Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Mi Jeong Heo, Ji Ho Suh, Sung Ho Lee, Kyle L. Poulsen, Yu A. An, Bhagavatula Moorthy, Sean M. Hartig, David D. Moore, Kang Ho Kim
Summary: This study identifies a new role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in regulating mitophagy and maintaining hepatic energy homeostasis. AhR inhibition leads to decreased mitochondrial respiration and impaired fasting response of autophagy genes and mitophagy process. The mitophagy receptor BNIP3 is identified as an AhR target gene and its overexpression restores functional mitophagy.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Derek J. Matthews, Ryan C. Fries, Nicholas D. Jeffery, Sarah A. Hamer, Ashley B. Saunders
Summary: Trypanosoma cruzi infection causes cardiac damage in dogs, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can detect the damage. This study aimed to describe CMR in naturally infected dogs with chronic Chagas disease and evaluate the frequency of abnormalities in CMR and other diagnostic tests. The results suggest that CMR can provide useful information and support the use of naturally infected dogs as an animal model for Chagas disease.
Article
Immunology
Bibiana J. Volta, Patricia L. Bustos, Carolina Gonzalez, Maria Ailen Natale, Alina E. Perrone, Natalia Milduberger, Susana A. Laucella, Jacqueline Bua
Summary: This study evaluated differentially expressed factors in T. cruzi-infected pregnant women and found a proinflammatory cytokine profile associated with Chagas congenital transmission. High parasitemia along with certain cytokine level abnormalities were identified as factors increasing the probability of Chagas congenital transmission.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ruben Martin-Escolano, Daniel Molina-Carreno, Javier Martin-Escolano, M. Paz Clares, Cristina Galiana-Rosello, Jorge Gonzalez-Garcia, Nuria Cirauqui, Jose M. Llinares, Maria Jose Rosales, Enrique Garcia-Espana, Clotilde Marin
Summary: Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a potentially fatal infection that was previously limited to Latin America but has now become widespread globally. This study identified new effective agents against T. cruzi and evaluated their efficacy in vivo. Compound 15 was identified as a potential candidate for the development of new therapies for Chagas disease.
Article
Immunology
Nandadeva Lokugamage, Imran H. Chowdhury, Ronald J. Biediger, Robert Market, Sayadeth Khounlo, Navin D. Warier, Shen-An Hwang, Jeffrey K. Actor, Darren G. Woodside, Upendra Marathi, Peter Vanderslice, Nisha Jain Garg
Summary: 7HP349 is a small molecule activator that enhances the efficacy of DNA subunit vaccines in a model of Chagas disease. It improves control of acute parasite burden, reduces inflammatory infiltrate, improves tissue integrity, and controls tissue fibrosis in the heart and skeletal muscle. Additionally, 7HP349 increases splenic frequencies of CD8(+)T effector cells and enhances production of IFN-gamma and cytolytic molecules by CD4(+) and CD8(+) effector and central memory subsets in response to challenge infection.
Article
Microbiology
Raquel S. Negreiros, Noelia Lander, Miguel A. Chiurillo, Anibal E. Vercesi, Roberto Docampo
Summary: Pyruvate, the end product of glycolysis, is transported into the mitochondria through the mitochondrial pyruvate carriers MPC1 and MPC2. Knockout of MPC1 and MPC2 in Trypanosoma cruzi affects pyruvate-driven respiration, host cell invasion, and intracellular replication of amastigotes.
