Flavonoids: the use in mental health and related diseases.

Given the current increase in mental and neurological disorders, there is an urgent need to develop alternative treatments for patients. Flavonoids exhibit diverse biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective, and has been considered potential therapies for central nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, drug addiction, and stroke. Studies have shown that flavonoids protect neurons from oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, improve brain blood flow and enhance cognitive function. Moreover, its modulation of neurotransmission, such as GABAergic, dopaminergic, serotoninergic, and noradrenergic, has been studied for the treatment of mental disorders that require sedative effects, antidepressants, sleep inducers and anxiety reduction. Although more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms and potential benefits of these compounds, the use of flavonoids for neurological diseases is a promising avenue for future research and development. This review focuses on major flavonoid subclasses and their applications in central nervous system disorders.

Molecular evidence of tissue remodeling in an animal model of heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) is the final common pathway of many cardiovascular diseases. Metalloproteinases and their inhibitors, such as MMP9 and TIMP-1, assist in maintaining the extracellular matrix, leading to tissue remodeling observed after HF. Previous studies have shown that L-Arginine (LA) appears to have beneficial effects for the treatment of HF, contributing to vasodilation, the reestablishment of the endothelial function and an increase in muscle contractile force. This study analyzed heart tissue remodeling in an animal model of HF induced by aortocaval fistula (ACF) and submitted to LA treatment. After 4 weeks of ACF, animals were treated with LA for 4 weeks (SHAM-LA, HF-LA) or for 8-12 weeks with saline (SHAM, HF8, HF12). Rats were euthanized and the hearts removed for histological processing. The samples were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE), Masson's Thichome (MT), or submitted to immunohistochemistry (IHC) for MMP9 and TIMP-1. Light microscopy analysis showed cardiac striated muscle without fibrosis in all experimental groups. Immunostaining of MMP9 and TIMP-1 were positive for all experimental groups. LA administration significatively reduced MMP9 content after HF. These data indicate molecular changes in metalloproteinases expression prior to tissue remodeling and point out LA as an adjuvant therapy to pharmacological treatment of patients with HF.

Diverticulo do reto: relato de caso / Rectal diverticulum: case story

A doença diverticular dos cólons apresenta alta prevalência na civilização ocidental e, não obstante atingir todo intestino grosso, acomete o cólon sigmóide com maior freqüência, sendo o envolvimento do reto extremamente raro. O objetivo do presente artigo é descrever um caso de divertículo retal, diagnosticado durante exame proctológico e estudado por meio de enema opaco, ultrassonografia tridimensional, ressonância magnética e manometria anorretal, bem como realizar revisão da literatura. Homem, 56 anos de idade com queixa de sangramento retal às evacuações há oito meses. Os exames revelaram divertículo retal único, em parede lateral esquerda, de aproximadamente quatro centímetros de diâmetro, a seis centímetros da margem anal, associado a doença hemorroidária de segundo grau e a doença diverticular em cólon sigmóide. Realizou-se biópsia de mucosa retal no interior do divertículo que não demonstrou áreas de metaplasia ou displasia. O exame proctológico mostrou que o sangramento era oriundo da doença hemorroidária que foi tratada, com sucesso, por meio de duas sessões de ligadura elástica. No momento o enfermo encontra-se assintomático, em acompanhamento periódico, sem recidiva do sangramento um ano após o diagnóstico.