Orientador: João Francisco Escobedo / Banca: Maeli Dal Pai Silva / Banca: Cláudio Ângelo Agostinho / Banca: Vitalino Dal Pai / Banca: Nilson Augusto Villa Nova / Resumo : No presente trabalho se estuda a produção de rã touro (Rana catesbeiana Shaw, 1802) em baias de fibrocimento dentro de estufas com cobertura de polietileno e em condições de temperatura mínima controlada em laboratório. São feitos estudos fisiológicos (dosagem de Hematócrito e de Triidotiroidina Total - T3 - e de Tiroxina Total - T4), e de alguns aspectos morfofisiológicos da musculatura estriada do músculo adutor magnum (morfologia, freqüência e diâmetro das fibras musculares). Foram construídas três estruturas, cada uma coberta com filme de PVC de 0,1 mm de espessura e de cores diferentes (Verde, Transparente e Branca). A construção das estruturas e das baias foi amplamente detalhada no trabalho. O ambiente interno das estruturas foi estudado através da medição de temperaturas de globo, do ar, do piso, da água e de bulbo molhado, das irradiâncias global e refletida e do saldo de irradiação infravermelha, sendo que, no meio externo, foram feitas medições de irradiância global, da temperatura e da umidade do ar. Foram calculados os índices bioclimáticos: Índice de Temperatura e Umidade (THI), Carga Térmica Radiante (CTR) e Índice de Termômetro de Globo (WBGT). Obtiveram-se correlações para estimativa de variáveis ambientais, no interior das estruturas, a partir de valores medidos no meio externo e a partir de outras, medidas no interior das estruturas. As variáveis que descrevem o ambiente interno das estufas foram correlacionadas com variáveis de desempenho animal (Peso Vivo, Ganho de Peso e Consumo) de forma descritiva, por inferência através de análise multivariada e por análises de regressão. Estas variáveis de desempenho e ambientais, também foram correlacionadas com o rendimento de carcaça,...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Bull Frogs ((Rana catesbeiana Shaw, 1802) production in fibercement sheds located inside polyethylene covered structures and under laboratory conditions in a minimum temperature controlled environment, were studied in this work. Physiological analyses (levels of hematocrit, Total Triidothyronine -T3 and Total Thyroxine - T4) were conducted and some morphophysiological aspects of the adutor magnum muscle (morphology, frequency and diameter of the muscle fibers) were described. Three structures were built; each one covered with a 0.1-mm width PVC film with a specific color (green, transparent and white). Structures and shed construction details were fully described. The internal environment inside the structures and sheds was studied and the following environmental variables were measured, in (WBGT) were calculated. The environmental variables inside the structures and sheds were correlated with external ones and estimation equations were found by linear regression analyses. Animal performance (live weight, weight gain and feed intake) was correlated with environmental variables inside the sheds descriptively, and by multivariate and regression analyses. The same was made for carcass dressing, biometry and for diameters and frequencies of the adutor magnum muscle fibers. Conclusions about environmental modeling and about the relative importance of the environmental variables and bioclimatic indexes in the animal performance were presented. This was also made for the morphological and physiological aspects and their relation with the environmental variables and animal performance. / Doutor

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2001-10-05Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:02:22Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 teodoro_ms_dr_botfca.pdf: 3390581 bytes, checksum: ee1aefe9d5f6e6c678f22e0db65505fb (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / No presente trabalho se estuda a produção de rã touro (Rana catesbeiana Shaw, 1802) em baias de fibrocimento dentro de estufas com cobertura de polietileno e em condições de temperatura mínima controlada em laboratório. São feitos estudos fisiológicos (dosagem de Hematócrito e de Triidotiroidina Total - T3 - e de Tiroxina Total - T4), e de alguns aspectos morfofisiológicos da musculatura estriada do músculo adutor magnum (morfologia, freqüência e diâmetro das fibras musculares). Foram construídas três estruturas, cada uma coberta com filme de PVC de 0,1 mm de espessura e de cores diferentes (Verde, Transparente e Branca). A construção das estruturas e das baias foi amplamente detalhada no trabalho. O ambiente interno das estruturas foi estudado através da medição de