Matrix metalloproteinases inhibition reveals the association between inflammation, collagen accumulation and intestinal translocation of Schistosoma mansoni eggs in vivo.

Schistosomiasis mansoni is a parasitic infection that causes enterohepatic morbidity associated with severe granulomatous inflammation triggered by parasite eggs. In this disease, granulomatous inflammation leads to intestinal erosion and environmental excretion of S. mansoni eggs from feces, an essential process for propagating the parasite and infecting host organisms. Metalloproteinases (MMP) are involved in S. mansoni-induced hepatic granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis. However, the relationship between MMP and collagen accumulation with the intestinal excretion of parasite eggs remains unclear. Thus, the present study investigated whether MMP inhibition is capable of modulating granulomatous inflammation, collagen accumulation and mechanical resistance to the point of influencing the dynamics between intestinal retention and excretion of S. mansoni eggs in infected mice. Our findings indicated that doxycycline (a potent MMP inhibitor) aggravates intestinal inflammation and subverts collagen dynamics in schistosomiasis. By attenuating MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity, this drug is capable of enhancing fibrosis and mechanical resistance of the intestinal wall, hindering S. mansoni eggs translocation. Although collagen content was not correlated with MMP activity, intestinal retention and fecal excretion of parasite eggs in untreated mice; these correlations were observed for doxycycline-treated animals. Thus, our study provides evidence that doxycycline is able to attenuate fecal elimination of S. mansoni eggs by inhibiting MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity, events potentially associated with excessive collagen accumulation, which increases intestinal mechanical resistance and hinders eggs translocation through the intestinal wall. Variations in intestinal collagen dynamics are relevant since they may represent changes in the environmental dispersion of S. mansoni eggs, bringing repercussions for schistosomiasis propagation.

In Vitro, Oral Acute, and Repeated 28-Day Oral Dose Toxicity of a Mixed-Valence Polyoxovanadate Cluster.

Polyoxovanadates (POV) are a subgroup of polyoxometalates (POM), which are nanosized clusters with reported biological activities. This manuscript describes the first toxicity evaluation of a mixed-valence polyoxovanadate, pentadecavanadate, (Me4N)6[V15O36Cl], abbreviated as V15. Cytotoxicity experiments using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), larvae of Artemia salina Leach, and in vivo oral acute and repeated 28-day doses in mice was carried out. The LC50 values in PBMC cells and A. salina were 17.5 ± 5.8 µmol L-1, and 17.9 µg L-1, respectively, which indicates high cytotoxic activity. The toxicity in mice was not observed upon acute exposure in a single dose, however, the V15 repeated 28-day oral administration demonstrated high toxicity using 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg and, 300 mg/kg doses. The biochemical and hematological analyses during the 28-day administration of V15 showed significant alteration of the metabolic parameters related to the kidney and liver, suggesting moderate toxicity. The V15 toxicity was attributed to the oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, once thiobarbituric acid (TBAR) levels significantly increased in both males and females treated with high doses of the POV and also in males treated with a lower dose of the POV. This is the first study reporting a treatment-related mortality in animals acutely administrated with a mixed-valence POV, contrasting with the well-known, less toxic decavanadate. These results document the toxicity of this mixed-valence POV, which may not be suitable for biomedical applications.

4-amino-2-phenyl-6-(p-fluorophenyl)-5-carbonitrile-pyrimidine-bis-substituted-loaded liposomes as promising system for cancer treatment.

