The effect of antimalarials on the safety and persistence of treatment with biologic agents or Janus kinase inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To test the association of use of antimalarials with the overall safety of treatment in RA patients receiving one or multiple courses of biologic (b)DMARDs or a Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi).

Methods: BiobadaBrasil is a multicentric registry-based cohort study of Brazilian patients with rheumatic diseases starting their first bDMARD or JAKi. The present analysis includes RA patients recruited from January 2009 to October 2019, followed up over one or multiple (up to six) courses of treatment (latest date, 19 November 2019).

Use of Tribulus terrestris and Lepidium meyenii extract in rats: reproductive, biochemical and body parameters.

The oral administration of Tribulus terrestris and Lepidium meyenii extracts on reproductive, biochemical and body parameters was evaluated in rats. Thirty-six male Wistar rats weighting 210 ± 18 g were divided into six experimental groups (n = 6). Each group received, daily for 28 days, different solutions: T.

Effects of Moro orange juice (Citrus sinensis (l.) Osbeck) on some metabolic and morphological parameters in obese and diabetic rats.

Background: Nutritional intervention with the use of phytochemicals is an important method for the treatment and prevention of a metabolic syndrome. The objective of this study was to chemically characterize Moro orange juice. The influence of juice intake on metabolic parameters of rats that were obese, diabetic or both by means of body mass management after the activation of anthocyanins during refrigerated storage was also assessed.

AC biosusceptometry and magnetic nanoparticles to assess doxorubicin-induced kidney injury in rats.

This paper aims to investigate a doxorubicin (DOX) chronic kidney disease rat model using magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) associated with the alternate current biosusceptometry (ACB) to analyze its different perfusion profiles in both healthy and DOX-injured kidneys. We used the ACB to detect the MNP kidney perfusion . Furthermore, we performed biochemical and histological analyses, which sustained results obtained from the ACB system.

Prepubertal PTU treatment in rat increases Sertoli cell number and sperm production.

The number of Sertoli cells (SCs) ultimately determines the upper limit of sperm production in the testis. Previous studies have shown that thyroid hormones (TH) receptors are abundantly expressed in developing SCs; therefore, it was highly significant to discover that transient neonatal hypothyroidism induced by the goitrogen 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) can extend SCs proliferation beyond the first 2 weeks postnatal and increase testis weight and sperm production. Further studies concluded that treatment must begin before day 8 post birth in rats.

Histological characteristics of the gonads of pig fetuses and their relationship with fetal anatomical measurements.

The objective was to evaluate the histomorphometric characteristics of the testis and ovaries of pig fetuses at different gestational ages, as well as their correlation with some fetus measurements. Forty-four fetuses were separated for gender (male and female) and gestational age (50, 80 and 106days of gestation). After slaughter, fetuses had their body length, head and thoracic perimeters measured and their gonads submitted to histomorphometric analyses.

Real-time in vivo monitoring of magnetic nanoparticles in the bloodstream by AC biosusceptometry.

Background: We introduce and demonstrate that the AC biosusceptometry (ACB) technique enables real-time monitoring of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in the bloodstream. We present an ACB system as a simple, portable, versatile, non-invasive, and accessible tool to study pharmacokinetic parameters of MNPs, such as circulation time, in real time. We synthesized and monitored manganese doped iron oxide nanoparticles in the bloodstream of Wistar rats using two different injection protocols.

Role of sex hormones in gastrointestinal motility in pregnant and non-pregnant rats.

Aim: To correlate gastric contractility, gastrointestinal transit, and hormone levels in non-pregnant (estrous cycle) and pregnant rats using noninvasive techniques.

Methods: Female rats (n = 23) were randomly divided into (1) non-pregnant, (contractility, n = 6; transit, n = 6); and (2) pregnant (contractility, n = 5; transit, n = 6). In each estrous cycle phase or at 0, 7, 14, and 20 d after the confirmation of pregnancy, gastrointestinal transit was recorded by AC biosusceptometry (ACB), and gastric contractility was recorded by ACB and electromyography.

Homogeneous Canine Chest Phantom Construction: A Tool for Image Quality Optimization.

Digital radiographic imaging is increasing in veterinary practice. The use of radiation demands responsibility to maintain high image quality. Low doses are necessary because workers are requested to restrain the animal.

Drug survival and causes of discontinuation of the first anti-TNF in ankylosing spondylitis compared with rheumatoid arthritis: analysis from BIOBADABRASIL.

Treatment survival with biological therapy may be influenced by many factors, and it seems to be different among various rheumatic diseases and biological agents. The goal of the study was to compare the drug survival and the causes of discontinuation of anti-tumoral necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Study participants were a cohort from the Brazilian Registry of Biological Therapies in Rheumatic Diseases (BIOBADABRASIL) between 2008 and 2012.

