Use of low-level laser therapy as an adjuvant therapy for phlebostatic lesions.

Low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) is commonly used as an adjuvant therapy for treating injuries. This integrative literature review was carried out in the MEDLINE, LILACS, CUMED, BDENF, SPORTDiscus, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, Academic Source and CINAHL databases. Among the inclusion criteria were: range from 2011 to 2021, in English, Portuguese and Spanish and any study, with the exception of preprints and books. The question was answered: "What is the effectiveness described in the literature of using low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) in the treatment of venous lesions?" The wavelength used in studies varied from 635 nm of red ray to 780 nm of infrared ray, generating healing improvement at any length. LBI presented itself as a low-cost and easy-to-apply adjuvant option, alleviating pain complaints and improving healing in patients with vasculogenic lesions.

Perturbation-based balance training leads to improved reactive postural responses in individuals with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait.

Perturbation-based balance training (PBT) exposes individuals to a series of sudden upright balance perturbations to improve their reactive postural responses. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of a short PBT program on body balance recovery following a perturbation in individuals with freezing of gait due to Parkinson's disease. Volunteers (mean age = 64 years, SD = 10.6) were pseudorandomly assigned either to a PBT (n = 9) or to a resistance training (RT, n = 10) group. PBT was implemented through balance perturbations varying in the kind, direction, side and magnitude of support base displacements. Both groups exercised with progressive difficulty/load activities twice a week for 4 weeks. Specific gains and generalization to dual-tasking and faster-than-trained support base displacements were evaluated 24 h after the end of the training, and retention was evaluated after 30 days of no training. Results showed that, compared with RT, PBT led to more stable postural responses in the 30-day retention evaluation, as indicated by decreased CoP displacement, velocity and time to direction reversal and reduced numbers of near-falls. We found no transfer either to a dual task or to a higher perturbation velocity. In conclusion, a training program based on diverse unpredictable balance perturbations improved the stability of reactive postural responses to those perturbations suffered during the training, without generalization to more challenging tasks.

Lunaemycins, New Cyclic Hexapeptide Antibiotics from the Cave Moonmilk-Dweller Streptomyces lunaelactis MM109T.

Streptomyces lunaelactis strains have been isolated from moonmilk deposits, which are calcium carbonate speleothems used for centuries in traditional medicine for their antimicrobial properties. Genome mining revealed that these strains are a remarkable example of a Streptomyces species with huge heterogeneity regarding their content in biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for specialized metabolite production. BGC 28a is one of the cryptic BGCs that is only carried by a subgroup of S. lunaelactis strains for which in silico analysis predicted the production of nonribosomal peptide antibiotics containing the non-proteogenic amino acid piperazic acid (Piz). Comparative metabolomics of culture extracts of S. lunaelactis strains either holding or not holding BGC 28a combined with MS/MS-guided peptidogenomics and 1H/13C NMR allowed us to identify the cyclic hexapeptide with the amino acid sequence (D-Phe)-(L-HO-Ile)-(D-Piz)-(L-Piz)-(D-Piz)-(L-Piz), called lunaemycin A, as the main compound synthesized by BGC 28a. Molecular networking further identified 18 additional lunaemycins, with 14 of them having their structure elucidated by HRMS/MS. Antimicrobial assays demonstrated a significant bactericidal activity of lunaemycins against Gram-positive bacteria, including multi-drug resistant clinical isolates. Our work demonstrates how an accurate in silico analysis of a cryptic BGC can highly facilitate the identification, the structural elucidation, and the bioactivity of its associated specialized metabolites.

Automatic postural responses are scaled from the association between online feedback and feedforward control.

Generation of automatic postural responses (APRs) scaled to magnitude of unanticipated postural perturbations is required to recover upright body stability. In the current experiment, we aimed to evaluate the effect of previous postural perturbations on APR scaling under conditions in which the current perturbation is equal to or different from the previous perturbation load inducing unanticipated forward body sway. We hypothesized that the APR is scaled from the association of the current perturbation magnitude and postural responses to preceding perturbations. Evaluation was made by comparing postural responses in the contexts of progressive increasing versus decreasing magnitudes of perturbation loads. Perturbation was applied by unanticipatedly releasing a cable pulling the body backwards, with loads corresponding to 6%, 8% and 10% of body mass. We found that the increasing as compared to the decreasing load sequence led to lower values of (a) displacement and (b) velocity of center of pressure, and of activation rate of the muscle gastrocnemius medialis across loads. Muscular activation onset latency decreased as a function increasing loads, but no significant effects of load sequence were found. These results lead to the conclusion that APRs to unanticipated perturbations are scaled from the association of somatosensory feedback signaling balance instability with feedforward control from postural responses to previous perturbations.

Cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and subcellular localization of a nitrogen oxide and aminopropyl-ß-lactose derivative ruthenium complex used as nitric oxide delivery agent.

This work investigates how the luminescent ruthenium-nitrite complexes cis-[Ru(py-bodipy)(dcbpy)2(NO2)](PF6) (I) and cis-[Ru(py-bodipy)(dcbpy-aminopropyl-ß-lactose)2(NO2)](PF6) (II) behave toward the melanoma cancer cell line B16F10. The chemical structure and purity of the synthesized complexes were analyzed by UV-Visible and FTIR spectroscopy, MALDI, HPLC, and 1H NMR. Spectrofluorescence helped to determine the fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes of each of these complexes. In vitro MTT cell viability assay on B16F10 cancer cells revealed that the complexes possibly have a tumoricidal role. The metal-nitrite complexes evidenced the dichotomous NO nature: at high concentration, NO exerted a tumoricidal effect, whereas cancer cells grew at low NO concentration. Flow cytometry or fluorescence microscopy aided cellular uptake calculation. Cell staining followed by fluorescence microscopy associated with organelle markers such as DAPI and Rhodamine 123 detected preferential intracellular localization of the ruthenium-nitrite py-bodipy and aminopropyl lactose derivative ruthenium complex in mitochondria. Thus, the cytotoxicity of compounds (I) and (II) against B16F10 cancer cell line show concentration-dependent results. The present studies suggest that nitric oxide ruthenium derivative compounds could be new potential chemotherapeutic agents against cytotoxic cells.

Antifungal activities against toxigenic Fusarium specie and deoxynivalenol adsorption capacity of ion-exchanged zeolites.

Zeolites are often used as adsorbents materials and their loaded cations can be exchanged with metal ions in order to add antimicrobial properties. The aim of this study was to use the 4A zeolite and its derived ion-exchanged forms with Zn2+, Li+, Cu2+ and Co2+ in order to evaluate their antifungal properties against Fusarium graminearum, including their capacity in terms of metal ions release, conidia germination and the deoxynivalenol (DON) adsorption. The zeolites ion-exchanged with Li+, Cu2+, and Co2+ showed an excellent antifungal activity against F. graminearum, using an agar diffusion method, with a zone of inhibition observed around the samples of 45.3 ± 0.6 mm, 25.7 ± 1.5 mm, and 24.7 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. Similar results using agar dilution method were found showing significant growth inhibition of F. graminearum for ion-exchanged zeolites with Zn2+, Li+, Cu2+, and Co2+. The fungi growth inhibition decreased as zeolite-Cu2+>zeolite-Li+>zeolite-Co2+>zeolite-Zn2+. In addition, the conidia germination was strongly affected by ion-exchanged zeolites. With regard to adsorption capacity, results indicate that only zeolite-Li+ were capable of DON adsorption significantly (P < 0.001) with 37% at 2 mg mL-1 concentration. The antifungal effects of the ion-exchanged zeolites can be ascribed to the interactions of the metal ions released from the zeolite structure, especially for zeolite-Li+, which showed to be a promising agent against F. graminearum and its toxin.

Radical C-H alkylation of BODIPY dyes using potassium trifluoroborates or boronic acids.

A one-step synthetic procedure for the radical CH alkylation of BODIPY dyes has been developed. This new reaction generates alkyl radicals through the oxidation of boronic acids or potassium trifluoroborates and allows the synthesis of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetraalkylated fluorophores in a good to excellent yield for a broad range of organoboron compounds. Using this protocol, multiple bulky alkyl groups can be introduced onto the BODIPY core thus creating solid-state emissive BODIPY dyes.

Thiocyanation of BODIPY dyes and their conversion to thioalkylated derivatives.