temperaturas de globo, do ar, do piso, da água e de bulbo molhado, das irradiâncias global e refletida e do saldo de irradiação infravermelha, sendo que, no meio externo, foram feitas medições de irradiância global, da temperatura e da umidade do ar. Foram calculados os índices bioclimáticos: Índice de Temperatura e Umidade (THI), Carga Térmica Radiante (CTR) e Índice de Termômetro de Globo (WBGT). Obtiveram-se correlações para estimativa de variáveis ambientais, no interior das estruturas, a partir de valores medidos no meio externo e a partir de outras, medidas no interior das estruturas. As variáveis que descrevem o ambiente interno das estufas foram correlacionadas com variáveis de desempenho animal (Peso Vivo, Ganho de Peso e Consumo) de forma descritiva, por inferência através de análise multivariada e por análises de regressão. Estas variáveis de desempenho e ambientais, também foram correlacionadas com o rendimento de carcaça... / Bull Frogs ((Rana catesbeiana Shaw, 1802) production in fibercement sheds located inside polyethylene covered structures and under laboratory conditions in a minimum temperature controlled environment, were studied in this work. Physiological analyses (levels of hematocrit, Total Triidothyronine -T3 and Total Thyroxine - T4) were conducted and some morphophysiological aspects of the adutor magnum muscle (morphology, frequency and diameter of the muscle fibers) were described. Three structures were built; each one covered with a 0.1-mm width PVC film with a specific color (green, transparent and white). Structures and shed construction details were fully described. The internal environment inside the structures and sheds was studied and the following environmental variables were measured, in (WBGT) were calculated. The environmental variables inside the structures and sheds were correlated with external ones and estimation equations were found by linear regression analyses. Animal performance (live weight, weight gain and feed intake) was correlated with environmental variables inside the sheds descriptively, and by multivariate and regression analyses. The same was made for carcass dressing, biometry and for diameters and frequencies of the adutor magnum muscle fibers. Conclusions about environmental modeling and about the relative importance of the environmental variables and bioclimatic indexes in the animal performance were presented. This was also made for the morphological and physiological aspects and their relation with the environmental variables and animal performance.

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2016-06-06T18:56:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 LucasAmaralMachado_DISSERT.pdf: 675823 bytes, checksum: cd1bcc94212045a3a4738ef67078d1cf (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-06-07T23:51:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 LucasAmaralMachado_DISSERT.pdf: 675823 bytes, checksum: cd1bcc94212045a3a4738ef67078d1cf (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-07T23:51:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LucasAmaralMachado_DISSERT.pdf: 675823 bytes, checksum: cd1bcc94212045a3a4738ef67078d1cf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-11 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq) / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar a extra??o ?leo de r?-touro ?leo de r?-touro e desenvolver uma emuls?o adequada para uso t?pico do mesmo. Duas amostras de ?leo fora obtidas por diferentes m?todos, sendo uma por extra??o a quente e outra utilizando solvente org?nico. As amostras foram fisioquimicamente caracterizadas por t?cnicas de titula??o e seus compostos identificados atrav?s de cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massas (GC/EM). O equil?brio hidrif?lico-lipof?lico requerido (EHLr) do ?leo de r?-touro foi determinado e em seguida um diagrama de fases constru?do. A estabilidade da emuls?o de uso t?pico contendo diferentes adjuvantes farmac?uticos foi determinada. A an?lise de citotoxicidade do ?leo de r?-touro in natura e na emuls?o de uso t?pico foi realizada atrav?s do ensaio de MTT, utilizando linhagem de fibroblastos normais (3T3) e de melanoma (B16F10). O rendimento da extra??o a quente foi de 60,6%. Os principais compostos insaturados encontrados foram o ?cido eicosapentaen?ico (17,6%) e ?cido araquid?nico (8,4%). O estudo de EHLr demonstrou a presen?a de sistemas est?veis com EHL entre 12 e 13,5 e o diagrama de fases revelou a predomin?ncia de sistemas caracterizados como emuls?o (62%). A emuls?o t?pica apresentou tamanho de got?cula igual a 390 nm, polidispers?o de 0,05, potencial zeta -25 mV e manteve-se est?vel durante os 90 dias avaliados. O ?leo de r?