Publications by authors named "Maria Manuel Oliveira"

The development of new therapeutic options for Parkinson's disease (PD) requires formulations able to mitigate both brain degeneration and motor dysfunctions. Nanophytosomes, an oral mitochondria-targeted formulation developed with membrane polar lipids and elderberry anthocyanin-enriched extract, promote significant brain benefits on a rotenone-induced rat model of PD. In the present work, the effects of Nanophytosome treatment on the skeletal muscle tissues are disclosed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mitochondria's role as a central hub in cellular metabolism and signaling cascades is well established in the scientific community, being a classic marker of organisms' response to toxicant exposure. Nonetheless, little is known concerning the effects of emerging contaminants, such as microplastics, on mitochondrial metabolism. Micro- and nanoplastics present one of the major problems faced by modern societies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mitochondrial dysfunction and cytosolic oxidative stress are pathological biomarkers interlinked in several chronic diseases and cellular toxicity promoted by high-energy radiation or xenobiotics. Thus, assessing the activities of the mitochondrial redox chain complexes and the cytosolic antioxidant enzymes in the same cell culture system is a valuable approach to addressing the challenge of chronic diseases or unveiling the molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of physical and chemical stress agents. The present article gathers the experimental procedures to obtain, from isolated cells, a mitochondria-free cytosolic fraction and a mitochondria-rich fraction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Most studies on the effects of physical exercise have focused on its influence on muscle tissue, forgetting its interference in liver function. Ageing leads to the progressive impairment of hepatic functions. Several biochemical and bioenergetics parameters were determined to test the impact of a lifelong aerobic training program in the hepatic age-related and the development of an adaptative response.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mitochondria are an attractive target to fight neurodegenerative diseases due to their important functions for cells and the particularly close relationship between the functional connectivity among brain regions and mitochondrial performance. This work presents a mitochondria-targeted therapy designed to modulate the functionality of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and lipidome, parameters that are affected in neurodegeneration, including in Parkinson's disease (PD). This therapy is supported by -Nanophytosomes constructed with membrane polar lipids, from , and elderberry anthocyanin-enriched extract, from L.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Regular exercise has been shown to be one of the most important lifestyle influences on improving functional performance, and decreasing morbidity and all-cause mortality among older people. However, although there is some evidence on the effects of aerobic training on oxidative stress, there is little information regarding the effects of multicomponent exercise (dual-task training) and combination of exercise with cognitive stimulation on oxidative stress. In this context, the aim of this study was to verify the effects of a multicomponent exercise program on physical fitness and cognitive function in the elderly with mild cognitive impairment and determine the role of oxidative stress and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The development of nanomedicines to modulate the mitochondrial function is a great scientific challenge since mitochondrial dysfunction is a pathological hallmark of many chronic diseases, including degenerative brain pathologies like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. To address this challenge, the mitochondriotropic features of the elderberry anthocyanin-enriched extract (Sambucus nigra) were combined with the self-assembling properties of the membrane polar lipids from Codium tomentosum in an innovative SC-Nanophytosomes formulation. Membrane polar lipids, obtained by a new procedure as chlorophyll-free extract, are characterized by 26% of non-phosphorus polar lipids and 74% of phospholipids (dominated by anionic lipids) containing a high degree of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Supraphysiological ROS levels can lead to apoptosis, lipid peroxidation, and DNA and protein damage. This pilot study aimed to investigate the sperm oxidative damage in subfertile men, to describe the relationship between the antioxidant system and ROS. Sixty-four semen samples were categorised according to the evaluated routine parameters (WHO, WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 2010).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Since the mid-1920s, parabens have been widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in processed foods and beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic products. Paraben use continues to generate considerable controversy, both in the general population and in the scientific community itself. The primary purpose of our study was to determine whether parabens (methyl and butyl at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight by subcutaneous injection) during pregnancy of adult female Wistar rats can have an impact on the F1 generation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Parabens, alkyl ester derivatives from p-hydroxybenzoic acid, are extensively used as antimicrobial preservatives. Nonetheless, due to its widespread and massive employment, several studies highlighted the association between parabens and alterations in the reproductive system. This study aimed to relate the adverse effect of the most commonly used parabens in testis mitochondria with male fertility.