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Second-degree burns require greater care, as the damage is more extensive and worrisome and the use of a biomaterial can help in the cell repair process, with better planning, low cost, and better accessibility. Arnica has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties in skin lesions treatments and laser therapy is another therapeutic alternative for burns. Evaluate the effects of arnica incorporated into PVA associated or not with low intensity laser on burns in rats. PVA and PVA with arnica (PVA+A) were obtained and characterized physicochemically. Through in vivo studies, the effects of PVA and PVA+A with or without the application of laser on the lesions allowed histological and immunohistochemical analyzes. PVA+A was biocompatible and with sustained release of the active, being a promising pharmacological tool and confirmed that laser therapy was effective in accelerating the healing process, due to its potential biomodulator, improving inflammatory aspects, promoting rapid healing in skin lesions., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Studies investigated how stressful experiences modulate physiological and behavioral responses and the consequences of stress-induced corticosterone release in anxiety-like behavior. Adolescence is crucial to brain maturation, and several neurobiological changes in this period lead individuals to increased susceptibility or resilience to aversive situations. Despite the effects of stress in adults, information about adolescents' responses to acute stress is lacking. We aimed to understand how adolescence affects acute stress responses. Male adolescent rats (30 days old) were 2 h restrained, and anxiety-like behaviors were measured immediately or 10 days after stress in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and the light-dark box (LDB) tests. To verify the importance of CORT modulation in stress-induced anxiety, another group of rats was treated, 30 min before restraint, with metyrapone to blunt the stress-induced CORT peak and tested immediately after stress. To show that stress effects on behavior were age-dependent, another set of rats was tested in two different periods - early adolescence (30 days old) and mid-adolescence (40 days old) and were treated or not with metyrapone before the stress session and tested immediately or ten days later in the LDB test. Only early adolescent male rats were resilient to delayed anxiety-like behavior in EPM and LDB tests. Metyrapone treatment increased the rats' exploration immediately and ten days after stress. These data suggest a specific age at which adolescent rats are resilient to the delayed effects of acute restraint stress and that the metyrapone treatment has long-term behavioral consequences., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Knowledge on the neurobiological systems underlying psychiatric disorders has considerably evolved due to findings on basic research using animal models. Anxiety-like behaviors in rodents are widely explored in neuroethological apparatuses, such as the light-dark box (LDB) test through different protocols, which have been shown to influence the behavioral outcomes and probably the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis., New Method: Adult male Wistar rats were submitted to LDB in different room illumination conditions (25/0, 65/0 and/or 330/0 lux), initial positioning in the LDB compartments and previous stressful experience in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) or restraint stress (RS). Rats' behavior (exploratory and risk assessment) was registered during a 15 min period, divided into blocks of 5 min RESULTS: Exploration of the lit compartment decreased in higher luminosity condition, as after positioning rats in the dark compartment or previous exposure to the EPM, while low luminosity increased exploration of the LDB. No differences were observed on serum corticosterone in all groups and experimental conditions., Comparison With Existing Methods: Light intensity and test duration influenced exploration of the LDB jeopardizing the anxiolytic/anxiogenic effects. Low light intensity increased exploration, while high intensity decreased it. These results suggest that 65/0 lux is a neutral condition to investigate possible anxiolytic/anxiogenic effects of drugs and/or exposure to previous aversive stimuli as the EPM., Conclusions: Different factors impact on exploratory and risk assessment behaviors which may be related to safety maximization behavior. Unraveling how different factors affect behavior may be a crucial step towards understanding its expression and the contributions on advances in the physiopathology 1 and treatment of psychiatric disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

COVID-19 causes more than million deaths worldwide. Although much is understood about the immunopathogenesis of the lung disease, a lot remains to be known on the neurological impact of COVID-19. Here, we evaluated immunometabolic changes using astrocytes in vitro and dissected brain areas of SARS-CoV-2 infected Syrian hamsters. We show that SARS-CoV-2 alters proteins of carbon metabolism, glycolysis, and synaptic transmission, many of which are altered in neurological diseases. Real-time respirometry evidenced hyperactivation of glycolysis, further confirmed by metabolomics, with intense consumption of glucose, pyruvate, glutamine, and alpha ketoglutarate. Consistent with glutamine reduction, the blockade of glutaminolysis impaired viral replication and inflammatory response in vitro. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in vivo in hippocampus, cortex, and olfactory bulb of intranasally infected animals. Our data evidence an imbalance in important metabolic molecules and neurotransmitters in infected astrocytes. We suggest this may correlate with the neurological impairment observed during COVID-19, as memory loss, confusion, and cognitive impairment., (© 2022 International Society for Neurochemistry.)

