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Introdução: O linfoma não Hodgkin difuso de grandes células B (LDGCB) é um dos subtipos mais comuns de linfoma não Hodgkin, representando aproximadamente 25% dos casos. É caracterizado por um comportamento agressivo e, apesar dos avanços no tratamento, uma proporção significativa dos pacientes não responde ou recai após a terapia inicial (R-CHOP), necessitando de abordagens terapêuticas subsequentes. As terapias de segunda linha geralmente envolvem quimioterapia de alta dose seguida de transplante autólogo de células-tronco (TACT). Porém, muitos pacientes não são elegíveis devido à idade avançada, comorbidades e outros. Para esses pacientes, as opções de segunda e terceira linha incluem regimes quimioterápicos alternativos e terapias biológicas. Um protocolo emergente que tem mostrado eficácia é a combinação de tafasitamabe e lenalidomida. Tafasitamabe é um anticorpo monoclonal que se liga ao antígeno CD19, presente na superfície das células B malignas, promovendo a destruição dessas células. Lenalidomida é um agente imunomodulador que possui propriedades antiangiogênicas e antineoplásicas. O estudo L-MIND, mostrou que esta combinação resulta em altas taxas de resposta e durabilidade da resposta em pacientes com LDGCB recidivante ou refratário que não são candidatos a TACT. Os resultados do estudo indicaram uma taxa de resposta global de 60%, com uma taxa de resposta completa de 43% e uma duração média da resposta de 21,7 meses. Relato do caso: Homem, 74 anos, sem comorbidades prévias, foi diagnosticado com LDGCB, tipo centro germinativo e EC IVB (PET-CT com lesão ísquio esquerdo com acometimento muscular, linfonodos inquinais e medula óssea). Foram realizados 6 ciclos do protocolo R-CHOP, com resposta parcial. Após 5 meses do término do tratamento, evoluiu com acentuada dor em membro inferior esquerdo e dificuldade para deambular. PET-CT com recaída do linfoma, iniciado quimioterapia de resgate (R-GDP). Porém, pós o quarto ciclo, evoluiu com progressão de doença. Confirmado diagnóstico de LDGCB com nova biópsia da lesão. O paciente evoluiu com piora importante da dor, impossibilitando deambulação e atividades básicas diárias. Além disso, apresentou abscesso tumoral perineal com progressão para osteomielite. Foi realizada drenagem do abscesso tumoral, antibioticoterapia guiado por antibiograma e sessões de hiperbárica. Diante do caso de um paciente idoso, frágil e com infecção grave, foi optado por realizar a terapia de terceira linha com o protocolo Tafasitamabe 12 mg/kg e Lenalidomida 25 mg/dia. O paciente não apresentou reação alérgica ou outros efeitos adversos após infusão do tafasitamabe. Porém, após início do segundo ciclo, o mesmo evoluiu com náuseas grau 3, além de perda de apetite e edema em membros inferiores. Portanto, foi optado por reduzir a dose de Lenalidomida para 15 mg/dia, com melhora de todos os sintomas. O PET-CT após o segundo ciclo, demonstrou resposta parcial, com redução significativa da massa tumoral. Atualmente, encontra-se sem infecção ativa, deambulando sem apoio e sem dor, além de retorno as suas atividades diárias. Discussão: Este caso ilustra o potencial da combinação tafasitamabe + lenalidomida como uma opção terapêutica eficaz para pacientes adultos com LDGCB recidivado ou refratário, que não são elegíveis para TACT. A resposta observada no paciente, juntamente com a tolerabilidade do tratamento, destaca a importância de terapias direcionadas e imunomoduladoras no manejo de linfomas agressivos.

Introdução/Objetivos: Relato de caso de linfoma raro, que foi tratado com protocolo nunca utilizado anteriormente para este tipo de neoplasia. Com o sucesso do tratamento, nosso objetivo é colaborar com a comunidade médica, enriquecer a literatura e trazer novas alternativas terapêuticas para os pacientes. Material e métodos: Coleta dos dados clínicos na Unidade de Hematologia do Hospital Meridional e levantamento em prontuário das provas laboratoriais, exames especializados e revisão do tema na literatura. Resultados: Paciente hoje com 73 anos, em maio/2012 teve o diagnóstico de linfoma difuso de grandes células B (LDGCB) IIsB IPI = 2. Recebeu 8 ciclos de R-CHOP + radioterapia, finalizando o tratamento em 21/03/13 com remissão completa da doença. No fim de 2021 suspeitou-se de recidiva do LDGCB. Foi realizada nova biopsia de linfonodo abdominal, porém em 07/02/22 definiu-se o diagnóstico como linfoma de Hodgkin não clássico, subtipo predominância linfocítica nodular (LHPLN), estádio IV. Discussão: Como o LHPLN é o subtipo histológico mais raro do linfoma de Hodgkin (LH), não existe consenso sobre a melhor terapia nos estadios avançados. O protocolo ABVD é comumente aplicado como