Organic cations (OCs) make up ~40% of all prescribed drugs and renal secretion plays a major role in clearing these (and other OCs), from the plasma. The active and rate-limiting step of renal OC secretion is mediated by luminal OC/H+ exchange, the molecular basis of which is suspected to involve two homologous transport proteins, Multidrug And Toxin Extruders 1&2-K (MATE1 and MATE2-K). This study has two aims to resolve outstanding issues dealing with the mechanism of MATE-mediated OC transport: (Aim 1) develop predictive models of ligand interaction with hMATE1; (Aim 2) establish the kinetic mechanism(s) of ligand interaction with MATE transporters and the extent to which inhibitory ligands serve as transported substrates of MATE transporters. Transport was measured using human MATE1 and MATE2-K stably expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. Both MATEs had similar affinities for the prototypic OC substrate, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP), and had overlapping selectivity for most of the test inhibitors. The IC50 values for 59 structurally diverse inhibitory ligands were used to generate a common features (HIPHOP) pharmacophore and three quantitative pharmacophores for hMATE1 (each displaying a significant correlation between predicted and measured IC50 values). The models identified (i) structural features that influence ligand interaction with hMATE1, including hydrophobic regions, H-bond donor and acceptor sites and an ionizable feature; and (ii) novel high affinity inhibitors of MATE-mediated transport from 13 new drug classes. Whereas metformin and creatinine were shown to be competitive inhibitors of MPP, the inhibition of MATE1-mediated MPP transport produced by pyrimethamine (PYR) and related analogs was not competitive but, instead, had a "linear, mixed-type" inhibitory profile suggestive of a MATE binding surface rather than a singular binding site. "Competitive exchange diffusion" showed that selected inhibitory ligands (including quinidine, caffeine, and the organic anion, PAH) also serve as transported substrates for MATE1. In conclusion, these data are consistent with the presence of a MATE binding surface with multiple, non-overlapping binding sites that can display different kinetic interactions with structurally distinct substrates. The creation of hMATE1 pharmacophores offers insight into development and interpretation of predictive models of drug-drug interaction in the kidney.

An optical detection technique is developed to detect and measure the resonant vibration of the cellular membrane. Biological membranes are active components of living cells and play a complex and dynamic role in life processes. They are believed to have oscillation modes of frequencies in the range of 1 to 1000 GHz. To measure such a high-frequency vibration, a linear laser cavity is designed to produce a train of femtosecond pulses of adjustable repetition rate. The method is then directly applied to liposomes, "artificial membrane", stained with a liphophilic potential sensitive dye. The spectral behavior of a selection of potential sensitive dyes in the membrane is also studied.

As alquilfosfocolinas (APC) são uma classe de fármacos derivados de fosfolipídios endógenos que apresentam potencial antitumoral. Diferentemente de outros fármacos antitumorais que agem no DNA da célula, as APCs têm como primeiro local de ação a membrana plasmática e proteínas de sinalização, como a PKC. O objetivo desse trabalho é elucidar, através de metodologias computacionais, os possíveis mecanismos de ação das APCs que provocam hemólise, inibição da PKC e interação com membranas celulares. Inicialmente, a toxicidade de um conjunto de 34 APCs foi estudada pelos métodos quimiométricos de Análise de Agrupamentos Hierárquicos (HCA) e Componentes Principais (PCA). As moléculas foram simuladas com dinâmica molecular (DM) e propriedades físico-químicas e estruturais foram calculadas para os confôrmeros de menor energia. Após aplicação de HCA e PCA, as APCs foram divididas em 3 grupos, de acordo com suas características estruturais. Os resultados sugerem que a presença de grupos catiônicos volumosos, ou anéis como adamantila e ciclohexila, aumentam a hemólise de compostos de cadeia alquílica longa. Anéis macrocíclicos como ciclopentadecila parecem ser importantes para o potencial hemolítico de compostos com cadeia alquílica curta. Com relação a compostos sem anéis e de cadeia linear, grupos catiônicos menos volumosos parecem favorecer a hemólise. Na próxima etapa do estudo, 7 derivados de APC, com diferentes grupos catiônicos, foram selecionados e ancorados no domínio C2 da PKCα. O intuito foi mapear resíduos de aminoácidos importantes para a interação dos ligantes com a enzima, e comparar com o modo de ligação do ativador endógeno fosfatidilserina (PS). Mais uma vez, HCA e PCA foram aplicados para extrair informação relevante do mapeamento. Os resultados mostraram que as cadeias laterais de Pro188, Asn189, Arg216, Trp247, Asp249 e Thr250 não permitem a aproximação adequada do ligante, o que impede que a porção fosforila se coordene com um dos átomos de cálcio. A porção catiônica da PS, em contrapartida, consegue estabelecer ligação-hidrogênio com Asn189 de forma a posicionar os oxigênios da fosforila para interagir, ao mesmo tempo, com o átomo de cálcio. Com menos pontos de coordenação, a afinidade de ligação do cálcio pela PKCα diminui e a ativação da enzima fica comprometida, interrompendo toda a cascata de sinalização que depende dela. A parte final desse trabalho se dedicou ao estudo da interação da miltefosina com diferentes bicamadas lipídicas sob o ponto de vista termodinâmico. Oito bicamadas de diferentes fosfolipídios foram simuladas por DM e a interação energética da miltefosina foi calculada por Umbrella Sampling. Os resultados mostraram que a miltefosina apresenta maior partição em bicamadas contendo colesterol, sendo a miscibilidade nesses sistemas cerca de 76 vezes maior que os valores encontrados para bicamadas sem colesterol. Além disso, verificou-se que a internalização da miltefosina é mais fácil em regiões contendo lipídeos poli-insaturados, provavelmente devido ao empacotamento mais frouxo da bicamada. Os dados sugerem que a miltefosina age principalmente em rafts lipídicos e que células contendo mais lipídicos poli-insaturados podem incorporar maior quantidade do fármaco. / Alquilfosfocolines (APCs) comprise a class of drugs with antitumor activity derived from endogenous phospholipids. Differently from other drugs whose primary site of action is the DNA, APCs act firstly in the plasma membrane and signaling proteins, such as PKC. The main objective of this work is to elucidate, via computational approaches, the possible mechanisms of actions that cause hemolysis, PKC inhibition and interaction with cellular membranes. Initially, a set of 34 APCs was studied by means of Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The molecules were simulated by means of molecular dynamics simulations (MD) and molecular and structural properties were calculated for the lowest-energy conformer. After HCA and PCA methodologies, the set was divided into 3 groups according to their structural features. The findings suggest that the presence of bulky cationic moieties, or the adamantyl and cyclohexil rings, increase the hemolytic potential of compounds with long alkyl chains. Macrocyclic rings, such as cyclopentadecyl, seem to be important to elevate the hemolysis of compounds with short alkyl chains. Regarding linear carbon chain derivatives with no ring substitution, less bulky cationic head groups seem to favor hemolysis. In the next step of this work, 7 APC derivatives were selected and docked in the C2 domain of PKCα. The aim now was to map the residues relevant for ligands interaction compared to the binding mode of the endogenous activator, phosphatidylserine (PS). HCA and PCA were again applied in order to extract relevant information from the mapping. The results showed that the lateral chains of Pro188, Asn189, Arg216, Trp247, Asp249 and Thr250 do not allow the proper approximation of the ligands, impeding the phosphoryl moiety from coordinating with one of the calcium atoms. On the other hand, the cationic moiety of PS forms hydrogen-bonding with Asn189 in order to position the oxygens to interact, at the same time, with a calcium atom. With less coordination sites, calcium binding affinity diminishes and the enzyme activation is compromised, interrupting the signaling cascade. The final part of this work was dedicated to the study of miltefosine interaction with different lipid bilayers from the thermodynamics standpoint. Eight bilayers were simulated with MD and the energetic interaction was calculated via Umbrella Sampling simulations. The findings showed that miltefosine has higher partition in bilayers containing cholesterol, with miscibility of about 76 times higher than the values referring to bilayers without cholesterol. Moreover, it was observed that the internalization of miltefosine is facilitated in regions containing polyunsaturated lipids, probably due to the looser packing. The data suggest that miltefosine acts primarily in lipid rafts, and that cells containing more polyunsaturated lipids in their membranes can incorporate higher quantities of this drug.

