1. Alpha-terpineol is a monoterpene found in the essential oils of several aromatic plant species. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the cardiovascular changes induced by alpha-terpineol in rats. 2. In normotensive rats, administration of alpha-terpineol (1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg, i.v.) produced a dose-dependent hypotension (-10 +/- 3, -20 +/- 8, -39 +/- 16, -52 +/- 21 and -57 +/- 23 mmHg, respectively; n = 5) followed by tachycardia. The hypotensive responses to 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg, i.v., alpha-terpineol were significantly attenuated following the administration of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 20 mg/kg, i.v.; -2 +/- 1, -5 +/- 2, -7 +/- 3, -22 +/- 9 and -22 +/- 10 mmHg, respectively; P < 0.05; n = 5). 3. In 10 micromol/L phenylephrine (PE)-precontracted mesenteric artery rings, alpha-terpineol (10(-12) to 10(-5) mol/L) caused a concentration-dependent relaxation (maximum relaxation 61 +/- 6%; n = 7). After removal of the endothelium, the vasorelaxation elicited by alpha-terpineol was attenuated (maximum relaxation 20 +/- 1%; P < 0.05; n = 7). In addition, vasorelaxation induced by alpha-terpineol in rings pretreated with 100 or 300 micromol/L l-NAME, 30 micromol/L hydroxocobalamin or 10 micromol/L 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one was attenuated (maximum relaxation 18 +/- 3, 23 +/- 3, 24 +/- 7 and 21 +/- 1%, respectively; n = 6; P < 0.05). 4. Furthermore, in a rabbit aortic endothelial cell line, 10(-6), 10(-5) and 10(-4) mol/L alpha-terpineol induced concentration-dependent increases in nitric oxide (NO) levels (12 +/- 6, 18 +/- 9 and 34 +/- 12%Delta fluorescence, respectively; n = 3). 5. In conclusion, using combined functional and biochemical approaches in the present study, we were able to demonstrate that alpha-terpineol-induced hypotension and vasorelaxation are mediated, at least in part, by the endothelium, most likely via NO release and activation of the NO-cGMP pathway.

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ResumoO gênero Cladosporium spp compreende grande número de fungos dematiáceos com distribuição mundial e que estão entre os fungos de ambiente mais comuns. São frequentemente isolados como contaminantes, no entanto, algumas espécies são patogênicas e toxigênicas para os seres humanos, estando associados a infecções superficiais da pele e dos tecidos moles e incluem sepse disseminada com elevada mortalidade. Cladoporium spp são aero-alérgenos e causam graves doenças alérgicas do trato respiratório, bem como lesões intrabrônquicas. Atualmente, as espécies de Cladosporium spp de interesse médico associadas com doença humana são C. cladosporioides, C. herbarum, C. oxysporum e C. sphaerospermum. No caso de infecções por Cladosporium spp, a terapia é prolongada e varia de acordo com a síndrome clínica. Sendo essencial o conhecimento a cerca desse gênero, para melhor diagnóstico e tratamento adequado. Esta revisão de literatura teve como objetivo reunir informações sobre as características gerais e morfológicas, patologias, aspectos clínicos e principais espécies patogênicas das infecções causadas por esse gênero. Palavras-chave: Feo-hifomicoses, Fungos dematiáceos, Micoses oportunistas. Cladosporium spp: Morphology, infections and pathogenic species AbstractThe genus Cladosporium spp comprises a large number of dematiaceous fungi with a world-wide distribution and are among the most common air-borne fungi. They are frequently isolated contaminants and some species are pathogenic and toxigenic to humans and are associated with superficial infections of the skin and soft tissues, including disseminated sepsis with high mortality. In addition, Cladoporium spp. are aero-allergens and cause serious allergic diseases of the respiratory tract, as well as intrabronchial lesions. Currently, the Cladosporium spp species of medical interest associated with human disease are C. cladosporioides, C. herbarum, C. oxysporum and C. sphaerospermum. In the case of Cladosporium spp infections, the therapy is prolonged and varies according to the clinical syndrome. Knowledge about this genre is essential for better diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This literature review to gather information about the general and morphological characteristics, pathologies, clinical aspects and main pathogenic species of the infections caused by this genus.

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Uma série de 21 derivados, 1,3,4-oxadiazolinas, foi sintetizada pela ciclização de N-acilhidrazonas com anidrido acético e avaliada in vitro quanto à sua atividade antifúngica contra seis espécies de Candida: Candida albicans (ATCC 90028 e LM V-42), Candida krusei (ATCC 6258 e LM 12 C) e Candida tropicalis (ATCC 13803 e LM 14). As espécies de Candida foram consideradas sensíveis a uma série dos compostos, os quais inibiram o crescimento de 50 a 90%, com um intervalo de concentração inibitória mínima (MIC) de 64 a 512 µg mL -1 . As estruturas dos compostos foram totalmente confirmadas e caracterizadas pelas técnicas de infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR), ressonância magnética nuclear (NMR) de 1 H e 13 C, e espectrometria de massa (MS).A series of 21 1,3,4-oxadiazoline derivatives was synthesized by cyclization of N-acylhydrazones with acetic anhydride and evaluated for their in vitro antifungal activity against six Candida strains: Candida albicans (ATCC 90028 and LM V-42), C. krusei (ATCC 6258 and LM 12 C) and C. tropicalis (ATCC 13803 and LM 14). The Candida strains were found to be sensitive to some of the compounds, which inhibited the growth by 50-90%, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in the range of 64-512 µg mL -1 . The compounds' structures were fully confirmed and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 1 H and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS).