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Background and Purpose: Our aim is to estimate inter-observer reliability, test-retest reliability, anthropometric and biomechanical adequacy and minimal detectable change when measuring the length of single-point adjustable canes in community-dwelling older adults., Methods: There are 112 participants in the study. They are men and women, aged 60 years and over, who were attending an outpatient community health centre. An exploratory study design was used. Participants underwent two assessments within the same day by two independent observers and by the same observer at an interval of 15-45 days. Two measures were used to establish the length of a single-point adjustable cane: the distance from the distal wrist crease to the floor (WF) and the distance from the top of the greater trochanter of the femur to the floor (TF). Each individual was fitted according to these two measures, and elbow flexion angle was measured., Results and Discussion: Inter-observer reliability and the test-retest reliability were high in both TF (ICC 3.1  = 0.918 and ICC 2.1  = 0.935) and WF measures (ICC 3.1  = 0.967 and ICC 2.1  = 0.960). Only 1% of the individuals kept an elbow flexion angle within the standard recommendation of 30° ± 10° when the cane length was determined by the TF measure, and 30% of the participants when the cane was determined by the WF measure. The minimal detectable cane length change was 2.2 cm., Conclusion: Our results suggest that, even though both measures are reliable, cane length determined by WF distance is more appropriate to keep the elbow flexion angle within the standard recommendation. The minimal detectable change corresponds to approximately a hole in the cane adjustment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Specific proteases capable of degrading native triple helical or denatured collagen have been required for many years and have a large spectrum of applications. There are few complete reports that fully uncover production, characterization and purification of fungi collagenases. In this review, authors searched through four scientific on line data bases using the following keywords (collagenolytic OR collagenase) AND (fungi OR fungus OR fungal) AND (production OR synthesis OR synthesize) AND (characterization). Scientific criteria were adopted in this review to classify found articles by score (from 0 to 10). After exclusion criteria, 21 articles were selected. None obtained the maximum of 10 points defined by the methodology, which indicates a deficiency in studies dealing simultaneously with production, characterization and purification of collagenase by fungi. Among microorganisms studied the non-pathogenic fungi Penicillium aurantiogriseum and Rhizoctonia solani stood out in volumetric and specific collagenase activity. The only article found that made sequencing of a true collagenase showed 100% homology with several metalloproteinases fungi. A clear gap in literature about collagenase production by fungi was verified, which prevents further development in the area and increases the need for further studies, particularly full characterization of fungal collagenases with high specificity to collagen., (Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Paraquat (PQ) (1,1'-dimethyl-4-4'-bipyridinium dichloride) is the second most widely used herbicide worldwide; however, in countries different sales and distribution remain restricted. Chronic exposure to PQ leads to several diseases related to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions including myocardial failure, cancer, and neurodegeneration and subsequently death depending upon the dose level. The aim of this study was to examine if diet supplementation with eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA, omega-3 long-chain fatty acids) serves a protective mechanism against neuromuscular dysfunctions mediated by PQ using Drosophila melanogaster as a model with focus on mitochondrial metabolism. PQ ingestion (170 mg/kg b.w. for 3 d) resulted in a decreased life span and climbing ability in D. melanogaster. In the brain, PQ increased thioflavin fluorescence and reduced either 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) nuclei staining and neuronal nuclei protein (NeuN) positive neurons, indicating amyloid formation and neurodegenetation, respectively. In the thorax, PQ ingestion lowered citrate synthase activity and respiratory functions indicating a reduction in mitochondrial content. PQ elevated Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) mRNA expression levels, indicative of high calcium influx from cytosol to mitochondrial matrix. In brain and thorax, PQ also increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and impaired acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Concomitant EPA/DHA ingestion (0.31/0.19 mg/kg b.w.) protected D. melanogaster against PQ-induced toxicity preserving neuromuscular function and slowing down the rate of aging. In brain and thorax, these omega-3 fatty acids inhibited excess H2O2 production and restored AChE activity. EPA/DHA delayed amyloid deposition in the brain, and restored low citrate synthase activity and respiratory functions in the thorax. The effects in the thorax were attributed to stimulated mRNA expression level of genes involved either in mitochondrial dynamics or biogenesis promoted by EPA/DHA: dynamin-related protein (DRP1), mitochondrial assembly regulatory factor (MARF), mitochondrial dynamin like GTPase (OPA1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α). In conclusion, diet supplementation with EPA/DHA appears to protect D. melanogaster muscular and neuronal tissues against PQ intoxication.

Propolis is a natural mixture of compounds produced by various bee species, including stingless bees. This compound has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antitumor activities. The present study aimed to determine the chemical constituents as well as the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and toxic activities of ethanol extracts of propolis obtained from the stingless bees Scaptotrigona depilis and Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides , which are found in Brazil. Phytosterols, terpenes, phenolic compounds, and tocopherol were identified in the ethanol extracts of propolis (EEPs) in different concentrations. The compounds stigmasterol, taraxasterol, vanilic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, luteolin, and apigenin were found only in EEP-M. The EEPs were able to scavenge the free radicals 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and protected human erythrocytes against lipid peroxidation, with the latter effect being demonstrated by their antihemolytic activity and inhibition of malondialdehyde formation. The EEPs showed cytotoxic activity against erythroleukemic cells and necrosis was the main mechanism of death observed. In addition, the concentrations at which the EEPs were cytotoxic were not toxic against Caenorhabditis elegans . In this context, it is concluded that EEP-S and EEP-M show antioxidant and cytotoxic activities and are promising bioactive mixtures for the control of diseases associated with oxidative stress and tumor cell proliferation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Attalea phalerata Mart. ex Spreng., popularly known as "bacuri", is a native plant from the brazilian Cerrado and used in folk medicine as a pulmonary decongestant, an anti-inflammatory for joints and antipyretic. There is an expectation about the use in chronic disease of the Attalea phalerata oil since its composition is high in carotenoids and beneficial fatty acids. The aim of the study was to evaluate the toxicological profile of the oil extracted from Attalea phalerata Mart. ex Spreng. pulp (APO). Acute and subacute toxicity studies were performed in male and female Wistar rats according to the OECD - Guidelines 425 and 407. For the acute toxicity, one single dose of the APO (2000mg/kg) was administered by gavage to five female rats. In the subacute toxicity, four different doses (125, 250, 500 and 1000mg/kg) of the APO were administered to male and female rats for 28 consecutive days. No deaths or behavioral changes were observed during both experiments as well as no changes in organ weights, hematological, histopathological parameters. The biochemical parameters showed changes in phosphatase alkaline and albumin levels, however these values are within the normal range for the species. A significant reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides was also observed in some of the animals treated with the APO. Therefore, the LD50 is higher than 2000mg/kg and the APO oil can be considered safe at the doses tested in rats. However, further assessments are required in order to proceed to clinical studies in humans., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Alibertia edulis, popularly known as "marmelo do Cerrado" is a native plant from the brazilian Cerrado. It has high food and ornamental potential and the tea leaves are currently used as hypoglycemic, antihypertensive and diuretic., Aim of the Study: In order to evaluate the safety of the aqueous extract of Alibertia edulis leaves (AEAE), the acute and subacute toxicity tests were performed in male and female Wistar albino rats., Materials and Methods: The experiments were performed in accordance with the OECD guidelines 425 and 407. For the acute toxicity, one single dose of the AEAE (2000mg/kg) was administered by gavage to five female rats. The animals were observed for 14 days for any signs of toxicity and death. In the subacute toxicity, four different doses (125, 250, 500 and 1000mg/kg) of the AEAE were administered to male and female rats for 28 consecutive days. A satellite group received the maximum dose (1000mg/kg) for 28 days and remained untreated for 14 more days in order to observe reversibility, persistence, or delayed occurrence of toxic effects. The five parameters of the Hippocratic screening, body weight, food and water intake were daily observed. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected for the hematological and biochemical analysis. The vital and reproductive organs were inspected for any histopathological changes., Results: No deaths or behavioral changes were observed during both experiments as well as no changes on organ weights, biochemical, hematological and histopathological parameters that could indicate any signs of toxicity., Conclusion: All doses tested can be considered safe in rats and the LD 50 is higher than 2000mg/kg. Therefore, further assessments are required in order to proceed to clinical studies in humans., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The research on mitochondrial functions in adipocytes has increasingly evidenced that mitochondria plays an important role in the onset and/or progression of obesity and related pathologies. Mitochondrial function in brown adipose tissue (BAT) has been classically assessed by measuring either the levels/activity of mitochondrial enzymes, or the respiration in isolated mitochondria. Isolation of mitochondria is not advantageous because it demands significant time and amount of tissue and, as tissue homogenates, disrupts biochemical and physical connections of mitochondria within the cell. Here, we described a new and efficient protocol to analyze the mitochondrial respiratory states in BAT biopsies that relies on intracellular triglyceride depletion followed by tissue permeabilization. In addition to minimizing tissue requirements to ∼17 mg wet weight, the proposed protocol enabled analysis of all mitochondrial respiratory states, including phosphorylation (OXPHOS), no-phosphorylation (LEAK), and uncoupled (ETS) states, as well as the use of substrates for complex I, complex II, and cytochrome c; together, these features demonstrated mitochondrial integrity and validated the preparation efficacy. Therefore, the protocol described here increases the possibilities of answering physiological questions related to small BAT regions of human and animal models, which shall help to unravel the mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial function in health and disease., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether two methods of documentation, print and electronic forms, for the assessment of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) in complete denture wearers provide comparable results. The study also quantified the time needed for filling the forms by each method., Materials and Methods: Thirty participants enrolled in a university clinic answered two forms (a questionnaire for denture satisfaction and OHIP-EDENT). They provided answers with two application methods in a random order, with a one-month interval between them: (1) electronic forms on a tablet computer; and (2) print forms. The methods were compared in terms of mean results, correlation/agreement, internal consistency, and spent time., Results: Mean results for both methods were similar for each denture satisfaction item (100-mm VAS) and OHIP-EDENT summary score. Both questionnaires presented good internal consistency regardless of the application method (Cronbach's α=0.86 or higher). Correlation and agreement between the methods regarding specific items was at least moderate for the majority of cases. Mean time for the electronic and print forms were 9.2 and 8.5 minutes, respectively (paired t test, P =.06, non-significant)., Conclusion: The electronic method is comparable to print forms for the assessment of important PRO of prosthetic treatment for edentulism, considering the results and time needed. Findings suggest the viability of replacing print forms with a tablet for applying the tested inventories in clinical trials.

