Phytochemical Markers Of Different Types Of Red Propolis.

Propolis is a resin that bees collect from different plant sources and use in the defense of the bee community. The intricate composition of propolis varies depending on plant sources from different geographic regions and many types have been reported. Red coloured propolis found in several states in Brazil and in other countries has known antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Different analytical methods have been applied to studies regarding the chemical composition and plant origins of red propolis. In this study samples of red propolis from different regions have been characterised using direct infusion electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI(-)-MS) fingerprinting. Data from the fingerprints was extracted and analysed by multivariate analysis to group the samples according to their composition and marker compounds. Despite similar colour, the red coloured propolis samples were divided into three groups due to contrasting chemical composition, confirming the need to properly characterise the chemical composition of propolis.

Treadmill Training Increases Sirt-1 And Pgc-1 α Protein Levels And Ampk Phosphorylation In Quadriceps Of Middle-aged Rats In An Intensity-dependent Manner.

The present study investigated the effects of running at 0.8 or 1.2 km/h on inflammatory proteins (i.e., protein levels of TNF- α , IL-1 β , and NF- κ B) and metabolic proteins (i.e., protein levels of SIRT-1 and PGC-1 α , and AMPK phosphorylation) in quadriceps of rats. Male Wistar rats at 3 (young) and 18 months (middle-aged rats) of age were divided into nonexercised (NE) and exercised at 0.8 or 1.2 km/h. The rats were trained on treadmill, 50 min per day, 5 days per week, during 8 weeks. Forty-eight hours after the last training session, muscles were removed, homogenized, and analyzed using biochemical and western blot techniques. Our results showed that: (a) running at 0.8 km/h decreased the inflammatory proteins and increased the metabolic proteins compared with NE rats; (b) these responses were lower for the inflammatory proteins and higher for the metabolic proteins in young rats compared with middle-aged rats; (c) running at 1.2 km/h decreased the inflammatory proteins and increased the metabolic proteins compared with 0.8 km/h; (d) these responses were similar between young and middle-aged rats when trained at 1.2 km. In summary, the age-related increases in inflammatory proteins, and the age-related declines in metabolic proteins can be reversed and largely improved by treadmill training.

Clinical Consequences Of Tityus Bahiensis And Tityus Serrulatus Scorpion Stings In The Region Of Campinas, Southeastern Brazil.

Scorpion stings account for most envenomations by venomous animals in Brazil. A retrospective study (1994-2011) of the clinical consequences of Tityus scorpion stings in 1327 patients treated at a university hospital in Campinas, southeastern Brazil, is reported. The clinical classification, based on outcome, was: dry sting (no envenoming), class I (only local manifestations), class II (systemic manifestations), class III (life-threatening manifestations, such as shock and/or cardiac failure requiring inotropic/vasopressor agents, and/or respiratory failure), and fatal. The median patient age was 27 years (interquartile interval = 15-42 years). Scorpions were brought for identification in 47.2% of cases (Tityus bahiensis 27.7%; Tityus serrulatus 19.5%). Sting severity was classified and each accounted for the following percentage of cases: dry stings - 3.4%, class I - 79.6%, class II - 15.1%, class III - 1.8% and fatal - 0.1%. Pain was the primary local manifestation (95.5%). Systemic manifestations such as vomiting, agitation, sweating, dyspnea, bradycardia, tachycardia, tachypnea, somnolence/lethargy, cutaneous paleness, hypothermia and hypotension were detected in class II or class III + fatal groups, but were significantly more frequent in the latter group. Class III and fatal cases occurred only in children <15 years old, with scorpions being identified in 13/25 cases (T. serrulatus, n = 12; T. bahiensis, n = 1). Laboratory blood abnormalities (hyperglycemia, hypokalemia, leukocytosis, elevations in serum total CK, CK-MB and troponin T, bicarbonate consumption and an increase in base deficit and blood lactate), electrocardiographic changes (ST segment) and echocardiographic alterations (ventricular ejected fraction <54%) were frequently detected in class III patients. Seventeen patients developed pulmonary edema, 16 had cardiac failure and seven had cardiogenic shock. These results indicate that most scorpion stings involved only local manifestations, mainly pain; the greatest severity was associated with stings by T. serrulatus and in children <15 years old.

