Phosphoethanolamine and omega-3 in patients with asthma

The effect of omega-3 (n-3) in asthma has been inconclusive. One explanation for it may be the low incorporation of these fatty acids in clinical studies. Phosphoethanolamine (PEtn) can increase the synthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine, which can, in turn, increase the incorporation of n-3 in cell membranes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of synthetic PEtn in patients with asthma who are receiving n-3. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out over a two month period by using spirometry, the Asthma Control Test questionnaire (ACT) and medicine intake. Forty-one patients with asthma were studied. Twenty-one patients received n-3 daily (1.080 mg of EPA, 720 mg of DHA) and 800 mg of PEtn (PEtn group), and twenty patients received the same doses of n-3 and placebo (control group). All patients continued receiving their conventional treatment for asthma. The hospital ethics committee approved the study. Five patients of each group required systemic corticosteroids, being the total consumption, smaller in the PEtn group (127.4 mg of prednisone/patient versus 416.0 mg of prednisone/patient in the control group, p-value = 0.0269). There were no significant differences in the changing of ATC and FEV1, as well as in the intake of formoterol or budesonide between the groups. In this study, patients who received phosphoethanolamine and omega-3 needed a smaller dose of systemic corticosteroid for asthma control than patients who only received omega-3. However, as the trial was conducted on a small scale, more studies are necessary

Intake and digestion of non-traditional feedstuffs by farmed collared peccary (Mammalia, Tayassuidae)

To assess the ability of the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) to digest dietary fiber, four adult male collared peccaries were randomly assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square design to determine the effects of feeding non-traditional feed ingredients, taken from palm trees with different levels of dietary fiber, on intake and coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) and mean retention time. Four experimental diets were provided ad libitum: corn and soybean meal-based control diet; corn and palm kernel cake-based diet; corn and peach palm byproduct-based diet; and hay, palm kernel cake, and peach palm byproductbased diet. The CTTAD of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were 0.80±0.09 and 0.61±0.21, respectively. Increasing levels of ADF in diets also linearly decreased the CTTAD of crude protein and gross energy, while increasing non-fiber carbohydrate linearly decreased the CTTAD of ADF. These results confirm the ability of peccaries to digest fiber. However, the intake of a high-moisture and lignified ingredient, as the peach palm byproduct, decreased feed intake of peccaries due to their relatively small forestomach volume, which in turn may decrease their performance when used for prolonged periods. Despite of that, collared peccary gain a significant benefit in digestibility of dietary fiber due to its complex stomach in which fermentation occurs. © 2018 Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia

Mitotic index of epithelia cells in gills of Guppy (Poecilia vivipara) exposed to fractions of the leaf and bark of pequi (Caryocar brasiliensis)

Many wild plants of the Cerrado bioma are used as medicinal plants. The pequi (Caryocar brasiliensis) is representative of those equipped with molluscicidal action against schistosomiasis. This paper sets out to verify the toxic action of pequi fractions in other aquatic animals before they are used in rivers or lakes. Analysis were made of the alterations to the mitotic index of epithelia cells in the gills of guppy (Poecilia vivipara) exposed to ethyl-acetate fraction of leaf pequi and bark. Animals exposed to ethyl-acetate fraction (leaf), no significant change was observed in the mitotic index when compared with the control group, whereas in fish exposed to ethyl-acetate fraction (bark) we detected an increase in mitotic index of the epithelia cells in two regions of the branchial filaments. Thus, ethyl-acetate fractions (leaf) could be used against schistosomiasis, given their high efficacy and low action as piscicide.Várias plantas nativas do bioma Cerrado são utilizadas como plantas medicinais. Dentre elas, o pequi possuí ação moluscicida utilizada no combate a esquistossomose. Objetivamos neste trabalho a verificação da toxicidade de frações de pequi sobre outros organismos aquáticos, antes da utilização destas em mananciais. Para isso, analisamos alterações no índice mitótico das células epiteliais das brânquias de Guaru (Poecilia vivipara) expostas às frações da folha e da casca do caule de pequi extraídas com acetato de etila. Constatamos que nenhuma das frações se mostrou letal aos peixes. Os animais expostos à fração acetato de etila da folha não apresentaram modificações significativas no índice mitótico em relação ao grupo controle, mas os animais expostos à fração acetato de etila da casca do caule apresentaram aumento do índice mitótico das células epiteliais em duas regiões dos filamentos branquiais. Desta forma, a fração acetato de etila da folha poderia ser utilizada como moluscicida em mananciais, enquanto que a fração acetato de etila da casca do caule necessitaria passar por outros testes mais específicos.22122

