Chia oil prevents chemical and immune-mediated inflammatory responses in mice: Evidence for the underlying mechanisms

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is an herbaceous plant used as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA) source that presents a range of beneficial effects on human health. Herein, it was used a chia oil containing over than 62% of α-linolenic acid (ALA), a compound widely related to anti-inflammatory actions. Chia oil effect was tested using paw edema and mechanical hyperalgesia induced by carrageenan, and ear edema induced by croton oil, histamine, and capsaicin. Croton oil was used in both preventive and therapeutic treatment schedules of chia oil while histamine and capsaicin were used only in preventive treatment schedule. Chia oil mechanism of action was investigated using nociception and paw edema response induced by intraplantar injection of acidified saline (ASIC activator), PGE₂ (prostaglandin pathway), cinnamaldehyde (TRPA1 activator), bradykinin (BK pathway), menthol (TRPM8 activator), and capsaicin (TRPV1 activator). Further, RT-PCR for inflammatory mediators (TRPA1, NF-κB, PPAR-γ, COX-2, IL-6, TNF, FPR2, FAAH, MAGL, and IL-12A) induced by carrageenan, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and the cell viability were then accessed. Later, chia oil actions were evaluated in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a multiple sclerosis (MS) model. Chia oil showed anti-edematogenic and anti-hyperalgesic effects when administered 1 h before pro-inflammatory stimulus - particularly carrageenan and croton oil. Moreover, chia oil upregulated the mRNA levels of COX-2 and formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) while reduced IL-6 expression in the spinal cord of mice submitted to i.pl. injection of carrageenan. Interestingly, chia oil mediates antinociceptive effects in mice decreasing the nociceptive response induced by acidified saline, PGE₂, and cinnamaldehyde, but not by bradykinin, menthol, and capsaicin. On the EAE model, chia oil preventively administered attenuated EAE-induced motor deficits and mechanical hyperalgesia in mice, suggesting a valuable effect of chia oil supplementation in regulating inflammatory responses and some immune functions during immune-mediated inflammatory disorders (IMID). Nonetheless, additional reports will need to assess the effect of chia oil in well-controlled clinical trials performed in MS patients.

Involvement of Opioid System and TRPM8/TRPA1 Channels in the Antinociceptive Effect of Spirulina platensis

Spirulina platensis is a "super-food" and has attracted researchers' attention due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic properties. Herein, we investigated the antinociceptive effects of Spirulina in different rodent behavior models of inflammatory pain. Male Swiss mice were treated with Spirulina (3-300 mg/kg, p.o.), indomethacin (10 mg/kg, p.o.), or vehicle (0.9% NaCl 10 mL/kg). Behavioral tests were performed with administration of acetic acid (0.6%, i.p.), formalin 2.7% (formaldehyde 1%, i.pl.), menthol (1.2 µmol/paw, i.pl.), cinnamaldehyde (10 nmol/paw, i.pl.), capsaicin (1.6 µg/paw, i.pl.), glutamate (20 µmol/paw, i.pl.), or naloxone (1 mg/kg, i.p.). The animals were also exposed to the rotarod and open field test to determine possible effects of Spirulina on locomotion and motor coordination. The quantitative phytochemical assays exhibited that Spirulina contains significant concentrations of total phenols and flavonoid contents, as well as it showed a powerful antioxidant effect with the highest scavenging activity. Oral administration of Spirulina completely inhibited the abdominal contortions induced by acetic acid (ED₅₀ = 20.51 mg/kg). Spirulina treatment showed significant inhibition of formalin-induced nociceptive behavior during the inflammatory phase, and the opioid-selective antagonist markedly blocked this effect. Furthermore, our data indicate that the mechanisms underlying Spirulina analgesia appear to be related to its ability to modulate TRMP8 and TRPA1, but not by TRPV1 or glutamatergic system. Spirulina represents an orally active and safe natural analgesic that exhibits great therapeutic potential for managing inflammatory pain disorders.

[Medical education and health promotion in a day nursery institution]

PURPOSE

The authors present a community work experience in a 410 children Catholic day nursery institution.

METHODS

Through non-structured interview and play, clinical-epidemiological observation and a survey of the health needs of three months to six years old children were made.

RESULTS

Four relevant themes were identified for the population: hygiene, oral health, ocular health and substance abuse in some family members. In order to deal with these matters, an interactive educational program was organized which included acting activities, films, competitions and laboratory activities with artificial anatomic shapes.

CONCLUSION

These activities give the medical student the opportunity to get acquainted with the not very well known social reality and be committed to the public health.