As alquilfosfocolinas (APC) são uma classe de fármacos derivados de fosfolipídios endógenos que apresentam potencial antitumoral. Diferentemente de outros fármacos antitumorais que agem no DNA da célula, as APCs têm como primeiro local de ação a membrana plasmática e proteínas de sinalização, como a PKC. O objetivo desse trabalho é elucidar, através de metodologias computacionais, os possíveis mecanismos de ação das APCs que provocam hemólise, inibição da PKC e interação com membranas celulares. Inicialmente, a toxicidade de um conjunto de 34 APCs foi estudada pelos métodos quimiométricos de Análise de Agrupamentos Hierárquicos (HCA) e Componentes Principais (PCA). As moléculas foram simuladas com dinâmica molecular (DM) e propriedades físico-químicas e estruturais foram calculadas para os confôrmeros de menor energia. Após aplicação de HCA e PCA, as APCs foram divididas em 3 grupos, de acordo com suas características estruturais. Os resultados sugerem que a presença de grupos catiônicos volumosos, ou anéis como adamantila e ciclohexila, aumentam a hemólise de compostos de cadeia alquílica longa. Anéis macrocíclicos como ciclopentadecila parecem ser importantes para o potencial hemolítico de compostos com cadeia alquílica curta. Com relação a compostos sem anéis e de cadeia linear, grupos catiônicos menos volumosos parecem favorecer a hemólise. Na próxima etapa do estudo, 7 derivados de APC, com diferentes grupos catiônicos, foram selecionados e ancorados no domínio C2 da PKCα. O intuito foi mapear resíduos de aminoácidos importantes para a interação dos ligantes com a enzima, e comparar com o modo de ligação do ativador endógeno fosfatidilserina (PS). Mais uma vez, HCA e PCA foram aplicados para extrair informação relevante do mapeamento. Os resultados mostraram que as cadeias laterais de Pro188, Asn189, Arg216, Trp247, Asp249 e Thr250 não permitem a aproximação adequada do ligante, o que impede que a porção fosforila se coordene com um dos átomos de cálcio. A porção catiônica da PS, em contrapartida, consegue estabelecer ligação-hidrogênio com Asn189 de forma a posicionar os oxigênios da fosforila para interagir, ao mesmo tempo, com o átomo de cálcio. Com menos pontos de coordenação, a afinidade de ligação do cálcio pela PKCα diminui e a ativação da enzima fica comprometida, interrompendo toda a cascata de sinalização que depende dela. A parte final desse trabalho se dedicou ao estudo da interação da miltefosina com diferentes bicamadas lipídicas sob o ponto de vista termodinâmico. Oito bicamadas de diferentes fosfolipídios foram simuladas por DM e a interação energética da miltefosina foi calculada por Umbrella Sampling. Os resultados mostraram que a miltefosina apresenta maior partição em bicamadas contendo colesterol, sendo a miscibilidade nesses sistemas cerca de 76 vezes maior que os valores encontrados para bicamadas sem colesterol. Além disso, verificou-se que a internalização da miltefosina é mais fácil em regiões contendo lipídeos poli-insaturados, provavelmente devido ao empacotamento mais frouxo da bicamada. Os dados sugerem que a miltefosina age principalmente em rafts lipídicos e que células contendo mais lipídicos poli-insaturados podem incorporar maior quantidade do fármaco. / Alquilfosfocolines (APCs) comprise a class of drugs with antitumor activity derived from endogenous phospholipids. Differently from other drugs whose primary site of action is the DNA, APCs act firstly in the plasma membrane and signaling proteins, such as PKC. The main objective of this work is to elucidate, via computational approaches, the possible mechanisms of actions that cause hemolysis, PKC inhibition and interaction with cellular membranes. Initially, a set of 34 APCs was studied by means of Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The molecules were simulated by means of molecular dynamics simulations (MD) and molecular and structural properties were calculated for the lowest-energy conformer. After HCA and PCA methodologies, the set was divided into 3 groups according to their structural features. The findings suggest that the presence of bulky cationic moieties, or the adamantyl and cyclohexil rings, increase the hemolytic potential of compounds with long alkyl chains. Macrocyclic rings, such as cyclopentadecyl, seem