Brain glucose hypometabolism and hippocampal inflammation in Goto-Kakizaki rats.

Brain glucose hypometabolism and neuroinflammation are early pathogenic manifestations in neurological disorders. Neuroinflammation may also disrupt leptin signaling, an adipokine that centrally regulates appetite and energy balance by acting on the hypothalamus and exerting neuroprotection in the hippocampus. The Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat is a non-obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) animal model used to investigate diabetes-associated molecular mechanisms without obesity jeopardizing effects. Wistar and GK rats received the maintenance adult rodent diet. Also, an additional control group of Wistar rats received a high-fat and high-sugar diet (HFHS) provided by free consumption of condensed milk. All diets and water were provided ad libitum for eight weeks. Brain glucose uptake was evaluated by 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-D-glucose under basal (saline administration) or stimulated (CL316,243, a selective ß3-AR agonist) conditions. The animals were fasted for 10-12 h, anesthetized, and euthanized. The brain was quickly dissected, and the hippocampal area was sectioned and stored at -80°C in different tubes for protein and RNA analyses on the same animal. GK rats exhibited attenuated brain glucose uptake compared to Wistar animals and the HFHS group under basal conditions. Also, the hippocampus of GK rats displayed upregulated leptin receptor, IL-1ß, and IL-6 gene expression and IL-1ß and the subunit of the transcription factor NF-κB (p-p65) protein expression. No significant alterations were detected in the hippocampus of HFHS rats. Our data indicated that a genetic predisposition to T2DM has significant brain deteriorating features, including brain glucose hypometabolism, neuroinflammation, and leptin signaling disruption in the hippocampal area.

Brain glucose hypometabolism and hippocampal inflammation in Goto-Kakizaki rats

Brain glucose hypometabolism and neuroinflammation are early pathogenic manifestations in neurological disorders. Neuroinflammation may also disrupt leptin signaling, an adipokine that centrally regulates appetite and energy balance by acting on the hypothalamus and exerting neuroprotection in the hippocampus. The Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat is a non-obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) animal model used to investigate diabetes-associated molecular mechanisms without obesity jeopardizing effects. Wistar and GK rats received the maintenance adult rodent diet. Also, an additional control group of Wistar rats received a high-fat and high-sugar diet (HFHS) provided by free consumption of condensed milk. All diets and water were provided ad libitum for eight weeks. Brain glucose uptake was evaluated by 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-D-glucose under basal (saline administration) or stimulated (CL316,243, a selective β3-AR agonist) conditions. The animals were fasted for 10-12 h, anesthetized, and euthanized. The brain was quickly dissected, and the hippocampal area was sectioned and stored at -80°C in different tubes for protein and RNA analyses on the same animal. GK rats exhibited attenuated brain glucose uptake compared to Wistar animals and the HFHS group under basal conditions. Also, the hippocampus of GK rats displayed upregulated leptin receptor, IL-1β, and IL-6 gene expression and IL-1β and the subunit of the transcription factor NF-κB (p-p65) protein expression. No significant alterations were detected in the hippocampus of HFHS rats. Our data indicated that a genetic predisposition to T2DM has significant brain deteriorating features, including brain glucose hypometabolism, neuroinflammation, and leptin signaling disruption in the hippocampal area.

Age influence on quality of shell and penetration in bacterial laying lightweight eggs / Influência da idade na qualidade da casca e na penetração bacteriana em ovos de poedeiras leves

This study evaluated the influence of the bird's age on the quality of the shell and percentage of bacterial penetration in commercial eggs. White-shelled commercial eggs were used, laid by light laying hens in their first laying cycle at 21, 39, 51, and 62 weeks of age. Shell quality evaluations comprised: egg weight, specific gravity, percentage and thickness of shell, number and size of pores. For evaluations regarding bacterial penetration, strains of several enterobacterias and one salmonella were used, all of which resistant to Nalidixic acid (100µg/ml). The method employed for evaluation of bacterial penetration was filling the eggs with growth medium. The data were subjected to variance analysis with 5% of probability using SAS (Education Analytical Software, 2013). Eveb though increase in the laying hen's age caused reduction of the quality of eggshells, it failed to affect the percentage of penetration of the bacterial samples evaluated.(AU)

