Low-Level Laser Therapy Attenuates the Myeloperoxidase Activity and Inflammatory Mediator Generation in Lung Inflammation Induced By Gut Ischemia and Reperfusion: A Dose-Response Study

Introduction: Intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (i-I/R) is an insult associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Herein we evaluate the dose-response effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on lung inflammation induced by i-I/R.Methods: Mice were subjected to mesenteric artery occlusion (45 min) and killed after clamp release and intestinal reperfusion (2h). Increasing doses (1, 3, 5 and 7,5 J/cm2) of laser irradiation (660 nm) was carried out on the mice skin over the upper bronchus for 5 min after initiating reperfusion. Neutrophils activation was determined by myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. The mRNA expression and protein concentration of inflammatory mediators IL-1β, IL-6, TNF and IL-10 in lung were measured by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively.Results: With exception of 1J/cm2, LLLT reduced MPO activity as well as IL-1β levels in the lungs from inflamed mice. LLLT was also markedly effective in reducing both IL-6 and TNF expression and levels in the lungs from mice submitted to i-I/R in all laser doses studied. Otherwise, LLLT significantly increased the protein levels of IL-10 in inflamed mice by i-I/R; however only in the dose of 1J/cm2.Conclusion: We conclude that the LLLT is able to control the neutrophils activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines release into the lungs in a model of i-I/R in mice

Giant extracellular hemoglobin of Glossoscolex paulistus: an extraordinary supramolecular hemoprotein system

Giant extracellular hemoglobins are considered the summit of complexity in systems that carry oxygen, constituting an extraordinary model system to the study of hemoproteins. This class includes the hemoglobin of the annelid Glossoscolex paulistus that presents high cooperativity, great oligomeric and redox stabilities and ability of oligomeric reassociation. These properties have motivated evaluations about its utilization as prototype of artificial blood and biosensor. Kinetic studies involving autoxidation and detailed spectroscopic characterizations of its ferrous and ferric species have propitiated information about the structure-activity relationship of this macromolecule. The present review analyzes several biochemical issues, evaluating the state-of-art of this subject.CNP

Ligand changes in ferric species of the giant extracellular hemoglobin of Glossoscolex paulistus as function of pH: correlations between redox, spectroscopic and oligomeric properties and general implications with different hemoproteins

The present review is focused on the relationship between oligomeric and heme properties of HbGp, emphasizing the characteristics that can be generalized to other hemoproteins. This study represents the state-of-the-art with respect to the approaches for investigating giant extracellular hemoglobins as well as the correlation between oligomeric assembly alterations and their consequent changes in the first coordination sphere. A wide introduction focused on the properties of this hemoglobin is developed. Indeed, this hemoprotein is considered an interesting prototype of blood substitute and biosensor due to its peculiar properties, such as resistance to autoxidation and oligomeric stability. Previous studies by our group employing UV-vis, EPR and CD spectroscopies have been revised in a complete approach, in agreement with recent and relevant data from the literature. In fact, a consistent and inter-related spectroscopic study is described propitiating a wide assignment of "fingerprint" peaks found in the techniques evaluated in this paper. This review furnishes physicochemical information regarding the identification of ferric heme species of hemoproteins and metallic complexes through their spectroscopic bands. This effort at the attribution of UV-vis, EPR and CD peaks is not restricted to HbGp, and includes a comparative analysis of several hemoproteins involving relevant implications regarding several types of iron-porphyrin systems

Modernist Toilette: Degas, Woolf, Lawrence

<p>COPD animals were submitted to therapeutic protocols as described in materials and methods. Further, all animals were euthanized, lungs were obtained and sections were stained by PAS (Periodic Acid Schiff) as described in methods. In A) representative graphs and B) photomicrographs of PAS stained sections. Data representative of two experiments. n = 5–8 animals per group. One-way ANOVA.</p

Candida albicans: genotyping methods and clade related phenotypic characteristics

Several molecular methods, such as Southern blotting hybridization, Multilocus Sequence Typing, and DNA microsatellite analysis, have been employed to genotype Candida albicans. The genotype analysis allows to group strains in clades, that is, a group composed of one ancestor and its descendants. These genotype studies demonstrate that clades distribution is influenced by geographic area as well as that antifungal resistance is associated with particular clades. These findings suggested that C. albicans reproduces mainly in a clonal manner, with certain degree of DNA microevolution. Additionally, virulence factors and site of isolation have also been associated with clade specificity. The present article is a brief review about the methods used for Candida genotyping and the correlated clade systems established. Special emphasis is given to Ca3 hybridization, MLST, and Microsatellites. The present work is also focused on the phenotypic and physiological traits associated with Candida clades.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Suppressive effect of low-level laser therapy on tracheal hyperresponsiveness and lung inflammation in rat subjected to intestinal ischemia and reperfusion

Intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (i-I/R) is an insult associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It is not known if pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators in ARDS induced by i-I/R can be controlled by low-level laser therapy (LLLT). This study was designed to evaluate the effect of LLLT on tracheal cholinergic reactivity dysfunction and the release of inflammatory mediators from the lung after i-I/R. Anesthetized rats were subjected to superior mesenteric artery occlusion (45 min) and killed after clamp release and preestablished periods of intestinal reperfusion (30 min, 2 or 4 h). The LLLT (660 nm, 7.5 J/cm(2)) was carried out by irradiating the rats on the skin over the right upper bronchus for 15 and 30 min after initiating reperfusion and then euthanizing them 30 min, 2, or 4 h later. Lung edema was measured by the Evans blue extravasation technique, and pulmonary neutrophils were determined by myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Pulmonary tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and isoform of NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression were analyzed by real-time PCR. TNF-α, IL-10, and iNOS proteins in the lung were measured by the enzyme-linked immunoassay technique. LLLT (660 nm, 7.5 J/cm(2)) restored the tracheal hyperresponsiveness and hyporesponsiveness in all the periods after intestinal reperfusion. Although LLLT reduced edema and MPO activity, it did not do so in all the postreperfusion periods. It was also observed with the ICAM-1 expression. In addition to reducing both TNF-α and iNOS, LLLT increased IL-10 in the lungs of animals subjected to i-I/R. The results indicate that LLLT can control the lung's inflammatory response and the airway reactivity dysfunction by simultaneously reducing both TNF-α and iNOS.FAPESP (São Paulo State Research Foundation), 2008/08048-4FAPESP (São Paulo State Research Foundation), 2008/08838-