CICS - Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde
Permanent URI for this community
The Health Sciences Research Centre (“Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde”; CICS-UBI) is a Research Unit financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The mission of CICS-UBI is to promote the production of scientific knowledge and background in Health Sciences. The Unit has two research groups of “Hormones and inflammation in health and disease” (HIHD group) and “Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences” (BBS group).
Website CICSBrowse
Browsing CICS - Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde by Title
Now showing 1 - 10 of 365
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- 17 Beta-Estradiol and progesterone inhibit L-type Ca2+ current of rat aorta smooth muscle cellsPublication . Verde, Ignacio; Cairrão, Elisa; Carvas, João; Silva, António José Santos; Alvarez, EzequielSex hormones like 17ß-estradiol (ßES) and progesterone have shown rapid non-genomic vasodilator effects, which could be involved in the protection of cardiovascular system. However, the precise mechanism by which this effect occurs has not been elucidated yet, even if Ca2+ influx inhibition seems to be implicated. The aim of this study was to study the influence of ßES and progesterone on the L-type Ca2+ current measured by whole cell voltage-clamp in A7r5 cells. Voltage-operated Ca2+ currents were elicited by square-step voltage pulses and pharmacologically characterized as L-type currents by (-)-Bay K8644 (BAY) and nifedipine. Both ßES and progesterone (1-100 µM), rapidly and reversibly inhibited, in a concentration dependent manner, either non-stimulated or BAY-stimulated Ca2+ currents registered in A7r5 cells. These results suggest that ßES and progesterone inhibit L-type voltage-operated Ca2+ channels through a non-genomic pathway. Consequently, these hormones inhibit the Ca2+ entry into smooth muscle cells from rat aorta, an effect that can contribute for the protection of the cardiovascular system.
- 2019 ARIA Care pathways for allergen immunotherapyPublication . Bousquet, Jean; Pfaar, Oliver; Togias, Alkis; Schünemann, Holger J; Ansotegui, Ignacio; Papadopoulos, Nikolaos G; Tsiligianni, Ioanna; Agache, Ioana; Anto, Josep M.; Bachert, Claus; Bedbrook, Anna; Bergmann, Karl-Christian; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Bosse, Isabelle; Brozek, Jan; Calderon, Moises A; Canonica, Giorgio W; Caraballo, Luigi; Cardona, Victoria; Casale, Thomas; Cecchi, Lorenzo; Chu, Derek; Costa, Elísio; Cruz, Alvaro A; Czarlewski, Wienczyslawa; Durham, Stephen R; Du Toit, George; Dykewicz, Mark; Ebisawa, Motohiro; Fauquert, Jean Luc; Fernandez-Rivas, Montserrat; Fokkens, Wytske J; Fonseca, João; Fontaine, Jean-François; Gerth van Wijk, Roy; Haahtela, Tari; Halken, Susanne; Hellings, Peter; Ierodiakonou, Despo; Iinuma, Tomohisa; Ivancevich, Juan Carlos; Jacobsen, Lars; Jutel, Marek; Kaidashev, Igor; Khaitov, Musa; Kalayci, Omer; Kleine Tebbe, Jörg; Klimek, Ludger; Kowalski, Marek L; Kuna, Piotr; Kvedarienė, Violeta; La Grutta, Stefania; Larenas Linnemann, Désirée; Lau, Susanne; Laune, Daniel; Le Thi Tuyet, Lan; Lodrup Carlsen, Karin; Lourenço, Olga; Malling, Hans-Jørgen; Marien, Gert; Menditto, Enrica; Mercier, Gregoire; Mullol, Joaquim; Muraro, Antonella; O'Hehir, Robyn; Okamoto, Yoshitaka; Pajno, Giovanni B; Park, Hae-Sim; Panzner, Petr; Passalacqua, Giovanni; Pham-Thi, Nhan; Roberts, Graham; Pawankar, Ruby; Rolland, Christine; Rosario, Nelson; Ryan, Dermot; Samolinski, Boleslaw; Sanchez-Borges, Mario; Scadding, Glenis; Shamji, Mohamed H; Sheikh, Aziz; Sturm, Gunter J; Todo-Bom, Ana; Toppila-Salmi, Sanna; Valentin Rostan, Marylin; Valiulis, Arunas; Valovirta, Erkka; Ventura, Maria Teresa; Wahn, Ulrich; Walker, Samantha; Wallace, Dana; Waserman, Susan; Yorgancioglu, Arzu; Zuberbier, TorstenAllergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a proven therapeutic option for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and/or asthma. Many guidelines or national practice guidelines have been produced but the evidence-based method varies, many are complex and none propose care pathways. This paper reviews care pathways for AIT using strict criteria and provides simple recommendations that can be used by all stakeholders including healthcare professionals. The decision to prescribe AIT for the patient should be individualized and based on the relevance of the allergens, the persistence of symptoms despite appropriate medications according to guidelines as well as the availability of good-quality and efficacious extracts. Allergen extracts cannot be regarded as generics. Immunotherapy is selected by specialists for stratified patients. There are no currently available validated biomarkers that can predict AIT success. In adolescents and adults, AIT should be reserved for patients with moderate/severe rhinitis or for those with moderate asthma who, despite appropriate pharmacotherapy and adherence, continue to exhibit exacerbations that appear to be related to allergen exposure, except in some specific cases. Immunotherapy may be even more advantageous in patients with multimorbidity. In children, AIT may prevent asthma onset in patients with rhinitis. mHealth tools are promising for the stratification and follow-up of patients.