5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and its methylated ester (MAL) are the most common topical agents used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) as precursors of the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). The induction of newly PpIX depends on incubation time of each photosensitizer in the tissue and the presence of high intralesional porphyrin levels is an important parameter for the PDT effectiveness. This study used laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy to evaluate the optimum time to light exposure of PDT mediated by ALA (20% w/w) and MAL (10% w/w) to treat malignant lesions precursors of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma induced in mice. The therapeutic effects obtained by optimized ALA- and MAL-PDT were assessed 10 and 20 days after treatments. Higher PpIX levels were evidenced in the lesions photosensitized by ALA than MAL and according to LIF measurements the PDT irradiation was performed, respectively, at 300 and 330 minutes after ALA and MAL incubation. Histopathological analysis evidenced necrosis and epithelial atrophy after 10 days of PDT using both prodrugs, as well as reepitelization and collagen deposition at 20 days. Thus, despite the distinct concentration of ALA and MAL used in the formulation of each photosensitizing cream, PDT mediated by both photosensitizing agents obtained similar therapeutic outcomes., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: Hip fractures resulting from falls increase substantially with advancing age and less than half of older hip fracture survivors regain their former levels of mobility. There is increasing evidence that rehabilitation interventions with exercises that goes beyond the sub-acute phase or even in a later stage of care have a positive impact on various functional abilities. The purpose of this study is to determine if exercise program training for people who have suffered a fall-related hip fracture will improve functional mobility when compared with usual care., Methods: A randomized controlled trial with blinded assessors and intention-to-treat analysis will be undertaken. We will recruit 82 older adults, 60 years or over who have suffered a hip fracture due to a fall in the previous 6 to 24 months. Participants randomized to the Intervention Group (IG) will undertake a physical exercise program involving progressive and challenging balance training and neuromuscular and functional training of the lower limbs, conducted at home by physiotherapists, once a week, lasting about one hour, in the first, second and third month after randomization and will be taught to perform exercises at home, twice a week, using a booklet. Visits to monitor and progress the home exercise program will be conducted once a month, from the fourth to the sixth month and each 2 months until the end of the follow up at the 12 th month, i.e., a total of 18 sessions. Participants will receive monthly phone calls to encourage exercise adherence. The control group will receive usual care. The primary outcome will be mobility-related disability and participants will be assessed at baseline, and at 3 months, 6 and 12 months. Participants will receive monthly phone calls to ask about falls and exercise adherence. Adverse effects will be monitored., Discussion: This study proposes a home-based exercise program, which may in part overcome some barriers for rehabilitation, such as difficulties with public transportation and lack of a caregiver to accompany older patients to sessions. If a positive effect is observed this program has the potential to be incorporated into the public health system and contribute to building a pathway of care for older people with hip fracture., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02295527 .

Piperine is an abundant amide extracted from black pepper seeds which has been shown to have protective effects against cytotoxic and genotoxic carcinogenesis induced by certain chemical carcinogens and aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) in vitro. The aim of this work was to study, in vivo, the antigenotoxic potential of feed-added piperine on broiler chickens experimentally intoxicated with AFB₁, using micronucleus and comet assays. The antigenotoxicity assessment of 9-day-old chicks was performed on a total of 60 chickens divided into four groups of 15 broilers each: (C) control, (P) 60 mg·piperine kg -1 feed, (A) 0.5 mg·AFB₁·kg -1 body weight, (daily by oral route), and (P + A) co-treatment with piperine and AFB₁. The experiment was conducted for 26 days. Chicks intoxicated with AFB₁ showed significant genotoxic effects in the first 24 h post intoxication, and the effects remained in the other periods analyzed (48, 72, and 96 h and 26 days of treatment). The DNA damage in peripheral blood cells, the number of erythrocytes with micronuclei, and polychromatic-to-normochromatic erythrocyte ratio were significantly reduced or absent in the piperine/AFB₁ group. No significant differences were observed between the group piperine/AFB₁ and the control and piperine-alone groups. The addition 60 mg·kg -1 of piperine to the diet of the broiler chicks was safe, promoting beneficial effects in poultry health with respect to the toxic effects 0.5 mg·AFB₁·kg -1 body weight., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Purpose: Beneficial effects of green tea (GT) polyphenols against obesity have been reported. However, until this moment the molecular mechanisms of how green tea can modulate obesity and regulates fat metabolism, particularly in adipose tissue, remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of GT extract in the adipose tissue of obese animals and its effect on weight gain, metabolism and function (de novo lipogenesis and lipolysis), and the involvement of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)., Methods and Results: Male Wistar rats were treated with GT by gavage (12 weeks/5 days/week; 500 mg/kg of body weight), and obesity was induced by cafeteria diet (8 weeks). Here, we show that obese rats treated with GT showed a significant reduction in indicators of obesity such as hyperlipidemia, fat synthesis, body weight, and fat depots as compared to those treated with standard control diet. AMPK was induced in adipose tissue in rats that were treated with GT and likely restored insulin sensitivity, increased mRNA expression of GLUT4, reducing the concentrations of plasma and liver lipid content, also stimulating fatty acid oxidation in the same tissue. Importantly, repression of de novo lipogenesis in the adipose tissue, reduced lipid droplets in the liver, and the development of insulin resistance in diet-induced obese rats were accompanied by AMPK activation., Conclusion: Our study identified that metabolic changes caused by GT intake induced AMPK activation and modulate the expression of genes involved in metabolism, particularly in adipose tissue, thus offering a therapeutic strategy to combat insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and obesity in rats.

Campomanesia xanthocarpa (Myrtaceae) is used in Brazilian traditional medicine against fever, diabetes, hypercholesteremic, obesity, and urinary diseases. In the present study, the compounds 2',6'-dihydroxy-3'-methyl-4'-metoxychalcone and 2',4'-dihydroxy-3',5'-dimethyl-6'-methoxychalcone were identified for the first time in leaves of the C. xanthocarpa. These compounds and the hydroethanolic extract (HECX) significantly inhibited paw edema and reduced both leukocyte migration and the leakage of protein into the pleural cavity. No toxicity was detected by HECX in an acute toxicity test.

