Results: 3275

Retinoic acid protects from experimental cerebral infarction by upregulating GAP-43 expression

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (4), 2017
The aim of this study was to investigate whether exogenous retinoic acid (RA) can upregulate the mRNA and protein expression of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), thereby promoting brain functional recovery in a rat distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of ischemia. A total of 216 male...

Therapy of tacrolimus combined with corticosteroids in idiopathic membranous nephropathy

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (4), 2017
We evaluated the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus (TAC) combined with corticosteroids in treating patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). One hundred seventy-seven biopsy-proven IMN patients were recruited in this retrospective clinical study. Sixty patients received TAC (target blood con...

Recombinant 60-kDa heat shock protein from Paracoccidioides brasiliensis: is it a good antigen for serological diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis?

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (4), 2017
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and P. lutzii are fungi that cause paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the most prevalent systemic mycosis in South America. For serological diagnosis, although 43-kDa glycoprotein (gp43) is regarded as highly specific for PCM, the occurrence of false negative reactions in sera fr...

Naringenin regulates production of matrix metalloproteinases in the knee-joint and primary cultured articular chondrocytes and alleviates pain in rat osteoarthritis model

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (4), 2017
Inflammation of cartilage is a primary symptom for knee-joint osteoarthritis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to play an important role in the articular cartilage destruction related to osteoarthritis. Naringenin is a plant-derived flavonoid known for its anti-inflammatory properties. We studi...

Performance of urinary kidney injury molecule-1, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase to predict chronic kidney disease progression and adverse outcomes

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (5), 2017
Urinary biomarkers can predict the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this study, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were correlated with the stages of CKD, and the association of these biomarkers w...

Primary cultures of mouse small intestinal epithelial cells using the dissociating enzyme type I collagenase and hyaluronidase

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (5), 2017
The epithelium is a highly dynamic system, which plays a crucial role in the homeostasis of the intestinal tract. However, studies on the physiological and pathophysiological functions of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) have been hampered due to lack of normal epithelial cell models. In the present st...

Duodenal-jejunal bypass normalizes pancreatic islet proliferation rate and function but not hepatic steatosis in hypothalamic obese rats

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (5), 2017
Modifications in life-style and/or pharmacotherapies contribute to weight loss and ameliorate the metabolic profile of diet-induced obese humans and rodents. Since these strategies fail to treat hypothalamic obesity, we have assessed the possible mechanisms by which duodenal-jejunal bypass (DJB) surgery ...

Efficacy of minimally invasive tonsil surgery for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in children

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (5), 2017
This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of minimally invasive tonsil surgery for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in children. Tonsil ablation or turbinate reduction was performed on 49 pediatric patients with OSAHS by minimally invasive tonsil surgery. In order to ...

Diagnostic and prognostic value of procalcitonin for early intracranial infection after craniotomy

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (5), 2017
Intracranial infection is a common clinical complication after craniotomy. We aimed to explore the diagnostic and prognostic value of dynamic changing procalcitonin (PCT) in early intracranial infection after craniotomy. A prospective study was performed on 93 patients suspected of intracranial infection...

An agent-based simulation combined with group decision-making technique for improving the performance of an emergency department

Braz. j. med. biol. res; 50 (5), 2017
This study presents an agent-based simulation modeling in an emergency department. In a traditional approach, a supervisor (or a manager) allocates the resources (receptionist, nurses, doctors, etc.) to different sections based on personal experience or by using decision-support tools. In this study, eac...