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Dietary alternatives using insect-based products as an alternative for farm animal nutrition have been the object of study due to the high nutritional value of these feeds and the costs related to both their production and consequently their commercialization. Thus, the use of flies, especially larvae, has a high content of proteins and lipids (fat), as well as minerals and essential nutrients for development and growth, directly impacting the production of these animals, whether meat or milk. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compile data from the literature on the nutritional value of adults and larvae of Black soldier ( Hermetia illucens ) and housefly ( Musca domestica ) as a dietary alternative for animal feed. The Prisma checklist was used. After reviewing the data found in the literature, following the systematic review, it was noted that studies emerge that larvae of black soldier flies and domestic flies of the order Diptera obtain essential sources in the nutrition of ruminants, in addition to obtaining rapid digestibility, thus adhering to reproduction with high nutritional content, due to incident levels of protein, lipids, and minerals in M. domestica and Lucilia sericata , making it a target for inclusion in the diet of farm animals. In addition, it is concluded that both species are studied for their sustainable potential as well as for offering greater economic and nutritional viability when compared to ingredients present in production animal feed.

The effects of intra-hippocampal manipulation of glycine receptors on the reconsolidation of recent and late long-term spatial memory were evaluated and assessed in the Morris water maze. The results obtained from the intra-hippocampal infusion of glycine and taurine demonstrated that taurine at a 100 nmol/side dose impaired the reconsolidation of recent and late long-term spatial memory. In comparison, at a dose of 10 nmol/side, it only affected the reconsolidation of late long-term spatial memory, reinforcing that there are differences between molecular mechanisms underlying recent and late long-term memory reconsolidation. On the other hand, glycine impaired the reconsolidation of early and late spatial memory when infused at a dose of 10 nmol/side, but not at a dose of 100 nmol/side, unless it is co-infused with an allosteric site antagonist of the NMDA receptor. Altogether these results show that glycine acting in situ in the hippocampal CA1 region exerts a pharmacological effect on U-curve, which can be explained by its concomitant action on its ionotropic receptor GlyR and on its NMDA receptor co-agonist site., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Live yeasts have favorable characteristics for use in animal feed, and may become a beneficial tool to improve digestive efficiency in buffaloes ( Bubalus bubalis ). The productive performance, feed efficiency, and digestion ability of buffaloes fed diets supplemented with yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain KA500) were evaluated. Eighteen male Murrah buffaloes, with initial weight 250 ± 31 kg (mean ± standard deviation), and aged approximately 12 months, were randomly assigned to one of two treatments. The treatments included experimental feed containing 10 g of the live yeast capable of forming 2 × 10 10 colony forming units (CFU) and control (feed with no added yeast). The daily weight gain tended to be lower ( p  = 0.07) in buffaloes supplemented with yeast. There was a reduction in daily dry matter intake (DMI) and in % yield of live weight in buffaloes supplemented with yeast. There was no effect of live yeast supplementation on weight gain/kg dry matter intake, height at withers or rump, body condition score, total weight gain, carcass yield, plasma urea nitrogen concentrations, purine derivatives, and plasma glucose concentrations. The digestibility of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) were lower ( p  < 0.05) with the supplementation of live yeast, although live yeast supplementation did not affect the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and non-NDF OM. The strain and dosage of live yeast used did not have a positive effect on buffalo performance and digestibility of dietary nutrients., Competing Interests: WS was employed by Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ferreira, da Silva, Cunha, Costa, Cabral, Dias and de Lima.)

The evaluation of the reactivity and distress of cattle during corral management, by means of subjective scores, aims at the standardization of behavioral indicators, through non-invasive methods, in addition to enabling the development of more appropriate management practices, thus promoting the comfort and well-being of these animals. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to characterize the temperament and distress of cattle managed in a corral using behavioral indicators during the rainiest period. For this, the experiment was conducted on a property located in the municipality of Mojuí dos Campos, during the rainiest quarter (February-April). Thus, 30 male cattle, not castrated, approximately 29 months of age, clinically healthy, and weighing 310 + 20 kg, were divided into three rearing systems: silvopastoral (SP), traditional (SS), and integrated (SI) systems. There were 10 animals per system. Physiological parameters were collected to evaluate rectal temperature (RT) and respiratory rate (RR), as well as body surface temperature (BST), through thermal windows (head and flank infrared temperature and rump infrared temperature). To evaluate temperament and reactivity, scores indicative of corral behavior were used, namely escape speed (ES), tension score (SS&#95;1), tension score (SS&#95;2), reactivity scale (RS), movement score (MS), and temperament scale (TS). The results showed that there was a thermal amplitude of 5.9 °C on average and 8.6 °C at maximum when comparing the structure of the corral and the trees. In addition, the comparisons between the production systems for the behavioral variables did not differ at the 5% significance level, except for ES, where the traditional system differed from the integrated system and the silvopastoral system, showing intermediate average values for both. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the variables RT and RR (r = 0.72; p < 0.01), RR and SS&#95;2 (r = 0.38; p = 0.04), flank infrared temperature and MS (r = 0.47; p = 0.01), rump infrared temperature and RS (r = 0.37; p = 0.04), SS&#95;1 and RS (r = 0.41; p = 0.02), SS&#95;1 and SS&#95;2 (r = 0.39; p = 0.03), RS and SS&#95;2 (r = 0.58; p = 0.00), RS and MS (r = 0.50; p = 0.01), RS and TS (r = 0.61; p = 0.00), SS&#95;2 and MS (r = 0.51; p = 0.00), SS&#95;2 and TS (r = 0.47; p = 0.01), and MS and TS (r = 0.44; p = 0.02), and a negative correlation between ES and TS (r = -0.42; p = 0.02). The rainy season had a major influence on the evaluation of temperature and distress levels during handling in the corral, as evidenced by the association between physiological and behavioral parameters.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the thermal comfort of Nelore cattle ( Bos indicus ) managed in silvopastoral and traditional systems associated with rumination behavior in a humid tropical environment in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. The study was carried out on a rural property in Mojuí dos Campos, Pará, Brazil, during the transition period of the year, from June to July 2023. Over these two months, six consecutive data collection days were held. We selected 20 clinically healthy non-castrated male Nelore cattle, aged between 18 and 20 months, with an average weight of 250 kg and body condition score of 3.5 (1-5). These animals were randomly divided into two groups: traditional system (TS) and silvopastoral system (SS). The physiological variables evaluated included RR, RT and BST. The variables were analyzed using the linear mixed model. For agrometeorological variables, higher values were observed between 10:00 a.m. (33 °C) and 6:00 p.m. (30 °C), with the highest temperature observed at 4:00 p.m. (40 °C). The RR showed interactions ( p = 0.0214) between systems and times; in general, higher RR were obtained in the Traditional. The animals' RT showed no significant difference ( p < 0.05) between the production systems, but there was a statistically significant difference in relation to the time of collection ( p < 0.0001). In the BGHI, it was possible to observe that there was mild stress in the period from 22:00 at night to 6:00 in the morning and moderate stress in the period of greatest increase in temperature, from 10:00 in the morning to 18:00 at night. BST showed no statistical difference between the regions studied or between the SP (35.6 °C) and TS (36.25 °C) systems. RT in the TS showed a positive correlation with AT (r = 0.31507; p = 0.0477). RT in the SP showed a positive correlation with THI (r = 35583; p = 0.0242). On the other hand, RT in the SP (r = 0.42873; p = 0.0058) and ST (r = 0.51015; p = 0.0008) showed a positive correlation with BGHI. RR in the TS showed a positive correlation with BGHI (r = 0.44908; p = 0.0037). The greatest amounts of rumination were carried out by animals in the SP system, generally ruminating lying down ( p < 0.05). With regard to rumination behavior in the morning and afternoon, there were higher numbers of WS and LD in the TS ( p > 0.05). Most of the time, the cattle were LD during the morning and afternoon shifts, and at night and dawn they were WS in the TS. Therefore, the SP offers more thermal comfort advantages compared to the TS system.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the transport distance and lairage time on behavioral indicators of zebu beef cattle in the resting pen of a slaughterhouse using the focal animal technique. Eight lots of male zebu cattle, Nelore, aged approximately 4 years old, weighing on average 500 ± 28.5 kg-1, from different municipalities, transported by land, were evaluated. The lots were grouped into two categories: short distance (> 500 km) and long distance (> 500 km). Five focal animals per evaluated lot were used in each cycle of behavior observation, randomly chosen, and visually identified. The animal focal sampling method was used, with instantaneous recording, every 5 min per animal/h. A video camera was used and placed at a fixed point in the corral. After slaughtering, bruises and carcass pH were evaluated. The respiratory rate (RR) was measured in two moments, 30 min after unloading (RR&#95;I) and 1 h before slaughtering (RR&#95;F); behavioral data were divided into four lairage periods (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th) equally and evaluated as repeated measures over time. The lairage time lowered the behaviors of headbutting (NCHBs), pushing (PsH), mounting (MT), and chasing away (CA), ( p  = 0.0001), and these behaviors were more evident in animals transported for short distances in the initial resting times, decreasing as they remained in the resting pen. There was effect of distance on the initial and final pH of the carcass, being greater in the short distance ( p  = 0.047). There was no effect of distance or lairage time on initial or final RR ( p  > 0.05). In addition, animals transported over long distances showed less carcass injuries, which were observed during post mortem inspection. It is concluded that animals transported over short distances present a greater number of agonistic behaviors, such as NCHBs, MT, PsH, and CA, predisposing to higher rates of bruising during lairage and more accentuated changes in the final pH of the meat., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Silva, Gouveia Júnior, Damasceno Neto, Sousa, Barbosa, Bruno Rebelo da Silva, Santos, Lourenço-Júnior, Camargo Júnior and Silva.)

