Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Probiotics: Insights from In Vitro Assays.

Probiotics are microorganisms that provide health benefits at adequate doses and exhibit notable antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These properties play crucial roles in combating chronic diseases linked to oxidative stress and antimicrobial resistance. This review aimed to summarize the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of probiotics determined in in vitro studies and discuss mechanistic actions and analysis methods.

Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students regarding the sexuality of older adults: a quasi-experimental study.

Objectives: to compare the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students regarding sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in older adults before and after an educational intervention.

Methods: this quasi-experimental study involved a convenience sample of 45 nursing students from a public university, conducted in three stages: pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention. A questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographic characteristics, academic training, and knowledge and attitudes on the topic.

Off-Label Use of Bevacizumab in Patients Diagnosed with Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in elderly people. Current pharmacological treatment in vascular AMD includes anti-VEGF agents, such as ranibizumab and aflibercept. Additionally, the off-label use of bevacizumab has been shown to be effective and has a lower cost, making it an interesting pharmacological approach; however, there is no consensus about its use.

Glucans: A Therapeutic Alternative for Sepsis Treatment.

Sepsis treatment is a challenging condition due to its complexity, which involves host inflammatory responses to a severe and potentially fatal infection, associated with organ dysfunction. The aim of this study was to analyze the scientific literature on the immunomodulatory effects of glucans in a murine model of systemic infection induced by cecal ligation and puncture. This study comprises an integrative literature review based on systematic steps, with searches carried out in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases.

Therapeutic Potential of and Isolated Compounds: Evidence-Based Advances to Treat Bacterial Infections.

Linn has been known for its nutritional and medicinal value since ancient times and is used in the treatment of various pathologies owing to its antibacterial properties. This review reports the results of the most recent studies on the antibacterial effects of and its isolated compounds on bacteria of clinical interest. A search in the PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) databases was performed, which included articles that evaluated the antibacterial activity of extracts and excluded articles that analyzed other microorganisms or nonpathogenic bacteria, as well as theses, dissertations, duplicate articles, and those not fully available.

The Pharmacological Effect of Hemin in Inflammatory-Related Diseases: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

Background: Hemin is a commonly used drug in the treatment of acute attacks of porphyria, due to its capability of restoring normal levels of hemoproteins and respiratory pigments. In addition, this drug has demonstrated the capacity to induce the heme oxygenase (HO) enzyme. At the moment, there are 3 known HO isoenzymes in mammals: HO-1, HO-2, and HO-3.

Effect of Carbamylated Erythropoietin in a Chronic Model of TNBS-Induced Colitis.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a public health issue with a growing prevalence, which can be divided into two phenotypes, namely Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Currently, used therapy is based only on symptomatic and/or palliative pharmacological approaches. These treatments seek to induce and maintain remission of the disease and ameliorate its secondary effects; however, they do not modify or reverse the underlying pathogenic mechanism.

The Immunomodulatory Activity of L. Peel Extract Increases the Lifespan of Mice with Lethal Sepsis.

Sepsis is an organ dysfunction syndrome associated with high mortality. To date, no effective treatment is available to combat this disease. L.

Correction: The Efficacy, Safety, and Efficiency of the Off-Label Use of Bevacizumab in Patients Diagnosed With Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/38658.].

The Efficacy, Safety, and Efficiency of the Off-Label Use of Bevacizumab in Patients Diagnosed With Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is recognized as the leading cause of vision loss in older people. Considering the phenomenon of aging societies worldwide, the prevalence of AMD is expected to increase gradually in the future. AMD can be divided into early, intermediate, and late stages, with the early and intermediate stages being mainly asymptomatic, and the late stage being classified as geographic atrophy, neovascular AMD, or both.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Topiramate in a Chronic Model of TNBS-Induced Colitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by a chronic and relapsing inflammatory response in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in severe symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, and weight loss. Currently, there is no cure, and the pharmacological treatment includes drugs that induce and keep the patient in remission, not reversing the underlying pathogenic mechanism. These therapies, in the long term, may cause various side effects and complications, which has increased the need to investigate new, more effective, and safer pharmacological approaches.

Knowledge and use of personal protective equipment by nursing professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Objective: To explore the knowledge and use of personal protective equipment by nursing professionals of Primary Health Care during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Method: This is an exploratory study of a non-probabilistic sample developed in Basic Health Units in the city of Picos, Piauí, Brazil. Data were collected between June and August 2020, by phone call, following a semi-structured script, with responses recording and transcription.

Higher oral efficacy of ravuconazole in self-nanoemulsifying systems in shorter treatment in experimental chagas disease.

We investigated the in vitro activity and selectivity, and in vivo efficacy of ravuconazole (RAV) in self-nanoemulsifying delivery system (SNEDDS) against Trypanosoma cruzi. Novel formulations of this poorly soluble C14-α-demethylase inhibitor may improve its efficacy in the experimental treatment. In vitro activity was determined in infected cardiomyocytes and efficacy in vivo evaluated in terms of parasitological cure induced in Y and Colombian strains of T.

Chronic exercise induces pathological left ventricular hypertrophy in adrenaline-deficient mice.

Adrenaline-deficient phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase-knockout mice (Pnmt-KO) have concentric heart remodeling and though their resting blood pressure is normal, it becomes higher during acute exercise. The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac morphological, functional and molecular alterations after chronic exercise in adrenaline-deficient mice. Genotypes at the Pnmt locus were verified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of ear samples of Pnmt-KO and wild-type (WT) mice.

Nitrotriazole-Based Compounds as Antichagasic Agents in a Long-Treatment Assay.

3-Nitrotriazole-based compounds belonging to various chemical subclasses were found to be very effective against Chagas disease both and after a short administration schedule. In this study, five compounds with specific characteristics were selected to be administered for longer periods of time to mice infected with the virulent Y strain to further evaluate their effectiveness as antichagasic agents and whether or not potential adverse effects occur. Benznidazole was included for comparison purposes.

Low epinephrine levels and selective deficiency of β2-adrenoceptor vasodilation at birth.

Aims: Epinephrine is unique among biogenic catecholamines as a potent agonist of β2-adrenoceptors. The β2-adrenoceptor mediated effects during development might be linked to the increase of epinephrine synthesis. Our purpose was to characterize β-adrenoceptor-mediated relaxation in the aorta of newborn and young rabbits (3 to 4months old), and to relate those responses with the epinephrine content of the adrenal gland.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide reduces the inflammatory profile in mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has gained great prominence because of its therapeutic potential, which is ascribed to its ability to regulate innate immunity, inhibit antigen-specific Th1 cell responses, and generate T regulatory cells. Additionally, VIP may act as a natural antimicrobial peptide, killing bacteria, fungi, and infective forms of Trypanosoma brucei. Despite the possible relevance of VIP during the course of Chagas disease, studies regarding this in human and experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infections remain poorly characterized.

A cell surface 230 kDa protein from murine melanoma involved with tumor malignancy.

Because melanoma incidence has increased at a dramatic rate, it is relevant to identify novel melanoma antigens for diagnosis and develop monoclonal antibodies recognizing such molecules. Some monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), raised against murine melanoma, identify molecules correlated with carcinogenesis. Herein, we describe a murine melanoma-associated 230 kDa molecule, expressed only in tumorigenic cell lines.