Risk of chronic kidney disease in 260 patients with lupus nephritis-analysis of a nationwide multicentre cohort with up to 35 years of follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: To compare proliferative (PLN) and membranous (MLN) lupus nephritis (LN) regarding clinical and laboratory presentation and long-term outcomes; To investigate predictors of progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS: Multicentre observational study, with retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort, using data from the Rheumatic Diseases Portuguese Registry-Reuma.pt. Patients with biopsy-proven PLN, MLN and mixed LN were included. Cox regression survival analysis was used to investigate predictors of CKD. RESULTS: 260 patients were included. Median follow-up was 8 years (IQR 11; minimum 1, maximum 35 years). MLN patients presented with significantly lower serum creatinine (0.70 (IQR 0.20; minimum 0.50, maximum 1.30) mg/dl vs 0.80 (IQR 0.31; minimum 0.26, maximum 2.60) in PLN, p= 0.003). Proteinuria levels did not differ between groups (p= 0.641). Levels of complement were reduced in PLN but nearly normal in MLN patients, and there were fewer patients with positive anti-dsDNA antibodies in the MLN group (p< 0.001). One year after the beginning of treatment, 62% of the patients achieved EULAR/ERA-EDTA complete response, with further 5% achieving partial response. Patients with lower proteinuria at diagnosis were more likely to achieve a complete renal response at one year, however, proteinuria at diagnosis or at one year did not predict long term CKD. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≤75 mL/min/1.73 m2 at one year was the strongest predictor of progression to CKD (HR 23 [95% CI 8-62], p< 0.001). Other possible predictors included the use of azathioprine for induction of remission, older age at diagnosis and male sex. CONCLUSION: Proteinuria levels did not predict LN histologic class in our cohort. eGFR cutoff of 75 mL/min/1.73 m2 after one year of treatment was strongly predictive of progression to CKD.

Caffeine Protects Keratinocytes from Trichophyton mentagrophytes Infection and Behaves as an Antidermatophytic Agent.

Caffeine affords several beneficial effects on human health, acting as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent, and analgesic. Caffeine is widely used in cosmetics, but its antimicrobial activity has been scarcely explored, namely against skin infection agents. Dermatophytes are the most common fungal agents of human infection, mainly of skin infections. This work describes the in vitro effect of caffeine during keratinocyte infection by Trichophyton mentagrophytes, one of the most common dermatophytes. The results show that caffeine was endowed with antidermatophytic activity with a MIC, determined following the EUCAST standards, of 8 mM. Caffeine triggered a modification of the levels of two major components of the fungal cell wall, ß-(1,3)-glucan and chitin. Caffeine also disturbed the ultrastructure of the fungal cells, particularly the cell wall surface and mitochondria, and autophagic-like structures were observed. During dermatophyte-human keratinocyte interactions, caffeine prevented the loss of viability of keratinocytes and delayed spore germination. Overall, this indicates that caffeine can act as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent for dermatophytosis.

Oculomotor nerve palsy, an unusual onset of polyarteritis nodosa.

Introduction: Cranial nerve involvement in polyarteritis nodosa(PAN) is underrecognized and rarely reported. The aim of this article is to review the available literature and present an example of oculomotor nerve palsy in the course of PAN. Material and methods: Evaluation of texts describing the analyzed problem using the terms "polyarteritis nodosa", "nerve", "oculomotor", "cranial nerve" and "cranial neuropathy" for searching the PubMed database was done. Only full-text articles in English language with titles and abstracts were included in the analysis. As a guideline for the analysis of articles, the methodology described in the Principles of Individual Patient Data systematic reviews (PRISMA-IPD) was used. Results: After screening articles only 16 reported cases of PAN with cranial neuropathy were included in the analysis. In 10 the cranial neuropathy was reported as the initial manifestation of PAN with optic nerve involvement as the most frequent (62.5%); among these cases the oculomotor nerve was involved in 3 cases. Treatment with glucocorticosteroids and cyclophosphamide was the most common. Conclusions: Although cranial neuropathy, especially oculomotor nerve palsy is a rare first neurological manifestation of PAN, this clinical problem should be considered in the differential diagnosis.Especially patients with peripheral neuropathy, general symptoms, skin lesions and hepatitis B virus infection should be evaluated for cranial nerve involvement in the course of vasculitis.In the case of unclear involvement of the cranial nerves, PAN should also be considered in the differential diagnosis as the cause of symptoms and the first manifestation of the disease.

A Human Dectin-2 Deficiency Associated With Invasive Aspergillosis.

