In vitro anti-tubulin effects of mebendazole and fenbendazole on canine glioma cells.

Benzimidazole anthelmintics have reported anti-neoplastic effects both in vitro and in vivo. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro chemosensitivity of three canine glioma cell lines to mebendazole and fenbendazole. The mean inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) (±SD) obtained from performing the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay after treating J3T, G06-A, and SDT-3G cells for 72 h with mebendazole were 0.030 ± 0.003, 0.080 ± 0.015 and 0.030 ± 0.006 µM respectively, while those for fenbendazole were 0.550 ± 0.015, 1.530 ± 0.159 and 0.690 ± 0.095 µM; treatment of primary canine fibroblasts for 72 h at IC50 showed no significant effect. Immunofluorescence studies showed disruption of tubulin after treatment. Mebendazole and fenbendazole are cytotoxic in canine glioma cell lines in vitro and may be good candidates for treatment of canine gliomas. Further in vivo studies are required.

Ethanol-induced tolerance and sex-dependent sensitization in preweanling rats.

According to genetic studies, the acute stimulating effect of ethanol seems to be associated with an increased predisposition to consume large quantities of ethanol. Ethanol-induced stimulation has been rarely reported in adult rats. However, infant rats, particularly during the second postnatal week of life, are highly sensitive to ethanol-induced behavioral activation. They also consume more ethanol than in later ontogenetic stages. In adult mice repeated ethanol experience usually results in sensitization to the stimulating effect of ethanol, while tolerance is the predominant result in rats. The present study was designed to explore in rats whether repeated exposure to ethanol during infancy modifies subjects' sensitivity to the stimulating effect of the drug, either increasing or decreasing its magnitude (i.e. sensitization or tolerance, respectively). Furthermore, we also explored the possible context-modulation of these effects. In two experiments, subjects were trained with water or ethanol (2.5 g/kg) between postnatal days (PDs) 8 and 12 (Experiment 1) or between PDs 14 and 18 (Experiment 2), and tested in response to water or ethanol two days later. In these experiments we identified three variables that critically modulate the effect of the repeated ethanol exposure: sex, context and age. Ethanol exclusively and consistently induced locomotor sensitization in males trained outside of the testing context (Experiments 1a and 1b), while tolerance to the stimulating effect of ethanol was observed in males and females trained in the testing context (Experiment 1a). In Experiment 2 tolerance was detected in females trained outside of the testing context. Finally, experience with the testing context during training strongly attenuated the stimulating effect of ethanol in the older subjects (Experiment 2). These results show that the same ethanol treatment can produce opposite effects (tolerance or sensitization) and demonstrate the involvement of Pavlovian conditioning in the development of tolerance. Furthermore, sex was revealed as an important factor to take into consideration in the analysis of chronic experience with ethanol during infancy. We can conclude that specific ontogenetic stages can be used to study the biological determinants underlying both ethanol-induced tolerance and sensitization, and the environmental modulators of these effects.

Reacquisition, reinstatement, and renewal of a conditioned taste aversion in preweanling rats.

Pavlovian extinction is defined as a reduction of the conditioned response (CR) as a consequence of repeated and nonreinforced presentations of the conditioned stimulus (CS). This phenomenon has been explained through two nonexclusive associative hypotheses. One of them proposes that the CS-unconditioned stimulus (US) association is weakened during extinction, while the second one explains extinction by the formation of a new inhibitory association between the CS, and the US (CS-noUS) which competes with the excitatory one acquired at conditioning (CS-US). Research supporting this second hypothesis is based on the demonstration that the CR can be recovered after extinction. However, in preweanling rats, renewal, and reinstatement treatments have failed to recover a conditioned fear response, suggesting that extinction during this ontogenetic period may involve erasure of the CS-US association. The goal of the present study was to explore whether this conclusion can be extended to the extinction of a conditioned taste aversion by evaluating infant rats in three different procedures (reacquisition, ABA renewal, and reinstatement). The results are consistent with the idea that extinction of a taste aversive memory during infancy involves relearning about the relationship between the CS and the US, with the initial CS-US association remaining relatively intact. Extinction of a taste aversive memory and a fear memory may involve different biological mechanisms during infancy. The conclusion that the only psychological mechanism for extinction during infancy is unlearning should be confined to a particular type of memory.

Cribaje de la disfagia en el ictus: utilidad de los signos clínicos y el método de exploración clínica de volumen viscosidad en comparación con la videofluoroscopia / Screening of swallowing disorders in stroke: utility of clinical signs and clinical examination method of volume-viscosity in comparison with videofluoroscopy

Introducción. La presencia de disfagia condiciona complicaciones como la desnutrición, deshidratación, neumonía e incluso la muerte del paciente, repercutiendo en los costes sanitarios. Existen métodos de detección precoz de la disfagia basados en signos clínicos y métodos instrumentados que pueden aplicarse en la cabecera del enfermo. Objetivos. Determinar la utilidad del la valoración de Signos Clínicos y del Método de Exploración Clínica de Volumen-Viscosidad (MECV-V) y evaluar su eficiencia para detectar la broncoaspiración en la fase aguda y subaguda del ictus. Pacientes y métodos. Estudio retrospectivo de una cohorte de 79 pacientes. Se comparan los parámetros clínicos y el MECV-V con los resultados objetivados con la videofluoroscopia (VFC). Se calculan las variables que determinan la fiabilidad y el valor global de un método diagnóstico: sensibilidad, especificidad y valores predictivos. Resultados. Los signos clínicos para detectar disfagia grave (aspiración) obtuvimos una sensibilidad del 69% y una especificidad del 28,8%, El MECV-V detectó aspiración con una sensibilidad del 100% y una especificidad del 13,6%. El valor predictivo negativo fue respectivamente del 62,5 y 100%, la eficiencia diagnóstica fue de 0,38 y del 0,44% respectivamente. Conclusión. La valoración del paciente disfágico basado en los datos de exploración clínica y el MECV-V resulta en un cribaje de bajo coste, de fácil aplicación y muy sensible. El MECV-V presenta mayor sensibilidad, especificidad y eficiencia, permitiendo ajustar dietas precozmente y decidir si precisa de una valoración instrumentada (AU)

