Parapharyngeal space tumors: Fifty-one cases managed in a single tertiary care center.

CONCLUSIONS: Pre-operative planning for parapharyngeal tumors must include meticulous analysis. Factors such as tumor size, distance to cranial base, and relation to neurovascular structures must guide the selection of a surgical approach. OBJECTIVE: To summarize experience in diagnosis and surgical management of parapharyngeal tumors, analyzing the frequencies of various tumoral types, clinical presentation, choice of surgical approach and outcomes. This study also compares the results with the most relevant case series in the literature. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of the records of 51 patients treated by the team, from 1984-2012. Only primary tumors were included, excluding invasion from adjacent spaces and metastatic disease. All patients underwent imaging studies and surgical resection of the neoplasm. Cytological analysis and arteriography were used on an individualized basis. Surgical excision was performed via different approaches, predominantly through a cervicoparotid route. RESULTS: Benign neoplasms were predominant (80%), and the most frequent tumor was pleomorphic adenoma. FNAC had a 100% accuracy to differentiate benign vs malignant tumors. The most common post-operative sequel was compromise of a cranial nerve, and three patients presented local complications after surgery. After follow-up, only three of 41 patients with benign tumors had recurring disease.

N-Acetylcysteine affects obesity-related protein expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

OBJECTIVES: Oxidative stress plays critical roles in the pathogeneses of diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis, but its effect on fat accumulation is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the role of the well-known antioxidant and a glutathione (GSH) precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in fat accumulation and the expression of obesity-associated proteins. METHODS: We studied the effects of 10 µM NAC on obesity-related protein expression in cultured 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, which are able to differentiate into mature adipocytes and accumulate lipids. RESULTS: NAC treatment inhibited fat accumulation and reduced the expression of obesity-related proteins, including monoamine oxidase A, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), aminoacylase -1 (ACY-1), and transketolase. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that the effects of NAC on triglycerides (Tgs) and protein expression are correlated. In support of this, we showed that NAC treatment affected both the Tg synthesis pathway and the expression levels of proteins implicated in human obesity.

Prevalencia de asma bronquial, rinitis alérgica y dermatitis atópica en adolescentes de 13-14 años de Cantabria / Prevalence of bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in 13-14 year old adolescents from Cantabria

Introducción: El asma bronquial, la rinitis alérgica y la dermatitis atópica son las patologías infantiles más frecuentes en los países desarrollados, con una morbilidad y prevalencia que ha aumentado en las últimas décadas. El estudio ISAAC (International Study o f Asthma and Allergies in Childhood), ha establecido un método de cuestionario que permite la comparación de la prevalencia y gravedad de estas enfermedades entre las diferentes comunidades. En España, se ha demostrado una gran variabilidad geográfica entre los centros participantes, con resultados de prevalencia que en el caso del asma oscila entre el 5,5 y el 14,6 por ciento. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal de prevalencia y gravedad de asma bronquial, rinitis alérgica y dermatitis atópica mediante cuestionario escrito y videocuestionario del estudio ISAAC, a 1.813 adolescentes de 13-14 años de edad escolarizados en las ciudades de Santander y Torrelavega. Resultados: El número total de encuestas validadas fue de 1.813 adolescentes que representó el 80,5 por ciento de la población de estudio (n = 2.253). La prevalencia acumulada de asma fue del 24,9 por ciento y la prevalencia actual de asma (asma en el último año) del 16,7 por ciento [IC-95 por ciento:15,0 por ciento-18,5 por ciento]. Un 16,8 por ciento de los adolescentes refieren haber sido diagnosticados de asmáticos. Un 21,1 por ciento refieren asma inducido por el ejercicio. La prevalencia acumulada de asma medida con el videocuestionario es de un 27,2 por ciento y la prevalencia actual de asma es de un 14,4 por ciento. El 9,9 por ciento de los adolescentes se identificaron con la escena de ataque severo de asma del videocuestionario. No se encontraron diferencias significativas según el sexo y entre ambas ciudades en las prevalencias acumulada y actual de asma bronquial. El 55,1 por ciento de los adolescentes manifestaron historia previa de síntomas relacionados con rinitis y el 44,3 por ciento [IC 95 por ciento: 42,0-46,6 por ciento], refirieron síntomas en el último año (prevalencia actual). Un 12 por ciento asociaron síntomas de rinoconjuntivitis en el último año, y los meses primaverales fueron cuando presentaron con más frecuencia síntomas nasales. Un 16,8 por ciento de los adolescentes refieren haber sido diagnosticados de rinitis alérgica o fiebre del heno y solo al 6 por ciento de ellos, los problemas nasales les impidió realizar las actividades diarias de vez en cuando o muchas veces. El 10,5 por ciento de los encuestados tuvo alguna vez dermatitis atópica, y el 7,3 por ciento [IC 95 por ciento: 6,2-8,6 por ciento], presentaron dermatitis atópica en el último año. Las formas severas de dermatitis atópica que alteraban el sueño fueron infrecuentes (1,5 por ciento), y un 15,2 por ciento de los adolescentes refieren haber sido diagnosticados de eczema o dermatitis atópica. Conclusiones: La elevada prevalencia de síntomas relacionados con asma bronquial, rinitis alérgica y dermatitis atópica en los adolescentes de 13-14 años estudiados en Cantabria es concordante con la referida en otras zonas geográficas de nuestro país con metodología semejante, siendo la prevalencia de asma bronquial la más alta de las publicadas. El conocimiento de estos resultados contribuirá a no infravalorar la sintomatología alérgica nasal y cutánea en la infancia y a un mejor control de los factores predisponentes (AU)

