Model of nutritional supplementation with hepatotrophic factors increases cell proliferation in the liver of healthy rats

Foram avaliados dois protocolos de administração, em ratos sadios, de uma solução de fatores hepatotróficos (FH), composta por aminoácidos, vitaminas, sais minerais, glicose, insulina, glucagon e triiodotironina (T3). A solução foi administrada durante 10 dias, 40mg/kg/dia, i.p., em duas, grupo 2xFH (n=15), ou três doses, grupo 3xFH (n=15), diárias. Foram observados os efeitos na proliferação celular dos hepatócitos, na angiogênese e na matriz extracelular hepática, assim como as possíveis reações adversas. Os animais dos grupos 2xFH e 3xFH apresentaram aumento da massa hepática de 30,1% e 22,5%, respectivamente, em relação ao grupo-controle (CT; n=15). O índice de proliferação hepatocelular foi maior nos grupos 2xFH (1,4%) e 3xFH (1,2%) em relação ao grupo CT (0,53%), e a densitometria relativa do fator de crescimento do endotélio vascular pelo imunoblot não revelou diferença estatística entre os três grupos. Nos grupos 2xFH e 3xFH, houve redução do colágeno intersticial em relação ao grupo CT. A solução de FH estimulou o crescimento hepático e reduziu o volume de colágeno perissinusoidal. A administração em três doses diárias resultou em mortalidade de 26,7%, possivelmente pelo excessivo estresse da manipulação e pela menor adaptação fisiológica dos ratos, o que não ocorreu nos grupos 2xFH e CT. Para esse tipo de abordagem em ratos, o procedimento experimental mais apropriado, seguro, com melhor chance de adaptação dos animais e com resultados significativos é a aplicação dos FH em duas doses diárias.Two protocols of hepatotrophic factors (HF) administration, in solution composed by aminoacids, vitamins, mineral salts, glucose, insulin, glucagon, and triiodothyronine were evaluated in healthy rats. This solution was administered for 10 days, (40mg/kg/day) i.p., in two (group 2xFH; n=15) or three daily doses (group 3xFH n=15). The effects on hepatocytes cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and hepatic extracellular matrix, and also possible adverse reactions were analyzed. Animals of groups 2xFH and 3xFH presented an increase in hepatic mass of 30.1% and 22.5%, respectively, when compared rats of control group (CT; n=15). Hepatocellular proliferation index was higher in rats of groups 2xFH (1.4%) and 3xFH (1.2%) when compared to CT group animals (0.53%), and the relative densitometry of the vascular endothelial growth factor analyzed with immunoblot did not show a significant difference among the three groups. Rats of groups 2xFH and 3xFH showed a reduction of interstitial collagen when compared to CT rats. HF solution stimulated hepatic growth and reduced the volume of perisinusoidal collagen. Administration in three daily doses resulted in 26.7% mortality, possibly due to excessive stress from manipulation and lower physiological adaptation of rats, which did not occur in rats of groups 2xFH and CT. The more appropriate and safer experimental procedure for this approach in rats with higher chance of animal adaptation and significant results is the application of HF in two daily doses

Modulation of extracellular matrix by nutritional hepatotrophic factors in thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis in the rat

Nutritional substances associated to some hormones enhance liver regeneration when injected intraperitoneally, being denominated hepatotrophic factors (HF). Here we verified if a solution of HF (glucose, vitamins, salts, amino acids, glucagon, insulin, and triiodothyronine) can revert liver cirrhosis and how some extracellular matrices are affected. Cirrhosis was induced for 14 weeks in 45 female Wistar rats (200 mg) by intraperitoneal injections of thioacetamide (200 mg/kg). Twenty-five rats received intraperitoneal HF twice a day for 10 days (40 mL·kg-1·day-1) and 20 rats received physiological saline. Fifteen rats were used as control. The HF applied to cirrhotic rats significantly: a) reduced the relative mRNA expression of the genes: Col-α1 (-53%), TIMP-1 (-31.7%), TGF-β1 (-57.7%), and MMP-2 (-41.6%), whereas Plau mRNA remained unchanged; b) reduced GGT (-43.1%), ALT (-17.6%), and AST (-12.2%) serum levels; c) increased liver weight (11.3%), and reduced liver collagen (-37.1%), regenerative nodules size (-22.1%), and fibrous septum thickness. Progranulin protein (immunohistochemistry) and mRNA (in situ hybridization) were found in fibrous septa and areas of bile duct proliferation in cirrhotic livers. Concluding, HF improved the histology and serum biochemistry of liver cirrhosis, with an important reduction of interstitial collagen and increased extracelullar matrix degradation by reducing profibrotic gene expression

