Heterologous expression and biochemical and functional characterization of a recombinant alpha-type myotoxin inhibitor from Bothrops alternatus snake

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

Heart Failure-Induced Diaphragm Myopathy

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Erythrocyte selenium concentration predicts intensive care unit and hospital mortality in patients with septic shock: a prospective observational study

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The Role of Lipotoxicity in Smoke Cardiomyopathy

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

Análise histoquímica do epitélio de escamas de Prochilodus lineatus exposto a águas contaminadas

O Lago Azul (Rio Claro – SP), oriundo da canalização do Córrego Servidão, vem sofrendo com problemas de inundação, infiltração, erosão e contaminação das águas por esgoto. Alguns dos compostos mais despejados nas águas de rios, e responsáveis por tais problemas de contaminação são os detergentes biodegradáveis, que têm sido alvo de críticas, não apenas devido aos problemas de biodegradação, mas também devido ao fato de provocarem o fenômeno conhecido como eutrofização. A preocupação com a possível contaminação das espécies do Lago Azul levou a prefeitura de Rio Claro, junto da SABESP, a iniciar estudos das águas e sedimentos do Lago Azul. Visando essa preocupação o projeto pretende analisar os efeitos da água do Lago Azul e de uma diluição de detergentes em indivíduos de Prochilodus lineatus (Curimbatá), comparados a um controle exposto a água pura clorada do poço artesiano situado no Campus da UNESP de Rio Claro. O projeto procurou caracterizar o epitélio que recobre as escamas da espécie tratada, haja vista que se trata de uma estrutura inexplorada na literatura. A partir desses dados, análises foram realizadas através da detecção de possíveis alterações morfológicas na histologia e histoquímica das células epiteliais de escamas para avaliar os efeitos dos possíveis agentes contaminantes. Para as análises histológicas o material foi processado em resina para as técnicas de Alcian e PAS para detecção de polissacarídeos ácidos e básicos, Azul de Bromofenol para detecção de proteínas, Picrossirus Red para detecção de fibras colágenas I e III e Hematoxilina-Eosina para analisar alterações morfológicas. Os dados coletados foram analisados com auxílio de um microscópio Leica DM 2000, dotado de câmera para captura de imagens

Efeito do ambiente alterado no epitélio da escama, nas brânquias e na alimentação de Prochilodus lineatus

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

Vitamin D serum levels are associated with handgrip strength but not with muscle mass or length of hospital stay after hip fracture

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D-3 with midupper arm muscle circumference (MUAMC), handgrip strength and length of hospital stay (LOS) after hip fracture.Methods: In total, 102 consecutive patients with hip fracture over the age of 65 were admitted to the orthopedic unit and prospectively evaluated. All of the patients were treated according to specific protocols depending on the type of fracture. Anthropometric measurements and handgrip strength were performed, and blood samples were taken for serum biochemistry and 25(OH) vitamin D-3 analysis within the first 72 h of admission. All of the patients were followed during their hospital stay, and the length of stay was recorded.Results: Of the patients, two were excluded because of pathologic fractures. In total, 100 patients with a mean age of 80 +/- 7 y were included in the analysis. Among these patients, 73% were female, and 37% had vitamin D deficiency. The median LOS was 7 (5-11) d. Patients with vitamin D deficiency had lower handgrip strength in univariate analysis. In the multiple linear regression analysis with robust standard error, serum vitamin D levels adjusted by age and sex were associated with handgrip strength but not with MUAMC and LOS after hip fracture.Conclusions: In conclusion, vitamin D serum levels were associated with handgrip strength but not with muscle mass or length of hospital stay after hip fracture. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of N-acetylcysteine on oxidative stress in slow-twitch soleus muscle of heart failure rats

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

Pamidronate attenuates diastolic dysfunction induced by myocardial infarction associated with changes in geometric patterning

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

Acute doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is associated with matrix metalloproteinase-2 alterations in rats

