A Mobile App to Promote Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy in Preterm Infants' Mothers: Development and Validation.

Improving breastfeeding rates is a global goal. To achieve it, actions targeting modifiable factors that influence the breastfeeding experience, such as maternal self-efficacy, could be a promising path, especially with preterm infants' mothers. Considering the current ubiquitous technology, we developed a mobile application for mothers of preterm infants to constitute a breastfeeding information and support platform. The study was developed in three phases: a survey to determine characteristics and preferences of preterm infants' mothers; the app development by an interdisciplinary team, following the principles of Disciplined Agile Delivery; and the face and content validation by 10 professionals. The app contains 80 screens and 11 strategies to address prematurity, lactation, breastfeeding, peer support, maternal emotions, resilience, and motivation. Nurses can apply their expertise by designing mHealth-based interventions, employing scientific evidence, and considering the interests and preferences of the target population. Future studies will assess the user experience, the effect on breastfeeding self-efficacy, and breastfeeding rates, and develop a culturally adapted English version of the app for women in Canada.

Impact of a Single Oral Acute Dose of Aflatoxin B1 on Liver Function/Cytokines and the Lymphoproliferative Response in C57Bl/6 Mice.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a mycotoxin found in food and feed, exerts harmful effects on humans and animals. The liver is the earliest target of AFB1, and its effects have been evaluated in animal models exposed to acute or chronic doses. Considering the possibility of sporadic ingestion of AFB1-contaminated food, this study investigated the impact of a single oral dose of AFB1 on liver function/cytokines and the lymphoproliferative response in mice. C57BL/6 mice were treated with a single oral AFB1 dose (44, 442 or 663 µg AFB1/kg of body weight) on the first day. Liver function (ALT, γ-GT, and total protein), cytokines (IL-4, IFN-γ, and IL-17), histopathology, and the spleen lymphoproliferative response to mitogens were evaluated on the 5th day. Although AFB1 did not produce any significant changes in the biochemical parameters, 663 µg AFB1/kg-induced hepatic upregulation of IL-4 and IFN-γ, along with liver tissue injury and suppression of the lymphoproliferative response to ConA (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a single oral dose of AFB1 exposure can induce liver tissue lesions, liver cytokine modulation, and immune suppression in C57BL/6 mice.

Immunomodulation over the course of experimental Arthrographis kalrae infection in mice.

Arthrographis kalrae is occasionally described as an opportunistic human pathogen. This study investigated the immune response to A. kalrae during murine experimental infection (7, 14, 28 and 56 days post infection). The fungal load was higher in the early phase and mice presented with neurological syndrome over the course of the infection. There was a gradual increase in the level of anti-A. kalrae IgG and increased levels of DTH at 14 days. There was decreased IFN-γ (14-56 days) and an increase in IL-4 (7 and 56 days). Decreased levels of cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-17) were observed in the brain at 56 days p.i. The results suggest that the immune response during murine A. kalrae infection modulates to the pattern of Th2 response. This study shows for the first time the cytokines and cellular immunomodulation that occur in response to an experimental infection with A. kalrae in mice.

Arthrographis kalrae soluble antigens present hemolytic and cytotoxic activities.

Arthrographis kalrae is a dimorphic, cosmopolitan and neurotropic fungus that has been described as a rare human pathogen. This study investigated the hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of A. kalrae cell-free antigens (CFAs). Total CFAs and their Sephadex chromatography fractions were tested on mouse erythrocytes for hemolysis and on the P3U1 cell line for cytotoxicity. Hemolytic and cytotoxic activities were detected in distinct molecular mass (MM) fractions. Additionally, antibodies against isogenic erythrocytes sensitized with CFAs (anti-E-CFAs) inhibited hemolysis but not cytotoxicity. Hemolysis was not affected by heating, and a higher reactivity was detected in the carbohydrate-rich fractions, which decreased after reduction by periodate treatment. The pioneering nature of this work is due to the demonstration of the cytotoxic activity in A. kalrae and the suggestion that this activity may be due to molecules distinct from the hemolytic factor, with the latter potentially being a component with a high MM.

