Evaluation of the use of the myocardial performance index as a parameter of cardiac function in two experimental models of heart disease: myocardial infarction and pulmonary hypertension.

Myocardial performance index (MPI) has been used in the estimation of ventricular function in a non-invasive way through echocardiography. This index has presented relevant results in clinical and experimental studies. However, there are no studies evaluating whether this index correlates with other cardiac parameters in experimental models of heart disease, such as monocrotaline-induced pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Successful establishment of a model of the piglet gastrointestinal microbiota and its' modulation by prebiotics.

Aims: This study proposed an in-house in vitro model to investigate the effects of two prebiotic treatments on the gastrointestinal microbiota of piglets.

Methods And Results: The model involved suspending piglet feces in a culture medium to simulate the ileum and proximal colon regions of the swine gastrointestinal tract. The prebiotics tested were mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) and sodium butyrate.

Melatonin effects on oxidative stress and on TLR4/NF-kβ inflammatory pathway in the right ventricle of rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterised by an increase in mean pulmonary arterial pressure and a compromised the right ventricle (RV), together with progression to heart failure and premature death. Studies have evaluated the role of melatonin as a promising therapeutic strategy for PAH. The objective of this study was to evaluate melatonin's effects on oxidative stress and on the TLR4/NF-kβ inflammatory pathway in the RV of rats with PAH.

Melatonin improves nitric oxide bioavailability in isoproterenol induced myocardial injury.

Isoproterenol administration is associated with cardiac inflammation and decreased NO availability. Melatonin has been reported to have cardioprotective effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of melatonin on NO bioavailability and inflammation in myocardial injury induced by isoproterenol.

Interplay between diphenyl diselenide and copper: Impact on D. melanogaster survival, behavior, and biochemical parameters.

Copper (Cu) is a biologically essential element that participates in numerous physiological processes. However, elevated concentrations of copper have been associated with cellular oxidative stress and neurodegenerative diseases. Organo‑selenium compounds such as diphenyl diselenide (DPDS) have in vitro and in vivo antioxidant properties.

The Role of SOX2 and SOX9 in Radioresistance and Tumor Recurrence.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) exhibits considerable variability in patient outcome. It has been reported that SOX2 plays a role in proliferation, tumor growth, drug resistance, and metastasis in a variety of cancer types. Additionally, SOX9 has been implicated in immune tolerance and treatment failures.

Inflammatory markers in outpatients with schizophrenia diagnosis in regular use of clozapine: a cross-sectional study.

It is known that inflammation worsen the course of schizophrenia and induce high clozapine serum levels. However, no study evaluated this change in function of clozapine daily dose in schizophrenia. We assessed the correlation between inflammation and severity symptoms in patients with schizophrenia that take and do not take clozapine.

Computational analysis of the interactions between Ebselen and derivatives with the active site of the main protease from SARS-CoV-2.

The main protease (M) of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is a key target for developing antiviral drugs. Ebselen (EbSe) is a selenium-containing compound that has been shown to inhibit Mpro in vitro by forming a covalent bond with the cysteine (Cys) residue in the active site of the enzyme. However, EbSe can also bind to other proteins, like albumin, and low molecular weight compounds that have free thiol groups, such as Cys and glutathione (GSH), which may affect its availability and activity.

Influence of carvedilol and thyroid hormones on inflammatory proteins and cardioprotective factor HIF-1α in the infarcted heart.

Inflammatory pathways of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and NLRP3 inflammasome contribute to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) pathophysiology. The hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), however, is a key transcription factor related to cardioprotection. This study aimed to compare the influence of carvedilol and thyroid hormones (TH) on inflammatory and HIF-1α proteins and on cardiac haemodynamics in the infarcted heart.

Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance and Biofilm-Forming Capacity in Tetracycline-Resistant Bacteria from a Coastal Lagoon.

Concerns have been raised regarding co-selection for antibiotic resistance among bacteria exposed to antibiotics used as growth promoters for some livestock and poultry species. Tetracycline had been commonly used for this purpose worldwide, and its residue has been associated with selection of resistant bacteria in aquatic biofilms. This study aimed to determine the resistance profile, the existence of some beta-lactamases genes and the capacity to form biofilm of bacteria isolated from water samples previously exposed to tetracycline (20 mg/L).

Effects of Carvedilol and Thyroid Hormones Co-administration on Apoptotic and Survival Proteins in the Heart After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Cellular death and survival signaling plays a key role in the progress of adverse cardiac remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Therapeutic strategies, such as co-treatment with beta-blocker carvedilol and thyroid hormones (THs), give rise to new approaches that can sustain the cellular homeostasis after AMI. Therefore, we sought to investigate the effects of carvedilol and TH co-administration on apoptosis and survival proteins and on cardiac remodeling after AMI.

Role of inflammation, oxidative stress, and autonomic nervous system activation during the development of right and left cardiac remodeling in experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension.

This study investigated the impact of experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) progression by evaluating morphometric and functional parameters, oxidative stress, autonomic nervous system (ANS) activation, and inflammation in the right (RV) and left (LV) ventricles. Male rats were first divided into two groups: monocrotaline (MCT) and control. The MCT group received a single MCT injection (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), while control received saline.

