Preeclampsia (PE) is classified as early-onset PE (EOPE) and late-onset PE (LOPE) when present before or after 34 weeks of gestation, respectively. This transversal study aimed to investigate the differences and possible associations existing in the anthropometric, hemodynamic, hematologic, and biochemical profiles of late- and early-onset preeclampsia. The study included 65 volunteers admitted to a tertiary hospital in Brazil: 29 normotensive and 36 with preeclampsia (13 with EOPE and 23 with LOPE). Pregnant women with LOPE presented greater weight gain and borderline increase in body mass index at the end of gestation in relation to the other groups, which is compatible with the metabolic origin, associated with obesity, attributed to this form of the disease. Pregnant women with EOPE presented a borderline reduction in the number of erythrocytes and a significant decrease in the number of platelets, in addition to a significant increase in reticulocytes, serum iron, and ferritin when compared to normotensive pregnant women and pregnant women with LOPE. A significant increase in osmotic stability of erythrocytes was observed in the EOPE group in relation to other groups. Hemodynamic analysis by Doppler ultrasonography of the ophthalmic artery showed that both groups of pregnant women with PE presented alterations compatible with the occurrence of hyperflow in the orbital territory. These hemodynamic changes were associated with changes in hematimetric indices.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease involving persistent hyperglycemia, which causes an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzymes and results in damage to various tissues, including the brain. Many societies have traditionally employed medicinal plants to control the hyperglycemia. Pouteria ramiflora, a species occurring in the savanna biome of the Cerrado (Brazil) has been studied because of its possible ability to inhibit carbohydrate digestion. Rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes treated with an alcoholic extract of Pouteria ramiflora show an improved glycemic level, increased glutathione peroxidase activity, decreased superoxide dismutase activity, and reduced lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status. The extract also restored myosin-Va expression and the nuclear diameters of pyramidal neurons of the CA3 subregion and that of the polymorphic cells of the hilus. We conclude that Pouteria ramiflora extract exerts a neuroprotective effect against oxidative damage and myosin-Va expression and is able to prevent hippocampal neuronal loss in the CA3 and hilus subfields of diabetic rats. However, future studies are needed to understand the mechanism of action of Pouteria ramiflora extract in acute and chronic diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by increased glucose levels in the blood. Hyperglycemia causes damage to the brain tissue, and induces significant changes in synaptic transmission. In this investigation, we have found a significant alteration in the expression of the molecular motor involved in the synaptic vesicles transport, myosin-Va, and its distribution in rat brains of streptozotocin-induced diabetes model. Brains were removed after 20 days, homogenized and analysed by Western blotting, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Myosin-Va presented significantly lower levels of both mRNA and protein in diabetic than those observed in non-diabetic animals. Moreover, neuronal and glial cells of the occipital and frontal cortex exhibited decreased myosin-Va immunostaining in diabetic rat brains. In conclusion, diabetic rat brains displayed altered expression and distribution of myosin-Va, and these finding may contribute to the basic understanding about this myosin role in brain function related to diabetes.

The objective of this study was to analyze the relationships of osmotic and mechanical stability of erythrocytes with anthropometric, biochemical, hematologic and hemodynamic variables in pregnant women with preeclampsia (PE). The studied population consisted of 20 normotensive patients and 16 patients with PE. Patients with PE presented worse gestational outcome, greater hematologic impairment, erythrocytes osmotically more stable in vitro , but in conditions of isotonicity with the in vivo medium, in addition to hyperflow in orbital territory, when compared to normotensive patients. The correlation analysis between anthropometric, hematologic and hemodynamic variables in patients with PE indicated that erythrocytes with lower volumes and lower levels of hemoglobin favor the occurrence of a better gestational outcome, because they are more stable and because they are associated with a decrease in the hemodynamic changes present in the disease. This should mean that the tendency to microcytosis, probably due to a mechanism of compensatory mechanical selection, is a desirable characteristic in the disease.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, which may lead to brain tissue damage due to oxidative stress and also contributes to neuronal death and changes in synaptic transmission. This study evaluated the effect of oxidative stress and the use of antioxidants supplementation on myosins expression levels in the brains of chronic diabetic rats induced by streptozotocin. Lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes activities, and myosins-IIB and -Va expressions at transcriptional and translational levels were examined after 90 days induction. The chronic effect of the diabetes led to the upregulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, and the downregulation of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), but there was no statistically significant increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. These alterations were accompanied by high myosin-IIB and low myosin-Va expressions. Although the antioxidant supplementation did not interfere on MDA levels, the oxidative stress caused by chronic hyperglycemia was reduced by increasing SOD and restoring CAT and GPx activities. Interestingly, after supplementation, diabetic rats recovered only myosin-Va protein levels, without interfering on myosins mRNA levels expressed in diabetic rat brains. Our results suggest that antioxidant supplementation reduces oxidative stress and also regulates the myosins protein expression, which should be beneficial to individuals with diabetes/chronic hyperglycemia.

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Many Vochysiaceae species are widely used in folk medicine to treat some diseases. Vochysia rufa, popularly known as “quina-doce”, has been used in folk medicine to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Although the antidiabetic and antioxidant effects and phytochemical profile of Vochysia rufa have already been elucidated, further studies are needed on the effects of this treatment in specific tissues, such as the brain. This study investigated the effect of aqueous extract of Vochysia rufa in diabetic rat brains and for this purpose, oxidative stress markers and the expression/localization of proteins implicated in vesicular trafficking were evaluated. Thirty-two rats were randomized into four groups (non-diabetic, diabetic non-treated, diabetic treated for 43 days with glibenclamide - 6 mg/kg or Vochysia rufa - 500 mg/kg). The extract was administered by gavage for 43 days. Analyses were conducted of enzymes concentration and activity in the brain. The protein levels and localization of myosin-Va, CaMKII, synapsin, SNAP-25 and GLUT4 were also analyzed. Vochysia rufa extract decreased superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, reduced glutathione, total sulfhydryl and lipid peroxidation levels and increased glutathione S-transferase levels. Additionally, Vochysia rufa treatment increased the expression of myosin-Va, CaMKII and also synapsin, which were confirmed by immunolocalization. The treatment with aqueous extract of Vochysia rufa reduces oxidative stress on diabetic rat and protecting the brain from damage caused by hyperglycemia.