Antidiarrheal activity of a novel sulfated polysaccharide from the red seaweed Gracilaria cervicornis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The use of marine seaweeds as a source of natural compounds with medicinal purposes is increasing in Western countries in the last decades, becoming an important alternative in the traditional medicine of many developing countries, where diarrhea still remains a severe public health problem, with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Sulfated polysaccharides (PLS) extracted from red seaweeds can exhibit therapeutic effects for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Thus, the pharmacological properties of the PLS from Gracilaria cervicornis, an endemic seaweed found in the Brazilian northeast coast, was evaluated as an alternative natural medication for diarrhea. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to evaluate the antidiarrheal activity of sulfated polysaccharides (PLS) extracted from the red seaweed G. cervicornis in Swiss mice pre-treated with castor oil or cholera toxin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The seaweed Gracilaria cervicornis was collected at Flecheiras beach (city of Trairí, State of Ceará, Brazil) and the PLS was obtained through enzymatic extraction and administered in mice (25-30 g) before diarrhea induction with castor oil or cholera toxin. For the evaluation of the total number of fecal output and diarrheal feces, the animals were placed in cages lined with adsorbent material. The evaluation of intestinal fluid accumulation (enteropooling) on castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice occurred by dissecting the small intestine and measuring its volume. The determination of Na+/K+-ATPase activity was measured in the small intestine supernatants by colorimetry, using commercial biochemistry kits. The gastrointestinal motility was evaluated utilizing an activated charcoal as a food tracer. The intestinal fluid secretion and chloride ion concentration were evaluated in intestinal closed loops in mice with cholera toxin-induced secretory diarrhea. The binding ability of PLS with GM1 and/or cholera toxin was evaluated by an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The G. cervicornis PLS showed antidiarrheal effects in both acute and secretory diarrhea, reducing the total number of fecal output, diarrheic stools, intestinal fluid accumulation, and increasing small intestine Na+/K+-ATPase activity on castor oil-induced diarrhea. However, the PLS did not affect gastrointestinal motility, indicating that this compound has a different action mechanism than loperamide. In secretory diarrhea, the PLS decreased intestinal fluid secretion and small intestine chloride excretion, binding with GM1 and/or cholera toxin and blocking their attachment to the enterocyte cell surface. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, PLS has a significant antidiarrheal effect in acute and secretory diarrhea. Further investigation is needed towards its use as a natural medicine to treat diarrhea.

Antidiarrheal effects of water-soluble proteins from Plumeria pudica latex in mice.

The water-soluble protein fraction obtained from Plumeria pudica (LPPp) latex has previously been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects. In the present study, LPPp was tested for activity against diarrhea induced by castor oil, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) or cholera toxin. Different doses of LPPp (10, 20 or 40mg/kg) significantly inhibited the percentage of diarrheal stools (31.18%, 42.97% and 59.70%, respectively) induced by castor oil. This event was followed by significant reduction of both intestinal fluid accumulation (31.42%; LPPp 40mg/kg) and intestinal transit (68.4%; LPPp 40mg/kg). The pretreatment of animals with LPPp (40mg/kg) prevented glutathione and malondialdehyde alterations induced by castor oil. The effects of LPPp against diarrhea induced by castor oil were lost when the fraction was submitted to protein denaturing treatment with heat. LPPp (40mg/kg) also inhibited the average volume of intestinal fluid induced by PGE2 (inhibition of 46.0%). Furthermore, LPPp (40mg/kg) prevented intestinal fluid secretion accumulation (37.7%) and chloride ion concentration (50.2%) induced by cholera toxin. In parallel, colorimetric assays demonstrated that proteinases, chitinases and proteinase inhibitors were found in LPPp. Our data suggest that the antidiarrheal effect of LPPp is due to its protein content and is probably associated with its anti-inflammatory properties.

Percepções de mães acerca da inclusão escolar de crianças com lesão medular por mielomeningocele / Perceptions of mothers concerning the school inclusion of children with spinal cord injury by meningomyelocele / Percepciones de madres sobre la inclusión escolar de niños con lesiones en la médula espinal por mielomeningocele

O educando com deficiência física necessita de maior qualidade na vida escolar, independência na realização de tarefas, ampliação de sua mobilidade, comunicação e habilidades em seu aprendizado. Nesta perspectiva, este estudo tem como objetivo identificar os aspectos da inclusão escolar de crianças com lesão medular por mielomeningocele segundo as percepções de suas mães. Para tanto, resgatou-se a história de vida de duas crianças com base nos relatos orais de suas mães, com aplicação de entrevistas semiestruturadas. A abordagem deste estudo é de caráter descritivo, qualitativo e exploratório, cuja estratégia metodológica foi a história de vida. Do ponto de vista dos resultados, identificaram-se alguns obstáculos que precisam ser transpostos: ausência da comunicação entre professoras e profissionais da saúde e falta de informação das mães. Concluiu-se que a ausência de comunicação entre pais, professoras, profissionais da saúde e a falta de informação das mães é um grande inimigo na integração desses deficientes na sociedade, na escola, no trabalho e no lazer.

