Inside the Outbreak of the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1)v Virus in Mexico

Influenza viruses pose a threat to human health because of their potential to cause global disease. Between mid March and mid April a pandemic influenza A virus emerged in Mexico. This report details 202 cases of infection of humans with the 2009 influenza A virus (H1N1)v which occurred in Mexico City as well as the spread of the virus throughout the entire country.From May 1st to May 5th nasopharyngeal swabs, derived from 751 patients, were collected at 220 outpatient clinics and 28 hospitals distributed throughout Mexico City. Analysis of samples using real time RT-PCR revealed that 202 patients out of the 751 subjects (26.9%) were confirmed to be infected with the new virus. All confirmed cases of human infection with the strain influenza (H1N1)v suffered respiratory symptoms. The greatest number of confirmed cases during the outbreak of the 2009 influenza A (H1N1)v were seen in neighbourhoods on the northeast side of Mexico City including Iztapalapa, Gustavo A. Madero, Iztacalco, and Tlahuac which are the most populated areas in Mexico City. Using these data, together with data reported by the Mexican Secretariat of Health (MSH) to date, we plot the course of influenza (H1N1)v activity throughout Mexico.Our data, which is backed up by MSH data, show that the greatest numbers of the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) cases were seen in the most populated areas. We speculate on conditions in Mexico which may have sparked this flu pandemic, the first in 41 years. We accept the hypothesis that high population density and a mass gathering which took in Iztapalapa contributed to the rapid spread of the disease which developed in three peaks of activity throughout the Country

Expresión génica relacionada con el ciclo celular, apoptosis, sinaptogénesis y diferenciación celular en la diferenciación sexual de la rata

Existen diferencias anatómico-funcionales importantes entre los hipotálamos de las ratas machos y hembras, las cuales son reguladas por esteroides sexuales durante un periodo crítico del desarrollo hipotalámico, especialmente por el estradiol; por ejemplo, en la rata macho, el núcleo dimórfico sexual del área preóptica es seis veces más grande queen la hembra, y en el núcleo arqueado de la hembra son más abundantes las conexiones sinápticas que en los machos. En este estudio se investigaron algunas diferencias entre machos y hembras en la expresión de genes relacionados con la apoptosis, neurogénesis y sinaptogénesis en ratas de 4 h de nacidas, además se evaluó el efecto de la administración temprana de propionato de testosterona (PT) a hembras y tamoxifen (Tx) a machos, sobre el patrón de expresión del grupo de genes referidos, para lo cual se usó un análisis con microarreglos de DNA, combinado con qPCR; se encontraron diferencias en la expresión de los genes en hipotálamos de hembras y machos. En las hembras, hubo una mayor expresión de genes relacionados con la apoptosis: IL-24, Smpd3, Tpa, Pp4, Map3k1, Pge y Naca3; con la diferenciación celular, Neurod2, Zic1 y Epo y con la sinapsis y el control del ciclo celular; Syt7, Tgfbr1, Ptf1a y Cox2. También se muestra que la aplicación de Tx en los machos provocó un patrón de expresión génica similar al de las hembras testigo, mientras que el PT en las hembras no modificó la expresión de genes

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Ethanolic Extract from <i>Tabebuia rosea</i> (Bertol.) DC., Quercetin, and Anti-Obesity Drugs in Adipose Tissue in Wistar Rats with Diet-Induced Obesity

Obesity is characterized by the excessive accumulation of fat, which triggers a low-grade chronic inflammatory process. Currently, the search for compounds with anti-obesogenic effects that help reduce body weight, as well as associated comorbidities, continues. Among this group of compounds are plant extracts and flavonoids with a great diversity of action mechanisms associated with their beneficial effects, such as anti-inflammatory effects and/or as signaling molecules. In the bark of Tabebuia rosea tree, there are different classes of metabolites with anti-inflammatory properties, such as quercetin. Therefore, the present work studied the effect of the ethanolic extract of T. rosea and quercetin on the mRNA of inflammation markers in obesity compared to the drugs currently used. Total RNA was extracted from epididymal adipose tissue of high-fat diet-induced obese Wistar rats treated with orlistat, phentermine, T. rosea extract, and quercetin. The rats treated with T. rosea and quercetin showed 36 and 31% reductions in body weight compared to the obese control, and they likewise inhibited pro-inflammatory molecules: Il6, Il1b, Il18, Lep, Hif1a, and Nfkb1 without modifying the expression of Socs1 and Socs3. Additionally, only T. rosea overexpressed Lipe. Both T. rosea and quercetin led to a reduction in the expression of pro-inflammatory genes, modifying signaling pathways, which led to the regulation of the obesity-inflammation state