extrapolação da literatura do LH clássico, contudo, há relatos de que a recidiva com o ABVD é alta, com maior eficácia observada em regimes que contenham agentes alquilantes. A escolha da nova terapia foi um desafio, pois a paciente já havia recebido a dose máxima de antraciclina no tratamento anterior. Além disso também já havia usado agente alquilante e doses adicionais poderiam predispor à mielodisplasia e leucemia mieloide aguda. Por ser idosa e frágil, também não era candidata a transplante de medula óssea. Optamos pelo protocolo R-GemOx (rituximab, gencitabina e oxaliplatina) que, pela nossa revisão da literatura, nunca havia sido utilizado no tratamento de LHPLN, porém tem eficácia comprovada contra linfomas não Hodgkin de células B, com perfil de toxicidade bastante aceitável. Nesse tipo de linfoma, em casos refratários ou recidivados, a taxa de resposta global variou entre 61 a 83% e taxa de resposta completa foi de 44 a 50%, com taxa de sobrevida livre de eventos em 2 anos de 43% e sobrevida global de 66%, respectivamente, sobrevida livre de progressão em 42 meses de 28%, com sobrevida global de 37%. Também demonstrou boa ação no controle do linfoma de Hodgkin clássico com taxa de resposta global de 71% e completa de 38%. Dessa forma, a paciente recebeu 8 ciclos de R-GemOx entre 18/03/22 a 12/08/22 e obteve resposta completa que se mantém até a presente data. Conclusão: A paciente foi tratada com sucesso com protocolo de imunoquimioterapia nunca relatado anteriormente para esse tipo de neoplasia, com resultado animador. Assim, acreditamos que nossa contribuição possa ajudar comunidade médica e outros profissionais ao se depararem com casos semelhantes e servir como hipótese para realização de estudos prospectivos mais robustos que possam definir o melhor tratamento do LHPLN.

Background: Local anesthetic puncture is often related to the experience of pain. This study aimed to systematically analyze the literature on changes in pain perception during the anesthetic puncture of dental local anesthesia after Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT)., Material and Methods: An electronic search was performed in eight primary databases (Embase, LILACS, BBO, LIVIVO, MedLine via PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science) and three additional ones (EASY, Google Scholar, and OATD) to partially capture the "gray literature". The PICO strategy was used to identify randomized clinical trials evaluating the analgesic effect of PBMT in the anesthetic puncture site of dental local anesthesia compared to placebo or control groups, without restrictions on publication language and year. Two reviewers extracted the data and assessed the individual risk of bias of the eligible studies using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool version 2.0., Results: The electronic search found 3,485 records, of which eight met the eligibility criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. The studies were published from 2011 to 2022. None of the included studies had a low risk of bias. PBMT groups showed no significant difference in pain scores compared to placebo and control groups of most studies., Conclusion: Based on a low to very low certainty of evidence, PBMT seems to have no effect on pain perception during anesthetic puncture in patients undergoing dental local anesthesia., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2023 HCFMUSP. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The occurrence of neurotoxicity caused by xenobiotics such as pesticides (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, organophosphates, pyrethroids, etc.) or metals (mercury, lead, aluminum, arsenic, etc.) is a growing concern around the world, particularly in vulnerable populations with difficulties on both detection and symptoms treatment, due to low economic status, remote access, poor infrastructure, and low educational level, among others features. Despite the numerous molecular markers and questionnaires/clinical evaluations, studying neurotoxicity and its effects on cognition in these populations faces problems with samples collection and processing, and information accuracy. Assessing cognitive changes caused by neurotoxicity, especially those that are subtle in the initial stages, is fundamentally challenging. Finding accurate, non-invasive, and low-cost strategies to detect the first signals of brain injury has the potential to support an accelerated development of the research with these populations. Saliva emerges as an ideal pool of biomarkers (with interleukins and neural damage-related proteins, among others) and potential alternative diagnostic fluid to molecularly investigate neurotoxicity. As a source of