Increasing the efficiency of rumen fermentation is one of the main ways to maximize the production of ruminants. It is therefore important to understand the ruminal microbiome, as well as environmental influences on that community. However, there are no studies that describe the ruminal microbiota in buffaloes in the Amazon. The objective of this study was to characterize the rumen microbiome of the water buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis ) in the eastern Amazon in the dry and rainy seasons in three grazing ecosystems: Baixo Amazonas (BA), Continente do Pará (CP), Ilha do Marajó (IM), and in a confinement system: Tomé-Açu (TA). Seventy-one crossbred male buffaloes (Murrah × Mediterranean) were used, aged between 24 and 36 months, with an average weight of 432 kg in the rainy season and 409 kg in the dry season, and fed on native or cultivated pastures. In the confinement system, the feed consisted of sorghum silage, soybean meal, wet sorghum premix, and commercial feed. Samples of the diet from each ecosystem were collected for bromatological analysis. The collections of ruminal content were carried out in slaughterhouses, with the rumen completely emptied and homogenized, the solid and liquid fractions separated, and the ruminal pH measured. DNA was extracted from the rumen samples, then sequenced using Restriction Enzyme Reduced Representation Sequencing. The taxonomic composition was largely similar between ecosystems. All 61 genera in the reference database were recognized, including members of the domains Bacteria and Archaea. The abundance of 23 bacterial genera differed significantly ( p < 0.01) between the Tomé-Açu confinement and other ecosystems. Bacillus , Ruminococcus , and Bacteroides had lower abundance in samples from the Tomé-Açu system. Among the Archaea, the genus Methanomicrobium was less abundant in Tomé-Açu, while Methanosarcina was more abundant. There was a difference caused by all evaluated factors, but the diet (available or offered) was what most influenced the ruminal microbiota.

This study aims to present a proposal for using the focal animal recording technique to evaluate the welfare of buffaloes and to verify the association between each behavior and thermal comfort indices. The study was conducted in an experimental paddock located in Santarém, Pará, Brazil. A total of 10 female Murrah animals were used. The behavior of the animals was recorded during the day, with the use of three trained observers, for 72 consecutive h. Climatic variables were collected, and the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) and the practical Buffalo Comfort Climatic Conditions Index (BCCCIp) were determined. The multivariate technique of principal components and Spearman's correlation were employed. BCCCIp and THI were outside the thermal comfort zone at different times of the day. Grazing (P) was more frequent in the coldest hours of the day, while rumination occurred at different periods, mainly during the daytime and frequently in a lying position. There was a positive correlation between idle lying behavior and average temperature-Tmed ( r  = 0.583; p  < 0.028), THI ( r  = 0.432; p  < 0.034), and BCCCIp ( r  = 0.554; p  < 0.049). There was a positive correlation between grazing and Tmed ( r  = 0.665; p  < 0.0004) and BCCCIp ( r  = 0.583; p  < 0.036). The standing idle behavior negatively correlated with Tmed ( r  = -0.718; p  < 0.0001), THI ( r  = -0.522; p  < 0.008), and BCCCIp ( r  = -0.8076; p  < 0.0008). The lying ruminating behavior had a positive correlation with Tmed ( r  = 0.586; p  < 0.002), THI ( r  = 0.477; p  < 0.018), and BCCCIp ( r  = 0.8033; p  < 0.0009). Furthermore, ruminating while standing correlated positively with Tmed ( r  = 0.680; p  < 0.0003). The adaptation of the focal animal technique, with six observers evaluating each animal for 6 min through filming, proved to be efficient in pointing out the different behaviors of buffalo raised in Eastern Amazon fields under heat stress at different times of the day., Competing Interests: WS, JL-J, RC, and AS were employed by Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Silva, Silva, Gouveia Júnior, de Alvarenga, Barbosa, Silva, Pereira dos Santos, Lourenço-Júnior, Camargo Júnior and Silva.)

To date, there is insufficient evidence to explain the role of adenosinergic receptors in the reconsolidation of long-term spatial memory. In this work, the role of the adenosinergic receptor family (A1, A2A, A2B, and A3) in this process has been elucidated. It was demonstrated that when infused bilaterally into the hippocampal CA1 region immediately after an early nonreinforced test session performed 24 h posttraining in the Morris water maze task, adenosine can cause anterograde amnesia for recent and late long-term spatial memory. This effect on spatial memory reconsolidation was blocked by A1 or A3 receptor antagonists and mimicked by A1 plus A3 receptor agonists, showing that this effect occurs through A1 and A3 receptors simultaneously. The A3 receptor alone participates only in the reconsolidation of late long-term spatial memory. When the memory to be reconsolidated was delayed (reactivation 5 d posttraining), the amnesic effect of adenosine became transient and did not occur in a test performed 5 d after the reactivation of the mnemonic trace. Finally, it has been shown that the amnesic effect of adenosine on spatial memory reconsolidation depends on the occurrence of protein degradation and that the amnesic effect of inhibition of protein synthesis on spatial memory reconsolidation is dependent on the activation of A3 receptors., (© 2023 Bosetto Fiebrantz et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)

The good productive and reproductive performance of the animals depends on multiple factors, including favorable climatic conditions, which are responsible for causing changes in the physiological and behavioral responses. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the temperature and humidity index (THI) to support the implementation of a rearing system in ruminants in the Western Amazon, Brazil. Monthly temperature and relative humidity data were obtained from the Database for Teaching and Research (BDMEP) for the capitals Manaus (Amazonas), Boa Vista (Roraima), and Rio Branco (Acre), considering a historical series of 27 years (1993 to 2020), referring from January to December. In the capital Boa Vista, the months of January, February, May, June, and July showed an indication of mild stress and the months of March, April, August, September, October, November, and December had moderate stress. In Rio Branco, all months of the year presented the average THI in mild stress with variations of lower THI (73) and higher THI (77). In the capital Manaus, the months from January to July signaled mild stress, but from August to November, there was moderate stress, and in December, there was mild stress. It is possible to observe significant climatic variations during the months as well as the years of study, with the animals under thermal stress with THI > 72 or in a warning signal, with a gradual increase in temperature and humidity indices over the last 10 years. The importance of the breeding system and the consideration of environmental factors, such as the THI, are fundamental for the wellbeing and performance of cattle raised in the field. Our results support the adoption of heat stress mitigation strategies for ruminants in Western Amazon., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Silva, Printes, Lima, Silva, dos Santos, Camargo Júnior, Barbosa, Silva, Silva, Silva, Araújo, Britto and Lourenço-Júnior.)

