Talinum paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn. (Talinaceae) is a medicinal species that is widely distributed throughout Brazil. Popularly known as “major-gomes,” the species is used in folk medicine for the ...treatment of cardiovascular disorders.
To evaluate the effect of an ethanolic extract of T. paniculatum (EETP) in rats with renovascular hypertension and heart failure and determine its chemical composition.
First, EETP was obtained, and its chemical profile was analyzed by LC-DAD-MS. The acute toxicity was evaluated in female Wistar rats. The model of renovascular hypertension was established in male Wistar rats by combining the Goldblatt 2K1C method and intraperitoneal doxorubicin administration for 6 weeks. The animals were then treated daily with EETP (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) or metoprolol (25 mg/kg) by gavage for 28 days. The negative control group was treated with vehicle (filtered water). The sham group consisted of animals that were not subjected to 2K1C or cardiotoxicity and were treated with vehicle. Renal function was evaluated on days 1, 14, and 28. At the end of treatment, the electrocardiographic profile, blood pressure, and mesenteric vascular reactivity were investigated. Serum urea, creatinine, angiotensin converting enzyme, nitrotyrosine, malondialdehyde, nitrite, aldosterone, and sodium and potassium levels were measured. The heart, aorta artery, liver, and right kidney were collected, weighed, and processed for histopathological analysis. Cardiac chambers also underwent morphometric analysis.
No signs of toxicity were observed in female Wistar rats. Thirty-two compounds were annotated from EETP, including flavonoids, chlorogenic acids, and saponins. EETP treatment resulted in a significant cardiorenal-protective response, normalizing electrocardiographic and hemodynamic alterations, and preventing ventricle remodeling. These effects were associated with serum antioxidant activity and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition.
The present study demonstrated that EETP may exert cardioprotective effects through serum antioxidant activity and ACE inhibition, preventing alterations of hemodynamic and endothelial function, and reducing damage to cardiac structure. Thus, EETP, especially at the 100 and 300 mg/kg doses, may be useful for preventing doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in hypertensive patients.
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•Talinum paniculatum extract (EETP) is used in Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders•We evaluated the effect of the EETP in rats with renovascular hypertension and heart failure•Prolonged EETP treatment normalized electrocardiograph and hemodynamic alterations, as well as prevented ventricle remodeling•T. paniculatum showed cardioprotective effects by modulating oxidative stress and angiotensin-converting enzyme activity
...of thumb, the former can (and will) trump the latter for its level of interactivity and engagement 3. At the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), we ...chose to pilot our webinar software with well-known and widely used bioinformatics resources (hence “celebrities”), namely PDBe 16 and Ensembl 17. ...both resources have had global user communities and well-established face-to-face training 18,19 and online presence 20,21. The audience of friends could be bioinformaticians or (computational) biologists you have worked with, or colleagues in the bioinformatics facility (institution) you work at. Because many research-performing institutes—from universities to companies—have experienced training and development teams, you can engage with them and bring them into the discussion from the beginning. Besides feedback on content and style, participants may also highlight technical hiccups.
Oxidative stress plays a key role in the initiation and progression of metabolic diseases, including obesity. Preventing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage to ...macromolecules is a beneficial strategy for reducing comorbidities associated with obesity. Fruits from the Spondias genus are known for their antioxidant activity, but they are not available year-round due to their seasonality. In this context, we investigated the antioxidant activity and identified the chemical constituents of the aqueous extract of the stem bark of Spondias purpurea L. (EBSp). Additionally, we evaluated the effect of EBSp consumption on metabolic parameters in mice with obesity induced by a high-fat diet. Chemical analyses revealed 19 annotated compounds from EBSp, including flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, methoxylated coumarin, and gallic and ellagic acids, besides other phenolic compounds. In vitro, EBSp showed antioxidant activity through the scavenging of the free radicals and the protection of macromolecules against oxidative damage. Cellular assays revealed that EBSp reduced the levels of malondialdehyde produced by erythrocytes exposed to the oxidizing agent AAPH. Flow cytometry studies showed that EBSp reduced reactive oxygen species levels in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells treated with hydrogen peroxide. Obese mice treated with EBSp (400 mg.kg-1) for 60 days showed reduced levels of malondialdehyde in the heart, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. The total cholesterol levels in mice treated with EBSp reached levels similar to those after treatment with the drug simvastatin. Together, the results show that the combination of the different phenolic compounds in S. purpurea L. bark promotes antioxidant effects in vitro and in vivo, resulting in cytoprotection in the context of oxidative stress associated with obesity and a reduction in hypercholesterolemia. From a clinical perspective, the reduction in oxidative stress in obese individuals contributes to the reduction in the emergence of comorbidities associated with this metabolic syndrome.
