The purinergic system participates in the control of blood pressure. Hypertension promotes the occurrence of gastrointestinal disorders such as intestinal inflammation and gastric emptying delay. This study aimed i) to investigate the participation of the P2X7 receptor blocker Brilliant Blue G (BBG) on gastric emptying of solids and changes in oxidative stress in the gastric fundus, duodenum, and colon of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and ii) to study the putative relationship of this effect with the renin-angiotensin system. Rats were divided into five groups: Control, SHR, SHR+BBG, SHR+BBG+ATP, and SHR+BBG+ANG II. In the gastrointestinal tract, we assessed gastric emptying (GE) and oxidative stress markers (NOx, MPO, GSH, SOD). We observed a decrease in the GE rate (P<0.05) in SHR vs control rats (21.8±2.0% vs 42.8±3.5%). The decrease in GE was returned (P<0.05) to control levels by BBG in SHR rats (21.8±2.0% vs 41.6±3.2%). Co-administration of ATP or ANG II together with BBG bypassed the effect of the P2X7 antagonist on GE in SHR (P<0.05) (21.9±5.0% vs 25.6±3.0% vs 41.6±3.2%). The MPO activity increased (P<0.05) in the gastric fundus of SHR compared to control rats (6.12±2.26 vs 0.077±0.02 UMPO/mg tissue); this effect was prevented (P<0.05) by BBG (0.55±0.15 vs 6.12±2.26 UMPO/mg tissue). Data demonstrated that blockage of P2X7 receptors with BBG can improve the GE delay and oxidative stress biomarkers in SHR animals. This preventive effect of BBG on GE delay was abrogated by ANG II and ATP, thus prompting crosstalk between renin-angiotensin and the purinergic signaling systems underlying this phenomenon.

ABSTRACT Among individuals coinfected with HCV and HIV, studies of mortality from non-hepatic causes have shown inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of HCV and HIV co-infection to mortality from hepatic and non-hepatic causes in Brazil. This retrospective cohort study included blood donors from Fundação Pró-Sangue de São Paulo (FPS) who were followed from 1994 to 2016 to compare mortality and its causes between HIV-HCV coinfected individuals versus those seronegative for all tested infections. Records from the FPS database and the Mortality Information System were linked through a probabilistic record Relationship (RL). The Hazard Ratio (HR) was estimated using Cox multiple regression models. HCV-HIV coinfected individuals compared to seronegative individuals had a higher risk of death from all causes (HR = 14.54), non-liver neoplasms (HR = 2.55), infections (HR = 10.37) and liver disease (HR = 7.0). In addition, HCV mono-infected individuals compared to seronegative individuals had a higher risk of death from all causes (HR = 2.23), liver cancer (HR = 32.21), liver disease (HR = 14.92), infection (HR = 3.22), and trauma (HR = 1.68). Individuals coinfected with HCV and HIV have increased overall mortality and death due to infections, liver diseases and non-liver neoplasms as compared to those uninfected with HCV and HIV.

ABSTRACT Background: Non-metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (M0 CRPC) has seen important developments in drugs and diagnostic tools in the last two years. New hormonal agents have demonstrated improvement in metastasis free survival in M0 CRPC patients and have been approved by regulatory agencies in Brazil. Additionally, newer and more sensitive imaging tools are able to detect metastasis earlier than before, which will impact the percentage of patients staged as M0 CRPC. Based on the available international guidelines, a group of Brazilian urology and medical oncology experts developed and completed a survey on the diagnosis and treatment of M0 CRPC in Brazil. These results are reviewed and summarized and associated recommendations are provided. Objective: To present survey results on management of M0 CRPC in Brazil. Design, setting, and participants: A panel of six Brazilian prostate cancer experts determined 64 questions concerning the main areas of interest: 1) staging tools, 2) treatments, 3) side effects of systemic treatment/s, and 4) osteoclast-targeted therapy. A larger panel of 28 Brazilian prostate cancer experts answered these questions in order to create country-specific recommendations discussed in this manuscript. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: The panel voted publicly but anonymously on the predefined questions. These answers are the panelists' opinions, not a literature review or meta-analysis. Therapies not yet approved in Brazil were excluded from answer options. Each question had five to seven relevant answers including two non-answers. Results were tabulated in real time. Conclusions: The results and recommendations presented can be used by Brazilian physicians to support the management of M0 CRPC patients. Individual clinical decision making should be supported by available data, however, for Brazil, guidelines for diagnosis and management of M0 CRPC patients have not been developed. This document will serve as a point of reference when confronting this disease stage.

BACKGROUND Despite efforts to mitigate the impact of dengue virus (DENV) epidemics, the virus remains a public health problem in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Most DENV cases in the Americas between January and July 2019 were reported in Brazil. São Paulo State in the southeast of Brazil has reported nearly half of all DENV infections in the country. OBJECTIVES To understand the origin and dynamics of the 2019 DENV outbreak. METHODS Here using portable nanopore sequencing we generated20 new DENV genome sequences from viremic patients with suspected dengue infection residing in two of the most-affected municipalities of São Paulo State, Araraquara and São José do Rio Preto. We conducted a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis with 1,630 global DENV strains to better understand the evolutionary history of the DENV lineages that currently circulate in the region. FINDINGS The new outbreak strains were classified as DENV2 genotype III (American/Asian genotype). Our analysis shows that the 2019 outbreak is the result of a novel DENV lineage that was recently introduced to Brazil from the Caribbean region. Dating phylogeographic analysis suggests that DENV2-III BR-4 was introduced to Brazil in or around early 2014, possibly from the Caribbean region. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our study describes the early detection of a newly introduced and rapidly-expanding DENV2 virus lineage in Brazil.

A biodiversidade do Pantanal constitui recurso natural com reconhecido valor na economia, na cultura, na recreação, na estética, na ciência e na educação. A vegetação, mais a produtividade sazonal, suporta uma fauna abundante. Muitas espécies ameaçadas de extinção ocorrem na região e aves aquáticas são excepcionalmente abundantes durante a estação seca. Perdas da biodiversidade do Pantanal e de seus hábitats naturais associados ocorrem como resultado do uso não sustentável da terra. A implementação de áreas protegidas é somente uma parte da estratégia necessária. Analisamos as ameaças ambientais do bioma sob sete tópicos principais: 1) conversão da vegetação natural em pasto e campos agrícolas; 2) destruição e degradação de hábitats, principalmente pelo emprego de fogo; 3) sobre uso de espécies, principalmente pela pesca; 4) poluição de água; 5) modificação de fluxo de rios, principalmente pela implantação de pequenas usinas hidrelétricas; 6) turismo não sustentável; e 7) introdução de espécies invasoras exóticas.

The Pantanal's biodiversity constitutes a valuable natural resource, in economic, cultural, recreational, aesthetic, scientific and educational terms. The vegetation plus the seasonal productivity support a diverse and abundant fauna. Many endangered species occur in the region, and waterfowl are exceptionally abundant during the dry season. Losses of biodiversity and its associated natural habitats within the Pantanal occur as a result of unsustainable land use. Implementation of protected areas is only a part of the conservation strategy needed. We analyse biodiversity threats to the biome under seven major categories: 1) conversion of natural vegetation into pasture and agricultural crops, 2) destruction or degradation of habitat mainly due to wild fire, 3) overexploitation of species mainly by unsustainable fishing, 4) water pollution, 5) river flow modification with implantation of small hydroelectric plants, 6) unsustainable tourism, and 7) introduction of invasive exotic species.

En este trabajo se reporta la preparación de una nueva mezcla biodegradable de materiales poliméricos compuesta por Poli(p-dioxanona) y Poli(e-caprolactona) en un rango amplio de composiciones. Primeramente se prepararon mezclas de materiales comercialmente disponibles de alto peso molecular, las cuales resultaron ser inmiscibles. La inmiscibilidad quedó demostrada por la invariabilidad de las transiciones térmicas relevantes determinadas mediante Calorimetría Diferencial de Barrido (DSC), y por la morfología de dos fases observada en el rango microscópico tanto por Microscopía Electrónica de Barrido (MEB) como por Microscopia Óptica de Luz Polarizada (MOLP). Adicionalmente, la superestructura esferulítica de cada fase permaneció inalterada por la presencia de la otra fase, así como también no se modificó la velocidad de crecimiento esferulítico de la fase de PPDX. Estas mezclas de alto peso molecular se intentaron compatibilizar por varias estrategias sin resultados positivos. El estudio de la miscibilidad también se extendió a la mezcla de PPDX y PCL de pesos moleculares bajos con y sin la adición de un copolímero en bloque PPDX-b-PCL de peso molecular comparable. Aun bajo estas condiciones termodinámicamente mucho más favorables, las mezclas no mostraron evidencias de miscibilidad, lo cual resulta notable en vista de la estructura química similar que presentan. Aún cuando las mezclas son termodinámicamente inmiscibles, se detectaron interacciones físicas tales como fenómenos de aparente transferencia de impurezas y un efecto nucleante de la PPDX sobre la PCL en cierto rango de composiciones. Adicionalmente, la dispersión en fases lograda causó fenómenos de cristalización fraccionada en ambas fases.

