Review of Clinical Factors That Cause Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is a common skin disorder caused by inflammation and/or blockage of the pilosebaceous follicle. This research is a literature review study that is descriptive in nature and seeks to compile information on the factors related to the etiopathogenesis of the clinical manifestations of acne vulgaris. A survey was conducted in the Web of Science database in the period from January to May 2019, using the keywords "acne vulgaris, etiopathogenesis and pathophysiology". The etiopathogenesis of acne vulgaris is multifactorial, but most studies list the following factors: like diet, daily habits, age, genetics, abnormalities in the production of sebum, follicular hyperkeratinization, increased colonization by Cutibacterium (formerly Probionibacterium) acnes, periglandular dermal inflammation, oxidative stress and immune reactions of the patient. Topical and/or systemic treatments for acne vulgaris, often includes retinoid-associated antibiotics. However, improper use of these can lead to bacterial resistance, in addition, it may trigger adverse effects at epidermis and dermis. The results obtained in this study are important in relation to the treatment of the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. It is believed that this information - when analyzed together - can help with a better definition of the therapeutic protocol

Cytotoxicity evaluation of indomethacin-loaded polymeric nanoparticles in a human breast adenocarcinoma cell model/ Avaliação da citotoxicicidade de nanopartículas poliméricas contendo indometacina em modelo celular de adenocarcinoma de mama humano

Novas pesquisas indicam que anti-inflamatórios podem ser aplicados como agentes anti-cancerígenos como indometacina para hepatocarcinoma humano, canceres de colon e estômago. Como sabe-se, indometacina possui efeitos adversos gastrointestinais, cardiovasculares e renais. Uma vez que cancer de mama tem alta incidência e não há estudo da indometacina carreada em nanopartículas para esta aplicação, este estudo envolve o desenvolvimento de nanocapsulas de poli-epsilon-caprolactona carregadas com indometacina para a redução de citotoxicidade como agente quimioprotetor para cancer de mama. O nanocarreador foi preparado por método de deposição interfacial e sua caracterização foi realizada por determinação de pH, diâmetro médio e índice de polidispersão por espalhamento dinâmico de luz, potencial zeta por mobilidade eletroforética, eficiência de encapsulação por método de cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência e seu ensaio de citotoxicidade com linhagem de células queratinócitos (HaCaT) e células de cancer de mama (MCF-7). As formulações branca (C-NC) e contendo indometacina (Ind-OH-NC) mostraram leve pH ácido, diâmetros em torno de 200 nm e PDI<0,2 com potencial zeta em torno de -20 mV e eficiência de encapsulação de 99% (1 mg.mL-1), cujo coeficiente de distribuição indicou efeito de permeação e retenção (efeito EPR). Ambas formulações não foram citotóxicas às células HaCaT, provando serem seguras às células normais e Ind-OH-NC teve uma permeação concentração e tempo-dependente e teve eficácia em reduzir a viabilidade celular da linhagem MCF-7

Nanostructured systems containing an essential oil: protection against volatilization

The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of preparing nanocapsules and nanoemulsions using tea tree oil as oily phase aiming to protect its volatilization. The nanostructures presented nanometric mean size (160-220 nm) with a polydispersity index below 0.25 and negative zeta potential. The pH values were 6.43 ± 0.37 and 5.98 ± 0.00 for nanoemulsions and nanocapsules, respectively. The oil content after preparation was 96%. The inclusion of tea tree oil in nanocapsules showed higher protection against volatilization. The analysis of mean size and polydispersity index of formulations presented no significant alteration during the storage time

Effects of nanocapsules containing all-trans-retinoic acid under hemolytic and coagulation activity