Gas phase RNA and DNA ions 2. Conformational dependence of the gas-phase H/D exchange of nucleotide-5'-monophosphates

The conformational dependence of the gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange of nucleotide-5-monophosphate anions with the H/D exchange reagent D2S is reported here. The electrospray-generated [M-H]- anions of adenosine-5'-monophosphate, adenosine-5'-carboxylic acid, ribitol-5-phosphate, and 2-deoxy-ribitol-5-phosphate were reacted with D2S in the gas phase. Their reactivity (adenosine-5'-monophosphate exchanged 2 of 5 labile hydrogens, adenosine-5'-carboxylic acid exchanged 1 of 4, ribitol-5-phosphate exchanged 2 of 3, and 2-deoxy-ribitol-5-phosphate exchanged 1 of 2) suggests that the hydroxyl group in the 2 position of the ribose sugar and the amino hydrogen on the nucleobase do not exchange readily with D2S. Semiempirical molecular orbital calculations suggest that the labile hydrogens in these positions are thermodynamically facile to exchange but as a conformation inaccessible to the presumed phosphate anion, consistent with a mechanism in which the phosphate anion complexes with the exchange reagent and assists H/D exchange at a neighboring site.

Gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange of positively charged mononucleotides by use of Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The gas-phase structures of protonated (deoxy)nucleoside-5'- and 3'-monophosphates (mononucleotides) have been examined by the use of gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange and high-field Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. These nucleotides were reacted with three different deuterating reagents: ND3, D2O, and D2S, of which ND3 was the most effective. All mononucleotides fully exchanged their labile hydrogen for deuterium with ND3 with the exception of deoxycytidine-3'-monophosphate, deoxyadenosine-5'-monophosphate, adenosine-5'-monophosphate, and adenosine-3'-monophosphate. Semiempirical calculations demonstrate the presence of hydrogen bonding upon protonation of the purine mononucleotides which may lead to incomplete H/D exchange. H/D exchange rates differed between the deoxymononucleotides and the ribomononucleotides, suggesting that the 2'-OH group plays an important role in the exchange process. Reactions of nucleosides and mononucleotides with D2O demonstrate that a structure-specific long-lived ion-molecule complex between D2O and the mononucleotide involving the phosphate group is necessary for exchange to overcome the high-energy activation barrier. In contrast, a structure-specific long-lived ion-molecule complex between the mononucleotides and ND3 is not required for exchange to occur.

Compositional analysis for identification of arson accelerants by electron ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance high-resolution mass spectrometry

Elemental compositions of each of 100 to 500 different constituents (i.e., every peak in a mass-to-charge ratio range, 50 < m/z < 300) of lighter fluid, kerosene, turpatine, gasoline, diesel fuel, and two brands of mineral spirits (and their weathered analogs) make possible direct identification of each accelerant in a experimental fire, based on electron ionization 6.0 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (EI FT-ICR) ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry. Septum injection of as little as 500 nL of accelerant into an all-glass heated inlet system yields definitive elemental compositions (molecular formulas) based on accurate (< +/-1 ppm average error) mass measurement alone. Extraction and EI FT-ICR mass analysis of fire debris from a controlled burn of a couch with simple (lighter fluid) and complex (turpatine) ignitable liquid yielded dozens of elemental compositions serving as a unique "fingerprint" for each petroleum product, despite the presence of up to 249 additional extracted matrix and pyrolysis components. Forty-five of 56 lighter fluid constituents and 126 of 133 turpatine constituents (not counting 13C-containing species) were identified in the debris from a fire staged for each respective accelerant.

Screening combinatorial libraries for optimal enzyme substrates by mass spectrometry

A method has been developed for the rapid identification of optimal enzyme substrates from combinatorial libraries. This methodology was validated by screening a 361-member N-terminally formylated tripeptide library, f-XXR (X = 19 different amino acids), for optimal substrates of Escherichia coli peptide deformylase (PDF). The library was synthesized on a solid phase via the split-pool synthesis method. The N-terminal formyl group was added by treating the resin with a 1:1 (mol/mol) mixture of HCO(2)H and DCO(2)D in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. In a mass spectrum, each member of the library produced a doublet peak (separated by 1.0063 Da). Limited treatment of this library with E. coli PDF resulted in the deformylation of those peptides that are the most efficient substrates of the enzyme. The deformylated products, due to loss of the mass-degenerate formyl group, each generated a singlet peak in the mass spectrum. Thus, the PDF product peaks were readily identified and sequenced via tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that PDF strongly prefers a norleucine and, to a lesser extent, a phenylalanine as the N-terminal residue, whereas it has little selectivity at the penultimate position. This result is in excellent agreement with the literature data and therefore demonstrates the methodology as an effective approach to the identification of optimal enzyme substrates. This method should be generally applicable to other enzymes as well as synthetic catalysts.

