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Background: Most studies on focusing on the prevalence of vascular anomalies are either aimed to determine the individual occurrence of a specific type among known bearers of abnormalities or propose an estimation of prevalence for the general population by extrapolating from the paediatric population. In this scenario, we intended to assess the profile of vascular anomalies in a group of patients subjected to imaging studies, throughout a long period of time, to evaluate the frequency of abnormal findings in a consecutive, nonselected population., Methods: This is a retrospective review of 996,569 computed tomography and magnetic resonance studies between 2009 and 2019. Findings were grouped as vascular tumours (hemangiomas; vascular tumours), cavernomas, and vascular malformations. Positive findings were evaluated with regard to patients' demographic characteristics and anatomic distribution and the subset of vascular malformations was also evaluated with regard to size, classification in accordance to flow pattern, and Hamburg Classification., Results: Eighteen thousand four hundred thirty positive examinations were evaluated (mean age, 55.82 ± 15.43 years; 8,188 men). Vascular anomalies were present in 18.49 per 1,000 examinations (17.41 hemangiomas; 0.69 cavernomas and 0.39 vascular malformations per 1,000 examinations). Hemangiomas and cavernomas were homogeneous in anatomic location between sexes throughout the age groups. Complex malformations were heterogeneous in anatomic distribution between the sexes in each age group, with intracranial findings decreasing for female patients in older groups., Conclusions: Vascular anomalies were found in 18.49 per 1,000 examinations. Hemangiomas and cavernomas were homogenously distributed, whereas complex malformations displayed a heterogeneous anatomic distribution pattern between sexes in each age group., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Prostate cancer is the second most frequently malignancy in men worldwide. Most deaths are caused by metastasis, and tumor cell dissemination involves the interaction with endothelial cells. However, the endothelial cell signaling involved in such interaction is not entirely understood. The tumor microenvironment contains extracellular ATP, an endogenous agonist of the purinergic P2Y 2 receptor (P2Y 2 R). P2Y 2 R signaling changes endothelial cell phenotype, which may be relevant to cancer pathophysiology. Therefore, we hypothesized that P2Y 2 R activation could favor the metastatic prostate cancer cells adhesion to endothelial cells., Main Methods: For adhesion assays, confluent endothelial cells EA.hy926 were treated with P2Y 2 R agonists before adding and imaging stained DU-145 cells. Alternatively, fluorescent probes and antibodies were used to determine intracellular endothelial Ca 2+ , nitric oxide (NO), and flow cytometry assays., Key Findings: Endothelial P2Y 2 R activation with ATP, UTP, or the selective agonist 2-thio-UTP increased DU-145 cell adhesion to EA.hy926 cells. This effect required endothelial cell Ca 2+ mobilization and relied on the endothelial expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. Conversely, inhibiting this proadhesive endothelial phenotype could impair DU-145 cell adhesion. To evaluate this, we chose atorvastatin based on its notable improvement of endothelial cell dysfunction. Atorvastatin blocked UTP-induced DU-145 cell adhesion to endothelial cell monolayer in a NO-dependent manner, unveiling a P2Y 2 R and NO signaling crosstalk., Significance: Endothelial P2Y 2 R signaling contributes to the adhesion of metastatic prostate cancer cells suggesting that the downstream signaling blockade by statins could be a putative mechanism to reduce prostate cancer metastasis., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Folic acid (FA; vitamin B9) and its associated sodium salts, strongly relevant for many scientific and technological applications - from nutrition to pharmacology and nanomedicine, suffer from a lack of characterization combining experimental and theoretical. In this work, a spectroscopic investigation of FA and its synthesized sodium salts in the form of dianion (Na 2 HFol) or trianion (Na 3 Fol) was scrutinized in their solid state. The spectroscopic (infrared, Raman, and solid state 13 C-nuclear magnetic resonance) data interpretation was supported by theoretical calculations using the Density Functional Theory (DFT). Additionally, the compounds were characterized by UV-VIS diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy, combined thermal analysis (TG/DTG-DSC) coupled to mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffractometry. The main signatures of each species were identified, as well as the influence of the protonation level on their physicochemical properties. These distinct properties for the three compounds are mainly based on signals assigned to glutamic acid (glutamate) and pterin (neutral or anionic) moieties. This work should help developing new products based on FA or its anionic forms, such as theragnostic/drug delivery systems, supramolecular structures, nanocarbons, or metal complexes., 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 © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a plant molecule known to be active against several types of cancer, but some chemical characteristics limit its clinical applications. In order to overcome these limitations, polymeric nanoparticles can be used as carrier systems for targeted delivery of I3C. In this study, chitosan and chitosan/polyethylene glycol nanoparticles (CS NP and CS/PEG NP, respectively) were prepared to encapsulate I3C by ionic gelation method. The polymeric nanoparticles were characterized by Dynamic Scattering Light (DLS), Zeta Potential (ZP), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spetroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscopy (FEG-SEM). I3C release testing was performed at an acidic media and the interactions between I3C and chitosan or PEG were evaluated by Density Functional Theory (DFT). Cytotoxicity of nanoparticles in bladder cancer T24 cell line was evaluated by the Methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay. The average size of the nanoparticles was observed to be in the range from 133.3 ± 3.7 nm to 180.4 ± 2.7 nm with a relatively homogeneous distribution. Samples had relatively high positive zeta potential values (between +20.3 ± 0.5 mV and + 24.3 ± 0.5 mV). Similar encapsulation efficiencies (about 80%) for both nanoparticles were obtained. Physicochemical and thermal characterizations pointed to the encapsulation of I3c. electron microscopy showed spherical particles with smooth or ragged surface characteristics, depending on the presence of PEG. The mathematical fitting of the release profile demonstrated that I3C-CS NP followed the Higuchi model whereas I3C-CS/PEG NP the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. Chemical differences between the nanoparticles as based on the I3C/CS or I3C/PEG interactions were demonstrate by computational characterization. The assessment of cell viability by the MTT test showed that the presence of both free I3C and I3C-loaded nanoparticles lead to statistically significant reduction in T24 cells viability in the concentrations from 500 to 2000 μM, when comparison to the control group after 24 h of exposure. Thus, CS and CS/PEG nanoparticles present as feasible I3C carrier systems for cancer therapy., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

