RESUMO Objetivo: comparar dados clínicos, laboratoriais e densitométricos de pacientes com osteoartrose e com fratura do colo femoral. Métodos: estudo transversal de pacientes com fratura do colo femoral e osteoartrose do quadril, submetidos à artroplastia de quadril. Dados clínicos, laboratoriais e densitométricos foram coletados. Resultados: cinquenta e três pacientes foram incluídos, 22 com fraturas do colo femoral e 31 com osteoartrose. Pacientes com fratura do colo do fêmur apresentaram maior idade do que os pacientes com osteoartrose, tendo valores de IMC, densidade mineral óssea e força de preensão palmar (pacientes sarcopênicos) inferiores, estando mais incapacitados neurologicamente e apresentando um pior escore ASA. Entre os vários parâmetros bioquímicos analisados, diferenças estatisticamente significantes foram encontrados no cálcio sérico total, cálcio ionizado, vitamina D, tiroxina livre, eritrócitos, hemoglobina, hematócrito, glóbulos brancos totais, neutrófilos, linfócitos e creatinina entre os dois grupos. Outros hormônios analisados e parâmetros bioquímicos não diferiram significativamente, apesar de mostrarem tendências entre os dois grupos. Conclusão: pacientes com fraturas do colo do fêmur são mais idosos do que pacientes com osteoartrose, apresentam um menor peso e IMC, são mais debilitados, muitos com anemia e massa óssea reduzida, além de terem uma diminuição significativa no cálcio total, cálcio ionizado, vitamina D e creatinina e um aumento significativo na tiroxina livre.

ABSTRACT Objective: to compare clinical, laboratory and densitometric data from patients with osteoarthrosis and femoral neck fractures. Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with femoral neck fracture and hip osteoarthrosis submitted to hip arthroplasty. We collected clinical, laboratory and densitometric data. Results: we included 53 patients, 22 with femoral neck fractures and 31 with osteoarthrosis. Patients with femoral neck fractures were older than patients with osteoarthrosis, with lower BMI values, bone mineral density and palmar grip strength (sarcopenic patients), being more neurologically impaired and presenting a worse ASA score. Among the various biochemical parameters analyzed, we found statistically significant differences in total serum calcium, ionized calcium, vitamin D, free thyroxine, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, total white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes and creatinine between the two groups. Other hormones analyzed and biochemical parameters did not differ significantly, although they showed trends between the two groups. Conclusion: patients with femoral neck fractures are older than patients with osteoarthrosis, have a lower weight and BMI, are more debilitated, many with anemia and reduced bone mass, and have a significant decrease in total calcium, ionized calcium, vitamin D and creatinine and a significant increase in free thyroxine.

Studies were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of the growth regulator, triflumuron (TFM) (Starycide® sc 480 Bayer), for disrupting the development of Rhodnius prolixus fifth-instar nymph by oral, topical or continuous treatment. All treatments were able to induce high levels of mortality, delay development and molt inhibition. Oral treatment induced molt inhibition in all insects that survived at doses of 0.25, 0.50 and 5.0 mg/mL of a blood meal. The highest levels of both mortality in 24 h and molt inhibition were always observed after topical treatment. The lowest doses needed to obtain considerable biological effects were always observed after continuous treatment. In this way, the highest levels of mortality within 30 days were detected after continuous treatment, which also induced an extended inter-molting period, a lower number of over-aged nymphs and the highest level of molting in nymphs that survived. Moreover, the effects of TFM on insects were often displayed in a dose response manner. These results indicate that TFM acts as a potent growth inhibitor of R. prolixus nymphs and has the potential to be used in integrated vector control programs against hematophagous triatomine species.

Protease activities in the haemolymph and fat body in a bloodsucking insect, Rhodnius prolixus, infected with Trypanosoma rangeli, were investigated. After SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis containing gelatin as substrate, analysis of zymograms performed on samples of different tissues of controls and insects inoculated or orally infected with short or long epimastigotes of T. rangeli, demonstrated distinct patterns of protease activities: (i) proteases were detected in the haemolymph of insects which were fed on, or inoculated with, short epimastigotes of T. rangeli (39 kDa and 33 kDa, respectively), but they were not observed in the fat body taken from these insects; (ii) protease was also presented in the fat bodies derived from naive insects or controls inoculated with sterile phosphate-saline buffer (49 kDa), but it was not detected in the haemolymph of these insects; (iii) no protease activity was observed in both haemolymph and fat bodies taken from insects inoculated with, or fed on, long epimastigotes of T. rangeli. Furthermore, in short epimastigotes of T. rangeli extracts, three bands of the protease activities with apparent molecular weights of 297, 198 and 95 kDa were detected while long epimastigotes preparation presented only two bands of protease activities with molecular weights of 297 and 198 kDa. The proteases from the insect infected with T. rangeli and controls belong to the class of either metalloproteases or metal-activated enzymes since they are inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline. The significance of these proteases in the insects infected with short epimastigotes of T. rangeli is discussed in relation to the success of the establishment of infection of these parasites in its vector, R. prolixus.

Analysis of zymograms with SDS-polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis containing gelatin as substrate, and performed on samples of haemolymph or fat body taken from Rhodnius prolixus inoculated or not with Enterobacter cloacae, demonstrated distinct patterns of protease activities: (i) in the haemolymph two proteases were induced in insects inoculated with bacteria; (ii) two proteases were detected in the fat bodies derived from non-inoculated controls or insect inoculated with sterile culture medium; (iii) haemolymph and fat body had both the same apparent molecular weights proteases (46 and 56 kDa); and (iv) these enzymes were characterized as metallo-proteases. The association of these enzymes in Rhodnius infected with bacteria was discussed.