Hypolipidemic potential and safety profile of the ethanolic extract and flour of the peel of Passiflora Cincinnata Mast. (Passifloraceae) in mice.

Passiflora cincinnata Mast. is described as a native Caatinga species, used by nutritional and medicinal purposes, although there are still few studies and pharmacological data related to this species. This paper aims to evaluate the safety profile and hypolipidemic potential of the fruit peel of this species in mice. It was analyzed the chemical composition of ethanolic extract (EtOH-Pc) by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS, and the organic and inorganic composition of flour (MF-Pc). Also were evaluated the acute toxicity, the lipid-lowering potential of these samples, through of a pretreatment (oral: 100 and 200 mg/kg), and a single treatment with the same doses, after hyperlipidemic induction with triton WR-1339, using as animal model Swiss Mus musculus mice, besides histopathological analysis. The presence of flavonoids in the extract was confirmed, mainly C-glycosides, and antioxidant minerals and pectin, in flour. No clinical signs of toxicity or death were reported in the study. In the hyperlipidemia study model used, the analyzed substances, at all doses, notably decreased the lipid levels of TC, TG, LDL-c and VLDL-c and increase the HDL-c levels in the induced hyperlipidemic mice (p < 0.05). The results of the histopathological analysis showed that in the group only induced was identified the discrete presence of hepatic steatosis, in 2 animals at the analysis of 24 h, not being visualized in the groups treated with the substances evaluated. The results obtained in the present study suggest a hypolipidemic potential of the extract and flour, obtained from the fruit peel of Passiflora cincinnata Mast.

Investigation of antinociceptive, antipyretic, antiasthmatic, and spasmolytic activities of Brazilian Cannabis sativa L. roots in rodents.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Many studies are performed with the aerial parts of Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae). However, roots remain poorly studied, despite citations in the scientific literature. The C. sativa roots are indicated for the treatment of pain, inflammation, fever, among other health problems. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive, antipyretic, antiasthmatic, and spasmolytic activities of C. sativa roots in experimental models using mice and rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The chemical composition of the aqueous extract of C. sativa roots (AECsR) was evaluated by LC-MS. The antinociceptive activity was assessed in mice by the induction of writhing with acetic acid, paw licking with formalin, and reactivity in the hot plate test. Fever was induced by the administration of a suspension of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in young rats. The asthmatic activity was performed with ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice with cellular and histological analysis. Finally, the spasmolytic activity was performed using mice isolated trachea. For in vivo studies, the doses were 12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg whereas for in vitro, the concentration of AECsR was 729 µg/mL. RESULTS: From the LC-MS data, we identified p-coumaroyltyramine, feruloyltyramine canabissativine in AECsR. The extract promoted a reduction of writhing in all tested doses (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg). Similarly, it reduced the pain in the formalin test at doses of 12.5 and 50 mg/kg (first phase) and 12.5 and 25 mg/kg (second phase). In the hot plate test, the doses of 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg promoted antinociceptive effect at different times, and the lowest dose maintained its action in the analyzes performed at 60, 90, and 120 min after administration. The anti-inflammatory activity of AECsR was observed in the mouse model of asthma, reducing the total leukocyte count in the bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) at a dose of 25 mg/kg, as well as reducing eosinophilia in all tested doses (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg). Histological analysis of lungs stained with H&E and PAS showed a reduction in the number of inflammatory cells in the perivascular and peribronchial region, as well as reduced mucus production. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that AECsR promotes pain control, either by a central or inflammatory mechanism, and has antiasthmatic activity. However, there was no antipyretic or spasmolytic effect.

Endemia hansênica em menores de 15 anos e a ampliação da atenção primária no município em Juazeiro, Bahia: estudo de séries temporais / Endemic leprosy in children under 15 years old and the expansion of primary care in the city of Juazeiro, Bahia: time series study

