Neste artigo discutimos as relações entre ciência/pesquisa e associativismo na Síndrome Congênita do Zika Vírus (SCZV). De início focamos no surgimento das principais associações de SCZV do Brasil e da Frente Nacional por Direitos da Pessoa com a Síndrome Congênita do Zika Vírus (FNDPSCZV). Em seguida debatemos sobre duas demandas da Frente: (1) as discussões sobre ética em pesquisa com seres humanos e a (2) pensão vitalícia para as crianças com SCZV e como este tema se relaciona com a pesquisa científica. Concluímos que as associações tem buscado relação mais horizontal com a ciência, ora denunciando sua falta de empatia e ética, ora fazendo uso dela. Para tanto, as associações têm buscado junto a comunidade científica espaços de diálogo no qual possam ser ouvidas e respeitadas quanto aos usos e resultados das pesquisas científicas em seus filhos através do lema “nada sobre nós sem nós”.
In Brazil, the snake genus Bothrops has many venomous species with 90 % of cases of accidents. Snake bites by Bothrops jararacussu result in moderate to severe envenoming, characterized by hemorrhage, coagulation disorders, tissue necrosis, and death. Antivenom has been regularly used for more than a century but poorly neutralizes myonecrosis. And, as a consequence, victims may have their affected limbs amputated. Thus, the production of antivenom must be improved as well as alternative treatments investigated. Thus, the ability of four extracts of the green alga Prasiola crispa to neutralize some toxic effects of B. jararacussu venom was tested. P. crispa was collected in Antarctica, then extracted using four solvents, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (ETA), n-hexane (HEX), or methanol (MET). The extracts were incubated with B. jararacussu venom, and in vivo (hemorrhagic, lethal, and edematogenic) or in vitro (coagulating and proteolytic) activities were performed. Moreover, B. jararacussu venom was injected into mice before or after the injection of alga extracts. Overall, extracts inhibited all activities. The MET extract inhibited less and HEX, DCM and ETA inhibited more efficiently the activities. These latter extracts fully protected mice from B. jararacussu-induced hemorrhage and delayed death of mice. Edema was partially inhibited (20 %) by all extracts. Neutralization of hemorrhage was also observed when the extracts of P. crispa were administered after or before the venom injection. These results indicate that the extracts of P. crispa have potential to treat or to prevent some toxic effects of B. jararacussu venom, thus aiding in the antivenom therapy.
In Brazil, snakebites are a public health problem and accidents caused by Lachesis muta have the highest mortality index. Envenomation by L. muta is characterized by systemic (hypotension, bleeding and renal failure) and local effects (necrosis, pain and edema). The treatment to reverse the evolution of all the toxic effects is performed by injection of antivenom. However, such therapy does not effectively neutralize tissue damage or any other local effect, since in most cases victims delay seeking appropriate medical care. In this way, alternative therapies are in demand, and molecules from natural sources have been exhaustively tested. In this paper, we analyzed the inhibitory effect of a sulfated galactan obtained from the red seaweed Palisada flagellifera against some toxic activities of L. muta venom. Incubation of sulfated galactan with venom resulted in inhibition of hemolysis, coagulation, proteolysis, edema and hemorrhage. Neutralization of hemorrhage was also observed when the galactan was administered after or before the venom injection; thus mimicking a real in vivo situation. Moreover, the galactan blocked the edema caused by a phospholipase A2 isolated from the same venom. Therefore, the galactan from P. flagellifera may represent a promising tool to treat envenomation by L. muta as a coadjuvant for the conventional antivenom.
Este artigo analisa os impactos da COVID-19 na vida das mulheres e crianças atingidas pelo Zika. Embora a emergência em Zika tenha finalizado, estas mulheres precisam lidar com uma “eterna emergência” para garantir sua sobrevivência e dos filhos. A partir de relatos enviados pelas mulheres construímos um panorama sobre a situação destas e das crianças em tempos de COVID-19, aprofundando questões como a dificuldade em fazer isolamento; efeitos da suspensão das terapias de reabilitação nas crianças; e a morte de crianças. Destacamos ainda que a Antropologia contribui para entendermos que epidemias globais são vivenciadas distintamente por grupos específicos, como nas mulheres e seus filhos com Síndrome Congênita do Zika Vírus que foram expostos à ansiedade, angústia, incerteza, medo, empobrecimento, adoecimento e morte em duas epidemias em menos de cinco anos.
O nascimento de crianças com Síndrome Congênita do Zika vírus (SCZ), especialmente na região Nordeste, fez com que Pernambuco, o Brasil e a OMS decretassem emergência em saúde pública. Este artigo aborda sobre algumas das continuidades e descontinuidades percebidas em relação à assistência durante o estado de emergência em saúde pública e após a sua finalização, apreciando como a Secretaria Estadual de Saúde (SES) respondeu ao fim da epidemia e o peso social da doença para as mães, no processo de descoberta e tratamento da SCZ das crianças, comparando depoimentos e observações de profissionais e mães de crianças com SCZ, em Pernambuco, epicentro da epidemia. Integra a pesquisa antropológica ‘Etnografando cuidados’, iniciada em 2016. O primeiro e segundo itens refletem sobre as ações institucionais, principalmente da SES. O terceiro item enfatiza como as mães das crianças com SCZ percebem o que lhes chega pelos serviços públicos de assistência.
Snakebite is a serious occupational hazard affecting mainly rural populations of tropical and subtropical developing countries. Lachesis muta (Bushmaster) bites are extremely serious but are rarely reported in the literature. Bushmaster envenomings are characterized by intense local pain, edema, neurotoxicity, hypotension, local hemorrhage, and dramatic systemic alterations. Antivenom treatment has regularly been used for more than a century; however, it fails to neutralize local tissue damage and hemorrhage, leading to morbidity or disabilities in victims. Thus, the production and clinical use of antivenom must be improved. The present work characterizes, for the first time, a sulfated polysaccharide from the red seaweed, Laurencia aldingensis, including its neutralizing effect on some toxic activities of L. muta venom. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses showed that L. aldingensis produces sulfated agarans with the A-units partially C-2 sulfated or 6-O-methoxylated presetting the B-units in the cyclized (3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactose) or in the non-cyclized form (α-L-galactose). The latter is significantly substituted by sulfate groups on C-6. In vitro and in vivo assays showed that this sulfated agaran inhibited hemolysis, coagulation, proteolysis, edema, and hemorrhage of L. muta venom. Neutralization of hemorrhagic activity was also observed when the agaran was administered by different routes and after or before the venom injection. Furthermore, the agaran blocked the edema caused by a phospholipase A isolated from the L. muta venom. Experimental evidence therefore indicates that the sulfated agaran of L. aldingensis has potential to aid antivenom therapy of accidents caused by L. muta venom and may help to develop more effective antivenom treatments of snake bites in general.
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