Presumed Autoimmune Pigmented Paravenous Retinochoroidal Atrophy in a Female Patient Aged 69 Years.

This case report describes a diagnosis of presumed autoimmune pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy in a 69-year-old patient who presented with slowly progressive vision loss and nyctalopia.

Dietary intervention with avocado (Persea americana Mill.) ameliorates intestinal inflammation induced by TNBS in rats.

Nutritional interventions have been shown to be an interesting approach for the treatment of chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Persea americana Mill. (avocado), is a potential food to be used for the prevention or treatment of intestinal inflammation, due to its nutritional value and pharmacological effects. In this study we evaluated if the dietary intervention with avocado fruit pulp could as an intestinal anti-inflammatory diet using a trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) model of intestinal inflammation in rats. For this purpose, 5, 10 or 20% of avocado fruit pulp was incorporated in the diet of rats, for 21 days before and 7 days after TNBS-induced intestinal inflammation. Dietary intervention with avocado fruit pulp (20%) decreased the extension of colonic lesions (1.38 ± 0.99 vs. 2.67 ± 0.76 cm), weight/length colon ratio (151.03 ± 31.45 vs. 197.39 ± 49.48 cm), inhibited myeloperoxidase activity (891.2 ± 243.2 vs 1603 ± 158.2 U/g), reduced tumor necrosis factor-α (53.94 ± 6.45 vs. 114.9 ± 6.21 pg/mg), interleukin-1ß (583.6 ± 106.2 vs. 1259 ± 81.68 pg/mg) and interferon gamma (27.95 ± 2.97 vs. 47.79 ± 3.51 pg/mg) levels and prevented colonic glutathione depletion (2585 ± 77.2 vs 1778 ± 167.2 nmol/g). The consumption of enriched diet with 20% avocado pulp by 28 days did not promote any alterations in the biochemical or behavioral parameters evaluated. Avocado showed intestinal anti-inflammatory activity, modulating immune response, and acting as antioxidant. The dietary intervention with avocado was safe, suggesting its potential as a complementary treatment in intestinal inflammation.

Bidens pilosa (Black Jack) Standardized Extract Ameliorates Acute TNBS-induced Intestinal Inflammation in Rats.

Bidens pilosa is an herb popularly used to treat inflammation, hemorrhoids, fever, and gastric ulcers with reported pharmacological activities and chemical composition that sustain its selection as a potential intestinal anti-inflammatory product. Based on this, we examined the effects of a B. pilosa fatty acid-standardized supercritical preparation on the intestinal inflammatory process induced by trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid in rats, using either preventative or curative treatments. We also investigated the safety of plant extract by acute and sub-chronic toxicological analysis. The intestinal anti-inflammatory activity was related to modulation of the immune response, increasing IL-10 production and reducing IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α level, the oxidative stress, and the MUC production in the inflamed colon. Optic, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis supported the beneficial effects promoted by B. pilosa, which were closely related to downregulation of heparanase, Hsp70, Mapk 3, and NF-κB signaling and with the presence of long-chain fatty acids in extract. Our data suggest that B. pilosa supercritical preparation is a chemically standardized preparation potentially useful as complementary intestinal anti-inflammatory agent to treat inflammatory bowel disease.

Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of Ground Cherry (Physalis angulata L.) standardized CO2 phytopharmaceutical preparation.

AIM: To investigate the effects of Ground Cherry (Physalis angulata L.) standardized supercritical CO2 extract in trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS) model of rat intestinal inflammation. METHODS: The animals were divided into groups that received vehicle or P. angulata extract (PACO2) orally at the doses 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg daily by 5 d before TNBS damage. Protective effects of PACO2 were assessed by macroscopic analysis, biochemical determinations of the levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutathione and cytokines (such as INF-γ, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α), gene expression evaluation (including Hsp70, heparanase, NF-κB, mitogen-activated protein kinases (Mapk) 1, 3, 6 and 9, and the mucins genes Muc 1, 2, 3 and 4) and histopathological studies using optical, and electronic (transmission and scanning) microscopy. RESULTS: PACO2 extract promoted a significant reduction in MPO and ALP activities, reducing oxidative stress and neutrophil infiltration. These effects were accompanied by significant reduction of colonic levels of IFN-γ and IL-6 and down-regulation of heparanase, Hsp70, Mapk3, Mapk9, Muc1 and Muc2 genes expression when compared with TNBS-control animals. In addition, protective effects were also evidenced by reduced neutrophil infiltration, recovery of cell architecture and replacement of mucin by histopathological and ultrastructural analysis. CONCLUSION: Physalis angulata supercritical CO2 extract is an intestinal anti-inflammatory product that modulates oxidative stress, immune response and expression of inflammatory mediators, with potentially utility for treating inflammatory bowel disease.

