Evaluation of the effects of fluoride and associated with lead in animal model and physical-chemical analysis of public supply water and of the Sinos river in the South of Brazil

Fluoride related to caries prevention is at the center of a scientific controversy. Studies show that fluoride causes damage to health and the environment, as well as reducing IQ in children. The fluoridation of drinking water, mandatory in Brazil, has repercussions over the whole society. One of our objectives was to know the concentrations of fluoride (F) and toxic metals of Sinos River, treated water and final consumers of the cities of Campo Bom (CB), Novo Hamburgo (NH) and São Leopoldo (SL), as well as the groundwater from Ivoti, located in southern Brazil. We also evaluated in rats the effects of F and, in association with lead (Pb), on thyroid hormones and the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC). Three groups of rats were exposed to different waters: G1-Control with distilled water (DW); G2-DW with 25ppm (F); G3-DW with 25ppm (F) + 30 ppm (Pb). The Sinos River has an average concentration of 0.0735 mg.L-1 of F. But the F of both the water treated by the ETA of SL as well as in the final consumers of SL had concentrations above 0.9 mg.L-1 (State Ordinance No. 10/1999). In addition, we verified the presence of Pb and Cr (VI) in all types of water. The results with the animals showed a significant difference in T3 (p=0.032) and in T4 (p=0.043) from G3 to G1. In TAC, the difference was significant from G2 to G1 and G3 (p=0.007), showing that F and F with Pb interfere with the endocrine and antioxidant functions of rats. In addition, the fact that there are water fluoridation failures shows that the population is exposed to health risks. We confirm that drinking water fluoridation needs to be demystified and reconsidered as a public health intervention

RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS DE SAÚDE GERADOS POR USUÁRIOS DE INSULINA EM DOMICÍLIO: UMA ANÁLISE DA SEGREGAÇÃO, ACONDICIONAMENTO E DESTINAÇÃO FINAL

Uma dificuldade vivenciada pelos centros urbanos é o gerenciamento adequado dos resíduos sólidos gerados. Os resíduos cujos impactos têm maior alcance requerem atenção especial. Existem resíduos de serviços de saúde (RSS) gerados no ambiente domiciliar por pessoas acometidas de alguns tipos de enfermidades. Um destes casos são os portadores de diabetes melito. Para controlar a doença, os pacientes usam insulina injetável em seus domicílios; e os resíduos produzidos pela insulinoterapia são um grande problema de saúde pública. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar como os usuários de insulina manejam os RSS em seus domicílios no que se refere a sua segregação, seu acondicionamento e sua disposição final. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória descritiva, com abordagem quantitativa. Uma amostra de 42 pacientes selecionados a partir de critérios predeterminados respondeu a um questionário elaborado com base em um estudo acadêmico anterior. A análise dos resultados mostra que 28,5% separam os resíduos em domicílio, enquanto 36% os descartam em lixeira comum, e que a maioria não sabe para onde encaminhar os resíduos e apenas 26% receberam algum tipo de orientação sobre esse manejo. Este estudo conclui que há necessidade de implantação de programas educativos eficientes que possam oferecer orientações corretas aos pacientes insulinodependentes e que tenham o olhar voltado para questões ambientais.Palavras-chave: Descarte; Insulinoterapia; Resíduos dos Serviços de Saúde; Resíduos Sólidos SOLID HEALTH WASTE GENERATED BY HOUSEHOLD INSULIN USERS: AN ANALYSIS OF SEGREGATION, PACKAGING AND FINAL DESTINATIONAbstractOne difficulty experienced by the urban centers is the generation of solid waste and its adequate management. Impact wastes with greater reach require special attention. There are waste from health services (HSW) generated in domestic manner by people that have a disease called Diabetes Mellitus. For the control, injectable insulin is used in their homes, and the production of these residues in their residences is a major public health problem. The aim of the study was to analyze how the handling of HSW is carried out, at the household level of insulin users, with regard for segregation, packaging and final disposal. The research was carried out through data collection with a directed questionnaire. 42 patients responded. It was observed that 28.5% separate the residues at home, while 36% discard the residues in a common trash, most do not know where to send the residues and only 26% received some type of guidance on this management. The need to implement efficient educational programs to address this context was identified.Keywords: Disposal; Insulin Therapy; Health Service Waste; Solid Wast

