Acceptability Of An Alimentary Supplement Of Whey-protein Concentrate And Tgf- β In Patients With Crohn's Disease.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of an alimentary supplement of bovine whey-protein concentrate (WPC) and TGF- β , unavailable commercially, by patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and determine the chemical composition, solubility, and total amino acids content. The supplement was diluted in water, and an acceptance test was done to evaluate the aroma, flavour, and viscosity of the product using facial hedonic scale (nine-point scale), applied on 54 CD patients. The supplement composition indicated 73.3% protein, 10.5% fat, 2.2% ash, 6.3% water, and 7.7% carbohydrate. The supplement is presented as a good protein source and high content of essential amino acids. The average acceptance for all the attributes was between 5.0 and 6.0, and the flavour was mainly associated with soybean/grain, sour milk, and sweet/vanilla flavour. The results indicated that the supplement provided important nutritional properties for CD patients; however, for a large number of individuals to be encouraged to perform supplementation, it is essential to improve the sensory quality of the product. In order to do so, additional research is necessary to prevent the formation of volatiles which cause off-flavours or to mask undesirable aromas/flavours found in it.201394786

American College of Rheumatology Provisional Criteria for Clinically Relevant Improvement in Children and Adolescents With Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

10.1002/acr.23834ARTHRITIS CARE & RESEARCH715579-59

Differential expression of proteins in genetically distinct Trypanosoma cruzi samples (TcI and TcII DTUs) isolated from chronic Chagas disease cardiac patients

Abstract Background Trypanosoma cruzi, a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite and the etiological agent of Chagas disease (CD), exhibits great genetic and biological diversity. Infected individuals may present clinical manifestations with different levels of severity. Several hypotheses have been proposed to attempt to correlate the diversity of clinical signs and symptoms to the genetic variability of T. cruzi. This work aimed to investigate the differential expression of proteins from two distinct genetic groups of T. cruzi (discrete typing units TcI and TcII), isolated from chronically infected individuals displaying the cardiac form of CD. For this purpose, epimastigote forms of the two isolates were cultured in vitro and the cells recovered for protein extraction. Comparative two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoreses were performed and differentially expressed spots selected for identification by mass spectrometry, followed by database searching and protein categorization. Results The 2D electrophoretic profiles revealed the complex composition of the T. cruzi extracted proteome. Protein spots were distributed along the entire pH and molecular mass ranges attesting for the integrity of the protein preparations. In total, 46 differentially expressed proteins were identified present in 40 distinct spots found in the comparative gel analyses. Of these, 16 displayed upregulation in the gel from TcI-typed parasites and 24 appeared overexpressed in the gel from TcII-typed parasites. Functional characterization of differentially expressed proteins revealed major alterations associated with stress response, lipid and amino acid metabolism in parasites of the TcII isolate, whilst those proteins upregulated in the TcI sample were primarily linked to central metabolic pathways. Conclusions The comparative 2D-gel electrophoresis allowed detection of major differences in protein expression between two T. cruzi isolates, belonging to the TcI and TcII genotypes. Our findings suggest that patients displaying the cardiac form of the disease harbor parasites capable of exhibiting distinct proteomic profiles. This should be of relevance to disease prognosis and treatment

Oxidative treatments for atenolol removal in water : elucidation by mass spectrometry and toxicity evaluation of degradation products.

Rationale The presence of pharmaceuticals in water is a worldwide concern due to potential damage to human and environmental health. For example, compounds such as the ??blocker atenolol (ATE), widely used for the treatment of cardiac disease, are detected in drinking water since conventional water treatment plants are not designed to remove them. Thus, the evaluation of ATE removal at different water oxidative treatment processes, identification of its degradation products and evaluation of their toxicity is necessary. Methods Aqueous solutions of ATE (10?mg/L) were submitted to oxidative treatments of chlorination ([NaClO]?=?10?mg/L), ozonation ([O3]?=?8?mg/L), photocatalysis ([TiO2]?=?120?mg/L and UV?C light) and photolysis (UV?C light). The removal of ATE and formation of degradation products (DPs) were monitored by mass spectrometry. To assess acute cytotoxicity, DPs were submitted to colorimetric MTT assay using HepG2 cells. The Ecological Structure Activity Relationships (ECOSAR) software was applied to estimate the acute and chronic toxicity of identified DPs at different trophic levels. Results Photocatalysis was the treatment that demonstrated greater efficiency, removing 94% of the initial ATE. For the four tested treatments, 12 DPs were confirmed after 30?min. Moreover, some of the identified DPs were unpublished in the literature. Through high?resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), it was possible to elucidate the structure of the DPs. Solutions of DPs were not considered to be toxic to HepG2 cells. Only the DP with a molecular formula of C13H19NO3 (m/z 238.1438) could be considered detrimental to daphnid and green algae. Conclusions Low rates of organic matter removal and high rates of ATE degradation were obtained in the applied treatments after 30?min. Although the treated solutions were not toxic to HepG2 cells, one of the degradation products can be considered an environmental concern since it presents chronic toxicity to daphnid and green algae

Bowman-Birk inhibitors, proteasome peptidase activities and colorectal pre neoplasias induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in Swiss mice.