Previous studies have suggested that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the ventral hippocampus (VH) are critical sites for predator-related fear memory. Predator exposure is an intense emotional experience and should increase plasmatic corticosterone likely to modulate the emotion-related memories. However, it is unclear whether the BLA and VH harbor plastic events underlying predator-related fear memory storage and how molecular and endocrine mechanisms interact to modulate memory to the predatory threat. Here, we first examined the effects of protein synthesis inhibition in the BLA and VH on fear memory to a predatory threat. We next evaluated how exposure to a predatory threat impacts the corticosterone release and how the inhibition of corticosterone synthesis can influence predator-related fear memory. Finally, we examined how predator exposure triggers the activation of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors in the BLA and VH and whether the GR antagonist injection affects predator-related fear memory. We showed that predator-related contextual fear is dependent on protein synthesis in the BLA and VH. Moreover, we described the impact of rapid glucocorticoid release during predatory exposure on the formation of contextual fear responses and that GR-induced signaling facilitates memory consolidation within the BLA and VH. The results are relevant in understanding how life-threatening situations such as a predator encounter impact fear memory storage and open exciting perspectives to investigate GR-induced proteins as targets to deciphering and manipulating aversive memories., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The development of materials based on thermoplastic starch (TPS) is an excellent alternative to replace or reduce the use of petroleum-derived polymers. The abundance, renewable origin, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and low cost of starch are among the advantages related to the application of TPS compared to other thermoplastic biopolymers. However, through the literature review, it was possible to observe the need to improve some properties, to allow TPS to replace commonly used polyolefins. The studies reviewed achieved these modifications were achieved by using plasticizers, adjusting processing conditions, and incorporating fillers. In this sense, the addition of nanofillers proved to be the main modification strategy due to the large number of available nanofillers and the low charge concentration required for such improvement. The improvement can be seen in thermal, mechanical, electrical, optical, magnetic, antimicrobial, barrier, biocompatibility, cytotoxicity, solubility, and swelling properties. These modification strategies, the reviewed studies described the development of a wide range of materials. These are products with great potential for targeting different applications. Thus, this review addresses a wide range of essential aspects in developing of this type of nanocomposite. Covering from starch sources, processing routes, characterization methods, the properties of the obtained nanocomposites, to the various applications. Therefore, this review will provide an overview for everyone interested in working with TPS nanocomposites. Through a comprehensive review of the subject, which in most studies is done in a way directed to a specific area of study.

The stress response is multifactorial and enrolls circuitries to build a coordinated reaction, leading to behavioral, endocrine, and autonomic changes. These changes are mainly related to the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation and the organism's integrity. However, when self-regulation is ineffective, stress becomes harmful and predisposes the organism to pathologies. The chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) is a widely used experimental model since it induces physiological and behavioral changes and better mimics the stressors variability encountered in daily life. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and glucocorticoids (GCs) are deeply implicated in the CUS-induced physiological and behavioral changes. Nonetheless, the CUS modulation of CRF receptors and GR and the norepinephrine role in extra-hypothalamic brain areas were not well explored. Here, we show that 14 days of CUS induced a long-lasting HPA axis hyperactivity evidenced by plasmatic corticosterone increase and adrenal gland hypertrophy, which was dependent on both GCs and NE release induced by each stress session. CUS also increased CRF 2 mRNA expression and GR protein levels in fundamental brain structures related to HPA regulation and behavior, such as the lateral septal nucleus intermedia part (LSI), ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH), and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). We also showed that NE participates in the CUS-induced increase in CRF 2 and GR levels in the LSI, reinforcing the locus coeruleus (LC) involvement in the HPA axis modulation. Despite the CUS-induced molecular changes in essential areas related to anxiety-like behavior, this phenotype was not observed in CUS animals 24 h after the last stress session., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Alcohol use