Heating Capacity and Biocompatibility of Hybrid Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia Treatment

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide and has been responsible for millions of deaths. However, developing a satisfactory smart multifunctional material combining different strategies to kill cancer cells poses a challenge. This work aims at filling this gap by developing a composite material for cancer treatment through hyperthermia and drug release. With this purpose, magnetic nanoparticles were coated with a polymer matrix consisting of poly (L-co-D,L lactic acid-co-trimethylene carbonate) and a poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction confirmed magnetite to be the only iron oxide in the sample. Cytotoxicity and heat release assays on the hybrid nanoparticles were performed here for the first time. The heat induction results indicate that these new magnetic hybrid nanoparticles are capable of increasing the temperature by more than 5 °C, the minimal temperature rise required for being effectively used in hyperthermia treatments. The biocompatibility assays conducted under different concentrations, in the presence and in the absence of an external alternating current magnetic field, did not reveal any cytotoxicity. Therefore, the overall results indicate that the investigated hybrid nanoparticles have a great potential to be used as carrier systems for cancer treatment by hyperthermia

Antimicrobial and Synergistic Activity of 2,2′,4-Trihydroxybenzophenone Against Bacterial Pathogens of Poultry

In poultry farming, the spread of bacterial pathogens results in disease outbreaks causing significant economic losses to this industry. Many of these pathogenic bacteria are zoonotic and have a substantial impact on public health. Antimicrobials are essential for the prevention and treatment of these bacterial infections. However, the indiscriminate use of these agents provides favorable conditions for selection, propagation and persistence of bacteria and development of antimicrobial resistance. We developed a new antimicrobial candidate that could be used alone or in synergy with research protocols for therapeutic, prophylactic and growth promoter uses in the poultry industry. The present study aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial activity of the synthetic compound 2,2′,4-trihydroxybenzophenone against pathogenic bacteria that cause important diseases in poultry and public health. We tested the hemolytic effect of this compound, studied its synergistic effect with conventional antimicrobials and analyzed the site of action on the bacteria. The results of our study showed antimicrobial activity of benzophenone against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with a similar effect in ATCC (American type culture collection) and field isolates. This compound was non-hemolytic. 2,2′,4-trihydroxybenzophenone acted on the bacterial cell wall. We identified the synergistic effect between 2,2′,4-trihydroxybenzophenone and bacitracin, this effect indicate that antimicrobial synergism may be useful for the treatment of necrotic enteritis in poultry. This compound may also be used as a growth promoter by reducing the dose of bacitracin and thus decreasing the pressure of bacterial resistance in poultry which would circumvent the development of cross-resistance in humans

IMPACTO DA GASTRECTOMIA NA QUALIDADE DE VIDA DE PACIENTES PORTADORES DE NEOPLASIA MALIGNA DE ESTOMAGO

Objective: this study aimed to understand the impacts of gastrectomy on the quality of life of patients with malignant stomach neoplasia. Methodology: an integrative literature review was carried out based on articles published between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2023, in electronic databases in Portuguese and English and that had a Cross-sectional study design, Case-Control and Cohort. Results: the main impacts on the quality of life of patients with stomach malignancy undergoing gastrectomy were the presence of reflux and/or esophagitis (33.33%), abdominal pain or discomfort (25.00%), weight loss (16 .66%), loss of appetite (16.66%), anxiety (16.66%), vomiting or nausea (16.66%). Furthermore, it was noted that conventional total gastrectomy was the surgical modality that had the worst negative outcomes associated with quality of life (41.66%). Conclusion: it is important to develop strategies aimed at preventing the impacts of gastrectomy, as well as minimizing the impacts already present resulting from this therapeutic modality, in order to provide a better quality of life for this category of patients.  Objetivo: esse estudo objetivou conhecer os impactos da gastrectomia na qualidade de vida de pacientes com neoplasia maligna de estomago. Metodologia: realizou-se uma revisão integrativa da literatura a partir de artigos publicados entre 01 de janeiro de 2018 a 30 de junho de 2023, em bases de dados eletrônicas nos idiomas português e inglês e que possuíssem o desenho de estudo do tipo Corte Transversal, Caso-Controle e Coorte. Resultados: os principais impactos na qualidade de vida dos pacientes com neoplasia maligna de estomago submetidos a gastrectomia foram presença de refluxo e/ou esofagite (33,33%), dor ou desconforto abdominal (25,00%), perda de peso (16,66%), perda de apetite (16,66%), ansiedade (16,66%), vômitos ou náuseas (16,66%).Além disso, notou-se que a gastrectomia total convencional foi a modalidade cirúrgica que teve os piores desfechos negativos associados a qualidade de vida (41,66%). Conclusão: torna-se importante o desenvolvimento de estratégias voltadas para a prevenção dos impactos da gastrectomia, bem como minimizar os impactos já instalados decorrentes dessa modalidade terapêutica, de modo a proporcionar uma melhor qualidade de vida a essa categoria de pacientes

Preparation of magnetoliposomes with a green, low-cost, fast and scalable methodology and activity study against S. aureus and C. freundii bacterial strains.

A novel, fast, low-cost and scalable methodology to prepare stable magnetoliposomes (MGLs), without the use of organic solvents, is described. The concept of the work is based on the dual use of soy lecithin associated to a new liposome preparation methodology. Soy lecithin was used to coat the nanoparticles of magnetite (Fe3 O4 @lecithin) and for encapsulation of Fe3 O4 @lecithin (Lip-Fe3 O4 @lecithin). Liposomes with size less than 160 nm, polydispersity index of 0.25 and zeta potential of -41 mV, were prepared with the use of autoclave and sonication. The liposomal formulations containing magnetite and stigmasterol (Lip-Fe3 O4 @lecithin, Lip-Stigma and Lip-Stigma-Fe3 O4 @lecithin) were shown to be promising for the application as antibacterial. The liposomal formulation and magnetite were characterized by the following techniques: conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM/HRTEM), energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential. The Lip-Fe3 O4 @lecithin had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8.4 ?g mL-1 in the presence of 200 Oe magnetic field against S. aureus