No Brasil, a hanseníase mantém-se como um importante problema de saúde pública. O país ocupa a primeira posição em detecção e segunda em número absoluto de casos, sendo o único que ainda não alcançou a meta de eliminação da doença enquanto problema de saúde pública. Este trabalho tem como objetivo descrever a endemia hansênica em menores de 15 anos no município de Juazeiro, no estado da Bahia, e sua relação com a ampliação da Atenção Primária à Saúde. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico exploratório com desenho de séries temporais, envolvendo todos os casos de hanseníase diagnosticados em menores de 15 anos em Juazeiro, entre os anos de 2003 e 2012. Para a análise das séries temporais, foi aplicada regressão linear utilizando o software R 3.0.3 e, para o georreferenciamento das unidades de saúdes, empregou-se o software Terra View 4.2.2. Calcularam-se ainda os indicadores de monitoramento e avaliação da hanseníase. Dos 1.691 casos de hanseníase, 7,8% (132) ocorreram em menores de 15 anos. Não foi evidenciada tendência de redução significativa no coeficiente de detecção em menores de 15 anos (p>0,05). Houve aumento significativo no número de unidades de saúde acompanhando casos de hanseníase (p<0,05), bem como ampliação da cobertura de atenção primária, alcançando mais de 90%, em 2012. A proporção de cura no período foi de 97,6%; a de exame de contato, de 78%; e a de abandono encontrada, de apenas 1,6%. A partir dos resultados encontrados, é possível concluir que a hanseníase em menores de 15 anos ainda representa um problema de saúde pública no município estudado. A ampliação da atenção primária à saúde pode influenciar na detecção de novos casos da doença e na qualidade dos serviços prestados aos indivíduos.

In Brazil, leprosy remains an important public health issue. The country occupies the first position in detection and second in absolute number of cases, being the only one that has not yet reached the goal of eliminating the disease as a public health problem. This study aims to describe the leprosy endemic in children under 15 years of age in the city of Juazeiro-Bahia and its relation with the expansion of Primary Health Care. This is an exploratory ecological study with time series design, involving all cases of leprosy that were diagnosed in children under 15 years of age in the city of Juazeiro, Bahia, between 2003 and 2012. For the time series analysis, linear regression was applied using software R 3.0.3 and for the geo-referencing of health units, the Terra View software 4.2.2. The indicators of leprosy monitoring and evaluation were also calculated. Of the 1691 cases of leprosy, 7.8% (132) occurred among children under 15 years of age. There was no evidence of a significant reduction in the detection coefficient in children younger than 15 years (p>0.05). There was a significant increase in the number of health units attending cases of leprosy (p<0.05), as well as the expansion of primary care coverage, reaching more than 90% in 2012. The cure rate in the period was 97.6 %, the proportion of contact examination was 78% and the proportion of abandonment found was only 1.6%. From the results found, it is possible to conclude that leprosy in children under 15 still represents a public health issue in the municipality studied. The expansion of primary health care can influence the detection of new cases of the disease and the quality of services provided to individuals.

Creation of a contusion injury method for skeletal muscle in rats with differing impacts.

PURPOSE:: To realize a morphological examination of the musculoskeletal tissue, assessing the effect of a contusion method for the production in rat gastrocnemius, comparing the inflammatory responses generated by different impacts. METHODS:: For the analysis of a contusion method, twelve female Wistar rats were distributed into four groups. The lesion was generated by 324 g of mass that was dropped from different predetermined heights for each group (30, 45, 60 and 70 cm). RESULTS:: In the analysis of musculoskeletal tissue, the response to injury varied according to the mass of the height drop onto the muscle. Only the group that was injured from 70 cm responded with uniform and severe inflammation, whereas the groups 30, 45 and 60 cm showed inflammation in some regions of the tissue with mild and moderate infiltrates. CONCLUSION:: The method with the 324-gram mass dropped from a 70-cm height onto the gastrocnemius muscle of rats seems to be the most suitable for the production of muscle injury in these animals after 72 hours, showing an important inflammatory infiltrate.

Creation of a contusion injury method for skeletal muscle in rats with differing impacts

Abstract Purpose: To realize a morphological examination of the musculoskeletal tissue, assessing the effect of a contusion method for the production in rat gastrocnemius, comparing the inflammatory responses generated by different impacts. Methods: For the analysis of a contusion method, twelve female Wistar rats were distributed into four groups. The lesion was generated by 324 g of mass that was dropped from different predetermined heights for each group (30, 45, 60 and 70 cm). Results: In the analysis of musculoskeletal tissue, the response to injury varied according to the mass of the height drop onto the muscle. Only the group that was injured from 70 cm responded with uniform and severe inflammation, whereas the groups 30, 45 and 60 cm showed inflammation in some regions of the tissue with mild and moderate infiltrates. Conclusion: The method with the 324-gram mass dropped from a 70-cm height onto the gastrocnemius muscle of rats seems to be the most suitable for the production of muscle injury in these animals after 72 hours, showing an important inflammatory infiltrate.

