Publications by authors named "Rui Seabra Ferreira-Junior"

Article Synopsis
  • Women with gestational diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for Gestational Diabetes Induced Myopathy (GDiM), leading to muscle atrophy and urinary incontinence.
  • The study developed a natural rubber latex (NRL) based biodevice infused with mesenchymal/stromal stem cells (MSCs) to aid in skeletal muscle regeneration.
  • The NRL showed promising properties such as biocompatibility, low hemolytic activity, and strong antioxidant activity, indicating its potential as a treatment for GDiM-related muscle issues.
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Despite the development of new and advanced diagnostic approaches, monitoring the clinical evolution of accidents caused by venomous animals is still a challenge for science. In this review, we present the state of the art of laboratory tests that are routinely used for the diagnosis and monitoring of envenomings by venomous animals, as well as the use of new tools for more accurate and specific diagnoses. While a comprehensive range of tools is outlined, comprising hematological, biochemical, immunoassays, and diagnostic imaging tools, it is important to acknowledge their limitations in predicting the onset of clinical complications, since they provide an overview of organic damage after its development.

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  • Honeybee stings can lead to various health issues, from mild local reactions to serious systemic effects, highlighting it as a public health concern.
  • The review discusses the mechanisms of envenoming, different clinical presentations, and the importance of accurate diagnosis for effective treatment.
  • It also evaluates new diagnostic technologies and treatment strategies to enhance patient care and outcomes for those affected by honeybee stings.*
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  • The study investigates the effectiveness of snake venom-derived bioproducts and buffalo blood fibrinogen in healing large bone defects, focusing on their application with low-level laser therapy in rats.
  • Six groups of rats were tested with various combinations of nanohydroxyapatite and heterologous fibrin biopolymer, with results showing significant bone formation, especially in the group treated with fibrin and photobiomodulation.
  • Overall, the combination of heterologous fibrin biopolymer and low-level laser therapy demonstrated enhanced bone repair, indicating promising potential for future clinical applications.
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Disintegrins are a class of peptides found in snake venom that inhibit the activity of integrins, which are essential cell adhesion receptors in tumor progression and development. In this work, moojecin, a RGD disintegrin, was isolated from Bothrops moojeni snake venom, and its antitumor potential in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) HL-60 and THP-1 cells was characterized. The isolation was performed using a C reverse-phase column in two chromatographic steps, and its molecular mass is 7417.

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Aim: To assess the efficacy of heterologous fibrin biopolymer (HFB) in promoting alveolar bone healing after tooth extraction in rats.

Materials And Methods: The upper right incisors of 48 Wistar rats were extracted. Toothless sockets were filled with HFB (HFBG, n = 24) or blood clot (BCG, n = 24).

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Biomaterials are used extensively in graft procedures to correct bone defects, interacting with the body without causing adverse reactions. The aim of this pre-clinical study was to analyze the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBM) with the use of a low-level laser in the repair process of bone defects filled with inorganic matrix (IM) associated with heterologous fibrin biopolymer (FB). A circular osteotomy of 4 mm in the left tibia was performed in 30 Wistar male adult rats who were randomly divided into three groups: G1 = IM + PBM, G2 = IM + FB and G3 = IM + FB + PBM.

