Preventive but Not Curative Efficacy of Celecoxib on Bladder Carcinogenesis in a Rat Model

To evaluate the effect of a cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor, celecoxib (CEL), on bladder cancer inhibition in a rat model, when used as preventive versus as curative treatment. The study comprised 52 male Wistar rats, divided in 5 groups, during a 20-week protocol: control: vehicle, carcinogen: 0.05% of N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN), CEL: 10 mg/kg/day of the selective COX-2 inhibitor Celebrex, preventive CEL (CEL+BBN-P), and curative CEL (BBN+CEL-C) groups. Although tumor growth was markedly inhibited by the preventive application of CEL, it was even aggravated by the curative treatment. The incidence of gross bladder carcinoma was: control 0/8(0%), BBN 13/20(65%), CEL 0/8(0%), CEL+BBN-P 1/8(12.5%), and BBN+CEL-C 6/8(75%). The number and volume of carcinomas were significantly lower in the CEL+BBN-P versus BBN, accompanied by an ample reduction in hyperplasia, dysplasia, and papillary tumors as well as COX-2 immunostaining. In spite of the reduction of tumor volumes in the curative BBN+CEL-C group, tumor malignancy was augmented. An anti-inflammatory and antioxidant profile was encountered only in the group under preventive treatment. In conclusion, preventive, but not curative, celecoxib treatment promoted a striking inhibitory effect on bladder cancer development, reinforcing the potential role of chemopreventive strategies based on cyclooxygenase 2 inhibition

Síndrome da sela vazia com herniação de giros retos: relato de caso e revisão literária

Introduction: Although the knowledge about empty saddle syndrome is quite vast and documented in the literature, there are few studies clarifying the procedures applied in reported cases, the diagnostic difficulties, and the intervention techniques, besides the results obtained. Objectives: To report the case of a young patient with empty saddle syndrome with herniation of girus retus, through a retrospective review of the medical record correlating clinical and surgical aspects. Method: A retrospective review of the patient’s medical record was realized. Case report: A 17-year-old patient initially presented with symptoms of endocrine origin characteristic of hypocortisolism and hypogonadism. Image exam showed the presence of a Turcic saddle without the usual pituitary contents, but with the presence of herniation of girus retus. Surgical treatment was indicated and there was a significant improvement in hypotension, and it was necessary to associate hormone replacement therapy with treatment. Discussion: The empty saddle syndrome is characterized by the herniation of the arachnoid membrane into the turcic saddle, that can act with mass effect, taking pituitary function to failure. The clinical status will depend on the etiological factor, usually requiring hormone replacement for these patients and in some cases surgical intervention. Conclusion: SSV is an important pathology that should always be among the differential diagnoses in patients with hypogonadism clinic.Introdução: Embora o conhecimento acerca da Síndrome da Sela Vazia seja bem vasto e documentado na literatura, existem poucos trabalhos esclarecendo os procedimentos aplicados em casos relatados, as dificuldades diagnósticas e de técnicas da intervenção, além dos resultados obtidos. Objetivo: Relatar o caso de um paciente jovem portador da Síndrome da Sela Vazia com herniação de giros retos, através da revisão retrospectiva do prontuário físico, abordando aspectos clínicos e cirúrgicos. Método: Foi realizado uma revisão retrospectiva do prontuário físico do paciente. Relato de caso: Paciente, 17 anos, apresentou-se inicialmente com sintomas de origem endócrina característicos de hipocortisolismo e hipogonadismo. Através do exame de imagem foi notada a presença de sela túrcica sem o habitual conteúdo hipofisário, mas com a presença de herniação de giros retos. Foi indicado tratamento cirúrgico e, com isso, houve melhora significativa no quadro de hipotensão, sendo necessário associar ao tratamento terapia de reposição hormonal. Discussão: A Síndrome da Sela Vazia (SSV) é caracterizada pela herniação da membrana aracnóide para dentro da sela túrcica, que pode atuar com efeito de massa, levando a falência da função pituitária O quadro clínico dependerá do fator etiológico, sendo necessário geralmente reposição hormonal para esses pacientes e em alguns casos a intervenção cirúrgica. Conclusão: A SSV é uma patologia importante que deve estar sempre entre os diagnósticos diferenciais em pacientes com clínica de hipogonadismo

Oral treatment with the extract of Euterpe oleracea Mart. improves motor dysfunction and reduces brain injury in rats subjected to ischemic stroke

PROPESP-UFPA.Federal University of Pará. João de Barros Barreto University Hospital. Laboratory of Experimental Neuropathology. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. João de Barros Barreto University Hospital. Laboratory of Experimental Neuropathology. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. João de Barros Barreto University Hospital. Laboratory of Experimental Neuropathology. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. João de Barros Barreto University Hospital. Laboratory of Experimental Neuropathology. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. João de Barros Barreto University Hospital. Laboratory of Experimental Neuropathology. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. João de Barros Barreto University Hospital. Laboratory of Experimental Neuropathology. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Centre for the Valorization of Amazonian Bioactive Compounds. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Centre for the Valorization of Amazonian Bioactive Compounds. Belém, PA, Brazil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde e Ambiente. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Federal University of Pará. Institute Biological Science. Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology of Natural Products. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute Biological Science. Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology of Natural Products. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. João de Barros Barreto University Hospital. Laboratory of Experimental Neuropathology. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. João de Barros Barreto University Hospital. Laboratory of Experimental Neuropathology. Belém, PA, Brazil.Ischemic stroke is one of the principal causes of morbidity and mortality around the world. The pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to the formation of the stroke lesions range from the bioenergetic failure of the cells and the intense production of reactive oxygen species to neuroinflammation. The fruit of the açaí palm, Euterpe oleracea Mart. (EO), is consumed by traditional populations in the Brazilian Amazon region, and it is known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We evaluated whether the clarified extract of EO was capable of reducing the area of lesion and promoting neuronal survival following ischemic stroke in rats. Animals submitted to ischemic stroke and treated with EO extract presented a significant improvement in their neurological deficit from the ninth day onward. We also observed a reduction in the extent of the cerebral injury and the preservation of the neurons of the cortical layers. Taken together, our findings indicate that treatment with EO extract in the acute phase following a stroke can trigger signaling pathways that culminate in neuronal survival and promote the partial recovery of neurological scores. However, further detailed studies of the intracellular signaling pathways are needed to better understand the mechanisms involved

ABORDAGEM EXTENSIONISTA NA SEMANA NACIONAL DO TRÂNSITO 2015: CONSCIENTIZAÇÃO E ANÁLISE DE ACIDENTES, DE SEQUELAS E DO NÚMERO DO SAMU

Os acidentes de trânsito configuram-se como um crescente problema de saúde pública, ultrapassando a marca de um milhão de óbitos a cada ano no mundo. Nesse panorama, o Núcleo de Estudos Acadêmicos em Neurocirurgia (NEAN), projeto de extensão da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Ceará organizou uma atividade junto à população em Fortaleza - CE em parceria com o Departamento Estadual de Trânsito (DETRAN). Foi realizada uma ‘’Blitz Educativa’’ na Semana Nacional do Trânsito, cujo tema "Seja Você a Mudança no Trânsito" permitiu a difusão de orientações básicas sobre a prevenção de acidentes e a solicitação por atendimento médico, atribuindo à população a responsabilidade de garantir a sua segurança no trânsito. O expressivo número de mais de 60% de toda a amostra já havia vivenciado uma ocorrência acidental no trânsito, o que coincide com as estatísticas oficiais sobre os acidentes de trânsito ocorridos em Fortaleza. Questionados quanto ao número de telefone para solicitar uma ambulância, o número mais citado foi 192, seguido de 190 e 193, mostrando a real necessidade da informação do número correto para um rápido atendimento e um melhor desfecho do paciente. Assim, faz-se necessário uma sensibilização da população acerca desses problemas, difundindo o conhecimento e alertando sobre as responsabilidades de cada cidadão para a construção de um panorama mais aceitável no trânsito. Palavras-chave: Extensão Universitária, Acidentes de Trânsito, Relações Comunidade-Instituição.   Extension Approach in the 2015 National Week of Traffic: awareness-raising and analysis of accidents, ill-effects and of SAMU’s call number   Abstract: Traffic accidents are a growing public health problem, surpassing one million deaths every year worldwide. In this scenario, the ‘Núcleo de Estudos Acadêmicos em Neurocirurgia’ (NEAN - Center of Academic Studies in Neurosurgery), an extension project in the School of Medicine of Universidade Federal do Ceará, organized an activity in Fortaleza, Ceará State, Brazil, in partnership with the State Department of Traffic. An educational police checkpoint was set up during the National Week of Traffic which had as theme “Be you the change in traffic" providing prevention-focus orientation about traffic accidents and about calling for medical assistance, and assigning to the population the responsibility for ensuring their safety in traffic. An expressive number of more than 60% of the population interviewed during the project had already experienced traffic accidents, which reiterates similar official statistical data on traffic accidents at Fortaleza. When asked about which phone number to request an ambulance, the most cited number was 192, followed by 190 and 193, showing the real necessity of knowing the right number to call for a fast response medical service and a better outcome for the victim. Thus, it is necessary raising the awareness of population about those problems, by educating and alerting them about the responsibilities of each one for the quality of traffic in the city. Keywords: University Extension, Traffic Accidents, Community-Institutional Relations.   Enfoque de Extensión en la Semana Nacional de Tráfico 2015: sensibilización y análisis de accidentes, de secuelas y del número de teléfono del SAMU Resumen: Los accidentes de tráfico son un problema de salud pública cada vez mayor, superando un millón de muertes cada año en todo el mundo. En este escenario, el Núcleo de Estudios Académicos en Neurocirurgia (NEAN), un proyecto de extensión en la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidade Federal de Ceará, organizó una actividad en Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil, en colaboración con el Departamento de Tráfico. Durante la Semana Nacional de Tránsito se estableció un puesto de control educativo de la policía que tenía como tema "Sé tú el cambio en el tráfico" proporcionando orientación sobre prevención de accidentes de tráfico y como llamar a la asistencia médica, asignando a la población la responsabilidad de asegurar su propia seguridad en el tráfico. Se ha detectado un número expresivo de más del 60% de la población entrevistada durante el proyecto, que ya había experimentado una ocurrencia accidental en el tráfico, lo que reitera datos estadísticos oficiales similares sobre accidentes de tránsito en Fortaleza. El número más citado para las llamadas medicas de emergencia fue 192, seguido por 190 y 193, lo que demuestra la necesidad real de conocer el número correcto para llamar a un servicio médico de respuesta rápida y obtener un mejor resultado para la víctima. Por lo tanto, es necesario sensibilizar a la población sobre esos problemas, educándolos y alertándolos sobre las responsabilidades de cada uno por la calidad del tráfico en la ciudad. Palabras-clave: Extensión Universitaria, Accidentes de Tráfico, Relaciones Comunidad-Institución.   DOI: https://doi.org/10.24317/2358-0399.2017v8i1.309

