We measured visual performance in achromatic and chromatic spatial tasks of mercury-exposed subjects and compared the results with norms obtained from healthy individuals of similar age. Data were obtained for a group of 28 mercury-exposed subjects, comprising 20 Amazonian gold miners, 2 inhabitants of Amazonian riverside communities, and 6 laboratory technicians, who asked for medical care. Statistical norms were generated by testing healthy control subjects divided into three age groups. The performance of a substantial proportion of the mercury-exposed subjects was below the norms in all of these tasks. Eleven of 20 subjects (55%) performed below the norms in the achromatic contrast sensitivity task. The mercury-exposed subjects also had lower red-green contrast sensitivity deficits at all tested spatial frequencies (9/11 subjects; 81%). Three gold miners and 1 riverine (4/19 subjects, 21%) performed worse than normal subjects making more mistakes in the color arrangement test. Five of 10 subjects tested (50%), comprising 2 gold miners, 2 technicians, and 1 riverine, performed worse than normal in the color discrimination test, having areas of one or more MacAdam ellipse larger than normal subjects and high color discrimination thresholds at least in one color locus. These data indicate that psychophysical assessment can be used to quantify the degree of visual impairment of mercury-exposed subjects. They also suggest that some spatial tests such as the measurement of red-green chromatic contrast are sufficiently sensitive to detect visual dysfunction caused by mercury toxicity. Correspondence

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The Petiveria alliacea extract exerted motor stimulatory and anxiolytic effects in the OF test, antidepressant effects in the FS test, and elicited memory improvement in ETM. Furthermore, the Petiveria alliacea extract also exerted pro-oxidant effects in vitro and in vivo, inhibiting the antioxidant status and increasing MetHb levels in human plasma, respectively.

Evaluation of total human exposure to mercury and methylmercury was effected in riverine villages along the Tapajos river and in the metropolitan area of Belem city, state of Para, Brazil, by using total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in hair samples in 1994 and 1995. It was observed that average concentrations of total mercury are in a range from 2 +/- 1 microg/g-1 to 20.5 +/- 12. 1 microg/g-1. While methylmercury average concentration varies from 1. 4 +/- 0.7 microg/g-1 to 18.5 +/- 11 microg/g-1. These results confirm mercury contamination in the Tapajos river and possible appearance of mercury intoxication symptoms, and recommends the monitoring of compounds in hair samples as well as the need for epidemiological and clinical studies for human health prevention and control of mercury intoxication.

Exceto onde especificado diferentemente, a matéria publicada neste periódico é licenciada sob forma de uma licença Creative Commons -Atribuição 4. anos (42,6%) e nível de escolaridade de 10 a 12 anos de estudo (42,6%). Houve associação estatisticamente significativa para o consumo dos três marcadores (p<0,00), bem como entre o sexo e o consumo recomendado de peixe (p=0,00). Conclusão: O hábito alimentar de marcadores de alimentação saudável abaixo da frequência recomendada pode modificar o perfil nutricional do paciente de TB pulmonar e facilitar a infecção e as consequências da doença. Descritores: Dieta Saudável. Tuberculose Pulmonar. Prevenção de Doenças.Background and Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that may be more susceptible in people with nutritional deficiencies. The objective of this study was to investigate dietary markers and their association with sociodemographic variables of patients with pulmonary TB. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study carried out in between 2015 and 2016 in Belém-PA. TB patients were interviewed using a questionnaire developed based on the National Health Survey, with questions about socio-demographic and variables healthy food markers. Data were analyzed in the Epi-Info and Bioestat programs, using the G and Binomial tests, with a significance level of 5%. Results: 61 patients participated in the study, most of them male (62.2%), 40-59 years old (42.6%) and 10 to 12 years of schooling (42.6%). There was a statistically significant association for the consumption of the three markers (p <0.00), as well as between sex and recommended fish consumption (p =0.00). Conclusion: The eating habits of healthy food markers below the recommended frequency can modify the patient's nutritional profile of TB pulmonary patient and to facilitate the infection and the consequences of the disease.