Dibucaine in Ionic-Gradient Liposomes: Biophysical, Toxicological, and Activity Characterization

Administration of local anesthetics is one of the most effective pain control techniques for postoperative analgesia. However, anesthetic agents easily diffuse into the injection site, limiting the time of anesthesia. One approach to prolong analgesia is to entrap local anesthetic agents in nanostructured carriers (e.g., liposomes). Here, we report that using an ammonium sulphate gradient was the best strategy to improve the encapsulation (62.6%) of dibucaine (DBC) into liposomes. Light scattering and nanotracking analyses were used to characterize vesicle properties, such as, size, polydispersity, zeta potentials, and number. In vitro kinetic experiments revealed the sustained release of DBC (50% in 7 h) from the liposomes. In addition, in vitro (3T3 cells in culture) and in vivo (zebrafish) toxicity assays revealed that ionic-gradient liposomes were able to reduce DBC cyto/cardiotoxicity and morphological changes in zebrafish larvae. Moreover, the anesthesia time attained after infiltrative administration in mice was longer with encapsulated DBC (27 h) than that with free DBC (11 h), at 320 μM (0.012%), confirming it as a promising long-acting liposome formulation for parenteral drug administration of dibucaine.Fil: Couto, Verônica M.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Prieto, Maria Jimena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB; ArgentinaFil: Igartúa, Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB; ArgentinaFil: Feas, Daniela Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB; ArgentinaFil: Ribeiro, Lígia N.M.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Silva, Camila M.G.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Castro, Simone R.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Guilherme, Viviane A.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Dantzger, Darlene D.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Machado, Daisy. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Alonso, Silvia del Valle. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB | Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Grupo Vinculado al IMBICE - Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología-Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - GBEyB; ArgentinaFil: de Paula, Eneida. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasi

Genetic Diversity Of Pacu And Piapara Broodstocks In Restocking Programs In The Rivers Paraná And Paranapanema (brazil)

The genetic diversity of Piaractus mesopotamicus (pacu) and Leporinus elongatus (piapara) broodstocks used in restocking programs in the rivers Paraná and Paranapanema is analyzed. One hundred and twenty specimens (two broodstocks of each species) from fish ponds in Palotina PR Brazil and in Salto Grande SP Brazil were assessed. Ten primers produced 96 fragments, comprising 68 (70.83%) and 94 (97.92%) polymorphic fragments for P. mesopotamicus and L. elongatus broodstocks, respectively. Differences (p <0.05) in the frequency of 15 and 27 fragments were detected for each species, without exclusive fragments. Shannon Index (0.347-0.572) and the percentage of polymorphic fragments (57.3%-94.8%) revealed high intra-population genetic variability for all broodstocks. Results of molecular variance analyses (AMOVA) showed that most variations do not lie between the broodstocks but within each broodstock (89%). Genetic (0.088 and 0.142) and identity (0.916 and 0.868) distance rates demonstrated similarity between the broodstocks of each species, corroborated by Fst (0.1023 and 010.27) and Nm (4.18 and 4.33) rates, with a slight genetic difference due to genic flux. High intrapopulation genetic variability and similarity between the broodstocks of each species was also detected, proving a common ancestry.3742365237

Prevalences of hyperhomocysteinemia, unfavorable cholesterol profile and hypertension in European populations

Item does not contain fulltextBACKGROUND: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY) is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). HHCY may interact with hypertension (HTEN) and an unfavorable cholesterol profile (UNFAVCHOL) to alter the risk of CVD. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalences of HHCY (1) isolated and (2) in combination with UNFAVCHOL and/or HTEN in different age categories. To provide information that may improve the screening and treatment of subjects at risk of CVD. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data on 12,541 men and 12,948 women aged 20 + y were used from nine European studies. RESULTS: The prevalence of isolated HHCY was 8.5% in subjects aged 20-40 y, 4.7% in subjects aged 40-60 y and 5.9% in subjects aged over 60 y. When combining all age groups, 5.3% had isolated HHCY and an additional 5.6% had HHCY in combination with HTEN and/or UNFAVCHOL. The combinations of risk factors increased with age and, except for HHCY&UNFAVCHOL, were more prevalent than predicted by chance. Of the young subjects (20-40 y), 24% suffered from one or more of the investigated CVD risk factors. This figure was 75.1% in the old subjects (60+ years). CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of subjects in selected European populations have HHCY (10.9%). In half of these cases, subjects suffer also from other CVD risk factors like UNFAVCHOL and HTEN. Older people in particular tend to have more than one risk factor. Healthcare professionals should be aware of this when screening and treating older people not only for the conventional CVD risk factors like UNFAVCHOL and HTEN but also HHCY, as this can easily be reduced through increased intake of folic acid via supplement or foods fortified with folic acid

A EXPERIÊNCIA DE HOSPITALIZAÇÃO EXPLICADA PELA PRÓPRIA CRIANÇA

O presente estudo foi realizado com 20 crianças, em idade escolar, internadas em unidades pediátricas. Teve como objetivos identificar: como as crianças expressam a percepção de sua doença e hospitalização; os recursos de 'que elas dispõem para obter conhecimento sobre sua experiência de doença e hospitalização; e seus interesses e preocupações