As algas marinhas representam uma rica fonte de compostos bioativos, algumas delas precurssoras de ferramentas farmacológicas e de substâncias potencialmente úteis para o desenvolvimento de novos fármacos. A macroalga Bryopsis pennata , Cloroficea pertencente à ordem Caulerpales, sin. Bryopsidales é uma espécie tropical encontrada em diversos costões rochosos. É uma pequena alga de cor verde-musgo, plumosa, que geralmente forma agrupamentos homogêneos e vive fixada em superfícies sólidas como corais e rochas. Essa espécie produz uma defesa química tóxica para organismos herbívoros, além de promover alelopatia e se reproduzir facilmente a partir de pequenos fragmentos. Possui um potencial de se tornar invasiva e dominante em condições ambientais favoráveis como águas ricas em nutrientes. A ausência aparente de predadores conhecidos, indicaram a presença de possível defesa química nesta espécie. Por ser uma espécie que possui aparentemente pouco ou nenhum predador, uma vez que esta se encontra, na maioria das vezes, intacta no ambiente, o presente da continuidade a um trabalho anteriormente realizado que versa sobre a investigação de um efeito farmacológico cardiotônico, inotrópico positivo, da fração polar do extrato metanólico oriundo dessa alga marinha. Inicialmente foi feito um breve estudo farmacológico da atividade citotóxica e hemolítica do extrato polar. Posteriormente evidenciamos o efeito cardiotônico da fração polar de algas cultivadas e coletadas em tiras ventriculares de anuro, comparamos com a resposta cardiotônica quando submetido a ação do propranolol e finalmente evidenciamos algumas características bioquímicas das frações ativas. Nas atividades citotóxicas a fração polar da alga coletada provocou deformações na morfologia dos ovos de ouriço-do-mar e não apresentou atividade hemolítica em eritrócitos de camundongo. O efeito cardiotônico em tiras ventriculares de anuros ficou fortemente evidenciado nos testes com extratos polares de algas coletadas e cultivadas. Estudos comparativos realizados com extratos de algas coletadas e de algas cultivadas em laboratório, demonstraram efeitos farmacológicos similares entre os extratos, demonstrando não haver influencia dos contaminantes, tais como cianobacterias, nas respostas cardiotônicas. O propranolol antagonizou o efeito da fração polar dessa alga e enzimas endopeptidases não reagiram com o extrato metanólico de Bryopsis pennata. Testes bioquímicos demonstraram que a fração polar de peso molecular menor que 10.000 daltons de caráter iônico ácido foi a fração que manteve os efeitos inotrópicos cardíacos. / Marine algae are a rich source of bioactive compounds and some of them have shown to be useful for the development of new pharmacological tools and medicines. Bryopsis pennata , (Clorofícea, Caulerpales, sin. Bryopsidales) is a marine algae that can be found in the Southeastern Brazilian coast and some other oceans. It is a small green moss algae, feathery, generally forming homogeneous groups fixed upon solid surface such as corals. The species produces a toxic chemical defense to the herbivorous organism, besides promoting allelopathy and easily reproducing itself from tiny fragments. They possess a potential to become invasive and dominant in favorable environmental conditions like waters with rich nutrients. The absence of true epibionts and known predators indicated the presence of chemical defense mechanisms in this species. As it is a species that apparently has little or none predator, since usually it is found intact in its environment, the present is a complement of a previously study and it is about the investigation of the cardiotonic pharmacological effect, positive inotropic effect, of the methanolic extract from this marine algae. Initially it was done a brief pharmacological study of the cytotoxic and hemolytic activity of the polar extract. Then we showed the cardiotonic effect of the polar fraction from the cultivated and collected algae, the cardiotonic results of the explosive of a propranolol and finally some evidences from a biochemistry character of theses fractions. In the cytotoxic activities, the metanolic extract of the collected algae, promoted disfiguration in the egg\'s morphology and did not show hemolytic activity in the mouse erythrocytes. The cardiotonic effect in the anurou\'s ventricular strips was strongly unequivocal when it was tested with the polar extracts from the collected and cultivated algae. Comparative studies performed with the collected algae extracts and the ones cultivated in laboratory showed similar effects between them appearing not having cardiotonic influences by the contaminants. The propranolol antagonized polar tahe polar effects of these algae and the endopeptidase enzyme was not reacting with the methanolic extracts of Bryopsis pennata. Biochemical tests showed that the polar fraction of weight less than 10.000 Daltons and with acid character is the one that kept the inotropic cardiac activity

