The oral treatment with graded doses of Equisentum arvense L. was not able to produce hepatic changes. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the chronic hepatotoxicity of Equisentum arvense L. in rats.

PURPOSE:To evaluate the renal and hepatic function, through biochemical analysis after 14 days of creatine supplementation in physically inactive rats. METHODS:Twenty four male, adult, Wistar rats were used which were kept in individual metabolic cages and were distributed into four groups, and received the following treatments by gavage:1) Control: distilled water; 2)Creatine 0.5g/Kg/day; 3) Creatine 1g/Kg/ day; 4) Creatine 2g/Kg/day. Their urinary outputs as well as food and water intake were daily measured. At the end of the experiment, the animals were euthanized and serum samples were stored for biochemical analysis. RESULTS:Creatine supplementation at the doses given produced no significant changes in plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, creatinine, urea, and creatinine clearance, compared to control group (p> 0.05) Similarly, water and food intake, as well as urinary output, did not show significant changes among the four groups studied. CONCLUSION:At the doses used, oral creatine supplementation did not result in renal and/or hepatic toxicity.

PURPOSE:To evaluate the effect of the aqueous extract of the Vigna angularis, popularly known as "Azuki beans", in rats subjected to an experimental model of moderate chronic kidney disease. METHODS:Thirty rats underwent two surgeries - Ormrod and Miller (1980) -to obtain Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD-M).The animals were randomized into 3 groups. Group 1 (Control): distilled water. Group 2 (Azuki): Vigna angularis 5% aqueous extract.Group 3 (Treatment): 10mg/kg of enalapril maleate. The rats received their respective treatments for 14 days. RESULTS:The treatment with azuki beans produced an increase in urine output from the second day until the end of the experiment compared to the Control groups (p<0.01) and Treatment (p<0.05). The treatment with azuki also produced significant reductions in the levels of glucose, triglycerides, VLDL, uric acid, Alanine aminotransferase (p<0.05), urea and serum creatinine (p<0.01), besides having produced a significant increase in the levels of HDL when compared to the Control group. CONCLUSION:Treatment with Azuki beans produced improvements in the parameters of renal function and significantly reduced glucose levels, triglycerides, VLDL, alanine aminostransferase, uric acid and creatinine, besides having produced a significant increase in the levels of HDL in rats submitted to a model of moderate chronic kidney disease.

. Conception and design of the study, interpretation of data, statistical analysis, histopathological examinations, manuscript preparation and writing, critical revision, final approval. ABSTRACT PURPOSE:To characterize an experimental model of progressive renal disease induced by different degrees of nephrectomy in rats. METHODS:Eighty male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups (n=20/group): sham surgery (control group), progressive degrees of nephrectomy leading to mild uremia (group 1), moderate uremia (group 2) and severe uremia (group 3). Ten animals of each group were followed for two or four weeks. At the end, blood and 24-hour urine samples were collected to determine renal function parameters. Urine output and water and food intake were daily monitored. RESULTS:In rats of group 1, serum levels of creatinine and urea and microalbuminuria were increased, while reduced creatinine clearance (p<0.05, compared with control group), without changing blood pressure. Animals of group 2 had more accentuated alterations: increases in urinary output, blood pressure, serum concentrations of urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, and in microalbuminuria, and reduction of creatinine clearance (p<0.05). Group 3 exhibited even more increased serum concentrations of urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium, blood pressure and microalbuminuria, and decreased creatinine clearance (p<0.05) in comparison with control group and unilateral nephrectomy. CONCLUSION:Progressive nephrectomy in rats seems to be useful to study the physiopathology of chronic kidney disease and its mechanisms of progression.

RESUMOIntrodução: A sepse é uma síndrome clínica de resposta inflamatória sistêmica secundária a um processo infeccioso. Sepse grave e Choque Séptico compreendem suas formas mais graves. Representa a principal causa de morte nas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva (UTIs) em todo o mundo. Os preditores de evolução e mortalidade vêm sendo estudados e aplicados, tanto para definir o melhor gerenciamento de recursos financeiros e alterar a conduta terapêutica, quanto para monitorar o desempenho da UTI. ABSTRACT:Introduction: Sepsis is a clinical syndrome of systemic inflammatory response secondary to a infection. Severe sepsis and septic shock are the most severe forms. It represents the main cause of death in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients worldwide. The predictors of mortality and prognosis has been studied to set a better management of financial resources and change the therapeutic, as for to control the development of ICU. Objectives: Establish and make relations of the risk factors to the mortality in patients who were diagnosed with severe sepsis and septic shock hospitalized in a ICU of a Hospital in South of Minas Gerais. Methods: The study is a case-control type made with a foresight and observational coorte, which were included patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, by the period between June 30 th of 2005 to June 30 th of 2009. The analysis was made using the program Minitab version 15. It was used the QuiQuadrado of Pearson test to make associations of the categorical variables, not considering those, when p>0,05. Results and discussion: the study encompassed 167 patients. After statistic analysis, it was concluded that most of septic patients who died were elderly males with co morbidities that were hospitalized less than 72 hours and had as the main infection focus the Respiratory System. Conclusion: The most important items associated with the mortality were the patient's age, septic original organ, the presence of Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension.

Enalapril, candesartan and aliskiren presented similar effects on improving renal function and reducing MAP and urinary levels of IL-6 in rats with CKD. On the other hand, cytokine profile differed according to the treatment, suggesting that differential mechanisms were triggered in response to the site of RAS blockade.