Competitive binding to the oligopeptide binding protein, OppA: in-trap cleanup in an Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

This communication demonstrates that gentle infrared laser heating can remove unwanted buffer adducts from a gas-phase protein complex without dissociating the complex itself. Specifically, noncovalent complexes of the oligopeptide-binding protein, OppA, bound to either (Ala)3 or LysTrpLys were electrosprayed from aqueous buffer solution into a 9.4 tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. In addition to the intact complexes, several additional buffer adduct species were produced under the conditions of the experiment. Irradiation of the trapped ion population with a continuous-wave infrared CO2 laser at relatively low power (2.5 W) for 1 s dissociated the buffer adducts but retained the intact protein:peptide complexes. Adduct-free complex(es) were then readily identified, and signal-to-noise ratio also increased by an order of magnitude because the same number of protein ions are distributed over fewer species. Higher IR power (5 W for 1 s) dissociated the adduct-free complex(es) without internal fragmentation. The present in-trap clean-up technique may prove especially useful for identifying and screening the combinatorial library ligands most strongly bound to a receptor in the gas phase.

Arterial supply of the human fetal testis during its migration

PURPOSE

Irrespective of the surgical technique chosen to treat high undescended testis, preservation of an adequate arterial supply for the testis is crucial for successful orchiopexy with maintenance of normal testicular size and texture. To provide an anatomical background for such a procedure, we performed a systematic study on the number and origin of arteries supplying the fetal testis during its migration from the abdomen to the scrotum.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We studied bilaterally 64 testes from 32 fresh human fetuses 13 to 33 weeks after conception. The fetuses were injected through the thoracic aorta with a microvascular silicone rubber red resin to fill in the arterial tree, thereby enabling identification and dissection of all arteries supplying the testes.

RESULTS

Of the 64 testes 3 arteries (testicular, deferential and cremasteric) were found in 46 (71.9%), 2 (testicular and deferential) in 15 (23.4%) and 4 in 3 (4.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

The fetal testis is always supplied by at least 2 arteries (testicular and deferential arteries) and by 3 or 4 arteries in nearly 80% of the cases.

Self-chemical ionization of diethylzinc

The self-chemical ionization of diethylzinc is examined by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry and semiempirical molecular orbital calculations. Electron impact of diethylzinc neutral produces the radical cation, C(4)H(15)Zn(+) (m/z x 122), which reacts further with the neutral (C(2)H(5))(2)Zn to give the following product ions: Zn(+) (m/z x 64), C(2)H(5)Zn(+) (m/z x 93), C(4)H(9)Zn(+) (m/z x 121), C(4)H(11)Zn(2)(+) (m/z x 187), and C(6)H(15)Zn(2)(+) (m/z x 215). To determine the structure and pathways for production of these ions, monoisotopic (12)C(4)H(15)(64)Zn(+), (64)Zn(+) and (12)C(2)H(5)(64)Zn(+) were individually isolated and reacted with the neutral background. We also performed semiempirical molecular orbital calculations (ZINDO/1). The molecular orbital calculations and experimental data are consistent in predicting that the ethyl group on the diethylzinc cation carries the positive charge. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gas phase activation energy for unimolecular dissociation of biomolecular ions determined by focused RAdiation for gaseous multiphoton ENergy transfer (FRAGMENT)

We present a novel approach for the determination of activation energy for the unimolecular dissociation of a large (>50 atoms) ion, based on measurement of the unimolecular dissociation rate constant as a function of continuous-wave CO(2) laser intensity. Following a short ( approximately 1 s) induction period, CO(2) laser irradiation produces an essentially blackbody internal energy distribution, whose 'temperature' varies inversely with laser intensity. The only currently available method for measuring such activation energies is blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD). Compared with BIRD, FRAGMENT: (a) eliminates the need to heat the surrounding ion trap and vacuum chamber to each of several temperatures (each requiring hours for temperature equilibration); (b) offers a three-fold wider range of effective blackbody temperature; and (c) extends the range of applications to include initially cold ions (e.g., gas-phase H/D exchange). Our FRAGMENT-determined activation energy for dissociation of protonated bradykinin, 1.2 +/- 0.1 eV, agrees within experimental error to the value, 1.3 +/- 0.1 eV, previously reported by Williams et al. from BIRD experiments. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Paracoccidioidomycotic aortitis with embolization to the lower limbs. Report of a case and review of the literature

The authors report a clinical case of a 60-year-old Caucasian man, with two episodes of arterial embolization in the lower limbs. A microscope investigation of the emboli revealed that they originated from fungal aortitis caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. A review of aortic infections showed only one similar report of this rare clinical expression of blastomycosis. The authors suggest a routine postoperative search for emboli followed by culture and histopathology.

Gas-phase reactions of glycine, alanine, valine and their N-methyl derivatives with the nitrosonium ion, NO+

The gas-phase reactions of the nitrosonium ion, NO+ with the amino acids glycine, alanine and valine and their N-methyl derivatives were investigated under chemical ionization mass spectrometric (CIMS) conditions. Two products were observed in all cases: the formation of the iminium ion and the formation of an [M-H]+ ion. The latter product is consistent with a reaction channel involving hydride abstraction by NO+, and was confirmed by (i) examining the Ar+CI mass spectra of the same amino acids under similar source conditions and (ii) examining the unimolecular fragmentation reactions of the [M + H]+ ions of the N-nitroso-N-methyl derivatives of each of the amino acids in a tandem mass spectrometer. Further insights into the reaction of glycine with NO+ were obtained by performing ab initio calculations (at the MP2/6-31G* parallel HF/6-31G* level). These results indicate that four reactions are thermodynamically viable for glycine: (i) hydride abstraction; (ii) iminium ion formation (with concomitant loss of HONO and CO); (iii) diazonium ion formation; and (iv) diazonium ion formation followed by loss of N2. Possible reasons why reactions (iii) and (iv) are not observed are discussed, and comparisons with solution reactivity and the gas-phase reactivity of NO+ are also made.

Quantifying the frequency of radiogenic thyroid cancer per clonogenic cell in vivo

We used quantitative cell transplantation to evaluate the frequencies of the formation of radiogenic thyroid cancer per clonogenic rat thyroid epithelial cell in vivo. Irradiation of thyroid cells with 5 Gy 137Cs gamma rays before transplantation significantly increased the incidence of thyroid carcinoma formation in such grafts compared to similar grafts of unirradiated thyroid cells. We calculated the frequencies of radiogenic cancer by subtracting cancer incidences in unirradiated groups from incidences in irradiated groups and dividing by the number of clonogens grafted. The highest observed frequencies of radiogenic thyroid cancer so calculated were 0.141 and 0.046 cancers per surviving irradiated clonogenic cell. These cancer frequencies occurred in grafts containing averages of three and ten clonogens per site, respectively, and represent one cancer per approximately 7 and approximately 22 irradiated clonogens. We conclude that the highest observed frequencies of radiogenic cancer are likely to be the best estimates of the "real" frequency per irradiated clonogen in that virtually all the methodological sources of inaccuracy tend to decrease the observed frequency compared to the "real" frequency. Radiogenic initiation of cancer is thus a highly common cellular event among surviving irradiated clonogenic thyroid cells. To examine the role of endocrine-mediated tumor promotion on the expression of radiogenic cancer, we attenuated the intensity of thyrotropin (TSH)-mediated tumor promotion in some groups of recipient animals. We found that the incidence rates for radiation-associated cancer were significantly higher in rats with higher serum TSH levels compared to rats with lower TSH levels. We conclude from these data that (1) radiogenic thyroid cancer occurs with a high frequency and (2) chronic TSH stimulation accelerates progression of radiogenic neoplasms to overt carcinomas and promotes development of later-arising carcinomas in grafts of unirradiated thyroid clonogens.

Citrate is a major component of snake venoms

Citrate has been identified as a major component of snake venoms by gas liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The venoms of Bothrops asper, Crotalus atrox, Crotalus viridis viridis, Crotalus adamanteus, Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, Crotalus horridus horridus, Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen, Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix and Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus contain citrate at concentration levels which can serve as effective buffers. Calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, sodium and potassium salts of citrate would be constituents of venom.

[Medullary paracoccidioidomycosis: report of a case]

Paracoccidioidomycosis of the central nervous system presents either as meningeal or pseudotumoral lesions. Although occurring more frequently in the brain and meninges, they can occasionally involve the spinal cord. A case of paracoccidioidomycosis in the cervical spinal cord is reported in this paper. Difficulties in establishing the etiologic diagnosis, the importance of radiologic examination of the thorax, and the treatment of the patient are commented. In an extensive review of the literature on the subject, only three other cases have been found, which are also discussed.

Traumatic ophthalmic fistula simulating carotid-cavernous fistula

In a patient with a penetrating lesion of the right orbit with proptosis and a bruit in this region, carotid angiography revealed an ophthalmic fistula between the ophthalmic artery and the superior ophthalmic vein. Three days after admission, the symptoms disappeared, and repeat angiography showed the spontaneous thrombosis of the fistula.

Effects of hydrocortisone in the mineralization speed of the dentine

The effect of hydrocortisone on the rate of mineralization of the dentine of rat incisors has been investigated and a comparative analysis of this effect on the upper and lower incisors as well as the various aspects of these incisors has been made.