Submandibular glands and the regulation of gastric proliferation and TGFα distribution during rat postnatal development

Rodent gastric mucosa grows and differentiates during suckling-weaning transition. Among the molecules in rat milk, EGF and TGFβ are important peptides in the control of cell proliferation, and together with TGFα, they are also produced by submandibular glands. We aimed to determine the effect of saliva and milk on epithelial cell proliferation in the stomach of rat pups. We also examined the distribution of TGFα in the gastric mucosa after sialoadenectomy (SIALO) and fasting in order to determine whether this growth factor is affected by the deprivation of molecules derived from saliva and milk. SIALO was performed at 14 days and fasting was induced 3 days later. Cell proliferation was evaluated through metaphasic index and TGFα was detected by immunohistochemistry. We observed that whereas SIALO did not alter cell division, since the metaphasic index (MI) was unchanged, fasting stimulated cell proliferation (P < 0.05). After SIALO and fasting, MI was reduced when compared to the fasted group (P < 0.05). We found that TGFα is distributed along gastric gland and SIALO did not interfere in the localization and number of immunolabeled cells, but fasting increased their density when compared to the control (P < 0.05). The association of SIALO and fasting reduced TGFα immunostaining (P < 0.05). Therefore, during fasting, high MI was parallel to increased TGFα in gastric epithelium, but interestingly, this effect was found only in the presence of submandibular glands. We suggest that during suckling, peptides derived from saliva and milk are important to regulate gastric growth.

EGFR is involved in control of gastric cell proliferation through activation of MAPK and Src signalling pathways in early-weaned rats.

OBJECTIVES: Early weaning (EW) increases proliferation of the gastric epithelium in parallel with higher expression of transforming growth factor alpha and its receptor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The primary objective of the present study was to examine involvement of EGFR signalling in regulating mucosal cell proliferation during the early weaning period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen-day-old rats were split into two groups: suckling (control) and EW, in which pups were separated from the dam. Animals were killed daily until the 18th day, 3 days after onset of treatment. To investigate the role of EGFR in proliferation control, EW pups were injected with AG1478, an EGFR inhibitor; signalling molecules, proliferative indices and cell cycle-related proteins were evaluated. RESULTS: EW increased ERK1/2 and Src phosphorylation at 17 days, but p-Akt levels were unchanged. Moreover, at 17 days, AG1478 administration impaired ERK phosphorylation, whereas p-Src and p-Akt were not altered. AG1478 treatment reduced mitotic and DNA synthesis indices, which were determined on HE-stained and BrdU-labelled sections. Finally, AG1478 injection decreased p21 levels in the gastric mucosa at 17 days, while no changes were detected in p27, cyclin E, CDK2, cyclin D1 and CDK4 concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: EGFR is part of the mechanism that regulates cell proliferation in rat gastric mucosa during early weaning. We suggest that such responses might depend on activation of MAPK and/or Src signalling pathways and regulation of p21 levels.

Differential distribution of transforming growth factor beta and receptors in the hyper or hypoproliferative gastric mucosa of developing and adult rats.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) isoforms are known for their antiproliferative effect on epithelial cells in vitro, but the role of each isoform in vivo is poorly understood, mainly when non-pathological conditions are considered. We correlated the presence and distribution of isoforms and receptors to physiological changes in gastric cell proliferation in developing and adult rats. We used fasting to induce either the hyper (14-day-old pups) or hypoproliferation (60-day-old rats) of the gastric epithelium. In 14-d-old pups fasting reduced only TGFbeta3 labelling in the gland. Conversely, in 60-d-old rats there was an increase of TGFbeta1 and TGFbeta3 immunolabelled cells. Receptors were detected at both ages. Therefore, the changes induced by fasting in the constitutive TGFbeta expression can be correlated to the differential epithelial proliferation in the stomach of developing and adult rats. These results suggest that one of the functional roles of TGFbeta in vivo is to locally regulate cell proliferation.

