Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2023-02-16"
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- Characterization of potential intoxications with medicines in a regional settingPublication . Nascimento, Tânia; Santos, Teresa; Rato, Fátima; De Sousa-Coelho, Ana LuísaThe Portuguese Poison Information Center (from Portuguese—CIAV) is a call center that offers medical assistance in case of possible intoxication with any kind of product, including medicines. This center´s main goal is to inform and guide the general public and health professionals. This work aimed to analyze and compare data corresponding to the telephone calls from the Algarve region (South of Portugal), received by CIAV during 2019 and 2020, regarding potential intoxications with medicines. To this end, data provided by CIAV on possible cases of medication intoxication in the Algarve region were collected, including the number of calls received, the place of origin of the call, the age group and sex of the intoxicated individual, the route of exposure to the drug, the circumstances of contact with the substance, the existence of symptoms, and the drug or drugs involved in the potential intoxication. The results showed that the number of cases slightly decreased in 2020 (n = 1261) compared with 2019 (n = 1340), with a high number of cases of intoxication in children between one and four years old in both years (21.2%; n = 152 in 2019; 16.4%; n = 115 in 2020). The drugs belonging to the locomotor system group (paracetamol and ibuprofen) were the main drugs involved, followed by the central nervous system pharmacotherapeutic group, namely benzodiazepines (diazepam and alprazolam). Paracetamol was the main drug responsible for the calls to CIAV (n = 71 in 2019; n = 63 in 2020), while for the remaining drugs there were fluctuations in their positions between both years. In some cases, this swinging may be explained by the possible changes in therapy due to potential interactions with drugs used for the treatment of symptoms of COVID-19 or perhaps related to misleading information released by the media about the use of some drugs, such as ibuprofen, during lockdown periods. Although there has been a decrease in calls to report possible drug intoxication in the Algarve region, the profile of calls was very similar. Paracetamol was the drug with the highest number of reported cases and the group of psychotropic drugs showed the largest increase between 2019 and 2020.
- Mediterranean Diet: The role of phenolic compounds from Aromatic Plant FoodsPublication . Delgado, Amélia; Gonçalves, Sandra; Romano, A.Today’s global food system aggravates climate change while failing in meeting SDG2 and more. Yet, some sustainable food cultures, such as the Mediterranean Diet (MD), are simultaneously safe, healthy, and rooted in biodiversity. Their wide range of fruits, herbs, and vegetables convey many bioactive compounds, often associated with colour, texture, and aroma. Phenolic compounds are largely responsible for such features of MD’s foods. These plant secondary metabolites all share in vitro bioactivities (e.g., antioxidants), and some are evidenced in vivo (e.g., plant sterols lower cholesterol levels in blood). The present work examines the role of polyphenols in the MD, with respect to human and planetary health. Since the commercial interest in polyphenols is increasing, a strategy for the sustainable exploitation of Mediterranean plants is essential in preserving species at risk while valuing local cultivars (e.g., through the geographical indication mechanism). Finally, the linkage of food habits with cultural landscapes, a cornerstone of the MD, should enable awareness-raising about seasonality, endemism, and other natural constraints to ensure the sustainable exploitation of Mediterranean plants.
- Effect of antioxidant and Pro-oxidant on bone mineralization and remodellingPublication . Poudel, Sunil; Cancela, Leonor; Gavaia, PauloOsteoporosis is characterized by abnormal bone with low bone mass and degradation of skeleton microarchitecture, thus leading to bone fragility and risk of fracture. Oxidative stress induces an imbalance in osteoblast and osteoclast activity that leads to bone degradation, consequently resulting in osteoporotic phenotype. In addition, oxidative stress is a primary cause of secondary osteoporosis caused by specific medications. Understanding the role of oxidative stress in the development of primary and secondary osteoporosis could lead to further research towards preventive and therapeutic measures to combat this significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Antioxidant supplementation has improved bone mineral density and lowered the risk of fragility fractures. While it is not experimentally evident if the antioxidant activity is the cause of this alteration. Hence, this work aimed to counteract/rescue specific medication-induced secondary osteoporosis by supplementing antioxidants on in vitro and in vivo models. In addition, to provide insights into the molecular mechanisms on medication-induced bone impairment, the transcriptome of murine osteoblasts treated with antioxidants (Resveratrol and MitoTEMPO) and pro-oxidants (Doxorubicin) alone or in combination was analyzed. RNA-Seq data revealed that osteocrin and p53 are the responsible players on doxorubicin-induced bone impairment and its reversal by resveratrol. We further studied the effect of antioxidants and pro-oxidant on osteoclast differentiation, where we found out that doxorubicin also increased osteoclast differentiation. Based on our in vitro results, we confirm the effect of Resveratrol, MitoTEMPO on Doxorubicin-induced bone impairment with the zebrafish (osteocytic bone) and seabream (non-osteocytic bone) models. Our data indicate that regular supplementation of antioxidants effectively improves overall growth, mineralization and counteracts pro-oxidant induced bone pathologies on both models. In conclusion, this work proposes that the negative effect of the specific medication (i.e., Doxorubicin) can be reversed by regular supplementation of antioxidants (i.e., Resveratrol and MitoTEMPO). Furthermore, this work also proposes osteocrin as a key responsible factor for doxorubicin-induced bone impairment, and its reversal. Osteocrin can be further exploited as a communicator molecule for crosstalk between bone and other tissues.