Zileuton, a 5-Lypoxigenase Inhibitor, is Antiparasitic and Prevents Inflammation in the Chronic Stage of Heart Chagas Disease.

Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy is associated with an unbalanced immune response and impaired heart function, and available drugs do not prevent its development. Zileuton (Zi), a 5-lypoxigenase inhibitor, affects inflammatory/pro-resolution mediators. Herein, Zi treatment in the early phase of infection reduced parasitemia associated mainly with the direct effect of Zi on the parasite, and the enzyme epoxide hydrolase was the potential molecular target behind the trypanocidal effect.

Profile of interstitial cells of Cajal in a murine model of chagasic megacolon.

Disorders of gastrointestinal motility are the major physiologic problem in chagasic megacolon. The contraction mechanism is complex and controlled by different cell types such as enteric neurons, smooth muscle, telocytes, and an important pacemaker of the intestine, the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs). The role of ICCs in the progression of acute and chronic Chagas disease remains unclear.

Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of patients with epilepsy attended at a regional reference psychiatric emergency unit.

Objective: Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent chronic neurological diseases, presenting a high frequency of psychiatric disorders (PD). This study sought to evaluate the clinical and sociodemographic profile of patients with epilepsy (PWE) attended at a regional reference psychiatric emergency unit.

Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive observational study was conducted utilizing a patient record database of individuals with epilepsy who were attended in a regional reference psychiatric emergency unit between January 2018 and August 2022.

Gut microbiota from patients with COVID-19 cause alterations in mice that resemble post-COVID symptoms.

Long-term sequelae of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 are frequent and of major concern. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection affects the host gut microbiota, which is linked to disease severity in patients with COVID-19. Here, we report that the gut microbiota of post-COVID subjects had a remarkable predominance of strains with an antibiotic-resistant phenotype compared to healthy controls.

Evaluation of a Functional Craft Wheat Beer Fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae UFMG A-905 to treat Salmonella Typhimurium infection in mice.

Functional foods containing probiotics are generally administered as dairy products. Non-dairy beverages are another possibility, but probiotic functionality must be confirmed in such vehicles. In the present study, a craft wheat beer brewed with the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae UFMG A-905 (905) was evaluated in a murine model of Salmonella Typhimurium infection.

A Potential Role of Cholinergic Dysfunction on Impaired Colon Motility in Experimental Intestinal Chagas Disease.

Background/aims: Chagasic megacolon is caused by , which promotes in several cases, irreversible segmental colonic dilation. This alteration is the major anatomic-clinical disorder, characterized by the enteric nervous system and muscle wall structural damage. Herein, we investigate how -induced progressive colonic structural changes modulate the colonic contractile pattern activity.

Gut Microbiota Modulation as a Potential Target for the Treatment of Lung Infections.

The gastrointestinal and respiratory systems are colonized by a complex ecosystem of microorganisms called the microbiota. These microorganisms co-evolved over millions of years with the host, creating a symbiotic relationship that is fundamental for promoting host homeostasis by producing bioactive metabolites and antimicrobial molecules, and regulating the immune and inflammatory responses. Imbalance in the abundance, diversity, and function of the gut microbiota (known as dysbiosis) have been shown to increase host susceptibility to infections in the lungs, suggesting crosstalk between these organs.

Participation of Central Muscarinic Receptors on the Nervous Form of Chagas Disease in Mice Infected via Intracerebroventricular with Colombian Strain.

Acute chagasic encephalitis is a clinically severe central nervous system (CNS) manifestation. However, the knowledge of the nervous form of Chagas disease is incomplete. The role of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) on mice behavior and brain lesions induced by (Colombian strain) was herein investigated in mice treated with the mAChR agonist and antagonist (carbachol and atropine), respectively.

Neuronal Parasitism, Early Myenteric Neurons Depopulation and Continuous Axonal Networking Damage as Underlying Mechanisms of the Experimental Intestinal Chagas' Disease.

There is a growing consensus that the balance between the persistence of infection and the host immune response is crucial for chronification of Chagas heart disease. Extrapolation for chagasic megacolon is hampered because research in humans and animal models that reproduce intestinal pathology is lacking. The parasite-host relationship and its consequence to the disease are not well-known.

NOD2 receptor is crucial for protecting against the digestive form of Chagas disease.

Digestive and cardiodigestive forms of Chagas' disease are observed in 2% to 27% of the patients, depending on their geographic location, Trypanosoma cruzi strain and immunopathological responses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the role of NOD2 innate immune receptor in the pathogenesis of the digestive system in Chagas' disease. Patients with digestive form of the disease showed lower mRNA expression of NOD2, higher expression of RIP2 and α-defensin 6, compared to indeterminate form, detected by Real-time PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

The Role of ST2 Receptor in the Regulation of Oral Infection.

The ST2 receptor plays an important role in the gut such as permeability regulation, epithelium regeneration, and promoting intestinal immune modulation. Here, we studied the role of ST2 receptor in a murine model of oral infection with , its influence on gut homeostasis and control of bacterial replication. Balb/c (wild-type, WT) and ST2 deficient mice (ST2) were infected by oral gavage and the results were obtained at 3 and 14 days post infection (dpi).

Spontaneous T. gondii neuronal encystment induces structural neuritic network impairment associated with changes of tyrosine hydroxilase expression.

Two billion people are chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii worldwide with unknown consequences. Important neurological diseases have been associated to the brain infection, making essential to understand the neurophysiological changes associated with the neuronal encystment. T.

Protective Effect of 1Z, Isolated From Brazilian Kefir, Against Serovar Typhimurium in Experimental Murine Models.

Kefir is a beverage obtained by fermentation of milk or sugar solution by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, and several health benefits have been attributed to its ingestion, part of them being attributed to species. The objective of the present study was to evaluate, , the probiotic potential of 1Z, isolated from Brazilian kefir grains. Initially, conventional mice were orally treated daily or not during 10 days with a suspension of 1Z, and then orally challenged with serovar Typhimurium.