Evaluation of the efficacy and toxicity of oral and topical pumpkin oil on the hair growth of mice.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a topical and oral administration of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) on the hair growth of BALB/c male mice. The animals had their dorsal area shaved (2 ×2 cm) and they were divided into 6 experimental groups. They received orally saline (OS), finasteride (F), or PSO (OP) for 14 days; or topically saline (TS), minoxidil (M), or PSO (TP) for 7 days. The euthanasia of all of the mice occurred on the 22nd day, and the histological slides from the skin area were analyzed. Lipoperoxidation in the liver was assessed through the TBARS method and was also evaluated by the antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT). The comet assay and the micronucleus tests were performed for genotoxic/mutagenic safety analyses. A significant increase in the number of hair follicles in the TP group was seen (8.8 ± 0.8) but it was disorganized, with loose dermal collagen. Finasteride presented a significant increase in the levels of the TBARS, SOD, and CAT in the liver, and M increased the DNA damage in the blood and the liver tissues. PSO did not induce any significant changes. In addition, PSO did not induce genotoxic or mutagenic effects. In conclusion, the oral PSO for 14 days acted in the proliferation of the hair follicles, without toxicity signals in the liver. DATA AVAILABILITY: The authors confirm that all of the relevant data is included in the article and/or in the supplementary information file.

Anti-obesity, slimming, biochemical and genotoxic effects of Cordia ecalyculata in diet-induced obese rats.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are associated with deaths and diseases worldwide. Cordia ecalyculata is a plant marketed as a slimmer. METHODS: The study evaluated the anti-obesity effects of the dry extract from C. ecalyculata in rats fed with a standard diet (STD) or cafeteria diet (CD) receiving the dry extract from C. ecalyculata at 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg for 40 days. Furthermore, it evaluated the slimming effect on diet-induced obese rats by the treatment with the same doses for 30 days. The bodyweight of the rats, as well as the intake of food, was measured. Blood samples were collected to determine the liver function (albumin, alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glucose), renal function (urea and creatinine), and lipid profile (cholesterol, triglycerides). RESULTS: The genotoxic effect in peripheral blood was assessed through the comet assay. A lower C. ecalyculata dose significantly prevented the weight gain in rats fed with STD and CD and decreased body weight and intake food of obese rats. The biochemical parameters were not altered, except to increase the serum albumin. Only the higher dose induced DNA damage when evaluated in rats fed with CD in the slimming evaluation model used. CONCLUSIONS: These results reinforce the extract as an anti-obesity and slimming supplement.

Hábitos de exposição ao sol e uso de fotoproteção entre estudantes universitários de Teresina, Piauí / Habits of sun exposure and sunscreen use among university students from Teresina, Piauí State, Brazil / Hábitos de exposición al sol y uso de fotoprotección entre estudiantes universitarios de Teresina, Piauí, Brasil

Objetivo: investigar hábitos de exposição solar e de fotoproteção entre estudantes universitários de Teresina-PI, Brasil. Método: estudo transversal, com amostra representativa; foram investigadas associações entre características demográficas e hábitos de exposição ao sol e de fotoproteção. Resultados: dos 398 universitários entrevistados, 54,8 por cento informaram expor-se ao sol menos de 2 horas diariamente; a maioria (66,8 por cento) preferia horários de menor intensidade de radiação; 45,2 por cento dos entrevistados referiram uso de filtro solar em seu dia-a-dia, e 82,4 por cento, em exposição voluntária ao sol; o uso de camisetas foi outro recurso de fotoproteção referido (44,2 por cento) e 29,9 por cento dos acadêmicos receberam alguma orientação profissional sobre fotoproteção; as mulheres referiram mais frequentemente do que os homens o uso de fotoprotetores diariamente e em situação de exposição voluntária (p<0,001). Conclusão: a maioria dos universitários referiu preferir horários de baixa intensidade de radiação, fazer uso de filtro solar e de outras medidas de fotoproteção em exposição voluntária ao sol.

Objective: to investigate sun exposure and sunscreen use habits among university students in Teresina-PI. Method: cross-sectional study with a representative sample. Associations between demographic characteristics and sun exposure and sunscreen use habits were investigated. Results: 398 students were interviewed. 54.8 percent reported exposing themselves to the sun less than 2 hours daily. The majority (66.8 percent) preferred times when radiation is less intense. 45.2 percent reported sunscreen use as a daily habit and 82.4 percent reported its use in voluntary sun exposure. T-shirt use was another form of photoprotection reported (44.2 percent) and 29.9 percent of students had received some professional guidance on photoprotection. Females reported daily and voluntary exposure sunscreen use (p <0.001) more often than males. Conclusion: most students referred preferring exposure to the sun at times when radiation intensity is low, using sunscreen and other sun protection measures during voluntary sun exposure.