numerous neurological biomarkers, saliva has several advantages compared to blood, such as easier storage, requires less manipulation, and the procedure is cheaper, safer and well accepted by patients compared with drawing blood. Regarding cognitive dysfunction, neuropsychological batteries represent, with their friendly interface, a feasible and accurate method to evaluate the eventual cognitive deficits associated with neurotoxicity in people from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. The association of these two tools, saliva and neuropsychological batteries, to cover the molecular and cognitive aspects of neurotoxicity in vulnerable populations, could potentially increase the prevalence of early intervention and successful treatment., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Long-term exposure to high concentrations of fluoride (F) can damage mineralized and soft tissues such as bones, liver, kidney, intestine, and nervous system of adult rats. The high permeability of the blood-brain barrier and placenta to F during pregnancy and lactation may be critical to neurological development. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of F exposure during pregnancy and lactation on molecular processes and oxidative biochemistry of offspring rats' hippocampus. Pregnant Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 3 groups in accordance with the drinking water received: G1 - deionized water (control); G2 - 10 mg/L of F and G3 - 50 mg/L of F. The exposure to fluoridated water began on the first day of pregnancy and lasted until the 21 st day of breastfeeding (when the offspring rats were weaned). Blood plasma samples of the offspring rats were collected to determine F levels. Hippocampi samples were collected for oxidative biochemistry analyses through antioxidant capacity against peroxyl (ACAP), lipid peroxidation (LPO), and nitrite (NO 2 - ) levels. Also, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression (RT-qPCR) and proteomic profile analyses were performed. The results showed that exposure to both F concentrations during pregnancy and lactation increased the F bioavailability, triggered redox imbalance featured by a decrease of ACAP, increase of LPO and NO 2 - levels, BDNF overexpression and changes in the hippocampus proteome. These findings raise novel questions regarding potential repercussions on the hippocampus structure and functioning in the different cognitive domains., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Human exposure to mercury is a major public health concern, causing neurological outcomes such as motor and visual impairment and learning disabilities. Currently, human exposure in the Amazon is among the highest in the world. A recent systematic review (doi:10.1016/j.jtemb.2018.12.001), however, highlighted the lack of high-quality studies on mercury-associated neurotoxicity. There is, therefore, a need to improve research and much to still learn about how exposure correlates with disease. In this review, we discuss studies evaluating the associations between neurological disturbances and mercury body burden in Amazonian populations, to generate recommendations for future studies. A systematic search was performed during July 2020, in Pubmed/Medline, SCOPUS and SCIELO databases with the terms (mercury*) and (Amazon*). Four inclusion criteria were used: original article (1), with Amazonian populations (2), quantifying exposure (mercury levels) (3), and evaluating neurological outcomes (4). The extracted data included characteristics (as year or origin of authorship) and details of the research (as locations and type of participants or mercury levels and neurological assessments). Thirty-four studies, most concentrated within three main river basins (Tapajós, Tocantins, and Madeira) and related to environmental exposure, were found. Mercury body burden was two to ten times higher than recommended and main neurological findings were cognitive, vision, motor, somatosensory and emotional deficits. Important insights are described that support novel approaches to researching mercury exposure and intoxication, as well as prevention and intervention strategies. As a signatory country to the Minamata Convention, Brazil has the opportunity to play a central role in improving human health and leading the research on mercury intoxication., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aluminum (Al) is a neurotoxicant agent implicated in several behavioral, neuropathological and neurochemical changes associated with cognitive impairments. Nevertheless, mechanisms of damage and safety concentrations are still very discussed. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to investigate whether two aluminum low doses were able to produce deleterious effects on cognition of adult rats, including oxidative stress in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, two important areas for cognition. For this, thirty adult Wistar rats were divided into three groups: Al1 (8.3 mg/kg/day), Al2 (32 mg/kg/day) and Control (Ultrapure Water), in which all three groups received their solutions containing or not AlCl 3 by intragastric gavage for 60 days. After the experimental period, the short- and long-term memories were assessed by the object recognition test and step-down inhibitory avoidance. After euthanizing, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus samples were dissected for Al levels measurement and evaluation of oxidative biochemistry. Only Al2 increased Al levels in hippocampal parenchyma significantly; both concentrations did not impair short-term memory, while long-term memory was affected in Al1 and Al2. In addition, oxidative stress was observed in prefrontal and hippocampus in Al1 and Al2. Our results indicate that, in a translational perspective, humans are subjected to deleterious effects of Al over cognition even when exposed to low concentrations, by triggering oxidative stress and poor long-term memory performance., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study assessed the effect of progestogen treatment length on ovarian parameters and embryo yield in superovulated Lacaune ewes collected by nonsurgical embryo recovery. Twenty-three lactating ewes were superovulated 30 d apart using a cross-over design. All ewes received 60 mg of MAP intravaginal sponges for 6 (G-6 group) or 9 (G-9 group) d. A total dose of 133 mg pFSH was given in six decreasing doses (twice a day) starting at 60 h before device removal. Ultrasound examination of the ovaries was performed at the first pFSH injection and one day before embryo recovery, which was performed 6-7 d after the onset of estrus. Embryo recovery was conducted only in ewes that expressed estrus and were mated. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in the total number of follicles between G-6 (15.7 ± 1.0) and G-9 (15.6 ± 0.8) at the time of the first pFSH treatment. The percentage of responding donors with ≥3 corpora lutea (CL; 78.2% [18/23] vs 69.5% [16/23]), mean (±SEM) CL number (7.0 ± 1.2 vs 8.1 ± 1.6), transcervical passage rate (94.4% [17/18] vs 83.3% [15/18], and ova/embryo recovery rate (54.5% [60/110] vs 68.0% [83/122]) were not different (P > 0.05) between the G-6 and G-9 groups. However, the mean number of viable embryos was lower (P < 0.05) in the G-6 group (1.8 ± 0.7) than in the G-9 group. (3.5 ± 1.1). In conclusion, treatment with an intravaginal MAP sponge for 9 d during a superovulation protocol is beneficial for viable embryo yield in Lacaune ewes out of the breeding season., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant that poses great risk to human health. However, it is still widely used in artisanal gold-mining enterprises around the world, especially in developing countries. Methylmercury (MeHg) is produced environmentally by biomethylation of inorganic Hg present in water sediments, leading to its subsequent accumulation in the aquatic food chain. Due to its high metabolic rate, the Central Nervous System (CNS) is one of the main targets of MeHg. In the present study, we investigate the impact of chronic MeHg intoxication on NADPH diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity and astrocyte mobilization in the visual cortex of the rat. After 60 days of MeHg administration by oral gavage (0.04 mg/kg/day), tissue samples containing the visual cortex were submitted to measurements of Hg levels, NADPH-d activity, and GFAP immunohistochemistry for identification of astrocytes. MeHg intoxication was associated with increased Hg deposits and with reduced NADPH-d neuropil reactivity in the visual cortex. A morphometric analysis suggested that NADPH-d-positive neurons were mostly spared from MeHg harmful action and intoxicated animals had astrocytic activation similar to the control group. The decrease in NADPH-d neuropil reactivity may be due to the negative effect of chronic MeHg poisoning on both the synthesis and transport of this enzyme in afferent pathways to the visual cortex. The relative resistance of NADPH-d-reactive neurons to chronic MeHg intoxication may be associated with peculiarities in cell metabolism or to a protective role of nitric oxide, safeguarding those neurons from Hg deleterious effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of nutritional intervention in the management of periodontitis., Methods: This study was registered on the Prospective International Registry of Systematic