A review of the wolf spider genus Hippasella (Araneae, Lycosidae, Sosippinae)

The monotypic genus Hippasella Mello-Leitão 1944 is revised, and its type-species H. nitida Mello-Leitão 1944 is considered a junior synonym of Tarentula guaquiensis Strand 1908, from Bolivia. Hippasella guaquiensis (Strand) comb. nov. is redescribed and the female genitalia are illustrated for the first time. This species now is recorded from Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. It appears to prefer vegetation near water.

O gênero monotrópico Hippasella Mello-Leitão 1944 e´revisado e sua espécie tipo H. nitidaMello-Leitão 1944 e´ considerada um sinônimo júnior de Tarentula guaquiensis Strand 1908, da Bolívia.Hippasella guaquiensis (Strand) comb. nov. e´ redescrita e a genitália da fêmea e´ilustrada pela primeira vez. Esta espécie e´agora conhecida do Peru, Bolívia e da Argentina, onde parece preferir a vegetação próxima a água.

Characterization of the venom from the Brazilian Brown Spider Loxosceles similis Moenkhaus, 1898 (Araneae, Sicariidae).

Accidents caused by brown spiders (Loxosceles genus) are frequent in Brazil and are associated with dermonecrotic lesions and, eventually, systemic reactions that may be lethal. The major species implicated with human envenoming have been: L. intermedia, L. gaucho and L. laeta. In this study we characterized the venom from Loxosceles similis, a species of spider normally found inside caves. L. similis venom was characterized by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and enzymatic activity (dermonecrosis and haemolysis). The lethal dose to mice and the capacity of commercial anti-serum to neutralize this venom were also analysed. The cross-reactivity with anti-venoms against L. intermedia, L. laeta and L. gaucho were studied. Our results showed that this venom was able to induce severe dermonecrotic lesions and showed the presence of the bacteria Clostridium septicum in association with the fangs. In addition, we have cloned the DNA coding for a dermonecrotic protein (LsD1), using the genomic DNA of L. similis. The deduced amino acid sequence showed a toxin of approximately 31.2 kDa with an estimated pI of 7.37 and sequence similar to LiD1, a protein from the dermonecrotic family of Loxosceles intermedia spider venom, a synanthropic species of medical importance.

Validación de la versión española de la Diagnostic Interview for Bordelines-Revised (DIB-R) / Validation of a Spanish version of the Diagnostic Interview for Bordelines-Revised (DIB-R)

Introducción. El trastorno límite de la personalidad (TLP) es el trastorno del Eje II más estudiado en la actualidad; sin embargo, no existen versiones españolas de entrevistas específicas. La Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines-Revised (DIB-R) es una entrevista semiestructurada que permite determinar tanto el diagnóstico como la severidad clínica de pacientes con TLP. El objetivo del presente estudio la validación de la DIB-R para su uso en población de habla española. Método. Las características psicométricas de la versión española de la DIB-R fueron evaluadas en una muestra de 156 sujetos con orientación diagnóstica del TLP; 29 hombres y 127 mujeres con una edad media de 27,6 años (desviación estándar: 6,5; rango: 18-45). La adaptación española de la Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders (SCID-II) se utilizó como . Resultados. La DIB-R mostró una buena consistencia interna global (alfa de Cronbach de 0.89) y una alta fiabilidad entre evaluadores (coeficiente de correlación intraclase de 0.94). Utilizando un análisis de regresión logística se estableció como punto de corte diagnóstico los valores iguales o superiores a 6, con una elevada convergencia diagnóstica con la SCID-II (kappa de 0,59). Conclusiones. La versión española de la DIB-R mostró unas propiedades psicométrica comparables a las del instrumento original y puede resultar útil para determinar tanto la presencia como la gravedad del TLP (AU)

Introduction. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is the most studied Axis II disorders. However, there are no Spanish versions of specific interviews. The Diagnostic Interview for Bordelines-Revised (DIB-R) is a semistructured interview used to determine the diagnosis and severity of BPD patients. The aim of this study was to validate the DIB-R for use in a Spanish –speaking sample. Method. The psychometric characteristics of the DIB-R Spanish version were assessed in a sample of 156 patients with the possible diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. There were 29 men and 127 women with a mean age of 27.6 years (SD: 6,5; range: 18-45). The Spanish adaptation of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders (SCID-II) was used as gold standard. Results. The DIB-R showed good total internal reliability (within-class correlation: 0,94). Using logistic regression analyses the best cut-off was judged to be 6 or more, obtaining high sensitivity (0.81), specificity (0,94) and moderate convergent validity of the diagnosis with the SCIID-II (kappa. 0.59). Conclusions. The Spanish version of the DIB-R showed psychometric characteristics similar to those in the original interview and may be useful to determine BPD presence and severity (AU)

Ileal VIP submucous neurons: confocal study of the area enlargement induced by myenteric denervation in weanling rats.

Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) neurons are maturing during suckling and weaning periods and the neuropeptide VIP is thought to be neurotrophic during ontogenesis. We have previously demonstrated that suckling rats with myenteric ablation have significantly higher mitotic index and an increase on villus height and crypt depth 15 days after treatment. In the current study, we measured the area of VIP neurons of submucous plexus in the ileum of weanling rats, in which myenteric neurons were ablated by serosal application of benzalkonium chloride (BAC). The area of VIP immunoreactive cell bodies, reconstructed under confocal microscope, was significantly increased in response to denervation. This result suggests that the myenteric plexus may have an inhibitory role over submucous plexus in the normal intestine. The enhanced production of VIP may be correlated with the increased epithelial proliferation induced by denervation in a critical period of life, from suckling to weaning time.

Goblet cell number in the ileum of rats denervated during suckling and weaning

The enteric nervous system plays a role on the stimulation of secretory cells of intestinal epithelia. We have demonstrated that ablation of ENS stimulates epithelial cell proliferation. As goblet cells are important constituents of the epithelial sheet, it is mandatory to investigate separately this cell type. The myenteric plexus of the ileum of rats in postnatal development was partially removed by the serosal application of benzalkonium chloride (BAC). Three groups of animals were used: those where BAC application was at 13 days and sacrifice was at 15 (13/28-day-old) or 23 days after treatment (13/36-day-old), and those where BAC was applied at 21 days and rats were killed 15 days after treatment (21/36-day-old) . The number of goblet cells in the ileum was estimated in sections stained by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) histochemistry. In the 13/28 and 21/36 groups, the number of goblet cells was significantly higher after BAC treatment. These results suggest that the myenteric denervation may have an acute effect on the number of goblet cell in suckling and weanling rats, probably through submucous plexus. (AU)

Goblet cell number in the ileum of rats denervated during suckling and weaning

The enteric nervous system plays a role on the stimulation of secretory cells of intestinal epithelia. We have demonstrated that ablation of ENS stimulates epithelial cell proliferation. As goblet cells are important constituents of the epithelial sheet, it is mandatory to investigate separately this cell type. The myenteric plexus of the ileum of rats in postnatal development was partially removed by the serosal application of benzalkonium chloride (BAC). Three groups of animals were used: those where BAC application was at 13 days and sacrifice was at 15 (13/28-day-old) or 23 days after treatment (13/36-day-old), and those where BAC was applied at 21 days and rats were killed 15 days after treatment (21/36-day-old) . The number of goblet cells in the ileum was estimated in sections stained by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) histochemistry. In the 13/28 and 21/36 groups, the number of goblet cells was significantly higher after BAC treatment. These results suggest that the myenteric denervation may have an acute effect on the number of goblet cell in suckling and weanling rats, probably through submucous plexus.

Serotonin in the nervous system of the head region of the land planarian Bipalium kewense.

The presence and distribution of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) in the head region of the land planarian Bipalium kewense has been investigated by an indirect immunofluorescence technique combined with confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM), and also by immunogold labeling at ultrastructural level. Serotonin immunoreactivity (IR) was restricted to elements of the nervous system, such as the cerebral ganglion, and the peripheral nerve net. Most of 5-HT-immunoreactive neurons are at the periphery of the brain; they were identified as unipolar, bipolar, and multipolar neurons. The ultrastructural results using immunogold labeling confirm the location of 5-HT within electron-dense vesicles (50-120 nm in diameter), clustered both in the cell bodies and in their processes. The intense 5-HT-IR herein demonstrated for B. kewense adds new data to the poorly studied nervous system of land planarians.

