Establishment of multi-stage intravenous self-administration paradigms in mice.

Genetically tractable animal models provide needed strategies to resolve the biological basis of drug addiction. Intravenous self-administration (IVSA) is the gold standard for modeling psychostimulant and opioid addiction in animals, but technical limitations have precluded the widespread use of IVSA in mice. Here, we describe IVSA paradigms for mice that capture the multi-stage nature of the disorder and permit predictive modeling.

Prenatal heroin exposure alters brain morphology and connectivity in adolescent mice.

The United States is experiencing a dramatic increase in maternal opioid misuse and, consequently, the number of individuals exposed to opioids in utero. Prenatal opioid exposure has both acute and long-lasting effects on health and wellbeing. Effects on the brain, often identified at school age, manifest as cognitive impairment, attention deficit, and reduced scholastic achievement.

Insufficient evidence for vitamin D use in COVID-19: A rapid systematic review.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the increased severity of numerous viral infections.

Objective: To assess whether vitamin D supplementation is safe and effective for the treatment of COVID-19.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, LILACS and LOVE for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published up to 2 March evaluating the effects of vitamin D for the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Risk of venous thromboembolism in users of contraception and menopausal hormone therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern. Inflammatory changes are part of COVID-19 pathophysiology and this might generate a higher thromboembolic risk in patients using combined hormonal contraception and menopausal hormone therapy. We aimed to discuss the main aspects related to this issue and propose management strategies for women affected by COVID-19.

Dengue infection in pregnancy and its impact on the placenta.

A histopathological and immunohistochemical study was conducted in placental tissues and retained products of conception from 24 patients with confirmed dengue infection during pregnancy. The immunohistochemical assay was positive for dengue virus in 19 placental and three ovular remnants analyzed. The light microscopic findings were signs of hypoxia, choriodeciduitis, deciduitis and intervillositis and the viral antigens were found in cytoplasmic of the trophoblast, villous stroma and decidua.

Cutaneous invasion from sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma: clinical and dermatopathologic features.

In Brazil, without considering the non-melanoma skin tumors, bladder cancer in men is the eighth most common, and the urothelial carcinoma or transitional cell carcinoma is the most common among these. Cutaneous metastases from urothelial neoplasms appear as single or multiple erythematous, infiltrated nodules or plaques, and like other cases of distant disease, it is indicative of poor prognosis. The invasive urothelial carcinoma is recognized for its ability to present divergent differentiation and morphological variants.

Distance to parks and non-residential destinations influences physical activity of older people, but crime doesn't: a cross-sectional study in a southern European city.

Background: Physical activity (PA) has numerous health benefits, but older adults live mostly sedentary lifestyles. The physical and social neighborhood environment may encourage/dissuade PA. In particular, neighborhood crime may lead to feeling unsafe and affect older adults' willingness to be physically active.

Correlation of MCM2 detection with stage and virology of cervical cancer.

Unlabelled: The highly conserved mini-chromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) are important in the initiation of DNA replication. Few studies have correlated MCM expression with the progression of cancer.

Objectives: (i) To analyze the expression of MCM2 in cervical cancer; (ii) to correlate MCM2 expression with the clinical tumor staging according to FIGO classification, and (iii) to relate HPV type to MCM2 expression.

Immunoexpression of the COX-2, p53, and caspase-3 proteins in colorectal adenoma and non-neoplastic mucosa.

Objective: To analyze the immunoexpression of the COX-2, p53, and caspase-3 proteins in colorectal adenomas and non-neoplastic mucosa.

Methods: 72 individuals were subjected to colonoscopy, which provided 50 samples of adenomas and 45 samples of non-neoplastic colorectal mucosa. The tissue samples were obtained via the tissue microarray technique and subjected to immunohistochemical analysis using primary anti-p53, anti-COX-2, and anti-caspase-3 antibodies.

A comparative analysis of clinical and molecular factors with the stage of cervical cancer in a Brazilian cohort.

Unlabelled: Cell cycle protein expression plays an important role in the pathophysiology of cervical cancer. However, few studies have attempted to correlate the use of these biomarkers with the clinical progression of the tumor.

Objectives: 1) To analyze the expression of Ki-67, p53 and p16(INK4a) in cervical cancer, 2) to correlate the relative expression of these proteins as well as clinical parameters with the stage of disease, and 3) to determine the HPV DNA prevalence and subtype distribution.

Tamoxifen decreases the myofibroblast count in the healing bile duct tissue of pigs.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral tamoxifen treatment on the number of myofibroblasts present during the healing process after experimental bile duct injury.

Methods: The sample consisted of 16 pigs that were divided into two groups (the control and study groups). Incisions and suturing of the bile ducts were performed in the two groups.

Hypernociception and wound healing after application of cyanoacrylate ester as a tissue adhesive in rats.

Objective: The present study assessed and compared postoperative hypernociception and skin healing after cyanoacrylate and classic suture as well as analyzed morphologic features of the tissue repair.

