Vitamin D Levels, Frequency of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms, and Associations with Overweight and Asthma in Brazilian Schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: In children, nutritional status of vitamin D (vitD), frequency of vitD receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and their associations with overweight and asthma remain controversial. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the nutritional status of vitD and the frequency of VDR gene polymorphisms, as well as identify their associations with nutritional status and asthma. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with schoolchildren (n = 262; mean age = 8.7 ± 1.3 years). Clinical history, anthropometric measurements, and serum 25-hydroxy vitD were evaluated. Four VDR gene polymorphisms were identified and genotypes, alleles, and haplotypes were calculated. RESULTS: The serum vitD levels were found at 85.1%, within normal range. The FokI AA genotype was more frequent in asthmatics compared to healthy controls (10 vs. 1%, p < 0.05), while the GG genotype was less frequent (45.0 vs. 55.2%, p < 0.05). The frequency of the TT allele for the ApaI was higher among asthmatic eutrophic children (60.9 vs. 29.4%, p < 0.05) and that of the TT allele for the BsmI was higher among asthmatic overweight children (35.3 vs. 4.4%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Insufficiency in vitD was low. Two wild-type alleles (AA) of FokI were identified as risk factor for the development of asthma, while GG alleles appears to be a protective factor. To have polymorphic alleles (TT) of ApaI seems to be a risk factor for asthma in children with normal weight, while that of BsmI seems to be a risk factor for asthma in overweight condition. Serum vitD was not different among analyzed genotypes.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) oil during pregnancy and lactation influences brain excitability and cortex oxidative status in the rat offspring.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how safflower oil (SFO) influences brain electrophysiology and cortical oxidative status in the offspring, mothers received a diet with SFO during brain development period. METHODS: Beginning on the 14th day of gestation and throughout lactation, rats received safflower (safflower group - SG) or soybean oil (control group - CG) in their diet. At 65 days old, cortical spreading depression (CSD) and cortex oxidative status were analyzed in the offspring. RESULTS: SG presented reduction of the CSD velocity as compared to the CG (SG: 3.24 ± 0.09; CG: 3.37 ± 0.07 mm/min). SFO reduced levels of lipid peroxidation by 39.4%. SG showed the following increases: glutathione-S-transferase, 40.8% and reduced glutathione, 34.3%. However, SFO decreased superoxide dismutase by 40.4% and catalase by 64.1%. To control for interhemispheric effects, since CSD was recorded only in the right cortex, we evaluated the oxidative status in both sides of the cortex; no differences were observed. DISCUSSION: Data show that when SFO is consumed by the female rats during pregnancy and lactation, the offspring present long-term effects on brain electrophysiology and cortical oxidative state. The present study highlights the relevance of understanding the SFO intake of pregnant and lactating mammals.

Cross reactivity of commercial anti-dengue immunoassays in patients with acute Zika virus infection.

Several countries have local transmission of multiple arboviruses, in particular, dengue and Zika viruses, which have recently spread through many American countries. Cross reactivity among Flaviviruses is high and present a challenge for accurate identification of the infecting agent. Thus, we evaluated the level of cross reactivity of anti-dengue IgM/G Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) from three manufacturers against 122 serum samples obtained at two time-points from 61 patients with non-dengue confirmed Zika virus infection. All anti-dengue ELISAs cross reacted with serum from patients with acute Zika infection at some level and a worrisome number of seroconversion for dengue IgG and IgM was observed. These findings may impact the interpretation of currently standard criteria for dengue diagnosis in endemic regions.

Anti-apoptotic effects of decyl gallate on the induction of apoptosis in A549 pneumocytes by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis gp43.

