Repositório RCAAP

As principais variedades de Coffea arabica da coleção de Campinas, bem como algumas progênies de maior produtividade de um ensaio de seleções regionais, também desta localidade, foram analisadas a fim de verificar a variabilidade no teor de óleo que apresentam. Na coleção de variedades notou-se que as menores porcentagens em óleo foram encontradas nas amostras dos cafés Amarelo de Botucatu (10,51) e Mokka (10,911 e, as mais elevadas, em amostras dos cafés Mucronata (17,75), Bourbon Vermelho (17,07) e São Bernardo (17,06). Notou-se, de um modo geral, que as amostras despolpadas se revelaram mais ricas em óleo do que as não despolpadas. Nas duas séries de determinações realizadas no ensaio de seleções regionais observou-se ampla variação nas principais progênies de Mundo Novo, várias das quais se mostraram mais ricas em óleo do que a var. typica, tomada como padrão. Entre as linhagem mais produtivas do café Mundo Novo, a de prefixo CP 387-17 (13,90%) revelou-se mais pobre em óleo do que as demais, enquanto as de prefixos CP 385.20 (16,38%), CP 390-2 (16,28%), CP 374-3 (16,25%), P 381-1 (16,22%) e CP 379-19 (16,20%), mostraram-se com maior teor em óleo, indicando a possibilidade de serem selecionadas progênies do café Mundo Novo com maior ou menor, conteúdo, de óleo nas sementes.

No presente trabalho faz-se o estudo hidrológico de pequenas bacias situadas na Estação Experimental «Dr. Theodureto de Camargo», do Instituto Agronômico, em Campinas, com base em dados coligidos no período de junho de 1945 a julho de 1947. Duas das bacias, respectivamente de 120 e 180 hectares de área. são contribuintes de uma terceira bacia, de 522 hectares, limitada em sua parte inferior pela barragem de terra de uma velha reprêsa. As vazões das duas pequenas bacias e do ladrão da reprêsa foram medidas com calhas «Parshall» durante aquele intervalo de tempo. Os dados foram analisados por meio de diagramas, simples e acumulados, das vazões das bacias e das precipitações mensais. São também apresentados diversos, diagramas de Rippl para ilustrar a aplicação prática dos dados. Comparações de dados dc evapotranspiração obtidos dos estudos hidrológicos com dados de evapotranspiração potencial calculados pelo emprêgo da fórmula de Thornthwaite, mostraram uma surpreendente concordância, em tôrno de uma média mensal de 80 milímetros, obtida para períodos de 13 meses. As porcentagens de vazão das bacias em relação ao volume das precipitações foram, em média, de 26,5%, da qual apenas uma pequena parcela (3% da precipitação total) é atribuída à enxurrada. Os restantes 23,5% da vazão das bacias acredita-se serem devidos à água percolada do solo que atingiu o lençol freático. As perdas totais (infiltração + evaporação) verificadas por efeito do armazenamento de água, represadas pela antiga barragem de terra, foram estimadas em tôrno de 50% da vazão total de alimentação. Acredita-se que poderiam ser menores se a barragem fôsse construída por processos modernos, que implicam naimpermeabilização quase total da estrutura. Verifica-se que há uma defasagem nos máximos e mínimos observados para as precipitações e vazões das bacias estudadas, mais acentuada no início da estação chuvosa devido ao fenômeno de retenção de água pelo solo. Essa defasagem assume aspectos de particular importância nos estudos de disponibilidade de água, revelando ser bastante precário o método de determinação da vazão, em uma época qualquer, sem a continuidade necessária.

