Methylmercury Chronic Exposure and a High-Fat Diet Induce Gut Microbiome Alterations and Intestinal Barrier Disruption in Mice Gabriella A. Matos, Daniela Nunes‐Costa, Daniel V. Pinto, Conceição S. Martins, Janayne L. Silva, et al. Environmental Toxicology, 2025 Methylmercury (MeHg) is markedly toxic to humans. Our study explores whether MeHg and high‐fat diet (HFD) can impair the intestinal barrier with microbiota dysbiosis in mice. Weanling mice were fed to HFD or standard diet for 40 days. In the last 20 days of diets, mice received either MeHg (20 mg/L) or drinking water. Proximal small intestine, cecum, and hair samples were collected. Villus length, crypt depth, villus/crypt length, mucin2 and lysozyme‐positive cell counts, ZO‐1 and occludin gene expression, and intestinal functional permeability were analyzed to assess the intestinal barrier. Blood samples were drawn to assess lipid parameters. Gut microbiome profiling was conducted with DNA from fecal/cecal samples. In addition, we analyzed ZO‐1 immunofluorescence in the colon and small intestine. HFD increased MDA, Mucin2, and reduced villus height, crypt depth, villus/crypt length, lysozyme(+)‐cell count, and increased intestinal permeability, regardless of MeHg intoxication. MeHg‐HFD combination affected the intestinal barrier, decreasing ZO‐1, occludin, and Nrf2 transcription, and increased permeability. HFD increased total plasma cholesterol and triglycerides. Only MeHg‐HFD reduced microbiome alpha‐diversity along with colonic ZO‐1 immunolabeling loss compared to non‐intoxicated mice fed a control diet. Regardless of diet, the genera Streptococcus, Psychrobacter, Facklamia, and Corynebacterium were severely depleted following MeHg intoxication. Other groups, such as Atopostipes and Jeotgalicoccus, were not altered by MeHg or HFD alone, but were significantly reduced by the combined HFD‐MeHg. Synergistic effects of MeHg‐HFD on the mucosa‐associated microbiota are more pronounced than their individual effects. Our findings suggest that MeHg intoxication does not cause extensive dysbiosis but led to intestinal barrier disruption.
Effects of Tribulus (Tribulus terrestris L.) Supplementation on Erectile Dysfunction and Testosterone Levels in Men—A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials José de Oliveira Vilar Neto, Wilson Max Almeida Monteiro de Moraes, Daniel Vieira Pinto, Carlos Alberto da Silva, Juan de Sá Roriz Caminha, et al. Nutrients, 2025 Background: Tribulus terrestris L. Zygophyllaceae (TT) is a plant that has been claimed to increase testosterone levels and improve sexual function, particularly erectile dysfunction, with potential benefits for male sexual health. Purpose: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of TT supplementation in improving sexual function and serum testosterone levels in men. Methods: We conducted a systematic review adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. After searching the literature (n = 162), 52 studies were selected for full-text reading, and 10 studies were eligible for this review, comprising 9 clinical trials and 1 quasi-experimental study (a study without a control). The Jadad score revealed low methodological quality for 50% of the studies. Results: The studies involved 15 to 172 participants (total = 483) aged between 16 and 70 years with different health conditions: healthy men (n = 5), oligozoospermia (n = 1), erectile dysfunction (n = 1), erectile dysfunction associated with hypogonadism (n = 2), and unexplained infertility (n = 1). TT supplementation at doses of 400 to 750 mg/d for 1 to 3 months improved erectile dysfunction in 3 of the 5 studies that assessed this parameter. Eight out of ten studies did not report significant changes in androgen profile following TT supplementation, but the subjects in the neutral studies did not have low androgen levels at baseline. Therefore, only 2 studies showed significant intra-group increase in total testosterone levels, which had low clinical magnitude (60–70 ng/dL) and involved subjects with hypogonadism. Conclusions: TT supplementation has a low level of evidence regarding its effectiveness in improving erectile function in men with erectile dysfunction, and no robust evidence was found for increasing testosterone levels.
Cross-validation of prediction equations for estimating the body mass index in adults without the use of body weight Júlio César Chaves Nunes Filho, Marilia Porto Oliveira Nunes, Robson Salviano de Matos, Daniel Vieira Pinto, Dyego Castelo Branco Holanda Gadelha Pereira, et al. Plos One, 2025 Introduction Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely accepted measure by the World Health Organization for assessing body composition, as it provides critical insights into health risks, life expectancy, and quality of life. However, in resource-limited settings, access to weighing scales is often inadequate, and environmental conditions, such as unstable terrain, may hinder accurate weight measurements. In these contexts, alternative methods for estimating BMI become essential for effective health assessment. This study aimed to develop and validate equations to estimate BMI without relying on body weight, providing a practical tool for nutritional assessment where traditional methods are not feasible. Materials and methods Adults aged 18 to 59 of both sexes were included. Variables like waist circumference, height, hip circumference, age, and weight were used for equation development and validation. Participants were divided by sex, with regression and validation subgroups for each. Statistical tests included Student’s t-tests, Pearson correlation, Stepwise Regression, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, Weighted Kappa Coefficient, and Bland-Altman statistics. Results The study included 810 adults, with 63% (576) women. No significant differences were found in paired comparisons between regression and validation subgroups for both sexes (p > 0.05). Four equations were proposed for BMI estimation: EM2 and EM3 for males, and EF2 and EF3 for females. All equations showed strong positive correlations (r > 0.90), significant at p < 0.05. Regression analysis revealed R2 values between 0.861 and 0.901 (p < 0.000). Intraclass Correlation Coefficient values indicated agreement of 0.961 and 0.972 (p < 0.05), with Weighted Kappa values showing substantial agreement of 0.658 and 0.711 for both sexes (p < 0.05). Conclusion Adopting the proposed equations for estimating BMI in adults without using body weight is safe and effective for measuring this body measure in this population, particularly when weighing these individuals is not feasible.
