Rats rendered hypothyroid by treatment with methimazole develop an exaggerated sodium appetite. We investigated here the capacity of hypothyroid rats (N = 12 for each group) to respond to a low dose of captopril added to the ration, a paradigm which induces an increase in angiotensin II synthesis in cerebral areas that regulate sodium appetite by increasing the availability of circulating angiotensin I. In addition, we determined the influence of aldosterone in hypothyroid rats during the expression of spontaneous sodium appetite and after captopril treatment. Captopril significantly increased (P<0.05) the daily intake of 1.8% NaCl (in ml/100 g body weight) in hypothyroid rats after 36 days of methimazole administration (day 36: 9.2 ± 0.7 vs day 32: 2.8 ± 0.6 ml, on the 4th day after captopril treatment). After the discontinuation of captopril treatment, daily 1.8% NaCl intake reached values ranging from 10.0 ± 0.9 to 13.9 ± 1.0 ml, 48 to 60 days after treatment with methimazole. Aldosterone treatment significantly reduced (P<0.05) saline intake before (7.3 ± 1.6 vs day 0, 14.4 ± 1.3 ml) and after captopril treatment. Our results demonstrate that, although hypothyroid rats develop a deficiency in the production of all components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, their capacity to synthesize angiotensin II at the cerebral level is preserved. The partial reversal of daily 1.8% NaCl intake during aldosterone treatment suggests that sodium retention reduces both spontaneous and captopril-induced salt appetite.

As amiotrofias espinhais progressivas (SMAs) constituem as doenças degenerativas de origem genética letais mais comuns do sistema nervoso central e mais freqüentes dentre as doenças autossômicas recessivas após a mucoviscidose. A incidência estimada das SMAs é de aproximadamente 1:10.000 nativivos. Clinicamente, as SMAs são classificadas em mais grave (doença de Werdnig-Hoffmann, tipo I), intermediária (tipo II) e tardia e benigna (doença de Kugelberg-Welander, tipo III). O gene para os três tipos de SMAs foi mapeado no cromossomo 5 q11.2-13.3. Foram identificados dois genes candidatos na mesma região: SMN (sobrevida do neurônio motor) e NAIP (proteína inibidora de apoptose neuronal). Estudamos ambos genes em 87 pacientes brasileiros (20 tipo I,14 tipo II e 53 tipo III) pertencentes a 74 famílias, utilizando as técnicas de PCR e SSCP. Foi encontrada deleção nos exons 7 e/ou 8 do gene SMN em 69% das famílias: 16/20 na tipo I, 9/12 na tipo II e 26/42 na tipo III. Dentre as 51 famílias com deleção, 44 tiveram deleção nos exons 7 e 8 enquanto 7 tiveram deleção somente no exon 7. Deleção no exon 5 do gene NAIP foi encontrada em 7/20 na tipo I, 2/12 na tipo II e 1/42 na tipo III. Não foi encontrada deleção nos genes SMN e NAIP nos 112 progenitores, 26 irmandades assintomáticas e 104 controles normais. Não houve correlação entre deleção de um ou ambos genes com a gravidade do quadro clínico.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the second most common lethal autosomal recessive disorder, has an incidence of 1:10,000 newborns. SMA is divided into acute (Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, type I), intermediate (type II) and juvenile forms (Kugelberg-Welander disease, type III). The gene of all three forms of SMA maps to chromosome 5q 11.2-13.3. Two candidate genes, the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene and the neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) gene, have been identified; SMN is deleted in most SMA patients. We studied both genes in 87 Brazilian SMA patients (20 type I, 14 type II and 53 type III) from 74 unrelated families, by using PCR and single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). Deletions of exons 7 and/or 8 of the SMN gene were found in 69% of the families: 16/20 in type I, 9/12 in type II and 26/42 in type III. Among 51 families with deletions, 44 had both exons deleted while seven had deletions only of exon 7. Deletions of exon 5 of the NAIP gene were found in 7/20 of type I, 2/12 of type II and 1/42 of type III patients. No deletion of SMN and NAIP genes was found in 112 parents, 26 unaffected sibs and 104 normal controls. No correlation between deletions of one or both genes and phenotype severity was found.

Avaliou-se a disponibilidade de fósforo para o arroz, em casa de vegetação, em um solo ácido e com deficiência de P. Utilizou-se 0,5 dm3 de solo, cinco fontes de fósforo (fosfato natural Alvorada-FNA, fosfato monoamônico-MAP, superfosfato simples-SFS, superfosfato triplo-SFT, e termofosfato magnesiano-TM), três doses (100, 200 e 300 mg P dm-3 de solo), uma testemunha e 10 plantas de arroz por vaso. Analisou-se o fósforo do solo por três extratores: Mehlich-1, Olsen e resina. Os fertilizantes aumentaram significativamente a produção de matéria seca em relação à da testemunha. A máxima produção foi alcançada com MAP e SFS na dose 200 mg P dm-3 de solo. A matéria seca, a porcentagem de P e o P absorvido foram correlacionados com os teores de fósforo extraídos do solo pelos três extratores, os quais apresentaram diferenças na extração de P. O extrator Olsen destacou-se dos outros (Mehlich-1 e resina), mostrando-se mais eficiente em predizer a disponibilidade de P para o arroz.

Phosphorous avaliability to rice plants was evaluated in an experiment under greenhouse conditions using an acid and low phosphorus soil. Five fertilizers (Alvorada rock phosphate-FNA, amonion monophosphate-MAP, simple superphosphate-SFS, triple superphosphate-SFT and magnesium termophosphate-TM), three rates (100, 200 and 300 mg P dm-3 of soil), one control and ten plants of rice/pot were used. Phosphorus in soil samples were analized using the following extractants: Mehlich-1, Olsen and resin. Dry matter, P content and P absorved by the shoot were correlated with the P recovered by the three chemical methods. The MAP and SFS at the rate of 200 mg P dm-3 of soil, allowed the highest dry matter accumulation in above ground parts of rice plants. The MAP and SFS at the rate of 200 mg P dm-3 of soil, allowed the highest dry matter in above ground parts of rice plants. Differences among soil chemical P-extractants and a positive correlation with the evaluated parameter were observed. Olsen's extractants showed were the best correlation with rice response to rates and sources of P.