Article
Parasitology
Genesis Dehesa-Rodriguez, Ignacio Martinez, Cristina Bastida-Jaime, Bertha Espinoza
Summary: This study demonstrates that the highly virulent DTU I strain of T. cruzi can establish an infection in mice through oral route, leading to blood and tissue parasitism with inflammation in the heart and skeletal muscle. Additionally, oral infection with BT induces splenomegaly, severe damage in skeletal and cardiac muscles, a humoral immune response dominated by IgG isotype, and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sumit Das, Puja Panja, Gaurab Chowdhury, Saroj Biswas, Yuthika Dholey, Subrata Adak
Summary: This study reports two members of the ChaC family of gamma-glutamyl cyclotransferases in Leishmania, showing their roles in GSH degradation and cell growth.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Breno Luiz Pimenta, Tatiana Prata Menezes, Vitoria Louise, Fernanda Carolina Ribeiro Dias, Bianca Alves Almeida Machado, Lais Ribeiro, Kelerson Mauro de Castro Pinto, Andre Talvani
Summary: Chagas' disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in South and Central Americas. Theracurmin, a derived formulation of curcumin, shows anti-inflammatory properties that can mitigate the pathological effects of an overwhelming inflammatory response. In this study, Theracurmin was found to reduce testicular inflammation in infected mice and protect testicular function.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Claudia F. Dick, Nathalia Rocco-Machado, Andre L. A. Dos-Santos, Luiz F. Carvalho-Kelly, Carolina L. Alcantara, Narcisa L. Cunha-E-Silva, Jose R. Meyer-Fernandes, Adalberto Vieyra
Summary: TcIT, a putative 39-kDa Fe transporter in T. cruzi, plays a crucial role in iron metabolism and cellular differentiation. Under iron-depleted conditions, epimastigotes exhibit lower intracellular iron concentration and reduced oxygen consumption, while overexpressing TcIT leads to increased iron content, higher oxygen consumption, elevated ATP levels, enhanced H2O2 production, and stimulated transition to trypomastigotes. Understanding the mechanisms of iron transport at the cellular and molecular levels will provide insights into iron metabolism in T. cruzi and its impact on virulence and infection progression.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Nidiyare Hevia-Montiel, Paulina Haro, Leonardo Guillermo-Cordero, Jorge Perez-Gonzalez
Summary: This research demonstrates the effectiveness and accuracy of deep learning methods based on the U-Net convolutional network architecture in the segmentation of histological images for Chagas disease.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shou-En Wu, Ju-Chun Hsu, Yung-Lung Chang, Hsiao-Chi Chuang, Yi-Lin Chiu, Wei-Liang Chen
Summary: This study investigated the effects of Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) on muscle and found that BaP can induce conditions similar to sarcopenia. Antioxidant supplementation may be a treatment option for BaP-induced sarcopenia.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
T. Atella, P. R. Bittencourt-Cunha, M. F. C. Araujo, L. Silva-Cardoso, C. M. Maya-Monteiro, G. C. Atella
Summary: This study investigates the interaction between the Chagas disease parasite and its insect vector, revealing that the parasite modifies the lipid flux and metabolism of its host through increased lipid delivery from the fat body to the midgut.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alevtina Y. Grishanova, Maria L. Perepechaeva
Summary: This review examines the various mechanisms by which AhR participates in the oxidative stress response, including antioxidant and prooxidant enzymes and cytochrome P450. AhR, as a participant in the redox balance and as a modulator of redox signals, is being increasingly studied as a target for a new class of therapeutic compounds and as an explanation for the pathogenesis of some disorders.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Guilherme de Souza, Samuel Cota Teixeira, Aryani Felixa Fajardo Martinez, Rafaela Jose Silva, Luana Carvalho Luz, Joed Pires de Lima Junior, Alessandra Monteiro Rosini, Natalia Carine Lima dos Santos, Rafael Martins de Oliveira, Marina Paschoalino, Matheus Carvalho Barbosa, Rosiane Nascimento Alves, Angelica Oliveira Gomes, Claudio Vieira da Silva, Eloisa Amalia Vieira Ferro, Bellisa Freitas Barbosa
Summary: In this study, the impact of T. cruzi and recombinant P21 on T. gondii infection was investigated in BeWo cells and human placental explants. The results showed that T. cruzi infection and rP21 can increase the invasion and decrease the intracellular proliferation of T. gondii in BeWo cells. In human placental villi, rP21 can either increase or decrease T. gondii proliferation, while T. cruzi infection increases T. gondii proliferation. These findings highlight the importance of neonatal screening for both diseases and suggest P21 as a potential therapeutic target for Chagas disease.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Allysson Cramer, Izabela Galvao, Nathalia Venturini de Sa, Paulo Gaio, Natalia Fernanda de Melo Oliveira, Mariana Rates Gonzaga Santos, Gabriel Henrique Campolina-Silva, Bruno Vinicius Santos Valiate, Fernanda Rezende Souza, Geovanni Dantas Cassali, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Flavio Almeida Amaral, Fabiana Sima Machado
Summary: This study investigated the role of SOCS2 in the development and resolution of experimental antigen-induced arthritis. The results showed that SOCS2 expression decreased during arthritis development, leading to reduced cell infiltration at the peak of inflammation. However, in the late phase, there was an increase in neutrophils, macrophages, and T cells infiltration, as well as joint damage and nociception. SOCS2 deficiency also resulted in lower apoptosis of neutrophils and reduced efferocytosis.
CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thiago Henrique Caldeira Oliveira, Vincent Vanheule, Sofie Vandendriessche, Fariba Poosti, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Paul Proost, Mieke Gouwy, Pedro Elias Marques
Summary: The study suggests that interfering with chemokine function using a peptide called MIG30 can disrupt neutrophil recruitment to the injured liver during ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Mice treated with MIG30 showed significantly lower liver injury and dysfunction, as well as reduced levels of chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. This indicates that MIG30 holds promise as a potential treatment strategy for liver IRI and inflammation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Julia C. LeCher, Keivan Zandi, Vivian Vasconcelos Costa, Franck Amblard, Sijia Tao, Dharmeshkumar Patel, Sujin Lee, Felipe Rocha da Silva Santos, Matheus Rodrigues Goncalves, Celso Martins Queroz-Junior, Fernanda Martins Marim, Katie Musall, Shu Ling Goh, Tamara McBrayer, Jessica Downs-Bowen, Ramyani De, Niloufar Azadi, James Kohler, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Raymond F. Schinazi
Summary: This study reports potential antiviral drugs against yellow fever virus, showing low toxicity, high intracellular metabolism, and strong anti-YFV activity in different models. The findings provide a new therapeutic option for treating yellow fever virus infections.
Article
Immunology
Walyson Coelho Costa, Vinicius Amorim Beltrami, Gabriel Henrique Campolina-Silva, Celso Martins Queiroz-Junior, Rodrigo M. Florentino, Jessica Rayssa Machado, Debora Gonzaga Martins, William Antonio Goncalves, Livia Correa Barroso, Katia Michelle Freitas, Fernando Pedro de Souza-Neto, Franciel Batista Felix, Rafaela Fernandes da Silva, Cleida Aparecida Oliveira, Niels Olsen Saraiva Camara, Milene Alvarenga Rachid, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Barbara Maximino Rezende, Vanessa Pinho
Summary: The effects of PDE-4 inhibitors rolipram and roflumilast on a doxorubicin-induced nephrotic syndrome model were evaluated. The results showed that early-stage rolipram treatment preserved glomerular filtration barrier function and reduced inflammation and renal fibrosis. Late-stage treatment with either rolipram or roflumilast also protected glomerular filtration barrier function and reduced renal tissue fibrosis.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Eliana C. B. Toscano, Erica L. M. Vieira, Lea T. Grinberg, Natalia P. Rocha, Joseane A. S. Brant, Regina S. Paradela, Alexandre V. Giannetti, Claudia K. Suemoto, Renata E. P. Leite, Ricardo Nitrini, Milene A. Rachid, Antonio L. Teixeira
Summary: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is associated with cognitive deficits, and this study investigates the underlying neuronal basis. The researchers found that an increase in p-tau burden is potentially involved in cognitive deficits in mesial TLE, particularly attention impairment and seizure frequency.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Mariana Rates Gonzaga Santos, Ian de Meira Chaves, Celso Martins Queiroz-Junior, Allysson Thiago Cramer, Thales Augusto Anestino, Anna Clara Paiva Menezes dos Santos, Paulo Gaio Leite, Soraia Macari, Breno Rocha Barrioni, Marivalda de Magalhaes Pereira, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Danielle da Gloria de Souza, Mila Fernandes Moreira Madeira, Fabiana Simao Machado
Summary: This study investigated the role of SOCS2 in Aa-induced alveolar bone loss. Alveolar bone loss was induced by infecting mice with Aa and bone parameters, cell counts, and cytokine profile were evaluated. Results showed that SOCS2 deficiency increased alveolar bone loss despite decreased proinflammatory cytokine production. Therefore, SOCS2 is a regulator of Aa-induced bone loss and an important target for preventing alveolar bone loss in periodontal inflammatory conditions.
