Transmogrificación placentaria del pulmón / Placental Transmogrification of the Lung

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[Translated article] Placental Transmogrification of the Lung / Transmogrificación placentaria del pulmón

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Disartria y disfagia aisladas como forma de presentación de un ictus isquémico agudo lacunar bilateral y simultáneo / Isolated dysarthria and dysphagia as the presenting symptoms of simultaneous bilateral acute lagunar ischaemic stroke

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¿Cómo potenciar desde la enseñanza-aprendizaje del contenido estadístico la motivación profesional del estudiante de Medicina? / How to enhance professional motivation of medical students in the teaching-learning process of statistical content?

Introducción: En la carrera de Medicina se evidencia desmotivación por parte del estudiante hacía la enseñanza-aprendizaje del contenido estadístico. Esa situación incide negativamente en la motivación profesional de los mismos porque repercute en la calidad de la prestación de los servicios en salud. Objetivo: Estimular la motivación profesional del estudiante de Medicina desde el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje del contenido estadístico. Material y Métodos:Se realizó una intervención pedagógica entre los meses de septiembre de 2015 a julio de 2016, en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Camagüey. Para ello, se seleccionó de manera directa, una muestra integrada por 105 estudiantes, a quienes se les aplicó una entrevista individual y la técnica de la composición; posteriormente se trabajó con ellos empleando diversas actividades y al final se aplicó una encuesta. La información obtenida se procesó de forma automatizada y se utilizaron medidas de resumen para estadística descriptiva. Resultados: Se observó el avance positivo en la percepción estudiantil acerca de la importancia y necesidad del aprendizaje del contenido estadístico para la futura profesión; así como el interés en su uso en las diversas áreas o campos de actuación profesional. Conclusiones: La aplicación de actividades integradoras que vinculan el contenido estadístico con la labor asistencial, gerencial e investigativa de la profesión médica favorece la potenciación de la motivación profesional en los estudiantes de Medicina(AU)

Introduction: Students´ lack of motivation in the teaching-learning process of statistical content is evidenced in the medical studies. This situation goes on negatively on their professional motivation since it has an effect on the quality of the health care services. Objective:To encourage professional motivation of medical students in the teaching-learning process of the statistical content. Material and methods: A pedagogical intervention was carried out in the University of Medical Sciences of Camaguey from September 2015 to July 2016. For it, a sample composed of 105 students was selected directly, to whom both an individual interview and the composition technique were applied; later, different activities were involved in carrying out the work with all of them to finally apply a survey. The information obtained was processed automatically, and summary measures were used for descriptive statistics. Results:A positive advance was observed in the students´ perceptions regarding the importance and need of learning statistical content for their future profession, as well as their interest in its use in different areas or fields of professional activity. Conclusions:The implementation of integrating activities that link statistical content with interest, management and investigative work in the medical profession promotes professional motivation in medical students(AU)

Organic cation/carnitine transporter, OCTN2, transcriptional activity is regulated by osmotic stress in epididymal cells.

Protection of cells from osmotic stress is crucial for their survival. Exposure to high osmolarity promotes rapid diffusion of water across cell membranes, dramatically increasing cellular ionic strength, leading to disruption of key proteins/DNA resulting in cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. The luminal microenvironment of the epididymis is hypertonic; therefore, epididymal cells adapt to the higher osmolarity by accumulating organic osmolytes, such as L-carnitine. Osmolytes do not perturb cells when accumulated in high concentrations, nor do they affect key proteins or damage DNA. Therefore, osmolytes and their transporters are crucial for cell survival. Transporters that are responsible for the accumulation of organic osmolytes have been shown to be regulated at the transcriptional level by hypertonicity. The present study examines the gene expression of known osmoprotective/stress genes in epididymal cells exposed to changes in tonicity. We demonstrate that the osmoprotective/stress pathways present in other organs, such as the kidney, operate in the epididymis, potentially aiding in the protection of its luminal cells and spermatozoa. Further, it was also seen that OCTN2, a transporter that is thought to be responsible for the accumulation of L-carnitine in the epididymal lumen, is regulated in response to changes in tonicity.

