Caffeine supplementation and intermittent exercise: effects on white blood cells

Caffeine is a common substance in the diets of most athletes and it is appearing in energy drinks, sport gels, alcoholic beverages and diet aids. The effects of caffeine ingestion prior to endurance training have been extensively studied. However, less is known concerning the effects of caffeine ingestion prior to intermittent exercise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of caffeine ingestion prior to intermittent exercise on white blood cells in soccer players. 15 professional soccer players completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. Forty-five minutes before exercise all subjects received 5.5 mg.kg-1 of caffeine (E+C, n=8) or placebo (cellulose; E+P, n=7). The exercise protocol was composed of 12 sets with ten sprints of 20 m each. The rest interval between sprints and between sets was ten seconds and 2 minutes, respectively. Between the 6th and 7th sets the rest interval was of 15 min. Blood samples were collected before and immediately after exercise protocol and the leukocytes were counted in Micros 60 (ABX Horiba) automated hematology analyzer. Anova two-way with Tukey post hoc tests were applied (p \u3c .05). Training session resulted in significant percentage increases (p \u3c .05) in the total leukocyte count (E+C = 31.1%; E+P = 30.5%), neutrophils (E+C = 44.4%; E+P = 38.3%), and lymphocytes (E+C = 21.9%; E+P = 23.0%), with no significant differences between groups for any variable. The main finding was that the ingestion of caffeine (5.5 mg.kg-1) may not cause greater leukocytes levels above that which occurs through exercise alone

Magnetic nanosystem for cancer therapy using oncocalyxone A, an antitomour secondary metabolite isolated from a Brazilian plant

none14siThis paper describes the investigation and development of a novel magnetic drug delivery nanosystem (labeled as MO-20) for cancer therapy. The drug employed was oncocalyxone A (onco A), which was isolated from Auxemma oncocalyx, an endemic Brazilian plant. It has a series of pharmacological properties: antioxidant, cytotoxic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor and antiplatelet. Onco A was associated with magnetite nanoparticles in order to obtain magnetic properties. The components of MO-20 were characterized by XRD, FTIR, TGA, TEM and Magnetization curves. The MO-20 presented a size of about 30 nm and globular morphology. In addition, drug releasing experiments were performed, where it was observed the presence of the anomalous transport. The results found in this work showed the potential of onco A for future applications of the MO-20 as a new magnetic drug release nanosystem for cancer treatment.openBarreto, Antônio C.H.; Santiago, Vivian R.; Freire, Rafael M.; Mazzetto, Selma E.; Denardin, Juliano C.; Mele, Giuseppe; Cavalcante, Igor M.; Ribeiro, Maria E.N.P.; Ricardo, Nágila M.P.S.; Gonçalves, Tamara; Carbone, Luigi; Lemos, Telma L.G.; Pessoa, Otília D.L.; Fechine, Pierre B.A.*Barreto, Antônio C. H.; Santiago, Vivian R.; Freire, Rafael M.; Mazzetto, Selma E.; Denardin, Juliano C.; Mele, Giuseppe; Cavalcante, Igor M.; Ribeiro, Maria E. N. P.; Ricardo, Nágila M. P. S.; Gonçalves, Tamara; Carbone, Luigi; Lemos, Telma L. G.; Pessoa, Otília D. L.; Fechine, Pierre B. A

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Mycosis Fungoides: Analysis of Ophthalmologic Findings in a Series of Cases

Background. Ophthalmic findings in mycosis fungoides (MF) can be highly variable. It seems that the prevalence of ophthalmic findings could be much more common than previously assumed. Objective. To present case series examined in the last 12 months, together with a literature review. Methods. Symptomatic patients with biopsy-proven mycosis fungoides were examined ophthalmologically in a 12-month period. The medical records of affected patients were reviewed. Results. Eight patients were examined. Of these, 75% were male, all were Caucasian, and average age was 58.2 years. Blepharitis (50.0%), thickened eyelids (37.5%), and flaking (25.0%) were the most prevalent findings. Conclusion. Incidence of MF affecting the eyes and surrounding structures may be greater than estimated. Early case management offers means to reduce difficulties experienced with later diagnosis. Regular monitoring by an ophthalmologist is justified, including that of asymptomatic cases

Hot-Melt Extrusion as an Advantageous Technology to Obtain Effervescent Drug Products

Here, we assessed the feasibility of hot-melt extrusion (HME) to obtain effervescent drug products for the first time. For this, a combined mixture design was employed using paracetamol as a model drug. Extrudates were obtained under reduced torque (up to 0.3 Nm) at 100 °C to preserve the stability of the effervescent salts. Formulations showed vigorous and rapid effervescent disintegration (<3 min), adequate flow characteristics, and complete solubilization of paracetamol instantly after the effervescent reaction. Formulations containing PVPVA in the concentration range of 15–20% m/m were demonstrated to be sensitive to accelerated aging conditions, undergoing marked microstructural changes, since the capture of water led to the agglomeration and loss of their functional characteristics. HPMC matrices, in contrast, proved to be resistant to storage conditions in high relative humidity, showing superior performance to controls, including the commercial product. Moreover, the combined mixture design allowed us to identify significant interactions between the polymeric materials and the disintegrating agents, showing the formulation regions in which the responses are kept within the required levels. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that HME can bring important benefits to the elaboration of effervescent drug products, simplifying the production process and obtaining formulations with improved characteristics, such as faster disintegration, higher drug solubilization, and better stability

17 beta-Estradiol and steady-state concentrations of H2O2: antiapoptotic effect in endometrial cells from patients with endometriosis

Increased levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can initiate protective responses to limit or repair oxidative damage. However, H2O2 signals also fine-tune responses to growth factors and cytokines controlling cell division, differentiation, and proliferation. Because 17 beta-estradiol (E-2) also plays important roles in these processes, and is considered a major risk factor in the development and progression of endometriosis, this study evaluated whether E-2 has an antiapoptotic effect on oxidative stress in endometrial cells in combination with steady-state H2O2 levels ([H2O2]ss). Endometrial stromal cells were prepared from the eutopic endometrium of 18 women with and without endometriosis to produce primary cells. These cells were stimulated with E-2 for 20 h, exposed to [H2O2]ss, and examined for cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis. the endometrial cells from women with endometriosis maintained the steady state for 120 min at high H2O2 concentrations. When they were pretreated with E-2 and exposed to [H2O2]ss, a decrease in apoptosis level was observed compared to the control cells (p < 0.01). the endometrial cells from patients with endometriosis subjected to both E-2 and [H2O2]ss showed increased ERK phosphorylation. These findings suggested that H2O2 is a signaling molecule that downregulates apoptosis in endometrial cells, supporting the fact that endometriosis, albeit a benign disease, shares some features with cancer such as decreased catalase levels. These results link the E-2 effects on [H2O2]ss to resistance to apoptosis and progression of endometriosis. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Associacao Beneficente de Coleta de SangueFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Gynecol, BR-04044 São Paulo, BrazilCharitable Assoc Blood Collect, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biochem, BR-04044 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biophys, BR-04044 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Gynecol, BR-04044 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biochem, BR-04044 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biophys, BR-04044 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc