The effects of inflammation on connexin 43 in chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy.

Background: Cardiac arrhythmias are the main cause of sudden death due to Chronic Chagasic Cardiomyopathy (CCC). Here we investigated alterations in connexin 43 (Cx43) expression and phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes as well as associations with cardiac arrhythmias in CCC.

Methods: C57Bl/6 mice infected with underwent cardiac evaluations at 6 and 12 months after infection via treadmill testing and EKG.

Potential therapeutic effects of green tea on obese lipid profile - a systematic review.

Green tea, obtained from the plant , is one of the oldest drinks in the world and contains numerous bioactive compounds. Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of green tea in preventing obesity and cardiovascular diseases that may be related to the reduction of lipid levels. This study aimed to evidence, through a systematic review, the therapeutic potential of green tea on the lipid profile in preclinical studies in obese animals and clinical studies in obese individuals.

Cardiac effect induced by Crotalus durissus cascavella venom: Morphofunctional evidence and mechanism of action.

Envenoming, resulting from snake bites, is a global public health problem. The present study was undertaken to investigate the influence of Crotalus durissus cascavella (Cdcas) venom on cardiac activity and the mechanisms of action underlying its effect. To investigate the inotropic and chronotropic effects induced by Cdcas, studies were performed on the left and right atria.

Betulinic Acid Derivative BA5, Attenuates Inflammation and Fibrosis in Experimental Chronic Chagas Disease Cardiomyopathy by Inducing IL-10 and M2 Polarization.

Chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy (CCC) is a major cause of heart disease in Latin America and treatment for this condition is unsatisfactory. Here we investigated the effects of BA5, an amide semi-synthetic derivative betulinic acid, in a model of CCC. Mice chronically infected with were treated orally with BA5 (10 or 1 mg/Kg), three times per week, for 2 months.

Exercise Training-Induced Changes in MicroRNAs: Beneficial Regulatory Effects in Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, and Obesity.

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. They are involved in the regulation of physiological processes, such as adaptation to physical exercise, and also in disease settings, such as systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), and obesity. In SAH, microRNAs play a significant role in the regulation of key signaling pathways that lead to the hyperactivation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, proliferation, and phenotypic change in smooth muscle cells, and the hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor-Overexpressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exhibit Enhanced Immunomodulatory Actions Through the Recruitment of Suppressor Cells in Experimental Chagas Disease Cardiomyopathy.

Genetic modification of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a promising strategy to improve their therapeutic effects. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a growth factor widely used in the clinical practice with known regenerative and immunomodulatory actions, including the mobilization of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Here we evaluated the therapeutic potential of MSCs overexpressing G-CSF (MSC_G-CSF) in a model of inflammatory cardiomyopathy due to chronic Chagas disease.

Therapeutic effects of sphingosine kinase inhibitor N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS) in experimental chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy.

Chagas disease cardiomyopathy is a parasite-driven inflammatory disease to which there are no effective treatments. Here we evaluated the therapeutic potential of N,N-dimethylsphingosine(DMS), which blocks the production of sphingosine-1-phosphate(S1P), a mediator of cellular events during inflammatory responses, in a model of chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy. DMS-treated, Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice had a marked reduction of cardiac inflammation, fibrosis and galectin-3 expression when compared to controls.

Association of Cardiac Galectin-3 Expression, Myocarditis, and Fibrosis in Chronic Chagas Disease Cardiomyopathy.

Chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection, is a major cause of heart failure in Latin America. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) has been linked to cardiac remodeling and poor prognosis in heart failure of different etiologies. Herein, we investigated the involvement of Gal-3 in the disease pathogenesis and its role as a target for disease intervention.

Chloroquine-containing organoruthenium complexes are fast-acting multistage antimalarial agents.

We report the pharmacological activity of organoruthenium complexes containing chloroquine (CQ) as a chelating ligand. The complexes displayed intraerythrocytic activity against CQ-sensitive 3D7 and CQ-resistant W2 strains of Plasmodium falciparum, with potency and selectivity indexes similar to those of CQ. Complexes displayed activity against all intraerythrocytic stages, but moderate activity against Plasmodium berghei liver stages.

Protective effects of mito-TEMPO against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in mice.

Purpose: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapeutic that is widely used for the treatment of many human tumors. However, the development of cardiotoxicity has limited its use. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible efficacy of mito-TEMPO (mito-T) as a protective agent against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in mice.

Administration of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor accompanied with a balanced diet improves cardiac function alterations induced by high fat diet in mice.

Background/objectives: High fat diet (HFD) is a major contributor to the development of obesity and cardiovascular diseases due to the induction of cardiac structural and hemodynamic abnormalities. We used a model of diabetic cardiomyopathy in C57Bl/6 mice fed with a HFD to investigate the effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), a cytokine known for its beneficial effects in the heart, on cardiac anatomical and functional abnormalities associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Groups of C57Bl/6 mice were fed with standard diet (n = 8) or HFD (n = 16).

Administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor induces immunomodulation, recruitment of T regulatory cells, reduction of myocarditis and decrease of parasite load in a mouse model of chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy.

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection, is a leading cause of heart failure in Latin American countries. In a previous study, we showed beneficial effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration in the heart function of mice with chronic T. cruzi infection.

Recovery of pulmonary structure and exercise capacity by treatment with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in a mouse model of emphysema.

Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease characterized abnormal dilatation of alveolar spaces, which impairs alveolar gas exchange, compromising the physical capacity of a patient due to airflow limitations. Here we tested the effects of G-CSF administration in pulmonary tissue and exercise capacity in emphysematous mice. C57Bl/6 female mice were treated with elastase intratracheally to induce emphysema.

Transplantation of adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells in experimental chronic chagasic cardiopathy.

Background: Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major cause of heart failure in Latin America. Tissue therapy has been investigated as a possible therapeutic option for patients with cardiovascular disease.

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of therapy with mesenchymal stem cells in an experimental model of chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor treatment in chronic Chagas disease: preservation and improvement of cardiac structure and function.

This study investigates the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) therapy in experimental chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy. Chagas disease is one of the leading causes of heart failure in Latin America and remains without an effective treatment other than cardiac transplantation. C57BL/6 mice were infected with 10(3) trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, and chronic chagasic mice were treated with G-CSF or saline (control).