The objective of this research was to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the carcass and meat of lambs fed with different types of oil. Thirty male, uncastrated, mixed breed (Santa Inês × Dorper) sheep were used in this experiment and were distributed in random blocks with three treatments and 10 replicates per treatment, where each animal represents a replicated experimental unit. The three treatments were the following experimental diets: soybean oil in natura; soybean oil after use in frying, and palm oil ( Elaeis guineensis ). The oils were incorporated into the sheep diets at a level of 4%. Carcasses were evaluated for hot and cold yield, loss due to cooling, finish, conformation, internal fat concentration, morphometric measurements, tissue composition, and commercial cuts. The addition of soybean oil in natura, residual soybean oil from frying, and palm oil to the sheep diets did not alter any of the evaluated characteristics, which therefore can be interpreted as favoring the use of any of these three oils as a supplement to their diet, and the three oils imparted good characteristics to the carcasses and the meat., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Costa, Silva, Faturi, Silva, do Rêgo, Monteiro, Budel, Castro, Barbosa, Silva and Lourenço-Junior.)

Introduction: Human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonosis of great importance to public health due to its epidemiological diversity, with emphasis on the possibility of aggravation by coinfection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)., Objective: The aim was to study the epidemiological characteristics of VL cases associated with HIV coinfection in Pará. Methods. Reported cases of VL from January 2006 to December 2016 were investigated. A descriptive epidemiological method related to age, gender, area of residence and coinfection with HIV was used. To calculate variance and test equity, the F -test (Fisher) was performed. To observe the influence of one aspect on another, the chi-square was used to verify if there was dependence or independence between the variables., Results: A total of 1171 cases of VL were reported during the study period. There was an annual mean of LV of 94.9, with a statistical difference (p<0.05) between age groups, with the highest number of cases being observed in children aged 1 to 4 years (27.16%). Males and the urban area had a higher number of cases. There were 57 cases of VL/HIV coinfection, with emphasis on the year 2013 and the municipality of Santarém, which had the highest number of cases. During the ten years studied, there was a correlation between coinfection VL/ HIV, with significant differences between patients with and without HIV who contracted VL (p<0.001)., Conclusion: The data reveal the endemic nature of VL in the region, with a high percentage of infection in children living in urban areas. Although the studied region is not identified as a predominant area of HIV cases, this study showed a high annual average (10.3) of cases of VL/HIV coinfection being the first time that cases of VL/HIV coinfection were reported in the Mesoregion of the Lower Amazon and Southwest Pará., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Camargo Júnior et al.)

In Brazil, the study on equine thermoregulation has not shown considerable advances, moreover, in the Amazon, this is a little explored aspect. This study aims to evaluate the thermoregulation of horses submitted to two methods of post-exercise cooling, in the climatic conditions of the Eastern Amazon. The experiment was conducted at Centro Hipico, Ananindeua, Para, for 15 days. Ten male horses, castrated of the Brazilian breed, aged 13 years and with an average weight of 482.3 kg were used. Equestrianism, which was exercised with pre-established protocol in the arena and track, for 30 min. After the exercise, the animals were divided into two groups for application of the treatments, which were two cooling methods, such as a bath with water at room temperature (about 25°C) and a hiper cooling method (6-9°C). During the experimental period, air temperature (AT) and relative humidity (RH) data were recorded and the Temperature and Humidity Index (THI) was calculated. Data from the rectal temperature (RT), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and Body surface temperature (BST) of the animals were also measured at three moments: before exercise, after exercise and after applying the cooling methods. The adaptability index used was the Benezra Thermal Comfort Index (BTCI). The BST was performed with the help of infrared thermograph, which were the left side of the neck, thorax, rump, and right side to the armpi, before the exercise, after the exercise and after applying the cooling methods. The statistical design was completely randomized. Analysis of variance was performed using the GLM Procedure of SAS 9.1.3. After the application of the cooling techniques in the animals, the AT and THI were higher and the highest RH values were found before the exercise (87.21%). The highest RT, RR, HR, BST, and BTCI values were observed after exercise. There was no significant dierence ( P > 0.05) between cooling methods. There was a highly significant and positive correlation ( P < 0.01) between all physiological variables (RT, RR, HR, and BST) and the Iberian Index with AT and THI and negative with RH ( P < 0.01), thus demonstrating the influence of the environment on the thermoregulation of animals. It is concluded the evaluation of stress, welfare and thermoregulation of horses submitted to two methods of post-exercise cooling, in the climatic conditions of the Eastern Amazon, demonstrated that the studied cooling methods showed to reduce the rectal temperature, the respiratory rate, the heart rate and the body surface temperature with equal efficiency. However, in terms of practical ease of use, the room temperature water cooling method has proven to be more practical., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was carried out in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be interpreted as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lisboa, Silva, Silva, Barbosa, Silva and Lourenço-Júnior.)

Thermal stress causes severe effects on the wellbeing and reproduction of cattle, including changes in oogenesis and spermatogenesis, generating great concerns, which last for decades. In cattle, the occurrence of thermal stress is associated with a reduction in the production of spermatozoids and ovarian follicles, in addition to the increase of major and minor defects in gametes or in their intermediate stages. In bovine females able to reproduce, a reduction in the rate of estrus manifestation and an increase in embryonic mortality has been observed. Therefore, keeping animals on good welfare conditions, with water supply and in shaded areas can favor the improvement of different reproductive parameters. For all this, the present study aimed to gather, synthesize and argue recent studies related to animal welfare, focusing on the effects of thermal stress on the reproduction of cattle, aiming to support possible strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of thermal stress in this species., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Silva, Silva, Camargo-Júnior, Silva, Santos, Viana, Silva, Silva and Lourenço-Júnior.)

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different production ecosystems, three in native and cultivated pastures (extensive), at two seasons of the year (dry and rainy), and one in confinement (intensive) in the Eastern Amazon, on the mineral content of buffalo liver raised on these ecosystems. Twelve male buffalo ( n = 12), aged between 24 and 36 months, slaughtered in commercial slaughterhouses, were used in each of the ecosystems considered: Marajó; Lower Amazon; Cultivated Pasture, and in confinement system, Pará, Brazil. Approximately 5 g of liver was collected, stored and frozen until lyophilization. Samples were analyzed for mineral content based on inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICPOES) readings. The relationship between extensive ecosystems and an intensive production system ( p < 0.05) in the values of potassium (K), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and barium (Ba) was evaluated. The different ecosystems studied influenced ( p < 0.05) the mineral values found in the liver of buffaloes raised in the ecosystems, for sodium (Na), K, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and barium (Ba). The period of the year interacted with the values of Na, K, S and Cu; however, an interaction of local vs. period of the yer was observed for the values of K, Mg, P, S and Cu. It can be concluded that the buffalo liver is an excellent source of minerals and can be included in the human diet and that the ecosystem the animals are raised influences its content.