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nitrated phospholipids have recently been detected and and associated with beneficial health effects. They were identified and quantified in biological samples by lipidomics methodologies using liquid chromatography-collision-induced dissociation (CID) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) acquired with the linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Only a few studies have used higher-energy collision dissociation (HCD)-MS/MS in high-resolution Orbitraps to characterize nitrated phosphatidylserines and nitrated cardiolipins, highlighting the marked differences in the fragmentation patterns when using CID or HCD fragmentation methods.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Carcinogenesis induced by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) involves inflammatory phenomena, partially mediated by cyclooxigenase-2. In pre-clinical models of HPV-induced cancer, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors have shown significant efficacy, but also considerable toxicity. This study addresses the chemopreventive effect and hepatic toxicity of a specific cyclooxigensase-2 inhibitor, parecoxib, in HPV16-transgenic mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Exercise training has been shown to be one of the most important lifestyle factor for improving functional performance and health status. Nevertheless, and although some evidence exists about the effects of aerobic training on oxidative stress, there is scarce information concerning the effects of combined exercise training (aerobic and strength training) in oxidative stress. Considering this, the aim of this study was to verify the effects of a combined exercise training in oxidative stress parameters of women over 40 years of age.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nitrated lipids have been detected in vitro and in vivo, usually associated with a protective effect. While nitrated fatty acids have been widely studied, few studies reported the nitration and nitroxidation of the phospholipid classes phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine. However, no information regarding nitrated and nitroxidized phosphatidylserine can be found in the literature.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The development of effective medicines to break or delay the progressive brain degeneration underlying cognitive decline and dementia that characterize Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the greatest challenges of our time. In the present work, a selective pool of polyphenols, obtained from the white wine by adsorption to polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer (PVPP), was used to prepare a polyphenols-enriched diet, supplementing the drinking water with 100 mg/L (expressed as gallic acid equivalent) of wine polyphenolic extract. The impact of the daily consumption of water supplemented with polyphenols for 2 months on brain of 10-month-old 3xTg-AD and NonTg mice was evaluated, considering effects on the redox state of cells, levels of amyloid-β peptides, mitochondrial bioenergetics and fatty acid profile of whole membrane phospholipids.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chronic treatment with chaetomellic acid A (CAA) on oxidative stress and renal function in a model of renal mass reduction. . Male Wistar rats were subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy (RMR) or sham-operated (SO).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cancer patients often show a wasting syndrome for which there are little therapeutic options. Dietary polyphenols have been proposed for treating this syndrome, but their usefulness in cases associated with human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced cancers is unknown. We characterized HPV16-transgenic mice as a model of cancer cachexia and tested the efficacy of long-term oral supplementation with polyphenols curcumin and rutin.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Regular physical exercise has been shown to be one of the most important lifestyle influences on improving functional performance, decreasing morbidity and all causes of mortality among older people. However, it is known that acute physical exercise may induce an increase in oxidative stress and oxidative damage in several structures, including DNA. Considering this, the purpose of this study was to identify the effects of 16 weeks of combined physical exercise in DNA damage and repair capacity in lymphocytes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Age-related DNA damage has been regarded as one of the possible explanations of aging, and these age-related changes have been associated with lifestyle variables. Considering this, the purpose of this study was to investigate how age and lifestyle may affect DNA damage, DNA repair capacity and endogenous biomarkers of oxidative stress. Sixty-one healthy men (40 to 89 yrs) were enrolled in this study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Animal models, namely mice, have been used to study chemically induced carcinogenesis due to their similarity to the histological and genetic features of human patients. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with poor clinical outcome. The high incidence of HCC might be related to exposure to known risk factors, including carcinogenic compounds, such as N-nitrosamines, which cause DNA damage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: A mouse model in which N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induces Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has histological and genetic resemblance to human tumours.

Material And Methods: Male ICR mice were divided into control (n=10) and DEN-treated (n=10) groups. DEN was administered via intraperitoneal injection, once a week, for eight consecutive weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF