The relationship of illicit drug use to HIV: infection among commercial sex workers in the city of Santos, São Paulo, Brazil

Made available in DSpace on 2010-08-23T16:58:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 license.txt: 1848 bytes, checksum: d8f172155d41ee2fd9262a46c221f384 (MD5) LANDMANN_BASTOS_Relationship Illicit Drug_1998.pdf: 95186 bytes, checksum: 13945bd3e93c4bfdd6bb02106c19b43a (MD5) LANDMANN_BASTOS_Relationship Illicit Drug_1998.pdf.txt: 38940 bytes, checksum: 3e80c83689ef33bb272a2491b914363c (MD5) Previous issue date: 1998-12Made available in DSpace on 2010-11-04T14:20:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 LANDMANN_BASTOS_Relationship Illicit Drug_1998.pdf.txt: 38940 bytes, checksum: 3e80c83689ef33bb272a2491b914363c (MD5) LANDMANN_BASTOS_Relationship Illicit Drug_1998.pdf: 95186 bytes, checksum: 13945bd3e93c4bfdd6bb02106c19b43a (MD5) license.txt: 1848 bytes, checksum: d8f172155d41ee2fd9262a46c221f384 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1998-12This work was sponsored by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and Municipal Health Secretariat of Santos. CLS, FIB and EAC receive National Reasearch Council (CNPq) salary grants.Department of Information on Health, Oswaldo Cruz FoundationDepartment of Information on Health, Oswaldo Cruz FoundationMunicipal Health Secretariat, Santos, SP, BrazilMunicipal Health Secretariat, Santos, SP, BrazilBrazilian Ministry of Health, Brasilia, DF, BrazilBrazilian Ministry of Health, Brasilia, DF, BrazilObjective: To assess the role of illicit drug use as a risk factor of HIV infection among female commercial sex workers (CSWs) in the city of Santos, Brazil. Design: Cross-sectional survey of 697 chain-referred CSWs. Methodology: The study included information on social-demographic characteristics, sexual practices and use of illicit drugs. Blood samples were tested for HIV. Associations between the response variable and drug-related variables, controlling for potential confounders, were assessed through multiple logistic regression procedures. Results: The univariate analyses for all drug-related variables evidenced that ‘use of injecting drugs’ (odds-ratios (OR)=10.9) and ‘use of crack in the previous month’ (OR=9.0), were the two variables most highly associated to the outcome. The multivariate analysis emphasized the role of crack use, the first variable included in the stepwise procedure (adjusted OR=5.3, P=0.0001). Other relevant predictors were ‘educational level’ (P=0.0003), ‘practice of anal intercourse with customers’ (P=0.0031), ‘use of injecting drugs’ (adjusted OR=3.1, P=0.0647), ‘age at first intercourse’ (P=0.0188) and ‘age’ (P=0.0175). Additional multivariate results showed that crack-users tend to use other drugs simultaneously, to agree more frequently to have unprotected sex and to earn a significantly smaller payment per sexual encounter than crack non-users. Conclusions: The analysis showed the vulnerability of CSWs in relation to drug use, lack of education and unprotected sex. These findings highlight the need for preventive programs focused on the general use of drugs in this population as well as efforts to help CSWs to acquire educational and professional skills

HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy lead to unfolded protein response activation

Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-19T13:49:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license.txt: 1914 bytes, checksum: 7d48279ffeed55da8dfe2f8e81f3b81f (MD5) pedro_ferreira_etal_IOC_2015.pdf: 1599099 bytes, checksum: 22a61fd30368b25e600124db68072fd0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia. Laboratório de Imunologia Aplicada. Florianópolis, SC, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Pesquisas sobre o Timo. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia de Santa Catarina. Florianópolis, SC, Brasil.Hospital Regional Homero de Miranda Gomes. São José, SC, Brasil.Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas. Departamento de Imunologia. São Paulo, Sp, BrasilBackground: The unfolded protein response (UPR) is one of the pathways triggered to ensure quality control of the proteins assembled in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) when cell homeostasis is compromised. This mechanism is primarily composed of three transmembrane proteins serving as stress sensors: PKR-like ER kinase (PERK), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1). These three proteins’ synergic action elicits translation and transcriptional downstream pathways, leading to less protein production and activating genes that encode important proteins in folding processes, including chaperones. Previous reports showed that viruses have evolved mechanisms to curtail or customize this UPR signaling for their own benefit. However, HIV infection’s effect on the UPR has scarcely been investigated. Methods: This work investigated UPR modulation by HIV infection by assessing UPR-related protein expression under in vitro and in vivo conditions via Western blotting. Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs’ influence on this stress response was also considered. Results: In in vitro and in vivo analyses, our results confirm that HIV infection activates stress-response components and that ARV therapy contributes to changes in the UPR’s activation profile. Conclusions: This is the first report showing UPR-related protein expression in HIV target cells derived directly from HIV-infected patients receiving different ARV therapies. Thus, two mechanisms may occur simultaneously: interference by HIV itself and the ARV drugs’ pharmacological effects as UPR activators. New evidence of how HIV modulates the UPR to enhance its own replication and secure infection success is also presented

The Neuropeptides Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide and Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide Control HIV-1 Infection in Macrophages Through Activation of Protein Kinases A and C

