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Introduction: Although occupational exposure to Coxiella burnetii has been studied previously, the zoonotic risk in wildlife environments remains unclear and has yet to be fully established., Methods: Accordingly, the present study aimed to serologically assess professionals with daily contact with free-living and captive wildlife in Paraná State, Brazil, along with the potential associated risk factors for C. burnetii exposure., Results: Overall, 25 out of 309 (8.1%) wildlife professionals were seropositive, including 6/54 (11.1%) national and 7/125 (5.6%) state park employees, 6/92 (6.5%) zookeepers, and 6/38 (15.8%) animal service workers, with titers ranging from 32 to 128. No statistical association was found between seropositivity and associated risk factors, including the working location., Discussion: Our results differ from those of previous studies in Brazil, which found 8/893 (0.9%) indigenous, 1/18 (5.5%) police officers, and 44/200 (22.0%) former Black slaves to be seropositive. This study is the first serological investigation of C. burnetii among park rangers, zookeepers, and animal service workers in Brazil, showing no statistically significant risk factors for seropositivity. As the seroprevalence in this study was higher than that in previous surveys of healthy (asymptomatic) human populations, C. burnetii exposure may also be an occupational risk for wildlife professionals owing to their contact with the natural environment in Brazil., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 de França, Kmetiuk, Rodrigues, Panazzolo, Morikawa, de Lima Duré, Langoni, Fávero and Biondo.)

Brazilian descendants of former Black-slave (quilombola) communities have been predisposed to several zoonotic diseases due to social vulnerability, characterized by subsistence and close contact with livestock and companion animals. Accordingly, the present study has assessed anti- Coxiella burnetii antibodies in 200 individuals and 20 dogs from four quilombola communities located in Paraná State, southern Brazil. Serum samples were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using in-house and commercial diagnostic protocols, with analysis of seropositive titers and antibody type. Fisher's exact test was used to compare seropositivity to C. burnetti with binary variables, with variables with three or more possible responses submitted to logistic regression. In total, 44/200 (22%; 95% CI 16.82-28.24) people tested positive, and 4.5% had titers higher than 128, indicating a recent onset of C. burnetii infection. Seropositive individuals were statistically associated with the Limitão community ( p = 0.0013), urban workers as occupations ( p = 0.0475), consumption of undercooked meat ( p = 0.0159), and contact with animal abortion ( p = 0.0276). No seropositivity association was found for age, sex, education, habit of entering forest areas, consumption of game meat, consumption of raw milk, flea and tick bites, dog contact, or history of female miscarriage. Only one of 20 dogs was seropositive with a titer of 128, probably related to an acute animal infection. Despite the prevalence here being higher than previous Brazilian reports, including with symptomatic populations, the results were within range for worldwide outbreaks and occupational risk populations. To the reader's knowledge, this is the first human survey of Q fever in southern Brazil and should be considered a warning for C. burnetii in vulnerable populations, particularly Quilombola communities.

Background: Toxocariasis has been listed among the most neglected parasitic diseases worldwide, with approximately one fifth of the global population exposed, particularly those living under poverty. In Brazil, communities of descendants of enslaved blacks (quilombola) have historically had some of the highest rates of vulnerability and poverty, characterized by lack of health assistance, poor quality of life, and nutritional insecurity., Methods: A cross-sectional sampling of quilombola individuals living in four communities of southern Brazil, as well as their dogs and the soil, was carried out from December 2021 to March 2022. Sociodemographic and other information such as water source, alimentary habits, and dog and cat ownership were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire for assessing toxocariasis risk factors. Human serum samples were tested by ELISA for anti-Toxocara spp. IgG antibody detection was carried out on dog feces and hair, and soil samples were surveyed for presence of Toxocara spp. eggs., Results: Overall, 172/208 individuals (82.7%, 95% CI = 77.0-87.2) were seropositive, the highest seroprevalence rate to date in Brazil. Male gender (P = 0.029), educational level (P = 0.026), and drinking water source (P = 0.043) were associated with seropositivity by univariate analysis. Final logistic regression revealed increased odds (P = 0.017, OR = 7.6, 95% CI = 1.5-42.7) to have seropositivity in individuals > 50 years old (< 10 years old). As expected, individuals with soil contact were more likely seropositive (P = 0.038, OR = 4.4, 95% CI = 1.1-18.8). Although retrieved in only 5/96 (5.2%) dog feces, Toxocara spp. eggs were found in 18/60 (30.0%) soil samples., Conclusions: The high vulnerability and seroprevalence observed in quilombola communities clearly demand a One Health approach for detection, monitoring, and prevention of infection by Toxocara spp. in both human and dog populations., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Brazilian quilombos are rural semi-isolated remnant communities of former black slaves and their descendants who traditionally maintained themselves through archaic subsistence livestock and agriculture practices and historically lacked specific public health policies. Although such individuals and their dogs may be exposed to zoonotic pathogens such as Toxoplasma gondii , no study to date has assessed these human-animal populations together. Populations in four different Brazilian quilombos in southern Brazil were evaluated. Overall, 93/208 people (44.7%) and 63/100 dogs (63.0%) were seropositive for IgG anti- T. gondii antibodies by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), 4/208 (1.9%) human samples seropositive for IgM anti- T. gondii antibodies, with a human-dog seropositivity ratio for IgG of 0.71. Quilombola individuals ingesting game meat were 2.43-fold more likely (95% CI: 1.05-5.9) to be seropositive. No risk factors were associated with seropositivity among dogs, thus suggesting that their exposure to T. gondii was random. Surprisingly, our research group had previously found an inverted human-dog ratio for T. gondii seropositivity of 2.54 in the urban area of a nearby major city. Because consumption of raw/undercooked game meat by quilombola individuals may have contributed to higher exposure, higher overall seroprevalence among dogs may have also indicated interaction with wildlife. Although these dogs may hunt wildlife without their owners' awareness, the higher dog seropositivity may also be related to feeding from discarded food in the community or backyard livestock animals and drinking surface water contaminated with oocysts. Thus, wildlife cannot be singled out as the reason, and future studies should consider sampling water, soil, wildlife, and livestock tissues, to fully establish the source of infection in dogs herein.

