Waldiceu A Verri

• MSc, PhD, Associate Professor
• Professor (Associate) at Londrina State University

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a Gram-positive bacterium of significant clinical importance, known for its versatility and ability to cause a wide array of infections, such as osteoarticular, pulmonary, cardiovascular, device-related, and hospital-acquired infections. This review describes the most recent evidence of the pathogenic potential...

Strategies based on nucleic acids combined with immunotherapy are promising alternatives to improve the therapeutic outcome of various tumors, even those at an advanced stage. The use of nanoparticles as delivery systems for nucleic acid vaccines is advantageous because it allows the protection of the nucleic acid against degradation, overcomes the...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a metabolically versatile opportunistic pathogen capable of surviving in a range of environments. The major contribution to these abilities relies on virulence factor production, e.g., exotoxins, phenazines, and rhamnolipids, regulated through a hierarchical system of communication, named quorum sensing (QS). QS involves t...

Betalains are naturally occurring pigments sourced mainly from Beta vulgaris (beetroot), Hylocereus spp. (dragon fruit), Amaranthus spp., and Opuntia spp. Betalains are widely used for their vibrant colors and health-promoting properties. These nitrogenous, water-soluble pigments are crucial colorants in the food industry, responsible for the red,...

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation has been widely investigated for preserving female fertility. In the present study, we aimed to compare the effects of three concentrations (1, 1.5, and 3 M) of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on the vitrification of ovarian tissue. The ovarian cortex was divided into control and vitrified groups: (i) 1 M-DMSO, (ii) 1.5 M-D...

Endometriosis is a debilitating and painful gynecological inflammatory disease affecting up to 15% of women and transgender men. Current treatments are ineffective for a substantial proportion of patients, underscoring the need for additional therapies with long-term benefits. Nociceptors release neuropeptides, such as calcitonin gene–related pepti...

Chagas’ disease is a life-threatening condition caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Patients with chronic disease may develop gastrointestinal, neurological, or associated neuro-digestive dysfunctions. CNS invasion by T. cruzi can occur in the acute phase, and its presence in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid was reported. T. cruzi induces nociceptor neur...

Lifetime history of suicide attempts is associated with inflammatory mechanisms, severity of depressive symptoms, and childhood trauma. This cross-sectional study enrolled 54 suicide attempters and 154 nonsuicide attempters. All individuals were assessed through a questionnaire, a structured clinical interview, scales, anthropometric measures, and...

Resolvin D5 (RvD5) is a lipid mediator that has been reported to present anti-inflammatory and pro-resolution properties. Evidence also supports its capability to enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS) production during bacterial infections, which would be detrimental in diseases driven by ROS. The biological activity of RvD5 and mechanisms against...

Acne affects most of the world's population, causing an impact on the self-esteem of adolescents and young adults. One of the causes is the presence of the bacteria Cutibacterium acnes which are part of the natural microbiota of the skin. Topical treatments consist of anti-inflammatory and antibiotics, which could select resistant strains. Alternat...

Perineuronal nets (PNN) are highly specialized structures of the extracellular matrix around specific groups of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). They play functions related to optimizing physiological processes and protection neurons against harmful stimuli. Traditionally, their existence was only described in the CNS. However, there wa...

Background Kawasaki disease (KD), an acute febrile illness and systemic vasculitis, is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in industrialized countries. KD leads to the development of coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) in affected children, which may persist for months and even years after the acute phase of the disease. There is an...

Neuropathic pain arises from injuries to the nervous system in diseases such as diabetes, infections, toxicity, and traumas. The underlying mechanism of neuropathic pain involves peripheral and central pathological modifications. Peripheral mechanisms entail nerve damage, leading to neuronal hypersensitivity and ectopic action potentials. Central s...

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that frequently contaminates food crops and negatively impacts human and animal health. While inositol-6-phosphate (IP6) is known to counteract DON-induced intestinal damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress, its ability to alleviate DON-caused kidney injury is yet unexplored. This study assessed DON’s kidney e...

