Universidade Estadual de Londrina

About: Universidade Estadual de Londrina is a education organization based out in Londrina, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Toxoplasma gondii. The organization has 13052 authors who have published 19291 publications receiving 212123 citations.

Quercetin inhibits gout arthritis in mice: induction of an opioid-dependent regulation of inflammasome

Abstract: We investigated the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of quercetin in monosodium urate crystals (MSU)-induced gout arthritis, and the sensitivity of quercetin effects to naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist. Mice were treated with quercetin, and mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed at 1–24 h after MSU injection. In vivo, leukocyte recruitment, cytokine levels, oxidative stress, NFκB activation, and gp91phox and inflammasome components (NLRP3, ASC, Pro-caspase-1, and Pro-IL-1β) mRNA expression by qPCR were determined in the knee joints at 24 h after MSU injection. Inflammasome activation was determined, in vitro, in lipopolysaccharide-primed macrophages challenged with MSU. Quercetin inhibited MSU-induced mechanical hyperalgesia, leukocyte recruitment, TNFα and IL-1β production, superoxide anion production, inflammasome activation, decrease of antioxidants levels, NFκB activation, and inflammasome components mRNA expression. Naloxone pre-treatment prevented all the inhibitory effects of quercetin over MSU-induced gout arthritis. These results demonstrate that quercetin exerts analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect in the MSU-induced arthritis in a naloxone-sensitive manner.

State of the art of polymeric nanoparticles as carrier systems with agricultural applications: a minireview

Abstract: Polymeric nanoparticles have been developed as carrier systems for agrochemicals aimed at pest control and increased crop yields. This minireview summarizes the recent progress and challenges in the design and application of polymeric nanoparticles loaded with herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and plant growth regulators. The many advantages of these nanoagrochemicals are discussed including: (1) the availability, biocompatibility and biodegradability of many polymers, (2) the decreased impact on non-target organisms, (3) the protection of the active compounds against degradation, (4) their increased solubility, (5) modified release, and (6) an improved efficacy of the active ingredients. We also discuss the major gaps and obstacles in this area, such as the large-scale production of these systems and the need for investigations of the toxicity to non-target organisms.