- 3D Printed scaffolds with bactericidal activity aimed for bone tissue regenerationPublication . Correia, Tiago R.; Figueira, Daniela Sofia Rodrigues; Sá, Kevin; Miguel, Sónia P.; Fradique, Ricardo Gil; Mendonça, António; Correia, I.J.Nowadays, the incidence of bone disorders has steeply ascended and it is expected to double in the next decade, especially due to the ageing of the worldwide population. Bone defects and fractures lead to reduced patient’s quality of life. Autografts, allografts and xenografts have been used to overcome different types of bone injuries, although limited availability, immune rejection or implant failure demand the development of new bone replacements. Moreover, the bacterial colonization of bone substitutes is the main cause of implant rejection. To vanquish these drawbacks, researchers from tissue engineering area are currently using computer-aided design models or medical data to produce 3D scaffolds by Rapid Prototyping (RP). Herein, Tricalcium phosphate (TCP)/Sodium Alginate (SA) scaffolds were produced using RP and subsequently functionalized with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through two different incorporation methods. The obtained results revealed that the composite scaffolds produced by direct incorporation of AgNPs are the most suitable for being used in bone tissue regeneration since they present appropriate mechanical properties, biocompatibility and bactericidal activity.
- 5-Hydrazinylethylidenepyrimidines effective against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: Synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation of antibacterial, radical scavenging and cytotoxic activitiesPublication . Figueiredo, Joana; Serrano, João L.; Soares, MN; Ferreira, Susana; Domingues, F.C.; Almeida, Paulo; Silvestre, SamuelAcinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen in recent years, with infectious outbreaks caused by multidrug-resistant strains increasing worldwide. Thus, new antibacterial treatments for multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains are needed. In this work, a series of 5-hydrazinylethylidenepyrimidines were synthesized and in vitro evaluated against two multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains (AcB 13/10 and AcB 73/10). Minimum inhibitory concentration results demonstrated that generally the compounds in study presented values in a low micromolar range. In the determination of in vitro bacterial growth at 24 h, it was observed that the pyrimidines 3a and 3c, with an unsubstituted hydrazinylphenyl, have bacteriostatic activity in both multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains, with a concentration-dependent action. In general, an additive effect occurred in the combination of these compounds with gentamicin, rifampicin and polymyxin B, for both strains. Furthermore, all 5-hydrazinylethylidenepyrimidines under study presented a good 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity, generally low xanthine oxidase inhibition and low cytotoxicity in normal human dermal fibroblasts as well as potential favorable drug-likeness properties. Thus, these molecules can be considered attractive for the future development of antibacterial agents against multidrug-resistant A. baumannii.
- 5α-Dihydrotestosterone regulates the expression of L-type calcium channels and calcium-binding protein regucalcin in human breast cancer cells with suppression of cell growthPublication . Marques, Ricardo; Peres, Carina; Vaz, Cátia; Gomes, Inês; Figueira, Marília I; Cairrão, Elisa; Verde, Ignacio; Baptista, Cláudio; Socorro, SílviaAndrogens have been associated with the development of normal breast, and their role in mammary gland carcinogenesis has also been described. Several studies reported that androgens inhibit breast cancer cell growth, whereas others linked their action with the modulation of calcium (Ca(2+)) pumps, Ca(2+) channels and Ca(2+)-binding proteins. Also, it is known that deregulated Ca(2+) homeostasis has been implicated in the pathophysiology of breast. The L-type Ca(2+) channels (LTCCs) were found to be up-regulated in colon, colorectal and prostate cancer, but their presence in breast tissues remains uncharacterized. On the other hand, regucalcin (RGN) is a Ca(2+)-binding protein involved in the control of mammary gland cell proliferation, which has been identified as an androgen target gene in distinct tissues except breast. This study aimed to confirm the expression and activity of LTCCs in human breast cancer cells and investigate the effect of androgens in regulating the expression of α1C subunit (Cav1.2) of LTCCs and Ca(2+)-binding protein RGN. PCR, Western blot, immunofluorescence and electrophysiological experiments demonstrated the expression and activity of Cav1.2 subunit in MCF-7 cells. The MCF-7 cells were treated with 1, 10 or 100 nM of 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) for 24-72 h. The obtained results showed that 1 nM DHT up-regulated the expression of Cav1.2 subunit while diminishing RGN protein levels, which was underpinned by reduced cell viability. These findings first confirmed the presence of LTCCs in breast cancer cells and opened new perspectives for the development of therapeutic approaches targeting Ca(2+) signaling.
