Anti-allergic properties of the bromeliaceae Nidularium procerum: inhibition of eosinophil activation and influx

New therapeutic approaches for the treatment of allergic diseases can be aided by the development of agents capable of regulating eosinophilic leukocytes. Here, we evaluated the anti-allergic properties of a crude extract of the Brazilian bromeliaceae Nidularium procerum, focusing on its effects on allergic eosinophilia. By studying allergic pleurisy in actively sensitized C57Bl/6 mice, we observed that pretreatment with N. procerum (2 mg/kg; i.p.) reduced pleural eosinophil influx triggered by allergen challenge. N. procerum was also able to reduce lipid body numbers found within infiltrating eosinophils, indicating that N. procerum in vivo is able to affect both migration and activation of eosinophils. Consistently, pretreatment with N. procerum blocked pleural eosinophil influx triggered by PAF or eotaxin, key mediators of the development of allergic pleural eosinophilia. The effect of N. procerum was not restricted to eosinophils, since N. procerum also inhibited pleural neutrophil and mononuclear cell influx. Of note, N. procerum failed to alter the acute allergic reaction, characterized by mast cell degranulation, oedema, and cysteinyl leukotriene release. N. procerum also had direct effects on murine eosinophils, since it inhibited both PAF- and eotaxin-induced eosinophil chemotaxis on an in vitro chemotactic assay. Therefore, N. procerum may be a promising anti-allergic therapy, inasmuch as it presents potent anti-eosinophil activity.     

Beneficial effects of vitamin C and vitamin E on reserpine-induced oral dyskinesia in rats: critical role of striatal catalase activity

Oral dyskinesias are implicated in a series of neuropathologies and have been associated to an increase in oxidative stress. Several antioxidants, including vitamin E, decrease reserpine-induced oral dyskinesia (OD) in rodents and we have described a protective role of striatal catalase against the development of OD. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of vitamin C alone or in combination with vitamin E on reserpine-induced OD as well as to determine a possible role of catalase in the antidyskinetic property of these vitamins. Different doses of vitamin C attenuated reserpine-induced increase in OD. A similar treatment with an effective dose of vitamin C concomitant to an effective dose of vitamin E potentiated the antidyskinetic effect of both vitamins when administered alone. The administration of these vitamins alone produced an increase in striatal catalase activity that likewise was potentiated by their combined administration. In addition, the antidyskinetic property of vitamin E and vitamin C was abolished by a concomitant treatment with the catalase inhibitor aminotriazole. These results indicate a beneficial effect of these vitamins and reinforce the critical role of striatal catalase against the development of oral dyskinesias.     

Avulsion of the mitral valve leaflet during percutaneous commissurotomy

Percutaneous mitral valve commissurotomy offers a safe alternative to treat mitral valve stenosis in a select group of patients, and has produced good results. Recently, a new metallic commissurotomy device was made available for clinical use. A rare, life-threatening complication associated with this new technique is described.     

Impact of overweight and obesity in carotid intima-media thickness of portuguese adolescents

Aim: To measure carotid intima‐media thickness (cIMT) in obese, overweight and normal‐weight Portuguese adolescents, to evaluate the association between body weight early signs of atherosclerosis. Methods: Cross‐sectional study, enrolling 150 adolescents (50 normal weight, 50 overweight and 50 obese) with mean age of 12.9 years. All underwent clinical, analytical and carotid common artery ultrasonographic evaluation. Results: After adjusting for systolic blood pressure and plasma High‐density lipoprotein, Low‐density lipoprotein and Triglycerides levels, higher mean cIMT values were observed in both overweight and obese patients, when compared to normal‐weight group. Moreover, adolescents with metabolic syndrome (MS) had greater cIMT [normal‐weight: cIMT mean 0.418 mm (95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 0.399–0.437); overweight: 0.461 mm (95% CI: 0.444–0.477); obese: 0.472 mm (95% CI: 0.455–0.488); MS: 0.482 mm (95% CI: 0.444–0.520) p = 0.001]. When normal‐weight and overweight adolescents were exclusively compared, differences in cIMT remained significant (p < 0.001). cIMT was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.439, p < 0.001), waist circumference (r = 0.301, p = 0.018) and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.266, p = 0.001). Conclusions: We have shown that cIMT is positively associated with BMI increase in adolescents, even in moderate overweight ranges, independent of age, gender, systolic blood pressure and plasma lipid concentrations.     

