A new nanoemulsion formulation improves antileishmanial activity and reduces toxicity of amphotericin B

This work aimed to optimise a new nanoemulsion (NE) formulation loaded with Amphotericin B (AmB) and to evaluate its in vivo antileishmanial activity and in vitro haemolytic toxicity. The influence of gradual increases in pressure, using a high-pressure homogeniser, was evaluated. The NE was characterised for droplet size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency (EE). For antileishmanial activity studies, AmB-NE was administered intravenously in mice infected by Leishmania infantum chagasi, which causes Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). When the NE was submitted to gradual increases in pressure, the PI values and droplet size decreased. The droplet size (～145?nm) was lower than that obtained in previous studies. The zeta potential was negative and the EE was almost 100%. The haemolytic toxicity, evaluated on human red blood cells, for AmB-loaded NE was lower than that observed for the conventional AmB (C-AmB). C-AmB at 2?mg/kg was very toxic. In contrast, administration of the AmB-loaded NE, at same dose, did not result in any sign of acute toxicity, promoting a significant reduction in parasite burden as compared to the C-AmB. These findings suggest that this new AmB-loaded NE constitutes an attractive alternative for the treatment of VL due to improved efficacy and lower toxicity.     

Teeth clenching can modify the muscle contraction strength of the lower or upper limbs: systematic review

Sport Sciences for Health - This systematic review aimed to investigate the evidence of the interaction between teeth clenching and stimulation on the muscles of the lower and upper limbs. PubMed,...     

Acute cholestatic hepatitis caused by amoxicillin/ clavulanate

Amoxicillin/clavulanate is a synthetic penicillin that is currently commonly used,especially for the treatment of respiratory and cutaneous infections.In general,it is a well-tolerated oral antibiotic.However,amoxicillin/clavulanate can cause adverse effects,mainly cutaneous,gastrointestinal,hepatic and hematologic,in some cases.Presented here is a case report of a 63-yearold male patient who developed cholestatic hepatitis after recent use of amoxicillin/clavulanate.After 6 wk of prolonged use of the drug,he began to show signs of cholestatic icterus and developed severe hyperbilirubinemia(total bilirubin>300 mg/L).Diagnostic investigation was conducted by ultrasonography of the upper abdomen,serum tests for infection history,laboratory screening of autoimmune diseases,nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)of the abdomen with bile duct-NMR and transcutaneous liver biopsy guided by ultrasound.The duration of disease was approximately 4 mo,with complete resolution of symptoms and laboratory changes at the end of that time period.Specific treatment was not instituted,only a combination of anti-emetic(metoclopramide)and cholestyramine for pruritus.     

Effect of Aloe vera. on Rat Pulp Tissue

Abstract

Aloe vera. L. (Aloeaceae) has been extensively studied for anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cellular regeneration properties. This work evaluated in vivo. the effects of powder of freeze-dried Aloe vera. on rat pulp tissue. Pulp tissue was mechanically exposed to Aloe vera., and it was evaluated at 1 to 30 days after the procedure by histopathologic examination. A predominant acute-moderate inflammatory infiltrate was observed in the Aloe vera.–treated group 1 to 7 days after treatment. At 14 to 30 days, pulp tissue took a normal pattern when comparing Aloe vera. treatment with the Ca(OH)₂ treatment; it was found that both treatment groups stimulated reparative dentin and the formation of complete bridge. Strong superficial necrosis was detected exclusively for Ca(OH)₂. It seems evident that application of Aloe vera. in direct contact with the exposed pulp has acceptable biocompatibility and can lead to tertiary bridge formation.     