to be important to elevate the hemolysis of compounds with short alkyl chains. Regarding linear carbon chain derivatives with no ring substitution, less bulky cationic head groups seem to favor hemolysis. In the next step of this work, 7 APC derivatives were selected and docked in the C2 domain of PKCα. The aim now was to map the residues relevant for ligands interaction compared to the binding mode of the endogenous activator, phosphatidylserine (PS). HCA and PCA were again applied in order to extract relevant information from the mapping. The results showed that the lateral chains of Pro188, Asn189, Arg216, Trp247, Asp249 and Thr250 do not allow the proper approximation of the ligands, impeding the phosphoryl moiety from coordinating with one of the calcium atoms. On the other hand, the cationic moiety of PS forms hydrogen-bonding with Asn189 in order to position the oxygens to interact, at the same time, with a calcium atom. With less coordination sites, calcium binding affinity diminishes and the enzyme activation is compromised, interrupting the signaling cascade. The final part of this work was dedicated to the study of miltefosine interaction with different lipid bilayers from the thermodynamics standpoint. Eight bilayers were simulated with MD and the energetic interaction was calculated via Umbrella Sampling simulations. The findings showed that miltefosine has higher partition in bilayers containing cholesterol, with miscibility of about 76 times higher than the values referring to bilayers without cholesterol. Moreover, it was observed that the internalization of miltefosine is facilitated in regions containing polyunsaturated lipids, probably due to the looser packing. The data suggest that miltefosine acts primarily in lipid rafts, and that cells containing more polyunsaturated lipids in their membranes can incorporate higher quantities of this drug.

La résistance aux antibiotiques est l'une des menaces les plus graves pour la santé mondiale de nos jours. L'émergence de bactéries multirésistantes encourage les chercheurs à développer de nouveaux antibiotiques et stratégies pour compenser leurs différents mécanismes de résistance. L'un de ces mécanismes de défense est la formation de biofilms. Sous cette forme, les bactéries développent une matrice extracellulaire protectrice les rendant plus résistantes à divers traitements antimicrobiens. Nous avons conçu et synthétisé des composés de déstabilisation des membranes avec des caractéristiques clés : un cation benzimidazolium ou imidazolium, une chaîne apolaire hydrophobe et/ou un site de reconnaissance des anions lipophiles. Ces caractéristiques leur confèrent une activité antimicrobienne accrue et une grande capacité à perturber les membranes cellulaires. Ces composés perturbateurs de la membrane agissent via un mécanisme rapide et efficace et ont montré de bons résultats contre les souches de SARM (staphylococcus aureus résistant à la méthiciline) en tant que candidats antibiofilms prometteurs. Ces nouveaux agents ont le potentiel de se disperser et d'inhiber la formation de biofilms et pourraient avoir un impact positif sur la médecine humaine à l'avenir. / Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious threats to global health nowadays. Emergence of resistant bacteria encourages researchers to develop new antibiotics and strategies to mitigate their different resistance mechanisms. One of these defense mechanisms is the formation of biofilms. In this form, bacteria develop a protective extracellular matrix making them more resistant to various antimicrobial treatments. We have designed and synthesized membrane destabilizing compounds with three key features: a benzimidazolium or an imidazolium cation, a hydrophobic apolar chain, and a lipophilic anion recognition site. These characteristics give these compounds increased antimicrobial activity and greater ability to disrupt cell membranes. These membrane-disrupting compounds act via a fast and efficient mechanism and showed good results against MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) strains as promising antibiofilms candidates. These new agents have the potential to disperse and inhibit the formation of biofilms and could have a positive impact on human medicine in the future.

