Sildenafil ameliorates oxidative stress and DNA damage in the stenotic kidneys in mice with renovascular hypertension

Background: Oxidative stress and DNA damage have been implicated in the pathogenesis of renovascular hypertension induced by renal artery stenosis in the two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) Goldblatt model. Considering our previous report indicating that the chronic blockade of phosphodiesterase 5 with sildenafil (Viagra (R)) has marked beneficial effects on oxidative stress and DNA damage, we tested the hypothesis that sildenafil could also protect the stenotic kidneys of 2K1C hypertensive mice against oxidative stress and genotoxicity.Methods: the experiments were performed with C57BL6 mice subjected to renovascular hypertension by left renal artery clipping. Two weeks after clipping, the mice were treated with sildenafil (40 mg/kg/ day for 2 weeks, 2K1C-sildenafil group) or the vehicle (2K1C). These mice were compared with control mice not subjected to renal artery clipping (Sham). After hemodynamic measurements, the stenotic kidneys were assessed using flow cytometry to evaluate cell viability and the comet assay to evaluate DNA damage. Measurements of intracellular superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide levels as well as nitric oxide bioavailability were also obtained.Results: Sildenafil treatment significantly reduced mean arterial pressure (15%), heart rate (8%), intrarenal angiotensin II (50%) and renal atrophy (36%). in addition, it caused a remarkable decrease of reactive oxygen species production. On the other hand, sildenafil increased nitric oxide levels relative to those in the nontreated 2K1C mice. Sildenafil treatment also significantly reduced the high level of kidney DNA damage that is a characteristic of renovascular hypertensive mice.Conclusions: Our data reveal that sildenafil has a protective effect on the stenotic kidneys of 2K1C mice, suggesting a new use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors for protection against the DNA damage observed in the hypoperfused kidneys of individuals with renovascular hypertension. Further translational research is necessary to delineate the mechanisms involved in the prevention of renal stenosis in the clinical setting.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)State Agency for the Development of Science and Technology (FAPES)Univ Fed Espirito Santo, Hlth Sci Ctr, Lab Translat Physiol, Vitoria, ES, BrazilUniv Fed Paraiba, Hlth Sci Ctr, Dept Physiol & Pathol, BR-58059900 Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Nephrol, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Vila Velha, Pharmaceut Sci Grad Program, Vila Velha, ES, BrazilFed Inst Educ Sci & Technol IFES, Vila Velha, ES, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Nephrol, São Paulo, BrazilCNPq: 302582/2011-8CNPq: 476525/2012-8CNPq: 305188/2012-7CNPq: 473177/2013-7State Agency for the Development of Science and Technology (FAPES): 54498465CNPq: 012/2009Web of Scienc

The magnitude of syphilis: from prevalence to vertical transmission

Introduction: In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 1.9 million pregnant women were infected with syphilis worldwide, of which 66.5% had adverse fetal effects in cases of untreated syphilis. Congenital syphilis contributes significantly to infant mortality, accounting for 305,000 perinatal deaths worldwide annually. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of syphilis in parturients, the incidence of congenital syphilis and the vertical transmission rate. Material and methods: a cross-sectional study with data collected from 2041 parturients who had undergone treatment between 2012 and 2014 in the maternity section of the Pedro Ernesto Hospital of the State University of Rio de Janeiro, in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro. The inclusion criterion was positive VDRL and treponemal test in a hospital environment. Results: the prevalence of syphilis in pregnant women was 4.1% in 2012, 3.1% in 2013 and 5% in 2014, with official reporting of 15.6%, 25.0% and 48.1%, respectively. The incidence of congenital syphilis (CS) was 22/1,000 in live births (LB) in 2012; 17/1,000 LB in 2013 and 44.8/1,000 LB in 2014. CS underreporting during the period was 6.7%. Vertical transmission occurred in 65.8% of infants from infected mothers. It was concluded that, in 34.6% of the CS cases, maternal VDRL titers were = 1/4. Conclusion: Results demonstrate the magnitude of the disease, fragility of the reporting system in the assessment of the actual prevalence, impact on perinatal outcomes, and they are a warning about the real situation of syphilis, which is still underestimated in the State