Apoptosis is considered an escape mechanism from the host immune system for the fungus Paracoccidioides spp, and it serves as a vehicle for entry into macrophages without stimulating microbicidal activities. Recently, gp43 of P. brasiliensis was demonstrated to be involved in this process. Therefore, as a new therapeutic alternative, it is very important to study compounds that could reduce the modulation of the induction of apoptosis caused by this fungus. Decyl gallate (G14) is a known antifungal compound, and we decided to investigate its anti-apoptotic properties. Our results demonstrate that G14 was effective against apoptosis induced by gp43, as observed in epithelial cells, and led to a reduction in DNA damage, Bak down-regulation and Bcl-2 up-regulation. Together, these data show that G14 presents promising anti-apoptotic activity.

Identification and characterisation of elongation factor Tu, a novel protein involved in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis-host interaction.

Paracoccidioides spp., which are temperature-dependent dimorphic fungi, are responsible for the most prevalent human systemic mycosis in Latin America, the paracoccidioidomycosis. The aim of this study was to characterise the involvement of elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis-host interaction. Adhesive properties were examined using recombinant PbEF-Tu proteins and the respective polyclonal anti-rPbEF-Tu antibody. Immunogold analysis demonstrated the surface location of EF-Tu in P. brasiliensis. Moreover, PbEF-Tu was found to bind to fibronectin and plasminogen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and it was determined that the binding to plasminogen is at least partly dependent on lysine residues and ionic interactions. To verify the participation of EF-Tu in the interaction of P. brasiliensis with pneumocytes, we blocked the respective protein with an anti-rPbEF-Tu antibody and evaluated the consequences on the interaction index by flow cytometry. During the interaction, we observed a decrease of 2- and 3-fold at 8 and 24 h, respectively, suggesting the contribution of EF-Tu in fungal adhesion/invasion.

Higher Cardiovascular Risk in Common Variable Immunodeficiency and X-Linked Agammaglobulinaemia Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Common variable immunodeficiency and X-linked agammaglobulinaemia are primary immunodeficiencies classified as antibody deficiencies, and they both result in hypogammaglobulinaemia. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the lipid profile and other cardiovascular risk biomarkers in CVID and XLA patients. METHODS: In total, 24 patients and 12 healthy controls matched by age and gender were included in the study. We evaluated anthropometric measurements, and seric total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides (TG), apo A-I, small dense LDL (sdLDL), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), myeloperoxidase (MPO), cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) were assessed. RESULTS: CRP (p = 0.008) and TNF-alpha (p < 0.001) concentrations were significantly higher, whereas HDL-c (p = 0.025) and apo A-I (p = 0.013) levels were significantly lower in patients than in the controls. In the patient group, a negative and significant correlation was observed between HDL-c and TNF-alpha (r = -0.406; p = 0.049) and between HDL-c and TG (r = -0.641; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Common variable immunodeficiency and X-linked agammaglobulinaemia patients presented themselves with increased inflammatory markers associated with a decreased HDL-c and apo A-I levels, which can predispose to a high cardiovascular risk.

Risk of Atherosclerosis in Patients with Ataxia Telangiectasia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evaluate the nutritional status, plasma concentration of vitamin E and markers of cardiovascular risk in ataxia telangiectasia (AT) patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with 13 patients with AT and 22 healthy controls, evaluating the following factors: nutritional status, food intake, lipid profile, plasma concentration of vitamin E, malondialdehyde and high sensitivity C-reactive protein, linking them with atherosclerosis risk in AT patients. RESULTS: Average age was 14.6 in the AT group, 30.8% were malnourished and 23.1% had stunting. A greater impairment of lean body mass was found in these patients. Concentrations of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (CT), LDL-c, non-HDL cholesterol (NHDL-c) were significantly higher in patients and HDL-c, lower. Vitamin E/total lipids and vitamin E/TG ratios were lower in the AT group, and significant inverse correlation between these ratios and NHDL-c, CT/HDL-c, and LDL-c/HDL-c, log TG/HDL-c was observed in the AT group. Alanine aminotransferase correlated directly and significantly with NHDL-c, CT/HDL-c and LDL-c/HDL-c, in patients. CONCLUSION: The alterations of lipid metabolism biomarkers suggestive of atherosclerotic risk of male AT patients coupled with lower vitamin E/total lipids ratio and low lean body mass may complicate the clinical course of the disease and emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary care, routine monitoring of cardiovascular biomarkers and appropriate nutritional guidance.

