Abstract-Smooth muscle expresses the I␣ and the I␤ isoforms of cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGKI). Inactivation of the murine cGKI gene prkg1 leads to multiple phenotypes and premature death at Ϸ6 weeks. We reconstituted mice with the cGKI␣ or -I␤ isozyme to test which isozyme was needed to support basic smooth muscle functions. Mice were generated by gene targeting. The cGKI␣ or the -I␤ coding sequences were placed under the control of the SM22␣ promoter to express either isoform selectively in smooth muscle cells (SM-I␣ or SM-I␤ transgene). To generate smooth muscle-specific cGKI␣ or cGKI␤ rescue mice, the SM-I␣ or SM-I␤ transgenes were crossed on a cGKI Ϫ/Ϫ genetic background. The levels of cGKI␣ or -I␤ expression were comparable to endogenous cGKI expression in wild-type aortic and intestinal smooth muscles. In cGKI␣ or -I␤ rescue mice, expression of the isozymes was not detectable in non-smooth muscle tissues and cells. Median survival time of the I␣ and I␤ rescue mice was 52 weeks. Both isozymes mediated the 8-bromo-cGMP-induced relaxation of precontracted jejunum and aorta muscle strips. Activation of both isozymes reduced hormone-or K ϩ -induced [Ca 2ϩ ] i levels. The cGKI␣ and cGKI␤ rescue mice did not show a significant difference in intestinal passage time of BaSO 4 in comparison with wild-type animals. Telemetric blood pressure measurements in conscious freely moving animals did not show differences between rescues and control mice in basal blood pressure and its regulation by DETA-NO, sodium nitroprusside, carbachol, or Y-27632. These results show that cGKI in smooth muscle is essential and that either cGKI isozyme alone can rescue basic vascular and intestinal smooth muscle functions. Key Words: cGMP kinase isozymes Ⅲ PKG Ⅲ nitric oxide Ⅲ smooth muscle Ⅲ blood pressure T he NO/cGMP signaling cascade plays an essential role in vascular smooth muscle (SM) relaxation, and clinical studies indicate that endothelium-derived NO is involved in normal and pathological blood pressure regulation in humans. [1][2][3] The important effector of cGMP, cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGKI), is highly expressed in SM. 4 Conventional deletion of the gene for cGKI in mice leads to multiple phenotypes, including severe gastrointestinal disturbances and elevated blood pressure, leading to premature death of the animals. 5 The cGKI gene generates 2 isoforms, cGKI␣ and cGKI␤, that differ only in their individual N termini (the first 90 to 100 residues), which are encoded by 2 alternatively used exons. 6,7 Both isoforms are expressed together in various SMs. 8,9 Strong evidence has been published that these isozymes interact with different proteins and affect SM relaxation through different mechanisms. 10 -13 cGKI␣ interacts specifically with MYPT1 (myosin-interacting subunit of myosin phosphatase 1) 12 and with RGS-2 (regulator of G protein signaling 2), 13 whereas cGKI␤ shows specificity for inositol 1Ј,4Ј,5Ј-triphosphate receptor-associated G kinase substrate (IRAG). 10,11 However, in vitro data from Feil et al...

