A Single Bout of High Heels Dancing Causes an Increase in Circulating Markers of Muscle Tissue Degradation and MMP-3 in Young Healthy Women.

Prolonged wearing of high heels can cause chronic injury and inflammation. Herein, we investigated the presence of muscle injury, inflammation, and neutrophil function in young women after a single bout of stiletto dance class. Sixteen volunteers (23.4 ± 3.8 years; 61.7 ± 8.1 kg; 23.4 ± 2.3 kg/m2; and 27.2 ± 3.8% body fat) participated in the study. The plasma biomarkers matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3), muscle damage (myoglobin (Mb), total creatine kinase (CK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)), and inflammation (interleukin 8 (IL-8), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL]-1ß, and IL-6) were quantified before and immediately after a single stiletto class (60 min) of moderate intensity. After class, our data showed that the plasma concentration of MMP-3, Mb, and CK increased by 56% (p = 0.04; d = 0.8), 113% (p = 0.007; d = 1.1), and 21% (p < 0.001; d = 0.4), respectively. Reactive oxygen species produced by neutrophils and the plasma concentration of IL-8, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 were not affected under the study conditions. We concluded that a single bout of stiletto dance class caused muscle damage but did not alter the plasma concentration of proinflammatory cytokines. These findings are crucial in preventing the progress of chronic injuries that are often noted in dancers with synovitis and arthritis.

Hypertonic Solution in Severe COVID-19 Patient: A Potential Adjuvant Therapy.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) features hyper-inflammation, cytokine storm, neutrophil function changes, and sodium chloride (NaCl) homeostasis disruption, while the treatment with NaCl hypertonic solutions (HS) controls electrolytic body homeostasis and cell functions. HS treatment is a simple, popular, economic, and feasible therapy to regulate leukocyte function with a robust anti-inflammatory effect in many inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this narrative review is to highlight the knowledge on the use of HS approaches against viral infection over the past years and to describe the mechanisms involved in the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and production of cytokine in severe lung diseases, such as COVID-19. We reported the consequences of hyponatremia in COVID-19 patients, and the immunomodulatory effects of HS, either in vitro or in vivo. We also described the relationship between electrolyte disturbances and COVID-19 infection. Although there is still a lack of clinical trials, hypertonic NaCl solutions have marked effects on neutrophil function and NETs formation, emerging as a promising adjuvant therapy in COVID-19.

Social characterization of COVID-19 in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the number of deaths that occurred in the state of Amazonas and in Brazil, from March 16th to August 20th 2020, using the variables skin color, sex, place of death, age group and association with COVID-19, and secondly, to verify whether between 2019 and 2020, in the period from March 16th to August 20th, there was a significant change in the number of deaths from diseases not associated with COVID-19. METHODS: We searched the databases of the Brazilian public agency "Transparency Portal" for the data on deaths that occurred in the state of Amazonas and Brazil in the period from March 16th to August 20th, 2019 and 2020. The absolute frequencies and percentages of the variables studied were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: COVID-19 was responsible for an 11.01% increase in deaths in Brazil; however, this rate quadrupled in the state of Amazonas. In relation to age group, there was a similar percentage between Amazonas and the national average. The stratified analysis showed significant differences between genders and races, with higher death rates in men and people of brown/black skin. The number of deaths at home increased significantly, especially those from causes not associated with COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: The national drop in deaths from diseases not associated with COVID between March and August 2020 in Brazil is misleading and may be due to the result of misreported causes of death.

Hypertonic solution in severe COVID-19 patient: a potential adjuvant therapy

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) features hyper-inflammation, cytokine storm, neutrophil function changes, and sodium chloride (NaCl) homeostasis disruption, while the treatment with NaCl hypertonic solutions (HS) controls electrolytic body homeostasis and cell functions. HS treatment is a simple, popular, economic, and feasible therapy to regulate leukocyte function with a robust anti-inflammatory effect in many inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this narrative review is to highlight the knowledge on the use of HS approaches against viral infection over the past years and to describe the mechanisms involved in the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and production of cytokine in severe lung diseases, such as COVID-19. We reported the consequences of hyponatremia in COVID-19 patients, and the immunomodulatory effects of HS, either in vitro or in vivo. We also described the relationship between electrolyte disturbances and COVID-19 infection. Although there is still a lack of clinical trials, hypertonic NaCl solutions have marked effects on neutrophil function and NETs formation, emerging as a promising adjuvant therapy in COVID-19.

Recovery of Diabetic Rats After Physical Exhaustion: Kinetic Alterations in Muscle Inflammation and Muscle-Signaling Proteins to Atrophy and Hypertrophy.

