Anti-inflammatory potential of microemulsion and pure bullfrog oil in muscle injury / Potencial anti-inflamatório do óleo de rã-touro puro e em microemulsão em lesão muscular / Potencial antiinflamatorio del aceite puro de rana toro y en microemulsión en lesión muscular

ABSTRACT Introduction: Every day science seeks new ways to treat various diseases through drugs that are efficient and viable. Thus, therapeutic alternatives that meet such demand are targets of study. Microemulsions are one of these new alternatives due to their peculiar pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the anti-inflammatory potential of microemulsion and pure bullfrog oil using an experimental model of muscle injury. Methods: Male Swiss mice were divided into three groups: control, microemulsion and pure bullfrog oil. After the pre-treatment, a muscle injury was induced in the animals' leg and subsequently evaluations were carried out in the horizontal extent of edema and compared between the groups at predetermined times. Following evaluation of muscle injury, dissection of the right gastrocnemius muscles was performed for histological analysis. Results: The microemulsion and pure bullfrog oil showed good anti-inflammatory activity, acting similarly in reducing edema during the first two hours, but without statistical significance from the 3rd to the 24th hour after induction. The histological analysis revealed that the muscle tissue of the animals treated with the microemulsion presented mild cellular infiltrate and little wear of muscle fibers when compared with the muscular tissue of animals treated with the pure bullfrog oil. The histological analysis of the hepatic tissue showed signs of injury in the liver lobes of the pure bullfrog oil group, not observed in the microemulsion group. Conclusion: The microemulsion sho-wed good anti-inflammatory potential in the acute phase of the inflammatory response, reducing the formation of edema and preserving muscle tissue against the occurrence of lesions and without inducing injury in hepatic tissue.

RESUMO Introdução: Todos os dias, a ciência busca novas formas de tratar diversas doenças por meio de fármacos que sejam eficientes e viáveis. Desse modo, as alternativas terapêuticas que atendam tal demanda são alvos de estudo. As microemulsões são uma dessas novas alternativas, em razão de suas características farmacodinâmicas e farmacocinéticas peculiares. Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o potencial anti-inflamatório do óleo de rã-touro puro e em microemulsão usando um modelo experimental de lesão muscular. Métodos: Foram utilizados camundongos machos da linhagem Swiss, divididos em três grupos: controle, microemulsão e óleo de rã-touro puro. Após o pré-tratamento, induziu-se uma lesão muscular na perna dos animais e, em seguida, foram realizadas avaliações da extensão horizontal do edema e comparadas entre os grupos em tempos predeterminados. Depois da avaliação da lesão muscular, realizou-se a dissecção dos músculos gastrocnêmios direitos para análise histológica. Resultados: A microemulsão e o óleo de rã-touro puro apresentaram boa atividade anti-inflamatória, atuando de forma semelhante na redução do edema durante as primeiras duas horas, porém sem significância estatística da 3ª até a 24ª hora depois da indução. Nas análises histológicas, observou-se que no tecido muscular dos animais tratados com a microemulsão houve discreta presença de infiltrado celular e pouco desgaste das fibras musculares quando comparado com o tecido muscular dos animais tratados com o óleo de rã-touro puro. A análise histológica do tecido hepático mostrou sinais de lesão nos lobos hepáticos dos animais do grupo óleo de rã-touro puro, não observada nos animais do grupo microemulsão. Conclusão: A microemulsão apresentou bom potencial anti-inflamatório na fase aguda da resposta inflamatória, atenuando a formação de edema e preservando o tecido muscular contra a ocorrência de lesões e sem indução de lesão no tecido hepático.

RESUMEN Introducción: Todos los días, la ciencia busca nuevas formas para tratar diversas enfermedades por medio de fármacos eficientes y viables. Así, las alternativas terapéuticas que puedan atender esta demanda son objeto de estudio. Las microemulsio-nes son una de estas nuevas alternativas debido a sus características farmacodinámicas y farmacocinéticas únicas. Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar el potencial antiinflamatorio de la microemulsión y el aceite puro de la rana toro utilizando un modelo experimental de lesión muscular. Métodos: Fueron utilizados ratones machos de la cepa Swiss, divididos en tres grupos: control, microemulsión y aceite puro de la rana toro. Después del pretratamiento, se ha creado una lesión muscular en las piernas de los animales y luego se realizaron evaluaciones de la extensión horizontal del edema y comparadas entre grupos en momentos predeterminados. Después de la evaluación de la lesión muscular, se llevó a cabo la disección de los músculos gastrocnemios derechos para el análisis histológico. Resultados: La microemulsión y el aceite de rana toro puro mostraron buena actividad antiinflamatoria, actuando de manera similar para reducir el edema durante las primeras dos horas, pero sin significación estadística desde la tercera hasta la 24.a hora después de la inducción. Los análisis histológicos revelaron que el tejido muscular de los animales tratados con microemulsión presentó presencia moderada de infiltrado celular y poco desgaste de las fibras musculares en comparación con el tejido muscular de los animales tratados con el aceite de rana puro. El análisis histológico del tejido hepático mostró señales de lesión en los lóbulos del hígado de los animales del grupo aceite puro de rana toro, que no fueron observadas en los animales del grupo microemulsión. Conclusión: La microemulsión mostró un buen potencial antiinflamatorio en la fase aguda de la respuesta inflamatoria, la atenuación de la formación de edema y la preservación del tejido muscular en contra de la aparición de lesiones y sin inducción de lesión en el tejido hepático.

