Psidium cattleianum fruit extract prevents systemic alterations in an animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus: comparison with metformin effects.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the role of Psidium cattleianum extract (PCE) and compare its effects with those of metformin (Met) in an animal model with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods: T2DM was induced in rats using a high-fat diet (HFD), followed by a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ). Met and PCE were administered intragastrically once a day throughout the experiment, and their effects on biochemical, inflammatory, oxidative, and histological parameters were evaluated.Results: Met and PCE prevented the increase in serum levels of glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) induced by T2DM, and restored redox homeostasis in the liver and brain. Met increased the serum levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Furthermore, both treatments restored the liver and pancreas from marked cellular disorganisation, vacuolisation, and necrosis, with PCE being more effective than Met in recovering histological changes.Conclusion: PCE is a promising agent for the prevention of T2DM complications.

Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium pinnipedii in a wild South American sea lion Otaria flavescens stranded in southern Brazil.

Tuberculosis (TB) in pinnipeds is typically caused by Mycobacterium pinnipedii, which has also been associated with infections in other species, such as cattle and humans. As a result, this pathogen has zoonotic potential and is a public health concern. In 2016, a female South American sea lion Otaria flavescens in southern Brazil presented with emaciation and severe dyspnea and died within 3 h of capture. Gross pathology identified pulmonary granulomas, and Ziehl-Neelsen stain identified acid-fast bacilli. M. tuberculosis complex bacteria were confirmed by a BD BACTEC™ MGIT™ 320 detection system using fibrinous exudate, lung granulomas and thoracic fluid. Molecular characterization by spoligotyping showed a hybridization pattern characteristic of M. pinnipedii (SIT593/PINI1). Currently, there is a paucity of data concerning the transmission and epidemiology of M. pinnipedii in pinniped populations in South America. The case report shows that the disease appeared in a free-ranging beached sea lion on the coast, and further surveillance is needed to determine the origin of this TB because of its potential impact on public health.