O presente estudo avaliou a influência da idade da ave sobre a qualidade da casca e na porcentagem de penetração bacteriana em ovos comerciais. Foram utilizados ovos brancos comerciais provenientes de poedeiras leves em primeiro ciclo de postura com 21, 39, 51 e 62 semanas de idade. As avaliações de qualidade da casca realizadas foram: peso do ovo, gravidade específica, porcentagem e espessura da casca, número e tamanho dos poros. Para as avaliações da penetração bacteriana, foram utilizadas cepas de diversas enterobactérias e uma salmonela, sendo todas resistentes ao ácido nalidíxico (100µg/mL). O método utilizado para a avaliação da penetração bacteriana foi por meio do preenchimento dos ovos com meio de cultura. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância com 5% de probabilidade utilizando-se o programa SAS - Statistical Analisys System (Education Analytical Software, 2013). O aumento da idade da poedeira promoveu a redução da qualidade da casca dos ovos, porém não foi capaz de influenciar a porcentagem de penetração das amostras bacterianas avaliadas.(AU)

Light-emitting Diode Beam Profile and Spectral Output Influence on the Degree of Conversion of Bulk Fill Composites.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the beam profile and the spectral output of monowave and polywave light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and their influence on the degree of conversion (DC) of bulk fill composites. METHODS: A monowave LED (Smartlite Focus, Dentsply) and a polywave LED (Valo Cordless, Ultradent) were characterized using a resin calibrator and a laser beam profile analyzer. Two bulk fill composites, Sonic Fill 2 (SF) containing camphorquinone (CQ) and Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill (TEB) containing CQ associated with alternative photoinitiators, were placed in custom-designed molds (n=3) and photoactivated by the monowave or polywave LED with 20 J/cm2. To map the DC, longitudinal cross sections (0.5 mm thick) from the center of the restoration were evaluated using FT-NIR microscopy. SF and TEB light transmittances (n=3) through 4-mm-thick specimens were evaluated during curing. Data were analyzed using a split-plot analysis of variance and Tukey test (α=0.05; ß=0.2). RESULTS: The monowave LED had a radiant emittance of 20 ± 0.5 J/cm2 over 420-495 nm, and the polywave LED had an emittance of 15.5 ± 0.4 J/cm2 over 420-495 nm and of 4.5 ± 0.2 J/cm2 over 380-420 nm. The total radiant exposure at the bottom of TEB was 2.2 ± 0.2 J/cm2 with the monowave LED and 1.6 ± 0.3 J/cm2 with the polywave LED, and for SF it was 0.4 ± 0.1 J/cm2 for both LEDs. There were no differences in the curing profiles produced either by the monowave or the polywave LED (p=0.9), according to the regions under influence of blue and/or violet emission at the same depth. There was no statistical difference in the DC for SF using the monowave or polywave LED at any depth (p=0.29). TEB had a higher DC at up to 2 mm in depth when the polywave LED was used (p<0.004), but no differences were found when starting at 2.5 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Monowave and polywave LEDs emitted nonhomogeneous light beams, but this did not affect the DC homogeneity of bulk fill composites. For composites containing CQ associated with alternative photoinitiators, polywave LEDs had a higher DC, but only at the top part of the restoration; lower wavelength absorption photoinitiators were ineffective in deeper areas.

El colgajo fasciocutáneo en cono / Use of a new cone shaped flap to cover skin defects: experience in 108 patients

Background: A new type of fasciocutaneous flap with the shape of an ice cream cone that is formed by locally rotated and V-Y advance flaps joined together, that can be used to cover complex defects, was developed. Previously, the irrigation of these flaps was ascertained in the legs of ten corpses. Aim: To report the results with the use of this type of ice cream cone shaped flap. Material and Methods: Retrospective analysis of 108 patients aged 20 to 52 years (99 males) in whom an ice cream cone shaped flap was used. Results: The defects covered were located in the leg in 27 percent, in the ankle in 10 percent, in the sole in 9 percent, in the heel in 8 percent and in other locations in the rest of patients. Eighty flaps (74 percent) had a good evolution, 11 (10 percent) had a major dehiscence, 13 (12 percent) had a minor dehiscence and 4 flaps (4 percent) had necrosis. Conclusions: This ice cream cone shaped flap is easy to use, safe and devoid of complications in most cases.

Se presenta un colgajo no descrito previamente en la literatura internacional ni nacional. El colgajo se denomina "en cono" por la forma final que se obtiene un barquillo de helado con su bocado. Consta de 2 colgajos acoplados: uno de rotación local y otro un avance en V-Y, ambos fasciocutáneos. Para comprobar su irrigación se practicó disección anatómica de las piernas de 10 cadáveres frescos inyectando azul de metileno y bario en la arteria poplítea. El resultado demostró un rico y amplio plexo tanto infra como supra fascial que irriga muy bien la piel de ambos colgajos a nivel de 1/3 distal de la pierna. Se realizó también un análisis geométrico del avance en V-Y para demostrar como los tejidos pueden avanzar y para determinar las dimensiones que debe tener este colgajo. Se operó 108 pacientes con lesiones en diferentes partes del organismo con complicaciones de un 3,7 por ciento. Los resultados permitieron determinar que el colgajo en cono es versátil, reproducible, sencillo y seguro de realizar. Es un colgajo que servirá para que los cirujanos plásticos resuelvan complejos problemas quirúrgicos en forma muy segura y a bajo costo.