No presente trabalho .são apresentados os primeiros resultados de uma experiência instalada na Estação Experimental de Tatuí, em solo Corumbataí com pH = 5,3, para estudar o efeito, sôbre a produção do algodoeiro, da calarem, da adubação verde com mucuna prêta {Stizolobium sp.) e de uma adubação mineral com .NPK. sendo êsses tratamentos efetuados separadamente ou combinados. A mucuna foi plantada nos mesmos anos em que se aplicou o calcário; nesses anos, os canteiros testemunhas e os que só receberam calcário ficaram em pousio. Quando o algodoeiro ocupou os canteiros, êstes foram divididos em duas partes, aplicando-se NPK em uma delas. A experiência foi conduzida de modo que em todos os anos figuraram as culturas do algodoeiro e da mucuna. No conjunto dos quatro anos relatados (1956-57 a 1959-60) os efeitos médios da calagem e das adubações verde e mineral foram significativos e atingiram respectivamente +19, +19 e +13%. Todavia, êsses efeitos foram atenuados por vários fatôres, entre outros pela adubação com NPK das culturas anteriores à experiência e pelos pousios na fase preparatória desta. Tanto que as respostas a todos os tratamentos tenderam a aumentar no decorrer dos anos. O efeito do tratamento calcário + mucuna foi superior à soma das respostas à mucuna e ao calcário empregados separadamente. Durante o periodo relatado, as produções dos canteiros sem qualquer tratamento cairam consideravelmente, o mesmo acontecendo, com menor intensidade, às dos diversos tratamentos, com exceção do que recebeu calcário + mucuna + NPK, no qual elas tenderam a aumentar. Em relação à testemunha geral, o efeito deste último tratamento foi de +38% no primeiro biênio, elevando-se a +115% no segundo.

Segundo a técnica estabelecida, os canteiros de experimentos de adubação devem ser protegidos por bordaduras ou faixas marginais, as quais, embora sejam tratadas como as áreas chamadas «úteis», não são utilizadas para as observações e a colheita. Em vista do acréscimo de trabalho etc. que essa técnica ocasiona, nota-se tendência para simplificá-la, usando-se. por exemplo, uma só fileira, sem adubo, para separar as áreas úteis adjacentes. Estudando a viabilidade da citada simplificação em dois experimentos de adubação do milho, o autor verificou que as fileiras separadoras produziram tanto mais quanto maiores foram as doses de nitrogênio empregadas nas áreas úteis adjacentes, parecendo, assim, que estas foram desfalcadas de correspondentes quantidades dêsse nutriente. Num outro experimento, também com milho, em que se usou a técnica estabelecida, as produções das bordaduras foram maiores que as das áreas úteis, ao passo que, naquelas, o efeito do nitrogênio foi muito menor do que nestas. Dêsse estudo concluiu o autor que, pelo menos quando se estudar o efeito do nitrogênio, não se deve abandonar a técnica estabelecida.

Tem sido observada ocasionalmente uma lesão no colo de cafeeiros novos ao nível do solo. .Estudos dc laboratório mostraram que o caule de cafeeiros novos foram danificados quando ao redor dêle se fêz circular água aquecida às temperaturas de 45 o 50ºC. O aquecimento da superfície do solo, compreendendo o colo de cafeeiro vegetando em laminados, com o auxílio de uma lâmpada de raios infravermelhos, resultou em lesão semelhante àquela observada nas culturas. Essa lesão apareceu em tratamentos cujas temperaturas estiveram entre 44 e 51°C. O fato dessas temperaturas serem freqüentemente observadas em solos expostos ao sol, sugere que a lesão do caule do cafeeiro, observada freqüentemente em cafèzais novos, seja conseqüência do aquecimento excessivo da superfície do solo pelos raios solares.

Em 1958 e 1959 foram estudados no Vale do Paraíba, região normalmente produtora de café de bebida rio ou riada, processos de colheita e preparo a fim de observar a influência dessas operações sôbre a qualidade da bebida. Dois processos de colheita foram comparados: o da derriça e o da colheita apenas dos frutos maduros ou cerejas. Estas foram sêcas com e sem prévio despolpamento, retirando-se a mucilagem pela fermentação natural ou com solução de NaOH a 0,5%, sendo, neste último caso, maceradas, ou não, em água, durante 12 horas. Em todos os casos a secagem foi feita em terreiro. Para comparação, incluiram-se na experiência quatro lotes de café das bebidas-padrão: mole, apenas mole, dura e riada. O café derriçado alcançou as piores médias, classificando-se em ambos os anos, entre os padrões de bebida dura e riada. As cerejas despolpadas não diferiram estatisticamente entre si e tampouco do padrão mole. As cerejas não despolpadas se mostraram equivalentes ao padrão mole, em 1958, mas foram inferiores a êle em 1959.

São apresentados e discutidos os resultados de vários experimentos de campo realizados na Estação Experimental de Tatuí, do Instituto Agronômico, com a Crotalaria juncea L. como planta produtora de celulose para papel. Êsses resultados permitem fazer recomendações úteis sôbre o melhoramento técnico da cultura e da produção, no concernente às questões de variedades, espaçamento, densidade de semeação, época de semeação e época de colheita dos caules.

