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Realizou-se um levantamento bibliográfico, com artigos de revisão, analisando e discutindo os trabalhos publicados sobre os efeitos da leucina aminopeptidase e aminopeptidase A no trabalho de parto pré-termo e na pré-eclampsia. A proposta deste trabalho sobre o tema é que grande parte das questões de saúde materna parece pueril, principalmente quanto ao atendimento voltado para os cuidados maternos, no qual, a cada 20minutos, morre uma mulher em decorrência de parto, no mundo todo. Por isso, tais doenças poderão receber mais atenção do que outras. Esse fato fez com que houvesse certa preocupação com o índice de natalidade e morbidade materna, bem como morbidade e mortalidade perinatal. Portanto, abordou-se sobre sua biologia geral, fisiologia de reprodução, síntese de evolução genética, habitação, alimentação, manejo, dor e eutanásia, técnicas de riscos desenvolvidos na experimentação animal, estudos de experimentos farmacológicos e toxicológicos observados dentro dos artigos de revisão. Embora tendências atuais preconizem a utilização de métodos alternativos (estudo in vitro), os modelos animais, como as ratas, apresentam como principal vantagem o fornecimento de informações sobre o organismo como um todo, fato que não é obtido com outros métodos, o que ainda possibilita o seu emprego em pesquisas científicas.

We have carried out a literature review, with review articles, analyzing and discussing the works that have already been published on the effects of leucine aminopeptidade and aminopeptidase A in pre-term labor and preeclampsia. The proposal of this work on the subject is that most of the issues of maternal health seems childish, especially for service oriented maternity care, where, every 20 minutes, a woman dies due to childbirth, worldwide. Therefore, such diseases may receive more attention than others. This led to worry about the birth rate and maternal morbidity and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it was addressed their general biology, physiology of reproduction, synthesis of evolution, genetics, housing, feeding, pain and euthanasia techniques developed for animal experimentation risks, studies of pharmacological and toxicological experiments observed within the review articles. Although current trends have preconized the use of alternative methods (in vitro study), animal models, such as rats, have as main advantage the provision of information on the organism as a whole, a fact that is not achieved with other methods, which also allows its use in scientific research.

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The relationship between plasma osmolality and cystyl aminopeptidase was characterized in the snake Bothrops jararaca and comparisons were made with the emerging picture of this relationship in rats. The profile of cystyl aminopeptidase activity under basal conditions was determined in the soluble and membrane-bound forms in visceral organs and in the central nervous system in comparison with that of alanyl aminopeptidase. The regional localization of cystyl and alanyl aminopeptidase activities was studied in the central nervous system. The basal level of plasma cystyl aminopeptidase, four- to six-fold higher than in rats, suggests its importance to help regulate circulating levels of neurohypophysial peptides in B. jararaca snake. The osmotic sensitivity of this plasma enzyme, undetectable in male, but about three-fold higher in female snakes than in rats, reveals a sexual dimorphism. In marked contrast to those observed in rats, low levels of soluble and particulate forms in the kidney indicate that cystyl aminopeptidase plays a minor metabolizing role at this anatomical location in B. jararaca. Despite of the regional-specific divergence between the levels of rat and snake enzymes, the bilaterally symmetric pattern of the diencephalic distribution of alanyl aminopeptidase reflects functional homologies between these two distantly related species.

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Crotaline snakes present delayed fertilization and sperm storage because secondary vitellogenesis is not completed by the time of mating. The release of vitellogenesis and synchrony between ovulation and fertilization suggest a steroidal modulation. We investigated changes of sexual steroid levels during reproduction in the Neotropical rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, analyzing macroscopical variations of reproductive condition (vitellogenesis, pregnancy, and post-partum) and plasma levels of estradiol, progesterone, and vasotocinase cystine aminopeptidase (CAP) activity over 2 years. Data showed 44.4% non-reproductive snakes (40.1% primary vitellogenesis and 4.3% post-partum) and 55.6% reproductive (36.8% secondary vitellogenesis and 18.8% pregnant). Estradiol was low in spring and summer, increasing in autumn till it peaked in winter. Estradiol in secondary vitellogenesis was significantly higher than in primary vitellogenesis, or in pregnant and post-partum females, Progesterone dropped significantly in autumn compared to summer, winter, and spring. Pregnant females showed the highest levels of progesterone compared to primary or secondary vitellogenesis, or post-partum females. CAP activity showed lowest values in reproductive females in autumn and greatest levels in post-partum females. A significant negative linear relationship was obtained between CAP activity and estradiol. The combination of morphological observations, levels of steroids and CAP activity allowed us to suggest a similar morphological reproductive pattern between temperate and tropical rattlesnakes, and to infer the role of estradiol, progesterone and CAP activity on vitellogenesis, gestation and sperm storage, respectively.

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Enzymatic cleavage of some peptides could be included among the mechanisms of water-electrolyte homeostasis. To test this hypothesis, the angiotensin-converting activity (ACE) of plasma and the L-cystine-di-beta-naphthylamidase activity (CAP) of plasma and of soluble and particulate fractions from different areas of the central nervous system (CNS) were investigated in rats submitted to treatments eliciting hydromineral imbalance. CAP in the CNS was unchanged by hydromineral challenges. The correlations observed between plasma osmolality and CAP, and plasma CAP and ACE suggested a contribution of these activities to the restoration of basal water-electrolyte and blood pressure conditions through the hydrolysis of vasopressin, oxytocin, angiotensin I and bradykinin.

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1. Bothrops jararaca plasma or serum hydrolysed L-cystine-di-beta-naphthylamide (CNAse activity) at a degree comparable to that of plasma or serum in pregnant women. 2. In adult snakes, activity was less in males. It was not altered in pregnancy but increased after delivery, being higher at pH 6.4 (unspecific enzymes) than at pH 7.9 (true pregnant woman plasma oxytocinase). 3. Its optimum pH was 5.9, different from that of other known enzymes that hydrolyse the same substrate. 4. Bothrops jararaca plasma also hydrolysed vasopressin, oxytocin and vasotocin. 5. These hydrolysing activities were unexpected for an ovoviviparous reptile.

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No presente trabalho, os autores tentaram uma modificaçäo no método descrito por Babuna e Yenen para a determinaçäo bioquímica da ocitocinase no plasma de gestantes normais do primeiro ao nono mês de gestaçäo, cujas pacientes eram encaminhadas ao Departamento de Tocoginecologia do Hospital das Clíncias da Unicamp. Esta modificaçäo foi inclusive baseada no método para a determinaçäo da leucina aminopeptidase, através da qual se exclui a mistura de acetona + HC1 e também da câmara semi-escura. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que as reaçöes ocorrem normalmente, havendo uma ascensäo no teor de ocitocinase, desde o primeiro ao nono mês da gestaçäo

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We measured oxytocinase (cystine aminopeptidase-CAP) activity in the plasma of primiparous and multiparous pregnant women who were examined periodically during gestation. The level of CAP increased from the beginning to the end of pregnancy. The activity of CAP in primiparous women was higher than in multiparous women.

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Tentou-se verificar se o plasma de gestantes normais a termo (uma a duas semanas antes do trabalho de parto) promovia a inativaçäo da ocitocina sintética (Syntocinon Sandoz), quando incubada com o mesmo. Para isto, foi utilizado o plasma de 14 mulheres grávidas normais, fazendo-se paralelamente um grupo-controle constituído por 3 homens e 3 mulheres näo-gestantes. Uma vez obtida as amostras, estas foram incubadas com ocitocina sintética em banho maria a 37-C por 5 minutos, após o que foram testadas sobre útero isolado de rata pelo método da superfusäo. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, concluiu-se que o plasma de gestantes a termo, inativa 51,3% da ocitocina sintética adicionada ao meio de incubaçäo, enquanto o plasma de homens e näo-gestantes näo apresenta nenhuma açäo inativadora sobre o ocitocina

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