The distribution of calcium and magnesium has been studied in the acinar cells of the pancreas of the guinea pig. Most of the magnesium was found to be associated with the rough microsomes (probably bound to the ribosomes) and with the postmicrosomal supernate. In contrast, calcium was distributed among all the particulate fractions, primarily the mitochondria, microsomes (especially smooth sur...

A prospective study on 23 patients with American visceral leishmaniasis (VL), comparing clinical and laboratory parameters of 14 children (mean age of 3.85+/-3.39 years) to nine adults (27.4+/-10.90 years) was performed in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, between August 2000 and July 2002. Data were collected at entrance (day 0), end of treatment, as well as 120 and 210 days after treatment using a ...

The polar hydroethanolic extract from Selaginella sellowii(SSPHE) has been previously proven active on intracellular amastigotes (in vitro test) and now was tested on hamsters infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis (in vivo test). SSPHE suppressed a 100% of the parasite load in the infection site and draining lymph nodes at an intralesional dose of 50 mg/kg/day × 5, which was similar...

Background: Several treatment modalities have been used for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) with various results. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown inhibitory effects of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) on Leishmania parasites. Objective: To compare the efficacy of intralesional injections of 2% ZnSO4 solution with meglumine antimonate (Glucantime) in the treatment of acute Old World CL. Patients ...

The new sulfido antimonates(III) (Rb/Cs)3SbS3 were prepared from the alkali metal sulfides Rb2S/Cs2S2 and elemental antimony and sulfur or Sb2S3 at reaction temperatures of about 700 ◦C. The known isotypic potassium compound was similarily synthesized from the elements. The structures of the light-yellow crystals were refined using single-crystal X-ray data. Both compounds are isotypic to the r...

Mitochondria are key organelles maintaining cellular bioenergetics and integrity, and their regulation of [Ca2+]i homeostasis has been investigated in many cell types. We investigated the short-term Ca-SANDOZ® treatment on brown adipocyte mitochondria, using imaging and molecular biology techniques. Two-month-old male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: Ca-SANDOZ® drinking or tap water (c...

This study was designed to investigate the proposition that subcellular calcium is sequestered in specific sites in mammalian myocardium. 29 functioning dog papillary muscles were fixed through the intact vascular supply by means of osmium tetroxide containing a 2% concentration of potassium pyroantimonate (K(2)H(2)Sb(2)O(7).(4)H(2)O). Tissue examined in the electron microscope showed a consist...

Bone decalcification is a time-consuming process. It takes weeks and preservation of the tissue structure depends on the quality and velocity of the demineralization process. In the present study, a decalcification methodology was adapted using microwaving to accelerate the decalcification of rat bone for electron microscopic analysis. The ultrastructure of the bone decalcified by microwave ene...

Well-crystallized MSb(2)O(6) (M = Ca, Sr and Ba) powders synthesized by solid state reactions exhibit an interesting photocatalytic activity order of Ba > Sr > Ca for organic pollutant (methylene blue and phenol) degradation and hydrogen production from water under UV light irradiation. A simple model, crystal packing factor (PF), was introduced to account for the activity difference. Nine seri...