Healthy food must have an adequate balance of macroelements, such as calcium or phosphorus and, microelements, such as iron, copper. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of three extensive systems, during the dry and rainy seasons, and an intensive (feedlot) system in the Eastern Amazon, on the muscle mineral profile of water buffaloes. In total, 12 male buffaloes, aged between 24 and 36 months, slaughtered in commercial slaughterhouses, were used in each of the systems considered: Marajó island, Santarém, Nova Timboteua, and a feedlot. Approximately 5 g of muscle was collected, stored, and frozen, until freeze-dried. The samples were analyzed for the mineral profile using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). There were significant differences ( P < 0.05) for concentrations of sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe). Extensive and intensive systems showed significant differences ( P < 0.05) for Na, Ca, S, Cu, and Fe concentrations. The season also influenced ( P < 0.05) K, Ca, P, S, Zn, and Fe concentrations. The location and season of the year had a significant interaction ( P < 0.05) for K, Mg, P, Zn, and Fe concentrations. The study showed that the different Amazonian production systems and the year season influenced the levels of minerals present in buffalo muscle. The values obtained were, in general, higher in extensive production systems, and Marajó Island stood out with higher mineral values in the dry season. Therefore, the meat from animals reared in these systems is a good mineral source for daily human needs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Rodrigues, Silva, Lourenço-Júnior, Silva, Almeida, Mourato, Castro, Bezerra, Silva and Prates.)

This study aimed to evaluate the behavior and thermal comfort of 20 Girolando cows (5/8-H/G), with light and dark coats, in the wettest period of the year, in Santarém, Pará, Brazil, in pasture with access to shade, and plenty of drinking water and mineral salt. Animal behavior categories were computed for 12 h a day, on 3 days in a row, by trained observers. Three day shifts were considered: Morning (6:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.), Intermediate (10:00 a.m. to 01:55 p.m.) and Afternoon (2:00 p.m. to 05:55 p.m.). The Temperature Index (TI), the Black Globe Humidity Index (BGHI) and the Comfort Index (CI) were calculated to measure thermal comfort. At all times studied, BGHI pointed that the environment was outside the thermal comfort zone. Dark-coated animals spent more 34.26% of the time in activities in the shade. The light-coated animals remained more 11.88% of the time in the sun, performing their natural behaviors. Both light and dark coat animals remained more 77 and 74.44% of the time in the sun, respectively. The behavior "in the sun while grazing" was the most evident, in both coats, in the studied shifts. The behaviors "in the shade while walking" and "in the shade while standing idle" were more evident ( p < 0.01) in dark-coated cattle. The grazing behavior was higher in animals with dark coat ( p < 0.05). In all evaluated shifts, there was a positive correlation between the behavior "in the sun while grazing" with the CI (r = 0.44211; p < 0.0305). Behaviors performed in the shade, such as "idleness while lying down," "ruminating while lying down and standing up," and behaviors "in the sun," "idleness while lying down" and "ruminating while lying down," were negatively correlated with CI. It is concluded that, even in the wettest period of the year, in the Eastern Amazon, Girolando dairy cows are exposed to hot environments, which causes thermal discomfort and changes in their natural behavior, as they spend more time standing in shaded areas, usually in rumination. Also, light-coated cows spend more time in the sun, while dark-coated cows spend more time in the shade. Thus, light-coated cows tend to have health and zootechnical performance negatively affected., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Silva, Silva, Santos, Camargo Junior, Barbosa, Silva, Vinhote, Sousa and Lourenço Júnior.)

Buffaloes are well-adapted to hot, humid climates and muddy terrain, however they show signs of thermal discomfort when exposed to direct sunlight due to their specific structural features such as dark skin, small number of sweat glands/skin area and thick skin. Epidermis layer of the skin, making heat dissipation difficult. The study aimed to evaluate the thermal comfort of female buffaloes raised in traditional and silvopastoral systems, on the island of Marajó, Pará, during the rainy season of the year. The experiment was carried out in Cachoeira do Arari, Retiro Grande, Marajó, Pará (00°55'37.814424"S 48°43'48.143060"W). Twenty female Murrah buffaloes, aged between 2 and 3years and average weight of 282 ± 29 kg, were used. They were fed on pasture and divided into two groups: WS group (with shade) and NS group (without shade). The WS group ( n = 10) remained grazing in a silvopastoral system, with access to the shade of red Jambeiro ( Syzygium malaccense ) trees. The NS group ( n = 10) was kept in grazing, in a traditional system, without access to the shade of trees or shades. The physiological variables rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR) and body surface temperature (BST) (forehead, left side of the thorax and left flank) were measured at 6:00, 10:00, 14:00, 18:00, and 22:00 h. At the same times, data on air temperature, relative air humidity, wind speed (WSP), solar radiation (SR) and Temperature and Humidity Index (THI) were also recorded. THI, WSP and SR were higher at 14:00 h ( P < 0.05). At 10:00, 14:00, and 18:00 h there was difference of RT between treatments ( P < 0.05), where animals of the NS group had the highest values. In the NS group, the highest value of RT was observed at 14:00 h (39.38 ± 0.43°C), when THI and SR were higher. At 10:00 and 14:00 h, BST was higher in the NS group ( p < 0.05), of 34,55 ± 1.03 and 35.35 ± 1.51°C, respectively, and both groups had the highest value of BST at those same times. There was difference of the RR between treatments at 10:00 h and 14:00 h ( p < 0.05), where the highest values were found in the NS group (33.71 ± 7.58 e 50.40 ± 18.41 mov./min., respectively). Even in the rainy season of the year, the climatic conditions of Ilha do Marajó are unfavorable to the welfare of buffaloes, especially at 2:00 pm, when the SR is higher. Thus, the use of the system with access to shade, such as silvopastoral, is recommended, in order to provide greater thermal comfort to animals and improve their productivity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Silva, Pantoja, Silva, Almeida, Noronha, Barbosa and Lourenço Júnior.)

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channels are sensitive to warm ambient temperatures (T a s), triggering heat loss responses in adult rats in a T a s range of ∼26-30°C. In birds, however, the thermoregulatory role of TRPV4 has never been shown. Here, we hypothesized that stimulation of TRPV4 induces thermolytic responses for body temperature (T b ) maintenance in birds, and that this function is already present in early life, when the T a range for TRPV4 activation does not represent a warm condition for these animals. We first demonstrated the presence of TRPV4 in the dorsal and ventral skin of chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus ) by immunohistochemistry. Then, we evaluated the effects of the TRPV4 agonist, RN1747, and the TRPV4 antagonists, HC067047 and GSK2193874, on T b and thermoeffectors at different T a s in 5-day-old chicks and 60-day-old adult chickens. For the chicks, RN1747 transiently reduced T b both in thermoneutrality (31°C) and in a cold T a for this phase (26°C), which relied on huddling behavior inhibition. The TRPV4 antagonists alone did not affect T b or thermoeffectors but blocked the T b decrease and huddling inhibition promoted by RN1747. For the adults, TRPV4 antagonism increased T b when animals were exposed to 28°C (suprathermoneutral condition for adults), but not to 19°C. In contrast, RN1747 decreased T b by reducing metabolic rate and activating thermal tachypnea at 19°C, a T a below the activation range of TRPV4. Our results indicate that peripheral TRPV4 receptors are functional in early life, but may be inhibited at that time when the range of activation (∼26-30°C) represents cold T a for chicks, and become physiologically relevant for T b maintenance when the activation T a range for TRPV4 becomes suprathermoneutral for adult chickens., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Cristina-Silva, Amaral-Silva, Santos, Correa, da Silva, Fernandes, da Silva, Gargaglioni, Almeida and Bicego.)