INFLAMMATION RESEARCH
(2023)
Letter
Dermatology
Maria Cecilia Campos Canesso, Puebla Cassini-Vieira, Camila Francisco Moreira, Suzanne Luong, Milene Alvarenga Rachid, Flaviano Santos Martins, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Angelica Thomas Vieira, Charles Reay Mackay, Luciola Silva Barcelos
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Debora Romualdo Lacerda, Albena Nunes-Silva, Ana Leticia Malheiros Silveira, Katia Anunciacao Costa, Debora Fernandes Rodrigues, Michele Macedo Moraes, Vanessa Pinho, Gustavo Batista Menezes, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Samuel Penna Wanner, Danusa Dias Soares, Adaliene Versiani Matos Ferreira
Summary: This study investigated the effect of acute exercise on the inflammatory response in adipose tissue of lean and obese mice. Acute exercise enhanced the levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-a in the adipose tissue of lean mice, while no changes were observed in proinflammatory cytokines in obese mice. However, the levels of IL-13, IL-4, and IL-10 were increased in obese mice after exercise. These findings suggest that acute exercise promotes an inflammatory response in adipose tissue of lean mice, but elicits an anti-inflammatory response in adipose tissue of obese mice.
Article
Immunology
Andrew Bacon, Mauro Teixeira, Vivian Costa, Peter Bone, Jennifer Simmons, Jeffrey Drew
Summary: Here we developed a thermally stable, orally administered Zika vaccine using engineered AdHu5. This vaccine, formulated with a mix of sugars and modified amino acids and protected by an enteric coated capsule, induced immune responses and reduced viral counts in mice and non-human primates. It has advantages over current vaccines that require cold storage and parenteral administration.
Review
Virology
Rosangela Santos Pereira, Francoise Camila Pereira Santos, Priscilla Rodrigues Valadares Campana, Vivian Vasconcelos Costa, Rodrigo Maia de Padua, Daniele G. Souza, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Fernao Castro Braga
Summary: This article reviews studies on the anti-ZIKV activity of natural products (NPs) and derivatives from 1997 to 2022. The majority of the studies used NPs from plants (82.4%) or semisynthetic/synthetic derivatives, followed by fungi (3.1%), bacteria (7.6%), animals (1.2%), and marine organisms (1.9%). Different classes of NPs, such as polyphenols, triterpenes, alkaloids, and steroids, have been reported to exhibit anti-ZIKV activity. NPs mainly act at the stages of viral adsorption and internalization, and some compounds show high selectivity index values. However, further research is needed to understand their mechanisms of action and evaluate their safety and efficacy in animal models.
Article
Immunology
Maria Elena Romero-Ibarguengoitia, Diego Rivera-Salinas, Riccardo Sarti, Riccardo Levi, Maximiliano Mollura, Arnulfo Garza-Silva, Andrea Rivera-Cavazos, Yodira Guadalupe Hernandez-Ruiz, Irene Antonieta Barco-Flores, Arnulfo Gonzalez-Cantu, Miguel Angel Sanz-Sanchez, Milton Henriques Guimaraes Junior, Chiara Pozzi, Riccardo Barbieri, Devany Paola Morales-Rodriguez, Mauro Martins Texeira, Maria Rescigno
Summary: This study evaluated the real-life efficacy of six different vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and found that mRNA vaccines had the highest antibody levels during follow-up. Infection before vaccination and after complete vaccination scheme correlated with higher antibody titers. The CoronaVac vaccine was found to lower the risk of infection in the presence of certain comorbidities.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Andre Talvani, Mauro Martins Teixeira
Review
Neurosciences
Rafaela Pinto Coelho Santos, Eliana Cristina de Brito Toscano, Milene Alvarenga Rachid
Summary: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a potentially reversible neuropsychiatric syndrome that causes cognitive and motor dysfunctions due to liver insufficiency or shunting. Anti-inflammatory strategies have shown neuroprotective effects in experimental models, reducing HE-related impairments.
ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Katia Anunciacao Costa, Marina Chaves de Oliveira, Leticia Maria de Souza Cordeiro, Cynthia Honorato Val, Fabiana Simao Machado, Simone Odilia Antunes Fernandes, Valbert Nascimento Cardoso, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Ana Leticia Malheiros Silveira, Adaliene Versiani Matos Ferreira
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the effects of a high-refined carbohydrate (HC) diet on small intestine changes. Male BALB/c mice were fed an HC diet for 8 weeks, and it was found that although there were no significant differences in body weight gain, mice fed the HC diet exhibited adiposity and metabolic alterations. However, there were no significant changes observed in intestinal integrity, tight junction protein expression, intestinal permeability, and bacterial translocation.