Exercise Training Reduces Inflammation and Fibrosis and Preserves Myocardial Function and Perfusion in a Model of Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) is caused by an inflammatory process induced by Trypanosoma cruzi, which leads to myocarditis with reactive and reparative fibrosis. CCC progresses with myocardial perfusion abnormalities and histopathological events that affect cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF).

Objectives: We evaluated the effects of aerobic physical training (APT) on myocardial perfusion and on morphological and functional impairments related with inflammation and fibrosis in Syrian hamsters with CCC.

Antimicrobial peptide for bacterial infection imaging: first case reported in Brazil.

Molecular imaging markers can be used to differentiate between infection and aseptic inflammation, determine the severity of infection, and monitor treatment responses. One of these markers is ubiquicidin(29-41) (UBI), a cationic peptide fragment that binds to the bacterial membrane wall and is labeled with gallium-68 (68Ga), a positron emitter radioisotope. The use of UBI in positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for improved detection of lesions has been receiving considerable attention recently.

Radiochemical and biological properties of peptides designed to interact with EGF receptor: Relevance for glioblastoma.

Radiolabeled peptides with high specificity to receptors expressed on tumor cells hold a great promise as diagnostic and therapeutic tracers. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the radiochemical and biological properties of two [I]I-peptides, as well as their interaction with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), overexpressed in a wide variety of tumors, including glioblastoma. The EEEEYFELV peptide and its analogue DEDEYFELV, both designed to interact with EGFR, were chemically synthesized, purified and radiolabeled with iodine-131 ([I]NaI).

Prolonged dipyridamole administration reduces myocardial perfusion defects in experimental chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.

Background: Myocardial perfusion defects (MPD) due to coronary microvascular dysfunction is frequent in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) and may be involved with development of myocardial damage. We investigated whether MPD precedes left ventricular systolic dysfunction and tested the hypothesis that prolonged use of dipyridamole (DIPY) could reduce MPD in an experimental model of CCC in hamsters.

Methods And Results: We investigated female hamsters 6-months after T.

Histopathological Correlates of Global and Segmental Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Experimental Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy in humans is characterized by segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities (WMA), mainly in the early stages of disease. This study aimed at investigating the detection of WMA and its correlation with the underlying histopathological changes in a chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy model in hamsters.

Methods And Results: Female Syrian hamsters (n=34) infected with 3.