-touro e a emuls?o t?pica n?o apresentaram citotoxicidade frente ? linhagem de c?lulas 3T3. No entanto, estes sistemas inviabilizaram significativamente (p > 0,05) o crescimento das c?lulas B16F10. Em conclus?o, o ?leo de r?-touro apresenta caracter?sticas qu?micas desej?veis para o desenvolvimento de sistemas terap?uticos de uso farmac?utico e/ou cosm?tico. / The skin is one of the largest organs of the human body and accounts for about 16% of body weight. The body protection against the external environment microorganisms is one of its most important functions, however is necessary that the skin remain intact for this function be exercised, so that when there is an injury on the skin, the process of restructuring needs to be starts, however this restructuration may also be compromised due to some diseases, justifying even more the need for the development of topical products that promote or accelerate the skin healing. Thus the aim of this study was to extract bullfrog oil and to develop a suitable topical emulsion. Two different oil samples were extracted by hot or organic solvent process. Titration techniques and gas chromatography- mass spectrometry were used to characterize the bullfrog oil. The required hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLBr) of bullfrog oil was determined and a pseudo-ternary phase diagram was constructed. The stability of the topical emulsion was evaluated. Then, cellular viability was determined by MTT assay using normal fibroblasts (3T3) and melanoma (B16F10) cells lines. The hot extraction yield was 60.6%. The major polyunsaturated compounds found were Eicosapentaenoic acid (17.6%) and Arachidonic acid (8.4%). HLBr study demonstrated the presence of stable systems with HLB ranging from 12.1 to 13.5 and the pseudo-ternary phase diagram showed mainly emulsion systems (62%). Topical emulsion showed 390 nm, polydispersity 0.05, zeta potential -25 mV and remained stable for ninety days. The bullfrog oil and topical emulsion did not showed citotoxicity in normal fibroblasts cells. However, these systems showed significantly inhibition of melanoma cells growth. In conclusion, the bullfrog oil presented desirable chemical characteristics required to be used for the development of a pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

Thyroid hormones (THs) are essential signaling molecules for the postembryonic development of all vertebrates. THs are capable of initiating a diverse set of developmental programs across multiple tissues. The role of TH in regulating gene expression is well-known, but the initiation of TH signaling is still not fully understood. In amphibians, THs are the sole hormones required for the metamorphosis from tadpole to juvenile froglet. Amphibians are a useful model for studying TH signaling, as they undergo extensive, tissue-specific response programs in response to exogenous TH. The metamorphosis of the American bullfrog, Rana [Lithobates] catesbeiana is temperature sensitive. R. catesbeiana tadpoles do not undergo metamorphosis at cold temperatures (4-5 °C) even in the presence of THs that should otherwise prompt it. However, tadpoles undergo metamorphosis at an accelerated rate when returned to warm temperatures (24-25 °C) forty days after their initial TH exposure. R. catesbeiana tadpoles possess a “molecular memory” of TH exposure which establishes the TH signal at cold temperatures and prompts accelerated metamorphosis after a return to warmer temperatures. The mechanisms of the molecular memory which allow it to uncouple the initiation of TH signaling from the execution of the TH response program are not fully understood. Previous research has established that transcripts encoding transcription factors are a substantial component of the TH-dependent transcriptomic response of cultured tailfin (C-Fin) at cold temperatures. However, not all of these putative transcripts encoding transcription factors required active transcription and translation for their induction, which suggests that the initiation of a TH signal involves mechanisms other than regulating gene expression. Herein, we used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) to investigate the TH-dependent transcriptomic response of the back skin, a tissue that undergoes extensive remodeling during metamorphosis. Cultured back skin (C-Skin) was TH-responsive in warm, cold and temperature shift conditions. Forty-four transcripts underwent significant changes in abundance in response to TH in cold temperatures under which the molecular memory is established. Seven of these