In vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy and molecular dynamics analysis of penetration of retinyl acetate into stratum corneum

Objective The purpose of this study is to elucidate the behavior of retinyl acetate in penetrating human skin without the presence of enhancers by using confocal Raman spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation. Methods In this study, in vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy was combined with molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the transdermal permeation of the aqueous suspension of retinyl acetate. Results Permeation was measured after 30 min, and retinyl acetate was found up to 20 m deep inside the stratum corneum. The delivery of retinyl acetate inside a skin membrane model was studied by molecular dynamics. The membrane model that was used represented normal young skin containing a lipid bilayer with 25% ceramide, 36% fatty acid, 30% cholesterol, and 6% cholesterol sulfate. Conclusion Spectroscopy data indicate that retinyl acetate permeates into the stratum corneum. Molecular dynamics data showed that retinyl acetate permeates in the membrane model and that their final location is deep inside the lipid bilayer. We showed, for the first time, a correlation between Raman permeation data and computational data.C.A. Telléz S. would like to thank Capes/Brazil (88881.068140/2014-01 and 88887.125253/2015-00) for the grant. A.M. Cavaco-Paulo thanks Fapesp/Brazil (2014/05975-2) for the grant

Empoderamento e feminismo negro: decolonizando epistemologias e mentalidades

Joice Berth Entrevista por Naira Pinheiro dos Santos, Nilza Menezes e Priscila Kikuchi Campanaro

Influence of nanoencapsulated lutein on acetylcholinesterase activity: In vitro determination, kinetic parameters, and in silico docking simulations

Lutein is a bioactive found in dark leafy vegetables that may be used as a nutraceutical agent in foodstuff and an inhibitor of key enzymes of the human body such as those involved in the cholinergic system. However, its high hydrophobicity leads to low bioavailability and must be overcome if lutein is to be added in foods. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of nanoencapsulated lutein in the activity of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. The in vitro study was carried out using water in order to evaluate the impact of encapsulation on the hydrophilicity of lutein. In vitro assays showed that lutein, both free and nanoencapsulated, presented a mixedtype inhibition behavior, and encapsulated lutein was able to inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity even in an aqueous medium. Inhibition was also showed by the in silico docking results which show that lutein interacted with the pocket region of the enzyme.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Periostin as a modulator of chronic cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE: After acute myocardial infarction, during the cardiac repair phase, periostin is released into the infarct and activates signaling pathways that are essential for the reparative process. However, the role of periostin in chronic cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction remains to be elucidated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between tissue periostin and cardiac variables in the chronic cardiac remodeling induced by myocardial infarction. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were assigned to 2 groups: a simulated surgery group (SHAM; n = 8) and a myocardial infarction group (myocardial infarction; n = 13). After 3 months, morphological, functional and biochemical analyses were performed. The data are expressed as means±SD or medians (including the lower and upper quartiles). RESULTS: Myocardial infarctions induced increased left ventricular diastolic and systolic areas associated with a decreased fractional area change and a posterior wall shortening velocity. With regard to the extracellular matrix variables, the myocardial infarction group presented with higher values of periostin and types I and III collagen and higher interstitial collagen volume fractions and myocardial hydroxyproline concentrations. In addition, periostin was positively correlated with type III collagen levels (r = 0.673, p = 0.029) and diastolic (r = 0.678, p = 0.036) and systolic (r = 0.795, p = 0.006) left ventricular areas. Considering the relationship between periostin and the cardiac function variables, periostin was inversely correlated with both the fractional area change (r = -0.783, p = 0.008) and the posterior wall shortening velocity (r = -0.767, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Periostin might be a modulator of deleterious cardiac remodeling in the chronic phase after myocardial infarction in rats

Complex nanoemulsion for vitamin delivery:Droplet organization and interaction with skin membranes

Lipid nanoemulsions are promising nanomaterials for drug delivery applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Despite the noteworthy commercial interest, little is known about their supramolecular organization, especially about how such multicomponent formulations interact with cell membranes. In the present work, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations have been employed to study the self-assembly of a 15-component lipid nanoemulsion droplet containing vitamins A and E for skin delivery. Our results display aspects of the unique "onion-like" agglomeration between the chemical constituents in the different layers of the lipid nanodroplet. Vitamin E molecules are more concentrated in the center of the droplet together with other hydrophobic constituents such as the triglycerides with long tails. On the other hand, vitamin A occupies an intermediate layer between the core and the co-emulsifier surface of the nanodroplet, together with lecithin phospholipids. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations were also performed to provide insight into the first steps involved in absorption and penetration of the nanodroplet through skin membrane models, representing an intracellular (hair follicle infundibulum) and intercellular pathway (stratum corneum) through the skin. Our data provide a first view on the complex organization of commercial nanoemulsion and its interaction with skin membranes. We expect our results to open the way towards the rational design of such nanomaterials