Immunocompromised patients are highly susceptible to invasive aspergillosis. Herein, we identified a homozygous deletion mutation (507 del C) resulting in a frameshift (N170I) and early stop codon in the fungal binding Dectin-2 receptor, in an immunocompromised patient. The mutated form of Dectin-2 was weakly expressed, did not form clusters at/near the cell surface and was functionally defective. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from this patient were unable to mount a cytokine (tumor necrosis factor, interleukin 6) response to Aspergillus fumigatus, and this first identified Dectin-2-deficient patient died of complications of invasive aspergillosis.

The protective effect of inflammatory monocytes during systemic C. albicans infection is dependent on collaboration between C-type lectin-like receptors.

Invasive candidiasis, mainly caused by Candida albicans, is a serious healthcare problem with high mortality rates, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Innate immune cells express pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) including C-type lectin-like receptors (CLRs) that bind C. albicans to initiate an immune response. Multiple CLRs including Dectin-1, Dectin-2 and Mincle have been proposed individually to contribute to the immune response to C. albicans. However how these receptors collaborate to clear a fungal infection is unknown. Herein, we used novel multi-CLR knockout (KO) mice to decipher the individual, collaborative and collective roles of Dectin-1, Dectin-2 and Mincle during systemic C. albicans infection. These studies revealed an unappreciated and profound role for CLR co-operation in anti-fungal immunity. The protective effect of multiple CLRs was markedly greater than any single receptor, and was mediated through inflammatory monocytes via recognition and phagocytosis of C. albicans, and production of C. albicans-induced cytokines and chemokines. These CLRs were dispensable for mediating similar responses from neutrophils, likely due to lower expression of these CLRs on neutrophils compared to inflammatory monocytes. Concurrent deletion of Dectin-1 and Dectin-2, or all three CLRs, resulted in dramatically increased susceptibility to systemic C. albicans infection compared to mice lacking a single CLR. Multi-CLR KO mice were unable to control fungal growth due to an inadequate early inflammatory monocyte-mediated response. In response to excessive fungal growth, the multi-CLR KO mice mounted a hyper-inflammatory response, likely leading to multiple organ failure. Thus, these data reveal a critical role for CLR co-operation in the effective control of C. albicans and maintenance of organ function during infection.

Leprosy presenting as remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting oedema syndrome - a case report.

BACKGROUND: Leprosy typically manifests with skin and peripheral nerve involvement. Musculoskeletal complaints are the third most common, and can be the sole presenting manifestation. They range from arthralgia/arthritis in reactional states to full mimics of systemic rheumatic diseases. Remitting Seronegative Symmetrical Synovitis with Pitting Oedema syndrome has only been described once in a patient with already diagnosed Leprosy. CASE REPORT: A 68-year-old male, from an endemic region of familial amyloid polyneuropathy, presented with an inaugural Remitting Seronegative Symmetrical Synovitis with Pitting Oedema like syndrome, more that 20 years after travelling to Leprosy endemic areas. Arthritis would resurface whenever oral prednisone was tapered, so methotrexate was started, controlling the complaints. Only one year later, after the appearance of peripheral neuropathy and skin lesions, it was possible to diagnose Leprosy, through the identification of Mycobacterium leprae bacilli in a peripheral nerve biopsy. CONCLUSION: This report is an example of the heterogeneity of manifestations of Leprosy, namely rheumatic, and the challenge of diagnosing it when typical complaints are absent. It is also a reminder that this disease should be considered whenever a patient with a combination of skin/neurologic/rheumatic complaints has travelled to endemic countries in the past.

