Social, environmental, and COVID-19 pandemic-related effects on women's food security and health in Honduras.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected women in Honduras in terms of loss of employment and income opportunities, access to healthcare services, and increased poverty and food insecurity. The pre-pandemic gender inequalities in Honduras have resulted in harsher conditions for women since the onset of the pandemic. Early reports indicate that women have lost employment and incomes and have been burdened by other effects of the pandemic, such as more household work, childcare activities, and home schooling.

Chile's role in global health diplomacy: a narrative literature review.

Background: Global health diplomacy (GHD) has become an important field of investigation due to health concerns increasingly entering the foreign policy domain. Much of the existing academic writing focuses on North-South cooperation in global health, and emphasizes the role of security and economic interests by Northern countries as drivers of GHD. Chile presents a favourable environment for an expanded involvement in future GHD activities.

Histamine therapeutic efficacy in metastatic melanoma: Role of histamine H4 receptor agonists and opportunity for combination with radiation.

The aims of the work were to improve our knowledge of the role of H4R in melanoma proliferation and assess in vivo the therapeutic efficacy of histamine, clozapine and JNJ28610244, an H4R agonist, in a preclinical metastatic model of melanoma. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the combinatorial effect of histamine and gamma radiation on the radiobiological response of melanoma cells.Results indicate that 1205Lu metastatic melanoma cells express H4R and that histamine inhibits proliferation, in part through the stimulation of the H4R, and induces cell senescence and melanogenesis.

Histamine H4 receptor: insights into a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, and the leading cause of cancer death in women. Several studies underlined the critical role of histamine in breast cancer development and progression. This review addresses the latest evidence regarding the involvement of histamine and histamine receptors in breast cancer, focusing particularly in the histamine H4 receptor (H4R).

Enhancement of ionizing radiation response by histamine in vitro and in vivo in human breast cancer.

The radioprotective potential of histamine on healthy tissue has been previously demonstrated. The aims of this work were to investigate the combinatorial effect of histamine or its receptor ligands and gamma radiation in vitro on the radiobiological response of 2 breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7), to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of the radiosensitizing action and to evaluate the histamine-induced radiosensitization in vivo in a triple negative breast cancer model. Results indicate that histamine significantly increased the radiosensitivity of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells.

Chlorpyrifos inhibits cell proliferation through ERK1/2 phosphorylation in breast cancer cell lines.

It is well known the participation of oxidative stress in the induction and development of different pathologies including cancer, diabetes, neurodegeneration and respiratory disorders among others. It has been reported that oxidative stress may be induced by pesticides and it could be the cause of health alteration mediated by pollutants exposure. Large number of registered products containing chlorpyrifos (CPF) is used to control pest worldwide.

Effects of oligoelements Se, Zn, and Mn plus Lachesis muta venom in experimental scleroderma.

Scleroderma, sclerosis of the skin, is a severe autoimmune disease refractant to all kind of treatments. To study the in vivo effects of a combination of three oligoelements selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) plus Lachesis muta venom (O-LM) on the bleomycin (BLM)-induced scleroderma mouse experimental model. C3H mice were randomly divided into four groups: control (phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)), O-LM, BLM, and BLM + O-LM.

Antitumor activity of histamine and clozapine in a mouse experimental model of human melanoma.

Background: Functional presence of histamine H4 receptor (H4R) was demonstrated in human melanoma cell lines and biopsies.

Objective: The purposes of this work were to investigate signal transduction pathways and biological responses triggered by the activation of H4R in human primary (WM35) and metastatic (M1/15) melanoma cell lines and to evaluate the in vivo antitumor activity of histamine (HA) and clozapine (CLZ) on human M1/15 melanoma xenografts.

Methods: Clonogenic assay, incorporation of BrdU, cell cycle distribution, phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and cAMP production were evaluated in vitro.

Protection of radiation-induced damage to the hematopoietic system, small intestine and salivary glands in rats by JNJ7777120 compound, a histamine H4 ligand.

