Correlation between endocrine function, inflammation, body composition, cardiorespiratory and muscular function in coronary patients

Background

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are among the most prevalent illnesses worldwide, causing substantial mortality, morbidity and hospitalization. Understanding the correlation of thyroid function and glycemic metabolism and inflammation to body composition and cardiorespiratory and muscular function is imperative. This manuscript's main goal is to evaluate the association of thyroid function and glycemic metabolism to body mass composition and cardiovascular fitness (CRF) and muscular function in a group of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.

Methods

To examine cross-sectional associations of thyroid function, glycemia, hemoglobin A1c (HgA1c) and C-reactive protein (CRP) with CRF, muscular function and body mass composition. Forty-five stable CAD patients were enrolled (aged 54.9 ± 10.0 years). Participants were assessed for body composition (DXA®), muscle strength (Biodex®), cardiorespiratory fitness (6-minute walking test) and blood biomarkers, including [CRP, Tyrode Hormones higher free thyroxine (FT4), lower total triiodothyronine (FT3) and metabolic parameters]. The Pearson correlation and t-test statistical measures were used for associations between thyroid function, glycemia, insulin, HgA1c and CRF/muscle strength, body composition.

Results

We found significant inter-correlations between body fat and FT4 (P < 0.01), HgA1c (P = 0.01), insulin (P = 0.01) and blood glucose (P = 0.05); lean mass and FT3 (P = 0.001); and a negative inter-correlation between C-reactive protein and knee extensor and flexor isokinetic peak torques (P < 0.01), and cardiorespiratory fitness (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Our findings showed that THs function and body mass fat, HgA1c, blood glucose, insulin and CRP were associated with the CRF, muscle strength or body composition. These results highlight the importance of endocrine and metabolic mechanisms concerning CRF and muscle strength in a group of patients with CAD.

Porous aligned ZnSr-doped β-TCP/silk fibroin scaffolds using ice-templating method for bone tissue engineering applications

The bone is a complex and dynamic structure subjected to constant stress and remodeling. Due to the worldwide incidence of bone disorders, tissue scaffolds and engineered bone tissues have emerged as solutions for bone grafting, which require sophisticated scaffolding architectures while keeping high mechanical performance. However, the conjugation of a bone-like scaffold architecture with efficient mechanical properties is still a critical challenge for biomedical applications. In this sense, the present study focused on the modulating the architecture of silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds crosslinked with horseradish peroxidase and mixed with zinc (Zn) and strontium (Sr)-doped β-tricalcium phosphate (ZnSr.TCP) to mimic bone structures. The ZnSr.TCP-SF hydrogels were tuned by programmable ice-templating parameters, and further freeze-dried, in order to obtain 3D scaffolds with controlled pore orientation. The results showed interconnected channels in the ZnSr.TCP-SF scaffolds that mimic the porous network of the native subchondral bone matrix. The architecture of the scaffolds was characterized by microCT, showing tunable pore size according to freezing temperatures (-196 °C: ∼80.2 ± 20.5 µm; -80 °C: ∼73.1 ± 20.5 µm; -20 °C: ∼104.7 ± 33.7 µm). The swelling ratio, weight loss, and rheological properties were also assessed, revealing efficient scaffold integrity and morphology after aqueous immersion. Thus, the ZnSr.TCP-SF scaffolds made of aligned porous structure were developed as affordable candidates for future applications in clinical osteoregeneration and in vitro bone tissue modelling.

A Dietary Cholesterol-Based Intestinal Inflammation Assay for Improving Drug-Discovery on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) with chronic infiltration of immune cells in the gastrointestinal tract are common and largely incurable. The therapeutic targeting of IBD has been hampered by the complex causality of the disease, with environmental insults like cholesterol-enriched Western diets playing a critical role. To address this drug development challenge, we report an easy-to-handle dietary cholesterol-based in vivo assay that allows the screening of immune-modulatory therapeutics in transgenic zebrafish models. An improvement in the feeding strategy with high cholesterol diet (HCD) selectively induces a robust and consistent infiltration of myeloid cells in larvae intestines that is highly suitable for compound discovery efforts. Using transgenics with fluorescent reporter expression in neutrophils, we take advantage of the unique zebrafish larvae clarity to monitor an acute inflammatory response in a whole organism context with a fully functional innate immune system. The use of semi-automated image acquisition and processing combined with quantitative image analysis allows categorizing anti- or pro-inflammatory compounds based on a leukocytic inflammation index. Our HCD gut inflammation (HCD-GI) assay is simple, cost- and time-effective as well as highly physiological which makes it unique when compared to chemical-based zebrafish models of IBD. Besides, diet is a highly controlled, selective and targeted trigger of intestinal inflammation that avoids extra-intestinal outcomes and reduces the chances of chemical-induced toxicity during screenings. We show the validity of this assay for a screening platform by testing two dietary phenolic acids, namely gallic acid (GA; 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) and ferulic acid (FA; 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid), with well described anti-inflammatory actions in animal models of IBD. Analysis of common IBD therapeutics (Prednisolone and Mesalamine) proved the fidelity of our IBD-like intestinal inflammation model. In conclusion, the HCD-GI assay can facilitate and accelerate drug discovery efforts on IBD, by identification of novel lead molecules with immune modulatory action on intestinal neutrophilic inflammation. This will serve as a jumping-off point for more profound analyses of drug mechanisms and pathways involved in early IBD immune responses.

Polysaccharide-Based Multilayer Nano-Emulsions Loaded with Oregano Oil: Production, Characterization, and In Vitro Digestion Assessment

The food industry has increased its interest in using "consumer-friendly" and natural ingredients to produce food products. In the case of emulsifiers, one of the possibilities is to use biopolymers with emulsification capacity, such as octenyl succinic anhydride modified starch, which can be used in combination with other polysaccharides, such as chitosan and carboxymethylcellulose, in order to improve the capacity to protect bioactive compounds. In this work, multilayer nano-emulsion systems loaded with oregano essential oil were produced by high energy methods and characterized. The process optimization was carried out based on the evaluation of particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential. Optimal conditions were achieved for one-layer nano-emulsions resulting in particle size and zeta potential of 180 nm and -42 mV, two layers (after chitosan addition) at 226 nm and 35 mV, and three layers (after carboxymethylcellulose addition) of 265 nm and -1 mV, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of oregano essential oil within nano-emulsions was 97.1%. Stability was evaluated up to 21 days at 4 and 20 °C. The three layers nano-emulsion demonstrated to be an efficient delivery system of oregano essential oil, making 40% of the initial oregano essential oil available versus 13% obtained for oregano essential oil in oil, after exposure to simulated digestive conditions.

A Review on the Role of Food-Derived Bioactive Molecules and the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Satiety Regulation

Obesity is a chronic disease resulting from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. The growing relevance of this metabolic disease lies in its association with other comorbidities. Obesity is a multifaceted disease where intestinal hormones such as cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and peptide YY (PYY), produced by enteroendocrine cells (EECs), have a pivotal role as signaling systems. Receptors for these hormones have been identified in the gut and different brain regions, highlighting the interconnection between gut and brain in satiation mechanisms. The intestinal microbiota (IM), directly interacting with EECs, can be modulated by the diet by providing specific nutrients that induce environmental changes in the gut ecosystem. Therefore, macronutrients may trigger the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) through mechanisms including specific nutrient-sensing receptors in EECs, inducing the secretion of specific hormones that lead to decreased appetite or increased energy expenditure. Designing drugs/functional foods based in bioactive compounds exploiting these nutrient-sensing mechanisms may offer an alternative treatment for obesity and/or associated metabolic diseases. Organ-on-a-chip technology represents a suitable approach to model multi-organ communication that can provide a robust platform for studying the potential of these compounds as modulators of the MGBA.