The chemotherapeutic all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) used in the treatment of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia has adverse effects on its oral administration, with which we incorporated a system of drugs, the nanocapsules, in order to have a possible improvement in solubility, photosensitivity, lower toxicity, generating pharmacological efficacy. The objective was to evaluate and compare the hemolytic and coagulation activity of the free drug (AL), nanoencapsulated (NA) and the white nanocapsules (NB) by analyzing the results of hemolysis, Prothrombin Time (PT) and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT). We developed a prospective study of treatments at different concentrations of 0.25; 0.5; 1.0; 1.5; 2.0; 2.5 μg/mL. For the first test, all concentrations showed hemolytic activity, but when compared to NA with ATRA it is observed that these carriers induced lower hemolytic toxicity. In the PT test the nanoparticles at the two lowest concentrations remained in the physiological range (12 - 15 seconds). For the APTT test the three lowest concentrations remained within the control (25 - 35 seconds). Thus, we believe there is a promising benefit of using these nanoparticles developed and no doubt further studies will be performed to confirm the responses obtained here

Tucumã extracts decreases PML/RARΑ gene expression in NB4/APL cell line

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a cancer pharmacologically treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), although well tolerated by most patients, some develop toxicity to ATRA, Differentiation Syndrome. The Amazon Biome has several fruits and oil plants rich in micronutrients, particularly carotenoids as the fruit tucumã (Astrocaryum aculeatum). This study analyzed the antitumor and cytoprotective activity of tucumã with and without concomitant exposure of ATRA in high concentration mimicking the toxicity of differentiation syndrome, as the potential cytotoxic effect of chemotherapeutic in an APL cell line. The cultured NB4 cells were exposed to ethanolic extracts of tucumã and to synergism with extracts and ATRA. Determination of proliferation, cell viability, caspases 1, 3, 8 and cell differentiation by nested RT-qPCR. The ATRA control had a strong inhibitory effect and toxicity as expected. The extracts also reduced cell proliferation by triggering apoptosis in concentration-dependent and reversing chromosome translocation, especially the lowest tested concentration of tucumã pulp extract. In the synergism, extracts act to maintain the levels of viability and apoptosis equal to the ATRA control but in contrast to drug that causes death and destruction of the genetic material, tucumã demonstrated a reduction of the gene expression indicating a possible protection against the toxicity of high concentrations of ATRA. These results suggest that fruits rich in retinoid molecules may have a cytotoxic effect against APL cells and reduced concentrations of carotenoids may act as cytoprotectors in APL cells treated with high concentrations of ATRA promoting cellular/molecular differentiation

DEVELOPMENT OF NANOEMULSION CONTAINING PELARGONIUM GRAVEOLENS OIL: CHARACTERIZATION AND STABILITY STUDY

Objective: To develop, characterize and evaluate the stability of nanoemulsions containing geranium oil (NEG) at different temperatures (4 °C, 25 °C and 45 °C) for 90 d.Methods: The quantification of oil in the nanostructure was performed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The NEG was prepared in Ultra-Turrex and characterized by determining the particle size, polydispersity indices and pH. The thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to evaluate the thermal stability of the compounds, the thermal events and morphological analyses of NEG, respectively.Results: The results allow us to suggest that the use the ultra-turrax method is a strategy good to NEG preparation. The stability of the NEG was strongly influenced by storage temperature, with droplet size increasing rapidly at higher temperatures (45 °C), which was attributed to coalescence near the phase inversion temperature. The NEG submitted the low temperatures (4±2 °C) remained with the same particle size value (164 nm). However, the citronellol and geraniol showed a significant reduction throughout the test even in these conditions of temperature. Thermogram of NEG shows the crystallization peak at the cooling cycle in-20.1 °C and a melting was observed at 1.5 °C. TEM images indicated that NEG was spherical and nanometric.Conclusion: The proposed Ultra-Turrax method is simple which prevents volatilization of GO for the production of NEG. The formulations presented good physicochemical characteristics and stability for 90 d was only achieved in 4 °C

Development of liposomal dry powder of N-acetylcysteine by spray drying technique