Blood viscoelasticity : experimental characterization and 2D-numerical simulation of the blood flow

Circulatory system diseases are the main cause of death in Europe and United States of America. This fact has promoted increasing research related to human body biomechanics. In this context, huge increase of computational capacity has become in a valuable tool for cardiovascular disease studies. Blood viscoelastic flow through healthy carotid artery was here studied. Both experimental and computational techniques were carried out in order to simulate a realistic human situation. On the one hand, regarding the experimental study, relaxation tests were performed on blood by using a rheometer. After that, the Generalized Maxwell model was used to fit experimental data time dependence of relaxation modulus. On the other hand, several numerical simulations were carried out by using finite volume methods implemented in open source software (Foam Extend 3.1). The effect of blood viscoelastic behaviour in a common human carotid artery was tested. Results from Viscoelastic and Newtonian models for blood were compared. The main conclusion of the work is that assuming blood as a Newtonian fluid can give rise to wrong predictions, especially at the near wall region.Papers presented to the 12th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Costa de Sol, Spain on 11-13 July 2016

Diagnóstico estratégico da produção de carne de cabrito da raça serrana

Este trabalho pretende realizar um diagnóstico estratégico do setor de carnes de cabrito Serrana. Os dados baseiam-se numa amostra de 70 criadores da região Norte de Trás-os-Montes. Os resultados do estudo revelam algumas debilidades estruturais no setor, como a reduzida escolaridade dos produtores, a ancianidade, o abandono da atividade, o baixo preço ao produtor ou mesmo as oscilações da procura. Efetivamente, de acordo com os indivíduos da nossa amostra, se agruparmos o envelhecimento dos produtores à diminuição do efetivo e ao abandono da atividade, a fragilidade do setor é enorme. Acresce alguma carência de visão e inovação, por parte dos agentes, nos diferentes elos do sistema de comercialização. Nenhum criador vende a carne através da internet, a retalho ou pré-embalada, não retendo para si o valor acrescentado da transformação. Assim, o escoamento do produto é praticamente assegurado pela qualidade da carne, que se tem apresentado como uma potencialidade irrefutável.This paper intends to perform a strategic diagnostic of the meat sector of Serrana goat kid. The data is based on a sample of 70 breeders, members of the Association for the Serrana goats (ANCRAS), from the Northern region of Trás-os-Montes. The study findings reveal some structural weaknesses in the sector, such as low schooling of farmers, old age, cessation of goat farming activity, low producer prices or demand fluctuations. Indeed, according to our sample goat breeders, if we add the “goat breeders aging” with “herd goat decrease” and “abandonment of the goat farming activity”, the sector’s fragility is huge. Moreover, there are some lack of vision and innovation, by the actors in different links of the marketing chain. No one of the farmers sells the meat over the internet, retail or prepacked, so do not appropriate themselves of the added value of processing. Indeed, the product marketing is essentially based on meat quality, which has been presented as the sector main strength.Este trabalho foi financiado por: Projeto OPEN2PRESERVE - Modelo de gestión sostenible para la preservación de paisajes abiertos de montaña (SOE2/P5/E0804). Os autores agradecem à Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) e ao FEDER no âmbito do programa PT2020 pelo apoio financeiro ao CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Brote familiar de brucelosis. La importancia de la sospecha epidemiológica

