Effect of the presence and location of corpus luteum on competence of bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes.

This study aimed to determine the effect of presence of the corpus luteum (CL) and its influence on cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) obtained from the ipsilateral or contralateral ovary in bovine on the recovery and capacity of the oocytes to sustain mono-spermic fertilization, undergo preimplantation development, and develop to the blastocyst stage. Ovaries were collected at a local slaughterhouse and kept in pairs corresponding to the same animal. In the first experiment the variables evaluated were compared between cows with (CCL+) and without (CCL-) CL, and for the second experiment, comparisons were made between ovaries with an ipsilateral (CL+), contralateral (CL-), and no (NCL). The recovery rate of COCs was higher in ovaries from CCL- cows, and a higher proportion of grade 1 COCs were recovered from this group. A higher proportion of metaphase I oocytes at 7 h of maturation, and a higher rate of cleavage were observed in the CCL+ group; however, a higher proportion of embryos were obtained from the CCL- group. Besides, COCs from the CL+ group had a lower proportion of grades 1 and 2 morphological qualities, lower rate of metaphase II oocytes at 22 h of maturation, and lower rate of formation of two pronuclei, whereas a higher proportion of unfertilized oocytes after in vitro fertilization. On the other hand, the COCs from the CL- group displayed a lower proportion of oocytes with more than two pronuclei, higher cleavage rate, and higher final blastocyst production were obtained when compared to CL+. Thus, the effects of CL on the competence of bovine COCs are different depending on the anatomical proximity of their location in the animal, negatively affecting the quality of COCs located in the same ovary, but not having negative effects on the competence of COCs in the ovaries contralateral to their location.

The Effect of Adenosine on Extracellular Matrix Production in Porcine Intervertebral Disc Cells.

Compressive loading promotes adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and release by intervertebral disc (IVD) cells. Extracellular ATP can be rapidly hydrolyzed by ectonucleotidases. Adenosine, one of the adenine derivatives of ATP hydrolysis, can modulate diverse cellular actions via adenosine receptors. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of exogenous adenosine on the production of extracellular matrix (ECM; i.e., collagen type II and aggrecan) and ATP of IVD cells and explore the underlying mechanism of action. It was found that adenosine treatment significantly upregulated aggrecan and type II collagen gene expression and the ATP level in IVD cells. Dipyridamole, an adenosine transport blocker, completely suppressed the effects of adenosine on the ATP production and ECM gene expression of the IVD cells, whereas antagonists of adenosine receptors did not significantly affect adenosine-treated IVD cells. The findings suggested that elevated intracellular ATP and upregulation of ECM gene expression by adenosine treatment are mainly due to adenosine uptake rather than receptor activation. Since ECM biosynthesis is a high ATP demanding process, supplementing adenosine could be beneficial as IVD cells are able to utilize it to replenish intracellular ATP and sequentially promote ECM production, which is constantly suppressed by limited nutrition supply due to the avascular nature of the IVD.

Una mirada a la situación de la violencia contra la mujer en Bolivia

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo exponer la actual situación de la violencia contra la mujer en la pareja, abordaje realizado de manera crítica basada en información debidamente documentada. Los informes internacionales, a nivel latinoamericano, indican que Bolivia ocupa el primer lugar en violencia física contra la mujer y el segundo lugar en violencia sexual, en las edades de 15 a 49 años. Se hace referencia a las acciones que el Estado boliviano realiza, a través de promulgación de leyes que tienen como meta garantizar una vida libre de violencia a la mujer boliviana, sin embargo, datos actuales muestran que este fenómeno se ha incrementado y recrudecido significativamente.

This paper aims to expose the current situation of domestic or partner violence against women, a critical approach based on duly documented information. International reports, atthe Latin American level, indicate that Bolivia ranks first place in physical violence against women and second place in sexual violence, in between the ages of 15 and 49. Reference has been made to the actions carried out by the Bolivian State, through the enactment of laws that aim to guarantee a life free of violence to all Bolivian women, however, current data shows that this phenomenon has increased and intensified significantly.

Esse trabalho tem como objetivo expor a atual situação da violência contra a mul-her por parte de seus parceiros, em uma abordagem realizada de maneira crítica baseada em informações devidamente documentadas. Os relatórios internacionais indicam que a Bolívia é o país latino-americano que ocupa o primeiro lugar em violência física contra a mulher e o segundo em violência sexual contra mulheres nas idades de 15 a 49 anos. O presente artigo aborda as ações realizadas pelo Estado boliviano através de promulgação de leis que tem como meta garantir uma vida livre de violência às mulheres bolivianas, porém, dados atuais mostram que esse fenômeno tem aumentado e intensificado significativamente.

ATP promotes extracellular matrix biosynthesis of intervertebral disc cells.

