Upregulated Expression of Toll-like Receptor 4 in Peripheral Blood of Ischaemic Stroke Patients Correlates with Cyclooxygenase 2 Expression

AbstractObjectivesAn inflammatory process following stroke in human brains and systemic inflammatory responses after stroke in humans have been reported by numerous investigators. The aim of the study was to investigate if genes involved in the cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) pathway are upregulated at peripheral level in patients after transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and stroke.Design of StudyBlood samples were obtained from two groups of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. The first group included 25 patients who presented TIA or ischaemic stroke. The second group included 35 patients who had an asymptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis. Total RNA was isolated and the expression of Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4), COX-2, membrane-associated Prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES-1), Prostaglandin E2 receptors (EP3 and EP4) was analysed by real time RT-PCR.ResultsExpression of COX-2 and TLR4 were significantly increased in symptomatic patients (p<0.001). Correlation analysis showed that TLR4 expression significantly correlated with COX-2 expression (R=0.65; p<0.01) in ischaemic stroke patients. This correlation was not observed in TIA and asymptomatic patients.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the peripheral mechanism of inflammatory injury after stroke may be mediated by TLR4 through a COX-2-dependent pathway

Spectroscopic and Theoretical Studies of Some 3-(4 '-Substituted phenylsulfanyl)-1-methyl-2-piperidones

The analysis of the IR carbonyl bands of some 3-(4 '-substituted phenylsulfanyl)1- methyl-2-piperidones 1-6 bearing substituents: NO2 (compound 1), Br (compound 2), Cl (compound 3), H (compound 4) Me (compound 5) and OMe (compound 6) supported by B3LYP/ 6-31+ G(d, p) and PCM calculations along with NBO analysis (for compound 4) and X-ray diffraction (for 2) indicated the existence of two stable conformations, i.e., axial (ax) and equatorial (eq), the former corresponding to the most stable and the least polar one in the gas phase calculations. the sum of the energy contributions of the orbital interactions (NBO analysis) and the electrostatic interactions correlate well with the populations and the vCO frequencies of the ax and eq conformers found in the gas phase. Unusually, in solution of the non-polar solvents n-C6H14 and CCl4, the more intense higher IR carbonyl frequency can be ascribed to the ax conformer, while the less intense lower IR doublet component to the eq one. the same.CO frequency trend also holds in polar solvents, that is nu(CO(eq)) < nu(CO(ax)). However, a reversal of the ax/eq intensity ratio occurs going from non-polar to polar solvents, with the ax conformer component that progressively decreases with respect to the eq one in CHCl3 and CH2Cl2, and is no longer detectable in the most polar solvent CH3CN. the PCM method applied to compound 4 supports these findings. in fact, it predicts the progressive increase of the eq/ax population ratio as the relative permittivity of the solvent increases. Moreover, it indicates that the computed.CO frequencies of the ax and eq conformers do not change in the non-polar solvents n-C6H14 and CCl4, while the.CO frequencies of the eq conformer become progressively lower than that of the ax one going from CHCl3 to CH2Cl2 and to CH3CN, in agreement with the experimental IR values. the analysis of the geometries of the ax and eq conformers shows that the carbonyl oxygen atom of the eq conformer is free for solvation, while the O-[CO]center dot center dot center dot H[o-Ph] hydrogen bond that takes place in the ax conformer partially hinders the approach of the solvent molecules to the carbonyl oxygen atom. Therefore, the larger solvation that occurs in the carbonyl oxygen atom of the eq conformer is responsible for the observed and calculated decrease of the corresponding frequency. the X-ray single crystal analysis of 2 indicates that this compound adopts the most polar eq geometry in the solid. in fact, in order to obtain the largest energy gain, the molecules are arranged in the crystal in a helical fashion due to dipole moment coupling along with C-H center dot center dot center dot O and C-H center dot center dot center dot pi(Ph) hydrogen bonds.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)MIUR (PRIN)Univ São Paulo, Inst Chem, Conformat Anal & Elect Interact Lab, BR-05513970 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Inst Environm Chem & Pharmaceut Sci, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Chem, BR-13565905 Sao Carlos, SP, BrazilUniv Ferrara, Dept Chem, I-44100 Ferrara, ItalyUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Inst Environm Chem & Pharmaceut Sci, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilCAPES: 808/2009Web of Scienc