Effect of irradiation times on the polymerization depth of contemporary fissure sealants with different opacities.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the depth of curing of 10 contemporary blue light-activated dental flowable materials at several opacities, influenced by different irradiation times using FT-IR spectroscopy. Fifty-five specimens (n = 5) with a 5-mm diameter and 1-mm thickness of translucent (Opallis Flow T), yellowed (Master Flow A2; Opallis Flow A2; Natural Flow A2; Fluroshield Yellowed), and opaque materials (Master Flow OA2; Natural Flow O; Opallis Flow OA3.5; Opallis Flow OP; Fluroshield White) were obtained at six curing times (10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s) using a high-intensity LED (Coltolux, Coltène/Whaledent). The degree of conversion (DC) (%) was obtained using the Nexus 470 FTIR Spectrometer (Nicolet Instruments, USA). The FTIR-ATR spectra for uncured and cured samples were analyzed using a ZnSe crystal. The top and bottom surfaces of the cured specimens were analyzed to obtain the depth of curing. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data. The highest curing depth was obtained by Natural Flow OA2, while the lowest was shown by Master Flow OA2. The shortest curing time generated similar depths of cure in comparison with the most extensive for Opallis Flow A2 and Fluroshield Yellowed. Therefore, depth of curing, influenced by the irradiation time, was dependent on the materials. Using the Natural Flow OA2 opaque sealant and the 10-s curing time for Opallis Flow A2 and Fluroshield Yellowed may represent alternative approaches to sealing tooth fissures.

Effect of irradiation times on the polymerization depth of contemporary fissure sealants with different opacities

The aim of this study was to evaluate the depth of curing of 10 contemporary blue light-activated dental flowable materials at several opacities, influenced by different irradiation times using FT-IR spectroscopy. Fifty-five specimens (n = 5) with a 5-mm diameter and 1-mm thickness of translucent (Opallis Flow T), yellowed (Master Flow A2; Opallis Flow A2; Natural Flow A2; Fluroshield Yellowed), and opaque materials (Master Flow OA2; Natural Flow O; Opallis Flow OA3.5; Opallis Flow OP; Fluroshield White) were obtained at six curing times (10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s) using a high-intensity LED (Coltolux, Coltène/Whaledent). The degree of conversion (DC) ( percent) was obtained using the Nexus 470 FTIR Spectrometer (Nicolet Instruments, USA). The FTIR-ATR spectra for uncured and cured samples were analyzed using a ZnSe crystal. The top and bottom surfaces of the cured specimens were analyzed to obtain the depth of curing. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data. The highest curing depth was obtained by Natural Flow OA2, while the lowest was shown by Master Flow OA2. The shortest curing time generated similar depths of cure in comparison with the most extensive for Opallis Flow A2 and Fluroshield Yellowed. Therefore, depth of curing, influenced by the irradiation time, was dependent on the materials. Using the Natural Flow OA2 opaque sealant and the 10-s curing time for Opallis Flow A2 and Fluroshield Yellowed may represent alternative approaches to sealing tooth fissures.

One-Step RT-PCR protocols improve the rate of dengue diagnosis compared to Two-Step RT-PCR approaches.

Dengue is the most important arboviral disease transmitted to humans. In our laboratory, we have been working on the standardization of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis of this disease. In this work, we compared five commercial kits regularly used on reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) protocols: two Two-Step kits (SuperScript II RT/Super Mix kit and reverse transcription system/Taq DNA polymerase) and three One-Step kits (ready-to-go RT-PCR Beads kit, QIAGEN One-Step RT-PCR kit, and AcessQuick RT-PCR system). Thirty-one serum samples of patients with clinical diagnosis of dengue fever (DF) were analyzed by RT-PCR and serology. RNA extraction was done with the QIAamp Viral RNA kit, and cDNA synthesis and PCR done according to the manufacturer's protocol for the five kits. Out of the 31 serum samples collected from patients suspected of having dengue, 27 were IgM-positive, confirming the dengue diagnosis. Out of those, 24 were positive by the ready-to-go RT-PCR Beads kit, 25 were positive by AcessQuick RT-PCR system and 27 were positive by QIAGEN One-Step RT-PCR kit. On the other hand, only six samples were positive by the SuperScript II RT/Super Mix kits and 10 were positive by reverse transcription system/Taq DNA polymerase kit. The best performance observed with the One-Step kits was confirmed in spiked samples with known quantities of dengue-1 virus since they detected up 1 x 10(2) PFU/ml, while the most sensitive Two-Step kit detected up 1 x 10(4) PFU/ml. These data show that One-Step RT-PCR kits yielded a higher rate of dengue virus detection than the Two-Step kits and correlated well with the serological diagnosis.

Dermatologia comparativa / Comparative dermatology

No caso demonstrativo observa-se a semelhança entre lesão dermatológica e imagens encontradas na natureza ou no dia-a-dia por meio de fotografias.