A secagem por aspersão é uma técnica rápida, de baixo custo, que em uma única etapa pode converter uma formulação líquida em um produto seco. Considerando sua ampla utilização tanto na indústria farmacêutica, quanto na academia, investigamos a sua aplicação na obtenção e secagem de nanopartículas. Após uma vasta revisão na literatura acerca das últimas patentes relacionadas à obtenção ou secagem de nanopartículas poliméricas, bem como, as invenções que abordaram a secagem de lipossomas empregando a técnica de secagem por aspersão, foi observado um aumento significativo no número de patentes publicadas nos últimos anos. A maioria destas patentes, independente do tipo de nanopartícula, utiliza esta técnica para aumentar a estabilidade de formulações líquidas, ou então, para obter formas sólidas intermediárias que possam ser facilmente convertidas em formas farmacêuticas finais e administradas por diferentes vias como pulmonar, parenteral, cutânea e oral. Tendo em vista a versatilidade desta técnica, este trabalho aborda também a obtenção de um sistema inalatório de pó seco inédito através da secagem por aspersão de lipossomas contendo N-acetilcisteína. A N-acetilcisteína é um composto hidrofílico, e considerando essa característica, foi encapsulada em vesículas lipossomais. A primeira etapa experimental do trabalho foi devotada a validação de um método analítico para quantificar o fármaco de escolha nas formulações desenvolvidas. Devido à inexistência de um método por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com detector ultravioleta sem derivatização preliminar da amostra, foi desenvolvido um método simples, rápido e original, sem necessidade de derivatização prévia da amostra, atendendo a todos os requisitos internacionais estabelecidos. O método pode ser aplicado também na quantificação do fármaco em duas formulações farmacêuticas comerciais, representando uma importante ferramenta analítica para a indústria farmacêutica. Os lipossomas contendo N-acetilcisteína foram produzidos empregando o método de evaporação em fase reversa e apresentaram tamanho exclusivamente nanométrico, sendo que, considerando o número de partículas, mais de 80% possuem diâmetro médio menor do que 100 nm. No entanto, considerando a limitada estabilidade físico-química destas vesículas, foi realizada a conversão destas formulações líquidas em sistemas pulverulentos utilizando a técnica de secagem por aspersão. Os pós obtidos apresentaram adequadas características para administração pulmonar, como diâmetro aerodinâmico em torno de 1,5 μm e fração respirável acima de 30%, com a grande vantagem de serem redispersíveis em meio aquoso recuperando o tamanho nanométrico. Além disso, após ensaio de TBARS induzido, foi demonstrado que a encapsulação da N-acetilcisteína em lipossomas é essencial para a manutenção da sua atividade antioxidante após o processo de secagem. Ainda, o pó contendo o fármaco encapsulado apresentou melhor atividade quando comparado às formulações líquidas e sólidas contendo o fármaco nãoencapsulado, sendo uma alternativa à formulação líquida comercial e um bom candidato para o tratamento de doenças pulmonares associadas ao estresse oxidativo.Spray drying is a rapid technique, with low cost, that in a single step is able to convert a liquid formulation into a dry product. Considering its wide use both in the pharmaceutical industry and academic, we investigated its application in the production and drying of nanoparticles. After an extensive literature review on the latest patents related to obtaining or drying polymeric nanoparticles, as well as inventions that addressed the drying of liposomes using the spray drying technique, a significant increase in the number of patents published in recent years was observed. The majority of these patents, regardless of the type of nanoparticle, used this technique to increase the stability of liquid formulations or to obtain intermediate solid forms which can be easily converted into final dosage forms and administered by different routes such as pulmonary, parenteral, cutaneous and oral. Considering the versatility of this technique, this work evaluated the obtaining of a new innovative dry powder inhaler by spray drying of liposomes containing N-acetylcysteine. N-acetylcysteine is a hydrophilic compound and as a result of this characteristic, we encapsulated it in liposomal vesicles. The first stage of the experimental work was devoted to the validation of an analytical method to quantify the drug of choice in the developed formulations. Due to the lack of a method by high efficiency liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector without preliminary derivatization of the samples we developed a simple, fast and unique method, without preliminary derivatization, taking into account all international requirements. The developed method could be applied to assay the drug in two commercial dosage forms, representing an important analytical tool for the pharmaceutical industry. Liposomes containing Nacetylcysteine were prepared by the reverse phase evaporation method and presented exclusively nanometric size, and considering the number of particles, more than 80% are less than 100 nm. However, as the physicochemical stability of these vesicles is limited, the conversion of such liquid formulations in powder systems was carried out using the spray drying technique. The obtained powders were suitable for pulmonary administration, as aerodynamic diameter about of 1.5 μm and respirable fraction above 30%, with the great advantage of being redispersible in aqueous medium, recovering the original nanometric size. Moreover, the induced TBARS assay showed that the encapsulation of Nacetylcysteine in liposomes was essential for the maintenance of its antioxidant activity after the drying process. In addition, the powder containing the encapsulated drug had better activity than the liquid and solid formulations containing the non-encapsulated drug, being an alternative to commercial liquid formulation and a good candidate for the treatment of pulmonary diseases associated with oxidative stress

Lavender as treatment of Alzheimer\u27s disease: literature review

Neurodegenerative diseases affect the grey matter of the brain and secondarily the functions related to the white matter, with aging being one of the main responsible for their development. Among neurodegenerative diseases, dementia stands out, which has been considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health priority since 2012 due to its high prevalence. It is believed that degeneration of the cholinergic system in the hippocampus and cortex is closely related to cognitive deficits in dementia. Among the forms of treatment for dementia, aromatherapy stands out, which is part of phytotherapy and uses extracts and essential oils extracted from different organs of aromatic plants, and frequently administered via inhalation or topical application. Lavender is one of these plants and has traditionally been used to treat memory dysfunction. Thus, the present study sought to verify in the literature research using Lavandula as a form of treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer\u27s disease. The search for the studies took place in January 2020, in the electronic database Web of Science. 42 articles were found, of which 13 adequately met the inclusion criteria. It can be concluded with this review, that both the extract and the essential oil of different lavender species have positive influences on memory formation, as well as on the improvement of cognitive function, especially in patients with Alzheimer\u27s disease

Vitamin C as a shelf-life extender in liposomes

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of vitamin C (VC) on the stability of stored liposomes under different climatic conditions. Liposomal formulations containing 1 mg/mL of VC (LIP-VC) and blank formulations (LIP-B) were prepared by the reverse-phase evaporation method. After preparation, they were characterized according to their refractive index, average vesicle diameter, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, pH, content, encapsulation efficiency (EE%), morphology, stability and antioxidant activity. For stability, LIP-VC and LIP-B were stored in different climatic conditions (4 °C, 25 °C and 40 °C) for 30 days. The LIP-VC presented 1.3365 refractive index, 161 nm of mean diameter, 0.231 PDI, -7.3 mV zeta potential, 3.2 pH, 19.4% EE%, spherical morphology, 1 mg/mL of VC content, and antioxidant activity of 12 and 11.4 μmol of TE/mL for the radical DPPH and ABTS+, respectively. During stability, the LIP-B stored in 40 °C showed an instability in the parameters: PDI, vesicle size and zeta potential after 15 days, while the LIP-VC remained stable in its size and PDI for 30 days. After that, it is shown that VC can be used as an antioxidant and stabilizer in liposomes to increase the stability and shelf-life of vesicles

Atividade in vivo do óleo essencial e nanoemulsão de capim limão contra trofozoítos de Trichomonas gallinae

Trichomonas gallinae, é um organismo que infecta primariamente o trato digestivo superior e respiratório de aves. Metronidazol e tinidazol têm sido utilizados para tratar as infecções causadas por este protozoário. Porém, relatos sobre a existência de cepas resistentes de T. gallinae a estes medicamentos, vem sendo observadas desde a década de 90. Alternativas de tratamentos são necessárias para fornecer um tratamento substituto para esse protozoário. O uso de óleos essências e extratos vegetais contra algumas parasitoses vêm sido relatados nos últimos anos. A eficácia dos óleos essenciais pode aumentar se incorporado a nanoemulsões. O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar a eficácia in vivo das possíveis atividades anti-tricomonas do óleo essencial e nanoemulsão de Cymbopogon flexuosus em codornas (Coturnix coturnix japônica) positivas para Trichomonas gallinae