The complexity of the adaptive response of diabetics to intense exercise is still poorly understood. To optimize exercise interventions in diabetics, the chronology of inflammatory mediators in muscle and the signaling involved in muscle hypertrophy/atrophy must be understood. Herein, we studied the kinetic inflammatory profile and cellular signaling pathways modulated by physical exhaustion after the induction of type 1 diabetes by streptozotocin in rats. Soleus muscle samples were obtained from diabetic and control groups at the following moments: baseline (no exercise); immediately after exhaustive exercise; and at 2 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after a treadmill exhaustive exercise. Kinetic production of cytokines and kinetic activation of proteins related to muscle synthesis (p70S6K and Akt) and degradation (GSK3, MuRF1, and MAFbx) were measured in the soleus muscle. We observed that the muscle TNF-α (0.9-fold; p = 0.0007), IL-1ß (0.8-fold; p = 0.01), IL-6 (0.8-fold; p = 0.0013), L-selectin (1.0-fold; p = 0.0019), and CINC-2α/ß (0.9-fold; p = 0.04) levels were higher in almost all stages of the study in the diabetic animals compared with the control group. Our data showed that exhaustive exercise decreased MAFbx expression in diabetic animals compared to the control group in a time-dependent manner. The decreased activation ratios of MAFbx were followed by a decrease in TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels. p70S6k phosphorylation was also decreased in the diabetic group compared to the control group after physical exhaustion. Regarding the activation of proteins related to muscle synthesis and degradation, we found that the alterations induced by exhaustive exercise in the diabetic rats might involve pathways related to synthesis and muscle breakdown. Moreover, after an exhaustive exercise session, the recovery of the inflammatory response in the diabetic animals was slower than that in the control rats while the return of inflammatory cytokines to baseline levels was more effective in the diabetic animals.

Topical anti-inflammatory activity of palmitoleic acid improves wound healing.

This study investigated the effects of palmitoleic acid on different phases of the healing process. Macroscopic analyses were performed on wounds in rats with or without palmitoleic acid treatment, and the results showed that palmitoleic acid directly hastened wound closure. The topical treatment of wounds with palmitoleic acid resulted in smaller wounds than those observed in the control group. The anti-inflammatory activity of palmitoleic acid may be responsible for healing, especially in the stages of granulation tissue formation and remodelling. Palmitoleic acid modified TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, CINC-2α/ß, MIP-3α and VEGF-α profiles at the wound site 24, 48, 120, 216 and 288 hours post-wounding. Assays assessing neutrophil migration and exudate formation in sterile inflammatory air pouches revealed that palmitoleic acid had potent anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting the LPS-induced release of TNF-α (73.14%, p≤0.05), IL-1ß (66.19%, p≤0.001), IL-6 (75.19%, p≤0.001), MIP-3α (70.38%, p≤0.05), and l-selectin (16%, p≤0.05). Palmitoleic acid also inhibited LPS-stimulated neutrophil migration. We concluded that palmitoleic acid accelerates wound healing via an anti-inflammatory effect.

Melatonin decreases muscular oxidative stress and inflammation induced by strenuous exercise and stimulates growth factor synthesis.

Strenuous exercise is detrimental to athletes because of the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Melatonin, a classic antioxidant, has been shown to exhibit beneficial effects regarding intense exercise and tissue repair. In this study, we evaluated the onset and resolution of inflammation in melatonin-treated and nontreated rats subjected to a strenuous exercise session. We also analyzed the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and the activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Control and treated rats were subjected to exhaustive exercise after a period of 10 days of melatonin treatment (20 mg/dL). Plasma and muscle levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), interleukin 6 (IL-6), cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-2-alpha/beta (CINC-2α/ß), l-selectin, macrophage inflammatory protein-3-alpha (MIP-3α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured prior to, immediately after, and 2 hr after exercise. Our data revealed decreases in the muscle concentrations of IL-1ß (35%), TNF-α (13%), IL-6 (48%), and TBARS (40%) in the melatonin-treated group compared with the control group. We also observed decreases in the plasma concentrations of IL-1ß (17%) in the melatonin-treated group. VEGF-α concentrations and SOD activity increased by 179% and 22%, respectively, in the melatonin-treated group compared with the control group. We concluded that muscle inflammation and oxidative stress resulting from exhaustive exercise were less severe in the muscles of melatonin-treated animals than in the muscles of control animals. Thus, melatonin treatment may reverse exercise-induced skeletal muscle inflammation and stimulate growth factor synthesis.