Marcação imuno-histoquímica da resposta macrofágica e astrocitária no tronco encefálico de ratos Wistar submetidos ao modelo gliotóxico do brometo de etídio e tratados com ciclofosfamida

Analysis of the acute cytotoxic potential of bupivacaine and 50% enantiomeric excess bupivacaine (s75-r25) incorporated into microspheres in rat sciatic nerves

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The duration of Local Anesthetic (LA) effects can be expanded by its incorporation into systems of sustained release microspheres. However, the possibility that LA sustained release systems are neurotoxic has not received due attention in literature. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of pure microspheres of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), filled with 50% enantiomeric excess bupivacaine or bupivacaine (BP), as well as the effects of 50% enantiomeric excess bupivacaine in the sciatic nerve of Wistar rats.

METHODS

The rats were allocated into four groups according to the evaluation time (two, four, six, and eight days) and nominated according to the injected solution on the sciatic nerve: Microspheres with 50% Enantiomeric excess Bupivacaine (MEB), Microspheres with Bupivacaine (MB), Pure Microspheres (PM), and 50% Enantiomeric excess Bupivacaine (EB).

RESULTS

In semi-fine histologic sections, no regular homogeneous distribution of collagen fibers in the endoneurium or degenerative changes of axons and myelin sheaths were observed. In ultrathin sections, we found myelinated axons and normal Remak fibers with axoplasm showing homogeneous distribution of neurofilaments and microtubules. Histomorphometric analysis of axons revealed no significant difference between the axon diameters of the studied groups.

Glial reactivity in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis: correlation with T lymphocyte infiltration and with cerebrospinal fluid anti-Leishmania antibody titres

Visceral leishmaniasis is a multisystemic zoonotic disease that can manifest with several symptoms, including neurological disorders. Because glial cells are extensively associated with the immune response within the brain, we evaluated the morphology of astrocytes and microglia of dogs naturally infected with Leishmania chagasi. We used immunohistochemical and lectin-histochemical techniques for morphological analyses and we also examined the glial correlation with lymphocyte infiltration of the brain and with the presence of anti-Leishmania antibodies within the cerebrospinal fluid of the dogs. Although we did not detect a shared morphological pattern in the astrocytes or microglia in the brain tissue, these cells were more intensely labelled in infected dogs than in the control group. The density of microglia was increased in the ependymal/subependymal area, thus demonstrating a strong correlation with the presence of T lymphocytes and with cerebrospinal fluid antibody titres. Thus, our results indicate a pro-inflammatory state in the brains of dogs naturally infected with L. chagasi and strongly suggest that microglia and astrocytes are involved in the pathogenesis of the neurological disorders of visceral leishmaniasis in dogs.