Obesity has been pointed out as a risk factor for higher prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms in adolescents. The objective was to evaluate the relationship between the prevalence of asthma and obesity in adolescents living in Santa Maria and surroundings (state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil), applying the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) protocol. A total of 4,010 of 6,123 schoolchildren, 13 to 14 years of age, enrolled in the ISAAC phase III protocol (asthma core questionnaire) and were nutritionally evaluated: height, weight, and triceps skinfold (TSF) measurements. Prevalence of asthma (wheeze in the last 12 months) and prevalence of severe asthma (two or more affirmative responses to: more than 4 acute attacks of asthma, speech disturbance, sleep disturbance, wheezing with exercise) were evaluated and compared according to their nutritional status: obese and non-obese. Obese adolescents were defined by body mass index (BMI, in kg/m(2)) > or =85th percentile and TSF > or =85th percentile. Obese and non-obese groups were compared for prevalence of asthma and asthma severity using the Chi-square test and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval. Analyzing all adolescents, we observed a significant positive relationship between the prevalence of obesity and affirmative responses to "wheeze ever" (OR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.08-1.52), "wheezing with exercise" (OR = 1.36; 95% CI 1.11-1.66), "asthma ever" (OR = 1.29; 95% CI 1.03-1.62), and severe asthma (OR = 1.55; 95% CI 1.12-2.14). Among the boys, there was a significant positive association between obesity and "wheeze ever" (OR = 1.49; 95% CI 1.13-1.86). In girls, there was a significant positive relationship with "asthma ever" (OR = 1.38; 95% CI 1.01-1.88) and "wheezing with exercise" (OR = 1.36; 95% CI 1.11-1.66). This cross-sectional study with adolescents living in the southern region of Brazil showed that there is a positive association between obesity and prevalence of asthma symptoms and asthma severity, a finding mainly confined to girls.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) are highly proliferative and can be induced to differentiate into advanced derivatives of all three germ layers. Thus, HUMSCs are considered to be a promising source for cell-targeted therapies and tissue engineering. However there are reports on spontaneous transformation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human bone marrows. The capacity for HUMSCs to undergo malignant transform spontaneously or via induction by chemical carcinogens is presently unknown. Therefore, we isolated HUMSCs from 10 donors and assessed their transformation potential either spontaneously or by treating them with 3-methycholanthrene (3-MCA), a DNA-damaging carcinogen. The malignant transformation of HUMSCs in vitro was evaluated by morphological changes, proliferation rates, ability to enter cell senescence, the telomerase activity, chromosomal abnormality, and the ability to form tumors in vivo. Our studies showed that HUMSCs from all 10 donors ultimately entered senescence and did not undergo spontaneous malignant transformation. However, HUMSCs from two of the 10 donors treated with 3-MCA displayed an increased proliferation rate, failed to enter senescence, and exhibited an altered cell morphology. When these cells (tHUMSCs) were injected into immunodeficient mice, they gave rise to sarcoma-like or poorly differentiated tumors. Moreover, in contrast to HUMSCs, tHUMSCs showed a positive expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and did not exhibit a shortening of the relative telomere length during the long-term culture in vitro. Our studies demonstrate that HUMSCs are not susceptible to spontaneous malignant transformation. However, the malignant transformation could be induced by chemical carcinogen 3-MCA.

ObjectiveTo evaluate two debriefing strategies for the development of neonatal resuscitation skills in health professionals responsible for the critical newborn care in a high-complexity university Hospital.ResultsA simple blind randomized clinical trial was conducted. Twenty-four professionals (pediatricians, nurses, and respiratory therapists) were randomly assigned for two interventions; one group received oral debriefing and the other oral debriefing assisted by video. Three standardized clinical scenarios that were recorded on video were executed. A checklist was applied for the evaluation, administered by a reviewer blinded to the assignment of the type of debriefing. The two debriefing strategies increased the technical and behavioral neonatal resuscitation skills of the participants, without one being superior to the other. The coefficient of the difference in the compliance percentage between the two types of debriefing was − 3.6% (95% CI − 13.77% to 6.47%). When comparing the development of technical and behavioral skills among the professionals evaluated, no significant differences were found between the types of debriefing. The two debriefing strategies increase compliance percentages, reaching or approaching 100%.Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03606278. July 30, 2018. Retrospectively registeredElectronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3831-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of human umbilical cord‑derived mesenchymal stem cell (HUMSCs) embedded in platelet poor plasma (PPP) gel combined with amnion (PPPA) in improving wound healing on Sprague‑Dawley (SD) rats. HUMSCs were cultured and labeled with chloromethylbenzamido‑1,1'‑dioctadecyl‑3,3,3'3'‑tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (CM‑DiI) on their third passage. The expression levels of growth factors of HUMSCs in PPPA were assessed by ELISA. Full‑thickness excisional skin wounds were induced in 36 male SD rats, which were treated with PPPA grafted with HUMSCs (PPPAC), PPPA, or HUMSC or PBS injection. The degree of healing and the distribution of labeled HUMSCs in the wound were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunofluorescence. On day 14 post‑surgery, wound healing in PPPAC‑treated rats was significantly higher than the PPPA group, compared with rats treated with HUMSCs alone and control rats (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). H&E staining showed that morphology and thickness of the epidermis in the PPPAC group was similar to that of healthy skin. ELISA revealed that levels of growth factors of HUMSCs in PPPAC were higher than in monolayer cells. In conclusion, PPPA can modify growth factor expression levels of HUMSCs and improve the efficiency of HUMSCs in the healing of full thickness wounds in rats.