transcripts encoded putative transcription factors. Surprisingly, the only TH-responsive transcript significantly changed at 4 °C in both the C-Skin and the previously studied C-Fin was thyroid hormone-induced basic leucine zipper-containing protein (thibz). Thibz has been found to be TH-responsive at cold temperatures in the liver, lung, liver, brain, tailfin and back skin of whole animals, which suggests it may be an important regulator of initiating TH signaling. The lack of overlap in the transcriptomic responses of C-Skin and C-Fin may suggest that even the early initiation of TH signaling has tissue-specificity. Alternately, the molecular memory may include mechanisms that do not require active transcription and translation. Transcripts associated with epigenetic modifications and post-transcriptional changes to mRNA stability were also significantly expressed at 4 °C within the C-Skin. Previous investigation of the putative transcription factors in C-Fin revealed that active transcription and translation was not always required for changes in transcript abundance. Multiple mechanisms may be at play in the TH response at different temperatures. In cold temperatures, TH may modulate mRNA stability to influence transcript abundance as a part of initiating TH signaling without executing metamorphosis. Further research is needed to explore potential alternative mechanisms of establishing the molecular memory and the accelerated metamorphic response. The temperature sensitivity of R. catesbeiana’s TH response is incredibly valuable in investigating mechanisms of early TH signaling during postembryonic vertebrate development. / Graduate

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:16:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EvertonNA_DISSERT.pdf: 1792705 bytes, checksum: 2091882fa52265fca623e2d01c142cfa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-06-10 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / Natural oils have shown a scientific importance due to its pharmacological activity and renewable character. The copaiba (Copaifera langsdorffii) and Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana Shaw) oils are used in folk medicine particularly because the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Emulsion could be eligible systems to improve the palatability and fragrance, enhance the pharmacological activities and reduce the toxicological effects of these oils. The aim of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of emulsions based on copaiba (resin-oil and essential-oil) and bullfrog oils against fungi and bacteria which cause skin diseases. Firstly, the essential oil was extracted from copaiba oil-resin and the oils were characterized by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Secondly, emulsion systems were produced. A microbiological screening test with all products was performed followed (the minimum inhibitory concentration, the bioautography method and the antibiofilm determination). Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. krusei and C. tropicalis American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and clinical samples were used. The emulsions based on copaiba oil-resin and essential oil improved the antimicrobial activity of the pure oils, especially against Staphylococcus e Candida resistant to azoles. The bullfrog oil emulsion and the pure bullfrog oil showed a lower effect on the microorganisms when compared to the copaiba samples. All the emulsions showed a significant antibiofilm activity by inhibiting the cell adhesion. Thus, it may be concluded that emulsions based on copaiba and bullfrog oils are promising candidates to treatment of fungal and bacterial skin infections / Os ?leos naturais v?m chamando aten??o da comunidade cient?fica devido a suas atividades farmacol?gicas e seu car?ter renov?vel. Os ?leos de copa?ba (Copaifera langsdorffii) e de r?-touro (Rana catesbeiana Shaw) ganham destaque, especialmente devido a ampla utiliza??o na medicina popular como anti-inflamat?rios e antimicrobianos. Sistemas emulsionados a base destes ?leos podem ser produzidos com a finalidade de melhorar o odor e a palatabilidade dos mesmos, al?m de potencializar a??o e reduzir toxicidade dos seus componentes. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a atividade antimicrobiana de emuls?es contendo ?leos de copa?ba (?leo-resina e ?leo essencial) e ?leo de r?