Previously, we have demonstrated that the seed of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (açaí) from the Amazon region exerts vasodilator and antihypertensive actions. The aim of our study was to assess the effects of oral chronic treatment with açaí seed extract (ASE, 300 mg · kg(-1) · d(-1)) on high-fat (HF) diet–induced metabolic syndrome (MS) in C57BL/6J mice. Four groups of C57BL/6 mice were fed with control diet (10% fat), ASE (10% fat), HF (60% fat), and HF + ASE (60% fat plus ASE) for 12 weeks. The vasodilator effects of acetylcholine (ACh) and nitroglycerine (NG) were studied in perfused mesenteric arterial bed. Body weight, plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and insulin levels, oral glucose tolerance test, and oxidative damage were determined, and the insulin resistance measured by Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA) index. Vasodilator response to ACh but not to NG was reduced in HF mice, and ASE restored the response. Increased plasma malondialdehyde levels, body weight, plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, glucose levels, and insulin resistance were observed in HF mice and reduced by ASE. Treatment with ASE also reduced glucose intolerance observed by oral glucose tolerance test in HF mice. In conclusion, ASE protected C57BL/6J mice fed HF diet from phenotypic and metabolic characteristics of MS, providing an alternative nutritional resource for prevention of MS.

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OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of sildenafil on noradrenaline‐ and potassium‐induced contractions of isolated human seminal vesicles (SVs), as premature ejaculation is a relatively common male sexual dysfunction that currently lacks an adequate therapy, and recent in vitro tests showed that sildenafil induces relaxation of rodent isolated SVs, but it is not known whether it also inhibits isolated human SV. MATERIAL AND METHODS Isolated strips of human SVs were suspended in an organ bath and cumulative concentration‐response curves to either noradrenaline or KCl were constructed in the presence and absence of sildenafil to evaluate its inhibitory actions. RESULTS Sildenafil (25–100 µm) induced concentration‐dependent inhibitory effects on the human SV contracted by either noradrenaline or KCl. These actions of sildenafil do not therefore appear to be mediated via a competitive antagonism of α‐adrenoceptors and are consistent with its recognized ability to inhibit phosphodiesterase‐5. CONCLUSIONS The present results show an important inhibitory action of sildenafil in the isolated human SV, supporting the therapeutic indication of this drug for treating premature ejaculation.

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A pandemia da COVID 19 (coronavirus disease 2019) causada pelo coronavírus da síndrome respiratória aguda grave 2 (SARS-CoV-2) apresenta um desafio sem precedentes para identificação de drogas que possam prevenir e tratar a doença. Dado o rápido ritmo de descobertas científicas e dados clínicos gerados pelo grande número de pessoas rapidamente infectadas pelo novo vírus, os médicos precisam de evidências precisas sobre tratamentos médicos eficazes para essa infecção. A fisiopatologia é marcada por uma hiperinflamação responsiva à infecção viral, que é deflagrada pela “tempestade de citocinas”, associada a um estado de hipercoagulação. Heparina de baixo peso molecular e heparina não fracionada são drogas que podem apresentar efetividade no tratamento. A presente revisão tem por objetivo evidenciar os achados clínicos que demonstrem a eficácia da terapia com heparina no tratamento da COVID-19. Até o presente momento muitos fármacos são utilizados em terapia combinada e a rápida expansão de conhecimento sobre a virologia do SARS-CoV-2 gera um direcionamento mais apurado na terapêutica. A pandemia de COVID-19 representa uma enorme crise de saúde pública mundial, e a velocidade e volume de ensaios clínicos buscam investigar terapias potenciais contra a infecção elucidando a capacidade e a necessidade de produzir evidências de alta qualidade durante a pandemia.