Menthol and Menthone Associated with Acetylsalicylic Acid and Their Relation to the Hepatic Fibrosis in Schistosoma mansoni Infected Mice

Schistosomiasis is an important parasitic disease caused by Schistosoma mansoni, an intravascular trematode. Schistosomiasis treatment is limited to just one drug, Praziquantel (PZQ). Thus, studies on new antischistosomal compounds are of fundamental importance to disease control. Here we report on the effects of Mentha piperita L. compounds – menthol and menthone – in association with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in the regulation of hepatic fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis granulomas. Six different groups of Swiss rats were infected with 80 cercariae. Two groups received only menthol and menthol treatment at different concentrations (30 and 50 mg/kg); two groups received treatment with the same concentration of menthol and menthol, but associated the ASA. All groups received treatment for 14 consecutive days from the 35 days after the parasitic infection. In addition, three other groups were used: uninfected and untreated group, infected and untreated group and infected group treated with the commercial drug (single dose). Parasitological, cytological and histological analyses were performed. Results showed a significant reduction on the number of eosinophils found in the peritoneal cavity lavage (LPC) in all treated groups and on the number of eosinophils found in the blood of PZQ treated group, in the blood of the group treated with 30 mg/kg of Mentaliv® and in the blood of group treated with 50 mg/kg Mentaliv® + ASA when compared to the infected group. All treated groups presented a reduction in the parasite load, represented by the number of S. mansoni eggs, in the experimental group treated with 30 mg/kg of menthol and menthone a 62.80% reduction was observed and in the experimental group treated with 50 mg/kg of menthol and menthone + ASA a reduction of 64.21% was observed. In the liver histological analysis we observed that all Mentaliv® treated groups expressed a unique cytological profile, with diffused cells through the granuloma. In the experimental group treated with 50 mg/kg of Mentaliv® + ASA it was possible to observe the formation of type III collagen fibers, a typical wound healing characteristic. Our data strongly suggest that both the hepatic fibrosis and the inflammatory process were regulated through the schistosomiasis granulomatous process after treatment with menthol and menthone associated with ASA

Variation in genes coding for AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and breast cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation on Cancer (EPIC)

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensing/signalling intracellular protein which is activated by an increase in the cellular AMP:ATP ratio after ATP depletion. Once activated, AMPK inhibits fatty acid synthesis and the Akt-mTOR pathway, and activates the p53-p21 axis. All these molecular mechanisms are thought to play a key role in breast carcinogenesis. We investigated the genetic variability of four genes encoding AMPK (PRKAA1, PRKAA2, PRKAB1 and PRKAB2). Using a tagging approach and selecting SNPs we covered all the common genetic variation of these genes. We tested association of tagging SNPs in our four candidate genes with breast cancer (BC) risk in a study of 1340 BC cases and 2536 controls nested into the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Given the relevance of AMPK on fatty acid synthesis and the importance of body fatness as a BC risk factor, we tested association of SNPs and body-mass index as well. We observed no statistically significant association between the SNPs in the PRKAs genes and BC risk and BMI after correction for multiple testing

An international perspective on hospitalized patients with viral community-acquired pneumonia

Background: Who should be tested for viruses in patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP), prevalence and risk factors for viral CAP are still debated. We evaluated the frequency of viral testing, virus prevalence, risk factors and treatment coverage with oseltamivir in patients admitted for CAP. Methods: Secondary analysis of GLIMP, an international, multicenter, point-prevalence study of hospitalized adults with CAP. Testing frequency, prevalence of viral CAP and treatment with oseltamivir were assessed among patients who underwent a viral swab. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to evaluate risk factors. Results: 553 (14.9%) patients with CAP underwent nasal swab. Viral CAP was diagnosed in 157 (28.4%) patients. Influenza virus was isolated in 80.9% of cases. Testing frequency and viral CAP prevalence were inhomogeneous across the participating centers. Obesity (OR 1.59, 95%CI: 1.01-2.48; p = 0.043) and need for invasive mechanical ventilation (OR 1.62, 95%CI: 1.02-2.56; p = 0.040) were independently associated with viral CAP. Prevalence of empirical treatment with oseltamivir was 5.1%. Conclusion: In an international scenario, testing frequency for viruses in CAP is very low. The most common cause of viral CAP is Influenza virus. Obesity and need for invasive ventilation represent independent risk factors for viral CAP. Adherence to recommendations for treatment with oseltamivir is poor