Clovis Grecco

Photodynamic therapy is a treatment modality that can be used to treat various types of lesions. To produce cell death, reaching a certain threshold dose of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is required. The estimation of ROS production is of paramount importance to predict the depth of necrosis and to ensure that the volume to be treated receives doses higher than the threshold. In this study, we compared a theoretical model for PDT based on Monte Carlo simulations of light irradiance and rate equations with a rat liver model. At the end of the simulation, necrosis depths and volumes were estimated, as well as the photosensitizer (PS), oxygen, and ROS concentrations at each position of the treated area. From the in vivo study, we obtained the ROS concentration threshold of about 1 mM for Photogem in rat liver. This proposed method can be used for any PS or tissue, including tissues with multiple layers. The proposed method can be used to estimate parameters for any PS or tissue, including layered tissues, as long as their parameters are known. In addition, other protocols can be tested, or compared with the standard ones, providing the bases for analyzing a diverse range of photodynamic treatment scenarios.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising therapeutic modality for treating cancer, including breast tumors. The oxidative damage caused by PDT culminates in cell death, induction of immune response, and the resulting destruction of the tumor. This study aimed to evaluate the gene expression profiling of genes BCL-2, BAX, and HER-2 and their proteins after PDT, associating it with the necrosis caused by this therapy under different fluences. Twenty-eight female rats received a single dose of 7,12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene (DMBA - 80mg/kg), by gavage, for breast tumor induction. After the tumors grew, the animals were divided into four groups: G1 - control group – untreated breast tumor – and G2, G3, and G4 groups treated with PDT using Photogem@ as photosensitizer and interstitial irradiation, with fluences of 50J/cm, 100J/cm, and 150J/cm, respectively. Samples of tumors were harvested for histological examination by RT-qPCR. The RT-qPCR showed that the gene expression profiling of BCL-2, BAX, and HER-2 was not altered after PDT. Hemorrhagic necrosis and qualitatively greater vascular and cellular damage were observed and correlated positively with the fluence. PDT does not seem to induce the modulation of genes related to apoptosis. The results indicate that the type of cell death stimulated by PDT in breast tumor is necrosis.

Introduction: stretch marks are multifactorial unsightly conditions and for their treatment, resources are needed to stimulate a new process of tissue repair and regeneration. Objective: to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carboxitherapy associated with high volt current in the treatment of atrophic stretch marks. Method: This is a clinical, longitudinal, blind, prospective and comparative study, in which women with atrophic stretch marks were selected, they were evaluated and reassessed in the interval of 5 and at the end of the 10 treatment sessions. The evaluation consisted of the classification of the skin phototype using the Fitzpatrick’s Scale, analysis of the length and width of the atrophic streak, evaluation of the skin viscoelasticity with Cutometer® and photographic analysis. The treatment consisted of the application of carboxitherapy associated with the high volt current. Tukey's ANOVA and post hoc tests (p≤0.05) were performed to evaluate the results. Results: there was a decrease in the thickness of the streaks of the right gluteus between the initial assessment and 5 sessions and the initial one for 10 sessions, with respective p <0.01, whereas in the left gluteus we observed a decrease between the initial assessment and 5 sessions and the initial one for 10 sessions, with p <0.05 in both. In the Cutometer® analysis, there was a significance of p <0.01 in the variables R0, R2, R6 and R8, showing an improvement in the viscoelastic properties of the atrophic stria when compared to the initial evaluation with 10 treatment sessions. Conclusion: the association of carboxitherapy with the high volt current was effective in decreasing the thickness of the atrophic streaks in glutes and in improving the viscoelastic properties of the skin.

Advances in optical techniques have provided noninvasive diagnostics and effective means to improve clinical outcomes.^{1 – 3} Fiber-optic probes have been increasingly utilized to provide a minimally invasive approach in tissue characterization for various biomedical applications, such as cancer diagnostics, surgical guidance, and treatment response monitoring.^{4 – 7} Photodynamic therapy (PDT) in conjunction with fiber-optic probing is a promising modality to achieve optimal therapeutic efficiency for cancer treatment.^{8 – 10} PDT is a viable minimally invasive treatment, involving the administration of photosensitizer (PS), incubation time to allow the adequate accumulation of the drug in the tumor, and activation by light of appropriate wavelength. This process results in the generation of highly active oxygen radicals that cause tumor necrosis, apoptosis, and autophagy.^{11 – 13}