A high-yielding method for the direct thiocyanation of BODIPY dyes is described. In 1,3-dimethyl BODIPYs, the thiocyanato group adds at position 2, whereas the insertion occurs at position 5 in 3-amino BODIPYs. The transformation of the thiocyanato group enables the synthesis of thioalkylated BODIPYs. 2-Thioalkylated BODIPYs and 3-thiocyanato-5-piperidino BODIPYs exhibit interesting spectroscopical features. Hence, the described synthetic methodology can be used for the photophysical tuning of BODIPY dyes.

Synthesis, photophysical properties and solvatochromism of meso-substituted tetramethyl BODIPY dyes.

The 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene fluorescent dyes (BODIPYs) were first synthesized almost 50 years ago; however, the exploration of their technological application has only begun in the last 20 years. These dyes possess interesting photophysical properties, increasing interest in their application as fluorescent markers and/or dyes. Herein, we report the synthesis of tetramethyl BODIPY and four meso-substituted dyes (2-thienyl, 4-pyridinyl, 4-fluorophenyl and 4-nitrophenyl derivatives). Their photophysical characterization (absorption spectra, emission spectra, fluorescence quantum yields and time-resolved fluorescence) and solvatochromic behavior were studied. Absorption and emission were barely affected by substituents, with a slightly higher stokes shift observed in the substituted dyes. Substitutions could be associated with a shorter fluorescence lifetime and lower quantum yields. Good correlations were observed between the Catalán solvent descriptors and the photophysical parameters. Also, better correlation was observed between the solvent polarizability descriptor (SP) and photophysical parameters. Overall, only slight solvatochromism was observed. The 4-pyridinyl derivative was the subject of a relatively significant solvatochromism regarding the wavelengths of the emission spectra, with the observation of a bathochromically shifted emission in methanol. The fluorescence quantum yield of the 4-nitrophenyl substituted BODIPY was approximately 30 times higher in hexane, which may be of interest for practical applications.

Nitrogen sources enhance siderophore-mediated competition for iron between potato common scab and late blight causative agents.

How do pathogens affecting the same host interact with each other? We evaluated here the types of microbe-microbe interactions taking place between Streptomyces scabiei and Phytophthora infestans, the causative agents of common scab and late blight diseases in potato crops, respectively. Under most laboratory culture conditions tested, S. scabiei impaired or completely inhibited the growth of P. infestans by producing either soluble and/or volatile compounds. Increasing peptone levels correlated with increased inhibition of P. infestans. Comparative metabolomics showed that production of S. scabiei siderophores (desferrioxamines, pyochelin, scabichelin, and turgichelin) increased with the quantity of peptone, thereby suggesting that they participate in the inhibition of the oomycete growth. Mass spectrometry imaging further uncovered that the zones of secreted siderophores and of P. infestans growth inhibition coincided. Moreover, either the repression of siderophore production or the neutralization of their iron-chelating activity led to a resumption of P. infestans growth. Replacement of peptone by natural nitrogen sources such as ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and urea also triggered siderophore production in S. scabiei. Interestingly, nitrogen source-induced siderophore production also inhibited the growth of Alternaria solani, the causative agent of the potato early blight. Overall, our work further emphasizes the importance of competition for iron between microorganisms that colonize the same niche. As common scab never alters the vegetative propagation of tubers, we propose that S. scabiei, under certain conditions, could play a protective role for its hosts against much more destructive pathogens through exploitative iron competition and volatile compound production.

In vivo antimalarial activity of novel 2-hydroxy-3-anilino-1,4-naphthoquinones obtained by epoxide ring-opening reaction.

1,4-Naphthoquinone derivatives are known to have relevant activities against several parasites. Among the treatment options for malaria, atovaquone, a 1,4-naphthoquinone derivative, is widely applied in the treatment and prophylaxis of such disease. Based on the structure simplification of atovaquone, we designed and synthesized four novel naphthoquinoidal derivatives. The compounds were obtained by the underexplored epoxide-opening reaction of 1,4-naphthoquinone using aniline derivatives as nucleophiles. The antiplasmodial activity of the synthesized compounds was performed in vivo using Peter's 4days suppression test. Significant parasitemia reduction and increased survival were observed for some of the compounds.

