Isolated Ro52 Antibodies as Immunological Marker of a Mild Phenotype of Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases.

The term undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) is used to describe undiagnosed patients that do not fulfill classification criteria for definite connective tissue disease (Systemic Lupus, Systemic Sclerosis, Sjögren Syndrome, and Dermatomyositis/Polymyositis). It is important to find serological markers as predictors of the evolution or severity of these diseases. The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate if there was a milder subgroup of UCTD with a special clinical profile consisting only in the presence of anti-Ro52 autoantibodies. Immunological and clinical records of 62 patients attending the hospital during 30 months were studied. Results showed a target population formed by mostly women, aged between 40 and 80 years at the moment of the study, with a registered age of onset between 40 and 60 years. Speckled pattern was the most frequent pattern found by indirect immunofluorescence. Given the obtained results and keeping in mind possible limitations because of sample size, isolated positive anti-Ro52 autoantibodies seem to lead to a benign effect in terms of evolution of the disease. As a future objective, the follow-up of these patients should be necessary to investigate new clinical symptoms, serological markers, or development of a definite connective tissue disease over time.

The Enriched Proanthocyanidin Extract of Ligaria cuneifolia Shows a Marked Hypocholesterolemic Effect in Rats Fed with Cholesterol-Enriched Diet.

BACKGROUND: Ligaria cuneifolia (Lc) (R. et P.) Tiegh. (Loranthaceae) (Argentine mistletoe) is usually used in local folk medicine. OBJECTIVE: We studied the effect of treatment with the Lc proanthocyanidin-enriched fraction (PLc) in rats fed with Cho-enriched diet on plasma lipids levels, the hemorheological parameters, and biliary secretion. METHOD: Adult male Wistar rats were fed ad libitum with a Cho-enriched diet (Cho (97% purity) 8 g/kg of diet and corn oil 280 g/kg of diet) during 28 days. Then, were separated in six experimental groups (n=5 each one), which were injected ip every 24 h with: 1) saline solution (control group, C) and 2) PLc, 3 mg/100 g body weight (treated group, C+PLc), during 3, 7 and 10 days. Group C presented an increase in plasma levels of Cho and Triglycerides (TG), and also, accumulation of hepatic lipid droplets. Also, cell shape and their corresponding morphological index (MI) were altered too. RESULTS: The treatment with PLc at 3, 7 and 10 days produces a diminution in the plasma Cho, LDL-Cho and serum TG levels, accompanied by a diminution of the lipid accumulation in the liver. The rates of bile acid output in bile can explain the diminution of plasma Cho, evidencing that some of the enzymes involved in the cholesterol conversion into bile acids could be up regulated by the treatment with PLc, leading to the observed increase bile flow. PLc treatment leads to a diminution of plasma levels of Cho and TG. CONCLUSION: Essentially, the treatment with PLc, despite the duration produces a modification in hemorheological parameters approaching the values of the experimental group with standard diet. Plasma levels of Cho, LDL-Cho and TG represent selected markers to evaluate the effect of enriched extract from Ligaria cuneifolia. Further work is necessary to better evaluate the mechanisms by which PLc induces modifications in the lipids metabolism.

Effects of proanthocyanidin enriched extract from Ligaria cuneifolia on plasma cholesterol and hemorheological parameters. In vivo and In vitro studies.

