The H2S-releasing naproxen derivative, ATB-346, inhibits alveolar bone loss and inflammation in rats with ligature-induced periodontitis

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud In experimental periodontitis, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) effectively inhibit the resultant alveolar bone loss. However, their deleterious gastric effects, observed in both animals and humans, dramatically limit their long-term use. It has been proven that the addition of a hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-releasing moiety to classical NSAID structures results in antiinflammatory compounds with improved gastric safeness. In this way, we decided to compare the effects of naproxen with its H2S-releasing derivative ATB-346 on ligature-induced periodontitis in rats.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud Male Holtzman rats had a cotton ligature placed subgingivally around the lower right first molar during 7 days. During this period, groups of animals were daily treated with Na2S (a spontaneous H2S donor) or equimolar oral doses of naproxen (10 mg/kg) or ATB-346 (16 mg/kg). The mandibles were finally collected for histological analysis, radiographical measurements of alveolar bone loss and micro-computed tomography (μCT) analysis. Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 were quantified in gingiva samples, and the stomachs were also collected for scoring of tissue damage and measurement of myeloperoxidase (MPO, a marker of granulocyte infiltration).\ud \ud \ud Results\ud Ligature-induced bone loss was significantly inhibited by all the treatments, although only ATB-346 treatment resulted in significant inhibition of bone defect and other histological characteristics (such as flatness of the gingival epithelium, chronic inflammatory cell infiltration and loss of connective tissue in the gingival papillae). Both naproxen and ATB-346 inhibited the increase of gingival IL-1β and IL-6 secondary to periodontitis, but IL-10 was unaffected. Significant damage and increased MPO contents were only found in the stomachs of the naproxen-treated animals.\ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud The H2S-releasing moiety in the ATB-346 compound not only does not impair the effects of the parent naproxen on periodontitis, but also improves bone quality and prevents the gastric mucosa damage due to prostaglandin inhibition, thus configuring a potentially new adjuvant therapy for periodontal diseases.This study has been supported by the State of São Paulo Research\ud Foundation (FAPESP); LCS, SKPC and MNM are recipients of fellowships from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Encontros de formação continuada a partir das necessidades formativas apontadas por professores de ciências e biologia

O objetivo do presente trabalho é descrever e analisar o desenvolvimento de uma proposta de formação continuada para professores de Ciências e Biologia, vinculados a Diretoria de Ensino de Jaboticabal, que buscou promover a integração entre os docentes da rede pública estadual e os alunos do curso de Licenciatura em Ciências Biológicas da Unesp, estimulando a reflexão conjunta sobre o Currículo do Estado de São Paulo. Outro objetivo dos encontros de formação foi diagnosticar e atender as necessidades formativas dos professores participantes. As temáticas apontadas pelos professores como as mais complexas para se ensinar foram Astronomia (para os docentes de ensino fundamental) e Evolução (para os docentes de ensino médio). Ocorreu um encontro inicial que reuniu cerca de cinquenta docentes de Ciências e Biologia e foi tratado o tema da organização das habilidades e competências no Currículo Estadual. Nos encontros seguintes, os professores de ensino fundamental e ensino médio foram convocados separadamente, ocorrendo dois encontros com cada grupo. Nesses encontros, foram desenvolvidas as temáticas de Evolução e Astronomia e os professores participantes demonstraram bastante interesse pelas atividades formativas