Study Design: The intensity of hypernociception was measured with an electronic pressure-meter test. Rats were given an incised wound in the middle of the palms of the right and left paws.

Atopy patch test (APT) in the diagnosis of food allergy in children with atopic dermatitis.

Background: Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Food allergens are important in the pathogenesis in 1/3 of the cases. Several mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of Atopic Dermatitis.

An evaluation of p16(INK4a) expression in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia specimens, including women with HIV-1.

Although several studies have evaluated the role of p16(INK4a) as a diagnostic marker of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and its association with disease progression, studies regarding the role of p16(INK4a) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients remain scarce. The present study was designed to determine the potential utility of p16(INK4a) as a diagnostic marker for CIN and invasive cervical cancer in HIV-positive and negative cervical specimens. An immunohistochemical analysis of p16(INK4a) was performed in 326 cervical tissue microarray specimens.

Evaluation of liver regeneration by modulation with ischemic preconditioning after ischemia and reperfusion and partial hepatectomy.

Objective: To evaluate liver regeneration modulated by ischemic preconditioning after ischemia, reperfusion and partial hepatectomy.

Methods: We used 24 Wistar rats of 12 weeks of age, which were randomly assigned into four groups: control (SHAM), hepatectomy (HEP), ischemia and reperfusion (IRG) and Ischemic Preconditioning (SRG). Analyses were made on liver enzymes ALT and AST, assessment of regeneration through the initial and final weight of the liver and the proliferation of hepatocytes by immunohistochemical analysis with Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA).

Evaluation of MCM-2 expression in TMA cervical specimens.

Background: Minichromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) are highly expressed in actively replicating cells. The need for biological markers for cervical carcinoma and its precursor lesions is emerging. Our main aim was to determine the immunohistochemical expression of MCM-2 in HIV-positive and -negative dysplastic cervical specimens.

Antiarrhythmogenic effects of a neurotoxin from the spider Phoneutria nigriventer.

In this study, we evaluated the effects of PhKv, a 4584 Da peptide isolated from the spider Phoneutria nigriventer venom, in the isolated rat heart and in isolated ventricular myocytes. Ventricular arrhythmias were induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 15 min followed by 30 min of reperfusion. Administration of native PhKv (240 nM) 1 min before or after reperfusion markedly reduced the duration of arrhythmias.

The benefits of using selenium in the treatment of Chagas disease: prevention of right ventricle chamber dilatation and reversion of Trypanosoma cruzi-induced acute and chronic cardiomyopathy in mice.

Cardiac damage is a frequent manifestation of Chagas disease, which is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient, the deficiency of which has been implicated in the development of cardiomyopathy. Our group has previously demonstrated that Se supplementation prevents myocardial damage during acute T.

Hypodermic needle without recipient paraffin block technique.

This technique allows building TMA blocks with more than 300 tissue cores without using a recipient paraffin block for the tissue cores and without using a commercial TMA builder instrument. It is based on the construction of TMA needles modifying conventional hypodermic needles to punch tissue cores from donor blocks. Tissue cores are punctured from donor blocks and attached by double-sided adhesive tape on a computer-generated paper grid used to align the cores on the block mold, which is filled with liquid paraffin.

[Delayed pressure urticaria with systemic manifestations: Case report].

Delayed Pressure Urticaria is considered a rare disease,with clinical diagnosis different from classical urticaria, with possible systemic manifestations. Therefore, it is Frequently underdiagnosed, even by specialists. In this article, the case of a patient with a typical history of pressure-induced lesions is presented.

Cell-cycle and suppressor proteins expression in uterine cervix in HIV/HPV co-infection: comparative study by tissue micro-array (TMA).

Background: The oncoproteins of human papillomavirus (HPVs) directly effect cell-cycle control. We hypothesize that regulatory and cell cycle protein expression might be additionally modified in the cervix of HIV/HPV co-infected women.

Methods: We analyzed the expression of Rb, p27, VEGF and Elf-1 transcriptor factor by immunohistochemistry in 163 paraffin-embeded cervical samples using Tissue Micro-Array (TMA) and correlated this to HIV-1 and HPV infection.

Immunoblastic morphology in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is associated with a nongerminal center immunophenotypic profile.

Diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLCBL) are a group of lymphomas whose biologic and prognostic diversity has been recently well characterized. There is also morphologic heterogeneity, but the relevance of subclassification remains uncertain. The World Health Organization Classification states that pathologists have the choice to use only the term diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or to use one of the specific morphologic variants.

Histologic, viral, and molecular correlates of dengue fever infection of the liver using highly sensitive immunohistochemistry.

The mechanism by which the virus associated with dengue fever can cause a fatal hepatitis is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine 9 cases of fatal dengue hemorrhagic fever-associated hepatitis, and to correlate the histologic findings with viral detection and cytokine response. The histologic changes were nonspecific and included massive hepatic necrosis and a pauci-cellular acute hepatitis.