Late Diagnosis of Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) 12 With Catastrophic Consequences

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by autosomal dominant monogenic non-ketogenic diabetes mellitus, usually with early-onset, with a prevalence of 1-5% of all diabetes cases.

A 72-year-old female was admitted with intestinal occlusion, anorexia, vomiting, and weight loss for four months. Medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic pancreatitis with abnormal pancreatic development, and acute obstructive jaundice due to a mass in the head of the pancreas with duodenum extension four months before. Assuming surgically unresectable pancreatic neoplasm, digestive bypass surgery was performed. The pathologic examination of surgical specimens was negative for neoplasm.

Abdominal imaging showed the pancreatic mass, proximal bowel distension and ascites, which was negative for neoplastic cells. A percutaneous biopsy of the mass revealed adenocarcinoma. Palliative chemotherapy was started. Next-generation sequencing revealed the variant c.-8G>T in the 5’ untranslated region (UTR) region of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding cassette subfamily C member 8 (ABCC8) gene in heterozygosity, associated with the MODY 12 subtype.

We report a possible case of MODY 12 diabetes with a phenotype not previously described: a non-neoplastic pancreatic mass that appears in a previously abnormally developed pancreas, with evolution to neoplasm along with the late development of diabetes mellitus. Although this ABCC8 gene mutation could be incidental, there could be a relationship between this mutation, pancreatic malformation, chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic neoplasm. Investigation of new phenotypes is critical, including the potential role of the ABCC8 gene in oncogenesis.

Congenital Lobar Emphysema in Early Adulthood

Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) is a rare developmental abnormality of the lower respiratory tract. This disease is caused by cartilage or connective tissue defects, leading to overdistention of a pulmonary lobe. CLE is mainly diagnosed in early childhood, though it might be rarely found in young adults. Due to its rarity, it can be misdiagnosed with other conditions. Here we report a case of a previously healthy young female complaining of dyspnea and thoracic pain after a commercial flight. Physical and radiological examinations were consistent with the diagnosis of CLE.

Risk Assessment for Tomato Fruitworm in Processing Tomato Crop-Egg Location and Sequential Sampling

Simple Summary

The tomato fruitworm, Helicoverpa armigera, is a key pest of several crops. It can cause particularly extensive damage in crops of processing tomatoes. Risk assessment can be a tedious and costly task if sampling protocols require a large number of plants. Sequential sampling allows sampling of a reduced number of plants when population densities are much lower or much higher than the economic or control threshold. Additionally, for crop protection purposes, sampling for classification (to assess if population density is lower or higher than the economic threshold) is adequate and requires much less effort. We studied the preferred location of eggs found on plants and then described the spatial pattern of oviposition in processing tomatoes using Taylor’s power law. Eggs were found more frequently in the exposed canopy in the upper and middle-upper strata, directly below open flower clusters, with an aggregated spatial pattern. A sequential plan was developed for 20 and 80 plants, as minimum and maximum sample sizes, respectively. This reduces sampling efforts and costs when compared to the fixed number sampling plan, and provides acceptable precision in decision-making for this pest in a processing tomato crop.

Abstract

Helicoverpa armigera is one of the key pests affecting processing tomatoes and many other crops. A three-year study was conducted to describe the oviposition preferences of this species on determinate tomato plants (mainly the stratum, leaf, leaflet, and leaf side) and the spatial pattern of the eggs in the field, to form a sequential sampling plan. Eggs were found mainly in the exposed canopy, on leaves a (upper stratum) and b (upper-middle stratum) and significantly fewer eggs on leaf c (middle-lower stratum) below flower clusters. This vertical pattern in the plant was found in all phenological growth stages. The spatial pattern was found to be aggregated, with a trend towards a random pattern at lower densities. A sequential sampling plan was developed, based on Iwao’s method with the parameters of Taylor’s power law, with minimum and maximum sample size of 20 and 80 sample units (plants), respectively (two leaves/plant). For its validation, operating characteristic (OC) and average sample number (ASN) curves were calculated by means of simulation with independent data sets. The β-error was higher than desirable in the vicinity of the economic threshold, but this sampling plan is regarded as an improvement both in effort and precision, compared with the fixed sample plan, and further improvements are discussed.

