Publications by authors named "Simone Gusmao Ramos"

Gut dysbiosis is linked to type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). Inulin (INU), a prebiotic, modulates the gut microbiota, promoting beneficial bacteria that produce essential short-chain fatty acids for immune regulation. However, how INU affects T1D remains uncertain.

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Aim: To determine the cytotoxicity mechanism of 2.5% calcium hypochlorite [Ca(OCl) ] in L929 fibroblasts and the effect of this solution on human osteoblast-like cells (Saos-2) mineralization, compared to that of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl).

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Article Synopsis
  • Immune system hyperactivation plays a significant role in the severity and tissue damage seen in cases of scorpion envenomation.
  • In experiments with mice injected with a lethal dose of Tityus serrulatus venom, mitochondrial swelling was observed in heart muscle cells, while other structures remained intact.
  • Treatment with dexamethasone or using mice lacking the interleukin-1β receptor prevented the mitochondrial damage in heart cells during envenomation.
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Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease and a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The hyperglycemia caused by DM induces micro and macrovascular complications that lead, among other consequences, to chronic wounds and amputations. Cell therapy and tissue engineering constitute recent therapeutic alternatives to improve wound healing in diabetic patients.

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Objective And Design: Our research aimed to investigate the role of CD14 in pulmonary infection by Achromobacter xylosoxidans in an experimental murine model.

Methods: C57Bl/6 or CD14-deficient mice were infected intratracheally with non-lethal inoculum of A. xylosoxidans.

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The persistent circulation of SARS-CoV-2 represents an ongoing global threat due to the emergence of new viral variants that can sometimes evade the immune system of previously exposed or vaccinated individuals. We conducted a follow-up study of adult individuals that had received an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, evaluating antibody production and neutralizing activity over a period of 6 months. In addition, we performed mice immunization with inactivated SARS-CoV-2, and evaluated the immune response and pathological outcomes against Gamma and Zeta variant infection.

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At some point in history, medicine was integrated with pathology, more precisely, with pathological anatomy [...

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the cause of the current pandemic, produces multiform manifestations throughout the body, causing indiscriminate damage to multiple organ systems, particularly the lungs, heart, brain, kidney, and vasculature. The aim of this review is to provide a new assessment of the data already available for COVID-19, exploring it as a transient molecular disease that causes negative regulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, and consequently, deregulates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, promoting important changes in the microcirculatory environment. Another goal of the article is to show how these microcirculatory changes may be responsible for the wide variety of injury mechanisms observed in different organs in this disease.

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The functions of eicosanoids, a family of potent biologically active lipid mediators, are not restricted to inflammatory responses and they also act as mediators of the pathogenesis process. However, the role of eicosanoids in tuberculosis remains controversial. To investigate the specific role of LTB in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, we used 5-lipoxygenase-deficient (5-LO) mice and WT (sv129) mice inoculated intranasally with LTB (encapsulated in PLGA microspheres).

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Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer leading half of the patients to death within 8-10 months after diagnosis. Kinins are peptides that interact with B1 and B2 receptors playing diverse biological roles. We investigated whether treatment with B1 receptor agonist, des-Arg-bradykinin (DABK), has effects in lung metastasis establishment after melanoma induction in mice.

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Introduction: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is associated with the pathogenesis of Kaposi Sarcoma and interstitial pneumonitis in adults. This study aims to evaluate association between HHV-8 and interstitial lung disease in HIV-infected children.

Methods: HIV-infected children with interstitial pneumonitis underwent lung biopsies in a tertiary hospital and were investigated for HHV-8, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry in lung tissue.

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Aim: Millions of people die each year due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). A Western lifestyle not only fuses a significant intake of fat with physical inactivity and obesity but also promotes CVD. Recent evidence suggests that dietary fat intake impairs the benefits of physical training.

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Cardiac dysfunction caused by the impairment of myocardial contractility has been recognized as an important factor contributing to the high mortality in sepsis. Calpain activation in the heart takes place in response to increased intracellular calcium influx resulting in proteolysis of structural and contractile proteins with subsequent myocardial dysfunction. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that increased levels of calpain in the septic heart leads to disruption of structural and contractile proteins and that administration of calpain inhibitor-1 (N-acetyl-leucinyl-leucinyl-norleucinal (ALLN)) after sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture prevents cardiac protein degradation.

