Úlcera eosinófila de la mucosa oral / Eosinophilic ulcer of oral mucosa

La Úlcera Eosinófila de la Mucosa Oral, es una entidad pocofrecuente, pobremente descrita en la literatura mundial. Se define como unalesión benigna autolimitada que si bien puede presentarse en distintas áreasde la cavidad bucal, presenta una marcada predilección por la mucosa ventralde la lengua. Clínicamente, se presenta como una lesión ulcerada de bordesindurados y sobreelevados. Los hallazgos histopatológicos son característicosy consisten en un infiltrado mixto rico en eosinófilos, acompañadode una población de grandes células mononucleadas. Recientes artículosbasados en estudios inmunohistoquimicos, permiten afirmar la presencia degrandes linfocitos atípicos CD30+ y por lo tanto, incluir esta lesión en el espectrode las entidades simuladoras de desordenes linfoproliferativos.A pesar de esto, el mecanismo etiopatogenico permanece oscuro y el traumalocal juega un rol todavía no dilucidado; aunque se halla presente en lamayoría de las publicaciones, explicando el fenómeno como un mecanismoreactivo. La importancia de esta lesión, radica en su diagnostico diferencialpor su semejanza clínica al carcinoma espinocelular, histoplasmosis, chancrosifilítico, Úlcera tuberculosa, carcinoma epidermoide y otras.En nuestro trabajo se revisa la literatura y se discuten la características clínicas,histopatológicas y alternativas terapéuticas, a partir del artículo de uncaso clínico en una paciente joven, que luego de la biopsia escisión comométodo para el diagnostico de certeza, se produce una recidiva de la lesión;lo que orientó el tratamiento hacia la cirugía combinada con corticoterapialocal intralesional, logrando su remisión(AU)

Eosinophilic Ulcer of the Oral Mucosa, an entity, poorlydeciphers in world-wide literature. It is defined as a self-limited,benign injury that although it can appear in different areas of thebuccal cavity it presents a noticeable predilection via the ventralmucosa of the tongue. Clinically, one looks like an ulcer with hardand risen edges. The histo-pathological findings are typical andconsist of a rich infiltrated mix of eosinophils, as well as a populationof large mononuclear cells. Recent reports based onimmunohistochemical studies allow us to confirm the presence oflarge atypical lymphocytes CD30+ and therefore include this lesioninjury in the spectrum of lympho proliferative disorder simulators.Despite this the etiopathogenic mechanism remains unknown andlocal trauma still plays an unexplained roll; although the majorityof publications have explained the phenomena as a reactivemechanism. The importance of this injury is established by itsdifferential diagnostic because of its clinical similarity to SpinocellularCarcinoma, Histoplasmosis, syphilitic chancre, Ulcer Tuberculosis,Epidermoid Carcinoma and others. In our work the literature isreviewed and clinical characteristics, histo-pathologies and alternativetherapies are discussed. We use the case of a young patient whohas a biopsy in an effort to diagnose with certainty has a relapseof the lesion which directs the treatment towards combined surgeryand local intra lesion cortico therapy which led to successful remission(AU)

Ca+2 homeostasis and cytoskeletal rearrangement operated by sphingosine 1-phosphate in C2C12 myoblastic cells.

In hypogravity conditions unloading of skeletal muscle fibres causes alterations in skeletal muscle structure and functions including growth, gene expression, cell differentiation, cytoskeletal organization, contractility and plasticity. Recent studies have identified sphingosine I -phosphate (SPP) as a lipid mediator capable of eliciting intracellular Ca2+ transients, cell proliferation, differentiation, suppression of apoptosis, as well as cell injury repair. The aim of this research is to evaluate a possible involvement of SPP in skeletal muscle cells differentiation and repair from space-flight damage. Particularly, we investigated the Ca2+ sources and the changes on the cytoskeletal rearrangement induced by SPP in a mouse skeletal (C2C12) myoblastic cell line. Confocal fluorescence imaging revealed that SPP elicited Ca2+ transients which propagated throughout the cytosol and nucleus. This response required extracellular and intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. SPP also induced cell contraction through a Ca2(+)- independent/Rho-dependent pathway. The nuclear Ca2+ transients are suggestive for an action of SPP in the differentiation program and damage repair.

Separation of charge movement components in mammalian skeletal muscle fibres.

