Natália Stanko Moreira

Autoestima dos cuidadores de doentes oncológicos com capacidade funcional reduzida

Objetivo: Avaliar a autoestima de cuidadores de doentes oncologicos com capacidade funcional reduzida. Metodos: Trata-se de estudo do tipo transversal, realizado em um hospital publico, de grande porte, especializado em oncologia. Utilizou-se uma amostra por conveniencia composta por 90 cuidadores principais de doentes com câncer com capacidade funcional (Karnofsky) entre 20 e 50. Foram coletados dados sociodemograficos, sobre os encargos envolvidos no cuidar e a autoestima foi avaliada pela Escala para Medida do Sentimento de Autoestima de Dela Coleta. Os dados foram analisados pelo teste de Mann-Whitney e de Kurskall-Wallis, com nivel de significância de 5%. Resultados: A maioria dos cuidadores eram mulheres, com companheiros, com baixa renda mensal, mantinham relacoes familiares com o doente e apresentavam media autoestima. A autoestima foi associada de forma estatisticamente significante apenas com a renda familiar (p = 0,002). Conclusao: A autoestima dos cuidadores de pacientes oncologicos e influenciada pelas condicoes de vida, especialmente as financeiras.Objective: To evaluate the caregivers’ self-esteem of cancer patients with reduced functional capacity. Methods: This is a cross sectional study, conducted in a large oncology public hospital. We used a convenience sample consisted of 90 primary caregivers of cancer patients with functional capacity (Karnofsky) between 20 and 50. We collected data about demographic characteristics, the responsibility involved in the care and self-esteem was assessed by the Scale to Measure the Feeling of Self-Esteem of Dela Coleta. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test, with 5% significance level. Results: The majority of caregivers was women, with a partner, low income and maintained family relationships with the patient and had an average self-esteem. Self-esteem was significantly associated to family income (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The self-esteem of caregivers of cancer patients is influenced by the conditions of life, especially financial.

Ivermectin acute administration impaired the spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis of adult rats

Ivermectin (IVM) is an antiparasitic agent widely used in agricultural, domestic animals and in human clinical practice. In the present study, the temporal effects of therapeutic doses of IVM in the morphometric and histological assessment of testis were studied to verify if IVM acute administration impaired the spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis of adult rats, if these effects are reversible. The testosterone levels and the plasmatic IVM levels were assessed. The results show: 1) IVM acute exposure, mainly in the higher dose, reduced the testicular volume, the tubular diameter and the germinal epithelium height; 2) no interferences on Leydig cells frequency; 3) histological studies show that tubular sections containing several histological changes indicative of spermatogenesis interruption, such as disorganization of germinal epithelium, vacuolar degeneration of the germ cells and sloughing of cells into the tubular lumen; 4) no differences in testosterone levels; 5) The IVM plasmatic levels were significantly reduced at 72h after the 0.2mg/kg. It was concluded that acute IVM impaired the spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis of rats. Probably these effects were not consequence of IVM at the Leydig cells because no effects were observed at this level. Finally, our results suggest that some testicular effects are reversible and correlated with the plasmatic levels of IVM.

Ivermectin reduces motor coordination, serum testosterone, and central neurotransmitter levels but does not affect sexual motivation in male rats

Ivermectin (IVM) is a macrocyclic lactone used for the treatment of parasitic infections and widely used in veterinary medicine as endectocide. In mammals, evidence indicates that IVM interacts with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated chloride channels. GABAergic system is involved in the manifestation of sexual behavior. We previously found that IVM at therapeutic doses did not alter sexual behavior in male rats, but at a higher dose, the appetitive phase of sexual behavior was impaired. Thus, we investigated whether the reduction of sexual behavior that was previously observed was a consequence of motor or motivational deficits that are induced by IVM. Data showed significant decrease in striatal dopaminergic system activity and lower testosterone levels but no effects on sexual motivation or penile erection. These findings suggest IVM may activate the GABAergic system and reduce testosterone levels, resulting in a reduction of motor coordination as consequence of the inhibition of striatal dopamine release.

