Hexane Extracts of Calophyllum brasiliense Inhibit the Development of Gastric Preneoplasia in Helicobacter felis Infected INS-Gas Mice

Objectives: Indigenous Latin American populations have used extracts from Calophyllum brasiliense, a native hardwood, to treat gastrointestinal symptoms for generations. The hexane extract of Calophyllum brasiliense stem bark (HECb) protects against ethanol-mediated gastric ulceration in Swiss–Webster mice. We investigated whether HECb inhibits the development of gastric epithelial pathology following Helicobacter felis infection of INS-Gas mice. Materials and Methods: Groups of five male, 6-week-old INS-Gas mice were colonized with H. felis by gavage. From 2 weeks after colonization their drinking water was supplemented with 2% Tween20 (vehicle), low dose HECb (33 mg/L, lHECb) or high dose HECb (133 mg/L, hHECb). Equivalent uninfected groups were studied. Animals were culled 6 weeks after H. felis colonization. Preneoplastic pathology was quantified using established histological criteria. Gastric epithelial cell turnover was quantified by immunohistochemistry for Ki67 and active-caspase 3. Cytokines were quantified using an electrochemiluminescence assay. Results: Vehicle-treated H. felis infected mice exhibited higher gastric atrophy scores than similarly treated uninfected mice (mean atrophy score 5.6 ± 0.87 SEM vs. 2.2 ± 0.58, p < 0.01). The same pattern was observed following lHECb. Following hHECb treatment, H. felis status did not significantly alter atrophy scores. Gastric epithelial apoptosis was not altered by H. felis or HECb administration. Amongst vehicle-treated mice, gastric epithelial cell proliferation was increased 2.8-fold in infected compared to uninfected animals (p < 0.01). Administration of either lHECb or hHECb reduced proliferation in infected mice to levels similar to uninfected mice. A Th17 polarized response to H. felis infection was observed in all infected groups. hHECb attenuated IFN-γ, IL-6, and TNF production following H. felis infection [70% (p < 0.01), 67% (p < 0.01), and 41% (p < 0.05) reduction vs. vehicle, respectively]. Conclusion: HECb modulates gastric epithelial pathology following H. felis infection of INS-Gas mice. Further studies are indicated to confirm the mechanisms underlying these observations

Mechanisms and ecological consequences of plant defence induction and suppression in herbivore communities

Background: Plants are hotbeds for parasites such as arthropod herbivores, which acquire nutrients and energy from their hosts in order to grow and reproduce. Hence plants are selected to evolve resistance, which in turn selects for herbivores that can cope with this resistance. To preserve their fitness when attacked by herbivores, plants can employ complex strategies that include reallocation of resources and the production of defensive metabolites and structures. Plant defences can be either prefabricated or be produced only upon attack. Those that are ready-made are referred to as constitutive defences. Some constitutive defences are operational at any time while others require activation. Defences produced only when herbivores are present are referred to as induced defences. These can be established via de novo biosynthesis of defensive substances or via modifications of prefabricated substances and consequently these are active only when needed. Inducibility of defence may serve to save energy and to prevent self-intoxication but also implies that there is a delay in these defences becoming operational. Induced defences can be characterized by alterations in plant morphology and molecular chemistry and are associated with a decrease in herbivore performance. These alterations are set in motion by signals generated by herbivores. Finally, a subset of induced metabolites are released into the air as volatiles and function as a beacon for foraging natural enemies searching for prey, and this is referred to as induced indirect defence. Scope: The objective of this review is to evaluate (1) which strategies plants have evolved to cope with herbivores and (2) which traits herbivores have evolved that enable them to counter these defences. The primary focus is on the induction and suppression of plant defences and the review outlines how the palette of traits that determine induction/suppression of, and resistance/susceptibility of herbivores to, plant defences can give rise to exploitative competition and facilitation within ecological communities "inhabiting" a plant. Conclusions: Herbivores have evolved diverse strategies, which are not mutually exclusive, to decrease the negative effects of plant defences in order to maximize the conversion of plant material into offspring. Numerous adaptations have been found in herbivores, enabling them to dismantle or bypass defensive barriers, to avoid tissues with relatively high levels of defensive chemicals or to metabolize these chemicals once ingested. In addition, some herbivores interfere with the onset or completion of induced plant defences, resulting in the plant's resistance being partly or fully suppressed. The ability to suppress induced plant defences appears to occur across plant parasites from different kingdoms, including herbivorous arthropods, and there is remarkable diversity in suppression mechanisms. Suppression may strongly affect the structure of the food web, because the ability to suppress the activation of defences of a communal host may facilitate competitors, whereas the ability of a herbivore to cope with activated plant defences will not. Further characterization of the mechanisms and traits that give rise to suppression of plant defences will enable us to determine their role in shaping direct and indirect interactions in food webs and the extent to which these determine the coexistence and persistence of species

Consulta de enfermagem ao cliente transplantado cardíaco: impacto das ações educativas em saúde Consulta de Enfermería al cliente trasplantado cardíaco: impacto de las acciones en salud Appointment with nurses for transplanted heart clients: impact of educative health actions

O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o impacto das ações educativas em saúde, na consulta de Enfermagem com 18 clientes transplantados cardíacos, embasado na Teoria de Orem. Foi realizado em uma Unidade de Transplante e Insuficiência Cardíaca de uma Instituição Pública de Saúde de Fortaleza - Ce. Os dados foram coletados através da consulta de Enfermagem. Identificou-se 14 diagnósticos de enfermagem na primeira consulta e 7 na última. Constatou-se que, os clientes desenvolveram habilidades para o autocuidado, com a implementação das ações educativas em saúde, tornando-os agentes de autocuidado, com o alcance de um bom nível de saúde e bem-estar. Por outro lado, despertou no enfermeiro, um direcionamento sistemático e eficaz no acompanhamento ambulatorial a esta clientela.<br>El estudio tiene como objetivo, evaluar el impacto de las acciones educativas en salud, en la consulta de Enfermería con 18 cliente trasplantados cardíacos, basado en la teoría de Orem. Se realizó en una Unidad de Trasplante e Insuficiencia Cardiaca de una Institución Pública de Fortaleza-Ce. Se colectaron los datos a través de consulta de enfermería. Se identificaron 14 diagnósticos en la primera consulta y 7 en la última. Hubo la constatación de que, los clientes desarrollaron habilidades para el autocuidado, con la implementación de las acciones educativas en salud, volviéndose agentes de autocuidado, con el alcance de un buen nivel de salud y bienestar. Por otro lado, estimuló en el enfermero, una dirección sistemática y eficaz en el acompañamiento ambulatorial a esta clientela.<br>The study was aimed at evaluating the impact of educative health actions on nursing appointments with 18 transplanted heart clients, based on Orem's Theory. It was conducted in a Heart Transplant and Insufficiency Unit of a Public Health Institution in Fortaleza - CE. The data were collected by way of nursing appointments. 14 nursing diagnoses were identified in the first appointment and 7 in the last one. It was found out that the clients developed self-care skills with the implementation of educative health actions, turning them into self-care agents, reaching a good level of health and well-being. On the other hand, it raised nurses' awareness of a systematic and efficacious management of the clinical monitoring of their clientele