1. Intramembrane charge movements, I(ICM), were measured in rat skeletal muscle fibres in response to voltage steps from a -90 mV holding potential to a wide test voltage range (-85 to 30 mV), using a double Vaseline-gap voltage-clamp technique. Solutions were designed to minimise ionic currents. Ca(2+) current was blocked by adding Cd(2+) (0.8 mM) to the external solution. In a subset of experiments Cd(2+) was omitted to determine which components of the charge movement best correlated with L-type Ca(2+) channel gating. 2. Detailed kinetic analysis of I(ICM) identified two major groups of charges. The first two components, designated Q(a) and Q(b), were the only charges moved by small depolarising steps. The second group of components, Q(c) and Q(d), showed a more positive voltage threshold, -35.6 +/- 2.0 mV, (n = 6) in external solution with Cd(2+), and -41.1 +/- 2.0 mV (n = 12) in external solution without Cd(2+). Notably, in external solution without Cd(2+) the voltage threshold of Ca(2+) current, I(Ca), activation had a similar value, being -38.1 +/- 2.4 mV. 3. The sum of three Boltzmann functions, Q(1), Q(2) and Q(3), showing progressively more positive transition voltages, could be fitted to charge versus voltage, Q(ICM)-V, plots. The three Boltzmann terms identified three charge components: Q(1) described the shallow voltage-dependent Q(a) and Q(b) charges, Q(2) and Q(3) described the steep voltage-dependent Q(c) and Q(d) charges. 4. In external solution without Cd(2+) the charge kinetics changed: a slow decaying phase was replaced by a pronounced delayed hump. Moreover, the transition voltages of the individual steady-state charge components were shifted towards negative potentials (from 6.3 to 8.2 mV). Nevertheless, the overall charge and steepness factors were conserved. 5. In conclusion, these experiments allowed a clear separation of four components of intramembrane charge movements in rat skeletal muscle, showing that there are no fundamental differences with respect to charge movement components between amphibian and mammalian twitch muscle. Moreover, Q(c) and Q(d) charge are correlated with L-type Ca(2+) channel gating.

Usefulness and limits of distal echo-Doppler velocimetric indices for assessing renal hemodynamics in stenotic and non-stenotic kidneys.

BACKGROUND: Distal echo-Doppler velocimetric indices are widely used for revealing the presence of a renal artery stenosis but there is scarce information as to whether they reflect the renal hemodynamics in stenotic and nonstenotic kidneys. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: We evaluated the pulsatility and resistive indices (PI and RI), acceleration (A) and acceleration time (At) and correlated their values with those of effective renal plasma flow (ERPF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal vascular resistance (RVR) and filtration fraction (FF) estimated by single kidney scintigraphy in 24 kidneys with 70-95% renal artery stenosis (atherosclerotic n = 17, fibromuscular n = 7) and in 27 non-stenotic kidneys (11 contralateral to renal artery stenosis and 16 of patients with essential hypertension). In patients with stenotic kidneys, these measurements were repeated within 7 days after a successful percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) (in 11 arteries performed in combination with stent implantation). RESULTS: Prior to dilation we found that the stenotic kidneys had significantly lower values of ERPF, GFR and higher RVR than the non-stenotic kidneys and that these hemodynamic alterations were associated with those, also statistically significant, of the four velocimetric indices. In non-stenotic kidneys, there were highly significant relationships between PI and ERPF, and RVR (r = -0.68 and 0.81 respectively P < 0.01); similar relationships were found for RI (r = -0.67 and 0.78 P < 0.01) whereas no such correlations were found between these two velocimetric indices and GFR and FF; also no correlations were found between A and Atand ERPF, GFR, RVR and FF. In stenotic kidneys no significant correlations were found between any of the velocimetric and the hemodynamic indices. Renal artery dilation induced clear cut increments in ERPF, GFR and reduction in RVR in post-stenotic kidneys, which were associated with normalization of all four velocimetric indices. No relationships were observed between the renal hemodynamic and the velocimetric changes induced by dilation; however in post-stenotic kidneys the relationships between PI and RI, ERPF and RVR were restored as in nonstenotic kidneys. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that PI and RI can be used to assess ERPF and RVR both in non-stenotic and post-stenotic kidneys; however, none of the velocimetric indices examined in this study can provide valid informations on the renal hemodynamics of stenotic kidneys and on their changes induced by PTRA.

Non-motor effects of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in Parkinson's disease: preliminary physiological results.

Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a clinically effective therapy for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), its physiological effects on the brain and possible actions on non-motor functional systems remain largely unknown. This study evaluated the effects of DBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) on neurophysiological variables and on cardiovascular physiology. Nine patients affected by PD undergoing chronic DBS of the STN have been studied. We performed electroencephalography (EEG), somatosensory (SEPs) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs), exteroceptive masseteric silent period and sympathetic skin response (SSR) studies with DBS ON and OFF. To assess the effects of stimulation on the cardiovascular system the tilt test and plasma renin activity were studied. When we turned the DBS OFF, both SEP N20 and the VEP P100 component increased significantly in amplitude whereas the SSR decreased in amplitude and increased in latency. Although plasma renin activity tended to increase with DBS OFF, its modification induced by postural changes and blood pressure values did not significantly differ with DBS ON and OFF. We conclude that DBS of the STN in PD, besides inducing a clinical improvement, induces several non-motor effects.

