Behavioural, physiological and molecular responses of the Antarctic fairy shrimp Branchinecta gaini (Daday, 1910) to polystyrene nanoplastics.

Plastic pollution represents an emerging environmental issue in terrestrial Antarctica, especially in the Antarctic Peninsula and Maritime Antarctica, which have been recently recognized as hot spots for plastic litter. In these regions, freshwater (FW) environments such as lakes host isolated ecosystems and species that can be severely affected by increasing environmental and anthropogenic stressors, which include plastics that are still overlooked. In this study, we investigated for the first time the impact of nanoplastics on adults of the fairy shrimp Branchinecta gaini (Order Anostraca) populating Antarctic FW ecosystems, using surface charged polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) as a proxy. Short-term acute toxicity (48 h) was investigated by exposing adults to carboxyl (-COOH, 60 nm) and amino-modified (-NH2, 50 nm) PS NPs at 1 and 5 µg mL-1. Biodisposition of PS NPs and lethal and sub-lethal effects (i.e., swimming, moulting, histology, gene expression) were assessed. Behaviour of PS NPs in Antarctic FW media was monitored through 48 h of exposure showing that both PS NPs kept their nanoscale size in the Antarctic FW media. Survival of fairy shrimp adults over short-term exposure was not affected, on the other hand an increase in moulting rate and alterations in the gut epithelium were observed upon exposure to both PS NPs. Significant alterations at the behavioural (ventilation rate) and molecular (up-regulation of Hsp70mit, Hsp83, Sod, P450) levels were related to PS NP surface charge and associated with PS-NH2 exposure only. Nanoplastics could represent a threat for Antarctic FW biodiversity and the Antarctic fairy shrimp could be a valuable model for assessing their impact on such remote and pristine aquatic ecosystems.

Relationship of runs of homozygosity with adaptive and production traits in a paternal broiler line.

Genomic regions under high selective pressure present specific runs of homozygosity (ROH), which provide valuable information on the genetic mechanisms underlying the adaptation to environment imposed challenges. In broiler chickens, the adaptation to conventional production systems in tropical environments lead the animals with favorable genotypes to be naturally selected, increasing the frequency of these alleles in the next generations. In this study, ~1400 chickens from a paternal broiler line were genotyped with the 600 K Affymetrix® Axiom® high-density (HD) genotyping array for estimation of linkage disequilibrium (LD), effective population size (N e ), inbreeding and ROH. The average LD between adjacent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in all autosomes was 0.37, and the LD decay was higher in microchromosomes followed by intermediate and macrochromosomes. The N e of the ancestral population was high and declined over time maintaining a sufficient number of animals to keep the inbreeding coefficient of this population at low levels. The ROH analysis revealed genomic regions that harbor genes associated with homeostasis maintenance and immune system mechanisms, which may have been selected in response to heat stress. Our results give a comprehensive insight into the relationship between shared ROH regions and putative regions related to survival and production traits in a paternal broiler line selected for over 20 years. These findings contribute to the understanding of the effects of environmental and artificial selection in shaping the distribution of functional variants in the chicken genome.

Variant discovery in a QTL region on chromosome 3 associated with fatness in chickens.

Abdominal fat content is an economically important trait in commercially bred chickens. Although many quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to fat deposition have been detected, the resolution for these regions is low and functional variants are still unknown. The current study was conducted aiming at increasing resolution for a region previously shown to have a QTL associated with fat deposition, to detect novel variants from this region and to annotate those variants to delineate potentially functional ones as candidates for future studies. To achieve this, 18 chickens from a parental generation used in a reciprocal cross between broiler and layer lines were sequenced using the Illumina next-generation platform with an initial coverage of 18X/chicken. The discovery of genetic variants was performed in a QTL region located on chromosome 3 between microsatellite markers LEI0161 and ADL0371 (33,595,706-42,632,651 bp). A total of 136,054 unique SNPs and 15,496 unique INDELs were detected in this region, and after quality filtering, 123,985 SNPs and 11,298 INDELs were retained. Of these variants, 386 SNPs and 15 INDELs were located in coding regions of genes related to important metabolic pathways. Loss-of-function variants were identified in several genes, and six of those, namely LOC771163, EGLN1, GNPAT, FAM120B, THBS2 and GGPS1, were related to fat deposition. Therefore, these loss-of-function variants are candidate mutations for conducting further studies on this important trait in chickens.