Based on previous data on the histamine radioprotective effect on highly radiosensitive tissues, in the present work we aimed at investigating the radioprotective potential of the H4R ligand, JNJ7777120, on ionizing radiation-induced injury and genotoxic damage in small intestine, salivary glands and hematopoietic tissue. For that purpose, rats were divided into 4 groups. JNJ7777120 and JNJ7777120-irradiated groups received a daily subcutaneous JNJ7777120 injection (10 mg/kg) starting 24 h before irradiation.

Therapeutic potential of histamine H₄ receptor agonists in triple-negative human breast cancer experimental model.

Background And Purpose: The presence of the histamine H₄ receptor (H₄R) was previously reported in benign and malignant lesions and cell lines derived from the human mammary gland. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of H₄R ligands on the survival, tumour growth rate and metastatic capacity of breast cancer in an experimental model.

Experimental Approach: Xenograft tumours of the highly invasive human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 were established in immune deficient nude mice.

Glibenclamide inhibits cell growth by inducing G0/G1 arrest in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231.

Background: Glibenclamide (Gli) binds to the sulphonylurea receptor (SUR) that is a regulatory subunit of ATP-sensitive potassium channels (KATP channels). Binding of Gli to SUR produces the closure of KATP channels and the inhibition of their activity. This drug is widely used for treatment of type 2-diabetes and it has been signaled as antiproliferative in several tumor cell lines.

PANC-1 cells proliferative response to ionizing radiation is related to GSK-3β phosphorylation.

Radiotherapy may be used to treat pancreatic cancer and relieve pain. We have previously reported that histamine modulates pancreatic adenocarcinoma PANC-1 cell proliferation. This work was aimed to evaluate whether histamine improves radiosensitivity of PANC-1 cells in relation to phosphorylation/inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β).

A naturally occurring hypoallergenic variant of vespid Antigen 5 from Polybia scutellaris venom as a candidate for allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Stings by insects from the Hymenoptera order are known to cause life-threatening allergic reactions and impair life quality. Despite the effectiveness of conventional vespid venom immunotherapy, more standardized and safer allergy vaccines are required and recombinant hypoallergenic variants are important clinical tools. Antigen 5 is a major allergen of vespid venoms and it was previously reported that Antigen 5 from Polybia scutellaris (Poly s 5) could be a hypoallergenic variant.

Differential mechanisms of action are involved in chlorpyrifos effects in estrogen-dependent or -independent breast cancer cells exposed to low or high concentrations of the pesticide.

It has reported that many environmental compounds may display estrogenic actions and these findings led to researchers to associate breast cancer risk with the use of some pesticides. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of chlorpyrifos (CPF) on cell proliferation and the ERα-dependence of this action employing MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. We have also analyzed CPF action on the cell cycle distribution and the cyclins that are implicated in G1-S and intra-S checkpoints.

Histamine modulates salivary secretion and diminishes the progression of periodontal disease in rat experimental periodontitis.

Objective: We have recently reported that experimental periodontitis (EP) reduced methacholine-induced submandibular gland (SMG) salivary secretion. The aim of the present study was to determine whether histamine could prevent SMG impairment produced by EP.

Materials And Methods: Bilateral EP was induced for 2 weeks and histamine treatment (0.

Radioprotection of sensitive rat tissues by oligoelements Se, Zn, Mn plus Lachesis muta venom.

In this study we first evaluated the general radioprotective efficacy of Se, Zn and Mn (4 µg/ml each) plus Lachesis muta venom (4 ng/ml) combination (O-LM) by determining survival on rats irradiated with lethal doses of gamma-rays. The aim of the second part of the study was to investigate the O-LM ability to prevent ionizing radiation-induced damage on small intestine, bone marrow and submandibular glands. Hence, histological characteristics and functional studies, together with proliferation and apoptotic marker levels on whole body irradiated rats with a 5 Gy dose were evaluated.

