Morphological alterations of Thymus during the early murine leishmaniasis.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected and endemic disease that affects poorest population mainly in developing countries. Thymus provides an essential complex environment for T cell maturation and differentiation during leishmania infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the pathological alterations of the Thymus during early Leishmania amazonensis murine infection. BALB/c mice were infected with 105 amastigotes for 24 h, 3 days, 7 days, 15 days or 30 days. At different times of infection, the relative weight of the Thymus was obtained, and the Thymus cellularity was determined by counting total cells of one thymic lobe. The thymic lobe was, alternatively, processed for standard Haematoxylin and Eosin protocol. Our results suggest thymic alteration during the early days of BALB/c mice infection with L. amazonensis. The thymic hypertrophy was accompanied by histological alterations in Thymus architecture with thickening cortex at 3 days p.i. and loss of an evident delimitation between the cortex and medulla at 7 days p.i. when compared to the control mice. That is the first time that Thymus hypertrophy was observed during the early leishmaniasis. However, how it may contribute to infection susceptibility requires further investigation.

Morphological alterations of Thymus during the early murine leishmaniasis

@#Leishmaniasis is a neglected and endemic disease that affects poorest population mainly in developing countries. Thymus provides an essential complex environment for T cell maturation and differentiation during leishmania infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the pathological alterations of the Thymus during early Leishmania amazonensis murine infection. BALB/c mice were infected with 105 amastigotes for 24 h, 3 days, 7 days, 15 days or 30 days. At different times of infection, the relative weight of the Thymus was obtained, and the Thymus cellularity was determined by counting total cells of one thymic lobe. The thymic lobe was, alternatively, processed for standard Haematoxylin and Eosin protocol. Our results suggest thymic alteration during the early days of BALB/c mice infection with L. amazonensis. The thymic hypertrophy was accompanied by histological alterations in Thymus architecture with thickening cortex at 3 days p.i. and loss of an evident delimitation between the cortex and medulla at 7 days p.i. when compared to the control mice. That is the first time that Thymus hypertrophy was observed during the early leishmaniasis. However, how it may contribute to infection susceptibility requires further investigation.

Last Interglacial Iberian Neandertals as fisher-hunter-gatherers.

Marine food-reliant subsistence systems such as those in the African Middle Stone Age (MSA) were not thought to exist in Europe until the much later Mesolithic. Whether this apparent lag reflects taphonomic biases or behavioral distinctions between archaic and modern humans remains much debated. Figueira Brava cave, in the Arrábida range (Portugal), provides an exceptionally well preserved record of Neandertal coastal resource exploitation on a comparable scale to the MSA and dated to ~86 to 106 thousand years ago. The breadth of the subsistence base-pine nuts, marine invertebrates, fish, marine birds and mammals, tortoises, waterfowl, and hoofed game-exceeds that of regional early Holocene sites. Fisher-hunter-gatherer economies are not the preserve of anatomically modern people; by the Last Interglacial, they were in place across the Old World in the appropriate settings.

A second species of Araucariocladus Silveira amp; Mermudes, with notes on the variation in antennomere numbers in this genus (Coleoptera: Lampyridae).

Here, we describe Araucariocladus amfractus sp. nov., and compare it to the previously monotypic type-species, A. hiems. The new species can be distinguished from A. hiems by the following combination: colour pattern overall dark-brown; pedicel three times shorter than antennomere III and slightly wider than long; distance between antennal sockets as wide as 3/5 clypeal width; labial palpomere III with sides divergent towards apex, apical margin longer than dorsal and shorter than ventral margin; pronotum 1.5x wider than long, anterior margin somewhat sinuose, with a shallow angle anteriad, posterior margin almost straight. A. amfractus sp. nov. is, prima facie, endemic to the Itatiaia Massif, part of the Mantiqueira Mountain Range, Southeastern Brazil. We provide illustrations of the diagnostic features, and an occurrence map for the Araucariocladus species. Finally, we report a previously unrecognized intra-specific variation in the antennomere numbers of A. hiems, a feature also present in Araucariocladus amfractus sp. nov., and adjust the generic diagnosis to include species with 17 or 18 antennomeres. [Zoobank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C335B064-FBD4-4256-983D-B17DF06BAA0D].

Involvement of energetic metabolism in the effects of ischemic postconditioning on the ischemic-reperfused heart of fed and fasted rats.