Role of DNA repair machinery and p53 in the testicular germ cell cancer: a review

Notwithstanding the peculiar sensitivity to cisplatin-based treatment, resulting in a very high percentage of cures even in advanced stages of the disease, still we do not know the biological mechanisms that make Testicular Germ Cell Tumor (TGCT) "unique" in the oncology scene. p53 and MDM2 seem to play a pivotal role, according to several in vitro observations, but no correlation has been found between their mutational or expression status in tissue samples and patients clinical outcome. Furthermore, other players seem to be on stage: DNA Damage Repair Machinery (DDR) , especially Homologous Recombination (HR) proteins, above all Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM), cooperates with p53 in response to DNA damage, activating apoptotic cascade and contributing to cell "fate". Homologous Recombination deficiency has been assumed to be a Germ Cell Tumor characteristic underlying platinum-sensitivity, whereby Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), an enzyme involved in HR DNA repair, is an intriguing target: PARP inhibitors have already entered in clinical practice of other malignancies and trials are recruiting TGCT patients in order to validate their role in this disease. This paper aims to summarize evidence, trying to outline an overview of DDR implications not only in TGCT curability, but also in resistance to chemotherapy

Integrating role of T-antigen, Rb2/p130, CTCF and BORIS in mediating non-canonical endoplasmic reticulum-dependent death pathways triggered by ER-chronic stress in mouse medulloblastoma

Distinct molecular pathways could be constitutively active in mouse T-Antigen positive and T-Antigen negative medulloblastoma cell lines, contributing to their phenotypic differences as well as to cellular responses, cell cycle progression, cell death and survival. The diversity of these responses may be due, at least in part, to distinct activities of Rb2/p130, CTCF and BORIS proteins in response to an altered network of signaling evoked by the T-Ag presence. Here, we provided evidence supporting a role for the T-Antigen in causing chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and aberrant Caspase-12 expression and activation, subsequently driving to both massive cell death, and perhaps selection of cells with a higher malignant phenotype. Furthermore, we observed that the endoplasmic stress, either chronically caused by T-Ag or transiently induced by glucose deprivation, is accompanied by the formation of complexes between the retinoblastoma related protein Rb2/p130 and the chromatin insulator CCCTC-binding factor CTCF, or the CTCF-paralogue BORIS. Our study represents the first evidence supporting a role of the T-Antigen in inducing/maintaining chronic ER-stress, as well as, indicating a role of Rb2/p130, CTCF and BORIS as potential mediators of non-canonical ER-dependent death pathway in mouse medulloblastoma

The Epithelial-Stromal Interaction as a Potential Target for Breast Cancer Treatment

Tumor behavior and outcome are believed to be modified by undifferentiated stromal fibroblasts that surround epithelial cells. An understanding of the biology of these fibroblasts could shed light on the mechanisms underlying tumor growth, invasion and progression, and may suggest new targets for therapy. In breast cancer, interactions between malignant breast epithelial cells and fibroblasts are responsible for estrogen biosynthesis. Preclinical studies showed that breast cancer epithelial cells secrete factors that enhance the expression and activity of the estrogen-synthesizing enzyme aromatase in undifferentiated adipose fibroblasts. Clinicopathological data showing an abundance of stroma cells in breast cancer, and the clinical finding that aromatase inhibitors are effective in breast cancer treatment indicate that stromal cells play a prominent role in the microenvironment of breast cancer tissue. The analysis of the stromal signature could provide information about the molecules involved in the epithelial-stromal interaction and reveal new potential treatment targets in distinct biological processes. This article focuses on breast cancer in terms of: 1) epithelial and stromal cell populations; 2) epithelial-stromal signaling and targeted therapies; and 3) stroma-related molecular signatures as a tool to identify potential candidate molecules for target therapy

Exploring the molecular aspects associated with testicular germ cell tumors: A review

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) represent the most common solid tumors affecting young men. They constitute a distinct entity because of their embryonic origin and their unique biological behavior. Recent preclinical data regarding biological signaling machinery as well as genetic and epigenetic mechanisms associated with molecular patterns of tumors have contribute to explain the pathogenesis and the differentiation of TGCTs and to understand the mechanisms responsible for the development of resistance to treatment. In this review, we discuss the main genetic and epigenetic events associated with TGCTs development in order to better define their role in the pathogenesis of these tumors and in cisplatin-acquired resistance