Angioplasty of atherosclerotic and fibromuscular renal artery stenosis: time course and predicting factors of the effects on renal function.

The effects of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) on the renal function of stenotic kidneys are usually assessed by evaluating the changes in serum creatinine, which is quite a rough indicator of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In 27 hypertensive patients with 19 atherosclerotic and 11 fibromuscular significant renal artery stenoses, we investigated with renal scintigraphy the short-term (5 days) and long-term (10 months) effects of a technically successful PTRA (in seven cases combined with a stent implantation) on GFR of the stenotic and contralateral kidneys; these measurements were combined with those of plasma renin activity (PRA) and of angiotensin II (AII). We found that in short-term studies after PTRA GFR rose from 29.7 +/- 3.5 to 34.6 +/- 3.1 mL/min and from 36.9 +/- 4.0 to 45.1 +/- 4.3 mL/min, respectively, in atherosclerotic and fibromuscular poststenotic kidneys. In long-term studies GFR further and significantly increased, to 37.8 +/- 3.2 mL/min in the former group, whereas it stabilized in the latter group (46.0 +/- 3.6 mL/min). In patients with fibromuscular stenosis these changes in GFR were associated with clear-cut reductions in blood pressure (BP), PRA, and AII; these decrements also occurred in patients with atherosclerotic stenosis but to a much lesser extent. We also found that in short- and long-term studies the percent of PTRA-induced increments of GFR in the poststenotic kidneys were inversely correlated with the baseline values of GFR. In addition, the absolute and percent increments of GFR were positively correlated with the basal levels of AII. Thus the time course of the improvement in GFR after angioplasty may differ in kidneys, depending on the etiology of the stenosis, in that in those with fibromuscular stenosis it was entirely apparent within a few days whereas in those with atherosclerotic stenosis it required several months to be fully expressed. Also, it appears that the more compromised kidneys are those that benefit most from the dilatation and that AII levels are useful indicators of the possibility that the stenotic kidney will have a favorable functional outcome in terms of restoration of renal blood flow.

Activation of L-type calcium channel in twitch skeletal muscle fibres of the frog.

1. The activation of the L-type calcium current (ICa) was studied in normally polarized (-100 mV) cut skeletal muscle fibres of the frog with the double Vaseline-gap voltage-clamp technique. Both external and internal solutions were Ca2+ buffered. Solutions were made in order to minimize all but the Ca2+ current. 2. The voltage-dependent components of the time course of activation were determined by two procedures: fast and slow components were evaluated by multiexponential fitting to current traces elicited by long voltage pulses (5 s) after removing inactivation; fast components were also determined by short voltage pulses having different duration (0.5-70 ms). 3. The components of deactivation were evaluated after removing the charge-movement current from the total tail current by the difference between two short (50 and 70 ms) voltage pulses to 10 mV, moving the same intramembrane charge. Two exponential components, fast and slow (time constants, 6 +/- 0.3 and 90 +/- 7 ms at -100 mV; n = 26), were found. 4. The time onset of ICa was evaluated either by multiexponential fitting to the ICa activation or by pulses of different duration to test the beginning of the 'on' and 'off' inequality. This was at about 2 ms, denoting that it was very early. 5. The time constant vs. voltage plots indicated the presence of four voltage-dependent components in the activation pathway. Various kinetic models are discussed. Models with independent transitions, like a Hodgkin-Huxley scheme, were excluded. Suitable models were a five-state sequential and a four-state cyclic with a branch scheme. The latter gave the best simulation of the data. 6. The steady-state activation curve saturated at high potentials. It had a half-voltage value of 1 +/- 0.2 mV and the opening probability was only 0.82 +/- 0.2 at 20 mV (n = 32). This result implies a larger number of functional calcium channels than was previously supposed and is in agreement with the number of dihydropyridine (DHP) receptors calculated for the tubular system.

The earliest histopathological response to hypobaric hypoxia in rabbits in the Rifugio Torino (3370 M) on Monte Bianco.

Twelve Dutch rabbits were kept on Monte Bianco at an altitude of 3370 m. Half of the animals were killed after 3 months, the remainder after 6 months, and a further six animals maintained at sea-level acted as controls. The carotid bodies of all the rabbits were processed for light and electron microscopy and examined qualitatively and quantitatively. The lungs were processed for light microscopical assessment of small pulmonary arterial vessels; the thickness of the pulmonary trunks and aortas were measured; and the hearts were dissected to obtain ratios of the ventricular weight. There was a slight increase in the right ventricular weight in the hypoxic rabbits but no change in the thickness of the pulmonary trunk compared with that of the aorta. In particular, there was no hypoxic remodelling of the pulmonary vasculature such as muscularization of pulmonary arterioles or intimal longitudinal muscle in pulmonary arteries. The earliest histopathological response to hypoxia occurred in the carotid bodies in the form of an increase in the count of the dark variant of chief cell after 3 months which returned to normal after 6 months. It is concluded that the carotid body of the rabbit responds with a change in its population of dark chief cells to a level of hypoxia which is insufficient to affect the pulmonary arterioles. Changes in the cardiopulmonary system can no longer be considered to be the earliest histopathological response to hypobaric hypoxia.

