Ionized alkaline water reduces injury in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis.

Ionized water has been reported to contribute to the tissue repair process and wound healing. Water purifiers can generate ionized water by means of activated charcoal with silver and minerals, the main purpose of which are to reduce microbiological and physicochemical contaminants. Moreover, when water is subjected to a magnetic field an organization of water molecules occurs due to the presence of mineral salts.

Natural compounds based chemotherapeutic against Chagas disease and leishmaniasis: mitochondrion as a strategic target.

Over the past years, natural products have been explored in order to find biological active substances to treat various diseases. Regarding their potential action against parasites such as trypanosomatids, specially Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp., much advance has been achieved.

Proanthocyanidin Polymer-Rich Fraction of Promotes and Cancer Cell Death via Oxidative Stress.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer that affects women, mainly through human papilloma virus (HPV) infection with high-risk HPV16 and HPV18. The present study investigated the anticancer activity and mechanism of action of a proanthocyanidin polymer-rich fraction of (F2) in cervical cancer cell lines, including HeLa (HPV18-positive), SiHa (HPV16-positive), and C33A (HPV-negative) cells, and also evaluated anticancer activity. , cell viability was determined by the MTT assay.

The extended production of UV-induced reactive oxygen species in L929 fibroblasts is attenuated by posttreatment with Arrabidaea chica through scavenging mechanisms.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure causes various injurious effects to human skin by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Excessive ROS production can lead to oxidative stress which may damage cellular components like lipids and proteins and causing photoaging. The use of natural photochemopreventive agents with antioxidant properties is an important alternative to improve the effectiveness of sunscreens and reduce skin photodamage.

Effects of (1,4)-2-Methyl-1,5-bis(4-nitrophenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one on and Its Combinational Effect with Benznidazole, Ketoconazole, or Fluconazole.

This study reports the activity induced by (1,4)-2-methyl-1,5-bis(4-nitrophenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one against This compound showed trypanocidal activity against the multiplicative epimastigote and amastigote forms of this protozoan, with IC values of 1.99 ± 0.17 and 1.

1,3,4-Thiadiazole derivatives of R-(+)-limonene benzaldehyde-thiosemicarbazones cause death in Trypanosoma cruzi through oxidative stress.

This work evaluated the in vitro and in vivo activity of TDZ 2 on Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes and determined the possible mechanism of action of this compound on T. cruzi death. TDZ 2 inhibited T.

C5 induces different cell death pathways in promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected infection that is caused by Leishmania protozoa, affecting millions of people worldwide, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. This disease has different clinical forms: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral. The drugs that are currently available for the treatment of this infection have limitations, such as high toxicity, long-term treatment, and leads to drug-resistant strains.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Induced by N-Butyl-1-(4-Dimethylamino)Phenyl-1,2,3,4-Tetrahydro-β-Carboline-3-Carboxamide Is Required for Cell Death of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Background: Chagas' disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi and affects thousands of people worldwide. The available treatments are unsatisfactory, and new drugs must be developed. Our group recently reported the trypanocidal activity of the synthetic compound N-butyl-1-(4-dimethylamino)phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxamide (C4), but the mechanism of action of this compound was unclear.

Comparative pathogenicity in Swiss mice of Trypanosoma cruzi IV from northern Brazil and Trypanosoma cruzi II from southern Brazil.

The geographical heterogeneity of Chagas disease (ChD) is mainly caused by genetic variability of the etiological agent Trypanosoma cruzi. Our hypothesis was that the pathogenicity for mice may vary with the genetic lineage (or Discrete Typing Unit - DTU) of the parasite. To test this hypothesis, parasitological and histopathological evaluations were performed in mice inoculated with strains belonging to the DTU T.

Antioxidant effects of quercetin and naringenin are associated with impaired neutrophil microbicidal activity.

Naringenin and quercetin are considered antioxidant compounds with promising activity against oxidative damage in human cells. However, no reports have described their effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by phagocytes during microbicidal activity. Thus, the present study evaluated the effects of naringenin and quercetin on ROS production, specifically hypochlorous acid (HOCl), and their involvement in the microbicidal activity of neutrophils.