La metformine, un médicament couramment utilisé pour le traitement du diabète de type II, fut récemment identifiée comme un composé ayant des propriétés anticancéreuses très intéressantes, notamment pour le cancer du pancréas. Toutefois, malgré les nombreuses expériences in vitro et sur des modèles murins qui ont confirmé cet effet, les essais cliniques sur les humains sont restés infructueux. Un des facteurs mis en cause pour expliquer ces résultats est la grande hydrophilie de la metformine, qui diminue sa biodisponibilité et limite son transport au travers des membranes cellulaires. Nous nous sommes donc intéressés à la synthèse de sels de biguanidium amphiphiles inspirés de la metformine qui se partitionnent plus facilement dans les bicouches phospholipidiques et qui possèdent de meilleures activités anticancéreuses. Pour ce faire, nous avons tout d’abord étudié la perturbation des membranes par de simples alkylbiguanidium. Nous avons démontré que ces composés peuvent transporter des ions H+/OH- et dépolariser les membranes bactériennes, ce qui leur confère des propriétés antibactériennes et antifongiques. Afin de limiter l’hémolyse associée à ces composés, des sels de biguanidium substitués par le groupement phényléthynylbenzyle ont par la suite été synthétisés. La structure de ceux-ci leur permet de mieux se partitionner dans les membranes et s’accumuler dans les mitochondries, tout en diminuant la toxicité associée à une perturbation membranaire trop forte. Leur activité sur les cellules cancéreuses du pancréas est ainsi beaucoup plus importante que celle de la metformine, de même que leur capacité à inhiber la croissance de xénogreffes chez les souris. Ces résultats nous ont ensuite amené vers la synthèse d’une petite librairie de sels de biguanidium et l’étude de leurs activités anticancéreuses et antibactériennes. Les modifications structurales et les changements de contre-ion apportés à cette librairie ont permis d’obtenir des composés encore plus efficaces et surtout beaucoup plus sélectifs envers les cellules saines, ouvrant ainsi la porte à une nouvelle classe de médicaments anticancéreux à base de sels de biguanidium. / Metformin, a common drug used for the treatment of type II diabetes, has recently been linked to interesting anticancer properties, notably on pancreatic cancer. Although there have been many experiments in vitro and on murine models that have confirmed this effect, human clinical trials featuring metformin have been unsuccessful. One of the reasons brought forward to explain these results is the high hydrophilicity of metformin, which limits its bioavailability and transport through cellular membranes. For this reason, we have been interested in the synthesis of amphiphilic biguanidium salts inspired from metformin that can partition more easily in phospholipid membranes and thus have better anticancer properties. We first studied the membrane perturbation properties of simple alkylbiguanidium salts and showed that these compounds can transport H+/OH- ions and depolarize bacterial membranes, which in turn gives them antibacterial and antifungal properties. To limit the hemolytic activity associated with these compounds, biguanidium salts substituted by the phenylethynylbenzyl moiety were then synthesised. Their structure allows them to partition more easily in membranes and accumulate in mitochondria, while lowering the toxicity associated with high membrane perturbation. For those reasons, their activity on pancreatic cancer cells is much higher than metformin, as is their inhibition of xenograft growth in mice. These results encouraged us to synthesise a small library of biguanidium salts and study their anticancer activity. The structural modifications and counter-anion variations brought to this library have improved the efficiency of these compounds as well as their selectivity towards healthy cells, thus opening the door to a new class of anticancer drugs based on biguanidium salts.