Reviews-PROSPERO, under the registration number CRD42017076674. The database searching was performed on: Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Clinical Trials and Lilacs. The OpenGrey and Google Scholar were also assessed for searching the grey literature. The PICO framework was carried out, in which the participants (P) were humans with periodontitis receiving conventional periodontal therapy simultaneously with dietary supplements (I), compared (C) with those managed with conventional therapy only, having as an outcome (O) the influence-or not influence-of nutritional intervention in the management of periodontitis. After the searching, duplicates were removed and articles were first assessed by title and abstract, following the inclusion and exclusion criteria; then, the full text of the remaining articles were reviewed. All steps within the review process were performed independently by two reviewers and checked by a third-party disagreement evaluator. For quality/risk of bias assessment of the study selection, The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for randomized studies and Robins-TOOL for non-randomized studies (ROBINS-I) were performed. The Grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) was used for assessing the level of evidence., Results: A total of 2574 citations were recorded, but only four were considered eligible. The included studies reported different nutritional interventions such as fruit concentrate, vegetables and fruit juice powders, multivitamins, fish oil, and a customized dietary advice. The three studies using nutritional supplements showed improvements in at least one clinical parameter of periodontitis -reduction of probing depths, attachment gain, crevicular fluid decreased, reduced bleeding values on probing-after 2-6 months. Although, only two articles presented a moderate risk of bias, a very low level of evidence was found among the four studies taken together., Conclusions: Despite the results suggested that nutritional intervention is beneficial for periodontal therapy, the evidence in general, is inconsistent and imprecise. More interventional studies with longer periods of follow-up and the assessment of a specific nutritional intervention must be conducted., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None declared., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Lead is a toxic metal found in environment with great neurotoxic potential. The main effect is associated with impairments in hippocampus and cerebellum, driving to cognitive and motor dysfunctions, however, there is a lack of evidences about the effects over the spinal cord. In this way, we aimed to investigate in vivo the effects of long-term exposure to lead acetate in oxidative biochemistry and morphology of rats' spinal cord. For this, 36 male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were divided into the group exposed to 50 mg/kg of lead acetate and control group, which received only distilled water, both groups through intragastric gavage, for 55 days. After the exposure period, the animals were euthanized and the spinal cords were collected to perform the analyses of lead levels quantification, oxidative biochemistry evaluation by levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrites and the antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals (ACAP). Besides, morphological evaluation with quantitative analysis of mature and motor neurons and reactivity to myelin basic protein (MBP). Our results showed high levels of lead in spinal cord after long-term exposure; there was a reduction on ACAP level; however, there was no difference observed in MDA and nitrite levels. Moreover, there was a reduction of mature and motor neurons in all three regions, and a reduction of immunolabeling of MBP in the thoracic and lumbar segments. Therefore, we conclude that long-term exposure to lead is able of increasing the levels of the metal in spinal cord, affecting the antioxidant capacity and inducing morphological impairments in spinal cord parenchyma. Our results also suggest that the tissue impairments triggered by lead may be resultant from others molecular mechanisms besides the oxidative stress., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of the duration of progesterone-based estrus induction protocols on preovulatory follicular dynamics, ovulatory response, and embryo yield after non-surgical embryo recovery (NSER) in Lacaune ewes. Females received acetate medroxyprogesterone intravaginal sponges for six (G-6; n = 14) or nine (G-9; n = 14) days plus d-cloprostenol and eCG 24 h before sponge removal (Day 0). Preovulatory follicular dynamics and the luteal characteristics are evaluated by