O advento de novas tecnologias na saúde causou impacto nos indicadores clínicos e econômicos. Os métodos de pesquisa que incorporam conceitos da economia da saúde e epidemiologia clínica permitem avaliar a eficiência de novas tecnologias, por exemplo, através da análise de custo-efetividade. Este é um instrumento de análise de valor das intervenções em saúde. A metodologia, análise de custo-efetividade, é condição determinante da moderna prática de cuidados à saúde, pois as opções terapêuticas hoje disponíveis no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) ou no sistema de saúde suplementar do Brasil passam necessariamente por tal análise, logo o sistema de saúde bem como os profissionais da saúde são levados a reexaminar os benefícios e custos de suas ações para assegurar que haja incorporação das tecnologias mais eficientes. Neste segundo artigo sobre avaliação de tecnologia em saúde reviram-se os conceitos de análise de custo-efetividade, os passos envolvidos na sua execução e o método para a análise crítica dos resultados.

CONTEXT: In Machado-Joseph disease, poor posture, dystonia and peripheral neuropathy are extremely predisposing to oropharyngeal dysphagia, which is more commonly associated with muscular dystrophy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of oropharyngeal dysphagia in Machado-Joseph disease patients. METHOD: Forty individuals participated in this study, including 20 with no clinical complaints and 20 dysphagic patients with Machado-Joseph disease of clinical type 1, who were all similar in terms of gender distribution, average age, and cognitive function. The medical history of each patient was reviewed and each subject underwent a clinical evaluation of deglutition. At the end, the profile of dysphagia in patients with Machado-Joseph disease was classified according to the Severity Scale of Dysphagia, as described by O'Neil and collaborators. RESULTS: Comparison between dysphagic patients and controls did not reveal many significant differences with respect to the clinical evaluation of the oral phase of deglutition, since afflicted patients only demonstrated deficits related to the protrusion, retraction and tonus of the tongue. However, several significant differences were observed with respect to the pharyngeal phase. Dysphagic patients presented pharyngeal stasis during deglutition of liquids and solids, accompanied by coughing and/or choking as well as penetration and/or aspiration; these signs were absent in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Oropharyngeal dysphagia is part of the Machado-Joseph disease since the first neurological manifestations. There is greater involvement of the pharyngeal phase, in relation to oral phase of the deglutition. The dysphagia of these patients is classified between mild and moderate.

CONTEXT: It has been demonstrated that the ageing process affects esophageal motility. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of the age on the proximal esophageal response to wet swallows. METHOD: We measured the proximal esophageal response to swallows of a 5 mL bolus of water in 69 healthy volunteers, 20 of them aged 18-30 years (group I), 27 aged 31-50 years (group II), and 22 aged 51-74 years (group III). We used the manometric method with continuous perfusion. The proximal esophageal contractions were recorded 5 cm from a pharyngeal recording site located 1 cm above the upper esophageal sphincter. The time between the onset of the pharyngeal and of the proximal esophageal recording (pharyngeal-esophageal time) and the amplitude, duration and area under the curve of the proximal esophageal contraction were measured. RESULTS: The pharyngeal-esophageal time was shorter in group I subjects than in group II and III subjects (P<0.05). The duration of proximal esophageal contractions was longer in group I than in groups II and III (P<0.001). There was no differences between groups in the amplitude or area under the curve of contractions. There were no differences between groups II and III for any of the measurements. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the age may affects the response of the proximal esophagus to wet swallows.

CONTEXT: In a previously published study, the variables lower rectal tumor site, preoperative chemoradiotherapy and large tumors were considered as independent risk factors for the inability of sentinel lymph node identification in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma. OBJECTIVES: To determine if these variables could interfere in the precision and upstaging benefit of sentinel lymph node mapping in colorectal cancer. METHODS: A database composed of 52 patients submitted to lymphatic mapping using technetium-99m-phytate and patent blue was reviewed. Only patients with tumors smaller than 5.0 cm, not submitted to preoperative chemoradiotherapy and without lower rectal cancer were included. RESULTS: With these parameters, 11 patients remained to be studied. The sentinel lymph node identification rate was 100%, with a sensitivity of 100%, negative predictive value of 100%, no false negatives and accuracy of 100%. Sentinel lymph nodes were the only metastatic nodes in 36.4% of the patients, micrometastases (<0.2 cm or only identified by immunohistochemistry) provided an upstaging rate of 27.1% and metastases an upstaging rate of 9.1%. CONCLUSION: The parameters proposed in this study for selection of colorectal adenocarcinoma patients to be submitted to sentinel lymph node mapping identified optimal accuracy and good upstaging results. As the number of included patients was low, these results could serve as guidance for proper patient selection in further prospective lymph node mapping studies in colorectal cancer patients.

CONTEXT: Undernutrition is a well known underlying cause in both disease onset and outcome. OBJECTIVE: To associate disease severity with pre surgical nutritional status, the main postsurgical complications, and mortality in esophagus cancer patients. METHOD: Retrospective data from 100 patients (38-81 years old, 85% males) who had undergone esophagectomy (G1/n = 25) or gastro/jejunostomy (G2/n = 75) between 1995 and 2004. Data included clinical, endoscopic, histological (TNM-UICC), dietary, anthropometric, blood chemistry, and postsurgical (&gt;30 days) complications and mortality. Surgical groups were compared by Student's test and existing associations between variables by either c² or Fisher exact tests with P = 0.05. RESULTS: The studied sample was predominantly male (85%), white (80%), smokers and alcoholics (95%), dysphagics (95%) mostly presenting body weight loss before cancer diagnosis (78%). TNM III and IV predominated over I and II, associated (P<0.005) with higher body mass index and hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 mg/dL) frequency. Esophagic obstructions (n = 77) were associated (P = 0.002) with lower body mass index (kg/m²). Postsurgical complications were more common in G1 (69.2%) than G2, predominantly with infections in G2 (80%) and pleura-pulmonary in G1 (61%). Body mass index and lower lymphocyte counts were associated with early infections and postsurgical complications in G2. Plasma albumin levels were lower in this group than G1, and were associated with postsurgical complications and mortality whereas lower lymphocyte counts was associated with mortality in G1. CONCLUSIONS: Disease severity (or late diagnosis) is associated with poor nutritional status and palliative surgery which lead to more complicated postsurgery outcome and mortality. Early diagnosis and nutritional intervention are the recommended actions.

CONTEXT: Validated questionnaires are essential tools to be utilized in epidemiological research. At the moment there are no Rome III diagnostic questionnaires translated to Portuguese. OBJECTIVE: To validate the Portuguese version of the Rome III Diagnostic Questionnaire for Functional Dyspepsia. METHODS: The questionnaire has been translated following the Rome III recommendations. Hundred and nine consecutive patients with functional dyspepsia answered the questionnaire. The control group comprised 100 healthy consecutive blood donors, without digestive problems. Internal consistency, reproducibility, responsiveness, discriminate validity and content analysis were evaluated. RESULTS: Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.92. The questionnaire showed reliability: the patients answered it in a similar way on two distinct occasions and their responses were substantially very similar (P = 1.00). The questionnaire was able to demonstrate changes when they occur (P<0.01). Two "blinded" gastroenterologists agreed that the questionnaire adequately evaluated Functional Dyspepsia. When we compared the answers between patients and controls, the questionnaire showed that 5.3% of controls had Functional Dyspepsia symptoms compared with 91.2% of the patients (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The Rome III Diagnostic Questionnaire for Functional Dyspepsia is ready to be used in clinical researches in lusophone countries, as it has been successfully validated in Portuguese.

CONTEXT: NM23, a metastasis suppressor gene, may be associated with prognosis in patients with colorectal carcinoma. OBJECTIVE: To analyze NM23 expression and its association with the presence of lymph node and liver metastases and survival in patients operated on for colorectal carcinoma. METHODS: One hundred thirty patients operated on for colorectal carcinoma were investigated. Tissue microarray blocks containing neoplastic tissue and tumor-adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa were obtained and analyzed by immunohistochemical staining using a monoclonal anti-NM23 antibody. Immunohistochemical expression was assessed using a semiquantitative scoring method, counting the percentage of stained cells. The results were compared regarding morphological and histological characteristics of the colorectal carcinoma, presence of lymph node and liver metastases, tumor staging, and patient survival. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and Fisher's exact test. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. RESULTS: NM23 expression was higher in colorectal carcinoma tissue than in adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa (P<0.0001). NM23 protein expression did not correlate with degree of cell differentiation (P = 0.57), vascular invasion (P = 0.85), lymphatic invasion (P = 0.41), perineural infiltration (P = 0.46), staging (P = 0.19), lymph node metastases (P = 0.08), or liver metastases (P = 0.59). Disease-free survival showed significant association (P = 0.01) with the intensity of NM23 protein immunohistochemical expression in colorectal carcinoma tissue, whereas overall survival showed no association with NM23 protein expression (P = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: NM23 protein expression was higher in neoplastic colorectal carcinoma tissue than in adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa, showing no correlation with morphological aspects, presence of lymph node or liver metastases, colorectal carcinoma staging, or overall survival. Disease-free survival was higher in patients with increased NM23 expression.

