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Pasteurised donor human milk is recommended for very low birthweight infants who do not have access to their mother's milk. Although the use of donor milk continues to increase, little is known about the donation experiences of milk bank donors. We aimed to describe and compare enablers, barriers and patterns of human milk donation and identify factors predicting donation volume in a convenience sample of approved milk bank donors in the United Kingdom and the United States. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from August 2022 to December 2022. Approved milk bank donors (n = 556) from three milk banks in the United States (n = 369, Mothers' Milk Bank of Florida, Mother's Milk Bank of North Texas and Northwest Mothers Milk Bank) and one milk bank in the United Kingdom (n = 187, Hearts Milk Bank) completed the survey. A substantial portion of donors in both settings reported participating in other forms of milk exchange (51% of U.S. donors vs. 39% of UK donors, p = 0.009). Top donation barriers reported in both settings were completing the serological screening and having enough space to store collected milk. Most donors started donating when their infant was 3 months old or older and reported donating mature milk. The most common source of information related to milk banking in each setting was the internet (United Kingdom-70% vs. United States - 63%, p = 0.112). Variables that predicted lifetime donation volume differed between the United States and the United Kingdom, highlighting the importance of setting-specific milk banking research., (© 2024 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Crossfit is a sport that combines cardio-respiratory and muscle endurance, strength, flexibility, muscle power, speed, coordination, agility and balance. However, there is no information in the literature regarding functional performance of the lower limbs and the endurance of core muscles in this population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between trunk strength/endurance and lower limb function through lower limb symmetry and balance tests., Methods: Forty-one young adults aged 19-41 years (26.3 ± 5.4) participated, 15 sedentary and 26 cross fit practitioners for at least one year. The tests were as follows: Biering-Sørensen Test of trunk extensor endurance, Trunk Flexors Endurance Test at 60°, Side Plank Endurance Test, Lumbar Dynamometry, Single-Leg Hop Test and Star Excursion Balance Test., Results and Discussion: Although there were higher values, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the groups for lower limb symmetry and strength of trunk flexor muscles. For balance, strength and resistance variables of trunk extensor muscles, the values found were higher in crossfit practitioners than in sedentary subjects., Conclusion: There is a relationship between trunk muscle strength and endurance and lower limb balance. Moreover, cross fit athletes showed higher values of trunk muscle strength/endurance and lower limb balance compared to sedentary adults., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether high-fat (HF) diet intake during puberty can program obesity as well as generate glucose imbalance and hepatic metabolic dysfunctions in adult life. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into two groups: rats fed standard chow (NF) and rats fed a HF from postnatal 30-day-old (PND30) until PND60. Then, both groups were fed a standard chow from PND60 until PND120. Euthanasia and samples collections occurred at PND120. HF animals were overweight (+11%) and had increased adiposity, hyperphagia (+12%), hyperglycaemia (+13%), hyperinsulinemia (+69%), and hypertriglyceridemia (+34%). Plasma glucose levels during intravenous glucose tolerance test (ivGTT) and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test (ipITT) were also higher in the HF group, whereas K itt was significantly lower (-34%), suggesting reduced insulin sensitivity. In the same sense, HF animals present pancreatic islets hypertrophy and high β-cell mass. HF animals also had a significant increase in blood glucose levels during pyruvate tolerance test, indicating increased gluconeogenesis. Hepatic morphology analyses showed an increase in lipid inclusion in the HF group. Moreover, PEPCK and FAS protein expression were higher in the livers of the HF animals (+79% and + 37%, respectively). In conclusion, HF during puberty causes obese phenotype leading to glucose dyshomeostasis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which can be related to the overexpression of proteins PEPCK and FAS.

Objectives: In this study, an in vivo model of Aβ toxicity was used to investigate the effects of this peptide and the treatment with genistein on the lipid composition (gangliosides, phospholipids and cholesterol) in the frontal cortex of rats., Methods: Male Wistar rats received bilateral intracerebroventricular infusions of Aβ 1-42 (2 nmol) and genistein 10 mg/kg orally for 10 days. Frontal cortex was homogenized with chloroform:methanol for lipid extraction and ganglioside, phospholipid and cholesterol levels were evaluated., Results: The Aβ-infused animals showed a significant decrease in ganglioside concentration and relative reduction of GD1b and GQ1b species. Treatment with genistein prevented the decrease in ganglioside levels. Phospholipid and cholesterol contents did not show significant differences., Discussion: Considering the roles of gangliosides on neuronal function, findings described here can contribute to the knowledge of the potential neuroprotective mechanisms of genistein against Aβ-induced alterations in the frontal cortex of rats and provide a novel view in the multifaceted scenario associated with its beneficial effects.

