Fluorescence properties of a potential antitumoral benzothieno[3,2-b]pyrrole in solution and lipid membranes

Fluorescence properties of the antitumoral methyl 3-(benzo[b]thien-2-yl)-benzothieno[3,2-b]pyrrole-2-carboxylate (BTP) were studied in solution and in lipid bilayers of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) and egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (Egg-PC). BTP presents good fluorescence quantum yields in all solvents studied (0.20 ≤ ΦF ≤ 0.32) and a bathochromic shift in polar solvents. The results indicate an ICT character of the excited state, with an estimated dipole moment of μe = 7.38 D. Fluorescence (steady-state) anisotropy measurements of BTP incorporated in lipid membranes of DPPC, DOPE and Egg-PC indicate that this compound is deeply located in the lipid bilayer, feeling the difference between the rigid gel phase and fluid phases. BTP inhibits the growth of three human tumour cell lines, MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), SF-268 (glioma) and NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer), being significantly more potent against the NCI-H460 tumour cells.European Communitarian Fund (FEDER)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) – projecto SeARCH (ref. REEQ/443/EEI/2005), bolsa SFRH/BPD/24548/2005, projecto PTDC/QUI/81238/200

Drought response of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) landraces at leaf physiological and metabolite profile levels

Drought threatens the world’s food production, particularly in Sub Saharan Africa low external input and rain fed agricultural systems, where cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is an important food crop. In the context of growing concerns regarding climate changes implications on water availability, this study aimed at 1) to evaluate the drought responses in cowpea landraces with contrasting drought tolerance levels (A55 – high sensitivity; A80 - mild sensitivity; A116 - tolerant), 2) using an integrated physiological (leaf gas exchanges; chlorophyll a fluorescence) and biochemical (photoprotective pigments; RuBisCO activity; primary metabolite profiling) analysis to identify drought tolerance probes, in plants submitted to three water availability levels (well-watered, WW; mild drought, MD; severe drought, SD). A116 plants maintained a better water status under drought, what could justify the higher Pn and Pnmax values in MD, as well as higher photochemical use of energy (reflected in the photochemical quenching (qL) and in the quantum yield of non-cyclic electron transport (Y(II))), and the lower need of photoprotective thermal dissipation mechanisms (given by the non-photochemical quenching (qN), and the quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation at photosystem PSII (Y(NPQ))), in MD and SD plants. Greater declines of net (Pn) and potential (Pnmax) photosynthesis were observed in A55 plants, which frequently showed significant impacts already under MD conditions in most parameters, whereas A80 usually displayed and intermediate behaviour. Still, even A55 showed some acclimation response, regarding photoprotective mechanisms associated with high contents of zeaxanthin, lutein, and carotenes, and high Y(NPQ), and qN values, supporting the absence of an increase in the non-regulated energy dissipation at PSII (Y(NO) did not increased) even in SD plants. Additionally, A55 was not significantly affected in RuBisCO activity, which showed to be quite resilient in cowpea. A primary metabolite profiling, complemented with a partial least square discrimination analysis (PLS-DA), allowed a better separation of A116 and A55 plants according to their degree of drought tolerance. In response to drought, A116 showed the greatest accumulation of most responsive metabolites, 14 in total, with sucrose, fucose, urea, alanine and putrescine being exclusively increased in this genotype, suggesting that they can be candidates as drought tolerance proxies. Other compounds, as proline, valine, isoleucine (among amino acids), and rhamnose and raffinose (among sugars) showed close increase patternsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Synthesis of fluorescent heteroaromatic compounds using dehydroamino acids as building blocks, studies of DNA and biomembranes interactions : evaluation of antiproliferative effects on tumor cell lines

Thanks are due to the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER to financial support through the research centres, the research project POCI/59407/2004 and pos-Doc grants attributed to A.S.Abreu (SFRH/BPD/24548/2005) and to L.V.-S. (SFRH/BPD/29112/2006)

Isolation of microsatellite loci in the Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichlhys pardalis (Castelneau, 1855) (Teleostei: Loricariidae).

