Conceptos y estrategias aplicadas a la pesquisa neonatal de endocrinopatías

Los programas de Pesquisa Neonatal son programas de salud pública destinados a la identificación de condiciones médicas que, de mediar una intervención oportuna y temprana, permitirían eliminar o reducir mortalidad, morbilidad o discapacidades. El Hipotiroidismo Congénito (HC) y la Hiperplasia Suprarrenal Congénita (HSC) se encuentran entre las patologías cuya detección tiene un alto impacto para la salud pública y una relación costo / beneficio altamente favorable. El HC es una enfermedad severa, de incidencia elevada, sin signos clínicos evidentes en el período neonatal y su detección y tratamiento temprano permite prevenir el retardo mental profundo. El diagnóstico precoz de las HSC permite prevenir la crisis adrenal por pérdida salina con riesgo de shock hipovolémico y muerte o por stress, que puede ocurrir en la forma perdedora de sal que no ha sido reconocida, evitar la asignación errónea del sexo masculino en niñas recién nacidas virilizadas y prevenir los daños físicos y emocionales causados por el exceso de andrógenos (pubertad precoz, baja talla adulta). La pesquisa masiva de estas enfermedades ha supuesto desafios para superar inconvenientes de sensibillidad y especificidad de las técnicas, y se han desarrollado diferentes estrategias que son tratadas en el presente artículo. Asimismo, es de destacar el carácter multidisciplinario de este campo, y el rol clave del médico pediatra, quien debe participar activamente en la vigilancia clínica de estas enfermedades, atento a ciertas limitaciones y casos especiales dentro de la pesquisa neonatal.Fil: Dratler, Dres G.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Herzovich, V.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Vaiani, E.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Tilitzky, S.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Ribas, A.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Chaler, E.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Lazzati, J.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Belgorosky, Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; Argentin

The nature and fate of natural resins in the geosphere XIII: a probable pinaceous resin from the early Cretaceous (Barremian), Isle of Wight

Terpenoid resin is produced by all families and most genera of the order Coniferales (the conifers), and the distribution of terpenes present in most conifer resins is characteristic of the originating family. Analyses of early Cretaceous (Barremian) amber (fossil resin) from the English Wealden, Isle of Wight, southern England, by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), indicate a terpene distribution dominated by abietane- and labdane-type terpenes. Similar distributions are observed in some species of the extant family Pinaceae. The Pinaceae are well represented within the Wealden deposits of southern England, by only one (known) species, Pityites solmsii (Seward) Seward, whereas the macro-fossil record of these deposits is dominated by the extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae, for which no resin chemistry has been reported. By analogy with modern materials, it is probable that the ambers found in these deposits are derived from an extinct member of the Pinaceae, but given the absence of evidence concerning the chemotaxonomy of the Cheirolepidiaceae, this family cannot be excluded a priori as a possible paleobotanical source. These ambers may therefore be assigned to either the Pinaceae or to the Cheirolepidiaceae. These samples are the oldest ambers to date to yield useful chemotaxonomic data

IGF2 stimulates fetal growth in a sex- and organ-dependent manner

BackgroundInsulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is a key determinant of fetal growth, and the altered expression of IGF2 is implicated in fetal growth disorders and maternal metabolic derangements including gestational diabetes. Here we studied how increased levels of IGF2 in late pregnancy affect fetal growth.MethodsWe employed a rat model of repeated intrafetal IGF2 administration in late pregnancy, i.e., during GD19-GD21, and measured the consequences on fetal organ weight and expression of insulin/IGF-axis components.ResultsIGF2 treatment tended to increase fetal weight, but only weight increase of the fetal stomach reached significance (+33±9%; P<0.01). Sex-dependent data analysis revealed a sexual dimorphism of IGF2 action. In male fetuses, IGF2 administration significantly increased fetal weight (+13±3%; P<0.05) and weight of fetal stomach (+42±10%; P<0.01), intestine (+26±5%; P<0.05), liver (+13±4%; P<0.05), and pancreas (+25±8%; P<0.05). Weights of heart, lungs, and kidneys were unchanged. In female fetuses, IGF2 increased only stomach weight (+26±9%; P<0.05). Furthermore, gene expression of insulin/IGF axis in the heart, lungs, liver, and stomach was more sensitive toward IGF2 treatment in male than in female fetuses.ConclusionData suggest that elevated circulating IGF2 in late pregnancy predominantly stimulates organ growth of the digestive system, and male fetuses are more susceptible toward the IGF2 effects than female fetuses.Fil: White, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Jawerbaum, Alicia Sandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Mazzucco, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Gauster, Martin. Medizinische Universität Graz; AustriaFil: Desoye, Gernot. Medizinische Universität Graz; AustriaFil: Hiden, Ursula. Medizinische Universität Graz; Austri

Distributions of C-22-C-30 even-carbon-number n-alkanes in ocean anoxic event 1 samples from the Basque-Cantabrian Basin

The Ocean Anoxic Event 1 (OAE-1) in central sites of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin exhibits very reducing depositional conditions of sedimentation. These sedimentation events have left a distinct mixture of hydrocarbons that are represented by C22-C30 n-alkanes with a predominance of the even-carbon-number homologues, high relative proportions of squalane and C16-C24 n-alkylcyclopentanes predominated by n-undecyl-, n-tridecyl- and n-pentadecylcyclopentane. Other minor compounds encompass a series of C18-C21 n-alkylcyclohexanes and C18-C24 dimethyl n-alkylcyclohexanes maximized by the even-carbon-number homologues as well as iso- and anteiso-alkanes. This unusual distribution of n-alkanes in this environment provides a new case for comparison with previously reported hypersaline and phosphorite sedimentary deposits where the occurrence of similar n-alkane distributions was reported. In the present case, these major n-alkanes and squalane are indicative of transformation under strong reducing conditions. In contrast, the occurrence of the alkylcyclopentanes, irrespective of the presence of even-carbon-number n-alkanes or squalane, suggests that reductive cyclization of fatty acids is less dependent on strong reducing conditions