UNLABELLED: It was demonstrated that Ligaria cuneifolia (Lc) crude extract increased blood viscosity and decreased plasma cholesterol in rats. In the present study, we analyzed the Lc proanthocyanidin enriched fraction (PLc) to determine if it is capable of altering the hemorheological parameters while diminishing the plasma cholesterol. In vivo studies in adult male Wistar rats, randomized in three groups (n = 6 each one) were performed: 1. CONTROL: saline intraperitoneal (i.p.); 2. PLc 0.6 mg/100 g body weight (b.w.) i.p. and 3. PLc 3 mg/100 g b.w. i.p., every 24 hours during 3 days. IN VITRO STUDIES: with blood obtained by cardiac puncture, separated in aliquots and incubated with: 1. Saline solution (Control); 2. PLc 0.1 mg/mL, and 3. PLc 1.0 mg/mL, equivalent to doses in vivo experiments. The results demonstrated that in vivo PLc 0.6 and PLc 3 reduced plasma cholesterol (Cho) and LDL-Cho. Neither blood nor plasma viscosity was altered. Decrease of plasma cholesterol could be due to an increase of cholesterol and bile salts excretion leading to an increase of bile flow. In vitro experiments showed a direct interaction of PLc, at high concentration, with the erythrocyte membrane, inducing a switch from discocyte to stomatocyte. Only, PLc without hepatic metabolism produces hemorheological changes. Thus, PLc in vivo might be a pharmacological agent capable of decreasing plasma cholesterol.

Effect of Ligaria cuneifolia catechin- and quercetin-enriched fractions on hemorheology and plasma cholesterol.

UNLABELLED: We tested the in vivo and the in vitro effects of both Ligaria cuneifolia catechin- and quercetin-enriched fractions on erythrocyte shape and deformability, and on plasma cholesterol level. For in vivo studies, adult male Wistar rats were randomized in three experimental groups which received intraperitoneally, once a day, 3 days: CONTROL: saline solution (C; n = 6); catechin from L. cuneifolia, 0.60 mg/100 g body weight (CLc; n = 6), or quercetin from L. cuneifolia, 2.3 mg/100 g body weight (QLc; n = 6). For in vitro studies, blood samples obtained from male Wistar rats were divided into three fractions, which were incubated with saline solution (C), catechin (CLc; n = 5) and quercetin (QLc; n = 5), in a concentration equivalent to 0.60 mg/100 g body weight, and 2.3 mg/100 g body weight, respectively. CLc significantly reduced the rigidity index due to a diminished mean concentration volume. QLc induced erythrocyte rigidization (less deformability), thus increasing blood viscosity. Neither of the two treatments produced any changes in plasmatic or biliary excretion of cholesterol. Opposite results were observed in rigidity index with CLc and QLc. In vitro studies showed an interaction of both CLc and QLc with the erythrocyte membrane, which induced changes in the erythrocyte shape from discocyte to stomatocyte.

Evaluation of "alperujo" composting based on organic matter degradation, humification and compost quality.

The main by-product generated by the Spanish olive oil industry, a wet solid lignocellulosic material called "alperujo" (AL), was evaluated as a composting substrate by using different aeration strategies and bulking agents. The experiments showed that composting performance was mainly influenced by the type of bulking agent added, and by the number of mechanical turnings. The bulking agents tested in this study were cotton waste, grape stalk, a fresh cow bedding and olive leaf; the latter showed the worse performance. Forced ventilation alone was revealed to work inadequately in most of the experiments. The composting process involved a substantial degradation of the organic substrate with average losses of 48.4, 28.6, 53.7 and 57.0% for total organic matter, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, respectively. Both organic matter biodegradation and humification were greatly influenced by the lignocellulosic nature of the starting material, which led to low organic matter and nitrogen loss rates and a progressive increase in more humified substances, as revealed by the end-values of the humification indices. The resulting composts were of good quality in terms of nutrient content, stabilised and non-phytotoxic organic matter and low heavy metal content. This demonstrates that composting technology can be used as an alternative treatment method to turn AL into compost that can be used as organic amendments or fertilisers for agricultural systems.

Measuring detoxification and maturity in compost made from "alperujo", the solid by-product of extracting olive oil by the two-phase centrifugation system.