BackgroundWe evaluated the therapeutic effect and fate of high doses of human umbilical cord Wharton jelly cells (hUCWJCs) after IP administration to streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice.MethodsType 1 diabetes (T1D) was induced in Kunming mice via IP injection of STZ. hUCWJCs were labeled with 1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI). Diabetic animals with sustained hyperglycemia for at least 2 weeks were administered 1 × 107 Dil-hUCWJCs via intraperitoneal injection. Insulin, glucagon and PDX-1 were detected by immunofluorescence with confocal microscopy. Serum mouse and human C-peptide was assayed in blood collected via intracardiac puncture. Specific β-cell differentiation markers and human DNA were assessed using qPCR performed with 200 ng of target DNA.ResultshUCWJCs migrated to the STZ-damaged organs and contributed to lower blood glucose levels in 30% of the treated mice. Confocal microscopy revealed the presence of resident insulin-positive cells in the liver and kidneys. hUCWJC-treated mice with restored hyperglycemia also showed increased serum mouse C-peptide levels. The qPCR results, particularly in the liver, revealed that after transplantation hUCWJCs upregulated genes of endocrine precursors but failed to express endocrine stage markers. Mice with restored hyperglycemia had reduced urinary volume and lacked glomerular hypertrophy, exhibiting a morphology resembling that of normal glomeruli. Moreover, we also verified that one of the possible mechanisms by which hUCWJCs exert immunosuppressive effects is through down-regulation of the cell surface receptor HLA-1.ConclusionsWe confirmed the potential of IP administration of hUCWJCs and the capability of these cells to migrate to damaged tissues and promote insulin secretion from non-pancreatic local cells and to improve renal damage. These findings confer unique therapeutic properties to hUCWJCs, suggesting a promising future in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12964-017-0199-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Low 25-(OH) D level was found in a high percentage of psychiatric inpatients in Kansas City. Screening for vitamin D deficiency could be a routine work-up for psychiatric inpatients. Vitamin D supplement for African American inpatients with low vitamin D levels could be considered.

Purpose Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies affecting women of reproductive age and leads to metabolic disorders and infertility. The present study was conducted to investigate the therapeutic effects of curcumin (Cur) encapsulated arginine (Arg) and N-acetyl histidine (NAcHis) modified chitosan (Arg-CS-NAcHis/Cur) nanoparticles (NPs). Methods In this study, amphiphilic chitosan (CS) conjugate was developed by modification with hydrophilic arginine (Arg) and hydrophobic N-acetyl histidine (NAcHis) group (Arg-CS-NAcHis). The synthesized conjugate was well characterized by FTIR and NMR studies. Self-assembled nanoparticles based on the synthesized conjugate were developed by simple sonication method and characterized for the physicochemical properties of zeta potential, particle size and drug encapsulation. Next, in vitro drug release, cytotoxicity, and cellular uptake studies of the NPs were evaluated. Finally, the developed nanoparticles were examined for their therapeutic potential against estradiol valerate (EV) induced PCOS rats by evaluating hormone level changes and ovarian morphology. Results The results showed that zeta potential of the nanoparticles was 39.8±2.52 mV and the average size was 200 nm. The in vitro drug release profile showed sustained release pattern. Cytotoxicity and cellular uptake studies also showed preferential effectiveness than free curcumin. Both the biochemical and histopathological studies showed positive effects in reverting the symptoms of PCOS rats to normalcy. Conclusion Curcumin encapsulated arginine and N-acetyl histidine modified chitosan (Arg-CS-NAcHis/Cur) nanoparticles have been successfully developed. The present study suggested that treatment of the nanoparticles might reverse many of the PCOS symptoms. Therefore, these nanoparticles might be used as promising new candidate for delivery of curcumin to treat PCOS.