Introduction of the anti-apoptotic baculovirus p35 gene in passion fruit induces herbicide tolerance, reduced bacterial lesions, but does not inhibits passion fruit woodiness disease progress induced by cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV

The introduction of anti-apoptotic genes into plants leads to resistance to environmental stress and broad-spectrum disease resistance. The anti-apoptotic gene (p35) from a baculovirus was introduced into the genome of passion fruit plants by biobalistics. Eleven regenerated plants showed the presence of the p35 gene by PCR and/or dot blot hybridization. Transcriptional analysis of regenerated plants showed the presence of specific p35 transcripts in 9 of them. Regenerated plants containing the p35 gene were inoculated with the cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV), the bacterium Xanthomonas axonopodis pv passiflorae, and the herbicide, glufosinate, (Syngenta). None of the plants showed resistance to CABMV. Regenerated plants (p35+) showed less than half of local lesions showed by non-transgenic plants when inoculated with X. axonopodis and some p35+ plants showed increased tolerance to the glufosinate herbicide when compared to non-transgenic plant

Protective effect of guarana-loaded liposomes on hemolytic activity

Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis (Mart.) Ducke, popularly known as guarana, is one of the most promising plants in Brazilian flora and has attracted considerable interest from the scientific community owing to its numerous therapeutic activities and less side effects. Hence, using nanotechnology is a viable alternative to primarily improve the physicochemical characteristics and bioavailability of guarana. The objective of the present study was to develop, characterize, and evaluate the stability of liposomes containing guarana powder and to evaluate their antioxidant and hemolytic activity in vitro. Three different concentrations of guarana powder and two methods of liposome preparation were tested. Liposomes were developed and characterized, and their stability was analyzed by evaluating physicochemical parameters. Hemolytic activity of guarana liposomal formulation (G-Lip) was compared with that of guarana in its free form (FG) and of liposome without guarana (W-Lip). Red blood cells from rats were exposed to these different formulations dissolved in phosphate buffer solution (PBS; pH 7.4). The best stability was achieved for the formulation containing 1 mg.mL−1 guarana powder produced by the reverse phase evaporation method. FG showed dose-dependent antioxidant activity, which was maintained in G-Lip. W-Lip showed high hemolytic activity in PBS at pH 7.4 possibly because of the presence of polysorbate 80, and on addition of guarana to these structures, the hemolytic process was reversed. The same protective effect was observed for FG. It is believed that the complex structure of guarana, primarily the presence of polyphenols, exerts a powerful antioxidant action, helping to protect erythrocytes

Association Between Ventilation Index And Time On Mechanical Ventilation In Infants With Acute Viral Bronchiolitis

