"CLUPS": A New Culture Medium for the Axenic Growth of Entamoeba histolytica.

Amebiasis remains a major health problem in Mexico. Therefore, the search for better culture media and low-cost diagnostic and therapeutic tools is fundamental. We present a new culture medium for Entamoeba histolytica which allows the microbe to preserve its virulence factors and ability to induce hepatic abscesses in animal models. The novel CLUPS medium is an improved version of the PEHPS medium, previously designed in our laboratory. The main difference is the substitution of raw beef liver in PEHPS by raw beef lung in the CLUPS medium. To compare the performance of three-culture media (traditional TYI-S-33, PEHPS, and CLUPS), E. histolytica trophozoites were cultured in quintuplicate, followed by the evaluation of phospholipase activity and the induction of liver abscesses in golden hamsters. E. histolytica trophozoites grew significantly better in CLUPS medium than in TYI-S-33. Likewise, CLUPS-cultured trophozoites produced significantly more phospholipases than TYI-S-33-cultured trophozoites. Finally, trophozoites grown in any of the three tested media had similar potential to induce liver abscesses.

Bupropion reduces the inflammatory response and intestinal injury due to ischemia-reperfusion.

Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) causes severe organ failure and intense inflammatory responses, which are mediated in part by the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Bupropion is an antidepressant known to inhibit TNF-alpha production. We sought to examine the protective effects of bupropion on intestinal I/R injury in 15 male Sprague-Dawley rats that were randomized to sham surgery, 45 minutes of intestinal ischemia followed by 180 minutes reperfusion, or bupropion (100 mg/kg) before the intestinal I/R injury. To evaluate the systemic inflammatory response induced by intestinal I/R, we measured serum levels of TNF-alpha, interleukins-1 and -6, lipid peroxidation, and transaminases. Histologic analysis evaluated intestinal injury using the Chiu muscosal injury score. After I/R, Chiu score in control animals was 3.6 ± 1.2 vs 2.6 ± 0.53 in animals that received bupropion (P < .05). Bupropion pretreatment reduced intestinal. I/R injury and blunted serum elevations of TNF-alpha (0.96 ± 1.1 ng/mL vs 0.09 ± 0.06 ng/mL, P < .05) and interleukin-1 (0.53 ± 0.24 ng/mL vs 0.2 ± 0.11 ng/mL, P < .05). Bupropion in reduced intestinal I/R injury through immunomodulatory machanisms that involve inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha.

Effects of thalidomide and pentoxyphylline over local and remote organ injury after intestinal ischemia/reperfusion.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of thalidomide alone or in combination with pentoxyphylline upon intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty male Wistar rats were randomized into 5 groups: sham-operated (SHAM), control (CTL), thalidomide (400 mg/kg) treatment (THAL), pentoxyphylline (50 mg/kg) treatment and a combination group (THAL + POX). I/R was induced by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 45 minutes, followed by 120 minutes of reperfusion. We measured serum concentrations of aspartate-aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha as well as lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status. Intestinal samples were morphologically analyzed, and dry to wet (W/D) ratios calculated in intestinal, lung and liver samples, as a measurement of tissue edema. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of AST, LDH, and TNF-alpha were increased after I/R in the CTL compared with the SHAM group (P < .05). Lipid peroxidation was also increased, and antioxidant capacity in serum, decreased (P < .05). The W/D ratio was elevated in all tissue samples as well (P < .05). Both thalidomide and pentoxyphylline effectively reduced AST, LDH, TNF-alpha, and lipid peroxidation levels, as well as attenuated tissue edema and intestinal injury induced by I/R (P < .05). Combination treatment showed only modest additive effects on lung W/D ratio and TNF-alpha levels. CONCLUSION: Both drugs protected the intestine, lungs, and liver against intestinal I/R injury, probably by inhibition of TNF-alpha and lipid peroxidation. However, combination treatment showed small, additive effects.

[Primary liver cancer. Its epidemiological, clinical and biochemical characteristics]. / Cáncer hepático primario. Características epidemiológicas, clínicas y bioquímicas.

Epidemiological, clinical, biochemical and topographic features of primary hepatic cancer (PHC) were reviewed retrospective and prospectively in this study. This review consisted of 76 patients from 1971 to 1990. Forty nine males and 27 females. The mean age was 66.1 +/- 11.7 years. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HC) was the most frequent histological type (84.1%), followed by cholangiocarcinoma (87.7%). Mixed carcinoma and hepatoblastoma were 4.3 and 2.9% respectively. The prevalence af PHC among 1485 autopsies was 0.74%. The most frequent sites af metastasis were the lungs (66%) and portal vein (50%). Hepatocellular carcinoma was associated to cirrhosis in 80% of the cases. A syndrome including asthenia, weight loss, hepatomegaly and cholestasis was identified in most of the patients, and alkaline phosphatase was the most frequently disturbed laboratory test. 60% of tumors were bilateral and none of the solitary tumors had less than 5 cms in diameter. 20% of HC showed normal serum levels of AFP (< 20 ng/ml). 40% had at least one of the markers of B virus hepatitis in serum.

[Severe diarrhea in AIDS treated with a somatostatin analog. Report of a case]. / Diarrea grave en el síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida, tratada con un análogo de somatostatina. Reporte de un caso.

We herein report a 30 years old male patient with AIDS and Cryptosporidium diarrhea diagnosed by intestinal biopsy. After some days of unsuccessful conventional anti-diarrheal treatment, an analog of somatostatin (octreotide acetate) Sandostatin was started. The stool volume and the bowel movements decreased dramatically and in spite of some collateral effects the patient could be clinically improved and discharged from the hospital.