Imatinib mesylate affects extracellular ATP catabolism and expression of NTPDases in a chronic myeloid leukemia cell line.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm, characterized by the occurrence of the t(9;22)(q34;q11) translocation. First-line therapy for CML consists of treatment with imatinib mesylate, which selectively inhibits the BCR-ABL protein by competing for its ATP-binding site. Adenine nucleotide signaling is modulated by the ectonucleotidases and this pathway is related to tumorigenic processes. Considering the relationship between ATP and cancer, we aimed to evaluate the influence of imatinib mesylate on the expressions and functions of the NTPDase and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) enzymes in imatinib-sensitive and -resistant K-562 cell lines. mRNA analysis showed that K-562 cells express all ENTPDs and NT5E. However, when treated with imatinib mesylate for 24 h, the expression of ENTPD1, -2, -3 and -5 increased, leading to a higher nucleotides hydrolysis rate. HPLC analysis identified increased ATP degradation in cells after 24 h of treatment, with consequent ADP and AMP formation, corroborating the increase in gene and protein expression of ectonucleotidases as observed in previous results. On the other hand, we observed that imatinib-resistant K-562 cells presented a decrease in nucleotide hydrolysis and expressions of ENTPD1 and -5. These results suggest an involvement of imatinib in modulating ectonucleotidases in CML that will need further investigation. Since these ectonucleotidases have important catalytic activities in the tumor microenvironment, their modulation in CML cells may represent an important therapeutic approach to regulate levels of extracellular adenine nucleotides.

Association of human papillomavirus and Chlamydia trachomatis with intraepithelial alterations in cervix samples.

The influence of different infectious agents and their association with human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical carcinogenesis have not been completely elucidated. This study describes the association between cytological changes in cervical epithelium and the detection of the most relevant aetiological agents of sexually transmitted diseases. Samples collected from 169 patients were evaluated by conventional cytology followed by molecular analysis to detect HPV DNA, Chlamydia trachomatis, herpes simplex virus 1 and 2,Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, Trichomonas vaginalis, andTreponema pallidum, besides genotyping for most common high-risk HPV. An association between cytological lesions and different behavioural habits such as smoking and sedentariness was observed. Intraepithelial lesions were also associated with HPV and C. trachomatis detection. An association was also found between both simple and multiple genotype infection and cytological changes. The investigation of HPV and C. trachomatisproved its importance and may be considered in the future for including in screening programs, since these factors are linked to the early diagnosis of patients with precursor lesions of cervical cancer.

Tramadol/Diclofenac Fixed-Dose Combination for Acute Pain Management: Bioavailability Assessment of a Generic Product.

The multimodal analgesia strategy for acute pain involves using 2 or more analgesic medications with distinct mechanisms of action. This study assessed the bioavailability and tolerability of 2 tramadol hydrochloride (50 mg)/diclofenac sodium (50 mg) fixed-dose combination formulations under fed conditions to attend the Brazilian regulatory requirements for generic product registration. An open-label, randomized, single-dose, 2-period, 2-way crossover trial was conducted, including healthy subjects of both sexes. Subjects received a single dose of either the test or reference formulation of tramadol/diclofenac fixed-dose combination tablets with a 7-day washout period. Blood samples were collected up to 36 hours after dosing for tramadol and 12 hours for diclofenac and quantified using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. Of 56 subjects enrolled, 53 completed the study. The 90% confidence intervals for maximum plasma concentration and area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 to the last quantifiable concentration were within acceptable bioequivalence limits of 80%-125%. Considering the results presented in this study, the test formulation is bioequivalent to the reference formulation and could be interchangeable in medical practice.

Betulinic Acid-Brosimine B Hybrid Compound Has a Synergistic Effect with Imatinib in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cell Line, Modulating Apoptosis and Autophagy.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disease characterized by the formation of the BCR-ABL (breakpoint cluster region-Abelson) oncoprotein. As many patients display therapeutic resistance, the development of new drugs based on semisynthetic products represents a new potential therapeutic approach for treating the disease. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic activity, possible mechanism of action of a hybrid compound of betulinic acid (BA) and brosimine B in CML cell lines that are sensitive (K-562) and resistant (K-562R) to imatinib, in addition to evaluating lower doses of imatinib in combination with the hybrid compound. The effects of the compound, and its combination with imatinib, on apoptosis, cell cycle, autophagy and oxidative stress were determined. The compound was cytotoxic in K-562 (23.57 ± 2.87 µM) and K-562R (25.80 ± 3.21 µM) cells, and a synergistic effect was observed when it was associated with imatinib. Apoptosis was mediated by the caspase 3 and 9 intrinsic pathway, and cell cycle evaluation showed arrest at G0/G1. In addition, the hybrid compound increased the production of reactive oxygen species and induced autophagy by increasing LC3II and Beclin-1 mRNA levels. Results suggest that this hybrid compound causes the death of both imatinib-sensitive and -resistant cell lines and may hold potential as a new anticancer treatment against CML.