Vasomotion as an oscillatory sign of functional impairment in the human internal thoracic artery: A study based on risk factors and vessel reactivity.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Vasomotion has been viewed as a rhythmic oscillation of the vascular tone that is physiologically important for optimal tissue perfusion. Also, it has been studied primarily in the microcirculation. However, the precise underlying mechanisms and the physiological significance remain unknown. What is the main finding and its importance? Vasomotion is not specific to the microcirculation, as shown by our findings. In human arteries from patients undergoing cardiac surgery, an increased incidence was associated with endothelial dysfunction settings. Therefore, this oscillatory behaviour might be a signal of functional impairment and not of integrity. ABSTRACT: Vasomotion has been defined as the rhythmic oscillation of the vascular tone, involved in the control of the blood flow and subsequent tissue perfusion. Our aims were to study the incidence of vasomotion in the human internal thoracic artery and the correlation of this phenomenon with the clinical profile and parameters of vascular reactivity. In our study, vasomotion was elicited with a single-dose contractile stimulation of noradrenaline (10 µm) in internal thoracic artery segments, from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, mounted in tissue organ bath chambers. The incidence was 29.1%. Vessel samples with vasomotion presented significantly higher contractility in response to both potassium chloride (maximal response or Emax of 7.65 ± 5.81 mN versus 4.52 ± 3.73 mN in control vessels, P = 0.024) and noradrenaline (Emax of 7.60 ± 5.93 mN versus 2.96 ± 4.41 mN in control vessels, P < 0.001). Predictive modelling through multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that female sex (odds ratio = 9.82) and increasing maximal response to noradrenaline (odds ratio = 1.19, per 1 mN increase) were associated with a higher probability of the occurrence of vasomotion, whereas increasing kidney function (expressed as estimated glomerular filtration rate) was associated with a lower probability (odds ratio = 0.97, per 1 ml min-1  (1.73 m)-2 ]. Our results provide a characterization of the phenomenon of vasomotion in the internal thoracic artery and suggest that vasomotion might be associated with endothelial dysfunction settings, as determined by a multivariable analysis approach. Considering the associations observed in our results, vasomotion might be a signal of functional impairment and not of integrity.

Antinociceptive and anticonvulsant effects of the monoterpene linalool oxide.

CONTEXT: Linalool oxide (OXL) (a monoterpene) is found in the essential oils of certain aromatic plants, or it is derived from linalool. The motivation for this work is the lack of psychopharmacological studies on this substance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate OXL's acute toxicity, along with its anticonvulsant and antinociceptive activities in male Swiss mice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: OXL (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg, i.p.) was investigated for acute toxicity and in the Rota-rod test. Antinociceptive activity was evaluated by the acetic acid-induced writhing test, and by formalin testing. Anticonvulsant effects were demonstrated by testing for pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures and by Maximum Electroshock headset (MES) test. OXL was administered to the animals intraperitoneally 30 min before for pharmacological tests. RESULTS: OXL showed an LD50 of ∼721 (681-765) mg/kg. In the Rota-rod test, it was observed that OXL caused no damage to the animal's motor coordination. OXL significantly reduced (p < .001) the number of writhings. OXL also significantly decreased (p < .05, p < .01 or p < .001) paw-licking time in the two phases of the formalin test. OXL significantly reduced (p < .01 or p < .001) the duration of tonic seizures in the MES test, and at the dose 150 mg/kg, significantly increased (p < .01) the latency to first seizure in the PTZ test. CONCLUSION: The tested doses of OXL were safe, with no motor impairment, and show clear antinociceptive and anticonvulsant potential. Future investigations with this monoterpene may lead to the development of a new molecule with even higher potency and selectivity.

Comparative Anticonvulsant Study of Epoxycarvone Stereoisomers.

Stereoisomers of the monoterpene epoxycarvone (EC), namely (+)-cis-EC, (-)-cis-EC, (+)-trans-EC, and (-)-trans-EC, were comparatively evaluated for anticonvulsant activity in specific methodologies. In the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced anticonvulsant test, all of the stereoisomers (at 300 mg/kg) increased the latency to seizure onset, and afforded 100% protection against the death of the animals. In the maximal electroshock-induced seizures (MES) test, prevention of tonic seizures was also verified for all of the isomers tested. However, the isomeric forms (+) and (-)-trans-EC showed 25% and 12.5% inhibition of convulsions, respectively. In the pilocarpine-induced seizures test, all stereoisomers demonstrated an anticonvulsant profile, yet the stereoisomers (+) and (-)-trans-EC (at 300 mg/kg) showed a more pronounced effect. A strychnine-induced anticonvulsant test was performed, and none of the stereoisomers significantly increased the latency to onset of convulsions; the stereoisomers probably do not act in this pathway. However, the stereoisomers (+)-cis-EC and (+)-trans-EC greatly increased the latency to death of the animals, thus presenting some protection. The four EC stereoisomers show promise for anticonvulsant activity, an effect emphasized in the isomers (+)-cis-EC, (+)-trans-EC, and (-)-trans-EC for certain parameters of the tested methodologies. These results serve as support for further research and development of antiepileptic drugs from monoterpenes.

Antinociceptive effect of hydantoin 3-phenyl-5-(4-ethylphenyl)-imidazolidine-2,4-dione in mice.

Imidazolidine derivatives, or hydantoins, are synthetic compounds with different therapeutic applications. Many imidazolidine derivatives have psychopharmacological properties, such as phenytoin, famous for its anticonvulsant efficacy, but also effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain. The hydantoin, 3-phenyl-5-(4-ethylphenyl)-imidazolidine-2,4-dione (IM-3), synthesized from the amino acid, glycine, was selected for psychopharmacological studies in mice on the basis of its chemical and structural similarity with phenytoin. The first step of this study was to define the LD50, which determined the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg for subsequent tests. The results obtained from the behavioral screening indicated that IM-3 produces decreased ambulation and analgesia in mice. Motor coordination and anxiety behavior were not affected by treatment with IM-3, as observed in the rotarod and elevated plus-maze tests, respectively. Regarding its antinociceptive properties, IM-3 showed efficacy in the acetic acid-induced writhing test by increasing the latency of the first writhe and reducing the number of writhes, as well as reducing the paw licking time in the second phase of the formalin test. The behavior of treated animals exposed to the hot plate test, however, did not differ from that of the control group. These data suggest that IM-3 has antinociceptive effects in mice, which is probably mediated by anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

Integrated Design and Fabrication of Pneumatic Soft Robot Actuators in a Single Casting Step.

Bio-inspired soft robots have already shown the ability to handle uncertainty and adapt to unstructured environments. However, their availability is partially restricted by time-consuming, costly, and highly supervised design-fabrication processes, often based on resource-intensive iterative workflows. Here, we propose an integrated approach targeting the design and fabrication of pneumatic soft actuators in a single casting step. Molds and sacrificial water-soluble hollow cores are printed using fused filament fabrication. A heated water circuit accelerates the dissolution of the core's material and guarantees its complete removal from the actuator walls, while the actuator's mechanical operability is defined through finite element analysis. This enables the fabrication of actuators with non-uniform cross-sections under minimal supervision, thereby reducing the number of iterations necessary during the design and fabrication processes. Three actuators capable of bending and linear motion were designed, fabricated, integrated, and demonstrated as 3 different bio-inspired soft robots, an earthworm-inspired robot, a 4-legged robot, and a robotic gripper. We demonstrate the availability, versatility, and effectiveness of the proposed methods, contributing to accelerating the design and fabrication of soft robots. This study represents a step toward increasing the accessibility of soft robots to people at a lower cost.

Drugs and ANCA - an atypical association.

Eosinophilic vasculitis is a rare condition due to vascular damage and infiltration of eosinophils into tissues. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA), like perinuclear ANCA (p-ANCA), is common in the context of systemic vasculitis, but its association with illicit drug use is unusual. This case report showcases a distinctive scenario featuring a positive pANCA, prompting a meticulous examination of the interplay between vasculitic manifestations and drug abuse.

Early Methylglyoxal Exposure Leads to Worsened Cardiovascular Function in Young Rats.

BACKGROUND: Though maternal diabetes effects are well described in the literature, the effects of maternal diabetes in postnatal phases are often overlooked. Diabetic individuals have higher levels of circulating glycotoxins, and there is a positive correlation between maternal-derived glycotoxins and circulating glycotoxins in their progeny. Previous studies evaluated the metabolic effects of high glycotoxin exposure during lactation in adult animals. However, here we focus on the cardiovascular system of juvenile rats. METHODS: For this, we used two experimental models: 1. High Methylglyoxal (MG) environment: pregnant Wistar rats were injected with PBS (VEH group) or Methylglyoxal (MG group; 60 mg/kg/day; orally, postnatal day (PND) 3 to PND14). 2. GLO-1 inhibition: pregnant Wistar rats were injected with dimethyl sulfoxide (VEH group) or a GLO-1 inhibitor (BBGC group; 5 mg/kg/day; subcutaneously, PND1-PND5). The offspring were evaluated at PND45. RESULTS: MG offspring presented cardiac dysfunction and subtly worsened vasomotor responses in the presence of perivascular adipose tissue, without morphological alterations. In addition, an endogenous increase in maternal glycotoxins impacts offspring vasomotricity due to impaired redox status. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that early glycotoxin exposure led to cardiac and vascular impairments, which may increase the risk for developing cardiovascular diseases later in life.

Essential Oils: Chemistry and Pharmacological Activities-Part II.

The importance of essential oils and their components in the industrial sector is attributed to their chemical characteristics and their application in the development of products in the areas of cosmetology, food, and pharmaceuticals. However, the pharmacological properties of this class of natural products have been extensively investigated and indicate their applicability for obtaining new drugs. Therefore, this review discusses the use of these oils as starting materials to synthesize more complex molecules and products with greater commercial value and clinic potential. Furthermore, the antiulcer, cardiovascular, and antidiabetic mechanisms of action are discussed. The main mechanistic aspects of the chemopreventive properties of oils against cancer are also presented. The data highlight essential oils and their derivatives as a strategic chemical group in the search for effective therapeutic agents against various diseases.