Synthesis And Antiproliferative Activity Of 8-hydroxyquinoline Derivatives Containing A 1,2,3-triazole Moiety.

Twelve novel 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives were synthesized with good yields by performing copper-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (click reaction) between an 8-O-alkylated-quinoline containing a terminal alkyne and various aromatic or protected sugar azides. These compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antiproliferative activity on various cancer cell types. Protected sugar derivative 16 was the most active compound in the series, exhibiting potent antiproliferative activity and high selectivity toward ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-03, GI50 < 0.25 μg mL(-1)); this derivative was more active than the reference drug doxorubicin (OVCAR-03, GI50 = 0.43 μg mL(-1)). In structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, the physico-chemical parameters of the compounds were evaluated and docking calculations were performed for the α-glucosidase active site to predict the possible mechanism of action of this series of compounds.

Cd8+ Tumour-infiltrating Lymphocytes And Cox2 Expression May Predict Relapse In Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

There is an increasing rate of papillary thyroid carcinomas that may never progress to cause symptoms or death. Predicting outcome and determining tumour aggressiveness could help diminish the number of patients submitted to aggressive treatments. We aimed to evaluate whether markers of the immune system response and of tumour-associated inflammation could predict outcome of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients. Retrospective cohort study. We studied 399 consecutive patients, including 325 papillary and 74 follicular thyroid carcinomas. Immune cell markers were evaluated using immunohistochemistry, including tumour-associated macrophages (CD68) and subsets of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), such as CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16, CD20, CD45RO, GRANZYME B, CD69 and CD25. We also investigated the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) in tumour cells and the presence of concurrent lymphocytic infiltration characterizing chronic thyroiditis. Concurrent lymphocytic infiltration characterizing chronic thyroiditis was observed in 29% of the cases. Among all the immunological parameters evaluated, only the enrichment of CD8+ lymphocytes (P = 0·001) and expression of COX2 (P =0·01) were associated with recurrence. A multivariate model analysis identified CD8+ TIL/COX2 as independent risk factor for recurrence. A multivariate analysis using Cox's proportional-hazards model adjusted for the presence of concurrent chronic thyroiditis demonstrated that the presence of concurrent chronic thyroiditis had no effect on prognostic prediction mediated by CD8+ TIL and COX2. In conclusion, we suggest the use of a relatively simple pathology tool to help select cases that may benefit of a more aggressive approach sparing the majority of patients from unnecessary procedures.

Applying The Maternal Near Miss Approach For The Evaluation Of Quality Of Obstetric Care: A Worked Example From A Multicenter Surveillance Study.

To assess quality of care of women with severe maternal morbidity and to identify associated factors. This is a national multicenter cross-sectional study performing surveillance for severe maternal morbidity, using the World Health Organization criteria. The expected number of maternal deaths was calculated with the maternal severity index (MSI) based on the severity of complication, and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for each center was estimated. Analyses on the adequacy of care were performed. 17 hospitals were classified as providing adequate and 10 as nonadequate care. Besides almost twofold increase in maternal mortality ratio, the main factors associated with nonadequate performance were geographic difficulty in accessing health services (P < 0.001), delays related to quality of medical care (P = 0.012), absence of blood derivatives (P = 0.013), difficulties of communication between health services (P = 0.004), and any delay during the whole process (P = 0.039). This is an example of how evaluation of the performance of health services is possible, using a benchmarking tool specific to Obstetrics. In this study the MSI was a useful tool for identifying differences in maternal mortality ratios and factors associated with nonadequate performance of care.

Correlation Between Cephalometric Data And Severity Of Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome has a high prevalence among adults. Cephalometric variables can be a valuable method for evaluating patients with this syndrome. To correlate cephalometric data with the apnea-hypopnea sleep index. We performed a retrospective and cross-sectional study that analyzed the cephalometric data of patients followed in the Sleep Disorders Outpatient Clinic of the Discipline of Otorhinolaryngology of a university hospital, from June 2007 to May 2012. Ninety-six patients were included, 45 men, and 51 women, with a mean age of 50.3 years. A total of 11 patients had snoring, 20 had mild apnea, 26 had moderate apnea, and 39 had severe apnea. The distance from the hyoid bone to the mandibular plane was the only variable that showed a statistically significant correlation with the apnea-hypopnea index. Cephalometric variables are useful tools for the understanding of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The distance from the hyoid bone to the mandibular plane showed a statistically significant correlation with the apnea-hypopnea index.

