Topical essential fatty acid oil on wounds: Local and systemic effects.

BACKGROUND: The use of medicinal plants and their derivatives is increasing, and approximately one-third of all traditional herbal medicines are intended for wound treatment. Natural products used in these treatments include vegetable oils, which are rich in essential fatty acids. Once in contact with an ulcerative surface, the oil reaches the blood and lymphatic vessels, thus eliciting systemic effects. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the local and possible systemic effects of essential fatty acids (sunflower oil) applied topically to rat wounds. METHODS: Cutaneous punch wounds (6 mm) were produced on the dorsa of 30 rats. Saline (SS), mineral oil (MO) or essential fatty acid (EFA) solutions were applied topically. Healing was evaluated after 2, 4 and 10 days (n = 5 per group) by visual and histological/morphometric examination, second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy, and cytokine and growth factor quantification in the scar tissue (real-time PCR) and in serum (ELISA). RESULTS: MO/EFA-treated animals had higher IGF-1, leptin, IL-6 and IFN-γ mRNA expression and lower serum IL-6 levels than the control (SS/MO) animals. SHG analysis showed no difference in collagen density between the animals treated with MO and EFA. CONCLUSION: EFA treatment induces topical (observed by local IGF-1, leptin, IL-6 and IFN-γ production) and systemic effects, lowering IL-6 levels in the serum. As the oil is widely used to shorten ulcer healing time, studies are needed to evaluate the treatment safety and possible undesired effects.

Bartonella henselae transmission by blood transfusion in mice.

BACKGROUND: Bartonella spp. are neglected fastidious Gram-negative bacilli. We isolated Bartonella henselae from 1.2% of 500 studied blood donors and demonstrated that the bacteria remain viable in red blood cell units after 35 days of experimental infection. Now, we aim to evaluate the possibility of B. henselae transmission by blood transfusion in a mouse model. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Eight BALB/c mice were intraperitoneal inoculated with a 30 µL of suspension with 10(4) CFU/mL of B. henselae and a second group of eight mice were inoculated with saline solution and used as control. After 96 hours of inoculation, the animals were euthanized. We collected blood and tissue samples from skin, liver, and spleen. Thirty microliters of blood from four Bartonella-inoculated animals were transfused into a new group (n = 4). Another group received blood from the control animals. B. henselae infection was investigated by conventional and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Blood samples from all 24 mice were negative by molecular tests though half of the tissue samples were positive by nested PCR in the intraperitoneal Bartonella-investigated animals. Tissues from two of the four mice that received blood transfusions from Bartonella-inoculated animals were also nested PCR positives. CONCLUSIONS: Transmission of B. henselae by transfusion is possible in mice even when donor animals have undetectable bloodstream infection. The impact of human Bartonella sp. transmission through blood transfusion recipients must be evaluated.

Risk Factors for Bartonella species Infection in Blood Donors from Southeast Brazil.

Bacteria from the genus Bartonella are emerging blood-borne bacteria, capable of causing long-lasting infection in marine and terrestrial mammals, including humans. Bartonella are generally well adapted to their main host, causing persistent infection without clinical manifestation. However, these organisms may cause severe disease in natural or accidental hosts. In humans, Bartonella species have been detected from sick patients presented with diverse disease manifestations, including cat scratch disease, trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis, endocarditis, polyarthritis, or granulomatous inflammatory disease. However, with the advances in diagnostic methods, subclinical bloodstream infection in humans has been reported, with the potential for transmission through blood transfusion been recently investigated by our group. The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors associated with Bartonella species infection in asymptomatic blood donors presented at a major blood bank in Southeastern Brazil. Five hundred blood donors were randomly enrolled and tested for Bartonella species infection by specialized blood cultured coupled with high-sensitive PCR assays. Epidemiological questionnaires were designed to cover major potential risk factors, such as age, gender, ethnicity, contact with companion animals, livestock, or wild animals, bites from insects or animal, economical status, among other factors. Based on multivariate logistic regression, bloodstream infection with B. henselae or B. clarridgeiae was associated with cat contact (adjusted OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.1-9.6) or history of tick bite (adjusted OR: 3.7, 95% CI: 1.3-13.4). These risk factors should be considered during donor screening, as bacteremia by these Bartonella species may not be detected by traditional laboratory screening methods, and it may be transmitted by blood transfusion.

Uso do óleo de arroz na cicatrização de úlceras cutâneas em ratos (Rattus norvegicus albinus) / Use of rice oil for treatment of cutaneous ulcers (Rattus norvegicus albinus)

Introdução: o processo de cicatrização é longo e complexo, dura meses nos humanos, e depende de diversos fatores locais e gerais. Ele pode ser divido em três fases: inflamatória, proliferativa e de remodelação. Para que ocorra, é necessária uma cascata de eventos e a participação de diversos tipos de células, bem como de substâncias por elas secretadas. Entre estas destacam-se as substâncias pró-cicatriciais, como a leptina, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 e o IGF-1, as anti-cicatriciais, como a adiponectina, IL-12, o IFN-α, o IFN-γ e, finalmente, o TNF-α, que possui ação variável, de acordo com a concentração circulante desta substância. Muito há para se pesquisar nesse campo, e o desenvolvimento de produtos, com princípios ativos que estimulam a cicatrização, mas de baixo custo, que aproveite matérias-primas encontradas na região, poderia beneficiar um número grande de indivíduos. Foi demonstrado que o uso do óleo do farelo de arroz induz a proliferação de linfócitos, a síntese de citocinas, o aumento da hematopoese e a atividade fagocítica de macrófagos. Objetivos: testar a efetividade do óleo de arroz na cicatrização de feridas cutâneas, e avaliar, tanto no tecido lesado, como no sangue, a sua ação em fatores que atuam na cicatrização. Material e métodos: sobre feridas cirúrgicas circulares produzidas pela exérese da pele, com bisturi, no dorso de ratos, (45 animais, divididos em três grupos) foi aplicado um produto à base de óleo de arroz (patente BR 10 2012 008718 9). O processo de cicatrização foi avaliado por meio do estudo histológico e da quantificação tissular (por meio da PCR real time) e sérica (por meio da técnica Elisa), de fatores que atuam na cicatrização: leptina, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IGF-1, adiponectina, IL-12, IFN-α, IFN- γ e TNF- α.

The wound healing process is long and complex, lasts months and depends on many local and general factors. It can be divided into three phases: inflammatory, proliferative and remodeling. For that to occur, it is necessary a cascade of events involving several cell types, as well as substances secreted by them. Among these we highlight the pro-healing substances such as leptin, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IGF-1, anti-scarring such as IL-12, IFN-α, IFN- γ and, finally, TNF-α, which possesses variable action, according to the circulating concentration of this substance. More research is needed in this field, and the development of products with active ingredients that stimulate healing, but of low cost, which uses raw materials found in the region, could benefit a large number of individuals. It has been shown that the use of rice bran oil induces lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine synthesis, increased hematopoiesis and phagocytic activity of macrophages. The objectives of this study were to test the effectiveness of rice oil topical use and assess both the injured tissue and blood to evaluate its action on factors that act in healing. Methods: Circular surgical wounds were produced by excision of skin with a scalpel in the back of rats (45, divided into three groups), then applied saline solution or essentials fatty acids or rice bran oil (patent BR 10 2012 0087 18 9). The healing process was evaluated by histological examination and quantification of tissue (by real time PCR) and serum (by ELISA technique), factors that act in healing, namely leptin, IL-2, IL -4, IL-6, IGF-1, adiponectin, IL-12, IFN-α, IFN-γ and TNF-α.