Antioxidant and antimutagenic effects of the crude foliar extract and the alkaloid brachycerine of Psychotria brachyceras

The monoterpene indole alkaloid brachycerine from Psychotria brachyceras has been shown to be induced by UV and to have in vitro antioxidant activity, indicating a possible protective role against the secondary effects of this radiation. In this work, we have studied the antioxidant properties of brachycerine and a crude foliar extract from P. brachyceras by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains proficient and deficient in antioxidant defenses. The mutagenic and antimutagenic potential of these substances were assayed in S.cerevisiae N123 strain in the presence and absence of H2O2. In addition, we tested the antioxidant capacity of brachycerine and a crude foliar extract from P. brachyceras on hydroxyl radicals (OH) using the hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase assay. The results show that brachycerine and the crude foliar extract of P. brachyceras have antioxidant and antimutagenic effects in yeast and probably this action is mainly due to the scavenging of OH radicals.     

Rotavirus in nasopharyngeal secretions of children with upper respiratory tract infections

Nasopharyngeal secretions from 30 infants and children presenting with respiratory tract infection, were tested for rotavirus antigen. Two of 30 children with signs and symptoms of seromucoid nasal secretions, cough, and low grade fever were positive for the antigen. Nasopharyngeal secretions may play a role in the spread of this infection.     

Apolipoprotein E polymorphisms in Mexican patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein E polymorphisms have important effects on plasma lipid levels and in the genetic susceptibility to development of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association of apolipoprotein E polymorphisms with coronary artery disease and with plasma lipid levels in a group of Mexican Mestizo patients. METHODS: Apolipoprotein E polymorphisms were determined in 156 Mexican patients with coronary artery disease and 200 non-related healthy controls using the restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. The correlation of these polymorphisms with lipid profile (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides) in the patient group was determined. RESULTS: A similar distribution of allele and genotype frequencies in coronary artery disease patients and healthy controls was found. Higher serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose were found in patients with the APOE*2/3 genotype when compared to patients with the APOE*3/4 and APOE*3/3 genotypes, although these differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that genetic variation at the APOE is not a genetic factor related to the genetic susceptibility to coronary artery disease in Mexican individuals, but the role of this polymorphism in determining the lipid profile cannot be excluded.     

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy after neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment of breast cancer: a prospective cohort study

Purpose

The purposes of this study were to estimate the incidence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and to identify its main determinants and impact in patient-reported outcomes.

Methods

We performed a prospective cohort study including 296 patients with incident breast cancer submitted to chemotherapy, followed for 1 year. Patients with incident CIPN were reevaluated 6 months after this diagnosis. Relative risks (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) were computed to quantify the relation between different clinical characteristics and the occurrence of CIPN, using Poisson regression. The variation of patient-reported outcomes between baseline and 1-year follow-up assessments was compared between patients with and without CIPN.

Results

The cumulative incidence of CIPN in the first year after diagnosis was 28.7 % (95 % CI 23.8–34.1), and more than 80 % of the patients were still symptomatic after 6 months. Among the latter, there was a significant decrease in the median total neuropathy score, clinical version (7 versus 4) between the two periods. In multivariable analysis, the risk of CIPN was higher for treatment with docetaxel (cumulative doses ≤300 mg/m², RR?=?6.96, 95 % CI 2.53–19.10; >300 mg/m², RR?=?13.32; 95 % CI 4.11–43.14). Alcohol consumption and diabetes were not significantly associated with CIPN. There were no significant differences in the variation of patient-reported outcomes between the baseline and 1-year follow-up evaluations.

Conclusions

CIPN was frequent in this contemporary cohort of early-stage breast cancer patients and was strongly associated with docetaxel-based regimens. Symptoms persisted for at least 6 months in most patients, but severity was low and CIPN had no impact on patient-reported outcomes.

     

Cardiac Remodeling in Structure and Function Six Months After Kidney Transplantation

Background

Cardiovascular disease accounts for 35% to 50% of the causes of mortality in chronic kidney disease. The majority of patients in substitution therapy in Mexico are subdialyzed owing to limited economic resources. This produces more cardiac deterioration than described in the statistics and has a direct impact on the prognosis of kidney transplantation. The aim of this work was to demonstrate and to quantify the improvement in the echocardiographic parameters 6 months after renal transplantation in patients with stable renal function.

Anti-GK1 antibodies damage Taenia crassiceps cysticerci through complement activation

Parasitology Research - Taeniasis-cysticercosis, a zoonosis caused by Taenia solium, is prevalent in underdeveloped countries, where marginalization promotes its continued transmission. Pig...     

