Dengue virus (DENV) infection can lead to a wide range of clinical manifestations, including fatal hemorrhagic complications. There is a need to find effective pharmacotherapies to treat this disease due to the lack of specific immunotherapies and antiviral drugs. That said, the DENV NS2B/NS3pro protease complex is essential in both the viral multiplication cycle and in disease pathogenesis, and is considered a promising target for new antiviral therapies. Here, we performed a systematic review to evaluate the pharmacophoric characteristics of promising compounds against NS2B/NS3pro reported in the past 10 years. Online searches in the PUBMED/MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases resulted in 165 articles. Eight studies, which evaluated 3,384,268 molecules exhibiting protease inhibition activity, were included in this review. These studies evaluated anti-dengue activity in vitro and the IC and EC values were provided. Most compounds exhibited non-competitive inhibition. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in BHK-21, Vero, and LLC-MK2 cells, and the CC values obtained ranged from < 1.0 to 780.5 µM. Several groups were associated with biological activity against dengue, including nitro, catechol, halogen and ammonium quaternaries. Thus, these groups seem to be potential pharmacophores that can be further investigated to treat dengue infections.

No abstract

Abstractobjective To entomologically monitor Aedes spp. and correlate the presence of these vectors with the recent epidemic of dengue in Divinopolis, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.methods Ovitraps were installed at 44 points in the city, covering six urban areas, from May 2011 to May 2012. After collection, the eggs were incubated until hatching. In the 4th stage of development, the larvae were classified as Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus.results In total, 25 633 Aedes spp. eggs were collected. February was the month with the highest incidence, with 5635 eggs collected and a hatching rate of 46.7%. Ae. aegypti eggs had the highest hatching rate, at 72.3%, whereas Ae. albopictus eggs had 27.7%. Climate and population density influenced the number of eggs found. Indicators of vector presence were positively correlated with the occurrence of dengue cases.conclusion These data reinforce the need for entomological studies, highlight the relevance of Ae. albopictus as a possible disease vector and demonstrate its adaptation. Ae. albopictus, most commonly found in forested areas, comprised a substantial proportion of the urban mosquito population.

Background: visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a critical public health problem in over ninety countries. The control measures adopted in Brazil have been insufficient when it comes to preventing the spread of this overlooked disease. In this context, a precise diagnosis of VL in dogs and humans could help to reduce the number of cases of this disease. Distinct studies for the diagnosis of VL have used single recombinant proteins in serological assays; however, the results have been variable, mainly in relation to the sensitivity of the antigens. In this context, the development of multiepitope-based proteins could be relevant to solving such problem. Methods: a chimeric protein (rMELEISH) was constructed based on amino acid sequences from kinesin 39 (k39), alpha-tubulin, and heat-shock proteins HSP70 and HSP 83.1, and tested in enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) for the detection of L. infantum infection using canine (n = 140) and human (n = 145) sera samples. Results: in the trials, rMELEISH was able to discriminate between VL cases and cross-reactive diseases and healthy samples, with sensitivity and specificity values of 100%, as compared to the use of a soluble Leishmania antigenic extract (SLA). Conclusions: the preliminary data suggest that rMELEISH has the potential to be tested in future studies against a larger serological panel and in field conditions for the diagnosis of canine and human VL.

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral pathogen and made the disease a major health concern worldwide. However, specific antiviral drugs against this arbovirose or vaccines are not yet available for treatment or prevention. Thus, here we aimed to study the antiviral activity of hydroethanolic extract, fraction ethyl acetate and subfractions of the leaves of Bauhinia holophylla (Fabaceae:Cercideae), a native plant of the Brazilian Cerrado, against DENV-2 by methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method in mammalian cells culture. As results, the hydroethanolic extract showed the most potent effect, with an inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) of 3.2 μg mL -1 and selectivity index (SI) of 27.6, approximately 16-times higher anti-DENV-2 activity than of the ribavirin (IC 50 52.8 μg mL -1 ). Our results showed in this study appointed that B. holophylla has a promising antidengue activity, which was associated mainly with the presence of flavonoids.