10 seconds (apnea) or a 40% reduction in airflow associated with decreased arterial oxygen saturation of at least 4% (hypopnea) despite persistent ventilatory efforts during sleep. In the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study, a population-based study of employed middle-aged adults, 24% of men and 9% of women had sleep-disordered breathing defined by an apnea hypopnea index (AHI), a summary measure of the total number of apnea and hypopnea events per hour of sleep, of five or greater. 1 An AHI of five or greater in combination with self-reported hypersomnolence is indicative of clinically symptomatic sleep apnea syndrome. 2 It is estimated that 4% of middle-aged men and 2% of middle-aged women in the general population meet minimal criteria for sleep apnea syndrome. 1 Several epidemiological studies have shown that sleep apnea syndrome is associated with cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, angina, arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, and congestive heart failure. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] In recent community-based studies of sleep-disordered breathing, even mild occult sleep apnea is associated with hypertension, 16,17 excessive daytime somnolence and morning headaches, 18-20 mental and cognitive impairments, 21-24 erectile dysfunction, 25 fibromyalgia, 26 and higher rates of automobile and work-related accidents. 27,28 Many of these sequelae of Objective: To investigate the effects of sleep apnea (SA) on the quality of life (QOL). Design: A prospective study of QOL in patients with and without SA as defined by an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >5. Setting: University-based outpatient clinics. Patients: Primary care patients followed in a general internal medicine clinic as well as those referred to a sleep disorders clinic at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics were consecutively recruited and classified into 3 groups of subjects: (1) patients without SA (AHI<5) (n=46), (2) patients with mild SA (AHI 5-15) (n=16), and (3) patients with moderate to severe SA (AHI>15) (n=21). Interventions: NA Measurements: QOL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study SF-36 Health Survey. Health history and demographic data were obtained via structured interview and medical record review. All subjects underwent overnight polysomnography for diagnosis of SA. Results: After controlling for age, gender, body mass index, and number of comorbid conditions, the association between sleep apnea and QOL was significant in the domains of physical functioning and role limitation due to physical health problems (p<0.05) and was borderline in vitality (p<0.1). Patients with both mild and moderately severe SA scored significantly lower (worse) than did patients without SA in physical functioning and in role limitations due to physical-health (82 and 83 vs. 92, respectively). Moderate to severe SA subjects scored significantly lower in vitality than did subjects without SA (51 vs. 64, p<0.05). Subscales analysis revealed that subjects with moderate to severe SA had significantly lower scores that did tho...

RESUMO:Com o aprofundamento do debate sobre questões educacionais, o professorado, a partir da década de 1980, passou a ser reconhecido como um dos principais agentes de mudança, seja da qualidade do ensino, seja da democratização da sociedade brasileira. A sua atuação organizada, entretanto, segundo Cunha (1991), poderia estar tendo um "efeito de retroanulação política", favorecendo as teses de privatização do ensino público. A pertinência desta interpretação é examinada sob a perspectiva do docente como profissional que busca alargar o seu poder e o reconhecimento de sua especialidade pelo Estado e pelo mercado, aspectos enfatizados ou criticados nos estudos sobre profissões (Barbosa, 1993;Bonelli, 1999;Freidson, 1998;Larson, 1977;Marques, 1995). Destaque é dado ao movimento, deslocamentos de interesse, de demandas, promovidos pela ação das entidades representativas da educação básica, sendo possível inferir que, diferentemente do que interpreta Cunha (1991), a atuação organizada dos docentes tem favorecido a delimitação de seu campo de atuação específi-ca e o âmbito de sua influência política.Palavras-chave: Profissionalização docente. Educação docente. Políti-ca educacional. Qualidade da educação. Processo de profissionalização. TEACHER PROFESSIONALIZATION AND PUBLIC POLICY IN BRAZILABSTRACT: Teachers, beginning in the 80's, became recognized as major agents of change, be it in the quality of education, or in the democratization of Brazilian society. Their organized actions, however, according to Cunha (1991), could be having an "effect of political retro-annulment", favoring the theses of the privatization of * Este artigo é resultado de pesquisa financiada pelo CNPQ.

OBJETIVO: Apontar as possíveis alterações orofaciais decorrentes do sintoma "obstrução nasal" em pacientes portadores de doenças alérgicas de vias aéreas superiores, por meio de revisão de literatura. FONTES DE DADOS: Levantamento bibliográfico utilizando bancos de dados eletrônicos, como Medline, Ovid, SciELO e Lilacs, com as palavras-chave "asthma", "rhinitis" e "mouth breathing", abrangendo os 30 últimos anos. Foram incluídos artigos de revisão, estudos observacionais e ensaios clínicos. SÍNTESE DOS DADOS: A obstrução nasal é encontrada freqüentemente em doenças alérgicas de vias aéreas, como rinite e asma. A respiração bucal decorrente da obstrução nasal pode interferir de maneira direta no desenvolvimento infantil, com alterações no crescimento do crânio e orofacial, na fala, na alimentação, na postura corporal, na qualidade do sono e no desempenho escolar. CONCLUSÕES: Devido à variedade de alterações orofaciais encontradas na criança respiradora bucal decorrente de obstrução nasal por doenças alérgicas de vias aéreas, é necessário realizar diagnóstico e tratamento precoces por uma equipe multidisciplinar, composta por médico, ortodontista e fonoaudiólogo, contemplando a visão de uma via respiratória única, que traz conseqüências ao crescimento e desenvolvimento do sistema motor oral.