Dispositivos de tecnologia assistiva: fatores relacionados ao abandono / Assistive technology devices: abandonment related factors

Em face do elevado número de indivíduos com deficiências, bem como da importância dos dispositivos de tecnologia assistiva (DTAs) para a melhoria de seu desempenho ocupacional, as elevadas taxas de abandono destes dispositivos e os altos custos a estes associados, esta revisão tem o objetivo de identificar fatores relacionados ao abandono de dispositivos de tecnologia assistiva. A metodologia utilizada foi uma revisão crítica da literatura utilizando as palavras-chave: tecnologia assistiva/assistive technology, abandono/abandonment, rejeição/rejection, e desuso/disuse, de publicações entre os anos de 2002 e 2013. Foi realizada a busca nas bases de dados MEDLINE, LILACS e SciELO, e identificado um total de 49 artigos, sendo que nove publicações atenderam aos critérios de inclusão. Constatou-se que os fatores mais citados relacionados ao abandono dos dispositivos são: problemas com o estado físico do usuário; falta de informação e treinamento tanto de profissionais quanto de usuários; dor; limitações funcionais; preferência por outro DTA ou utilização de capacidades remanescentes; peso elevado; alterações nas condições do DTA; dificuldade de uso; insatisfação; desconforto; inadequação/inapropriação, e "muito barulho". Compreender melhor esses fatores é fundamental para melhorar a eficácia da prescrição e da intervenção por parte dos profissionais, o que é imprescindível para aumentar a adesão e promover resultados efetivos.

Products for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: a patent review (2013 - 2014).

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consists of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and an unspecific IBD. The unclear etiology of IBD is a limiting factor that complicates the development of new pharmacological treatments and explains the high frequency of refractory patients to current drugs, including both conventional and biological therapies. In view of this, recent progress on the development of novel patented products to treat IBD was reviewed. AREAS COVERED: Evaluation of the patent literature during the period 2013 - 2014 focused on chemical compounds, functional foods and biological therapy useful for the treatment of IBD. EXPERT OPINION: Majority of the patents are not conclusive because they were based on data from unspecific methods not related to intestinal inflammation and, when related to IBD models, few biochemical and molecular evaluations that could be corroborating their use in human IBD were presented. On the other hand, methods and strategies using new formulations of conventional drugs, guanylyl cyclase C peptide agonists, compounds that influence anti-adhesion molecules, mAbs anti-type I interferons and anti-integrin, oligonucleotide antisense Smad7, growth factor neuregulin 4 and functional foods, particularly fermented wheat germ with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are promising products for use in the very near future.

Citrus aurantium L. essential oil exhibits anxiolytic-like activity mediated by 5-HT(1A)-receptors and reduces cholesterol after repeated oral treatment.