Localization of luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone binding sites in the gastric mucosa of suckling rats.

Luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) is a hypothalamic and milk-borne hormone that inhibits the cell proliferation of gastric epithelium in developing rats, although the mechanism of such action is unknown. We investigated the presence of binding sites for LHRH in the stomach of suckling rats after the injection of the hormone. Immunofluorescence at the confocal microscopy level revealed that LHRH binds to gastric cells, being particularly abundant over the gland. Different fluorescent lectins were used to identify gastric cell types and determine which were labeled by the hormone. Colocalization studies in these double-labeling experiments showed that LHRH staining colocalizes with parietal cells, suggesting the presence of binding sites in these cells. The three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of isolated parietal cells revealed the localization of the signal, which appears to be in the membrane of the canalicular region. These results suggest that there are binding sites for LHRH in the gastric epithelium, specifically in parietal cells, and they might play a role in the control of cell proliferation during suckling.

Cell proliferation and death in the gastric epithelium of developing rats after glucocorticoid treatments.

Glucocorticoids take part in the intense morphofunctional modifications that occur in the gastric mucosa during fetal and postnatal development. Two studies were designed to evaluate corticoids role in gastric cell proliferation and apoptosis in developing rats: in vivo, using suckling animals; in vitro, using gastric explants obtained from 20-day fetuses. These explants were cultured in DMEM/F12 medium treated or not with 50 ng/ml of corticosterone; after 22 hr, vincristine was added to the medium for 2 hr to block mitosis. The metaphasic index decreased significantly after the 24-hr treatment (controls: 1.52 +/- 0.53; treated: 0.40 +/- 0.21) and apoptotic cells were visualized under light and electron microscopy. Fifteen-day-old rats were treated with hydrocortisone (25 mg/Kg) for 3 days, and injected with BrDU (100 mg/Kg) 1 hr before sacrifice on the 18th day. BrDu-labeled and non-labeled cells were counted to determine the labeling index of epithelial cells. As apoptotic cells are rapidly eliminated, other animals were treated for only 2-3 hr. Sections were investigated for the presence of apoptotic cells, using morphological criteria and TUNEL labeling. Hydrocortisone significantly reduced the labeling index (controls: 15.6 +/- 1.6 vs. treated: 11.7 +/- 1.1), besides altering the body weight gain. Hydrocortisone treatment doubled the number of apoptotic cells after 2 hr, and quadruplicated it after 3 hr. The results demonstrated that glucocorticoids inhibit cell proliferation in the gastric epithelium of fetuses and suckling rats and increase apoptotic rates, suggesting the exit from cell cycle.

Early weaning and prolonged nursing induce changes in cell proliferation in the gastric epithelium of developing rats.

Food deprivation stimulates cell proliferation in the gastric epithelium of suckling, but not weanling rats. This study was designed to investigate the role of diet on proliferation in developing animals, using early weaning and prolonged nursing models. Rat pups were subjected to these dietary conditions at d 15 and were killed 3 or 7 d afterwards. One day before killing, half of pups were deprived of food. Body weights were recorded. After mitosis blockade, the histologic sections of the stomach were used for the evaluation of cell proliferation and methapasic cell distribution along the gland, and for the measurement of mucosa thickness. Body weight was impaired at 18 d by early weaning and at 22 d by prolonged nursing. Food restriction promoted a 10-15% weight loss regardless of dietary conditions. At 18 d, food deprivation inhibited cell division (P: < 0.01) and reduced the thickness of the mucosa (P: < 0.05) in rats that were weaned early. At 22 d, only the thickness of the mucosa was different between the groups that were subjected to early weaning and prolonged nursing (P: < 0.05), regardless of feeding state. The frequency of dividing cells along the gland was affected by early weaning in 18- and 22-d-old rats. These results suggest the following: 1) food deprivation effects are dependent on dietary condition at 18 d because different proliferative responses were achieved after early weaning and prolonged nursing; 2) the lack of changes after dietary manipulation in 22-d-old rats indicates a nonresponsive period during postnatal development. We conclude that milk is a modulatory factor for cell proliferation in the gastric mucosa of rats.