- 8-(3-phenylpropyl)-1,3,7-triethylxanthine is a synthetic caffeine substitute with stronger metabolic modulator activityPublication . Carrageta, David F; Dias, Tânia R.; Jarak, Ivana; Alves, Marco G; Oliveira, P.F.; Walt, Mietha Van Der; Terre'Blanche, Gisella; Monteiro, Mariana P.; Silva, Branca M.Caffeine is one of the most worldwide consumed methylxanthines. It is well-known for its thermogenic and cell metabolism modulating effects. Based on methylxanthines' chemical structure, 8-(3-phenylpropyl)-1,3,7-triethylxanthine (PTX) is a novel adenosine antagonist with higher receptor affinity than caffeine. Therefore, we hypothesized that PTX metabolic effects could be stronger than those of caffeine. For that purpose, murine 3T3-L1 cells were cultured in the presence of increasing doses of PTX or caffeine (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μM) for 24 h. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by reduction of tetrazolium salt (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Cell metabolites released to the culture medium were identified and quantified by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Cellular oxidative profile was also evaluated. Our results showed that PTX displayed no signs of cytotoxicity at all studied concentrations. When compared with caffeine, PTX increased glucose, pyruvate, and glutamine consumption, as well as lactate, alanine, and acetate production. Additionally, PTX decreased protein oxidation, thus protecting against oxidative stress-induced damage. These results illustrate that PTX is a stronger and less cytotoxic caffeine substitute with potential applications as metabolic modulator and a good candidate for novel drug design.
- Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Activity of Extracts from Angolan Medicinal PlantsPublication . Fernandes, Nelson; Canelo, Laura; Mendonca, Dina; Mendonça, AntónioPlants are considered important sources of new chemical entities that can be used in the development of novel therapeutic drugs for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by 38 extracts from 13 medicinal plants used in Angola folk medicine are presented: Adenodolichos huillensis (roots and leaves); Boscia microphylla (leaves); Croton gratissimus (aerial part); Gymnosporia senegalensis (branches); Hymenodictyon floribundum (barks); Parinari capensis (leaves); Peucedano angolense (aerial part); Phragmanthera glaucocarpa (roots); Rhus kirkii (leaves); Solanecio mannii (branches); Solanum incanum (fruit); Tinnea antiscorbutica (aerial part) and Xylopia odoratissima (leaves). TLC bioautographic assay and Ellman’s method were used. The best results for IC50 were obtained with the toluene extract of B. microphylla leaves (0.55 ± 0.01 mg/mL) and the methanol extract of G. senegalensis branches (0.30 ± 0.00 mg/mL). The aqueous extract of the leaves of P. capensis also demonstrated acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity in the two methods used. In conclusion, the medicinal plants P. capensis, B. microphylla and G. senegalensis represent promising sources of natural compounds with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory properties.
- Action of Curcumin on Glioblastoma Growth: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Animal Model StudiesPublication . Luís, Ângelo; Amaral, Leonor; Domingues, F.C.; Pereira, L.; Cascalheira, JoséGliomas are aggressive brain tumors with poor prognosis even after surgical removal and radio-chemotherapy, stressing the urgency to find alternative therapies. Several preclinical studies evaluating the anticancer effect of curcumin in animal models of glioma are reported, but a systematic review with meta-analysis of these studies, considering the different experimental conditions used, has not been made up to this date. A search in different databases (Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO) following the PRISMA statement was conducted during November 2023 to systematically identify articles assessing the effect of curcumin in murine xenograft models of glioma and identified 15 articles, which were subdivided into 24 studies. Tumor volume before and after treatment with curcumin or vehicle was extracted and the efficacy of curcumin was evaluated by performing a random effects meta-analysis of the data. Publication bias and the impact of different experimental conditions on curcumin efficacy were assessed. Treatment with curcumin decreased tumor volume. Comparing curcumin with control groups, the overall weighted standardized difference in means was −2.079 (95% CI: −2.816 to −1.341; p-value < 0.001). The curcumin effect was observed for different animal models, types of glioma cells, administration routes, and curcumin formulations. Publication bias was identified but does not invalidate curcumin’s effectiveness. The findings suggest the potential therapeutic efficacy of curcumin against glioma.