Postnatal early overfeeding (PO) is a risk factor for cardiometabolic disorders. However, remains unknown the cardiac effects in the second generation from postnatal overfed dams. Our aim was to investigate the effects of maternal PO on cardiac parameters in second generation (F2) offspring. For this, pregnant Wistar rats (F0) were divided into two groups: normal litter (NL, 9 pups) and small litter (SL, 3 pups). At P70, female offspring (F1) of both groups were mated with non-PO male rats. At P21 male and female F2 offspring (NLO and SLO) were weaned, and at P45 they were euthanized to evaluate the cardiac function and sample collection. Male and female SLO showed increased body weight, food intake and adiposity. Blood estradiol levels were increased in the male SLO and decreased in the female SLO. Blood testosterone levels increased in SLO females, but not change in SLO male rats. Although SLO offspring presented cardiac hypertrophy, only males had ex vivo functional impairments, such as reduction of the intraventricular systolic pressure and dP/dt. Male and female SLO had increased interstitial fibrosis; however, only the male SLO had increased perivascular fibrosis. In addition, only male rats from SLO group had decreased AKT and Type 2 Ang-2 receptor, increased catalase and type alpha estrogenic receptor protein levels. Maternal PO leads to obese phenotype and alters sex-steroid levels in both male and female offspring. Although both sexes showed cardiac hypertrophy, only male offspring showed cardiac dysfunction, which may be related with Ang2 and AKT signaling impairments., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Maternal exercise has shown beneficial effects on mother and child. Literature confirm progeny's cognition improvement, and upregulation in neurotrophins, antioxidant network, and DNA repair system. Considering that there is a lack of information demonstrating the impact of maternal exercise on offspring's skeletal muscle, we aimed to investigate the mitochondrial and redox effects elicited by maternal swimming. Adult female Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control sedentary, free swimming, and swimming with overload (2% of the body weight). Exercised groups were submitted weekly to five swimming sessions (30 min/day), starting 1 week prior to the mating and lasting to the delivery. Gastrocnemius and soleus muscle from 60-day-old offspring were analyzed. Our results clearly showed a sex-dependent effect. Male soleus showed increased mitochondrial functionality in the overload group. Female muscle from the overload group adapted deeply. Considering the redox status, the female offspring delivered to overload exercised dams presented reduced oxidants levels and protein damage, allied to downregulated antioxidant defenses. We also observed an increase in the mitochondrial function in the gastrocnemius muscle of the female offspring born from overload exercised dams. Soleus from female delivered to the overload exercise group presented reduced mitochondrial activity, as well as reduced reactive species, protein carbonyls, and antioxidant network, when compared to the male. In conclusion, maternal exercise altered the redox status and mitochondrial function in the offspring's skeletal muscle in a sex-dependent way. The clinical implication was not investigated; however, the sexual dimorphism in response to maternal exercise might impact exercise resilience in adulthood.