SNP and INDEL detection in a QTL region on chicken chromosome 2 associated with muscle deposition.

Genetic improvement is important for the poultry industry, contributing to increased efficiency of meat production and quality. Because breast muscle is the most valuable part of the chicken carcass, knowledge of polymorphisms influencing this trait can help breeding programs. Therefore, the complete genome of 18 chickens from two different experimental lines (broiler and layer) from EMBRAPA was sequenced, and SNPs and INDELs were detected in a QTL region for breast muscle deposition on chicken chromosome 2 between microsatellite markers MCW0185 and MCW0264 (105,849-112,649 kb). Initially, 94,674 unique SNPs and 10,448 unique INDELs were identified in the target region. After quality filtration, 77% of the SNPs (85,765) and 60% of the INDELs (7828) were retained. The studied region contains 66 genes, and functional annotation of the filtered variants identified 517 SNPs and three INDELs in exonic regions. Of these, 357 SNPs were classified as synonymous, 153 as non-synonymous, three as stopgain, four INDELs as frameshift and three INDELs as non-frameshift. These exonic mutations were identified in 37 of the 66 genes from the target region, three of which are related to muscle development (DTNA, RB1CC1 and MOS). Fifteen non-tolerated SNPs were detected in several genes (MEP1B, PRKDC, NSMAF, TRAPPC8, SDR16C5, CHD7, ST18 and RB1CC1). These loss-of-function and exonic variants present in genes related to muscle development can be considered candidate variants for further studies in chickens. Further association studies should be performed with these candidate mutations as should validation in commercial populations to allow a better explanation of QTL effects.

The antipsychotic amisulpride: ultrastructural evidence of its secretory activity in salivary glands.

OBJECTIVE: Amisulpride is reported to inhibit clozapine-induced sialorrhea. Preclinically, clozapine evokes muscarinic-M1-type-mediated secretion that, however, amisulpride does not reduce. Instead, amisulpride, without causing any overt secretion per se, enhances both nerve- and autonomimetic-evoked salivation by unknown mechanism(s). Hypothesizing that amisulpride prepares the gland for secretion, we looked for ultrastructural events indicating secretory activity in intercellular canaliculi of serous/seromucous cells, that is, density increase in protrusions (reflecting anchored granules) and in microbuds (reflecting recycling membranes and/or vesicle secretion) and decrease in microvilli (reflecting the cytoskeletal re-arrangement related to exocytosis). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Rat parotid and submandibular glands were exposed to amisulpride in vivo or in vitro. Glands were processed for transmission electron and scanning electron microscopy and then morphometrically assessed. RESULTS: Cells were packed with secretory granules. The density of protrusions increased in both glands, whereas significant and parallel changes in microvilli and microbuds occurred only in parotid glands, and in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Amisulpride induced ultrastructural signs of secretory activity but to varying extent; in submandibular glands, in contrast to parotid glands, changes were not brought beyond the granular anchoring stage. Amisulpride may provide an overall readiness for secretion that will result in augmented responses to agonists, a phenomenon of potential interest in dry-mouth treatment.

Parasympathetic vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP): a likely contributor to clozapine-induced sialorrhoea.

OBJECTIVE: The parasympathetic transmitter vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) increases salivary gland blood flow and evokes protein secretion and, in some species, such as rats, a small fluid secretion. It interacts synergistically with muscarinics for protein and fluid output. Human salivary acini are supplied with VIP-containing nerves. We hypothesise that VIP and clozapine, acting together, evoke a volume of saliva greater than the sum of those induced by each drug given separately. It was further considered whether, in the current test situation, circulatory events influenced the magnitude of the secretory response. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Saliva from parotid glands deprived of their autonomic innervation, and saliva and blood from innervated submandibular glands were collected in adrenoceptor antagonist-pretreated pentobarbitone-anaesthetised rats. Initially, the individual and then the combined effects of intravenous doses of VIP and clozapine were established. RESULTS: The submandibular volume response to the combination was 2-3 times higher, while blood pressure and glandular blood flow did not differ from those to VIP alone. The synergism occurred independent of nerves as shown in denervated parotid glands. CONCLUSIONS: From the current preclinical data, we speculate that VIP of parasympathetic origin, by its synergistic interaction with clozapine, may contribute to the clozapine (muscarinic M1-receptor)-induced sialorrhoea in schizophrenics.