disorder is one of the most prevalent addictions, strongly influenced by environmental factors. Voluntary physical activity (VPA) has proven to be intrinsically reinforcing and we hypothesized that, as a non-drug reinforcer, VPA could mitigate ethanol-induced rewarding effects. The transcriptional factor cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), and deacetylases isozymes sirtuins 1 and 2 (SIRT-1 and SIRT-2) have a complex interplay and both play a role in the rewarding effects of ethanol. To test whether the exposure of mice to running wheels inhibits the development of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), mice were assigned into four groups: housed in home cages with locked ("Sedentary") or unlocked running wheels (VPA), and treated with saline or 1.8 g/kg ethanol during the conditioning phase. The groups were referred as Saline-Sedentary, Saline-VPA, Ethanol-Sedentary and Ethanol-VPA. The expression of CREB, SIRT-1 and SIRT-2 were evaluated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). VPA prevented the development of ethanol-induced CPP. VPA, ethanol and the combination of both inhibited pCREB and pCREB/CREB ratio in the NAc, suggesting that both reward stimuli can share similar patterns of CREB activation. However, we have found that ethanol-induced increased CREB levels were prevented by VPA. Both VPA groups presented lower SIRT-1 levels in the NAc compared to the Sedentary groups. Thus, exposure to running wheels prevented ethanol-rewarding effects and ethanol-induced increases in CREB in the NAc. The molecular alterations underlying CPP prevention may be related to a lower expression of CREB in the NAc of Ethanol-VPA compared to the respective Sedentary group, given the positive correlation between CPP and CREB levels in the Ethanol-Sedentary group., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no competing interest., (Copyright © 2021 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the erosive potential of powdered juice drinks on dental enamel in 2 stages: physiochemical characterization and erosive challenge testing. In stage 1, the pH and titratable acidity of 5 commercially available powdered juices in 10 different flavors were analyzed. Five treatment groups were then established based on the pH values, titratable acidity, and presence of citric acid in the juices, and their energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy profiles were studied. In stage 2, the erosive effect of the juices was tested using a pH cycling model; polished bovine dental enamel blocks (n = 8) were treated 4 times daily on 5 consecutive days with 1% citric acid (positive control) or lemon, orange, pineapple, or cashew juice. The specimens were immersed in the erosive solutions, under agitation (100 rpm), for 1 minute at 25°C. Overnight and between treatments, the blocks were stored in artificial saliva without agitation. At the end of cycling, the enamel surfaces were evaluated by profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. The stage 2 results were submitted to 1-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey test (α = 0.05). The pH values of the juices ranged between 2.86 (lemon) and 3.84 (cashew), while the titratable acidity ranged from 14.5 (cashew) to 90.00 (lemon) mmol/L. Lemon juice showed the least calcium content (2.76%) and no (0.00%) phosphorus concentration. Orange, pineapple, and cashew juices showed the greatest concentrations of calcium and phosphorus and were therefore less erosive than lemon juice. The mean [SD] surface loss was higher in the lemon juice group (0.52 [0.16] μm), with no significant differences (P > 0.05) from the control (0.39 [0.09] μm) and orange juice (0.41 [0.12] μm). In groups exposed to pineapple juice (0.36 [0.04] μm) and cashew juice (0.16 [0.08] μm), the surface loss was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that found in lemon juice. The results demonstrate that powdered juice drinks (especially lemon juice) present erosive potential and lead to surface loss of dental enamel.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus linked to multiple birth defects including microcephaly, known as congenital ZIKV syndrome. The identification of host factors involved in ZIKV replication may guide efficacious therapeutic interventions. In genome-wide transcriptional studies, we found that ZIKV infection triggers aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) activation. Specifically, ZIKV infection induces kynurenine (Kyn) production, which activates AHR, limiting the production of type I interferons (IFN-I) involved in antiviral immunity. Moreover, ZIKV-triggered AHR activation suppresses intrinsic immunity driven by the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein, which limits ZIKV replication. AHR inhibition suppressed the replication of multiple ZIKV strains in vitro and also suppressed replication of the related flavivirus dengue. Finally, AHR inhibition with a nanoparticle-delivered AHR antagonist or an inhibitor developed for human use limited ZIKV replication and ameliorated newborn microcephaly in a murine model. In summary, we identified AHR as a host factor for ZIKV replication and PML protein as a driver of anti-ZIKV intrinsic immunity.

