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Pharmacochemicals usage in fish farming disease treatment can cause morphological and functional changes in absorption capacity, metabolism and excretion organs. The aim of this research was to evaluate the histopathological biomarkers in the gills, liver, kidney and skin of pacu (P. mesopotamicus), which have been infected with A. hydrophila and treated with oxytetracycline (OTC) and florfenicol (FFC). Fish were exposed to 2.4×10(7) mL(-1) of A. hydrophila bacteria experimental infection and after 24h exposed to FFC treatment for ten days and OTC for seven days. OTC was not effective in the A. hydrophila control in pacu in up to 170.0 mg kg(-1) concentration. Nevertheless, FFC was 100% effective with 10.0 mg kg(-1) concentration. After the treatment, skin, gills, liver and kidney samples were collected and processed for histopathological analysis. A. hydrophila caused lamellar fusion, sub epithelial edema, mucous hypertrophy and hyperplasia, lining, pillar and chloride cells. Hepatocytes hypertrophy was observed on liver, as a result of the antibiotics metabolism and bacteria cell wall. The histopathological biomarkers show the effects of the presence of the A. hydrophila. The use of the antibiotic florfenicol decreases the bacterial action effectiveness on tissues evaluated. Thus, the histopathological biomarkers show the A. hydrophila effect and the antibiotics treatment. The skin and liver are exposure biomarkers for both., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The reported failure rate of the Sprint Fidelis defibrillator lead (SFDL) has increased more than initially expected, with emerging evidence of accelerating fracture rates. Current consensus guidelines continue to discourage prophylactic lead extraction, citing major complication rates of 1.4-7.3%. Therefore, data relating to the risks of systematic SFDL extraction are lacking, with no methodical extraction protocol reported to date. Moreover, few statistical analyses have identified predictors of SFDL failure., Objectives: The aims of this single-centre study were: to examine the safety and feasibility of systematic SFDL extraction at the time of pulse generator replacement or in case of lead failure; and to identify predictors of SFDL failure., Methods: Between January 2005 and October 2007, 218 consecutive patients underwent transvenous SFDL implantation in our centre., Results: During a mean follow-up of 43 ± 15 months, SFDL extraction was performed in 49 patients (22.5%) for the following reasons: inappropriate shocks (n = 21; 9.6%), systematic extraction at time of pulse generator extraction (n = 23; 10.5%), high impedance (n = 3; 1.4%), high SFDL threshold (n = 1; 0.4%) and cardiac device-related infection (n = 1; 0.4%). No severe complications occurred, although two minor complications were reported (lead dislodgments). SFDL fracture was observed in 25 patients (11.5%; 3.2%/year incidence). The only predictor associated with SFDL fracture was the number of leads (P = 0.01)., Conclusion: In our series, SFDL extraction at the time of pulse generator extraction or in case of evidence of lead failure was feasible and safe. Number of leads was identified as a new predictive factor for SFDL fracture., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Acquired white matter abnormalities in children may be due to a broad spectrum of disorders, with the most significant related to metabolic and toxic etiologies. Recognition of the imaging appearance of neonatal hypoglycemia, nonketotic hyperglycemia, hyperammonemia, hepatic encephalopathy, and central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is essential because prompt correction of the underlying metabolic abnormality may limit and, in some cases, reverse the cerebral damage. Toxic leukoencephalopathies encompass disorders caused by iatrogenic administration of pharmacologic agents and radiation therapy, poisoning by household substances, and recreational drug use. Although medication-induced leukoencephalopathies often show a propensity for reversibility of clinical and radiologic findings upon discontinuation of the offending substance, recreational drugs may cause white matter toxicity that often portends a poorer prognosis. Our discussion focuses on the clinical aspects, pathophysiological mechanisms, and imaging features of commonly encountered acquired metabolic and toxic leukoencephalopathies in the pediatric population.

This work evaluates the effectiveness of a new type of electrode for functional electrical stimulation of the perineal muscle in women. The new electrode is shaped like a pen, with an active stimulation electrode located on its tip. The goals of the study are to (i) demonstrate that stimulation using the new device results in increased muscle strength; and (ii) compare the performance of the new device with that of a traditional (fixed) electrode. Eight women were evaluated, following a blind study protocol. The preliminary results suggest that stimulation with the new electrode achieves better results than stimulation with traditional electrodes, as higher increases in strength were observed in the group that used the mobile electrode.