Comorbidities that involve infectious and noninfectious diseases, such as malaria and cancer, have been described. Cancer and malaria induce changes in the nociceptive and inflammatory responses through similar pathophysiological mechanisms. However, it is unclear whether malaria and antimalarial treatment can change the inflammatory and nociceptiv...

Nitrate and ammonium are the main sources through which plants obtain nitrogen from the soil. Nevertheless, several plant species exhibit symptoms of toxicity when grown with ammonium, including reduced root growth. As nitrite derived from nitrate is the primary pathway for nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, environments containing ammonium as the sole n...

The perineuronal net (PNN) is a well‐described highly specialized extracellular matrix structure found in the central nervous system. Thus far, no reports of its presence or connection to pathological processes have been described in the peripheral nervous system. Our study demonstrates the presence of a PNN in the spinal afferent innervation of th...

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a predisposing factor for necrotic enteritis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a DON and Clostridium perfringens (CP) challenge on the intestinal morphology, morphometry, oxidative stress, and immune response of broilers. Additionally, we evaluated the potential of a Lactobacillus spp. mixture as an approach to...

Understanding the strategies of delivering active ingredients with nanoparticles to plant species is crucial to implement a safe-by-design approach for pesticides. Here, we used metribuzin (MTZ) as a study model...

Pain can be defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience caused by either actual or potential tissue damage or even resemble that unpleasant experience. For years, science has sought to find treatment alternatives, with minimal side effects, to relieve pain. However, the currently available pharmacological options on the market show si...

Introduction: Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects ~10% of women. A significant fraction of patients experience limited or no efficacy with current therapies. Tissue adjacent to endometriosis lesions often exhibits increased neurite and vascular density, suggesting that disease pathology involves neurotrophic activity and an...

Puberty, governed by the endocrine system, marks the onset of reproductive functions in animals and humans through a series of physiological and biological transformations. Although the mycotoxin DON can disrupt hormonal balance and cause reproductive abnormalities, its impact on puberty-associated reproductive changes remains understudied. Conside...

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether individuals with and without a history of lifetime suicide attempts had differences in more severe depressive, anxious, and manic symptoms, functional impairment, quality of life, and childhood maltreatment, besides cytokines Method : The cross-sectional study enrolled 54 suicide attempte...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress in ovaries and corpus luteum (CL) of Bos taurus indicus females and the oxidant effect of CL in ovarian tissues in regions near, intermediate, or distant from it. Ovaries (n=12) of Nelore heifers (n=6) were collected from a slaughterhouse and fragmented. Experiment 1, each ovary was obtaine...

Introduction: Gout arthritis (GA) is an intermittent inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10% of the worldwide population. Symptomatic phases (acute flares) are timely spaced by asymptomatic periods. During an acute attack, redness, joint swelling, limited movement, and excruciating pain are common symptoms. However, the current available...

Endometriosis is a debilitating and painful gynecological inflammatory disease affecting approximately 15% of women. Current treatments are ineffective for a significant fraction of patients, underscoring the need for new medical therapies with long-term benefits. Given the genetic correlation between migraines and endometriosis, we sought evidence...

Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected tropical disease prevalent in Latin America. Infected patients are treated to eliminate the parasite, reduce the cardiomyopathy risk, and interrupt the disease transmission cycle. The World Health Organization recognizes benznidazole (BZ) and nifurtimox as effective drugs for CD treat...

Foodborne diseases are a major challenge in the global food industry, especially those caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Bacteria capable of biofilm formation, in addition to MDR strains, reduce the treatment efficacy, posing a significant threat to bacterial control. Bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect and kill bacteria, are...

The use of in vivo models to assess nephrotoxicity has faced ethical limitations. A viable alternative is the ex vivo model that combines the 3 R principles with the preservation of tissue histology. Here, we established a gentamicin nephrotoxicity model using pigs` kidney explants and investigated the effect of phytic acid (IP6) against gentamicin...

Improved therapies for inflammatory bowel diseases are sorely needed. Novel therapeutic agents and the development of controlled release systems for targeted tissue delivery are interesting approaches to overcome these barriers. We investigated the activity of trans-chalcone (T) in acetic acid-induced colitis in mice and developed, characterized, a...