Self-esteem of cancer patients’ caregivers with reduced functional capacity

Objetivo: Avaliar a autoestima de cuidadores de doentes oncologicos com capacidade funcional reduzida. Metodos: Trata-se de estudo do tipo transversal, realizado em um hospital publico, de grande porte, especializado em oncologia. Utilizou-se uma amostra por conveniencia composta por 90 cuidadores principais de doentes com câncer com capacidade funcional (Karnofsky) entre 20 e 50. Foram coletados dados sociodemograficos, sobre os encargos envolvidos no cuidar e a autoestima foi avaliada pela Escala para Medida do Sentimento de Autoestima de Dela Coleta. Os dados foram analisados pelo teste de Mann-Whitney e de Kurskall-Wallis, com nivel de significância de 5%. Resultados: A maioria dos cuidadores eram mulheres, com companheiros, com baixa renda mensal, mantinham relacoes familiares com o doente e apresentavam media autoestima. A autoestima foi associada de forma estatisticamente significante apenas com a renda familiar (p = 0,002). Conclusao: A autoestima dos cuidadores de pacientes oncologicos e influenciada pelas condicoes de vida, especialmente as financeiras.Objective: To evaluate the caregivers’ self-esteem of cancer patients with reduced functional capacity. Methods: This is a cross sectional study, conducted in a large oncology public hospital. We used a convenience sample consisted of 90 primary caregivers of cancer patients with functional capacity (Karnofsky) between 20 and 50. We collected data about demographic characteristics, the responsibility involved in the care and self-esteem was assessed by the Scale to Measure the Feeling of Self-Esteem of Dela Coleta. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test, with 5% significance level. Results: The majority of caregivers was women, with a partner, low income and maintained family relationships with the patient and had an average self-esteem. Self-esteem was significantly associated to family income (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The self-esteem of caregivers of cancer patients is influenced by the conditions of life, especially financial.

Evaluation of Prolonged Exposure to Varenicline in Adult Rats: Hematological, Biochemical and Anatomopathological Studies

Varenicline is a synthetic chemical substance produced from the alkaloid cytisine, used for smoking treatment, which acts as a partial agonist for α4β2 and α3β4 nicotinic cholinergic receptors and as a total agonist for α7 receptor. While there are studies regarding vareniclines non‐smoking‐related effects, as in treatment for drug dependence, there are no studies in the literature evaluating the long‐term toxicity of varenicline through a physiological approach. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate possible toxicity through haematological, biochemical and anatomopathological parameters of prolonged exposure (30 days) to varenicline in rats. Three doses of varenicline were used: 0.03 (therapeutic dose for human beings), 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg orally (gavage). Body‐weight, water and food intake were measured weekly during treatment. On the 30th treatment day, blood and various organs were collected for haematological, biochemical and anatomopathological evaluations. The results show a decrease in some biochemical parameters in animals from the 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg group, although the values are within the normal range of the species. There were no changes in the other evaluations performed. Together, these data indicate that prolonged exposure of rats to different doses of varenicline was not able to alter haematological, biochemical and anatomopathological parameters.

Autoestima de los cuidadores de pacientes oncológicos con capacidad funcional reducida

Objetivo: Avaliar a autoestima de cuidadores de doentes oncologicos com capacidade funcional reduzida. Metodos: Trata-se de estudo do tipo transversal, realizado em um hospital publico, de grande porte, especializado em oncologia. Utilizou-se uma amostra por conveniencia composta por 90 cuidadores principais de doentes com câncer com capacidade funcional (Karnofsky) entre 20 e 50. Foram coletados dados sociodemograficos, sobre os encargos envolvidos no cuidar e a autoestima foi avaliada pela Escala para Medida do Sentimento de Autoestima de Dela Coleta. Os dados foram analisados pelo teste de Mann-Whitney e de Kurskall-Wallis, com nivel de significância de 5%. Resultados: A maioria dos cuidadores eram mulheres, com companheiros, com baixa renda mensal, mantinham relacoes familiares com o doente e apresentavam media autoestima. A autoestima foi associada de forma estatisticamente significante apenas com a renda familiar (p = 0,002). Conclusao: A autoestima dos cuidadores de pacientes oncologicos e influenciada pelas condicoes de vida, especialmente as financeiras.Objective: To evaluate the caregivers’ self-esteem of cancer patients with reduced functional capacity. Methods: This is a cross sectional study, conducted in a large oncology public hospital. We used a convenience sample consisted of 90 primary caregivers of cancer patients with functional capacity (Karnofsky) between 20 and 50. We collected data about demographic characteristics, the responsibility involved in the care and self-esteem was assessed by the Scale to Measure the Feeling of Self-Esteem of Dela Coleta. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test, with 5% significance level. Results: The majority of caregivers was women, with a partner, low income and maintained family relationships with the patient and had an average self-esteem. Self-esteem was significantly associated to family income (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The self-esteem of caregivers of cancer patients is influenced by the conditions of life, especially financial.