Mother-pup interactions are extremely important to offspring survival and growth. The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of prenatal and neonatal interventions on maternal care, analyzing the effect of maternal exercise, as a healthy intervention, and also the litter size reduction, a model that has been widely used to study early overfeeding in rats. Female Wistar rats were divided into 1) sedentary, and 2) swimming exercise for four weeks, starting one week before mating (5 days/week, 30 min/session). One day after birth, the litter was culled to 8 pups (normal) or 3 pups (small) per dam, yielding control and overfed subgroups for each maternal group, respectively. From postnatal days 2-9 the litter was observed 5 periods a day, to evaluate maternal behavior. Litter reduction caused important alterations in maternal behavior, reducing the total time out of the nest and increasing the frequency of maternal care and lactation in several observation periods, justifying the increased pup's weight gain already demonstrated by this animal model. The practice of maternal exercise did not prevent, but cause the less intensive frequency of non-maternal behavior and lactation in arched-back position, induced by the reduction of litter size. These data demonstrated that small litter size altered maternal behavior, and gestational exercise does not influence significantly these changes., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by extracellular accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide, which induces synaptic dysfunction, alteration of intracellular signaling pathways, hyperphosphorylation of the Tau protein, and cognitive impairment. Genistein, one of the major isoflavones present in soy and soy products, has been shown to modulate some of the pathogenic events associated with the neurodegeneration process. However, its underlying mechanisms remain to be clarified. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to evaluate the ability of genistein to protect against Aβ 1-42 -induced cognitive impairment in rats and to elucidate some of the possible mechanisms involved in its neuroprotective effects in the hippocampus. Male Wistar rats received bilateral intracerebroventricular infusions of Aβ 1-42 (2 nmol) and genistein 10 mg/kg orally for 10 days. The Aβ-infused animals showed significant impairment of memory, which was accompanied by the following neurochemical alterations in the hippocampus: decreased levels of the synaptic proteins synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), hyperphosphorylation of Tau with increased activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and inactivation of ERK. Treatment with genistein improved Aβ-induced cognitive impairment by attenuation of synaptotoxicity, hyperphosphorylation of Tau, and inactivation of ERK. Furthermore, treatment with this soy isoflavone did not cause systemic toxicity. These findings provide further evidence of the neuroprotective effect of genistein in an in vivo model of Aβ toxicity and, importantly, extend the current knowledge concerning the mechanisms associated with the neuroprotective effects of this compound in the hippocampus., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Exposure to environmental factors can program the metabolism, conferring resistance or increasing the risk to chronic disease development in childhood and adulthood. In this sense, lactation is an important period in this window of development. Herein, we investigated the effect of early weaning on neurochemical and behavioral changes in offspring at weaning and adulthood. Female and male pups were divided into four groups: (1) Control weaning (weaning on the PND21, pups were kept with the biological mother); (2) Early Weaning Bromocriptine group (EWB) (pharmacological weaning on PND16); (3) Early Weaning Cross-Fostering group (EWCF) (pups housed with a foster mother on PND16 up to PND21); (4) Early Weaning Without Care group (EWWC) (weaning on PND16, maternal separation). Weight control of pups was recorded from postnatal Day 16 to 59. On the 21st day, part of the pups was euthanized and the hippocampus and hypothalamus were removed for biochemical evaluation. The remaining pups were submitted to behavioral tests on the 60th postnatal day. Early weaning reduced the pups' body weight, in a sex-dependent way. At 60 days of age, male pups of EWCF and EWWC groups have lower body weight compared to control male, and female body weight was lower than male pups. In relation to biochemical changes in the brain, weaning altered the levels of oxidants, increased the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), as well as induced lipid peroxidation. Weaning was also able to alter long-term memory and induce anxious behavior in pups. Our results demonstrate that the different types of early weaning changed the parameters of redox status in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of pups (21 days old), suggesting a prooxidative profile, in addition, to alter learning/memory and inducing an anxious behavior in male offspring (60 days old)., (© 2020 International Society for Developmental Neuroscience.)

