We evaluated the effects of long-term administration of deflazacort (DFZ) on the progression of myocardial fibrosis in mdx mice. Mdx mice (6 months old) were treated with DFZ for 15 months. Myocardial fibrosis (MF) was evaluated by histomorphometric methods, and treated and untreated mdx mice of the same age (21 months) were compared. DFZ significantly decreased MF. We conclude that long-term therapy with DFZ is effective in slowing down the progression of fibrosis in the dystrophin-deficient heart.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:The assessment and early diagnosis of neuropathic pain associated to Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy has been a challenge in clinical practice, requiring the systematization of risk tracking through the identification of specific instruments to guide treatment. The objective of this study was to identify specific instruments for tracking neuropathic pain and Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy in order to build a protocol. CONTENTS: Integrative review using the indexed databases Scielo, Cochrane and Pubmed between 2007 and 2020, identifying the most used validated instruments in high predictive value for tracking Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy and neuropathic pain, building a specific protocol directing clinical treatment. 44 selected articles pointed out 14 different instruments for screening of Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy and neuropathic pain, most prevalent being: the Screening Instrument for Assessment of Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy (MNSI), Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) and Douleur Neuropathique (DN4) for clinical assessment of neuropathic pain and Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) for numerical pain assessment, highlighted by their predictive values above 80%. CONCLUSION: Such instruments enable the development of a neuropathic pain screening protocol that will assist in the early diagnosis of this complication in Diabetes, directing clinical and physiotherapeutic treatment.

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Objective: To evaluate neuropathic pain (NP), its intensity, and complications in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a city of eastern São Paulo. Method: Cross-sectional study conducted with 96 individuals with T2DM served by primary health units in São João da Boa Vista-SP. The following instruments were used to screen NP: Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument, Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs, Douleur Neuropathique 4, and Brief Pain Inventory. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with a 5 % significance level. Results: Of the 96 people with T2DM for longer than five years, 22.9 % had pain. NP was related to high levels of fasting blood glucose (mean = 214 ± 65.58 mg/dl; p = 0.0002), glycated hemoglobin (mean = 8.8 ± 0.11 %; p < 0.001), absence of a balanced diet (p = 0.0066), obesity (p = 0.023), and high blood pressure (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Higher values ​​of glycated hemoglobin rates increased three times the chance of NP. The screening and management of painful diabetic neuropathy is a challenge but adopting a screening protocol supports the secondary prevention of this manifestation.

Diabetic neuropathy is one of the main complications of Diabetes Mellitus, which can lead to loss of protective sensation, motor alteration, in plantar pressure, generating deformities, abnormal gait and mechanical trauma to the feet.OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the distribution of plantar pressure, sensorimotor changes, balance and associated factors to plantar pressure changes in people with peripheral diabetic neuropathy.METHOD: Cross-sectional study conducted with individuals registered in the municipal public health network of a city in the east of São Paulo - Brazil, with Diabetes Mellitus and Peripheral Neuropathy identified by the Michigan Screening Instrument, sensory-motor changes by the International Consensus, static and dynamic assessments of plantar pressure using Baropodometry with BaroScan and balance using the Berg scale.RESULTS: Of the 200 individuals evaluated, 52.55% had no plantar protective sensitivity, the static evaluation did not identify changes in the peak of plantar pressure, however in the dynamics the average in the right foot was 6.08 (± 2) kgf / cm2 and 6 , 7 (± 1.62) kgf / cm2 on the left foot, the center of static pressure on the right foot was lower (10.55 ± 3.82) than on the left foot (11.97 ± 3.90), pointing hyper plantar pressure. The risk of falling was high, ranging from 8 to 56 points, with an average of 40.96 (± 10.77).CONCLUSION: The absence of protective plantar sensitivity, increased pressure, biomechanical changes lead to loss of balance and are predictive of complications in the feet due to diabetic neuropathy.