Introduction. The presence of dysphagia has been associated to dehydration, nutritional disorders, pneumonia and even death of the patient, this having an affect on the health care costs. There are methods to detect dysphagia early based on evaluation of the clinical signs and methods that can be used at the bedside of the patient. Objectives. To determine the utility of the evaluation of the clinical signs (CS) and the volume-viscosity test (V-VST) and evaluate their efficacy to detect risk of aspiration in the acute and subacute phase of stroke. Patients and method. A retrospective evaluation of a cohort of 79 stroke patients was performed. We compared the clinical signs and V-VST with the results observed with the videofluoroscopy (VFC). The variables that determine accuracy and overall value of a diagnostic method, that is, sensitivity, specificity, and positive (PPV) and negative (NPP) predictive values, were calculated. Results. A sensitivity of 69% and specificity of 28.8% was obtained for the Clinical Signs to detect severe dysphagia (Aspiration). V-VST detected aspiration with 100% sensitivity and 13.6% specificity. NPP was 62.5% and 100%, respectively. Diagnostic accuracy was 0.38 for clinical signs and 0.48 for V-VST. Conclusion. Using CS and V-VST for the evaluation of the dysphagic patient is a low-cost screening method that is easy to apply and highly sensitive. The V-VST offers a higher sensitivity, specificity and accuracy and makes it possible to modify the diet early and to decide whether instrumental assessment is indicated (AU)

Observatorio de propiedad intelectual universitario / University Observatory Of Intellectual Property

La protección de la Propiedad Intelectual y la Propiedad Industrial es muy poco utilizada dentro de las Universidades por los investigadores tanto para la protección de sus desarrollos, o bien como fuente de información estratégica, sin embargo no existe un registro sistematizado del conocimiento generado por las investigaciones en las universidades ya que la información se encuentra atomizada en diversas fuentes de información, como revistas, memorias de congresos, carteles, entre otros, este fenómeno se da principalmente en México.El Observatorio sirve como instrumento para establecer comparaciones; detectar tendencias; difundir y facilitar información de las diversas figuras de propiedad industrial e intelectual en la Universidad.La estructura del Observatorio se conforma por: el Entorno, los Parámetros involucrados, los Procesos que intervienen, así como las Variables e Indicadores que aporten los datos cuantitativos y/o cualitativos que componen lo integran, para facilitar la toma de decisiones.Con base en lo anterior, fue diseñado el Observatorio Estratégico de la Propiedad Intelectual (OEPI), un Sistema Integral de Información consistente en el acopio por vía terminal electrónica de datos relacionados con la propiedad intelectual, con el objetivo de resolver problemáticas relacionadas con la captura, sistematización y uso crítico de información para la toma de decisiones(AU)

In the universities, the protection of Intellectual Property isn’t used by researchers. As to protect their developments or a source of strategic information, however there is no systematic record of such claims because, mainly in Mexico the information is not systematic.The establishment of an Observatory of intellectual property can boost research, technology development in the pharmaceutical area, as well as promote their culture at the University.The Observatory permit comparisons studies, identify trends, disseminate information and facilitate the figures of intellectual property in the University. On the other hand, is made up of an inventory that allows traceability of how and where knowledge is generated and how the universities have been moving to a culture of intellectual property.The Observatory is an Integral Information System based in the collection of data by electronic capture. With the Observatory resolving issues related to the collection, systematization and use of intellectual property information about critical to decision making(AU)

An intronic deletion in TP53 gene causes exon 6 skipping in breast cancer.

Six hundred and thirty primary breast cancer were screened for abnormalities in exons 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the TP53 tumour suppressor gene. Analysis of the structure of the TP53 gene exons was performed with the polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method and with direct sequencing of amplified DNA. In a breast tumour case from a postmenopausal patient, we found a deletion of 36 bp in intron 5 and no immunohistochemical staining for p53. We amplified and sequenced the cDNA region between exons 4 and 7 and showed that the deletion causes the skipping of exon 6. The resulting mRNA sequence had a frameshift that yields an inactive protein with a truncated C terminus. These results show the first example of intronic deletion causing exon skipping at the TP53 gene level.

[A clinical case of severe megaloblastic anemia during treatment with primidone]. / Un caso clinico di grave anemia megaloblastica in corso di trattamento con primidone.

The case of a patient who developed megaloblastic anemia caused by folate deficiency during treatment with primidone is reported. The serum level of folic acid was significantly low. Two causes able to produce folate deficiency have been discovered: chronic assumption of primidone, and low dietary intake of folic acid. The anemia was completely reversed by oral supplementation of folic acid. It has already been recognized that additional nutritional deficiency is required to precipitate a frank megaloblastic anemia during therapy with antiepileptic drugs.