BACKGROUND: The current treatments for anxiety disorders and depression have multiple adverse effects in addition to a delayed onset of action, which has prompted efforts to find new substances with potential activity in these disorders. Citrus aurantium was chosen based on ethnopharmacological data because traditional medicine refers to the Citrus genus as useful in diminishing the symptoms of anxiety or insomnia, and C. aurantium has more recently been proposed as an adjuvant for antidepressants. In the present work, we investigated the biological activity underlying the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of C. aurantium essential oil (EO), the putative mechanism of the anxiolytic-like effect, and the neurochemical changes in specific brain structures of mice after acute treatment. We also monitored the mice for possible signs of toxicity after a 14-day treatment. METHODS: The anxiolytic-like activity of the EO was investigated in a light/dark box, and the antidepressant activity was investigated in a forced swim test. Flumazenil, a competitive antagonist of benzodiazepine binding, and the selective 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist WAY100635 were used in the experimental procedures to determine the mechanism of action of the EO. To exclude false positive results due to motor impairment, the mice were submitted to the rotarod test. RESULTS: The data suggest that the anxiolytic-like activity observed in the light/dark box procedure after acute (5 mg/kg) or 14-day repeated (1 mg/kg/day) dosing was mediated by the serotonergic system (5-HT(1A) receptors). Acute treatment with the EO showed no activity in the forced swim test, which is sensitive to antidepressants. A neurochemical evaluation showed no alterations in neurotransmitter levels in the cortex, the striatum, the pons, and the hypothalamus. Furthermore, no locomotor impairment or signs of toxicity or biochemical changes, except a reduction in cholesterol levels, were observed after treatment with the EO. CONCLUSION: This work contributes to a better understanding of the biological activity of C. aurantium EO by characterizing the mechanism of action underlying its anxiolytic-like activity.

Modifying effects of lemongrass essential oil on specific tissue response to the carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosurea in female BALB/c mice.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus Stapf) essential oil has been used worldwide because of its ethnobotanical and medicinal usefulness. Regarding its medicinal usefulness, the present study evaluated the beneficial effects of lemongrass essential oil (LGEO) oral treatment on cell proliferation and apoptosis events and on early development of hyperplastic lesions in the mammary gland, colon, and urinary bladder induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) in female BALB/c mice. The animals were allocated into three groups: G1, treated with LGEO vehicle for 5 weeks (five times per week); G2, treated with LGEO vehicle as for G1 and MNU (two injections each of 30 mg/kg of body weight at weeks 3 and 5); and G3, treated with LGEO (five times each with 500 mg/kg of body weight per week) and MNU as for G2. Twenty-four hours after the last MNU application, all animals were euthanized, and mammary glands, colon, and urinary bladder were collected for histological and immunohistochemical analysis. LGEO oral treatment significantly changed the indexes of apoptosis and/or cellular proliferation for the tissues analyzed. In particular, the treatment reduced the incidence of hyperplastic lesions and increased apoptosis in mammary epithelial cells. This increment in the apoptosis response may be related to a favorable balance in Bcl-2/Bax immunoreactivity in mammary epithelial cells. These findings indicate that LGEO presented a protective role against early MNU-induced mammary gland alterations in BALB/c mice.

The GABAergic system contributes to the anxiolytic-like effect of essential oil from Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The essential oil (EO) from Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf is reported to have a wide range of biological activities and is widely used in traditional medicine as an infusion or decoction. However, despite this widely use, there are few controlled studies confirming its biological activity in central nervous system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anxiolytic-like activity of the EO was investigated in light/dark box (LDB) and marble-burying test (MBT) and the antidepressant activity was investigated in forced-swimming test (FST) in mice. Flumazenil, a competitive antagonist of benzodiazepine binding and the selective 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist WAY100635 was used in experimental procedures to determine the action mechanism of EO. To exclude any false positive results in experimental procedures, mice were submitted to the rota-rod test. We also quantified some neurotransmitters at specific brain regions after EO oral acute treatment. RESULTS: The present work found anxiolytic-like activity of the EO at the dose of 10mg/kg in a LDB. Flumazenil, but not WAY100635, was able to reverse the effect of the EO in the LDB, indicating that the EO activity occurs via the GABA(A) receptor-benzodiazepine complex. Only at higher doses did the EO potentiate diethyl-ether-induced sleeping time in mice. In the FST and MBT, EO showed no effect. Finally, the increase in time spent in the light chamber, demonstrated by concomitant treatment with ineffective doses of diazepam (DZP) and the EO, revealed a synergistic effect of the two compounds. The lack of activity after long-term treatment in the LDB test might be related to tolerance induction, even in the DZP-treated group. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between groups after either acute or repeated treatments with the EO in the rota-rod test. Neurochemical evaluation showed no amendments in neurotransmitter levels evaluated in cortex, striatum, pons, and hypothalamus. CONCLUSIONS: The results corroborate the use of Cymbopogon citratus in folk medicine and suggest that the anxiolytic-like effect of its EO is mediated by the GABA(A) receptor-benzodiazepine complex.

