Estudios bioquímicos del IMMUNEPONTENT CRP y de su mecanismo de citotoxicidad en células HeLa

El IMMUNEPOTENT CRP, mezcla heterogénea de sustancias menores a 12 kDa, es un producto elaborado y distribuido por el Laboratorio de Inmunología y Virología (LIV), de la Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (FCB) de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL). Es un tratamiento prometedor contra células de cáncer, ya que resultados previos de nuestro grupo de investigación han demostrado que tiene efecto citotóxico frente a diversas líneas tumorales y que causa apoptosis en células de melanoma y de cáncer de mama (Franco-Molina M.A. et al., 2004; Castillo P., 2007). En el presente trabajo se determinó el efecto citotóxico del IMMUNEPOTENT CRP sobre células Vero y HeLa, y el mecanismo mediante el cual ejerce dicho efecto en las últimas. Adicionalmente, se obtuvieron diferentes fracciones del IMMUNEPOTENT CRP usando diferentes técnicas: precipitación con sulfato de amonio, cromatografía de intercambio iónico y ultrafiltración, y se determinó su efecto sobre la viabilidad de la línea celular HeLa, usando la técnica del MTT. El efecto apoptótico fue estudiado analizando la activación de las caspasas: 3/7, 4, 8, 9 y 10, mediante ensayos colorimétrico

Chitosan gold nanoparticles induce cell death in HeLa and MCF-7 cells through reactive oxygen species production

Background: Nanotechnology has gained important interest, especially in the development of new therapies; the application of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the treatment and detection of diseases is a growing trend in this field. As cancer represents a serious health problem around the world, AuNPs are studied as potential drugs or drug carriers for anticancer agents. Recent studies show that AuNPs stabilized with chitosan (CH) possess interesting biological activities, including potential antitumor effects that could be selective to cancer cells. Materials and methods: In this study, we synthesized sodium citrate-AuNPs and CHcapped AuNPs of 3–10 nm, and analyzed their cytotoxicity in cervical (HeLa) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells, and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Then, we evaluated the clonogenic potential, cell cycle, nuclear alterations, caspase dependence, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in HeLa and MCF-7 cells after chitosan gold nanoparticles (CH-AuNPs) exposure. Results: Our data showed that CH-AuNPs are cytotoxic in a dose-dependent manner in the cancer cell lines tested, while they induce low cytotoxicity in PBMCs. Sodium citrate gold nanoparticles did not show cytotoxic effects. In both HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines, CH-AuNPs inhibit clonogenic potential without inducing cell cycle arrest or nuclear alterations. The cell death mechanism is specific for the type of cancer cell line tested, as it depends on caspase activation in HeLa cells, whereas it is caspase independent in MCF-7 cells. In all cases, ROS production is mandatory for cell death induction by CH-AuNPs, as ROS inhibition with N-acetyl cysteine inhibits cell death. Conclusion: Our results show that CH-AuNPs are selective for HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cells, rather than normal PBMCs, and that ROS production seems to be a conserved feature of the cell death mechanism induced by CH-AuNPs. These results improve the knowledge of CH-AuNPs and open the way to the design of new pharmacological strategies using these agents against cancer. Keywords: AuNPs, cancer, PBMC, nuclear alterations, cell cycle, RO

Hydrodynamics and water quality assessment of a coastal lagoon using environmental fluid dynamics code explorer modeling system

Ciénaga de Mallorquín is a coastal lagoon designated as a RAMSAR site due to its ecological regional and international importance. In this work, the environmental fluid dynamics code explorer modeling system was implemented to determine the spatiotemporal distribution of temperature, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand and nutrient levels, and assess the trophic status of Ciénaga de Mallorquín. The model was set up with field measurement data taken during transition period and wet season, and secondary information obtained from local authorities and environmental agencies. The results of model simulations were calibrated and verified by the root mean square error method, achieving a consistent fit for all considered variables. Average velocities were between 0.006 m/s and 0.013 m/s during the analyzed periods. The temperature was higher in the wet season than in the transition period (29°C and 31.5°C, respectively). The dissolved oxygen was similar in both periods (6.6 and 6.7 mg/L). NO3 concentrations were higher during the transition period (3.28 mg/L), with a minimum of 1.76 mg/L and a maximum of 5.09 mg/L. The lowest NO3 concentrations were found in the area influenced by the connection with the Caribbean Sea. PO4 concentrations in the wet season were lower than in the transition period (0.20 mg/L). Finally, Ciénaga de Mallorquín exhibits high productivity levels with Trophic State Index > 50 and temporal variations of mesotrophic to eutrophic. The use of Trophic State Index is useful for the management of water body eutrophication and productivity, making it particularly important in aquatic ecosystems

Microwave Assisted Micellar Extraction Method Combined with Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry For The Determination of Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb And Cd in Marine Sediments.

A new green method has been developed for the extraction of the pseudo-total content of the heavy metals Ni, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Cd from marine sediments using a mixture of biodegradable micellar media (SDS, Triton X-100) as extractants and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) for their determination. This work is the first one that uses only surfactants as extractants, without the addition of chelating agents to increase the extraction efficiency of the method, proving to be effective in the extraction of metals from this type of matrices. The proposed method has shown high recovery percentages for all the metals considered (>68%), good linearity and reproducibility (RSD<5.9%), as well as detection limits ranging from 0.06 to 2.78 µg g-1. The method was applied to the determination of the heavy metals under study in samples with different physicochemical properties. Finally, our results were compared with those obtained using microwave assisted extraction - furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (MAE/GFAAS) described in ISO 11047:1998 obtaining comparable results.Accepted ManuscriptsBiotecnologí

El “Golpe Suave” como estrategia de cambio de poder en el caso de Brasil durante el periodo de Dilma Rousseff y sus elementos comparables con la realidad política de El Salvador durante el mandato de Salvador Sánchez Cerèn, periodo 2010-2016.

La Sociedad Internacional ha sufrido transformaciones en los sistemas políticos generados por los golpes de Estado, los cuales posteriormente permitieron el establecimiento de democracias, como el sistema político con el cual la sociedad buscaba consolidar la participación en la toma de decisiones dentro de sus estados. Por lo tanto, dicha participación de la población en el sistema político tomó relevancia, rechazando el golpe de Estado para lograr el cambio de poder ya que éste hace uso del elemento militar de los Estados y va en contra de la elección popular, esto ha dado paso al surgimiento de estrategias no convencionales, las cuales son acciones pasivas que pretenden ilegitimar gobiernos para lograr un cambio de poder. Estas estrategias no convencionales se agrupan dentro del término Golpe Suave, el cual está por definirse en el ámbito político aunque cabe destacar que se maneja una concepción ideológica lo cual resulta inconveniente para el estudio del término ya que a partir de la concepción ideológica se afirma o se niega la existencia de un golpe suave. Esta investigación estudia los elementos relativos al golpe suave el cual modifica las estructuras institucionales en beneficio del sector privilegiado; ya que la razón principal de esta estrategia es sustituir presidentes que resultan incómodos para dicho sector. Para ello, se han tomado en cuenta la realidad política acaecida en Brasil durante el periodo de Dilma Rousseff que permite identificar los elementos no convencionales característicos del golpe suave que posteriormente pueden sentar un precedente en esta nueva forma de actuar e intervenir en los sistemas políticos