Alterations of protein expression in conditions of copper-deprivation for Paracoccidioides lutzii in the presence of extracellular matrix components.

BACKGROUND: Paracoccidioides spp is a fungi genus and the agent of paracoccidioidomycosis. The strategies of infection used by these pathogens involve the expression of proteins related to adaptation to the host, particularly regarding the uptake of micronutrients. This study analyzed the adhesion of Paracoccidioides lutzii during conditions of copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) deprivation, while also evaluating the proteins expressed in conditions of Cu depletion in the presence of four extracellular matrix (ECM) components (laminin, fibronectin and types I and IV collagen). RESULTS: We cultured the P. lutzii in a chemically defined media without Cu and Fe. The fungus was then placed in contact with different ECM components and adhesion was evaluated. A significant increase in binding to all ECM components was observed when the fungus was cultured without Cu; which might be related to some adhesins expression. A proteomic assay was developed and revealed 39 proteins expressed that are involved in processes such as virulence, protein synthesis, metabolism, energy, transcription, transport, stress response and the cell cycle when the fungus was interacting with the ECM components. The up-regulated expression of two important adhesins, enolase and 14-3-3, was observed at the fungal cell wall during the interaction with the ECM components, indicating the role of these proteins in the Paracoccidioides-host interaction. CONCLUSIONS: This study is important for determining prospective proteins that may be involved in the interaction of Paracoccidioides with a host. Understanding the adaptive response to different growth conditions, elucidating the processes of adhesion and cell invasion, and identifying the proteins that are differentially expressed during the fungus-host interaction may help elucidate mechanisms used for survival and growth of Paracoccidioides in various human tissues.

Functional capacity after pediatric liver transplantation: a pilot study.

The prospective cross-sectional study investigated the 6MWT performance in pediatric group of liver transplant recipients (6-17 yr, median post-transplantation time of 22 months) and compared to the normal values obtained in healthy children as well as evaluated the reproducibility of the 6MWT. We analyzed the relationship between walked distance and the 6MWw, distance walked × body weight) with the anthropometric, clinical, and pulmonary functions. In post-transplanted group, the average walked distance was significantly shorter compared with control (687 ± 80 m vs. 511 ± 72 m, p < 0.001). The calculated ICC coefficient confirmed the reproducibility among tests. The Pearson correlation revealed that only walked distance in the 6MWT was moderately correlated with tidal volume. Conversely, the 6MWw was significantly correlated with age, weight, height, BMI, FVC, PEF rate, and volume expiratory. According to multiple regression analysis, age, VE and FVC factors explained 80% of the variance in the 6MWw. In conclusion, the pediatric liver transplant recipients' performance in the 6MWT is significantly lower than the values for healthy children of the same age. Notably, the 6MWw may provide relevant information, constituting an additional parameter in the determination of functional capacity.

Unraveling the Influence of Litter Size, Maternal Care, Exercise, and Aging on Neurobehavioral Plasticity and Dentate Gyrus Microglia Dynamics in Male Rats.

This study explores the multifaceted influence of litter size, maternal care, exercise, and aging on rats' neurobehavioral plasticity and dentate gyrus microglia dynamics. Body weight evolution revealed a progressive increase until maturity, followed by a decline during aging, with larger litters exhibiting lower weights initially. Notably, exercised rats from smaller litters displayed higher body weights during the mature and aged stages. The dentate gyrus volumes showed no significant differences among groups, except for aged sedentary rats from smaller litters, which exhibited a reduction. Maternal care varied significantly based on litter size, with large litter dams showing lower frequencies of caregiving behaviors. Behavioral assays highlighted the detrimental impact of a sedentary lifestyle and reduced maternal care/large litters on spatial memory, mitigated by exercise in aged rats from smaller litters. The microglial dynamics in the layers of dentate gyrus revealed age-related changes modulated by litter size and exercise. Exercise interventions mitigated microgliosis associated with aging, particularly in aged rats. These findings underscore the complex interplay between early-life experiences, exercise, microglial dynamics, and neurobehavioral outcomes during aging.