COVID-19 in the nervous system: physiopathology and neurological manifestations.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although respiratory manifestations have received greater visibility during the pandemic caused by this virus, numerous neurological complaints related to coronavirus 2 infection have been documented in several countries. These records suggest that this pathogen presents neurotropism, and it can cause different neurological conditions of varying intensity. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ability of coronavirus 2 to invade the central nervous system (CNS) and its neurological clinical outcomes. METHODS: The present study consists in a comprehensive literature review of the records available in the PubMed, SciELO, and Google Scholar databases. The descriptors COVID-19, brain and physiopathology, associated with the Boolean operator AND, were used in the search. Regarding the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected the papers published since 2020 with the highest number of citations. RESULTS: We selected 41 articles, most of them in English. The main clinical manifestation associated with COVID-19 patients was headache, but cases of anosmia, hyposmia, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and encephalopathies were also described with considerable frequency. CONCLUSION: Coronavirus-2 presents neurotropism, and it can reach the CNS by hematogenous dissemination and by direct infection of the nerve endings. It causes brain injuries through several mechanisms, such as cytokine storm, microglial activation, and an increase in thrombotic factors.

ANTECEDENTES: A doença do coronavírus 2019 (coronavirus disease 2019, Covid-19, em inglês) é uma infecção viral provocada pelo coronavírus 2 da síndrome respiratória aguda grave (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, em inglês). Embora as manifestações respiratórias tenham recebido maior visibilidade ao longo da pandemia provocada por esse vírus, inúmeras queixas neurológicas relacionadas à infecção pelo coronavírus 2 foram documentadas em diversos países. Tais registros sugerem que esse patógeno apresenta neurotropismo, e é capaz de provocar quadros neurológicos diversos e de intensidade variáveis. OBJETIVO: Investigar a capacidade de invasão do sistema nervoso central (SNC) pelo coronavírus 2 e seus principais desfechos clínicos neurológicos. MéTODOS: O presente estudo consiste em uma ampla revisão de literatura a partir dos registros das bases de dados PubMed, SciELO e Google Acadêmico. Nesse contexto, os descritores COVID-19, cérebro e fisiopatologia, associados com o operador booleano AND, foram utilizados na busca. Quanto aos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, selecionou-se os trabalhos publicados a partir de 2020 com o maior número de citações. RESULTADOS: Foram selecionados 41 artigos, a maioria na língua inglesa. A principal manifestação clínica associada a pacientes acometidos pela COVID-19 foi a cefaleia, mas casos de anosmia, hiposmia, síndrome de Guillain-Barré e encefalopatias também foram descritos com frequência considerável. CONCLUSãO: O coronavírus 2 apresenta neurotropismo, e é capaz de alcançar o SNC por disseminação hematogênica e por infecção direta das terminações nervosas. Ele provoca injúria cerebral por meio de variados mecanismos, como tempestade de citocinas, ativação da micróglia e aumento dos fatores trombóticos.

Clinical, Histological, and Scintigraphic Comparative Study of the Use of Mandibular Bone Marrow and Peripheral Blood in Bone Neoformation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 16 patients with maxillary atresia. The region was grafted with xenograft blocks associated with the following treatments: G1, the patient's peripheral blood during surgery, and G2, dripping of mandibular bone marrow blood until the xenograft was completely wet. After 7 and 14 days, scintigraphic images of the regions of interest (ROI) were taken to quantify pixels, which indicate osteogenic activity. Additionally, trephined samples obtained at the time of implant placement were stained in H&E, and newly formed bone tissue was quantified. The data were tabulated and statistically analyzed at a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Scintigraphic data showed greater osteogenic activity with mandibular bone marrow blood (G2) at all times evaluated (p < 0.05). As for the histomorphometric analysis, a greater amount of bone tissue was observed in samples treated with mandibular bone marrow blood (G2) compared to peripheral blood (G1) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The appositional bone reconstruction technique in the block associated with mandibular bone marrow blood increased bone neoformation and osteogenic activity compared to conventional graft treatment with peripheral blood.