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O efeito antibacteriano de Ãleos essenciais extraÃdos de folhas das espÃcies de Lippia aff. gracilis e Lippia gracilis frente a cepa de Staphylococcus aureus isolada de Ãlcera de paciente com pà diabÃtico foi avaliado mediante experimentaÃÃo in vitro e in vivo, utilizando-se o modelo experimental de ratos diabÃticos aloxano induzidos. Cento e doze ratos machos Wistar diabÃticos com peso mÃdio de 180g foram distribuÃdos ao acaso em dois experimentos. Cada experimento foi dividido em dois procedimentos que avaliaram a atividade antibacteriana de soluÃÃes dos Ãleos essenciais a 5%, em dois diferentes procedimentos: um no ato da administraÃÃo do inÃculo bacteriano e outro apÃs vinte e quatro horas de administraÃÃo. A administraÃÃo tanto do inÃculo 108ufc/ml quanto da suspensÃo dos Ãleos foi por via subcutÃnea no membro pÃlvico dos ratos diabÃticos. CinqÃenta e seis ratos Wistar foram utilizados para cada experimento, no qual os mesmos foram distribuÃdos ao acaso em 8 (oito) diferentes grupos: 4 grupos por experimento, apresentando 7 ratos por grupo (G1-Branco; G2-Controle negativo; G3-Controle positivo; G4-Teste). Foi verificado que no procedimento 1(S.aureus sem Lippia aff gracilis 108  698 versus S.aureus com Lippia aff gracilis 293,1  79,07; S.aureus sem Lippia gracilis 108  873 versus S.aureus com Lippia gracilis 302  57,2) e no procedimento 2 (S.aureus sem Lippia aff gracilis 108  313 versus S.aureus com Lippia aff gracilis 13,28  4,03; S.aureus sem Lippia gracilis 108  818 versus S.aureus com Lippia gracilis 13,14  4,27); houve reduÃÃo na contagem bacteriana tanto para Lippia aff. gracilis quanto para Lippia gracilis. Quando comparados os grupos G4 com G3, observou-se que esta suspensÃo a 5% nÃo apresentou efeito prÃ-inflamatÃrio. Para a validaÃÃo destes resultados, foram utilizados os testes Mann-Whitney e Bartletts &Newman-Keuls (MÃdia  - E.P.M) com nÃvel de significÃncia de (p<0,05). Ainda neste estudo foi avaliado a aÃÃo antioxidante e imunomoduladora da L-glutamina em modelos de ratos Wistar diabÃticos quando administrada por gavagem a uma concentraÃÃo de 0,7g/kg em um perÃodo de 30 dias. Quarenta ratos Wistar machos foram distribuÃdos ao acaso em 5 grupos (GI-nÃo diabÃtico; GII-diabÃtico; GIII-diabÃtico com salina; GIV-diabÃtico com L-glutamina; GV-diabÃtico com ProteÃna do Soro do Leite). Passado este perÃodo, foram determinadas as concentraÃÃes de substÃncias reativas ao Ãcido tiobarbitÃrico (TBARS) e glutationa reduzida (GSH) no soro e nos tecidos hepÃticos, pancreÃticos, mÃsculo esquelÃtico, rins e tecido adiposo. Para as comparaÃÃes entre o grupo tratado com L-glutamina com os demais, utilizou-se a anÃlise de variÃncia (ANOVA-teste Tukey). As comparaÃÃes entre grupos foram feitas utilizando-se o teste t de Student. Valores de p<0,05 foram considerados significantes. A suplementaÃÃo com L-glutamina induziu ao aumento nas concentraÃÃes de GSH (MÃdia  E.P.M) e reduÃÃo significante nas concentraÃÃes de TBARS (MÃdia  E.P.M), quando comparadas com o grupo controle, nos espÃcimes analisados. A aÃÃo imunomoduladora foi avaliada atravÃs da quantificaÃÃo de linfÃcitos CD4+ e CD8+ em sangue total. Vinte e quatro ratos Wistar machos diabÃticos foram distribuÃdos igualmente em 3 grupos (G1-diabÃtico com salina; G2-diabÃtico com L-glutamina; G3- diabÃtico com ProteÃna do Soro do Leite). Observou-se um aumento significante nas populaÃÃes de linfÃcitos CD4+ (MÃdia  