A Treatment with a Protease Inhibitor Recombinant from the Cattle Tick (Rhipicephalus Boophilus microplus) Ameliorates Emphysema in Mice

Aims: To determine whether a serine protease inhibitor treatment can prevent or minimize emphysema in mice.Methods: C57BL/6 mice were subjected to porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) nasal instillation to induce emphysema and were treated with a serine protease inhibitor (rBmTI-A) before (Protocol 1) and after (Protocol 2) emphysema development. in both protocols, we evaluated lung function to evaluate the airway resistance (Raw), tissue damping (Gtis) and tissue elastance (Htis). the inflammatory profile was analyzed in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) and through the use of morphometry; we measured the mean linear intercept (Lm) (to verify alveolar enlargement), the volume proportion of collagen and elastic fibers, and the numbers of macrophages and metalloprotease 12 (MMP-12) positive cells in the parenchyma. We showed that at both time points, even after the emphysema was established, the rBmTI-A treatment was sufficient to reverse the loss of elastic recoil measured by Htis, the alveolar enlargement and the increase in the total number of cells in the BALF, with a primary decrease in the number of macrophages. Although, the treatment did not control the increase in macrophages in the lung parenchyma, it was sufficient to decrease the number of positive cells for MMP-12 and reduce the volume of collagen fibers, which was increased in PPE groups. These findings attest to the importance of MMP-12 in PPE-induced emphysema and suggest that this metalloprotease could be an effective therapeutic target.Laboratorios de Investigacao Medica do Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (LIM/HC)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Univ São Paulo, Dept Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP EPM, Dept Bioquim, São Paulo, BrazilUFABC, Ctr Ciencias Nat & Humanas, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP EPM, Dept Bioquim, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Working from home, work-time control and mental health: results from the brazilian longitudinal study of adult health (ELSA-Brasil)

This cross-sectional study investigated the association between work-time control (WTC), independently and in combination with hours worked (HW), and four mental health outcomes among 2,318 participants of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. WTC was assessed by the WTC Scale, and mental health outcomes included depression, anxiety, stress (measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, DASS-21), and self-rated mental health. Logistic regression models were used to determine odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Among women, long HW were associated with stress (OR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.11–2.20) and poor self-rated mental health (OR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.13–2.38), whereas they were protective against anxiety among men (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.37–0.93). In both sexes, weak WTC was associated with all mental health outcomes. Among women, the long HW/weak WTC combination was associated with all mental health outcomes, and short HW/weak WTC was associated with anxiety and stress. Among men, long HW/strong WTC was protective against depression and stress, while short HW/strong WTC and short HW/weak WTC was associated with all mental health outcomes. In both sexes, weak WTC, independently and in combination with HW, was associated with all mental health outcomes. WTC can improve working conditions, protect against mental distress, and fosterwork-life balance for those who work from home

POTENCIAL DE USO DE ESPÉCIES VEGETAIS DE ÁREAS DE DUNAS EM SÃO LUÍS, MARANHÃO, BRASIL

O avanço das cidades em todo litoral brasileiro tem aumentado a ameaça aos ecossistemas costeiros, fazendo-se necessários estudos florísticos para obter-se conhecimento da diversidade de determinadas áreas. Esses estudos, ultimamente, estão sendo associados à etnobiologia ampliando o conhecimento e as estratégias usadas pelos humanos e suas relações com os recursos biológicos. Nesse contexto, o objetivo do presente estudo foi indicar as formas de uso e nome popular das espécies vegetais de áreas de dunas do litoral da Ilha do Maranhão a fim de compilar essas informações como forma de documentar quais espécies de dunas podem ser utilizadas pela população. O levantamento das espécies vegetais foi realizado em três áreas de dunas situadas na Ilha do Maranhão, São Luís. A lista de espécies da Praia de São Marcos foi compilada com base no estudo florístico publicado e as espécies das praias de Caolho e Calhau foram compiladas no banco de dados do INCT e das exsicatas do Herbário MAR. A classificação quanto às formas de uso e os nomes populares foi realizada com base em consultas bibliográficas. Para as três áreas foram compiladas 148 espécies, 114 gêneros e 48 famílias. Foram categorizadas seis categorias de uso: medicinal, alimentícia, ornamental, madeireira, artesanal e ritualística. As partes da planta mais utilizadas para diferentes fins foram folhas, caule, raiz e fruto. O estudo destacou a importância dos conhecimentos tradicionais, pontuando a necessidade de conduzir esse conhecimento para o meio cientifico com responsabilidade, ampliando assim as possibilidades de pesquisas