Taurine bromamine: A potent oxidant of tryptophan residues in albumin

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

Reduced pancreatic β-cell mass is associated with decreased FoxO1 and Erk1/2 protein phosphorylation in low-protein malnourished rats

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

On line extraction and separation of bendiocarb, methomyl, methylparathion, and pentachlorophenol pesticides from raw milk

A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for extraction and determination of pesticides from raw milk was developed. The method involves direct injection of raw milk samples on a bovine serum albumin-dimethyl-octyl-silica gel (BSA-Si-Cs) column. The mobile phase 0.05 mol.L-1 phosphate buffer pH6.0 in acetonitrile (70:30 v/v) was employed for extraction and separation of bendiocarb, methylparathion, pentachlorophenol, and methomyl pesticides. The method shows good results of recovery in the pesticides studied, higher than 99.6%.

Alterations in the intestinal wall due to protein malnutrition in rats. Evaluation of the rupture strength and the tissue's collagen

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o efeito da desnutrição protéica na parede intestinal do rato através da medida de força de ruptura e dosagem do colágeno tecidual no íleo e cólon distal. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados 120 ratos, pesando em média 100g, que receberam durante 07 dias uma dieta padrão, contendo 20% de caseína para adaptação dos animais as condições do biotério. Após esse período os animais foram divididos em dois grupos de 60, o controle denominado grupo um que recebeu a dieta padrão, e o grupo teste denominado grupo dois, que recebeu dieta hipoprotéica contendo 2% de caseína. Os dois grupos receberam suas respectivas dietas por um período de 21 dias. Após esse período iniciou-se o sacrifício seqüencial dos animais em ambos os grupos, em número de 12 animais em cada momento, correspondendo ao dia Zero (MO), 4º dia (M1), 7º dia (M2), 14º dia (M3), e 21º dia (M4) sendo mantida a mesma dieta até o final do sacrifício. em cada momento foram avaliados o peso corpóreo, albumina sanguínea, hidroxiprolina tecidual, relação hidroxiprolina/proteína tecidual e a força de ruptura no segmento ileal e cólico dos animais. RESULTADOS: Observou-se que a força de ruptura do segmento ileal e do cólon distal foi menor nos animais desnutridos (Grupo 2). A perda da resistência mecânica foi maior no segmento do cólon distal do que no segmento ileal, provavelmente pela menor concentração do colágeno tecidual no cólon distal. CONCLUSÃO: A desnutrição protéica induz a diminuição da resistência mecânica no íleo e no cólon distal associado a diminuição do colágeno tecidual na parede intestinal.

Seasonal influence on biochemical profile and serum protein electrophoresis for Boa constrictor amarali in captivity

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

Influência do tamoxifeno associado ao diabete melito na densidade mineral óssea

Considering that osteopenia and osteoporosis are diabetes mellitus complications, and that tamoxifen (TAM) is an anti-estrogenic drug used in breast cancer treatment, this drug may have a beneficial action preventing accentuaded bone loss associated to diabetes. Female Wistar rats (n=60) weighting 180-250g were divided in four groups: Group C, control animals (n=5); Group T, animals treated with TAM (n=5); Group D, diabetic animals (n=5); and Group DT, diabetic animals treated with TAM (n=5). Oestrus cycle was evaluated before the beggining of experimental period to select the animals with regular cycle. This evaluation continued throughout the study period and for all studied groups. Diabetes was induced by a intra perithoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in a concentration of 45 mg/Kg of body weight. Those animals with serum glicose levels 250 mg/dL were considered diabetics. Animals were sacrificed in the periods of 30, 60 and 90 days after diabetes onset. Left femur histomorphometric measurements and serum biochemical analysis (glycemia, alkaline phosphatase, tartaric-resistant acid phosphatase, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, total proteins, albumin, globulins, urea and creatinine) were done. Histomorphometric results showed a progressive bone loss in Group D animals when compared to those from Group C all over the experimental period, becoming accentuaded in the 90 days period. In relation to Groups T and DT, values approcimated to those obtained for control group were found during the whole period of study. Those data may indicate a bone mass recovery or a diminished bone loss due to diabetes when animals were treated with TAM. During the whole experimental period animals of groups D and DT maintained glycemic levels above 250 mg/dL whereas animals of groups C and T maintained those levels below 150mg/dL. Alkaline phosphatase activity was increased in all study periods for groups D and DT when compared to group C animals over the 90 days period. Tartarate-resistant acid phosphatase activity was showed unaltered in all periods of study and for all groups. Calcium and magnesium results were also unaltered, maintaining reference levels for all groups in all experimental periods. Phosphorous levels were increased in groups D and DT when compared to groups C and T in the 30 days period. However no difference was found in the periods of 60 and 90 days for this test. No difference was found for total proteins levels for groups C, T, D and DT over the study period. Albumin levels were reduced in DT group in the 60 days period and in D and DT groups in the 90 days period. Urea levels were significantly increased in the 30, 60 and 90 days study periods in groups D and DT when compared to groups C and T. Creatinine results showed a significantly increase in the 90 days period for groups D and DT when compared to groups C and T, and maintaining unaltered in the 30 and 60 days periods. These results suggest that the treatment with TAM may reduce bone loss caused by diabetes mellitus