Objetivo: investigar hábitos de exposición solar y de fotoprotección entre estudiantes universitarios de Teresina-PI, Brasil. Método: estudio transversal, con muestra representativa; se investigaron asociaciones entre características demográficas y hábitos de exposición al sol y de fotoprotección. Resultados: de los 398 universitarios entrevistados, 54,8% informó que se exponía al sol menos de 2 horas diariamente; la mayoría (66,8%) prefiere horarios de menor intensidad de radiación; 45,2% de los entrevistados refirió el uso de filtro solar en su diario vivir, y 82,4%, en exposición voluntaria al sol; el uso de camisetas fue otro recurso de fotoprotección referido (44,2%) y 29,9% de los académicos recibió alguna orientación profesional sobre fotoprotección; las mujeres relataron el uso de fotoprotectores diariamente com más frecuencia que los hombres y en situación de exposición voluntaria (p<0,001). Conclusion: la mayoría de los universitarios relató preferir horarios de baja intensidad de radiación, usar filtro solar y otras medidas de fotoprotección en exposición voluntaria al sol.

[Prescribed and unprescribed drug use among pregnant patients attended by the Unified Health System in Santa Rosa (State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)]. / Utilização de medicamentos por gestantes usuárias do Sistema Único de Saúde no município de Santa Rosa (RS, Brasil).

In order to ascertain the use of prescribed and unprescribed drugs among pregnant patients of the Unified Health System (SUS), a descriptive study comprised of a sample of pregnant women was carried out in the city of Santa Rosa, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected by means of structured interviews and consultation of patient records of pregnant women in the prenatal period. The prevalence of drug use was 90%, corresponding to an average of 4.1 drugs per pregnant woman, of which 83.6% were prescribed and 16.4% were self-medicated. Of this total, 17.5% of the drugs were included in fetal risk category C. The use of drugs during pregnancy is frequent and the majority of the pregnant women used one or more prescribed and unprescribed drugs during pregnancy. These data suggest the need for preventive measures to promote rational drug use during pregnancy.

Utilização de medicamentos por gestantes usuárias do Sistema Único de Saúde no município de Santa Rosa (RS, Brasil) / Prescribed and unprescribed drug use among pregnant patients attended by the Unified Health System in Santa Rosa (State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)

Com o objetivo de descrever o uso de medicamentos prescritos e não prescritos, realizou-se um estudo descritivo em gestantes em pré-natal no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) no município de Santa Rosa, Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Os dados sobre o uso de medicamentos foram coletados através de entrevista estruturada e consulta aos prontuários das gestantes. A prevalência do uso de medicamentos foi de 90 por cento, correspondendo a uma média de uso de 4,1 medicamentos por gestante, dos quais 83,6 por cento foram prescritos e 16,4 por cento foram utilizados por automedicação. Do total de medicamentos, 17,5 por cento estão incluídos na categoria C de risco ao feto. O uso de medicamentos é frequente, e a maioria das gestantes utilizou um ou mais fármacos prescritos ou não prescritos. Esses dados sugerem a necessidade de medidas de intervenção para promover o uso racional de medicamentos durante a gestação.

In order to ascertain the use of prescribed and unprescribed drugs among pregnant patients of the Unified Health System (SUS), a descriptive study comprised of a sample of pregnant women was carried out in the city of Santa Rosa, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected by means of structured interviews and consultation of patient records of pregnant women in the prenatal period. The prevalence of drug use was 90 percent, corresponding to an average of 4.1 drugs per pregnant woman, of which 83.6 percent were prescribed and 16.4 percent were self-medicated. Of this total, 17.5 percent of the drugs were included in fetal risk category C. The use of drugs during pregnancy is frequent and the majority of the pregnant women used one or more prescribed and unprescribed drugs during pregnancy. These data suggest the need for preventive measures to promote rational drug use during pregnancy.

The antinociceptive effect of (-)-linalool in models of chronic inflammatory and neuropathic hypersensitivity in mice.