Epidemiological and clinical assessment of patients undergoing Videolaparoscopic Cholecystectomy at a Curitiba teaching hospital. / Análise do perfil clínico epidemiológico dos pacientes submetidos a Colecistectomia Videolaparoscópica em um hospital de ensino de Curitiba.

OBJECTIVE: to assess clinical and epidemiological factors of patients undergoing video cholecystectomy at the Hospital da Cruz Vermelha do Paraná, Curitiba unit, operated from September 2016 to September 2018, as well as the influence of comorbidities, sex and advanced age on the postoperative prognosis, while in the hospital. METHODS: Analytic retrospective study. The analyzed variables were obtained by the review of medical records. Statistical analyses were performed considering the significance level p < 0.05. RESULTS: 389 patients, of whom 265 were women and 124 men, were included. The mean age was 51.5 years, 58.8% of the patients were diagnosed with at least one comorbidity, and 74.6% were overweight or obese. The incidence of intraoperative complications was 1.3%, postoperative 3.8% and, mortality, 0.3%. Some risk factors were identified as worse postoperative prognosis, such as Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, presence of one or more comorbidities and mainly, advanced age, which was related to longer hospitalization times (p < 0,001), need of intensive therapy (p < 0,001), conversion to open surgery (p = 0,003) and postoperative complications (p < 0,001). Furthermore, the male sex was predictive of longer hospitalization times (p = 0,003) and need of intensive therapy (p = 0,01). CONCLUSION: the presence of comorbidities, male sex, and advanced age are predictive factors of bad prognosis for patients undergoing video laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

OBJETIVO: Analisar o perfil clínico e epidemiológico de pacientes submetidos a colecistectomia por vídeo no Hospital da Cruz Vermelha do Paraná, unidade de Curitiba, operados no período de setembro de 2016 a setembro de 2018, assim como a influência de comorbidades, sexo e idade avançada no prognóstico pós-operatório, durante o mesmo internamento. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo analítico, com dados coletados por revisão de prontuários. Análises estatísticas realizadas, considerando nível de significância p < 0,05. RESULTADOS: 389 casos foram incluídos, sendo 265 mulheres e 124 homens. A média de idade foi de 51,5 anos, 58,8% dos pacientes eram portadores de pelo menos uma comorbidade e 74,6% dos doentes tinham sobrepeso ou eram obesos. A incidência de complicações intraoperatórias foi de 1,3%, pós-operatórias de 3,8% e, a mortalidade, de 0,3%. Foram identificados fatores clínicos relacionados a pior prognóstico pós-operatório, como DM, HAS, presença de uma ou mais comorbidades e, destacadamente, idade avançada, que relacionou-se com maior tempo de internamento (p < 0,001), necessidade de UTI (p < 0,001), conversão para operação aberta (p = 0,003) e risco de complicações pós-operatórias (p < 0,001). Além disso, o sexo masculino foi preditivo para maior tempo de internamento (p = 0,003) e maior necessidade de UTI (p = 0,01). CONCLUSÃO: o perfil clínico-epidemiológico corresponde àquele exposto na literatura e a presença de comorbidades, o sexo masculino e a idade avançada são fatores preditivos de mau prognóstico na evolução pós-operatória de pacientes submetidos a colecistectomia videolaparoscópica.

Uso de laserterapia de baixa intensidade em lesões flebostáticas como terapia adjuvante / Use of low-level laser therapy as an adjuvant therapy for phlebostatic lesions

Resumo A laserterapia de baixa intensidade (LBI) é comumente utilizada como terapia adjuvante para tratamento de lesões. Essa revisão integrativa de literatura foi realizada nas bases MEDLINE, LILACS, CUMED, BDENF, SPORTDiscus, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, Fonte Acadêmica e CINAHL. Entre os critérios de inclusão estavam: intervalo de 2011 a 2021, nos idiomas inglês, português e espanhol e qualquer estudo, com exceção de preprints e livros. Respondeu-se à questão: "Qual a eficácia descrita na literatura do uso da laserterapia de baixa intensidade (LBI) no tratamento de lesões venosas?". O comprimento de onda usado nos estudos variou de 635 nm de raio vermelho ah 780 nm de raio infravermelho, gerando melhora cicatricial em qualquer comprimento. A LBI apresentou-se como uma opção coadjuvante de baixo custo e de fácil aplicação, amenizando queixas álgicas e melhorando a cicatrização de pacientes com lesões vasculogênicas.

