ABSTRACT
Cisplatin (CP) is an antineoplastic agent used to treat solid tumors, that has high nephrotoxicity caused by physiologic, hemodynamic, and biochemical alterations. Some studies have shown that naturally derived bioactive compounds in CP-induced nephrotoxicity reduce the side effects of this antineoplastic drug. Pitaya is an endemic fruit from Mexico with a high bioactive compound content, including betalains and phenolic compounds, with reports of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, the aim was to establish the effect of a pitaya juice concentrate (PJC) on CP-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar male rats through the identification of metabolites, determination of its chemical composition and antioxidant activity, and evaluation of the protective effect of a PJC on CP-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. The PJC showed a high content of betanins with antioxidant activity by an oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay (1299.6 ± 2.80 Trolox equivalents/g). PJC was administered daily (400 mg day-1, p. o.) for 3 days before CP administration until the end of the experiment. On day four, rats were administered a single injection of CP (6 mg kg, i.p.-1) and sacrificed 72 h later. We observed that CP provoked renal dysfunction (1.0 ± 0.1 vs. 0.4 ± 0.07 serum creatinine levels), oxidative stress, a decrease in nitrate and nitrite (NO2¯/NO3¯) levels (0.1 ± 0.08 vs. 0.4 ± 0.3) and activation of apoptosis and immune responses in kidney tissue. In addition, CP treatment induced tubular damage threefold. PJC administration prevented renal dysfunction (0.5 ± 0.06 vs. 1.0 ± 0.1), normalized degenerative structural damage prevented the increase in lipoperoxidation levels (0.04 ± 0.01 vs. 0.2 ± 0.1) and reduced the apoptosis index by 2.5 in kidney tissue. However, it did not modify the immune response caused by CP. Furthermore, PJC treatment increased nuclear factor erythroid two related factors two protein levels two times and NO2¯/NO3¯ levels 22 times in kidney tissue, which may play a role in the renoprotective effect. In conclusion, the renoprotective effect of PJC on CP-induced nephrotoxicity was associated with the attenuation of dysfunction, structural damage, apoptosis activation, and oxidative stress and was related to changes in the tumor necrosis factor-alpha and renal nitric oxide (NO) pathways. The changes in the NO pathway may be involved in renal hemodynamics. Pitaya could be used as a functional food and therapeutic coadjuvant during CP treatments due to its high bioactive levels and renoprotective compounds.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Kidney Diseases , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/metabolism , Apoptosis , Cisplatin/toxicity , Fruit and Vegetable Juices , Kidney Diseases/chemically induced , Kidney Diseases/prevention & control , Male , Nitric Oxide/metabolism , Nitrogen Dioxide/adverse effects , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
In Mexico, close to 200 fermented products have been described, of which, approximately 20 are beverages. They were obtained through rustic and ancestral fermentation methods by different indigenous Mexican communities; most of them were used in ceremonies, agricultural work, and other occasions. For their elaboration, different substrates obtained from plants are used, where uncontrolled and low-scale spontaneous anaerobic fermentation occurs. In Mexico, some of these products are considered as nutritional sources and functional beverages; the study of those products has revealed the presence of multiple compounds of biological importance. Additionally, elder generations attribute healing properties against diverse illnesses to these beverages. The aim of this review is to highlight the available information on twelve traditional Mexican fermented beverages, their traditional uses, and their fermentation processes along with toxicological, chemical, nutritional, and functional studies as seen from different areas of investigation. In the literature, pulque, cocoa, and pozol were the beverages with the greatest amount of described health properties; sendechó and guarapo were less characterized. Polyphenols, gallic and ferulic acid, anthocyanins and saponins were the most abundant molecules in all beverages. Finally, it is important to continue this research in order to determine the microorganisms that are involved in the fermentation process, as well as the organoleptic and beneficial properties they lend to the traditional Mexican fermented beverages.
Subject(s)
Anthocyanins , Fermented Foods , Beverages , Fermentation , MexicoABSTRACT
RESUMEN El quitosano (QT) es un biopolímero que ha sido ampliamente utilizado en aplicaciones de ingeniería de tejido óseo, demostrando un gran potencial para este propósito. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo desarrollar un sistema de hidrogel entrecruzable in situ, compuesto de quitosano y nano-partículas de hidroxiapatita (HAP), un equivalente al componente mineral del hueso. El quitosano fue modificado, utilizando reacciones de carbodiimida, con ácido lactobiónico y ácido azidobenzoico para hacerlo soluble a pH fisiológico y foto-entrecruzable, respectivamente. El quitosano modificado fue mezclado en diferentes proporciones con HAP, y luego de una corta exposición a luz UV, se formaron hidrogeles. Células madre mesenquimales de médula ósea de rata (MSC) fueron sembradas sobre estos hidrogeles y cultivadas por 4, 10 y 16 días, bajo condiciones osteogénicas y no-osteogénicas. A través de ensayos de proliferación celular, actividad de fosfatasa alcalina, y microscopía confocal, se observó que la mayoría de las formulaciones soportan la adhesión y proliferación celular, mostrando importantes interacciones célula-biomaterial, y una diferenciación osteogénica temprana destacada en las formulaciones 70:30 y 50:50, QT:HAP. Algunas formulaciones del sistema foto-entrecruzable tienen potencial en aplicaciones de ingeniería de tejido óseo, y se propone estudios más detallados de diferenciación celular.
