Behavior of total alkaline phosphatase after radium-233 therapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a single-center, real-world retrospective study.

Objective: To describe the behavior of total alkaline phosphatase (tALP) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer receiving radium-223 therapy, in a real-world scenario, and to describe overall survival (OS) among such patients.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study involving 97 patients treated between February 2017 and September 2020. Patients were stratified by the baseline tALP (normal/elevated).

Performance differences among commercially available antigen rapid tests for COVID-19 in Brazil.

A rapid and accurate diagnosis is a crucial strategy for containing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Considering the obstacles to upscaling the use of RT-qPCR, rapid tests based on antigen detection (Ag-RDT) have become an alternative to enhance mass testing, reducing the time for a prompt diagnosis and virus spreading. However, the performances of several commercially available Ag-RDTs have not yet been evaluated in several countries.

Diagnostic performance of commercially available COVID-19 serology tests in Brazil.

Unlabelled: Timely and accurate laboratory testing is essential for managing the global COVID-19 pandemic. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction remains the gold-standard for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, but several practical issues limit the test's use. Immunoassays have been indicated as an alternative for individual and mass testing.

Economic impact of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis on adult patients of a referral service in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a disease associated with low-income populations. Thus, in assessing the burden of this disease, it is important to include its economic impact on individuals. We aimed to evaluate CL economic impact on patients treated at a referral service in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Unveiling fungal detoxification pathways of the cruciferous phytoalexin rapalexin A: Sequential L-cysteine conjugation, acetylation and oxidative cyclization mediated by Colletotrichum spp.

The metabolism of the phytoalexin rapalexin A, a unique indole isothiocyanate (ITC) produced by crucifers (family Brassicaceae), was investigated. Three phytopathogenic fungal species were examined: Colletotrichum dematium (Pers.:Fr.

How cutaneous leishmaniasis and treatment impacts in the patients' lives: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Until now, few studies have evaluated the effect of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) on patients' quality of life, and none have used a specific instrument to measure this effect. The objective of this study was to identify factors that may be associated with the high impact of CL and to assess patients' satisfaction with treatment and health services by utilizing a disease-specific questionnaire.

Methodology: Between December 2015 and May 2017, 100 patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis were interviewed at a leishmaniasis referral center in Brazil.

Ecological Roles of Tryptanthrin, Indirubin and N-Formylanthranilic Acid in Isatis indigotica: Phytoalexins or Phytoanticipins?

Leaves of the plant species Isatis indigotica Fortune ex Lindl. (Chinese woad) produce the metabolites tryptanthrin, indirubin and N-formylanthranilic acid upon spraying with an aqueous solution of copper chloride but not after spraying with water. The antifungal activities of these metabolites against the phytopathogens Alternaria brassicicola, Leptosphaeria maculans and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum established that tryptanthrin is a much stronger growth inhibitor of L.

Development and initial validation of a cutaneous leishmaniasis impact questionnaire.

Background: The impact of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) on the quality of life of patients has been neglected in research studies worldwide. The few reported studies have used non-specific questionnaires for the disease, which represents a limitation since generic instruments may not address specific aspects of the disease, compromising the evaluation of its real impact. The aim of this paper is to describe the development and the initial validation of an instrument for evaluating the impact of CL, named the Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Impact Questionnaire.

Methoxycamalexins and related compounds: Syntheses, antifungal activity and inhibition of brassinin oxidase.

The phytoalexin camalexin is a competitive inhibitor of brassinin oxidase, an enzyme that detoxifies the phytoalexin brassinin and is produced by an economically important plant pathogen. For this reason, the camalexin scaffold has guided the design of inhibitors of brassinin detoxification. To further understand the structure-activity relationships of camalexin related compounds, the syntheses of monomethoxy and dimethoxycamalexins were undertaken.

Mucosal leishmaniasis: the experience of a Brazilian referral center.

Introduction: Pentavalent antimonials (Sbv) are the most commonly used drugs for the treatment of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML), despite their high toxicity and only moderate efficacy. The aim of this study was to report therapeutic responses with different available options for ML.

Methods: This study was based on a review of clinical records of 35 patients (24 men and 11 women) treated between 2009 and 2015.