Background: The preventive role of muscular strength on diminishing neuroinflammation is yet unknown. In this study, the role of the prophylactic muscular strength exercise was investigated in order to verify whether it would diminish cognitive alterations and modify the antioxidant intracellular scenery in an animal neuroinflammatory model in of the CA1 region of the hippocampus., Methods: The animals received muscular strength training (SE) three times a week for eight weeks. Subsequently, the stereotaxic surgery was performed with an intra-hippocampal infusion of either saline solution (SAL) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Next, we performed the behavioral tests: object recognition and social recognition. Then, the animals were euthanized, and their hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were collected. In another moment, we performed the dosage of the antioxidant activity and histological analysis., Results: The results showed that the muscular strength exercises could show a beneficial prophylactic effect in the cognitive deficiencies caused by acute neuroinflammation. Regarding oxidative stress, there was an increase in catalase enzyme activity (CAT) in the group (SE + LPS) compared to the control groups (p < 0.05). As for the cognitive alterations, there were found in the (SE + LPS) group, diminishing the mnemonic hazard of the discriminative and social memories compared to the control groups (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: We concluded, therefore, that the exercise performed prophylactically presents a protective effect capable of minimizing such mnemonic deficits and increasing catalase enzyme activity in rats that suffered a local neuroinflammatory process in the hippocampus., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The febrile response to resist a pathogen is energetically expensive, while regulated hypothermia seems to preserve energy for vital functions. We hypothesized here that immune-challenged birds facing metabolic trade-offs (reduced energy supply/increased energy demand) favor a regulated hypothermic response at the expense of fever. To test this hypothesis, we compared 5 day old broiler chicks exposed to fasting, cold (25°C), and fasting combined with cold with a control group fed under thermoneutral conditions (30°C). The chicks were injected with saline or with a high dose of endotoxin known to induce a biphasic thermal response composed of a drop in body temperature (Tb) followed by fever. Then Tb, oxygen consumption (metabolic rate), peripheral vasomotion (cutaneous heat exchange), breathing frequency (respiratory heat exchange) and huddling behavior (heat conservation indicator) were analyzed. Irrespective of metabolic trade-offs, chicks presented a transient regulated hypothermia in the first hour, which relied on a suppressed metabolic rate for all groups, increased breathing frequency for chicks fed/fasted at 30°C, and peripheral vasodilation in chicks fed/fasted at 25°C. Fever was observed only in chicks kept at thermoneutrality and was supported by peripheral vasoconstriction and huddling behavior. Fed and fasted chicks at 25°C completely eliminated fever despite the ability to increase metabolic rate for thermogenesis in the phase correspondent to fever when it was pharmacologically induced by 2,4-dinitrophenol. Our data suggest that increased competing demands affect chicks' response to an immune challenge, favoring regulated hypothermia to preserve energy while the high costs of fever to resist a pathogen are avoided., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2022. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Introduction: Biological medicines have increased the cost of cancer treatments, which also raises concerns about sustainability. In Brazil, three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)-bevacizumab, cetuximab, and panitumumab-are indicated for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) but not currently funded by the Unified Health System (SUS). However, successful litigation has led to funding in some cases., Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the budgetary impact of including the mAbs bevacizumab, cetuximab, and panitumumab in standard chemotherapy for the treatment of mCRC within the SUS of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil., Method: A budget impact analysis of incorporating mAbs as first-line treatment of mCRC in MG was explored. The perspective taken was that of the Brazilian SUS, and a 5-year time horizon was applied. Data were collected from lawsuits undertaken between January 2009 and December 2016, and the model was populated with data from national databases and published sources. Costs are expressed in $US., Results: In total, 351 lawsuits resulted in funding for first-line treatment with mAbs for mCRC. The three alternative scenarios analyzed resulted in cost increases of 348-395% compared with the reference scenario. The use of panitumumab had a budgetary impact of $US103,360,980 compared with the reference scenario over a 5-year time horizon, and bevacizumab and cetuximab had budgetary impacts of $US111,334,890 and 113,772,870, respectively. The use of the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mAbs (cetuximab and panitumumab) is restricted to the approximately 41% of patients with KRAS mutations, so the best cost alternative for incorporation would be the combination of panitumumab and bevacizumab, with a cost of approximately $US106 million., Conclusion: These results highlight the appreciable costs for incorporating bevacizumab, cetuximab, and panitumumab into the SUS. Appreciable discounts are likely to be necessary before incorporation of these mAbs is approved., (© 2021. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: NPHS2 gene variants are associated with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). In this study, the prevalence of NPHS2 variants p.R229Q, p.A242V, and p.R138Q was investigated in patients with familial or sporadic FSGS., Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 40 children and 70 adults diagnosed with FSGS confirmed by renal biopsy. Clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated. Genotyping for the three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction: two variants in exon 5 (p.R229Q and p.A242V) and one in exon 3 (p.R138Q). Variants were correlated with ethnicity, clinical presentation, treatment response, and renal outcomes., Results: Among the 40 children analyzed, 20% had familial and 80% sporadic FSGS and among adults, 4.3% had familial and 95.7% sporadic FSGS, respectively. Overall, SRNS was found in 70% of adults and 90% in children. Among children, variants were detected in 2 (5%) with sporadic FSGS, p.R229Q and p.A242V in 1 each. Among adults, variants were present in 9 (12.9%) patients, all with sporadic FSGS, p.R229Q in 4 and p.A242V in 5. No patient had the p.R138Q variant. Among adults, a trend of higher proteinuria at the end of follow-up (p = 0.06) was found in patients carrying a variant. There was no significant association between NPHS2 variants with the clinical presentation, dependence on immunosuppressive treatment, or renal outcomes. Regarding ethnicity, all patients carrying the p.R229Q variant were White, while 67% of carriers of the p.A242V variant were Black., Conclusion: In these patients with familial or sporadic FSGS, the prevalence of p.R229Q and p.A242V variants in children was 5% and in adults 12.9%. More studies of patients with FSGS could better define a strategy for genetic analysis and therapeutic management.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of sequential feeding technique in two genetic lines (GL; Line A [cross having a greater proportion of Pietrain] and Line B [cross having a lower proportion of Pietrain]) of growing-finishing pigs reared under daily cyclic high ambient temperature conditions. Seventy-eight castrated male pigs (22 ± 2.5 kg BW) were housed in a single group and were allocated to one of the three feeding programs: control (CON, 24 h control diet), high-fat/low-crude protein (HF/LP, 24 h high-fat/low-crude protein diet), and sequential feeding (SEQ, control diet from 1800 to 1000 h and HF/LP diet from 1001 to 1759 h). Cyclic high ambient temperature was induced by exposing the pigs to 22ºC ambient temperature from 1800 to 1000 h (time-period 22ºC, TP22) and to 30ºC from 1001 to 1759 h (TP30). The experimental period lasted 84 days and was divided into 3 growth phases, growing 1 (from day 0 to 20), growing 2 (from day 21 to 48) and finishing (from day 49 to 83). Feed intake was recorded in real time using an automatic feeder system. Pigs were weighed at the beginning and end of each experimental phase. Animal body composition was measured through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry on days 0, 35, and 70. The ambient temperature averaged 22.3 ± 0.4ºC during TP22 and 30.2 ± 0.5ºC during TP30, characterizing the condition of daily ambient temperature variation that which pigs are usually exposed in tropical climate areas. During growing phase 1, the feeding programs had negligible effects on pig performance (P > 0.05), whereas during growing phase 2, ADG was greater in SEQ than in CON pigs (7%; P = 0.04). During the finishing phase, HF/LP pigs had greater ADFI (+ 10%) and ADG (+ 8%) than CON pigs. Lean mass and gain did not differ among feeding programs (P > 0.05). Overall, fat mass and gain were similar between SEQ and HF/LP pigs (P > 0.05), and both were greater than those of CON pigs (P < 0.05). On the basis of pig performance per phase, the supply of high-fat/low-crude protein diets (SEQ and HF/LP feeding) improved the performance of pigs under daily cyclic high ambient temperature. However, the use of these techniques resulted in fatter carcasses and in higher energy cost of gain. Finally, pigs with greater proportion of Pietrain genes had decreased growth performance in our experimental conditions., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: The last decade has seen the increasing use of biological medicines in combination with chemotherapy containing 5-fluorouracil/oxaliplatin or irinotecan for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). These combinations have resulted in increased progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with mCRC; however, there are remaining concerns over the extent of their effect on overall survival (OS). Published studies to date suggest no major differences between the three currently available monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs); however, there are differences in costs. In addition, there is rising litigation in Brazil in order to access these medicines as they are currently not reimbursed., Objective: The aim was to investigate the comparative effectiveness and safety of three MoAbs (bevacizumab, cetuximab and panitumumab) associated with fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy regimens and compared to fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy alone in patients with mCRC, through an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of concurrent or non-concurrent observational cohort studies, to guide authorities and the judiciary., Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed based on cohort studies published in databases up to November 2017. Effectiveness measures included OS, PFS, post-progression survival (PPS), Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST), response rate, metastasectomy and safety. The methodological quality of the studies was also evaluated., Results: A total of 21 observational cohort studies were included. There were statistically significant and clinically relevant benefits in patients treated with bevacizumab versus no bevacizumab mainly around OS, PFS, PPS and the metastasectomy rate, but not for the disease control rates. However, there was an increase in treatment-related toxicities and concerns with the heterogeneity of the studies., Conclusion: The results pointed to an advantage in favor of bevacizumab for OS, PFS, PPS, and metastasectomy. Although this advantage may be considered clinically modest, bevacizumab represents a hope for increased survival and a chance of metastasectomy for patients with mCRC. However, there are serious adverse events associated with its use, especially severe hypertension and gastrointestinal perforation, that need to be considered.

This study evaluated the responses of individual daily precision (IPF) and conventional 2-phase (CON) feeding systems (FS) in terms of pig growth performance, nutrient balance, serum parameters, and meal patterns of growing pigs reared under thermoneutral (TN: 23 °C) and heat stress (high temperature [HT]: 30 °C) conditions. The animals in each treatment were assigned on the basis of equal BW to the experimental treatments (12 animals per treatment at 41.0 ± 4.87 kg of BW). The experiment lasted 55 d (phase 1 from days 0 to 27 and phase 2 from days 28 to 55). Pigs fed CON received within each phase a constant blend of diets with high and low nutrient density supplying the estimated nutrient requirements of the group, whereas the IPF pigs received daily a personalized blend providing the estimated amount of nutrients according to individual feed intake and body weight information. Body mineral content, and lean and fat masses were assessed through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the beginning and end of each phase. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed-effect model, with fixed effects of the FS, temperature (AT), and the 2-way interaction between FS and AT and random effects of blocks. In relation to CON pigs, IPF pigs reduced (P < 0.05) Lys (19%), protein (16%), and P (14%) intake without impairing (P > 0.05) body composition. Nitrogen excretion was 24% lower (P < 0.05) in IPF pigs than in CON pigs; however, both groups had similar N retention efficiency thoroughly the trial. Amount of time feeding, feed intake rate, and feed intake per meal were 15% lower (P < 0.05) in pigs raised under HT than under TN conditions. During the phase 2, only amount of time feeding, feed intake rate, and feed intake per meal were decreased (P < 0.05) in pigs under HT conditions during nocturnal (2000 to 0500 h) and diurnal (0501 to 1959 h) periods. Haptoglobin levels were affected by the AT, showing an increase of 70% and 43% in HT at 28 and 55 d of the experiment, respectively. Pigs raised under HT conditions had 10% lower (P < 0.05) serum albumin concentration at day 55 than those under TN conditions. For serum urea concentrations, IPF pigs had 28% lower (P < 0.01) levels than CON pigs. Even though HT conditions considerably reduced growth performance and activated inflammatory responses in growing pigs, IPF was not able to rescue performance during HT; however, it was equally effective at improving nutrient utilization and maintaining body composition in HT and TN conditions.

Aims: A therapeutic vaccine based on monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) has been shown to represent a promising strategy for the treatment of cancer and viral infections. Here, we characterized the MDDCs used as an immunogen in a clinical trial for an anti-HIV-1 therapeutic vaccine., Patients & Methods: Monocytes obtained from 17 HIV-infected individuals were differentiated into MDDCs and, after loading with autologous HIV, the cells were characterized concerning surface molecule expression, migratory and phagocytosis capacity, cytokine production and the induction of an effective cell-mediated immune response., Results: The MDDCs were able to induce antigen-specific responses in autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes., Conclusions: Despite a large interindividual variability, the results suggested that MDDCs present the potential to promote immune responses in vaccinated patients.

Mutations in inflammasome genes are responsible for rare monogenic and polygenic autoinflammatory diseases. On the other side, genetic polymorphisms in the same molecules contribute to the development of common multifactorial diseases (i.e., autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular pathologies, cancer). In this chapter we depicted the current knowledge about inflammasome genetics.

Systems biological analysis has recently revealed how innate immune variants as well as gut microbiota impact the individual response to immunization. HIV-infected (HIV+) patients have a worse response rate after standard vaccinations, possibly due to the immune exhaustion, increased gut permeability and microbial translocation. In the last decade, dendritic cells (DC)-based immunotherapy has been proposed as an alternative approach to control HIV plasma viral load, however clinical trials showed a heterogeneity of immunization response. Hypothesizing that host genetics may importantly affects the outcome of immunotherapy in HIV+ patients, genetic polymorphisms' distribution and gene expression modulation were analyzed in a phase I/II clinical trial of DC-based immunotherapy according to immunization response, and quality of vaccine product (DC). Polymorphisms in genes previously associated with progression of HIV infection to AIDS (i.e.: PARD3B, CCL5) contribute to a better response to immunotherapy in HIV+ individuals, possibly through a systemic effect on host immune system, but also directly on vaccine product. Genes expression profile after immunization correlates with different degrees of immune chronic activation/exhaustion of HIV+ patients (i.e. PD1, IL7RA, EOMES), but also with anti-viral response and DC quality (i.e.: APOBEC3G, IL8, PPIA), suggested that an immunocompetent individual would have a better vaccine response. These findings showed once more that host genetics can affect the response to DC-based immunotherapy in HIV+ individuals, contributing to the heterogeneity of response observed in concluded trials; and it can be used as predictor of immunization success.

Memory and cognition impairments resultant of ischemic stroke could be minimized or avoided by antioxidant supplementation. In this regard, the neuroprotective potential of Green tea from Camellia sinensis has been investigated. However, there is a lack of information regarding the neuroprotective potential of others teas processed from the Camellia sinensis. Here we investigate the neuroprotective role of green, red, white and black tea on memory deficits and brain oxidative stress in a model of ischemic stroke in rats. Our findings show that green and red teas prevent deficits in object and social recognition memories, but only green tea protects against deficits in spatial memory and avoids hippocampal oxidative status and intense necrosis and others alterations in the brain tissue. In summary, green tea shows better neuroprotection in ischemic stroke than the others teas from Camellia sinensis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Phospholipase A2 (Pla2) is required for memory retrieval, and its inhibition in the hippocampus has been reported to impair memory acquisition in rats. Moreover, cognitive decline and memory deficits showed to be reduced in animal models after lithium treatment, prompting us to evaluate possible links between Pla2, lithium and memory. Here, we evaluated the possible modulation of Pla2 activity by a long-term treatment of rats with low doses of lithium and its impact in memory. Wistar rats were trained for the inhibitory avoidance task, treated with lithium for 100 days and tested for perdurability of long-term memory. Hippocampal samples were used for quantifying the expression of 19 brain-expressed Pla2 genes and for evaluating the enzymatic activity of Pla2 using group-specific radio-enzymatic assays. Our data pointed to a significant perdurability of long-term memory, which correlated with increased transcriptional and enzymatic activities of certain members of the Pla2 family (iPla2 and sPla2) after the chronic lithium treatment. Our data suggest new possible targets of lithium, add more information on its pharmacological activity and reinforce the possible use of low doses of lithium for the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions such as the Alzheimer's disease.

