Androgen responsive intronic non-coding RNAs

BACKGROUND: Transcription of large numbers of non-coding RNAs originating from intronic regions of human genes has been recently reported, but mechanisms governing their biosynthesis and biological functions are largely unknown. In this work, we evaluated the existence of a common mechanism of transcription regulation shared by protein-coding mRNAs and intronic RNAs by measuring the effect of androgen on the transcriptional profile of a prostate cancer cell line. RESULTS: Using a custom-built cDNA microarray enriched in intronic transcribed sequences, we found 39 intronic non-coding RNAs for which levels were significantly regulated by androgen exposure. Orientation-specific reverse transcription-PCR indicated that 10 of the 13 were transcribed in the antisense direction. These transcripts are long (0.5–5 kb), unspliced and apparently do not code for proteins. Interestingly, we found that the relative levels of androgen-regulated intronic transcripts could be correlated with the levels of the corresponding protein-coding gene (asGAS6 and asDNAJC3) or with the alternative usage of exons (asKDELR2 and asITGA6) in the corresponding protein-coding transcripts. Binding of the androgen receptor to a putative regulatory region upstream from asMYO5A, an androgen-regulated antisense intronic transcript, was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. CONCLUSION: Altogether, these results indicate that at least a fraction of naturally transcribed intronic non-coding RNAs may be regulated by common physiological signals such as hormones, and further corroborate the notion that the intronic complement of the transcriptome play functional roles in the human gene-expression program

Electrocution in a Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) - Clinical and Surgical Approach

Background: High voltage electric shock causes serious injury to the body, which can lead to a fatal condition. Sloths are commonly the target of this type of accident and factors such as the degree of tissue impairment and late medical care can contribute to the death of the animal or the indication of euthanasia. In this way, the present This study aims to describe the treatment strategies in Choloepus didactylus victim of high voltage electrocution. Case: A female sloth weighing 6.15 kg was treated at the Wild Animals Sector of the Veterinary Hospital (SAS-HV) of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) victim of high voltage electric shock with burn on the right side, stomatitis, glossitis, lesions extensive and bullous lesions in the thoracic and pelvic limbs, in addition to an open fracture in the radioulnar joint of the left limb with signs of necrosis. After patient stabilization (fluid therapy, antibiotic therapy, pain control, cleaning and wound dressing), the patient was admitted to the hospital. The main treatment strategies adopted were surgery, drug therapy, food and occupational therapy. The day after the patient's arrival, the amputation of the left thoracic limb was performed. On the third day of hospitalization, the right thoracic and pelvic limbs were also amputated, and on the tenth day, debridement of the right lateral face was performed. As for drug therapy, the following drugs were used postoperatively: ceftriaxone (40 mg/kg, BID, for 47 days), dexamethasone (0.5 mg/kg, BID, for 4 days), silymarin (15 mg/kg, BID, for 30 days), morphine (0.4 mg/kg, BID, for 14 days; 0.8 mg/kg, SID, for 22 days) and dressing wounds on the lateral face and surgical stumps with ointment based on of collagenase with chloramphenicol. In food management, the animal had good acceptance of a mixture of fruits, vegetables and animal protein in a pasty presentation. The treatment by occupational therapy included basic care such as exercising, sunbathing, and desensitizing the surgical stumps (massage therapy). In conclusion, after five months, the therapeutic protocol implemented resulted in the clinical improvement of the animal, as it allowed the complete healing of the lesions on the face and surgical stumps. In addition, the care taken with the surgical stumps allowed the animal to use them as support for its locomotion. Discussion: Amputation and debridement surgeries were effective in treating electrocuted patients and should be considered when tissue is compromised, which justifies the surgical protocol adopted in this study. They were based on reports in humans, since in wild animals, although many are victims of this type of trauma, little is known about the appropriate therapeutic approach for each species. Surgical interventions associated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone were efficient for controlling the infection, since this antibiotic has a broad spectrum of activity, being used mainly in skin and soft tissue and/or bone infections, which justified its use in that patient. As for nutritional therapy, supplementation with animal protein may have contributed to the clinical improvement of the animal, since they are excellent components for tissue recovery in patients who suffered losses from burns caused by electric shocks. Stump desensitization is indicated as a treatment for neuropathic pain in amputees, and in the present study, it was essential for the animal to use the limb for locomotion. The exercises in a grassy area associated with sunbathing added as a stimulus to the patient's movement. Keywords: two-toed sloth, amputation, nutrition, rehabilitation. Título: Eletrocussão em Preguiça-real (Choloepus didactylus) - abordagem clínica e cirúrgica Descritores: preguiça-de-dois-dedos, amputação, nutrição, reabilitação