Impact of early life AT blockade on adult cardiac morpho-functional changes and the renin-angiotensin system in a model of neonatal high oxygen-induced cardiomyopathy.

We previously reported that neonatal blockade of angiotensin II AT receptor prevents cardiac changes in 4 weeks rats with neonatal hyperoxia-induced cardiomyopathy, a recognized model of prematurity-related deleterious conditions. Considering the importance of AT receptor and the renin angiotensin system (RAS) in normal development, the present study aimed to investigate the adult effects of neonatal AT blockade on left ventricle (LV) in rats exposed to neonatal hyperoxia. Sprague-Dawley pups were exposed to 80% O or room air from days 3-10.

Spinal Manipulation Therapy Improves Tactile Allodynia and Peripheral Nerve Functionality and Modulates Blood Oxidative Stress Markers in Rats Exposed to Knee-Joint Immobilization.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of manually assisted lumbar spinal manipulation therapy on tactile allodynia, peripheral nerve functional recovery, and oxidative markers in rats exposed to knee immobilization-inducing hypersensitivity.

Methods: Tactile allodynia and sciatic, tibial, and peroneal functional indices were assessed before the knee joint immobilization, 24 hours after the knee cast removal, and 24 hours after 3 weeks of lumbar therapy with the Activator Adjusting Instrument, model 4 (AAI 4). Subsequently, the blood was collected from each rat, and oxidative markers such as lipid hydroperoxide levels; nitric oxide metabolites; and superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were assessed.

Bucindolol Modulates Cardiac Remodeling by Attenuating Oxidative Stress in H9c2 Cardiac Cells Exposed to Norepinephrine.

The increased circulation of norepinephrine, found in the diseased heart as a result of sympathetic nervous system overactivation, is responsible for its cardiotoxic effects including pathological hypertrophy, cell death, and oxidative stress. Bucindolol is a third generation adrenergic blocker, which acts on the 1 and 2 receptors, and has additional 1 antagonist activity. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the action of bucindolol on oxidative stress, hypertrophy, cell survival, and cell death signaling pathways in H9c2 cardiac cells exposed to norepinephrine.

Carvedilol and thyroid hormones co-administration mitigates oxidative stress and improves cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction.

After acute myocardial infarction (AMI), reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress have important roles in the progression to heart failure. As a therapeutic alternative, thyroid hormones (TH) revealed cardioprotective effects after AMI, including decreasing oxidative stress. Carvedilol beta-blocker, already used in the clinical treatment of AMI, also mitigate cardiac pathological remodelling.

DHEA Treatment Effects on Redox Environment in Skeletal Muscle of Young and Aged Healthy Rats.

Background: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an important precursor of active steroid hormone, produced abundantly by the adrenal cortex with an age-dependent pattern.

Objective: We investigated whether chronic DHEA administration impacts on redox status and on Akt protein activation in skeletal muscle during the aging process (3 and 24 months-old rats).

Methods: Rats received one weekly dose/5 weeks of DHEA (10 mg/kg) or vehicle.

Bucindolol attenuates the vascular remodeling of pulmonary arteries by modulating the expression of the endothelin-1 A receptor in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the ß-adrenergic blocker bucindolol on endothelial dysfunction and pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control, monocrotaline (MCT), control?+?bucindolol and monocrotaline?+?bucindolol (MCT?+?BCD). PAH was induced by an injection of monocrotaline (60?mg/kg i.

Role of Redox Homeostasis and Inflammation in the Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

This review addresses pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), an incurable disease, which determines high morbidity and mortality. Definition of the disease, its characteristics, classification, and epidemiology are discussed. A difficulty in the diagnosis of PAH due to the lack of symptoms specificity is highlighted.

Thyroid hormones decrease the proinflammatory TLR4/NF-κβ pathway and improve functional parameters of the left ventricle of infarcted rats.

Myocardial infarction leads to oxidative stress and promotes activation of the TLR4/NF-κβ proinflammatory pathway. Thyroid hormones (TH) are known to be cardioprotective after infarction. However, there are no studies evaluating whether TH could modulate this pathway in the heart.

Effects of ovariectomy on antioxidant defence systems in the right ventricle of female rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension induced by monocrotaline.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of ovariectomy on oxidative stress in the right ventricle (RV) of female rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) induced by monocrotaline (MCT). Rats were divided into 4 groups (n = 6 per group): sham (S), sham + MCT (SM), ovariectomized (O), and ovariectomized + MCT (OM). MCT (60 mg·kg i.

Influence of twitching and swarming motilities on biofilm formation in Pseudomonas strains.

The genus Pseudomonas mainly includes opportunistic pathogens that rely on type IV pili as an important virulence factor, which is associated with adherence and biofilm formation. Pseudomonas infections are well known to be persistent and resilient in nature largely because of the tendency of the species to form biofilms. This study aimed at analyzing environmental strains of Pseudomonas genus with respect to their ability to execute twitching and swarming motilities as well as with respect to their ability to form biofilms both in the presence as well as in the absence of furanone, a substance that has the potential to prevent the formation of biofilms.