Induction of oxidative stress in brain of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficient mice by acute lysine administration

In the present work we evaluated a variety of indicators of oxidative stress in distinct brain regions (striatum, cerebral cortex and hippocampus), the liver, and heart of 30-day-old glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficient (Gcdh(-/-)) mice. The parameters evaluated included thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS), 2-7-dihydrodichlorofluorescein (DCFH) oxidation, sulfhydryl content, and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations. We also measured the activities of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). Under basal conditions glutaric (GA) and 3-OH-glutaric (3OHGA) acids were elevated in all tissues of the Gcdh(-/-) mice, but were essentially absent in WT animals. In contrast there were no differences between WT and Gcdh(-/-) mice in any of the indicators or oxidative stress under basal conditions. Following a single intra-peritoneal (IP) injection of lysine (Lys) there was a moderate increase of brain GA concentration in Gcdh(-/-) mice, but no change in WT. Lys injection had no effect on brain 3OHGA in either WT or Gcdh(-/-) mice. The levels of GA and 3OHGA were approximately 40% higher in striatum compared to cerebral cortex in Lys-treated mice. In the striatum, Lys administration provoked a marked increase of lipid peroxidation, DCFH oxidation, SOD and GR activities, as well as significant reductions of GSH levels and GPx activity, with no alteration of sulfhydryl content, CAT and G6PD activities. There was also evidence of increased lipid peroxidation and SOD activity in the cerebral cortex, along with a decrease of GSH levels, but to a lesser extent than in the striatum. In the hippocampus only mild increases of SOD activity and DCFH oxidation were observed. In contrast, Lys injection had no effect on any of the parameters of oxidative stress in the liver or heart of Gcdh(-/-) or WT animals. These results indicate that in Gcdh(-/-) mice cerebral tissue, particularly the striatum, is at greater risk for oxidative stress than peripheral tissues following Lys administration.     

A glance at Listeria and Salmonella cell invasion: different strategies to promote host actin polymerization

The facultative intracellular bacterial pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica have evolved multiple strategies to invade a large panel of mammalian cells. These pathogens use the host cell actin system for invasion and became a paradigm for the study of host-pathogen interactions and bacterial adaptation to mammalian hosts. The key signaling component that these pathogens use to orchestrate actin remodeling is the Arp2/3 complex, which is related to polymerization of actin filaments. These bacterial pathogens are able to trigger distinct invasion mechanisms. On the one hand, L. monocytogenes invade a host cell in a way dependent on the specific interactions between bacterial and host cell proteins, which in turn activate the host cell actin polymerizing machinery that culminates with bacterial internalization. Also, Listeria escapes from the newly formed parasitophorous vacuole and moves among adjacent cells by triggering actin polymerization. On the other hand, Salmonella invades a host cell by delivering into the cytoplasm virulence factors which directly interact with host regulators of actin polymerization which leads to bacterial uptake. Moreover, Salmonella avoids vacuole lyses and modulates the early and late endosomal markers presented in the vacuole membrane. This mini-review focuses on the different pathways that L. monocytogenes and S. enterica activate to modulate the actin cytoskeleton in order to invade, to form the parasitophorous vacuole, and to migrate inside host cells.     

Effect of Anatomical Origin and Cell Passage Number on the Stemness and Osteogenic Differentiation Potential of Canine Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Mesenchymal stem cells have a great potential for application in cell based therapies, such as tissue engineering. Adipose derived stem cells have shown the capacity to differentiate into several lineages, and have been isolated in many animal species. Dog is a very relevant animal model to study several human diseases and simultaneously an important subject in veterinary medicine. Thus, in this study we assessed the potential of canine adipose tissue derived stem cells (cASCs) to differentiate into the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages by performing specific histological stainings, and studied the cell passaging effect on the cASCs stemness and osteogenic potential. We also evaluated the effect of the anatomical origin of the adipose tissue, namely from abdominal subcutaneous layer and from greater omentum. The stemness and osteogenic differentiation was followed by real time RT-PCR analysis of typical markers of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osteoblasts. The results obtained revealed that cASCs exhibit a progressively decreased expression of the MSCs markers along passages and also a decreased osteogenic differentiation potential. In the author??s knowledge, this work presents the first data about the MSCs markers profile and osteogenic potential of cASCs along cellular expansion. Moreover, the obtained data showed that the anatomical origin of the adipose tissue has an evident effect in the differentiation potential of the ASCs. Due to the observed resemblances with the human ASCs, we conclude that canine ASCs can be used as a model cells in tissue engineering research envisioning human applications.