Biomedical subjects

A P Guimarães

Publications and source records attributed to A P Guimarães.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Quantum logical operations for spin 3/2 quadrupolar nuclei monitored by quantum state tomography.

This article presents the realization of many self-reversible quantum logic gates using two-qubit quadrupolar spin 3/2 systems. Such operations are theoretically described using propagation matrices for the RF pulses that include the effect of the quadrupolar evolution during the pulses. Experimental demonstrations are performed using a generalized form of the recently developed method for quantum state tomography in spin 3/2 systems. By doing so, the possibility of controlling relative phases of superimposed pseudo-pure states is demonstrated. In addition, many aspects of the effect of the quadrupolar evolution, occurring during the RF pulses, on the quantum operations performance are discussed. Most of the procedures presented can be easily adapted to describe selective pulses of higher spin systems (>3/2) and for spin 1/2 under J couplings.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Modulation of carbachol-induced antinociception from the rat periaqueductal gray.

The tail-flick latency (TFL) and the vocalisation test (VT) thresholds were all increased by microinjecting CCh into the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) of rats. The effects on the TFL were mimicked by dimethyl-phenylpiperazinium, and inhibited by local mecamylamine or intraperitoneal (i.p.) phenoxybenzamine. The effects on the VT were mimicked by bethanechol and inhibited by local mecamylamine, atropine or naloxone. The effects on the thresholds for motor defence reaction were inhibited by i.p. methysergide or naloxone, and prolonged by i.p. phenoxybenzamine. The effects on the threshold for vocalisation during the stimulation were blocked by i. p. methysergide and shortened by i.p. phenoxybenzamine or naloxone. No significant effect of CCh was found on open arm exploration of rats in the elevated plus maze paradigm. We conclude that the effects of CCh from the dPAG is not due to an anxiolytic effect, and depends on the activation of local cholinergic and opioid sites for the supraspinal modulation of "affective" component of pain response, and nicotinic sites for the activation of descending pain pathways.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

PubMed2000

Croton zehntneri essential oil: effects on behavioral models related to depression and anxiety.

Croton zehntneri (Cz), a popular plant used to treat "nervous disturbance", contains a complex mixture of compounds, including substances exhibiting central nervous system activity. The effects of Cz essential oil administration (p.o.) on the rat's central nervous system were studied in behavioral models used to evaluate anxiety and antidepressive drugs. The results showed that administration of Cz essential oil: 1) increased the immobility duration measured in the forced swimming test as compared to control group (control = 89.8 +/- 45.8; 1 microl = 153.0 +/- 48.7; 3 microl = 157.4 +/- 45.3; 10 microl = 145.3 +/- 51.0); 2) reduced the locomotion frequency observed in the open field (control = 62.5 +/- 22.7; 3 microl = 38.0 +/- 13.5; 10 microl = 39.2 +/- 22.2); 3) had no effect on the experimental group (1 microl) observed in open field; 4) had no effect on animals tested in social interactions, plus-maze and holeboard tests. These data suggest that Cz oil produced central depressor effects in rats without any anxiety alterations. These results may explain the popular use of this plant in Brazilian folk medicine for treating "nervous disturbances".

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Pharmacological evidence for a periaqueductal gray-nucleus raphe magnus connection mediating the antinociception induced by microinjecting carbachol into the dorsal periaqueductal gray of rats.

A previous study demonstrated that microinjection of carbachol (CCh) into the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter (dPAG) of rats increases the latency for the tail flick reflex. Several other studies have implicated the raphe magnus (NRM) and the reticularis paragigantocellularis (NRPG) nuclei as relay stations through which descending pathways from the PAG project to the spinal cord via the dorsolateral funiculus (DLF). In the present study, the effects of microinjecting CCh into the dPAG on the tail flick test were examined in rats in which the ipsilateral DLF was previously lesioned, or saline or lidocaine (2%) was microinjected into the NRM or ipsilateral NRPG. The DLF lesion did not change the baseline threshold of the animals in the test, but abolished the CCh-induced increase in the tail flick latency from the dPAG. The neural block of the NRM or NRPG with lidocaine also did not change significantly the latency for the tail flick reflex. The increase in the tail flick latency produced by CCh from the dPAG was not changed by the neural block of the NRPG, but was significantly reduced by the neural block of the NRM. These results are interpreted as indicative that the central antinociceptive mechanisms activated by CCh from the dPAG depend on a descending pathway that projects to the spinal cord via DLF utilizing at least the NRM, but not the NRPG, as an intermediary relay station.

Anesthetics, Local↗

PubMed1994

Antinociceptive effects of carbachol microinjected into different portions of the mesencephalic periaqueductal gray matter of the rat.