Background and Objective: Vibrational spectroscopic methods associated with multivariate statistical techniques have been succeeded in discriminating skin lesions from normal tissues. However, there is no study exploring the potential of these techniques to assess the alterations promoted by photodynamic effect in tissue. The present study aims to demonstrate the ability of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy on Attenuated total reflection (ATR) sampling mode associated with principal component-linear discriminant analysis (PC-LDA) to evaluate the biochemical changes caused by photodynamic therapy (PDT) in skin neoplastic tissue., Materials and Methods: Cutaneous neoplastic lesions, precursors of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), were chemically induced in Swiss mice and submitted to a single session of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-mediated PDT. Tissue sections with 5 μm thickness were obtained from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and processed prior to the histopathological analysis and spectroscopic measurements. Spectra were collected in mid-infrared region using a FTIR spectrometer on ATR sampling mode. Principal Component-Linear Discriminant Analysis (PC-LDA) was applied on preprocessed second derivatives spectra. Biochemical changes were assessed using PCA-loadings and accuracy of classification was obtained from PC-LDA ., Results: Sub-bands of Amide I (1,624 and 1,650 cm(-1) ) and Amide II (1,517 cm(-1) ) indicated a protein overexpression in non-treated and post-PDT neoplastic tissue compared with healthy skin, as well as a decrease in collagen fibers (1,204, 1,236, 1,282, and 1,338 cm(-1) ) and glycogen (1,028, 1,082, and 1,151 cm(-1) ) content. Photosensitized neoplastic tissue revealed shifted peak position and decreased β-sheet secondary structure of proteins (1,624 cm(-1) ) amount in comparison to non-treated neoplastic lesions. PC-LDA score plots discriminated non-treated neoplastic skin spectra from post-PDT cutaneous lesions with accuracy of 92.8%, whereas non-treated neoplastic skin was discriminated from healthy tissue with 93.5% accuracy and post-PDT cutaneous lesions was discriminated from healthy tissue with 89.7% accuracy., Conclusion: PC-LDA was able to discriminate ATR-FTIR spectra of non-treated and post-PDT neoplastic lesions, as well as from healthy skin. Thus, the method can be used for early diagnosis of premalignant skin lesions, as well as to evaluate the response to photodynamic treatment. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:538-545, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Studies related to communication on spiders show that, as in other invertebrates, the interactions between conspecifics are also made through chemical signals. Therefore, in order to assess whether the composition of cuticular compounds might be involved in interactions that occur during the days after the emergence of juveniles in Latrodectus geometricus, we conducted behavioral and cuticular chemical profiles analysis of females and juveniles of different ages. The results show that females, regardless of their reproductive state, tolerate juveniles of other females with up to 40 days post-emergence and attack juveniles of 80 days post-emergence. Cuticlar chemical analysis shows that while the profile of juveniles is similar to adult's profile, they can remain in the web without being confused with threat or prey. Also, cuticular chemical profiles vary between different populations probably due to genetic and environmental differences or similarities between them. Finally, females in incubation period are able to detect the presence of eggs within any egg sac, but cannot distinguish egg sacs produced by conspecifics from the ones they had produced., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To verify the influence of sociodemographic factors on the quality of life of patients after liver transplant., Method: Cross-sectional study with 150 patients who underwent liver transplant at a referral center. A sociodemographic instrument and the Liver Disease Quality of Life questionnaire were applied. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed, as well as multiple comparisons by the Tukey test and Games-Howell tests when p <0.05., Results: Old age had influence on domains of symptoms of liver disease (p = 0.049), sleep (p = 0.023) and sexual function (p = 0.03). Men showed better significant mean values than women for the loneliness dimension (p = 0.037). Patients with higher educational level had higher values for the domain of stigma of liver disease (p = 0.014). There was interference of income in the domains of quality of social interaction (p = 0.033) and stigma of the disease (p = 0.046)., Conclusion: In half of the quality of life domains, there was influence of some sociodemographic variable., Objetivo: Verificar a influência dos fatores sociodemográficos na qualidade de vida dos pacientes depois do transplante de fígado., Método: Estudo transversal, com 150 pacientes submetidos ao transplante de fígado em um centro de referência. Aplicou-se um instrumento sociodemográfico e o questionário Liver Disease Quality of Life. Foi realizada Análise de Variância (ANOVA) e comparações múltiplas pelo teste de Tukey e Games-Howell, quando p<0,05., Resultados: A idade avançada apresentou influência nos domínios: sintomas da doença hepática (p=0,049), sono (p=0,023) e função sexual (p =0,03). Os homens apresentaram melhores médias significativas do que as mulheres na dimensão isolamento (p=0,037). Pacientes com nível de instrução mais alto apresentaram maiores valores no domínio estigma da doença hepática (p=0,014). Houve interferência da renda nos domínios qualidade da interação social (p=0,033) e estigma da doença (p=0,046)., Conclusão: Em metade dos domínios de qualidade de vida, houve influência de alguma variável sociodemográfica.

This paper reports the electroanalytical determination of pendimethalin and ethyl parathion by square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry using a material comprised of chitosan-stabilized silver nanoparticles to modify a glassy carbon electrode. Under optimized experimental conditions, the peak current was found to vary linearly with the concentration of pendimethalin in the range of 70 to 2000 nmol L(-1) and with concentration of ethyl parathion in the range of 40 to 8000 nmol L(-1). Detection limits of 36 and 40 nmol L(-1) were obtained for pendimethalin and ethyl parathion, respectively. The silver - nanoparticle-modified electrode was successfully employed for the analysis of pesticides in tap and mineral water (pendimethalin) and in lettuce and honey (ethyl parathion) samples. Pendimethalin recovery was between 94 and 100 %, and ethyl parathion recovery was between 97 and 101 %, indicating no significant matrix interference effects on the analytical results. The accuracy of the electroanalytical methodology using the proposed modified electrode was also compared to that of the UV-vis spectrophotometric method.

Background: Heart disease in pregnancy is the leading cause of non- obstetric maternal death. Few Brazilian studies have assessed the impact of heart disease during pregnancy., Objective: To determine the risk factors associated with cardiovascular and neonatal complications., Methods: We evaluated 132 pregnant women with heart disease at a High-Risk Pregnancy outpatient clinic, from January 2005 to July 2010. Variables that could influence the maternal-fetal outcome were selected: age, parity, smoking, etiology and severity of the disease, previous cardiac complications, cyanosis, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class > II, left ventricular dysfunction/obstruction, arrhythmia, drug treatment change, time of prenatal care beginning and number of prenatal visits. The maternal-fetal risk index, Cardiac Disease in Pregnancy (CARPREG), was retrospectively calculated at the beginning of prenatal care, and patients were stratified in its three risk categories., Results: Rheumatic heart disease was the most prevalent (62.12%). The most frequent complications were heart failure (11.36%) and arrhythmias (6.82%). Factors associated with cardiovascular complications on multivariate analysis were: drug treatment change (p = 0.009), previous cardiac complications (p = 0.013) and NYHA class III on the first prenatal visit (p = 0.041). The cardiovascular complication rates were 15.22% in CARPREG 0, 16.42% in CARPREG 1, and 42.11% in CARPREG > 1, differing from those estimated by the original index: 5%, 27% and 75%, respectively. This sample had 26.36% of prematurity., Conclusion: The cardiovascular complication risk factors in this population were drug treatment change, previous cardiac complications and NYHA class III at the beginning of prenatal care. The CARPREG index used in this sample composed mainly of patients with rheumatic heart disease overestimated the number of events in pregnant women classified as CARPREG 1 and > 1, and underestimated it in low-risk patients (CARPREG 0).

