Characterisation of divergent flavivirus NS3 and NS5 protein sequences detected in Rhipicephalus microplus ticks from Brazil

Transcripts similar to those that encode the nonstructural (NS) proteins NS3 and NS5 from flaviviruses were found in a salivary gland (SG) complementary DNA (cDNA) library from the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus. Tick extracts were cultured with cells to enable the isolation of viruses capable of replicating in cultured invertebrate and vertebrate cells. Deep sequencing of the viral RNA isolated from culture supernatants provided the complete coding sequences for the NS3 and NS5 proteins and their molecular characterisation confirmed similarity with the NS3 and NS5 sequences from other flaviviruses. Despite this similarity, phylogenetic analyses revealed that this potentially novel virus may be a highly divergent member of the genus Flavivirus. Interestingly, we detected the divergent NS3 and NS5 sequences in ticks collected from several dairy farms widely distributed throughout three regions of Brazil. This is the first report of flavivirus-like transcripts in R. microplus ticks. This novel virus is a potential arbovirus because it replicated in arthropod and mammalian cells; furthermore, it was detected in a cDNA library from tick SGs and therefore may be present in tick saliva. It is important to determine whether and by what means this potential virus is transmissible and to monitor the virus as a potential emerging tick-borne zoonotic pathogen.

Desenvolvimento e validação de método analítico em CLAE-UV para a quantificação de ácido retinóico em microcápsulas de alginato e quitosana / Development and validation of analytical method on HPLC-UV for quantification of retinoic acid in microcapsules of alginate and chitosan

O ácido retinóico (AR) tem sido utilizado para o tratamento de acne severa, rugas, estrias e celulite, no entanto, provoca irritação na pele e sofre rápida degradação quando exposto à luz e ao calor. Métodos analíticos rápidos para quantificação do AR são, portanto, necessários para ensaios de cinética de liberação in vitro. Nesse contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver e validar um método rápido e sensível para o doseamento do AR em microcápsulas de alginato/quitosana contendo óleo de babaçu dispersas em gel natrosol® por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência associada à espectroscopia UV e aplicá-lo na avaliação do perfil de liberação in vitro dessas formulações. As análises foram realizadas em modo isocrático utilizando coluna C18 de fase reversa 150 x 4,6 mm (5 μm) com detecção a 350 nm. A fase móvel foi constituída de metanol e ácido acético 1 por cento (85:15 v/v) com vazão de 1,8 mL/minuto. A faixa de linearidade do método foi de 0,5 a 60 μg/mL (r² = 0,999). O método validado mostrou-se sensível, específico, exato, preciso, de baixo custo e o tempo de retenção do AR foi de 5,8 ± 0,4 minutos sendo, desta forma, mais rápido do que os relatados na literatura.

Retinoic acid (RA) has been used in the treatment of severe acne, wrinkles and cellulite. However, it induces skin irritation and rapidly suffers degradation under light and high temperate exposure. Rapid analytical methods to quantify retinoic acid are therefore mandatory for in vitro drug release studies. In this framework, the aim of this study was to develop and validate a rapid and responsive method to quantify the RA in microcapsules of chitosan and alginate containing babassu oil dispersed in natrosol® hydrogel using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Furthermore this method was used to quantify in vitro release kinetics of RA from microcapsules. The analyses have been carried through an isocratic HPLC-UV method using a reversed phase 150 x 4.6 mm C18 (5μm) column, a mobile phase constituted of methanol and 1 percent acetic acid (85:15) at a flow rate of 1.8 mL/min and detection at 350 nm. The linearity range was 0.5-60 μg/mL (r² = 0.999). The validated HPLC-UV method was responsive, specific, accurate, precise, and economic and the RA retention time was 5.8 ± 0.4 minutes, being therefore, faster than that previously reported.

Estudio de algunos parámetros bioquímicos y de la actividad angiogénica del omentum / Study of some biochemical parameters and of the omentuïs angiogenic activity

Se estudió el efecto angiogénico y la composición de proteínas y lípidos del omentum humano a partir de la inoculación intraestomal en la córnea de conejo de los extractos obteniodos tras homogeneizar el material biológico. Se encontraron valores muy bajos de proteínas y muy elevados de triglicéridos fundamentalmente en el extracto 2 de origen lípidico. En relación con la vascularización, ésta se logró con mayor intensidad en la córnea de los animales que se inocularon con el extracto 2