Flavonoid Glycosides with a Triazole Moiety for Marine Antifouling Applications: Synthesis and Biological Activity Evaluation

Over the last decades, antifouling coatings containing biocidal compounds as active ingredients were used to prevent biofouling, and eco-friendly alternatives are needed. Previous research from our group showed that polymethoxylated chalcones and glycosylated flavones obtained by synthesis displayed antifouling activity with low toxicity. In this work, ten new polymethoxylated flavones and chalcones were synthesized for the first time, including eight with a triazole moiety. Eight known flavones and chalcones were also synthesized and tested in order to construct a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model for these compounds. Three different antifouling profiles were found: three compounds (1b, 11a and 11b) exhibited anti-settlement activity against a macrofouling species (Mytilus galloprovincialis), two compounds (6a and 6b) exhibited inhibitory activity against the biofilm-forming marine bacteria Roseobacter litoralis and one compound (7b) exhibited activity against both mussel larvae and microalgae Navicula sp. Hydrogen bonding acceptor ability of the molecule was the most significant descriptor contributing positively to the mussel larvae anti-settlement activity and, in fact, the triazolyl glycosylated chalcone 7b was the most potent compound against this species. The most promising compounds were not toxic to Artemia salina, highlighting the importance of pursuing the development of new synthetic antifouling agents as an ecofriendly and sustainable alternative for the marine industry.

Combating Burnout by Increasing Job Relational Characteristics

The current study developed and tested the indirect effect of the relational job characteristics (i.e., perceived prosocial impact and perceived social value) on the burnout syndrome through the autonomous motivation. The cross-sectional survey data analysis of 1,538 Portuguese contact center workers was analyzed using the software package Mplus to conduct structural equation models. Autonomous motivation partially explains the negative relation between the relational job characteristics and burnout. However, the direct relationship between perceived prosocial impact and burnout was not significant. To promote awareness about the perceived value and impact of work and to invest in the interactions between workers and customers are the major practical implications of this study.

Bio-Based Nanoparticles as a Carrier of β-Carotene: Production, Characterisation and In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion

β-carotene loaded bio-based nanoparticles (NPs) were produced by the solvent-displacement method using two polymers: zein and ethylcellulose. The production of NPs was optimised through an experimental design and characterised in terms of average size and polydispersity index. The processing conditions that allowed to obtain NPs (<100 nm) were used for β-carotene encapsulation. Then β-carotene loaded NPs were characterised in terms of zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency. Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were performed for further morphological and chemical characterisation. In the end, a static in vitro digestion following the INFOGEST protocol was performed and the bioaccessibility of β-carotene encapsulated in both NPs was determined. Results show that the best conditions for a size-controlled production with a narrow size distribution are lower polymer concentrations and higher antisolvent concentrations. The encapsulation of β-carotene in ethylcellulose NPs resulted in nanoparticles with a mean average size of 60 ± 9 nm and encapsulation efficiency of 74 ± 2%. β-carotene loaded zein-based NPs resulted in a mean size of 83 ± 8 nm and encapsulation efficiency of 93 ± 4%. Results obtained from the in vitro digestion showed that β-carotene bioaccessibility when encapsulated in zein NPs is 37 ± 1%, which is higher than the value of 8.3 ± 0.1% obtained for the ethylcellulose NPs.