A growing number of studies have demonstrated the importance of ATP(e)-signalling via P2 receptors as an important component of the inflammatory response to infection. More recent studies have shown that ATP(e) can also have a direct effect on infection by intracellular pathogens, by modulating membrane trafficking in cells that contain vacuoles that harbour intracellular pathogens, such as mycobacteria and chlamydiae. A conserved mechanism appears to be involved in controlling infection by both of these pathogens, as a role for phospholipase D in inducing fusion between lysosomes and the vacuoles has been demonstrated. Other P2-dependent mechanisms are most likely operative in the cases of pathogens, such as Leishmania, which survive in an acidic phagolysosomal-like compartment. ATP(e) may function as a "danger signal" that alerts the immune system to the presence of intracellular pathogens that damage the host cell, while different intracellular pathogens have evolved enzymes or other mechanisms to inhibit ATP(e)-mediated signalling, which should, thus, be viewed as virulence factors for these pathogens.

The epididymal epithelium of Agouti paca, a wild South American rodent, was basically formed by principal and basal cells. Principal cells were closely related to processes of adsorptive endocytosis, phase-fluid endocytosis and also secretion originating from their cytoplasmic ultrastructural features. Principal cells were also characterized by the presence of vesicles of several shapes, sizes and internalized content occurring in smaller pits, pale small vesicles next to the apical brush border of microvillus, as well as coated vesicles, smooth surface vesicles and great vesicles. Multivesicular bodies, endosomes and lysosomes were mainly observed in supranuclear position. Moreover, presence of an apocrine secretory process was demonstrated by the occurrence of apical cytoplasmic expansions projecting into the vas deferens luminal compartment. Basal flattened cells without luminal surface contact occurred next to the basement membrane of the ductus, and did no exhibit special ultrastructural features.

In this work, we describe the outstanding behavior of a nanocomposite system composed of the thermotropic liquid crystal 5CB doped with nanoparticles of the magnetic iron oxide maghemite (gamma-Fe(2)O(3)). We show that the I-N transition is associated with a reversible gathering of nanoparticles inside droplets of the ferronematic phase coexisting with a nonmagnetic nematic host phase.

In our work, we have used 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), one of the major oxidative products of sperm DNA, in a population of patients consulting for infertility. We found an inverse relationship between sperm concentration and the log of the ratio of 8-OH-dG to dG (P < 0.01). On the same patients' sperm samples, the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) was performed. An inverse relationship was observed between the DNA fragmentation index and sperm concentration (P < 0.001). There was also a positive relationship between SCSA and log 8-OH-dG/dG. This indicates that DNA fragmentation measured by the SCSA originates in part from oxidative products. In a few patients, antioxidant treatment decreased the DNA fragmentation index below the threshold of 30% that is crucial for subfertility.

Recent studies have demonstrated that skeletal muscle cells are resistant to prolonged periods of ischaemia, but damage is observed after reperfusion. Periods of time longer than three hours of normothermal ischaemia in skeletal muscle lead to irreversible lesions. In the present study muscle metabolism during ischaemia and reperfusion was studied. After three hours of ischaemia two experimental groups were produced depending on whether or not they were to be followed by two hours of reperfusion. Adult mongrel dogs were submitted to ischaemia of the gracilis muscle. In this tissue, energetic metabolism was evaluated by its mitochondrial function and by glycogen level measurement. In a second experimental group the same ischaemic period was followed by two hours of reperfusion. The contralateral muscle of the same animal was used as a control. No changes in mitochondrial function, analysed by respiratory control ratio (RCR) or in any of its components, basal (state IV respiration) or ADP-activated (state III respiration) was observed. Glycogen levels also remained unaffected during the three hour ischaemic period and after two hours of reperfusion. We conclude that in the present dog model of gracilis preparation the skeletal muscle displays great resistance to ischaemia and reperfusion.

The nephrotic syndrome is characterized by profound changes in the turnover and concentration of most plasma proteins, including those involved in the coagulation pathways. Thromboembolic complications, especially venous, have been widely reported. Arterial thrombosis is a relatively rare complication and has been reported mainly in nephrotic children. In this report, an adult nephrotic patient who developed thromboses of his right middle cerebral and left femoral arteries is described. The patient died, and at postmortem no underlying arterial disease was found. Histology of the kidneys showed minimal change disease.