ABSTRACT
Ever since its emergence, the highly transmissible and debilitating coronavirus disease spread at an incredibly fast rate, causing global devastation in a matter of months. SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, infects hosts after binding to ACE2 receptors present on cells from many structures pertaining to the respiratory, cardiac, hematological, neurological, renal and gastrointestinal systems. COVID-19, however, appears to trigger a severe cytokine storm syndrome in pulmonary structures, resulting in oxidative stress, exacerbated inflammation and alveolar injury. Due to the recent nature of this disease no treatments have shown complete efficacy and safety. More recently, however, researchers have begun to direct some attention towards GSH and NAC. These natural antioxidants play an essential role in several biological processes in the body, especially the maintenance of the redox equilibrium. In fact, many diseases appear to be strongly related to severe oxidative stress and deficiency of endogenous GSH. The high ratios of ROS over GSH, in particular, appear to reflect severity of symptoms and prolonged hospitalization of COVID-19 patients. This imbalance interferes with the body's ability to detoxify the cellular microenvironment, fold proteins, replenish antioxidant levels, maintain healthy immune responses and even modulate apoptotic events. Oral administration of GSH and NAC is convenient and safe, but they are susceptible to degradation in the digestive tract. Considering this drawback, nebulization of GSH and NAC as an adjuvant therapy may therefore be a viable alternative for the management of the early stages of COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a popular non-invasive therapeutic modality in the medical field for the treatment of numerous musculoskeletal disorders. This technique first emerged around the 1980s as extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy and has been studied since then for its application towards orthopedics and traumatology. ESWT works by the emission of acoustic waves (shockwaves) that carry energy and can propagate through tissues. Shockwaves can generate interstitial and extracellular responses, producing many beneficial effects such as: pain relief, vascularization, protein biosynthesis, cell proliferation, neuro and chondroprotection, and destruction of calcium deposits in musculoskeletal structures. The combination of these effects can lead to tissue regeneration and significant alleviation of pain, improving functional outcomes in injured tissue. Considering these facts, ESWT shows great potential as a useful regenerative medicine technique for the treatment of numerous musculoskeletal injuries.
ABSTRACT
Os autores realizaram um estudo comparativo da qualidade óssea em 20 pacientes portadores da síndrome de Marfan, utilizando marcadores laboratoriais do metabolismo ósseo e o índice metacarpiano. Os resultados encontrados foram correlacionados com o grupo controle composto de 40 pacientes não portadores da doença, visando demonstrar quais dos marcadores têm relevância na avaliação, diagnóstico e evolução da síndrome de Marfan. Os resultados permitem afirmar que: a piridinolina e a osteocalcina não são bons marcadores para a doença; a fosfatase alcalina é um bom marcador da formação óssea na doença; a hidroxiprolina, a deoxipiridinolina (DPYD) e o cálcio urinário são bons marcadores da reabsorção óssea na doença; a doença cursa com perda de massa óssea e tem o índice metacarpiano alterado.
