Exploring the therapeutic potential of acorn extract in papillomavirus-induced lesions.

Background And Aim: Papillomaviruses (PVs) infections have been documented in numerous animal species across different regions worldwide. They often exert significant impacts on animal health and livestock production. Scientists have studied natural products for over half a century due to their diverse chemical composition, acknowledging their value in fighting cancer.

spp. extract as a promising preventive or therapeutic strategy for cancer: A systematic review.

Acorns have traditionally been used in the human diet and for the treatment of specific diseases. Therefore, the present study performed a systematic review of studies which investigated the effects of spp. extracts in cancer prevention and treatment.

Occupationally Acquired Q Fever in Shepherds and Sheep Milk Cheesemakers.

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, and transmission to humans is often associated with contact with ovine and caprine livestock. Those exposed to sheep are particularly at high risk of infection. Recent studies show that Q fever is increasing in sheep farms in Portugal raising alerts on spillover to humans.

Bulk-Tank Milk Longitudinal Serosurvey Reveals Decreasing Schmallenberg Virus Circulation in a Confined Population of Portuguese Sheep.

In 2011, Schmallenberg virus (SBV) was first detected in dairy cattle herds in The Netherlands and Germany having since then spread across Europe. Today studies are starting to show a decrease in new SBV infections, a circumstance that raises alerts for possible re-emergence if ideal conditions for vector development occur. To assess the potential decrease in SBV circulation, we performed a 2-year longitudinal serological investigation for SBV infection at the herd level by using bulk-tank milk of a specific sheep breed from central Portugal.

Prospective Serosurvey of Coxiella burnetii Antibodies in Selected Sheep of Portugal.

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii that is highly prevalent across the world. In this study, a prospective serosurvey was performed to study C. burnetii circulation in a population of sheep in the central region of Portugal.

A Nationwide Seroepidemiologic Study on Q Fever Antibodies in Sheep of Portugal.

Introduction: Q fever is an almost global zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. Human infections can produce acute and chronic disease that can lead to abortions and stillbirths in pregnant women, usually infected by the inhalation of C. burnetii-contaminated aerosols or through consumption of contaminated products.

Outbreaks of abortions by Coxiella burnetii in small ruminant flocks and a longitudinal serological approach on archived bulk tank milk suggest Q fever emergence in Central Portugal.

Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic infectious disease caused by Coxiella burnetii and sheep and goats are known to be the main reservoir for human infection. This study describes the epidemiological and laboratory findings of C. burnetii outbreaks affecting sheep and goat flocks and also provides the results of a prospective serosurvey in bulk tank milk samples to assess C.

Serologic evidence for Schmallenberg virus circulation at high altitude, Central Portugal, 2015-2016.

A few years after the initial 2011 large scale Schmallenberg virus (SBV) epidemic that affected Europe, a subsequent decrease in new SBV infections was observed presumably associated with natural substitution of previously exposed animals. In the present work, a 2-year prospective serosurvey was performed to evaluate SBV circulation in a population of sheep living at high altitude in the central region of Portugal and with restricted movement. Blood from a representative sample of 168 autochthonous sheep was collected in 2015 and again in 2016, and tested for the presence of anti-SBV IgG by ELISA.

Long-term treatment with chaethomellic acid A reduces glomerulosclerosis and arteriolosclerosis in a rat model of chronic kidney disease.

The high prevalence of end-stage renal disease emphasizes the failure to provide therapies to effectively prevent and/or reverse renal fibrosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of long-term treatment with chaethomellic acid A (CAA), which selectively blocks Ha-Ras farnesylation, on renal mass reduction-induced renal fibrosis. Male Wistar rats were sham-operated (SO) or subjected to 5/6 renal mass reduction (RMR).

The N-butyl-N-4-hydroxybutyl Nitrosamine Mouse Urinary Bladder Cancer Model.

Urinary bladder cancer (UBC) is a common and complex malignancy, with a multifactorial etiology, like environmental factors, such as cigarette smoking, occupational exposure, and genetic factors.UBC exhibits considerable genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity. Among all UBC lesions, urothelial carcinoma is the most frequently observed histological type.