The student with physical disabilities needs more quality in school life,independence in performing tasks, increasing its mobility, communication and skills in his/her learning. Within this perspective, the objective of the present study is to identify the aspects pertaining to school inclusion of children with spinal cord injury by Myelomeningocele, according to their mothers? perception. Thus, the life story of two children ws rescued from the oral reports of their mothers, with the application of semi-structured interviews. The approach of this study is of a descriptive, qualitative and exploratory character, the methodological strategy of which was the life history. In terms of results, some obstacles were identified which need to be overcome: lack of communication between teachers and health professionals, and lack of information by the mothers. It may be concluded that the lack of communication between parents, teachers, health professionals and lack of information by the mothers is a major enemy to the integration of disabled people into society, school, work and leisure.

El estudiante con discapacidad física, requieren de una mayor calidad de vida en la escuela, independencia en la realización de tareas, ampliación de su movilidad, comunicación y habilidades en su aprendizaje. Desde esta perspectiva, este estudio tiene como objetivo identificar los aspectos de la inclusión educativa de los niños con lesión en la médula espinal por mielomeningocele en la percepción de sus madres. Para ello, se rescató la historia de vida de dos niños con base en relatos orales de sus madres, con la aplicación de entrevistas semiestructuradas. El enfoque de este estudio es de carácter descriptivo, cualitativo y exploratorio, cuya estratégia metodológica fue la historia de vida. Desde el punto de vista de los resultados, se identificaron algunos obstáculos que necesitan superarse: falta de comunicación entre profesores y profesionales de la salud y falta de información de las madres. Se concluyó que la falta de comunicación entre padres, maestras, profesionales de la salud y la falta de información de sus madres es una gran enemiga em la integración de esos discapacitados en la sociedad, en la escuela, en el trabajo y el ocio.

Desafios à inclusão de pessoas com deficiência: aspectos da trajetória escolar de crianças com lesão medular por mielomeningocele. / Challenges for inclusion of people with disabilities: aspects of school trajectory of children with spinal cord injury in meningomyelocele.

O objetivo geral desse trabalho é descrever os aspectos da trajetória de escolarização de crianças com lesão medular por mielomeningocele segundo a percepção de seus pais e professoras. Esse objetivo desdobrou-se nos seguintes objetivos específicos: destacaras peculiaridades da deficiência física no que diz respeito ao encaminhamento para inclusão escolar /social, descrever suas tentativas de retorno/ingresso a escola e analisar as variáveis da ordem dos comportamentos das professoras e dos pais dos alunos. Para tanto, resgatou-se a história de vida de duas crianças a partir dos relatos orais de suas mães e professoras. Esta abordagem metodológica foi triangulada com observação participante e com aplicação de entrevistas semi-estruturadas. Desta forma, este estudo evidenciou o caráter problemático da inclusão escolar de crianças com deficiência física assim como possibilitou, do ponto de vista dos resultados, a identificação de alguns obstáculos que precisam ser transpostos para garantir a qualidade da inclusão, tais como: compreensão da mielomeningocele conceitualmente equivocada por parte das professoras e ausência da comunicação entre pais, professoras e profissionais da saúde, de modo que o turno da fisioterapia seja oposto ao da aula. Finalmente, essa pesquisa pretende colaborar com o desenvolvimento da Educação Inclusiva/ Educação Especial, o que representa uma iniciativa no sentido de mobilizar mais estudos que preencham a lacuna existente no tocante à investigação de um tipo específico de deficiência física.

The general objective of this study is to describe aspects of the history of education of children with spinal cord injury by meningomyelocele according to the perception of their parents and teachers. This objective was deployed in the following specific objectives: to highlight the peculiarities of disability with regard to referral to school/ social inclusion, describing their attempts to return/enter the school and analyse the variables of the order of the behaviors of teachers and parents of students. Thus, it rescued the life story of two children from oral reports of their mothers and teachers. This methodological approach was triangulated with participant observation and application of semi-structured interviews. Thus, this study highlighted the problematic nature of school inclusion of children with physical disabilities as well as made possible, in terms of results, the identification of some obstacles that need to be overcome to ensure the quality of inclusion, such as: understanding of meningomyelocele conceptually mistaken by the teachers and lackof communication among parents, teachers and health professionals, so the physical therapy shift is opposite to the classroom. Finally, this research aims to collaborate with the development of Inclusive/Special Education, which represents an initiative to mobilize more studies that meet the gap concerning the investigation of a specific type of disability.