South American opossums of the order Didelphimorphia are considered sentinels for zoonotic infections and environmental diseases, such as for Chagas disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of data regarding protozoan diseases such Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in Neotropical marsupials; despite these pathogens have been considered threats to some marsupial species. The aim of this study was to determine whether Didelphis albiventris and Philander frenatus opossums from southern Brazil had been previously exposed to T. cruzi, T. gondii or N. caninum. Opossum samples were obtained by live-trapping of free-ranging animals and collection at wildlife rehabilitation centers in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state, Brazil. The detection of anti-T. cruzi and anti-T. gondii antibodies was performed by indirect hemagglutination and anti-N. caninum antibodies by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In total, samples were collected from 76 marsupials from nine municipalities in RS state, including 69 D. albiventris (white-eared opossum), and seven were P. frenatus (southern four-eyed opossum). For T. cruzi, 11% were seropositive, and for T. gondii 26% were seropositive. None of the marsupials sampled here were seropositive for N. caninum. Risk factor analysis showed that free-living animals were about five-fold more likely to be infected by T. gondii than were rescued animals. Our study showed the exposure of Neotropical marsupials (D. albiventris and P. frenatus) to protozoan pathogens T. cruzi and T. gondii, while no evidence of N. caninum exposure was found. The set of results presented here may have an effect on ecology and conservation of the studied species and may also indicate possible sentinels of these pathogen circulation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting are common techniques used to detect and quantify proteins in Staphylococcus aureus culture supernatants, such as Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL). However, protein A (Spa) secreted by most S. aureus strains may interfere with these assays by binding to the capturing and detecting antibodies. Here, we have shown that the addition of diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) inhibits the binding of Spa to rabbit anti-PVL used as the capturing antibody in ELISA. In Western blotting, the presence of DEPC prevented the binding of detecting antibody to Spa. These modified ELISA and Western blot techniques should prove useful for detecting and quantifying proteins in S. aureus culture supernatants., (2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Adhesion formation following abdominal intervention is an abnormal peritoneal healing process. Our aim was to investigate the effects of controlling adhesion development by inhibiting its key components (angiogenesis, inflammation and fibrosis) using phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors., Main Methods: Two PDE inhibitors including cilostazol a PDE3 inhibitor (40 and 400 mg/kg), and pentoxifylline (PTX), a PDE 1-5 inhibitor (50 and 500 mg/kg) were used for a period of 7 days to inhibit angiogenesis, inflammation, and fibrosis in a murine model of sponge-induced peritoneal adhesion. Angiogenesis was assessed by hemoglobin content, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, and morphometric analysis. Accumulation of neutrophils and macrophages was determined by measuring myeloperoxidase (MPO) and N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) activities, respectively. Levels of TNF-alpha were also determined. Fibrosis was assessed by determining the amount of collagen in the implant; TGF-beta1 levels in the implant were also measured., Key Findings: Our results show that the treatments attenuated the main components of the adhesion tissue by reducing the amount of fibrovascular tissue that infiltrated the sponge matrix (wet weight). Hemoglobin content and VEGF levels were also decreased by approximately 40%. Neutrophil accumulation was unaffected by the compounds. However, NAG activity was reduced by pentoxifylline, but not by cilostazol. These compounds also decreased the levels of the pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrogenic cytokines TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1, respectively, and collagen synthesis., Significance: Our results suggest that cilostazol and PTX decreased the development of peritoneal adhesions in the model, which might be associated with cyclic nucleotide modulation. Therapies to intervene in these pathways may be beneficial for the prevention of these lesions.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of acute third ventricle injections of two different 5-HT(4) receptor antagonists, GR 113808 and SB 204070, on water intake in different situations. Injections of 80 nmol/rat of both GR 113808 and SB 204070 were unable to modify water intake in normohydrated rats. Pretreatment with GR 113808 (40 and 80 nmol/rat) and SB 204070 (80 and 160 nmol/rat) blunted water intake after third ventricle injections of angiotensin II (9.6 pmol/rat) compared to saline-pretreated controls. Pretreatment with 80 nmol/rat of both antagonists potentiated drinking induced by third ventricle injections of carbachol (11.0 nmol/rat) compared to saline-pretreated control. In all doses employed, none of the compounds was able to modify water intake in dehydrated rats. A separate control test using one-bottle taste aversion paradigm indicated that the reduction in water intake observed in some of the present experiments could not be attributed to a drug-induced malaise. It is suggested that central 5-HT(4) receptors exert a dualistic role on the control of water intake potentiating angiotensin II-induced drinking and inhibiting thirst induced by central cholinergic activation