The changes in tail-flick latency (TFL) to noxious heating of the skin produced by the microinjection of carbachol (CCh) into the dorsal (dPAG), lateral (lPAG), and ventral (vPAG) portions of the mesencephalic periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) were studied in the rat. A significant increase in TFL was produced by CCh (0.2 microgram/0.5 microliter) microinjected into sites widely distributed within the PAG. The effect of CCh was stronger in the most caudal portion of the DPAG. Smaller effects were obtained after injection of CCh into the aqueduct, indicating that drug diffusion from the injection sites to the aqueduct lumen is unlikely to cause the antinociceptive effect of CCh. Dimethyl-phenyl-piperazinium (0.35 microgram/0.5 microliter), but not bethanechol (0.22 and 0.44 microgram/0.5 microliter), produced effects similar to CCh (0.2 microgram/0.5 microliter), when injected into the dPAG. The effects of CCh were inhibited by the previous administration of mecamylamine (1 microgram/0.5 microliter), but not atropine (1 microgram/0.5 microliter) or naloxone (1 microgram/0.5 microliter), into the dPAG. These results are indicative that antinociception produced by CCh from the dPAG depends on nicotinic, but not muscarinic or opioid mechanisms within the dPAG. The intraperitoneal administration of phenoxybenzamine (1 mg/kg) or mecamylamine (1 mg/kg), but not naloxone (1 mg/kg), methysergide (1 mg/kg), or atropine (1 mg/kg), inhibited the effects of CCh injected into the dPAG. In contrast, a higher dose of intraperitoneal phenoxybenzamine (5 mg/kg) was ineffective against the antinociception evoked by CCh when injected into the vPAG. Therefore, the effects of CCh from the dPAG may depend on the activation of centrifugal pathways involving both nicotinic and alpha-adrenergic mechanisms. In addition, the results indicate that different cholinergic substrates in the PAG may mediate both alpha-adrenergic and non-alpha-adrenergic descending pain mechanisms activated by the dPAG and vPAG, respectively.

Analgesics↗

PubMed1994

Metabolism of a chylomicron-like emulsion in rats with Walker 256 tumor: influence of a polyunsaturated (n-6) compared with a saturated fatty acid-rich diet.

OBJECTIVE: Defects in lipid metabolism secondary to development of cancer are frequently observed and, in experimental animals, manipulation of the lipid content of the diet can significantly influence tumor growth. The effects of a high polyunsaturated fat vs a high saturated fat diet upon the chylomicron metabolism of rats bearing Walker 256 tumor were examined. METHODS: Chylomicron-like emulsions labeled with radioactive lipids were injected into rats bearing the tumor and control rats. The two groups were previously given a high polyunsaturated (n-6) (15% fat) or a high saturated fat diet (15% fat) for 6 weeks. Following injection, plasma samples were collected at 8 time intervals in 60 minutes and tissue fragments were excised after the animals were killed, for determination of the plasma fractional clearance rate (FCR, min-1) and organ uptake of radioactive lipids. RESULTS: FCR of the emulsion triacylglycerols (TG) and cholesteryl oleate ether (CE) decreased in the tumor-bearing rats fed the polyunsaturated fat-rich diet (FCR-TG control = 0.26 +/- 0.09, tumor = 0.11 +/- 0.04; FCR-CE controls = 0.18 +/- 0.05, tumor = 0.10 +/- 0.02), as did activity of the lipoprotein and hepatic lipases (p < 0.05). This indicates that in this group, the presence of the tumor elicited defective lipolysis and delayed removal of the emulsion from the plasma. In the group fed the saturated fatty acid-rich diet, however, these alterations were not observed (FCR-TG control = 0.21 +/- 0.11, tumor = 0.20 +/- 0.08; FCR-CE control = 0.13 +/- 0.06, tumor = 0.10 +/- 0.05). The uptake by several tissues of the emulsion CE was similar in all rat groups. CONCLUSION: The saturated fat-rich diet avoids the deficiency in chylomicron lipolysis elicited by the implanted Walker 256 tumor.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Involvement of GABA and ACh in retinal spreading depression: effects of "low calcium-high magnesium" solutions.

Experiments have been performed on isolated chick retinas to demonstrate the participation of gabaergic and cholinergic systems in spreading depression (SD). Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine (ACh) were measured in the effluent solution of superfused retinas. The influence of changes in the concentration of calcium/magnesium on the release of these neurotransmitters was studied. GABA and ACh are released in the superfusate of retinas during SD. Such release was observed during experimental periods longer than 2 h during which SD was elicited regularly at 15-20 min intervals. Decreasing calcium concentration from 1.0 to 0.5 mM and simultaneously increasing magnesium from 1.0 to 2.0-4.0 mM led to a decrease in GABA and ACh release during SD. Variations in light-scattering and increases in potassium concentration, usually occurring during SD, also decreased when superfusing with low calcium/high magnesium solutions. Lowering calcium concentration to 0.5 mM and increasing magnesium to 2.0 mM eventually turned the tissue refractory to SD. Sometimes a magnesium concentration of 2.0 mM was not effective in blocking SD. However, this blockage could be attained by increasing the concentration of magnesium to 4.0 mM. The effects of low calcium - high magnesium solutions on GABA and ACh release during SD suggests that the release of the substances is at least partially due to synaptic activity. It is not yet possible to establish whether GABA and ACh release is essential for the occurrence of SD. Nevertheless such release suggest that these neurotransmitters could influence the characteristics of SD manifestations in the retina.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Squamous cell carcinoma of the canal anal].

BACKGROUND: Anal cancer is an uncommon malignancy accounting for only a small (4%) percentage of intestinal cancer. The authors described the clinical aspects and the treatment of the patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the canal anal. PATIENTS: Eleven patients with squamous cell carcinoma treated among 1995 and 1999, were analyzed retrospectively. Nine were women and two were men. The mean age was 57.6 years old (range 35-82 years old). RESULTS: The most common symptoms were rectal bleeding, local tumor and pain. Six of them had previous anal benign disease and two had metastases at the diagnosis. All were submitted to systemic chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin and radiotherapy with 4500 cGy. Four patients had residual disease after chemo radiation and salvage surgery with abdominoperineal resection was done. Three patients had recurrence and four died from the disease. CONCLUSION: Most of our patients were women. The chemo radiation can be a curable treatment in patients with local disease; conversely in patients with residual disease, abdominoperineal resection must be done. Although anal cancer is an often curable disease, four patients died because the diagnosis was done in advanced stage.

Adult↗