Naturally occurring ingredients as potential antiaging cosmetics

The criteria adopted for establishing whether a determined substance has potential as a cosmetic constituent are based on the present legislation of each country. In this study, natural antiaging constituents as Fomes officinalis, rice protein and glutamic acid were pharmacologically evaluated using neuromuscular preparation. These constituents induced a neuromuscular blockade, individually and also in mixture, simulating a Botox®, but not, dimethylaminoethanol-effect. The pharmacological knowledge is beneficial since the real effect of each ingredient becomes apparent, increasing the consumer's confidence on the antiaging cosmetic.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Naturally occurring ingredients as potential antiaging cosmetics

The criteria adopted for establishing whether a determined substance has potential as a cosmetic constituent are based on the present legislation of each country. In this study, natural antiaging constituents as Fomes officinalis, rice protein and glutamic acid were pharmacologically evaluated using neuromuscular preparation. These constituents induced a neuromuscular blockade, individually and also in mixture, simulating a Botox®, but not, dimethylaminoethanol-effect. The pharmacological knowledge is beneficial since the real effect of each ingredient becomes apparent, increasing the consumer's confidence on the antiaging cosmetic.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Influence of Soy Lecithin Administration on Hypercholesterolemia

Recent studies suggest that lecithin-rich diet can modify cholesterol homeostasis and hepatic lipoprotein metabolism. Considering the phytotherapeutic impact of lecithin, this work hypothesizes that lecithin administration in hypercholesterolemic patients may reduce cholesterol concentrations by increasing biliary secretion. Total cholesterol and LDL were evaluated after soy lecithin administration in hypercholesterolemic patients. One soy lecithin capsule (500 mg/RP-Sherer) was administrated daily. One-two months before the treatment beginning, blood samples were collected for total lipids and cholesterol fractions analysis. The results showed a reduction of 40.66% and 42.00% in total cholesterol and of 42.05% and 56.15% in LDL cholesterol after treatment for one and two months, respectively. A significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations was observed during the first month of treatment, suggesting that the administration of soy lecithin daily may be used as a supplemental treatment in hypercholesterolemia

Naturally occurring ingredients as potential antiaging cosmetics

The criteria adopted for establishing whether a determined substance has potential as a cosmetic constituent are based on the present legislation of each country. In this study, natural antiaging constituents as Fomes officinalis, rice protein and glutamic acid were pharmacologically evaluated using neuromuscular preparation. These constituents induced a neuromuscular blockade, individually and also in mixture, simulating a Botox®, but not, dimethylaminoethanol-effect. The pharmacological knowledge is beneficial since the real effect of each ingredient becomes apparent, increasing the consumer's confidence on the antiaging cosmetic.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Expressão e detecção de genes envolvidos com patogenicidade de Crinipellis perniciosa

Orientador: Gonçalo Amarante Guimarães PereiraTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaResumo: O fungo Crinipellis perniciosa Stahel (Singer), ataca tecidos meristemáticos do cacaueiro Theobroma cacao, causando anormalidades como hiperplasia e hipertrofia nos tecidos infectados, que resultam na doença conhecida como vassoura-de-bruxa. Nas regiões produtoras de cacau do Estado da Bahia, a vassoura-de-bruxa tem causado grandes danos econômicos e esforços têm sido deflagrados com o intuito de estabelecer um plano de controle da doença. O patógeno é pouco estudado e genes envolvidos na interação planta-patógeno e responsáveis pela patogenicidade são desconhecidos. O projeto genoma de C. perniciosa (www.lge.ibi.unicamp.br/vassoura) foi criado para auxiliar a elucidar os aspectos inerentes à patogenicidade e crescimento do fungo, que permitirão conhecer o organismo de forma global e assim ajudar a entender as estratégias que ele utiliza no ataque à planta. A compreensão desses mecanismos poderá definir os caminhos para controla-lo. O conhecimento do genoma não identificará, de imediato, os genes envolvidos com patogenicidade. Portanto, torna-se necessário complementar os dados do genoma com análise da expressão para determinar quando os diferentes genes são expressos. Uma das formas de analisar os mecanismos de fitopatogenicidade é identificar os genes diferencialmente expressos durante a interação planta-hospedeiro. A metodologia de microarray permite a análise da expressão de milhares de genes simultaneamente, possibilitando a identificação e verificação dos níveis de expressão sob diferentes condições. No presente trabalho, pretendeu-se identificar os mRNAs especificamente induzidos na fase saprotrófica do fungo C. perniciosa durante interação com extratos de frutos de T. cacao susceptível. Os resultados apresentados conclusivamente demonstram que o monitoramento comparativo de genes expressos diferencialmente, resultante da interação patógeno-hospedeiro, é uma estratégia viável para identificar respostas de genes no patosistema C. perniciosa - T. cacao. Além disso, este estudo relata melhorias na metodologia existente que contribuirão para projetos futuros nesta área de pesquisaAbstract: The fungus Crinipellis perniciosa Stahel (Singer), attacks meristematic tissues of the cocoa tree Theobroma cacao, causing abnormalities like hyperplasia and hypertrophy in the infected tissues, which results in the disease known as witches¿ broom. In the cocoa producing regions in the State of Bahia, witches¿ broom has caused major economic loss and efforts have been made to establish a plan to control the disease. The pathogen is not well studied and genes involved in the hostplant interaction and responsible for pathogenicity are unknown. C. perniciosa genome project (www.lge.ibi.unicamp.br/vassoura) was created to help elucidate aspect inherent to fungal pathogenicity and growth, which will allow a better understanding of this organism in a global manner and thus help us to understand the strategies it uses to attack the plant. The comprehension of these mechanisms could help to define ways to control this pathogen. The knowledge of the genome sequence will not immediately identify the genes related to pathogenicity. Therefore, it is necessary to complement the genome data with expression analysis to determine when the different genes are expressed. One of the ways to analyze the mechanisms of phytopathogenicity is to identify differentially expressed genes during the host-plant interaction. Microarray methodology allows expression analysis of thousands of genes simultaneously, enabling the identification and verification of expression levels under different conditions. In this work, the objective was to identify mRNAs specifically induced in the saprotrophic phase of the fungus C. perniciosa during the interaction with extracts from susceptible T. cacao fruits. Results presented here conclusively show that comparative monitoring of differentially expressed genes, resulting from the host-plant interaction, is a viable strategy to identify gene responses in the C. perniciosa ¿ T. cacao pathosystem. Furthermore, this study reports improvements to the existing methodology that will contribute to future projects in this area of researchDoutoradoBioquimicaDoutor em Biologia Funcional e Molecula

