Graduate and undergraduate studies: neighbors without affinity?

O texto apresenta dois conjuntos de informações de interesse histórico para a Psicologia: sobre o contexto no qual foi regulamentada a profi ssão de psicólogo e sobre a formação em nível de pós-graduação. Tais informações são utilizadas para discutir a dificuldade de promover articulação de fato entre a formação em nível de graduação e a pós-graduação. Trata-se de dificuldade especialmente curiosa, pois desde a fase inicial da organização da pós-graduação brasileira, a necessidade de considerar sua integração com a formação em nível de graduação foi sempre ressaltada. Ainda assim, persistem dificuldades relativas à essa integração. Algumas proposições de atividades que podem ensejar articulações entre os diferentes níveis de formação são apresentadas para o debate, tanto na esfera do ensino e da orientação como no âmbito da pesquisa, havendo menção, também, a atividades correlatas que podem servir ao mesmo objetivo.

Determinação da constante de afinidade e cinética da interação lectina ArtinM-célula leucêmica (NB4) por meio de técnicas piezoelétrica e eletroquímica

Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia - IQ

In vitro ANTIGIARDIAL ACTIVITY OF THE CYSTEINE PROTEASE INHIBITOR E-64

As cisteína-proteases estão entre os alvos mais promissores para o desenvolvimento de novos agentes terapêuticos, visto que participam de eventos fundamentais do ciclo de vida de muitos microorganismos, inclusive Giardia. Como a atividade das proteases pode ser controlada por inibidores específicos, essas substâncias têm sido avaliadas quanto ao potencial antiparasitário. Diante disso, o presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar o efeito in vitro do inibidor de cisteína-proteases E-64 sobre o crescimento, a aderência e a viabilidade de trofozoítos de cepa de Giardia isolada em Botucatu. Nos ensaios de crescimento e aderência, o número de trofozoítos foi estimado microscopicamente em hemocitômetro, enquanto que a viabilidade celular foi avaliada pelo método do MTT. No presente estudo, embora o metronidazol tenha se apresentado bastante efetivo, o E-64 mostrou ser capaz de inibir o crescimento, a aderência e a viabilidade em taxas superiores a 50%, especialmente nos cultivos expostos à concentração de 100 µM. A despeito de preliminares, esses resultados demonstram que o inibidor E-64 pode interferir em processos primordiais para a sobrevivência do parasita, além do que, abrem novas perspectivas para investigações futuras a fim de se avaliar o real potencial giardicida dos inibidores de proteases.

Identification of Novel Compounds Inhibiting Chikungunya Virus-Induced Cell Death by High Throughput Screening of a Kinase Inhibitor Library

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne arthrogenic alphavirus that causes acute febrile illness in humans accompanied by joint pains and in many cases, persistent arthralgia lasting weeks to years. The re-emergence of CHIKV has resulted in numerous outbreaks in the eastern hemisphere, and threatens to expand in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, no effective treatment is currently available. The present study reports the use of resazurin in a cell-based high-throughput assay, and an image-based high-content assay to identify and characterize inhibitors of CHIKV-infection in vitro. CHIKV is a highly cytopathic virus that rapidly kills infected cells. Thus, cell viability of HuH-7 cells infected with CHIKV in the presence of compounds was determined by measuring metabolic reduction of resazurin to identify inhibitors of CHIKV-associated cell death. A kinase inhibitor library of 4,000 compounds was screened against CHIKV infection of HuH-7 cells using the resazurin reduction assay, and the cell toxicity was also measured in non-infected cells. Seventy-two compounds showing >= 50% inhibition property against CHIKV at 10 mu M were selected as primary hits. Four compounds having a benzofuran core scaffold (CND0335, CND0364, CND0366 and CND0415), one pyrrolopyridine (CND0545) and one thiazol-carboxamide (CND3514) inhibited CHIKV-associated cell death in a dose-dependent manner, with EC50 values between 2.2 mu M and 7.1 mu M. Based on image analysis, these 6 hit compounds did not inhibit CHIKV replication in the host cell. However, CHIKV-infected cells manifested less prominent apoptotic blebs typical of CHIKV cytopathic effect compared with the control infection. Moreover, treatment with these compounds reduced viral titers in the medium of CHIKV-infected cells by up to 100-fold. In conclusion, this cell-based high-throughput screening assay using resazurin, combined with the image-based high content assay approach identified compounds against CHIKV having a novel antiviral activity -inhibition of virus-induced CPE - likely by targeting kinases involved in apoptosis.