The effects of ischemic-postconditioning (IPOC) on functional recovery and cell viability of ischemic-reperfused hearts from fed and fasted rats were studied in relation to triacylglycerol and glycogen mobilization, ATP content, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG). Oxidative damage was estimated by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). IPOC improved contractile recovery and cell viability in the fed but attenuated them in the fasted hearts. In both groups ischemia lowered glycogen. IPOC further reduced it. Triacylglycerol remained unchanged during ischemia-reperfusion in both groups, but triacylglycerol mobilization was activated by IPOC in the fasted group. ATP was increased by IPOC in the fed hearts, but lowered in the fasted ones, which appeared to be associated with the rates of ATP synthesis in isolated mitochondria. In the fed hearts IPOC raised glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and GSH/GSSG, and lowered TBARS. These results suggest that IPOC effects are associated with changes in the ATP supply, mobilization of energy sources and glutathione antioxidant ratio.

[Advances made in the past year (2009) in the therapeutic approach to hypertensive heart disease, myocardial ischemia, and atrial fibrillation]. / Novedades en el último año en el planteamiento terapéutico de la cardiopatía hipertensiva, de la cardiopatía isquémica y de la fibrilación auricular.

Knowledge of cardiovascular disease is advancing at a vertiginous pace. Cardiology has always been one of the most scientifically dynamic specialties. Indeed, no other medical specialty presents such a large number of randomized studies aiming to determine the efficacy of distinct therapeutic interventions each year. Equally, cardiology is composed of various subspecialties ranging from the clinical management of types of heart disease that are frequently encountered in daily clinical practice, through the various diagnostic procedures (cardiovascular imaging), to the complex therapeutic techniques of interventional endovascular therapy. Many of the principal medical journals specialize in specific aspects of cardiovascular disease and some have even developed formats of superspecialization that allow knowledge on arrhythmology, interventional cardiology or cardiac imaging to be broadened. In addition, highly important international congresses on general and superspecialized cardiology serve as a window to display the main multicenter studies. The objective of all of the above is to allow the varied and enormous quantity of new or updated information on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease to be presented to the scientific community. The ambitious aim of the present review is to discuss what we consider to be the main advances in the therapeutic management of three distinct branches of cardiology: hypertensive heart disease, myocardial ischemia and atrial fibrillation.

Novedades en el último año en el planteamiento terapéutico de la cardiopatía hipertensiva, de la cardiopatía isquémica y de la fibrilación auricular / Advances mad in the past year (2009) in the therapeutic approach to hypertensive heart disease, myocardial ischemia, and atrial fibrillation

La velocidad con que avanzan los conocimientos en el área de las enfermedades cardiovasculares es vertiginosa. La cardiología siempre se ha caracterizado por ser una de las especialidades de la medicina con mayor dinamismo científico. De hecho, no existe ninguna otra especialidad médica de la que, cada año, se presenten un número tan importante de estudios aleatorizados que intenten determinar la eficacia de diferentes actuaciones terapéuticas. Asimismo, está integrada por diversas subespecialidades que engloban el manejo clínico de cardiopatías frecuentes en la práctica diaria a las complejas técnicas terapéuticas de intervencionismo endovascular, pasando por las distintas técnicas diagnósticas (imagen cardiovascular). Muchas de las principales revistas médicas tratan específicamente aspectos de la enfermedad cardiovascular y algunas de ellas han desarrollado incluso formatos de superespecialización que permitan ampliar conocimientos sobre arritmología, cardiología intervencionista o imagen cardíaca. Asimismo, congresos de cardiología general y superespecializada de gran relevancia internacional sirven de escaparate para la presentación de los principales estudios multicéntricos. La finalidad de todo ello es poder presentar a la comunidad científica la variada y enorme cantidad de información nueva o actualizada para el diagnóstico y tratamiento de la enfermedad cardiovascular. El ambicioso objetivo de nuestra revisión es presentarles las que consideramos principales novedades en el manejo terapéutico de tres campos distintos de la cardiología: la cardiopatía hipertensiva, la cardiopatía isquémica y la fibrilación auricular (AU)

Knowledge of cardiovascular disease is advancing at a vertiginous pace. Cardiology has always been one of the most scientifically dynamic specialties. Indeed, no other medical specialty presents such a large number of randomized studies aiming to determine the efficacy of distinct therapeutic interventions each year. Equally, cardiology is composed of various subspecialties ranging from the clinical management of types of heart disease that are frequently encountered in daily clinical practice, through the various diagnostic procedures (cardiovascular imaging), to the complex therapeutic techniques of interventional endovascular therapy. Many of the principal medical journals specialize in specific aspects of cardiovascular disease and some have even developed formats of superspecialization that allow knowledge on arrhythmology, interventional cardiology or cardiac imaging to be broadened. In addition, highly important internat ional congresses on general and superspecialized cardiology serve as a window to display the main multicenter studies. The objective of all of the above is to allow the varied and enormous quantity of new or updated informat ion on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease to be presented to the scientific community. The ambit ious aim of the present review is to discuss what we consider to be the main advances in the therapeutic management of three distinct branches of cardiology: hypertensive heart disease, myocardial ischemia and atrial fibrillation (AU)