Introduction: Several technologies have been developed and optimized for the treatment of unaesthetic disorders. Among them is the oscillatory vibration therapy, a novel form of treatment based on the mechanical and physiological fundamentals of the vibration platform. Objective: The present study evaluated the efficacy of the oscillatory vibration therapy in the improvement of body contour remodeling and in the aspect of cellulite in women. Methods: This is a prospective longitudinal comparative study, in which the following evaluation tools are used: anthropometry, perimetry, adipometry, evaluation of skin viscoelasticity with Cutometer®, evaluation of the thickness of the hypodermis with diagnostic ultrasound and analysis of severity of cellulite (CSS). The evaluations occurred at the start and 1 week after the end of ten oscillatory vibration therapy. The results were analyzing using a paired student"™s t-test with interval confidence of 95% (P-Value <0.05). Results: Thirty women took part in the research, with age of 33 ± 9 years, weight of 62 ± 11 kg, height of 1.66 ± 0.06 m, BMI of 22 ± 2 kg/m2. The measurements of perimetry, adipometry, analysis of subcutaneous tissue thickness by means of diagnostic ultrasound and analysis of skin viscoelasticity did not present significant alterations. However, the CSS variable of the right gluteus (7.3 ± 1.8 to 5.8 ± 1.6 ≤ 0.0001), left gluteus (7.2 ± 1.9 to 5.8 ± 1.6= 0.0001), right thigh (6.9 ± 1.9 to 5.6 ± 1.4 = 0.0004), left thigh (6.9 ± 1.9 to 5.6 ± 1.3 = 0.0004) and Celluquol® (59 ± 16 to 49 ± 16 = 0.022) presented significant difference. Conclusion: The multi-directional oscillatory vibration therapy is an effective and efficient therapy for the treatment of cellulite; however, for the treatment of body remodeling, it must be further evaluated and studied.Keywords: vibration platform, vibration, cellulite, body contour, aesthetic medicine.

Gordura localizada e celulite são as afecções estéticas que mais incomodam as mulheres nos dias atuais e as levam a busca de tratamentos estéticos. Por essa razão, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a associação da massagem mecânica motorizada com cosmecêuticos no tratamento da gordura localizada e celulite. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo clí­nico longitudinal prospectivo e comparativo. Trinta e duas mulheres foram incluí­das no presente estudo seguindo os critérios de elegibilidade e inelegibilidade, todos foram avaliados e reavaliados após dez sessões do protocolo de tratamento. Para análise dos dados foram utilizados testes Lilliefor"™s, teste t-student bicaudal pareado, teste t-student bicaudal para amostras heterocedásticas. Resultados: Trinta mulheres finalizaram o protocolo de tratamento. Obteve-se redução das medidas, de abdome superior (p < 0,032) e abdome inferior (p < 0,004) na adipometria; medidas de cintura (p < 0,008) e abdome inferior (p < 0,022) avaliadas pela perimetria; na análise do ultrassom houve redução da medida de abdome superior (p < 0,004), flancos (p < 0,021), posterior de coxa região de prega glútea (p < 0,006) e posterior de coxa região inferior (p < 0,0001). Conclusão: Diante dos resultados, conclui-se que o protocolo de tratamento com a associação da massagem mecânica motorizada e cosmecêuticos foram eficazes para a melhora do contorno corporal e a aparência da celulite.Palavras-chave: massagem, cosméticos, celulite, adiposidade.Â

Background and objectives: Nowadays, there are several noninvasive technologies being used for improving of body contouring. The objectives of this pilot study were to verify the effectiveness of the Heccus^® device, emphasizing the synergism between nonfocused ultrasound plus Aussie current in the improvement of body contour, and to determine if the association of this therapy with whole-body vibration exercises can have additional positive effects in the results of the treatments. Subjects and methods: Twenty healthy women aged 20–40 years participated in the study. Ten patients received Combined Therapy treatment (G1) and the other 10 participants received Combined Therapy with additional vibratory platform treatment (G2). Anthropometric and standardized photography analysis, ultrasonography, cutometry and self-adminestered questionnaires of tolerance and satisfaction levels with the treatment were used. Results: Compared with baseline values, reduction of fat thickness was observed by ultrasonography in the posterior thigh area in the G1 group (PPPPPPPPP=0.0034) in the treated areas was observed in both groups. Conclusion: We conclude that the synergistic effects of the Combined Therapy (nonfocused ultrasound plus Aussie current) might be a good option with noninvasive body contouring treatment for improving the aspect of the cellulite, skin firmness and localized fat. If used in association with the whole-body vibratory platform, the results can be better, especially in the treatment of localized fat. Further studies with larger sample size should be performed to confirm these results.

Infectious pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, despite advances in diagnostics and therapeutics in pulmonary infections. One of the major difficulties associated with the infection comes from the high rate of antibiotic resistant icroorganisms, claiming for the use of alternative techniques with high efficiency and low cost. The photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is emerging as one of the great possibilities in this area, once its action is oxidative, not allowing microorganism develops resistance against the treatment. PDI for decontamination pulmonary has potential for treatment or creating better conditions for the action of antibiotics. In this study, we are developing a device to implement PDI for the treatment of lung diseases with extracorporeal illumination. To validate our theory, we performed measurements in liquid phantom to simulate light penetration in biological tissues at various fluency rates, the\ud temperature was monitored in a body of hairless mice and the measurements of light transmittance in this same animal model. A diode laser emitting at 810 nm in continuous mode was used. Our results show 70% of leakage at 0.5 mm of thickness in phantom model. The mouse body temperature variation was 5.4 °C and was observed light transmittance through its chest. These results are suggesting the possible application of the extracorporeal illumination using infrared light source. Based on these findings, further studies about photodynamic inactivation will be performed in animal model using indocyanine green and bacteriochlorin as photosensitizers. The pulmonary infection will be induced with Streptococcus pneumoniae and Klebsiella pneumoniae.CAPE