Background and Aim: Although wild boar hunting activities and the hunting dog trade in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes of Brazil overlap both with endemic and with non-endemic areas for visceral leishmaniasis, no study to date has focused on Leishmania spp. exposure among hunting dogs and hunters. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of Leishmania spp. antibodies in hunting dogs and hunters in different anthropized areas of two Brazilian biomes., Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 170 hunting dogs and 46 hunters between October 2016 and May 2018. The presence of antibodies against Leishmania spp. in hunting dogs was screened through a dual-path platform immunochromatographic test (DPP rapid test; Bio-Manguinhos/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and in hunters through an rK39-based rapid immunochromatographic test. Both tests were used in accordance with Brazilian Ministry of Health recommendations., Results: Overall, although antibodies were detected through the immunochromatographic test in 3/170 (0.02%) of these female asymptomatic hunting dogs, all living in anthropized areas of the Atlantic Forest biome in South Brazil, no sample was confirmed through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All the hunters were non-reactive in the rapid immunochromatographic test., Conclusion: Our study on three suspicious hunting dogs has suggested that Leishmania ( Leishmania ) infantum may circulate both in endemic and non-endemic areas in Brazil. In addition, a high rate of hunting dog replacement due to death and trade may have led to less chance of infection and transmission between animals and between animals and humans, which would corroborate the outcomes reported here. Further studies should be conducted to fully establish whether hunting dogs and hunters may be used as sentinels in other areas endemic for Leishmania spp., (Copyright: © Kmetiuk, et al.)

All 86 wild boars (Sus scrofa), 170 hunting dogs, and 49 hunters sampled from three Brazilian regions were seronegative to Brucella spp. by the standard tube agglutination and 2-mercaptoethanol tests, suggesting a low circulation of Brucella spp. in wild boars, hunting dogs, and hunters in such areas., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2021.)

Background and Aim: Wild boars have recently been implicated as the maintainers and carriers of Amblyomma spp. ticks, which are essential for Rickettsia spp. transmission. Consequently, wild boar hunting may increase the risk of tick exposure and subsequent human tick-borne infection and disease. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the risk factors for ticks and Rickettsia spp. exposure in wild boars, hunting dogs, and hunters in Brazilian biomes., Materials and Methods: The statistical relationship of Rickettsia spp. antibodies were evaluated using the Chi-square test in 80 wild boars, 170 hunting dogs, and 49 hunters., Results: The only statistically significant difference in seropositivity found in this study was between male and female wild boars (p=0.034), probably associated with in-park exposure to Amblyomma brasiliense infected with Rickettsia spp., Conclusion: The absence of statistical differences in the associated risk factors for hunting dogs and hunters may indicate a random exposure to Rickettsia spp., (Copyright: © Kmetiuk, et al.)