In this study, we describe the development of zein nanoparticles associated with the herbicide atrazine and evaluate the pre-emergence activity of this formulation against a target (Brassica juncea) and a non-target (Zea mays) plant, as well as its soil mobility and uptake/transport in the tissues of Bidens pilosa plants. The proposed nanoformulati...

During an infection, inflammation mobilizes immune cells to eliminate the pathogen and protect the host. However, inflammation can be detrimental when exacerbated and/or chronic. The resolution phase of the inflammatory process is actively orchestrated by the specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs), generated from omega-3 and -6 polyunsatu...

Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected tropical disease prevalent in Latin America. The treatment of infected patients is aimed at eliminating the parasite, reducing the risk of cardiomyopathy, and interrupting the disease transmission cycle. At present, the World Health Organization only recognizes benznidazole (BZ) and n...

Background Lipoxin A4 (LXA4) has anti-inflammatory and pro-resolutive roles in inflammation. We evaluated the effects and mechanisms of action of LXA4 in titanium dioxide (TiO2) arthritis, a model of prosthesis-induced joint inflammation and pain. Methods Mice were stimulated with TiO2 (3mg) in the knee joint followed by LXA4 (0.1, 1, or 10ng/anim...

Pain is a common symptom associated with disorders involving the orofacial structures. Most acute orofacial painful conditions are easily recognized, but the pharmacological treatment may be limited by the adverse events of current available drugs and/or patients’ characteristics. In addition, chronic orofacial pain conditions represent clinical ch...

Purpose Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) describes an entity characterized by ultrastructural muscle damage. Hesperidin methyl chalcone (HMC) is a synthetic flavonoid presenting analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. We evaluated the effects of HMC upon DOMS. Method In a preventive paradigm, 31 sedentary young men were submi...

Introduction: Available studies have shown the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in the processes that lead to neurodegeneration in PD. Also, the use of inhibitors of the inducible isoform of NO-synthase (iNOS) promotes neuroprotection and attenuates dopamine (DA) loss in experimental models of Parkinsonism. In addition, NO also appears to be invol...

Intense exposure to UVB radiation incites excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation. The resolution of inflammation is an active process orchestrated by a family of lipid molecules that includes AT-RvD1, a specialized proresolving lipid mediator (SPM). AT-RvD1 is derived from omega-3, which presents anti-inflammatory ac...

Cellular senescence is crucial in the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but it is not evident whether the standard-of-care (SOC) drugs, nintedanib and pirfenidone, have senolytic properties. To address this question, we performed colorimetric and fluorimetric assays, qRT-PCR, and western blotting to evaluate the effect of SOC drug...

Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is a common and devastating symptom with limited treatment options in patients, significantly affecting their quality of life. The use of rodent models is the most common approach to uncovering the mechanisms underlying CIBP; however, the translation of results to the clinic may be hindered because the assessment of...

Kaurenoic acid (KA) is a diterpene extracted from Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski. KA presents analgesic properties. However, the analgesic activity and mechanisms of action of KA in neuropathic pain have not been investigated so far; thus, we addressed these points in the present study. A mouse model of neuropathic pain was induced by chronic...

Background: Monascus purpureus and Aspergillus oryzae have been used to ferment defatted soybean flour (DSF: DSFF-Mp and DSSF-Ao, respectively) extract, improving antioxidant availability and conversion of the glycosylated isoflavones to aglycones. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the biological activity of fermented and non-fermented D...

Chikungunya virus is an arthropod-borne infectious agent that causes Chikungunya fever disease. About 90% of the infected patients experience intense polyarthralgia, affecting mainly the extremities but also the large joints such as the knees. Chronic disease symptoms persist for months, even after clearance of the virus from the blood. Envelope pr...

Arthroplasty is an orthopedic surgical procedure that replaces a dysfunctional joint by an orthopedic prosthesis, thereby restoring joint function. Upon the use of the joint prosthesis, a wearing process begins, which releases components such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) that trigger an immune response in the periprosthetic tissue, leading to arthrit...