Sulphation of hydroxybiphenyls in human tissues.

1. Sulphotransferase is an important detoxication pathway of hydroxybiphenyls and the kinetics of sulphotransferase activity were studied in human liver, ileum and colon mucosae, lung, kidney, urinary bladder mucosa and brain using 0-, m- and p-hydroxybiphenyl as substrates. 2. Sulphotransferase activity was detectable in all tissues studied, although it showed marked tissue-dependence. The rate of sulphation ranged greater than 100-fold in different tissues and the highest and lowest activities of sulphotransferase were found in liver and brain, respectively. 3. The Km of sulphotransferase was not tissue-dependent but was dependent on the isomer of hydroxybiphenyl. The Km varied over a 500-fold range and the highest and lowest values of Km were found with p-hydroxybiphenyl and m-hydroxybiphenyl, respectively.

The carotid bodies in bronchial asthma.

A histological study was made of right-sided carotid bodies resected therapeutically from 50 patients with bronchial asthma. Also studied as controls were 10 right-sided carotid bodies from subjects coming to necropsy. Hypoxaemia was considered a contra-indication to glomectomy and only patients with a resting arterial oxygen tension exceeding 65 mm Hg were submitted to operation. It was found that in patients with a short history of bronchial asthma the carotid bodies were not enlarged, but there was hyperplasia of sustentacular cells. In cases with asthma for 5 years or more the sustentacular cell hyperplasia was more pronounced and was associated with many nerve fibrils and slight enlargement of the carotid bodies. The functional significance of the proliferation of sustentacular cells and the abundance of nerve axons is obscure. In the asthma cases there was prominence of the dark variant of chief cells, thought to be related to episodes of hypoxaemia.

[Biprotrusion]. / La biprotrusion.

The clinic characteristics of the biprotrusion are here of described together with the associate alterations, the maseteric an gonic hyperplasia, and the corresponding treatment. As an example what has been previously said is illustrated with the excellent result shown in a patient.

La biprotrusion / [Biprotrusion]

The clinic characteristics of the biprotrusion are here of described together with the associate alterations, the maseteric an gonic hyperplasia, and the corresponding treatment. As an example what has been previously said is illustrated with the excellent result shown in a patient.

La biprotrusion. / [Biprotrusion]

The clinic characteristics of the biprotrusion are here of described together with the associate alterations, the maseteric an gonic hyperplasia, and the corresponding treatment. As an example what has been previously said is illustrated with the excellent result shown in a patient.

Tissue distribution of drug-metabolizing enzymes in humans.

1. The activities of the ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECOD), epoxide hydrolase (EH), UDP-glucuronyl transferase (GT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetyl transferase (AT) and sulphotransferase (ST) were measured in 6 liver, 8 lung, 8 kidney, 8 intestinal mucosa and 22 urinary bladder mucosa specimens from human subjects. EH and GT were studied with styrene oxide and 1-naphthol, respectively, as substrates, GST, AT and ST were studied with benzo(a)pyrene-4,5-oxide, p-aminobenzoic acid and 2-naphthol, respectively. 2. The enzyme activities were detectable at significant rates in liver, lungs, kidneys and gut. In urinary bladder, EH, GT, GST and ST only were detectable. The liver catalyzed the various reactions at higher rates than did other tissues. 3. Of the extrahepatic tissues, the intestinal mucosa contained the highest activities of AT (50% of liver) and ST (30% of liver), whereas kidneys contained the highest activity of GT (50% of liver) and GST (80% of liver). GST was the enzyme with the widest tissue distribution.

Muscarinic cholinergic receptors in lung of developing rats.

The muscarin-specific radioligand 1-quinuclidinyl-[phenyl-4-3H]-benzilate was used to determine the development of muscarinic receptors in particulate membranes of rat lung. Postnatal development is associated with a decrease in the number of binding sites (Bmax). Bmax was 65.61 +/- 11.33 fmol/mg protein in 21-day-old rat fetuses and it decreased to 36.64 +/- 10.18 at postnatal day 1, 32.37 +/- 4.99 at day 7 and 16.15 +/- 4.13 fmol/mg protein at 2 months. Bmax at 2 months was significantly different from all the others (Dunnett's test). The dissociation constant Kd was 0.25 nM in 2-month-old animals and it did not undergo significant changes during development.