Polymeric nanoparticles as oral delivery systems for a grape pomace extract towards the improvement of biological activities

Grape pomace (GP) is a major by-product from the wine industry, known for its bioactive compounds and their impact upon gastrointestinal (GI) health. However, bioaccessibility is often poor due to their degradation during digestion. This work aimed to encapsulate bioactive GP extract (GPE) into chitosan (CS) and alginate (Alg) nanoparticles (NPs) to mitigate degradation in the GI tract. Alg and CS NPs were optimized using a rotatable central composite design and NPs were characterized for their size, polydispersity, zeta potential and total phenolics (TP) association efficiency. The best formulations showed sizes ranging 523-853 nm, polydispersity indexes of 0.11-0.36, zeta potential of -15.0-14.9 mV and TP association efficiencies of 68 and 65%. FTIR confirmed that there was no formation of new chemical groups after association of the polymers with GPE. Both formulations improved the bioaccessibility of different phenolics following in vitro GI digestion, leading to increased antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Moreover, the permeability of bioactive compounds through a Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-culture was reduced, suggesting a higher residence time in the intestine. Cy5.5 was used for tracking the CS NPs, which did not affect the metabolic activity of Caco-2 and HT29-MTX cells. Confocal microscopy images confirmed the adsorption of NPs to the cellular layer and suggested a reduction of the tight junction protein occludin when cells were incubated with Cy5.5-CS in solution. This study suggests that encapsulation of GPE can offer protection against along the GI tract and improve its biological activity with significant impact for oral delivery applications, including functional foods.

Green synthesis of lignin nano- and micro-particles: Physicochemical characterization, bioactive properties and cytotoxicity assessment

Lignin particles (LPs) have gained prominence due to their biodegradability and bioactive properties. LP production at nano and micro scale produced from organosolv lignin and the understanding of size's effect on their properties is unexplored. This work aimed to produce and characterize lignin nanoparticles and microparticles using a green synthesis process, based on ethanol-solubilized lignin and water. Spherical shape LPs, with a mean size of 75 nm and 215 nm and with a low polydispersity were produced, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. LPs thermal stability improved over raw lignin, and the chemical structure of lignin was not affected by the production method. The antimicrobial tests proved that LPs presented a bacteriostatic effect on Escherichiacoli and Salmonella enterica. Regarding the antioxidant potential, LPs had a good antioxidant activity that increased with the reaction time and LPs concentration. LPs also presented an antioxidant effect against intracellular ROS, reducing the intracellular ROS levels significantly. Furthermore, the LPs showed a low cytotoxic effect in Caco-2 cell line. These results showed that LPs at different scales (nano and micro) present biological properties and are safe to be used in different high value industrial sectors, such as biomedical, pharmaceutical and food.

Knowledge and behaviors regarding salt intake according to urinary Na excretion and blood pressure

Background

Understanding salt-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors can help the design of effective health interventions. Therefore, our objective was to describe knowledge and behaviors related to salt intake according to urinary sodium excretion and blood pressure in University workers.

Methods

We performed our study in a subsample of the participants of the iMC Salt project (n = 60 subjects, 60.5% women, mean age 48±9.5 years). Sodium excretion were measured by one 24-h urinary collection, validated by creatinine excretion and participants were grouped according to the WHO sodium recommendations (&lt;2.0 g/day; high, ≥2.0 g/day). Subjects were classified as hypertensive if the systolic blood pressure was ≥130 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure was ≥80mmHg. Knowledge and behaviors regarding salt intake were assessed by the WHO Stepwise Approach to Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance.

Results

About 74.6% of the participants reported that reducing salt in their diet was very important and 93.2% think that salt is harmful to health. However, 76.3% always add salt during cooking, 42.4% said that they always or often consume processed foods high in salt, 79.7% reported that they don't look at the salt on food labels, 50.8% don't buy low salt alternatives and 30.5% don't use spices as one substitute for salt when cooking. Hypertensive subjects had a higher mean sodium excretion (3710±1508mg/day vs 2478±871mg/day, p = 0.002) and reported a significant higher frequency of consumption of processed foods high in salt (53.1% vs 29.6%, p = 0.024). No significant differences were found with the other variables.

Conclusions

Most university workers were aware that high salt intake can cause health problems, but they reported low adherence to behaviors to control their salt intake. Hypertensive subjects recognized that frequently consume processed foods high in salt, so reduce salt content on those products could have important impact on their daily salt consumption.

Key messages

This study provides evidence on knowledge and behaviors regarding salt intake to guide salt reduction policies. Hypertensive participants reported a higher frequency of eating processed foods rich in salt.