Crouzon with acanthosis nigricans. Further delineation of the syndrome

Patients with Crouzon and acanthosis nigricans syndrome show craniofacial features similar to those observed in patients with classic Crouzon syndrome, in addition to acanthosis nigricans with peculiar characteristics. More severe physical manifestations, such as Chiari malformation, hydrocephalus, and atresia or stenosis of the choanas, which are unusual in individuals with classic Crouzon syndrome, are reported in these patients. The molecular abnormality associated with Crouzon syndrome with acanthosis nigricans (CAN) is a transition in the transmembrane domain of the FGFR3 gene that results in an Ala391Glu mutation. We describe two unrelated patients showing this mutation and compare their clinical features with those of other patients with CAN reported in the literature. In addition to craniosynostosis with crouzonoid facies and acanthosis nigricans (present in all patients), melanocytic nevi, choanal atresia or stenosis, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformations and oral abnormalities were observed in the majority of the 35 patients analyzed. Vertebral anomalies and conductive hearing loss were present with less frequency. Some characteristics considered typical of this condition (jaw cementomas, acanthomas and finger abnormalities) were absent in most of the patients.     

High‐Throughput Screen of Natural Product Extracts in A Yeast Model of Polyglutamine Proteotoxicity

Proteins with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) segments cause a number of fatal neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD). Previous high‐throughput screens in cellular and biochemical models of HD have revealed compounds that mitigate polyQ aggregation and proteotoxicity, providing insight into the mechanisms of disease and leads for potential therapeutics. However, the structural diversity of natural products has not yet been fully mobilized toward these goals. Here, we have screened a collection of ~11 000 natural product extracts for the ability to recover the slow growth of ΔProQ103‐expressing yeast cells in 384‐well plates (Z' ~ 0.7, CV ~ 8%). This screen identified actinomycin D as a strong inhibitor of polyQ aggregation and proteotoxicity at nanomolar concentrations (~50–500 ng/mL). We found that a low dose of actinomycin D increased the levels of the heat‐shock proteins Hsp104, Hsp70 and Hsp26 and enhanced binding of Hsp70 to the polyQ in yeast. Actinomycin also suppressed aggregation of polyQ in mammalian cells, suggesting a conserved mechanism. These results establish natural products as a rich source of compounds with interesting mechanisms of action against polyQ disorders.     

Heterologous prime-boost oral immunization with GK-1 peptide from Taenia crassiceps cysticerci induces protective immunity

Oral immunization is a goal in vaccine development, particularly for pathogens that enter the host through the mucosal system. This study was designed to explore the immunogenic properties of the Taenia crassiceps protective peptide GK-1 administered orally. Mice were orally immunized with the synthetic GK-1 peptide in its linear form with or without the Brucella lumazine synthase (BLS) protein adjuvant or as a chimera recombinantly bound to BLS (BLS-GK-1). Mice were boosted twice with GK-1 only at 15-day intervals. A significant rate of protection of 64.7% was achieved in GK-1-immunized mice, and that rate significantly increased to 91.8 and 96% when mice were primed with GK-1 coadministered with BLS as an adjuvant and BLS as a carrier, respectively. Specific antibodies and T cell activation and proliferation accompanied the protection induced, revealing the potent immunogenicity of GK-1. Through immunohistochemical studies, GK-1 was detected in T and B cell zones of the Peyer's patches (PP) and mesenteric lymph nodes. In the latter, abundant proliferating cells were detected by 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation. No proliferation was detected in PP. Altogether, these results portray the potent immunogenic properties of GK-1 administered orally and reinforce the usefulness of BLS as an adjuvant and adequate vaccine delivery system for oral vaccines.     

The Brazilian database on pregnancy in multiple sclerosis

Objectives

To report the results from the Brazilian database on multiple sclerosis (MS) and pregnancy.

Methods

Retrospective data from MS patients who became pregnant at any time of their disease were sent to a Brazilian database, using a specific file for this purpose.

Results

Data on 128 women (142 pregnancies) from 30 neurologists working in 21 cities in Brazil were collected. Patients’ average age at pregnancy was 29.8 years (range 16-42). EDSS at start of pregnancy was 1.5 ± 1.4; and the relapse rate in the year preceding pregnancy was 1.2 ± 1.5. Exposure to medication at any time during pregnancy was high (69.7%): 48.6% to interferon beta; 14.1% to glatiramer acetate; and 7% to other immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive drugs. There was a significant decrease in relapse rate during pregnancy. The prevalence of complications was relatively low, with 4.9% of obstetric and 1.4% neonatal unfavorable outcomes.

Conclusions

Our patients had low degrees of disability, short histories of disease, high drug exposure, and relatively high relapse rate in the year previous to pregnancy. Obstetric and neonatal outcomes were successful in over 90% of our patients.