Recently, in China, in 2019, a new type of disease has arisen caused by a new strain of coronavirus, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, considered extremely worrying due to its high infectivity power and the easy ability to spread geographically. For patients in general, the clinical features resulting from respiratory syndromes can trigger an asymptomatic condition. However, 25 % of patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 can progress to severity. Pregnant women are an unknown field in this complex process, and although they have symptoms similar to non-pregnant women, some points should be considered, such as complications during pregnancy and postpartum. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand the consequences of pregnancy and fetal development, caused by infections by the SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Among the aforementioned infections, MERS-CoV seems to be the most dangerous for newborns, inducing high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, pneumonia, acute renal failure, and multiple organ failure in mother. This also causes a higher occurrence of emergency cesarean deliveries and premature births, in addition, some deaths of mothers and fetuses were recorded. Meanwhile, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 appear to have less severe symptoms. Furthermore, although a study found the ACE2 receptor, used by SARS-CoV-2, widely distributed in specific cell types of the maternal-fetal interface, there is no evidence of vertical transmission for any of the coronaviruses. Thus, the limited reported obstetric cases alert to the need for advanced life support for pregnant women infected with coronaviruses and to the need for further investigation for application in clinical practice.

Conflict of interest: noneThe pineal gland is responsible for producing a hormone called melatonin (MEL), and is accepted as the gland that regulates reproduction in mammals. Prolactin (PRL) also exhibits reproductive activity in animals in response to photoperiod. It is known that the concentrations of PRL are high in the summer and reduced during winter, the opposite of what is seen with melatonin in these seasons. In placental mammals, both prolactin and melatonin affect implantation, which is considered a critical point of pregnancy, since a successful pregnancy requires the development of a synchronous interaction between the endometrium and blastocyst for placental development. It is also known that PRL levels during pregnancy are essential for the maintenance of pregnancy, because this hormone induces the corpus luteum to produce progesterone, in addition to stimulating blastocyst implantation to maintain pregnancy and form the placenta. However, melatonin levels in plasma have also been shown to increase during pregnancy, peaking at the end of this period, which suggests that this hormone plays an important role in the maintenance of pregnancy. Thus, it is clear that treatment with prolactin or melatonin interferes with the processes responsible for the development and maintenance of pregnancy.Keywords: pineal gland, pregnancy, progesterone, estrogens. pineal glandThe pineal gland develops from the roof of the diencephalon, behind the third ventricle, measuring approximately 8x4mm in adults, and weighing approximately 0.1 to 0.18g. It originates from an evagination from the roof of the diencephalon, acquires a cone-like shape, and is located in the epithalamic region between the posterior and habenular commissures. A small ependymal recess from the third ventricle extends a short rod, which allows the connection of the pineal body to the roof of the diencephalon. It is almost completely surrounded by the pia mater. 1The pineal gland has a strong blood supply, and is the second organ (behind the kidney) with the highest blood flow in relation to tissue mass. The numerous capillaries within the parenchymal cells allow intense metabolic activity. The endothelium of the pineal is fenestrated. The blood supply is greater during the night, probably related to increased indole metabolism during these hours, that is, increased production of the hormone melatonin which is an indolamine. Removal of the superior cervical ganglion concomitantly decreases the metabolic activity of the gland and 2/3 of its normal blood flow. Most of this blood supply is provided by branches originating from the posterior choroidal arteries. 2The pineal differs from almost all of the brain by the absence of a blood-brain barrier, but resembles other periventricular glands, such as the median eminence, subfornical organ (SFO) and subcomissural organ (SCO), being derived from the ependymal cells in the roof of the third ventricle. Histologically, its parenchyma consists of two types of cells: pinealocytes and neuroglia. The pinealocytes ...

Introduction Since the beginning of the current coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), there has been great concern over a disease that has spread rapidly in several countries worldwide, with the result of several deaths, including deaths of pregnant women. Objective Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a literature review on placental changes in infected pregnant women and/or asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 during pregnancy, aiming at the possible vertical transmission. Methodology A systematic collection was carried out on the effects of that COVID-19 can cause directly and/or indirectly to pregnancy and the placenta in the following databases: Pubmed, Science Direct, Scielo, Lilacs and Web of Science. For search, the following descriptors were used: placenta, pregnant woman, COVID-19, maternal-fetal. Results The results indicate transplacental transmission in some cases reviewed in many reports from this study. The presence of the virus was seen in the amniotic fluid, umbilical cord and peripheral blood. Finally, pathological studies suggest that there are morphological changes related to infection in the placentas. Conclusion We can conclude that, based on the researched material, there is little evidence of transplacental vertical viral transmission and its respective morphological changes related to viral infection in the placenta.