As algas marinhas representam uma rica fonte de compostos bioativos, algumas delas precurssoras de ferramentas farmacológicas e de substâncias potencialmente úteis para o desenvolvimento de novos fármacos. A macroalga Bryopsis pennata , Cloroficea pertencente à ordem Caulerpales, sin. Bryopsidales é uma espécie tropical encontrada em diversos costões rochosos. É uma pequena alga de cor verde-musgo, plumosa, que geralmente forma agrupamentos homogêneos e vive fixada em superfícies sólidas como corais e rochas. Essa espécie produz uma defesa química tóxica para organismos herbívoros, além de promover alelopatia e se reproduzir facilmente a partir de pequenos fragmentos. Possui um potencial de se tornar invasiva e dominante em condições ambientais favoráveis como águas ricas em nutrientes. A ausência aparente de predadores conhecidos, indicaram a presença de possível defesa química nesta espécie. Por ser uma espécie que possui aparentemente pouco ou nenhum predador, uma vez que esta se encontra, na maioria das vezes, intacta no ambiente, o presente da continuidade a um trabalho anteriormente realizado que versa sobre a investigação de um efeito farmacológico cardiotônico, inotrópico positivo, da fração polar do extrato metanólico oriundo dessa alga marinha. Inicialmente foi feito um breve estudo farmacológico da atividade citotóxica e hemolítica do extrato polar. Posteriormente evidenciamos o efeito cardiotônico da fração polar de algas cultivadas e coletadas em tiras ventriculares de anuro, comparamos com a resposta cardiotônica quando submetido a ação do propranolol e finalmente evidenciamos algumas características bioquímicas das frações ativas. Nas atividades citotóxicas a fração polar da alga coletada provocou deformações na morfologia dos ovos de ouriço-do-mar e não apresentou atividade hemolítica em eritrócitos de camundongo. O efeito cardiotônico em tiras ventriculares de anuros ficou fortemente evidenciado nos testes com extratos polares de algas coletadas e cultivadas. Estudos comparativos realizados com extratos de algas coletadas e de algas cultivadas em laboratório, demonstraram efeitos farmacológicos similares entre os extratos, demonstrando não haver influencia dos contaminantes, tais como cianobacterias, nas respostas cardiotônicas. O propranolol antagonizou o efeito da fração polar dessa alga e enzimas endopeptidases não reagiram com o extrato metanólico de Bryopsis pennata. Testes bioquímicos demonstraram que a fração polar de peso molecular menor que 10.000 daltons de caráter iônico ácido foi a fração que manteve os efeitos inotrópicos cardíacos. / Marine algae are a rich source of bioactive compounds and some of them have shown to be useful for the development of new pharmacological tools and medicines. Bryopsis pennata , (Clorofícea, Caulerpales, sin. Bryopsidales) is a marine algae that can be found in the Southeastern Brazilian coast and some other oceans. It is a small green moss algae, feathery, generally forming homogeneous groups fixed upon solid surface such as corals. The species produces a toxic chemical defense to the herbivorous organism, besides promoting allelopathy and easily reproducing itself from tiny fragments. They possess a potential to become invasive and dominant in favorable environmental conditions like waters with rich nutrients. The absence of true epibionts and known predators indicated the presence of chemical defense mechanisms in this species. As it is a species that apparently has little or none predator, since usually it is found intact in its environment, the present is a complement of a previously study and it is about the investigation of the cardiotonic pharmacological effect, positive inotropic effect, of the methanolic extract from this marine algae. Initially it was done a brief pharmacological study of the cytotoxic and hemolytic activity of the polar extract. Then we showed the cardiotonic effect of the polar fraction from the cultivated and collected algae, the cardiotonic results of the explosive of a propranolol and finally some evidences from a biochemistry character of theses fractions. In the cytotoxic activities, the metanolic extract of the collected algae, promoted disfiguration in the egg\'s morphology and did not show hemolytic activity in the mouse erythrocytes. The cardiotonic effect in the anurou\'s ventricular strips was strongly unequivocal when it was tested with the polar extracts from the collected and cultivated algae. Comparative studies performed with the collected algae extracts and the ones cultivated in laboratory showed similar effects between them appearing not having cardiotonic influences by the contaminants. The propranolol antagonized polar tahe polar effects of these algae and the endopeptidase enzyme was not reacting with the methanolic extracts of Bryopsis pennata. Biochemical tests showed that the polar fraction of weight less than 10.000 Daltons and with acid character is the one that kept the inotropic cardiac activity