-touro frente a cepas de micro-organismos causadores de infec??es cut?neas. Inicialmente, foi realizada a extra??o de ?leo essencial e sua caracteriza??o qu?mica por cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectroscopia de massas. Em seguida, foram produzidas emuls?es, ensaios de triagem microbiol?gica, microdilui??o para determina??o de concentra??o inibit?ria m?nima, bioautografia para determina??o dos componentes antimicrobianos e avalia??o da atividade antibiofilme. Foram utilizadas cepas da American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) e cl?nicas de Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. krusei e C. tropicalis. Foi observado que os sistemas emulsionados de ?leo-resina de copa?ba e ?leo essencial de copa?ba contribu?ram na potencializa??o da atividade antimicrobiana, especialmente contra cepas do g?nero Staphylococcus e Candida resistentes aos az?is. A emuls?o de ?leo de r?-touro assim como o ?leo puro, apresentou menor atividade que as amostras de copa?ba, por?m exibiu significativa a??o antibiofilme, demonstrando que este sistema ? um potencial inibidor da ades?o de micro-organismos. Deste modo, pode-se inferir que as emuls?es a base destes ?leos s?o promissores sistemas para o tratamento de infec??es cut?neas f?ngicas e bacterianas

Thyroid hormone (TH) signaling is conserved across vertebrates, where it is important for normal growth and development, particularly in the perinatal period. TH has an additional critical role in amphibian metamorphosis as the sole signal that initiates the transition from a larval tadpole to juvenile frog. Premetamorphic tadpoles have a thyroid gland but are functionally athyroid, yet can be induced to undergo precocious metamorphosis by exogenous TH administration. This essential dependence upon TH makes amphibian metamorphosis an excellent model to study TH signaling. Metamorphosis is sensitive to environmental stimuli such as temperature. Low temperature delays or slows metamorphosis, whereas high temperature advances or accelerates it. Whether a temperature is considered low or high varies by species and is related to its natural habitat. In temperate climes the North American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, does not undergo natural or precocious metamorphosis at low winter temperatures of 4-5°C. Tadpoles injected with TH at low temperature essentially clear it from their bodies after 60-80 days, but some manner of TH signaling has occurred such that they rapidly execute metamorphosis if returned to 20-25°C. This apparent molecular memory is poorly understood, but there is evidence that components of gene expression programs may be involved. This thesis investigated the role of these factors in the molecular memory of TH formed at low temperature in the liver, brain, lung, back skin, and tail fin of Rana catesbeiana. The results suggested that TH receptor beta (thrb), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein 1 (cebp1), and Krüppel-like factor 9 (klf9) may contribute to the molecular memory to different extents in each tissue, and that TH-induced basic leucine zipper-containing protein (thibz) may have an important role in this process for every tissue examined. Assessment of additional genes was hampered by the limited genetic resources available for this species, so de novo high throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) techniques were explored to alleviate this limitation. Trans-ABySS sequence assembly software produced a high quality Rana catesbeiana liver transcriptome that was annotated by BLAST alignment to established sequence databases and resulted in a more than ten-fold increase in Rana catesbeiana sequence information. This approach was supplemented with a software pipeline that was used to refine replicate Rana catesbeiana back skin assemblies, and by construction of a Bullfrog Annotation Resource for the Transcriptome (BART) that was used to quickly annotate more than 97% of the assembled back skin sequences. In the future, the Rana catesbeiana transcriptome sequence resources can be leveraged to identify additional genes that may be involved in formation of the TH molecular memory, and chromatin immunoprecipitation could help characterize the factors and epigenetic marks in the promoter regions of these genes. Elucidation of the molecular memory mechanism provides a means to uncover key events in TH signaling. / Graduate