In this study, we pursue determining the effect of pentoxifylline (Ptx) in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) triggered by exposing untrained mice to intense acute swimming exercise (120 min), which, to our knowledge, has not been investigated. Ptx treatment (1.5, 4.5, and 13.5 mg/kg; i.p., 30 min before and 12 h after the session) reduced intens...

In this study, we describe the development of zein nanoparticles associated with the herbicide atrazine and evaluate the pre-emergence activity of this formulation against a target (Brassica juncea) and a...

In self-revolving gram-negative Escherichia coli infection, Resolvin D5 (RvD5) was found to enhance bacteria phagocytosis and reduce the production of inflammatory mediators, contributing to the resolution of infection. LPS (lipopolysaccharide) is a gram-negative bacterial structure product which activates the immune system and, at high doses, lead...

Asthma is a chronic disease with increasing prevalence and incidence, manifested by allergic inflammatory reactions, and is life-threatening for patients with severe disease. Repetitive challenges with the allergens and limitation of treatment efficacy greatly dampens successful management of asthma. The adverse events related to several drugs curr...

Abstract UVB-irradiation increases the risk of various skin disorders, therefore leading to inflammation and oxidative stress. In this sense, antioxidant-rich herbs such as Rosmarinus officinalis may be useful in minimizing the damage promoted by reactive oxygen species. In this work, we report the efficacy of a R. officinalis hydroethanolic extrac...

Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is a common and devastating symptom with limited treatment options in patients, significantly affecting their quality of life. To uncover the mechanisms underlying CIBP, using rodent models is the most common approach; however, the translation of results to the clinic may be hindered because the assessment of pain-re...

Malathion is an insecticide that is used to control arboviruses and agricultural pests. Adolescents that are exposed to this insecticide are the most vulnerable as they are in the critical period of postnatal sexual development. This study aimed to evaluate whether malathion damage can affect sperm function and its respective mechanisms when adoles...

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin produced mainly by Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum commonly contaminates food commodities across the globe. Due to this, exposure to DON might pose potential health hazards to humans and animals. Biological factors like sex and age can influence the toxicity of DON. However, in toxicological studies involving...

We standardized a model by injecting Ehrlich tumor cells into the paw to evaluate cancer pain mechanisms and pharmacological treatments. Opioid treatment, but not cyclooxygenase inhibitor or tricyclic antidepressant treatments reduces Ehrlich tumor pain. To best use this model for drug screening it is essential to understand its pathophysiological...

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic disease related to a persistent inflammatory process reaching the central nervous system, which leads to psychiatric comorbidities such as depression and anxiety. The search for new therapeutic agents effective in alleviating the psychiatric condition associated with T1DM becomes critical. Using an anima...

Background and Purpose Gouty arthritis is characterized by an intense inflammatory response to monosodium urate crystals (MSU), which induces severe pain. Current therapies are often ineffective in reducing gout‐related pain. Resolvin D1 (RvD1) is a specialized pro‐resolving lipid mediator with anti‐inflammatory and analgesic proprieties. In this s...

Owing to the serious adverse effects caused by pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, the drugs commonly used to treat toxoplasmosis, there is a need for treatment alternatives for this disease. Nanotechnology has enabled significant advances toward this goal. This study was conducted to evaluate the activity of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNp-Bio) in...

Maresin-2 (MaR2) is a specialized pro-resolution lipid mediator (SPM) that reduces neutrophil recruitment in zymosan peritonitis. Here, we investigated the analgesic effect of MaR2 and its mechanisms in different mouse models of pain. For that, we used the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mechanical hyperalgesia (electronic version of the von Frey...

Hesperidin is derived from citrus fruits among other plants. Hesperidin was methylated to increase its solubility, generating hesperidin methyl chalcone (HMC), an emerging flavonoid that possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a powerful regulator of cellular resistance to oxid...

Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) nanoparticles are an efficient carrier system for atrazine. However, there is a gap regarding the effects of nanoencapsulation on herbicide-plant interactions. Here, we evaluate the fate and photosystem II inhibition of nano and commercial atrazine in hydroponically grown mustard (Brassica juncea) plants whose roots were...

The zebrafish is an animal model of increasing use in many biomedical fields of study, including toxicology, inflammation, and tissue regeneration. In this paper, we have investigated the inflammatory effects of Loxosceles intermedia’s venom (LIV) on zebrafish, as well as the effects of Maresin 2 (Mar2) and Resolvin D5 (RvD5), two specialized pro-r...

Rationale Cellular senescence is crucial in the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but it is yet unclear whether the standard-of-care (SOC) drugs nintedanib and pirfenidone have senolytic properties. Objectives We attempted to illuminate the effects of SOC drugs on senescent normal and IPF lung fibroblasts in vitro . Methods Colo...

Leishmaniasis is a group of chronic parasitic diseases in humans caused by species of the Leishmania genus. Current treatments have high toxicity, cost, duration, limited effectiveness, significantly complex administration, and drug-resistant strains. These factors highlight the importance of research into new therapies that use drugs without toxic...

Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes) Landrum is a Brazilian native plant. The mechanisms by which it promotes analgesia are unknown. We demonstrated the analgesic effect of P. pseudocaryophyllus dried extract (3 mg/kg; i.p.) in the following models of inflammatory pain (maximal inhibition): phenyl-p-benzoquinone (89%), formalin (72% - 1st phase and 9...

Aims This study aimed to investigate if titanium dioxide (TiO2) joint administration is a useful pre-clinical model to study sarcopenia-related chronic arthritis, and if exercise is a useful therapeutic approach against the pathogenesis of TiO2-induced arthritis and sarcopenia in mice. Main methods Two experiments were conducted. Firstly, 36 femal...

Background : Bipolar smokers were more likely to develop a worse course, had more severity of depressive symptoms, as well as had experienced more childhood trauma, and had increased levels of leptin and inflammatory biomarkers Objectives : To investigate whether the co-occurrence of bipolar disorder (BD) and tobacco use disorder (TUD) was associa...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.687633.].

Aims The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is the main sympathetic output of the central nervous system to control blood pressure. Reportedly, reactive oxygen species (ROS) can increase arterial pressure, leading to hypertension. As ROS increase the sympathetic tone in RVLM and obese animals present grater oxidative stress, it would be important...

Background: Despite the wide variety of Covid-19 symptoms, pain and the related mechanisms underlying unsettled nociceptive status is still under-prioritized. Understanding the complex network of Covid-19-related pain may result in new lines of study. It is unknown whether patient's immunological background influence pain in the acute phase of Cov...

Aluminium (Al) is an important metal, but it can be toxic including for prostate tissue. This study aimed to evaluate whether exposure to aluminium chloride (AlCl3) during the peripubertal period affects ventral prostate development in rats. Male Wistar rats (30 days old) were distributed into three experimental groups: control (sterile 0.9% saline...

Unaccustomed exercise involving eccentric contractions, high intensity, or long duration are recognized to induce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Myocyte damage and inflammation in affected peripheral tissues contribute to sensitize muscle nociceptors leading to muscle pain. However, despite the essential role of the spinal cord in the regula...

Naringenin is a flavonoid from the flavanone class found mainly in citrus fruits. Its flavonoid structure is responsible for antioxidant activity. Nevertheless, naringenin has a broad range of biological effects beyond antioxidant activity such as analgesic, antiinflammatory, nephroprotective, neuroprotective, and antimicrobial. Evidence supports t...

Resolution of acute inflammation is a time-dependent and active process that requires the biosynthesis of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs). Maresin-1 (MaR1) is biosynthesized from omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and shows analgesic and antiinflammatory effects. MaR1 immunoresolvent effects are related to the binding of the L...

Neuropathic pain is a condition that is difficult to treat and directly impact the quality of life of many patients. Thus, it is important to find new possible targets for medications in order to create new therapeutic agents. Glial cells play a significant role in mediating neuropathic pain. Activation of glial cells in the spinal cord results in...