This work reports the preparation of a novel biodegradable polymer blend composed by Poly(p-dioxanone) and Poli(e-caprolactone) in a wide composition range. Firstly, blends of high molecular weight materials commercially available were prepared and these turned out to be immiscible. The immiscibility was demonstrated by the lack of variation of the relevant thermal transitions determined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and by the two phase morphology that was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and by Polarized Light Optical Microscopy (PLOM). Additionally, the spherulitic superstructure of each phase remained unaltered besides the presence of the second phase and no modification of the spherulitic growth rate of the PPDX phase was found. Attempts to try to compatibilize these high molecular weight blends by several strategies were unsuccessful. The miscibility study was also extended to low molecular weight PPDX and PCL without and with the addition of a PPDX-b-PCL diblock copolymer of comparable molecular weight. Even under these more favourable conditions the blends were still immiscible, a fact that is surprising in view of their similar chemical structure. Even though the blends are themodinamically immiscible, physical interactions between the components were detected like apparent impurities transfer and a nucleating effect of the PPDX on the PCL in a certain composition range. Additionally, the phase dispersion obtained caused fractionated crystallization phenomena in both phases.

Triploid trout has been considered to be more resistant than diploid trout to many diseases and to some adverse aquaculture conditions. Considering the common problems with animal food contamination by aflatoxins, the purpose of this research was to compare the incidence of liver lesions and growth performance in triploid and diploid trout (O. mykiss) exposed to chronic contamination with aflatoxin B1. A total of 240 samples formed 4 groups, diploid and triploid control without aflatoxin in food and diploid and triploid treated with 80 ppb of aflatoxin/Kg of food. Five samples in each group were monthly sacrificed during one year. After the measurement of body weight and length, hepatic samples were obtained and fixed in 10% formalin-saline solution. The histopathological analyses were performed with liver slides stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The comparative analyses of the growth performance showed significant difference between control and treated diploid, suggesting that aflatoxin B1 affects the growing of diploid trout. In triploid groups this aspect was not observed. The histopathological analyses indicated that triploid trout is more resistant to aflatoxin B1, since this group did not present neoplastic lesions. Diploid fishes however, showed 4 samples with neoplastic lesion. The triploid treated group had preneoplastic lesion, but with minor incidence and slower progression than diploid trout

El propósito del presente estudio fue comparar el crecimiento y la incidencia de lesiones hepáticas en truchas triploides y diploides tratadas con aflatoxina B1(AFB1). 240 truchas fueron divididas en 4 grupos: DC: truchas diploides alimentadas con ración sin AFB1; TC: truchas triploides alimentadas con ración sin AFB1; DT: truchas tratadas con ración con 80 ppb de AFB1 y TT: truchas triploides alimentadas con ración con 80 ppb de AFB1. Durante doce meses, mensualmente, cinco ejemplares de cada grupo fueron anestesiados y sacrificados. Con posteiroridad a la obtención del peso y medición del tamaño de los pesces, muestras hepáticas fueron fijadas en solución de formalina salina 10% y procesadas para análisis histopatológico. El análisis comparativo del rendimiento en crecimiento indicaron diferencias significativas entre truchas diploides del grupo control y del tratado, sugiriendo que AFB1 afecta el crecimiento de las truchas diploides. En truchas triploides no se observaron diferencias entre pesces del grupo control y los pesces tratados. El análisis histopatológico señaló que truchas triploides son más resistentes a AFB1, ya que ambos grupos tratados presentaron lesiones preneoplásicas, sin embargo, el grupo TT demostró menor incidencia de lesiones e igualmente un desarrollo más lento de las mismas. En cuanto a la ocurrencia de neoplasia, en el grupo DT 4 pesces desarrolaron carcinoma hepatocelular en el último trimestre del experimento, mientras que ningún animal triploide desarrolló lesión neoplásica