Folate and Nutrients Involved in the 1-Carbon Cycle in the Pretreatment of Patients for Colorectal Cancer

To assess the ingestion of folate and nutrients involved in the 1-carbon cycle in non-treated patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma in a reference center for oncology in southeastern Brazil. In total, 195 new cases with colorectal adenocarcinoma completed a clinical evaluation questionnaire and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Blood samples from 161 patients were drawn for the assessment of serum folate. A moderate correlation was found between serum concentrations of folate, folate intake and the dietary folate equivalent (DFE) of synthetic supplements. Mulatto or black male patients with a primary educational level had a higher intake of dietary folate. Of patients obtaining folate from the diet alone or from dietary supplements, 11.00% and 0.10%, respectively, had intake below the recommended level. Of the patients using dietary supplements, 35% to 50% showed high levels of folic acid intake. There was a prevalence of inadequacy for vitamins B2, B6 and B12, ranging from 12.10% to 20.18%, while 13.76% to 22.55% of patients were likely to have adequate choline intake. The considerable percentage of patients with folate intake above the recommended levels deserves attention because of the harmful effects that this nutrient may have in the presence of established neoplastic lesions.     

Phthalimido-thiazole as privileged scaffold: activity against immature and adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni

Parasitology Research - Phthalimide, 1,3-thiazole, and thiazolidinone cores are considered privileged scaffolds and represent an attractive starting point to design new bioactive compounds for...     

Effect of dentifrice containing fTCP,CPP-ACP and fluoride in the prevention of enamel demineralization

Objective: To evaluate the effect of different fluoride- and calcium- and/or phosphate-containing products on their ability to prevent enamel demineralization under pH cycling conditions.

Material and methods: Enamel bovine specimens were assigned to the following groups: G1-MPP (MI Paste Plus, 0.2% NaF, Recaldent?, GC Corporation Tokyo, Japan); G2-FD (Crest? Cavity Protection, 0.243% NaF, Procter &; Gamble, USA); G3-CLP (Clinpro? 5000, 1.1% NaF, 3M ESPE, USA); and G4-CO (Control without fluoride, Silica-based dentifrice; Daudt Ltda, Brazil). The specimens were soaked in demineralizing solution for 6?h and remineralizing solution for 18?h alternatively for 10 days. The toothpaste was prepared with deionized water in a 1:3 ratio (w/v) for three minutes daily. The solutions were renewed every 48?h. After cycling, enamel changes were analysed by percentage change of SMH (%SMH) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The %SMH value observed for G3-CLP (2.9?±?39.2) was higher than that found in G4-CO (?13.0?±?20.7), G1-MPP (?8.9?±?20.9) and G2-FD (?3.9?±?27.1). The %SMH was similar for all treatment groups (one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD; p?2+ and P_total in the remineralization solutions were not different among all groups (Kruskal–Wallis; p?2+ concentration in the demineralization solution was significantly lower in G1-MPP. Ca²⁺ concentration increased in all groups after 48?h, except for G3-CLP. The EDX quantitative analysis showed that the atomic % of elements is lower level at G4-CO.

Conclusions: The Clinpro? 5000 demonstrated having the most protective effect against demineralization; however, the % SMH was similar for all groups.     

End-stage renal disease adherence questionnaire: translation and validation to the portuguese language

Non-adherence to medical plans is recognized as an important problem in dialysis patients, since it has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, resulting in disproportionately high costs of care. The success of renal replacement therapy depends on the adherence of patients to the different aspects of the therapeutic strategy, which includes a complex drug regimen involving a wide variety of drugs and doses, several prescribed dialysis sessions with different durations, dietetic recommendations and restriction of fluid intake. In this work, we aimed to translate and validate a previously described self-reported end-stage renal disease questionnaire (ESRD-AQ) to the Portuguese language (PESRD-AQ). After ESRD-AQ translation, a validation was performed by experts and by using a cohort of 185 Portuguese dialysis patients. PESRD-AQ reliability analysis showed strong test–retest stability across all items, with an intra-class correlation of 0.931. The average of the item-level content validity index by experts for the 46 items was 0.98, ranging from 0.94 to 1. Moreover, we found that PESRD-AQ scores indicative of non-adherence were associated with alterations in some biological and biochemical markers of non-adherence, including interdialytic weight gain. In conclusion, our results showed that PESRD-AQ, which presented an acceptable reliability and validity, is a valid tool to be used for adherence evaluation by Portuguese-speaking dialysis patients.