ABSTRACT Chitosan (QT) is a biopolymer that has been used in widely used in bone tissue engineering applications, demonstrating great potential for that purpose. Therefore, the present study aims to develop an in situ crosslinking hydrogel system, composed of chitosan and hydroxyapatite (HAP). Briefly, chitosan was modified, using carbodiimide chemistry, with lactobionic and azidobenzoic acid to make it soluble at physiological pH and photo-crosslinkable, respectively. The modified chitosan was mixed with HAP, in different proportions, and later exposed to UV light, yielding hydrogels. Mesenchymal stem cells, from rat bone marrow, were seeded onto the hydrogels and cultured for 4, 10 and 16 days, under osteogenic and non-osteogenic conditions. Through cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity assays, and confocal microscopy, it was observed that the majority of formulations supported cell adhesion and proliferation, and a significant early osteogenic differentiation in formulations 70:30 and 50:50, QT:HAP. According to these results, the proposed photo-crosslinking system has potential for tissue engineering applications, and further specific studies are proposed for cell differentiation.
ABSTRACT
El diagnóstico de síndrome de presunta histoplasmosis ocular se basa en criterios clínicos, descritos típicamente con la tétrada: escaras atróficas coriorretinianas, atrofia peripapilar, maculopatía serohemorrágica y ausencia de inflamación anterior y vítrea. Presentamos el caso de una mujer sana de 43 años, que acude a consulta por metamorfopsias en ambos ojos, mayor en el ojo derecho. En la evaluación de fondo de ojo se aprecia una zona de desprendimiento sero-hemorrágico paramacular compatible con membrana neovascular que se confirma con angiofluoresceingrafía en ojo izquierdo, asociado a múltiples lesiones atróficas corioretinianas ecuatoriales y atrofia peripapilar sin signos de vitreítis en ambos ojos
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Female , Eye Infections, Fungal , Histoplasmosis , Ophthalmology , VenezuelaABSTRACT
Investigar la eficacia del injerto de membrana amniótica como una terapia complementaria tras la remoción del pterigion recidivante comparando el resultado clínico con el auto injerto. 60 ojos de pacientes, a los cuales se les practicó excisión quirúrgica de la hiperplasia fibrovascular nasal recidivante, seleccionados por azar simple, 30 ojos fueron sometidos a remoción de pterigión con técnica de injerto de membrana amniótica, y 30 ojos auto injerto de conjuntiva. Al quinto mes postoperatorio, se evidenció 3 casos (10 por ciento) de recurrencia en el grupo de injerto de membrana amniótica (3/30) y un caso (3 por ciento) de recurrencia en el grupo de auto injerto conjuntival (1/30). No ocurrió ninguna complicación en ambos grupos. La menor recurrencia de pterigión en nuestros casos, fueron observados en aquellos ojos en los cuales se realizó la técnica de autoinjerto en contraste con autores quienes refieren que la membrana amniótica tiene efectos antinflamatorios, anticicatrizal y antineovascular y mejor evolución postquirúrgica. Aunque también habría que considerar en estudios siguientes la influencia de varios factores como lo son: actividad laboral de los pacientes, factor de error de cirujano, otras
Subject(s)
Male , Humans , Female , Pterygium , Transplants , Membranes , Biological Dressings , Ophthalmology , VenezuelaABSTRACT
La uveítis se define como una inflamación del tracto uveal. La infección por el Mycobacterium tuberculosis suele ser secundaria a diseminación hematógena del bacilo de Koch desde un foco primario de infección hasta el globo ocular, o como una reacción de hipersensibilidad celular a diversos componentes antigénicos de la propia micobacteria. Se presenta la revisión de 7 casos clínicos de pacientes que consultaron con la emergencia del HUC presentando disminución de la AV, ojo, dolor ocular, precipitados queráticos, alteración de la PIO en dos pacientes, tyndall y solo un caso con compromiso de segmento posterior. Todos los pacientes fueron evaluados por un aquipo multidisciplinario incluyendo el Servico de Neumonología y oftalmología recibiendo tratamiento por cada servicio. Considerando la alta prevalencia de la tuberculosis pulmonar y extrapulmonar en nuestra población, es importante considerar la posibilidad diagnostica de Tuberculosis ocular en aquellos casos de uveítis anterior crónica con nódulos, o bien, en casos de corioretinitis
Subject(s)
Male , Humans , Female , Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Tuberculosis, Ocular , Uveitis , Ophthalmology , VenezuelaABSTRACT
This article describes the development of a microcomputer-based videodisc assessment prototype for measuring children's social skills. The theoretical and empirical foundations for the content are described, and the contributions of interactive microcomputer-based video technology to assessment of children with handicaps are detailed. An application of Goldfried and D'Zurilla's "behavior-analytic" approach to development of the content of assessments is presented, and the related video and computer technology development is detailed. The article describes the conceptual foundations of the psychometrics of the assessment prototype as well as the psychometric methodology that was employed throughout the development process. Finally, a discussion of the potential applications and implications of the social skills assessment prototype is included.