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is a dimorphic fungus that develops a yeast-like morphology in host's tissue, responsible for the pulmonary disease histoplasmosis. The recent increase in the incidence of histoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients highlights the need of understanding immunological controls of fungal infections. Here, we describe our discovery of the role of endogenous galectin-1 (Gal-1) in the immune pathophysiology of experimental histoplasmosis.

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According to WHO, it is estimated that approximately 2 billion people are infected with intestinal helminths worldwide and the number of people who are cured of these diseases is relatively low, resulting in a large percentage of chronically infected individuals. Schistosomiasis is one of the most important parasitic diseases present in developing countries configuring it as a serious public health problem, directly related to poverty and social disadvantage. Once the parasite infection is established, Schistosoma mansoni eggs fall into the bloodstream and are trapped in the liver microcirculation where a strong granulomatous response and fibrosis formation occurs.

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Background: In acute lung injury (ALI), rupture of the alveolar-capillary barrier determines the protein-rich fluid influx into alveolar spaces. Previous studies have reported that methylene blue (MB) attenuates such injuries. This investigation was carried out to study the MB effects in pulmonary capillary permeability.

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Erythropoietin (EPO) is a key hormone involved in red blood cell formation, but its effects on nonerythroid cells, such as macrophages, have not been described. Macrophages are key cells in controlling histoplasmosis, a fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc). Considering that little is known about EPO's role during fungal infections and its capacity to activate macrophages, in this study we investigated the impact of EPO pretreatment on the alveolar immune response during Hc infection.

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The aim of this work was to develop an innovative tool for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis based on our previous findings, which demonstrated that intranasally administered soluble bovine hyaluronidase (HYAL) increases the numbers of mesenchymal (MSC)-like cells in the bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) and thus reduces the bleomycin-induced fibrosis. To this end, we developed poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles (MPs) loaded with HYAL (HYAL-MP) to preserve the enzyme's biological activity and to facilitate its delivery to the lung. Nonloaded MPs (Control-MPs) and HYAL-MPs were prepared using the emulsion and solvent evaporation methods and thoroughly characterized.

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Background: Schistosomiasis is one of the most important neglected diseases found in developing countries and affects 249 million people worldwide. The development of an efficient vaccination strategy is essential for the control of this disease. Previous work showed partial protection induced by DNA-Sm14 against Schistosoma mansoni infection, whereas DNA-Hsp65 showed immunostimulatory properties against infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancer and antifibrotic properties in an egg-induced granuloma model.

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Objective: Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is a form of childhood interstitial lung disease characterized by tachypnea, retractions, crackles, and hypoxia. The aim of this study was to report and discuss the clinical, imaging, and histopathological findings in a series of NEHI cases at a tertiary pediatric hospital, with an emphasis on diagnostic criteria and clinical outcomes.

Methods: Between 2003 and 2011, 12 full-term infants were diagnosed with NEHI, based on clinical and tomographic findings.

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Dengue is a prevalent arthropod-borne viral disease in tropical and subtropical areas of the globe. Dengue clinical manifestations include asymptomatic infections; undifferentiated fever; dengue fever, which is characterized by fever, headache, retroorbital pain, myalgia, and arthralgia; and a severe form of the disease denominated dengue haemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome, characterized by haemoconcentration, thrombocytopenia, and bleeding tendency. However, atypical manifestations, such as liver, central nervous system, and cardiac involvement, have been increasingly reported.

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Prostaglandins act as mediators of inflammation and, similar to cytokines, function as immune modulators during innate and adaptive immune responses. Therefore, using a pharmacological inhibitor, celecoxib, we investigated the role of prostaglandins in host defense against Histoplasma capsulatum infection in C57BL/6 mice. Our results showed that treatment with celecoxib inhibited cyclooxygenase 2, reduced the total fungal burden, and reduced the concentration of PGE2, cytokines, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and mononuclear cells in the bronchoalveolar space and lung parenchyma.

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Melanoma is a very aggressive tumor that does not respond well to standard therapeutic approaches, such as radio- and chemotherapies. Furthermore, acquiring the ability to metastasize in melanoma and many other tumor types is directly related to incurable disease. The B1 kinin receptor participates in a variety of cancer-related pathophysiological events, such as inflammation and angiogenesis.

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