A novel insight on SARS-CoV-2 S-derived fragments in the control of the host immunity.

Despite all efforts to combat the pandemic of COVID-19, we are still living with high numbers of infected persons, an overburdened health care system, and the lack of an effective and definitive treatment. Understanding the pathophysiology of the disease is crucial for the development of new technologies and therapies for the best clinical management of patients. Since the manipulation of the whole virus requires a structure with an adequate level of biosafety, the development of alternative technologies, such as the synthesis of peptides from viral proteins, is a possible solution to circumvent this problem.

Tempol improves neuroinflammation and delays motor dysfunction in a mouse model (SOD1) of ALS.

Background: The development of new therapeutic strategies to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is of utmost importance. The use of cyclic nitroxides such as tempol may provide neuroprotection and improve lifespan. We investigated whether tempol (50 mg/kg) presents therapeutic potential in SOD1 transgenic mice.

The Emerging Role of the Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting upper and lower motoneurons (MNs). The etiology of the disease is still unknown for most patients with sporadic ALS, while in 5-10% of the familial cases, several gene mutations have been linked to the disease. Mutations in the gene encoding Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), reproducing in animal models a pathological scenario similar to that found in ALS patients, have allowed for the identification of mechanisms relevant to the ALS pathogenesis.

Oxidative stress markers and apoptosis in the prostate of diabetic rats and the influence of vitamin C treatment.

Negative consequences of diabetes on the prostate such as involution are associated with diminished testosterone, insulin deficiency, and hyperglycemia. The contributions of oxidative damage, which usually increases with diabetes, are unknown for these alterations. This study evaluated the impact of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on the biomarkers of the antioxidant system of rat ventral prostate, the influence of vitamin C supplementation on these biomarkers, and on the balance between cell proliferation and death.

Disorders related with ageing in the gerbil female prostate (Skene's paraurethral glands).

The female organs, which are regulated by steroid hormones, are targets of studies especially those related to senescence. However, although the female prostate is an organ influenced by hormones and susceptible to lesions, there is still little information about its histopathology. Thus, given the morphophysiological similarity between the prostate in women and female gerbils, the present study aimed to identify the spontaneous histopathological changes in this rodent to provide contributions to the understanding of lesions that also affect the human female prostate.

Antiestrogen therapies affect tissue homeostasis of the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) female prostate and ovaries.

The present work aims to evaluate the response of the adult gerbil female prostate (paraurethral glands) and ovaries to short-term exposure to antiestrogenic agents, consisting of daily oral doses of letrozole (1 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) or intradermal doses of tamoxifen (1 mg/kg) every other day for 21 days. The serum levels of testosterone and estradiol were monitored, and the prostates and ovaries collected for structural, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical analyses. The letrozole treatment resulted in increases of serum testosterone levels and secretory activity as well as in glandular hyperplasia and dysplastic growth, simulating the effects caused by the exogenous androgens.

Electromyographic study of the masseter muscle in individuals with Class II malocclusion.

The objective of this work was to study the action of the masseter muscle through electromyography and to analyze the difference of action potential generated by several pre-established jaw movements in individuals with Class II malocclusion. It was studied nine young individuals from both sexes, with ages ranging from 17 to 35, with no history of orthodontic treatment and/or having some kind of alteration in the temporomandibular joint (T.M.

Lymphoid organ alterations enhanced by sub-lethal doses of coronaviruses in experimentally induced Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice.

The effect of sub-lethal doses of coronaviruses on the course of disease in CBA mice experimentally infected with a mildly pathogenic strain of Trypanosoma cruzi was investigated. Mice were inoculated with either T. cruzi, 0.

The neutrophil migration induced by tumour necrosis factor alpha in mice is unaffected by glucocorticoids.

Macrophages harvested from the peritoneal cavities of rats release a neutrophil chemotactic factor (MNCF) in response to stimulation with Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). MNCF has been shown to be active in rats treated with dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid that usually inhibits the neutrophil migration induced in this species by interleukin (IL)-1, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), IL-8, C5a and leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)). Here we report that macrophages harvested from peritoneal cavities of mice, and stimulated in vitro with LPS, also release a factor that induces neutrophil migration in dexamethasone-treated animals.