B-mode and Color-Doppler ultrasonography. NSER was performed five to six days after ovulation. The estrous behavior rate was 85.7% for both groups, and the percentage of ewes that ovulated was 92.9% in G-6 and 100% in G-9. The day of wave emergence (relative to Day 0) did not differ (P > 0.05) between G-6 (-3.0 ± 0.5) and G-9 (-4.2 ± 0.5). The number of follicles of size 4.1-5.0 mm was higher (P < 0.05) in G-9 (1.4 ± 0.2) compared to G-6 (0.8 ± 0.2) during the Days -4 to 0. At NSER, the transcervical penetration rate was 95.2% (20/21) and its duration time was lower (P < 0.05) in G-9 (3.4 ± 0.6 min) than in G-6 (7.2 ± 1.3 min). The number of ovulations and viable embryos was higher (P < 0.05) in G-9 (2.9 ± 0.3 and 1.3 ± 0.4, respectively) than in G-6 (1.9 ± 0.3 and 0.4 ± 0.2, respectively). In conclusion, the 9-day protocol promoted higher ovulation rate and embryo yield; moreover, the cervical dilation treatment allowed NSER in a high percentage of Lacaune ewes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mercury chloride (HgCl 2 ) is a chemical pollutant widely found in the environment. This form of mercury is able to promote several damages to the Central Nervous System (CNS), however the effects of HgCl 2 on the spinal cord, an important pathway for the communication between the CNS and the periphery, are still poorly understood. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of HgCl 2 exposure on spinal cord of adult rats. For this, animals were exposed to a dose of 0.375 mg/kg/day, for 45 days. Then, they were euthanized, the spinal cord collected and we investigated the mercury concentrations in medullary parenchyma and the effects on oxidative biochemistry, proteomic profile and tissue structures. Our results showed that exposure to this metal promoted increased levels of Hg in the spinal cord, impaired oxidative biochemistry by triggering oxidative stress, mudulated antioxidant system proteins, energy metabolism and myelin structure; as well as caused disruption in the myelin sheath and reduction in neuronal density. Despite the low dose, we conclude that prolonged exposure to HgCl 2 triggers biochemical changes and modulates the expression of several proteins, resulting in damage to the myelin sheath and reduced neuronal density in the spinal cord., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest in the study., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Stroke is one of the main causes of human disability worldwide. Ischemic stroke is mostly characterized by metabolic collapse and fast tissue damage, followed by secondary damage in adjacent regions not previously affected. Heavy metals intoxication can be associated with stroke incidence, because of their damaging action in the vascular system. Mercury, in particular, possesses a high tropism by metabolically active regions, such as the brain. In the present study we sought to evaluate whether methylmercury (MeHg) intoxication can aggravate the tissue damage caused by an ischemic stroke induced by microinjections of endothelin-1 (ET-1) into the motor cortex of adult rats. Following MeHg intoxication by gavage (0.04 mg/kg/day) during 60 days, the animals were injected with ET-1 (1 μl, 40 pmol/μl) or vehicle (1 μl). After 7 days, all animals were submitted to behavioral tests and then their brains were processed to biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses. We observed that long-term MeHg intoxication promoted a significant Hg deposits in the motor cortex, with concomitant increase of microglial response, followed by reduction of the neuronal population following ischemia and MeHg intoxication, as well as disturbance in the antioxidant defense mechanisms by misbalance of oxidative biochemistry with increase of both lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels, associated to behavioral deficits. MeHg exposure and cortical ischemia demonstrated that both injuries are able of causing significant neurobehavioural impairments in motor coordination and learning accompanied of an exacerbated microglial activation, oxidative stress and neuronal loss in the motor cortex, indicating that MeHg as a source of metabolic disturbance can act as an important increasing factor of ischemic events in the brain., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate a possible association between asthma and periodontal disease in adults. This study was conducted by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and the searches were performed on the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, LILACS, OpenGrey e Google Scholar. In this systematic review, observational studies with adult humans, which evaluated patients with and without asthma, were selected to verify the association between both diseases. To qualitative analysis, Fowkes and Fulton guidelines was used and for the quantitative analysis, it was used the mean and standard deviation from each group (with and without asthma), using confidence interval (CI) 95% and heterogeneity were tested using I 2 index. Furthermore, a summary of the overall strength of evidence was presented using Grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE). 