Publications by authors named "Moura-da-Silva A"

Variability in snake venom composition is well-documented and crucial for understanding snake ecology and predicting snakebites. In this study, we characterize the venom composition and biological activities of newborn female and male Bothrops moojeni and their mother. Our results reveal significant differences between the venom of newborn females and males, demonstrating a broad and diverse range of proteins.

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Background: The benefits of breast feeding may be associated with better formation of eating habits beyond childhood. This study was designed to verify the association between breast feeding and food consumption according to the degree of processing in four Brazilian birth cohorts.

Methods: The duration of exclusive, predominant and total breast feeding was evaluated.

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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a critical systemic complication caused by Bothrops envenoming, a neglected health problem in the Brazilian Amazon. Understanding the underlying mechanisms leading to AKI is crucial for effectively mitigating the burden of this complication. This study aimed to characterize the urinary protein profile of Bothrops atrox snakebite victims who developed AKI.

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Snake venoms have evolved in several families of Caenophidae, and their toxins have been assumed to be biochemical weapons with a role as a trophic adaptation. However, it remains unclear how venom contributes to the success of venomous species for adaptation to different environments. Here we compared the venoms from , , , , and collected in the Amazon Rainforest, aiming to understand the ecological and toxinological consequences of venom composition.

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Amidst the global healthcare landscape, the menace of snakebite envenoming (SBE) has persisted, silently afflicting millions and annually claiming tens of thousands of lives [...

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snakebite envenomation (SBE) is consider an important health problem in Brazil, where is mainly responsible in the Brazilian Amazon. Local effects represent a relevant clinical issue, in which inflammatory signs and symptoms in the bite site represent a potential risk for short and long-term disabilities. Among local complications, secondary infections (SIs) are a common clinical finding during SBE and are described by the appearance of signs such as abscess, cellulitis or necrotizing fasciitis in the affected site.

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Snakes of the Philodryadini tribe are included in the Dipsadidae family, which is a diverse group of rear-fanged snakes widespread in different ecological conditions, including habitats and diet. However, little is known about the composition and effects of their venoms despite their relevance for understanding the evolution of these snakes or even their impact on the occasional cases of human envenoming. In this study, we integrated venom gland transcriptomics, venom proteomics and functional assays to characterize the venoms from eight species of the Philodryadini tribe, which includes the genus , and .

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Snake venoms harbor a wide and diverse array of enzymatic and nonenzymatic toxic components, allowing them to exert myriad effects on their prey. However, they appear to trend toward a few optimal compositional scaffolds, dominated by four major toxin classes: SVMPs, SVSPs, 3FTxs, and PLA2s. Nevertheless, the latter appears to be restricted to vipers and elapids, as it has never been reported as a major venom component in rear-fanged species.

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In the Brazilian Amazon, deaths and disabilities from snakebite envenomations (SBEs) are a major and neglected problem for the indigenous population. However, minimal research has been conducted on how indigenous peoples access and utilize the health system for snakebite treatment. A qualitative study was conducted to understand the experiences of health care professionals (HCPs) who provide biomedical care to indigenous peoples with SBEs in the Brazilian Amazon.

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Objectives: To identify and map the types of analysis in nursing validation studies.

Methods: This is a scoping review with collection carried out in July 2020. The following data extraction indicators were considered: year of publication, country of origin, type of study, level of evidence, scientific references for validation and types of analyses.

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The Brazilian Amazon has high rates of snakebite envenomings (SBEs), with ∼90% caused by Bothrops atrox. Envenomings by this species can trigger local and systemic effects, such as acute kidney injury (AKI). Our aim was to identify predictors of AKI in Bothrops SBEs in patients from Manaus, Western Brazilian Amazon.

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The evolution of snake venoms resulted in multigene toxin families that code for structurally similar isoforms eventually harboring distinct functions. PLAs are dominant toxins in viper venoms, and little is known about the impact of their diversity on human envenomings and neutralization by antivenoms. Here, we show the isolation of three distinct PLAs from venom.

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Snakebite envenomations (SBEs) are a neglected medical condition of global importance that mainly affect the tropical and subtropical regions. Clinical manifestations include pain, edema, hemorrhage, tissue necrosis, and neurotoxic signs, and may evolve to functional loss of the affected limb, acute renal and/or respiratory failure, and even death. The standard treatment for snake envenomations is antivenom, which is produced from the hyperimmunization of animals with snake toxins.

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Interspecific differences in snake venom compositions can result from distinct regulatory mechanisms acting in each species. However, comparative analyses focusing on identifying regulatory elements and patterns that led to distinct venom composition are still scarce. Among venomous snakes, and represent ideal models to complement our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of venom production.

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A hundred and twenty years ago, the Butantan Institute was founded by the Brazilian physician and scientist Vital Brazil, combining, in the same institution, medical research, and the transfer of results to society in the form of health products [...

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The two-striped forest-pitviper () is an arboreal snake that is currently represented by two subspecies ( and ) that comprise a species complex, and its distribution is in the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest. The rarity of encounters with this snake is reflected in the low occurrence of cases of snakebites throughout its geographic distribution and the resulting low number of published clinical reports. However, in some areas, proves to be more frequent and causes envenomations in a greater proportion.

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Differences in snake venom composition occur across all taxonomic levels and it has been argued that this variation represents an adaptation that has evolved to facilitate the capture and digestion of prey and evasion of predators. is a terrestrial pitviper that is distributed across the Amazon region, where it occupies different habitats. Using statistical analyses and functional assays that incorporate individual variation, we analyzed the individual venom variability in snakes from four different habitats (forest, pasture, degraded area, and floodplain) in and around the Amazon River in Brazil.

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In the Brazilian Amazon, snakebites are frequent, and patients develop tissue damage with blisters sometimes observed in the proximity of the wound. Antivenoms do not seem to impact blister formation, raising questions regarding the mechanisms underlying blister formation. Here, we launched a clinical and laboratory-based study including five patients who followed and were treated by the standard clinical protocols.

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Is snake venom activity influenced by size? This is a long-standing question that can have important consequences for the treatment of snake envenomation. Ontogenetic shifts in venom composition are a well-documented characteristic of numerous snake species. Although snake venoms can cause a range of pathophysiological disturbances, establishing the coagulotoxic profiles related to such shifts is a justified approach because coagulotoxicity can be deadly, and its neutralisation is a challenge for current antivenom therapy.

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Venom is a key adaptive innovation in snakes, and how nonvenom genes were co-opted to become part of the toxin arsenal is a significant evolutionary question. While this process has been investigated through the phylogenetic reconstruction of toxin sequences, evidence provided by the genomic context of toxin genes remains less explored. To investigate the process of toxin recruitment, we sequenced the genome of , a clinically relevant pitviper.

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The role of natural selection in the evolution of trait complexity can be characterized by testing hypothesized links between complex forms and their functions across species. Predatory venoms are composed of multiple proteins that collectively function to incapacitate prey. Venom complexity fluctuates over evolutionary timescales, with apparent increases and decreases in complexity, and yet the causes of this variation are unclear.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates how snake venom changes as snakes grow, focusing on variations in venom composition among different-sized individuals.
  • Researchers decoded venom gland transcripts from six snakes and analyzed venom proteins from 19, identifying 125 toxin transcripts, with only 10 linked to growth changes.
  • The findings indicate that larger snakes primarily produce myotoxic phospholipases A, while smaller snakes have venom that is more hemorrhagic and pro-coagulant due to unique metalloproteinases, showing that transcriptional changes play a key role in venom variability.
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Snakebites are considered a major public health problem worldwide. In the Amazon region of Brazil, the snake () is responsible for 90% of the bites. These bites may cause local and systemic signs from acute inflammatory reaction and hemostatic changes, and present common hemorrhagic disorders.

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