Pinealectomy interferes with the circadian clock genes expression in white adipose tissue

Melatonin, the main hormone produced by the pineal gland, is secreted in a circadian manner (24‐hr period), and its oscillation influences several circadian biological rhythms, such as the regulation of clock genes expression (chronobiotic effect) and the modulation of several endocrine functions in peripheral tissues. Assuming that the circadian synchronization of clock genes can play a role in the regulation of energy metabolism and it is influenced by melatonin, our study was designed to assess possible alterations as a consequence of melatonin absence on the circadian expression of clock genes in the epididymal adipose tissue of male Wistar rats and the possible metabolic repercussions to this tissue. Our data show that pinealectomy indeed has impacts on molecular events: it abolishes the daily pattern of the expression of Clock, Per2, and Cry1 clock genes and Pparγ expression, significantly increases the amplitude of daily expression of Rev‐erbα, and affects the pattern of and impairs adipokine production, leading to a decrease in leptin levels. However, regarding some metabolic aspects of adipocyte functions, such as its ability to synthesize triacylglycerols from glucose along 24 hr, was not compromised by pinealectomy, although the daily profile of the lipogenic enzymes expression (ATP‐citrate lyase, malic enzyme, fatty acid synthase, and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase) was abolished in pinealectomized animals.     

Postretention relapse of mandibular anterior crowding in patients treated without mandibular premolar extraction.

Treatment stability is one of the most important objectives in orthodontics, but, despite decades of research, it is still agreed that the stability of aligned teeth is variable and largely unpredictable. This study aimed to evaluate the relapse of mandibular anterior crowding in patients treated without mandibular premolar extraction. The sample comprised 40 patients of both sexes with Class I or II malocclusions who received nonextraction treatment in the mandibular arch with edgewise mechanics. Lateral cephalograms and dental casts of each patient were obtained at pretreament, posttreatment, and 5 years postretention. Relapse of mandibular anterior crowding was assessed, and associations between this relapse and other clinical factors were also investigated. Mandibular anterior crowding was measured by the Little irregularity index, and the data were evaluated by the Mann-Whitney test. The mean relapse of mandibular anterior crowding was 1.95 mm (26.54%) over the long term. No clinical factor studied was predictive of crowding relapse in the long term.     

Tolerance of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-sensitive patients to the highly specific cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors rofecoxib and valdecoxib.

BACKGROUND: Selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) are generally tolerated by patients sensitive to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that inhibit COX-1. Valdecoxib is a new sulfonamide-containing COX-2-specific inhibitor indicated for the treatment of acute pain, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical tolerance to rofecoxib and valdecoxib in patients who previously developed urticaria and angioedema while taking classic NSAIDs. METHODS: Patients with challenge-proven NSAID cutaneous sensitivity were submitted to single-blinded controlled oral challenges with rofecoxib, 50 mg, and valdecoxib, 40 mg. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (19 females and 9 males; mean +/- SD age, 28.6 +/- 15.0 years; age range, 10-61 years) participated in this study. Twenty-two (85%) of 26 patients who underwent skin tests were atopic, as demonstrated by a clinical history of rhinitis and/or asthma plus positive immediate-type skin hypersensitivity test results. A previous exclusive cutaneous reaction pattern (urticaria and/or angioedema) had occurred in 10 patients (36%), whereas a mixed pattern of skin and respiratory symptoms had occurred in 18 patients (64%). Twenty patients (71%) were multiple reactors, and 8 patients (28%) were single reactors. In this current study, 2 patients (7%) taking rofecoxib experienced angioedema, and 1 patient (4%) taking valdecoxib experienced urticaria. CONCLUSIONS: Rofecoxib and valdecoxib can be safely used by most NSAID-sensitive patients with cutaneous reactions. Our findings suggest that isolated cross-reactions may occur in these patients, and for this reason, controlled oral provocation may be prudent when prescribing valdecoxib or rofecoxib for patients who have previously had urticaria or angioedema triggered by NSAIDs.     

Cystic Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Report of a Case with Morphological and Clinical Correlations

Cystic lesions of the thyroid are common findings. Although many thyroid cysts are of benign, some cases of hemorrhagic degenerative changes occur in neoplastic nodules, mostly follicular neoplasms and papillary carcinomas. The occurrence of hemorrhagic changes in medullary carcinomas has never been documented with aspirative cytological and histological pictures to the best of our knowledge. A case of medullary thyroid carcinoma with a large central hemorrhagic cyst is described, and the literature regarding the pathogenesis of this regression and the occurrence of cystic neoplasms in the thyroid is reviewed.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of actin genes from Echinococcus granulosus

An Echinococcus granulosus genomic library has been screened with a mouse β-actin cDNA probe. Two clones carrying DNA fragments of about 15 kb, possibly derived from the same genome region, have been isolated. This 15-kb genomic region includes 2 actin-related sequences (EgactI and EgactII) separated by about 4 kb. The nucleotide sequences of both genes were determined. The EgactI sequence presents no introns, but an intron of 591 bp was observed in the EgactII sequence. The genes potentially encode 375 and 376 amino-acid-long actins, respectively, with a homology of 85.3%. The deduced amino acid sequences from both genes were compared to the actin sequences from other organisms, showing similarities ranging from 63.5% to 90.6%. The nucleotide sequence of a partial actin cDNA clone has been determined. The deduced amino acids sequence showed a homology of 90.3% and 88.0% in relation to the EgactI and EgactII sequences respectively, suggesting the existence of at least one more actin gene in E. granulosus. This hypothesis is reinforced by the number of bands detected in the Southern blot analysis. Experiments based on the amplification of DNA segments using 3′-specific actin primers indicate that the EgactI gene is transcribed in protoscoleces.     

Monitoring gp43 antigenemia in Paracoccidioidomycosis patients during therapy

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic fungal disease that is particularly important among individuals living and working in rural areas of endemicity in Latin America. Detection of anti-Paracoccidioides brasiliensis antibodies is of limited value due to false-negative results. Detection of P. brasiliensis-gp43 circulating antigen is a practical approach for a specific diagnosis of the disease. In a previous study we described an inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay able to detect the 43-kDa P. brasiliensis antigen in sera of 100% of patients with the acute form of PCM and in 95.31 and 100% of patients with the chronic multifocal and unifocal forms of PCM. To investigate its potential application for the follow-up of PCM patients during treatment, antigen levels were monitored at regular intervals for up 8 to 12 months in serum samples from 23 patients. The results showed that treatment with itraconazole resulted in decreasing levels of circulating gp43 that were correlated with the reduction of anti-gp43 antibodies. It was also observed that by the end of 12 months of treatment gp43 levels were <5 microg/ml in all patients.