Abstract Low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) is commonly used as an adjuvant therapy for treating injuries. This integrative literature review was carried out in the MEDLINE, LILACS, CUMED, BDENF, SPORTDiscus, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, Academic Source and CINAHL databases. Among the inclusion criteria were: range from 2011 to 2021, in English, Portuguese and Spanish and any study, with the exception of preprints and books. The question was answered: "What is the effectiveness described in the literature of using low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) in the treatment of venous lesions?" The wavelength used in studies varied from 635 nm of red ray to 780 nm of infrared ray, generating healing improvement at any length. LBI presented itself as a low-cost and easy-to-apply adjuvant option, alleviating pain complaints and improving healing in patients with vasculogenic lesions.

Obstacles in combating multidrug resistant tuberculosis in pediatric patients: a scope review / Obstáculos no combate à tuberculose multidroga resistente em pacientes pediátricos: uma revisão de escopo

Abstract Objectives: to identify the scientific evidence on excessively resistant and multidrug resistant tuberculosis in pediatric patients. Methods: this is a scope review of the literature, with a guiding question: "What is the scientific evidence on multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in pediatric patients?". The research used the descriptors: "extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis" OR "multidrug-resistant tuberculosis" AND "pediatrics". The research was carried out in a double-blind manner in the following databases of the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Regional Office for the Western Pacific's Institutional Repository for Information Sharing, Embase/Elsevier and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, with a temporal cut-off from 2011 to 2021, sending a final synthesized sample of 18 articles, which evaluated the methodological content through the level of evidence. Results: the results show the lack of research with a high level of evidence related to MDR-TB in children, the lack of adequate dosage of second-line drugs for the pediatric population and the importance of drug sensitivity testing for the cases of treatment Conclusions: it was identified that the obstacles to MDR-TB treatment were concentrated in the lack of detailed protocols, safe drug dosages with a low side effect, and mainly in the social health determinants and disease process involving MDR-TB.

Resumo Objetivos: identificar as evidências científicas sobre tuberculose excessivamente resistente e multidroga resistente em pacientes pediátricos. Métodos: trata-se de uma revisão de escopo da literatura, tendo como questão norteadora: "Quais as evidências científicas sobre tuberculose multidroga-resistente (TB-MDR) e tuberculose extensivamente resistente em pacientes pediátricos?" A pesquisa usou os descritores: "tuberculose extensivamente resistente a medicamentos" OR "tuberculose resistente a múltiplos medicamentos" AND "pediatria". A pesquisa foi realizada de modo duplo-cego nas bases de dados Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Regional Office for the Western Pacific's Institutional Repository for Information Sharing, Embase/Elsevier e International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, com um corte temporal de 2011 a 2021, sendo a amostra final sintetizada de 18 artigos, nos quais avaliou-se o conteúdo metodológico por meio do nível de evidência. Resultados: os resultados mostraram a escassez de pesquisas de alto nível de evidência relacionadas à TB-MDR em crianças, ausência de posologia adequada das drogas de segunda linha para o público pediátrico e a importância do teste de sensibilidade a drogas para o tratamento dos casos. Conclusões: identificou-se que os obstáculos do tratamento TB-MDR se concentraram na ausência de protocolos detalhados, de dosagens medicamentosas seguras e com menor efeito colateral, e, principalmente, nos determinantes sociais do processo saúde e doença que envolvem a TB-MDR.

Identification of new bioactive peptides from Kefir milk through proteopeptidomics: Bioprospection of antihypertensive molecules.

Kefir, a probiotic beverage prepared from fermented milk, has been associated with antihypertensive activity. However, the bioactive molecules responsible for this activity still remain unclear. Therefore, in this study we aim to evaluate the mechanisms of the antihypertensive effects of Kefir in the two-kidney one-clip hypertension model, and to bioprospect for bioactive peptides identified by proteomic methodologies. Treatment with Kefir was performed via gavage, and resulted in a 37 mmHg reduction in systolic arterial pressure and 19% inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity. For the proteopeptidomic study, the protein extract of Kefir beverage and non-fermented bovine milk were analysed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and their tryptic digestion products sequenced via Shotgun proteomics (Q-Exactive mass spectrometer). A list of 35 peptides with potential hypertensive activity due to ACE inhibition were identified. These results demonstrate the benefits of Kefir products, and may guide the design of new antihypertensive drugs.

