Biomedical and
Biopharmaceutical
Research
Supplement │ Suplemento­
Biomed Biopharm Res. , 2014; (11) 2: , 260-261
Jornal de Investigação
Biomédica e Biofarmacêutica
UNIVERSIDADE LUSÓFONA
RESEARCH CENTER IN BIOSCIENCES & HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES
CBiOS Science Sessions
- 2014 -
A visit to the past through ancient DNA analysis
Uma visita ao passado através da análise de DNA antigo
Molecular and serological evaluation of vector-borne
diseases infection in dogs with non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Ana Elisabete Pires
Análise molecular e sorológica da infecção por doenças
transmitidas por vetores em cães com linfoma não-Hodgkin
CBiOS - Research center for Health Sciences & Technologies, U.
Lusófona, Campo Grande 376,
1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Henriques, J.1; Almeida B. 1; Ramos, J.1; Pereira V. 1; Santos, A.S. 2;
Sousa, R. 2; Heeney, J.3; Dobson, J.4 & Alves, M.1
CBiOS - Research center for Health Sciences & Technologies, U.
Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Studies, National Institute of
Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (CEVDI, INSA).
3
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge.
4
Queens Veterinary School Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Cambridge.
1
2
Abstact
Abstract
A presença de cães na Ibéria pode ser datada de há 8.000 anos (datação
directa) ou até mesmo antes (ex. cão de Erralla). Contudo não é claro o
processo da sua origem. Foi domesticado a partir do lobo ibérico? Ou terá
sido introduzido de outras regiões, p.ex. Sudoeste da Ásia.
Some infectious agents can induce a chronic B cell stimulation and
suppress T-cell activity potentially predisposing infected animals to develop
lymphoma. There are a few descriptions of Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia canis
and Leishmania spp. infection in dogs with lymphoma.
Nesta investigação combinaram-se dados arqueológicos e zooarqueológicos
com informação genética de 30 restos de cães com idades compreendidas
entre o Mesolítico e a Antiguidade Tardia (8,000-1,400 YBP). Estabeleceuse também a comparação com um conjunto de dados de cães modernos.
Foram investigados vários cenários demográficos relativos a um potencial
evento de domesticação na Ibéria utilizando haplotipos de DNA mitocondrial
de amostras de cães antigos e modernos.
We studied 67 naive lymphoma dogs from the Lisbon area that were tested
for IgG’s anti-Leishmania infantum, E. canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum
and Bartonella spp., by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA). Also, neoplastic
lymph node biopsies were processed for DNA extraction and PCR was
performed to test the presence of Leishmania donovani s.l. and bacteria of
the genus Ehrlichia, Anaplasma and Bartonella.
A análise osteométrica confirmou o estatuto de doméstico para os restos
animais antigos. Só 2 dos 6 haplogrupos de DNA mitocondrial descrito
para cães modernos foram ncontrados em cães antigos da Ibéria – os
haplogrupos A e C. Verificamos que o haplogrupo C sofreu ao longo do
tempo uma redução de 25-35% nos tempos históricos e pré-históricos para
15% nos cães modernos e com substituição de linhagens do tipo B e D. O
resultado mais importante consiste na detecção do haplogrupo A em cães do
período Mesolítico numa proporação semelhante à que se detecta nos cães
actualmente, 60-70%. Este resultado é consistente com duas interpretações:
um evento local de domesticação na Ibéria a partir de lobos ibéricos e/
ou a introdução de cães já domesticados com haplotipos tipo A na Ibéria
Mesolítica por humanos recolectores com origem no Sudoeste Asiático ou
mesmo Norte de África, quer por terra quer por mar, talvez seguindo rotas
Mediterrânicas ainda pouco conhecidas.
Palavras chave: cão, domesticação local, Ibéria, cenários demográficos
Nine percent (6/67) of studied animals were positive for IgG’s anti-L.
infantum. PCR for Leishmania was positive in two dogs. No dog was found
to be positive for E. canis, A. phagocytophilum and Bartonella spp., either
by IFA or PCR.
In a recent seroepidemiological survey for vector-borne diseases, 10% of
asymptomatic clinically healthy dogs in the Lisbon area were positive for
anti-leishmanial antibodies; a seroprevalence of 6.7% was found for both E.
canis and Anaplasma spp.. To our knowledge, there are no epidemiological
studies on Bartonella in Portuguese dogs. The percentage of lymphoma dogs
seropositive for Leishmania was similar to the seroprevalence for clinically
healthy dogs. In conclusion, in dogs with lymphoma we didn’t find a higher
seroprevalence for L. donovani s.l., E. canis, A. phagocytophilum and
Bartonella spp. than that reported in healthy dogs.
This work was supported by Bayer Portugal-Animal Health, and the Kennel
Club Charitable Trust.
Lecturer's resumé
Lecturer's resumé
PhD in Molecular Biology, she is an auxiliary professor of Genetics and
Animal Improvement, Immunology, Biochemistry and Cellular Biology
at Veterinary Medicine course / Universidade Lusófona, Portugal. She´s a
research colaborator at CBA-Centre for Environmental Biology, Faculdade
de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa; Instituto Nacional de Investigação
Agrária e Veterinária, I.P.; and CEDOC-Chronic Diseases, Faculdade de
Medicina da Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Her main research interests are
population Genetics (domestic dogs) and more recently in immunology.
