Exploring the antifungal, antibiofilm and antienzymatic potential of Rottlerin in an in vitro and in vivo approach.

Candida species have been responsible for a high number of invasive infections worldwide. In this sense, Rottlerin has demonstrated a wide range of pharmacological activities. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the antifungal, antibiofilm and antivirulence activity of Rottlerin in vitro against Candida spp. and its toxicity and antifungal activity in vivo. Rottlerin showed antifungal activity against all yeasts evaluated, presenting Minimum Inhibitory and Fungicidal Concentration (MIC and MFC) values of 7.81 to > 1000 µg/mL. Futhermore, it was able to significantly inhibit biofilm production, presenting Biofilm Inhibitory Concentration (MICB50) values that ranged from 15.62 to 250 µg/mL and inhibition of the cell viability of the biofilm by 50% (IC50) from 2.24 to 12.76 µg/mL. There was a considerable reduction in all hydrolytic enzymes evaluated, with emphasis on hemolysin where Rottlerin showed a reduction of up to 20%. In the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, Rottlerin was able to completely inhibit filamentation by C. albicans. Regarding in vivo tests, Rottlerin did not demonstrate toxicity at the therapeutic concentrations demonstrated here and was able to increase the survival of C. elegans larvae infected. The results herein presented are innovative and pioneering in terms of Rottlerin's multipotentiality against these fungal infections.

Neuroprotective Effect of Exogenous Galectin-1 in Status Epilepticus.

Intrahippocampal pilocarpine microinjection (H-PILO) induces status epilepticus (SE) that can lead to spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) and neurodegeneration in rodents. Studies using animal models have indicated that lectins mediate a variety of biological activities with neuronal benefits, especially galectin-1 (GAL-1), which has been identified as an effective neuroprotective compound. GAL-1 is associated with the regulation of cell adhesion, proliferation, programmed cell death, and immune responses, as well as attenuating neuroinflammation. Here, we administrated GAL-1 to Wistar rats and evaluated the severity of the SE, neurodegenerative and inflammatory patterns in the hippocampal formation. Administration of GAL-1 caused a reduction in the number of class 2 and 4 seizures, indicating a decrease in seizure severity. Furthermore, we observed a reduction in inflammation and neurodegeneration 24 h and 15 days after SE. Overall, these results suggest that GAL-1 has a neuroprotective effect in the early stage of epileptogenesis and provides new insights into the roles of exogenous lectins in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

Can ozone or violet light improve the color change or physicochemical properties of hydrogen peroxide-bleached tooth?

This study investigated the bleaching effectiveness and the physicochemical effects on enamel of violet light and ozone, associate or not to hydrogen peroxide, compared to 35%-hydrogen peroxide. Enamel-dentin blocks from human molars were randomly allocated to receive one of the following bleaching protocols (n=15): (HP) 35%-hydrogen peroxide, (VL) violet light, (OZ) ozone, the association between hydrogen peroxide with ozone (OZ+HP) or violet light (VL+HP). All protocols were performed in two sessions with a 48h interval. Color (spectrophotometer) and mineral composition (Raman spectroscopy) were measured before and after the bleaching. Color changes were calculated by ΔEab, ΔE00, and whitening index (WI). The surface roughness was measured with an atomic force microscope. Data were analyzed by One-way or Two-way repeated measure ANOVA followed by the Tukey's test (α = 0.05). The lowest color change values (either measured by WI, ΔEab, or ΔE00) were observed for VL and OZ used with no HP. Violet light associate with HP was unable to improve the color changes observed for the peroxide alone, in combination with OZ and HP, the highest color changes were verified. Regardless of bleaching protocol, the bleached enamel presented higher contents of PO4 and CO3 -2 than those observed at baseline. All bleaching protocols resulted in similar enamel surface roughness. Both the VL and the OZ caused reduced effects on the enamel color change when used alone. The ozone therapy improved the bleaching effect in the group that received the association of HP.

Effectiveness of a resistance exercise program for lower limbs in chronic renal patients on hemodialysis: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Physical inactivity in hemodialysis patients is associated with increased mortality. The objective of this study was evaluated the effect of an intradialytic resistance exercise program on chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on hemodialysis. METHODS: One hundred seven patients were included in the study. They were aged 18-60 years, of both sexes, had undergone hemodialysis treatment for at least 1 year, sedentary. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: stretching (STG) and resistance exercise (REG). Intervention programs were performed for 8 weeks, three times a week. The evaluations were performed before and after the training programs. The primary outcome was functional capacity using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Secondary outcomes were peripheral muscle strength, respiratory muscle strength, spirometric respiratory function, and laboratory data. FINDINGS: Comparisons between groups revealed the following clinically relevant results in favor of REG: lower limb muscle strength (mean difference [MD] = -1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -2.77 to -1.21; d = -0.53), distance walked in the 6MWT (MD = -26.27, 95% CI = -45.40 to -7.14; d = -0.46), creatinine (MD = -1.52, 95% CI = -2.49 to -0.54; d = -0.66), and calcium (MD = -0.44, 95% CI = -0.78 to -0.10; d = -0.49). DISCUSSION: CKD patients on hemodialysis have reduced functional capacity compared to healthy sedentary individuals. In turn, this reduction appears to be associated with a lower survival rate and affects the performance of their daily living activities. Thus, resistance exercise performed in the intradialytic phase is an effective therapeutic strategy for CKD patients, mainly because it increases functional capacity and lower limb muscle strength.

