The role of the P2X7 receptor in murine cutaneous leishmaniasis: aspects of inflammation and parasite control.

Leishmania amazonensis is the etiological agent of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis. The immunopathology of leishmaniasis caused by L. amazonensis infection is dependent on the pathogenic role of effector CD4 T cells.

Adenine Nucleotides Control Proliferation In Vivo of Rat Retinal Progenitors by P2Y Receptor.

Previous studies demonstrated that exogenous ATP is able to regulate proliferation of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) in vitro possibly via P2Y receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor. Here, we evaluated the function of adenine nucleotides in vivo during retinal development of newborn rats. Intravitreal injection of apyrase, an enzyme that hydrolyzes nucleotides, reduced cell proliferation in retinas at postnatal day 2 (P2).

Free and nanoencapsulated vitamin D3 : effects on E-NTPDase and E-ADA activities in an animal model with induced arthritis.

Unlabelled: The effect of vitamin D3 in oral solution (VD3 ) and vitamin D3 -loaded nanocapsules (NC-VD3 ) was analysed in animals with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced arthritis (AR). For this purpose, we evaluated scores for arthritis, thermal hyperalgesia and paw oedema, as well as histological analyses and measurements of the activity of the ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase) and ecto-adenosine deaminase (E-ADA) enzymes in rat lymphocytes. Haematological and biochemical parameters were also determined.

Free and nanoencapsulated curcumin prevents cigarette smoke-induced cognitive impairment and redox imbalance.

Cigarette smoke-exposure promotes neurobiological changes associated with neurocognitive abnormalities. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol, have shown to be able to prevent cigarette smoke-induced cognitive impairment. Here, we investigated possible mechanisms involved in curcumin protection against cigarette smoke-induced cognitive impairment and, due to its poor bioavailability, we investigated the potential of using curcumin-loaded lipid-core nanocapsules (C-LNC) suspension.