Cyclophosphamide (CP)—which is used to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer—is related to gonadotoxicity attributed to oxidative stress. As phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are strong antioxidants that are unexplored as protective agents against male gonadotoxicity, our work aimed to investigate the effects of PBP crude extract on testicular damage and sperm parameter alterations caused by CP in mice. Three doses of PBP (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) were tested in the experimental groups (n = 8 per group), administered concomitantly with 100 mg/kg CP. After 42 days receiving PBP daily and CP weekly, body and relative testicular weights, serum testosterone levels, testicular lipoperoxidation and antioxidant enzyme activity levels, and testicular histology and sperm parameter alterations were assessed. The results showed that PBP crude extract at 200 mg/kg prevented testosterone serum reduction, body weight loss, lipoperoxidation and enzyme activity increments, and sperm parameter alterations and partially ameliorated relative testicular weight reductions and histological damage in CP-treated mice. In conclusion, we showed that PBP crude extract (200 mg/kg) mitigated oxidative damage in the testes and ameliorated alterations in sperm parameters in mice treated with CP (100 mg/kg); therefore, PBP extract could be considered as a potential protective agent against CP toxicity.

Introduction: Guillain-Barré Syndrome is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis in childhood. It is a post infectious disease immune-mediated with a rapidly progressive course, usually without relapse. The main features are progressive weakness of more than one limb, areflexia or hyporeflexia, which gets progressively worst over days-to-weeks, to potentially life-threatening severity requiring mechanical ventilation. Objective: We aimed to describe the clinical features of pediatric Guillain-Barré Syndrome in México before and during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: We performed an ambispective, observational, cross-sectional study in a Mexican reference hospital from January 2013 to December 2021. Data were obtained through records: demographic, clinical, laboratories, neurophysiological variants and treatment. Results: Here we show that of the 96 patients, 55 were males with mean age of 9 years, 72% had history of infection; progressive weakness was present in 97%, areflexia/hyporeflexia 97%, progression of symptoms 99%, mean cells of 9/mm3 and mean proteins 88 mg/dL. Admission to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit was 20%. Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy was the most frequent subtype. Nineteen patients required mechanical ventilation. Immunoglobulin was administered in 88%. Most frequent Disability Score at discharge was bedridden/wheelchair-bound. During 2020-2021 we found two SARS-CoV-2 cases and one associated with BNT162b2 vaccine. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that clinical features of pediatric Guillain-Barré Syndrome are similar before and during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, nevertheless the number of cases associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection did not find increase.

Introduction: Guillain-Barré Syndrome is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis in childhood. It is a post infectious disease immune-mediated with a rapidly progressive course, usually without relapse. The main features are progressive weakness of more than one limb, areflexia or hyporeflexia, which gets progressively worst over days-to-weeks, to potentially life-threatening severity requiring mechanical ventilation. Objective: We aimed to describe the clinical features of pediatric Guillain-Barré Syndrome in México before and during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: We performed an ambispective, observational, cross-sectional study in a Mexican reference hospital from January 2013 to December 2021. Data were obtained through records: demographic, clinical, laboratories, neurophysiological variants and treatment. Results: Here we show that of the 96 patients, 55 were males with mean age of 9 years, 72% had history of infection; progressive weakness was present in 97%, areflexia/hyporeflexia 97%, progression of symptoms 99%, mean cells of 9/mm3 and mean proteins 88 mg/dL. Admission to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit was 20%. Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy was the most frequent subtype. Nineteen patients required mechanical ventilation. Immunoglobulin was administered in 88%. Most frequent Disability Score at discharge was bedridden/wheelchair-bound. During 2020-2021 we found two SARS-CoV-2 cases and one associated with BNT162b2 vaccine. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that clinical features of pediatric Guillain-Barré Syndrome are similar before and during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, nevertheless the number of cases associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection did not find increase.