Previous studies suggested the pharmacological potential of rat hemopressin (PVNFKFLSH) and its shorter synthetic peptide NFKF, to protect from pilocarpine-induced seizures in mice. Orally administered NFKF was shown to be hundred times more potent than cannabidiol in delaying the first seizure induced by pilocarpine in mice. Here, using an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of multiple sclerosis we have shown that C57BL/6 J mice orally administrated with NFKF (500 μg/kg) presented better EAE clinical scores and improved locomotor activity compared to saline administrated control mice. NFKF blocked the production of IL-1beta and IL-6, and has high scores binding cannabinoid type 2 receptors. Therefore, NFKF is an exciting new possibility to neurodegenerative diseases therapeutics., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Thimet oligopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.15; EP24.15; THOP1) is a potential therapeutic target, as it plays key biological functions in processing biologically functional peptides. The structural conformation of THOP1 provides a unique restriction regarding substrate size, in that it only hydrolyzes peptides (optimally, those ranging from eight to 12 amino acids) and not proteins. The proteasome activity of hydrolyzing proteins releases a large number of intracellular peptides, providing THOP1 substrates within cells. The present study aimed to investigate the possible function of THOP1 in the development of diet-induced obesity (DIO) and insulin resistance by utilizing a murine model of hyperlipidic DIO with both C57BL6 wild-type (WT) and THOP1 null (THOP1 -/- ) mice. After 24 weeks of being fed a hyperlipidic diet (HD), THOP1 -/- and WT mice ingested similar chow and calories; however, the THOP1 -/- mice gained 75% less body weight and showed neither insulin resistance nor non-alcoholic fatty liver steatosis when compared to WT mice. THOP1 -/- mice had increased adrenergic-stimulated adipose tissue lipolysis as well as a balanced level of expression of genes and microRNAs associated with energy metabolism, adipogenesis, or inflammation. Altogether, these differences converge to a healthy phenotype of THOP1 -/- fed a HD. The molecular mechanism that links THOP1 to energy metabolism is suggested herein to involve intracellular peptides, of which the relative levels were identified to change in the adipose tissue of WT and THOP1 -/- mice. Intracellular peptides were observed by molecular modeling to interact with both pre-miR-143 and pre-miR-222, suggesting a possible novel regulatory mechanism for gene expression. Therefore, we successfully demonstrated the previously unanticipated relevance of THOP1 in energy metabolism regulation. It was suggested that intracellular peptides were responsible for mediating the phenotypic differences that are described herein by a yet unknown mechanism of action., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Schistosomiasis mansoni presents many clinical manifestations during migration of schistosomes in their hosts, including diarrhea, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, liver abscesses, skinlesions, brain tumors and myeloradiculopathy. No lesions have been reported in skeletal striated muscles due to schistosomiasis mansoni in the literature. This short communication reports the histopathological findings on skeletal musculature in a murine model of neuroeschistosomiasis mansoni. Lesions were found in the tongue, masseter muscle, buccinator muscle, digastric muscle and temporalis muscle. Worm recovery was carried out to confirm the infection. We describe here, for the first time in the literature, injuries in the skeletal musculature due to Schistosoma mansoni nfection.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the CNS, characterized by demyelination, focal inflammatory infiltrates and axonal damage. Oxidative stress has been linked to MS pathology. Previous studies have suggested the involvement of NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2), an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of oxygen to produce reactive oxygen species, in the MS pathogenesis. The mechanisms of Nox2 activation on MS are unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Nox2 deletion on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) onset and severity, on astrocyte activation as well as on pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine induction in striatum and motor cortex., Methodology: Subcutaneous injection of MOG35-55 emulsified with complete Freund's adjuvant was used to evaluate the effect of Nox2 depletion on EAE-induced encephalopathy. Striatum and motor cortices were isolated and evaluated by immunoblotting and RT-PCR., Results: Nox2 deletion resulted in clinical improvement of the disease and prevented astrocyte activation following EAE induction. Nox2 deletion prevented EAE-induced induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and stimulated the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10., Conclusions: Our data suggest that Nox2 is involved on the EAE pathogenesis. IL-4 and IL-10 are likely to be involved on the protective mechanism observed following Nox2 deletion., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The author has no conflicts of interest related to this work.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates the expression of an array of enzymes with important detoxifying and antioxidant functions. Current findings support the role of high levels of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. Given the central role played by Nrf2 in counteracting oxidative damage, a number of studies have targeted the modulation of this transcription factor in order to confer neuroprotection. Nrf2 activity is tightly regulated by oxidative stress and energy-based stimuli. Thus, many dietary interventions based on energy intake regulation, such as dietary energy restriction (DER) or high-fat diet (HFD), modulate Nrf2 with consequences for a variety of cellular processes that affect brain health. DER, by either restricting calorie intake or meal frequency, activates Nrf2 thereby triggering its protective effects, whilst HFD inhibit this pathway, thereby exacerbating oxidative stress. Consequently, DER protocols can be valuable strategies in the management of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Herein, we review current knowledge of the role of Nrf2 signaling in neurological diseases, namely Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral ischemia, as well as the potential of energy intake regulation in the management of Nrf2 signaling.

