Avaliação da atividade anti-rábica in vitro de compostos fenólicos sintéticos

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia.A raiva humana é uma doença de etiologia viral com grande impacto na saúde pública, principalmente por seu curso fatal, na grande maioria dos casos. Apesar da difundida e estabelecida profilaxia através da vacinação, acredita-se que a raiva seja responsável por aproximadamente 40.000 a 70.000 mortes por ano, especialmente em áreas endêmicas. Atualmente, não há disponibilidade de qualquer fármaco antiviral com ação específica contra o vírus rábico. Em combinação com a profilaxia, um fármaco antiviral poderia ser usado para o tratamento da raiva humana e aumentar a proteção contra a encefalite causada pelo vírus. Os compostos fenólicos (CF) são derivados do metabolismo vegetal secundário, podendo ser obtidos através de síntese. Muitos estudos demonstraram que os CF possuem inúmeras atividades farmacológicas, incluindo ações vasodilatadora, antialérgica, antiinflamatória, antiviral, entre outras. Neste trabalho, a potencial atividade anti-rábica in vitro de 24 CF foi avaliada utilizando-se células McCoy e a cepa PV do vírus rábico. A citotoxicidade (CC50) foi determinada pelo ensaio colorimétrico do MTT e a atividade anti-rábica (CE50) foi estimada através da técnica de inibição do efeito citopático viral. Isoprinosina e quetamina foram utilizadas como controles positivos. A padronização do ensaio do MTT para avaliação da atividade anti-rábica também foi realizada, mas os resultados mostraram que este ensaio é inadequado para tal avaliação. Os compostos testados apresentaram índices de seletividade (IS= CC50/CE50) que variaram de 1,0 a 3,9. Seis CF não inibiram o efeito citopático viral em qualquer grau, em concentrações = a seus valores de CC50. Quatro CF apresentaram valores de IS > 3,0. Através dos resultados obtidos, foram sugeridas algumas possíves relações estrutura-atividade. Observou-se que a presença de hidroxilas livres e de grupamentos éteres influenciou a atividade anti-rábica. Contudo, estudos adicionais são necessários para o estabelecimento dessa relação

Wing geometric morphometrics of workers and drones and single nucleotide polymorphisms provide similar genetic structure in the Iberian honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis)

Wing geometric morphometrics has been applied to honey bees (Apis mellifera) in identification of evolutionary lineages or subspecies and, to a lesser extent, in assessing genetic structure within subspecies. Due to bias in the production of sterile females (workers) in a colony, most studies have used workers leaving the males (drones) as a neglected group. However, considering their importance as reproductive individuals, the use of drones should be incorporated in these analyses in order to better understand diversity patterns and underlying evolutionary processes. Here, we assessed the usefulness of drone wings, as well as the power of wing geometric morphometrics, in capturing the signature of complex evolutionary processes by examining wing shape data, integrated with geographical information, from 711 colonies sampled across the entire distributional range of Apis mellifera iberiensis in Iberia. We compared the genetic patterns reconstructed fromspatially-explicit shape variation extracted fromwings of both sexes with that previously reported using 383 genome-wide SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Our results indicate that the spatial structure retrieved from wings of drones and workers was similar (r = 0.93) and congruent with that inferred from SNPs (r = 0.90 for drones; r = 0.87 for workers), corroborating the clinal pattern that has been described for A. m. iberiensis using other genetic markers. In addition to showing that drone wings carry valuable genetic information, this study highlights the capability of wing geometric morphometrics in capturing complex genetic patterns, o ering a reliable and low-cost alternative for preliminary estimation of population structure.This research was funded by the program COMPETE 2020—POCI (Programa Operacional para a Competividade e Internacionalização) and by Portuguese funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) in the framework of the project BeeHappy (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029871). FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) provided funds for TMF (2011/07857-9) and JSGT (2011/02434-2).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Does geometric morphometrics provide congruent results with SNP data? The case of Iberian honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis)

While molecular markers are usually preferred to infer population structure, geometric morphometrics is a cheap method that has been widely applied to the wings of female honey bees to identify subspecies or lineages and can be used alternatively or complementarily to molecular markers. However, the power of geometric morphometrics to capture the signature of complex evolutionary processes has not been tested in honey bees. In this study, we applied geometric morphometrics, combined with geographical information, to the right forewings of female individuals from 711 colonies distributed along the Iberian Peninsula, which contains a complex population structure. The results were further compared with those obtained using 383 SNPs. Our data showed that geometric morphometrics provided a similar spatial structure of SNPs data (r=0.90). Our findings reinforce the power of spatially explicit wing geometric morphometrics data to capture the signature of complex evolutionary processes. Thus, this method could be used as a low-cost alternative for preliminary estimation of population structure.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An Experimental Model of Meningoencephalomyelitis by Rocio Flavivirus in Balb/C Mice: Inflammatory Response, Cytokine Production, and Histopathology