Os arranjos familiares têm se transformado a partir de diversos processos dinâmicos, como a redução da fecundidade, a emancipação da mulher e sua consequente inserção no mercado de trabalho, o ...aumento do número de divórcios e a ampliação da expectativa de vida. Essas transformações levaram a uma diminuição do tamanho das famílias e diversificação de sua composição. Diante do surgimento de novas estruturas familiares decorrentes da dinâmica social, este estudo analisa a relação dos arranjos familiares com o desempenho escolar dos alunos do 5º e 9º anos de escolas públicas no Brasil em 2015, a partir dos dados da Prova Brasil. A nota de matemática foi utilizada como medida de desempenho e os efeitos da família foram avaliados a partir da modelagem hierárquica dos dados. Os resultados demonstram pouco efeito dos arranjos familiares sobre a proficiência média em matemática, evidenciando que outros elementos e mediadores relacionados aos resultados escolares, tais como status socioeconômico, trajetória do aluno, hábitos escolares individuais e ambiente da escola, apresentam maior relação com o desempenho escolar do que a composição do arranjo por si só.
ABSTRACT
The male‐specific region of the human Y chromosome (MSY) contains eight large inverted repeats (palindromes), in which high‐sequence similarity between repeat arms is maintained by gene ...conversion. These palindromes also harbor microsatellites, considered to evolve via a stepwise mutation model (SMM). Here, we ask whether gene conversion between palindrome microsatellites contributes to their mutational dynamics. First, we study the duplicated tetranucleotide microsatellite DYS385a,b lying in palindrome P4. We show, by comparing observed data with simulated data under a SMM within haplogroups, that observed heteroallelic combinations in which the modal repeat number difference between copies was large, can give rise to homoallelic combinations with zero‐repeats difference, equivalent to many single‐step mutations. These are unlikely to be generated under a strict SMM, suggesting the action of gene conversion. Second, we show that the intercopy repeat number difference for a large set of duplicated microsatellites in all palindromes in the MSY reference sequence is significantly reduced compared with that for nonpalindrome‐duplicated microsatellites, suggesting that the former are characterized by unusual evolutionary dynamics. These observations indicate that gene conversion violates the SMM for microsatellites in palindromes, homogenizing copies within individual Y chromosomes, but increasing overall haplotype diversity among chromosomes within related groups.
Microsatellites are comprised of arrays of short repeated DNA units varying in copy number, and are generally regarded to change stepwise between generations, e.g. from 13 to 14 or 12 repeats. We show that some duplicated microsatellites can undergo jumps in which, say, a 13‐repeat copy converts an 18‐repeat copy in one event to 13 repeats. This figure compares real duplicated‐microsatellite data with data simulated under the conventional model, showing that the repeat copy‐number distributions are significantly different.
to report the experience of a health team in restructuring service at a mastology outpatient clinic.
an experience report in a public university service mastology outpatient in Ceará between March ...and April 2020. Service in this outpatient clinic is exclusively for women and who have breast changes for surgical treatments ranging from nodulectomies to mastectomies with oncoplastic.