Effects of cross fostering on open-field behavior, acoustic startle, lipopolysaccharide-induced corticosterone release, and body weight in Lewis and Fischer rats.

Lewis (LEW/N) and Fischer (F344/N) rats differ on a myriad of behavioral and physiological endpoints, some of which have been reported to be affected by maternal experience in outbred rats and other strains. To assess whether epigenetic factors contribute to the differential behavioral responses to stress and pro-inflammatory challenges in these strains, the effects of cross fostering on open-field, acoustic startle, and glucocorticoid reactivity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were examined in the present experiment. In the open-field test, although in-fostered female LEW/N and F344/N strains did not differ, female LEW/N rats displayed significantly greater activity than female F344/N rats in the cross-fostered condition. Differences between males of the two strains were increased by cross fostering, with the LEW/N strain displaying greater total activity. In acoustic startle, there was little strain difference between in-fostered or cross-fostered female rats. On the other hand, in-fostered male LEW/N rats had a significantly greater startle response than in-fostered male F344/N rats, an effect that was dramatically reduced by cross fostering. In-fostered female LEW/N rats displayed a blunted corticosterone response relative to in-fostered female F344/N rats, an effect that was reduced by cross fostering. Conversely, although there was no strain difference between male in-fostered rats, cross-fostered male F344/N rats displayed a significantly greater corticosterone response to LPS than cross-fostered male LEW/N rats. Finally, body weight differences between in-fostered LEW/N and F344/N rats were reduced by cross fostering. Together, these data illustrate that maternal factors play a role in the behavioral and physiological responses to stress between the two strains.

[Toluidine blue solution as a diagnostic aid in oropharyngeal cancer]. / Azul de toludina en enjuagues, como auxiliar diagnóstico de cancer orofaríngeo.

In the literature exist investigations made to extensive series of patients, with premalignant oral lesions or suspicious of malignancy, in which it has been employed toluidine blue (TB), to verify the trustiness of this method as a resource for support in clinical diagnosis. The results are favourable whenever is observed the correct realization of the technique that must be preceded by a careful buccal exploration and that both findings be corroborated. This work tries to exemplificate one of the techniques of TB as will as the results obtained in 28 patients, whom, for their characteristics were considered of High Risk. Emphasis is made in relation to the false positive found. Besides, is insisted in the convenience of the routine use of this resource in the odontologic private practice and at institutional level in patients over 50 years old, to whom is necessary to accomplish at a time an adequate patient history and an accurate intraoral examination, that in addition to the use of TB, will make feasible to detect more cases of malignant lesions in early stages.