Comparison of the human immune responses to recombinant proteins representing three distinct surface proteins of Plasmodium vivax merozoites

Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM) Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e ParasitologiaUniversidade Federal do Pará Departamento de PatologiaCenters for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Parasitic DiseasesInstituto Evandro ChagasUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais Departamento de ParasitologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de Microbiologia, Imunologia e ParasitologiaSciEL

Cytoprotective Effect of Lygodium venustum

Mercury is a very dangerous metal when humans come into contact with it, whether through the air or skin or by ingestion. The aim of this work was to investigate the possible effects of the ethanol extract and fractions of Lygodium venustum Sw. against mercurium chloride toxicity towards Escherichia coli strain ATCC25922. The polyphenols and flavonoids present in the extract and fractions were quantified in mg equivalent of gallic acid/g sample and mg equivalent of quercetin/g sample, respectively. The in vitro FRAP method demonstrated the antioxidant activity of the samples. The antibacterial activity of the natural products was evaluated by microdilution method and by assays to elucidate the possible cytoprotective action when combining the natural products samples and mercurium chloride, utilizing the extract and fractions at a subinhibitory concentration. The results obtained in this work indicate that the ethanol extract and fractions of L. venustum are an alternative source of natural products with cytoprotective action, where this protection is correlated with antioxidant and chelating activity, due to the presence of total phenols and flavonoids

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of the Decoction of Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) and Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825) Used by the Traditional Medicine

Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus are two lizard species utilized in traditional medicine in Northeast Brazil. Their medicinal use includes diseases related with bacterial infections such as tonsillitis and pharyngitis. They are used in the form of teas (decoctions) for the treatment of illnesses. In this work, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the decoctions of T. hispidus (DTH) and T. semitaeniatus (DTS) against bacterial strains, namely, standard and multiresistant Escherichia coli, Staphylococus aureus, and Pseudomonas aureuginosa, alone and in combination with aminoglycoside antibiotics. The decoctions were prepared using the whole body of the dried lizards, and the filtrate was frozen and lyophilized. When tested alone, the samples did not demonstrate any substantial inhibition of bacterial growth. However, in combination with antibiotics as aminoglycosides, decoctions reduced the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the assayed antibiotics against multiresistant strains of S. aureus and P. aureuginosa. Chemical prospecting tests revealed the presence of alkaloids in DTS. This is the first study evaluating the medicinal efficacy of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus and contributes to the list of new sources of medicines from natural products of animal origin

Toxic Metals (Pb and Cd) and Their Respective Antagonists (Ca and Zn) in Infant Formulas and Milk Marketed in Brasilia, Brazil

In non-ideal scenarios involving partial or non-breastfeeding, cow’s milk-based dairy products are mainstream in infant feeding. Therefore, it is important to study the concentrations of potentially neurotoxic contaminants (Pb and Cd) and their respective counteracting elements (Ca and Zn) in infant dairy products. Fifty-five brands of infant formulas and milk sold in Brasilia, Brazil were analyzed. The dairy products came from areas in the central-west (26%), southeast (29%) and south of Brazil (36%) extending as far as Argentina (7%) and the Netherlands (2%). For toxic Pb and Cd, median concentrations in powdered samples were 0.109 mg/kg and 0.033 mg/kg, respectively; in fluid samples median Pb concentration was 0.084 mg/kg, but median Cd concentration was below the limit of detection and overall values were below reference safety levels. However, 62% of these samples presented higher Pb concentration values than those established by FAO/WHO. Although the inverse correlation between Cd and Zn (Spearman r = −0.116; P = 0.590) was not statistically significant, the positive correlation between Ca and Pb was (Spearman r = 0.619; P < 0.0001). Additionally, there was a significant correlation between Pb and Cd. Furthermore, the study also revealed that provision of the essential trace element Zn in infant formulas can provide adequate amounts of the recommended daily requirements. Infant formulas and milk sold for consumption by infants and children can be an efficient tool to monitor neurotoxic metal risk exposure among young children

Herbal therapy associated with antibiotic therapy: potentiation of the antibiotic activity against methicillin – resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Turnera ulmifolia L

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Staphylococcus </it>genus is widely spread in nature being part of the indigenous microbiota of skin and mucosa of animal and birds. Some <it>Staphylococcus </it>species are frequently recognized as etiological agents of many animal and human opportunistic infections This is the first report testing the antibiotic resistance-modifying activity of <it>Turnera ulmifolia </it>against methicillin-resistant <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>– MRSA strain.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study an ethanol extract of <it>Turnera ulmifolia </it>L. and chlorpromazine were tested for their antimicrobial activity alone or in combination with aminoglycosides against an MRSA strain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The synergism of the ethanol extract and aminoglycosides were verified using microdillution method. A synergistic effect of this extract on gentamicin and kanamycin was demonstrated. Similarly, a potentiating effect of chlorpromazine on kanamycin, gentamicin and neomycin, indicating the involvement of an efflux system in the resistance to these aminoglycosides.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is therefore suggested that extracts from <it>Turnera ulmifolia </it>could be used as a source of plant-derived natural products with resistance-modifying activity, constituting a new weapon against the problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics demonstrated in MRSA strains.</p

Expanding the phenotypic spectrum of CLCN2-related leucoencephalopathy and ataxia

Mutations in CLCN2 are a rare cause of autosomal recessive leucoencephalopathy with ataxia and specific imaging abnormalities. Very few cases have been reported to date. Here, we describe the clinical and imaging phenotype of 12 additional CLCN2 patients and expand the known phenotypic spectrum of this disorder. Informed consent was obtained for all patients. Patients underwent either whole-exome sequencing or focused/panel-based sequencing to identify variants. Twelve patients with biallelic CLCN2 variants are described. This includes three novel likely pathogenic missense variants. All patients demonstrated typical MRI changes, including hyperintensity on T2-weighted images in the posterior limbs of the internal capsules, midbrain cerebral peduncles, middle cerebellar peduncles and cerebral white matter. Clinical features included a variable combination of ataxia, headache, spasticity, seizures and other symptoms with a broad range of age of onset. This report is now the largest case series of patients with CLCN2-related leucoencephalopathy and reinforces the finding that, although the imaging appearance is uniform, the phenotypic expression of this disorder is highly heterogeneous. Our findings expand the phenotypic spectrum of CLCN2-related leucoencephalopathy by adding prominent seizures, severe spastic paraplegia and developmental delay