Growth hormone and aging

Les alteracions vasculars i degeneratives del sistema nerviós central (SNC) són dues de les causes més comunes de malaltia i de mort entre la gent gran; ambdues es correlacionen amb l'edat, amb la deficiència en GH, i poden afectar les funcions fisiològiques de la població d'edat avançada. Amb la finalitat de clarificar els efectes de la GH en el metabolisme, en els vasos i en el SNC, hem dut a terme un estudi in vivo utilitzant rates vellesWistar tractades crònicament amb GH. Les rates velles varen presentar un augment en el pes de greix i una disminució de l'índex específic de gravetat (SGI) (p < 0,05) en comparar-les amb les rates adultes no tractades. La GH va reduir el pes en greix (p < 0,05), i va mostrar també una tendència a augmentar l'SGI. Es va analitzar també la resposta de diverses substàncies vasoactives en els anells aòrtics, i es va demostrar una disminució de la vasodilatació per acetilcolina i isoprenalina (p < 0,05) en els animals vells. La contracció induïda per acetilcolina+L-NAME era més alta en els animals vells que en els adults. L'administració de GH millorava les respostes vasodilatadores (p < 0,05) mentre que tendia a reduïr les respostes vasoconstrictores. L'àrea aòrtica mitja augmentava també en les rates velles, mentre que la GH reduïa aquest paràmetre (p < 0,05). Les poblacions neuronals es reduïen en els hipocamps de les rates velles en comparar-les amb les joves. Aquesta reducció estava asociada a un augment dels nucleosomes i a una reducció de Bcl2 en el cervell. Les caspases 3 i 9 també varen augmentar. El tractament amb GH va augmentar significativament el nombre de neurones i va reduir els nucleosomes i les caspases i augmentar el Bcl2. En conclusió, el tractament perGHindueix l'aparició d'efectes beneficiosos en la composició del cos i ha restablert també les funcions cerebrals i vasculars en les rates velles.Vascular and degenerative alterations of the central nervous system (CNS) are two of the most common reasons for illness and death in elderly people; they exhibit an age-related GH deficiency that can affect their physiological functions. A study was conducted under chronic in vivo conditions using old Wistar rats, in order to clarify the effects of GH on the metabolism, vessels, and the CNS. The old rats showed an increased fat weight and a decreased Specific Gravity Index (SGI) (p < 0.05), as compared to the adult animals. GH reduced the fat weight (p < 0.05) and tended to increase the SGI (N.S.). The response to several vasoactive substances in aortic rings showed impaired vasodilatation to Acetylcholine and Isoprenaline (p < 0.05) in the old animals. Contraction, induced by Acetylcholine+ L-NAME, was higher in the old rats than in the adults. GH administration improved the vasodilatory responses (p < 0.05) and tended to reduce the constrictory responses. The aortic media area was increased in the old rats, and GH reduced this parameter (p < 0.05). The neuronal populations were reduced in the hippocampi of the old rats as compared to the young ones. This reduction was associated with an increase in nucleosomes and a reduction in Bcl2 in the brain. An increase was also detected in caspases 3 and 9. GH treatment was able to significantly enhance the number of neurons by reducing the nucleosomes and the caspases and by increasing Bcl2. In conclusion,GHtreatment was able to show beneficial effects on body composition and was able to restore both vascular and brain functions in the old rats

Evaluation of an immunodot blot technique for the detection of antibodies against Taenia solium larval antigens

Immunodiagnostic tests represent an important tool for diagnosis of cysticercosis, the disease caused by cysticerci of Taenia solium. Accurate diagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NCC) requires costly neuroimaging techniques (magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography), which are seldom affordable for people in endemic countries. Hence, new low-cost diagnostic methods offering good sensitivity and specificity are needed. Here, we studied four immunodiagnostic tests immunodot blot Tsol-p27, a commercial ELISA, and Western blot Tsol-p27/TsolHSP36, and compared them with a commercial enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) that we regarded as the gold standard method. The analyzed serum samples were obtained from 160 patients: 94 epileptics suspected of NCC, six individuals confirmed NCC-positive, and 60 with positive (30) or negative (30) serology for Chagas diseases. Of the 100 serum samples from epileptic patients, 13 were positive and 87 negative by EITB. Compared to Western blot Tsol-p27, immunodot blot Tsol-p27 offered similar specificity (97.8% vs. 95.6%) but better sensitivity (86.7% vs. 76.4%). The ELISA was similar to the immunodot blot Tsol-p27 regarding both sensitivity and specificity. Western blot TsolHSP36 provided the lowest sensitivity (61.9%) and specificity (86.1%). None of the antibodies in the serum samples from the Chagas control groups were recognized by immunodot blot Tsol-p27. Our results indicate that the immunodot blot Tsol-p27 provides good sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, considering the simplicity and low cost of this test, it might be preferable as a diagnostic method in poorly equipped laboratories in endemic countries

The COVID-19 pandemic, emergency aid and social work in Brazil.

This essay reflects on the implementation of federal government emergency aid in Brazil in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting elements from the work of Social Workers in the context of growing demand for the supply of material provisions. Economic and social conditions in Brazil have particularities that impact the operationalisation of this benefit, which is aimed at the poor, that add complexity and impose limits. When considering the structural limits set, this context imposes challenges on the work of Social Workers. The need to reconnect and enhance the struggle for social rights is emphasised through the different strategies of the working class

BioJS: An open source standard for biological visualisation - its status in 2014

BioJS is a community-based standard and repository of functional components to represent biological information on the web. The development of BioJS has been prompted by the growing need for bioinformatics visualisation tools to be easily shared, reused and discovered. Its modular architecture makes it easy for users to find a specific functionality without needing to know how it has been built, while components can be extended or created for implementing new functionality. The BioJS community of developers currently provides a range of functionality that is open access and freely available. A registry has been set up that categorises and provides installation instructions and testing facilities at http://www.ebi.ac.uk/tools/biojs/. The source code for all components is available for ready use at https://github.com/biojs/biojs

The BioJS article collection of open source components for biological data visualisation.

Data-driven research has gained momentum in the life sciences. Visualisation of these data is essential for quick generation of hypotheses and their translation into useful knowledge. BioJS is a new proposed standard for JavaScript-based components to visualise biological data. BioJS is an open source community project that to date provides 39 different components contributed by a global community. Here, we present the BioJS F1000Research collection series. A total of 12 components and a project status article are published in bulk. This collection does not intend to be an all-encompassing, comprehensive source of BioJS articles, but an initial set; future submissions from BioJS contributors are welcome

Cytogenetic and molecular characterization in gonadal tissue of patients with ovotesticular syndrome and gonadal dysgenesis 46,XY and 46,XX

Objetivos: La etiología de la disgenesia gonadal y el síndrome ovotesticular se desconoce en la mayoría de los casos. Para realizar la caracterización citogenética y molecular de un grupo de pacientes con síndrome ovotesticular y disgenesia gonadal completa a partir de muestras de sangre periférica y tejido gonadal. Material y métodos: Se incluyeron un total de 6 pacientes, 3 con diagnóstico de síndrome ovotesticular 46, XX, uno diagnosticado con 46, XY síndrome ovotesticular; uno con sospecha de disgenesia gonadal 46, XX y otro con disgenesia gonadal completa 46, XY. Resultados Todos los pacientes fueron evaluados con cariotipo, hibridación in situ fluorescente (FISH) para SRY, amplificación de sonda dependiente de ligación múltiple (MLPA) e hibridación genómica comparativa (aCGH) en muestras de sangre periférica. En los casos con tejido gonadal disponible, los niveles de expresión genética de SOX3, SRY y SOX9 se determinaron mediante PCR en tiempo real e inmunofluorescencia. Se descartaron reordenamientos relacionados con el gen SRY. No se detectaron deleciones/duplicaciones o variaciones en el número de copias (NVC) como etiología del trastorno del desarrollo sexual en ninguno de los pacientes estudiados. En un caso de síndrome ovotesticular 46, XX, el cariotipo gonadal era diferente del cariotipo en sangre periférica. Se observó expresión aberrante de SOX3 y SOX9 en tejido gonadal de un caso con síndrome ovotesticular 46, XX. Conclusiones: Se documentaron niveles más bajos de expresión de SRY y SOX9 en comparación con los niveles en líneas celulares humanas de testículo embrionario y Sertoli en el tejido gonadal de un caso con síndrome ovotesticular 46, XY. Los estudios citogenéticos y moleculares de las gónadas como complemento del estudio de sangre periférica tienen el potencial de enriquecer la comprensión de los trastornos del desarrollo sexual en pacientes que son XX o XY en sangre periférica.Q4Objectives: The etiology of gonadal dysgenesis and the ovotesticular syndrome is unknown in most cases. The aim of the study was to perform cytogenetic and molecular characterization of a group of patients with ovotesticular syndrome and complete gonadal dysgenesis from peripheral blood and gonadal tissue samples.Materials and methods: A total of 6 patients were included, 3 with 46,XX ovotesticular syndrome diagnosis, 1 diagnosed with 46,XY ovotesticular syn-drome; 1 suspected with 46,XX gonadal dysgenesis, and 1 with 46,XY complete gonadal dysgenesis. Results: All patients were evaluated with karyotype, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for SRY, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) in peripheral blood samples. In cases with available gonadal tissue, the levels of genetic expression of SOX3, SRY, and SOX9 were determined by real-time PCR and immunofluo-rescence. Rearrangements involving SRY gene were ruled out. No deletions/duplications or copy-number variations (CNVs) were identified as the etiology for the sexual development disorder in any of the studied patients. In one case of 46,XX ovotesticular syndrome, the gonadal karyotype was different from the karyotype in peripheral blood. Aberrant expression of SOX3 and SOX9 in gonadal tissue was observed in one case of 46,XX ovotesticular syndrome. Conclusions: Lower levels of SRY and SOX9 expression were documented in the gonadal tissue of a case of 46,XY ovotesticular syndrome, in commparison with the levels in human cellular lines of embryonic testicle and Sertoli cells. Cytogenetic and molecular studies of gonads complementary to peripheral blood studies have the potential of enhancing the understanding of sexual development disorders in patients who are XX or XY in peripheral blood.https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4900-4948https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7109-3342https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8225-4394https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1555-6661https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3463-3565https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0826-6191https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6336-5347https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7856-7213https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2241-7854https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2231-4321https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8528-4433Revista Internacional - IndexadaCN

Clinical Profile of Cardiac Involvement in Danon Disease: A Multicenter European Registry

Background: The X-linked Danon disease manifests by severe cardiomyopathy, myopathy, and neuropsychiatric problems. We designed this registry to generate a comprehensive picture of clinical presentations and outcome of patients with Danon disease in cardiomyopathy centers throughout Europe. Methods: Clinical and genetic data were collected in 16 cardiology centers from 8 European countries. Results: The cohort comprised 30 male and 27 female patients. The age at diagnosis was birth to 42 years in men and 2 to 65 in women. Cardiac involvement was observed in 96%. Extracardiac manifestations were prominent in men but not in women. Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy was reported in 73% of male and 74% of female patients. LV systolic dysfunction was reported in 40% of men (who had LV ejection fraction, 34±11%) and 59% of women (LV ejection fraction, 28±13%). The risk of arrhythmia and heart failure was comparable among sexes. The age of first heart failure hospitalization was lower in men (18±6 versus 28±17 years; P<0.003). Heart failure was the leading cause of death (10 of 17; 59%), and LV systolic dysfunction predicted an adverse outcome. Eight men and 8 women (28%) underwent heart transplantation or received an LV assist device. Our cohort suggests better prognosis of female compared with male heart transplant recipients. Conclusions: Danon disease presents earlier in men than in women and runs a malignant course in both sexes, due to cardiac complications. Cardiomyopathy features, heart failure and arrhythmia, are similar among the sexes. Clinical diagnosis and management is extremely challenging in women due to phenotypic diversity and the absence of extracardiac manifestations