Surface-expressed enolase contributes to the adhesion of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis to host cells.

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic mycosis caused by the dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Understanding the interactions between P. brasiliensis and the host tissue depends on the study of the different steps of the process of colonization, especially adhesion, in which the pathogen recognizes ligands on the surface of host cells. This study aimed to verify the role of enolase in the host cell-fungus interaction and the ability of enolase to bind to extracellular matrix components, to determine its subcellular localization, and to study the P. brasiliensis enolase amino acid sequence. The data revealed that fibronectin is the major ligand of enolase. Evaluation of the location of enolase at an ultrastructural level revealed that it is distributed in various cellular compartments, but at a high level in the cell wall. The analysis of the amino acid sequence revealed an internal plasminogen-binding motif ((254)FYKADEKKY(262)), which is conserved in most organisms and described as an important interaction site of the enolase with the host cell surface. This suggests that enolase performs additional functions related to the glycolytic pathway and also plays a role of adhesion in P. brasiliensis. Therefore, this study increases the knowledge about the characteristics of enolase and its influence on the binding process of P. brasiliensis.

Management styles in outpatient nursing work: impacts on the worker's health.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze management styles in outpatient clinics of university hospitals and their impacts on the nursing workers' health. METHOD: Quantitative, cross-sectional study with 388 nursing professionals working in 11 outpatient clinics linked to public universities in Rio de Janeiro. The Management Styles Scale, the Pathogenic Suffering at Work Scale, and the Work-Related Physical and Psychosocial Harms Scale were used. RESULTS: The managerial and collective management styles showed a moderate presence for the outpatient clinics nursing staff. The characteristics of the predominantly managerial management style, evidenced by the lack of participation in decision-making, the strongly hierarchical work, focused on norms and control, acted as predictors of the experiences of suffering and of the physical, psychological, and social damages presented by the professionals working in this context. CONCLUSION: The analysis of management styles allowed elucidating characteristics that have the potential to negatively impact the workers' health, highlighting the need to review the management models currently adopted for the outpatient nursing team.

Trypanosoma cruzi: evaluation of (-)-cubebin derivatives activity in the messenger RNAs processing.

No fully effective treatment has been developed since the discovery of Chagas' disease. Since drug-resistant Trypanosoma cruzi strains are occurring and the current therapy is effective in the acute phase but with various adverse side effects, more studies are needed to characterize the susceptibility of T. cruzi to new drugs. Pre-mRNA maturation in trypanosomatids occurs through a process called trans-splicing, which is unusual RNA processing reaction, and it implies the processing of polycistronic transcription units into individual mRNAs; a short transcript spliced leader (SL RNA) is trans-spliced to the acceptor pre-mRNA, giving origin to the mature mRNA. Cubebin derivatives seem to provide treatments with less collateral effects than benznidazole and showed similar or better trypanocidal activities than benznidazole. Therefore, the cubebin derivatives ((-)-6,6'-dinitrohinokinin (DNH) and (-)-hinokinin (HQ)) interference in the mRNA processing was evaluated using T. cruzi permeable cells (Y and BOL (Bolivia) strains) following by RNase protection reaction. These substances seem to intervene in any step of the RNA transcription, promoting alterations in the RNA synthesis, even though the RNA processing mechanism still occurs. Furthermore, HQ presented better activity against the parasites than DNH, meaning that BOL strain seems to be more resistant than Y.

What is the physical-mechanical mechanism of pressurized mesotherapy?