We have recently found a high accumulation of extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the center of healthy porcine intervertebral discs (IVD). Since ATP is a powerful extracellular signaling molecule, extracellular ATP accumulation might regulate biological activities in the IVD. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the effects of extracellular ATP on the extracellular matrix (ECM) biosynthesis of porcine IVD cells isolated from two distinct anatomical regions: the annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP). ATP treatment significantly promotes ECM deposition and corresponding gene expression (aggrecan and type II collagen) by both cell types in three-dimensional agarose culture. A significant increase in ECM accumulation has been found in AF cells at a lower ATP treatment level (20 µM) compared with NP cells (100 µM), indicating that AF cells are more sensitive to extracellular ATP than NP cells. NP cells also exhibit higher ECM accumulation and intracellular ATP than AF cells under control and treatment conditions, suggesting that NP cells are intrinsically more metabolically active. Moreover, ATP treatment also augments the intracellular ATP level in NP and AF cells. Our findings suggest that extracellular ATP not only promotes ECM biosynthesis via a molecular pathway, but also increases energy supply to fuel that process.

Measurement of ATP-Induced Membrane Potential Changes in IVD cells.

Extracellular adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) triggers biological responses in a wide variety of cells and tissues and activates signaling cascades that affect cell membrane potential and excitability. It has been demonstrated that compressive loading promotes ATP production and release by intervertebral disc (IVD) cells, while a high level of extracellular ATP accumulates in the nucleus pulposus (NP) of the IVD. In this study, a noninvasive system was developed to measure ATP-induced changes in the membrane potential of porcine IVD cells using the potential sensitive dye di-8-butyl-amino-naphthyl-ethylene-pyridinium-propyl-sulfonate (di-8-ANEPPS).The responses of NP and annulus fibrosus (AF) cells to ATP were examined in monolayer and 3-dimensional cultures. It was found that the pattern and magnitude of membrane potential change in IVD cells induced by extracellular ATP depended on cell type, culture condition, and ATP dose. In addition, gene expression of P2X4 purinergic receptor was found in both cell types. Inhibition of the ATP-induced response by pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2', 4'-disulfonate (PPADS), a non-competitive inhibitor of P2 receptors, suggests that ATP may modulate the biological activities of IVD cells via P2 purinergic receptors.

Energy metabolism of intervertebral disc under mechanical loading.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is closely associated with low back pain (LBP), which is a major health concern in the U.S. Cellular biosynthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM), which is important for maintaining tissue integrity and preventing tissue degeneration, is an energy demanding process. Due to impaired nutrient support in avascular IVD, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) supply could be a limiting factor for maintaining normal ECM synthesis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the energy metabolism in the annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) of porcine IVD under static and dynamic compressions. Under compression, pH decreased and the contents of lactate and ATP increased significantly in both AF and NP regions, suggesting that compression can promote ATP production via glycolysis and reduce pH by increasing lactate accumulation. A high level of extracellular ATP content was detected in the NP region and regulated by compressive loading. Since ATP can serve not only as an intra-cellular energy currency, but also as a regulator of a variety of cellular activities extracellularly through the purinergic signaling pathway, our findings suggest that compression-mediated ATP metabolism could be a novel mechanobiological pathway for regulating IVD metabolism.

Preliminary assays for the development of a probiotic for goats.

In order to determine probiotic properties, 137 strains of lactic acid bacteria from the feces of Creole goats were screened, only six were resistant to pH 2.0 and bile salts (0.3%). Three strains identified as Lactobacillus and two as Enterococcus showed agglutination with the treated yeast. Between them, Lactobacillus DDL17, DDL19, DDL48 and Enterococcus DDE39 demonstrated high specificity in this test because the correspondent agglutination was inhibited by one sugar, suggesting the presence of a lectin-like structure in their cell walls, which could be due to adhesion ability. Another Enterococcus strain (DDE55) showed low affinity because five sugars inhibited the agglutination of the treated yeasts. The results of hydrophobic properties showed that the strains who were able to agglutinate yeasts presented similar hydrophobic characteristics as hexadecane, xylene and toluene, but high specificity was not related to a high hydrophobicity. Only two strains (Lactobacillus DDL19 and DDL48) showed aggregation with the lowest concentration of ammonium sulfate, complementing the hydrophobicity assay. Only one strain, Lactobacillus DDL48, showed an inhibition against an enteric indicator strain (Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O111). This inhibitory action was not affected by the addition of catalase and no inhibition was detected after neutralizing the supernatant culture fluid. These strains could be pre-selected in order to complete studies focused on designing a probiotic for use in goat feed.