The Effects of N-Butyl-1-(4-dimethylamino)phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro- β -carboline-3-carboxamide against Leishmania amazonensis Are Mediated by Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Leishmaniasis is a disease that affects millions of people worldwide. The drugs that are available for the treatment of this infection exhibit high toxicity and various side effects. Several studies have focused on the development of new chemotherapeutic agents that are less toxic and more effective against trypanosomatids.

Trypanocidal activity of 1,3,7-trihydroxy-2-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-xanthone isolated from Kielmeyera coriacea.

This work evaluated the activity and ultrastructural and morphological alterations induced by the xanthone 1,3,7-trihydroxy-2-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-xanthone (C23) isolated from Kielmeyera coriacea against Trypanosoma cruzi. This xanthone had inhibitory activity against the three forms of this protozoan and did not induce toxicity in mammalian cells. The best activity of this xanthone was against the intracellular amastigote form.

Eupomatenoid-5 Isolated from Leaves of Piper regnellii Induces Apoptosis in Leishmania amazonensis.

Leishmania spp. are protozoa responsible for leishmaniasis, a neglected disease that kills up to 50,000 people every year. Current therapies mainly rely on antimonial drugs that are inadequate because of their poor efficacy and safety and increased drug resistance.

Constitutive nitric oxide synthase activation is a significant route for nitroglycerin-mediated vasodilation.

The physiological effects of nitroglycerin as a potent vasodilator have long been documented. However, the molecular mechanisms by which nitroglycerin exerts its biological functions are still a matter of intense debate. Enzymatic pathways converting nitroglycerin to vasoactive compounds have been identified, but none of them seems to fully account for the reported clinical observations.

The reactivity of ortho-methoxy-substituted catechol radicals with sulfhydryl groups: contribution for the comprehension of the mechanism of inhibition of NADPH oxidase by apocynin.

Redox processes are involved in the mechanism of action of NADPH oxidase inhibitors such as diphenyleneiodonium and apocynin. Here, we studied the structure-activity relationship for apocynin and analogous ortho-methoxy-substituted catechols as inhibitors of the NADPH oxidase in neutrophils and their reactivity with peroxidase. Aiming to alter the reduction potential, the ortho-methoxy-catechol moiety was kept constant and the substituents at para position related to the hydroxyl group were varied.

Melatonin and its kynurenin-like oxidation products affect the microbicidal activity of neutrophils.

Activated phagocytes oxidize the hormone melatonin to N1-acethyl-N2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine (AFMK) in a superoxide anion- and myeloperoxidase-dependent reaction. We examined the effect of melatonin, AFMK and its deformylated-product N-acetyl-5-methoxykynuramine (AMK) on the phagocytosis, the microbicidal activity and the production of hypochlorous acid by neutrophils. Neither neutrophil and bacteria viability nor phagocytosis were affected by melatonin, AFMK or AMK.

High concentrations of the melatonin metabolite, N1-acetyl-N2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine, in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with meningitis: a possible immunomodulatory mechanism.

We evaluated the presence of the melatonin metabolite N1-acetyl-N2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine (AFMK), in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with viral meningitis (n = 20) and control samples (n = 8) and correlate AFMK levels with inflammatory markers such as cellularity, protein, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-1beta levels. A portion of the CSF was extracted with dichloromethane (1:5) and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) under standardized conditions for AFMK. AFMK was detected in 16 of 20 CSF samples of patients with viral meningitis; the concentration of AFMK was found to be above the quantification limit (50 nmol/L) in six of these samples.

Superoxide-dependent oxidation of melatonin by myeloperoxidase.

Myeloperoxidase uses hydrogen peroxide to oxidize numerous substrates to hypohalous acids or reactive free radicals. Here we show that neutrophils oxidize melatonin to N(1)-acetyl-N(2)-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine (AFMK) in a reaction that is catalyzed by myeloperoxidase. Production of AFMK was highly dependent on superoxide but not hydrogen peroxide.