Previous studies showed that acute restraint stress or transient elevation of glucocorticoid (GC) stress hormones produces emergent changes in both anxiety behavior and dendritic branches in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) of rats. In this work, we demonstrate that exposure to environmental enrichment (EE) prevented stress-induced increases in anxiety (emerging 10 days post-stress) in adult rats without blocking stress-induced dendritic branch remodeling in the BLA nor stress-induced enhancement of GC serum levels., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chronic psychogenic stress can increase neuronal calcium influx and generate the intracellular accumulation of oxidative (ROS) and nitrosative (RNS) reactive species, disrupting synaptic transmission in the brain. These molecules impair the Na,K-ATPase (NKA) activity, whose malfunction has been related to neuropsychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we assessed how 14 days of restraint stress in rats affect NKA activity via oxidative/nitrosative damage in the frontal cortex (FCx), a crucial region for emotional and cognitive control. One day after the last stress session (S14 + 1d), but not immediately after the last stress session (S14), α2,3-NKA activity was significantly reduced in the FCx, without changes in the protein levels. The S14 + 1d animals also showed increased lipid peroxidation, iNOS, and AP-1 activities, as well as TNF-α protein levels, evidencing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. No cellular death or neurodegeneration was observed in the FCx of S14 + 1d animals. Pharmacological inhibition of iNOS or COX-2 before each stress session prevented lipid peroxidation and the α2,3-NKA activity loss. Our results show that repeated restraint exposure for 14 days decreases the activity of α2,3-NKA in FCx 24 h after the last stress, an effect associated with augmented inflammatory response and oxidative and nitrosative damage and suggest new pathophysiological roles to neuroinflammation in neuropsychiatric diseases., (Copyright © 2018 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematodermic malignancy neoplasm with highly aggressive course and poor prognosis. This disease typically presents with cutaneous involvement as the first manifestation, with subsequent or simultaneous spread to bone marrow and peripheral blood.  CASE REPORT Here, we report the case of a 51-year-old woman who presented a violaceus skin lesion on the lateral region of the right thigh, weight loss, fever, and lymphadenopathies. Computed tomography (CT) displayed thoracic and abdominal lymph node and alveolar bleeding. Flow cytometry from circulating blastic cells was compatible with BPDCN (CD4+, CD56+ and CD123+). She underwent 5 cycles of hyper-CVAD alternating with high-dose methotrexate and cytarabine, but the patient died due to alveolar bleeding and sepsis. CONCLUSIONS We report a rare case of BPDCN characterized by an aggressive course, presence of atypical skin lesion, a finding suggestive of pulmonary infiltration, and nonresponse to induction chemotherapy, leading to late diagnosis and therapeutic management. Because of the late recognition of the skin lesion, neoplastic cells infiltrated the dermis and spread as the disease progressed rapidly to a fatal course.

