Amoebicidal activity of cationic carbosilane dendrons derived with 4-phenylbutyric acid against Acanthamoeba griffini and Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites and cysts.

Amoebae from the genus Acanthamoeba are important pathogens responsible for severe illnesses in humans such as Acanthamoeba keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. In the last few decades, AK diagnoses have steadily increased. Most patients suffering from AK were contact lens users and the infection was related to poor hygiene. However, therapy is not yet well established, and treatments may last for several months due to resistance. Moreover, these treatments have been described to generate cytotoxicity. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies against AK. In this study, the amoebicidal activity of different generation cationic carbosilane dendrons derived with 4-phenylbutyric acid was demonstrated against Acanthamoeba polyphaga and Acanthamoeba griffini trophozoites and cysts. In addition, the combination of chlorhexidine digluconate and the most effective dendron (ArCO2G2(SNMe3I)4) showed an in vitro effect against Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts, reducing the minimal trophozoite amoebicidal concentration as well as concentrations with cysticidal activity.

Molecular epidemiology of parasitic protozoa and Ehrlichia canis in wildlife in Madrid (central Spain).

Wildlife species are involved in the transmission of diverse pathogens. This study aimed to monitor raccoons (Procyon lotor), American minks (Neovison vison), and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) as potential reservoirs in central Spain. Specifically, 200 spleen and fecal samples (from 194 raccoons, 3 minks, and 3 foxes) were analyzed molecularly by PCR/qPCR and sequencing for the presence of piroplasmids, Hepatozoon spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Ehrlichia canis infections in the Community of Madrid (Spain). Biological samples were obtained in the years 2014, 2015, and 2016. No pathogen DNA was found in fecal samples. In contrast, analysis of raccoon spleen samples revealed that Toxoplasma was the most prevalent pathogen (prevalence 3.6 ± 2.6%), followed by Hepatozoon canis and E. canis (each with a prevalence of 2.57 ± 2.2%). Hepatozoon canis was also diagnosed in all three of the analyzed foxes. Analysis of yearly prevalence showed that tick-borne pathogens were less frequent in raccoon in 2015, a dry and warm year compared both to 2014 and 2016. These data suggest that fecal PCR assays are unsuitable for detection of DNA of non-erythrocytic pathogens. Furthermore, they demonstrate that the raccoon (an invasive species often living in proximity to domestic areas) and the red fox are putative reservoirs for pathogenic organisms in the Community of Madrid.

A survey for gregarines (Protozoa: Apicomplexa) in arthropods in Spain.

Gregarines thrive in the digestive tract of arthropods and may be deleterious to their hosts, especially when present in high densities. The impact of parasites on these invertebrates may affect both the ecosystem equilibrium and human economic activities. However, information available on gregarines in Spain is limited. Therefore, a microscopic study on prevalence of gregarine infection in 560 insects and crustaceans was undertaken in Madrid and Tarragona.Gregarina ormierei (78 % prevalence), Stylocephalus gigas (56 %), Oocephalus hispanus (13 %) and Actinocephalus permagnus (only one infected out of six beetles examined) were found in coleopteran hosts. Gregarina ovata and G. chelidurellae showed moderate frequency of infection (35 %) in dermapterans. An undescribed Gregarina sp. (76 % prevalence) was observed for the first time in freshwater decapod crustaceans. Interestingly, G. ormierei showed a noticeable phenotypic dimorphism, which justifies its redescription based on modern taxonomic criteria. Sequences of the 18S rRNA gene could be obtained only in the presence of highly prevalent gregarines. G. ormierei and Gregarina sp. were related (85 and 94 % identity by BLASTN, respectively) to G. basiconstrictonea and G. cloptoni, respectively, whereas S. gigas was closely related to both Xiphocephalus ellisi and S. giganteus (>97 % identity). Phylogenetic trees based on ribosomal sequences unequivocally grouped these new isolates either with the Gregarinidae (G. ormierei and Gregarina sp.) or the Stylocephalidae (S. gigas).

Taller de capacitación para interpretar resultados de pruebas toxicológicas en muestras de orina pacientes farmacodependientes / Training workshop for interpretation of results of toxicological test in patients samples urine pharmacodependent

El objetivo del presente estudio es ampliar los conocimientos de los terapeutas de la Fundación "José Félix Ribas", sobre interpretación de resultados en pruebas toxicológicas, a través de un taller de capacitación. Se realizó en dos de las modalidades de tratamiento de la Fundación, el Hospital-Día "Casa Petare" (6 psicólogos y 2 psiquiatras) y la Comunidad terapéutica "El Junquito" (6 psicólogos, 2 psiquiatras y trabajador social). Los participantes fueron evaluados en pretest, postest y seguimiento, utilizando un instrumento con 17 ítems. El taller se diseño con 55 diapositivas, con una duración de tres horas aproximadamente. Para el análisis estadístico de los resultados se aplicó el test paramétrico de Wilcoxon empleando el programa Graph PAD Atat (Gpis). Nuestros resultados indican que los terapeutas aumentaron significativamente sus conocimientos, lo cual se evidencia en la evaluación postest, además los mismos tienden a mantenerse en el tiempo, lo que se demuestra en la evaluación de seguimiento. Estos resultados proporcionan apoyo a la eficacia y la necesidad de este tipo de taller, lo que nos da la base para seguir con esta actividad en otras instituciones dedicadas a la rehabilitación de farmacodependientes

