•TanP is anionic peptide rich in aspartic acid.•TanP presented chelation potential of copper metal.•TanP structure is sensitive to pH variation of the medium.•TanP induced macrophage proliferation, ...though decreasing the release of NO.
Anionic Peptides are molecules rich in aspartic acid (Asp) and/or glutamic acid (Glu) residues in the primary structure. This work presents, for the first time, structural characterization and biological activity assays of an anionic peptide from the venom of the scorpion Tityus stigmurus, named TanP. The three-dimensional structure of TanP was obtained by computational modeling and refined by molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. Furthermore, we have performed circular dichroism (CD) analysis to predict TanP secondary structure, and UV–vis spectroscopy to evaluate its chelating activity. CD indicated predominance of random coil conformation in aqueous medium, as well as changes in structure depending on pH and temperature. TanP has chelating activity on copper ions, which modified the peptide’s secondary structure. These results were corroborated by MD data. The molar ratio of binding (TanP:copper) depends on the concentration of peptide: at lower TanP concentration, the molar ratio was 1:5 (TanP:Cu2+), whereas in concentrated TanP solution, the molar ratio was 1:3 (TanP:Cu2+). TanP was not cytotoxic to non-neoplastic or cancer cell lines, and showed an ability to inhibit the in vitro release of nitric oxide by LPS-stimulated macrophages. Altogether, the results suggest TanP is a promising peptide for therapeutic application as a chelating agent.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The surviving insects submitted to chemical control have morphological alterations that impact on their mechanisms of resistance and their final development. Those changes are detected and measured ...using physical features related to symmetry, specifically named fluctuating asymmetry. This is detected when deviations from the perfect bilateral symmetry for specific morphological characteristic is influenced by genetics or environmental stress. Thus, in this paper we analyze the wing in adult of
Culex quinquefasciatus
(Diptera - Culicidae) after larvae exposure to ivermectin LC
50
. Three hundred larvae of
C. quinquefasciatus
were exposed to ivermectin in 1.5 μg/L (LC
50
) concentration during 30 min, and three hundred larvae were exposed to distilled pure water as control group. For fluctuating asymmetry, adult males and adult females were selected from each group (
n
= 83) from the untreated group and (
n
= 79) from treated group. Wings from adults of each group were mounted in glass microscope slides and coverslip in Canada’s balsam and analyzed with a stereomicroscope with a video camera attached. The treatment effect on M
3 + 4
was marginally significant with higher asymmetry values in the control group. The data obtained here suggest the importance of future experiments to elucidate the mechanisms associated with FA. Moreover, according to the results obtained, it may be suggested that FA is present in females in ornaments, or secondary sexual characters, as an indicator of phenotypic quality of the partners.
The trematodes belonging to the genus Platynosomum are biliary parasites of birds and mammals (domestic and wildlife) in tropical and subtropical areas of the globe. Despite several reports on ...platynosomosis in captive nonhuman primates, mainly in South America, the taxonomy of species of Platynosomum that infect these hosts remains confused, and it is not clear whether the species found in cats is the same that infects nonhuman primates. Because a detailed morphological study of Platynosomum from nonhuman primates is lacking, in this study we analyzed specimens of Platynosomum recovered from the biliary system of Callithrix penicillata kept in captivity in an animal facility. The helminths were submitted to morphological and morphometric analyses in a light microscope and measurements of 16 morphological traits were taken. A kernel density estimation (KDE) was used to estimate density distributions of the measurements obtained as well as the occurrence of overlap with the ranges of the measurements known to 2 other species of Platynosomum previously described from South American marmosets, Platynosomum amazonensis and Platynosomum marmoseti. A principal component analysis (PCA) was also performed in order to evaluate the position of each of the 3 species in the multivariate gradient of morphometric measurements. The occurrence of a growth gradient was also evaluated by analysis of correlation between the measurements. Besides a great morphological variability, all specimens obtained from marmosets in this study were identified as Platynosomum illiciens (Braun, 1901). In addition, the published ranges of the measurements of P. amazonensis and P. marmoseti were completely contained within the ranges found in this study as revealed by KDE. The PCA did not show the formation of groups, and the 3 species were distributed along a growth continuum, also corroborated by correlation analysis. Therefore, P. amazonensis and P. marmoseti are here synonymized with P. illiciens. The involvement of wildlife hosts to the epidemiology of feline platynosomosis and implications for its control are briefly discussed.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Dysfunction of the adipose tissue metabolism is considered as a significant hallmark of aging. It has been proposed that α‐β hydrolase domain containing 5 (ABHD5) plays a critical role in the control ...of lipolysis. However, the role of ABHD5 in the control of lipolysis during aging or exercise is unknown. Here we combined the experimental mouse model with transcriptomic analyzes by using murine and human databases to explore the role of ABHD5 in the adipose tissue during aging and in response to exercise. Transcriptomic data revealed a downregulation of Abhd5 messenger RNA levels in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT) over time in individuals from 20 to 69 years old. Aged mice displayed dramatic reduction of ABHD5 protein content and lipolytic‐related proteins in the scWAT. Interestingly, 4 weeks of high‐intensity interval training increased ABHD5 protein level and restored the lipolytic pathway in the scWAT of aged mice. Altogether, our findings demonstrated that aging affects ABHD5 content in the adipose tissue of mice and humans. Conversely, exercise increases ABHD5 activity, recovering the lipolytic activity in aged mice.
Significance statement
Dysfunction of the adipose tissue metabolism is considered as a significant hallmark of aging. Here we identify that a pivotal protein involved in the lipolysis mechanism called α‐β hydrolase domain containing 5 (ABHD5) is downregulated in adipose tissue of aged mice. Conversely, high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) recovered ABHD5 protein content and lipolysis mechanism in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of aged mice.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
To analyze the role of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in mediating the relationship between central adiposity and immune and metabolic profile in postmenopausal women.