The aim of the present study was to perform in vitro and in vivo assessments of the antineoplastic action of 4-amino-pyrimidine encapsulated in liposomes. Liposomes were prepared and characterized for particle size and drug encapsulation and submitted to long-term stability tests. Cytotoxicity assays were performed in HeLa cells. Antineoplastic activity was investigated using the experimental sarcoma 180 tumor in Swiss albino mice. Encapsulation efficiency was 82.93 ± 0.04% and no significant changes were found with respect to particle size or pH after centrifugation and mechanical agitation tests. The in vitro results at concentration of 20 µg/mL indicated a considerable reduction in cell viability after treatment with encapsulated pyrimidine (75.91%). The in vivo assays using the compounds in encapsulated and free forms and 5-fluorouracil achieved tumor inhibition rates of 66.47 ± 26.8%, 50.46 ± 16.24% and 14.47 ± 9.22%, respectively. Mitotic counts demonstrated a greater reduction in the number of mitoses in animals treated with liposomal pyrimidine (32.15%) compared to those treated with the pyrimidine free (87.69%) and 5-fluorouracil (71.39%). This study demonstrated that the development of liposome formulations containing 4-amino-pyrimidine is a promising alternative for overcoming limitations related to the toxicity of current cancer treatment, ensuring greater therapeutic efficacy.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short Form (IGDS9-SF) to the Brazilian context

Abstract Introduction The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short Form (IGDS9-SF) assesses the severity, harmful effects and/or consequences of excessive online and offline gaming. Its conciseness and theoretical foundations on current diagnostic criteria of gaming disorders make it a useful resource for clinical and screening settings. Objective To describe the process of cross-cultural adaptation of the IGDS9-SF to the Brazilian context. Methods The cross-cultural adaptation involved the steps of independent translation of the instrument, synthesis version, back-translation, pre-test and elaboration of the final version. Content validity assessment was conducted by a multidisciplinary committee of experts and consisted of both a quantitative analysis (calculation of content validity coefficients - CVC) and a qualitative analysis (assessment of the experts' comments and suggestions). The pre-test sample consisted of 30 gamers with variable sociodemographic characteristics. Results The cross-cultural adaptation of the scale followed the proposed protocol, and the CVC was satisfactory (≥ 0.83) for all the structures and equivalences assessed. Most of the suggestions made by the experts were accepted (mainly adjustments and language standardization). The gamers who participated in the pre-test judged the scale easy to understand and did not suggest changes. Discussion The Brazilian version of the IGDS9-SF showed adequate content validity and is available for researchers and clinicians, as well as for the investigation of additional psychometric characteristics.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short Form (IGDS9-SF) to the Brazilian context.

INTRODUCTION: The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short Form (IGDS9-SF) assesses the severity, harmful effects and/or consequences of excessive online and offline gaming. Its conciseness and theoretical foundations on current diagnostic criteria of gaming disorders make it a useful resource for clinical and screening settings. OBJECTIVE: To describe the process of cross-cultural adaptation of the IGDS9-SF to the Brazilian context. METHODS: The cross-cultural adaptation involved the steps of independent translation of the instrument, synthesis version, back-translation, pre-test and elaboration of the final version. Content validity assessment was conducted by a multidisciplinary committee of experts and consisted of both a quantitative analysis (calculation of content validity coefficients - CVC) and a qualitative analysis (assessment of the experts' comments and suggestions). The pre-test sample consisted of 30 gamers with variable sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: The cross-cultural adaptation of the scale followed the proposed protocol, and the CVC was satisfactory (≥ 0.83) for all the structures and equivalences assessed. Most of the suggestions made by the experts were accepted (mainly adjustments and language standardization). The gamers who participated in the pre-test judged the scale easy to understand and did not suggest changes. DISCUSSION: The Brazilian version of the IGDS9-SF showed adequate content validity and is available for researchers and clinicians, as well as for the investigation of additional psychometric characteristics.

Chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oils from Vitex-agnus castus, Ocimum campechianum and Ocimum carnosum.