Professor of Molecular Biology at Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária
– Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias. Graduated
in Applied Chemistry / Biotechnology (FCT-UNL), MSc in Medical
Parasitology (IHMT-UNL), PhD in Biomedical Sciences (UNL). She is
author of several publications and communications in international and
national peer-reviewed journals and meetings. Her principal interests
are cancer molecular genetics, mainly canine lymphoma and mammary
tumours, and molecular detection of vector-borne agents.
May | Maio 2014
Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
June | Junho 2014
Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
260
Biomedical and
Biopharmaceutical
Research
Supplement │ Suplemento­
Biomed Biopharm Res. , 2014; (11) 2: , 261-261
Jornal de Investigação
Biomédica e Biofarmacêutica
UNIVERSIDADE LUSÓFONA
RESEARCH CENTER IN BIOSCIENCES & HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES
CBiOS Science Sessions
- 2014 -
Time-lapse imaging in the IVF laboratory: clinical
applications through understanding embryo
development
Ionic liquids synthesis and their application in drug
delivery systems
Síntese de líquidos iónicos e sua aplicação em sistemas de veiculação
Imagem de "time-lapse" no laboratório FIV: aplicações clínicas através do
desenvolvimento embrionário
Ana Sousa Lopes
CBiOS - Research centerfor Health Sciences & Technologies, U. Lusófona,
Campo Grande 376,
1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Tânia Almeida
CBiOS - Research centerfor Health Sciences & Technologies, U. Lusófona,
Campo Grande 376,
1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Abstract
Abstract
The need to improve embryo selection is crucial for reducing multiple
pregnancy rates in Human IVF clinics without compromising implantation
and take home baby rates. Time lapse technology has been recently
implemented in IVF units and outcome improvements have been reported.
In this presentation a combination of a time lapse technology and a software
was presented. Basically, early cell cycle divisions were detected by a
computer-image software and the duration of these divisions integrated in a
algorithm. Based on a 3-class classification, human embryos were classified
as having high, medium and low developmental potential. This system,
named Eeva, gives an automated prediction of subsequent development of
the cleaving embryo without affecting culture conditions. Currently, this
system is being used in 5 different countries and clinical pregnancies and
implantation has increased significantly in the UVF units employing this
system. An international multicenter randomized controlled trial in currently
in place to assess the % of improvement by the use of this technology in the
IVF procedures.
Poorly and sparingly soluble drugs present a great challenge to the
pharmaceutical industry, due to the difficulty to solubilize them in the
pharmaceutical grade solvents. Hence, it is fundamental to find/synthesize
new excipients that facilitate drug solubility. Due to Ionic liquids (ILs)
distinctive characteristics that allow them to be placed in different types
of solutions, they may be incorporated in (micro)emulsions and gels and
thus offer many advantages in topical drug delivery systems. Thus, ILs
are potential candidates as solvents, or even as vehicles, for bioactive
multifunctional compounds and may be key to overcome certain major
problems in the Cosmetic or Pharmaceutical Industries.
In the present work, different ILs were synthesized and their ability to
enhance actives solubility was evaluated. Also, the synthesized ILs were
successfully incorporated in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions containing
up to 5% (w/w) of ionic liquid (IL). The prepared emulsions resulted in
homogeneous and stable formulations at room temperature for at least 4
months. Permeation studies with solutions containing caffeine (3%) and IL
(5%) were also undertaken and showed that all studied ILs improved the
caffeine permeation, when compared with the solutions non-containing IL.
Thus, the present study demonstrates that the synthesized ILs enhance both
the solubility and permeation.
In addition, ILs were also incorporated in lipid implants and preliminary
studies towards the understanding of their ability to modulate the release
of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs are being undertaken. Moreover,
stability of these implants will also be investigated.
Lecturer's resumé
Ana Sousa Lopes has completed her degree in Veterinary Medicine, by the
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal
in 2001. In the same year she started working in the area of Reproduction,
focusing on in vitro fertilization techniques. Ana has a Ph.D in Veterinary
Reproduction and Obstetrics, awarded by the University of Copenhagen,
Denmark. During her Ph.D project she developed a worldwide awarded
technology that allows for the measurement of oxygen consumption in single
embryos. She pursued her post doctoral studies in the Cornell University,
USA, University of Adelaide, Australia, University of Porto, Portugal and
in the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. She worked as human IVF
specialist in Hospital Sao Joao, Portugal (2008) and in the Hospital of Leuven,
Belgium (2009-2012). She has been invited teacher for the Disciplines
of Reproduction and Obstetrics and Cell Biology, both in Portugal and in
Denmark. She is the author of more than 40 scientific publications and has
been invited speaker in numerous seminars and international conferences.
She is a member of the European Society for Human Reproduction and
Embryology, International Embryo Transfer Society, Portuguese Society
of Reproductive Medicine and Portuguese Veterinary Society. Currently,
Ana is a Clinical Manager for Fertility Technologies in Merck Serono Spain
and Assistant Professor of Reproduction at Lusófona University, Lisbon,
Portugal, where she also coordinates research activities within the area of
reproduction and development.
June | Junho 2014
Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Lecturer's resumé
Professor of Organic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry at the School of
Health Sciences and Technologies (Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades
e Tecnologias). Graduated in Chemistry (FCUL-UL), PhD in Organic
Chemistry (FCUL-UL) and Post-Doctorate in Computational Chemistry
(IIIUL) and Organic Physical Chemistry (FCUL-UL). She is author of
several publications and communications in international and national peerreviewed journals and meetings. Her main interests are organic synthesis,
namely of ionic liquids and sugars and their application in drug delivery
systems. Also the evaluation of new strategies to assess in-vivo antioxidant
activity.
December | Dezembro 2014
Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
261