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2018-01-15T22:12:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 RenataRutckeviskiMoro_DISSERT.pdf: 2237359 bytes, checksum: 38ee9b608bb33566f80348e060646864 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-01-18T14:11:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 RenataRutckeviskiMoro_DISSERT.pdf: 2237359 bytes, checksum: 38ee9b608bb33566f80348e060646864 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-18T14:11:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RenataRutckeviskiMoro_DISSERT.pdf: 2237359 bytes, checksum: 38ee9b608bb33566f80348e060646864 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-06-22 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / Fontes alternativas de ?leos naturais est?o sendo constantemente avaliadas para atender a demanda por mat?rias-primas naturais para o desenvolvimento de novos produtos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a estabilidade oxidativa e t?rmica do ?leo de r?-touro (Rana catesbeiana Shaw), assim como desenvolver uma emuls?o baseado em um planejamento experimental com aplica??o para via oral. O tecido adiposo da Rana catesbeiana Shaw foi utilizado como fonte para a produ??o de um ?leo natural a partir do m?todo de extra??o a quente, obtendo rendimento de 60 ? 0,9%. O ?leo de r?-touro foi fisicoquimicamente caracterizado e os ?ndices de per?xido, acidez, iodo e saponifica??o foram respectivamente 1,9 meq O2 / kg; 2,9 KOH / g de ?leo; 104,2 g de I / 100 g de ?leo e 171,2 mg de KOH / g de ?leo. A cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massas foi usada para a determina??o dos compostos presentes no ?leo de r?-touro, apresentando como principais constituintes o ?cido ol?ico (30 %) e o ?cido eicosapentaen?ico (17,6%), que s?o ?cidos graxos insaturados e poliinsaturados, respectivamente. A estabilidade oxidativa foi determinada na presen?a e aus?ncia dos antioxidantes butilhidroxianisol (BHA) e butilhidroxitolueno (BHT), a 60 ? 2 ?C durante 15 dias e a temperatura ambiente durante 120 dias. Foram avaliados os ?ndices de acidez, per?xido, iodo e saponifica??o; dienos e trienos conjugados, tempo de indu??o a oxida??o (Rancimat?) e mudan?as nos espectros de infravermelho. A taxa de oxida??o do ?leo de r?-touro foi dependente da temperatura e o ?leo apresentou-se mais estavel na presen?a de BHT. Durante a oxida??o do ?leo, mudan?as significativas no espectro de absor??o do ultravioleta vis?vel e infravermelho foram observadas. O ?leo apresentou-se est?vel at? 200?C atrav?s da determina??o da estabilidade t?rmica utilizando a calorimetria explorat?ria diferencial e an?lise termogravim?trica. Um produto farmac?utico emulsionado para uso oral a base do ?leo de r?-touro utilizando o planejamento fatorial completo 23 foi desenvolvido, caracterizado e sua estabilidade contendo diferentes adjuvantes farmac?uticos foi avaliada. A emuls?o oral apresentou tamanho de got?cula de 410 ? 8,3 nm, potencial zeta - 38,2 mV, condutividade 1913.8 ?S/cma e pH 6.4. O uso de adjuvantes foi respons?vel por melhorar a estabilidade termooxidativa do ?leo disperso na emuls?o por um per?odo superior a tr?s meses. Portanto, a formula??o desenvolvida exibiu caracter?sticas tecnol?gicas promissoras para estabilidade termooxidativa da emuls?o contendo o ?leo de r?-touro para uso oral. / Alternative sources of natural oils are constantly being investigated to meet the demand for natural raw materials used for the development of new products. The aim of this work was to study the oxidative and thermal stability of the bullfrog oil (Rana catesbeiana Shaw), as well as to develop an emulsion based on an experimental design with application to the oral route. The adipose tissue of Rana catesbeiana Shaw was used as a source for producing natural oil by a hot extraction method, with yield of 60 ? 0.9%. The bullfrog oil was characterized and peroxide, acidity, iodine and saponification values were respectively 1.92 meq O2 / kg; 2.95 KOH / g oil; 104.2 g of I / 100 g oil and 171.2 mg KOH / g of oil. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC / MS) was used to determine the compounds present in the bullfrog oil. The main constituents are oleic acid (30%) and eicosapentaenoic acid (17.6%), which are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids respectively. Oxidative stability was determined in the presence or absence of the antioxidants BHA (butylhydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylhydroxytoluene) at 60 ? 2 ? C for 15 days and at room temperature for 120 days. Values of acidity, peroxide, iodine and saponification; conjugated dienes and trienes, oxidation induction time (Rancimat?) and changes in the infrared spectra were measured. The bullfrog oil oxidation rate was dependent on temperature, and the oil became more stable in the presence of BHT. During the oil oxidation, significant changes in the ultraviolet visible absorption spectrum and infrared were observed. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the oil was stable up to 200 ?C.