Background: Doxorubicin can cause cardiotoxicity. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are responsible for degrading extracellular matrix components which play a role in ventricular dilation. Increased MMP activity occurs after chronic doxorubicin treatment. In this study we evaluated in vivo and in vitro cardiac function in rats with acute doxorubicin treatment, and examined myocardial MMP and inflammatory activation, and gene expression of proteins involved in myocyte calcium transients. Methods: Wistar rats were injected with doxorubicin (Doxo, 20 mg/kg) or saline (Control). Echocardiogram was performed 48 h after treatment. Myocardial function was assessed in vitro in Langendorff preparation. Results: In left ventricle, doxorubicin impaired fractional shortening (Control 0.59 +/- 0.07; Doxo 0.51 +/- 0.05; p < 0.001), and increased isovolumetric relaxation time (Control 20.3 +/- 4.3; Doxo 24.7 +/- 4.2 ms; p = 0.007) and myocardial passive stiffness. MMP-2 activity, evaluated by zymography, was increased in Doxo (Control 141338 +/- 8924; Doxo 188874 +/- 7652 arbitrary units; p < 0.001). There were no changes in TNF-alpha, INF-gamma, IL-10, and ICAM-1 myocardial levels. Expression of phospholamban, Serca-2a, and ryanodine receptor did not differ between groups. Conclusion: Acute doxorubicin administration induces in vivo left ventricular dysfunction and in vitro increased myocardial passive stiffness in rats. Cardiac dysfunction is related to myocardial MMP-2 activation. Increased inflammatory stimulation or changed expression of the proteins involved in intracellular calcium transients is not involved in acute cardiac dysfunction.

Detection of hormones in surface and drinking water in Brazil by LC-ESI-MS/MS and ecotoxicological assessment with Daphnia magna

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Remodelação ventricular após infarto agudo do miocárdio. Conceitos, fisiopatologia e abordagem terapêutica

Após o infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM), ocorrem alterações complexas na arquitetura ventricular, envolvendo tanto a região infartada como a não infartada. Nos últimos anos, estas adaptações, que podem ser identificadas na fase aguda do IAM, ou mais tardiamente, passaram a ser estudadas com o nome de remodelação ventricular (RV) pós-IAM 1 . O reconhecimento e entendimento deste processo é crítico, pois a RV pode estar associada a um pior prognóstico, pós-infarto, na dependência de diversos fatores. Outro aspecto relevante é que sua evolução pode ser modificada, por meio de diversas intervenções terapêuticas. Assim, abordaremos aspectos fisiopatológicos que envolvem a RV, bem como os efeitos das medicações comumente usadas no tratamento do infarto, nesse processo adaptativo.

Gene expression analysis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is one of the most common malignancies of the head and neck tumors Zhang et al., 2013 [1]). Previous studies have associated its occurrence with social activities, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption (Hashibe et al., 2007a [2]; Hashibe et al., 2007b [3]; Shangina et al., 2006 [4]). Here, we performed a genome-wide gene expression profiling in thirty-one patients positively diagnosed for LSCC, in order to investigate new targets involved in tumorigenesis.

Interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 production by mononuclear cells from patients with advanced head and neck cancer

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the production of interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 by stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from patients with supraglottic laryngeal cancer before and after surgical treatment. METHODS: Fourteen patients with advanced supraglottic laryngeal cancer were studied. Cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated during the preoperative and late postoperative periods were stimulated with concanavalin A and Bacille Calmette-Guerin, and the supernatant concentrations of interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 were measured. RESULTS: For non-stimulated cultures, the interferon-gamma levels produced by the preoperative period and the late postoperative period cultures were lower than the levels produced by the control group cultures. The interferon-gamma levels after stimulation with concanavalin A were higher in the late postoperative period cultures than in the preoperative evaluation cultures. Stimulation with Bacille Calmette-Guerin led to the production of similar levels of interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 by all cultures; thus, stimulation increased the levels of interferon-gamma produced by both the preoperative and postoperative cultures relative to the levels produced by the corresponding unstimulated cultures. CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced supraglottic laryngeal cancer exhibit an in vitro deficiency in interferongamma secretion by mononuclear cells. Stimulated cells seem to recover this function during the postoperative period.