No abstract

Brucellosis is one of the most important and widespread bacterial zoonotic diseases worldwide, and it is transmitted to humans from various sources, including direct contact with infected animals and the ingestion of contaminated products, including unpasteurized milk. There are only a few epidemiological studies on said disease in humans in Western Santa Catarina, a region instantiated by agriculture. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize the epidemiological aspects of human brucellosis reported in Western Santa Catarina from 2013 to 2018. The data were provided by the Epidemiological Surveillance Board (Diretoria de Vigilancia Epidemiologica). The frequency of the disease in humans and the epidemiological profile of confirmed human cases were evaluated. Cases that were screened positive and those that were confirmed and submitted to the therapeutic protocol were analyzed. During the study period, 3,671 people were tested, of which 12.34% were screened positive (453/ 3,671) and 3.40% were confirmed (125/3,671). The year with the highest number of people testing positive was 2015 (123 cases), and 2018 was the year with the highest number of confirmed cases (39 cases). Confirmed cases predominated in males (48.8%), self-declared white (22.4%), aged 20-59 years old (60%), with incomplete primary education (22.4%), of rural origin (59.2%), with occupational contact with cattle (64.8%), engaged in professions directly linked to agricultural and livestock activities (55.5%), and who reported consumption of unpasteurized dairy products (59.2%). No seasonal variation was observed in case numbers. The results demonstrated that brucellosis is an endemic disease in Western Santa Catarina.

The objective of this study was to analyze the cell multiplication during 15 days of culture, in the absence or presence of bacterial cellulose (BC), in hyperglycemic and hyperandrogenic mediums. OSTEO‐1 cells were cultured with 1.5 mg / L and 4.5 mg / L glucose (mimicking normal glycemia and hyperglycemia), in the absence and presence of two concentrations of testosterone (T) (10−9 M and 10−3 M, mimicking normal androgenemia and hyperandrogenemia), in the absence and presence of BC. Cells were cultured at an initial density (day 0) of 2000 cells per 200 μL of osteogenic medium (DMEM + FBS + ascorbic acid + dexamethasone + b‐glycerophosphate), in 48‐well culture plates, for 5, 10, and 15 days, in triplicates, with exchanges of the medium every 72 h. Cell counting was performed with a Bio‐Rad TC20™ cell counter. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and Fisher's test for multiple comparisons. Culture time effects: The highest cell counts were observed at 15 days, except for the BC group in the presence of T at 10−9 M in hyperglycemic medium, which presented a higher cell count at 10 days of culture. The lowest cell counts were observed at 5 days of culture. Hyperglycemic medium effects: At 5 days of culture, the only treatment that did not present a higher cell count was BC control. At 10 days, all the treatments without BC, as well as the control with BC, showed lower cell counts, while both treatments with BC and T presented higher cell counts. At 15 days, lower cell counts were observed for the control group without BC and for the BC + T at 10−9 M and BC + T at 10−3 M groups. The other treatments presented higher cell counts in the presence of the hyperglycemic medium. BC and T effects. At 5 days of culture, the highest cell counts were observed in the presence of BC and T, while the lowest counts were in the absence of BC. At 10 days, the highest cell counts were observed for the BC + T groups, while the lowest counts were observed for the groups with BC, in the absence of T. At 15 days of culture, the highest cell counts were observed for the group with BC, in the absence of T, and for the group with BC + T at 10−3 M, while the lowest cell counts were observed for the groups without both CB and T. The results indicated that the cells presented higher multiplication activity at 15 days of culture in the presence of BC. In addition, the cell multiplication activity was stimulated by the hyperglycemic medium and by the T in a time‐dependent and dose‐dependent manner. Hence, BC can be used in OSTEO‐1 cultures for studies of hormonal and metabolic effects related to cell multiplication.Support or Funding InformationFAPESP (Grant 2018/14840‐4)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a promising biomaterial notable for its features such as strength, hydrophilicity, and biocompatibility, which enable it to be used as implants and scaffolds in tissue engineering. However, its topography does not present the ideal characteristics for cell attachment and development, so surface modifications are required in order to improve the cellular response. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of oxygen plasma treatment applied to bacterial cellulose (BC) for 2.5 and 5 minutes, together with its effects on cell behavior during 21 days of culture. Osteo‐1 cells were cultured in the absence and presence of BC, at an initial density (day 0) of 1000 cells per 200 μL of osteogenic medium (DMEM + FBS + ascorbic acid + dexamethasone + β‐glycerophosphate), in 48‐well culture plates, for 7, 14, and 21 days, with exchange of the medium every 72 h. Cell counting was performed with a Bio‐Rad TC20™ cell counter, viability was analyzed using the MTT test, and mineralization was quantified by the Alizarin Red test. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) in the culture medium was measured using a commercial LabTest kit. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using ANOVA and Fisher’s test for multiple comparisons. Alkaline phosphatase results: Higher AP was observed for the group with application of the plasma to the BC for 5 minutes, while no statistically significant differences were found among the groups without treatment, treatment for 2.5 minutes, or in the absence of BC, as well as between the days of culture. Culture time effects: Higher cell counts were obtained for the control group without BC and the group with untreated BC. The highest cell counts were observed at 14 and 21 days of culture, with no statistically significant differences among the means. Mineralization and cell viability: The highest responses for mineralization and viability were observed at 7 days of culture, followed by decreases at 14 and 21 days. The results were indicative of changes on the bacterial cellulose surface caused by the oxygen plasma treatment, which influenced the cell features. The findings indicated that plasma treatment for up to 5 minutes changed the topography of the surface, leading to better conditions for cell differentiation and development from Osteo‐1 to osteoblast, as indicated by the higher AP concentration for this group. The treatment for 5 minutes led to enhanced cellular responses on the bacterial cellulose, contributing to better cell development. Support or Funding Information FundingFAPESP (grant #2018/14840‐4).