3395 studies were identified, 11 were included on this systematic review to qualitative analysis and 6 of them to quantitative synthesis. Six meta-analyses were performed to the following clinical parameters: plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), papillary bleeding index (PBI), calculus index (CI), clinical attachment loss (CAL). The meta-analysis results for CI was (p < 0.00001, I2 = 0%) PBI (p < 0.00001, I2 = 0%), CAL (p = 0,03, I 2  = 98%) showed higher means for the asthmatic group. For BOP (p = 0.20 I2 = 83%), GI (p = 0.14 I2 = 97%) and PI (p = 0.53 I2 = 95%) non-statistical difference was found. The level of evidence analysis (GRADE) presented a low level of evidence among the clinical parameters. This systematic review and meta-analysis observed that asthmatic individuals present more periodontal disease, especially gingivitis, when compared to healthy individuals, but further studies with similar methods are necessary to evaluate interactions between both diseases., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This study was performed to investigate the effects of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) addition to in vitro maturation (IVM) medium on apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, ROS production, and developmental competence of bovine oocytes subjected to heat shock. Two temperatures (conventional: 24 h at 38.5°C, or heat shock: 12 h at 41°C followed by 12 h at 38.5°C) and 3 IGF-I concentrations (0, 25, and 100 ng/mL) were tested during IVM. The oocytes were then fertilized in vitro, and the presumptive zygotes were cultured until reaching the blastocyst stage. There was no interaction between temperature and IGF-I concentration for any variable evaluated (P > 0.05). The addition of IGF-I did not alter the proportion of nuclear maturation, TUNEL-positive oocytes and caspase-3 activity, or blastocyst proportion on Days 7 and 8 post-fertilization. Furthermore, the total number of cells and the number of cells in the inner cell mass (ICM) in the blastocyst were not altered (P > 0.05). However, IGF-I increased (P < 0.05) the mitochondrial membrane potential and the production of ROS in oocytes and decreased (P < 0.05) the proportion of apoptotic cells in the ICM in blastocysts. Heat shock increased (P < 0.05) the proportion of TUNEL-positive oocytes and ROS production and reduced (P < 0.05) the mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, heat shock increased (P < 0.05) the apoptosis proportion in the ICM cells. In conclusion, supplementing IVM medium with IGF-I may increase the mitochondrial membrane potential and ROS production in oocytes and decrease apoptosis in the ICM in blastocysts. Heat shock for 12 h compromised oocyte developmental competence and increased apoptosis within the ICM cells of the blastocysts., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Several researchers have developed prediction equations to estimate the metabolisable energy (ME) of energetic and protein concentrate feedstuffs used in diets for broilers. The ME is estimated by considering CP, ether extract, ash and fibre contents. However, the results obtained using traditional regression analysis methods have been inconsistent and new techniques can be used to obtain better estimate of the feedstuffs' energy value. The objective of this paper was to implement a multilayer perceptron network to estimate the nitrogen-corrected metabolisable energy (AMEn) values of the energetic and protein concentrate feeds, generally used by the poultry feed industry. The concentrate feeds were from plant origin. The dataset contains 568 experimental results, all from Brazil. This dataset was separated into two parts: one part with 454 data, which was used to train, and the other one with 114 data, which was used to evaluate the accuracy of each implemented network. The accuracy of the models was evaluated on the basis of their values of mean squared error, R 2, mean absolute deviation, mean absolute percentage error and bias. The 7-5-3-1 model presented the highest accuracy of prediction. It was developed an Excel® AMEn calculator by using the best model, which provides a rapid and efficient way to predict the AMEn values of concentrate feedstuffs for broilers.