Salivary secretion effects of the antipsychotic drug olanzapine in an animal model.

OBJECTIVE: Olanzapine, introduced as an alternative to clozapine in schizophrenia therapy, is thought to display a receptor affinity similar to that of clozapine. Antipsychotics are well-known xerogenic drugs. However, clozapine exerts both antagonistic and agonistic salivary effects ('clozapine-induced sialorrhea'), the latter probably via muscarinic M1 type of receptor. We hypothesise that olanzapine also has dual salivary effects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Effects of intravenous olanzapine were examined in rats, including those subjected to chronic preganglionic parasympathetic denervation (submandibular glands) or combined postganglionic parasympathetic and sympathetic denervation (parotid glands). Secretion was evoked reflexly, and by intravenous methacholine and the tachykinin substance P. RESULTS: At 0.01-1 mg kg(-1), olanzapine dose dependently reduced secretion in response to methacholine or reflex stimulus but not that to substance P. At 10 mg kg(-1), olanzapine evoked a long-lasting secretion, independent of the autonomic innervation as well as of α- and ß-adrenergic receptors and muscarinic receptors. The secretion was reduced, but not abolished, by a substance P receptor antagonist. CONCLUSIONS: Like clozapine, olanzapine evoked secretion. The response to olanzapine was greater and, in contrast to clozapine, involved non-traditional gland receptors (such as substance P receptors). The findings imply that olanzapine plays an excitatory role via tachykinin receptors in humans.

Líquen mixedematoso localizado: relatode caso e revisão de literatura / Localized lichen myxedematosus: a case report and review of the literature

Líquen mixedematoso (LM) localizado é mucinose cutânea idiopática, que pode ser classificada clinicamente em quatro formas: (1) discreta papular,envolvendo qualquer sítio cutâneo; (2) papular persistente acral, envolvendo apenas face extensora de mãos e punhos; (3) papular da infância, que constitui variante da forma discreta ou da forma acral da mucinose papular persistente; e (4) nodular. Relata-se um caso de LM, na sua forma localizada, na face de paciente do sexo masculino (AU)

Localized lichen myxedematosus (LM) is an idiopatic cutaneus mucinosis, whith can be clinically classified into four forms: (1) a discrete popular form involving any site, (2) acral persistent papular mucinosis, involving only the extensor surface of the hands and wrists, (3) papular mucinosis of infancy, a pediatric variant of the discrete form or the acral form of persistent papular mucinosis, and (4) a nodular form. A LM case, in its localized form, is described on the face of a male pacient (AU)

Atypical antipsychotics--effects of amisulpride on salivary secretion and on clozapine-induced sialorrhea.

OBJECTIVE: Amisulpride is suggested for treatment of clozapine-induced sialorrhea. However, objective measurements of its effectiveness are lacking and, preclinically, amisulpride has no effect. We currently hypothesise that amisulpride acts by reducing the nervous- rather than the clozapine-driven salivary secretion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Effects of intravenous amisulpride (as well as of clozapine and raclopride, a dopamine D2/D3 antagonist) were investigated in rats, including those subjected to chronic preganglionic parasympathetic denervation (submandibular glands) or combined postganglionic parasympathetic and sympathetic denervation (parotid glands). In duct-cannulated glands, secretion was evoked reflexly, at low and maximum flow rates, and by electrical stimulation of the parasympathetic and sympathetic innervations, and administration of autonomimetics (including substance P). RESULTS: Unlike clozapine, amisulpride had no effect on the reflexly evoked secretion at maximum rate. With respect to reflex secretion at low rate and to the secretion evoked by muscarinic, α-adrenergic, ß-adrenergic and substance P receptors, amisulpride (in contrast to raclopride) dose dependently potentiated the responses. Amisulpride had no effect on gland blood flow. CONCLUSIONS: No support for any inhibitory influence of amisulpride was found. Conversely, amisulpride universally enhanced secretion, suggesting that amisulpride is a potential drug for dry-mouth treatment. The mechanism behind the potentiation is currently unknown.