Etoricoxib Coated Tablets: Bioequivalence Assessment between Two Formulations Administered under Fasting Conditions.

Etoricoxib is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with high selectivity for cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), exerting a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect with fewer adverse events when compared to COX-1 inhibitors. The present study aimed to evaluate the bioequivalence between two etoricoxib-coated tablet formulations to meet regulatory requirements for a branded generic product registration in Brazil. A crossover study with an open-label, randomized design and a single-dose regimen with two treatments and two periods was conducted on healthy Brazilians of both genders. Subjects randomly received a single dose of a 90 mg etoricoxib coated tablet of test product Xumer® 90 mg (Adium S.A.) and the reference product Arcoxia® 90 mg (Merck Sharp & Dohme Farmacêutica Ltda.) under fasting conditions separated by a 14-day period. Blood samples were collected sequentially for up to 96 h following drug administration, and the concentrations of etoricoxib in plasma were determined using a validated UPLC-MS/MS method. Pharmacokinetic parameters were computed utilizing non-compartmental analysis methods. A total of 32 healthy subjects were enrolled, and 25 subjects completed the study. Geometric mean ratios (90% confidence intervals) for Cmax, AUC0-t, and AUC0-inf were 103.98% (95.63-113.06), 96.82% (91.82-102.09), and 95.79% (90.70-101.16), respectively. In accordance with regulatory standards, the test formulation (Xumer® 90 mg) has been deemed bioequivalent to the reference product (Arcoxia® 90 mg). As a result, these formulations can be considered interchangeable in clinical practice, with both proving to be safe and well-tolerated. The need for in vivo testing for the Xumer® 60 mg strength was waived due to the proportional similarity of the formulations and the similar in vitro dissolution profiles observed across the various strengths.

Differentiation of Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Candida krusei by FT-IR and chemometrics by CHROMagar™ Candida.

Pathogenic Candida species are detected in clinical infections. CHROMagar™ is a phenotypical method used to identify Candida species, although it has limitations, which indicates the need for more sensitive and specific techniques. Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) is an analytical vibrational technique used to identify patterns of metabolic fingerprint of biological matrixes, particularly whole microbial cell systems as Candida sp. in association of classificatory chemometrics algorithms. On the other hand, Soft Independent Modeling by Class Analogy (SIMCA) is one of the typical algorithms still little employed in microbiological classification. This study demonstrates the applicability of the FT-IR-technique by specular reflectance associated with SIMCA to discriminate Candida species isolated from vaginal discharges and grown on CHROMagar™. The differences in spectra of C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei were suitable for use in the discrimination of these species, which was observed by PCA. Then, a SIMCA model was constructed with standard samples of three species and using the spectral region of 1792-1561cm-1. All samples (n=48) were properly classified based on the chromogenic method using CHROMagar™ Candida. In total, 93.4% (n=45) of the samples were correctly and unambiguously classified (Class I). Two samples of C. albicans were classified correctly, though these could have been C. glabrata (Class II). Also, one C. glabrata sample could have been classified as C. krusei (Class II). Concerning these three samples, one triplicate of each was included in Class II and two in Class I. Therefore, FT-IR associated with SIMCA can be used to identify samples of C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. krusei grown in CHROMagar™ Candida aiming to improve clinical applications of this technique.

Avaliação do perfil de mulheres atendidas em centros de referência em saúde de Porto Alegre/RS e relação de alterações citológicas detectadas no exame citopatológico e a presença do HPV / Profile evaluation of women that attended reference health centers in Porto Alegre/RS and the relationship between cytological alterations detected in cytopathological examination and presence of HPV / Evaluación del perfil de las mujeres atendidas en los centros de referencia de salud de Porto Alegre / RS y la relación de las alteraciones citológicas detectadas en el examen citopatológico con la presencia de VPH

Justificativas e Objetivos: Câncer de colo de útero é considerado um problema de saúde pública mundial. Seu diagnóstico é realizado através do exame citopatológico (EC) e seu desenvolvimento relacionado à infecção pelo papilomavírus humano (HPV). Este estudo objetiva avaliar o perfil de mulheres atendidas em centros de referência em saúde de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, assim como a relação de alterações observadas ao EC com presença do HPV. Métodos: Estudo transversal realizado em mulheres atendidas em unidades básicas de saúde e um ambulatório de referência de hospital público terciário, no período de julho de 2014 a janeiro de 2017. Coletaram-se amostras representativas da endo/ectocérvice para realização do EC e investigadas quanto à presença molecular do HPV. Resultados: Foram analisadas 169 mulheres com idade média entre 31 e 40 anos, das quais 125 (74%) informaram que a sexarca ocorreu na faixa de 15-20 anos e 37,9% relatou ter tido de três a cinco parceiros sexuais. Em relação ao EC, 71 (42%) apresentaram resultado negativo para lesão intraepitelial ou malignidade e 98 (58%) alguma anormalidade de células escamosas: 20 (11,8%) atipias; 22 (13%) lesão intraepitelial escamosa de baixo grau e 56 (32,6%) lesão intraepitelial de alto grau (HSIL). Cinquenta (29,6%) apresentaram positividade para HPV, destas 56,4% foram diagnosticadas com HSIL (p<0,01). Conclusão: Os resultados revelam alta frequência de HPV em amostras com alterações citopatológicas, em mulheres jovens e com grau de exposição ao HPV, reforçando a importância do papel da sua identificação precoce na investigação da carcinogênese cervical.(AU)

Background and Objectives: Cervical cancer is considered a worldwide public health problem. Its diagnosis is made through cytopathological examination and its development related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This study aims to evaluate the profile of women treated at reference health centers in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, as well as the relation of changes observed to cytopathological examination with the presence of HPV. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in women treated at basic health units and a referral clinic of a public tertiary hospital, from July 2014 to January 2017. Representative samples of the endo/ectocervix were collected to perform the cytopathological examination and investigated for the molecular presence of HPV. Results: 169 women with mean age between 31 and 40 years were analyzed, of whom 125 (74%) reported that the onset of sexual activity occurred in the 15-20 years age group, and 37.9% reported having had three to five sexual partners. In relation to cytopathological examination, 71 (42%) had a negative result for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy and 98 (58%) some squamous cell abnormality: 20 (11.8%) atypical; 22 (13%) low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and 56 (32.6%) high-grade intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). Fifty (29.6%) were positive for HPV, of which 56.4% were diagnosed with HSIL (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The results reveal a high frequency of HPV in samples with cytopathological changes, in young women and with a degree of exposure to HPV, reinforcing the importance of the role of its early identification in the investigation of cervical carcinogenesis.(AU)

Justificación y objetivos: El cáncer de cuello uterino se considera un problema de salud pública en todo el mundo. Su diagnóstico se realiza mediante el examen citopatológico (EC), y su desarrollo está relacionado con la infección por el virus del papiloma humano (VPH). Este estudio objetivó evaluar el perfil de mujeres atendidas en los centros de referencia en salud de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil), así como la relación de las alteraciones observadas en el EC con la presencia del VPH. Métodos: Estudio transversal realizado en las mujeres atendidas por unidades de atención primaria y por una clínica ambulatoria de referencia del hospital público terciario en la ciudad de Porto Alegre, en el período de julio de 2014 a enero de 2017. Se recolectaron muestras representativas de endo/ectocérvice para realizar la CE, las cuales se clasificaron según el sistema Bethesda y se investigaron la presencia molecular del VPH. Resultados: Analizamos 169 mujeres con promedio de edad entre 31 y 40 años, de las cuales 125 (74%) informaron que el sexarche ocurrió en el rango de 15-20 años. La mayoría (37,9%) informó haber tenido de 3 a 5 parejas sexuales; y el 37,3% estaban usando anticonceptivos orales. Con respecto a la EC, 71 (42%) se clasificaron como negativos para lesión intraepitelial o malignidad; y el 98 (58%) tenían alguna anormalidad de células escamosas: 20 (11,8%) de atipias; 22 (13,0%) lesión intraepitelial escamosa de bajo grado y 56 (32,6%) lesión intraepitelial de alto grado (HSIL). La frecuencia de positividad del VPH encontrada fue de 50 (29,6%), de estas un 56,4% fueron diagnosticadas con HSIL (p<0,01). Conclusiones: Estos resultados revelan una alta frecuencia de VPH en muestras con alteraciones citopatológicas presentes en mujeres jóvenes con cierto grado de exposición al VPH, lo que refuerza la importancia de identificarse tempranamente en el análisis de la carcinogénesis cervical.(AU)

Association of human papillomavirus and Chlamydia trachomatis with intraepithelial alterations in cervix samples

The influence of different infectious agents and their association with human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical carcinogenesis have not been completely elucidated. This study describes the association between cytological changes in cervical epithelium and the detection of the most relevant aetiological agents of sexually transmitted diseases. Samples collected from 169 patients were evaluated by conventional cytology followed by molecular analysis to detect HPV DNA, Chlamydia trachomatis, herpes simplex virus 1 and 2,Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, Trichomonas vaginalis, andTreponema pallidum, besides genotyping for most common high-risk HPV. An association between cytological lesions and different behavioural habits such as smoking and sedentariness was observed. Intraepithelial lesions were also associated with HPV and C. trachomatis detection. An association was also found between both simple and multiple genotype infection and cytological changes. The investigation of HPV and C. trachomatisproved its importance and may be considered in the future for including in screening programs, since these factors are linked to the early diagnosis of patients with precursor lesions of cervical cancer.