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and has a variable structure. It is divided into three layers: epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. Amid aesthetics, this structure works as a systemic administration port or as a route to administration of active principles. Invasive procedures, however, non-surgical, have been standing out and gaining space globally, as these are techniques that do not bring a significant risk of life or prolonged rest after treatment. The aim of this work is to raise the hypothesis of the effect of pressurized mesotherapy in relation to injectable mesotherapy. The method does not use needles; just pressurization to spread the product's principles in the skin tissue. Assets applied under pressure associated with the minimization of mechanical resistance by distending the elastic components of the skin with the use of skin folds have a better effect on aesthetic dysfunctions.

The effect of pilates on metabolic control and oxidative stress of diabetics type 2 - A randomized controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: The Pilates method is an approach to body and mind exercises that has as its foundation the gain of stability, strength and flexibility, and the work of muscular control, posture and breathing, which can generate repercussions on oxidative stress and ROS production, it is expected that Pilates can satisfactorily influence glycemic and oxidative stress reduction in elderly diabetes. AIM: To analyze the effect of a Pilates protocol on variables indicative of metabolic control and oxidative stress in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. METHOD: Randomized clinical trial in type 2 diabetics enrolled in Hiperdia Parnaíba. A Pilates protocol was performed for 8 weeks, with 2 weekly consultations. The tested variables were: blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, C-reactive protein and malondialdehyde. ANOVA tests, correlation of Wilcoxon, Friedman and Spearman, were used, with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: 44 diabetics participated in the study (intervention group: 22; control: 22), with a mean age of 61.23 ± 8.49years, the majority being female (77.3%), married (59.1%), literate (31.8%), with an average BMI of 26.96 ± 4.35 kg/m2. When analyzing the effects of the protocol, there was a significant reduction in glycated hemoglobin (p = 0.002) and oxidative stress (p = 0.004) in the intervention group, however, there were no differences in fasting glucose (p = 0.055) and in the profile lipid, expressed by the total cholesterol (p = 0.654), HDL (p = 0.591), LDL (p = 0.564) and triglycerides (0.192). There was a moderate positive correlation between oxidative stress and glycated hemoglobin (r = 0.44, p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: The exercise protocol based on the Pilates method produced a reduction in glycated hemoglobin and oxidative stress.

Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of the methylene chloride extract of Miconia ligustroides, isolated triterpene acids, and ursolic acid derivatives.

The methylene chloride extract of Miconia ligustroides (DC.) Naudin (Melastomataceae), the isolated compounds ursolic and oleanolic acids and a mixture of these acids, and ursolic acid derivatives were evaluated against the following microorganisms: Bacillus cereus (ATCC 14579), Vibrio cholerae (ATCC 9458), Salmonella choleraesuis (ATCC 10708), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 10031), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (ATCC 6305). The microdilution method was used for determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) during evaluation of the antibacterial activity. The methylene chloride extract showed no activity against the selected microorganisms. Ursolic acid was active against B. cereus, showing a MIC value of 20 microg/mL. Oleanolic acid was effective against B. cereus and S. pneumoniae with a MIC of 80 microg/mL in both cases. The mixture of triterpenes, ursolic and oleanolic acids, did not enhance the antimicrobial activity. However, the acetyl and methyl ester derivatives, prepared from ursolic acid, increased the inhibitory activity for S. pneumoniae.

[Pleasure-suffering of nursing workers in a hemodialysis service: a qualitative study]. / Prazer-sofrimento dos trabalhadores de enfermagem de um serviço de hemodiálise.

One of the perspectives on investigations approaching the area of workers' health is the relationship among work, health and sickening. This study aimed to identify the factors which generate pleasure and suffering to nursing workers in a hemodialysis service. It is a qualitative research which was developed with twelve nursing workers. Data collection occurred from March to April of the year 2009. The collections consisted of semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis technique was used for data analysis. It was noted that the factors which generated pleasure at work were: appreciating the job, being valued, helping patients and having no complications on duty. The reported factors of suffering were: witnessing patients' suffering, a sense of helplessness, suffering with patients' anger, and relationship problems with co-workers. The results point to the need of group discussions on the issue of pleasure-suffering factors at work in such services.