Update on HER-2 as a target for cancer therapy: HER2/neu peptides as tumour vaccines for T cell recognition.

During the past decade there has been renewed interest in the use of vaccine immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer. This review focuses on HER2/neu, a tumour-associated antigen that is overexpressed in 10-40% of breast cancers and other carcinomata. Several immunogenic HER2/neu peptides recognized by T lymphocytes have been identified to be included in cancer vaccines. Some of these peptides have been assessed in clinical trials of patients with breast and ovarian cancer. Although it has been possible to detect immunological responses against the peptides in the immunized patients, no clinical responses have so far been described. Immunological tolerance to self-antigens like HER2/neu may limit the functional immune responses against them. It will be of interest to determine whether immune responses against HER2/neu epitopes can be of relevance to cancer treatment.

Breast cancer and the immune system: opportunities and pitfalls.

The identification of tumor-associated antigens, and advances in our understanding of human immunology, have resulted in renewed interest in tumor immunology. A variety of approaches have been utilized in recent years against different tumor types. The results from some of these studies have been encouraging, but it is not yet clear whether they will be applicable to patients with breast cancer.

Electromiografía laríngea / Laryngeal electromyography

Los objetivos de la investigación son estudiar la utilidad de la electromiografía laríngea en la evaluación de las disfonias y correlacionar los hallazgos obtenidos por este examen con la telelaringoscopia de las cuerdas vocales. Se analizan 170 pacientes, edad promedio de 42,4 años, predominio género femenino (81 por ciento). La mayoría corresponde a profesores de educación básica que consultaron por disfonía de probable origen ocupacional. Los hallazgos electromiográficos correspondieron a compromiso neurogénico de uno o varios nervios en 90 casos (53 por ciento) (cinco pacientes presentaron compromiso neurogénico central, cuatro por distonía laríngea y uno post-cirugía cerebral). La concordancia entre los hallazgos de la telelaringoscopia y electromiografía de las cuerdas vocales fue de 83 por ciento. En 23 casos (13,5 por ciento) la electromiografía detecto lesiones neurogénicas que no fueron detectadas en la imagenología. En seis casos (3,5 por ciento) se observan signos compatibles con paresia de cuerda en la telelaringoscopia, sin evidenciarse hallazgos eléctricos. La electromiografía laríngea es una técnica compleja, de gran utilidad en el estudio de las disfonías, permitiendo distinguir trastornos laríngeos funcionales de aquellos de origen neurogénico o miogénico. La telelaringoscopía y la electromiografía laríngea son exámenes complementarios, mientras la primera da una imagen dinámica de la función de la cuerda vocal la segunda evalúa la integridad neuromuscular

Dynamic holographic moiré patterns in photorefractive Bi12TiO20 and small-angle measurements.

A procedure for obtaining real-time holographic moirélike patterns and measuring small angles is proposed. Two rotated sinusoidal phase gratings are superposed, and the result represents a promising technique for making small-angle measurements in metrological applications. The experiments are performed with a diffusion-only recording mechanism in the photorefractive crystal Bi12TiO20 illuminated by lambda = 0.633 microm light from a He-Ne laser.

Generation of an immunodominant CTL epitope is affected by proteasome subunit composition and stability of the antigenic protein.

Generation of the HLA-A0201 (A2) influenza Matrix 58-66 epitope contained within the full-length Matrix protein is impaired in cells lacking the proteasome subunits low molecular protein 2 (LMP2) and LMP7. This Ag presentation block can be relieved by transfecting the wild-type LMP7 cDNA into LMP7-deficient cells. A mutated form of LMP7, lacking the two threonines at the catalytic active site, was equally capable of relieving the block in presentation of the influenza Matrix A2 epitope. These observations were extended by analyzing whether modification of the influenza Matrix protein could overcome the block in presentation of the A2 Matrix epitope. Expression of either a rapidly degraded form of the full-length Matrix protein or shorter Matrix fragments led to an efficient presentation of the A2 influenza Matrix epitope by LMP7-negative cells. These findings demonstrate two main points: 1) LMP7 incorporation into the proteasome is of greater importance for the generation of the influenza A2 Matrix epitope than the presence of the LMP7's catalytic site; and 2) the interplay between cytosolic proteases and stability of target proteins is of importance in optimization of Ag presentation. These observations may have relevance to the immunodominance of tumor and viral epitopes and raise the possibility that generation of shorter protein fragments could be a mechanism to ensure optimal Ag presentation by cells expressing low levels of LMP7.

