Anti-Leishmania effect of icetexanes from Salvia procurrens.

Background And Purpose: Leishmaniasis is a globally prevalent vector-borne disease caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania. The available chemotherapeutic drugs present problems related to efficacy, emergence of parasite resistance, toxicity and high cost, justifying the search for new drugs. Several classes of compounds have demonstrated activity against Leishmania, including icetexane-type diterpenes, previously isolated from Salvia and other Lamiaceae genera.

Antiprotozoal potential of Vismia species (Hypericaceae), medicinal plants used to fight cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Species of Vismia (Hypericaceae), known in Brazil as "lacre", are commonly used in traditional Amazonian medicine for the treatment of skin lesions, including those caused by Leishmania infection.

Aim Of The Study: Hexane extracts from the leaves of Vismia cayennensis, V. gracilis, V.

Zinc and Manganese Imbalances in BALB/c Mice Experimentally Infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

Purpose: The clinical progression of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis infection depends on multiple factors, including immunological status of the host and their genotypic interaction. Several immunological processes depend directly on minerals for an efficient performance. Therefore, this study used an experimental model to investigate the alterations of trace metals in L.

Endotoxin tolerance and low activation of TLR-4/NF-κB axis in monocytes of COVID-19 patients.

Higher endotoxin in the circulation may indicate a compromised state of host immune response against coinfections in severe COVID-19 patients. We evaluated the inflammatory response of monocytes from COVID-19 patients after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Whole blood samples of healthy controls, patients with mild COVID-19, and patients with severe COVID-19 were incubated with LPS for 2 h.

Imidazolium salts as an alternative for anti-Leishmania drugs: Oxidative and immunomodulatory activities.

In this study we explored the previously established leishmanicidal activity of a complementary set of 24 imidazolium salts (IS), 1-hexadecylimidazole (CIm) and 1-hexadecylpyridinium chloride (CPyrCl) against and . Promastigotes of and were incubated with 0.1 to 100 μM of the compounds and eight of them demonstrated leishmanicidal activity after 48 h - CMImMeS (IC = 11.

SARS-CoV-2 infected children form early immune memory responses dominated by nucleocapsid-specific CD8+ T cells and antibodies.

This is the third year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and yet most children remain unvaccinated. COVID-19 in children manifests as mostly mild or asymptomatic, however high viral titers and strong cellular and humoral responses are observed upon acute infection. It is still unclear how long these responses persist, and if they can protect from re-infection and/or disease severity.

Alterations in CD39/CD73 axis of T cells associated with COVID-19 severity.

Purinergic signaling modulates immune function and is involved in the immunopathogenesis of several viral infections. This study aimed to investigate alterations in purinergic pathways in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Mild and severe COVID-19 patients had lower extracellular adenosine triphosphate and adenosine levels, and higher cytokines than healthy controls.

Development and immunobiological evaluation of nanoparticles containing an immunodominant epitope of herpes simplex virus.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 and 2 are viruses that infect individuals worldwide and for which there is no cure or vaccine available. The protective response against herpes is mostly mediated by CD8 T lymphocytes that respond to the immunodominant SSIEFARL epitope. However, there are some obstacles concerning the use of free SSIEFARL for vaccine or immunotherapy.

Increased LPS levels coexist with systemic inflammation and result in monocyte activation in severe COVID-19 patients.

Mucosal barrier alterations may play a role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including COVID-19. In this study we evaluate the association between bacterial translocation markers and systemic inflammation at the earliest time-point after hospitalization and at the last 72 h of hospitalization in survivors and non-survivors COVID-19 patients. Sixty-six SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive patients and nine non-COVID-19 pneumonia controls were admitted in this study.

-Chikungunya Virus Interaction: Key Role of Vector Midguts Microbiota and Its Saliva in the Host Infection.

mosquitoes are important vectors for emerging diseases caused by arboviruses, such as chikungunya (CHIKV). These viruses' main transmitting species are and , which are present in tropical and temperate climatic areas all over the globe. Knowledge of vector characteristics is fundamentally important to the understanding of virus transmission.