What is the influence of biomechanical variables on the Y balance test performance in recreational runners?

BACKGROUND: Asymmetries and poor Y balance test (YBT) performance are associated with an increased risk of injuries in athletes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between YBT performance with biomechanical variables in runners. METHODS: The runners underwent the YBT, followed by the assessment of center of pressure, plank position, muscle strength (MS) of hip flexors, extensors, abductors, and external rotators, knee extensors, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM), Q angle, forefoot alignment, and passive hip internal rotation. Associations between variables were examined using multiple linear regression models with the Bayesian Information Criterion. RESULTS: 122 cases were analyzed. The R2 values were 0.38; 0.05; 0.06; and 0.15 for the anterior, posteromedial, posterolateral and composite directions models, respectively. The anterior reach in the YBT was associated with ankle dorsiflexion ROM [Sß 95%IC: 0.43 (0.32-0.55)], passive hip internal rotation [Sß 95%IC: 0.35 (0.24-0.47)], MS of the hip extensors [Sß 95%IC: 0.19 (0.07-0.31)] and forefoot alignment [Sß 95%IC: 0.14 (-0.25-0.02)]. The posteromedial and posterolateral reach were associated with MS of the hip flexors [Sß 95%IC: 0.23 (0.09-0.37) and 0.24 (0.11-0.38)], respectively. The composite score was associated with MS of the hip flexors [Sß 95%IC: 0.31 (0.18-0.45)], ankle dorsiflexion ROM [Sß 95%IC: 0.24 (0.10-0.37)] and Q angle [Sß 95%IC: 0.18 (0.04-0.31)]. CONCLUSION: YBT performance in different directions demonstrated specific associations with key biomechanical factors.

Melanoxetin: A Hydroxylated Flavonoid Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Modulates Insulin Resistance and Glycation Pathways in an Animal Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) continues to escalate, necessitating innovative therapeutic approaches that target distinct pathways and address DM complications. Flavonoids have been shown to possess several pharmacological activities that are important for DM. This study aimed to evaluate the in vivo effects of the flavonoid melanoxetin using Goto-Kakizaki rats. Over a period of 14 days, melanoxetin was administered subcutaneously to investigate its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic properties. The results show that melanoxetin reduced insulin resistance in adipose tissue by targeting protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B. Additionally, melanoxetin counteracted oxidative stress by reducing nitrotyrosine levels and modulating superoxide dismutase 1 and hemeoxygenase in adipose tissue and decreasing methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone (MG-H1), a key advanced glycation end product (AGE) implicated in DM-related complications. Moreover, the glyoxalase 1 expression decreased in both the liver and the heart, correlating with reduced AGE levels, particularly MG-H1 in the heart. Melanoxetin also demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects by reducing serum prostaglandin E2 levels, and increasing the antioxidant status of the aorta wall through enhanced acetylcholine-dependent relaxation in the presence of ascorbic acid. These findings provide valuable insights into melanoxetin's therapeutic potential in targeting multiple pathways involved in type 2 DM, particularly in mitigating oxidative stress and glycation.

Anticonvulsant activity of Tetrahydrolinalool: behavioral, electrophysiological, and molecular docking approaches.

Tetrahydrolinalool (THL) is an acyclic monoterpene alcohol, produced during linalol metabolism and also a constituent of essential oils. As described in the literature, many monoterpenes present anticonvulsant properties, and thus we became interested in evaluating the anticonvulsant activity of Tetrahydrolinalool using in mice model as well as in silico approaches. Our results demonstrated that THL increased latency to seizure onset and also reduced the mortality, in picrotoxin induced seizure tests. The results may be related to GABAergic regulation, which was also suggested in seizure testing induced by 3-mercapto-propionic acid. In the strychnine-induced seizure testing, none of the groups pretreated with THL modulated the parameters indicative of anticonvulsant effect. The electrophysiological results revealed that THL treatment reduces seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole. The in silico molecular docking studies showed that the interaction between THL and a GABAA receptor model formed a stable complex, in comparison to the crystaligraphic structure of diazepam, a structurally related ligand. In conclusion, all the evidences showed that THL presents effective anticonvulsant activity related to the GABAergic pathway, being a candidate for treatment of epileptic syndromes.