples from Wistar rats were incubated with sabugueiro extract and the radiolabeling assay of blood constituents was carried out. After centrifugation, samples of plasma and blood cells were separated. Aliquots of plasma and blood cells were precipitated with trichloroacetic acid and centrifuged to isolate soluble and insoluble fractions. The radioactivity in each fraction was counted and the percentage of activity (%ATI) was determined. Incubation with sabugueiro extract altered significantly (p<0.05) the %ATI incorporated to the blood constituents. These results could be explained due the presence of chemical substances in the sabugueiro extract that present redox and/or chelating action altering the labeling of the blood constituents with 99mTc.

Study of the influence of laser of low potency to label red blood cells and plasmatic protein with 99m Tc in vitro

This work aims to verify the effect of laser of low potency to label red blood cells and plasmatic protein with 99mTc in vitro. The experiments were carried out by incubating of anticoagulant whole blood. Differents doses of gallium arsenide laser with energy density of 3j/cm2, 6j/cm2, 9 j/cm2, 18 j/cm2 and 804nm wavelength was applied. A stannous chloride solution of 1,2μg/mL was added the incubation for 60 minutes. After this the 99mTc was added and the incubation was continued for another 10 minutes. Those were centrifuged, precipitated with thrichoroacetic acid 5% and mensured in a counter. The results shows that there is a significant decrease in the fixation of 99mTc in red blood cells when the concentration of 3j/ cm2 and (from 93 to 32.2%) and in occurs an increase %ATI from 12 to 54,6% of plasma protein. The laser promote modification on some properties of the red blood cellular membrane, probably, due to the metabolization of cellular that could be capable to generation the active metabolites.