Kinesiographic Study Of Masticatory Movements In Denture Wearers With Normal And Resorbed Denture-bearing Areas.

An unfavorable denture-bearing area could compromise denture retention and stability, limit mastication, and possibly alter masticatory motion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the masticatory movements of denture wearers with normal and resorbed denture-bearing areas. Completely edentulous participants who received new complete dentures were selected and divided into 2 groups (n=15) according to the condition of their denture-bearing areas as classified by the Kapur method: a normal group (control) (mean age, 65.9 ± 7.8 years) and a resorbed group (mean age, 70.2 ± 7.6 years). Masticatory motion was recorded and analyzed with a kinesiographic device. The patients masticated peanuts and Optocal. The masticatory movements evaluated were the durations of opening, closing, and occlusion; duration of the masticatory cycle; maximum velocities and angles of opening and closing; total masticatory area; and amplitudes of the masticatory cycle. The data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and the Tukey honestly significant difference post hoc test (α=.05). The group with a resorbed denture-bearing area had a smaller total masticatory area in the frontal plane and shorter horizontal masticatory amplitude than the group with normal denture-bearing area (P<.05). Denture wearers with resorbed denture-bearing areas showed reduced jaw motion during mastication.

Ssr-based Genetic Diversity And Structure Of Garlic Accessions From Brazil.

Garlic is a spice and a medicinal plant; hence, there is an increasing interest in 'developing' new varieties with different culinary properties or with high content of nutraceutical compounds. Phenotypic traits and dominant molecular markers are predominantly used to evaluate the genetic diversity of garlic clones. However, 24 SSR markers (codominant) specific for garlic are available in the literature, fostering germplasm researches. In this study, we genotyped 130 garlic accessions from Brazil and abroad using 17 polymorphic SSR markers to assess the genetic diversity and structure. This is the first attempt to evaluate a large set of accessions maintained by Brazilian institutions. A high level of redundancy was detected in the collection (50 % of the accessions represented eight haplotypes). However, non-redundant accessions presented high genetic diversity. We detected on average five alleles per locus, Shannon index of 1.2, HO of 0.5, and HE of 0.6. A core collection was set with 17 accessions, covering 100 % of the alleles with minimum redundancy. Overall FST and D values indicate a strong genetic structure within accessions. Two major groups identified by both model-based (Bayesian approach) and hierarchical clustering (UPGMA dendrogram) techniques were coherent with the classification of accessions according to maturity time (growth cycle): early-late and midseason accessions. Assessing genetic diversity and structure of garlic collections is the first step towards an efficient management and conservation of accessions in genebanks, as well as to advance future genetic studies and improvement of garlic worldwide.

[the Perception Of Behavior Related To Mindfulness And The Brazilian Version Of The Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory].

Mindfulness is a practice and a form of consciousness which has been the basis for innovative interventions in care and health promotion. This study presents mindfulness, describes and discusses the process of cultural adaptation of The Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) to Brazilian Portuguese. From the original version of this pioneering instrument for assessing mindfulness two translations and two back-translations were made. These were evaluated by a committee of 14 experts (Buddhists, linguists, health professionals), who helped to create two versions for the first pre-test, based on which suggestions were made by a sample of 41 people of the population through interviews. Considering the difficulties in understanding the concepts that are unfamiliar to the Brazilian culture, a new version was prepared with additional explanations, which underwent a further evaluation of the experts and a second pre-test with 72 people. This process aimed at addressing the limitations and challenges of evaluating mindfulness in a country of western culture through a self-report instrument based on Buddhist psychology. With appropriate levels of clarity and equivalence with the original instrument, the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory adapted for Brazil is presented.

The Real-life Experience With Cardiovascular Complications In The First Dose Of Fingolimod For Multiple Sclerosis.

Fingolimod is a new and efficient treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The drug administration requires special attention to the first dose, since cardiovascular adverse events can be observed during the initial six hours of fingolimod ingestion. The present study consisted of a review of cardiovascular data on 180 patients with MS receiving the first dose of fingolimod. The rate of bradycardia in these patients was higher than that observed in clinical trials with very strict inclusion criteria for patients. There were less than 10% of cases requiring special attention, but no fatal cases. All but one patient continued the treatment after this initial dose. This is the first report on real-life administration of fingolimod to Brazilian patients with MS, and one of the few studies with these characteristics in the world.