Objective: To evaluate the association between time on mechanical ventilation and anthropometric, clinical and pulmonary function variables, measured early, in infants on invasive mechanical ventilation with acute respiratory failure due to viral bronchiolitis, and the temporal progression of variables with significant correlations. Methods: Twenty-nine infants admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of UNICAMP university hospital were studied. Acute viral bronchiolitis was defined according to clinical and radiological criteria. Children with chronic diseases and those that were hemodynamically unstable were excluded. All measurements were taken after 24 to 72 hours' mechanical ventilation, using volumetric capnography and blood gas analysis. Mechanical ventilation time was divided into: ≤ 7 days and > 7 days. Association between time on mechanical ventilation and the variables analyzed was determined by Spearman's Correlation Coefficient (r s). Results: Time on mechanical ventilation showed a significant positive correlation with PaCO 2 (r s = 0.45, p = 0.01) and ventilation index (r s = 0.51, p = 0.005), and a negative correlation with pH (r s = -0.40, p = 0.03). Ventilation indices of 37, measured between day one and day five, was associated with a progressively increased risk of more than 7 days on mechanical ventilation (OR = 4.2 on the first day to 15.71 on the fourth day). Conclusions: Ventilation index, PaCO 2 and pH, measured early, were associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, reflecting the severity of ventilatory disturbance and the need for support. Copyright © 2005 by Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria.816466470Shay, D.K., Holman, R.C., Newman, R.D., Liu, L.L., Stout, J.W., Anderson, L.J., Bronchiolitis-associated hospitalizations among US children, 1980-1996 (1999) JAMA, 282, pp. 1440-1446Torres, A., Gatell, J.M., Aznar, E., El-Ebiary, M., Puig De La Bellacasa, J., Gonzalez, J., Re-intubation increases the risk for nosocomial pneumonia in patients needing mechanical ventilation (1995) Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 152, pp. 137-141Esteban, A., Alia, I., Gordo, F., Fernandez, R., Solsona, J.F., Vallverdu, I., Extubation outcome after spontaneous breathing trials with T-tube or pressure support ventilation (1997) Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 156, pp. 459-465. , The Spanish Lung Failure Collaborative GroupBont, L., Kavelaars, A., Heijnen, C.J., Van Vught, A.J., Kimpen, J.L., Monocyte interleukin-12 production is inversely related to duration of respiratory failure in respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis (2000) J Infect Dis, 181, pp. 1772-1775Tasker, R.C., Gordon, I., Kiff, K., Time course of severe respiratory syncytial virus infection in mechanically ventilated infants (2000) Acta Paediatr, 89, pp. 938-941Arnold, J.H., Thompson, J.E., Arnold, L.W., Single breath CO 2 analysis: Description and validation of a method (1996) Crit Care Med, 24, pp. 96-102Riou, Y., Leclerc, F., Neve, V., Dupuy, L., Noizet, O., Leteurtre, S., Reproducibility of the respiratory dead space measurements in mechanically ventilated children using the CO 2SMO monitor (2004) Intensive Care Med, 30, pp. 1461-1467Hubble, C.L., Gentile, M.A., Tripp, D.S., Craig, D.M., Meliones, J.N., Cheifetz, I.M., Deadspace to tidal volume ratio predicts successful extubation in infants and children (2000) Crit Care Med, 28, pp. 2034-2040Main, E., Stocks, J., The influence of physiotherapy and suction on respiratory deadspace in ventilated children (2004) Intensive Care Med, 30, pp. 1152-1159Law, B.J., Carbonell-Estrany, X., Simoes, E.A., An update on respiratory syncytial virus epidemiology: A developed country perspective (2002) Respir Med, 96 (SUPPL. B), pp. S1-7Davison, C., Ventre, K.M., Luchetti, M., Randolph, A.G., Efficacy of interventions for bronchiolitis in critically ill infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2004) Pediatr Crit Care Med, 5, pp. 482-489Frankel, L.R., Lewiston, N.J., Smith, D.W., Stevenson, D.K., Clinical observations on mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure in bronchiolitis (1986) Pediatr Pulmonol, 2, pp. 307-311Wang, E.E., Law, B.J., Boucher, F.D., Stephens, D., Robinson, J.L., Dobson, S., Pediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) study of admission and management variation in patients hospitalized with respiratory syncytial viral lower respiratory tract infection (1996) J Pediatr, 129, pp. 390-395Paret, G., Ziv, T., Barzilai, A., Bem-Abraham, R., Vardi, A., Manisterski, Y., Ventilation index and outcome in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (1998) Pediatr Pulmonol, 26, pp. 125-12

Tourniquet use for civilian extremity hemorrhage: Systematic review of the literature [Uso de torniquete nas hemorragias de extremidades na população civil: Revisão sistemática da literatura]