Preventive correction of fibrinolysis with epsilon aminocaproic acid detected by thromboelastometry during liver transplantation José Carlos Rodrigues NASCIMENTO, Luiz Henrique FREITAS, Daniel Vieira PINTO, Antônia Lima SOUZA, Cristhyane Costa AQUINO, et al. Arquivos Brasileiros De Cirurgia Digestiva, 2025 Background: Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is a highly complex procedure, which can be difficult to control intraoperatively in patients with coagulopathies. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic administration of epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA) to reduce the need for transfusion of blood products and its relevance for thrombosis. Methods: Patients were randomized into two groups: one group received EACA (20 mg/kg/h) before surgical incision until the end of OLT and a control group received a similar volume of 0.9% saline solution. Blood was collected to analyze fibrinolysis and coagulation disorders using rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®). Results: A total of 24 patients received EACA and 26 patients received saline solution. In the analysis of the fibrinolytic and hemostatic coagulation profile by ROTEM®, fibrinolysis was significantly less frequent in the group of patients treated with EACA (p<0.001) in the anhepatic phase. There were no significant differences in the other extrinsic pathway thromboelastometry and fibrinogen-specific thromboelastometry analyses. In addition, there were no significant differences between both groups regarding the average and percentage transfusion of blood products, postoperative complications, patients who were discharged from the hospital, and those who died within 3 months after liver transplantation. Conclusions: Although the administration of EACA did not reduce the transfusion of blood products, this drug effectively treated fibrinolysis and was not associated with any complications with increased risk of vein and hepatic artery thrombosis or mortality within 3 months after liver transplantation.
Chronic Methylmercury Intoxication Induces Systemic Inflammation, Behavioral, and Hippocampal Amino Acid Changes in C57BL6J Adult Mice Tyciane S. Nascimento, Daniel V. Pinto, Ronaldo P. Dias, Ramon S. Raposo, Paulo Iury G. Nunes, et al. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022 Methylmercury (MeHg) is highly toxic to the human brain. Although much is known about MeHg neurotoxic effects, less is known about how chronic MeHg affects hippocampal amino acids and other neurochemical markers in adult mice. In this study, we evaluated the MeHg effects on systemic lipids and inflammation, hippocampal oxidative stress, amino acid levels, neuroinflammation, and behavior in adult male mice. Challenged mice received MeHg in drinking water (2 mg/L) for 30 days. We assessed weight gain, total plasma cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), endotoxin, and TNF levels. Hippocampal myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), amino acid levels, and cytokine transcripts were evaluated. Mice underwent open field, object recognition, Y, and Barnes maze tests. MeHg-intoxicated mice had higher weight gain and increased the TG and TC plasma levels. Elevated circulating TNF and LPS confirmed systemic inflammation. Higher levels of MPO and MDA and a reduction in IL-4 transcripts were found in the hippocampus. MeHg-intoxication led to increased GABA and glycine, reduced hippocampal taurine levels, delayed acquisition in the Barnes maze, and poor locomotor activity. No significant changes were found in AChE activity and object recognition. Altogether, our findings highlight chronic MeHg-induced effects that may have long-term mental health consequences in prolonged exposed human populations.
High-Intense Interval Training Prevents Cognitive Impairment and Increases the Expression of Muscle Genes FNDC5 and PPARGC1A in a Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease Welton Daniel Nogueira Godinho, Francisco Sérgio Lopes Vasconcelos Filho, Daniel Vieira Pinto, Juliana Osório Alves, Tyciane de Souza Nascimento, et al. Current Alzheimer Research, 2022 Background: Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world, characterized by the progressive loss of neuronal structure and function, whose main histopathological landmark is the accumulation of β-amyloid in the brain. Objective: It is well known that exercise is a neuroprotective factor and that muscles produce and release myokines that exert endocrine effects in inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Thus, this work intends to establish the relationship between the benefits of exercise through the chronic training of HIIT on cognitive damage induced by the Alzheimer's model by the injection of β amyloid 1-42. Methods: For this purpose, forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Sedentary Sham (SS), Trained Sham (ST), Sedentary Alzheimer’s (AS), and Trained Alzheimer’s (AT). Animals were submitted to stereotactic surgery and received a hippocampal injection of Aβ1-42 or a saline solution. Seven days after surgery, twelve days of treadmill adaptation followed by five maximal running tests (MRT) and fifty-five days of HIIT, rats underwent the Morris water maze test. The animals were then euthanized, and their gastrocnemius muscle tissue was extracted to analyze the Fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5), PPARG Coactivator 1 Alpha (PPARGC1A), and Integrin subunit beta 5 (ITGB5-R) expression by qRT-PCR in addition to cross-sectional areas. Results: The HIIT prevents the cognitive deficit induced by the infusion of amyloid β 1-42 (p<0.0001), causes adaptation of muscle fibers (p<0.0001), modulates the gene expression of FNDC5 (p<0.01), ITGB5 (p<0.01) and PPARGC1A (p<0.01), and induces an increase in peripheral protein expression of FNDC5 (p<0.005). Conclusion: Thus, we conclude that HIIT can prevent cognitive damage induced by the infusion of Aβ1-42, constituting a non-pharmacological tool that modulates important genetic and protein pathways.
Inbred mouse model of brain development and intestinal microbiota Reinaldo B. Oriá, Daniel V. Pinto, Ronaldo P. Dias, Ramon S. Raposo, Patricia L. Foley, et al. Diagnosis Management and Modeling of Neurodevelopmental Disorders the Neuroscience of Development, 2021
