Asociación entre el polimorfismo genético de la interleucina-1Beta (3953 T/C) y la hernia discal lumbar sintomática / Association between the genetic polymorphism of interleukin-1Beta (3953 T/C) and symptomatic lumbar herniated disc

Objetivo. Evaluar la asociación entre la presencia en el genotipo de determinados polimorfismos genéticos (PG) de las citocinas y del óxido nítrico sintasa (NOS) y el desarrollo de la hernia discal lumbar (HDL) sintomática.Material y método. Se revisaron 179 pacientes en un estudio retrospectivo de casos y controles. El grupo de casos estaba formado por 50 pacientes con HDL confirmada mediante resonancia magnética. El grupo control lo componían pacientes ingresados para cirugía protésica de la cadera o de la rodilla que no presentaban ni habían presentado nunca clínica compatible con HDL. Se realizó una extracción de sangre a todos los participantes del estudio. Se genotiparon los PG de las citocinas que pretendíamos estudiar: interleucina (IL)-1 (IL-1alfa [−889 C/T] e IL-1Beta [+3953 T/C]) y factor de necrosis tumoral-alfa (TNF-alfa´ [−308 G/A] y TNF-alfa´ [−238 G/A]). Resultados. El genotipo CC y la frecuencia del alelo C del PG IL-1Beta (+3953 T/C) fueron significativamente mayores en el grupo de pacientes con HDL respecto a la población control. Por el contrario, los pacientes del grupo control portaban los PG de NOS endotelial (−768 T/C) y de NOS inducible 22 G/A con mayor frecuencia que el grupo de pacientes con HDL, esta diferencia es estadísticamente significativa para ambos polimorfismos. Conclusiones. Encontramos que ser portador del alelo C del PG IL-1Beta (+3953 T/C) puede ser un factor de predisposición para desarrollar una HDL. Por otro lado, ser portador del PG NOS endotelial (−768 T/C) y del NOS inducible 22 G/A parece comportarse como un factor protector frente al desarrollo de esta enfermedad (AU)

Objective. To evaluate the association between the presence of the genotype of certain genetic polymorphisms (GP) of the cytokine and oxide nitric synthase (NOS) and the development of lumbar herniated disc (LHD). Materials and methods. We reviewed 179 patients in a retrospective case-control study. The case group was made up of 50 patients with confirmed lumbar herniated disc diagnosed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The control group was made up of patients admitted for hip and knee prosthetic surgery who did not have or had not had any symptoms consistent with LHD. Blood was drawn from all of the study participants. The genotypes of the GP were obtained of the cytokines to be studied: Interleukin-1 [IL-1alpha(−889 C/T), IL-1Beta(+3953 T/C)], Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha [TNF-alpha (−308 G/A) and (−238G/A)]. Results. The CC genotype and C allele frequency of the IL-1Betaβ PG (+3953T/C) polymorphism were significantly more frequent in patients with LDH compared to the controls. On the contrary, the control group patients carried eNos GPs (−768 T/C) and iNOS22 G/A polymorphisms more frequently than the LHD group, this difference being statistically different for both polymorphisms. Conclusions. We found that individuals who were carriers of the CC genotype of the IL-1b(+3953T/C) polymorphism showed higher susceptibility to suffer lumbar disc herniation. Furthermore, being a carrier of ENOS (−786 T/C) and iNOS (22 G/A) polymorphisms suggests that this could behave as a protection factor against disc herniation (AU)

Biological Behavior and Partial Molecular Characterization of Six Chilean Isolates of Plum pox virus.

Plum pox virus (PPV) strain D was first detected in Chile in 1992 infecting Prunus trees including peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums. Since then, quarantine efforts have included periodic surveys in the central zone of the country, the main region for stone fruit production. This work describes the characterization of six PPV isolates from this area of Chile, using biological and molecular approaches. PPV isolates were introduced into Prunus tomentosa and Nicotiana benthamiana hosts by grafting and mechanical inoculation, respectively. Symptoms were evaluated by following the appearance of circular necrotic spots and mosaic in leaves of P. tomentosa and mosaic and some leaf deformation in N. benthamiana. Molecular analysis was carried out using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, allowing the cloning and sequencing of 1.34-kb fragments corresponding to the 3' region of the replicase gene, the complete coat protein (CP) gene, and the 3' nontranslated region of the PPV genome. Evolutionary distance analysis of these nucleotide sequences and their deduced coat protein amino acid sequences grouped the six Chilean isolates among strain D isolates, with closest genetic distances to those of Central Germany and Poland. Representative sources of these isolates suggest that strain D could be the only type of PPV currently present in Chile.