Pterygoplichlhys pardalis is an important freshwater ornamental fish in the Amazon Basin. Studies involving populations of P. pardalis are of great importance for the conservation and management of this species. We developed nine microsatellite loci and applied them to investigate the genetic variation of 20 wild individuals from floodplain lakes of the Solimões river. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 12, with an average of 6.6. The observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.400 to 0.923 (average 0.706) and from 0.358 to 0.895 (average 0.692), respectively. The value of f ranged from -0.532 to 0.467 (average 0.032). One locus (Pp07) significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction (P: (5 %)\0.006). No significant linkage disequilibrium was detected. These microsatellite loci will contribute towards studies of genetic diversity and conservation of P. pardalis

Isolation of novel microsatellite markers for tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum, Cuvier 1818), an important freshwater fish of the Amazon.

Colossoma macropomum is an endemic species from Amazon basin. It is widely commercialized as food, becoming one of the main items in Amazonian fisheries. Despite its economic importance, genetic information of small captivity populations is not currently available. The present contribution describes 14 new microsatellite loci used to analyze 30 individuals of C. macropomum. The number of alleles for each locus ranged from 4 to 24. The observed (Ho) and expected (HE) heterozygosity values ranged from 0.318 to 1.000 and 0.729 to 0.949, respectively. Out of 14 polymorphic loci, nine did not deviate from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. These new microsatellite loci will contribute towards the genetic of small artificial populations, as well as pedigree control of fish farms of C. macropomum

Perceptions about being obese from the point of view of patients and health professionals

O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a percepção que profissionais da saúde têm em relação ao paciente obeso e a percepção do paciente obeso sobre si mesmo em uma UBS. Optou-se por um estudo de caráter exploratório e descritivo de corte qualitativo. Empregou-se a técnica de análise de conteúdo. A amostra do estudo constituiu-se de 19 sujeitos. A coleta de dados foi realizada em dois grupos: dos profissionais e dos obesos, utilizando-se a técnica projetiva, por meio da escolha de figuras de recortes de revistas. Para a apresentação e discussão dos resultados, as categorias formuladas a partir das falas dos grupos de profissionais e de obesos foram agrupadas conforme a possibilidade de confronto entre os discursos desses dois grupos. As categorias formadas foram as seguintes: a obesidade relacionada à não aceitação e baixa auto-estima, percepção social do obeso, a força de vontade do obeso para perder peso, o preconceito e a discriminação que envolvem o obeso, o tratamento da obesidade e a obesidade interferindo nas atividades da vida diária. As percepções encontradas nas falas dos profissionais evidenciam o obeso como uma pessoa doente e com uma baixa auto-estima. As percepções dos obesos mostram que o ato de comer é visto como um alívio para as tensões por eles vividas, percebendo-se como diferentes, inconformados com sua aparência física e excluídos socialmente. Por fim, vêem-se como pessoas com dificuldades e limitações em seu dia-a-dia.The aim of the present work is to analyze, in a Health Center, the health professional's perception in relation to the obese patient, and the obese patient's perception about him/herself. This is a qualitative and descriptive study which uses the content analysis technique according to Bardin in a sample of 19 individuals. The data collection was carried out with two groups, health professionals and obese patients, using the projective methods after having them choosing pictures from magazines. For results presentation and discussion, categories were established based on the differences and similarities between the individuals' opinions. The established categories were the following: obesity related to non-acceptance and low self-esteem; social perception of the obese; the obese individuals' will power to lose weight; discrimination and prejudice against the obese; obesity treatment; and how obesity interferes in daily activities. It was concluded that the health professionals see the obese individual as a sick person with low self-esteem. The obese patients' perceptions show that the act of eating is a relief to their tensions. They see themselves as different, they do not accept their body shape and are socially rejected. Finally, they see themselves as people with difficulties and limitations in their daily activities