Macrophages mobilized by the overexpression of the macrophage-colony stimulating factor promote efficient recovery of the ischemic muscle functionality.

Aims: Narrowing or occlusion of arteries that supply the limbs can evolve to critical limb ischemia. M-CSF promotes proliferation, differentiation and survival of monocytes and macrophages, and polarization of macrophages to M2-subtype, which are essential elements for vessel formation and tissue repair. Based on these properties of M-CSF, we hypothesize that transfection of M-CSF into ischemic limbs may promote vessel formation and repair of ischemic limbs.

Skeletal muscle healing by M1-like macrophages produced by transient expression of exogenous GM-CSF.

Background: After traumatic skeletal muscle injury, muscle healing is often incomplete and produces extensive fibrosis. The sequence of M1 and M2 macrophage accumulation and the duration of each subtype in the injured area may help to direct the relative extent of fibrogenesis and myogenesis during healing. We hypothesized that increasing the number of M1 macrophages early after traumatic muscle injury would produce more cellular and molecular substrates for myogenesis and fewer substrates for fibrosis, leading to better muscle healing.

Invasive mechanical ventilation and biomarkers as predictors of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of invasive mechanical ventilation associated with two serum inflammatory cytokines and clinical indicators, on the second day of life, as predictors of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very low birth weight preterm infants. It was hypothesized that the use of invasive mechanical ventilation in the first hours of life is associated with biomarkers that may predict the chances of preterm infants to develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Methods: Prospective cohort of 40 preterm infants with gestational age <34 weeks and birth weight <1500 g.

scFv against HSP60 of sp. and Its Application in the Evaluation of Parasite Frequency in the Elderly.

The present study is aimed at evaluating serological method using scFv anti- sp. and reporting the frequencies of the results with conventional parasitological technique (faeces) in elderly individuals. Among 112 elderly individuals (≥60 years of age), 14.

Differential Expression of IFN-, IL-10, TLR1, and TLR2 and Their Potential Effects on Downgrading Leprosy Reaction and Erythema Nodosum Leprosum.

Leprosy reactions are acute immunological events that occur during the evolution of chronic infectious disease causing neural damage and disabilities. A study using blood samples of 17 leprosy reaction patients and 17 reaction-free was carried out by means of associations between antigens, receptors, and expression of cytokines, using path analysis providing new insights into the immunological mechanisms involved in triggering leprosy reactions. Toll-like receptors (TLR) such as TLR1 and TLR2, presented balanced expression in the reaction-free multibacillary (MB) group (TLR1: 1.

Antitumor and antimetastatic effects of PLA-BthTX-II from Bothrops jararacussu venom on human breast cancer cells.

This work shows the antitumor and antimetastatic effects of BthTX-II, an Asp-49 PLA from Bothrops jararacussu venom, on MDA-MB-231 human triple negative breast cancer cells. BthTX-II caused a dose-dependent cell death of MDA-MB-231 cells when compared with the non-tumorigenic breast cells by inducing apoptosis and autophagy. BthTX-II was also able to decrease the proliferation and to inhibit cell cycle progression.

Current Methods Applied to Biomaterials - Characterization Approaches, Safety Assessment and Biological International Standards.

Safety and biocompatibility assessment of biomaterials are themes of constant concern as advanced materials enter the market as well as products manufactured by new techniques emerge. Within this context, this review provides an up-to-date approach on current methods for the characterization and safety assessment of biomaterials and biomedical devices from a physical-chemical to a biological perspective, including a description of the alternative methods in accordance with current and established international standards.

Selection strategy of phage-displayed immunogens based on an in vitro evaluation of the Th1 response of PBMCs and their potential use as a vaccine against Leishmania infantum infection.

Background: The development of a vaccine for the prevention of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) still represents a significant unmet medical need. A human vaccine can be found if one takes into consideration that many people living in endemic areas of disease are infected but do not develop active VL, including those subjects with subclinical or asymptomatic infection.

Methods: In this study, a phage display was used to select phage-exposed peptides that were specific to immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies from asymptomatic and symptomatic VL patients, separating them from non-infected subjects.

Angiogenenic effects of BpLec, a C-type lectin isolated from Bothrops pauloensis snake venom.

The present work reports the effects of a C-type lectin (BpLec) isolated from Bothrops pauloensis snake venom upon in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis models. Initially, we noted that BpLec was not cytotoxic to endothelial cells (tEnd) in doses up to 40μg/mL, but lower doses (2.5μg/mL, 5μg/mL, 10μg/mL and 20μg/mL) reduced tEnd cells adhesion to some extracellular matrix proteins and inhibited the in vitro vessel formation in Matrigel assay stimulated by bFGF.

Toxoplasma gondii Infection Promotes Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction of Caco-2 Cells.

After oral infection, Toxoplasma gondii invades intestinal cells, induces breakdown of intestinal physiology and barrier functions, and causes intestinal pathology in some animal species. Although parasites' invasion into host cells is a known phenomenon, the effects of T. gondii infection in the intestinal barrier are still not well established.

15-Deoxy-Δ(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 Induces Apoptosis and Upregulates SOCS3 in Human Thyroid Cancer Cells.

The cyclopentenone prostaglandin 15-deoxy-Δ(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) is a natural ligand of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) and a potential mediator of apoptosis in cancer cells. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of 15d-PGJ2 in human thyroid papillary carcinoma cells (TPC-1) using different doses of 15d-PGJ2 (0.6 to 20 μM) to determine IC50 (9.

Human breast cancer cell death induced by BnSP-6, a Lys-49 PLA₂ homologue from Bothrops pauloensis venom.

This work shows the antitumoral effects of BnSP-6, a Lys 49 PLA2 isolated from Bothrops pauloensis venom, on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. BnSP-6 caused a dose-dependent cytotoxicity and inhibited cell adhesion. Interestingly, cytotoxic activity of BnSP-6 was significantly lower against MCF10A, a non-tumorigenic breast cell line, suggesting that this PLA2 presented a possible preference for targets in cancer cells.

Revisiting the CD14: epitope mapping by Phage Display.

The cluster of differentiation antigen 14 (CD14) is a key molecule of the innate immunity. This pattern recognition receptor binds mainly to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipotechoic acid (LTA), arachidonic acid, and thus induces the releases various cytokines, as a defense mechanism. Several studies suggest that different regions of the amino-terminal portion of the molecule may be involved in the LPS binding; however, controversial results on the recognition sequence still persist.