Meglumine antimoniate intralesional infiltration for localised cutaneous leishmaniasis: a single arm, open label, phase II clinical trial.

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a world-wide health problem which currently lacks effective, affordable and easy to use therapy. Recently, the meglumine antimoniate (MA) intralesional infiltration was included among the acceptable therapies for New World leishmaniasis. While this approach is attractive, there is currently little evidence to support its use in Americas.

Interrogation of biosynthetic pathways of the cruciferous phytoalexins nasturlexins with isotopically labelled compounds.

The discovery of the first non-indolyl cruciferous phytoalexins nasturlexins A and B together with cyclonasturlexin and brassinin, all chemical defenses of watercress plants (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.), revealed the co-occurrence of two parallel defense pathways, the tryptophan (Trp) pathway and the phenylalanine (Phe) pathway in crucifers.

Synthesis of stable isotope-labeled nasturlexins and potential precursors to probe biosynthetic pathways of cruciferous phytoalexins.

The syntheses of perdeuterated phytoalexins nasturlexins A and C, and putative biosynthetic precursors, including phenylethyl isothiocyanates and phenylethyl dithiocarbamates, using commercially available [2,3,4,5,6-D ]phenylalanine, [2,3,4,5,6-D ]nitrobenzene, and [2,3,4,5,6-D ]benzaldehyde are described. In addition, application of an efficient deuterium-hydrogen exchange transformation to nonlabeled starting materials allowed access to new deuterated compounds, including 3-hydroxyphenylethyl glucosinolate.

Inhibitors of the Detoxifying Enzyme of the Phytoalexin Brassinin Based on Quinoline and Isoquinoline Scaffolds.

The detoxification of the phytoalexin brassinin to indole-3-carboxaldehyde and -methyl dithiocarbamate is catalyzed by brassinin oxidase (BOLm), an inducible fungal enzyme produced by the plant pathogen . Twenty-six substituted quinolines and isoquinolines are synthesized and evaluated for antifungal activity against and inhibition of BOLm. Eleven compounds that inhibit BOLm activity are reported, of which 3-ethyl-6-phenylquinoline displays the highest inhibitory effect.

Defense and signalling metabolites of the crucifer Erucastrum canariense: Synchronized abiotic induction of phytoalexins and galacto-oxylipins.

Erucastrum canariense Webb & Berthel. (Brassicaceae) is a wild crucifer that grows in rocky soils, in salt and water stressed habitats, namely in the Canary Islands and similar environments. Abiotic stress induced by copper chloride triggered formation of a phytoalexin and galacto-oxylipins in E.

Biotransformation of rutabaga phytoalexins by the fungus Alternaria brassicicola: Unveiling the first hybrid metabolite derived from a phytoalexin and a fungal polyketide.

The biotransformations of the rutabaga phytoalexins rutalexin, brassicanate A, isalexin and rapalexin A by the plant pathogenic fungus Alternaria brassicicola are reported. While the biotransformations of rutalexin, brassicanate A, and isalexin are fast, rapalexin A is resistant to fungal transformation. Unexpectedly, biotransformation of rutalexin yields a hybrid metabolite named rutapyrone, derived from rutalexin metabolism and phomapyrone G, a fungal metabolite produced by A.

The biosynthesis of brassicicolin A in the phytopathogen Alternaria brassicicola.

Alternaria brassicicola (Schwein.) Wiltshire is a phytopathogenic fungus that together with A. brassicae causes Alternaria black spot disease in Brassica species.

Unveiling the first indole-fused thiazepine: structure, synthesis and biosynthesis of cyclonasturlexin, a remarkable cruciferous phytoalexin.

As a mechanism of defense against pathogens and other types of stress, watercress plants produce a variety of elicited chemical defenses generally known as phytoalexins. Herein the chemical structure, synthesis, biosynthesis and antifungal activity of cyclonasturlexin, the most intriguing indolyl phytoalexin isolated to date, are reported.

Divergent reactivity of an indole glucosinolate yields Lossen or Neber rearrangement products: the phytoalexin rapalexin A or a unique β-d-glucopyranose fused heterocycle.