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves of Vitex agnus-castus and Ocimum campechianum, and from fresh inflorescences of Ocimum carnosum were analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The major components of V. agnus-castus essential oil were identified as 1,8-cineole (47.9%), terpinyl α-acetate (11.6%), sabinene (11.2%) and caryophyllene oxide (9.7%), while in the O. campechianum essential oil were eugenol (72.1%), ß-elemene (6.8%), (E)-caryophyllene (6.4%) and bicyclogermacrene (5.2%). Linalool (79.0%), α-epi-cadinol (5.4%), terpinen-4-ol (3.2%) and 1,8-cineole (2.8%) were the major constituents in the O. carnosum essential oil. The essential oils were subsequently evaluated for their larvicidal and cytotoxic activities. Larval bioassay against Aedes aegypti of V. agnus-castus, O. campechianum and O. carnosum essential oils showed LC50 values of 97.55 ± 0.35, 81.45 ± 0.35 and 109.49 ± 0.35 µg/mL, respectively. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of the essential oils has been evaluated on breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), lung carcinoma (NCI-H292), pro-myelocytic leukemia (HL-60), and cervical adenocarcinoma (HEP-2) human cell lines, and pro-myelocytic leukemia cells lines (HL-60) were found to be the most sensitive to all the essential oils tested than the others. This is the first report on larvicidal and cytotoxic activities of these essential oils.

Synthesis, anti-proliferative activity, theoretical and 1H NMR experimental studies of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts from isatin derivatives.

Quaternary or spirocyclic 3-substituted-3-hydroxy-2-oxindole is considered a privileged scaffold. In other words, it is a molecular core present on several compounds with a wide spectrum of biological activities. Among its precursors, activated ketones (isatin nucleus) can be used as interesting starting points to Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts derivatives, a class of compounds with good cytotoxic potential. In this paper, we present the synthesis, anti-proliferative activity against lung cancer cell line and a theoretical conformational study of 21 of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts from isatin derivatives, by DFT quantum chemical calculations, followed by a SAR and QSAR analysis. Besides, an efficient synthetic protocol and good biological activity profile were highlighted interesting observations about 1H NMR experimental spectra, molecular modeling results and crystallographic data available.

Structure-based design, synthesis and antitumoral evaluation of enulosides.

Enulosides, carbohydrate derivatives containing an α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl unit, were designed and obtained in high yields and isomeric purity. All synthesized compounds exhibited antitumoral activity in micromolar range against four tested tumor cells lines, being the best results observed for HL-60 cells. These compounds open new possibilities to prepare an array of more active, site-specific or selective antitumor agents. 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New Cytotoxic Bibenzyl and Other Constituents from Bauhinia ungulata L. (Fabaceae).

A new bibenzyl, 2'-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-4-methylbibenzyl (1) and four known compounds identified as 2'-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybibenzyl (2), liquiritigenin (3), guibourtinidol (4) and fisetinidol (5) were isolated from the roots of Bauhinia ungulata L. Phytochemical investigations of the stems of B. ungulata led to the isolation of the known compounds identified as liquiritigenin (3), guibourtinidol (4), fisetinidol (5), taraxerol (6), betulinic acid (7), taraxerone (8), glutinol (9), a mixture of sitosterol (10) and stigmasterol (11), pacharin (12), naringenin (13) and eriodictyol (14). The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data (IR, MS, 1D- and 2D-NMR). The cytotoxicity of the bibenzyl 1 has been evaluated against four human cancer cell lines, showing the IC50 values of 4.3 and 6.5 µg ml-1 against pro-myelocytic leukemia (HL-60) and cervical adenocarcinoma (HEP-2) cell lines, respectively. This article also registers for the first time the 13 C-NMR data of the known bibenzyl 2.

Stereoselective synthesis and antitumoral activity of Z-enyne pseudoglycosides.

An efficient approach for the synthesis of Z-1,3-enynes based on the coupling reaction of Z-vinyl tellurides and alkynes containing a pseudoglycoside moiety is described. The products were obtained in good yields via a stereoselective way. Preliminary screening against three tumor cell lines indicated that the synthesized compounds are promising intermediates for the synthesis of an array of more potent target structures.

[Menstrual cycle irregularity as a marker of cardiovascular risk factors at postmenopausal years]. / Irregularidade do ciclo menstrual no menacme como marcador para fatores de risco cardiovasculares na pós-menopausa.