Insulin but not phlorizin treatment induces a transient increase in GLUT2 gene expression in the kidney of diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Increases in the renal glucose transporter gene expression are involved in renal tubule-glomerular diseases. Here we investigate the GLUT2 gene expression changes in the kidney of diabetic rats, by using insulin or phlorizin treatment. METHODS: Rats were rendered diabetic and studied 20 days later: 4-12 h after one single injection of insulin or phlorizin, and 1-6 days after insulin or phlorizin injection twice a day, comparing with diabetic rats injected with placebo. GLUT2 was investigated by Northern and Western analysis. RESULTS: In 20-day diabetic rats, acute treatment with insulin lowered the plasma glucose and increased the GLUT2 mRNA ( approximately 100%, p < 0.001) without changes in the protein content, while phlorizin lowered the plasma glucose, but changed neither the GLUT2 mRNA nor the protein expression. Twenty-four hours of insulin treatment increased both GLUT2 mRNA ( approximately 100%, p < 0.001) and protein ( approximately 50%, p < 0.01), but no effects of phlorizin were observed. After 6 days, insulin and phlorizin similarly reduced glycemia, with opposite effects upon plasma insulin and urinary glucose, and both treatments decreased GLUT2 mRNA and protein (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In kidney of diabetic rats, an initial and transient upregulation of GLUT2 was induced specifically by insulin only. The 6-day normalization of GLUT2, however, was induced by both insulin and phlorizin treatment, which seems to be related to the plasma glucose lowering.

Can ozone or violet light improve the color change or physicochemical properties of hydrogen peroxide-bleached tooth?

Abstract: This study investigated the bleaching effectiveness and the physicochemical effects on enamel of violet light and ozone, associate or not to hydrogen peroxide, compared to 35%-hydrogen peroxide. Enamel-dentin blocks from human molars were randomly allocated to receive one of the following bleaching protocols (n=15): (HP) 35%-hydrogen peroxide, (VL) violet light, (OZ) ozone, the association between hydrogen peroxide with ozone (OZ+HP) or violet light (VL+HP). All protocols were performed in two sessions with a 48h interval. Color (spectrophotometer) and mineral composition (Raman spectroscopy) were measured before and after the bleaching. Color changes were calculated by ΔEab, ΔE00, and whitening index (WI). The surface roughness was measured with an atomic force microscope. Data were analyzed by One-way or Two-way repeated measure ANOVA followed by the Tukey's test (α = 0.05). The lowest color change values (either measured by WI, ΔEab, or ΔE00) were observed for VL and OZ used with no HP. Violet light associate with HP was unable to improve the color changes observed for the peroxide alone, in combination with OZ and HP, the highest color changes were verified. Regardless of bleaching protocol, the bleached enamel presented higher contents of PO4 and CO3 -2 than those observed at baseline. All bleaching protocols resulted in similar enamel surface roughness. Both the VL and the OZ caused reduced effects on the enamel color change when used alone. The ozone therapy improved the bleaching effect in the group that received the association of HP.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito clareador e físico-químico no esmalte de luz violeta e ozônio, associado ou não ao peróxido de hidrogênio, comparado a 35% de peróxido de hidrogênio. Blocos de esmalte-dentina de molares humanos foram alocados aleatoriamente para receber um dos seguintes protocolos de clareamento (n = 15): (HP) peróxido de hidrogênio a 35%, (VL) luz violeta, (OZ) ozônio, a associação entre peróxido de hidrogênio com ozônio (HP+OZ) ou luz violeta (HP+VL). Todos os protocolos foram realizados em duas sessões, com intervalo de 48 horas entre eles. A cor (espectrofotômetro) e a composição mineral (espectroscopia Raman) do dente foram medidas antes e após os procedimentos de clareamento. As alterações de cor foram calculadas por ΔEab e ΔE00, e o índice de brancura foram calculados. A rugosidade da superfície das amostras clareadas foi medida por microscópio de força atômica. Os dados foram analisados por ANOVA One way ou ANOVA two way de medidas repetidas seguida pelo teste de Tukey (α = 0,05). Os menores valores de alterações de cor (medidos por WI, ΔEab ou ΔE00) foram observados para VL e OZ usados na ausência de HP. VL associada ao HP não foi capaz de melhorar as alterações de cor observadas com o uso do HP, mas a combinação de OZ e HP produz as maiores alterações de cor. Independentemente do protocolo de clareamento, o esmalte clareado apresentou maiores teores de PO4 e CO3 -2 do que os observados inicialmente. Não foi observada diferença significativa entre os protocolos de clareamento testados em relação à rugosidade da superfície do esmalte. É possível concluir que a VL ou o OZ tiveram efeitos reduzidos na mudança de cor do esmalte quando usados sozinhos. A terapia com OZ melhorou o efeito clareador do HP.