Olive-mill wastes and by-products from the edible olive oil industry contain a high non-stabilised organic load, including organic acids, phenolic compounds and fats with antimicrobial and phytotoxic properties, which make them unsuitable for direct agricultural application. The most abundant olive-mill by-product in Spain is "alperujo" (AL), a solid material with a lack of consistency and low porosity due to its high water content and small particle size, which can be suitably composted by adding bulking agents. Six piles were prepared by mixing AL with cotton waste, grape stalk, olive leaf and fresh cow bedding, then successively composted, five of them managed by forced ventilation assisted by mechanical turning and the sixth only turned. After monitoring the process, the relationship between the germination index (GI) and the presence of some potentially phytotoxic compounds, as well as several maturity and stability indices, was assessed. As composting advanced, the GI increased and both the fat and water-soluble phenol contents decreased, indicating a gradual detoxification as the composts matured. The values of the maturity and stability indices were frequently different from the values reported for other composts.

Characterization of fulvic acids by elemental and spectroscopic (FTIR and 13C-NMR) analyses during composting of olive mill wastes plus straw.

Elemental, functional and spectroscopic analyses (FTIR, 13C-NMR) were performed to study fulvic acids of composted olive mill wastes plus cereal straw, in order to follow the maturity of the final product during composting. The extracted fulvic acids were characterized by high nitrogen, acidic functional group and phenolic hydroxyl contents that might have resulted from the high degree of humification and the synthesis of more condensed humic complexes. This was confirmed by a decrease of alcoholic and aliphatic structures and an increase of aromatic structures, as shown by the FTIR and 13C-NMR analyses. The results showed that stability of the final product was reached after 12 months of composting and that fulvic acid levels could constitute an additional tool to assess final product maturity and its agronomic value.

Influencia de la octreótida en la anastomosistras obstrucción cólica experimental / Influence of octreotide in anastomosis after experimental colonic obstruction

Introducción. Se valora el efecto de la octreótida sobre la oclusión experimental del colon y posterior anastomosis. Material y método. Se realiza una oclusión de colon en dos grupos de ratas Wistar, a uno de los cuales se le administra octreótida. A las 48 h se relaparotomizó a los animales, se valoraron el grado de oclusión y el contenido intestinal y se resecó un fragmento intestinal para estudio histológico, confeccionando una anastomosis término-terminal. A los 7 días se reintervino a los animales y se valoraron las complicaciones, determinando la presión de rotura de la anastomosis, la cantidad de colágeno que contiene y su histología. Resultados. El grupo tratado con octreótida presentó un mayor radio intestinal y peso de las heces en el asa ocluida, así como de la presión de rotura y tensión parietal de rotura, con diferencias estadísticamente significativas. La presencia de dehiscencia, fuga y complicaciones fue similar en ambos grupos. El valor de hidroxiprolina fue mayor en el grupo tratado, sin valor estadísticamente significativo. La ausencia de isquemia en el asa ocluida fue mayor en el grupo tratado y este valor predice una mayor tensión parietal de rotura de la posterior cicatriz anastomótica. Conclusiones. El tratamiento con octreótida de la oclusión cólica experimental mejora la pared intestinal que va a ser sometida a una anastomosis (AU)

Automation of the standard additions method in flame atomic absorption spectrometry.

Two manifolds allowing the automation of the standard additions method in flame atomic absorption spectrometry by using two computer-controlled variable-speed peristaltic pumps operating in a programmed way are presented in this article. One of the pumps increases and the other decreases its turning speed linearly with time, so that the flow-rate supplied to the nebulizer is constant. In the first manifold, one pump moves the sample solution, while the other pump propels a standard solution, so that a continuously changing on-line mixture of both the solutions is obtained. In the second manifold, both pumps, one of which also pumps a standard solution, while the other pumps a diluent solution, propel the sample solution. This second manifold that exactly reproduces the standard additions method, is automatic and allows releaser solutions to be used. Both the procedures present the additional advantage over the conventional batch procedure of the very high number of data that can be acquired by the computer. The theoretical background of both manifolds is presented and their correct operation is experimentally verified.