Doxorubicin cardiotoxicity and Camellia sinensis cardioprotection determined by speckle-tracking echocardiography

Abstract Doxorubicin (Dox) is a medication used in the treatment of cancerous tumors and hematologic malignancies with potentially serious side effects, including the risk of cardiotoxicity. Flavonoids are plant metabolites with antioxidant properties and can be extracted from Camellia sinensis (CS). The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible cardioprotective effect of CS against injuries induced by Dox in rats. A total of 32 animals were distributed into four groups: (1) control - intraperitoneal injection (I.P.) of 0.5 mL saline weekly and 1.0 mL water by gavage daily; (2) CS - 0.5 mL saline I.P. weekly and 200 mg/kg CS by gavage daily; (3) Dox - 5.0 mg/kg Dox I.P. weekly and 1.0 mL water by gavage daily; and (4) Dox+CS -5.0 mg/kg Dox I.P. weekly and 200 mg/kg CS by gavage daily. Clinical examinations, blood profiles, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and histological analyses of hearts were performed over 25 days. The animals in the Dox group showed changes in body weight and in erythrogram, leukogram, electrocardiography, and echocardiography readings. However, animals from the dox+CS group had significantly less change in body weight, improved cardiac function, and showed more preserved cardiac tissue. This study demonstrated that CS prevents dox-induced cardiotoxicity, despite enhancing the cytotoxic effect on blood cells

Tratamento de ferida cirúrgica cutânea em ratos com óleo-resina de copaíba (copaíba reticulata) / Treatment of surgical wounds in rats with copaiba oil-resin (copaiba reticulata)

Foi avaliada a atividade cicatrizante do óleo-resina de copaíba "in natura" em feridas cirúrgicas cutâneas induzidas em ratos. Setenta e dois ratos foram distribuídos em três grupos: Grupo Controle Negativo (GCN), Grupo Controle Positivo (GCP) e Grupo Óleo-resina de Copaíba (GOC). A avaliação da hiperemia por escore na macroscopia mostrou que a chance de um animal apresentar um grau de hiperemia baixo quando tratado com o óleo-resina de copaíba é 1,46 vezes maior que um animal tratado com ácidos graxos essenciais e 2,14 vezes maiores que a chance de um animal tratado com óleo mineral. Com relação ao infiltrado inflamatório na microscopia a probabilidade de ser menor ocorre no GOC em comparação com os GCN e GCP. Em relação ao tempo de reepitelização, a chance de um animal apresentar uma reepitelização mais lenta tratado com ácidos graxos essenciais é de 1,2 vezes a chance de um animal tratado com óleo-resina de copaíba. A análise histológica mostrou que o tecido cicatricial após o tratamento com óleo-resina de copaíba apresentou maior contração da ferida e consequentemente redução do tamanho da ferida visto pela aproximação de anexos da pele no corte histológico. Concluiu-se que o tratamento com óleo-resina de copaíba proporciona maior contração da ferida e aproximação dos anexos da pele.

The healing activity of "in natura" oil-resin of copaíba resin was evaluated in cutaneous surgical wounds induced in rats. Seventy-two rats were divided into three groups: Negative Control Group (GCN), Positive Control Group (GCP) and Copaíba Oil-Resin Group (GOC). Evaluation of hyperemia by macroscopic score showed that the chance of an animal presenting a low degree of hyperemia when treated with copaiba oil-resin is 1.46 times higher than an animal treated with essential fatty acids and 2.14 times greater than the chance of an animal treated with mineral oil. With regard to inflammatory infiltrate under microscopy the probability of being smaller occurs in GOC compared to GCN and GCP. Regarding the time of re-epithelialization, the chance of an animal having a slower reepithelization treated with essential fatty acids is 1.2 times the chance of an animal treated with copaiba oil-resin. Histological analysis showed that cicatricial tissue after treatment with copaiba oil-resin presented greater contraction of the wound due to the approximation of skin attachments. It was concluded that the treatment with copaiba oil-resin provides greater contraction of the wound and approximation of the skin attachments.

Evaluation of rat plasma proteins after bothropic venom inoculation and treatment with Mesenquimal stem cells

The aim of this work was to evaluate the mesenchymal stem cells treatment of rats with myonecrosis caused by Rhinocerophis alternatus venom through acute phase proteins (APP) profile. The animals were distributed into three experimental groups (G1, G2 and G3). G1 and G2 were inoculated with 120 μg of R. alternatus venom diluted in 200 µL of ultra-pure water in gastrocnemic muscle, while G3 received 200 µL of ultra-pure water. Three days after, G1 was treated with 5 X 10(6) MSC diluted in PBS and G2 and G3 only with PBS. Each three days after the treatments (3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th 15th days), blood of five animals in each group was collected in order to evaluate the APP. A decrease (P<0.05) in α2-globulin fraction was observed in G1 on the 6th day. In G1 and G2, a raise (P<0.05) was observed in β globulin, a common occurrence in the late phases of inflammatory process, although no significant difference was observed between them. Concerning gamma globulins levels, on the 6th day after the treatments, in G1 and G2 groups, increase in the levels was observed. These data showed that the MSC treatment after bothropic envenomation in the rats caused alteration in APP.