Intestinal parasitic infections in HIV/AIDS patients: epidemiological, nutritional and immunological aspects

This study applied a socioeconomic questionnaire designed to evaluate the frequency of intestinal parasites and characterize epidemiological, nutritional, and immunological variables in 105 HIV/AIDS patients - with and without parasitic infections, attending the Day Hospital in Botucatu, UNESP, from 2007 to 2008. Body mass index was calculated and the following tests performed: parasitological stool examinations; eosinophil, IgE, CD4(+) T and CD8(+) T lymphocyte cell counts; albumin test; viral load measure; and TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-5 and IL-10 cytokine levels. Results were positive for parasitic intestinal infections in 12.4% of individuals. Most patients had good socioeconomic conditions with basic sanitation, urban dwellings, treated water supply and sewage, good nutritional and immunological status and were undergoing HAART. Parasites were found at the following frequencies: Entamoeba - five patients (38.5%), Giardia lamblia-four (30.7%), Blastocystis hominis-three (23.0%), Endolimax nana-two (15.4%), and Ascaris lumbricoides - one (7.7%). There were no significant differences between the two groups for eosinophils, albumin, IgE, CD4(+) T and CD8(+) T lymphocytes, INF-gamma, IL-2, or IL-10. Most patients also showed undetectable viral load levels. Significant differences were found for TNF-alpha and IL-5. These results show the importance of new studies on immunodeficient individuals to increase understanding of such variables.

Effect of soluble fiber on hypertriglyceridemia and immune profile in HIV-positive individuals undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy

The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), since 1996, represented a profound impact on the natural history of HIV-infection by promoting important and sustainable viral replication suppression and increasing survival and quality of life among seropositive patients. Nonetheless, antiretroviral therapy has been observed to be accompanied by metabolic alterations such as dyslipidemia, especially hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and lipodystrophy (body fat redistribution). Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a correlation between high triglyceride (TG) levels and higher incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Some investigators suggest dietary intervention as part of hyperlipidemia treatment, including an increase in soluble fiber intake (10-25g/day). Whereas some studies have demonstrated that both cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels decrease with the use of food fiber, others have shown just a serum triglyceride decrease, and others failed to observe any alteration in lipid metabolism. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of soluble fiber (R) (partially hydrolyzed guar gum) supplementation on hypertriglyceridemia and immune profile in HIVpositive individuals on HAART. Nineteen HIV-positive individuals with hypertriglyceridemia (serum levels >= 150 to < 500mg/dl) were studied. of these individuals, 63.16% were males and 36.84% females, with mean age of 43.52 +/- 9.22 years. These individuals had been on the same HAART regimen for at least six months, had no change in therapy during the study and received 20g/day of soluble fiber for four months at pre-established times. Clinical-nutritional, biochemical (total proteins, albumin, globulin, total cholesterol, LDL-c, HDL-c, TG, TG/HDL-c and LDLc/HDL-c), hematimetric (hemoglobin, hematocrit and total lymphocytes), and immunologic (lymphocytes T CD4(+), T CD8(+); T CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio, viral load, TNF-alpha and IL-6) parameters were assessed in all patients at three time points (M0: pretreatment, M1: 30 days, and M2: four months after intervention). Significance level was set at 5% for all data statistically analyzed. Serum TG and TG/HDL-c ratio reduction was observed at all time points, but statistical significance was found just at M0 and M2. The remaining biochemical, hematimetric and immunologic parameters (lymphocytes T CD4(+), T CD8(+); T CD4(+)/ CD8(+) ratio, and viral load) showed no significant difference at all times. Regarding serum cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-6 significantly decreased between M0 and M2, and only IL-6 reduced between M1 and M2. The data collected show that dietary and anthropometric parameters remained unchanged excluding potential confounding factors related with the effect of fiber supplementation on serum TG, TNF-alpha and IL-6. Thus, soluble fiber (R) contributed to an important reduction in hypertriglyceridemia and in the serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-6 in HIV-seropositive individuals on HAART. In addition, soluble fiber (R) might have minimized the process of atherosclerosis in these individuals, given that elevated serum levels of TG, TNF-alpha and IL-6 have been associated with the development of these lesions.