- Acute Kidney Injury and Electrolyte Imbalances Caused by Dapagliflozin Short-Term UsePublication . Lopes, António Cabral; Lourenço, Olga; Morgado, Sandra; Gaspar, Andreia; Freire, Idalina; Eusébio, Inês; Ribeiro, João; Silva, Mafalda; Mendes, Marta; Fonseca, Olimpia; Duarte, Rute; Morgado, ManuelDapagliflozin, a sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), has shown demonstrated benefits for renal and cardiovascular outcomes in large clinical trials. However, short-term concerns regarding its impact on renal function and electrolyte balance exist. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of dapagliflozin on renal function and electrolyte balance in patients newly prescribed the medication. A retrospective analysis of 246 patients who initiated dapagliflozin therapy was conducted. Serum creatinine, sodium, and potassium levels were measured at baseline (before dapagliflozin) and 5–8 days after initiation (endpoint). A Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Pearson’s chi-square test, and Fischer’s exact test were used for the data analysis. Glycemia and sodium levels were significantly higher at the baseline compared to the endpoint (p < 0.001). Conversely, creatinine and potassium levels were significantly higher at the endpoint than at the baseline (p < 0.001). The prevalence of hyponatremia and hyperkalemia were increased at the endpoint (17.5% vs. 10.2% and 16.7% vs. 8.9%, respectively). Although not statistically significant, a trend towards increased hyponatremia with the co-administration of furosemide was observed (p = 0.089). No significant association was found between potassium-sparing medications (p > 0.05) and hyperkalemia, except for angiotensin receptor blockers (p = 0.017). The combination of dapagliflozin and furosemide significantly increased the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) at the endpoint (p = 0.006). Age, gender, andchronic kidney disease status did not significantly influence the occurrence of AKI, hyponatremia, or hyperkalemia (p > 0.05). These findings emphasize the importance of the close monitoring of renal function and electrolyte balance, particularly in the early stages of dapagliflozin therapy, especially in patients receiving diuretics or renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors.
- Adaptação do Questionário Standardized Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness para Português (SPEED-Vp) numa População Não ClínicaPublication . Sanches, Ana Lúcia; Leite, Sara Gisela; Nunes, António; Caixinha, Miguel; Monteiro, Pedro; Nunes, AméliaIntrodução: O objetivo deste estudo foi traduzir e adaptar o questionário Standardized Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness para o português europeu, bem como avaliar o desempenho psicométrico da versão traduzida, incluindo repetibilidade e concordância. Material e métodos: O questionário original Standardized Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness - SPEED foi traduzido e adaptado para o contexto cultural português seguindo uma metodologia cientificamente válida comumente usada no processo de adaptação de instrumentos para outras culturas e línguas. O questionário resultante da tradução para o novo idioma foi sujeito a um pré-teste onde os comentários dos participantes foram escritos e considerados para a versão final do questionário. Para a validação da escala da versão final do questionário traduzido, 89 indivíduos de uma população não clínica, com idades entre 18 e 84 anos, foram convidados a responder ao questionário (61% eram mulheres). Uma semana depois, o mesmo questionário foi repetido por 63 indivíduos. A confiabilidade interna do questionário foi analisada pelo alfa de Cronbach, a estabilidade temporal pelo teste-reteste e a análise de concordância entre medidas pelo método de Bland-Altman. Resultados: A consistência interna do questionário traduzido, SPEED-vP, foi alta (α = 0,871) e todos os itens do questionário contribuíram para o aumento desse índice. Essa consistência também foi confirmada como alta no reteste (α = 0,856) e quando a amostra foi estratificada por idade e sexo. O questionário SPEED-complete também apresentou alta consistência (α = 0,88). A repetibilidade do instrumento foi alta (ICC 0,933; IC 95%: 0,899 e 0,960) e o gráfico de Bland-Altman revelou boa concordância entre as medidas. Conclusão: O Standardized Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness in Portuguese (SPEED-vP) apresentou boas propriedades psicométricas para a população portuguesa. Portanto, a versão traduzida do questionário SPEED-vP pode ser usada para mensurar quantitativamente a presença de sintomas de olho seco na população portuguesa.