Objetivo: Desenvolver um novo método experimental de baixo custo para indução de dislipidemia em ratos. Materiais e Métodos: Foram utilizados 20 ratos, da linhagem Wistar, divididos em dois grupos (n=10). O grupo 1 (controle) recebeu ração padrão para ratos da marca Purina® (com concentração padrão de colesterol) e o grupo 2 recebeu a mesma ração adicionada de 0,5% p/p de colesterol, obtido através da gema de ovo (grupo experimental), por 50 dias. Resultados: o grupo tratado com ração padrão da marca Purina® adicionada de 0,5% p/p de colesterolapresentou aumento significativo dos níveis séricos de colesterol total (118,6± 4,74 vs. 84,2±5,0 mg/dL, p<0,01 ), LDL-C (54,4± 7,9 vs. 23,6 ±7,0 mg/dL, p<0,01), VLDL-C (45,9±1,2 vs. 29,0± 5,8 mg/dL, p<0,01) e triglicérides (229,3±6,0 vs 145,0± 28,9 mg/dL, p<0,01) e redução significativa do HDL-C (18,3±4,8  vs. 31,7±5,6 mg/dL, p<0,01), quando comparado ao grupo controle. Conclusão: A utilização da ração padrão da marca Purina® adicionada de 0,5% p/p de colesterol mostrou-se eficaz em produzir alterações significativas nos níveis séricos de colesterol total, LDL-colesterol, VLDL-colesterol, HDL-colesterol e triglicérides, demonstrando que este modelo experimental de baixo custo constitui uma ferramenta útil para produzir dislipidemia em ratos. Palavras-Chave: Dislipidemia, modelo experimental, ratos. ABSTRACTObjective: Development of a new experimental low-cost method for induction of dislipidemia in rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty male Wistar rats were used, allocated in two groups (n = 10). Group 1 (control) received a standard diet for rats Purina® mark (with a standard concentration of cholesterol) and group 2 received the same chow and 0.5% p/p cholesterol obtained through yolk (Group experimental) for 50 days. Results: The group treated with the standard ration Purina® branded and 0.5% p/p cholesterol showed a significant increase in serum total cholesterol (118,6± 4,74 vs. 84,2±5,0 mg/dL, p<0,01 ), LDL-C (54,4± 7,9 vs. 23,6 ±7,0mg/dL, p<0,01), VLDL-C (45,9±1,2 vs. 29,0± 5,8 mg/dL, p<0,01) and triglycerides (229,3±6,0 vs 145,0± 28,9 mg/dL, p<0,01) and significant reduction of HDL-C (18,3±4,8  vs. 31,7±5,6 mg/dL, p<0,01) when compared to the control group. Conclusion: The use of standard ration Purina® branded and added to 0.5% p/p cholesterol was effective in producing significant changes in serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, demonstrating that this experimental model makes a useful low cost tool to produce dyslipidemia in rats. Keywords: Dyslipidemia, experimental model, rats

Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos cardiovasculares, renais e hepáticos produzidos pela administração crônica de Ayahuasca em ratos hipertensos. Materiais e Métodos: Foram utilizados 27 ratos machos Wistar adultos. Realizou-se nefrectomia unilateral com compressão do parênquima renal, segundo o modelo de Grollman, para induzir hipertensão. Os ratos hipertensos foram divididos em 4 grupos, com  os seguintes tratamentos por gavagem, durante 60 dias: Grupo C (n=7): dose típica (DT) de água uma vez por semana; Grupo A (n=7): DT de Ayahuasca uma vez por semana; Grupo T (n=6): DT de água diariamente; e Grupo Y (n=7): DT de Ayahuasca diariamente. Os ratos tiveram suas pressões aferidas uma vez por semana; após eutanásia, tiveram sangue colhido para análise laboratorial de função renal e hepática e foram reservados o fígado, rim e coração para análise histopatológica. Resultados: A administração de Ayahuasca não produziu alteração significativa nos padrões pressóricos, sistólicos e diastólicos, assim como parece não ter havido alteração histopatológica relevante; TGO e Uréia sérica apresentaram diferença significativa quando comparados os grupos Y e T. Discussão: Não há na literatura científica trabalhos semelhantes, porém os existentes corroboram para uma ação não tóxica do chá. Conclusão: O uso crônico de Ayahuasca em ratos hipertensos não causou alteração significativa da pressão arterial.  Palavras Chave: Ayahuasca, Hipertensão arterial sistêmica, Ratos Wistar.  Objective: To evaluate the cardiovascular, renal and liver produced by chronic administration of Ayahuasca in hypertensive rats. Materials and Methods: 27 adult male Wistar rats. Unilateral nephrectomy was performed with compression of the renal parenchyma, according to the Grollman model, to induce hypertension. The hypertensive rats were divided into four groups, with the following treatments by gavage for 60 days Group C (n = 7): typical dose (DT) of water once a week, Group A (n = 7): DT ayahuasca once a week and Group T (n = 6): DT daily water and Group Y (n = 7): DT daily ayahuasca. Rats pressures were measured once a week and after euthanasia, blood samples were collected for laboratory analysis of renal and hepatic function. The liver, kidney and heart were reserved for histopathological analysis. Results: The administration of Ayahuasca produced no significant change in blood pressure patterns, systolic and diastolic, as seems to have been no significant histopathological changes; SGOT and serum urea showed significant differences when comparing the groups Y and T. Discussion: There are no similar studies in the scientific literature, but the existing ones corroborate for non-toxic action of the tea. Conclusion: Chronic use of Ayahuasca in hypertensive rats caused no significant change in blood pressure.  Keywords: Ayahuasca, Hypertension, Wistar rats.