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) are highly similar neuropeptides present in several tissues, endowed with immunoregulatory functions and other systemic effects. We previously reported that both neuropeptides reduce viral production in HIV-1-infected primary macrophages, with the participation of β-chemokines and IL-10, and now we describe molecular mechanisms engaged in this activity. Macrophages exposed to VIP or PACAP before HIV-1 infection showed resistance to viral replication, comparable to that observed when the cells were treated after infection. Also, multiple treatments with a suboptimal dose of VIP or PACAP after macrophage infection resulted in a decline of virus production similar to the inhibition promoted by a single exposure to the optimal inhibitory concentration. Cellular signaling pathways involving cAMP production and activation of protein kinases A and C were critical components of the VIP and PACAP anti-HIV-1 effects. Analysis of the transcription factors and the transcriptional/cell cycle regulators showed that VIP and PACAP induced cAMP response element-binding protein activation, inhibited NF-kB, and reduced Cyclin D1 levels in HIV-1-infected cells. Remarkably, VIP and PACAP promoted G-to-A mutations in the HIV-1 provirus, matching those derived from the activity of the APOBEC family of viral restriction factors, and reduced viral infectivity. In conclusion, our findings strengthen the antiretroviral potential of VIP and PACAP and point to new therapeutic approaches to control the progression of HIV-1 infection

AIDS research in Brazil

Made available in DSpace on 2010-08-23T16:58:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 license.txt: 1841 bytes, checksum: d3d3e367e425edc38f8fe2a68d175909 (MD5) Bastos_AIDS Research in Brazil_2005.pdf: 46976 bytes, checksum: f5f3107c4d9709e92ba9a190879f2f02 (MD5) Bastos_AIDS Research in Brazil_2005.pdf.txt: 11342 bytes, checksum: 729de25e7cf733419d12bf5ed8ce6ebf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005Made available in DSpace on 2010-11-04T14:19:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 Bastos_AIDS Research in Brazil_2005.pdf.txt: 11342 bytes, checksum: 729de25e7cf733419d12bf5ed8ce6ebf (MD5) Bastos_AIDS Research in Brazil_2005.pdf: 46976 bytes, checksum: f5f3107c4d9709e92ba9a190879f2f02 (MD5) license.txt: 1841 bytes, checksum: d3d3e367e425edc38f8fe2a68d175909 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005Brazilian National STI/AIDS Control Program. Brasilia, DF, Brazil.Brazilian National STI/AIDS Control Program. Brasilia, DF, Brazil.Brazilian National STI/AIDS Control Program. Brasilia, DF, Brazil.Miguel Hernandez University. Alicante, Spain.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro Informação Científica e Tecnológica. Departamento de Informações para a Saúde. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilUniversity of São Paulo. São Paulo, SP, Brazil.University of California. San Francisco, CA, USA

The azo dyes Disperse Red 1 and Disperse Orange 1 increase the micronuclei frequencies in human lymphocytes and in HepG2 cells

The use of azo dyes by different industries can cause direct and/or indirect effects oil human and environmental health due to the discharge of industrial effluents that contain these toxic compounds. Several studies have demonstrated the genotoxic effects of various azo dyes, but information on the DNA damage caused by Disperse Red 1 and Disperse Orange 1 is unavailable, although these dyes are used in dyeing processes in many countries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the mutagenic activity of Disperse Red 1 and Disperse Orange 1 using the micronucleus (MN) assay in human lymphocytes and in HepG2 cells. In the lymphocyte assay. it was found that the number of MN induced by the lowest concentration of each dye (0.2 mu g/mL) was similar to that of the negative control. At the other concentrations, a dose response MN formation was observed up to 1.0 mu g/mL. At higher dose levels, the number of MN decreased. For the HepG2 cells the results were similar. With both dyes a dose dependent increase in the frequency of MN was detected. However for the HepG2, the threshold for this increase was 2.0 mu g/mL, while at higher doses a reduction in the MN number was observed. The proliferation index was also calculated in order to evaluate acute toxicity during the test. No differences were detected between the different concentrations tested and the negative control. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas de Ribeirao PretoUniversidade de Sao Paulo (USP)FAPESPCAPE

Cardiovascular and Autonomic Responses after a Single Bout of Resistance Exercise in Men with Untreated Stage 2 Hypertension

The aim of this paper is to assess the integrated responses of ambulatory blood pressure (BP), cardiac autonomic modulation, spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), and vascular reactivity after a single bout of resistance exercise (RE) in men with stage 2 hypertension who have never been treated before. Ten hypertensive men were subjected to a RE session of three sets of 20 repetitions and an intensity of 40% of the 1-repetition maximum (RM) test in seven different exercises. For the control (CTR) session, the volunteers were positioned on the exercise machines but did not perform any exercise. Forearm blood flow was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. We also analyzed the heart rate variability (HRV), ambulatory BP, blood pressure variability (BPV), and BRS. All measurements were performed at different timepoints: baseline, 20 min, 80 min, and 24 h after both RE and CTR sessions. There were no differences in ambulatory BP over the 24 h between the RE and CTR sessions. However, the area under the curve of diastolic BP decreased after the RE session. Heart rate (HR) and cardiac output increased for up to 80 and 20 min after RE, respectively. Similarly, forearm blood flow, conductance, and vascular reactivity increased 20 min after RE (p<0.05). In contrast, HRV and BRS decreased immediately after exercise and remained lower for 20 min after RE. We conclude that a single bout of RE induced an increase in vascular reactivity and reduced the pressure load by attenuating AUC of DBP in hypertensive individuals who had never been treated with antihypertensive medications