Abstract Thirty-two Santa Inês male lambs, not castrated, were distributed in a randomized block design to evaluate the effects of different tropical forage cultivars (two Panicum maximum (Syn. Megathyrsus maximus): Aruana and Massai, and two Brachiaria brizantha (Syn. Urochloa brizantha) Marandu and Piatã) on carcass characteristics, quality, physical composition, and meat chemistry. The data were subjected to an analysis of variance, and the means compared using the Tukey test at 5% significance. There was no effect of cultivars on body weight, slaughter weight, and biometric measurements of the carcass. The Aruana and Piatã cultivars provided higher weights of hot and cold carcasses when compared to the Massai and the Marandu had no significant differences compared to the others. The animals kept in the pasture of the Aruana cultivar showed higher shank yields. However, forage cultivars did not affect the ribeye area or subcutaneous fat thickness. There was also no effect of cultivar on pH, temperature, cooking losses, cooling losses, and meat shear strength. The cultivars did not change the quality and composition of the meat. However, the Aruana, Piatã, and Marandu cultivars were the ones that provided higher carcass weights and ham yields.

Abstract Background: There is still a need for new alternatives in pharmacological therapy for neglected diseases, as the drugs available show high toxicity and parenteral administration. That is the case for the treatment of leishmaniasis, particularly to the cutaneous clinical form of the disease. In this study, we present the synthesis and biological screening of eight 4-phenyl-1,3-thiazol-2-amines assayed against Leishmania amazonensis. Herein we propose that these compounds are good starting points for the search of new antileishmanial drugs by demonstrating some of the structural aspects which could interfere with the observed activity, as well as suggesting potential macromolecular targets. Methods: The compounds were easily synthesized by the methodology of Hantzsch and Weber, had their purities determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry and assayed against the promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis as well as against two white cell lines (L929 and THP-1) and the monkey's kidney Vero cells. PrestoBlue® and MTT viability assays were the methodologies applied to measure the antileishmanial and cytotoxic activities, respectively. A molecular modeling target fishing study was performed aiming to propose potential macromolecular targets which could explain the observed biological behavior. Results: Four out of the eight compounds tested exhibited important anti-promastigote activity associated with good selectivity indexes when considering Vero cells. For the most promising compound, compound 6, IC50 against promastigotes was 20.78 while SI was 5.69. Compounds 3 (IC50: 46.63 μM; SI: 26.11) and 4 (IC50: 53.12 μM; SI: 4.80) also presented important biological behavior. A target fishing study suggested that S-methyl-5-thioadenosine phosphorylase is a potential target to these compounds, which could be explored to enhance activity and decrease the potential toxic side effects. Conclusions: This study shows that 4-phenyl-1,3-thiazol-2-amines could be good scaffolds to the development of new antileishmanial agents. The S-methyl-5-thioadenosine phosphorylase could be one of the macromolecular targets involved in the action.

Considerando a casuística de distúrbios abdominais em eqüinos, e o fato da paracentese ser uma técnica fácil e segura para o animal, a análise do líquido peritoneal torna-se um importante exame auxiliar no diagnóstico e direcionamento da conduta clínica. Como no Brasil não existem valores de referência desse exame em eqüinos sem raça definida, este trabalho objetivou o estabelecimento desses valores para esses animais. Foram usados sessenta eqüinos sem raça definida, procedentes da Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte-MG, os quais foram vermifugados e mantidos na Escola de Veterinária da UFMG, recebendo a mesma alimentação. Foi realizada paracentese abdominal, para obtenção de amostra fracionada em três alíquotas: uma contendo EDTA, outra citrato de sódio e outra sem anticoagulante. A alíquota sem anticoagulante foi subdividida para se fazer esfregaços em lâminas para contagem diferencial de leucócitos e para dosagem da proteína total. Na alíquota com citrato, foi dosado fibrinogênio e na com EDTA foi feita contagem total de leucócitos. Os resultados obtidos foram: Leucócitos total/mil 3567 ± 3280; Neutrófilos 51,6± 23,3%; Eosinófilos 3,0± 8,5%; Basófilos 0,1± 0,35%; Linfócitos 10,5± 10,6%; Células Mononucleares 33,8± 25,3%; Proteína g/dl 1,2± 0,6 e Fibrinogênio g/dl 0,05 ± 0,015.

The high casuistic of abdominal disturbs in equine, and the knowledge that paracentesis is an efficient technique, simple and safe for the animal, result that the analysis of the peritoneal fluid becomes an important aid for diagnosis and clinical orientation in individual cases. As in Brazil there are no reference values for peritoneal fluid evaluation for working horses, this work intends to provide some values for that category of animals. Sixty healthy working horses, from the Metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil were used. The animals were maintained in the Veterinary Hospital of the Veterinary School of the Federal University of Minas Gerais - Brazil, kept under the same nutricional and environmental conditions. Abdominal paracentesis was performed to obtain a sample in three aliquots: with EDTA, with sodium citrate and without anticoagulant substance. The aliquot without anticoagulant was subdivided to prepare smears in glasses to make leukocyte differentiation, cytological examination and total protein determination. In the aliquot with sodium citrate was determined fibrinogen and in the one with EDTA was made total leukocytes count. The results were Total Leukocytes/mul 3567± 3280; Neutrophils 51.6±23.3%; Eosinophils3.0±8.5%; Basophils 0.1 ±0.35%; Lymphocytes 10.5±10.6%; Mononucleated Cells 33.8±25.3%; Total Protein g/dl 1.2±0.6 and Fibrinogen g/dl 0.05±0.015.