Melatonin-induced protein synthesis in the rat parotid gland.

Melatonin occurs in large amounts in the intestinal mucosa and is released during a meal. Recent studies of ours reveal that exogenous melatonin evokes the in vivo secretion of protein and amylase from the rat parotid gland. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of melatonin on the protein synthesis of the parotid gland of pentobarbitone-anaesthetised rats as estimated by the rate of incorporation of [³H]leucine into trichloroacetic acid-insoluble material of the gland. Compared with the parotid protein synthesis (set at 100%) of those rats exposed to an intravenous infusion of melatonin (25 mg/kg during 1 hour), under muscarinic and α- and ß-adrenoceptor blockade, the synthesis in the corresponding glands of saline-treated control rats was less (by 25%). The synthesis was also less when the melatonin administration was combined with the melatonin 2-preferring receptor antagonist luzindole (24%), the non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME (18%) and the neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-PLA (21%). Almost all the melatonin receptor-mediated effect was due to nitric oxide generation via the activity of neuronal type nitric oxide synthase. The present findings lend further weight to the idea that salivary glandular activity associated with food intake is hormonally influenced and they also suggest clinical implications for melatonin in the treatment of xerostomia. Since melatonin is known to exert anti-inflammatory actions in the oral cavity, the stimulatory effect of melatonin may include the synthesis of proteins of importance for the oral defence.

Percepción de la función profesional del nutricionista por parte de los usuarios de atención primaria / Perception of the nutritionist's professional function from primary care users

Research to assess the role or to describe the functions of the health personnel from the perspective of the patients is not common in the health area; however, its study allows a valid feedback in defining both a professional profile and setting targets. The objective of this investigation was to describe the most important dimensions that external users consider when defining "socially and subjectively" the professional nutritionist. This was a phenomenological qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 28 users of Conception health centers. The sample was qualitative and operates through saturation point, semantic analysis was structural. As a result, we obtained the description of the role of the nutritionist classified in the dimensions in which patients recognize the work, confirming some of its functions and discovering the importance of other ancillary and secondary consideration.

Las investigaciones que evalúan el rol o describen funciones del personal de salud desde la visión de los pacientes no son comunes en el área sanitaria, sin embargo su estudio permite una retroalimentación válida al momento de definir tanto un perfil profesional como el establecimiento de metas para éstos. El objetivo de la investigación fue describir las dimensiones más importantes que los usuarios externos consideran al momento de definir "social e intersubjetivamente" al profesional nutricionista. Se efectuó un estudio cualitativo fenomenológico, mediante entrevistas semi-estructuradas a 28 usuarios de centros de salud de Concepción, muestralmente se operó cualitativamente mediante punto de saturación, su análisis es semántico estructural. Se obtuvo como resultado la descripción de la función del nutricionista clasificado en las dimensiones que los pacientes reconocen en su quehacer profesional, ratificando algunas de sus funciones y descubriendo la importancia de otras consideradas anexas y secundarias.

Clozapine: agonistic and antagonistic salivary secretory actions.

Individuals receiving clozapine treatment for schizophrenia complain of drooling. Reports on salivary flow measurements are contradictory in humans and lacking in animals. Clozapine has affinity for several different receptor types and may, hypothetically, both stimulate and inhibit salivary secretion. In rats, intravenous clozapine evoked a long-lasting secretion, being more prominent from submandibular than from parotid glands. Chronic denervation enhanced the responses. Clozapine acted on muscarinic (M1-) receptors of acinar cells, independent of central nervous mechanisms, pre-synaptic intraglandular events, or circulating catecholamines. A fraction of the methacholine- and parasympathetic-nerve-evoked secretion was abolished by clozapine at doses below those evoking secretion. Sympathetic-nerve-evoked secretion was partially reduced by clozapine, due to antagonistic action on alpha-adrenoceptors; the beta-adrenoceptor-mediated response persisted. Subsecretory doses of clozapine enhanced secretion induced by the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoprenaline. The overall actions of clozapine suggest that, in clozapine-treated humans, salivation is increased during sleep and at rest, but is decreased during meals.