Epizootic and epidemic dermatophytose outbreaks caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes from rabbits in Portugal, 2015.

We report an outbreak of dermatophytoses in rabbits, which was the origin of a dermatophytose epidemic in an agricultural school in central Portugal, affecting 15 people. Both the phenotypic characteristics and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of the dermatophytes isolated from the rabbits and patients were identical, suggesting that a single strain was responsible for both the epizootic and epidemic dermatophytoses and confirming that these two outbreaks were linked. The ITS sequences were also 100% identical to the ITS sequence of five strains isolated from rabbits in Greece and Italy, but different from that of Trichophyton mentagrophytes commonly isolated from dogs and cats.

Challenges with in vitro and in vivo experimental models of urinary bladder cancer for novel drug discovery.

Introduction: Urinary bladder cancer (UBC) is the second most frequent malignancy of the urinary system and the ninth most common cancer worldwide, affecting individuals over the age of 65. Several investigations have embarked on advancing knowledge of the mechanisms underlying urothelial carcinogenesis, understanding the mechanisms of antineoplastic drugs resistance and discovering new antineoplastic drugs. In vitro and in vivo models are crucial for providing additional insights into the mechanisms of urothelial carcinogenesis.

Altered expression of CKs 14/20 is an early event in a rat model of multistep bladder carcinogenesis.

Cytokeratins (CKs) 14 and 20 are promising markers for diagnosing urothelial lesions and for studying their prognosis and histogenesis. This work aimed to study the immunohistochemical staining patterns of CK14/20 during multistep carcinogenesis leading to papillary bladder cancer in a rat model. Thirty female Fischer 344 rats were divided into three groups: group 1 (control); group 2, which received N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) for 20 weeks plus 1 week without treatment; and group 3, which received BBN for 20 weeks plus 8 weeks without treatment.

Animal models of urinary bladder cancer and their application to novel drug discovery.

Introduction: Urinary bladder cancer is a major human malignancy that afflicts millions of people worldwide every year. Urinary bladder cancer is usually superficial at presentation in 70 - 80% of patients. In these cases, a simple transurethral resection is adequate for removing the tumor.

E-cadherin and β-catenin expression during urothelial carcinogenesis induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine in mice.

Background: E-cadherin and β-catenin are adhesion molecules that promote integrity and stability of the urothelium. A decrease in their expression is associated with more aggressive tumour phenotypes with the ability to invade and metastasize.

Material And Methods: 45 ICR male mice were used, of which 25 received N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (0.

Review: BBN as an urothelial carcinogen.

Experimental urinary bladder tumours have been proposed as a useful model for the study of urinary bladder carcinogenesis, as well as for evaluating new therapeutic strategies. Consequently, the administration of chemical carcinogens is one of the most commonly used methods for inducing urinary bladder tumours. N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) is, undoubtedly, the most-used urothelial chemical carcinogen.

In vivo and in vitro effects of RAD001 on bladder cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of Everolimus (RAD001) on chemically induced urothelial lesions in mice and its influence on in vitro human bladder cancer cell lines.

Methods: ICR male mice were given N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine in drinking water for a period of 12 weeks. Subsequently, RAD001 was administered via oral gavage, for 6 weeks.

Mitochondrial and liver oxidative stress alterations induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine: relevance for hepatotoxicity.

The most significant toxicological effect of nitrosamines like N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) is their carcinogenic activity, which may result from exposure to a single large dose or from chronic exposure to relatively small doses. However, its effects on mitochondrial liver bioenergetics were never investigated. Liver is the principal organ responsible for BBN metabolic activation, and mitochondria have a central function in cellular energy production, participating in multiple metabolic pathways.

Experimental study of the anticancer effect of gemcitabine combined with sirolimus on chemically induced urothelial lesions.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a combination of gemcitabine and sirolimus in a mouse model of invasive bladder cancer.

Materials And Methods: Gemcitabine (50 mg/kg) and sirolimus (1.5 mg/kg) were administered to animals previously exposed to N-butyl-N-4(hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine in drinking water.