Rocio virus (ROCV) is a flavivirus, probably transmitted by Culex mosquitoes and maintained in nature as a zoonosis of wild birds. Rocio virus caused a human epidemic of severe encephalitis that lasted from 1973 to 1980 in the Ribeira valley, in the southeastern coast of Brazil. After this outbreak, serologic evidence of ROCV circulation has been reported and public health authorities are concerned about a return of ROCV outbreaks in Brazil. We show here a study on the pathogenesis and the physiopathology of ROCV disease in the central nervous system of a Balb/C young adult mice experimental model. The animals were intraperitoneally infected by ROCV and followed from 0 to 9 days after infection, when all of them died. Nervous tissue samples were collected from infected animals for immunohistochemistry and molecular biology analysis. We observed the virus in the central nervous system, the inflammatory changes induced by Th1 and Th2 cytokines, and the final irreversible damage of nervous tissues by neuronal degeneration and apoptosis. These findings can help to better understand the pathogenesis and physiopathology of the human meningoencephalomyelitis by ROCV and other flaviviruses

Panorama da hepatite B no Brasil e no Estado de Santa Catarina

OBJETIVO: Traçar um panorama da infecção por hepatite B no Brasil, na Região Sul e no Estado de Santa Catarina para o período de 1996 a 2002, considerando aspectos epidemiológicos como faixa etária. FONTE DOS DADOS:Os dados foram obtidos a partir de levantamento bibliográfico e consulta à Secretaria de Vigilância Epidemiológica do Estado de Santa Catarina e à Fundação Nacional de Saúde (FUNASA). RESULTADOS: No Brasil, de 1996 a 2000, a hepatite B foi o segundo tipo de hepatite viral mais prevalente (25%), tendo sido a hepatite A líder em casos (43%). Em Santa Catarina houve predomínio de hepatite B em relação às outras hepatites de 1997 a 2001. O sexo mais atingido pela hepatite B foi o masculino e a maior incidência de hepatite B foi observada na faixa etária dos 20 aos 49 anos para Santa Catarina e acima dos 30 anos para o Brasil. O Sul foi a região brasileira que apresentou a maior incidência de hepatite B no período de 1997 a 1999. Em Santa Catarina, o maior número de casos entre 1996 e 2002 ocorreu na macrorregião sul, seguida das macrorregiões nordeste e extremo oeste. CONCLUSÕES: Ainda é crescente o número de casos de hepatite B no Brasil e deve-se considerar que a subnotificação pode afetar os números apresentados. Em todo o Brasil, a vacinação deve ser estendida a adolescentes em regiões de prevalência moderada a alt

Production and diagnostic application of recombinant domain III of West Nile envelope protein in Brazil

INTRODUCTION: West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus with a natural cycle involving mosquitoes and birds. Over the last 11 years, WNV has spread throughout the Americas with the imminent risk of its introduction in Brazil. METHODS: Envelope protein domain III of WNV (rDIII) was bacterially expressed and purified. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with WNV rDIII antigen was standardized against mouse immune fluids (MIAFs) of different flavivirus. RESULTS: WNV rDIII reacted strongly with St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) MIAF but not with other flaviviruses. CONCLUSIONS: This antigen may be a potentially useful tool for serologic diagnosis and may contribute in future epidemiological surveillance of WNV infections in Brazil

Species distribution and antifungal susceptibility to vulvovaginal Candida

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a prevalent opportunistic mucosal infection, caused predominantly by Candida albicans. Candida species vary in their susceptibility to the antifungal agents, thus, the susceptibility tests have clinical significance in determining the appropriate therapeutic choice. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of vulvovaginal yeasts and the susceptibility pattern to azoles antifungal isolated in southern Mato Grosso State, Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical samples from 166 patients were obtained regardless signs and symptoms of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Vaginal swabs were collected, seeded onto plates containing Sabouraud Dextrose agar and incubated at 35ºC, for five days. A pool of colonies that grown on each plate was subcultured in CHROMagar Candida medium. On the basis of a pure culture, the yeasts were identified using traditional phenotypic identification methods. Susceptibility tests for antifungal fluconazole and ketoconazole were performed using the broth microdilution method according to the reference protocol M27A3 of the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). RESULTS: The frequency of Candida spp. in the study population was 30%, of which 28% were in the group of asymptomatic women and 35% among symptomatic. Among the isolated strains were C. albicans (50%), C. glabrata (33%) and C. tropicalis (17%). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for fluconazole ranged from 0.5 μg/ml to 16 μg/ml and for ketoconazole from 0.03 μg/ml to 4 μg/ml. The resistance rates were 1.7% for fluconazole and 3.4% for ketoconazole. CONCLUSION: C. albicans was the predominant species. We observed a high susceptibility of Candida spp. to fluconazole and ketoconazole antifungal