Genome of the Avirulent Human-Infective Trypanosome—Trypanosoma rangeli

Background: Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite infecting humans and other wild and domestic mammals across Central and South America. It does not cause human disease, but it can be mistaken for the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. We have sequenced the T. rangeli genome to provide new tools for elucidating the distinct and intriguing biology of this species and the key pathways related to interaction with its arthropod and mammalian hosts.  Methodology/Principal Findings: The T. rangeli haploid genome is ,24 Mb in length, and is the smallest and least repetitive trypanosomatid genome sequenced thus far. This parasite genome has shorter subtelomeric sequences compared to those of T. cruzi and T. brucei; displays intraspecific karyotype variability and lacks minichromosomes. Of the predicted 7,613 protein coding sequences, functional annotations could be determined for 2,415, while 5,043 are hypothetical proteins, some with evidence of protein expression. 7,101 genes (93%) are shared with other trypanosomatids that infect humans. An ortholog of the dcl2 gene involved in the T. brucei RNAi pathway was found in T. rangeli, but the RNAi machinery is non-functional since the other genes in this pathway are pseudogenized. T. rangeli is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, a phenotype that may be explained by a smaller number of anti-oxidant defense enzymes and heatshock proteins.  Conclusions/Significance: Phylogenetic comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicates that T. rangeli and T. cruzi are equidistant from T. brucei. In addition to revealing new aspects of trypanosome co-evolution within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comparative genomic analysis with pathogenic trypanosomatids provides valuable new information that can be further explored with the aim of developing better diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic targets

Understanding the relation between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and adverse fetal, infant and child outcomes: a protocol for a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis of longitudinal studies of pregnant women and their infants and children

IntroductionZika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy is a known cause of microcephaly and other congenital and developmental anomalies. In the absence of a ZIKV vaccine or prophylactics, principal investigators (PIs) and international leaders in ZIKV research have formed the ZIKV Individual Participant Data (IPD) Consortium to identify, collect and synthesise IPD from longitudinal studies of pregnant women that measure ZIKV infection during pregnancy and fetal, infant or child outcomes.Methods and analysisWe will identify eligible studies through the ZIKV IPD Consortium membership and a systematic review and invite study PIs to participate in the IPD meta-analysis (IPD-MA). We will use the combined dataset to estimate the relative and absolute risk of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS), including microcephaly and late symptomatic congenital infections; identify and explore sources of heterogeneity in those estimates and develop and validate a risk prediction model to identify the pregnancies at the highest risk of CZS or adverse developmental outcomes. The variable accuracy of diagnostic assays and differences in exposure and outcome definitions means that included studies will have a higher level of systematic variability, a component of measurement error, than an IPD-MA of studies of an established pathogen. We will use expert testimony, existing internal and external diagnostic accuracy validation studies and laboratory external quality assessments to inform the distribution of measurement error in our models. We will apply both Bayesian and frequentist methods to directly account for these and other sources of uncertainty.Ethics and disseminationThe IPD-MA was deemed exempt from ethical review. We will convene a group of patient advocates to evaluate the ethical implications and utility of the risk stratification tool. Findings from these analyses will be shared via national and international conferences and through publication in open access, peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberPROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42017068915).</jats:sec

The complete genome sequence of Chromobacterium violaceum reveals remarkable and exploitable bacterial adaptability

Chromobacterium violaceum is one of millions of species of free-living microorganisms that populate the soil and water in the extant areas of tropical biodiversity around the world. Its complete genome sequence reveals (i) extensive alternative pathways for energy generation, (ii) ≈500 ORFs for transport-related proteins, (iii) complex and extensive systems for stress adaptation and motility, and (iv) wide-spread utilization of quorum sensing for control of inducible systems, all of which underpin the versatility and adaptability of the organism. The genome also contains extensive but incomplete arrays of ORFs coding for proteins associated with mammalian pathogenicity, possibly involved in the occasional but often fatal cases of human C. violaceum infection. There is, in addition, a series of previously unknown but important enzymes and secondary metabolites including paraquat-inducible proteins, drug and heavy-metal-resistance proteins, multiple chitinases, and proteins for the detoxification of xenobiotics that may have biotechnological applications