Immunolocalization of steroidogenic enzymes in the vaginal mucous of Galea spixii during the estrous cycle.

BackgroundThe synthesis of sex steroids is controlled by several enzymes such as17α-hydroxylase cytochrome P450 (P450c17) catalyzing androgen synthesis and aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom) catalyzing estrogen synthesis, both of which must complex with the redox partner NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CPR) for activity. Previous studies have identified expression of steroidogenic enzymes in vaginal tissue, suggesting local sex steroid synthesis. The current studies investigate P450c17, P450aromatase and CPR expression in vaginal mucosa of Galea spixii (Spix cavy) by immuno-histochemical and western immunoblot analyses.MethodsStages of estrous cyclicity were monitored by vaginal exfoliative cytology. After euthanasia, vaginal tissues were retrieved, fixed and frozen at diestrus, proestrus, estrus and metestrus. The ovaries and testis were used as positive control tissues for immunohistochemistry.ResultsData from cytological study allowed identification of different estrous cycle phases. Immunohistochemical analysis showed different sites of expression of steroidogenic enzymes along with tissue response throughout different phases of the estrous cycle. However, further studies are needed to characterize the derived hormones synthesized by, and the enzymes activities associated with, vaginal tissues.ConclusionCurrent results not only support the expression of enzymes involved in sex steroid synthesis in the wall of the vagina, they also indicate that expression changes with the stage of the cycle, both the levels and types of cells exhibiting expression. Thus, changes in proliferation of vaginal epithelial cells and the differentiation of the mucosa may be influenced by local steroid synthesis as well as circulating androgens and estrogens

Intoxicação por medicamentos no Brasil: período pré-pandêmico e pandemia da Covid -19

Introdução: As intoxicações por medicamentos representam um grande problema de saúde pública no Brasil, o qual foi agravado por conta da pandemia, que influenciou no aumento da automedicação em virtude da superlotação de hospitais e fluxo de informações sobre uso de medicamentos “off-label” sem comprovação científica. Objetivo: realizar o levantamento dos casos de intoxicações por medicamentos no Brasil, nos anos de 2017 a 2022, no período que antecede a pandemia e durante o aumento de casos de COVID- 19. Metodologia: Foi realizado uma análise descritiva, de serie temporal, baseado nos dados do Sistema de Informação de Agravos Notificação (SINAN), disponibilizados pelo Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS), no qual foram analisados dados sobre intoxicação exógena que ocorreram entre 2017 e 2022, avaliando as circunstâncias, sexo, faixa etária, evolução e tipos de exposição. Resultados e discussão: Em 2022, houve o maior número de casos de intoxicação por medicamentos (103.648). Pessoas do sexo feminino representaram cerca de 73,44% dos casos de intoxicação por medicamentos e as intoxicações por medicamentos em circunstância das tentativas de suicídio representaram 70,3% desses mesmos casos. O predomínio da tentativa de suicídio pode estar relacionado a diferentes fatores, tais como desemprego, perda de renda e produtividade, em que os trabalhadores foram submetidos a interrupção das atividades laborais sem planejamento prévio ou reservas econômicas durante a pandemia de COVID-19. Conclusão: A pandemia da COVID-19 contribuiu para o aumento dos casos de intoxicação medicamentosa principalmente no âmbito das tentativas de suicídio e da automedicação. Dessa forma, é imprescindível a atuação do farmacêutico e demais profissionais de saúde, e a criação de políticas públicas voltadas à educação em saúde, com o intuito de reduzir os efeitos adversos e os riscos de intoxicações

Factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression during social distancing in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of clinical signs and symptoms of severe/extreme stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as their associated factors, among Brazilians during social distancing. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in April/May 2020 with 3,200 Brazilians over 18 years old. Respondents’ sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using an online questionnaire, which also included the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess emotional symptoms. Unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios and their respective 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression models with robust variance. RESULTS: Our results show the prevalence of severe/extreme stress was 21.5%, anxiety 19.4%, and depression 21.5%. In the final model, sociodemographic, clinical, and Covid-19-related factors were associated with severe/extreme stress, anxiety, and depression in Brazilians during social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We found the main factors associated with severe/extreme depression to be young women, brown, single, not religious, sedentary, presenting reduced leisure activities, history of anxiety and depression, increased medication use, and Covid-19 symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study may help develop and systematically plan measures aimed to prevent, early identify, and properly manage clinical signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression during the Covid-19 pandemic. DESCRIPTORS: Mental Disorders, epidemiology. Stress, Psychological. Social Isolation. Coronavirus Infections. Health Surveys

Measures of body habitus are associated with lung function in adults with cystic fibrosis: a population-based study

Background Body habitus differences may explain some of the variation in lung function between individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). We tested the hypothesis that measures of lean muscle mass and obesity are independently associated with lung function in CF. Methods Cross-sectional study design using UK CF registry data from 2096 clinically stable adults. Results Serum creatinine and BMI were positively and independently associated with FEV1 and FVC. One standard deviation increment in serum creatinine was associated with an FEV1 increase of 171 ml (95% confidence intervals CI: + 116 to + 227 ml) in males and 90 ml (95% CI: + 46 to + 133 ml) in females. Compared to the reference group of 20–24.9 kg/m2, those with a BMI < 20 kg/m2 had lower FEV1 with values of − 642 ml (95%CI: − 784 to − 500 ml) for males and − 468 ml (95%CI: − 564 to − 372 ml) for females. Conclusions Prospective studies and controlled trials are required to ascertain if these associations have therapeutic potential in modifying disease progression

Enriquecimento proteico da palma forrageira com Saccharomyces Cerevisiae por cultivo semissólido / Protein enrichment of forage cactus with Saccharomyces Cerevisiae by semisolid cultivation

