Composting as a strategy to recycle aquatic animal waste: Case study of a research centre in São Paulo State, Brazil.

Aquaculture is a fast-growing activity in Brazil and around the world, which generates large amounts of waste from fingerling production to the final consumer. Among several possibilities for the management of these wastes, windrow composting stands out as a simple and low-cost method. In this study, 16 composting piles were assembled with wood shavings and peanut shells and managed according to two methods; one with carcasses recharges and another without.

Vitamin E for prevention of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Oxaliplatin is one of the chemotherapy regimens most used for treating colorectal cancer. One of the main limitations to its use is induction of peripheral neuropathy. Previous studies have shown that vitamin E can reduce the incidence of peripheral neuropathy by 50%.

Mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium triggers neuroinflammation and reactive species generation in organotypic cultures of rat hippocampus.

Cell therapy using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seems to be a new alternative for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite several promising results with their use, possible side effects are still unknown. In a previous work, we have shown that MSC-conditioned medium is toxic to hippocampal slice cultures and aggravates cell death induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation.

Lipoteichoic acid from Staphylococcus aureus increases matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages: modulation by A2A and A2B adenosine receptors.

Peptidoglycan (PEG) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) are the main constituents of Gram-positive bacteria cell wall and are described to modulate immune functions. Increased levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were described in endotoxemia, suggesting that they participate to tecidual damage, multiple organs failure and vascular disfunction. Staphylococcus aureus PEG is described to increase MMPs 2 and 9 levels in plasma from rat and MMP 9 secretion by human neutrophils, however, the effect of LTA on MMPs is unknown.

High glucose increases RAW 264.7 macrophages activation by lipoteichoic acid from Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and accelerated atherosclerosis, which has been associated to hyperglycemia and chronic inflammation. Activated macrophages are described to participate in atherosclerosis due to foam cell formation and pro-inflammatory mediators production. Bacterial infections are described to accelerate atherosclerosis, moreover, gram-positive and negative bacterial DNA was described in atherosclerotic plaques.

Retinol increases catalase activity and protein content by a reactive species-dependent mechanism in Sertoli cells.

Vitamin A (retinol) is widely used as an antioxidant in therapeutic interventions and dietary supplementations. However, the redox properties of retinoids have been the subject of intense debate in the last few years, as recent works observed deleterious effects caused by retinol supplementation in clinical trials. In the present work, we show that retinol treatment (7 microM, 24 h) led to catalase (EC 1.

Regulation of LPS stimulated ROS production in peritoneal macrophages from alloxan-induced diabetic rats: involvement of high glucose and PPARgamma.

An increased occurrence of long term bacterial infections is common in diabetic patients. Bacterial cell wall components are described as the main antigenic agents from these microorganisms and high blood glucose levels are suggested to be involved in altered immune response. Hyperglycemia is reported to alter macrophages response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and peroxisome proliferators activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) expression.

Mitochondrial superoxide production is related to the control of cytokine release from peritoneal macrophage after antioxidant treatment in septic rats.

Background: Reactive oxygen species are involved in several intracellular pathways that ultimately lead to the activation of the innate immune system. In addition, oxidized proteins and lipids could stimulate cytokine release from macrophages through the activation of membrane receptors. Thus we here describe the effects of antioxidant administration to septic rats on peritoneal macrophage parameters of oxidative stress and cytokine release.

Extracellular inosine participates in tumor necrosis factor-alpha induced nitric oxide production in cultured Sertoli cells.

Recent reports have described purinergic modulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) signaling in neutrophils and astrocytes. In Sertoli cells, both TNF-R1 and TNF-R2 TNF-alpha receptors are present and this cytokine modulates many functions of these cells related to the maintenance of spermatogenesis. Sertoli cells express distinct purinoreceptors and previous work has shown that these cells secrete extracellular nucleotides and their metabolites.

Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor antagonist effects on an animal model of sepsis.

Rationale: Several new therapeutic strategies have been described for the treatment of sepsis, but to date none are related to alterations in the bombesin/gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) receptor pathways.

Objectives: To determine the effects of a selective GRP receptor antagonist, RC-3095, on cytokine release from macrophages and its in vivo effects in the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model of sepsis and in acute lung injury induced by intratracheal instillation of LPS.

Methods: We determined the effects of RC-3095 in the CLP model of sepsis and in acute lung injury induced by intratracheal instillation of LPS.

Effects of follicle-stimulating hormone and vitamin A upon purinergic secretion by rat Sertoli cells.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and vitamin A (retinol) are two of the main regulators of the male reproductive system. Recently, it has been described that extracellular purines can affect some important reproductive-related functions in Sertoli cells and germinative cells, by activating specific purinergic receptors. In this work, we report that both FSH and retinol are able to induce changes in the levels of extracellular purines of cultured rat Sertoli cells.

Extracellular inosine is modulated by H2O2 and protects sertoli cells against lipoperoxidation and cellular injury.

Extracellular purines are involved in the regulation of a wide range of physiological processes, including cytoprotection, ischemic preconditioning, and cell death. These actions are usually mediated via triggering of membrane purinergic receptors, which may activate antioxidant enzymes, conferring cytoprotection. Recently, it was demonstrated that the oxidative stress induced by cisplatin up-regulated A1 receptor expression in rat testes, suggesting an involvement of purinergic signaling in the response of testicular cells to oxidant injury.

Changes in ectonucleotidase activities in rat Sertoli cells during sexual maturation.

Sertoli cell maturation is a complex process involving both morphological and biochemical changes. These cells have previously been shown to be targets for extracellular purine structures such as ATP and adenosine. These compounds evoke responses in rat Sertoli cells through the purinoceptor families, P2X and P2Y and PA1.

Extracellular purines from cells of seminiferous tubules.

It has been long postulated that extracellular purines can modulate the function of the male reproductive system by interacting with different purinergic receptors of Sertoli and germinative cells. Many authors have described the biological changes induced by extracellular ATP and/or adenosine in these cells, and some hypothetical models for paracrine communication mediated by purines were proposed; however, the cellular source(s) of these molecules in seminiferous tubules remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that Sertoli cells are able to release ATP (0.