Role of H4 receptor in histamine-mediated responses in human melanoma.

We have previously reported that histamine at micromolar concentrations reduces the proliferation of melanoma cell lines. It is also known that melanoma cells express histamine H1, H2, and H3 receptors. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of histamine H4 receptor (H4R) in human melanoma cells and its associated biological processes.

Role of histamine H4 receptor in breast cancer cell proliferation.

In order to better understand the role of histamine H4 (H4R) receptor in breast cancer, we studied the receptor expression pattern, associated signal transduction pathway and biological responses, in breast cancer cell lines with different malignant characteristics. A different pattern of protein expression was observed in MDA-MB-231 compared to MCF-7 cells determined by western blot, exhibiting the presence of a diverse range of molecular weight species of the H4R. H4R agonist reduced cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) formation induced by forskolin only in MCF-7 cells.

Histamine prevents functional and morphological alterations of submandibular glands induced by ionising radiation.

Purpose: Xerostomia is a common, disturbing side-effect among patients treated with radiotherapy for head-and-neck cancer. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether histamine could prevent salivary gland dysfunction and histological alterations exerted by ionising radiation.

Materials And Methods: Forty-eight rats were divided into four groups.

Histamine receptors and cancer pharmacology.

Considerable evidence has been collected indicating that histamine can modulate proliferation of different normal and malignant cells. High histamine biosynthesis and content together with histamine receptors have been reported in different human neoplasias including melanoma, colon and breast cancer, as well as in experimental tumours in which histamine has been postulated to behave as an important paracrine and autocrine regulator of proliferation. The discovery of the human histamine H(4) receptor in different tissues has contributed to our understanding of histamine role in numerous physiological and pathological conditions revealing novel functions for histamine and opening new perspectives in histamine pharmacology research.

Histamine protects bone marrow against cellular damage induced by ionising radiation.

Purpose: Based on our previous data on the histamine radioprotective effect on small intestine, in the present work we aimed to determine whether histamine is able to protect bone marrow cells against ionising radiation damage.

Materials And Methods: 56 mice and 40 rats were divided into four groups. Histamine and histamine-irradiated groups received a daily subcutaneous histamine injection (0.

Radioprotective potential of a novel therapeutic formulation of oligoelements Se, Zn, Mn plus Lachesis muta venom.

In this study we evaluated in vivo the tolerance induced by the combination of Se, Zn and Mn (4 microg/ml each) plus Lachesis muta venom (4 ng/ml) (O-LM) to high doses of ionizing radiation. The protective effect of O-LM was investigated on the small-intestine and bone marrow of mice irradiated with a single whole-body dose of 10 Gy employing a (137)Cs source. Mice were sacrificed 3 days after irradiation.

Involvement of hydrogen peroxide in histamine-induced modulation of WM35 human malignant melanoma cell proliferation.

Histamine is a recognized growth factor in melanoma, and exogenous histamine produces a dual effect on proliferation. We have previously reported that histamine at micromolar concentrations reduces the proliferation of melanoma cell lines. To investigate the mechanism by which histamine inhibits proliferation of WM35 human melanoma cells, we have studied the involvement of histamine in reactive oxygen species production and antioxidant enzyme regulation in these cells.

Aminoguanidine impedes human pancreatic tumor growth and metastasis development in nude mice.

Aim: To study the action of aminoguanidine on pancreatic cancer xenografts in relation to cell proliferation, apoptosis, redox status and vascularization.

Methods: Xenografts of PANC-1 cells were developed in nude mice. The animals were separated into two groups: control and aminoguanidine treated.

Snake venomics of the South and Central American Bushmasters. Comparison of the toxin composition of Lachesis muta gathered from proteomic versus transcriptomic analysis.

We report the proteomic characterization of the venoms of two closely related pit vipers of the genus Lachesis, L. muta (South American Bushmaster) and L. stenophrys (Central American Bushmaster), and compare the toxin repertoire of the former revealed through a proteomic versus a transcriptomic approach.