Environmental enrichment (EE) is an experimental animal model that enhances an animal's opportunity to interact with sensory, motor, and social stimuli, compared to standard laboratory conditions. A prominent benefit of EE is the reduction of stress-induced anxiety. The relationship between stress and the onset of anxiety-like behavior has been widely investigated in experimental research, showing a clear correlation with structural changes in the hippocampus and basolateral amygdala (BLA). However, the mechanisms by which EE exerts its protective roles in stress and anxiety remain unclear, and it is not known whether EE reduces the effects of acute stress on animal behavior shortly following the cessation of stress. We found that EE can prevent the emergence of anxiety-like symptoms in rats measured immediately after acute restraint stress (1 h) and this effect is not due to changes in systemic release of corticosterone. Rather, we found that stress promotes a rapid increase in the nuclear translocation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the BLA, an effect prevented by previous EE exposure. Furthermore, we observed a reduction of ERK (a MAPK protein) and CREB activity in the BLA promoted by both EE and acute stress. Finally, we found that EE decreases the expression of the immediate-early gene EGR-1 in the BLA, indicating a possible reduction of neuronal activity in this region. Hyperactivity of BLA neurons has been reported to accompany anxiety-like behavior and changes in this process may be one of the mechanism by which EE exerts its protective effects against stress-induced anxiety., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the most prevalent form of osteoarthritis. Low socioeconomic level, age, and obesity are directly correlated with the incidence of the disease. Education, exercise, and diet are the core recommendations of all KOA treatment guidelines., Objective: To evaluate the impact of a multiprofessional educational program on patients with KOA., Methods: Of a total of 198 participants, 150 patients with KOA attended 2 days of lectures (at 1- to 3-month intervals) and received educational material on osteoarthritis, and a control group (48 patients) received educational materials only. Body mass index (BMI), frequency, and intensity of physical activity, pain, function, and quality-of-life scores were assessed at baseline and at 4 and 12 months after the educational program. Bimonthly telephone calls were made to half of the participants. Correlations between BMI, level of education, coping skills, functional, and pain results was procured., Results: The groups were similar in terms of race, gender, affected side, and osteoarthritis severity. The results were not affected by the telephone calls or the patients' level of education. At baseline, 25 performed physical activity, whereas 123 performed at 1 year. Seventy-two (36.36%) patients decreased BMI (45 by 1 point and 27 by more than 2 points). There were some weak correlations such as BMI reduction with pain and functional improvements and with coping results. Significant improvements in function and quality of life were found at 4 months. Quality of life remained improved at 1 year., Conclusion: The effect of this educational program in function and quality of life of patients with KOA is very subtle. Interval between classes (1, 2, or 3 months) is not an important issue.

This study aimed to evaluate effectiveness and effects of bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide with and without calcium on color, micromorphology, and the replacement of calcium and phosphate on the enamel surface. Thirty bovine enamel blocks (5.0 × 5.0 mm) were placed into the following groups: G1: artificial saliva (control); G2: 35% hydrogen peroxide gel without calcium (Whiteness HP Maxx-FGM); and G3: 35% hydrogen peroxide gel with calcium (Whiteness HP Blue-FGM). Three color measurements were performed with a spectrophotometer: untreated (baseline), after performing staining, and after application of bleaching agents. Calcium deposition on the enamel was evaluated before and after the application of bleaching agents using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The enamel surface micromorphology was observed under scanning electron microscopy. The pH of each product was measured. The data were subjected to one-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA), and any differences were analyzed using Tukey's test (P < 0.05). G3 showed greater variation in total color after the experiment than G2 and G1; there was no significant difference in calcium or phosphorus concentration before and after the experimental procedures; morphological changes were observed only in G2 and G3; and the pH values of the Whiteness HP Maxx and Whiteness HP Blue bleaching agents were 5.77 and 7.79, respectively. The 35% hydrogen peroxide with calcium showed greater bleaching potential, but the addition of calcium had no effect in terms of reducing morphological changes or increasing the calcium concentration on the enamel surface., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Introduction: It is still controversial whether there are synergistic effects among different non-pharmacological interventions used in the treatment of hypertension., Objectives: To evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise, oral supplementation of potassium and their combination on blood pressure, glucose metabolism, urinary albumin excretion and glomerular morphology in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)., Methods: SHR were divided into groups: Control Group (SHR; standard diet and sedentary, n = 10), Exercise Group (SHR + E; trained on a treadmill, standard diet, n = 10), Potassium Group (SHR + K; sedentary, potassium supplementation, n = 10) and Group Exercise + Potassium (SHR + E + K, exercise, potassium supplementation n = 10). Weekly, body weight (BW) and tail blood pressure (TAP) were measured. At the end of 16 weeks, a Oral Glucose Tolerance Test was performed. Albuminuria was determined in the baseline period, at 8th and at 16th week. After sacrifice, the analysis of glomerular sclerosis index and visceral fat weight was performed., Results: The TAP and BW did not change significantly. There was improvement in insulin sensitivity in SHR + E and SHR + K, but not in SHR + E + K. At week 16, albuminuria in all groups was significantly lower than the SHR control. The glomerular sclerosis index and visceral fat content were also significantly lower in all groups compared to control., Conclusion: An oral supplementation of potassium and exercise led to an improvement in glucose metabolism, in albuminuria and glomerular morphology, however, the overlap of the treatments did not show synergism.

