Publications by authors named "Amanda Zangirolami"

Antibiotics remain the most effective option for combating infections. However, the situation has shifted from ideal to concerning, as bacterial resistance to antibiotics is increasing in both prevalence and strength. : This study explores the synergistic/antagonistic potential of combining antibiotic and photodynamic therapy (PDT) against .

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Fungal infections related to biofilm formation on medical devices, such as endotracheal tubes (ETTs), pose significant health risks, especially during intubation procedures where fungi like Candida spp. can migrate into the lower respiratory tract. This study explores the use of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) to prevent fungal cell migration from ETT surfaces to lungs, focusing on the role of curcumin as a photosensitizer.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers created films containing pectin, glycerin, and different substances to treat biofilms formed on catheters, exposing them to LED light at 450 nm and 630 nm for varying durations.
  • * Results showed that curcuminoid films effectively eliminated S. aureus biofilms, while Photogem films worked best on E. coli; both treatments displayed similar light penetration effects in thicker biofilms.
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Article Synopsis
  • Hospital-acquired infections, particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), pose significant challenges in intensive care units, leading to high mortality rates and increased healthcare costs.
  • The endotracheal tube (ETT) is vital for assisted breathing but can harbor bacterial biofilms and multidrug-resistant bacteria, contributing to VAP.
  • A new approach involves creating ETTs functionalized with curcumin, a photosensitizer, which can effectively reduce bacterial levels by up to 95% through photodynamic inactivation, offering a promising solution to tackle hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic resistance.
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Gram-negative bacteria and bacteria in biofilms are very difficult to eradicate and are the most antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therapeutic alternatives less susceptible to mechanisms of resistance are urgently needed to respond to an alarming increase of resistant nosocomial infections. Antibacterial photodynamic inactivation (PDI) generates oxidative stress that triggers multiple cell death mechanisms that are more difficult to counteract by bacteria.

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Objectives: Telangiectasia is a common venous formation that mainly affects women and causes discomfort, including psychological distress. This study compared photodynamic therapy (PDT) with glucose for vessel sclerosis in a rabbit ear model.

Methods: Thirty-six ears of 18 rabbits were randomly divided into four groups: Group 1: only injection of Photogem (4 mg/mL); Group 2: only light (635 nm, 100 mW/cm, 8 min, 48 J/cm); Group 3: glucose 75% injection; Group 4: PDT procedure with injection of Photogem and illumination immediately after.

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Photobiomodulation was explored to find evidence of stimulation during the development of newborn rats. A light chamber device was used, and rat pups were divided into groups after birth. Investigation of the process' security was performed before the full experiment.

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Background: Hospital infections are a public health problem that can occur with the use of catheters and endotracheal tubes (ETT). Pathogenic microorganisms may adhere to surfaces of these materials forming a biofilm and produce an extracellular polymer matrix that promotes resistance of microorganisms to factors such as pH, temperature and drugs. The conventional treatment is being made by antibiotics, which has serious adverse effects in immunocompromised patients.

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It is well known that, under exposure to bright light, eggs tend to hatch earlier than control, without any damage to the birds. This report aims to systematically show the effect and establishes a proposal for a possible application to accelerate chicken egg formation, which could be extrapolated or adapted as a great advance in premature human newborns. Comparing several protocols, the experiments show that lower doses of light slowly delivered for 24 h promote higher efficiency in embryo development, increasing on average 25% of its size and more than 70% in weight when compared to the control.

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The development of a tumor in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) enables a more individualized understanding of the dynamics of the photosensitizer (PS) interaction with the tumor blood vessels and cells. Photogem and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) precursor, were used as PS and their red fluorescence enabled the monitoring of PS dynamic distribution in the vessels and in the tumor. With a tumor model in CAM and fluorescence assessment, the aim of this study was to evaluate the PDT parameters comparing different photosensitezers.

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