Hypothalamic S1p/s1pr1 Axis Controls Energy Homeostasis.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) is a G-protein-coupled receptor for sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) that has a role in many physiological and pathophysiological processes. Here we show that the S1P/S1PR1 signalling pathway in hypothalamic neurons regulates energy homeostasis in rodents. We demonstrate that S1PR1 protein is highly enriched in hypothalamic POMC neurons of rats. Intracerebroventricular injections of the bioactive lipid, S1P, reduce food consumption and increase rat energy expenditure through persistent activation of STAT3 and the melanocortin system. Similarly, the selective disruption of hypothalamic S1PR1 increases food intake and reduces the respiratory exchange ratio. We further show that STAT3 controls S1PR1 expression in neurons via a positive feedback mechanism. Interestingly, several models of obesity and cancer anorexia display an imbalance of hypothalamic S1P/S1PR1/STAT3 axis, whereas pharmacological intervention ameliorates these phenotypes. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the neuronal S1P/S1PR1/STAT3 signalling axis plays a critical role in the control of energy homeostasis in rats.

Mastication Movements And Sleep Quality Of Patients With Myofascial Pain: Occlusal Device Therapy Improvements.

Patients with myofascial pain experience impaired mastication, which might also interfere with their sleep quality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the jaw motion and sleep quality of patients with myofascial pain and the impact of a stabilization device therapy on both parameters. Fifty women diagnosed with myofascial pain by the Research Diagnostic Criteria were enrolled. Pain levels (visual analog scale), jaw movements (kinesiography), and sleep quality (Epworth Sleepiness Scale; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were evaluated before (control) and after stabilization device use. Range of motion (maximum opening, right and left excursions, and protrusion) and masticatory movements during Optosil mastication (opening, closing, and total cycle time; opening and closing angles; and maximum velocity) also were evaluated. Repeated-measures analysis of variance in a generalized linear mixed models procedure was used for statistical analysis (α=.05). At baseline, participants with myofascial pain showed a reduced range of jaw motion and poorer sleep quality. Treatment with a stabilization device reduced pain (P<.001) and increased both mouth opening (P<.001) and anteroposterior movement (P=.01). Also, after treatment, the maximum opening (P<.001) and closing (P=.04) velocities during mastication increased, and improvements in sleep scores for the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (P<.001) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (P=.04) were found. Myofascial pain impairs jaw motion and quality of sleep; the reduction of pain after the use of a stabilization device improves the range of motion and sleep parameters.

Volumetric Capnography For The Evaluation Of Chronic Airways Diseases.

Obstructive lung diseases of different etiologies present with progressive peripheral airway involvement. The peripheral airways, known as the silent lung zone, are not adequately evaluated with conventional function tests. The principle of gas washout has been used to detect pulmonary ventilation inhomogeneity and to estimate the location of the underlying disease process. Volumetric capnography (VC) analyzes the pattern of CO2 elimination as a function of expired volume. To measure normalized phase 3 slopes with VC in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCB) and in bronchitic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in order to compare the slopes obtained for the groups. NCB and severe COPD were enrolled sequentially from an outpatient clinic (Hospital of the State University of Campinas). A control group was established for the NCB group, paired by sex and age. All subjects performed spirometry, VC, and the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). Two comparisons were made: NCB group versus its control group, and NCB group versus COPD group. The project was approved by the ethical committee of the institution. Statistical tests used were Wilcoxon or Student's t-test; P<0.05 was considered to be a statistically significant difference. Concerning the NCB group (N=20) versus the control group (N=20), significant differences were found in body mass index and in several functional variables (spirometric, VC, 6MWT) with worse results observed in the NCB group. In the comparison between the COPD group (N=20) versus the NCB group, although patients with COPD had worse spirometric and 6MWT values, the capnographic variables mean phase 2 slope (Slp2), mean phase 3 slope normalized by the mean expiratory volume, or mean phase 3 slope normalized by the end-tidal CO2 concentration were similar. These findings may indicate that the gas elimination curves are not sensitive enough to monitor the severity of structural abnormalities. The role of normalized phase 3 slope may be worth exploring as a more sensitive index of small airway disease, even though it may not be equally sensitive in discriminating the severity of the alterations.