1 The e ects of the long lasting and potent PAF receptor antagonist UK74505 were assessed on the local and remote injuries following ischaemia and reperfusion (I/R) of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in rats.2 In a severe model of ischaemia (120 min) and reperfusion (120) injury, in addition to the local and remote increases in vascular permeability and neutrophil accumulation, there was signi®cant tissue haemorrhage, blood neutropenia, systemic hypotension and elevated local and systemic TNFa levels. 3 Post-ischaemic treatment with the selectin blocker fucoidin (10 mg kg 71 ) prevented neutrophil accumulation in tissue and, in consequence, all the local and systemic injuries following severe I/R. 4 Treatment with an optimal dose of UK74505 (1 mg kg 71 ) also reversed local and remote neutrophil accumulation, increases in vascular permeability and intestinal haemorrhage. UK74505 partially inhibited blood neutropenia and reperfusion-induced hypotension. 5 Interestingly, both fucoidin and UK74505 prevented the local, but not systemic, increases of TNF-a levels following severe I/R injury, demonstrating an important role of migrating cells for the local production of TNF-a. However, the results do not support a role for PAF as an intermediate molecule in the production of systemic TNF-a. 6 The bene®cial e ects of UK74505 and other PAF receptor antagonists in models of I/R injury in animals and the safety of UK74505 use in man warrant further investigations of the use of this drug as preventive measure for I/R injury in humans.

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OBJECTIVE To characterize the polypharmacy in primary health care patients and to identify its associated factors.METHODS This is a cross-sectional, exploratory, and evaluative study, part of the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos – Serviços, 2015 (PNAUM – National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines – Services, 2015). The variable of interest was polypharmacy, defined as the use of five or more medicines. We sought to identify the association of sociodemographic variables and indicators of health conditions to polypharmacy. For group comparison, the Pearson’s Chi-square test was used. The association between polypharmacy and explanatory variables was evaluated by logistic regression model (p < 0.05). The quality of the adjustment was verified by Hosmer-Lemeshow test.RESULTS The prevalence of polypharmacy among medicine users was 9.4% (95%CI 7.8–12.0) in the general population and 18.1% (95%CI 13.6–22.8) in older adults above 65 years old. We found statistically significant association between polypharmacy and age above 45 years, lower self-perception of health, presence of chronic diseases, having health insurance, care in emergency services, and region of the Country. South users presented the highest chances to polypharmacy. The most used medicines were those of the cardiovascular system, being compatible with the national epidemiological profile.CONCLUSIONS Polypharmacy is a reality in the population met within the primary care of Brazilian Unified Health System and may be related to excessive or inappropriate use of medicines. The main challenge to qualify health care is to ensure that prescription of multiple medicines be appropriate and safe.

This study aimed to identify the characteristics associated to quality of life (QOL)

Although there was variability regarding the association between complexity and adherence, most studies showed that an increased regimen complexity reduces medication adherence.

Infection by nematode parasites with a pulmonary migration in their life cycle and allergic asthma are two highly prevalent diseases in humans; therefore, one may expect both may occur concomitantly. There is a predominant and essential role of Th2 lymphocytes in the mechanisms underlying the control of parasite elimination as well as in the pathology observed in the asthmatic lung. The consequences of such situations have been explored, with controversial results, justifying the development of experimental models in which the relationship between allergic airway inflammation and helminth infection might be evaluated. The present work describes the inflammatory, humoral, and functional changes that occur in the lung of rats after single (subcutaneous inoculation of 1,500 L3 larvae) or multiple (five weekly subcutaneous inoculations of 1,500 L3 larvae) Strongyloides venezuelensis infections. The results show that the migration of S. venezuelensis larvae through the lungs of infected rats induces a local eosinophilic inflammation process which is mostly focal and parenchymal for rats infected a single time and which is peribronchial after multiple infections. The inflammatory process is accompanied by mucus hypersecretion, thickening of bronchial epithelial and muscle layers, and local increase in immunoglobulin E concentrations that peak after 5 to 7 days and are resolved after 12 days of single or multiple infections. The peak of lung immunopathologic changes observed in infected rats coincides with lung airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), a key functional alteration in asthma. We propose that this experimental model is ideal to carry out further studies on immunoprotection against nematode infection versus immunopathology of allergic airway inflammation.

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