Characterization of the co-purified invertase and beta-glucosidase of a multifunctional extract from Aspergillus terreus

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus terreus secretes both invertase and beta-glucosidase when grown under submerged fermentation containing rye flour as the carbon source. The aim of this study was to characterize the co-purified fraction, especially the invertase activity. An invertase and a beta-glucosidase were co-purified by two chromatographic steps, and the isolated enzymatic fraction was 139-fold enriched in invertase activity. SDS-PAGE analysis of the co-purified enzymes suggests that the protein fraction with invertase activity was heterodimeric, with subunits of 47 and 27 kDa. Maximal invertase activity, which was determined by response surface methodology, occurred in pH and temperature ranges of 4.0-6.0 and 55-65 A degrees C, respectively. The invertase in co-purified enzymes was stable for 1 h at pH 3.0-10.0 and maintained full activity for up to 1 h at 55 A degrees C when diluted in water. Invertase activity was stimulated by 1 mM concentrations of Mn2+ (161 %), Co2+ (68 %) and Mg2+ (61 %) and was inhibited by Al3+, Ag+, Fe2+ and Fe3+. In addition to sucrose, the co-purified enzymes hydrolyzed cellobiose, inulin and raffinose, and the apparent affinities for sucrose and cellobiose were quite similar (K-M = 22 mM). However, in the presence of Mn2+, the apparent affinity and V-max for sucrose hydrolysis increased approximately 2- and 2.9-fold, respectively, while for cellobiose, a 2.6-fold increase in V-max was observed, but the apparent affinity decreased 5.5-fold. Thus, it is possible to propose an application of this multifunctional extract containing both invertase and beta-glucosidase to degrade plant biomass, thus increasing the concentration of monosaccharides obtained from sucrose and cellobiose.

Characterization, inclusion mode, phase-solubility and in vitro release studies of inclusion binary complexes with cyclodextrins and meglumine using sulfamerazine as model drug

In order to investigate the effect on the aqueous solubility and release rate of sulfamerazine (SMR) as model drug, inclusion complexes with beta-cyclodextrin (beta CD), methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (M beta CD) and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP beta CD) and a binary system with meglumine (MEG) were developed. The formation of 1: 1 inclusion complexes of SMR with the CDs and a SMR: MEG binary system in solution and in solid state was revealed by phase solubility studies (PSS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal analysis and X-Ray diffractometry (XRD) studies. The CDs solubilization of SMR could be improved by ionization of the drug molecule through pH adjustments. The higher apparent stability constants of SMR:CDs complexes were obtained in pH 2.00, demonstrating that CDs present more affinity for the unionized drug. The best approach for SMR solubility enhancement results from the combination of MEG and pH adjustment, with a 34-fold increment and a S-max of 54.8 mg/ml. The permeability of the drug was reduced due to the presence of beta CD, M beta CD, HP beta CD and MEG when used as solubilizers. The study then suggests interesting applications of CD or MEG complexes for modulating the release rate of SMR through semipermeable membranes.

The Kallikrein Inhibitor from Bauhinia bauhinioides (BbKI) shows antithrombotic properties in venous and arterial thrombosis models

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

Aspergillus niger beta-Glucosidase Has a Cellulase-like Tadpole Molecular Shape INSIGHTS INTO GLYCOSIDE HYDROLASE FAMILY 3 (GH3) beta-GLUCOSIDASE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

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

Cellular and molecular studies of the effects of a selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib in the cardiac cell line H9c2 and their correlation with death mechanisms

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Density, Refractive Index, Apparent Specific Volume, and Electrical Conductivity of Aqueous Solutions of Poly(ethylene glycol) 1500 at Different Temperatures

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effect of the aspartic acid D2 on the affinity of Polybia-MP1 to anionic lipid vesicles

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

Hypusine Modification of the Ribosome-binding Protein eIF5A, a Target for New Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Understanding the Action of the Inhibitor GC7 on a Murine Macrophage Cell Line

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