Insect consumption as food is culturally practiced in various regions of the world. In Brazil, there are more than 130 species of edible insects registered, from nine orders, among which stands out the Coleoptera. The larva of the beetle Pachymerus nucleorum Fabricius, 1792, grows into the bocaiuva fruit (Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. Ex Mart., 1845), which has proven nutritional quality. The aim of this work was to evaluate the nutritional potential of P. nucleorum larvae compared to bocaiuva kernels for human consumption. Proteins were the second largest portion of the larvae nutritional composition (33.13%), with percentage higher than the bocaiuva kernels (14.21%). The larval lipid content (37.87%) was also high, very close to the kernels (44.96%). The fraction corresponding to fatty acids in the oil extracted from the larvae was 40.17% for the saturated and 46.52% for the unsaturated. The antioxidant activity value was 24.3 uM trolox/g of oil extracted from larvae. The larvae tryptic activity was 0.032±0.006 nmol BAPNA/min. Both the larvae and the bocaiuva kernel presented absence of anti-nutritional factors. These results favor the use of P. nucleorum larvae as food, which are a great protein and lipid sources with considerable concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids compared to the bocaiuva kernel.

Insects have played an important role as human food throughout history, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America. A good example of edible insects is the mealworm, Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), which are eaten in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. This species is easily bred in captivity, requiring simple management. The bocaiuva (Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd) is an abundant palm tree found in the Brazilian Cerrado, providing fruits with high nutritional value. The aim of this work was to determine the chemical composition of T. molitor grown in different artificial diets with bocaiuva pulp flour. The nutritional composition, fatty acid composition, antioxidant activity, trypsin activity and anti-nutritional factors of larvae were analyzed. The results showed that mealworms grown on artificial diet with bocaiuva are a good source of protein (44.83%) and lipid (40.45%), with significant levels of unsaturated fatty acids (65.99%), antioxidant activity (4.5 μM Trolox/g of oil extracted from larvae) and absence of anti-nutritional factors. This study indicates a new source of biomass for growing mealworms and shows that it is possible to breed mealworms in artificial diet with bocaiuva flour without compromising the nutritional quality of the larvae.

The aim of this work was to determine the genetic environment and transferability of blaKPC as well as the pulsotypes of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from clinical samples in Chilean hospitals. Seventeen strains, principally isolated in Santiago (the capital of Chile) during the years 2012 and 2013, were included. The genetic environment of blaKPC was elucidated by PCR mapping and sequencing. Molecular typing was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Curing and conjugation experiments were performed with six strains of different sequence types (STs) and pulsotypes. Thirteen pulsotypes and six STs, mainly belonging to clonal complex 258, were found. In addition, seven strains belonged to a new ST assigned ST1161. The blaKPC sequence indicated that 16 strains had the KPC-2 variant; in only one strain (UC331) an amino acid change (R6P) was detected, corresponding to a new KPC variant designated KPC-24. Molecular characterisation of the blaKPC genetic environment revealed two distinct platforms, namely variant 1a and the Tn4401a isoform, with the first being the most common (11/17 strains). Mating experiments failed to produce transconjugants; however, loss of blaKPC was achieved by plasmid curing in all assayed strains. In conclusion, in Chilean strains of K. pneumoniae, blaKPC is primarily found associated with the variant 1a and is located in non-transferable plasmids. In addition, this study highlights the description of the new ST1161 and the new KPC-24 variant., (Copyright © 2016 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacological mechanisms involved in anti-inflammatory and antidiarrheal actions of hydroalcoholic extract obtained from the leaves of Cissus sicyoides (HECS). The anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated by oral administration of HECS against acute model of edema induced by xylene, and the mechanisms of action were analysed by involvement of arachidonic acid (AA) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂). The antidiarrheal effect of HECS was observed and we analyzed the motility and accumulation of intestinal fluid. We also analyzed the antidiarrheal mechanisms of action of HECS by evaluating the role of the opioid receptor, α₂ adrenergic receptor, muscarinic receptor, nitric oxide (NO) and PGE₂. The oral administration of HECS inhibited the edema induced by xylene and AA and was also able to significantly decrease the levels of PGE₂. The extract also exhibited significant anti-diarrheal activity by reducing motility and intestinal fluid accumulation. This extract significantly reduced intestinal transit stimulated by muscarinic agonist and intestinal secretion induced by PGE₂. Our data demonstrate that the mechanism of action involved in the anti-inflammatory effect of HECS is related to PGE₂. The antidiarrheal effect of this extract may be mediated by inhibition of contraction by acting on the intestinal smooth muscle and/or intestinal transit.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic that reduces life expectancy; therefore, the search for new alternative and effective treatments is ongoing. The aim of the present investigation was to identify the chemical compounds in the hydroethanolic extract of leaves of Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata and to evaluate their toxicity and antiobesity effects. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to identify the chemical constituents, and acute toxicity was evaluated in rats treated with doses of 2 and 5 g·kg -1 body mass. The antiobesity effect was determined in rats with hypercaloric diet-induced obesity. Our results revealed the presence of compounds, such as jacaric, ursolic, and oleic acids, as well as luteolin, quercetin, and kaempferol, in the extract. The acute toxicity tests revealed that rats treated with elevated doses of the extract showed no signs of toxicity. The extract induced reduction in total body mass and the white adipose tissue depots. The obese rats treated with the extract showed an increased fluid intake and feces excretion while their serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels decreased compared to those in the controls, without any hematological changes. Taken together, the results showed that the constituents of J. decurrens extracts included phenolic compounds and exhibited antiobesity effects with no toxicity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

This study assessed the anti-inflammatory effects of the essential oil from Piper vicosanum leaves (OPV) and evaluated the toxicological potential of this oil through acute toxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenicity tests. The acute toxicity of OPV was evaluated following oral administration to female rats at a single dose of 2 g/kg b.w. To evaluate the genotoxic and mutagenic potential, male mice were divided into five groups: I: negative control; II: positive control; III: 500 mg/kg of OPV; IV: 1000 mg/kg of OPV; V: 2000 mg/kg of OPV. The anti-inflammatory activity of OPV was evaluated in carrageenan-induced pleurisy and paw edema models in rats. No signs of acute toxicity were observed, indicating that the LD50 of this oil is greater than 2000 mg/kg. In the comet assay, OPV did not increase the frequency or rate of DNA damage in groups treated with any of the doses assessed compared to that in the negative control group. In the micronucleus test, the animals treated did not exhibit any cytotoxic or genotoxic changes in peripheral blood erythrocytes. OPV (100 and 300 mg/kg) significantly reduced edema formation and inhibited leukocyte migration analyzed in the carrageenan-induced edema and pleurisy models. These results show that OPV has anti-inflammatory potential without causing acute toxicity or genotoxicity., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Propolis is a resinous material produced by honeybees, containing mainly beeswax and plant material. Despite the wide spectrum of biological activity of propolis, to our knowledge no studies have been carried out about phytotoxic properties of Brazilian propolis and its constituents. The aims of this study were to analyze the chemical composition and to evaluate the phytotoxic activity of the volatile fraction of a sample of Brazilian green propolis., Results: Main constituents are the phenylpropanoid 3-prenylcinnamic acid allyl ester (26.3%) and the sesquiterpene spathulenol (23.4%). Several other sesquiterpenes and phenylpropanoids, in addition to linalool and α-terpineol (monoterpenes), were also detected. The activity of solutions of the volatile fraction at 1.0, 0.5 and 0.1% was tested on lettuce seeds and seedlings. The solution at 1% inhibited completely the seed germination and solutions at 0.1 and 0.5% reduced the germination rate index. The solution at 0.5% reduced the growth of the hypocotyl-radicle axis and the development of the cotyledon leaf., Conclusions: The chemical composition of the volatile fraction of this Brazilian green propolis is different from those previously described, and these results may contribute to a better understanding about the chemical variations in propolis. The volatile fraction of Brazilian green propolis influences both germination of seed lettuce and the growth of its seedlings, showing an phytotoxic potential., (© 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients exhibit higher risk for bone loss than the general population. The chronic inflammation causes a reduction in bone mineral density (BMD), which leads to osteopenia and osteoporosis. This article reviewed each risk factor for osteoporosis in IBD patients. Inflammation is one of the factors that contribute to osteoporosis in IBD patients, and the main system that is involved in bone loss is likely RANK/RANKL/osteoprotegerin. Smoking is a risk factor for bone loss and fractures, and many mechanisms have been proposed to explain this loss. Body composition also interferes in bone metabolism and increasing muscle mass may positively affect BMD. IBD patients frequently use corticosteroids, which stimulates osteoclastogenesis. IBD patients are also associated with vitamin D deficiency, which contributes to bone loss. However, infliximab therapy is associated with improvements in bone metabolism, but it is not clear whether the effects are because of inflammation improvement or infliximab use. Ulcerative colitis patients with proctocolectomy and ileal pouches and Crohn's disease patients with ostomy are also at risk for bone loss, and these patients should be closely monitored.

