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| Author(s): |
Natália Francisco Scaramele
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | Araçatuba. 2019-06-11. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária. Araçatuba |
| Defense date: | 2019-05-31 |
| Advisor: | Flávia Lombardi Lopes; Roney Santos Coimbra |
| Abstract | |
Meningitis is characterized by an arachnoid, pia mater and cerebrospinal fluid inflammation; causing damage to the cortical and subcortical structures. Bacterial meningitis is closely related to the level of socioeconomic development of country and is considered endemic in Brazil. Despite efforts to develop drugs and vaccines, the disease still has high rates of morbidity and mortality. Occurring when bacteria cross body protection barriers and reach the central nervous system, triggering immune response. It is known that during disease course the the levels of homocysteine increase in cerebrospinal fluid, leading to demyelination and neuronal damage, and that vitamin B12 is a treatment used to reduce those damages. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are instruments of physiological response, having their expression modified in different tissues, due to different physiological and pathological stimuli. They are associated with expression control of different inflammatory mediators and their absence is capable of causing severe damage to the immune response. Considering the importance of miRNAs in regulation of immune processes, the present study aimed to elucidate miRNA expression patterns during the inflammatory process resulting from pneumococcal meningitis (PM), and to observe these patterns in response to adjuvant treatment of vitamin B12 in infected rats. We observed a total of 37 differentially expressed miRNAs; the infection positively regulated 22 and negatively regulated 7 of them, while the adjuvant treatment with vitamin B12 in non-infected animals increased the expression of 2, and decreased the expression of 1 miRNA; the adjuvant treatment with vitamin B12 in infected animals upregulated 2 and downregulated 6 miRNAs. Signaling pathways, closely related to PM, were found to be regulated by both, PM and adjuvant treatment with vitamin B12 in infected animals. The adjuvant therapy with vitamin B12 did not regulate any pathways in non-infected rats. We can concluded that, the present study corroborates with recurrent findings during bacterial meningitis course, and served as a start for the investigation of vitamin B12 adjuvant therapy effects during PM. However, future studies about the adjuvant treatment regulated miRNAs, and their experimental targets are needed. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 17/17783-9 - Hippocampal expression of microRNAs in rats with pneumococcal meningitis treated with Vitamin B12 |
| Grantee: | Natália Francisco Scaramele |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Master |