Isolation and Molecular Characterization of a Chilean Isolate of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus.

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) was described in 1981 affecting squash, melon, and other cultivated cucurbits with severe stunting and yellowing symptoms. It was reported to be present in most countries where cucurbits are grown, and in Chile since 1995, from surveys using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) but without further characterization. A potyvirus was isolated from ELISA-positive symptomatic plants. The results indicate that this virus is ZYMV based on symptoms on herbaceous indicators, immunospecific electron microscopy of the purified particle, and sequencing of 395 bases of the 3' end of the coat protein gene. The virus was detected in melon, watermelon, and squash plants. In agreement with previous descriptions for ZYMV, the Chilean isolate is a flexuous filamentous particle 740 nm long with one main protein of approximately 36 kDa. Nucleotide sequence comparisons of the 3' portion of the coat protein gene revealed a high similarity to the Connecticut and California strains.

Luminal calcium regulates calcium release in triads isolated from frog and rabbit skeletal muscle.

Triads isolated from frog and rabbit skeletal muscle were equilibrated with different external [Ca2+], ranging from 0.025 to 10 mM. Vesicular calcium increased with external [Ca2+] as the sum of a linear plus a saturable component; the latter, which vanished after calsequestrin removal, displayed Bmax values of 182 and 132 nmol of calcium/mg of protein, with Kd values of 1.21 and 1.14 mM in frog and rabbit vesicles, respectively. The effect of luminal [Ca2+] on release kinetics in triads from frog and rabbit skeletal muscle was investigated, triggering release with 2 mM ATP, pCa 5, pH 6.8. In triads from frog, release rate constant (k) values increased sixfold after increasing luminal [Ca2+] from 0.025 to 3 mM. In triads from rabbit, k values increased 20-fold when luminal [Ca2+] increased from 0.05 to 0.7 mM. In both preparations, k values remained relatively constant (10-12 s-1) at higher luminal [Ca2+], with a small decrease at 10 mM. Initial release rates increased with luminal [Ca2+] in both preparations; in triads from rabbit the increase was hyperbolic, and in triads from frogs the increase was sigmoidal. These results indicate that, although triads from frog and rabbit respond differently, in both preparations luminal [Ca2+] has a distinctive effect on release, presumably by regulating sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channels.

Invaginacion duodeno duodenal. Informe de un paciente. / Duodeno-duodenal intussusception. Report of a case

Siendo el duodeno un organo fijo, la invaginacion sobre si mismo es una rareza. No hemos encontrado informe en la literatura mundial de caso similar, por lo que consideramos de interes informar de una paciente con obstruccion parcial por invaginacion duodeno-duonenal secundaria a un sindrome de pinza mesenterica superior de larga evolucion. Se efectuo duodeno-yeyunoanastomosis latero-lateral retrocolica, con resultados satisfactorios.Se revisa la literatura y se hacen consideraciones en relacion al diagnostico diferencial y tratamiento de las alteraciones congenitas del duodeno. Conclusiones: La obstruccion parcial cronica del duodeno puede ocasionar una invaginacion que requiere tratamiento quirurgico

Learning deficits produced by chronic and reversible lesions of the corpus striatum in rats.

In a first experiment it was found that the reversible disruption of the normal activity of the corpus striatum (CN) of rats by microinjections of potassium chloride produced a marked impairment on the acquisition of a one-trial passive avoidance task. Two additional experiments showed the same performance deficits on the acquisition as well as on the retention of the task when the CN was electrolytically lesioned. Since two different methods of disrupting the functional integrity of the striatum were used, it can be concluded that the results are not due to the pecularities of a single method. These results further support the hypothesis of critical involvement of the CN in the integration and storing of learned information.