UNLABELLED: We used multiple pain models to investigate the effects of (-)-linalool, a monoterpene alcohol present in the essential oil of plants, on chronic inflammatory and neuropathic hypersensitivity in adult Swiss mice. Inflammatory or neuropathic hypersensitivity was induced by intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) or partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL), respectively. Twenty-four hours after CFA injection, we used Von Frey filaments and acetone-evoked cooling to evaluate tactile and thermal hypersensitivity, respectively. A single i.p. injection of (-)-linalool (50 or 200 mg/kg) administered 30 minutes before testing reduced CFA-induced mechanical hypersensitivity. Similarly, (-)-linalool reduced acetone-evoked hypersensitivity up to 4 hours after treatment. Compared with vehicle, (-)-linalool produced a marked reduction in CFA-induced paw edema. (-)-Linalool also reduced mechanical hypersensitivity induced by PSNL 7 days after injury. Multiple (-)-linalool treatments given chronically (twice a day for 10 days; 50 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced mechanical hypersensitivity induced by CFA and PSNL. This multidose strategy did not cause tolerance. We also reasoned that (-)-linalool might reduce nociceptive behavior in response to direct administration of inflammatory mediators. Therefore, we injected the cytokines IL-1ß (.1 pg/site) and TNF-α (1 pg/site) intrathecally. (-)-Linalool inhibited the biting response induced by IL-1ß and TNF-α. PERSPECTIVE: The article adds information about antinociceptive properties of (-)-linalool in chronic inflammatory and neuropathic hypersensitivity. It also indicates that (-)-linalool might be potentially interesting in the development of new clinically relevant drugs for the management of persistent pain.

Evidence for the involvement of ionotropic glutamatergic receptors on the antinociceptive effect of (-)-linalool in mice.

(-)-Linalool is a monoterpene alcohol which is present in the essential oils of several aromatic plants. Recent studies suggest that (-)-linalool has anti-inflammatory, antihyperalgesic and antinociceptive properties in different animal models. The present study investigated the contribution of glutamatergic system in the antinociception elicited by (-)-linalool in mice. Nociceptive response was characterized by the time that the animal spent licking the injected hind paw or biting the target organ following glutamate receptor agonist injections. (-)-Linalool administered by intraperitoneal (i.p., 10-200 mg/kg), oral (p.o., 5-100 mg/kg) or intrathecal (i.t., 0.1-3 microg/site) routes dose-dependently inhibited glutamate-induced nociception (20 micromol/paw, pH 7.4) with ID(50) values of 139.1 mg/kg; 34.6 mg/kg; and 0.9 microg/site, with inhibitions of 70+/-4; 72+/-7 and 74+/-8%, respectively. However, the intraplantar injection of (-)-linalool partially (49+/-9%) inhibited glutamate-induced nociception. Furthermore, (-)-linalool (200 mg/kg) given i.p. also reduced significantly the biting response caused by intrathecal injection of glutamate (30 microg/site), AMPA (25 ng/site), SP (135 ng/site), NMDA (25 ng/site) and kainate (23.5 ng/site), with inhibitions of 89+/-6%, 73+/-11%, 85+/-4%, 98+/-2% and 52+/-15%, respectively. However, (-)-linalool did not inhibit nociception induced by intrathecal injection of trans-ACPD (8.6 microg/site). Taken together, these results provide experimental evidences indicating that (-)-linalool produce marked antinociception against glutamate induced pain in mice, possible due mechanisms operated by ionotropic glutamate receptors, namely AMPA, NMDA and kainate.

Gamma-decanolactone effect on behavioral and genotoxic parameters.

Gamma-decanolactone is a monoterpene compound, which is shown to be active in some animal models. The psychopharmacological evaluation of this compound in mice has revealed that it has a dose-dependent effect on the central nervous system, including hypnotic, anticonvulsant and hypothermic activities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of gamma-decanolactone at 0.1 and 0.3 g/kg on behavior parameters related to plus-maze, open field and forced swim tests. In addition, we investigated its genotoxic activity. Gamma-decanolactone at the dose of 0.3 g/kg, but not 0.1 g/kg, decreased the number of crossings and rearings and there were no significant differences among groups regarding the latency to start locomotion in open field. A single i.p. administration of gamma-decanolactone, at the higher, but not at lower dose used, was able to increase the exploratory activity in the test session (24 h after training), as assessed by the number of rearings performed in open field, and induced DNA damage on brain tissue as measured in comet assay, suggesting an impairment of nonassociative, nonaversive learning and a genotoxic effect on CNS. Gamma-decanolactone did not change the behavior of animals in plus-maze and forced swim tests, suggesting this compound shows no anxiolytic or antidepressant activity.