Background: The circadian pattern of adipokines is blunted in obese subjects, and we tested the hypothesis that bariatric surgery could normalize the 24-hr pattern of adipokines. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the early impact of the newly designed sleeve gastrectomy with transit bipartition (SGTB) surgery on the circadian pattern of leptin, adiponectin, and resistin in morbidly obese subjects., Methods: The study group included six morbidly obese women [body mass index (BMI) 41.3 ± 1.53 kg/m(2)] who underwent SGTB and four lean women (BMI 18.61 ± 0.92 kg/m(2)). Blood from all subjects was collected before and 3 months after bariatric surgery every 6 hr throughout the 24-hr period. The circadian pattern of leptin, adiponectin, and resistin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or Luminex techniques., Results: Lean women exhibited rise of plasma leptin levels at nighttime, whereas obese women had an increase in the overall plasma leptin levels throughout the 24-hr period, lacking the physiological rise of nocturnal leptin levels compared to controls. Obese women had a decrease in 24-hr adiponectin levels and similar plasma resistin levels compared to controls. Three months after SGTB, obese women lost 16.0% (P < 0.005) of their initial body weight and had a decrease in overall 24-hr leptin levels. However, there was no recovery of the nocturnal rise in leptin levels 3 months after SGTB. The 24-hr adiponectin levels were still decreased after SGTB surgery compared to controls, while resistin levels were decreased only during night time after SGTB., Conclusions: These results suggested that SGTB is an efficient innovative procedure to rapidly decrease 24-hr leptin levels. However, after 3 months, SGTB was not enough to recover the physiological nocturnal rise of leptin levels present in lean subjects.

Ethnopharmacology Relevance: GB-2a is a I3-naringenin-II8-eriodictyol compound isolated from Garcinia gardneriana (Planchon & Triana) Zappi, a plant used in folk medicine for the treatment of skin disorders., Aim of Study: In the search for new depigmenting agents, this study was carried out to investigate the in vitro effects of GB-2a isolated from G. gardneriana (Planchon & Triana) Zappi in B16F10 melanoma cells., Materials and Methods: The effects of GB-2a were evaluated through determination of melanin biosynthesis in B16F10 melanoma cells in comparison with the reference drug kojic acid (500µM). In parallel, the GB-2a effect was assessed in a cell viability assay. Mushroom tyrosinase activity assays were conducted to verify the effect of this enzyme. In order to ascertain the nature of enzyme inhibition on tyrosinase, kinetics analysis of the GB-2a was performed with L-tyrosine and L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) substrates., Results: The results showed that GB-2a biflavonoid significantly inhibited the melanin content, without reducing cell viability. GB-2a also showed a strong antityrosinase activity in the mushroom tyrosinase assay. GB-2a inhibited the tyrosinase activity, exerting a mixed inhibition. For the L-tyrosine substrate the inhibition was in non-competitive mode and for L-DOPA it was in uncompetitive mode., Conclusion: GB-2a biflavonoid promoted inhibition on tyrosinase activity and reduced melanin biosynthesis in B16F10 cells, which suggests great potential for medical and cosmetic uses as a depigmenting agent., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: It has been demonstrated that periodontitis induces systemic inflammation, which may impair endothelial function leading to increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of simvastatin on systemic inflammatory markers and endothelial dysfunction induced by periodontitis., Material and Methods: Wistar rats were subjected to ligature-induced experimental periodontitis. Eight days after the procedure, the ligature and sham groups were randomly assigned to receive simvastatin or vehicle once a day until the 14th day, when the effects of acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside on blood pressure were evaluated. Blood samples were collected and evaluated for plasma interleukin-6C, -reactive protein and lipids. The maxilla and mandible were removed for bone loss analysis., Results: Simvastatin treatment reduced systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction induced by periodontitis. Furthermore, simvastatin improved the blood lipid profile and reduced alveolar bone loss., Conclusion: Simvastatin treatment, in addition to the improvement on serum lipid profile, may reduce other predictors of cardiovascular events associated with periodontitis., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Synadenium grantii Hook f. has traditionally been used to treat various neoplastic diseases in southern Brazil., Aim of Study: Evaluation of the antitumoural potential of Synadenium grantii latex against B16F10 melanoma cell line using in vitro and in vivo models, as well as a phytochemical study of the latex., Materials and Methods: The in vitro antitumoural activity was performed using MTT and trypan blue assays with different latex concentrations (1.7 µg-7.0 µg/well and 1.22 mg-4.88 mg/well). Flow cytometry was used to determine the progression of the cell cycle. The in vivo activity was performed by subcutaneously injecting melanoma cells in the dorsum of C57BL6 mice, followed by treating the mice with a popular form of use of the latex (garrafada) administered orally. After sacrificing the animals, histological analysis of the organs was performed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The phytochemical study of the latex was performed by NMR and chromatographic procedures and the extracts and isolated substances were evaluated by IR, 1D and 2D NMR analysis., Results: The Synadenium grantii latex exhibited decreased cell viability of the melanoma line in a concentration and time-dependent manner, and also cell cycle arrest in the S-G2/M phase. The latex caused a 40% reduction in the volume of tumours of the mice with melanomas. Histological examination of the organs of these animals showed no differences between groups. The phytochemical investigation resulted in the isolation and identification of triterpene euphol and the steroid citrostadienol, which were tested against the strain of melanoma. Euphol showed no antitumoural activity, while the steroid citrostadienol showed reduced cytotoxic activity., Conclusion: The Synadenium grantii latex presented in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic effects with antitumoural activity against B16F10 melanoma cells., (© 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the systemic inflammatory response and cardiovascular changes induced by experimental periodontitis in rats., Design: Experimental periodontitis was induced by placing a cotton ligature around the cervix of both sides of mandibular first molars and maxillary second molars in each male rat. Sham-operated rats had the ligature removed immediately after the procedure. Seven, 14 or 28 days after procedure, the effects of acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside and phenylephrine were evaluated on blood pressure, aortic rings and isolated and perfused mesenteric bed. The blood was obtained for plasma Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) and lipid evaluation. The mesenteric vessels were obtained to evaluate superoxide production and nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS-3) expression., Results: Ligature induced periodontitis reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilatation, a hallmark of endothelial dysfunction. This effect was associated with an increase in systemic inflammatory markers (IL-6 and CRP), worsens on lipid profile, increased vascular superoxide production and reduced NOS-3 expression. It is interesting to note that many of these effects were transitory., Conclusion: Periodontitis induced a transient systemic and vascular inflammation which leads to endothelial dysfunction, an initial step for cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the animal model of periodontitis used here may represent a valuable tool for studying the relationship between periodontitis and endothelial dysfunction., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Apocynin (APO), curcumin (CUR) and vanillin (VAN) are o-methyl catechols widely studied due their antioxidant and antitumour properties. The effect of treatment with these o-methyl catechols on tamoxifen (TAM)-induced cytotoxicity in normal and tumour cells was studied. The cytotoxicity of TAM on red blood cells (RBC) was performed by haemoglobin or K(+)release and on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) by trypan blue dye exclusion method. Cytotoxic activity was assessed in human chronic myeloid leukemia (K562) cell line by (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide). According the release of haemoglobin and K(+), the CUR showed a decrease in TAM cytotoxicity on RBC; however, in PMN, APO, CUR and VAN showed increased of these cells viability. VAN presented the highest cytotoxicity on K562 cells, followed by APO and CUR. These results point the potential therapeutic value of these o-methyl catechols with TAM, particularly of CUR, which potentiates the cytotoxic effects of TAM on K562 cells and also decreases TAM-associated cytotoxicity on RBC and PMN.

