Epiisopilosine alkaloid has activity against schistosoma mansoni in mice without acute toxicity

CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPSchistosomiasis is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Schistosoma, currently affecting more than 200 million people. Among the various species of this parasite that infect humans, S. mansoni is the most common. Pharmacological treatment is limited135119CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP404134/2012-22014/02282-76, 2016/18023-5, 2016/22488-3The authors are grateful to Phytobios Pesquisa Desenvolvimento e Inovação LTDA.,company of the Centroflora Group, for its support during the realization of this research. SMA is grateful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Epiisopilosine alkaloid has activity against Schistosoma mansoni in mice without acute toxicity

Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Schistosoma, currently affecting more than 200 million people. Among the various species of this parasite that infect humans, S. mansoni is the most common. Pharmacological treatment is limited to the use of a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ), despite reports of parasite resistance and low efficacy. It is therefore necessary to investigate new potential schistosomicidal compounds. In this study, we tested the efficacy of epiisopilosine (EPIIS) in a murine model of schistosomiasis. A single dose of EPIIS (100 or 400 mg/kg) administered orally to mice infected with adult S. mansoni resulted in reduced worm burden and egg production. The treatment with the lower dose of EPIIS (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced total worm burden by 60.61% (P < 0.001), as well as decreasing hepatosplenomegaly and egg excretion. Scanning electron microscopy revealed morphological changes in the worm tegument after treatment. Despite good activity of EPIIS in adult S. mansoni, oral treatment with single dose of EPIIS 100 mg/kg had only moderate effects in mice infected with juvenile S. mansoni. In addition, we performed cytotoxicity and toxicological studies with EPIIS and found no in vitro cytotoxicity (in HaCaT, and NIH-3T3 cells) at a concentration of 512 μg/mL. We also performed in silico analysis of toxicological properties and showed that EPIIS had low predicted toxicity. To confirm this, we investigated systemic acute toxicity in vivo by orally administering a 2000 mg/kg dose to Swiss mice. Treated mice showed no significant changes in hematological, biochemical, or histological parameters compared to non-treated animals. Epiisopilosine showed potential as a schistosomicidal drug: it did not cause acute toxicity and it displayed an acceptable safety profile in the animal model

Transcultural analysis of the effectiveness of a program to promote self-regulated learning in Mozambique, Chile, Portugal, and Spain

The current investigation aims at assessing the effectiveness of an intervention program designed to enhance self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies at the university level, with students from different cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. The central tool of the program is a set of letters in which a fictional first-year student describes his experiences as an SRL student. The program was implemented in four universities in different countries and continents (Portugal, Spain, Chile, and Mozambique), with an experimental group and a comparison group at each university (263 students from experimental groups and 247 from comparison groups). Findings display the effectiveness of the program in enhancing a set of motivational variables related to the study process and the use of SRL strategies. Data were consistent across the different cultural and academic contexts in which the program was implemented. The implications of these findings for university administrators and faculty are discussed.MES - Ministry of Education and Science (EDU2010-16231)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Domesticidade, trabalho e satisfação pessoal:horas no trabalho doméstico e bem-estar no Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Resumo Este artigo apresenta alguns resultados de pesquisa realizada no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, entre os anos de 2013 e 2014, a qual investigou a compatibilização da vida familiar com o trabalho pago e as mediações de gênero nesse processo. Através da seleção de parte dos dados, o trabalho sugere que além dos impactos em esferas públicas sobre as oportunidades e as carreiras no mercado de trabalho, e/ou sobre a presença em espaços políticos, bastante discutida nas últimas décadas, a distribuição desigual de trabalho doméstico tem efeitos sobre as percepções de bem-estar dos indivíduos sobre o seu bem-estar. Tais percepções são aqui enfocadas em termos de efeitos na subjetividade sobre esse balanceamento, e não das condições materiais de consumo ou bens. O artigo mostra que, em se tratando de relações de gênero, isso não ocorre de maneira indiferenciada. Atividades e práticas de sociabilidade, assim como níveis de "satisfação" apresentam respostas diferenciadas para homens e mulheres, evidenciando, mais uma vez, que padrões desiguais de responsabilidades e envolvimentos domésticos e familiares são problemáticas sociais, e não problemas de escolhas individuais

Hematological parameters of Swiss mice treated with EPIIS by oral route.

<p>Hematological parameters of Swiss mice treated with EPIIS by oral route.</p

Effect on egg development and on Stoll egg count of a single dose 100 mg/kg of EPIIS administered to mice harboring a 60-day-old adult <i>S</i>. <i>mansoni</i> infection.

<p><b>(A)</b> EPIIS effect on egg development stages (oogram) <b>(B)</b> Effect on Stoll egg count. Points represent data from individual mice that were infected and treated with EPIIS, or infected and untreated (control). The horizontal bars represent median values. **<i>P</i> < 0.01 and ***<i>P</i> < 0.001 compared with untreated groups.</p

<i>In silico</i> analysis of toxicological properties of EPIIS predicted using the pkCSM methodology.

<p><i>In silico</i> analysis of toxicological properties of EPIIS predicted using the pkCSM methodology.</p