Conectar
by Motoharu Hamano, Kazuya Niki, Keiki Imamura, Ken Sasaki
The chemical composition of the venom in social Hymenoptera differs between castes and ages. Biogenic amines are contained in the venom of honey bees and may be physiologically effective to vertebrate predators and insects. This study quantified the concentrations of biogenic amines in venom and compared them between different castes and ages of honey bees. The concentrations of dopamine and N-acetyldopamine in venom were significantly higher in virgin queens than workers of the same age. The concentrations of dopamine, norepinephrine, tyramine and serotonin increased with age in virgin queens and workers. There was a significant positive correlation between venom dopamine concentrations and ovarian development in queenless workers, suggesting that the concentration of dopamine in the venom transformed from normal workers to reproductive females as that in virgin queens. We also tested the possibility of dietary effects on the concentration of dopamine in venom. Workers fed tyrosine or royal jelly showed significantly higher concentrations of dopamine precursors, tyrosine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and dopamine in the hemolymph, as well as higher concentrations of dopamine in venom than in controlled workers. These results suggest that compositions of biogenic amines in venom are influenced by nutrition and change based on their social roles in honey bee society.Post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC) may include pulmonary sequelae, fatigue and other symptoms, but its mechanisms are not fully elucidated.
This study investigated the correlation between fatigue and the presence of pulmonary abnormalities in PCC patients with respiratory involvement 6–12 months after hospitalisation.
Cross-sectional study.
A tertiary hospital in Brazil.
315 patients, aged ≥18 years, were considered eligible based on SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR.
Pulmonary function tests (PFT), cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET), chest CT and hand grip were performed. The following scales were applied: Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) scale, Euroqol 5 Dimensions quality of life (EQ-5D) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Participants were divided between the fatigue group (FACIT-F≤30) and the non-fatigue group (FACIT-F>30). For the statistical analysis, the primary outcome was the difference in the diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) between groups. Considered secondary outcomes were differences in PFT, CPET, chest CT, hand grip, EQ-5D and HADS.
The fatigue group had 81 patients (25.7%) against 234 (74.3%). PFT and CPET showed no significant difference in DLCO and oxygen consumption peak values between groups. The fatigue group had a lower workload (mean 55.3±21.3 watts vs 66.5±23.2 watts, p=0.003), higher breathing reserve (median 41.9% (33.8–52.5) vs 37.7% (28.9–47.1), p=0.028) and lower prevalence of ground glass opacity (60.8% vs 77.7%, p=0.003) and reticulation (36.7% vs 54.9%, p=0.005) in chest CT. The fatigue group had higher anxiety (57% vs 24%, p
Fatigue in patients with PCC 6–12 months after hospitalisation is relatively common and had weak correlation with pulmonary disorders. Our results suggested fatigue could be strongly related with peripheral disorders such as reduced musculoskeletal strength or psychosocial limitations.
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