The Role of Trypan Blue as a Conventional and Fluorescent Dye for the Diagnosis of Superficial Mycoses by Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) Testing.

Direct microscopic examination of samples using potassium hydroxide (KOH) is a fast, simple, and inexpensive method to confirm clinical suspicion of superficial mycosis. However, the lack of color contrast in this test makes it difficult to separate any fungal structures from artifacts. The sensitivity of the KOH mount technique may be enhanced using both fluorochromes and conventional stains that highlight the fungal structures when observed under fluorescence microscopy and bright-field, respectively.

Effects of diabetes mellitus on myenteric neuronal density and sodium channel expression in the rat ileum.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) may lead to gastrointestinal motility disorders. Rodent models of DM indicate the presence of morpho-functional abnormalities of the enteric nervous system. Here, we evaluated whether experimental DM can cause changes in the excitatory cholinergic fibers, neuronal density, and voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav) expression in the myenteric plexus of the ileum.

Selective human inhibitors of ATR and ATM render Leishmania major promastigotes sensitive to oxidative damage.

All cellular processes, including those involved in normal cell metabolism to those responsible for cell proliferation or death, are finely controlled by cell signaling pathways, whose core proteins constitute the family of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases (PIKKs). Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) and Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3 related (ATR) are two important PIKK proteins that act in response to DNA damage, phosphorylating a large number of proteins to exert control over genomic integrity. The genus Leishmania belongs to a group of early divergent eukaryotes in evolution and has a highly plastic genome, probably owing to the existence of signaling pathways designed to maintain genomic integrity.

Biological properties of cardiac mesenchymal stem cells in rats with diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Unlabelled: Cardiomyopathy is a major outcome in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and contributes to the high morbidity/mortality observed in this disease.

Aims: To evaluate several biological properties of cardiac mesenchymal stem cells (cMSCs) in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced DM with concomitant diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Main Methods: After 10weeks of DM induction, diabetic and control rats were assessed using ECG and ventricular hemodynamics monitoring.

Influence of the Expression of Inflammatory Markers on Kidney after Fetal Programming in an Experimental Model of Renal Failure.

To evaluate the expression of inflammatory markers in experimental renal failure after fetal programming. The offspring aged two and five months were divided into four groups: CC (control dams, control offspring); DC (diabetic dams, control offspring); CFA (control dams, folic acid offspring, 250 mg/Kg); and DFA (diabetic dams, folic acid offspring). Gene expression of inflammatory markers MCP-1, IL-1, NOS3, TGF-, TNF-, and VEGF was evaluated by RT-PCR.

Morphological and functional aspects of acute kidney injury after fetal programing in the offspring of diabetic rats.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of folic acid (FA)-induced renal failure in young offspring of diabetic mothers.

Methods: The offspring of streptozotocin-induced diabetic dams were divided into four groups: CC (controls receiving vehicle); DC (diabetics receiving vehicle); CA (controls receiving FA solution, 250 mg/kg) and DA (diabetics receiving FA solution, 250 mg/kg). Renal function tests and morphometry results were analyzed.