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- Biocompatibility and stability of polysaccharide polyelectrolyte complexes aimed at respiratory deliveryPublication . Rodrigues, Susana; Cardoso, Lurdes; Costa, Ana M. Rosa da; Grenha, AnaChitosan (CS) and chondroitin sulfate (CHS) are natural polymers with demonstrated applicability in drug delivery, while nanoparticles are one of the most explored carriers for transmucosal delivery of biopharmaceuticals. In this work we have prepared CS/CHS nanoparticles and associated for the first time the therapeutic protein insulin. Fluorescein isothiocyanate bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) was also used to enable comparison of behaviors regarding differences in molecular weight (5.7 kDa versus 67 kDa). Nanoparticles of approximately 200 nm and positive zeta potential around +20 mV were obtained. These parameters remained stable for up to 1 month at 4 C. Proteins were associated with efficiencies of more than 50%. The release of FITC-BSA in PBS pH 7.4 was more sustained (50% in 24 h) than that of insulin (85% in 24 h). The biocompatibility of nanoparticles was tested in Calu-3 and A549 cells by means of three different assays. The metabolic assay MTT, the determination of lactate dehydrogenase release, and the quantification of the inflammatory response generated by cell exposure to nanoparticles have indicated an absence of overt toxicity. Overall, the results suggest good indications on the application of CS/CHS nanoparticles in respiratory transmucosal protein delivery, but the set of assays should be widened to clarify obtained results.
- Prevalência de hipercolesterolémia e hipertensão arterial em utentes diabéticos de uma farmácia em Vila Real de Santo AntónioPublication . Cardoso, Lurdes; Ó, Nuno Madeira; Nascimento, Tânia; Estêvão, DulceO desenvolvimento científico e tecnológico levou a um aumento da esperança média de vida, originando o envelhecimento da população e, consequentemente, um aumento da morbimortalidade na população. Entre as patologias mais prevalentes destacam-se a diabetes mellitus, a hipertensão arterial e as dislipidémias. A diabetes desencadeia um elevado número de alterações metabólicas, tais como o desenvolvimento de dislipidémias, que, por sua vez, induzem o aparecimento de aterosclerose, uma inflamação vascular devido à acumulação de colesterol sob a forma de LDL, provocando o aumento da pressão arterial, com risco de desenvolvimento de hipertensão arterial. O objectivo deste estudo foi avaliar a prevalência de hipercolesterolémia e hipertensão arterial nos utentes diabéticos de uma Farmácia em Vila Real de Santo António.