Análise da ingestão dos minerais cálcio e ferro por mulheres atendidas em consulta nutricional remota em clínica escola de Belo Horizonte – Minas Gerais, Brasil, durante o período de isolamento social devido à Pandemia de COVID-19/ Analysis of the calcium and iron minerals ingestion by women attended in remote nutritional consultation in school of Belo Horizonte – Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the period of social isolation due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

O distanciamento social vivenciado durante a pandemia de COVID pode alterar os hábitos alimentares das populações. O presente estudo avaliou o consumo alimentar de mulheres adultas na cidade de Belo Horizonte – MG, em situação de distanciamento social recomendada durante a pandemia de COVID-19. O estudo foi quantitativo e exploratório, realizado com mulheres de 19 a 50 anos. Os dados utilizados para estimar o consumo alimentar foram coletados durante consulta nutricional remota através de registro alimentar de 24 horas, que foi aplicado às pacientes com o objetivo de avaliar a ingestão dos micronutrientes cálcio e ferro. A quantidade média de cálcio ingerida foi de 543,11±292,63mg (54% da AI) e o ferro foi de 8,76±3,4mg (108,14% da EAR). Desta forma, observou-se que a ingestão média de cálcio apresentou-se inadequada e a de ferro esteve adequada, conforme a DRI avaliada. A conscientização sobre a ingestão adequada de micronutrientes é necessária a toda população por meio de orientações nutricionais, reduzindo assim os riscos de desenvolvimento de doenças relacionadas à carência de nutrientes

Alcohol Abuse Promotes Changes in Non-Synaptic Epileptiform Activity with Concomitant Expression Changes in Cotransporters and Glial Cells

Non-synaptic mechanisms are being considered the common factor of brain damage in status epilepticus and alcohol intoxication. the present work reports the influence of the chronic use of ethanol on epileptic processes sustained by non-synaptic mechanisms. Adult male Wistar rats administered with ethanol (1, 2 e 3 g/kg/d) during 28 days were compared with Control. Non-synaptic epileptiform activities (NEAs) were induced by means of the zero-calcium and high-potassium model using hippocampal slices. the observed involvement of the dentate gyrus (DG) on the neurodegeneration promoted by ethanol motivated the monitoring of the electrophysiological activity in this region. the DG regions were analyzed for the presence of NKCC1, KCC2, GFAP and CD11b immunoreactivity and cell density. the treated groups showed extracellular potential measured at the granular layer with increased DC shift and population spikes (PS), which was remarkable for the group E1. the latencies to the NEAs onset were more prominent also for the treated groups, being correlated with the neuronal loss. in line with these findings were the predispositions of the treated slices for neuronal edema after NEAs induction, suggesting that restrict inter-cell space counteracts the neuronal loss and subsists the hyper-synchronism. the significant increase of the expressions of NKCC1 and CD11b for the treated groups confirms the existence of conditions favorable to the observed edematous necrosis. the data suggest that the ethanol consumption promotes changes on the non-synaptic mechanisms modulating the NEAs. for the lower ethanol dosage the neurophysiological changes were more effective suggesting to be due to the less intense neurodegenertation.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Univ Fed Sao Joao del Rei, Dept Engn Biossistemas, Lab Neurociencia Expt & Computac, Sao Joao Del Rei, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Neurol Expt, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencia & Tecnol, Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Fisiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Neurol Expt, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencia & Tecnol, Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Fisiol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Genome mapping and expression analyses of human intronic noncoding RNAs reveal tissue-specific patterns and enrichment in genes related to regulation of transcription

Abstract\ud \ud \ud \ud Background\ud \ud RNAs transcribed from intronic regions of genes are involved in a number of processes related to post-transcriptional control of gene expression. However, the complement of human genes in which introns are transcribed, and the number of intronic transcriptional units and their tissue expression patterns are not known.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results\ud \ud A survey of mRNA and EST public databases revealed more than 55,000 totally intronic noncoding (TIN) RNAs transcribed from the introns of 74% of all unique RefSeq genes. Guided by this information, we designed an oligoarray platform containing sense and antisense probes for each of 7,135 randomly selected TIN transcripts plus the corresponding protein-coding genes. We identified exonic and intronic tissue-specific expression signatures for human liver, prostate and kidney. The most highly expressed antisense TIN RNAs were transcribed from introns of protein-coding genes significantly enriched (p = 0.002 to 0.022) in the 'Regulation of transcription' Gene Ontology category. RNA polymerase II inhibition resulted in increased expression of a fraction of intronic RNAs in cell cultures, suggesting that other RNA polymerases may be involved in their biosynthesis. Members of a subset of intronic and protein-coding signatures transcribed from the same genomic loci have correlated expression patterns, suggesting that intronic RNAs regulate the abundance or the pattern of exon usage in protein-coding messages.\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud \ud We have identified diverse intronic RNA expression patterns, pointing to distinct regulatory roles. This gene-oriented approach, using a combined intron-exon oligoarray, should permit further comparative analysis of intronic transcription under various physiological and pathological conditions, thus advancing current knowledge about the biological functions of these noncoding RNAs.The authors thank Camila Egidio for help with testing the Agilent microarray protocol. The authors also thank Dr Marcia Kubrusly (Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo) and Dr Marcello Barcinski (Instituto Nacional de Câncer, Rio de Janeiro) for providing the tissue samples. This work was supported by a grant from Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, FAPESP to SVA, EMR and AMDS and by fellowships from FAPESP and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq, Brasil.The authors thank Camila Egidio for help with testing the Agilent microarray protocol. The authors also thank Dr Marcia Kubrusly (Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo) and Dr Marcello Barcinski (Instituto Nacional de Câncer, Rio de Janeiro) for providing the tissue samples. This work was supported by a grant from Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, FAPESP to SVA, EMR and AMDS and by fellowships from FAPESP and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq, Brasil