Leishmanicidal and antichemotactic activities of icetexanes from Salvia uliginosa Benth.

Background: Several species of Salvia are used as medicinal plants around the world. Biological activities of isolated compounds have been described, being diterpenes frequently responsible for the effects.

Purpose: Isolation of diterpenes from Salvia uliginosa Benth.

Imidazolium salts as innovative agents against Leishmania amazonensis.

The available chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis present problems relating to efficacy, emergence of parasite resistance, and adverse effects and cost. Azole antifungal drugs have been repurposed for this proposition but the clinical response has been variable. In this sense, this study assessed the leishmanicidal and immunomodulatory activities of azoles-derived imidazolium salts (IS), being the ionic imidazole-derived equivalents: 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (CMImCl), 1-n-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (CMImCl), 1-n-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (CMImCl), 1-n-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate (CMImMeS), 1-n-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (CMImNTf) and 1-methyl-3-n-octadecylimidazolium chloride (CMImCl).

Nanoparticle vaccines against viral infections.

Despite numerous efforts, we still do not have prophylactic vaccines for many clinically relevant viruses, such as HIV, hepatitis C virus, Zika virus, and respiratory syncytial virus. Several factors have contributed to the current lack of effective vaccines, including the high rate of viral mutation, low immunogenicity of recombinant viral antigens, instability of viral antigenic proteins administered in vivo, sophisticated mechanisms of viral immune evasion, and inefficient induction of mucosal immunity by vaccine models studied to date. Some of these obstacles could be partially overcome by the use of vaccine adjuvants.

Production, characterization and toxicology assay of creatine pegylated nanoliposome with polysorbate 80 for brain delivery.

Creatine acts intracellularly as energy buffer and storage, demonstrating protective effects in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. However, its permeability throught blood-brain barrier (BBB) is reduced. The aim of the present study was developing a carrier to facilitate the delivery of creatine to the central nervous system.

Entomopathogenic bacteria Photorhabdus luminescens as drug source against Leishmania amazonensis.

Leishmaniasis is a widely spread and zoonotic disease with serious problems as low effectiveness of drugs, emergence of parasite resistance and severe adverse reactions. In recent years, considerable attention has been given to secondary metabolites produced by Photorhabdus luminescens, an entomopathogenic bacterium. Here, we assessed the leishmanicidal activity of P.

In vitro and in silico Activity of Iridoids Against Leishmania amazonensis.

Background: Leishmaniasis reaches millions of people around the world. The control of the disease is difficult due to the restricted access to the diagnosis and medication, and low adherence to the treatment. Thus, more efficient drugs are needed and natural products are good alternatives.

Construction and Functional Characterization of a Fusion Protein Interleukin-21/Immunoglobulin for Long-Term In Vivo Biodisponibility.

Interleukin (IL)-21 has been intensively studied for use in therapy of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and chronic viruses due to its immunomodulatory properties, especially on CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. The objective of this study was to produce an optimized form of IL-21 with improved stability. Plasmids encoding the murine IL-21 alone (pIL-21) or IL-21 genetically fused to portions from mouse IgG3 (pIL-21/Ig) were constructed, and the efficiency of expression, protein kinetics, biodisponibility, and function were analyzed.

Comparative study of lymphocytes from individuals that were vaccinated and unvaccinated against the pandemic 2009-2011 H1N1 influenza virus in Southern Brazil.

Introduction: While no single factor is sufficient to guarantee the success of influenza vaccine programs, knowledge of the levels of immunity in local populations is critical. Here, we analyzed influenza immunity in a population from Southern Brazil, a region with weather conditions that are distinct from those in the rest of country, where influenza infections are endemic, and where greater than 50% of the population is vaccinated annually.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from 40 individuals.