Synadenium umbellatum Pax, popularly known as "cola-nota", is a medicinal plant that grows in tropical regions. The latex of this plant is used against various diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, leprosy, tripanosomiasis, leukemia, and several malignant tumors. The mutagenic, antimutagenic, and cytotoxic effects of the latex of this plant were investigated by measuring the frequency of micronuclei in mice bone marrow cells. To evaluate mutagenicity, the animals were treated with four doses of latex (10, 30, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight). To study the antimutagenic activity, the animals were simultaneously treated with latex and mitomycin C (4 mg/kg). The cytotoxicity was evaluated by polychromatic and normochromatic erythrocytes ratio. Our results showed a significant increase of frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCE) compared to the negative control group (p < 0.05). Concerning antimutagenicity, the doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg co-administered with mitomycin C showed significant decrease in MNPCE frequency compared to the positive control group (p < 0.05). However, no significant reduction in MNPCE frequency (p > 0.05) was detected at the doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg. Under our experimental conditions, the results obtained indicate strong mutagenic and cytotoxic activity of S. umbellatum latex except the dose of 10 mg/kg and moderate antimutagenic effect at lower doses.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of the honey bee Apis mellifera ethanolic extract of the red propolis, obtained in four municipalities of the Rio Grande do Norte semi-arid region, through an in vitro evaluation of the antineoplastic potential in human hepatic carcinoma (HepG2) and normal cell lines (L929), and from the comet assay in hepatic cell lines (ZF-L hepatocytes) to evaluate the genoprotective potential of the extract. The hepatoprotective effect was also evaluated in vivo by the induction of chronic experimental hepatic lesions in rodents (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout, 1769), Wistar line, by intraperitoneal administration of thioacetamide (TAA) at the dose of 0.2g/kg. The animals were distributed in the following experimental groups: G1 (control), G2 (treated with 500mg/kg ethanolic extract of propolis), G3 (treated with 500mg/kg of ethanolic extract and TAA) and G4 (treated with TAA). All rats were submitted to serum biochemical, macroscopic, histological and stereological biochemical exams of the liver. It was verified the genoprotective effect of red propolis since the mean damages promoted to DNA in cells tested with the extract were significantly lower than the mean of the positive control damage (hydrogen peroxide). The red propolis extract did not present cytotoxic activity to the tumor cells of human liver cancer, as well as to normal ones. The absence of cytotoxicity in normal cells may indicate safety in the use of the propolis extract. The results of the serum biochemical evaluation showed that the serum levels of the aminotransferase enzymes (AST) did not differ significantly between G1, G2 and G3 when compared to each other. G4 showed significant increase in levels compared to the other groups, indicating that the administration of the extract did not cause liver toxicity, as well as exerted hepatoprotective effect against the hepatic damage induced by TAA. The G3 and G4 animals developed cirrhosis, but in G3 the livers were characterized by the presence of small regenerative nodules and level with the surface of the organ, whereas in G4 the livers showed large regenerative nodules. The livers of the G1 and G2 animals presented normal histological appearance, whereas the livers of the G3 animals showed regenerative nodules surrounded by thin septa of connective tissue, and in G4 the regenerative nodules were surrounded by thick septa fibrous connective tissue. The analysis of the hepatic tissues by means of stereology showed that there was no statistical difference between the percentage of hepatocytes, sinusoids, and collagens in G1 and G2. In G3 the percentage of hepatocytes, sinusoids, and collagen did not differ significantly from the other groups. It was concluded that the ethanolic extract of the red propolis exerted a hepatoprotective effect, because it promoted in vitro reduction of the damage to the DNA of liver cells, antineoplastic activity in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) and did not exert cytotoxic effect in normal cells or was able to reduce liver enzyme activity and the severity of cirrhosis induced by TAA in vivo.

Animais com sinais clínicos de intoxicação são atendidos com cada vez mais frequência nas clínicas veterinárias do país e representam uma emergência clínica na maioria dos episódios. Com o objetivo de determinar os principais agentes tóxicos e a frequência das intoxicações em cães e gatos no município de Fortaleza e região metropolitana, esse estudo epidemiológico foi realizado em cem clínicas veterinárias com cem profissionais médicos veterinários acerca dos casos de intoxicação em cães e gatos ocorridos entre o período de janeiro de 2015 a dezembro de 2020. No período estudado foram registrados 9.951 casos. Desses, 7.039 casos foram de intoxicação em cães (70,7%) e 2.533 de intoxicação em gatos (25,5%). As principais categorias de agentes intoxicantes em ordem decrescente de prevalência foram alimentos (31,7%), pesticidas (25,5%), medicamentos (16,2%), animais venenosos e peçonhentos (14,5%), plantas tóxicas (4,6%), produtos de limpeza (3,7%) e drogas de abuso (2,9%). Diante disso, conclui-se que casos de intoxicação exógena permanecem frequentes na clínica médica de pequenos animais. Nesse contexto, foi possível delinear um perfil de alerta acerca dos casos de intoxicação em cães e gatos e salienta-se a importância da prática de métodos de prevenção de intoxicações em animais domésticos.

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A dirofilariose é uma importante zoonose considerada endêmica no Brasil, cuja transmissão acontece principalmente por meio de mosquitos vetores dos gêneros Culex, Aedes e Anopheles e que tem o cão doméstico como hospedeiro. Apesar da maioria dos animais serem assintomáticos, a doença pode afetar diversos órgãos, culminando em possíveis alterações em diagnósticos laboratoriais. Pode ser empregado diversos diagnósticos , sendo  a visualização de microfilárias de Dirofilaria spp. em esfregaço sanguíneo o mais utilizado. O objetivo do trabalho foi verificar o perfil hematológico e bioquímico de cães diagnosticados com microfilárias de Dirofilaria immitis na cidade de Fortaleza, Ceará. Foram selecionadas amostras sanguíneas no período de agosto de 2014 a junho de 2018. Nas amostras em que houve positividade para a presença de microfilárias no esfregaço sanguíneo foi realizado um levantamento das alterações encontradas nos exames hematológicos e bioquímicos. Em 2.400 amostras de sangue analisadas, 26 apresentaram microfilárias (1,1%), com 46% de anemia e 46% com sinais de regeneração eritrocitária, 42% apresentaram trombocitopenia e 46% hiperproteinemia, com linfopenia em 61% dos casos. No perfil bioquímico, foram observadas discretas alterações abaixo do normal, exceto para albumina, que foi reduzida em 62% dos casos. A maioria dos analitos apresentaram valores normais, indicando que não havia uma hiperfunção ou hiperatividade dos órgãos. Logo, a dirofilariose influenciou na imunologia canina e, provavelmente, induziu a uma redução no número de plaquetas e aumento nas proteínas totais pelo estímulo inflamatório gerado.