Publications by authors named "Vivian P Figueiredo"

Article Synopsis
  • ApoE is essential for transporting lipoproteins in the liver, and its deficiency leads to atherosclerosis in mice, especially as they age.
  • Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan that induces strong inflammation, exacerbates atherosclerosis in ApoE-knockout mice, with increased inflammation markers and cell migration to the heart observed.
  • The study indicates that ApoE has a protective effect against atherosclerosis during acute T. cruzi infection, particularly with the Colombian strain, suggesting that targeted interventions could help reduce cardiovascular risks in affected individuals.
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The protozoan is responsible for triggering a damage immune response in the host cardiovascular system. This parasite has a high affinity for host lipoproteins and uses the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor for its invasion. Assuming that the presence of LDL cholesterol in tissues could facilitate proliferation, dietary composition may affect the parasite-host relationship.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Female Fischer rats were given either a high-fat or control diet during mating, gestation, and breastfeeding, and the effects on their offspring were analyzed after they were weaned.
  • * Findings showed that the H diet in mothers led to increased metabolic issues in their offspring, including higher levels of plasma leptin, insulin, and glucose, indicating a risk of metabolic syndrome, even when the offspring were later fed a normal diet.
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In prevention studies of metabolic syndrome (MetS), Ang-(1-7) has shown to improve the insulin signaling. We evaluated the HPCD/Ang-(1-7) treatment on lipid metabolism, renin-angiotensin system (RAS) components, oxidative stress, and insulin pathway in the liver and gastrocnemius muscle and hepatic steatosis in rats with established MetS. After 7 weeks of high-fat (FAT) or control (CT) diets, rats were treated with cyclodextrin (HPCD) or HPCD/Ang-(1-7) in the last 6 weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effects of oral Angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) in rats, focusing on factors like blood pressure, insulin resistance, and inflammation in adipose tissue.
  • Rats were divided into control and high-fat diet groups, with one group receiving Ang-(1-7) treatment, and various biochemical and histological assessments were conducted after 13 weeks.
  • Results showed that Ang-(1-7) treatment reduced body fat, inflammation, and improved metabolic markers compared to untreated rats with MetS, suggesting its potential therapeutic benefits for managing obesity-related conditions.
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Background: The serum troponin assay is the biochemical gold standard for detecting myocardial infarction (MI). A major diagnostic issue is that some believe troponin levels can rise with reversible injury, in the absence of radiologically detectable infarct.

Hypothesis: Because cell death activates intracellular proteases, troponin released by irreversible infarct will be more proteolyzed than that released by milder processes.

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BACKGROUND The infection led by Trypanosoma cruzi persists in mammalian tissues causing an inflammatory imbalance. Carvedilol (Cv), a non-selective beta blocker drug indicated to treat heart failure and antihypertensive has shown to promote antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties which might improve the inflammation induced by T. cruzi.

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The high fat diet (HFD) can trigger metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Trypanosoma cruzi infection induces progressive inflammatory manifestations capable to affect the structure and the function of important organs such as the heart and liver. Here we aimed to investigate the effects of a HFD on the immune response and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activities during acute infection with the T.

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Obesity is a serious and growing world healthy problem affecting developed and developing countries. The new conception of obesity as a basal inflammatory condition has opened a new window of possibilities to identify inflammatory biomarkers to be used in the diagnosis or prognosis of obesity-associated comorbidities. This present work aims the identification of the adipokines (leptin and resistin), chemokines (CCL2, CCL5, CXCL16) and the BMP-2 and their association with the clinical, biochemical (fasting glucose, hemogram, cholesterol, T3, T4 and TSH) and anthropometric (weight, height, body circumferences, skinfold thickness and percentage of body fat) parameters in young adults (18-30 years old) presenting obesity and overweight.

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causes a cardiac infection characterized by an inflammatory imbalance that could become the inciting factor of the illness. To this end, we evaluated the role of carvedilol, a beta-blocker with potential immunomodulatory properties, on the immune response in C57BL/6 mice infected with VL-10 strain of in the acute phase. Animals ( = 40) were grouped: (i) not infected, (ii) infected, (iii) infected + carvedilol, and (iv) not infected + carvedilol.

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Background: The current concept of overweight/obesity is most likely related to a combination of increased caloric intake and decreased energy expenditure. Widespread inflammation, associated with both conditions, appears to contribute to the development of some obesity-related comorbidities. Interventions that directly or indirectly target individuals at high risk of developing obesity have been largely proposed because of the increasing number of overweight/obese cases worldwide.

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Acetaminophen (APAP) is an antipyretic and analgesic drug that, in high doses, leads to severe liver injury and potentially death. Oxidative stress is an important event in APAP overdose. Researchers are looking for natural antioxidants with the potential to mitigate the harmful effects of reactive oxygen species in different models.

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Acute inflammation and angiogenesis are persistent features of several pathological conditions induced by biological agents leading to the resolution of local and systemic events. Glycoproteins derived from the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi are suggested to mediate angiogenesis induced by inflammatory cells with still undescribed mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the effects of total antigen from trypomastigote forms of T.

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Benznidazole (BNZ) is traditionally used to treat Chagas disease. Despite its common use, BNZ has a poor water solubility and a variable bioavailability. The purpose of this study was to prepare BNZ microcrystals by solvent change precipitation and to study the effects of BNZ micronisation on therapeutic efficiency using a murine model of Chagas disease.

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Chagas cardiomyopathy remodeling is based on the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi in heart tissue and on the complex inflammatory response leading to a myocardium fibrosis and alterations in conductive and functional heart parameters. This study aims to evaluate Simvastatin on the inflammatory response and heart functionality using dogs infected with Y strain of T. cruzi.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Vivian P Figueiredo"

  • Vivian P Figueiredo's research primarily focuses on the interactions between parasitic infections, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular health, particularly examining how Trypanosoma cruzi infection exacerbates atherosclerosis in model organisms.
  • Recent studies reveal that high-fat diets not only worsen the effects of infections but also influence immune responses and metabolic disorders across generations, indicating a significant link between dietary habits and health outcomes.
  • Additionally, Figueiredo investigates potential therapeutic approaches, including the use of angiotensin peptides and beta-blockers, which demonstrate promise in improving metabolic profiles and modulating inflammation related to both infection and diet-induced complications.