Quetiapine effect on depressive-like behaviors, oxidative balance, and inflammation in serum of rats submitted to chronic stress.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) etiology is still not completely understood, and many individuals resist the traditional treatments. Chronic exposure to stressful events can contribute to development and progression and be involved in biological changes underlying MDD. Among the biological mechanisms involved, inflammatory changes and oxidative balance are associated with MDD pathophysiology. Quetiapine, a second-generation antipsychotic, induces a better therapeutic response in individuals refractory to traditional treatments. The main objectives of this research were as follows: to evaluate the effect of chronic mild stress (CMS) on depressive-like behaviors, oxidative stress, and inflammation in adult rats; to evaluate the possible antidepressant, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects of quetiapine. The animals were submitted to CMS protocols. At the end of the CMS, the animals were submitted to a chronic treatment for 14 days with the following drugs: quetiapine (20 mg/kg), imipramine (30 mg/kg), and escitalopram (10 mg/kg). At the end of the treatments, the animals were evaluated in the open field tests, anhedonia (splash test), and forced swimming. The animals were euthanized after the behavioral tests, and serum samples were collected. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were analyzed. CMS induced an increase in depressive-like behaviors, and quetiapine significantly reduced these behaviors. MPO activity and IL-6 levels increased in the serum of animals submitted to CMS. Quetiapine significantly reduced MPO activity and IL-6 levels. These results corroborate other evidence, indicating that chronic stress is a relevant phenomenon in the etiology of depression and suggesting that quetiapine induces an antidepressant effect because it reduces oxidative and inflammatory mechanisms.

High levels of extracellular ATP lead to different inflammatory responses in COVID-19 patients according to the severity.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has significantly impacted the world and has driven many researchers into the pathophysiology of COVID-19. In the findings, there is a close association between purinergic signaling and the immune response. Then, this study aimed to evaluate alterations in the purinergic signaling in COVID-19 patients according to range severity. We divided the COVID-19 patients into moderate and severe cases following the guideless of NIH and WHO, together with clinical characteristics. The blood samples were collected to obtain PBMCs and platelets. We analyzed the ectonucleotidase activities through ATP, ADP, AMP, Ado hydrolysis, E-NTPDase1 (CD39), and 5'-NT (CD73) expression by flow cytometry in total leukocytes. The extracellular ATP was measured by bioluminescence, and cytokines were analyzed by flow cytometry. We observed a decrease in ATP hydrolysis and increased AMP hydrolysis in PBMCs for both groups. In severe cases, ATP hydrolysis was raised for the platelets, while ADP and AMP hydrolysis have risen significantly in both groups. Additionally, there was a significant increase in ADP hydrolysis in severe cases compared to moderate cases. In addition, we observed an increase in the ADA activity in platelets of moderate patients. Moderate and severe cases showed increased expression of CD39 and CD73 in total leukocytes. To finalize the purinergic signaling, extracellular ATP was increased in both groups. Furthermore, there was an increase in IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 in moderate and severe groups. Thus, for the first time, our findings confirm the changes in purinergic signaling and immune response in COVID-19, in addition to making it more evident that the severity range directly impacts these changes. Therefore, the therapeutic potential of the purinergic system must be highlighted and studied as a possible target for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 disease. KEY MESSAGES: COVID-19 patients exhibit alterations in purinergic system and immune response. High levels of extracellular ATP lead to different inflammatory responses. CD39 and CD73 expression were increased in COVID-19 patients. Cytokines IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 also were altered in these patients. The purinergic system may be a possibility target to SARS-CoV-2 treatments.

Educação Popular e Saúde: O cuidado em saúde com o uso de plantas medicinais na cultura indígena kaigang / Popular Education and Health: Health care with the use of medicinal plants in kaigang indigenous culture

Este livro se propõe a resgatar a sabedoria do povo indígena Kaingang na essência de suas práticas, pelo conhecimento de uma complexidade tão instigante, como são "as plantas que curam". Nossa proposta é contribuir para o fortalecimento desse conhecimento ainda presente junto às comunidades indígenas, apresentando um diálogo entre saber popular e científico, numa abordagem genuína sobre o uso das plantas medicinais pelos povos indígenas da etnia Kaingang, acrescido de uma rica contextualização científica, mantendo, todavia, o cuidado de não se apropriar ou "tomar" para si o legado originário. Propõe-se também a construir pontes com saberes milenares, passados de geração em geração, que outorgam autonomia e resistência aos povos indígenas, os quais, por fatores sociais e políticos diversos, vêem cada dia mais sua existência ameaçada. Compreende-se que essa sabedoria transcende até mesmo o plano científico, ampliando para uma compreensão cosmológica, a qual, de forma sistêmica, integra saber popular, cultura, religiosidades, mitos e conhecimento, contribuindo, sobretudo, para a constituição de uma territorialidade, que ancestralmente produz uma cultura de resistência junto aos povos indígenas. Enseja-se assim, uma singela contribuição a uma cultura que insiste em re-existir, numa relação que pode tornar-se muito fecunda quando assume um diálogo emancipador, práxico e potencializador de ambos os saberes, com produção de novas sínteses.