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Article Synopsis
  • Africanized bees have proliferated in the Americas since 1956, leading to significant human and animal fatalities, particularly in Brazil where over 100,000 incidents and 303 deaths were recorded in the past five years.
  • Brazilian researchers have developed the world’s first specific antivenom for Africanized honey bee stings, successfully tested on 20 patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial.
  • The antivenom's production involved a meticulous process of extracting and purifying bee venom toxins, following strict good manufacturing practices (GMP), ensuring the welfare of both bees and horses used in the serum production.
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  • * Animal venoms, sourced from various species like snakes and mollusks, are being studied for their potential analgesic properties as they contain biomolecules that could help manage different types of pain.
  • * The exploration of venom-derived toxins could lead to new pain treatment methods, with an emphasis on developing multimodal therapies that utilize these natural compounds to enhance pain management strategies.
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Peripheral nerve injuries impair the patient's functional capacity, including those occurring in the facial nerve, which require effective medical treatment. Thus, we investigated the use of heterologous fibrin biopolymer (HFB) in the repair of the buccal branch of the facial nerve (BBFN) associated with photobiomodulation (PBM), using a low-level laser (LLLT), analyzing the effects on axons, muscles facials, and functional recovery. This experimental study used twenty-one rats randomly divided into three groups of seven animals, using the BBFN bilaterally (the left nerve was used for LLLT): Control group-normal and laser (CGn and CGl); Denervated group-normal and laser (DGn and DGl); Experimental Repair Group-normal and laser (ERGn and ERGl).

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Specific and sensitive tools for the diagnosis and monitoring of accidents by venomous animals are urgently needed. Several diagnostic and monitoring assays have been developed; however, they have not yet reached the clinic. This has resulted in late diagnoses, which represents one of the main causes of progression from mild to severe disease.

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Extending the range of use of the heterologous fibrin biopolymer, this pre-clinical study showed a new proportionality of its components directed to the formation of scaffold with a lower density of the resulting mesh to facilitate the infiltration of bone cells, and combined with therapy by laser photobiomodulation, in order to accelerate the repair process and decrease the morphofunctional recovery time. Thus, a transoperative protocol of laser photobiomodulation (L) was evaluated in critical bone defects filled with deproteinized bovine bone particles (P) associated with heterologous fibrin biopolymer (HF). The groups were: BC (blood clot + laser); HF; HF; PHF (P+HF); PHF (P+HF+L).

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Article Synopsis
  • Spinal cord injuries lead to significant loss of motor function and nerve cells, making recovery challenging, which prompted research into the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells, specifically human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSC).
  • A study was conducted using 72 adult female Lewis rats divided into four groups to compare motor recovery after spinal motor root avulsion and reimplantation, with some receiving 2D or 3D hDPSC therapy.
  • Results showed that both 2D and 3D therapies improved neuronal survival and reduced inflammation, but the 2D group demonstrated the best overall functional recovery compared to the others, implying effectiveness of stem cell therapy in spinal cord injuries.
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Peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) lead to alterations in the Agrin-LRP4-MuSK pathway. This results in disaggregation of AChRs and change from epsilon (mature, innervated) to gamma (immature, denervated) subunit. Tubulization technique has been shown to be effective for PNI repair and it also allows the use of adjuvants, such as fibrin biopolymer (FB).

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There are several treatment methods available for bone repair, although the effectiveness becomes limited in cases of large defects. The objective of this pre-clinical protocol was to evaluate the grafting of hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (BCP) ceramic biomaterial (B; QualyBone BCP, QualyLive, Amadora, Portugal) together with the heterologous fibrin biopolymer (FB; CEVAP/UNESP Botucatu, Brazil) and with photobiomodulation (PBM; Laserpulse, Ibramed, Amparo, Brazil) in the repair process of bone defects. Fifty-six rats were randomly divided into four groups of seven animals each: the biomaterial group (G1/B), the biomaterial plus FB group (G2/BFB); the biomaterial plus PBM group (G3/B + PBM), and the biomaterial plus FB plus PBM group (G4/BFB + PBM).

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Unlabelled: Acute kidney injury pathogenesis in envenoming by snakes is multifactorial and involves immunologic reactions, hemodynamic disturbances, and direct nephrotoxicity. Sildenafil (SFC), a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, has been reported to protect against pathological kidney changes.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of sildenafil against Bothrops alternatus snake venom (BaV)-induced nephrotoxicity.

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Denervation leads to severe atrophy of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) structure including decrease of the expression of fundamental proteins. Up to now, conventional suture has been the gold standard method used to correct this injury. Fibrin sealant is one of the alternatives proposed to optimize this method.