E.P.M) com reduÃÃo nas populaÃÃes de linfÃcitos CD8+ (MÃdia  -E.P.M) do grupo G2 quando comparado com o grupo controle, ressaltando a importÃncia da L-glutamina como imunonutriente / The antibacterial effect of essential oils extracted from leaves of the species of Lippia aff. gracilis and Lippia gracilis against strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with diabetic foot ulcers were evaluated in vitro and in vivo experimetation utilizing an experimental model of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. One hundred and twelve male diabetic Wistar rats with mean weight of 180g were distributed by chance into two experiments. Each experiment was divided in two procedures with evaluation of antibacterial activity of essential oils at 5% solutions; one procedure in the act of administration of bacterial inoculums and the other one 24 hours later. 108 CFU (Colony Forming Unit) /mL, as well as oils suspension inoculated in the subcutaneous tissue of the pelvic member of diabetic rats. Lower than 5% concentration of administered solution presented antibacterial effect in the in vitro experiment. Fifty-six Wistar rats were utilized in each experiment, randomly distributed in 08 different groups: 04 groups per experiment, each group with 07 rats (G1-White; G2-Negative Control; G3- Positive control; G4-Test). There was decrease in CFU/mL in procedure 1 (S.aureus without Lippia aff gracilis 108  698 versus S.aureus with Lippia aff gracilis 293,1  9,07; S.aureus without Lippia gracilis 108  873 versus S.aureus with Lippia gracilis 302Â57,2), which evaluated antibacterial effect of oils concomitantly with the administration of inocula as well as in procedure 2 (S.aureus without Lippia aff gracilis 108  313 versus S.aureus with Lippia aff gracilis 13,28  4,03; S.aureus without Lippia gracilis 108  818 versus S.aureus with Lippia gracilis 13,14  4,27) , which evaluated antibacterial effect of oils 24 hours after the administration of the inoculum . When comparing group G4 with G3, it was observed that 5% solution presented no pro-inflammatory effect, for analysis of these results, the tests of Mann-Whitney and Bartletts & Newman-Keuls (X  S.E.M) with level of significance (p<0,05) were used. Part of this study evaluated the antioxidant and immunomodulating effect of L-glutamine in models of Wistar diabetic rats when administered by gavages at a 0,7g/kg during 30 days. Fourty Wistar male rats were randomly distributed in 5 groups (GI- non diabetic; GII-diabetic; GIII-diabetic with saline; GIV- diabetic with L-glutamine; GV- diabetic with Whey Protein). After 30 days concentrations of TBARS and GSH in serum and in hepatic, pancreatic, skeletal muscles, kidneys and fat tissues were determined. For comparisons between the group treated with L-glutamine with the others, the ANOVA â Tukey test was utilized and the comparisons between groups were done using Studentâs t test. Values of p<0.05 were considered significant. The supplementation with L-glutamine induced an increase in the concentrations of GSH (Mean&#61617;S.E.M) and significant reduction in the TBARS (mean  S.E.M) concentrations, when compared to the control group, in the analyzed specimens. The immunomodulating effect was evaluated by quantification of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in total blood. Twenty-four Wistar male diabetic rats were distributed equally in 3 groups (G1-diabetic with saline; G2-diabetic with L-glutamine; G3- diabetic with Whey Protein). It was seen a significant increase of CD4+ (mean  S.E.M) lymphocytes with reduction of CD8+ (mean  S.E.M) lymphocytes in group G2 when compared to the control group, showing the importance of L-glutamine as an immunonutrient