Actuellement le criblage en vue de la recherche de nouveaux agents antitumoraux se base principalement sur la qualité cytotoxique d’une molécule. Le principal défaut de cette approche est qu’aucune sélection n’est faite sur le mode d’action du médicament. L’objectif de ce travail est la mise au point d’une méthode permettant un classement rapide et objectif du mode d’action de molécules à visée thérapeutique par spectroscopie infrarouge. La spectroscopie infrarouge est une technique d’absorption de la lumière fournit la signature chimique d’un échantillon. L’excellente qualité du signal rend possible son utilisation comme outil discriminant. En outre, cette technique d’analyse se démarque des autres par son caractère non destructif et la rapidité d’acquisition des données. Elle se révèlerait donc une méthode de choix pour effectuer du criblage de molécules en vue de la recherche de nouveaux agents thérapeutiques. Dans un premier temps nous avons voulu évaluer la possibilité d’utiliser la spectroscopie infrarouge pour isoler la signature spectrale du mode d’action induit par des concentrations sub-létales de ouabaïne, un composé de la famille des cardénolides, sur une lignée tumorale de prostate. Nous avons montré que cette signature évolue au cours du temps et peut-être corrélée aux données biologiques décrites dans la littérature. Nous avons également mis en évidence pour la première fois une modification de la composition lipidique de la cellule. Cette altération a été caractérisée au cours du temps par spectrométrie de masse. Nous avons ensuite voulu définir les limites de la méthode. La littérature souligne la diversité des modes d’action que peut induire un agent thérapeutique selon sa concentration. Nous avons montré que cette diversité se reflète sur le spectre infrarouge de cellules tumorales traitées à la ouabaïne en distinguant au moins deux modes d’action distincts, dépendant de la concentration en ouabaïne. Par ailleurs, nous avons montré que la confluence pouvait modifier significativement le spectre infrarouge d’une cellule. Neanmoins cette signature est unique et orthogonale à celle induite par la ouabaïne. Finalement, nous avons évalué le potentiel de la spectroscopie infrarouge à distinguer des modes d’action induits par des molécules à la structure chimique proche. Nous avons montré qu’il était possible de caractériser spécifiquement chacun des modes d’action. D’autre part nous avons mis en évidence que les modes d’action de molécules issues d’une même classe d’agent thérapeutique conduisaient à des signatures spectrales similaires. Cette partie du travail souligne la possibilité d’utilisation de la spectroscopie infrarouge pour un classement objectif, uniquement basé sur leur mode d’action d’agents thérapeutiques potentiels.

Thesis (Ph.D) -- Virginia Commonwealth University, 2005. / Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Prepared for: Dept. of Physiology. Bibliography: p. 160-169.

Life-support treatment is regarded as the support of vital functions of respiration and circulation such as mechanical ventilation and inotropic support, and life-sustaining therapy which incorporate therapies such as artificial hydration, nutrition and haemodialysis. Life-support treatment is rendered to critically ill patients within the intensive care units. However, when treatment options are maximised, and the patient’s condition is unchanged, a decision is often made to withdraw treatment. Professional nurses are usually involved in the process of withdrawal of life-support treatment as they care for this population of patients. The study followed a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research paradigm in order to explore and describe the perceptions of professional nurses with regard to the process of withdrawing life-support treatment in a private intensive care unit. Data was collected by means of interviews, which were transcribed according to Tesch’s method of analysis. Field notes were used to supplement the data findings. Based on the data collected, it is clear that professional nurses experience difficulties when performing withdrawal of life-support treatment. There are a number of communication concerns which need to be addressed and suggestions were also made by the interview participants regarding these concerns. The study makes recommendations to assist professional nurses with the process of withdrawing life-support treatment in a private intensive care unit. The findings of the study will be disseminated to the relevant hospital and unit managers. Ethical principles were maintained throughout the study by adhering to the principles of privacy, confidentiality, anonymity and beneficence.

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Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.