RESUMO
Caffeine is the legal stimulant consumed most extensively by the human world population and may be found eventually in the urine and/or blood of race horses. The fact that caffeine is in foods led us to determine the highest no-effect dose (HNED) of caffeine on the spontaneous locomotor activity of horses and then to quantify this substance in urine until it disappeared. We built two behavioural stalls equipped with juxtaposed photoelectric sensors that emit infrared beams that divide the stall into nine sectors in a 'tic-tac-toe' fashion. Each time a beam was interrupted by a leg of the horse, a pulse was generated; the pulses were counted at 5-min intervals and stored by a microcomputer. Environmental effects were minimized by installing exhaust fans producing white noise that obscured outside sounds. One-way observation windows prevented the animals from seeing outside. The sensors were turned on 45 min before drug administration (saline control or caffeine). The animals were observed for up to 8 h after i.v. administration of 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 or 5.0 mg caffeine kg(-1). The HNED of caffeine for stimulation of the spontaneous locomotor activity of horses was 2.0 mg kg(-1). The quantification of caffeine in urine and plasma samples was done by gradient HPLC with UV detection. The no-effect threshold should not be greater than 2.0 microg caffeine ml(-1) plasma or 5.0 microg caffeine ml(-1) urine.
Assuntos
Cafeína/farmacologia , Estimulantes do Sistema Nervoso Central/farmacologia , Cavalos , Locomoção/efeitos dos fármacos , Animais , Cafeína/urina , Estimulantes do Sistema Nervoso Central/urina , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Feminino , Nível de Efeito Adverso não Observado , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Urinálise/veterináriaRESUMO
PIP: After treatment for abortion and before leaving the hospital, 205 patients were interviewed on the subject of their knowledge, use, and preferences concerning contraceptive methods. 80% of them were under age 30; the cases were also classified by number of pregnancies, parity, and abortions, incidence of abortion by family status, type of abortion (spontaneous or induced), and presence or absence of infection. 50% of the women had never used contraceptive methods. In 10% of the cases, pregnancy occurred during the use of some contraceptive method. After abortion, 53.65% accepted some method (oral contraceptives, 36.10%; IUD, 12.19%; and surgical sterilization, 5.36%, respectively). 4.88% desired a new pregnancy, 16.59% refused contraception, and 24.88% gave unclear answers or were undecided. Oral contraceptives were the most widely known method (70.24% of the cases), the most widely used prior to abortion, at least at some time (39.02%), as well as the preferred 1 after abortion (36.10%).^ieng