Sporadic melanoma malignancy is correlated with constitutive secretion of IL-1β in transformed melanocytes suggesting the involvement of inflammasome in melanoma. Common variants in inflammasome genes are known to affect IL-1β expression. To investigate the contribution of inflammasome genetics in melanoma development and progression and to identify a potential prognostic marker, the distribution of selected inflammasome SNPs was analysed in a Brazilian case/control cohort of sporadic malignant melanoma (SMM) and then the expression of inflammasome components was evaluated in melanoma biopsies. Allele and gene-specific Taqman assays were implied for genotyping of case/control DNA samples and for relative expression analysis in skin biopsies respectively. CARD8 rs6509365 was found to be significantly more common in healthy volunteers than in SMM patients suggesting a protection effect of this variant towards melanoma development. Accordingly, CARD8 expression was found to be reduced in nevus compared to melanoma biopsies. Upon stratification, NLRP1 rs11651270 and CARD8 rs2043211 were found associated with nodular melanoma; IL1B rs1143643 to a lower value of Breslow index; IL18 rs5744256 to melanoma development in sun sensitive individuals. As expected, IL1B expression was up-regulated in tumour biopsies especially in metastatic samples, whereas IL18 was down-regulated compared to nevus. Our results demonstrated for the first time the contribution of inflammasome genes CARD8, IL1B and IL18 in SMM., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A survey of the mercurial exposure of residents of Santarém and Oriximiná showed a differential mercurial impregnation between men and women. At the level of both cities, the mean hair mercury concentrations were 1.5 ± 0.5 (90th and 95th percentiles: 2.8 and 4.3) and 2.52 ± 0.09 μg g Hg/g (90th and 95th percentiles: 4.7 and 8.1) for women and men, respectively. The mercurial contamination appeared significantly closely linked to the daily amount of consumed fish. Carnivore species pescada branca (Plagioscion squamosissimus) and apapá (Pellona castelnaeana) and non-carnivore species pacú (Mylossoma duriventre) and aracú (Schizodon fasciatus) were consumed by 22, 19, 55 and 25% of people, respectively, and the mean mercury concentrations within fish flesh were 1.44 ± 0.11, 1.66 ± 0.19, 0.48 ± 0.09 and 0.49 ± 0.06 μg/g dry weight, respectively. Men aged above 35 were significantly more contaminated than those below. The mean hair concentrations of men were 5.20 ± 1.25 and 1.50 ± 0.22 μg/g, for those aged above 35 and below, respectively. The probability for women of childbearing age from both cities to present a hair mercury concentration above 1 μg Hg/g (corresponding to the US Environmental Protection Agency reference dose) was equal to 0.30 (95% confidence interval of 0.24-0.36). The probability of hair mercury concentration to be above the lowest observable adverse effect level (LOAEL) (0.3 μg Hg/g) was equal to 0.79 (95% confidence interval: 0.73-0.86).

Dengue fever induces a robust immune response, including massive T cell activation. The level of T cell activation may, however, be associated with more severe disease. In this study, we explored the level of CD8+ T lymphocyte activation in the first six days after onset of symptoms during a DENV2 outbreak in early 2010 on the coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. Using flow cytometry we detected a progressive increase in the percentage of CD8+ T cells in 74 dengue fever cases. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 30 cases were thawed and evaluated using expanded phenotyping. The expansion of the CD8+ T cells was coupled with increased Ki67 expression. Cell activation was observed later in the course of disease, as determined by the expression of the activation markers CD38 and HLA-DR. This increased CD8+ T lymphocyte activation was observed in all memory subsets, but was more pronounced in the effector memory subset, as defined by higher CD38 expression. Our results show that most CD8+ T cell subsets are expanded during DENV2 infection and that the effector memory subset is the predominantly affected sub population.

Herein, we present a case of oroantral communication that was to be treated with clinical examination, tomography, and prototyping. A patient presented with oroantral communication with purulent exudation for 4 months, since the displacement of the dental implant and O-ring component to the maxillary sinus. Tomographic examination and prototyping revealed a 5 mm bone gap. The patient underwent local washes and antibiotic therapy. After local palpation, a bone defect detected by prototyping was suspected to be greater than that observed. For the surgery, a communication tunnel was made, and the bone defect was found to be 12 mm in diameter. A pedicle flap was raised on the palate, followed by sliding and suturing. No complications were observed during the postoperative period, and the suture was removed after a week. Four months later, communication did not resume, and the patient did not complain of pain, foul smelling, or purulent discharge and was satisfied with the outcome. The findings of this case suggest that the lateral sliding flap can be used as an efficient technique for closing oroantral communications. An accurate clinical examination is a critical tool that can be used instead of tomography and prototyping, which can be misleading.

Context: Chronic stress results from repeated exposure to one or more types of stressors over a period, ranging from days to months, and can be associated with physical, behavioral, and neuropsychiatric manifestations. Some physiological alterations resulting from chronic stress can potentially cause deficits on spatial learning and memory., Objective: This study investigated the effects of chronic variable stress (CVS) and administration of l-arginine and creatine on spatial memory in rats. Furthermore, body, heart, adrenal weight, and plasma glucose and corticosterone levels were analyzed., Material and Methods: Male Wistar rats were subjected to a CVS model for 40 days and evaluated for spatial memory after the stress period. Chronically stressed animals were treated daily by gavage with: 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose (Group Cs), 500 mg/kg l-arginine (Group Cs/La), 300 mg/kg creatine (Group Cs/Cr); and 500 mg/kg l-arginine and 300 mg/kg creatine (Group Cs/La + Cr) during the entire experimental period., Results: Our results showed that animals in the Cs/Cr and Cs/La + Cr groups presented significantly decreased corticosterone levels compared to group Cs (p < 0.05); animals in group Cs/Cr were more efficient in finding the platform, in the working memory task, compared to all other groups (p < 0.01); and animals in group Cs/La + Cr significantly improved in reference memory retention compared to controls (p < 0.05)., Discussion and Conclusion: Overall, these results demonstrated that a single administration of creatine improves working memory efficiency, and, when co-administrated with l-arginine, improves reference memory retention, a phenomenon that is possibly associated with increased creatine/phosphocreatine levels and l-arginine-derived NO synthesis.

Aims: HIV-1 expanded in an allogenic system (Al-HIV) represents a cheaper and faster alternative to the autologous virus (Au-HIV) as an antigen in anti-HIV immunotherapy. In this study, chemically inactivated HIV-1 obtained through autologous or allogenic systems were compared., Patients & Methods: Au-HIV and Al-HIV obtained from cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 11 HIV(+) individuals were tested for virus production, yield and time of culture, and their ability to elicit a specific immune response in vitro., Results: The allogenic system was more efficient than the autologous system. Dendritic cells pulsed with Au-HIV and Al-HIV presented a similar phenotypic profile, but only Al-HIV induced a significant increase in IFN-γ(+) lymphocytes., Conclusion: The use of an allogenic system displays several advantages in terms of cell manipulation, time and cost of culture, and immunogenicity.