Enhancing the versatility of alternate current biosusceptometry (ACB) through the synthesis of a dextrose-modified tracer and a magnetic muco-adhesive cellulose gel.

Alternate Current Biosusceptometry (ACB) is a promising bio-magnetic method, radiation free and easily performed used for gastric emptying exams. Due to development on its sensitivity level, interesting nature, noninvasiveness and low cost it has attracted a lot of attention. In this work, magnetic nanoparticles of Mn-Zn ferrite as well as dextrose-modified nanoparticles were synthesized to be used as possible tracers in ACB gastric emptying exams.

Influence of post-transplant immunosuppressive therapy on gastrointestinal transit using biomagnetic method: a pilot study.

Background: Immunosuppressive therapy after kidney transplant is necessary to prevent allograft rejection and it is the cause of several gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that have been scantily studied.

Objectives: This study was aimed at investigating the influence of triple immunosuppressive therapy on GI transit in renal transplant patients by employing a biomagnetic technique.

Methods: Twenty-one renal transplant patients underwent triple therapy, which included either tacrolimus (TAC) or cyclosporin A (CsA) associated with prednisone and azathioprine.

Wavelet-based algorithm to the evaluation of contrasted hepatocellular carcinoma in CT-images after transarterial chemoembolization.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary tumor of the liver and involves different treatment modalities according to the tumor stage. After local therapies, the tumor evaluation is based on the mRECIST criteria, which involves the measurement of the maximum diameter of the viable lesion. This paper describes a computed methodology to measure through the contrasted area of the lesions the maximum diameter of the tumor by a computational algorithm.

Dinuclear pyridine-4-thiolate-bridged rhodium and iridium complexes as ditopic building blocks in molecular architecture.

A series of dinuclear pyridine-4-thiolate (4-Spy)-bridged rhodium and iridium compounds [M(μ-4-Spy)(diolef)]2 [diolef = 1,5-cyclooctadiene (cod), M = Rh (1), Ir (2); diolef = 2,5-norbornadiene (nbd), M = Rh (3)] were prepared by the reaction of Li(4-Spy) with the appropriate compound [M(μ-Cl)(diolef)]2 (M = Rh, Ir). The dinuclear compound [Rh(μ-4-Spy)(CO)(PPh3)]2 (4) was obtained by the reaction of [Rh(acac)(CO)(PPh3)] (acac = acetylacetonate) with 4-pySH. Compounds 1-4 were assessed as metalloligands in self-assembly reactions with the cis-blocked acceptors [M(cod)(NCCH3)2](BF4) [M = Rh (a), Ir (b)] and [M(H2O)2(dppp)](OTf)2 [M = Pd (c), Pt (d); dppp = 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane].

Different patterns between mechanical and electrical activities: an approach to investigate gastric motility in a model of long-term diabetic rats.

The relationship between time-courses of mechanical and electrical events in longstanding diabetes was investigated in rats. Magnetic markers and electrodes were surgically implanted in the gastric serosa of male rats. Simultaneous recordings were obtained by AC biosusceptometry, electromyography and electrogastrography one, three and six months after injections of saline (control) or alloxan (diabetic).

Insights into cardiovascular effects of proline-rich oligopeptide (Bj-PRO-10c) revealed by structure-activity analyses: dissociation of antihypertensive and bradycardic effects.

We have previously reported that the proline-rich decapeptide from Bothrops jararaca (Bj-PRO-10c) causes potent and sustained antihypertensive and bradycardic effects in SHR. These activities are independent of ACE inhibition. In the present study, we used the Ala-scan approach to evaluate the importance of each amino acid within the sequence of Bj-PRO-10c (Pyr(1)-Asn(2)-Trp(3)-Pro(4)-His(5)-Pro(6)-Gln(7)-Ile(8)-Pro(9)-Pro(10)).

Proline rich-oligopeptides: diverse mechanisms for antihypertensive action.

Bradykinin-potentiating peptides from Bothrops jararaca (Bj) discovered in the early 1960s, were the first natural inhibitors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). These peptides belong to a large family of snake venom proline-rich oligopeptides (PROs). One of these peptides, Bj-PRO-9a, was essential for defining ACE as effective drug target and development of captopril, an active site-directed inhibitor of ACE used worldwide for the treatment of human arterial hypertension.

Erythromycin versus neomycin in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis: a randomized double-blind study.