Homemade oral supplement: a proposal for the nutritional recovery of children and adolescents with cancer

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of homemade oral supplements on the nutritional recovery of patients with mild or severe malnutrition or at nutritional risk. Methods Eight recipes of homemade oral supplements containing 30% to 35% of the total energy expenditure were proposed. The patients with severe malnutrition (group B) received the oral supplement for 2 weeks and the others for 4 weeks (group A). Oral supplementation with homemade supplements was compared with oral supplementation with store-bought supplements, investigated earlier with a protocol with the same design. Results Homemade oral supplements contain much lower amounts of certain micronutrients but are five times cheaper than store-bought supplements. In group A, 88% of the patients taking homemade oral supplements and 84% of the patients taking store-bought supplements responded positively to supplementation. In group B, 22% of the patients taking homemade oral supplements and 25% of the patients taking store-bought supplements recovered. The difference was not significant. The impact of store-bought supplementation on the triceps skinfold thicknesses and arm circumferences of the patients in group A was greater than that obtained with homemade supplements. In group B, the effect on triceps skinfold thickness was not significant (p=0.16). Patients taking homemade or store-bought oral supplements presented similar protein and energy intakes and improvements in nutritional status. Only the body composition of patients in group A taking store-bought oral supplements was better. Conclusion The results obtained by this study suggest that the therapeutic use of homemade oral supplements is an alternative capable of promoting the nutritional recovery of cancer patients, especially those who cannot afford store-bought supplements.Objetivo Avaliar o impacto do suplemento oral artesanal na recuperação do estado nutricional de pacientes com desnutrição leve, grave e com risco nutricional. Métodos Propuseram-se oito receitas de suplementos visando ofertar entre 30,0% e 35,0% do gasto energético total. Os pacientes com desnutrição grave (grupo B) receberam o suplemento oral por duas semanas, e os demais pacientes (grupo A), por quatro semanas. Para a comparação dos resultados obtidos com o emprego do suplemento oral artesanal, foram utilizados dados referentes a um protocolo anterior, com o mesmo desenho, entretanto, com a utilização de suplemento oral industrializado. Resultados O suplemento oral artesanal fica muito aquém no que diz respeito a alguns micronutrientes, entretanto é cinco vezes mais barato do que a preparação com o suplemento oral industrializado. Os pacientes do grupo A com suplemento oral artesanal apresentaram 88,0% de resposta positiva na semana de avaliação, enquanto os com suplemento oral industrializado tiveram 84,0%. No grupo B, foram recuperados 22,0% dos pacientes com suplemento oral artesanal e 25,0% do grupo com suplemento oral industrializado, não apresentando, portanto, diferença significante. Comparando o impacto do industrializado com o do artesanal na prega cutânea tricipital e circunferência do braço, verificou-se que o suplemento oral industrializado no grupo A apresentou melhores resultados que o suplemento oral artesanal, e no grupo B, esse efeito observado na prega cutânea não foi significante (p=0,16). Os consumos de energia e de proteína, assim como a evolução nutricional, foram semelhantes entre suplemento oral industrializado e suplemento oral artesanal. Apenas a composição corpórea no grupo A com suplemento oral industrializado apresentou melhores resultados. Conclusão Os resultados apresentados neste estudo sugerem que o emprego da terapia com suplemento artesanal seja uma opção capaz de auxiliar na recuperação nutricional de pacientes oncológicos e uma opção para populações financeiramente desfavorecidas.Hospital Samaritano de São PauloInstituto Adriana GarófoloUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Pediatria Instituto de Oncologia PediátricaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de PediatriaUNIFESP, Depto. de Pediatria Instituto de Oncologia PediátricaUNIFESP, Depto. de PediatriaSciEL

Consumer Complaints and Company Market Value

Consumer complaints affect company market value and common sense suggests that a negative impact is expected. However, do complaints always negatively impact company market value? We hypothesize in this study that complaints may have a non-linear effect on market value. Positive (e.g. avoiding high costs to solve complaints) and negative (e.g. speedy and intense diffusion) tradeoffs may occur given the level of complaints. To test our non-linear hypothesis, a panel data was collected from cell phone service providers from 2005 to 2013. The results supported our tradeoff rationale. Low levels of complaints allow for companies to increase market value, while high levels of complaints cause increasing harm to market value. The sample, model and period considered in this study, indicates a level of 0.49 complaints per thousand consumers as the threshold for a shift in tradeoffs. The effects on market value become increasingly negative when trying to make reductions to move below this level, due to negative tradeoffs