CONTEXT: Anismus is a prevalent functional cause of outlet delay. It is characterized by symptoms of obstructed defecation associated with paradoxical contraction of the pelvic floor muscles. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of two dimensional anal ultrasonography to identify anismus patients with paradoxical contraction or normal relaxation, comparing findings with manometric measurements. METHODS: Forty-nine women presenting with outlet delay and a mean validated Wexner constipation score of 13.5 were included in a prospective study. Following screening with anal manometry, the patients were assigned to one of two groups: G-I -with normal relaxation and G-II -patients with anismus. Dynamic anorectal ultrasonography was used to quantifier the movement of the puborectalis muscle and to measure changes in the angle between two converging lines drawn from the 3 o'clock and the 9 o'clock positions of the endoprobe circumference to the internal border of the puborectalis muscle. The angle decreases during straining in patients with normal relaxation, but increases in patients with anismus. The agreement between the two techniques was verified with the Kappa index. RESULTS: In manometry, during straining the anal canal pressure decreased by 41.3% in G-I and increased by 168.6% in G-II, indicating a diagnosis of anismus for the second group. In US, during straining, the angle produced by the movement of the puborectalis muscle decreased from 63 ± 1.31 to 58 ± 1.509 degrees (P = 0.0135) in 23 of the 30 patients in G-I, indicating normal relaxation, and increased from 66 ± 0.972 to 72 ± 0.897 degrees (P = 0.0001) in 16 of the 19 patients in G-II, indicating anismus. The index of agreement between manometry and two dimensional anal ultrasonography was moderate: 77% (23/30) for G-I and 84% (16/19) for G-II. CONCLUSION: Two-dimensional dynamic anal ultrasonography showed similar results previously suggested by anal manometry at identifying patients with normal relaxation or paradoxical contraction.

CONTEXT: Desmoid tumors constitute one of the most important extraintestinal manifestations of familial adenomatous polyposis. The development of desmoids is responsible for increasing morbidity and mortality rates in cases of familial adenomatous polyposis. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the occurrence of desmoid tumors in familial adenomatous polyposis cases following prophylactic colectomy and to present patient outcome. METHODS: Between 1984 and 2008, 68 patients underwent colectomy for familial adenomatous polyposis at the School of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, University of Campinas, SP, Brazil. Desmoid tumors were found in nine (13.2%) of these patients, who were studied retrospectively by consulting their medical charts with respect to clinical and surgical data. RESULTS: Of nine patients, seven (77.8%) were submitted to laparotomy for tumor resection. Median age at the time of surgery was 33.9 years (range 22-51 years). Desmoid tumors were found in the abdominal wall in 3/9 cases (33.3%) and in an intra-abdominal site in the remaining six cases (66.7%). Median time elapsed between ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and diagnosis of desmoid tumor was 37.5 months (range 14-60 months), while the median time between colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis and diagnosis was 63.7 months (range 25-116 months). In 6/9 (66.7%) patients with desmoid tumors, the disease was either under control or there was no evidence of tumor recurrence at a follow-up visit made a mean of 63.1 months later (range 12-240 months). CONCLUSIONS: Desmoid tumors were found in 13.2% of cases of familial adenomatous polyposis following colectomy; therefore, familial adenomatous polyposis patients should be followed-up and surveillance should include abdominal examination to detect signs and symptoms. Treatment options include surgery and clinical management with antiestrogens, antiinflammatory drugs or chemotherapy.

CONTEXT: Clarithromycin is the most effective drug used in the eradication of infection by Helicobacter pylori. Due to worldwide increase in resistance, pre-treatment susceptibility testing for clarithromycin is recommended. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of clarithromycin resistance of H. pylori in Recife, a city in Northeast Brazil. METHODS: From January 2006 to December 2007, 114 gastric biopsy samples positive for H. pylori at culture were directly assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the most frequent point mutations involved in clarithromycin resistance. Results were compared with those obtained by Etests. RESULT: Molecular and phenotypic methods showed 111 (97.4%) susceptible or resistant concordant results. PCR detected 3 (2.6%) biopsy specimens with H. pylori-resistant genotypes, which were misdiagnosed as susceptible by Etests. In Recife, based on PCR results, primary clarithromycin resistance was found in 15 (16.5%) patients, prevalence close to that observed in Southeast Brazil. Resistance increased to 52% among previously treated patients. The point mutation A2143G was present in 20 (71.4%) of specimens and A2142G, in 8 (28.6%) of specimens. A2142C was not found. CONCLUSION: In Recife, the prevalence of primary clarithromycin resistance, 16.5%, showed the need for pretreatment susceptibility testing in H. pylori infections.

CONTEXT: Surgical site infections are a risk inherent to surgical procedures, especially after digestive surgeries. They occur up to 30 days after surgery, or up to a year later if a prosthesis is implanted. The Surgical-site Infection Risk Index (SIRI), NISS (National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance) methodology, is a method to evaluate the risk of surgical site infections, which takes into account the potential contamination of the surgery, the patient's health status and surgery duration. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the correlation between the surgical-site infection risk index score on the 1st day postoperatively, and the development of surgical site infection up to 30 days postoperatively. METHODS: The postoperative surgical site infections (NNIS) was evaluated by following-up in hospital and as an outpatient. The patients followed prospectively were those submitted to elective surgeries, clean (hernioplasties) or contaminated (colorretal), performed by conventional approach at a university hospital, during the period from June 2007 to August 2008. The mean age of the patients was 55.5 years, 133 (65.5%) male; 120 (59.1%) submitted to clean surgeries and 83 (40.9%) contaminated. RESULTS: The global index of surgical site infections was 10.3%; 10 (8.3%) in clean procedures and 111(3.2%) in contaminated ones. Four (19.1%) of the surgical site infections were diagnosed at the time of hospitalization and 17 (80.9%) at post-discharge follow-up. Twelve (57.1%) of the surgical site infections were superficial, 2 (9.5%) deep and 7 (33.3%) at a specific site. Of these, 5 (6.6%) were in patients classified as SIRI 0 (76); 9 (15%) for SIRI 1 (60); 5 (9.1%) for SIRI 2 (55) and 2 (16.7%) for SIRI 3. CONCLUSION: The global index of surgical site infections and its incidence among contaminated procedures are within the expected limits. On the other hand according to SIRI, the surgical site infection indexes are above the expected standards both for the clean and for the contaminated procedures.

CONTEXT: The western dietary pattern is characterized by a high calorie intake with a high proportion of simple sugars. This diet is associated with comorbidities such as hepatic fat deposition and is possibly related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the capacity of a hyperglucidic diet to induce steatosis in adult male Wistar rats. After the administration of a carbohydrate-rich diet, we also evaluated the presence of hepatic and cardiac steatosis and the levels of intrinsic antioxidants in the liver. METHODS: Forty-six eutrophic adult male Wistar rats were used and 10 of them were chosen, at random, to serve as controls, while the remaining ones formed the experimental group. Control animals received the standard ration offered by the animal house and the experimental group received the hyperglucidic diet. The diets were offered for 21 days and, at the end of this period, tissue samples were collected for analysis of indicators of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, and reduced glutathione) and of vitamin E. The animals were then sacrificed by decapitation and their viscera were removed for analysis of liver and heart fat. RESULTS: The hyperglucidic diet used induced hepatic fat deposition, with lipid vacuoles being detected in 83% of the livers analyzed by histology. No lipid vacuoles were observed in the heart. Malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione levels remained unchanged when the animals were submitted to the hyperglucidic diet, probably because there was no liver development of fibrosis or inflammation. In contrast, the levels of vitamin E (antioxidant) were reduced, as confirmed in the literature for steatotic animals. CONCLUSION: The hyperglucidic diet induced hepatic steatosis. In the heart there was an increase in fat content, although no histological changes were observed. These alterations cannot be explained by the presence of malondialdehyde or reduced glutathione (indicators of oxidation), since the values were similar in the groups studied. However, a significant reduction of vitamin E was observed in the experimental group.

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