Introduction: extremity tourniquet (TQ) use has increased in the civilian setting; the beneficial results observed in the military has influenced acceptance by EMS and bystanders. This review aimed to analyze extremity TQ types used in the civilian setting, injury site, indications, and complications. Methods: a systematic review was conducted based on original articles published in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane following PRISMA guidelines from 2010 to 2019. Data extraction focused on extremity TQ use for hemorrhage control in the civilian setting, demographic data, study type and duration, mechanism of injury, indications for use, injury site, TQ type, TQ time, and complications. Results: of the 1384 articles identified, 14 were selected for review with a total of 3912 civilian victims with extremity hemorrhage and 3522 extremity TQ placements analyzed. The majority of TQs were applied to male (79%) patients, with blunt or penetrating trauma. Among the indications for TQ use were hemorrhagic shock, suspicion of vascular injuries, continued bleeding, and partial or complete traumatic amputations. Upper extremity application was the most common TQ application site (56%), nearly all applied to a single extremity (99%), and only 0, 6% required both upper and lower extremity applications. 80% of the applied TQs were commercial devices, and 20% improvised. Conclusions: TQ use in the civilian setting is associated with trauma-related injuries. Most are single-site TQs applied for the most part to male adults with upper extremity injury. Commercial TQs are more commonly employed, time in an urban setting is under 1 hour, with few complications described. Introdução: o uso de torniquete em extremidades (TQ) aumentou no ambiente civil; os resultados benéficos observados nas forças armadas influenciaram a aceitação por equipes de pré-hospitalar (PH) assim como pela população leiga. Esta revisão teve como objetivo analisar os tipos de TQ de extremidades usados em ambiente civil, local da lesão, indicações e complicações. Métodos: revisão sistemática foi conduzida com base em artigos originais publicados no PubMed, Embase e Cochrane seguindo as diretrizes do PRISMA de 2010 a 2019. Extração de dados focada no uso de TQ de extremidade para controle de hemorragia em ambiente civil, dados demográficos, tipo de estudo e duração, mecanismo de lesão, indicações de uso, local da lesão, tipo de TQ, tempo de TQ e complicações. Resultados: dos 1.384 artigos identificados, 14 foram selecionados para revisão com total de 3.912 vítimas civis com hemorragia nas extremidades e 3.522 colocações de extremidades TQ analisadas. A maioria foi aplicado em pacientes do sexo masculino (79%), com trauma contuso ou penetrante. Entre as indicações estavam choque hemorrágico, suspeita de lesões vasculares, sangramento contínuo e amputações traumáticas parciais ou completas. A aplicação na extremidade superior foi o local de aplicação mais comum (56%), quase todos aplicados a uma única extremidade (99%), e apenas 0, 6% requereram aplicações nas extremidades superior e inferior. 80% dos TQs aplicados eram dispositivos comerciais e 20% improvisados. Conclusões: o uso de TQ em ambientes civis está associado a traumas. Os TQs comerciais são mais utilizados, com tempo menor que uma hora de uso e poucas complicações

Action of cholecalciferol and alpha-tocopherol on Staphylococcus aureus efflux pumps

Alpha-tocopherol is one the most abundant and biologically active isoforms of vitamin E. This compound is a potent antioxidant and one of most studied isoforms of vitamin E. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is an important nutrient for calcium homeostasis and bone health, that has also been recognized as a potent modulator of the immune response. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most important causative agent of both nosocomial and community-acquired infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of alpha-tocopherol and cholecalciferol on both S. aureus and multidrug resistant S. aureus efflux pumps. The RN4220 strain has the plasmid pUL5054 that is the carrier of gene that encodes the macrolide resistance protein (an efflux pump) MsrA; the IS-58 strain possesses the TetK tetracycline efflux protein in its genome and the 1199B strain resists to hydrophilic fluoroquinolones via a NorA-mediated mechanism. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by determining the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and a possible inhibition of efflux pumps was associated to a reduction of the MIC. In this work we observed that in the presence of the treatments there was a decrease in the MIC for the RN4220 and IS-58 strains, suggesting that the substances presented an inhibitory effect on the efflux pumps of these strains. Significant efforts have been done to identify efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) from natural sources and, therefore, the antibacterial properties of cholecalciferol and alphatocopherol might be attributed to a direct effect on the bacterial cell depending on their amphipathic structure

In vitro evaluation of cutaneous penetration of acyclovir from semisolid commercial formulations and relation with its effective antiviral concentration

ABSTRACT The evaluation of drug permeation/penetration of semisolid formulations into animal skin can be useful to supplement the pharmaceutical equivalence. This paper describes the in vitro assessment of acyclovir (ACV) into porcine skin from commercial formulations with etermination of drug concentration in different layers of cutaneous tissue to correlate with effective antiviral concentration in order to improve the equivalence decision. Studies were conducted using Franz cells and porcine skin. Selected pharmaceutical creams containing ACV had identical (reference and generic) and different (similar) excipients. A software program was employed for the simulation of antiviral effectiveness in the skin. Regarding ACV skin penetration, the first batch of the generic product showed a significant difference from reference and similar products, while in the second batch all products demonstrated equivalent drug penetration in the skin. Simulation studies suggest that formulations analysed exhibit a pharmacological effect even when in contact with Herpes simplex strains of high IC50 (inhibitory concentration required to reduce viral replication by 50%). According to results, it can be assumed that the in vitro cutaneous permeation/penetration study does not supply sensitivity information regarding small alterations of ACV semisolid formulations due to the variability inherent to the method, although it can be relevant to pharmaceutical equivalence studies in the development of semisolid products