Effect of myenteric denervation on intestinal epithelium proliferation and migration of suckling and weanling rats.

The effects of myenteric denervation on the cell kinetics of the intestinal epithelium of suckling and weanling rats were investigated. The myenteric plexus of an ileal segment was partially ablated by serosal application of benzalkonium chloride (BAC) in three groups of rats: those that underwent surgery at 13 days and were killed 15 (13/28-day-old) or 23 (13/36-day-old) days after treatment, and those that were operated at 21 days (21/36-day-old) and were killed 15 days after treatment. The extent of denervation was assessed in whole-mount preparations. The cell bodies of myenteric neurones were stained by NADH-diaphorase histochemical technique. Cell proliferation was estimated by the mitotic index (MI) and morphometric analysis of villus and crypt lengths using an image analysis system. Thickness of the muscle layers was also assessed by morphometry. Cell migration on the villi was estimated by the position of the leading labelled cell 24 h after tritiated thymidine injection. The number of neurones was reduced by around 80% in rats operated at 13 days, and reduced by 98% in those operated at 21 days. The thickness of the muscle layers was increased in all groups of treated animals. MI was significantly higher 15 days after BAC-treatment in the 13/28 group. Morphological changes in the intestinal mucosa were observed 15 days after BAC-treatment, when there was an increase in villus height (13/28 group) and crypt depth (13/28 and 21/36 groups). Cell migration rate was accelerated in the 21/36 group. No differences where found in the 13/36 group. These results show the strong effect of myenteric ablation on cell proliferation and migration in the ileal epithelium in the first 15 days of treatment in suckling and in weanling rats, and the subsequent recovery of intestinal mucosa homeostasis later on.

LHRH antagonist inhibits gastric cell proliferation in suckling rats.

The cell proliferation of the gastric epithelium is stimulated by food deprivation in suckling rats, and LHRH inhibits this process as it does in other hyperproliferating tissues. However, as LHRH antagonist is also being used as a potent antiproliferative agent for tumors, this study aims to investigate whether it plays any role on the cell proliferation of the gastric epithelium. Seventeen-day-old rats were fasted for 20 h and treated with LHRH antagonist, LHRH, or both during this period. The following morning, animals were injected with BrDU to label proliferating cells, and were sacrificed 1 h later. Paraffin sections of the gastric mucosa were processed for immunohistochemistry and BrDU labeled and non-labeled epithelial cells were counted to determine the labeling index (LI). None of the hormone treatments changed body weight or the morphology of the stomach. Apoptotic cells were observed in the gastric gland in treated rats. The LI were inhibited by the antagonist, LHRH or both, showing that the LHRH antagonist plays an inhibitory role on the hyperproliferating gastric epithelium. These results suggest that both LHRH agonist and antagonist can influence the proliferative activity in suckling rats, though the mode of action remains to be determined.

A morphological study on posterior gills of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus.

Morphological and histological studies on posterior gills of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus showed that the 5th gill (of 7) has a larger surface area and a greater number of lamellae compared to the 6th gill. Regular separation of gill lamellae, important when the gill is in air, is maintained by enlargements of the marginal canals. Conical, spine-like structures along the efferent vessel of both 5th and 6th gills were also observed. In addition, pillar cells, a discontinuous lamellar septum and a hypobranchial artery were observed. The presence of valve-like structures near the efferent vessel was also indicated. These structures, together with the pillar cells, may have a role in directing the hemolymph flow towards certain gills during particular physiological states. Localization of osmoregulatory epithelia in the lamellae of both gills was inferred from dimethylaminostyrylethylpyridiniumiodine staining. Apparently gills 5 and 6 have osmoregulatory epithelial cell patches of similar area, corresponding to 43% and 38% of the total lamellae area, respectively. However, their localization is quite different. Gill number 5 osmoregulatory patches seem to be restricted to the afferent region of the lamella whereas in gill number 6, they are more dispersed over the entire lamella. These differences may be related to the particular functional characteristics of these gills.