Evaluation was made of glycemia and gonadosomatic index (GSI) variations in rats with induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), following application of photobiomodulation (PBM) and injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Eighty adult Wistar rats (n = 10 per group) were divided into control (C), PCOS, PBM, MSC, PCOS/PBM, PCOS/MSC, PBM/MSC, and PCOS/PBM/MSC groups. PCOS was induced by single injection of estradiol valerate (EV) (2 mg/kg/bw/i.m.). The animals were evaluated 30 and 60 days after induction. MSCs were injected directly into the ovaries (5×105cells/0.2 mL physiological solution in each ovary), on the same day as PCOS induction. The animals were irradiated with a laser (wavelength 808 nm, power 60 mW), using a dose of 3 Joules(J)/point on each ovary, 3 times weekly, totaling 6 J of energy for each irradiated animal per day of application. After sacrifice, plasma glucose was determined and the ovaries were removed and weighed for GSI determination (ovary weight/body weight × 100). Statistical analysis of the data was performed using ANOVA and Fisher's test. The results were reported as means ± SEM. This study was approved by the local Animal Care and Use Committee (CEUA–UNIARA, protocol nº 019/16). Glycemia: There were reductions in glycemia for all exposed groups, compared to the 30‐day C group (260.2 ±37 mg/dL), with the lowest values for the PCOS/PBM/MSC group (103.6 ±12.58 mg/dL). Compared to the 30‐day PCOS group (186.2 ±79.7 mg/dL), glycemia was lower for groups PBM/MSC (115.6 ±15.32 mg/dL) and PCOS/PBM/MSC (103. 6 ±12.58 mg/dL). After 60 days of treatment, the PCOS/MSC group presented lower glycemia (101.8 ±20.03 mg/dL), compared to the C group (160.6 ±42.3 mg/dL). 30‐days GSI: The PCOS/PBM(0.019 ±0.006%), PCOS/MSC (0.018 ±0.0061%), PBM/MSC (0.029 ±0.02%), and PCOS/PBM/MSC (0.027 ±0.008%) groups showed increased GSI, compared to the C group (0.012 ±0.0013%). 60‐daysGSI: There were increases of GSI for the PCOS/MSC (0.013 ±0.0048%), PBM/MSC (0.02 ±0.0035%), and PCOS/PBM/MSC (0.017 ±0.0036%) groups, compared to the C group (0.008 ±0.0039%). The results indicated that the PBM/MSC combination reduced glycemia 30 days after PCOS induction by EV. In addition, the combined use of PBMand MSC resulted in higher GSI, 30 days after PCOS induction, compared to the PCOS group, which was indicative of ovarian modulations induced by this treatment. Morphological, immunohistochemical, and hormonal studies are underway in our laboratory to complement the present study.Support or Funding InformationFunding: FAPESP (Grant 2016/02811‐4)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.