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Biomedical subjects

R Faria

Publications and source records attributed to R Faria.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Therapeutic vaccine against Streptococcus sobrinus-induced caries.

Streptococcus sobrinus produces a virulence-associated immunomodulatory protein (VIP) which suppresses the host-specific immune response and induces the early production of IL-10. In this study, we evaluated the effects of therapeutic immunization with this VIP on the incidence of caries in S. sobrinus-infected rats. Groups of Wistar rats were orally infected with S. sobrinus and fed with sucrose-sweetened drinking water ad libitum. Five days later, rats were immunized intranasally with active or heat-inactivated VIP plus alum as adjuvant or PBS plus adjuvant (sham-immunized). After 3 wks, all rats were re-immunized as above. Evaluation of dental caries showed that VIP-immunized animals had significantly fewer enamel sulcal and proximal caries lesions than did the sham-immunized animals (p < 0.001). The protective effects following therapeutic VIP immunization were attributed to the induced salivary immunoglobulin A specific to the VIP. These results offer a promising and safe strategy for the development of a vaccine against dental caries.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1980

Cerebral cortex dendritic degeneration in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).

Biopsy fragments from the frontal cortex of three patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) were studied by light- and electronmicroscopy. Special attention was given to the neuropil. Electron-dense degenerating dendrites were observed in all cortical layers, more abundantly in layers. I, II, and III. Mitochondria, with electron-dense deposits between disrupted cristae, were often recognized within these dendrites. The deposits were enzymatically extracted by pronase. These findings are in keeping with recent alterations found in dendrites of patients with other cerebral disorders, and they may be related to the mental changes seen in SSPE.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Nuclear bodies in nerve cells of two patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus.

Biopsy specimen fragments from two patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus were studied using ultrastructural methods. Simple nuclear bodies were found in all layers of the cortex and white matter, whereas complex ones were only seen in the fifth and sixth layers and in the underlying white matter. There may be a relationship of these nuclear bodies, either to the neuroglial proliferation observed in both patients or to the existence of a viral infection of the CNS.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Neurofibrillary changes in the cerebral cortex of a patient with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).

Biopsy fragments from the frontal cortex of one patient with SSPE were studied with ultrastructural methods. Special attention was given to the presence of neurofibrillary tangles observed in all cortical layers. These tangles were composed either of filaments with a diameter of 10 -- 12 nm or of paired helical filaments 22 -- 24 nm at their widest and periodically reduced to 10 nm about every 80 nm. These tangles were observed in all cortical layers, while those formed by single filaments were only visualized in layer 3. The simultaneous appearance of both types of tangles in the same patient suggests that they may be chemically related, which is in keeping with recent chemical data concerning the nature of the neurofilament protein subunit.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Multivesicular bodies in cortical dendrites of two patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Biopsy fragments from the frontal cortex of 2 patients with Alzheimer's disease were studied with ultrastructural and cytochemical methods. A great number of light and dark, acid phosphatase positive, multivesicular bodies were observed in dendrites and their spines, in all cortical layers, being more abundant in layers 3 and 4. A close topographic relationship between these organelles and post-synaptic membranes was found. It is postulated that these findings might be related to the neurite formation of the senile plaques and to the synaptic involvement in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1978

A comparative morphometric study of synaptic vesicles and other organelles in mossy fiber endings of the pigeon and the rat.

The mossy fiber ending organelles of 4 rats and 4 pigeons were studied using ultrastructural morphometric methods. The number of agranular vesicles per square micrometer of synaptic surface, as well as the number of agranular vesicles per synapse, were found to be greater in the rat than in the pigeon, while no significant differences were found in coated and dense core vesicles. A highly positive correlation was found, in both species, between the synaptic surface and the number of agranular vesicles per unit volume of mossy fiber endings, while no correlation was found between the synaptic surface and numerical densities of coated and dense core vesicles.

Animals↗