Torcetrapib: una perspectiva histórica / Torcetrapib: a historical view

Diversos estudios experimentales han demostrado que las lipoproteínas de alta densidad (HDL) representan un grupo funcionalmente muy heterogéneo de partículas con diversos efectos antioxidantes, antiinflamatorios, que les confiere propiedades antiaterogénicas y antitrombóticas. En la actualidad, se dispone de potentes alternativas terapéuticas que permiten alcanzar cifras muy bajas de colesterol unido a lipoproteínas de baja densidad, y desde hace varios años están en continuo desarrollo y evaluación fármacos que permiten incrementos significativos de los valores de colesterol unido a HDL, con la intención de mejorar el perfil cardiovascular de los pacientes. Los inhibidores de la enzima colesterol- éster transferasa constituyen una opción terapéutica válida para este fin. A continuación se revisan los resultados de los primeros y principales ensayos clínicos que evalúan la eficacia de uno de estos fármacos (torcetrapib) así como los análisis pormenorizados realizados posteriormente por sus principales autores de las posibles explicaciones de los resultados clínicos desfavorables de éstos (AU)

Several experimental studies have shown that high-density lipoproteins are functionally a highly heterogeneous group of particles with varied antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects, conferring them with antiatherogenic and antithrombotic properties. Potent therapeutic alternatives are currently available that allow very low values of low-density lipoprotein to be achieved. For several years, drugs that allow significant increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels have been under continuous development and evaluation, with the aim of improving patients’ cardiovascular profiles. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitors are a suitable therapeutic option for this aim. We review the results of the first and main clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of one of these drugs (torcetrapib) as well as the detailed analyses subsequently performed by their main authors of the possible explanations for the unfavorable clinical results of these trials (AU)

Apendicitis epiploica como causa de dolor agudo en fosa ilíaca izquierda: a propósito de un caso / Epiploic appendicitis as cause of right iliac fossa pain: report of a case

La apendicitis epiploica es una enfermedad que se produce por torsión o trombosis venosa espontánea de la vena de drenaje del apéndice epiploico. La sintomatología es inespecífica, aunque suelen comenzar con dolor abdominal focal y brusco en ausencia de otros hallazgos clínicos. Históricamente el diagnóstico se hacía por laparotomía ante la sospecha de diverticulitis o apendicitis. En la actualidad el diagnóstico se basa fundamentalmente en los hallazgos encontrados en la tomografía computarizada (TC) (AU)

Epiploic appendicitis is a condition arising through spontaneous torsion or venous thrombosis of the draining vein of the epiploic appendix. The symptoms are non-specific, though the patient usually presents with sudden, focalised abdominal pain with no other clinical findings. Historically, the diagnosis was established at laparotomy performed because of suspected diverticulitis or appendicitis. At present the diagnosis is based on the computerised tomography (CT) scan findings (AU)

Abscesos hepáticos por actinomicosis / Hepatic abscesses due to actinomycosis

La actinomicosis hepática es una infección rara que representa el 15% de los casos de actinomicosis abdominal y el 5% de los casos totales. Generalmente se produce a través de la vena porta desde un origen intestinal, pero también puede ocurrir por contigüidad o por la arteria hepática en una infección diseminada. Se caracteriza por la aparición de abscesos generalmente múltiples que presentan un curso más indolente que otros abscesos piógenos. Suelen cursar con fiebre, dolor abdominal y hepatomegalia. Presentamos un caso de actinomicosis hepática como causa infrecuente de abscesos hepáticos que además comenzó sin signos específicos de proceso agudo abdominal, descubriéndose en el curso de su ingreso una neoplasia de sigma ulcerada como posible origen (AU)

Liver actinomycosis is an infrequent infection accounting for 15% of all cases of abdominal actinomycosis and 5% of the total actinomycosis cases. It usually arises via the portal vein from an intestinal focus, but may also develop from neighbouring organs and structures or via the hepatic artery in disseminated infections. It is characterised by usually multiple abscesses with a more indolent course than other pyogenic abscesses. It usually courses with fever, abdominal pain and hepatomegaly. We report one case of hepatic actinomycosis as an infrequent cause of hepatic abscesses, which furthermore began with no clinical signs specific for an acute abdominal condition; an ulcerated neoplasm of the sigmoid colon was identified in the course of the patient’s study as the possible point of origin (AU)

The effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on apoptosis and cell proliferation in gastric epithelium.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) may affect the normal balance between gastric epithelial cell proliferation and epithelial cell death, interfering thus with the maintenance of gastric mucosa integrity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Hp infection on cell proliferation index (PI) and apoptotic index (AI) in gastric epithelium of the antrum and corpus. METHODOLOGY: Prospective study in forty-one patients with functional dyspepsia (14 males, 27 females, average age = 54+/-16.1 years). Day one: upper digestive endoscopy with biopsies of the antrum and corpus, and a cytological smear of the antral area for AgNOR (argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region) analysis. Biopsies for the programmed tests were sent in separate labeled containers: to study AI (antibody anti-M30), PI (antibody anti-Ki 67) and histology (Sydney criteria and the detection of Hp). Detection of the AgNORs through the Giménez-Mas et al. technique, using Visilog-Microptic Software. Day two: a blood sample was drawn from each patient for the serologic detection of the status CagA and VacA, and a breath test was carried out with 13C-Urea. STATISTICS: SPSS program with the application of Student's t, chi-square and Fisher tests. RESULTS: 24 patients were Hp(+) and 17 Hp(-). The PI (Ki 67 and AgNORs) in the antral area was significantly increased in the Hp(+) patients. AI showed no significant difference in the subgroups Hp(+) and Hp(-). Both subgroups showed increased PI in the antrum and increased AI in the gastric corpus. There was significantly higher PI in CagA(+), without an increase in the AI. The AI was significantly higher in CagA(-), when compared with CagA(+). The VacA protein had no influence on PI and AI. Acute and chronic gastritis was more frequent and more severe in Hp(+) patients. This group lacked any correlation between the histological findings and the PI, but the opposite was the case between AI and the degree of cellular infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with functional dyspepsia, Hp infection induces an increase of PI, with significant presence in the antrum area, without the corresponding increase in AI. Cag A(+) promotes the increase of PI, and Cag A(-) promotes the increase of AI. The Vac A status has no influence on the PI or AI. The degree of cellular infiltration interferes with AI.

Thymus invasion and atrophy induced by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in BALB/c mice.

Literature has shown that immunosuppression observed in systemic mycosis can be related to damage in primary lymphoid organs. We have studied the immunopathological alterations induced experimentally by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in these organs. In this work, thymic alterations induced in BALB/c mice during acute and chronic stages of infection are described. It was observed that P. brasiliensis is able to invade the thymic microenvironment, inducing severe atrophy characterized by degeneration of the cortical area, organ weight decrease, loss of corticomedullary delimitation and increase in histiocyte number. Occurrence of polymorphonuclear infiltration in the subcapsular area was also observed. Our results demonstrate that P. brasiliensis induces profound thymic atrophy and raises the question of whether this could be a fungal strategy to achieve successful establishment in the host over the long term.

Transverse coloplasty pouch and colonic J-pouch for rectal cancer--a comparative study.

OBJECTIVES: The introduction of the colonic J-pouch has markedly improved the functional outcome of restorative rectal cancer surgery. However colonic J-pouch surgery can be problematic and may present some late evacuatory problems. To overcome these limitations a novel pouch has been proposed: the transverse coloplasty pouch. The purpose of our study was to compare the functional outcomes of these two different types of pouches--the transverse coloplasty pouch (TCP) and the colonic J-pouch (CJP)--during the first 12 months postoperatively. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective randomized trial was conducted in which a total of 30 patients with mid and low rectal cancer were submitted either to a transverse coloplasty pouch or a colonic J-pouch. Clinical defaecatory function was assessed and anorectal physiological assessment was carried out, pre-operatively and at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively, by means of a standard clinical questionnaire and by anorectal manometry. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups regarding bowel function. The postoperative frequency of daily bowel movements was lower in the TCP group in all the phases of the study (3.9 vs. 4.1 at 3 months; 3.1 vs. 3.4 at 6 months; 2.1 vs. 2.8 at 12 months), the same occurring with fragmentation (33% vs. 40% at 3 months; 26.6%vs. 33.3% at 6 months; 7.1%vs. 14.3% at 12 months). Less urgency was also seen in the TCP group during the first 6 months (20%vs. 26.7%), with identical values at 12 months (14.3% vs. 14.3%). No significant differences were also found concerning incontinence grading and scoring, with TCP patients having less nocturnal leaks. At one year two CJP patients (14.3%) needed the use of enemas to evacuate the pouch and provoke defaecation, a problem never seen in TCP patients. The anorectal manometry data was similar in both types of pouches. The local complication rates were also identical in the two groups (20%); more anastomotic leaks were seen in TCP patients (13.2% vs. 6.6%), without reaching a statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The transverse coloplasty pouch has similar functional results but fewer evacuation problems than the J-Pouch, making it a safe and reliable alternative to the colonic J-pouch.