Desenvolvimento de uma versão portuguesa do nutritional risk screening NRS 2002

O Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) é um instrumento que foi desenvolvido pela Danish Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Trata-se de um sistema válido que permite detetar a presença do risco de desnutrição ou de desnutrição em indivíduos hospitalizados e que é aplicado pelos profissionais de saúde. Procedeu-se ao desenvolvimento de uma versão para a língua Portuguesa do NRS 2002 com equivalência linguística e cultural ao original, recorrendo à metodologia proposta pela Organização Mundial da Saúde "Processo de tradução e de adaptação de instrumentos". Realizou-se uma tradução avançada e a retrotradução, através das seguintes etapas: tradução (1.ª etapa), retrotradução efetuada por um ou mais especialistas (2.ª etapa), pré-teste (3.ª etapa) e preparação da versão final (4.ª etapa). Este artigo tem como objetivo divulgar este processo e também a versão Portuguesa do NRS 2002.The Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) is a tool that was developed by the Danish Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. It is a valid system that allows the detection of the risk of undernutrition or of undernutrition in hospitalized individuals and is applied by health professionals. A Portuguese language version of NRS 2002 was developed with linguistic and cultural equivalence to the original using the WHO proposed methodology "Process of translation and adaptation of instruments". Advanced translation and back-translation were carried out through the following steps: translation (1st stage), back-translation performed by one or more specialists (2nd stage), pre test (3rd stage) and preparation of the final version (4th stage). This article aims to describe this process and also the Portuguese version of NRS 2002

Novel coumarins active against Trypanosoma cruzi and toxicity assessment using the animal model Caenorhabditis elegans

From 2nd Latin American Congress of Clinical and Laboratorial Toxicology Porto Alegre, Brazil. 3-6 June 2018Background: Chagas disease (CD) is a tropical parasitic disease. Although the number of people infected is very high, the only drugs available to treat CD, nifurtimox (Nfx) and benznidazole, are highly toxic, particularly in the chronic stage of the disease. Coumarins are a large class of compounds that display a wide range of interesting biological properties, such as antiparasitic. Hence, the aim of this work is to find a good antitrypanosomal drug with less toxicity. The use of simple organism models has become increasingly attractive for planning and simplifying efficient drug discovery. Within these models, Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a convenient and versatile tool with significant advantages for the toxicological potential identification for new compounds. Methods: Trypanocidal activity: Forty-two 4-methylamino-coumarins were assayed against the epimastigote form of Trypanosoma cruzi (Tulahuen 2 strain) by inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50). Toxicity assays: Lethal dose 50% (LD50) and Body Area were determined by Caenorhabditis elegans N2 strain (wild type) after acute exposure. Structure-activity relationship: A classificatory model was built using 3D descriptors. Results: Two of these coumarins demonstrated near equipotency to Nifurtimox (IC50 = 5.0 ± 1 μM), with values of: 11 h (LaSOM 266), (IC50 = 6.4 ± 1 μM) and 11 g (LaSOM 231), (IC50 = 8.2 ± 2.3 μM). In C. elegans it was possible to observe that Nfx showed greater toxicity in both the LD50 assay and the evaluation of the development of worms. It is possible to observe that the efficacy between Nfx and the synthesized compounds (11 h and 11 g) are similar. On the other hand, the toxicity of Nfx is approximately three times higher than that of the compounds. Results from the QSAR-3D study indicate that the volume and hydrophobicity of the substituents have a significant impact on the trypanocidal activities for derivatives that cause more than 50% of inhibition. These results show that the C. elegans model is efficient for screening potentially toxic compounds. Conclusion: Two coumarins (11 h and 11 g) showed activity against T. cruzi epimastigote similar to Nifurtimox, however with lower toxicity in both LD50 and development of C. elegans assays. These two compounds may be a feasible starting point for the development of new trypanocidal drugs