Universal neonatal hearing screening in a public hospital in Brazil: parents participation

Background

The National Policy for Hearing Health Care in Brazil proposes that all newborns in the country undergo hearing screening in the first month of life.The Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Program being extremely important for the early intervention of deafness. However, many parents/guardians do not return to the auditory retest, interrupting the neonatal protocol and making early auditory diagnosis impossible. Objective:To analyze the reasons for the non-attendance to retest of the Hearing Screening of a hospital in Curitiba.

Methods

This study was carried out in a Public Hospital, with live births from August 2017-May 2018. All the born were considered for the variables gender, risk for hearing loss, age at birth, results of Hearing Screening. Failed babies were analyzed, including the active search of those who did not attend the retest, through contact with parents/guardians to collect the reasons for faults.

Results

2,531 infants were born, male had a prevalence of 1,275 (50.38%), term born 1,734(68.51%) and ICU stay as the most common risk indicator - 118(79.73%). 2,261(89.33%) infant passed on both ear; among those who failed only 94(40.0%) attended the retest. An active search was performed by phone, and 78(55.31%) could not establish contact, totaling 47(54.02%) mothers contacting. These motherś age was 19 to 24 years, 56.92% of whom had high school. The majority of those in charge are aware of the result of the test of the ear of their son (82.97%), was directed to test again (87.23%), were not able to answer the reason for not attending (27.65%) or had forgotten about this commitment (19.14%).

Conclusions

The data analyzed showed the lack of information that parents / guardians of the newborns give to the Hearing Screening, which compromises the integrality of health actions in newborns, making it necessary to seek other ways to ensure family adherence to the Program.

Key messages

Babies at risk of deafness need constant monitoring. Without parental participation, there is no success in health programs.

Hydration status and hypertension in University workers

Background

Vascular function and blood pressure regulation may be impaired by acute hypohydration but data on the association between hypertension and hydration status is scarce. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the hydration status in a sample of university workers and to assess the association between hypertension and hydration status.

Methods

A cross-sectional evaluation of a sample of 60 university workers (32 women) was conducted in 2019/2020 in Portugal. A 24-hour urine sample was collected; urinary volume, creatinine and osmolality were quantified. Free water reserve (FWR) was used to assess hydration status and subjects were classified as hypohydrated (FWR&lt;0) or euhydrated (FWR &gt; =0). Arterial blood pressure was evaluated [average of 2 blood pressure (BP) measurements] by researchers using standard methodology and participants with systolic and diastolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg and/or ≥80 mm Hg, respectively, were classified as hypertensive. A binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between hypohydration and hypertension, adjusting for sex, age and use of anti-hypertensive drugs. Odds Ratios (OR) and respective 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) were calculated.

Results

Hypertension was observed in 40.6% of women and 67.9% of men whereas hypohydration affected 31.3% of women and 32.1% of men. After adjusting for confounders, hypertension was associated with a 7-fold increased risk of hypohydration (OR = 7.56; 95% CI: 1.81-31.59).

Conclusions

These results stress the positive association between hypohydration and hypertension and highlight the need for implementing strategies for the promotion of water intake, particularly in the hypertensive patients.

This project was granted by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - Grant POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029269.

Key messages

Hypohydration affect nearly one third of this sample of university workers. Hypertension was associated with a 7-fold increased risk of hypohydration.

Innovative equipments to monitor and control salt usage during culinary

Issue

In Portugal, most of the salt consumed comes from the salt added during preparation/cooking. Therefore, it is urgent to introduce mechanisms to allow the quantification of the salt in foods, and the salt added during culinary.