Acetylated cashew gum-based nanoparticles for the incorporation of alkaloid epiisopiloturine

The natural alkaloid epiisopiloturine has recently become the focus of study for various medicinal properties, particularly for its anti-inflammatory and antischistosomal effect. The incorporation of active molecules in natural polymeric matrices has garnered increasing interest during recent decades. A new derivative of cashew gum successfully obtained by gum acetylation has shown great potential as a carrier in controlled drug release systems. In this work, epiisopiloturine was encapsulated in acetylated cashew gum nanoparticles in order to increase solubility and allow slow release, whereas the morphology results were supported by computer simulations. The particles were produced under a variety of conditions, and thoroughly characterized using light scattering and microscopic techniques. The particles were spherical and highly stable in solution, and showed drug incorporation at high levels, up to 55% efficiency. Using a dialysis-based in vitro assay, these particles were shown to release the drug via a Fickian diffusion mechanism, leading to gradual drug release over approximately 6 h. These nanoparticles show potential for the use as drug delivery system, while studies on their potential anti-inflammatory action, as well as toxicity and efficacy assays would need to be performed in the future to confirm their suitability as drug delivery candidates.This work was conducted in partnership with the Polymer Laboratory of the Federal University of Ceará for polymer modification. The authors thanks Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the fellowships SFRH/BD/97995/2013 (AP) and SFRH/BD/95983/2013 (MPA), in the context of the POCH program. The work at UCIBIO/REQUIMTE was supported by FCT through project UID/MULTI/04378/2013 – POCI/01/0145/FEDER/007728 with financial support from FCT/MCTES through national funds and co-financed by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020. The work at REQUIMTE/LAQV received financial support from the European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE) and National Funds (FCT) through project UID/QUI/50006/2013. The computational time was provided by GRID-Unesp, SICC/IFSP and CENAPAD/SP. The authors also acknowledge CNPq and CAPES for a scholarship and financial aid.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Descrição do processo de adaptação de consultas presenciais para teleconsultas no ambulatório de cuidado farmacêutico da farmácia escola da Universidade Federal da Paraíba / Description of the adaptation process of face-to-face consultations for teleconsultations in the pharmaceutical care ambulatory of the pharmacy school of the Federal University of Paraíba

A teleconsulta se baseia na prestação de serviços de saúde por meio de tecnologias da informação e da comunicação, onde o profissional de saúde e o paciente não estão juntos fisicamente. Envolve a transmissão de dados e informação de saúde através de textos, sons, imagens ou outros que sejam necessários para a prevenção, diagnóstico, tratamento e acompanhamento de pacientes. Devido a pandemia do coronavírus (COVID-19), atualmente intitulado de SARS-CoV-2, que tem causado uma infecção respiratória com sintomas semelhantes a um resfriado comum, a teleconsulta surgiu como uma alternativa de manter o atendimento individualizado em serviços de saúde, sem contudo, expor os pacientes a risco. Os prováveis efeitos adversos da pandemia em pessoas com doença mental e na saúde mental da população em geral podem ser exacerbados pelo medo, auto isolamento e distanciamento físico. No serviço de cuidado farmacêutico, foram utilizados novos meios de comunicação, que beneficiam o acesso a comunicação da comunidade, o acompanhamento e rastreamento de novos pacientes está ocorrendo através de teleconsultas via plataformas digitais de telechamadas - videochamadas (Skype, Whatsapp, google meet, zoom). Também para adequação do serviço foi realizada a criação de Google forms para rastreamento e acompanhamento através das escalas padronizadas BECK e PHQ-9. Vale destacar que a experiência do serviço de cuidado farmacêutico serve como estímulo para que os profissionais de saúde e serviços, durante a fase do “novo normal”, e até mesmo posteriormente, compreendam e utilizem as tecnologias em saúde a fim de aperfeiçoar os serviços, tornando-os mais acessíveis e inclusivos. Na saúde mental isso é particularmente importante quando consideramos a possibilidade de reclusão social e agravamento em períodos de crise