Thyroid hormone (TH) is a critical signalling molecule for all vertebrate organisms, playing an especially crucial role in postembryonic development. Given its importance, many studies have focused on further elucidating the initial TH signal response and its method of transduction. Although the primary mechanism of TH response is genomic signalling, alternative mechanisms of early TH signal transduction have been relatively poorly studied. The North American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, is a useful model to study these early responses as tadpole post-embryonic development, or metamorphosis, can be experimentally induced through exposure to TH. The experimental induction of the TH signalling program leads to similar morphological endpoints as seen in natural metamorphosis in the transition of a tadpole to a juvenile froglet, such as regression of the tail. This TH-induced developmental program can also be manipulated through temperature where, as temperatures lower, developmental rate is delayed and at 5°C metamorphosis is completely stalled. Interestingly, when tadpoles exposed to TH at 5°C are introduced to permissive temperatures (24°C), an accelerated developmental program ensues, even when no more endogenous TH signal remains. Previous research has shown that this phenomenon can also be seen on the molecular level where only a select few transcripts have been shown to be responsive to TH at 5°C. However, the characteristic, if not augmented, TH response program is seen on the transcriptomic level when tadpoles are shifted to 24°C. This indicates that there is a molecular memory where the TH signal is induced in cold temperatures but not executed until more permissive temperatures arise. The extent and regulation of the transcriptomic program involved in this TH-induced molecular memory has yet to be understood. Herein we use the broader probing technique of RNA-seq analysis to identify potential components of the molecular memory. Eighty-one gene transcripts were TH-responsive at 5°C in cultured R. catesbeiana tail fin indicating that the molecular memory is more complex than previously thought. A number of these transcripts encoded regulators of transcription. Closer examination of select transcripts including a novel krüppel-like factor family member, klfX, at 5oC indicated that not all of the candidate molecular memory transcripts are regulated through active transcription and active translation is not required. When moved into 24°C an accelerated transcriptomic response occurred even when no additional TH is added, suggesting that a priming event occurs by TH exposure at 5°C allowing an accelerated metamorphosis at permissive temperatures. The molecular memory may be used as a means to isolate the initiating TH signalling response and the regulation of this program to allow further elucidation of early TH signalling in post-embryonic development. / Graduate

Luffa operculata é uma planta medicinal popularmente usada para tratamento de rinites e rinossinusites. A infusão de seu fruto seco é usada no nariz, liberando secreção mucosa profusa, mas pode causar irritação, epistaxe ou anosmia. Avaliamos os efeitos de diferentes concentrações da infusão do fruto seco da Luffa operculata na velocidade de transporte mucociliar (VTM), freqüência de batimento ciliar (FBC), diferença de potencial transepitelial (DPT) e morfologia do epitélio (microscopia de luz e eletrônica de transmissão), no modelo do palato isolado de rã. Os resultados apontam para dano epitelial dose-dependente no epitélio mucociliar, sugerindo que ela seja potencialmente nociva à mucosa nasal humana / Luffa operculata is a medicinal plant popularly used for treatment of rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. Its dry fruit infusion is used into the nose, delivering profuse mucous secretion, but may cause nasal mucosa irritation, epistaxis or anosmia. We evaluated the effects of different concentrations of Luffa operculata dry fruit infusion on mucociliary transport velocity (MTV), ciliary beat frequency (CBF), transepithelial potential difference (TPD) and epithelial morphology (light and electron transmission microscopy) of the isolated frog palate preparation. Results pointed to dose-dependent epithelial damage on mucociliary epithelium, suggesting that it is potentially noxious to the human nasal mucosa

Luffa operculata é uma planta medicinal popularmente usada para tratamento de rinites e rinossinusites. A infusão de seu fruto seco é usada no nariz, liberando secreção mucosa profusa, mas pode causar irritação, epistaxe ou anosmia. Avaliamos os efeitos de diferentes concentrações da infusão do fruto seco da Luffa operculata na velocidade de transporte mucociliar (VTM), freqüência de batimento ciliar (FBC), diferença de potencial transepitelial (DPT) e morfologia do epitélio (microscopia de luz e eletrônica de transmissão), no modelo do palato isolado de rã. Os resultados apontam para dano epitelial dose-dependente no epitélio mucociliar, sugerindo que ela seja potencialmente nociva à mucosa nasal humana / Luffa operculata is a medicinal plant popularly used for treatment of rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. Its dry fruit infusion is used into the nose, delivering profuse mucous secretion, but may cause nasal mucosa irritation, epistaxis or anosmia. We evaluated the effects of different concentrations of Luffa operculata dry fruit infusion on mucociliary transport velocity (MTV), ciliary beat frequency (CBF), transepithelial potential difference (TPD) and epithelial morphology (light and electron transmission microscopy) of the isolated frog palate preparation. Results pointed to dose-dependent epithelial damage on mucociliary epithelium, suggesting that it is potentially noxious to the human nasal mucosa