Different behavior of myeloperoxidase in two rodent amoebic liver abscess models

<div><p>The protozoan <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i> is the etiological agent of amoebiasis, which can spread to the liver and form amoebic liver abscesses. Histological studies conducted with resistant and susceptible models of amoebic liver abscesses (ALAs) have established that neutrophils are the first cells to contact invasive amoebae at the lesion site. Myeloperoxidase is the most abundant enzyme secreted by neutrophils. It uses hydrogen peroxide secreted by the same cells to oxidize chloride ions and produce hypochlorous acid, which is the most efficient microbicidal system of neutrophils. In a previous report, our group demonstrated that myeloperoxidase presents amoebicidal activity <i>in vitro</i>. The aim of the current contribution was to analyze <i>in vivo</i> the role of myeloperoxidase in a susceptible (hamsters) and resistant (Balb/c mice) animal models of ALAs. In liver samples of hamsters and mice inoculated intraportally with <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i> trophozoites, the number of neutrophils in ALAs was determined by enzymatic activity. The presence of myeloperoxidase was observed by staining, and its expression and activity were quantified <i>in situ</i>. A significant difference existed between the two animal models in the number of neutrophils and the expression and activity of myeloperoxidase, which may explain the distinct evolution of amoebic liver abscesses. Hamsters and mice were treated with an MPO inhibitor (4-aminobenzoic acid hydrazide). Hamsters treated with ABAH showed no significant differences in the percentage of lesions or in the percentage of amoebae damaged compared with the untreated hamsters. ABAH treated mice versus untreated mice showed larger abscesses and a decreased percentage of damaged amoebae in these lesion at all stages of evolution. Further studies are needed to elucidate the host and amoebic mechanisms involved in the adequate or inadequate activation and modulation of myeloperoxidase.</p></div

Differential expression of the <i>mpo</i> gene in hamster and mice ALAs.

<p>Mice tissue samples show a significant high expression of the <i>mpo</i> gene at all post-inoculation times compared with the control group. The difference between these two ALAs models were higher at 3 and 12 h (p<0.001). Hamsters ALA did not show expression of the <i>mpo</i> gene compared with the control group, the lowest expression was found at 6 and 12 h (p<0.001). There is a statistically significant difference between the species and post-inoculation time (p<0.001). Data represent the mean ± SD of three independent experiments, (n = 5). <i>P</i>-values were determined by the one-way ANOVA (*** p<0.001).</p

Percentage of neutrophils stained by AS-D esterase in ALAs from hamsters and Balb/c mice.

<p>Liver sections were stained with AS-D chloroacetate esterase. Neutrophils were identified by their well-known morphology and a positive stain. The total number of cells were counted in the inflammatory focus (8 infiltrates per slide/3 slides per animal), as were the number of cells positive to AS-D chloroacetate esterase (neutrophils) by using Image-Pro Plus 5.1 with 40x magnification. The percentage of neutrophils was calculated. During the evolution of hamster ALA, the percentage of neutrophils diminished progressively. In mice, the percentage of neutrophils was less compare with the hamsters but the changes showed similar behaviour, except at 24 hours. At the latter times post infection, the percentage of neutrophils was higher in mice than hamsters. Data represent the mean ± SD of the three independents experiments, (n = 5). <i>P</i>-values were determined by the Student’s <i>t</i>-test (*** p<0.001; ** p<0.01).</p

Neutrophils positive to MPO in hamster and mice ALAs.

<p>Liver tissue was processed by immunohistochemistry to detect the presence of MPO in ALA of hamsters (A, C, E, G, I) and mice (B, D, F, H, J) at 3, 6, 12 and 24 h post-inoculation. Negative controls was performed with an irrelevant, antibody no label was observed (A, B). (C) Hamster liver lesions, neutrophils were positive in small inflammatory foci at 3 h post-inoculation (arrowhead). (E) At 6 h post-inoculation, amoebae (arrows) were positive to MPO. (G) At 12 h, appears extensive inflammatory reaction composed by damaged neutrophils positive to MPO. (I) At 24 h, inflammatory cells lysed on the border of a necrotic area were also stained to MPO. (D) Mouse liver lesions; inflammatory cells showed MPO label at 3 h post-inoculation (arrowhead), amoeba is seen (arrow). (F) At 6 h post-inoculation, neutrophils appear surround the damaged amoeba (arrow). (H) At 12 h appear damaged amoeba (arrow); the inflammatory infiltrate was constituted by neutrophils positive to MPO (arrowhead). (J) At 24 h staining for MPO was evident, the amoeba present signs of damage (arrow). Barr = 50μm.</p

<i>E</i>. <i>histolytica</i> stimulate the MPO activity in ALA of mice and to decrease in hamsters.

<p>Mice tissue samples from ALA showed a significant higher MPO activity from 6–24 h (p<0.001). Hamster liver samples from ALAs showed a significantly reduction of MPO activity from 6 to 24 h (p<0.01). There is a statistically significant difference between the species and post-inoculation time. Data represent the mean ± SD of the three independent experiments, (n = 5). <i>P</i>-values were determined by the one-way ANOVA (***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05).</p