Objetivo: descrever achados relatados na literatura de alterações sensoriais da função auditiva, olfativa e gustativa presentes em pacientes com Covid-19. Revisão Bibliográfica: Registros científicos têm apresentado alterações neurológicas em pacientes com Covid-19. Os distúrbios olfativos e gustativos têm sido prevalentes entre eles, afirmando que a súbita anosmia ou ageusia precisam ser reconhecidas pela comunidade científica como sintomas importantes para o rastreio da infecção. Quanto à função auditiva, sintomas primários como perda auditiva neurossensorial, além de alterações significativas de limiares de tons puros de alta frequência e amplitudes das emissões otoacústicas evocadas transientes foram identificados em pacientes com teste positivo para a Covid-19. Os estudos relatam que apesar de complicações audiológicas pelo novo coronavírus ser pouco mencionadas na literatura, estudos mais aprofundados sobre essas possíveis manifestações clínicas na Covid-19 é de extrema relevância afim auxiliar no diagnóstico precoce da doença. Considerações finais: Diante do exposto, podemos considerar que os sintomas auditivos, bem como de anosmia e ageusia podem se apresentar como a única manifestação da infecção pelo novo coronavírus sendo importante a investigação desses sintomas além do conhecimento a partir de novas pesquisas sobre os mecanismos patogênicos que levam ao envolvimento dessas afecções.

RESUMO Objetivo Elucidar se a suplementação com ácido fólico pouco antes da concepção e/ou durante a gestação pode estar realmente atrelado ao desenvolvimento do transtorno do espectro autista (TEA). Metódos Foi realizada uma revisão de literatura em base de dados, nos idiomas português e inglês, durante o período de novembro de 2017 até abril de 2018, com ênfase nas publicações mais recentes. Resultados Do total de 174 artigos, 87 compuseram este trabalho. Pesquisas apontam que o aumento dos casos de TEA se deve ao fato de que mais fatores genéticos estejam implicados na etiopatogênese neural. No entanto, a grande maioria dos artigos ressalta com maior precisão que há mais efeitos benéficos do uso de ácido fólico antes da concepção e durante a gestação na prevenção do TEA, assim como de outras anormalidades relacionadas aos defeitos do tubo neural. Conclusão Quando se analisa o risco-benefício da suplementação com ácido fólico nas doses recomendadas, 0,4 a 0,8 mg/dia, conclui-se que os benefícios sobrepujam os possíveis riscos de desenvolver o TEA.

Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) is one of the most produced fish for human consumption globally; however, these fish are susceptible to exposure to toxic chemicals in the water. Pyriproxyfen is a pesticide widely used to control mosquitoes in drinking water supplies and pests in crops. The present study aimed to examine pyriproxyfen's effects on fish O. niloticus fingerlings exposed using an acute 96 h and subchronic tests for 28 days. The lethal concentration LC50-96 h for O. niloticus was 2.77 mg L-1, no observed effect concentration (NOEC), and the lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) was 1.0 and 2.5 mg L-1, respectively. The hepatic catalase activity was significantly changed after exposure to pyriproxyfen above 0.4 mg L-1. Pyriproxyfen also induced histopathological lesions in the hepatic tissue at 28 days in a dose-dependent pattern at concentrations above 0.4 mg L-1. Pyriproxyfen above 1.2 mg L-1 reduced the locomotor behavior, distance traveled inside the tank, mean speed, and angular variation. This pesticide also decreased weight gain, food conversion, and specific growth rate at concentrations above 1.2 mg L-1. In conclusion, exposure to pyriproxyfen in water from 0.4 mg L-1 may impair O. niloticus development; consequently, pyriproxyfen may affect this fish's production and quality at higher concentrations than commonly used in water (0.01 mg L-1).

A Ivermectina, princípio farmacológico de um medicamento de uso veterinário possui efeito antiparasitário contra endo e ectoparasitos, é amplamente utilizada na prática veterinária. Esta droga é biotransformada no fígado, resultando em 3 metabólitos, sendo o mais importante o 24-hidroxi-metil-diidroavermectina B1. O fígado é essencial na regulação do metabolismo, na síntese de certas proteínas, servindo como local de armazenagem para certas vitaminas e ferro, degradando certos hormônios e inativando e excretando certos medicamentos e toxinas. Portanto, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a morfologia dos fígados de ratas prenhes tratadas com ivermectina. Para tanto foram utilizadas 30 ratas albinas, as quais foram divididas em 3 grupos de 10 animais. Os animais foram colocados para acasalar e após a detecção da prenhez, presença de espermatozóides no esfregaço vaginal realizado na manhã do dia seguinte, sendo assim designado o primeiro dia de gestação, cada animal foi tratado com ivermectina, na dose correspondente a cada grupo durante 18 dias, com administração a cada 3 (três) dias, totalizando 6 administrações. Após esse período o fígado foi coletado, pesado em balança analítica e processado para microscopia de luz. A análise do peso relativo dos fígados das ratas prenhes e não prenhes não revelou diferença significativa entre os grupos experimentais, onde o tratamento com ivermectina nas doses de 4,0 e 8,0 mg/kg não alterou a massa relativa do fígado, nem apresentou alterações na cor, textura, consistência e hemorragias. Com relação ao estudo através da microscopia de luz, não foram observadas alterações histopatológicas.

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