(R)-2-Phen­oxy-1-(4-phenyl-2-sulfan­ylidene-1,3-oxazolidin-3-yl)ethanone

The central 1,3-oxazolidine-2-thione ring in the title compound, C17H15NO3S, is approximately planar with maximum deviations of 0.036 (4) and −0.041 (5) Å for the O and methyl­ene-C atoms, respectively. The dihedral angles formed between this plane and the two benzene rings, which lie to the same side of the central plane, are 86.5 (2) [ring-bound benzene] and 50.6 (3)°. The ethan-1-one residue is also twisted out of the central plane, forming a O—C—N—C torsion angle of 151.5 (5)°. The dihedral angle formed by the benzene rings is 62.8 (2)° so that overall, the mol­ecule has a twisted U-shape. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked into supra­molecular arrays two mol­ecules thick in the bc plane through C—H⋯O, C—H⋯S and C—H⋯π inter­actions

Cyclooxygenase 2, toll-like receptor 4 and interleukin 1beta mRNA expression in atherosclerotic plaques of type 2 diabetic patients.

Objectives and design: Inflammation has a prominent role in the development of atherosclerosis. Type 2 diabetes could contribute to atherosclerosis development by promoting inflammation. This status might accelerate changes in intrinsic vascular wall cells and favor plaque formation. Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is highly expressed in atherosclerotic plaques. COX-2 gene expression is promoted through activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1\u3b2 (IL1-\u3b2). Aim of this study is to investigate whether expression profiles of pro-inflammatory genes such as COX-2, TLR4 and IL1-\u3b2 in atherosclerotic plaques are altered in type 2 diabetes (T2D).Methods: Total RNA was isolated from plaques of atherosclerotic patients and expression of COX-2, TLR4, IL1-\u3b2 analyzed using real-time PCR. Histological analysis was performed on sections of the plaque to establish the degree of instability.Results: Statistically significant differences in mRNA expression of COX-2 and IL1-\u3b2 were found in plaques of T2D compared with non-T2D patients. A multi-variable linear regression model suggests that COX-2 mRNA expression is affected by T2D pathology and IL1-\u3b2 mRNA expression in atherosclerotic plaques.Conclusions: Our results support the hypothesis that T2D pathology contributes in vivo to increase the inflammatory process associated with the atherosclerotic plaque formation, as shown by an increment of COX-2 and IL1-\u3b2 mRNA expression

Contribuições do Programa Cemaden Educação Frente aos Desafios da Emergência Climática e na Prevenção de Riscos de Desastres

Humanity has a short window of time to act in order to avoid or minimize the coming and irreversible consequences of climate change. And among the predicted scenarios, there will be an increase in extreme climate events, which will increase disasters. In this context, this article highlights the need to promote concrete actions to face the climate emergency through synergies between the fields of Environmental Education (EA, in Portuguese) and Disaster Risk Reduction Education (ERRD, in Portuguese). In this sense, the Cemaden Education Program (Cemaden//MCTI), which has involved a multidisciplinary team of researchers since 2014, has emerged as a catalyst for ERRD in Brazil based on transdisciplinary and intersectoral approaches that include the potential of participatory citizen science, information and communication technologies and social mobilization with innovative methodologies in formal and non-formal education. It involves building participatory processes aimed at promoting a culture of sustainability, resilience and protection of life.A humanidade dispõe de uma pequena janela de tempo para agir a fim de evitar ou minimizar diante das consequências vindouras e irreversíveis das mudanças climáticas. E dentre os cenários previstos haverá um aumento dos eventos climáticos extremos que potencializam os desastres. Nesse contexto, este artigo destaca a necessidade de promover ações concretas para enfrentar a emergência climática por meio de sinergias entre os campos da Educação Ambiental (EA) e da Educação em Redução de Riscos de Desastres (ERRD). Nesse sentido, o Programa Cemaden Educação (Cemaden//MCTI) envolve equipe multidisciplinar de pesquisadores(as), desde 2014, e emerge como agente catalisador da ERRD no Brasil a partir de abordagens transdisciplinares e intersetoriais que envolvem o potencial da ciência cidadã participativa, tecnologias da informação e comunicação e mobilização social com metodologias inovadoras em educação formal e não formal. Trata-se da construção de processos participativos que visam fomentar uma cultura de sustentabilidade, resiliência e proteção da vida