increased COVID-19 cases brought the need to restructure healthcare services. The following steps were followed: identification of scheduled patients, reading of clinical developments in electronic medical records, individual assessment to define whether or not appointment would remain, telephone contact to inform about unscheduling. Among the 555 consultations scheduled for March and April 2020, 316 (56.9%) were maintained.
restructuring consultations at a mastology outpatient clinic optimized the waiting time for consultations and avoided crowds at service, providing patient safety.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the phytochemical profile, oral acute toxicity, and the effect of ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata Hook. F. & Thomson) essential oil (YEO) on acute inflammation. YEO ...was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. For in vitro tests, YEO was assessed using cytotoxicity, neutrophil chemotaxis induced by N-formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (fMLP), and phagocytic activity tests. YEO was orally administered in zymosan-induced peritonitis, carrageenan-induced leukocyte rolling, and adhesion events in the in situ microcirculation model and in carrageenan-induced paw edema models. YEO (2000 mg/kg) was also tested using an acute toxicity test in Swiss mice. YEO showed a predominance of benzyl acetate, linalool, benzyl benzoate, and methyl benzoate. YEO did not present in vitro cytotoxicity. YEO reduced the in vitro neutrophil chemotaxis induced by fMLP and reduced the phagocytic activity. The oral treatment with YEO reduced the leukocyte recruitment and nitric oxide production in the zymosan-induced peritonitis model, reduced rolling and adherent leukocyte number induced by carrageenan in the in situ microcirculation model, and reduced carrageenan-induced edema and mechanical hyperalgesia. YEO did not present signs of toxicity in the acute toxicity test. In conclusion, YEO affected the leukocyte activation, and presented antiedematogenic, anti-hyperalgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties.
On April 1st, 2020, COVID-19 surpassed tuberculosis regarding the number of deaths per day worldwide. The combination of tuberculosis and COVID-19 has great potential for morbidity and mortality. In ...addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. In this review article, we address concurrent tuberculosis and COVID-19, with particular regard to the differences between Brazil and Europe. In addition, we discuss priorities in clinical care, public health, and research.
Mushrooms are known for their medicinal value and health benefits, particularly the species
Agaricus bisporus
, which is rich in bioactive components. However, there are difficulties in determining ...bioactive compounds, as different extraction methods are rarely investigated and may yield extracts with different chemical profiles. For food and pharmaceutical applications, the toxicity of residual solvents must also be considered. This study aimed to (i) prepare
A. bisporus
extracts by supercritical fluid extraction (40 °C and 20 MPa—SFE1 or 30 MPa—SFE2) and conventional organic solvent extraction (COSE) with ethanol, (ii) compare the yield and chemical profile of extracts, and (iii) evaluate their antimicrobial, antiaggregant, and anticoagulant activities. The major compounds identified were two fatty acid methyl esters (relative content greater than 40%): methyl (
E
,
E
)-9,12-octadecadienoate (methyl linoleate) and methyl (
Z
)-9-octadecenoate (methyl oleate). Methyl hexadecanoate and methyl octadecanoate, two esters derived from palmitic acid, were also present in the extracts but at lower concentrations in terms of peak area percentage. Extracts obtained by SFE had low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) (75–500 µg/mL) against bacteria, being classified as strong inhibitors. On the other hand, MIC values of the extract obtained by COSE against
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Staphylococcus epidermidis
were higher than 2,000 µg/mL (weak inhibitor). COSE extract was not active against Gram-negative bacteria. The antiplatelet aggregation effect of SFE extracts was higher than that of COSE extract. In the face of adenosine diphosphate (ADP), COSE, SFE1, and SFE2 resulted in a 7%, 18%, and 12% decrease in platelet aggregation, respectively. In the aggregation triggered by epinephrine, platelet aggregation decreased by 10%, 15%, and 18%, respectively. Overall,
A. bisporus
extracts obtained by SFE showed the best performance in bioactive screening assays compared with the conventional ethanolic extract.
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