Biofilm Formation by Histoplasma capsulatum in Different Culture Media and Oxygen Atmospheres.

Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that causes an important systemic mycosis called histoplasmosis. It is an infectious disease with high prevalence and morbidity that affects the general population. Recently, the ability of these fungi to form biofilms, a phenotype that can induce resistance and enhance virulence, has been described. Despite some efforts, data regarding the impact of nutrients and culture media that affect the H. capsulatum biofilm development in vitro are not yet available. This work aimed to study H. capsulatum biofilms, by checking the influence of different culture media and oxygen atmospheres in the development of these communities. The biofilm formation by two strains (EH-315 and G186A) was characterized under different culture media: [Brain and Heart Infusion (BHI), Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) with 2% glucose, Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and nutrient medium HAM-F12 (HAM-F12) supplemented with glucose (18.2 g/L), glutamic acid (1 g/L), HEPES (6 g/L) and L-cysteine (8.4 mg/L)] and oxygen atmospheres (aerobiosis and microaerophilia), using the XTT reduction assay to quantify metabolic activities, crystal violet staining for biomass, safranin staining for the quantification of polysaccharide material and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the observation of topographies. Results indicated that although all culture mediums have stimulated the maturation of the communities, HAM-F12 provided the best development of biomass and polysaccharide material when compared to others. Regarding the oxygen atmospheres, both stimulated an excellent development of the communities, however in low oxygen conditions an exuberant amount of extracellular matrix was observed when compared to biofilms formed in aerobiosis, mainly in the HAM-F12 media. SEM images showed yeasts embedded by an extracellular matrix in several points, corroborating the colorimetric assays. However, biofilms formed in BHI, RPMI, and DMEM significantly induced yeast to hyphae reversal, requiring further investigation. The results obtained so far contribute to in vitro study of biofilms formed by these fungi and show that nutrition promoted by different media modifies the development of these communities. These data represent advances in the field of biofilms and contribute to future studies that can prove the role of these communities in the fungi-host interaction.

Vagus nerve stimulation inhibits cortical spreading depression exclusively through central mechanisms.

Experimental and clinical data strongly support vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as a novel treatment in migraine. Vagus nerve stimulation acutely suppresses cortical spreading depression (CSD) susceptibility, an experimental model that has been used to screen for migraine therapies. However, mechanisms underlying VNS efficacy on CSD are unknown. Here, we interrogated the central and peripheral mechanisms using VNS delivered either invasively (iVNS) or noninvasively (nVNS) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Cortical spreading depression susceptibility was evaluated 40 minutes after the stimulation. iVNS elevated the electrical CSD threshold more than 2-fold and decreased KCl-induced CSD frequency by 22% when delivered to intact vagus nerve. Distal vagotomy did not alter iVNS efficacy (2-fold higher threshold and 19% lower frequency in iVNS vs sham). By contrast, proximal vagotomy completely abolished iVNS effect on CSD. Pharmacological blockade of nucleus tractus solitarius, the main relay for vagal afferents, by lidocaine or glutamate receptor antagonist CNQX also prevented CSD suppression by nVNS. Supporting a role for both norepinephrine and serotonin, CSD suppression by nVNS was inhibited by more than 50% after abrogating norepinephrinergic or serotonergic neurotransmission alone using specific neurotoxins; abrogating both completely blocked the nVNS effect. Our results suggest that VNS inhibits CSD through central afferents relaying in nucleus tractus solitarius and projecting to subcortical neuromodulatory centers providing serotonergic and norepinephrinergic innervation to the cortex.

Complete assignments of (1)H and (13)C NMR spectral data for 7,7'-dihydroarylnaphthalene lignan lactones.

In this article we present a complete (1)H and (13)C NMR spectral analysis of three 7,7'-dihydroarylnaphthalene lignan lactones using modern NMR techniques such as COSY, HSQC, HMBC and NOE experiments. Complete assignment and homonuclear hydrogen coupling constant measurements were performed.