Bowman-Birk inhibitors (BBIs) are protein molecules containing two inhibitory domains for enzymes similar to trypsin and chymotrypsin. Interest in these inhibitors arose from their properties against the cancer chemically induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). In this study the effect of two BBI preparations (from Glycine max and Macrotyloma axillare) were evaluated for the prevention of colorectal neoplasia induced by intraperitoneal injections of DMH, given at a dose of 30 mg/kg, during 12 weeks. Mice treated with DMH presented histopathological alterations consistent with tumor development, augmented CD44 expression and increased proteasome peptidase activities. Lysosomal fractions, obtained from the intestines, were chromatographed in a Sepharose-BBI column and increased activity for trypsin and chymotrypsin-like proteases recovered from DMH-treated animals. In parallel, mice treated for eight weeks with BBIs showed a decrease in the chymotrypsin and trypsin-like proteasome activities compared to animals fed on normal diet. For the groups receiving simultaneous treatment with DMH and BBIs, dysplasic lesions were not observed and proteasome peptidase activities were similar to the control group after the 24th week. These results suggest that the mechanism by which BBIs could prevent the appearance of pre neoplastic lesions is associated with inhibition of both the lysosomal and proteasome- dependent proteolytic pathways

DBT- and DBTO₂‑Induced Dysplasia and Their Associated Proteomic Alterations in the Small Intestines of Wistar Rats

Dibenzothiophene (DBT) and its oxidized derivative dibenzothiophene sulfone (DBTO₂) are important representatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Due to the importance of PAHs in oncogenesis and the lack of toxicological investigations related to DBT and DBTO₂, this work proposes to assess their toxic and molecular effects caused by chronic treatment of Wistar rats. In parallel, their effects were compared to those caused by treatment with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), a classic mutagenic agent. At the 14th day post-treatment, the animals were sacrificed and blood withdrawn for hematology and evaluation of liver and pancreatic functions. No significant alterations were observed. Nevertheless, histopathological analyses revealed dysplastic lesions in the intestines of animals treated with DBT and DBTO₂. CD44 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) staining demonstrated an approximately 3-fold increase in expression of both tissue markers for animals administered DBT, DBTO₂, and DMH. A comparative two-dimensional gel analysis revealed additional 23 proteins exhibiting altered levels in the small intestines caused by exposure to DBT and DBTO₂. At last, a protein–metabolite interaction map provided major insights into the metabolism of the dysplastic tissues. Our results provided strong evidence that DBT and its derivative could potentially act as cancer inducers, highlighting their toxicological and environmental relevance

EDUCAÇÃO, NEOCONSERVADORISMO E BARBÁRIE EM TEMPOS DE CRISE DO CAPITAL

The objective of this text is to present theoretical and political elements that contribute to the understanding of the process of political rise, in Brazil, of forces called neoconservatives and their expression in the educational debate. Our central concern is how the negation of science, the questioning of state education, secular and public education, the censorship and interdiction of the debate on issues of gender, identity and race, the culture of hatred and the destruction of public funding for education. The answer is not simple and we understand that it is a process to be built collectively. Initially, we present elements of neoconservative political thought, of North American origin, the theses it defends, the enemies it defines and the defense it makes of capitalist relations. Next, we show how this process gains political expression in contemporary Brazil, in movements generically called neoconservatives, the new right and the extreme right, specifically the face it takes onin the context of Bolsonarism. Finally, we recover important aspects for the understanding of how the capital in action and its crises, constitute a means of expression of wild and barbaric political and social forms.O objetivo deste texto é apresentar elementos teórico-políticos que contribuam para a compreensão do processo de ascensão política, no Brasil, de forças denominadas neoconservadoras e sua expressão no debate educacional. Nossa preocupação central é como o negacionismo da ciência, o questionamento da educação estatal, laica e pública, a censura e interdição do debate sobre questões de gênero, identidade e raça, a cultura do ódio e a destruição do financiamento público da educação.  A resposta não é simples e entendemos ser  um processo a construir coletivamente. Apresentamos, inicialmente, elementos do pensamento político neoconservador, de origem norte-americana, as teses que defende, os inimigos que define e a defesa que faz das relações capitalistas. Na sequência, mostramos como esse processo ganha expressão política no Brasil contemporâneo, em movimentos genericamente denominados de neoconservadores, da nova direita e da extrema direita, especificamente a face que assume no contexto do bolsonarismo. Por fim, recuperamos aspectos importantes para a compreensão de como o capital em ação e suas crises, constituem um meio de expressão de formas políticas e sociais selvagens e bárbaras.El propósito de este texto es presentar elementos teóricos y políticos que contribuyan a la comprensión del proceso de ascenso político, en Brasil, de las fuerzas llamadas neoconservadores y su expresiónen el debate educativo. Nuestra preocupación central es cómo la negación de la ciencia, el cuestionamientode la educación estatal, secular y pública, la censura e interdicción del debate sobre cuestiones de género,identidad y raza, la cultura del odio y la destrucción de los fondos públicos para la educación. La respuesta no es simple y entendemos que es un proceso que se construye colectivamente. Inicialmente, presentamos elementos del pensamiento político neoconservador, de origen norteamericano, las tesis que defiende, losenemigos que define y la defensa que hace de las relaciones capitalistas. A continuación, mostramos cómo este proceso adquiere expresión política en el Brasil contemporáneo, en movimientos genéricamente llamados neoconservadores, la nueva derecha y la extrema derecha, específicamente la cara que adquiere en el contexto del bolsonarismo. Finalmente, recuperamos aspectos importantes para comprender cómo el capital en acción y sus crisis son un medio para expresar formas políticas y sociales salvajes y bárbara