To evaluate the association between cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) during postmenopausal years and previous menstrual irregularity during reproductive years, we performed a case-control study in 414 postmenopausal women (mean age 60.4 +/- 5.5 years; BMI 25.3 +/- 4.7 kg/m(2)). The variables assessed were: menstrual cycle characteristics at age 2035y (independent) and records of arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease (dependent). Statistical analysis used the chi-square test and logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders for cardiovascular risk, with significance set at 5%. Women reporting previous menstrual irregularity were associated with increased risk for some CVRF [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.14; CI-95%=1,024.48], when compared with those reporting regular menstrual cycles. Stratified analysis demonstrated significant associations of previous menstrual irregularity with: arterial hypertension (OR= 2.74; CI-95%=1,395.41), hypercholesterolemia (OR= 2.32; CI-95%=1,174.59)), hypertriglyceridemia (OR= 2.09; CI-95%=1,104.33), and coronary angioplasty (OR= 6.82; CI-95%=1,4432.18). These data suggest that a prior history of menstrual irregularity, as indicative of polycystic ovary syndrome, may be related to increased risk for CVD during postmenopausal years.

Irregularidade do ciclo menstrual no menacme como marcador para fatores de risco cardiovasculares na pós-menopausa / Menstrual cycle irregularity as a marker of cardiovascular risk factors at postmenopausal years / Menstrual cycle irregularity as a marker of cardiovascular risk factors at postmenopausal years

A associação entre fatores de risco cardiovascular (FRCV) na pós-menopausa e o antecedente de irregularidade menstrual no menacme foi avaliado em estudo caso-controle envolvendo 414 mulheres na pós-menopausa com idade de 60,4 ± 5,5 anos e IMC de 25,3 ± 4,7 kg/m². As variáveis consideradas foram: caracterização do ciclo menstrual entre 20 e 35 anos (independente) e relato atual sobre ocorrência de hipertensão arterial, dislipidemia, diabetes mellitus e doença arterial coronariana (dependentes). Utilizou-se o teste qui-quadrado e modelos de regressão logística, ajustados para outras variáveis implicadas no risco para doenças CV, com nível de significância 5 por cento. Observou-se que mulheres que relataram irregularidade menstrual prévia estiveram associadas com risco aumentado para ocorrência de algum FRCV [odds ratio ajustado (OR)= 2,14; IC-95 por cento= 1,02­4,48], quando comparadas àquelas com ciclos regulares. Análise estratificada demonstrou as seguintes associações significativas com o antecedente de irregularidade menstrual: hipertensão arterial (OR= 2,4; 95 por cento IC= 1,39­5,41), hipercolesterolemia (OR= 2,32; 95 por cento IC= 1,17­4,59), hipertrigliceridemia (OR= 2,09; 95 por cento IC= 1,10­4,33) e angioplastia coronariana (OR= 6,82; 95 por cento IC= 1,44­32,18). Os dados sugerem que o antecedente de irregularidade menstrual, indicativo da ocorrência da síndrome dos ovários policísticos na idade reprodutiva, pode estar relacionado com aumento do risco para doenças CV na pós-menopausa.

To evaluate the association between cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) during postmenopausal years and previous menstrual irregularity during reproductive years, we performed a case-control study in 414 postmenopausal women (mean age 60.4 ± 5.5 years; BMI 25.3 ± 4.7 kg/m²). The variables assessed were: menstrual cycle characteristics at age 20­35y (independent) and records of arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease (dependent). Statistical analysis used the chi-square test and logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders for cardiovascular risk, with significance set at 5 percent. Women reporting previous menstrual irregularity were associated with increased risk for some CVRF [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.14; CI-95 percent= 1.02­4.48], when compared with those reporting regular menstrual cycles. Stratified analysis demonstrated significant associations of previous menstrual irregularity with: arterial hypertension [OR= 2.74; CI-95 percent= 1.39­5.41), hypercholesterolemia (OR= 2.32; CI-95 percent= 1.17­4.59), hypertriglyceridemia (OR= 2.09; CI-95 percent=1.10­4.33), and coronary angioplasty (OR= 6.82; CI-95 percent= 1.44­32.18). These data suggest that a prior history of menstrual irregularity, as indicative of polycystic ovary syndrome, may be related to increased risk for CVD during postmenopausal years.