Cholesterol reduction and lack of genotoxic or toxic effects in mice after repeated 21-day oral intake of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oil.

Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) is currently used in traditional folk medicine. Although this species presents widespread use, there are no scientific data on its efficacy or safety after repeated treatments. Therefore, this work investigated the toxicity and genotoxicity of this lemongrass's essential oil (EO) in male Swiss mice. The single LD(50) based on a 24h acute oral toxicity study was found to be around 3500 mg/kg. In a repeated-dose 21-day oral toxicity study, mice were randomly assigned to two control groups, saline- or Tween 80 0.01%-treated groups, or one of the three experimental groups receiving lemongrass EO (1, 10 or 100mg/kg). No significant changes in gross pathology, body weight, absolute or relative organ weights, histology (brain, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, stomach, spleen and urinary bladder), urinalysis or clinical biochemistry were observed in EO-treated mice relative to the control groups. Additionally, blood cholesterol was reduced after EO-treatment at the highest dose tested. Similarly, data from the comet assay in peripheral blood cells showed no genotoxic effect from the EO. In conclusion, our findings verified the safety of lemongrass intake at the doses used in folk medicine and indicated the beneficial effect of reducing the blood cholesterol level.

Protective effects of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus STAPF) essential oil on DNA damage and carcinogenesis in female Balb/C mice.

This study investigated the protective effect of oral treatment with lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus STAPF) essential oil (LGEO) on leukocyte DNA damage induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosurea (MNU). Also, the anticarcinogenic activity of LGEO was investigated in a multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)antracene, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine and N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxibuthyl)nitrosamine in Balb/C female Balb/c mice (DDB-initiated mice). In the short-term study, the animals were allocated into three groups: vehicle group (negative control), MNU group (positive control) and LGEO 500 mg kg⁻¹ (five times per week for 5 weeks) plus MNU group (test group). Blood samples were collected to analyze leukocyte DNA damage by comet assay 4 h after each MNU application at the end of weeks 3 and 5. The LGEO 500 mg kg⁻¹ treated group showed significantly lower (P < 0.01) leukocyte DNA damage than its respective positive group exposed to MNU alone at week 3. In the medium-term study, DDB-initiated mice were allocated into three groups: vehicle group (positive control) and LGEO 125 or 500 mg kg⁻¹ (five times per week for 6 weeks; test groups). At week 20, all animals were euthanized and mammary glands, colon and urinary bladder were processed for histopathological analyses for detection of preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions. A slight non-significant effect of treatment with LGEO 500 mg kg⁻¹ in reducing development of alveolar and ductal mammary hyperplasia was found (P = 0.075). Our findings indicate that lemongrass essential oil provided protective action against MNU-induced DNA damage and a potential anticarcinogenic activity against mammary carcinogenesis in DDB-initiated female Balb/C mice.

Effects of plant lectins on in vitro fibroblast proliferation

Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that have been isolated from various sources and presented a wide spectrum of biological activities. The effects of four lectins, namely, Phaseolus vulgaris phytohemagglutinin, PHA, wheat germ agglutinin, WGA, Artocarpus integrifolia seed lectins, jacalin and artocarpin, on in vitro fibroblasts proliferation were investigated. The lectins did not influence the initial cell adhesion to the plate. PHA and WGA at 10-20 æg/mL concentrations significantly decreased fibroblasts proliferation. At these concentrations, they caused morphological alterations on cells and over 80 æg/mL, promoted cell death. Neither jacalin nor artocarpin significantly affected cell proliferation

Efeito inflamatório local induzido pelas lectinas PHA, WGA e jacalina / Local inflammatory effects of PHA, WGA and jacalin lectins