Nutritional, immunological and microbiological profiles of burn patients

A burn is a lesion on an organic tissue resultant from direct or indirect action of heat on the organism. The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional, immunological and microbiological status of burn patients at the Bauru State Hospital, São Paulo state, Brazil, in 2007. Eight patients, aged more than 18 years and injured up to 24 hours, were evaluated at the moment of hospitalization and seven days later. All victims were males with a mean age of 38 years. on average, 17.5% of their body surfaces were burned and 50% of the patients were eutrophic. There were significant alterations in levels of erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein and albumin due to increased endothelial permeability, direct destruction of proteins in the heat-affected area and blood loss from lesions or debridement. At a second moment, cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha had augmented significantly, with IL-6 presenting elevated levels in relation to controls at the first moment. Microbiological analysis showed that 100% of the samples collected at hospital admission were negative and after one week Staphylococcus aureus was found in all cultures. Therefore, a burn patient may be considered immunosuppressed and these results indicate significant nutritional, immunological and microbiological alterations that can interfere in his recovery.

Citocinas e proteínas de fase aguda do soro como marcadores de regressão da resposta inflamatória ao tratamento da tuberculose pulmonar

OBJETIVO: Analisar o padrão de citocinas pró- e antiinflamatórias e da resposta de fase aguda (RFA) como marcadores de resposta ao tratamento da tuberculose pulmonar. MÉTODOS: Determinação dos níveis de interferon-gama (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α, fator de necrose tumoral-alfa), interleucina-10 (IL-10) e transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β, fator transformador de crescimento-beta), pelo método ELISA, em sobrenadante de cultura de células mononucleares do sangue periférico e monócitos, assim como dos níveis de proteínas totais, albumina, globulinas, alfa-1-glicoproteína ácida (AGA), proteína C reativa (PCR) e velocidade de hemossedimentação (VHS) em 28 doentes com tuberculose pulmonar, em três tempos: antes (T0), aos três meses (T3) e aos seis meses (T6) de tratamento, em relação aos controles saudáveis, em um único tempo. RESULTADOS: Os pacientes apresentaram valores maiores de citocinas e RFA que os controles em T0, com diminuição em T3 e diminuição (TNF-α, IL-10, TGF-β, AGA e VHS) ou normalização (IFN-γ e PCR) em T6. CONCLUSÕES: PCR, AGA e VHS são possíveis marcadores para auxiliar no diagnóstico de tuberculose pulmonar e na indicação de tratamento de indivíduos com baciloscopia negativa; PCR (T0 > T3 > T6 = referência) pode também ser marcador de resposta ao tratamento. Antes do tratamento, o perfil Th0 (IFN-γ, IL-10, TNF-α e TGF-β), indutor de e protetor contra inflamação, prevaleceu nos pacientes; em T6, prevaleceu o perfil Th2 (IL-10, TNF-α e TGF-β), protetor contra efeito nocivo pró-inflamatório do TNF-α ainda presente. O comportamento do IFN-γ (T0 > T3 > T6 = controle) sugere sua utilização como marcador de resposta ao tratamento.

Diuron exposure induces systemic and organ-specific toxicity following acute and sub-chronic exposure in male Wistar rats

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

Inhibition of Sodium Hypochlorite Antimicrobial Activity in the Presence of Bovine Serum Albumin

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Immune response and performance of growing Santa Ines lambs to artificial Trichostrongylus colubriformis infections

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

Growth performance of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, fed diets containing levels of pyridoxine and haematological response under heat stress

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

Effect of propolis, some isolated compounds and its source plant on antibody production

Propolis is a beehive product with a very complex chemical composition, widely used in folk medicine because of its several therapeutic activities. Its biological properties and chemical composition may vary according to the geographic location and to the different plant sources. The possible mechanism of action of propolis as well as of its active compounds has been the subject of researchers in recent years. In this work, first we reported the results of our study on the seasonal effect of the immunomodulatory action of propolis on antibody production in bovine serum albumin (BSA)-immunized rats. Then, we compared the effect of Brazilian and Bulgarian propolis, some isolated compounds and Baccharis extract on anti-BSA antibody levels. Based on the results, we conclude that propolis stimulates antibody production, independently of the season and geographic origin. Caffeic acid, quercetin and Baccharis extract had no effect on antibody production, although the importance of isolated compounds is well reported in other biological assays. Propolis action is a consequence of plant-derived products with synergic effects. while isolated compounds or extracts from its plant sources had no effect in this assay. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.