El cannabis en la práctica clínica / The cannabis in the clinical practice

La marihuana ha sido utilizada por cientos de años, es una de las drogas de abuso más usadas. Tiene una larga historia de usos médicos, tanto el Cannabis, como sus derivados, preparaciones y sus formas sintéticas se emplean para aliviar una gran variedad de síntomas de diversas enfermedades, tales como: alivio de las náuseas y vómitos asociados con las terapias del Cáncer y el SIDA; alivio del dolor muscular y espamos; para reducir la frecuencia de convulsiones en la epilepsia; para reducir la presión intraocular en pacientes con glaucoma; para estimular el apetito en pacientes con cáncer y SIDA. Actualmente están disponibles en el mercado dos productos comerciales sintéticos relacionados con la marihuana, de administración oral, el dronabinol (MARINOL) y la nabilona (CESAMET). Se han identificado en el cerebro, receptores para los cannabinoides, el CB1 y el CB2, así como ligandos endógenos: la anandamina, el 2-araquinoilglicerol, la homo-y- linolenil etanolamina y la palmitoiletanolamina

Nuevas perspectivas terapéuticas de los compuestos cannabinólicos / New therapeutic perspectives for the cannabinoid compounds

Aunque la planta Cannabis sativa ha sido empleada desde la más remota antigüedad con fines medicinales, uno de sus derivados, la marihuana, se ha convertido en la droga de uso ilegal más consumida en el mundo, siendo su componente psicoactivo más importante el tetrahidrocannabinol (THC).Asimismo, tanto el Cannabis como sus cannabinoides se usan terapéuticamente en un reducido número de patologías generalmente neurológicas. Sin embargo, en la actualidad se perfila un nuevo horizonte terapéutico para estos compuestos cannabinólicos ya que tanto el delta-9-tetrahidrocannabinol (delta -9-THC) como el extracto de cannabis han sido cambiados recientemente al grupo III en Estados Unidos y al grupo II en el Reino Unido, lo que facilitará los ensayos clínicos de estos compuestos y el desarrollo de nuevos usos terapéuticos, principalmente aquellos relacionados con la capacidad analgésica (AU)

Evaluación del test rápido ontrak teststik para detectar cocaína y marihuana en muestras de orina / Ontrak teststik rapid test evaluation for the detecting cocaine and marijuana in urine samples

Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la validez del test rápido TesTsitk para detectar cocaína y marihuna en muestras de orina, comparándolo con el método de inmunoflurescencia polarizada (FPIA-TDx) y el inmunoenzimático heterogéneo (ELISA), en vista de sus próxima introducción en el mercado venezolano. Se recolectaron 69 muestras de orina en las cuales se realizaron 58 determinaciones para marihuana y 61 para cocaína. Este test es sensible a concentraciones de droga iguales o cercanas a los valores de cut-off (300 ng/mL para cocaína y 50 ng/mL para la marihuana) establecidos por el Instituto Nacional de Drogas de Abuso (NIDA). De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos no se observaron variaciones significativas entre el teststik y los otros métodos, lo que nos permite concluir que el teststik es un test confiable que se puede aplicar cuando se requiera de un resultado rápido

Detection of herpesvirus-like sequences in Kaposi's sarcoma from heart transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Herpesvirus-like DNA sequences have been found in lesions from patients with Kaposi's sarcoma in its several forms, suggesting that this tumor may be caused by a new herpesvirus, referred to as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus or human herpesvirus 8. METHODS: We analyzed DNA from skin and lung lesions, healthy skin, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of three heart transplant recipients with Kaposi's sarcoma. We also studied DNA from normal skin and from peripheral blood of Kaposi's sarcoma-free heart transplant recipients. Samples were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction with specific primers to amplify the KS 330 sequence. RESULTS: The KS 330 fragment was found in Kaposi's sarcoma tissue of all three patients, in normal skin of one of them, and in peripheral blood of two. It was not detected in any of the samples from skin or peripheral blood of heart transplant recipients not affected by Kaposi's sarcoma. DNA extracted from a peripheral blood sample of one patient before transplantation showed that the KS 330 sequence was already detectable at that time. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of all forms of Kaposi's sarcoma. The development of the tumor in transplant recipients may be related, at least in some cases, to transplantation-associated immunosuppression, rather than to the acquisition of the virus from the donor.

[Evaluation of 5 selection criteria for sputum as a valid sample for culture]. / Evaluación de cinco criterios de selección de esputo como muestra válida para cultivo.

We compare five selection criteria to discriminate between good quality expectorated sputum and specimens contaminated with upper respiratory tract secretions. We employed two microscopic methods (Bartlett, Heineman) which rely upon the number of squamo-epithelial cells and polymorphonuclear leucocytes; and a macroscopic method (the Medical Research Council) which evaluates the gross appearance of sputum, with three different criteria for admission established by our own. Three hundred and thirty two sputum were included. We evaluated sensitivity, specificity and predictive values as compared with isolation or not of a potential pathogen. We obtained 72% and 45% sensitivity, and 81% and 86% specificity for Bartlett and Heineman methods respectively. Most restrictive criterion for macroscopic method provided 57% sensitivity and 82% specificity; least restrictive showed 97% sensitivity and 17% specificity. Macroscopic method is a quick, valuable screening for discarding sputum contaminated with upper respiratory tract secretions.