Physical exercise practice has been increasingly recommended in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, causing a positive effect from body weight/fat loss to improved cognitive function. Maternal exercise seems to induce the same positive lifelong adaptations to the offspring. We hypothesized that maternal exercise can prevent redox imbalance in adult offspring's hippocampus exposed to a high-fat diet (HFD). Female Wistar rats were divided into three groups before and during pregnancy: (1) sedentary, (2) swimming exercise, and (3) swimming exercise with overload. On 60 days of age, the male pups were divided into standard diet or HFD for one month, yielding normal and HFD subgroups for each maternal condition. Maternal interventions did not alter gestational parameters, birth outcomes, and offspring weight gain from weaning to 90 days of age. The HFD consumption increased body fat, which was not prevented by maternal exercise. Serum glucose levels were increased by HFD, an effect that was prevented by unload maternal exercise. In the hippocampus, both maternal exercise intensities could increase antioxidant defense. Hippocampal redox homeostasis was impaired by HFD, causing increased superoxide levels, which was prevented by exercise without load, while overload caused only a reduction of the effect. In summary, the practice of swimming exercise without overload during pregnancy seems to be more beneficial when evaluated in animal model, preventing HFD induced redox imbalance and increasing antioxidant defense while overload swimming exercise during pregnancy demonstrated a negative effect on offspring submitted to HFD consumption., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest or competing interest., (Copyright © 2020 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

According to the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, changes in the maternal environment are known to reprogram the metabolic response of offspring. Known for its redox modulation, caloric restriction extends the lifespan of some species, which contributes to diminished cellular damage. Little is known about the effects of gestational caloric restriction, in terms of antioxidant parameters and molecular mechanisms of action, on the reproductive organs of offspring. This study assessed the effects of moderate (20%) caloric restriction on redox status parameters, molecular expression of sirtuin (SIRT) 1 and SIRT3 and histopathological markers in the ovaries and testes of adult rats that were subjected to gestational caloric restriction. Although enzyme activity was increased, ovaries from female pups contained high levels of oxidants, whereas testes from male pups had decreased antioxidant enzyme defences, as evidenced by diminished glyoxalase I activity and reduced glutathione content. Expression of SIRT3, a deacetylase enzyme related to cellular bioenergetics, was increased in both ovaries and testes. Previous studies have suggested that, in ovaries, diminished antioxidant metabolism can lead to premature ovarian failure. Unfortunately, there is little information regarding the redox profile in the testis. This study is the first to assess the redox network in both ovaries and testes, suggesting that, although intrauterine caloric restriction improves molecular mechanisms, it has a negative effect on the antioxidant network and redox status of reproductive organs of young adult rats.

Kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) is involved in vascular reactivity and inflammatory response to cytotoxic drugs. Since cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy and its cytotoxic mechanism can trigger inflammation and oxidative damage, in this work we evaluated the role of KKS in an animal model of cisplatin-induced ovarian toxicity. Biomarkers of ovarian stem cells, activity of KKS, inflammation and oxidative damage were measured in ovarian tissue of C57BL/6 female mice treated with vehicle or cisplatin (2.5 mg/kg). Cisplatin group presented greater number of atretic follicles, and lower numbers of antral and total viable follicles. Ki67, DDX4 and OCT-4 markers were similar between groups. Cisplatin triggered plasma and ovarian tissue kallikrein generation; and increased expression of bradykinin receptors B1 and B2. Neutrophil and macrophage infiltration markers increased. Superoxide anion generation also increased, while reduced glutathione levels decreased. These results suggest that KKS is activated and contributes to ovarian injury during cisplatin treatment., 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 © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of intraoral (IO) and extraoral (EO) diode laser irradiation on oral mucositis (OM) induced by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in rats., Methods: Animals (n = 78) were divided into the following groups: negative control (NC), positive control (PC), IO 6 J/cm 2 , EO with 6 J/cm 2 (EO 6 J/cm 2 ), and 12 J/cm 2 (EO 12 J/cm 2 ). OM was induced with an intraperitoneal injection of 5-FU and scarification of the buccal mucosa. Over the following 14 days, animals received photobiomodulation (PBM) daily. Clinical and histological evaluation was done by scores at days 8, 10, and 14. The redox state was evaluated by reactive species levels, antioxidant network, and immunohistochemistry analysis., Results: Clinically, on day 8, PBM groups showed lower scores of OM with EO 6 J/cm 2 presenting a significantly lower degree compared to PC (p < 0.05). On days 10 and 14, all PBM groups exhibited improvement of OM compared to PC (p < 0.01). On day 8, all PBM groups exhibited an accelerated healing process compared to PC (p < 0.01) and reduction of reactive species (p < 0.001). Also, all PBM groups demonstrated higher levels of antioxidant GPx compared to PC (p < 0.001). Analysis of nitrotyrosine revealed that on day 14, this protein damage marker was significantly reduced in the EO 6 J/cm 2 group (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: An EO diode laser protocol promoted positive effects in the clinical, histopathological, and redox state in OM induced by 5-FU in rats. Among the EO protocols, EO 6 J/cm 2 showed the most encouraging results.

Developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) is a field of biological science dedicated to investigating how different interventions during development affect an individual's life. Diet is an essential way to interact with the environment, and during pregnancy affects not only the mother but also can impact the next generations. One of these interventions is caloric restriction (CR), which has shown positive redox modulation in rats' offspring when malnutrition is responsibly controlled. Considering that mitochondrial metabolism is determinant for redox status, we investigated parameters related to mitochondrial functionality and reactive species levels in offspring's brain from rats delivered to pregnant caloric restricted dams. Therefore, pregnant rats were divided between control (ad libitum food) and CR (20% food restriction plus micronutrients supplementation) groups, and offspring's brain was analyzed on post-natal days (PND) 0, 7, 21, and 60. Mitochondrial function, as well as superoxide content, were decreased in most brain areas on PND0 and went through adaptation, showing increased mass and membrane potential in adulthood. Concerning mitochondrial electron transport system (METS), the most affected area was the cerebellum, which was impaired at birth and activated at adulthood. In conclusion, our results show that gestational CR promotes adaptation from impaired mitochondrial parameters at birth, improving mitochondrial function when compared to control, without increasing superoxide generation, at adult age. More studies are necessary in order to support the use of CR as a clinical approach., (Copyright © 2019 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Caloric restriction (CR) improves health and life span in animal models. Although CR effects in adult life are well described, little is known about effects on offspring when applied during gestation. Pregnancy is a remarkable period of life, alterations in this stage lead to lifelong consequences, some of which, associated to redox unbalance. Furthermore, gestational overweight is a growing issue that can lead to detrimental outcomes. To address this issue, we divided pregnant rats into control (ad libitum food) and CR groups, which received 20% less food than control. Micronutrients consumption was equalized between groups by oral gavage. Cerebellum, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus were evaluated on post-natal day (PND) 0, 7, 21, and 60. We observed increased oxidants content on PND0 in all brain structures, except for the cerebellum. Key enzymatic antioxidant defenses showed decreased activity on PND0. Interestingly, on PND60, we observed a positive modulation of most antioxidant enzymes, especially on the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses were decreased at birth and increased during development and adult age. Lipid peroxidation was increased at birth on most structures, and the effect was abolished thereafter. In the prefrontal cortex, lipid peroxidation was unaltered at birth and diminished thereafter, while protein oxidation was increased on PND0 and decreased on PND60. Protein oxidation was also decreased in the cerebellum at adult age. Our results shown controlled gestational CR to improve antioxidant defenses and protect offspring's brain from oxidative stress, especially in adulthood, as a result of developmental metabolic programming., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main aging-associated neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, synaptic failure, and cognitive decline. It has been a challenge to find disease course-modifying treatments. However, several studies demonstrated that regular physical activity and exercise are capable of promoting brain health by improving the cognitive function. Maternal lifestyle, including regular exercise during pregnancy, has also been shown to influence fetal development and disease susceptibility in adulthood through fetal metabolism programming. Here, we investigated the potential neuroprotective role of regular maternal swimming, before and during pregnancy, against amyloid-β neurotoxicity in the adult offspring. Behavioral and neurochemical analyses were performed 14 days after male offspring received a single, bilateral, intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs). AβOs-injected rats of the sedentary maternal group exhibited learning and memory deficits, along with reduced synaptophysin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and alterations of mitochondrial function. Strikingly, the offspring of the sedentary maternal group had AβOs-induced behavioral alterations that were prevented by maternal exercise. This effect was accompanied by preventing the alteration of synaptophysin levels in the offspring of exercised dams. Additionally, offspring of the maternal exercise group exhibited an augmentation of functional mitochondria, as indicated by increases in mitochondrial mass and membrane potential, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and cytochrome c oxidase enzymes activities. Moreover, maternal exercise during pregnancy induced long-lasting modulation of fusion and fission proteins, Mfn1 and Drp1, respectively. Overall, our data demonstrates a potential protective effect of exercise during pregnancy against AβOs-induced neurotoxicity in the adult offspring brain, by mitigating the neurodegenerative process triggered by Alzheimer-associated AβOs through programming the brain metabolism.

Prenatal and early postnatal environments can permanently influence health throughout life. Early overnutrition increases the risk to develop chronic diseases. Conversely, the intake of flavonoids and exercise practice during pregnancy seem to promote long-term benefits to offspring. We hypothesized that benefic interventions during pregnancy could protect against possible postnatal neurochemical alterations caused by overnutrition induced by reduced litter size. Female Wistar rats were divided into four groups: (1) sedentary + vehicle, (2) sedentary + naringenin, (3) swimming exercise + vehicle, and (4) swimming exercise + naringenin. One day after birth, the litter was culled to 8 pups (control) or 3 pups (overfed) per dam, yielding control and overfed subgroups for each maternal group. Serum of 21-days-old pups was collected, also the cerebellum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus were dissected. Litter size reduction increased fat mass and enhanced body weight. Maternal interventions, when isolated, caused reduced glucose serum levels in offspring nurtured in control litters. In the cerebellum, reducing the litter size decreased the activity of thioredoxin reductase, which was prevented by maternal supplementation with naringenin. Hippocampus and hypothalamus have shown altered antioxidant enzymes activities in response to litter size reduction. Interestingly, when maternal exercise and naringenin supplementation were allied, the effect disappeared, suggesting a concurrent effect of the two maternal interventions. In conclusion, exercise or naringenin supplementation during pregnancy can be important interventions for combating the increasing rates of overweight during the infancy and its related neurochemical changes, especially when applied isolated., (Copyright © 2018 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging mosquito-borne disease that causes acute febrile polyarthralgia and arthritis. CHIKV has spread rapidly to the Americas and, in Brazil, autochthonous cases are increasingly been reported. Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients who travel to or live in CHIKV endemic areas are under high risk of acquiring the disease. Few data exist regarding the clinical characteristics of CHIKV infections in this population. We report the first case series of CHIKV infection in SOT recipients., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 13 cases of CHIKV infection in SOT recipients between January 2016 and December 2016 confirmed by laboratory tests and transplanted in the Renal and Liver Transplant Units of Walter Cantídio University Hospital from Federal University of Ceará., Results: Positive CHIKV serology (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay immunoglobulin M) was found in all patients (9 kidney and 4 liver transplant recipients). All of these patients had been living in endemic areas for dengue and CHIKV in the past months before the illness. The mean time between transplantation and CHIKV infection was of 7.2 years. Fever presented in 11 (84.6%) patients and 5 (38.5%) presented with a maculopapular rash. All cases had joint symptoms: 11 (84.6%) with symmetrical and peripheral polyarthralgia/polyarthritis and 2 (15.3%) with monoarthralgia/monoarthritis. Six (46%) patients had a joint complaint that lasted 3 months. Two patients had concomitant positive dengue serology (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay immunoglobulin M). There were no cases of complications or deaths., Conclusion: SOT with CHIKV infection seems to have a clinical presentation and evolution similar to those seen in the general population, with no apparent damage to the graft., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To present clinical characteristics from renal transplant recipients with dengue fever and its impact on graft function., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 11 renal transplant recipients (RTR) with dengue infection confirmed by laboratory test, between January 2007 and July 2012, transplanted in the Renal Transplant Center of Walter Cantídio University Hospital from Federal University of Ceará., Results: Positive dengue serology (IgM) was found in all patients. The mean time between transplant and dengue infection was 43 mo. Fever was presented in all patients. Nine patients presented with classical dengue and two (18%) with dengue hemorrhagic fever. All cases had satisfactory evolution with complete recovery of the symptoms. The time for symptom resolution varied from 2 to 20 d, with an average of 9 d. An increase of creatinine after the infection was observed in three (27.2%) patients with no clinically impact on the kidney graft function., Conclusion: RTR with dengue infection seems to have a clinical presentation and evolution similar to those seen in the general population, with no long-term damage to patient and to the graft., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no any conflicts of interest. This study is the result of our daily work in the HUWC renal transplant ward and received no funding whatsoever.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are emerging pathogens. Recent publications have shown that renal transplant recipients are a population at risk for CRE infections. Management of these infections in this population is complex, requiring frequent use of nephrotoxic antimicrobial agents. Differentiating between urinary tract infection (UTI) and surgical site infection (SSI) in renal transplant recipients is sometimes difficult. The aim of this study was to describe CRE UTIs and SSIs in renal transplant recipients and to evaluate the impact of these infections on renal graft and patient survival., Results: Between January 2010 and October 2015, a total of 428 renal transplants were performed; 25 UTIs and 9 SSIs were identified. Median time between transplantation and diagnosis of CRE infection was 26 days; 29 cases (85.29%) were considered early infections. Of the 34 CRE isolates, 100% were sensitive to amikacin and colistin. Polymyxins were the most commonly used antimicrobial agent (27 cases [79.41%]). Nephrotoxicity was found in 4 (15.38%) of 26 cases. Combination therapy was used in 19 cases (55.88%), with a cure rate of 74%; monotherapy was used in 15 cases (44.11%), with a cure rate of 86%. Among the 25 cases of UTI, the cure rate was 100%, and recurrence occurred in 4 cases (16%). Among the 9 cases of SSI, 7 (77.7%) had negative outcomes (nephrectomy or death)., Conclusions: We observed that CRE UTIs had a high therapeutic success rate, low recurrence, and low mortality. However, CRE SSIs were associated with high morbidity and mortality, with high graft loss. Polymyxins and aminoglycosides, despite the risk of nephrotoxicity, had little impact on renal graft function, and are thus a safe therapeutic alternative to treat these infections., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The effect of nonweight-bearing exercise on osteoporotic bones remains controversial and inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of swimming on osteoporotic tibias of rats submitted to hindlimb suspension. Initially, 20 Wistar rats were used to confirm a significant bone loss following 21 days of unloading. Thirty rats were then divided into 3 groups and followed during 51 days: CON (nonsuspended rats), S + WB (suspended rats for 21 days and then released for regular weight-bearing) and, S + Swim (suspended rats for 21 days and then released from suspension and submitted to swimming exercise). We observed that swimming exercise was effective at fully recovering the bone deterioration caused by suspension, with significant increments in BMD, bone strength and bone volume. On the other hand, regular weight-bearing failed at fully restoring the bone loss induced by unloading. These results indicate that swimming exercise may be a potential tool to improve bone density, strength, and trabecular volume in tibias with bone loss induced by mechanical unloading in suspended rats. We conclude that this modality of activity could be beneficial in improving bone mass, strength, and architecture in osteoporotic individuals induced by disuse, such as bed rest or those exposed to microgravity, who may not be able to perform weight-bearing exercises., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Given the scarcity of data pertaining to whole-genome sequences of cyanobacterial strains isolated in Brazil, we hereby present the draft genome sequence of the Cyanobium sp. strain CACIAM 14, isolated in southeastern Amazonia., (Copyright © 2014 Lima et al.)

Despite their prominent importance, few efforts have been paid to the genomic analysis of heterotrophic bacteria associated with cyanobacteria. Thus, this work presents the draft genome sequence (~3.9 Mbp) of a heterotrophic bacterium (Rhodobacter sp. strain CACIA 14H1) recovered from a nonaxenic culture of a Cyanobium species.

With the new methods for assembling sequence data from metagenomic samples, the genomic study of heterotrophic bacterium-cyanobacterium associations can now be improved. In this work, the draft genome sequence of Blastomonas sp. strain CACIA 14H2, obtained from a nonaxenic culture of a Cyanobium sp., is presented.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of whole-genome DNA probes prepared from human oral bacteria to cross-react with bacteria from the oral cavity of rats, and to assess the influence of alcohol ingestion on the animals' oral biofilm., Design: Twenty four mature Wistar rats were equally divided in two groups. One group (control) was fed balanced diet of rat pellets and water. The alcohol-treated group (AT) received the same diet and 20% ethanol solution. Upon euthanasia after 30 days, bacterial samples from the oral biofilm covering the animals' teeth were collected using microbrushes. Bacteria identification and quantification were performed using the DNA checkerboard hybridization method with 33 probes prepared from human oral bacteria. Signals corresponding to bacterial genome counts and percentages were compared using a Mann-Whitney U test with a significance level <0.05., Results: Cross-reaction for all targeted species, except Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus mitis-like species, occurred in the control group. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Porphyromonas endodontalis, and Veillonella parvula-like species only produced detectable signals in the AT group. Significantly more signals were detected in the control group compared to the AT group (p=0.001). The percentage of E. coli-like species was highest in both groups., Conclusions: Whole-genome DNA probes prepared from human oral bacteria can cross-react with rats' oral bacterial species. Alcohol consumption is associated with lower levels and diversity of bacterial species in the oral cavity of rats., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)