Muitas das atividades inflamatórias atribuídas às lectinas são decorrentes da atividade quimiotáxica, da secreção de citocinas pelos leucócitos ativados e da estimulação policlonal de linfócitos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito inflamatório local induzido pelas lectinas PHA, WGA e jacalina. Para tanto, injeções intradérmicas das lectinas nas concentrações de 25 µg/mL, para PHA e jacalina, e 100 µg/mL, para WGA, foram realizadas no dorso de ratos e avaliações macroscópicas e histológicas foram realizadas. Nas avaliações macroscópicas, os diâmetros das pápulas formadas nos locais das injeções foram medidos diariamente. As análises histológicas foram realizadas em cortes corados com hematoxilina-eosina, nos períodos de 24, 48, 72 horas e no 5º e 7º dias. O padrão macroscópico de reação foi semelhante para PHA e jacalina e menor para WGA. A análise histológica evidenciou reação inflamatória bem localizada e forte nas primeiras 24 horas, com predomínio de células mononucleares na inflamação provocada por PHA e jacalina. Após este período foi evidente a diminuição da inflamação provocada por WGA, porém, para PHA e jacalina a reação inflamatória nas próximas 48 horas foi maior e, a partir daí, diminuiu com o tempo, embora, em todos os períodos analisados, foi ligeiramente maior para PHA

Variaçöes fisiológicas de parâmetros reprodutivos em vacas de raça Holandesa importadas da Hungria para o Nordeste brasileiro / Physiological variations of reproduction parameters of Holstein-Friesian cows imported from Hungary to Northeastern Brazil

O número de dias entre a pariçäo e o primeiro cio, as medidas de volume dos ovários e os resultados de superovulaçäo no desempenho de doadoras da raça Holandesa (n = 70) foram analisados com o objetivo de encontrar e determinar a possível influência do clima sobre esses dados. No primeiro ano do experimento (1996), levaram-se 112,1 ñ 30,5 dias da pariçäo até o primeiro cio, sendo assim um período irregular, pois o resultado da experiência do grupo testemunha foi 48 ñ 12,0 dias. Os resultados do tamanho dos ovários e de superovulaçäo foram de acordo com a teoria de que a atividade sexual das vacas doadoras pode ser influenciada pelo estresse causado pela aclimataçäo. As vacas foram superovuladas, os resultados foram modelados com análise de mínimo quadrado de variância e as diferenças foram analisadas com prova de c-quadrado e teste t. O período de aclimataçäo influencia negativamente a eficiência do tratamento de superovulaçäo e produçäo de embriöes. Com isso, o número de ovulaçöes (6,7 ñ 3,5) e de embriöes de boa qualidade (1,2 ñ 0,5), a eficiência de coleçäo (57,0 por cento) e a proporçäo de obtençäo de embriöes (46,3 por cento) foram significativamente diferentes do grupo testemunha. Durante o período de aclimataçäo de um ano e meio, a alta temperatura contínua e as horas claras permanentes parecem adversamente afetar as respostas da reproduçäo das vacas importadas de raça Holandesa, intensivamente manejadas no centro de doadoras do programa MOET (Multiply Ovulation and Embryo Transfer)

Osteodistrofias do frontal de bovinos dos Estados de Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul e Minas Gerais / Osteodistrophies of bovine frontal bones in four brazilian states

Estudaram-se histologicamente amostras de osso frontal de 2000 bovinos abatidos em matadouros industriais dos estados de Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul e Minas Gerais, com o objetivo de se determinar a freqüência de osteodistrofias clinicamente näo manifestas. A amostragem foi realizada equitativamente nas estaçöes seca e chuvosa, tendo cada estado contribuído com 500 espécimes. Alteraçöes ósseas de caráter matabólico-nutricionais ocorreram em 1878 (93,9%) amostras, sendo 941 (46,4%) referentes à estaçäo seca e 937 (44,7%), à chuvosa. O diagnóstico mais freqüente foi o aumento da reabsorçäo óssea, seguido de "osteoidose" ou mineralizaçäo insuficiente do osteóide em 216 (10,6%) amostras, na seca, e 157 (7,5%) amostras, na estaçäo chuvosa, sempre associada à reabsorçäo óssea. Estas alteraçöes enquadram-se nas de osteodistrofia fibrosa, provavelmente por hiperparatireoidismo de origem nutricional. A freqüência de osteodistrofias em bovinos aparentemente sadios, surpreendentemente elevada, projeta amplas perspectivas de estudo das doenças metabólicas e nutricionais do osso, näo só de bovinos, mas também de outras espécies em pastejo, nas regiöes tropicais