Solanum paniculatum L. (Solanaceae) is a plant species widespread throughout tropical America, especially in the Brazilian Savanna region. It is used in Brazil for culinary purposes and in folk medicine to treat liver and gastric dysfunctions, as well as hangovers. Fractionation of the ethanolic extracts (70%) from aerial parts (leaves and twigs) of S. paniculatum led to the isolation of the two new saponins (22R, 23S, 25R)-3β, 6α, 23-trihydroxy-5α-spirostane 6-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1"" → 3"')-O-[β-D-quinovopyranosyl(1″' → 2')]-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1" → 3')]-O-β-D-quinovopyranoside (1) and diosgenin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1" → 6')-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2) together with four know compounds: caffeic acid (3), diosgenin β-D-glucopyranoside (4), rutin (5), and quercetin 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1"' → 6 ″)-O-β-D-galactopyranoside (6). The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive use of 1D and 2D NMR experiments along with HRESIMS analyses. Different doses (31.25-500 mg/kg) of ethanolic extract of leaves from S. paniculatum were evaluated against gastric ulcer induced by ethanol in rats. The lower dose of extract able to promote antiulcer effect was 125 mg/kg. The treatment with S. paniculatum by oral route was able to decrease gastric lesion area and also reduced levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the gastric mucosa. Our results reveal for the first time, steroidal saponins from S. paniculatum and the antiulcer effect of this species at this lower dose., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Syngonanthus arthrotrichus and Syngonanthus bisulcatus, currently known for Comanthera aciphylla (Bong.) L.R.Parra & Giul. and Comanthera bisulcata (Koern.) L.R. Parra & Giul, popularly known in Brazil as "sempre-vivas," are plants from the family Eriocaulaceae. They are found in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. The species are known to be rich in flavonoids to which their gastroprotective activity has been attributed. In this research, experimental protocols were performed to elucidate the associated mechanisms of action., Methods: The activity was evaluated using induced gastric ulcer models (acetic acid and ethanol-induced gastric lesions in NEM or L-NAME pre-treated mice, and by ischemia/reperfusion). Antioxidant enzymes, serum somatostatin, and gastrin were also evaluated., Results: In chronic gastric ulcers, a single daily oral dose of Sa-FRF or Sb-FRF (100 mg/kg body wt.) for 14 consecutive days accelerated ulcer healing to an extent similar to that seen with an equal dose of cimetidine. The pre-treatment of mice with NEM (N-ethylmaleimide) or L-NAME (N-nitro-L-arginine) abolished the protective activity of Sa-FRF, Sa-FDF, Sb-FDF and Sb-FRF or Sa-FRF and Sb-FRF, respectively, which indicates that antioxidant compounds and nitric oxide synthase activity are involved in the gastroprotective. Sa-FRF and Sb-FRF (100 mg/kg p.o) protected the gastric mucosa against ulceration that was induced by ischemia/reperfusion (72 and 76 %, respectively). It also decreased lipid peroxidation and restored total thiols in the gastric wall of mice that had been treated with ethanol. When administered to rats submitted to ethanol-induced gastric lesions, Sa-FRF and Sb-FRF (100 mg/kg, p.o.) increased the somatostatin serum levels, while the gastrin serum levels were proportionally decreased., Conclusions: The results indicate significant healing effects and gastroprotective activity for the Sa-FRF and Sb-FRF, which probably involves the participation of SH groups, nitric oxide (NO), the antioxidant system, somatostatin, and gastrin. All are integral parts of the gastrointestinal mucosa's cytoprotective mechanisms against aggressive factors.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are common bacterial colonizers of the human skin. They are often involved in nosocomial infections due to biofilm formation in indwelling medical devices. While biofilm formation has been extensively studied in Staphylococcus epidermidis, little is known regarding other CoNS species. Here, biofilms from six different CoNS species were characterized in terms of biofilm composition and architecture. Interestingly, the ability to form a thick biofilm was not associated with any particular species, and high variability on biofilm accumulation was found within the same species. Cell viability assays also revealed different proportions of live and dead cells within biofilms formed by different species, although this parameter was particularly similar at the intraspecies level. On the other hand, biofilm disruption assays demonstrated important inter- and intraspecies differences regarding extracellular matrix composition. Lastly, confocal laser scanning microscopy experiments confirmed this variability, highlighting important differences and common features of CoNS biofilms. We hypothesized that the biofilm formation heterogeneity observed was rather associated with biofilm matrix composition than with cells themselves. Additionally, our results indicate that polysaccharides, DNA and proteins are fundamental pieces in the process of CoNS biofilm formation., (© FEMS 2015. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine adherence to dual contraception using depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and condom among HIV-infected women., Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out from December 2013 to September 2014 at a local reference center, with application of questionnaire elaborated after Delphi panel and content validation to 114 HIV(+) women aged 15 to 49 years, using DMPA plus condom for contraception., Results: Mean age was 33.2 ± 7.2 years, mean time since HIV detection was 8.1 ± 5.2 years, mean time of antiretroviral use was 6.8 ± 5 years and mean CD4 cells/mm3 count was 737.6 ± 341.1. Sexual HIV acquisition was reported by 98.2% (112/114), antiretroviral use by 85.9% (98/114), and 77.7% (84/114) had a CD4>500/mm3 count. Having a single sex partner was reported by 78.9% (90/114), with HIV serodiscordance in 41.2% (47/114) of couples, 21.9% did not know the serological status of their partner and in 37.7% of cases (43/114) the partner was unaware of the HIV(+) status of the woman. The last pregnancy was unplanned in 71.9% of cases (82/114) and 14.9% of the women had become pregnant the year before, with pregnancy being unplanned in 70.5% (12/17) of cases. Current use of DMPA was reported by 64.9% (74/114), with genital bleeding in 48.2% (55/114) and weight gain in 67.5% (77/114). Use of a male condom was reported by 62.2% of the subjects (71/114). Three reported that they always used a female condom and ten that they eventually used it. Unprotected vaginal sex was reported by 37.7% (43/114) and unprotected anal intercourse was reported by 32.4% (37/114). Partner resistance to use a condom occurred in 30.7% of cases (35/114). Dual contraception using DMPA with condom was reported by 42.9% (49/114). A partner who resisted wearing a condom was associated with poor adhesion (PR=0.3; 95%CI 0.2-0.7; p<0.001). A partner who was unaware that a woman was infected with HIV favored adherence (PR=1.8; 95%CI 1.2-2.7; p=0.013)., Conclusion: The percentage of dual contraception using DMPA plus condom was 42.9%, maintaining unplanned pregnancies and unprotected sex. Resistance of partners to use a condom increased three times the chance of a woman not adhering to dual contraception, and the partner not knowing women's HIV infection almost doubled the chance to adhere to safe contraception., Goals: to offer new hormonal contraceptives and to involve the partners in contraception and serologic detection tests.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Himatanthus sucuuba on the maternal reproductive outcome and fetal anomaly incidence in rats. Pregnant rats were randomly divided into three experimental groups as follows: Control = treated with water (vehicle), treated 250 = treated with H. sucuuba at dose 250 mg/kg, and treated 500 = treated with H. sucuuba at dose 500 mg/kg. The rats were orally treated, by gavage, with H. sucuuba or vehicle (water) during preimplantation and organogenic period (from gestational day 0-14). At day 21 of pregnancy, all rats were killed to obtain maternal-fetal data. The treatment with H. sucuuba at dose of 250 mg/kg caused reduction in placental efficiency and an increase preimplantation loss rate and placenta weight compared with the control. The treated 500 group presented a significant decrease in maternal weight gain, maternal weight gain minus gravid uterus weight, fetal weight, and placental efficiency compared with the control. In this group, there was a decrease in body weight at day 20 of pregnancy and metacarpus ossification and an increase in the preimplantation loss rate and skeletal anomalies compared with other groups. Himatanthus sucuuba extract caused intrauterine growth restriction, preimplantation loss, and developmental delay in the high doses tested., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Serjania marginata (Sapindaceae), a medicinal plant commonly found in the Brazilian Cerrado, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina, is also known as "cipó-uva" or "cipó-timbó". Ethnopharmacological studies indicate that the leaves from this medicinal plant are used in folk medicine to treat gastric pain. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the gastroprotective and healing effect of the hydroalcoholic extract obtained from S. marginata (HESM) leaves using rodent experimental models. As part of the integrative study of this medicinal plant, we also evaluated the acute toxicity, antimicrobial, antidiarrheal, (anti)mutagenic, and hemodynamic effects., Material and Methods: We performed a pharmacological study to test the acute toxicity and antimutagenic effect (Ames assay) of the HESM. The HESM was tested against different necrosis-promoting agents and experimental manipulations, such as absolute ethanol, cysteamine, pyloric ligature, and ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. The gastroprotective effect of the HESM was assessed by analyzing the gastric juice (volume, pH, total acidity) and the mucus in the gastric mucosa from rats. We assessed the levels of NO, sulfhydryl compounds, PGE2, vanilloid receptor, glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. The gastric healing effects of the HESM were evaluated during 7 or 14 days of treatment. The intestinal motility, antidiarrheal action, and antibacterial effects (microdilution methods) of the HESM were also evaluated., Results: The phytochemical analysis of the HESM revealed the presence of saponins, flavonoid glycosides, and tannins. The extract exhibited no sign of acute toxicity or mutagenic effect in vitro. In contrast, this extract exhibited a protective effect against the mutagenic action of direct- and indirect-acting mutagens. Only the oral administration of HESM (250mg/kg) significantly decreased the severity of gastric damage induced by ethanol (60.13%) and I/R (58.31%). The HESM exerts its gastroprotective effects by decreasing the MPO and MDA activities in the gastric tissue and by increasing the amount of adherent mucus covering the gastric mucosa. In vitro, the extract also displayed evident antimicrobial effects against Helicobacter pylori. However, the preventive effect of the HESM was not accompanied by an ulcer-healing effect. The treatment with HESM (14 days) significantly increased gastric lesions in 99% of the tested animals compared with the control group. This result represents a highly relevant piece of evidence that should resonate as an alert against the chronic use of this medicinal plant as an antiulcer in folk medicine., Conclusions: Despite the anti-H. pylori and gastroprotective actions of S. marginata in experimental models, the gastric injuries aggravation induced after chronic treatment with the HESM argues against the use of this plant species in folk medicine., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely used parameter to study obesity; however it does not assess the distribution of body adiposity. Ultrasonography is a reliable method of measuring subcutaneous (SAT), visceral (VAT) and Total adipose tissue of the abdomen (TAT) to determine the influence of abdominal fat on pulmonary function by directly measuring abdominal adipose tissue., Methods: Eighty pre-menopausal, non-smoker, sedentary females with no history of pulmonary disease were subdivided into three groups: 25 normal-weight, 28 overweight, 27 obese. Absolute and predictive spirometric values were obtained: FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, IC, ERV., Results: A positive correlation between increased %IC and decreased %ERV was observed with increased BMI (p < 0.02; 0.001 respectively); %FVC, %FEV1 and %ERV decreased significantly as SAT (p = 0.01, p = 0.02; p < 0.001) and TAT (p = 0.01, p = 0.03, p < 0.001) increased, whereas VAT was negatively correlated only with %ERV (p < 0.001). Increments of 5 mm in TAT, VAT and SAT were followed by a reduction of 0.83 %, 0.81 %, 1.90 % in %FVC, respectively, as well as a reduction of 4.25 %, 4.31 % and 9.44 % in %ERV, respectively., Conclusions: Subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue deposition in obese females has a greater negative influence on pulmonary function than visceral adipose tissue deposition.

A headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) procedure that employs a PDMS/DVB fiber was developed for the analysis of gas-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) collected in polyurethane foam (PUF) by gas chromatography (GC) mass spectrometry. The method exhibited good linearity (R (2) > 0.99) and repeatability (4.9-25 %) as well as an impressive detection limit that ranged from 1.1 to 3.3 ng. Twenty-two air samples were collected by high-volume samplers from January to November 2007 in a semiurban area of Dourados (Brazil) and were analyzed for their content of total suspended particulates and PAHs. The PAHs were extracted from the PUF samples using the developed procedure (HS-SPME), and PAHs adsorbed on particulate matter were extracted with dichloromethane/methanol (4:1 [v/v]) in an ultrasonic bath. The values of the total daily concentrations of 16 PAHs determined in the samples ranged from 0.375 to 8.407 ng m(-3). In addition, diagnostic ratios were calculated, showing that the PAHs in the atmosphere at the sampling site originated predominantly from vehicle emissions and the combustion of grass and wood. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis were performed as well, the results of which indicated (1) the same sources of PAH identified by the diagnostic ratios and (2) that the sampling days could be categorized into three groups depending on the atmospheric conditions. GC retention indices were also used to identify PAHs, biphenyl (phenylbenzene), and heterocyclic organic compounds (benzofurans) in some of the samples.

The deaths and diseases of slaves in the São Paulo State sugarcane municipality of Capivari are addressed, associating the causes attributed to these deaths to the social and economic context and characteristics of the local slave communities. The impact of malaria, relating it to the age brackets, the environment created by work on the sugarcane plantations and the evolution of the occupation of the area, initially by expanding frontiers, is emphasized. The relationship between illness and work processes, as well as the post-disembarkation mortality of Africans and the possibility of mortality crises among the sugarcane captives is explored. The results lead to a discussion of the impact of habitat and Atlantic displacement and the difficulty in acclimatizing.

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) imposes a wide range of adverse health-related outcomes in older people, such as disability, which impair everyday activities and may increase the risk of fall. Few studies have explored EDS in Brazilian older people living in the community who are typically cared in primary health services. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of EDS and its sociodemographic, physical and mental health correlates among community-dwelling older adults. This is an exploratory, population-based study derived from Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults (FIBRA) study including adults aged 65 years and older. Participants with a score ≥ 11 points on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale were considered as having excessive daytime sleepiness. A structured, multidimensional questionnaire was used to investigate sociodemographic, physical and mental health, and self-rated health variables. The sample was composed of 776 older adults, of whom 21% (n = 162) presented excessive daytime sleepiness. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that EDS is associated with obesity (OR = 1.50; 95%CI 1.02 - 2.20), urinary incontinence (OR = 1.53; 95%CI 1.01 - 2.31), poor self-rated health (OR = 1.54; 95%CI 1.06 - 2.24), and depression symptoms (OR = 1.49; 95%CI 1.00 - 2.20). Our results suggest that healthcare professionals should identify older adults with EDS and implement intervention strategies to minimize the negative impact of the co-occurrence of this condition with obesity, depression and urinary incontinence over health and quality of life.

A 2(3) full factorial design was used to identify the main effects and interactions of pH, collagen concentration and temperature on the degree of collagen hydrolysis (DH) by collagenase from Penicillium aurantiogriseum URM 4622. Increases in both pH and collagen concentration improved DH, and a positive interaction effect was observed for these variables. On the other hand, temperature had a negative main effect on DH. The maximum value of DH (4.65 μg/mL) was achieved at 7.5 mg/mL collagen concentration, pH 8.0 and 25 °C. The peptide profile showed several peptides with molecular weights lower than 2 kDa and exhibited antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. An antioxidant activity of 84.7 ± 0.24 % towards the radical ABTS• + was obtained with 50 mg/mL hydrolysates. This study demonstrated that collagen hydrolysed by P. aurantiogriseum URM 4622 collagenase possesses interesting antibacterial and antioxidant activities.