Estudo da função endotelial em tabagistas e não tabagistas tratados com nicotina de liberação transdermica

Orientador: Heitor Moreno JrDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências MédicasResumo: Fumar é um dos maiores fatores de risco para doenças coronarianas arteriais e causa disfunção endotelial. Além dos presumíveis efeitos autonômicos dependentes da nicotina, vários estudos têm demonstrado que fumar diminui a disponibilidade de óxido nítrico (NO) em artérias e veias. Nicotina está entre os diversos compostos contidos no cigarro que poderia ser responsável por esta resposta prejudicial do endotélio. Estudamos 9 não fumantes sadios e 12 fumantes sadios, eves/moderados, através da técnica da complacência da veia dorsal da mão. Curvas de dose resposta à bradicinina (BK) e nitroprussiato de sódio (NPS) foram construídas para testar o relaxamento dependente e independente do endotélio antes e durante o uso de adesivo de nicotina (21 mg). Pressão arterial média (PAM) foi medida, batimento a batimento, durante as 4 horas do estudo. Amostras de sangue foram coletadas para quantificar o tromboxano B2 (TXB2). . Co-administração de nicotina transdérmica reduziu a responsividade vascular à BK em veias de não fumantes (Emáx=88.0::!::17.9% e 54.3:t14.9%, respectivamente antes e após o adesivo de nicotina; p<O.05), semelhante aos fumantes (Emáx=56.3:t16.6%). Venodilatação induzida por NPS foi inalterada. PAM aumentou em ambos, fumantes e não fumantes. O uso de nicotina transdérmica aumentou a concentração de.TXB~ somente no grupo-controle. A nicotina poder ser a principal responsável pela função endotelial prejudicada em fumantes. As descobertas da presente investigação são específicas para veias humanas, mas podem ser aplicáveis às artérias, uma vez que o adesivo de nicotina aumentou a PAM em fumantes e não fumantesAbstract: Cigarette smoking is a major risk tactor tor CAD (coronary arterial disease) and causes endothelial dystunction. Besides the presumable nicotine-dependent autonomic eftects, several studies have demonstrated that smoking decreases the nitric oxide (NO) availability in arteries and veins. Nicotine is among the numerous compounds contained in the cigarette smoke that c0uld be responsible tor this impaired endothelial response. We studied 09 healthy non-smokers and 12 healthy mild/moderate smokers with the dorsal hand vein compliance technique. Dose response curves to bradykinin (BK) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), were constructed to test the endothelium -dependent and -independent relaxation betore and during the placement ot a nicotine patch (21 mg). MABP was measured beat-to-beat during the 4-hours study, Serial blood samples were drawn to assay thromboxane B2 (TXB2 ). .Transdermal nicotine co-administration reduced the vascular responsiveness to BK in nonsmokers' veins (Emax=88.0j: 17.9% and 54.3j: 14.9%, respectively betore and after nicotine patch; p<0.05), similar to smqkers (Ernax=56.3j: 16.6%). SNP-induced venodilatation was unaltered. MABP increased in both smokers and nonsmokers. The use ot transdermal nicotine increased the TxB2 concentrations only in the control group. Nicotine can be the major responsible tor impaired endothelial tunction in smokers. The tindings in the present investigation are specitic to human veins but may be applicable to arterial beds since nicotine patch simultaneously increased the MABP in both smokers and nonsmokers subjectsMestradoMestre em Farmacologi