ABSTRACT Mikania belongs to the Asteraceae family and includes a wide range of promising pharmacological activities. Several species of Mikania, which is popularly known in Brazil as “guaco”, occur in Southern Brazil and their external morphology is similar. The aim of this study was to investigate the morpho-anatomical characteristics of the leaf and stem of Mikania campanulata, Mikania cordifolia, Mikania glomerata, Mikania hastato-cordata, Mikania microptera and Mikania sessilifolia as a means of providing additional support for differentiating these taxa. The leaves and stems were investigated by employing scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy techniques. The morphological features of Mikania spp. leaves make it possible to differentiate between the species; nevertheless, when the plants were fragmented or pulverized the anatomical features of the leaves and stems supplied additional helpful data in this regard. The main anatomical characteristics were presence of hypodermis and lens shaped epidermal cells, set of trichomes; midrib, petiole and stem shape and vascular pattern; sclerenchymatous ring in the cortex, sclerenchymatous cells and secretory ducts in the pith.

AbstractBaccharis L. sect. Caulopterae, Asteraceae, comprises thirty species in Brazil that show stems represented by cladodes, which are very similar in morphology. These species are popularly known as “carqueja” in Brazil and Argentina and are used in popular medicine as diuretic and stomachic. The aim of this work was to examine the morpho-anatomical characters of cladodes of Baccharis pentaptera (Less.) DC. for diagnosis purposes. The plant material was prepared by light and scanning electron microscopy. B. pentaptera shows opposite and spread wings in the two-winged cladode axis and irregular arrangement in the three-winged cladode. The wings have a uniseriate epidermis with palisade parenchyma next to both sides of epidermis. The spongy parenchyma crossed by minor collateral vascular bundles is observed in the central region of wings. The glandular trichomes are capitate and biseriate and the non-glandular trichomes are uniseriate and flagelliform with 2–3 cells that extend from the base. In caulinar axis, there are uniseriate epidermis, chlorenchyma alternating with angular collenchyma and perivascular fiber caps adjoining the phloem which is outside the xylem. Prismatic and styloid crystals are verified in the perimedullary zone. These combined characters can assist the diagnosis of Baccharis species sect. Caulopterae.

The genus Calea belongs to the tribe Heliantheae and presents about 125 species. Calea serrata, popularly known as erva-de-cobra, chá-amargo and quebra-tudo, is an endemic species found in southern Brazil and is used in traditional medicine to treat ulcers and livers problems. The present work aimed to study the pharmacobotanical characters of leaves and stems of C. serrata for quality control purposes. The plant material was processed according to standard methods of light and scanning electron microscopy. Glandular capitate-stalked and capitate-sessile, uniseriate multicellular non-glandular trichome with tapered apical cell, conical non-glandular trichome, isobilateral mesophyll, secretory ducts near the endoderm and circular shape with six ribs in the stem were important characters, which contributed to the identification of the species.

Despite the interest in identifying systemic effects caused by the metallic particles released from long term metallic implants in the body, few works support reliable conclusions about the effects of those particles in organs. The aim of the present work is to look for damages in tissues of liver, kidney, lung and heart of rats submitted to injection of Hank's solution contained particles of Ti6Al4V alloy and Stainless Steel 316L, obtained by metal friction. The particles size ranges from 50 to 200 µm for the Ti alloy and from 100 to 500 µm for the 316L. Tissues isolated from the organs after the euthanasia were prepared and analyzed in an optical microscope and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS). Lesions caused by an inflammatory response such as strange body epithelioid granuloma and giant cells were found in some of the tissues containing yttrium and aluminum.

Estudamos 16 casos entre 1400 biópsias musculares que apresentavam vacúolos marginados, cujo aspecto histológico sugeria corpos de inclusão citoplasmáticos. Procuramos correlacionar os dados clínicos, laboratoriais e histopatológicos, a fim de determinar a especificidade dos corpos de inclusão citoplasmáticos para determinadas doenças. A creatinaquinase mostrou-se elevada em 10 casos. A eletromiografia foi anormal em todos os casos. A histoquímica muscular em 5 casos revelou uma miopatia, em 7 padrão misto, em dois desinervação e em 2 casos miopatia inflamatória. A microscopia eletrônica demonstrou a presença de filamentos em 8 casos (nucleares, dispersos no citoplasma ou na região subsarcolemal). Os pacientes foram classificados conforme a história clínica, hereditariedade, dados laboratoriais, eletrofisiológicos, histoquímicos e microscopia eletrônica Encontramos miosite com corpos de inclusão citoplasmática (4 casos), atrofia muscular espinhal juvenil (6 casos), miopatias distais (3 casos), distrofia de cinturas pélvica e escapular (2 casos) e polineuropatia periférica (1 caso). Apresentamos revisão sobre a patogenia, formação e possível etiologia dos vacúolos marginados e sua relação com as diversas entidades em que foram detectados, sugerindo que não são específicos para uma única doença.

Among 1400 muscle biopsies, we studied 16 cases with rimmed vacuoles, whose histology suggests cytoplasm inclusion bodies. We tried to correlate the clinical, laboratory and histopatological data in order to verify the specificity of cytoplasm inclusion bodies to certain diseases. The creatinekinase was increased in 10 cases. In all cases electromyography was abnormal. Muscle histochemistry revealed myopathy in 5 cases, mixed pattern in 7, denervation in 2 and in 2 cases, inflammatory myopathy. Electron microscopy showed the presence of filaments in 8 cases (nuclear, disseminated in cytoplasm or in the subsarcolemmal region). The patients were classified according to history, heredity, laboratory, electrophysiologic, histochemistry data and electron microscopy: in myositis with inclusion cytoplasmic bodies (4 cases), juvenile spinal muscular atrophy (6 cases), distal myopathies (3 cases), limb-girdle dystrophy (2 cases) and peripheral neuropathy (1 case). We present a revision on the pathogenesis and possible etiology of rimmed vacuoles and their relationship with several diseases.