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a severe complication in patients with hepatic cirrhosis, which causes numerous hospital admissions and deaths. Antibiotics are the best options in HE treatment, but head-to-head comparisons between these drugs are scarce. Erythromycin combines the antimicrobial effect and prokinetic properties in the same drug, but it has never been used in HE treatment.

Bis(hydrosulfido)-bridged dinuclear rhodium(I) complexes as a platform for the synthesis of trinuclear sulfido aggregates with the core [MRh2(μ3-S2)] (M = Rh, Ir, Pd, Pt, Ru).

The reaction of [Rh(μ-SH)(CO)(PPh(3))](2) or [Rh(μ-SH){P(OPh)(3)}(2)](2) with [Cp*MCl(2)](2) (M = Rh, Ir) in the presence of NEt(3) afforded the Rh(3) and IrRh(2) sulfido-bridged compounds [Cp*M(μ(3)-S)(2)Rh(2)(CO)(2)(PPh(3))(2)] (M = Rh, 1; Ir, 2) and [Cp*Rh(μ(3)-S)(2)Rh(2){P(OPh)(3)}(4)] (3). The reaction with [MCl(2)(cod)] (M = Pd, Pt), cis-[PtCl(2)(PPh(3))(2)] or [(η(6)-C(6)H(6))RuCl(2)](2) under the same experimental conditions gave [(cod)M(μ(3)-S)(2)Rh(2){P(OPh)(3)}(4)] (M = Pd, 6; Pt, 7), [(cod)M(μ(3)-S)(2)Rh(2)(CO)(2)(PPh(3))(2)] (M = Pd, 8; Pt, 9), [(PPh(3))(2)Pt(μ(3)-S)(2)Rh(2)(CO)(2)(PPh(3))(2)] (10) and [(η(6)-C(6)H(6))Ru(μ(3)-S)(2)Rh(2)(CO)(2)(PPh(3))(2)] (12), with PdRh(2), PtRh(2) and RuRh(2) trimetallic cores. The aggregates derived from [Rh(μ-SH)(CO)(PPh(3))](2) were isolated as a mixture of trans and cis isomers in which the trans isomer predominates.

Development of an AMR-ACB array for gastrointestinal motility studies.

The association between anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor and AC biosusceptometry (ACB) to evaluate gastrointestinal motility is presented. The AMR-ACB system was successfully characterized in a bench-top study, and in vivo results were compared with those obtained by means of simultaneous manometry. Both AMR-ACB and manometry techniques presented high temporal cross correlation between the two periodicals signals .

Analysis of biological tissues in infant chest for the development of an equivalent radiographic phantom.

Purpose: The main purpose of the present study was to determine the amounts of different tissues in the chest of the newborn patient (age ≤1 year), with the aim of developing a homogeneous phantom chest equivalent. This type of phantom is indispensable in the development of optimization procedures for radiographic techniques, including dosimetric control, which is a crucial aspect of pediatric radiology. The authors present a systematic set of procedures, including a computational algorithm, to estimate the amounts of tissues and thicknesses of the corresponding simulator material plates used to construct the phantom.

Hydride mobility in trinuclear sulfido clusters with the core [Rh3(μ-H)(μ3-S)2]: molecular models for hydrogen migration on metal sulfide hydrotreating catalysts.

The treatment of [{Rh(μ-SH){P(OPh)(3)}(2)}(2)] with [{M(μ-Cl)(diolef)}(2)] (diolef=diolefin) in the presence of NEt(3) affords the hydrido-sulfido clusters [Rh(3)(μ-H)(μ(3)-S)(2)(diolef){P(OPh)(3)}(4)] (diolef=1,5-cyclooctadiene (cod) for 1, 2,5-norbornadiene (nbd) for 2, and tetrafluorobenzo[5,6]bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5,7-triene (tfb) for 3) and [Rh(2)Ir(μ-H)(μ(3)-S)(2)(cod){P(OPh)(3)}(4)] (4).

Brazilian biologic registry: BiobadaBrasil implementation process and preliminary results.

Objectives: The present study aimed at describing the implementation process of a national registry in a developing country (Brazil) and at reporting the main preliminary results of the BiobadaBrasil registry.

Material And Methods: Through a PANLAR agreement, the Biobadaser protocol was used as a model for implementing the new registry in our country. During the first two years of this effort, the original protocol was adapted, translated, and presented to all Brazilian rheumatologists.

AC Biosusceptometry as a method for measuring gastric contraction.

The aim of this study was to validate the alternate current biosusceptometry (ACB) for monitoring gastric contractions in rats. In vitro data were obtained to establish the relationship between ACB and the strain-gauge (SG) signal amplitude. In vivo experiments were performed on rats with magnetic markers and SGs previously implanted under the gastric serosa.