TsNTxP, a non-toxic protein from Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom, induces antinociceptive effects by suppressing glutamate release in mice.

Neuropathic pain is a common type of chronic pain caused by trauma or chemotherapy. However, this type of pain is undertreated. TsNTxP is a non-toxic protein isolated from the venom of the scorpion Tityus serrulatus, and it is structurally similar to neurotoxins that interact with voltage-gated sodium channels. However, the antinociceptive properties of this protein have not been characterized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antinociceptive effects of TsNTxP in acute and neuropathic pain models. Male and female Swiss mice (25-30 g) were exposed to different models of acute pain (tail-flick test and nociception caused by capsaicin intraplantar injection) or neuropathic pain (chronic pain syndrome induced by paclitaxel or chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve). Hypersensitivity to mechanical or cold stimuli were evaluated in the models of neuropathic pain. The ability of TsNTxP to alter the release of glutamate in mouse spinal cord synaptosomes was also evaluated. The results showed that TsNTxP exerted antinociceptive effects in the tail-flick test to a thermal stimulus and in the intraplantar capsaicin administration model. Furthermore, TsNTxP was non-toxic and exerted antiallodynic effects in neuropathic pain models induced by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve and administration of paclitaxel. TsNTxP reduced glutamate release from mouse spinal cord synaptosomes following stimulation with potassium chloride (KCl) or capsaicin. Thus, this T. serrulatus protein may be a promising non-toxic drug for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Métodos biomoleculares em caso de lesão intraepitelial cervical de alto grau / Biomolecular methods in case of high-grade cervical intraepitelial injury

Cervical cancer is the second neoplasm that most affects women in Brazil. It is a slow-progressing disease with well-defined stages. When diagnosed early, it has a high probability of cure, and it is essential to study methods that help in its diagnosis. The main factor associated with this neoplasm is infection with HPV, a virus that infects approximately 75% of sexually active people. Currently in Brazil the most used prevention method is the Pap smear test. With further studies on molecular biology and HPV, screening methods for cervical carcinoma have emerged, based on the detection of HPV DNA. Among these new methods is the double staining p16 / Ki-67, a technique developed aiming at a high specificity for detecting high-grade lesions. This is a bibliographic review work with the objective of discussing how biomolecular methods can be important tools for the early diagnosis of cervical cancer. The most used methods to diagnose HPV are cytopathological, colposcopic and histopathological exams, however these methods can present high variations in the detection of neoplastic lesions. With this study, we concluded the importance of using double staining p16 / Ki-67 for an accurate diagnosis in cases of cervical cancer.

O câncer de colo de útero (CCU) é a segunda neoplasia que mais acomete mulheres no Brasil. É uma doença de progressão lenta com estágios bem definidos. Quando diagnosticado precocemente tem grande probabilidade de cura, sendo indispensável o estudo sobre métodos que auxiliem no seu diagnóstico. O principal fator associado a essa neoplasia é a infecção pelo HPV, vírus que infecta aproximadamente 75% das pessoas sexualmente ativas. Atualmente, no Brasil, o método de prevenção mais utilizado é o exame citológico de Papanicolaou. Com maiores estudos sobre biologia molecular e HPV surgiram métodos de triagem do carcinoma cervical, baseados na detecção de DNA-HPV. Entre esses novos métodos está a coloração dupla p16/Ki-67, técnica desenvolvida visando uma alta especificidade para detecção de lesões de alto grau. Este é um trabalho de revisão bibliográfica com o objetivo de discutir como métodos biomoleculares podem ser ferramentas importantes para o diagnóstico precoce do câncer de colo de útero. Os métodos mais utilizados para diagnosticar o HPV são os exames citopatológicos, colposcópicos e histopatológicos, porém esses métodos podem apresentar altas variações na detecção de lesões neoplásicas. Com este estudo, concluímos a importância do uso da coloração dupla p16/Ki-67 para um diagnóstico preciso em casos de CCU.