Abstract Silicone breast implant is associated with complications inherent to the surgical procedure. Prosthesis coating with polyurethane, however, commonly reduces the incidence of such complications. In this paper, the authors evaluated the inflammatory histomorphometric profile and oxidative damage associated to the implant of polyester urethane sheets. Forty-eight Wistar rats were divided into Sham or polyester urethane groups (n = 8/group) and underwent a polyester urethane implant in the dorsal skinfold. Tissue samples were collected on days seven, 30, and 90 after surgery and subjected to histomorphometric analysis and biochemical tests. Results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA (p ≤ 0.05). Peri-implant tissue samples exhibited characteristic inflammatory response associated with the biomaterial, with increased vascularization on day seven and augmented levels of IL1-b and TNF-a after 30 days. Peri-implant fibrocystic population was small on day seven, but increased considerably after 90 days. A rise in the carbonyl group levels of skin samples in the polyester urethane group was observed on day seven. Findings suggest that polyester urethane sheets undergo biodegradation at an early stage after implantation, followed by increased vascularity and microencapsulation of biomaterial fragments, without persistent oxidative damage. Fiber arrangement inside the collagen matrix results in a fibrotic scar because of polyester urethane degradation.

Resumo Os recifes de coral do Brasil formam estruturas significativamente diferentes dos modelos conhecidos: (i) possuem uma forma de crescimento de pináculos coralíneos em forma de cogumelo, chamados "chapeirões", (ii) são construídos por uma fauna coralínea com baixa diversidade e rica em espécies endêmicas, sendo grande parte destas formas relíquias do período Terciário e (iii) os recifes costeiros estão num ambiente dominado por sedimentos siliciclásticos. Os recifes estão distribuídos em quatro áreas ao longo da costa brasileira: regiões norte, nordeste, leste, e nas ilhas oceânicas, mas espécies isoladas de coral podem ser encontradas em águas mais quentes nas enseadas da região sul. Diferentes tipos de banco recifais, recifes em franja, "chapeirões" isolados e um atol estão presentes ao longo da costa brasileira. Corais, milleporídeos e algas coralinas incrustantes constroem a estrutura rígida dos recifes. As áreas em que ocorrem os maiores recifes de coral correspondem às regiões nas proximidades de centros urbanos que estão experimentando crescimento acelerado e rápido desenvolvimento do turismo. Os principais efeitos antropogênicos sobre o ecossistema recifal estão associados, essencialmente ao aumento da sedimentação devido à remoção da mata atlântica e as descargas de efluentes industriais e urbanos. Os efeitos do aquecimento das águas oceânicas que vem afetando várias áreas de recifes, com alta intensidade de branqueamento de coral, não causaram mortalidade em massa nos recifes brasileiros até o evento de 2010.

Abstract Brazilian coral reefs form structures significantly different from the well-known reef models, as follows: (i) they have a growth form of mushroom-shaped coral pinnacles called "chapeirões", (ii) they are built by a low diversity coral fauna rich in endemic species, most of them relic forms dating back to the Tertiary, and (iii) the nearshore bank reefs are surrounded by siliciclastic sediments. The reefs are distributed in the following four major sectors along the Brazilian coast: the northern, the northeastern and the eastern regions, and the oceanic islands, but certain isolated coral species can be found in warmer waters in embayments of the southern region. There are different types of bank reefs, fringing reefs, isolated "chapeirões" and an atoll present along the Brazilian coast. Corals, milleporids and coralline algae build the rigid frame of the reefs. The areas in which the major coral reefs occur correspond to regions in which nearby urban centers are experiencing accelerated growth, and tourism development is rapidly increasing. The major human effects on the reef ecosystem are mostly associated with the increased sedimentation due to the removal of the Atlantic rainforest and the discharge of industrial and urban effluents. The effects of the warming of oceanic waters that had previously affected several reef areas with high intensity coral bleaching had not shown, by the time of the 2010 event, any episodes of mass coral mortality on Brazilian reefs.

The crabs of the genus Dissodactylus are well known as ectosymbionts of irregular echinoids belonging to Clypeasteroida and Spatangoida. Dissodactylus crinitichelis is the only species of the genus reported in Brazil. The pea crab species has been already recorded associated with four species of echinoids in Brazilian waters. This paper reviews the known hosts for D. crinitichelis and registers for the first time the association between the pea crab and the sand dollar Leodia sexiesperforata increasing to five the number of known hosts for the crab.

O insucesso de retalhos devido a necrose total ou parcial não é um fato isolado. O edema pode ser um fator importante na perda do retalho. A hialuronidase degrada o ácido hialurônico presente no tecido conjuntivo que está envolvido na homeostase da água na matriz extracelular, e pode ser importante na melhora da sobrevida de retalhos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a efetividade da hialuronidase na melhora da sobrevida de retalhos cutâneos em ratas. Quarenta e duas ratas Wistar distribuídas em quatro grupos foram incluídas na pesquisa. Praticou-se um retalho randomizado de 7 x 2 cm no dorso do animal. Três grupos receberam tratamento pós-operatório durante quatro dias. O grupo A (n=11) recebeu 100 UI/dia de hialuronidase, o grupo B (n=11) 50 UI/dia de hialuronidase e o grupo C (n=10) água destilada. O grupo D (n=10) não recebeu tratamento. Foi avaliada a área de necrose e submetido a análise estatística. As taxas de necrose no dia 7 foram: no grupo A 38,69% (± 9,26), grupo B 38,20% (± 15,05), grupo C 51,97% (± 8,37) e grupo D 45,90% (± 12,57). Houve diferença estatisticamente significante (p<0,05) entre os grupos A e B quando comparados com o grupo C. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante dos grupos A e B em comparação com o grupo D. A hialuronidase mostrou-se efetiva quando o fator infiltração estava envolvido, o que sugere um efeito de dissolução do edema como provável mecanismo de melhora da sobrevida em retalhos cutâneos em ratas.

Flap failure related to total or partial necrosis is not a rare event. Flap edema could be an important factor on flap losing. Hyaluronidase breaks down the hyaluronic acid existing in the connective tissue, which is involved on water homeostasis of intercellular ground substance, and may be important on increasing flap survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of hyaluronidase on improving cutaneuos flap survival in rats. Forty-two Wistar rats divided in four groups were included in this study. It was made a 7 x 2 cm random flap in the dorsal aspect of the animal. Three groups received post-operative treatment during four days. Group A (n=11) received 100 UI per day of hyaluronidase, group B (n=11) 50 UI per day and group C (n=10) received distilled water. Group D (n=10) was not treated. It was evaluated the necrosis area and those data were statistically analyzed. Necrosis rates on 7th day were 38,69% (±9,26) in the group A, 38,20% (±15,05) in the group B, 51,97% (±8,37) in the group C and 45,90% (±12,57) in the group D. There was found difference with statistical significance (p<0,05) between group A and B when compared with the group C. There was no statistical difference when compared groups A and B with group D. Hyaluronidase was found effective when the infiltration factor was involved and this suggests a spread effect on edema to be the provable mechanism on increasing of the cutaneous flap survival in rats.