Purpose: Evaluation of colonic healing in spontaneously hypertensive rats., Methods: Fifty male, young and inbred rats were used. Twenty-five Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) as control and twenty-five spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) as an experimental group. Colotomy and bowel suture at 2.5 cm from the peritoneal reflection were performed. All animals were allocated randomly into sub-groups for review at the third, seventh and fourteenth days after surgery. We evaluated the concentration of angiotensin II, the burst pressure, epithelialization, the organization of the tunics of the bowel wall, inflammatory response and collagen deposition., Results: The burst pressure, epithelialization, organization of the tunics and collagen deposition was not significant between groups. The inflammatory reaction was more intense in the control group on the third postoperative day (p=0.023) as the experimental group on the remaining time., Conclusion: Systemic arterial hypertension in rats did not influence significantly the healing process of colonic anastomoses.

Background and Objective: Impaired cell metabolism and increased cell death in fibroblast cells are physiological features of chronic tendinopathy. Although several studies have shown that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) at certain parameters has a biostimulatory effect on fibroblast cells, it remains uncertain if LLLT effects depend on the physiological state., Study Design/material and Methods: High-metabolic immortal cell culture and primary human keloid fibroblast cell culture were used in this study. Trypan blue exclusion and the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test were used to determine cell viability and proliferation. Propidium iodide stain was used for cell-cycle analysis by flow cytometry. Laser irradiation was performed daily on three consecutive days with a GaAlAs 660-nm laser (mean output: 50 mW, spot size 2 mm(2), power density =2.5 W/cm(2)) and a typical LLLT dose and a high LLLT dose (irradiation times: 60 or 420 s; fluences:150 or 1050 J/cm(2); energy delivered: 3 or 21 J)., Results: Primary fibroblast cell culture from human keloids irradiated with 3 J showed significant proliferation by the trypan blue exclusion test (p < 0.05), whereas the 3T3 cell culture showed no difference using this method. Propidium iodide staining flow cytometry data showed a significant decrease in the percentage of cells being in proliferative phases of the cell cycle (S/g(2)/M) when irradiated with 21 J in both cell types (hypodiploid cells increased)., Conclusions: Our data support the hypothesis that the physiological state of the cells affects the LLLT results, and that high-metabolic rate and short- cell-cycle 3T3 cells are not responsive to LLLT. In conclusion, LLLT with a dose of 3 J reduced cell death significantly, but did not stimulate cell cycle. A LLLT dose of 21 J had negative effects on the cells, as it increased cell death and inhibited cell proliferation.