Aislamiento de micobacterias medioambientales en suelos de la ciudad de Córdoba / Isolation of environmental mycobacteria from soils of Córdoba city Argentina

Durante los últimos años ha resurgido el interés por el estudio de las micobacterias medioambientales debido al aumento en incidencia de las micobacteriosis atípicas. Estudios realizados en todo el mundo señalan al suelo como una fuente importante de contaminación humana. En el país existen trabajos que documentan la prevalencia de las micobacteriosis atípicas en Córdoba (1997). y su aislamiento en suelos de La Pampa (1999). El objetivo fue demostrar la existencia de micobacterias mdioambientales en suelos de la ciudade de Córdoba. Se dividió la ciudad en nueve regiones. Se recogieron un total de 120 muestrars en lugares de fácil acceso a suelos orgánicos; cada una se obtuvo en un área cuadrada de 10 cm de lado, hasta 1 cm de profundidad. Se conservaron en heladera hasta 7 días. Fueron homogeneizadas con agua tridestilada en relación 1:1, y decontaminadas según el método de Petroff. Se procedió a la siembra en medio de Lowestein-Jensen, y se incubó en stufa a 37ºC con controles cada 7 días durante 2 meses. Se realizó tinción de Ziehl-Neelsen a los cultivos positivos. Veintitrés muestras (19) fueron descartadas por contaminación. En 20 muestras (17) se observaron bacilos ácido-alcohol resistentes. Las colonias obtenidas fueron enviadas para su identificación al Servicio de Micobacterias del Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán, a cargo de la Lic. Lucía Barrera. Hast el momento uno de los aislameientos fue identificado como Mycobacterium triviale. Con respecto a la distribución redional de los aislamientos, se observó correlación entre el porcentaje de muestras positivas y el número de muestras obtenidas en espacios parquizados. Se demostró la presencia de micobacterias medioambientales en suelos de micobacterias medioambientales en suelos de la ciudad de Córdoba. Los resultados sugieren mayores probabilidades de aislamiento en parquizaciones y suelos habitados por animales. Nuevos trabajos permitirán aclarar características del suelo que favorecen la proliferación de micobacterias, el microorganismo aislado más frecuente, y tal vez brindar armas para la prevención de la enfermedad

Aislamiento de micobacterias medioambientales en suelos de la ciudad de Córdoba / Isolation of environmental mycobacteria from soils of Córdoba city Argentina

Durante los últimos años ha resurgido el interés por el estudio de las micobacterias medioambientales debido al aumento en incidencia de las micobacteriosis atípicas. Estudios realizados en todo el mundo señalan al suelo como una fuente importante de contaminación humana. En el país existen trabajos que documentan la prevalencia de las micobacteriosis atípicas en Córdoba (1997). y su aislamiento en suelos de La Pampa (1999). El objetivo fue demostrar la existencia de micobacterias mdioambientales en suelos de la ciudade de Córdoba. Se dividió la ciudad en nueve regiones. Se recogieron un total de 120 muestrars en lugares de fácil acceso a suelos orgánicos; cada una se obtuvo en un área cuadrada de 10 cm de lado, hasta 1 cm de profundidad. Se conservaron en heladera hasta 7 días. Fueron homogeneizadas con agua tridestilada en relación 1:1, y decontaminadas según el método de Petroff. Se procedió a la siembra en medio de Lowestein-Jensen, y se incubó en stufa a 37ºC con controles cada 7 días durante 2 meses. Se realizó tinción de Ziehl-Neelsen a los cultivos positivos. Veintitrés muestras (19) fueron descartadas por contaminación. En 20 muestras (17) se observaron bacilos ácido-alcohol resistentes. Las colonias ob

Vasculitis necrotizante: reporte de un caso / Necrotizing vasculitis: case report

Se presenta el caso de una paciente de 46 años, quien cumple con los criterios diagnósticos de Poliarteritis Nodosa, con anticuerpo citoplasmático antineutrófilo (ANCA) patrón citoplasmático positivo, de evolución favorable a la terapia inmunosupresora iniciada. Al respecto se hace una pequeña revisión sobre Vasculitis Necrotizante-Poliarteritis Nodosa

Una nueva experiencia en Huacho: el cólera / A new experience in Huacho: the cholera

Se reportan 5,022 casos de Enfermedad Diarreica Aguda atendidos en la Unidad de Tratamiento de Cólera del Hospital Gustavo Lanatta Luján, durante el brote de cólera que se inició en la primera semana de Febrero hasta Setiembre de 1991. De los primeros casos se aisló por cultivo el Vibrio Cholera El Tor 01. Se hospitalizaron 1,739 casos por shock hipovolémico debido a la severa deshidratación que suele observarse. Sin embargo los casos por complicaciones como IRA fueron 12, mayormente por ser pacientes procedentes de zonas alejadas. El número total de defunciones llegaron a 31 contandose los casos que fallecieron antes de recibir atención médica