Generation of novel human MHC class II mutant B-cell lines by integrating YAC DNA into a cell line homozygously deleted for the MHC class II region.

The human B lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) 721.174 sustains a large homozygous deletion in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II region that results in an absence of DQ and DR molecules as well as a deficiency in the assembly and transport of class I molecules to the cell surface. The deleted genes include the transporters associated with antigen processing TAP1 and TAP2, DMA and DMB which are involved in editing class II bound peptides, and four genes whose roles in antigen processing are unclear; the low mass polypeptide genes LMP2 and LMP7, and DNA and DOB. To study this region we have integrated into 721.174 two overlapping yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones which cover the interval LMP2-DRA inclusive. Three clones (11.2A1.1, 4D1D10.1 and 4D1D10.2), containing complete copies of the transfected YAC, produced varying levels of mRNA from the LMP, TAP, DQ and DR genes and corresponding levels of LMP and TAP protein. Class I cell surface expression was restored in 11.2A1.1 and 4D1D10.1, as was DR expression in both 4D1D10 transfectants. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of introducing large groups of functional genes back into human lymphoblastoid cells sustaining deletions, with full restoration of biological function. The procedure could be exploited in order to restore all but one gene covered by the deletion, effectively producing a single gene defect. This could be used to introduce copies of genes engineered to contain mutations and to study cis regulatory elements at some distance from the chosen loci.

Comparación de la anatomía escanográfica con la anatomía real del hueso temporal en cadáveres de la Escuela Militar de Medicina / Comparison of the scanographic anatomy, with real anatomy of the temporal bone in cadavers at the Military School of Medicine

Con este articulo se pretende mostrar la tecnica de realización de cortes anatomicos de huesos temporales y su correlación con escanografias, con el objetivo de facilitar el entendimiento de la conformación espacial de esta importante estructura

Specificity, tolerance and developmental regulation of natural killer cells defined by expression of class I-specific Ly49 receptors.

Natural killer cells in the mouse express class I MHC-specific inhibitory receptors of the Ly49 protein family. The receptors mediate inhibition of the lysis of tumor cells and normal cells, and mediate the specificity of bone-marrow graft rejection by NK cells in vivo. The function of these receptors may be to confer upon NK cells the capacity to distinguish normal self cells from cells that have down-regulated expression of some or all self-class I molecules. Ly49 receptors discriminate between different class I molecules, and are distributed in expression to overlapping subsets of NK cells. The receptors appear to interact with class I-MHC residues and associated N-glycans, with little or no discrimination of the class I-bound peptide. The Ly49 receptor repertoire may be initially generated by a stochastic process that distributes receptors randomly to different cells and treats the two alleles of a given Ly49 gene independently. However, class I-MHC-dependent "education" processes shape the functional repertoire. The education processes silence potentially auto-aggressive NK cells, probably by ensuring that each NK cell expresses at least one self-specific Ly49 receptor. In addition, NK cell clones that express multiple self-specific Ly49 receptors are disfavored by the education processes, perhaps to confer greater discrimination on to individual NK cells.

Valor pronóstico de las pruebas electrofisiológicas en parálisis facial periférica idiopática / Predictive value of elctrophysiological test in idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis

El pronostico de la paralisis facial periferica se puede establecer mediante la utilización de pruebas electrofisiologicas. Se estudiaron 37 pacientes con paralisis facial periferica idiopatica en el periodo comprendido entre febrero de 1992 a enero de 1994 en el Hospital Militar Central. A estos pacientes se les realizó: Test de Excitabilidad nerviosa (Umbral), test de estimulación maxima (MST), reflejo de parpadeo y electroneuronografia al ingreso, a los 8, 15, 30 y 45 dias. En cada caso estudiado se valoro el grado de la paralisis segun la clasificación de House y se correlaciono la evolución clinica con las diferentes pruebas mencionadas. El test de excitabilidad nerviosa (Umbral) y el de estimulación maxima (MST), no son pruebas confiables para establecer indices de pronostico precoz ni a largo plazo de la evolución clinica en estos pacientes. La electroneuronografia y el reflejo de parpadeo debido a sus propiedades de evaluar la lesion del nervio facial tanto distal como proximalmente, son las dos pruebas de mayor confiabilidad para establecer el pronostico de esta y asi fijar pautas de manejo en estos pacientes