Objective: The objective of this independent, double-blind, parallel, six-week clinical study was to assess the efficacy of a commercially available mouthrinse containing 0.05% cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) for controlling established dental plaque and gingivitis relative to that of a control mouthrinse without CPC., Methods: Adult male and female subjects from the Maceió, Brazil area reported to the clinical facility, after having refrained from any oral hygiene procedures for 12 hours, and from eating, drinking, and smoking for four hours, for an assessment of the oral soft and hard tissues, and for a baseline gingivitis and dental plaque evaluation. Qualifying subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups, and were provided with their assigned mouthrinse, and an adult soft-bristled toothbrush and toothpaste for home use. Over the six-week period of home use, during which there were no restrictions regarding diet or smoking habits, subjects were instructed to brush their teeth for one minute twice daily with the supplied toothbrush and a commercially available fluoride toothpaste, to rinse their mouths with water after brushing, and then to rinse with their assigned mouthrinse for one minute before expectorating. The use of any other oral hygiene products or procedures, such as floss or interdental stimulators, was not permitted during the study. After six weeks of product use, subjects returned to the clinical facility, having followed the same restrictions with respect to oral-hygiene procedures, eating and drinking, as with the baseline visit, and the oral soft and hard tissue assessments and gingivitis and dental plaque evaluations were repeated., Results: One-hundred and ten subjects complied with the protocol and completed the study. With regard to supragingival plaque, after six weeks of product use, the subjects using the 0.05% CPC mouthrinse exhibited statistically significant reductions from baseline in whole-mouth Plaque Index scores (32.1%), in Plaque Index scores measured at interproximal sites (31.3%), and in Plaque Severity Index scores (84.8%). Subjects using the control mouthrinse exhibited statistically significant reductions from baseline in whole-mouth Plaque Index scores (7.0%), in Plaque Index scores measured at interproximal sites (6.4%), and in Plaque Severity Index scores (24.5%). When compared to the control mouthrinse group, the 0.05% CPC mouthrinse group presented statistically significant greater reductions in whole-mouth Plaque Index scores (27.9%), in Plaque Index scores measured at interproximal sites (27.9%), and in Plaque Severity Index scores (81.1%) after six weeks of product use. With regard to gingivitis, after six weeks of product use, subjects using the 0.05% CPC mouthrinse exhibited statistically significant reductions from baseline in whole-mouth Gingival Index scores (25.0%), in Gingival Index scores measured at interproximal sites (25.3%), and in Gingivitis Severity Index scores (42.4%). Subjects using the control mouthrinse exhibited statistically significant reductions from baseline in whole-mouth Gingival Index scores (6.5%), in Gingival Index scores measured at interproximal sites (5.5%), and in Gingivitis Severity Index scores (11.6%). When compared to the control mouthrinse group, the 0.05% CPC mouthrinse group presented statistically significant greater reductions in whole-mouth Gingival Index scores (19.8%), in Gingival Index scores measured at interproximal sites (20.7%), and in Gingivitis Severity Index scores (35.5%) after six weeks of product use., Conclusion: The results of this double-blind, parallel, six-week clinical study support the conclusion that a mouthrinse containing 0.05% CPC is efficacious for controlling established dental plaque and gingivitis. As measurements were conducted 12 hours after product use, the results also demonstrate that the 0.5% CPC mouthrinse provides 12-hour protection against plaque and gingivitis.

There are several differences between red and white muscles submitted to different experimental conditions, especially following denervation: a) denervation atrophy is more pronounced in red than white muscles; b) the size of the fibers in the red muscles does not vary between different parts of the muscle before and after denervation, when compared to white muscles; c) the regional difference in the white muscles initially more pronounced after denervation than red muscle; d) red muscle fibers and fibers of the deep white muscle present degenerative changes such as disordered myofibrils and sarcolemmal folds after long-term denervation; e) myotube-like fibers with central nuclei occur in the red muscle more rapidly than white after denervation. Denervation of skeletal muscles causes, in addition to fibers atrophy, loss of fibers with subsequent regeneration, but the extent of fat cell percentage invasion is currently unknown. The present article describes a quantitative study on fat cell invasion percentage in red m. soleus and white m. extensor digitorum longus (EDL) rat muscles at 7 weeks for up to 32 weeks postdenervation. The results indicate that the percentage of fat cells increase after denervation and it is steeper than the age-related fat invasion in normal muscles. The fat percentage invasion is more pronounced in red compared with white muscle. All experimental groups present a statistically significant difference as regard fat cell percentage invasion.