Transformation of 1-t-Boc-4-methoxyindole-3-glucosinolate under acidic conditions yielded the potent phytoalexin rapalexin A, providing its first biomimetic synthesis via Lossen type rearrangement, while a novel 1-thioimidocarbonyl-β-d-glucopyranose heterocyclic system was obtained under basic conditions via Neber type rearrangement.

Expanding the nasturlexin family: Nasturlexins C and D and their sulfoxides are phytoalexins of the crucifers Barbarea vulgaris and B. verna.

The metabolites produced in leaves of the crucifers winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris) and upland cress (Barbarea verna) abiotically elicited were investigated and their chemical structures were elucidated by analyses of spectroscopic data and confirmed by syntheses. Nasturlexins C and D and their sulfoxides are cruciferous phytoalexins displaying antifungal activity against the crucifer pathogens Alternaria brassicicola, Leptosphaeria maculans and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The biosynthesis of these metabolites is proposed based on pathways of cruciferous indolyl phytoalexins.

Metabolite diversity in the plant pathogen Alternaria brassicicola: factors affecting production of brassicicolin A, depudecin, phomapyrone A and other metabolites.

A systematic investigation of the metabolites of Alternaria brassicicola produced under various culture conditions is reported. The phytotoxin brassicicolin A is produced in significantly larger amounts in potato dextrose broth than in minimal medium cultures. In general an increase in the incubation temperature of cultures 23-30 C increases the production of brassicicolin A but decreases depudecin production.

Plant chemical defenses: are all constitutive antimicrobial metabolites phytoanticipins?

A critical perspective on phytoanticipins, constitutive plant secondary metabolites with defensive roles against microbes is presented. This mini-review focuses on the chemical groups and structural types of defensive plant metabolites thus far not reviewed from the phytoanticipin perspective: i) fatty acid derivatives and polyketides, ii) terpenoids, iii) shikimates, phenylpropanoids and derivatives, and iv) benzylisoquinoline and pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The more traditional groups of phytoanticipins are briefly summarized, with particular focus on the latest results: i) benzoxazinoids, ii) cyanogenic glycosides, iii) glucosinolates and their metabolic products, and iv) saponins.

Non-indolyl cruciferous phytoalexins: Nasturlexins and tridentatols, a striking convergent evolution of defenses in terrestrial plants and marine animals?

Highly specialized chemical defense pathways are a particularly noteworthy metabolic characteristic of sessile organisms, whether terrestrial or marine, providing protection against pests and diseases. For this reason, knowledge of the metabolites involved in these processes is crucial to producing ecologically fit crops. Toward this end, the elicited chemical defenses of the crucifer watercress (Nasturtium officinale R.

Tenualexin, other phytoalexins and indole glucosinolates from wild cruciferous species.

In general, the chemodiversity of phytoalexins, elicited metabolites involved in plant defense mechanisms against microbial pathogens, correlates with the biodiversity of their sources. In this work, the phytoalexins produced by four wild cruciferous species (Brassica tournefortii, Crambe abyssinica (crambe), Diplotaxis tenuifolia (sand rocket), and Diplotaxis tenuisiliqua (wall rocket)) were identified and quantified by HPLC with photodioarray and electrospray mass detectors. In addition, the production of indole glucosinolates, biosynthetic precursors of cruciferous phytoalexins, was evaluated.

Comparative analysis of Arabidopsis UGT74 glucosyltransferases reveals a special role of UGT74C1 in glucosinolate biosynthesis.

The study of glucosinolates and their regulation has provided a powerful framework for the exploration of fundamental questions about the function, evolution, and ecological significance of plant natural products, but uncertainties about their metabolism remain. Previous work has identified one thiohydroximate S-glucosyltransferase, UGT74B1, with an important role in the core pathway, but also made clear that this enzyme functions redundantly and cannot be the sole UDP-glucose dependent glucosyltransferase (UGT) in glucosinolate synthesis. Here, we present the results of a nearly comprehensive in vitro activity screen of recombinant Arabidopsis Family 1 UGTs, which implicate other members of the UGT74 clade as candidate glucosinolate biosynthetic enzymes.