Cross-sectional ...study comprising 49 postmenopausal women (aged 59.26 ± 8.32 years) without regular physical exercise practice. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fasting blood samples were collected for assessment of nonesterified fatty acids, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), adiponectin, insulin and estimation of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Physical activity level was assessed with an accelerometer (Actigraph GTX3x) and reported as a percentage of time spent in sedentary behavior and MVPA. All analyses were performed using the software SPSS 17.0, with a significance level set at 5%.
Sedentary women had a positive relationship between trunk fat and IL-6 (rho = 0.471; p = 0.020), and trunk fat and HOMA-IR (rho = 0.418; p = 0.042). Adiponectin and fat mass (%) were only positively correlated in physically active women (rho = 0.441; p = 0.027). Physically active women with normal trunk fat values presented a 14.7% lower chance of having increased HOMA-IR levels (β 95%CI = 0.147 0.027; 0.811).
The practice of sufficient levels of MVPA was a protective factor against immunometabolic disorders in postmenopausal women.
The first autochthonous case of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection in Brazil was in September 2014 in the State of Amapá, and from there it rapidly spread across the country. The present study was ...conducted in 2016 in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, and the aims were to describe the epidemiological and the clinical aspects of the CHIKV outbreak. Biological samples from 284 chikungunya suspected cases were screened for CHIKV and Flavivirus (FV) RNA using qRT-PCR. Negative PCR samples were also screened for anti-CHIKV and anti-FVIgM by ELISA. CHIKV RNA were detected in 125 samples mostly occurring from January through March (46%), mainly affecting adults and older adults. We found a gradual decrease in viral RNA over the disease time. Anti-CHIKV IgM was found in 47.5% after negative CHIKV qRT-PCR. Interestingly, 45.0% simultaneously had positive results for CHIKV and FV IgM, suggesting the occurrence of virus co-circulation. The most frequent symptom was fever (91%). Women presented more chance to develop nausea and abdominal pain compared to men. Our data described and allows us to better understand the clinical and epidemiological aspects of the 2016 chikungunya outbreak in Rio Grande do Norte and can help in the early clinical diagnosis of the virus.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The elastic modulus and the internal friction of Sn and the γ-In–Sn phase are measured with a two-component piezoelectric oscillator at 50 kHz in the temperature range from 296 to 390 K. For both ...materials the viscoelastic responses at strains below 10
−6 are described in terms of a Debye peak characterized by an effective activation enthalpy of 54.8 and 20.4 kJ/mol, for Sn and the γ-In–Sn phase, respectively. Due to their higher damping, the dynamic mechanical responses of In and the eutectic In–Sn were measured with a three-components piezoelectric resonator between 296 and 390 K at 50 kHz. The temperature dependence of the internal friction of the eutectic can be well described in terms of a single relaxation time with an effective activation enthalpy of 38 kJ/mol. Indium is not only amplitude dependent but also exhibits thermal hysteresis.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The aim of this work is to determine the viscoelastic behaviour of the interface in a coaxial composite material made of a tough shield and a ductile core. The elastic modulus and the ...amplitude-independent internal friction are measured using a longitudinal oscillating resonant system at 50 kHz. The contribution of the interface is modelled as a shear stress that modifies the elastic behaviour of the constituents. The value of this shear stress is determined for different interfaces (epoxy resin-brass, epoxy resin-Pyrex and paraffin-Pyrex). The model is autovalidated by the excellent agreement between the calculated and experimental values of the internal friction (damping) of the composites.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
This work investigates the electrothermal performance of a fuel cell cogeneration system based on a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) unit. A simple way to analyze the performance of a PEMFC ...at different operating conditions, developed in a spreadsheet, is presented. Electrical and thermal energy generated are calculated as function of the operational parameters of the system. Additionally, it was verified the influence of the fuel, operation & maintenance (O&M) and capital costs in the final cost of energy (COE). This work shows that the use of cogeneration at the PEMFC studied unit results in significant reduction in the final cost of energy.
The western Amazon basin is an important endemic area for malaria by P. vivax. In recent years, several reports showed the treatment failure with chloroquine, which can be related to resistance. The ...assessment of chloroquine resistance requires the evaluation of drug exposure, and when possible, the estimation of the pharmacokinetic parameters. However, there is no data on the pharmacokinetics of chloroquine in this endemic area. Moreover, the influence of the early reappearance of parasites in blood on the exposure to the drug was low exploited in the literature. The present study described the pharmacokinetic parameters of chloroquine in whole blood of adult patients with P. vivax malaria from the western Brazilian Amazon basin and compared the area under the curve (AUC) with the parasitological outcome at day 28. A total of 19 patients with parasite recurrence within 28 days and 20 patients with no recurrence were included in the study. Chloroquine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated by non-compartmental modeling. The maximum concentration ranged from 1285 to 2030 ng/mL. The terminal half-life varied from 5.3 to 12.8 days. The volume of distribution from 1090 to 2340 L/kg, and the area under the curve to the last measurable concentration from 247 to 432 ng/mL.h. The pharmacokinetic parameters were similar in both groups, which suggests the lack of influence of early reappearance of parasites on chloroquine pharmacokinetics.
•There is a paucity of studies describing the pharmacokinetics of chloroquine in patients with vivax malaria from the western area of the Amazon basin.•The presence of Plasmodium in peripheral blood probably changes the disposition of chloroquine.•The pharmacokinetics parameters of chloroquine in this population group corroborate the long half-life and the high distribution of the drug.•The reappearance of parasites after 28 days did not change the pharmacokinetic profile of the drug.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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