Anti-inflammatory and healing action of oral gel containing borneol monoterpene in chemotherapy-induced mucositis in rats ( Rattus norvegicus )

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gels containing the monoterpene borneol in induced oral mucositis using an animal model. Gels were prepared with borneol at 1.2% and 2.4% (w/w). Oral mucositis was induced by administration of three doses of 5-fluorouracil (30 mg/kg, i.p.) and injury with acetic acid (50%, v/v) soaked in filter paper applied to right cheek mucosa for 60s. Four subgroups comprising 12 animals each were formed. Six animals from each group were sacrificed at days seven and fourteen after oral mucositis induction. Mucous samples were processed and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's Trichrome. The semiquantitative evaluation involved observation of inflammatory parameters. ImageJ® software was used in the quantitative evaluation. For statistical analyses, Two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's post-test (p <0.05), were employed. Borneol 2.4% gel proved effective in the treatment of oral mucositis with statistically significant differences between groups for angiogenesis control, inflammatory cell count reduction and percentage neoformed collagen increase. The confirmation of anti-inflammatory and healing action of borneol in oral mucositis in rats renders it a good marker for predicting this activity for plant extracts rich in this substance

Terapia celular em camundongos com cardiopatia chagásica crônica: mecanismos envolvidos na miocardite chagásica Crônica experimental / Stem cell therapy in mice with chronic Chagas disease: mechanisms involved in experimental chronic chagasic myocarditis

A cardiomiopatia chagásica crônica é uma das principais causas de insuficiência cardíaca nos países latino-americanos. Cerca de 30% dos indivíduos infectados pelo Trypanosoma cruz; desenvolvem essa forma grave e sintomática da doença, caracterizada pela presença de uma resposta inflamatória intensa seguida de fibrose no coração. Foi demonstrado previamente que o transplante de células da medula óssea (BMC) melhora a inflamação e a fibrose em corações de camundongos chagásicos crônicos. Neste trabalho nós investigamos alterações da expressão gênica no coração de camundongos chagásicos crônicos submetidos ou não à terapia BMC. [MÉTODOS] Camundongos C57BL/6 cronicamente infectados com T. cruz; (6 meses) foram transplantados com células mononucleares da medula óssea (BMC) ou solução salina intravenosamente (Lv.) e sacrificados após 2 meses. RNA foi extraído de corações de animais controles normais e chagásicos. Análise de microarranjos de DNA foi realizada utilizando uma matriz de 27.400 cDNAs. Imunofluorescência e análises morfométricas foram realizadas em secções dos corações. [RESULTADOS] Foram encontradas alterações significativas na expressão de -12% dos genes amostrados. Genes com expressão aumentada nos corações chagásicos foram associados com as respostas imune-inflamatória (quimiocinas, moléculas de adesão, catepsinas e moléculas de MHC) e fibrose (componentes da matriz extracelular, lisil oxidase e Timp1). Quando corações chagásicos de animais tratados com BMC foram comparados com o de animais normais, cerca de 90% das alterações gênicas não foram encontradas. Muitos dos genes com expressão modulada pelo tratamento com BMC foram relacionados à inflamação e fibrose. Imunofluorescência e análise morfométrica confirmaram os efeitos moduladores da terapia com BMC no padrão de resposta inflamatória e na expressão de moléculas de adesão. Nossos resultados demonstram um importante efeito imunomodulador do BMC e indicam fatores potencialmente relevantes envolvidos na patogênese da doença, que podem constituir novos alvos terapêuticos para esta doença. Para investigar a contribuição natural das células da medula óssea nas lesões no coração e músculo esquelético durante a infecção aguda pelo T. cruzi, camundongos quiméricos foram gerados através do transplante de células da medula óssea GFP+ em camundongos receptores do tipo selvagem letalmente irradiados que foram infectados com T. cruz; um mês após o transplante. A migração de células derivadas da medula óssea para o coração e músculo esquelético foi vista durante e após a fase aguda da infecção, uma vez que o infiltrado inflamatório era composto por células GFP+. Cardiomiócitos e células endoteliais GFP+ foram encontrados nas secções de coração de camundongos quiméricos infectados. Além disso, um grande número de fibras GFP+ foi observado no músculo esquelético de camundongos quiméricos em diferentes momentos após a infecção por T. cruz;. [CONCLUSÃO] Nossos resultados reforçam o papel das células derivadas da medula óssea na regeneração tecidual em lesões provocadas pela infecção por T. cruz.