Objetivo: La brucelosis es la zoonosis más extendida en el mundo. En España su incidencia ha disminuido considerablemente en los últimos años gracias a las medidas sociosanitarias llevadas a cabo. Se han comunicado 40 casos de brucelosis en humanos en 2018, lo que representa una tasa de 0, 09 por cada 100.000 habitantes. El objetivo de este estudio fue destacar la importancia de la vigilancia activa y del cribado en familiares de pacientes diagnosticados de brucelosis. Metodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de un brote familiar de brucelosis importada. Se evaluaron cinco miembros de una misma familia tras el diagnóstico de brucelosis de un paciente en el Área III de Salud de Zaragoza, en mayo de 2019. Se contactó telefónicamente con los familiares del paciente y el centro de salud para investigar la posibilidad de afectación de los familiares con quienes había viajado y convivido en Marruecos. Resultados: En un escenario de escasa frecuencia de enfermedad como es nuestro país en el momento actual, el cribado familiar, tras un diagnóstico inicial de brucelosis importada, permitió detectar y tratar a cuatro miembros de una misma familia de origen magrebí. Resultaron contagiados durante un viaje en abril de 2019 a su lugar de origen, un mes en el que convivieron en el ámbito rural en contacto con animales (ovejas, cabras, vacas) y consumieron productos lácteos y cárnicos. La aparición de síntomas presentados concordó temporalmente con el periodo de incubación de la enfermedad. Conclusiones: Destaca la importancia de la vigilancia activa y del cribado en familiares de pacientes diagnosticados de brucelosis, ya que comparten, por lo general, exposiciones a una fuente común. Background: Brucellosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world. In Spain its incidence has decreased considerably in recent years thanks to the social and health measures carried out. 40 cases of brucellosis have been reported in humans in 2018, representing a rate of 0.09 per 100, 000 inhabitants. The objective of the study was to highlight the importance of epidemiological suspicion, as well as the screening of relatives for the diagnosis of the disease. Methods: A descriptive study of a family outbreak of imported brucellosis was carried out. Five members of the same family were evaluated after the diagnosis of brucellosis in a patient in the Health Area III of Zaragoza, in May 2019. The relatives of the patient and the health center were contacted by telephone to investigate the possibility of involvement of the relatives with whom he had traveled and lived in Morocco. Results: In a scenario with a low frequency of disease such as our country at the present time, family screening, after an initial diagnosis of imported brucellosis, allowed the detection and treatment of four members of the same family of Maghreb origin. They were infected during a trip to their place of origin in April 2019, a month in which they lived in rural areas in contact with animals (sheep, goats, cows) and consumed dairy and meat products. The appearance of presented symptoms was temporally consistent with the incubation period of the disease. Conclusions: Emphasize the importance of active surveillance and screening in relatives of patients diagnosed with Brucellosis, since they generally share exposures to a common source

Recent increase of ulcerative lesions caused by Anisakis spp. in cetaceans from the north-east Atlantic

Species of Anisakis typically infect the stomach of cetaceans worldwide, often causing ulcerative lesions that may compromise the host’s health. These nematodes also cause anisakiasis or allergic reactions in humans. To assess the risks of this emerging zoonosis, data on long-term changes in Anisakis infections in cetaceans are necessary. Here, we compare the prevalence and severity of ulcerative lesions caused by Anisakis spp. in five cetacean species stranded along the north-west Spanish coast in 2017–2018 with published data from 1991–1996. Open ulcers were found in 32/ 43 short-beaked common dolphins, Delphinus delphis; 3/5 striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba; 1/7 bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus; and 1/3 harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena mer- idionalis; a single individual of long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas, was found unin- fected. In common dolphins, the mean abundance of open ulcers per host was 1.1 (95% confidence interval: 0.8–1.3), with a maximum diameter (mean ± standard deviation) of 25.4 ± 16.9 mm. Stomachs with scars or extensive fibrosis putatively associated with Anisakis were detected in 14 and five animals, respectively. A molecular analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase II gene using 18 worms from three cetacean species revealed single or mixed infections ofAnisakis simplex sensu stricto and Anisakis pegreffii. Compared with the per- iod 1991–1996, we found a strong increase of prevalence, abundance and extension of ulcerative lesions in most cetacean species. Anisakis populations could have increased in the study area over the last decades, although we cannot rule out that a higher environmental stress has also boosted the pathological effects of these parasites.En prens

Removal efficiency for emerging contaminants in a WWTP from Madrid (Spain) after secondary and tertiary treatment and environmental impact on the Manzanares River

The effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be an important contamination source for receiving waters. In this work, a comprehensive study on the impact of a WWTP from Madrid on the aquatic environment has been performed, including a wide number of pharmaceuticals and pesticides, among them those included in the European Watch List. 24-h composite samples of influent (IWW) and effluent wastewater after secondary (EWW2) and after secondary + tertiary treatment (EWW3) were monitored along two campaigns. Average weekly concentrations in IWW and EWW2 and EWW3 allowed estimating the removal efficiency of the WWTP for pharmaceutical active substances (PhACs). In addition, the impact of EWW3 on the water quality of the Manzanares River was assessed, in terms of PhAC and pesticide concentrations, through analysis of the river water collected upstream and downstream of the discharge point. After a preliminary risk assessment, a detailed evaluation of the impact on the aquatic environment, including a toxicological study and screening of pharmaceutical metabolites, was made for the seven most relevant PhACs: sulfamethoxazole, azithromycin and clarithromycin (antibiotics), metoprolol (antihypertensive), diclofenac (anti-inflammatory/analgesic), irbesartan (antihypertensive), and the antidepressant venlafaxine. Among selected PhACs, irbesartan, clarithromycin and venlafaxine presented moderate or high risk in the river water downstream of the discharge. Albeit no acute toxicity was detected, more detailed studies should be carried out for these substances, including additional toxicological studies, to set up potential sublethal and chronic effects on aquatic organisms.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume

Theoretical study of incoherent phi photoproduction on a deuteron target

We study the photoproduction of phi mesons in deuteron, paying attention to the modification of the cross section from bound protons to the free ones with the aim of comparing with recent results at LEPS. For this purpose we take into account Fermi motion in single scattering and rescattering of the phi to account for phi absorption on a second nucleon as well as the rescattering of the proton. We find that the contribution of the double scattering is much smaller than the typical cross section of gamma p to phi p in free space, which implies a very small screening of the phi production in deuteron. The contribution from the proton rescattering, on the other hand, is found to be not negligible compared to the cross section of gamma p to phi p in free space, and leads to a moderate reduction of the phi photoproduction cross section on a deuteron at forward angles if LEPS set up is taken into account. The Fermi motion allows contribution of the single scattering in regions forbidden by phase space in the free case. In particular, we find that for momentum transferred squared close to the maximum value, the Fermi motion changes drastically the shape of d sigma / dt, to the point that the ratio of this cross section to the free one becomes very sensitive to the precise value of t chosen, or the size of the bin used in an experimental analysis. Hence, this particular region of t does not seem the most indicated to find effects of a possible phi absorption in the deuteron. This reaction is studied theoretically as a function of t and the effect of the experimental angular cuts at LEPS is also discussed, providing guidelines for future experimental analyses of the reaction.Comment: 17 pages, 16 figure

Psychosocial burden in adult patients with atopic dermatitis

P16 Objective: Atopic dermatitis affects patients’ quality of life (QoL) in many ways. It is important to analyze the impact that the disease produces in order to better define the healthcare needs of adult patients with atopic dermatitis. Patients and Methods: 14 adult patients with atopic dermatitis were interviewed. The qualitative interviews were semi-structured and supported by a simple script, which allowed a complete and flexible interview. Results: Six affected areas of the patient’s life with atopic dermatitis were identified: economic, work-related, personal, psychosocial, clinical and relational. It is emphasized that atopic dermatitis has a great psychosocial impact on the adult patient, since it alters interpersonal relationships, generates rejection, stigmatization and social isolation, limits the patient in various areas and activities of their daily life or alters sleep, among others. The visible aspect, the itching-scratching cycle, the lack of awareness and ignorance of the disease, the lack of a definitive solution among the treatments and the side effects of some of them are of great concern. Conclusions: The QoL of the patients with atopic dermatitis is negatively affected and a holistic multidisciplinary intervention is necessary in order to mitigate the negative impact of the disease