Oral fluid for detection of exposure to Lawsonia intracellularis in naturally infected pigs.

To demonstrate the utility of oral fluid (OF) for indirect diagnostic detection of Lawsonia intracellularis (Li), 15 pig farms were studied. Serum and fecal samples were collected from 20 animals from five different age groups on each farm. OF samples were collected from animals in two pens of the same age groups. Serum and OF samples were analyzed in an immunoperoxidase in monolayer assay (IPMA) for the detection of anti-Li immunoglobulin G (IgG) and A (IgA). Compatible results were found between PCR and IgG in OF in four of the five ages evaluated. Simultaneous detection of IgG in serum and OF was mainly observed on farms showing clinical signs suggestive of porcine proliferative enteropathy (PPE). These findings demonstrate the potential usefulness of OF in detecting anti-Li antibodies as a diagnostic tool that can be used to monitor PPE in herds with clinical signs compatible with the disease.

COVID-19 in the nervous system: physiopathology and neurological manifestations / Covid-19 no sistema nervoso: fisiopatologia e manifestações neurológicas

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although respiratory manifestations have received greater visibility during the pandemic caused by this virus, numerous neurological complaints related to coronavirus 2 infection have been documented in several countries. These records suggest that this pathogen presents neurotropism, and it can cause different neurological conditions of varying intensity. Objective To investigate the ability of coronavirus 2 to invade the central nervous system (CNS) and its neurological clinical outcomes. Methods The present study consists in a comprehensive literature review of the records available in the PubMed, SciELO, and Google Scholar databases. The descriptors COVID-19, brain and physiopathology, associated with the Boolean operator AND, were used in the search. Regarding the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected the papers published since 2020 with the highest number of citations. Results We selected 41 articles, most of them in English. The main clinical manifestation associated with COVID-19 patients was headache, but cases of anosmia, hyposmia, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and encephalopathies were also described with considerable frequency. Conclusion Coronavirus-2 presents neurotropism, and it can reach the CNS by hematogenous dissemination and by direct infection of the nerve endings. It causes brain injuries through several mechanisms, such as cytokine storm, microglial activation, and an increase in thrombotic factors.

Resumo Antecedentes A doença do coronavírus 2019 (coronavirus disease 2019, Covid-19, em inglês) é uma infecção viral provocada pelo coronavírus 2 da síndrome respiratória aguda grave (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, em inglês). Embora as manifestações respiratórias tenham recebido maior visibilidade ao longo da pandemia provocada por esse vírus, inúmeras queixas neurológicas relacionadas à infecção pelo coronavírus 2 foram documentadas em diversos países. Tais registros sugerem que esse patógeno apresenta neurotropismo, e é capaz de provocar quadros neurológicos diversos e de intensidade variáveis. Objetivo Investigar a capacidade de invasão do sistema nervoso central (SNC) pelo coronavírus 2 e seus principais desfechos clínicos neurológicos. Métodos O presente estudo consiste em uma ampla revisão de literatura a partir dos registros das bases de dados PubMed, SciELO e Google Acadêmico. Nesse contexto, os descritores COVID-19, cérebro e fisiopatologia, associados com o operador booleano AND, foram utilizados na busca. Quanto aos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, selecionou-se os trabalhos publicados a partir de 2020 com o maior número de citações. Resultados Foram selecionados 41 artigos, a maioria na língua inglesa. A principal manifestação clínica associada a pacientes acometidos pela COVID-19 foi a cefaleia, mas casos de anosmia, hiposmia, síndrome de Guillain-Barré e encefalopatias também foram descritos com frequência considerável. Conclusão O coronavírus 2 apresenta neurotropismo, e é capaz de alcançar o SNC por disseminação hematogênica e por infecção direta das terminações nervosas. Ele provoca injúria cerebral por meio de variados mecanismos, como tempestade de citocinas, ativação da micróglia e aumento dos fatores trombóticos.