BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEAVE 0991 (AVE) is a non-peptide compound, mimic of the angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) actions in many tissues and pathophysiological states. Here, we have investigated the effect of AVE on pulmonary remodelling in a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced chronic allergic lung inflammation. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHWe used BALB/c mice (6-8 weeks old) and induced chronic allergic lung inflammation by OVA sensitization (20 μg·mouse −1 , i.p., four times, 14 days apart) and OVA challenge (1%, nebulised during 30 min, three times per·week, for 4 weeks). Control and AVE groups were given saline i.p and challenged with saline. AVE treatment (1 mg·kg −1 ·per day, s.c.) or saline (100 μL·kg −1 ·per day, s.c.) was given during the challenge period. Mice were anaesthetized 72 h after the last challenge and blood and lungs collected. In some animals, primary bronchi were isolated to test contractile responses. Cytokines were evaluated in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung homogenates. KEY RESULTSTreatment with AVE of OVA sensitised and challenged mice attenuated the altered contractile response to carbachol in bronchial rings and reversed the increased airway wall and pulmonary vasculature thickness and right ventricular hypertrophy. Furthermore, AVE reduced IL-5 and increased IL-10 levels in the BAL, accompanied by decreased Ang II levels in lungs. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSAVE treatment prevented pulmonary remodelling, inflammation and right ventricular hypertrophy in OVA mice, suggesting that Ang-(1-7) receptor agonists are a new possibility for the treatment of pulmonary remodelling induced by chronic asthma.

There are few animal models of dengue infection, especially in immunocompetent mice. Here, we describe alterations found in adult immunocompetent mice inoculated with an adapted Dengue virus (DENV-3) strain. Infection of mice with the adapted DENV-3 caused inoculum-dependent lethality that was preceded by several hematological and biochemical changes and increased virus dissemination, features consistent with severe disease manifestation in humans. IFN-γ expression increased after DENV-3 infection of WT mice and this was preceded by increase in expression of IL-12 and IL-18. In DENV-3-inoculated IFN-γ−/− mice, there was enhanced lethality, which was preceded by severe disease manifestation and virus replication. Lack of IFN-γ production was associated with diminished NO-synthase 2 (NOS2) expression and higher susceptibility of NOS2−/− mice to DENV-3 infection. Therefore, mechanisms of protection to DENV-3 infection rely on IFN-γ-NOS2-NO-dependent control of viral replication and of disease severity, a pathway showed to be relevant for resistance to DENV infection in other experimental and clinical settings. Thus, the model of DENV-3 infection in immunocompetent mice described here represents a significant advance in animal models of severe dengue disease and may provide an important tool to the elucidation of immunopathogenesis of disease and of protective mechanisms associated with infection.

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cells play a pivotal role in host responses against primary Denv infection in mice. after infection, μMt −/− mice showed increased viral loads followed by severe disease manifestation characterized by intense thrombocytopenia, hemoconcentration, cytokine production and massive liver damage that culminated in death. In addition, we show that poly and monoclonal anti-Denv-specific antibodies can sufficiently increase viral replication through a suppression of early innate antiviral responses and enhance disease manifestation, so that a mostly non-lethal illness becomes a fatal disease resembling human DHF/Dss. Finally, treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin containing anti-Denv antibodies confirmed the potential enhancing capacity of Abstract Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease caused by one of four serotypes of Dengue virus (Denv-1-4). epidemiologic and observational studies demonstrate that the majority of severe dengue cases, dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome (DHF/Dss), occurs predominantly in either individuals with cross-reactive immunity following a secondary heterologous infection or in infants with primary Denv infections born from dengue-immune mothers, suggesting that B-cell-mediated and antibody responses impact on disease evolution. We demonstrate here that B Electronic supplementary material the online version of this article

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The development of new strategies to attenuate exercise-induced muscle damage may be helpful for training regimens. The aim of this study was to determine whether a oral formulation of angiotensin Ang-(1-7)[HPβCD/Ang-(1-7)] is effective to reduce pain, and muscle damage markers after eccentric-overload exercise. HPβCD (Placebo) and HPβCD/Ang-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7) group were treated for 7 days (one capsule/day). The pain was measured by visual analogue scale, maximal strength (MS) using force platform. Blood samples were collected for cytokines and creatine kinase (CK) analysis. The Ang-(1-7)-treated group reported less pain immediately (3.46±0.64 vs. placebo 3.80±0.77 cm) and 24 h after exercise (3.07±0.71 vs. 3.73±0.58 cm placebo) and higher MS at 24 h (24±12 N) and 48 h (30±15 N) vs. placebo (-8±9 N and -10±9 N). The CK for Ang-(1-7) (0.5±0.1 and 0.9±0.2 U/L) were lower at 48 and 72 h vs. placebo (fold changes of 1.7±0.5 and 1.5±0.3 U/L). The TNF-α level was lower in the treated group post-exercise (38±2.5 pg/ml) vs. placebo (45±2.9 pg/ml) but no significant changes were observed for IL-6 and IL-10. Our data indicate that treatment with Ang-(1-7) may attenuate pain, some of the muscle damage markers and improves performance following eccentric exercise.

Increased RAS activity leading to increase in Ang II levels, may increase the risk of developing PD, AD, HD or MS. However, the alteration in the balance among angiotensin peptides resulting in increasing Ang-(1-7) or Alamandine may represent effective neuroprotective strategy in population groups at high risk or as coadjutant treatment to reduce the progression of these diseases. Although most studies suggest a neuroprotective action for ACE inhibition or AT1 receptor antagonism, many studies will still be needed to characterize the relative importance (and intracellular mechanisms) of each RAS peptide for the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. The results to date are promising and may lead to new and more effective pharmacological tools to prevent and better control neurodegenerative diseases.