Upconverting Carbon Nanodots from EDTA as Near-Infrared Activated Phototheranostic Agents

This work describes the synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots (CNDs) synthesized from ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) as a precursor and their application as luminescent agents with a dual-mode theranostic role as near-infrared (NIR) triggered imaging and photodynamic therapy agents. Interestingly, these fluorescent CNDs are more rapidly and selectively internalized in tumor cells and exhibit no cytotoxicity until remotely activated with a NIR illumination source. These CNDs are excellent candidates for photo-theranostic purposes, i.e.: simultaneous imaging and therapy can be carried out on cancer cells using their luminescent properties and the in situ generation of reactive oxidative species (ROS) upon excitation in the NIR range. In the presence of CNDs NIR remote activation induces the in vitro killing of U251 MG cells. Through the use of flow imaging cytometry we have been able to successfully map and quantify the different type of cell deaths induced by the presence of intracellular superoxide anions (¿O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) ROS species generated in situ upon NIR irradiation

Potential Pharmacokinetic Interactions of Common Cardiovascular Drugs and Selected European and Latin American Herbal Medicines: A Scoping Review

Background: Herb–drug interactions are nowadays an important decision factor in many healthcare interventions. Patients with cardiovascular risk factors such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension are usually prescribed long-term treatments. We need more informed decision tools to direct future clinical research and decision making to avoid HDI occurrences in this group. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using data from online databases such as PUBMED, the National Library of Medicine, and the electronic Medicines Compendium. Included studies consisted of the reported effects on Phase 1/2 and P-glycoprotein of herbal medicines listed in the medicines agencies of Latin America and Europe and drugs used for cardiovascular conditions (statins, diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and ACE inhibitors). The cross tabulation of the results allowed for finding potential HDI. Results and conclusions: as per the preclinical data reviewed here, we encourage more clinical research on whether drugs with apparently very low interaction risk, such as pravastatin, nadolol, and nimodipine/nitrendipine, may help prevent HDI when statins, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers, respectively, are prescribed for long-term treatments

Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of the Loin of Grazing Lambs From Different Production Systems

The international sheep market is supplied mainly from New Zealand and Australia, where there are advanced production systems and marketing organisations, and where the product is exported mainly in the form of carcasses and cuts. In Brazil, the farmers should aim to produce a younger animal, with an adequate fat level at an optimum stage of muscle development, in order to gain market share The proportions of muscle, bone and fat largely determine the value of the carcass, and the breed and age of animal, in addition to other factors such as feeding systems, cause variation in the proportions (Purchas et al., 1991). Grazing systems may be considered in Brazil due to reduced production costs. Measuring M. longissimus (the loin muscle) traits is a way of evaluating carcass quality because this muscle is one of the most important commercial cuts and represents total carcass characteristics. The objective of this study was to determine qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the loin of lambs on different production systems

Hepatic subcellular distribution of squalene changes according to the experimental setting

Squalene is the main unsaponifiable component of virgin olive oil, the main source of dietary fat in Mediterranean diet, traditionally associated with a less frequency of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, two experimental approaches were used. In the first, New Zealand rabbits fed for 4 weeks with a chow diet enriched in 1% sunflower oil for the control group, and in 1% of sunflower oil and 0.5% squalene for the squalene group. In the second, APOE KO mice received either Western diet or Western diet enriched in 0.5% squalene for 11 weeks. In both studies, liver samples were obtained and analyzed for their squalene content by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Hepatic distribution of squalene was also characterized in isolated subcellular organelles. Our results show that dietary squalene accumulates in the liver and a differential distribution according to studied model. In this regard, rabbits accumulated in cytoplasm within small size vesicles, whose size was not big enough to be considered lipid droplets, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and nuclear and plasma membranes. On the contrary, mice accumulated in large lipid droplets, and smooth reticulum fractions in addition to nuclear and plasma membranes. These results show that the squalene cellular localization may change according to experimental setting and be a starting point to characterize the mechanisms involved in the protective action of dietary squalene in several pathologies

Polarized Th2 like cells, in the absence of Th0 cells, are responsible for lymphocyte produced IL-4 in high IgE-producer schistosomiasis patients

BACKGROUND: Human resistance to re-infection with S. mansoni is correlated with high levels of anti-soluble adult worm antigens (SWAP) IgE. Although it has been shown that IL-4 and IL-5 are crucial in establishing IgE responses in vitro, the active in vivo production of these cytokines by T cells, and the degree of polarization of Th2 vs. Th0 in human schistosomiasis is not known. To address this question, we determined the frequency of IL-4 and IFN-γ or IL-5 and IL-2 producing lymphocytes from schistosomiasis patients with high or low levels of IgE anti-SWAP. RESULTS: Our analysis showed that high and low IgE-producers responded equally to schistosomiasis antigens as determined by proliferation. Moreover, patients from both groups displayed similar percentages of circulating lymphocytes. However, high IgE-producers had an increased percentage of activated CD4+ T cells as compared to the low IgE-producers. Moreover, intracellular cytokine analysis, after short-term stimulation with anti-CD3/CD28 mAbs, showed that IgE high-producers display an increase in the percentage of T lymphocytes expressing IL-4 and IL-5 as compared to IgE low-responders. A coordinate control of the frequency of IL-4 and IL-5 producing lymphocytes in IgE high, but not IgE low-responders, was observed. CONCLUSIONS: High IgE phenotype human schistosomiasis patients exhibit a coordinate regulation of IL-4 and IL-5 producing cells and the lymphocyte derived IL-4 comes from true polarized Th2 like cells, in the absence of measurable Th0 cells as measured by co-production of IL-4 and IFN-γ

Quantum value indefiniteness

The indeterministic outcome of a measurement of an individual quantum is certified by the impossibility of the simultaneous, definite, deterministic pre-existence of all conceivable observables from physical conditions of that quantum alone. We discuss possible interpretations and consequences for quantum oracles.Comment: 19 pages, 2 tables, 2 figures; contribution to PC0