Gamma-lactones alpha,beta- and beta,gamma-fused to carbocycles as novel antiproliferative drugs.

A set of gamma-lactones alpha,beta-fused and beta,gamma-fused to carbocycles have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activities using the human cancer cell lines SW1573 (lung), T-47D (breast) and WiDr (colon). The compounds are obtained by intramolecular ring closing metathesis of the corresponding dienes. Active compounds exhibited GI(50) values in the range 8-18 microM. A structure-activity relationship is also discussed.

Activation of bile acid biosynthesis by the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK): hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha phosphorylation by the p38 MAPK is required for cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase expression.

Bile acids are required for intestinal absorption and biliary solubilization of cholesterol and lipids. In addition, bile acids play a crucial role in cholesterol homeostasis. One of the key enzymes in the bile acid biosynthetic pathways is cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase/cytochrome P450 7alpha-hydroxylase (7alpha-hydroxylase), which is the rate-limiting and regulatory step of the "classic" pathway. Transcription of the 7alpha-hydroxylase gene is highly regulated. Two nuclear receptors, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF-4alpha) and alpha(1)-fetoprotein transcription factor, are required for both transcription and regulation by different physiological events. It has been shown that some mitogen-activated protein kinases, such as the c-Jun N-terminal kinase and the ERK, play important roles in the regulation of 7alpha-hydroxylase transcription. In this study, we show evidence that the p38 kinase pathway plays an important role in 7alpha-hydroxylase expression and hence in bile acid synthesis. Inhibition of p38 kinase activity in primary hepatocytes results in approximately 5-10-fold reduction of 7alpha-hydroxylase mRNA. This suppression is mediated, at least in part, through HNF-4alpha. Inhibition of p38 kinase activity diminishes HNF-4alpha nuclear protein levels and its phosphorylation in vivo and in vitro, and it renders a less stable protein. Induction of the p38 kinase pathway by insulin results in an increase in HNF-4alpha protein and a concomitant induction of 7alpha-hydroxylase expression that is blocked by inhibiting the p38 pathway. These studies show a functional link between the p38 signaling pathway, HNF-4alpha, and bile acid synthesis.

Gamma-lactone-tethered ring-closing metathesis. A route to enantiomerically enriched gamma-lactones alpha,beta-fused to medium-sized rings.

[reaction: see text] The stereoselective alkylation of alpha-(phenylsulfonyl)-beta-[(methoxycarbonyl)methyl]-gamma-lactones obtained by the base-induced cyclization of enantiomerically enriched alpha-[(phenylthio)acyl]-alpha,beta-unsaturated esters and ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM) are the basis of a new approach for gaining access to gamma-lactones that are alpha,beta-fused to medium-sized carbocycles and cyclic ethers.

Organic cation/carnitine transporter, OCTN2, is differentially expressed in the adult rat epididymis.

L-Carnitine must be transported against a substantial concentration gradient across the epididymal epithelium to achieve high intraluminal levels, approximately 50 mM in the cauda. Recently, an organic cation transporter, OCTN2, was cloned from rat intestinal epithelium and shown to transport L-carnitine in a sodium-dependent manner. To test the hypothesis that OCTN2 was present in the epididymis, primers were designed based on the published OCTN2 mRNA sequence. A 1.9-kilobase OCTN2 cDNA from rat epididymis was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cloned. Northern analysis demonstrated the presence of OCTN2 transcripts in the epididymis, with highest expression in the distal caput and corpus. To localize the protein, an antibody raised against a carboxy-terminal peptide of OCTN2 was produced in rabbits and used for Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. The antibody recognized a band of approximately 65 kDa in Western blots using epididymal lysates. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrate that OCTN2 is present in the basolateral membrane of epithelial cells in the distal caput, corpus, and proximal cauda epididymides. In conclusion, OCTN2 is present in the rat epididymis in a region-dependent manner and is likely to be responsible for the transport of L-carnitine into the cells of the epididymal epithelium.