Inflammation and haemorrhage are the main characteristics of tissue injury in botropic envenomation. Although some studies have shown that anti-venom prevents systemic reactions, it is not efficient in preventing tissue injury at the site of the bite. Therefore, this work was undertaken to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of the methanolic extract and fractions from D. elliptica and to evaluate the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in this process. Effects of the extract and fractions from D. elliptica were evaluated using a carrageenan-induced paw oedema model in rats, and leukocyte rolling was visualized by intravital. The quantification of MMPs activities (MMP-2 and MMP-9) extracted from the dermis of mice treated with extract and fractions alone or incubated with venom was determined by zymographic analyses. Our results show that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of fractions significantly reduced paw oedema after the carrageenan challenge. Treatment with the tannins fraction also resulted in considerable inhibition of the rolling of leukocytes and this fraction was able to decrease the activation of MMP-9. These results confirmed the anti-inflammatory activity of the methanolic extract and tannins fraction of D. elliptica and showed that the dermonecrosis properties of B. jararaca venom might be mediated through the inhibition of MMP-9 activity.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between self-perceived fatigue with different physical functioning tests and functional performance scales used for evaluating mobility-related disability among community-dwelling older persons., Method: This is a cross-sectional, population-based study. The sample was composed of older persons with 65 years of age or more living in Cuiabá, MT, and Barueri, SP, Brazil. The data for this study is from the FIBRA Network Study. The presence of self-perceived fatigue was assessed using self-reports based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale. The Lawton instrumental activities of daily living scale (IADL) and the advanced activities of daily living scale (AADL) were used to assess performance and participation restriction. The following physical functioning tests were used: five-step test (FST), the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and usual gait speed (UGS). Three models of logistic regression analysis were conducted, and a significance level of α<0.05 was adopted., Results: The sample was composed of 776 older adults with a mean age (SD) of 71.9 (5.9) years, of whom the majority were women (74%). The prevalence of self-perceived fatigue within the participants was 20%. After adjusting for covariates, SPPB, UGS, IADL, and AADL remained associated with self-perceived fatigue in the final multivariate regression model., Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is an association between self-perceived fatigue and lower extremity function, usual gait speed and activity limitation and participation restriction in older adults. Further cohort studies are needed to investigate which physical performance measure may be able to predict the negative impact of fatigue in older adults.

Nonmelanoma skin cancers represent 95% of cutaneous neoplasms. Among them, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the more aggressive form and shows a pattern of possible metastatic profile. In this work, we used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy to assess the biochemical changes in normal skin caused by squamous cell carcinoma induced by multi-stage chemical carcinogenesis in mice. Changes in the absorption intensities and shifts were observed in the vibrational modes associated to proteins, indicating changes in secondary conformation in the neoplastic tissue. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to evaluate the potential of the technique to differentiate the spectra of neoplastic and normal skin tissue, so that the accuracy obtained for this classification was 86.4%. In this sense, attenuated total reflection (ATR)-FTIR spectroscopy provides a useful tool to complement histopathological analysis in the clinical routine for the diagnosis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the gastroprotective and healing effects of the methanolic extract of the seed of the papaya Carica papaya L. (MECP) in rats. Models of acute gastric ulcer induction by ethanol and indomethacin and of chronic ulcer by acetic acid were used. The gastric juice and mucus parameters were evaluated using the pylorus ligation model, and the involvement of sulfhydryl compounds (GSH) and nitric oxide in the gastroprotective effect was analyzed using the ethanol model. The toxicity was assessed through toxicity tests. No signs of toxicity were observed when the rats received a single dose of 2000 mg/kg of extract. The MECP in doses of 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg significantly reduced the gastric lesion with 56, 76, and 82 % inhibition, respectively, and a dose of 30 mg/kg lansoprazole showed 79 % inhibition in the ethanol model. MECP (125, 250, 500 mg/kg) and cimetidine (200 mg/kg) reduced the gastric lesion in the indomethacin model, with 62, 67, 81, and 85 % inhibition, respectively. The MECP (500 mg/kg) and cimetidine (200 mg/kg) treatments showed a reduction in ulcerative symptoms induced by acetic acid by 84 and 73 %, respectively. The antiulcerogenic activity seems to involve GSH because the inhibition dropped from 72 to 13 % in the presence of a GSH inhibitor. Moreover, the MECP showed systemic action, increasing the mucus production and decreasing gastric acidity. Treatments with MECP induce gastroprotection without signs of toxicity. This effect seems to involve sulfhydryl compounds, increased mucus, and reduced gastric acidity.

Citrus aurantium L., commonly known as bitter orange, is widely used in folk medicine, but there is little data in the literature about the effects on pregnancy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of essential oil obtained from fruits of Citrus aurantium on the maternal reproductive outcome and fetal anomaly incidence in rats. Pregnant Wistar rats were randomized into four groups (n minimum = 12 animals/group): G1 = control, G2 to G4 = treated with essential oil from C. aurantium at dose 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively. Rats were orally treated, by gavage, with plant essential oil or vehicle during pre-implantation and organogenic period (gestational day 0-14). On gestational day 20 the rats were anaesthetized and the gravid uterus was weighed with its contents and the fetuses were analyzed. Results showed that the treated group with 500 mg/kg presented decreased placental weights and placental index, although the treatment with bitter orange essential oil did not show any alteration in maternal reproductive performance, toxicological effect, changes in ossification sites, and malformation index. In conclusion, the treatment of Citrus aurantium essential oil was not teratogenic and did not alter the maternal reproductive outcome.

Background: Cytokines play an important role in human immune responses to malaria and variation in their production may influence the course of infection and determine the outcome of the disease. The differential production of cytokines has been linked to single nucleotide polymorphisms in gene promoter regions, signal sequences, and gene introns. Although some polymorphisms play significant roles in susceptibility to malaria, gene polymorphism studies in Brazil are scarce., Methods: A population of 267 individuals from Brazilian Amazon exposed to malaria was genotyped for five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), IFNG + 874 T/A, IL10A-1082G/A, IL10A-592A/C, IL10A-819 T/C and NOS2A-954G/C. Specific DNA fragments were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, allowing the detection of the polymorphism genotypes. The polymorphisms IL10A-592A/C and IL10A-819 T/C were estimated by a single analysis due to the complete linkage disequilibrium between the two SNPs with D' = 0.99. Plasma was used to measure the levels of IFN-γ and IL-10 cytokines by Luminex and nitrogen radicals by Griess reaction., Results: No differences were observed in genotype and allelic frequency of IFNG + 874 T/A and NOS2A-954G/C between positive and negative subjects for malaria infection. Interesting, the genotype NOS2A-954C/C was not identified in the study population. Significant differences were found in IL10A-592A/C and IL10A-819 T/C genotypes distribution, carriers of IL10A -592A/-819 T alleles (genotypes AA/TT + AC/TC) were more frequent among subjects with malaria than in negative subjects that presented a higher frequency of the variant C allele (p < 0.0001). The presence of the allele C was associated with low producer of IL-10 and low parasitaemia. In addition, the GTA haplotypes formed from combinations of investigated polymorphisms in IL10A were significantly associated with malaria (+) and the CCA haplotype with malaria (-) groups. The IL10A-1082G/A polymorphism showed high frequency of heterozygous AG genotype in the population, but it was not possible to infer any association of the polymorphism because their distribution was not in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium., Conclusion: This study shows that the IL10A-592A/C and IL10A-819 T/C polymorphisms were associated with malaria and decreased IL-10 levels and low parasite density suggesting that this polymorphism influence IL-10 levels and may influence in the susceptibility to clinical malaria.

Propolis from stingless bees Tetragonisca fiebrigi found in Brazil is used in folk medicine by their nutritional and therapeutic properties. However, there are no scientific records evidencing such properties. The present study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and the biological properties of propolis from T. fiebrigi. For this, the chemical composition of the ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) was determined by GC-MS and presented phenolic compounds, alcohol, and terpenes as its major class compounds. The antimicrobial activity was accessed in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and in fungi, isolated from different biological fluids and reference strains. The EEP was active against all microorganisms and showed antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals, inhibiting hemolysis and lipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes incubated with an oxidizing agent. The anti-inflammatory potential of the EEP was confirmed by inhibition of the hyaluronidase enzyme. The cytotoxic activity was concentration-dependent against K562 cells, with a predominance of death by necrosis. Taken together, these results show that propolis from T. fiebrigi has important therapeutic activities, which suggest its potential application in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as in health foods, beverages, and nutritional supplements.