Validation of the WHOQOL-Bref instrument in Brazilian sign language (Libras)

Purpose: the recognition of the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) as the official language of the Brazilian deaf, in 2002, reaffirms the linguistic and cultural particularities of the deaf population. Therefore, there is a lack of a validated instrument for assessing the Quality of Life of deaf people using Libras. With authorization from the World Health Organization (WHO), a version of the WHOQOL-Bref in Libras was developed, called WHOQOL-Bref/Libras. However, its psychometric properties have not been examined as yet. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to perform the psychometric validation of the WHOQOL-Bref/Libras. Methods: WHOQOL-Bref/Libras and a sociodemographic questionnaire were applied to 311 deaf people from the five Brazilian regions. To assess temporal stability, the questionnaire was readministered to 52 deaf people, over an interval of 2 weeks. Results: WHOQOL-Bref/Libras demonstrated satisfactory psychometric values for reliability, discriminant and construct validity, temporal stability, and internal consistency. Cronbach's alpha coefficient showed satisfactory values for each of the WHOQOL-Bref domains: Physical health (0.641), Psychological (0.705), Environment (0.710), and Overall-Bref domains (0.873). The WHOQOL-Bref/Libras is the appropriate option to assess the quality of life of deaf people who communicate through Libras. Conclusion: WHOQOL-Bref/Libras had a satisfactory psychometric performance; therefore, it is a valid option that will provide autonomous participation for the deaf in quality of life investigations

Engineering shape anisotropy of Fe3O4-¿-Fe2O3 hollow nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia

The use of microwave-assisted synthesis (in water) of a-Fe2O3 nanomaterials followed by their transformation onto iron oxide Fe3O4-¿-Fe2O3 hollow nanoparticles encoding well-defined sizes and shapes [nanorings (NRs) and nanotubes (NTs)] is henceforth described. The impact of experimental variables such as concentration of reactants, volume of solvent employed, and reaction times/temperatures during the shape-controlled synthesis revealed that the key factor that gated generation of morphologically diverse nanoparticles was associated to the initial concentration of phosphate anions employed in the reactant mixture. All the nanomaterials presented were fully characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The hollow nanoparticles that expressed the most promising magnetic responses, NTs and NRs, were further tested in terms of efficiencies in controlling the magnetic hyperthermia, in view of their possible use for biomedical applications, supported by their excellent viability as screened by in vitro cytotoxicity tests. These systems NTs and NRs expressed very good magneto-hyperthermia properties, results that were further validated by micromagnetic simulations. The observed specific absorption rate (SAR) and intrinsic loss power of the NRs and NTs peaked the values of 340 W/g and 2.45 nH m2 kg-1 (NRs) and 465 W/g and 3.3 nH m2 kg-1 (NTs), respectively, at the maximum clinical field 450 Oe and under a frequency of 107 kHz and are the highest values among those reported so far in the hollow iron-oxide family. The higher SAR in NTs accounts the importance of magnetic shape anisotropy, which is well-predicted by the modified dynamic hysteresis (ß-MDH) theoretical model

Open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted hepatectomy in resection of liver tumors : a non-systematic review.

Nas ?ltimas d?cadas, in?meros fatores transformaram as hepatectomias em opera??es mais seguras. A quimioterapia, juntamente com novas drogas para o tratamento de met?stases propiciaram melhores respostas, o que possibilitou a indica??o cir?rgica em pacientes que inicialmente n?o eram candidatos a ela. Les?es hep?ticas muitas vezes requerem ressec??o, que pode ser realizada tanto por laparotomia, por videolaparoscopia ou assistida por plataforma rob?tica.Several factors have made hepatectomy an increasingly safe surgery and new drugs allowed surgical treatment for patients who initially were not candidates for resection. Lesions often require resection, which can be performed by open, laparoscopic, or robotic assisted hepatectomy

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO