Neurocysticercosis: The enigmatic disease

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is an infection of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by the metacestode larval form of the parasite Taenia sp. Many factors can contribute to the endemic nature of cysticercosis. The inflammatory process that occurs in the tissue surrounding the parasite and/or distal from it can result from several associated mechanisms and may be disproportionate with the number of cysts. This discrepancy may lead to difficulty with the proper diagnosis in people from low endemic regions or regions that lack laboratory resources. In the CNS, the cysticerci have two basic forms, isolated cysts (Cysticercus cellulosae = CC) and racemose cysts (Cysticercus racemosus = CR), and may be meningeal, parenchymal, or ventricular or have a mixed location. The clinical manifestations are based on two fundamental syndromes that may occur in isolation or be associated: epilepsy and intracranial hypertension. They may be asymptomatic, symptomatic or fatal; have an acute, sub-acute or chronic picture; or may be in remission or exacerbated. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may be normal, even in patients with viable cysticerci, until the patients begin to exhibit the classical syndrome of NCC in the CSF, or show changes in one or more routine analysed parameters. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have allowed non-invasive diagnoses, but can lead to false negatives. Treatment is a highly controversial issue and is characterised by individualised therapy sessions. Two drugs are commonly used, praziquantel (PZQ) and albendazole (ABZ). The choice of anti-inflammatory drugs includes steroids and dextrochlorpheniramine (DCP). Hydrocephalus is a common secondary effect of NCC. Surgical cases of hydrocephalus must be submitted to ventricle-peritoneal shunt (VPS) immediately before cysticidal treatment, and surgical extirpation of the cyst may lead to an absence of the surrounding inflammatory process. The progression of NCC may be simple or complicated, have remission with or without treatment and may exhibit symptoms that can disappear for long periods of time or persist until death. Unknown, neglected and controversial aspects of NCC, such as the impaired fourth ventricle syndrome, the presence of chronic brain oedema and psychic complaints, in addition to the lack of detectable glucose in the CSF and re-infection are discussed. © 2011 Bentham Science Publishers.

Folhas de amoreira tratadas com vitamina e esterol e seus efeitos em parâmetros biológicos de Bombyx mori L.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of adding different concentrations of the leaf additives nandrolone decanoate, ascorbic acid, retinol palmitate and retinol acetate on biological parameters of Bombyx mori larvae. The results showed that nandrolone and ascorbic acid, both at 0.5%, provide the best value for the development of the larvae of B. mori, values which do not correspond to significant increases in cocoon and silk production; 1.0% of retinol palmitate show negative effect to larvae development.

Proactive management of extreme prematurity: Disagreement between obstetricians and neonatologists

Objective: To verify, in extremely preterm infants, if disagreement between obstetricians and neonatologists regarding proactive management is associated with early death.Study Design: Prospective cohort of 484 infants with 23 0/7 to 266/7 weeks, without malformations, born from January 2006 to December 2009 in eight Brazilian hospitals. Pro-active management was defined as indication of ≥1 dose of antenatal steroid or cesarean section (obstetrician) and resuscitation at birth according to the international guidelines (neonatologist). Main outcome was neonatal death in the first 24 h of life.Result: Obstetricians and neonatologists disagreed in 115 (24%) patients: only neonatologists were proactive in 107 of them. Disagreement between professionals increased 2.39 times the chance of death in the first day (95% confidence interval 1.40 to 4.09), adjusted for center and maternal/neonatal clinical conditions.Conclusion: In infants with 23 to 26 weeks of gestation, disagreement between obstetricians and neonatologists, translated as lack of antenatal steroids and/or vaginal delivery, despite resuscitation procedures, increases the odds of death in the first day. © 2012 Nature America, Inc.

Estrogen receptors alpha and beta in male and female gerbil prostates

The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus, Gerbilinae: Muridae) is useful for prostate studies, because both males and females spontaneously develop prostatic disorders with age. Estrogens regulate prostate homeostasis via two estrogen receptors, ER alpha (ESR1) and ER beta (ESR2), but the cellular distribution and regulation of these receptors in the gerbil prostate has not been described. Both receptors were localized by immunohistochemistry in the ventral prostate of intact male and female gerbils, in males 7 and 21 days after castration, and in females treated with testosterone for 7 and 21 days. In male and female adult gerbils, ER alpha was detected mainly in prostatic stromal cells, whereas ER beta was present mostly in secretory and basal cells. More ER alpha-positive stromal cells were found in females than in males, as was a reduction toward the male value in females treated with testosterone. Castration did not alter ER alpha expression. Testosterone was necessary for maintenance of ER beta in the male prostate epithelium: ER beta expression declined markedly in prostates of males older than 1 yr, and castration of 4-mo-old males caused a reduction in ER beta to levels seen in 1-yr-old males. Because ER beta is an antiproliferative receptor, its loss with age may predispose the aging gerbil to proliferative diseases of the prostate. © 2013 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

Chrysobalanaceae: Secondary metabolites, ethnopharmacology and pharmacological potential

Many Chrysobalanaceae species, in special Licania and Parinari, are widely used in folk medicine to treat several diseases. This review describes some aspects of their ethnopharmacology potential, biological activities and the secondary metabolites reported so far for Chrysobalanaceae. The chemical constituents of this family include triterpenoids, diterpenoids, steroids and phenylpropanoids like flavonoids as well as chromones derivatives. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Cyp17a1 and cyp19a1 in the zebrafish testis are differentially affected by oestradiol

Oestrogens can affect expression of genes encoding steroidogenic enzymes in fish gonads. However, little information is available on their effects at the protein level. In this context, we first analysed the expression of key steroidogenic enzyme genes and proteins in zebrafish testis, paying attention also to other cell types than Leydig cells. Gene expression was analysed by quantitative PCR on fluorescence-activated cell-sorting fractions coupled or not to differential plating, while protein synthesis was studied by immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies against zebrafish Cyp17a1, Cyp19a1a and Cyp19a1b. Furthermore, we have evaluated the effect of oestrogen treatment (17β-oestradiol (E2), 10 nM) on the localization of these enzymes after 7 and 14 days of in vivo exposure in order to study how oestrogen-mediated modulation of their expression is linked to oestrogen effects on spermatogenesis. The major outcomes of this study are that Leydig cells express Cyp17a1 and Cyp19a1a, while testicular germ cells express Cyp17a1 and both, Cyp19a1a and Cyp19a1b. As regards Cyp17a1, both protein and mRNA seem to be quantitatively dominating in Leydig cells. Moreover, E2 exposure specifically affects only Leydig cell Cyp17a1 synthesis, preceding the disruption of spermatogenesis. The oestrogen-induced suppression of the androgen production capacity in Leydig cells is a major event in altering spermatogenesis, while germ cell steroidogenesis may have to be fuelled by precursors from Leydig cells. Further studies are needed to elucidate the functionality of steroidogenic enzymes in germ cells and their potential role in testicular physiology. © 2013 Society for Endocrinology.

7-Hydroxycassine: A new 2,6-dialkylpiperidin-3-ol alkaloid and other constituents isolated from flowers and fruits of senna spectabilis (Fabaceae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of exposure to estradiol and estradiol plus testosterone on the mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) female prostate

The female prostate is a differentiated organ found in several mammal species, including humans and rodents. This gland has been related to important functions on female reproductive biology. Although the factors, which regulate prostate's development and activity are not well known, its functionality has been related to steroid hormones. It is well established that cyclic changes of estradiol and progesterone levels promote histophysiological adaptations of the whole female body. In contrast, only a few is found about those adaptations in female prostate. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of estradiol and estradiol+testosterone association on gerbil female prostate in order to verify, which hormonal associations are necessary to its homeostasis. For this, adult females had the ovaries surgically removed. After recovering, they received estradiol and estradiol+testosterone doses through 30 days, each 48 h. The prostatic tissue underwent morphological and morphometric-estereological analysis. Hormonal restriction caused great gland involution and decreased secretory activity, aspects that were reverted by exposure to estradiol and estradiol+testosterone. However, these hormones were not able to re-establish the normal prostate histoarchitecture. The immunoreaction of steroid receptors (ER-α, ER-β, and AR) responded differently among the experimental and control groups, and PCNA assay showed a decrease in epithelial cell proliferation within groups that had hormone privation. Therefore, we conclude that estradiol and testosterone are able to influence prostate morphophysiology and the maintenance of gland homeostasis depends on a balance among these and other hormones. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Digit ratio (2D:4D) is associated with gastric cancer

Background: Sex steroid exposure during early human development may influence disease susceptibility. Digit ratio (2D:4D) is a putative marker for prenatal hormone exposure and sensitivity, as well as the action of genes closely related to carcinogenesis. Digit ratio could act as a possible marker for cancer predisposition. Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the possible correlations between right hand, left hand and right minus left (R. - L) 2D:4D and gastric cancer (GCA) in men and women and assess the correlations with tumor staging and histological diagnosis. Methods: Digital images of the right and left hand palms of patients diagnosed with GCA (n = 57, 42 males, 15 females) and age and sex-matched controls (n = 59, 41 males, 18 females) were obtained. Means for 2D:4D were compared. Data were analyzed by repeated-measures one-way ANOVA and Student's t-test for finger measurements and group comparisons and Pearson's and Spearman's tests for correlations with tumor staging (α = 0.05). Results: GCA group presented significantly higher left 2D:4D, but significantly lower R. - L in comparison to healthy controls, particularly so for males. Digit ratio did not correlate to clinical staging or TNM staging. However, low R. - L was significantly related to adenocarcinomas. Conclusions: Early developmental conditions, including prenatal testosterone seem to play a role on the malignant transformation of gastric lesions. The 2D:4D pattern found for gastric cancer parallels that earlier described for breast cancer. The findings suggest that 2D:4D could add to the list of etiological factors and be a putative marker for the screening of patients' susceptibility to develop gastric cancer. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Fator Pró-digestão inicial® e Isoterápico® na larvicultura da tilápia-do-Nilo: avaliação do índice de parasitismo, integridade hepática e branquial

Pós-graduação em Aquicultura - FCAV

Efeitos do treinamento físico sobre aspectos endócrino-metabólicos de ratos administrados com dexametasona

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Morfofisiologia das glândulas reprodutivas acessórias masculinas de morcegos: estudo nas espécies Artibeus planirostris e Platyrrhinus lineatus (Chiroptera: Phylostomidae )

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estudo da ação da dexametasona na regeneração da nadadeira caudal do peixe teleósteo Cyprinus carpio (carpa)

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Celular e Molecular) - IBRC

Exposição in utero ao desregulador endocrino bisfenol A e ao agente quimiopreventivo indol-3-carbinol: efeitos sobra a morfogênese e a suscetibilidade à carcinogênese prostática

Pós-graduação em Biologia Geral e Aplicada - IBB

Clastogenicidade e /ou aneugenicidade do hormônio androgênico nandrolona (Deca-Durabolin®) em camundongos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)