Impact on Prehospital Delay of a Stroke Preparedness Campaign: A SW-RCT (Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial)

Background and Purpose—Public campaigns to increase stroke preparedness have been tested in different contexts, showing contradictory results. We evaluated the effectiveness of a stroke campaign, designed specifically for the Italian population in reducing prehospital delay. Methods—According to an SW-RCT (Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial) design, the campaign was launched in 4 provinces in the northern part of the region Emilia Romagna at 3-month intervals in randomized sequence. The units of analysis were the patients admitted to hospital, with stroke and transient ischemic attack, over a time period of 15 months, beginning 3 months before the intervention was launched in the first province to allow for baseline data collection. The proportion of early arrivals (within 2 hours of symptom onset) was the primary outcome. Thrombolysis rate and some behavioral end points were the secondary outcomes. Data were analyzed using a fixed-effect model, adjusting for cluster and time trends. Results—We enrolled 1622 patients, 912 exposed and 710 nonexposed to the campaign. The proportion of early access was nonsignificantly lower in exposed patients (354 [38.8%] versus 315 [44.4%]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–1.08; P=0.15). As for secondary end points, an increase was found for stroke recognition, which approximated but did not reach statistical significance (P=0.07). Conclusions—Our campaign was not effective in reducing prehospital delay. Even if some limitations of the intervention, mainly in terms of duration, are taken into account, our study demonstrates that new communication strategies should be tested before large-scale implementation. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01881152

Internal carotid artery thrombosis and its evolution documented by computed tomography angiography.

A case of a 79-year-old man, affected by persistent right eye blindness after multiple episodes of transient left hemiparesis and right eye amaurosis. Brain computed tomography (Angio CT) well documented right internal carotid artery (ICA) plaque with a 8-mm thrombus extending from ICA origin to the ophthalmic artery, in progressive lysis in the next days

Rischio cardiovascolare e giudizio di idoneità: riflessioni su un caso clinico.

Le malattie cardiovascolari sono al primo posto come causa di morte nei paesi industrializzati ed è stato evidenziato come anche le condizioni occupazionali contribuiscano alla loro eziopatogenesi. È noto che alcuni rischi lavorativi caratteristici dell’attività di assistenza possono costituire un elemento critico per gli operatori che hanno subito eventi cardiaci acuti. Tra le probabili criticità sono individuati il lavoro a turni, con un aumento del 30-40% del rischio di malattia coronarica nei turnisti rispetto ai giornalieri, le attività comportanti dispendio energetico rilevante, quale la movimentazione manuale di pazienti, e il rischio di traumi

Posture e movimenti ripetitivi nell’esecuzione del tampone molecolare oro e rinofaringeo: esiste un rischio?

Dall’inizio della pandemia di SARSCoV- 2 sono stati eseguiti circa 201 milioni di tamponi in Italia, di cui 27 milioni in Veneto. I tamponi su campione G Ital Med Lav Erg 2022; 44:2 315 rino e orofaringeo in era pre-COVID erano effettuati molto sporadicamente in settori specifici; successivamente l’esecuzione di tamponi è divenuta quotidiana e con elevato carico di utenza. Tale attività, non considerata in passato comportante sovraccarico biomeccanico, in ambiente ospedaliero vede impiegati prevalentemente operatori sanitari spesso provenienti da reparti con giudizi d’idoneità con limitazioni conseguenti a patologie dell’apparato muscolo-scheletrico, età superiore ai 50 anni, elevata anzianità lavorativa, e quindi potenzialmente ipersuscettibili all’eventuale esposizione a sovraccarico biomeccanic