Background: Natural antioxidants can reduce oxidative damage caused by high-intensity resistance training (RT). We investigated the in vitro antioxidant potential of hydroethanolic extract (HEE) from Bowdichia virgilioides on muscular damage and oxidative stress in rats subjected to high-intensity RT., Methods: Thirty-two male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups: 1) control group (CG), oral administration (P.O.) of vehicle; 2) trained group (TG), vehicle-treated with RT; 3) B. virgilioides untrained group (BVG), treated with B. virgilioides HEE (200 mg/kg P.O.); and 4) trained B. virgilioides group (TBVG), treated with B. virgiliodes HEE (200 mg/kg P.O.). All animals were habituated to the training apparatus for 1 week. CT and TBVG animals were subjected to the training protocol, which consisted of three sets of 10 repetitions with 75% of the load established using the one-repetition maximum, for four weeks. CG and BVG animals were manipulated and fixed to the apparatus three times a week with no load. Treatment with B. virgilioides HEE or vehicle treatment was initiated after 25 days of RT (5 days; one dose per day). At the end of the experiments, plasmatic and gastrocnemius samples from all groups were obtained for the assessment of lipid peroxidation and creatine kinase activity., Results: Compared to TG rats, TBVG rats showed decreases in plasma and gastrocnemius tissue lipid peroxidation by 55.68% (p <0.0001) and 66.61% (p <0.0012), respectively. Further, compared to TG rats TBVG rats showed decreases in plasma and gastrocnemius tissue oxidative stress by 62.83% (p <0.0005) and 54.97% (p <0.0197), respectively., Conclusions: B. virgilioides HEE treatment reduced markers of oxidative stress caused by high-intensity RT. Further, HEE treatment during training significantly reduced the markers of tissue damage.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The leaves of Sedum dendroideum, commonly known as balsam, have long been employed for the treatment of gastric ulcers. The aim of study was to evaluate the antiulcer activity and toxicological properties of Sedum dendroideum using induced gastric ulcer models in Wistar rats., Materials and Methods: The hydroethanolic extract of Sedum dendroideum (ESD) was analyzed using an acute ulcer model using ethanol and indomethacin and a chronic ulcer model using acetic acid. The toxicity was evaluated with acute and subacute toxicity tests. The gastric secretion was assessed by the performance of pyloric ligation and the gastric volume, pH, and hydrogen ion concentration. The mechanism of the gastroprotective activity of ESD through the involvement of nitric oxide and sulfhydryl compounds was assessed. Moreover, a phytochemical screening and antioxidant assays were performed., Results: No signs of toxicity were observed. In the ethanol-induced ulceration model, ESD doses of 25, 50, and 100mg/kg significantly reduced the gastric lesions by 66.03%, 71.11%, and 70.82%, respectively. In the indomethacin-induced ulceration model, ESD doses of 25, 50, and 100mg/kg significantly reduced the gastric lesions by 89.88%, 94.36%, and 90.64%, respectively. Treatment with ESD at 50mg/kg and cimetidine at 200mg/kg significantly reduced acetic acid-induced ulcerations and resulted in 92.99% and 77.16% cure, respectively. ESD doses of 25, 50, and 100mg/kg inhibited oxidation by 79.7%, 82.4%, and 82.3%, respectively. The antiulcer activity of ESD may involve sulfhydryl compounds, considering that this activity was inhibited in the animals treated with sulfhydryl compound blockers. Furthermore, ESD increased mucus secretion and reduced gastric acidity and volume., Conclusions: The leaf extract of Sedum dendroideum exhibited gastroprotective activity, potentially due to sulfhydryl compounds and antioxidant activity. Therefore, other studies are warranted to elucidate the antiulcer properties of these compounds., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: An ethnopharmacological survey indicated that leaves from Eugenia punicifolia (Kunth) DC. (Myrtaceae) are popularly used as a natural therapeutic agent to treat pain and inflammation., Aim of the Study: The overall objective of the present study was to evaluate the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities of a hydroalcoholic extract of leaves from Eugenia punicifolia (HEEP) in rodents., Material and Methods: The antinociceptive effects of HEEP were evaluated in mice after oral administration in chemical (formalin and glutamate) and thermal (hot-plate) tests. We evaluated the involvement of the glutamatergic, opioidergic and nitrergic pathways in the antinociception of HEEP and the effect of HEEP on the inhibition of p38α MAPK. The anti-inflammatory effect of HEEP was evaluated in mice and rats using xylene-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema, respectively. Furthermore, the gastroprotective effect of HEEP was evaluated in rats with acute gastric lesions induced by ethanol or indomethacin. Finally, we performed a phytochemical analysis of HEEP., Results: The oral administration of HEEP (125, 250 and 500mg/kg, p.o.) significantly inhibited the neurogenic and inflammatory phases of formalin-induced licking, and HEEP (250mg/kg, p.o.) also significantly inhibited the nociception caused by glutamate. The antinociceptive effects of HEEP were significantly reversed by l-arginine (500mg/kg, i.p.) but not by naloxone (1mg/kg, i.p.) in the formalin test. HEEP did not affect animal motor performance in the rotarod model. In addition, HEEP also increased the paw withdraw latency in the hot-plate test. HEEP significantly inhibited ear edema induced by xylene (64%) and paw edema induced by carrageenan (50%) compared to the control group. Furthermore, HEEP (3-30mg/mL) also inhibited the phosphorylation of p38α MAPK by approximately 90%. In addition, HEEP (125, 250 and 500mg/kg, p.o.) protected the rats against ethanol (88.4-99.8%) and indomethacin (53-72.3%) and increased the mucus levels of the gastric mucosa without producing an antisecretory effect. The phytochemical profile of HEEP obtained using HPLC-PDA showed secondary metabolites already reported for the genus, mostly flavonoids, gallotannins and proanthocyanidins., Conclusions: These data show for the first time that HEEP has significant antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects, which appear to be related to the inhibition of the glutamatergic system, the synthesis of nitric oxide and the inhibition of the phosphorylation of p38α MAPK. HEEP also has interesting gastroprotective effects related to the maintenance of protective factors, such as mucus production. These results support the use of Eugenia punicifolia in popular medicine and demonstrate that this plant has therapeutic potential for the development of phytomedicines with antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective properties., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The antioxidant activity of Psychotria carthagenensis, P. leiocarpa, P. capillacea and P. deflexa (Rubiaceae) extracts were investigated, and the concentrations of total phenolics, flavonoids, condensed tannins and flavonols were determined. The chemical compositions of the extracts were investigated using the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC/PAD) method. We used 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH), β-Carotene bleaching and 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cations to determine antioxidant activity. The ability to scavenge radical was measured in these experiments by the discoloration of the solution. Concentrations of constituents were measured spectrophotometrically. P. carthagenensis and P. capillacea exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, in the DPPH test, β-carotene bleaching and ABTS system. The highest phenolic, flavonoid, condensed tannin and flavonol concentration was found in P. carthagenensis and P. capillacea extracts. HPLC-PDA analysis of P. carthagenensis and P. capillacea revealed hydroxycinnamic acid (p-coumaric acid). This is the first report on the antioxidant properties and constituent analysis of these Psychotria extracts.

Background: Dyspnea and exercise intolerance are the symptoms that most affect the quality of life of children and adolescents with respiratory disorders resulting from cystic fibrosis (CF)., Objective: To evaluate the effect of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) on treadmill 6-min walk distance and regional chest wall volumes in cystic fibrosis patients., Method: Crossover clinical trial, randomized, controlled and open with 13 children and adolescents with CF, aged 7-16 years, with pulmonary impairment (NTC01987271). The patients performed a treadmill walking test (TWT) during 6 min, with and without NIV on a BiLEVEL mode, an interval of 24-48 h between tests. Before and after each test, patients were assessed by spirometry and optoelectronic plethysmography., Results: Walking distance in TWT with NIV was significantly higher that without ventilatory support (mean ± sd: 0.41 ± 0.08 vs. 0.39 ± 0.85 km, p = 0.039). TWT with NIV increase forced expiratory volume on 1 s (FEV1; p = 0.036), tidal volume (Vt; p = 0.005), minute ventilation (MV; p = 0.013), pulmonary rib cage volume (Vrcp; p = 0.011), and decrease the abdominal volume (Vab; p = 0.013) after test. There was a significant reduction in oxygen saturation (p = 0.018) and permanent increase in respiratory rate after 5 min (p = 0.021) after the end test without NIV., Conclusion: During the walking test on the treadmill, the NIV change thoracoabdominal kinematics and lung function in order to optimized ventilation and tissue oxygenation, with improvement of walk distance. Consequently, NIV is an effective tool to increase functional capacity in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)