As condições climáticas na região semiárida têm prejudicado a criação de animais, isso devido aos longos períodos de seca, promovendo um aumento indesejado no custo das rações nessas épocas. Com isso, este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o enriquecimento nutricional da palma forrageira utilizando-se a levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae para produção de suplemento proteico através do processo de fermentação semissólida. O trabalho foi desenvolvido utilizando um planejamento fatorial 22 com três repetições no ponto central, avaliando quantitativamente a influência das variáveis de entrada, sendo concentração de levedura (5, 10, e 15%) e fonte de nitrogênio (1, 3 e 5%). Durante o período de fermentação foi realizado analises microbiológicas e físico-químicas. Verificou-se que as concentrações de nitrogênio adicionadas aos tratamentos não tiveram influência no desenvolvimento da levedura e que a perda de água ocorreu paralelamente ao aumento da quantidade da fonte de nitrogênio adicionada. O conteúdo proteico apresentou um acréscimo mais acentuado nas primeiras três horas de fermentação, tendendo a aumentar até às 6 horas. Desta forma, a fermentação semissólida proporcionou a obtenção de um resíduo de palma com potencial nutritivo, sendo capaz de satisfazer as necessidades de uma dieta rica em proteínas.

Extreme precipitation-streamflow event in the river Araguari basin, Amapá / Brazil

O objetivo da investigação foi analisar vazões extremas ocorridas entre 9 e 14 de abril de 2011 na bacia do Rio Araguari-AP. A metodologia consistiu de três etapas principais: 1) re-análise da precipitação estimada pelo Modelo BRAMS (Brazilian in Development Regional Atmospheric Model System),utilizando como suporte a sinótica do mesmo período; 2) análise de vazão nas seções de monitoramento hidrológico em Porto Platon, Capivara e Serra do Navio (ADCP-Accustic Doppler Profiller Current); 3) análise estatística da série histórica de vazões máximas em Porto Platon utilizando distribuição de Gumbel. Observou-se que o modelo BRAMS capturou parcialmente o padrão do sistema de precipitação quando comparado com a análise sinótica e com os dados da literatura, mas demandando ainda otimização na representação de respostas hidrológicas extremas. Em Porto Platon foi registrada uma vazão recorde de 4036 m3/s, cujo comportamento foi analisado sob a ótica dos mecanismos disponíveis de monitoramento no Estado. Concluiu-se que tais eventos extremos são pouco detectáveis e oferecem riscos consideráveis aos usuários da bacia. A previsão de vazão, baseada na série hidrológica disponível, era de 100 anos de retorno, mas as análises revelaram que este período seria de 360 anos, indicando significativa fragilidade do sistema de previsão de eventos extremos no Estado.The objective of this investigation was to analyse the extreme river flows which have occurred between 9 and 14 April 2011 in the Rio Araguari-AP. The methodology consisted of three main steps: 1) re-analysis of precipitation estimated by the BRAMS (Brazilian Development in Regional Atmospheric Model System) model using the synoptic of the same period as support, 2) analysis of streamflow in sections of hydrological monitoring in Porto Platon, Capivari and Serra do Navio (ADCP-Accustic Profiller Doppler Current); 3) statistic analysis of the time series of maximum river flows in Porto Platon using Gumbel distribution. It was observed that the BRAMS system partially captured the standard precipitation when compared with the synoptic analysis and literature data, but the extreme hydrological responses representation still needs an optimization. In Porto Platon a flow record of 4036 m3 /s was recorded, whose behavior was analyzed from the perspective of the available monitoring mechanisms in the State. It was concluded that such extreme events are poorly detectable and offer considerable risks to users of the basin. The stream flow prediction based on available hydrological series was 100 years recurrence, but the analysis have revealed that this period would be 360 years, indicating significant deficiency of the prediction system of extreme events in the State

Immunolocalization of steroidogenic enzymes in the vaginal mucous of Galea spixii during the estrous cycle

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud The synthesis of sex steroids is controlled by several enzymes such as17α-hydroxylase cytochrome P450 (P450c17) catalyzing androgen synthesis and aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom) catalyzing estrogen synthesis, both of which must complex with the redox partner NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CPR) for activity. Previous studies have identified expression of steroidogenic enzymes in vaginal tissue, suggesting local sex steroid synthesis. The current studies investigate P450c17, P450aromatase and CPR expression in vaginal mucosa of Galea spixii (Spix cavy) by immuno-histochemical and western immunoblot analyses.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud Stages of estrous cyclicity were monitored by vaginal exfoliative cytology. After euthanasia, vaginal tissues were retrieved, fixed and frozen at diestrus, proestrus, estrus and metestrus. The ovaries and testis were used as positive control tissues for immunohistochemistry.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud Data from cytological study allowed identification of different estrous cycle phases. Immunohistochemical analysis showed different sites of expression of steroidogenic enzymes along with tissue response throughout different phases of the estrous cycle. However, further studies are needed to characterize the derived hormones synthesized by, and the enzymes activities associated with, vaginal tissues.\ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud Current results not only support the expression of enzymes involved in sex steroid synthesis in the wall of the vagina, they also indicate that expression changes with the stage of the cycle, both the levels and types of cells exhibiting expression. Thus, changes in proliferation of vaginal epithelial cells and the differentiation of the mucosa may be influenced by local steroid synthesis as well as circulating androgens and estrogens.This work was supported by grants from São Paulo Research Foundation/\ud FAPESP, Sao Paulo, Brazil (Process Number: 2011/03655-2) and the National\ud Council of Scientific Researches/CNPq (Process Number: 402220/2010-2)