Description of the Problem

To tackle salt reduction, we considered: having a portable and user-friendly instrument that measure salt content of foods; and controlling the amount of salt added to foods during culinary, assessing its impact on health. The first project was SALT QUANTI (co-funded by NORTE 2020), promoted by a consortium between EVOLEO Technologies and the University of Porto (finished in September 2018, duration 18 months); its major deliverable was to obtain a prototype of a portable device and the analytical procedure that enabled the analysis of salt content in foods/meals produced in catering kitchens, in less than 5 minutes. The second project was iMC SALT (supported by FCT, Grant POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029269), started in July 2018 (duration 36 months), aiming to develop prototypes for controlling the amount of salt added to foods during culinary, at home and catering, according international recommendations; one clinical intervention to assess the impact on health of the prototype at home is underway.

Results

The SALT QUANTI and iMC SALT prototypes showed good results in validation tests. The preliminary results of the health impact of the iMC SALT prototype will be presented at the conference.

Lessons

The implementation of innovative equipments to help consumers and catering industry to monitor or control the addition of salt during preparation of food or cooking are expected to be available soon and to be useful to consumers and catering industry to reduce salt intake.

Key messages

Innovative equipments may contribute to estimate salt in foods, and to reduce salt added during culinary. The implementation of an equipment to control culinary salt could be one valid approach to reduce salt consumption with impact on health.

Reporting of noise-induced hearing loss: perceptions of primary health care professionals

Background

Worldwide, workers' health is still a Public Health concern, given the high number of hazardous occupational activities, as well as workers affected by work-related diseases. Among these diseases, occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss-NIHL is considered the second commonest occupational disease, and in Brazil, its reporting is compulsory. However, occupational diseases are usually underreported, hindering the knowledge of their actual magnitude, and the elaboration of prevention-oriented public policies.

Objective

To analyze the perception and knowledge of Primary Health Care professionals in Curitiba-Parana State, Brazil, on the compulsory NIHL reporting.

Methods

quantitative and qualitative approach conducted in three steps: analysis of a series of NIHL case histories reported in the official database between 2007 and 2018; application of a questionnaire to Primary Health Care Network professionals; collective interview with Primary Health Care Network nurses, speech therapists and doctors.

Results

NIHL reporting evidenced 82 cases, 67 (81.7%) among males, age ranging 50-64 years, 10 (12.2%) had complete high school level, 27 (32.9%) were formally employed, and 12 (14.6%) worked in the processing industry. Regarding the result of the applied questionnaire among the Primary Health Care professionals, 48 (68.7%) stated that they were prepared to identify workers' health problems, to 33 (68.7%) professionals, guidance to reassure users' comprehensive care is more important than the compulsory reporting, 21 (43.7%) claimed that they were qualified to identify NIHL cases, and 25 (52.1%) did not report the cases. Difficulties in reporting NIHL cases are: not understanding their flow, being afraid of the legal implications, which may generate difficulties in requesting audiometric testing, not having the management support, etc.

Conclusions

Most health care professionals are knowledgeable on NIHL, but they do not report the suspected cases due to lack of guidance.

Key messages

Primary care health professionals does not consider occupational health as part of the service to be provided. Primary care services are not prepared to establish the relationship between the injury and the job.

Hepatitis C treatment outcome in former or current intravenous drug users coinfected with HIV, with or without directly observed therapy

BACKGROUND

Intravenous drug users (IDUs) with hepatitis C virus (HCV)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfection are recognised as a high-risk, vulnerable group.

METHODS

Between February 2015 and April 2018, a single-centre, non-interventional cohort study was conducted in an outpatient setting, to evaluate the sustained virologic response (SVR12) and assess treatment uptake models. The study included 385 former or recent IDUs divided into two groups: A-without use of opioid substitution treatment (OST) and B-patients taking opioid substitution; patients in group B received OST and self-administered therapy (B1) or OST and therapy under DOT (B2). Patients were characterised by demographic and clinical features and compared for treatment response. Correlations between SVR12 and independent variables were determined by logistic regression.

RESULTS

Patients were mostly males (88.3%) with a mean age of 46 ± 5 years and HCV genotype 1a (63.7%). Approximately 28% were treatment-experienced and 84.9% received sofosbuvir/ledipasvir. The mean CD4⁺T count was 649 cells/mm³, and most individuals were on antiretroviral therapy with undetectable viral loads (97.4%). SVR12 was achieved in 94.8%, and only eight patients relapsed. No significant differences were found in treatment effect between individuals taking opioid substitutes under different treatment models. Correlations were found between HCV viral response and both HIV suppression and albumin levels.

CONCLUSIONS

IDU with HCV/HIV coinfection, including individuals on self-administration of HCV therapy and opioid substitution treatments or in DOT programmes, are no longer considered a difficult-to-treat group, as they achieve high rates of SVR12.

In Vitro Intestinal Uptake And Permeability Of Fluorescently-Labelled Hyaluronic Acid Nanogels

Background

Oral administration remains the most common mode of drug delivery. However, orally administered bioactive compounds must first survive digestion and then be absorbed at the intestine in order to reach other tissues or organs. The efficiency of both processes can be improved by encapsulation or conjugation with polymeric nanoparticles. Here we report the synthesis of amphiphilic hyaluronic acid (HyA) nanogels as nanocarriers for drug delivery.

Methods

HyA nanogels were prepared by self-assembly from amphiphilic HyA conjugates produced by grafting hydrophobic alkyl chains to the HyA backbone. The dye Cy5.5 was covalently bonded and used for tracking. The nanogels were characterised according to their structure, size and zeta potential, as well as biocompatibility towards an intestinal epithelial cell line. The uptake and intestinal permeability of the nanogels were assessed using in vitro models, which physiological relevance was verified regarding the morphology of the epithelium, the production of mucus, the expression of occludin and the transepithelial electrical resistance.

Results

The covalent binding of Cy5.5 did not affect significantly the size and surface charge of the nanogels at 125.1 ± 3.2 nm and -57.6 ± 6.2 mV respectively after labelling. Studies of biocompatibility showed that the nanogels were non-toxic to Caco-2 cells up to the concentration of 0.1 mg∙mL^-1. The presence of mucus affected the nanogel uptake and highlighted the importance of considering mucus-producing cells in in vitro intestinal models. The uptake or adsorption to a Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-culture (8.1%) was higher than with single Caco-2 cell cultures (4.3%). Interestingly, both models led to minute (<0.5%) permeation of the nanogels across the intestinal barrier.

Conclusion

The HyA nanogels demonstrated to be mucoadhesive and effectively uptaken by intestinal cells. Both are determinant features for sustained release, but if systemic delivery is envisaged further modification with targeting moieties could be important to improve the nanogel permeability.

Tamarind Trypsin Inhibitor in Chitosan-Whey Protein Nanoparticles Reduces Fasting Blood Glucose Levels without Compromising Insulinemia: A Preclinical Study

In vivo studies show the benefits of the trypsin inhibitor isolated from tamarind (Tamarindusindica L.) (TTI) seeds in satiety and obesity. In the present study, TTI nanoencapsulation (ECW) was performed to potentialize the effect of TTI and allow a controlled release in the stomach. The impact on glycemia, insulin, and lipid profile was evaluated in Wistar rats overfed with a high glycemic index diet (HGLI). Characterization of the nanoparticles and in vitro stability in simulated gastrointestinal conditions, monitored by antitrypsin activity and HPLC, was performed. ECW and empty nanoparticles (CW) were administered by gavage, using 12.5 and 10.0 mg/kg, respectively. Both nanoformulations presented a spherical shape and smooth surface, with an average diameter of 117.4 nm (24.1) for ECW and 123.9 nm (11.3) for CW. ECW maintained the antitrypsin activity (95.5%) in the gastric phase, while TTI was completely hydrolyzed. In Wistar rats, the nanoformulations significantly reduced glycemia and HOMA IR, and ECW increased HDL-c compared to CW (p < 0.05).Pancreas histopathology of animals treated with ECW suggested an onset of tissue repair. Thenanoencapsulation provided TTI protection, gradual release in the desired condition, and improvement of biochemical parameters related to carbohydrate metabolism disorders,without compromising insulinemia.