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The characteristics of the denture base surface, in combination with the oral environment, promote the colonization and development of biofilm, which is the main cause of denture stomatitis. This study evaluated the effectiveness of fibrin biopolymer with digluconate chlorhexidine or alcoholic extract to prevent biofilm. Conventional heat polymerized and pre-polymerized poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) circular specimens (10 × 2 mm) were fabricated ( = 504) and randomly divided into groups: no treatment (control-CT), fibrin biopolymer coating (FB), fibrin biopolymer with (FBPg), or digluconate of chlorhexidine (FBCh) coating.

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The aim is to evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on the guided bone regeneration process (GBR) in defects in the calvaria of rats filled with biphasic calcium phosphate associated with fibrin biopolymer. Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly separated: BMG ( 10), defects filled with biomaterial and covered by membrane; BFMG ( 10), biomaterial and fibrin biopolymer covered by membrane; and BFMLG ( 10), biomaterial and fibrin biopolymer covered by membrane and biostimulated with PBMT. The animals were euthanized at 14 and 42 days postoperatively.

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Fibrin sealant (FS) is a biomaterial that exhibits hemostatic and repairing properties. It has been successfully used as scaffolds and adhesives to improve repair and regeneration of tissues. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of FS in the regeneration process of bone defects in male rat tibias through macroscopic, microscopic and mechanical analysis.

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Bone defects cause aesthetic and functional changes that affect the social, economic and especially the emotional life of human beings. This complication stimulates the scientific community to investigate strategies aimed at improving bone reconstruction processes using complementary therapies. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and the use of new biomaterials, including heterologous fibrin biopolymer (HFB), are included in this challenge.

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Introduction: We evaluated the epidemiological and clinical profile of reported cases of bee sting incidents in Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all reported cases of bee sting incidents among the population of Santa Catarina from 2007 to 2017.

Results: In total, 8,912 cases were reported, corresponding to an overall rate of 12.

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This research evaluated the influence of Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) on lesions of the facial nerve repaired with the end-to-side technique or coaptation with a new heterologous fibrin sealant. Thirty-two Wistar rats were separated into 5 groups: Control group (CG), where the buccal branch of the facial nerve was collected; Experimental Suture Group (ESG) and Experimental Fibrin Group (EFG), in which the buccal branch was end-to-side sutured to the zygomatic branch on the right side of the face or coaptated with fibrin sealant on the left side; Experimental Suture Laser Group (ESLG) and Experimental Fibrin Laser Group (EFLG), in which the same procedures were performed as the ESG and EFG, associated with PBMT (wavelength of 830nm, energy density 6.2J/cm, power output 30mW, beam area of 0.

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Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on qualitative, quantitative, and functional aspects in the facial nerve regeneration process.

Materials And Methods: Forty-two male Wistar rats were used, randomly divided into a control group (CG; n = 10), in which the facial nerve without lesion was collected, and four experimental groups: (1) suture experimental group (SEG) and (2) fibrin experimental group (FEG), consisting of 16 animals in which the buccal branch of the facial nerve was sectioned on both sides of the face; an end-to-end epineural suture was performed on the right side, and a fibrin sealant was used on the left side for coaptation of the stumps; and (3) laser suture experimental group (LSEG) and (4) laser fibrin experimental group (LFEG), consisting of 16 animals that underwent the same surgical procedures as SEG and FEG with the addition of laser application at three different points along the surgical site (pulsed laser of 830 nm wavelength, optical output power of 30 mW, power density of 0.2586 W/cm, energy density of 6.

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The proteomic approach has aroused the interest of veterinary medicine researchers, especially regarding the production of biopharmaceuticals and diagnosis of diseases in farm animals. Water buffaloes have gained prominence in the world economy due to the quality of their milk, meat, and leather, in addition to being an important donor of blood components. This work aimed to identify and characterize the proteins present in the blood plasma of Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) through 2D electrophoresis, in gel protein digestion followed by mass spectrometry technique and for albumin depletion, in solution protein digestion followed by shotgun analysis.

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