Immediate postretrieval bilateral blockade of long-acting voltage-dependent calcium channels (L-VDCCs), but not of glutamatergic NMDA receptors, in the dorsal CA1 region of the hippocampus hinders retention of long-term spatial memory in the Morris water maze. Immediate postretrieval bilateral inhibition of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) II in dorsal CA1 does not affect retention of this task 24 h later but does hinder it 5 d later. These two distinct amnesic effects are abolished if protein degradation by proteasomes is inhibited concomitantly. These results indicate that spatial memory reconsolidation depends on the functionality of L-VDCC in dorsal CA1, that maintenance of subsequent reconsolidated memory trace depends on CaMKII, and these results also suggest that the role played by both L-VDCC and CaMKII is to promote the retrieval-dependent, synaptically localized enhancement of protein synthesis necessary to counteract a retrieval-dependent, synaptic-localized enhancement of protein degradation, which has been described as underlying the characteristic labilization of the memory trace triggered by retrieval. Thus, conceivably, L-VDCC and CaMKII would enhance activity-dependent localized protein renewal, which may account for the improvement of the long-term efficiency of the synapses responsible for the maintenance of reactivated long-term spatial memory.

We investigated the effect of the intra-CA1 administration of the D1/D5 receptor antagonist SCH23390 and the D1/D5 receptor agonist SKF38393 on spatial memory in the water maze. When given immediately, but not 3h after training, SCH23390 hindered long-term spatial memory formation without affecting non-spatial memory or the normal functionality of the hippocampus. On the contrary, post-training infusion of SKF38393 enhanced retention and facilitated the spontaneous recovery of the original spatial preference after reversal learning. Our findings demonstrate that hippocampal D1/D5 receptors play an essential role in spatial memory processing., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Early partial maternal deprivation causes long-lasting neurochemical, behavioral and brain structural effects. In rats, it causes a deficit in memory consolidation visible in adult life. Some of these deficits can be reversed by donepezil and galantamine, which suggests that they may result from an impairment of brain cholinergic transmission. One such deficit, representative of all others, is an impairment of memory consolidation, clearly observable in a one-trial inhibitory avoidance task. Recent data suggest a role of brain histaminergic systems in the regulation of behavior, particularly inhibitory avoidance learning. Here we investigate whether histamine itself, its analog SKF-91844, or various receptor-selective histamine agonists and antagonists given into the CA1 region of the hippocampus immediately post-training can affect retention of one-trial inhibitory avoidance in rats submitted to early postnatal maternal deprivation. We found that histamine, SKF-91844 and the H2 receptor agonist, dimaprit enhance consolidation on their own and reverse the consolidation deficit induced by maternal deprivation. The enhancing effect of histamine was blocked by the H2 receptor antagonist, ranitidine, but not by the H1 receptor antagonist pyrilamine or by the H3 antagonist thioperamide given into CA1 at doses known to have other behavioral actions, without altering locomotor and exploratory activity or the anxiety state of the animals. The present results suggest that the memory deficit induced by early postnatal maternal deprivation in rats may in part be due to an impairment of histamine mediated mechanisms in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Non-reinforced retrieval induces memory extinction, a phenomenon characterized by a decrease in the intensity of the learned response. This attribute has been used to develop extinction-based therapies to treat anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders. Histamine modulates memory and anxiety but its role on fear extinction has not yet been evaluated. Therefore, using male Wistar rats, we determined the effect of the intra-hippocampal administration of different histaminergic agents on the extinction of step-down inhibitory avoidance (IA), a form of aversive learning. We found that intra-CA1 infusion of histamine immediately after non-reinforced retrieval facilitated consolidation of IA extinction in a dose-dependent manner. This facilitation was mimicked by the histamine N-methyltransferase inhibitor SKF91488 and the H2 receptor agonist dimaprit, reversed by the H2 receptor antagonist ranitidine, and unaffected by the H1 antagonist pyrilamine, the H3 antagonist thioperamide and the antagonist at the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) polyamine-binding site ifenprodil. Neither the H1 agonist 2-2-pyridylethylamine nor the NMDAR polyamine-binding site agonist spermidine affected the consolidation of extinction while the H3 receptor agonist imetit hampered it. Extinction induced the phosphorylation of ERK1 in dorsal CA1 while intra-CA1 infusion of the MEK inhibitor U0126 blocked extinction of the avoidance response. The extinction-induced phosphorylation of ERK1 was enhanced by histamine and dimaprit and blocked by ranitidine administered to dorsal CA1 after non-reinforced retrieval. Taken together, our data indicate that the hippocampal histaminergic system modulates the consolidation of fear extinction through a mechanism involving the H2-dependent activation of ERK signalling.

This paper presents studies about the molecular interactions and redox processes involved in the formation of palladium nanoparticles associated to glucose oxidase (GOx-PdNPs) in a supramolecular arrangement. The synthesis occurs in two steps, the Pd reduction and the formation of the 80 nm sized supramolecular aggregates containing multiples units of GOx associated to 3.5 nm sized PdNPs. During synthesis, GOx molecules interact with Pd salt leading to metal ion and FAD reduction probably via the thiol group of the cysteine 521 residue. For the growing of PdNPs, formic acid was necessary as a co-adjuvant reducing agent. Besides the contribution for the redox processes, GOx is also necessary for the NP stability preventing the formation of precipitates resulted from uncontrolled growing of NPs Cyclic voltammetry of the GOx-PdNPs demonstrated electroactivity of the bionanocomposite immobilized on ITO (indium-tin oxide) electrode surface and also the NP is partially blocked due to strong interaction GOx and the surface of PdNPs. Vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that significant structural changes occurred in GOx after the association to PdNP. These mechanistics and structural studies can contribute for modulation of bionanocomposites properties.

Based on biological molecules combined with nanostructured components, the news generations of electrochemical biosensors can employ different transducers (potentiometric, amperometric and impedimetric) converting the chemical information into a measurable amperometric signal. Following this contemporary theme, our main focus in this review is to discuss different methodologies for application in biosensing, whose signal transduction is based on electrochemical principles. We apply a discussion on recent trends involving different nanostructured materials, but without daring to contemplate all nanomaterials incessantly cited in literature, which leads us to believe that this moment is an unprecedented revolution in the preparation of electrochemical biodevices. Besides, some structures of bio-nano interface and different electrochemical biosensors involved in diagnosis systems are also discussed. We outline in several parts of the report how nanoscience technologies are emerging in diagnostic medicine, as well as convergence of electrochemistry and bio-nanoscience. Our hopes for this review are that it can help different categories of researchers to understand the broad application area of electrochemistry and bioelectrochemistry, in order to detecting several types of diseases and biological phenomena.

Encoding for several memory types requires neural changes and the activity of distinct regions across the brain. These areas receive broad projections originating in nuclei located in the brainstem which are capable of modulating the activity of a particular area. The histaminergic system is one of the major modulatory systems, and it regulates basic homeostatic and higher functions including arousal, circadian, and feeding rhythms, and cognition. There is now evidence that histamine can modulate learning in different types of behavioral tasks, but the exact course of modulation and its mechanisms are controversial. In the present paper we review the involvement of the histaminergic system and the effects histaminergic receptor agonists/antagonists have on the performance of tasks associated with the main memory types as well as evidence provided by studies with knockout models. Thus, we aim to summarize the possible effects histamine has on modulation of circuits involved in memory formation.

Dengue viruses (DENV) serotypes 1, 2, and 3 have been causing yearly outbreaks in Brazil. In this study, we report the re-introduction of DENV2 in the coast of São Paulo State. Partial envelope viral genes were sequenced from eighteen patients with dengue fever during the 2010 epidemic. Phylogenetic analysis showed this strain belongs to the American/Asian genotype and was closely related to the virus that circulated in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and 2008. The phylogeny also showed no clustering by clinical presentation, suggesting that the disease severity could not be explained by distinct variants or genotypes. The time of the most recent common ancestor of American/Asian genotype and the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (SP/RJ) monophyletic cluster was estimated to be around 40 and 10 years, respectively. Since this virus was first identified in Brazil in 2007, we suggest that it was already circulating in the country before causing the first documented outbreak. This is the first description of the 2010 outbreak in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and should contribute to efforts to control and monitor the spread of DENVs in endemic areas.