[Recurrent left lung atelectasis caused by an endobronchial metastasis of a colon cancer: report of one case]. / Atelectasia pulmonar recurrente secundaria a una metástasis endobronquial de un carcinoma de colon: Caso clínico.

Endobronchial location of metastases is uncommon. We report an 83 year-old woman with a history of a left hemicolectomy due to tubular colon adenocarcinoma, three years ago. She consulted in the emergency room for progressive dyspnea, cough an mucous sputum. There was abolition of breath sounds and dullness in the left hemithorax. Chest X ray examination showed a complete opacity of the left lung. She was treated as a pneumonia and her left lung expanded again. Three weeks later, left lung atelectasis relapsed. A bronchial biopsy showed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, compatible with colon adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the colonic origin of the tumor. The patient rejected radiotherapy and is alive after 11 months of follow up.

Atelectasia pulmonar recurrente secundaria a una metástasis endobronquial de un carcinoma de colon: Caso clínico / Recurrent left lung atelectasis caused by an endobronchial metastasis of a colon cancer: Report of one case

Endobronchial location of metastases is uncommon. We report a 83 year-old woman with a history of a ¡eft hemicolectomy due to tubular colon adenocarcinoma, three years ago. She consulted in the emergency room for progressive dyspnea, cough an mucous sputum. There was abolition of breath sounds and dullness in the ¡eft hemithorax. Chest X ray examination showed a complete opacity of the ¡eft lung. She was treated as a pneumonia and her left lung expanded again. Three weeks later, left lung atelectasis relapsed. A bronchial biopsy showed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, compatible with colon adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the colonic origin of the tumor. The patient rejected radiotherapy and is alive after 11 months of follow up.

Análisis crítico de un artículo: La terapia intensiva con atorvastatina tiene un beneficio marginal en pacientes con enfermedad coronaria estable / Critical appraisal: Intensive lipid lowering with atorvastatin in patients with stable coronary disease

Abstract: Previous trials have demonstrated that lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels below currently recommended levels is beneficial in patients with acute coronary syndromes. We prospectively assessed the efficacy and safety of lowering LDL cholesterol levels below 100 mg per deciliter (2.6 mmol per liter) in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: A total of 10,001 patients with clinically evident CHD and LDL cholesterol levels of less than 130 mg per deciliter (3.4 mmol per liter) were randomly assigned to double-blind therapy and received either 10 mg or 80 mg of atorvastatin per day. Patients were followed for a median of 4.9 years. The primary end point was the occurrence of a first major cardiovascular event, defined as death from CHD, nonfatal non-procedure-related myocardial infarction, resuscitation after cardiac arrest, or fatal or nonfatal stroke. Results: The mean LDL cholesterol levels were 77 mg per deciliter (2.0 mmol per liter) during treatment with 80 mg of atorvastatin and 101 mg per deciliter (2.6 mmol per liter) during treatment with 10 mg of atorvastatin. The incidence of persistent elevations in liver aminotransferase levels was 0.2 percent in the group given 10 mg of atorvastatin and 1.2 percent in the group given 80 mg of atorvastatin (P <0.001). A primary event occurred in 434 patients (8.7 percent) receiving 80 mg of atorvastatin, as compared with 548 patients (10.9 percent) receiving 10 mg of atorvastatin, representing an absolute reduction in the rate of major cardiovascular events of 2.2 percent and a 22 percent relative reduction in risk (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.69 to 0.89; P <0.001). There was no difference between the two treatment groups in overall mortality. Conclusions: Intensive lipid-lowering therapy with 80 mg of atorvastatin per day in patients with stable CHD provides significant clinical benefit beyond that afforded by treatment with 10 mg of atorvastatin per day. This occurred with a greater incidence of elevated aminotransferase levels.

Candidiasis sistémica en recién nacidos: factores predisponetes, cuadro clínico y efectos colaterales del uso anfotericina B

El estudio hospitalario retrospectivos de 9 casos de cadidiasis sistémica diagnósticados en base a cultivo y cuadro clínico, en pacientesingresados en la sala de recién nacidos del hospital nacional de Paraguay desde abril 1994 hasta julio 1996. Se obtuvieron los datos a partir de historias clínicas