PETra: Software Tool for a Semiautomatic Positron Emission Tomography Image Analysis and its Application to the Study of Brain Glucose Consumption in Rats

[EN] This work presents a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) image analysis tool and its application to the study of rat brain glucose consumption (PETra comes from PET+rat). The described methodology has four steps: a preprocessing of PET images, a coregistration of these images with an atlas, a semiautomatic segmentation of the regions of interest in the rat brain and a 3D reconstruction of these regions to obtain the volumes of interest. Brain glucose uptake was quantified as Standardized Uptake Value (SUV). This tool was applied to nine Wistar rats, young (4-7 months) and old (22-24 months) groups, to study the effect of aging on brain glucose consumption and the difference between sexes. Results showed a lower glucose uptake in old rats than in young rats, regardless gender; while young female rats showed higher glucose consumption than young male rats, whereas these differences disappeared with aging. The developed tool allows the quantification of glucose in rat brain. Results show the accuracy of the tool to define ranges of variation in a population of young and old rats, showing a decrease in glucose consumption in aging.Del Canto, I.; Lopez-Grueso, R.; Gambini, J.; Monleón, D.; Borrás, C.; Viña, J.; Moratal, D. (2015). PETra: Software Tool for a Semiautomatic Positron Emission Tomography Image Analysis and its Application to the Study of Brain Glucose Consumption in Rats. IEEE Latin America Transactions. 13(3):876-884. doi:10.1109/TLA.2015.7069118S87688413

Valoración bioquímica del entrenamiento: herramienta para el dietista-nutricionista deportivo

La alta exigencia en los deportistas crea la necesidad de controlar el proceso de adaptación al entrenamiento. El objetivo de esta revisión es analizar los parámetros bioquímicos de utilidad para el control biológico del deportista, y ofrecer herramientas al dietista-nutricionista (D-N) deportivo en el seguimiento del entrenamiento. La glucosa y el perfil lipídico son parámetros utilizados en las consultas, pero insuficientes para el control de los entrenamientos. La concentración de ácido láctico en plasma es la herramienta más común para valorar la carga de entrenamiento, donde valores superiores a 4 mmol/l, indican gran intensidad del entrenamiento. Otras enzimas como la creatinquinasa (CK), lactato deshidrogenasa (LDH) y dos transaminasas: la transaminasa glucooxalacética (GOT) o aspartato aminotransferasa (AST) y la glutamicopirúvica (GTP) o alanina aminotransferasa (ALT) sugieren, en concentraciones altas, que la carga de entrenamiento fue elevada produciendo roturas miofibrilares. La determinación de otros sustratos como el amonio, glutamina o el ratio testosterona/cortisol, sirven para detectar un posible estado de sobre-entrenamiento. Así mismo, las últimas investigaciones sugieren que elevadas concentraciones de cortisol disminuyen el sistema inmunológico. Por otra parte, la urea, la alanina o el aumento de cuerpos cetónicos, nos indican un vaciamiento de los depósitos de glucógeno muscular y la utilización de otros sustratos energéticos. Por tanto, la información que aportan estos parámetros son de utilidad para el D-N deportivo, y, con ello, conseguir intervenciones dietético-nutricionales más efectivas según los objetivos del entrenamiento

Compaction and Decompaction of DNA Induced by the Cationic Surfactant CTAB

A multifaceted study on the interaction of the cationic surfactant CTAB with calf thymus DNA was carried out by using different techniques. The measurements were done at different molar ratios <i>X</i> = [CTAB]/[DNA]. Results show the conformational change that DNA suffers due to the interaction with surfactant molecules at low molar ratios: the condensation of the polynucleotide, from an extended coil state to a globular state. The effect observed at the higher molar ratios is worth noting: the decondensation of DNA, that is, the transition from a compact state to a more extended conformation. Experimental data obtained confirm that this latter state is not exactly the same as that found in the absence of the surfactant. Attractive interactions between different parts of the molecule by ion correlation effects are the driving force to produce both the compaction and decompaction events. Results also show the importance of choosing both a proper system for the study and the most seeming measuring technique to use. The study demonstrates that, in some cases, the use of several techniques is desirable in obtaining reliable and accurate results

Mechanical circulatory support as bridge therapy for heart transplant: case series report

Abstract Background Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) represents an effective urgent therapy for patients with cardiac arrest or end-stage cardiac failure. However, its use in developing countries as a bridge therapy remains controversial due to costs and limited duration. This study presents five patients who underwent MSC as bridge therapy for heart transplantation in a developing country. Case presentation We present five patients who underwent MCS as bridge therapy for heart transplant between 2010 and 2015 at Fundación Cardioinfantil-Instituto de Cardiología. Four were male, median age was 36 (23–50) years. One patient had an ischemic cardiomyopathy, one a lymphocytic myocarditis, two had electrical storms (recurrent ventricular tachycardia) and one an ischemic cardiomyopathy with an electrical storm. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was used in three patients, left ventricular assistance in one, and double ventricular assistance in one (Levitronix® Centrimag®). Median assistance time was 8 (2.5–13) days. Due to the inability of cardiopulmonary bypass weaning, two patients required ECLS after transplant. One patient died in the intensive care unit due to type I graft rejection. Endpoints assessed were 30-day mortality, duration of bridge therapy and complications related to MCS. Patients that died on ECLS, or were successfully weaned off ECLS were not included in this study. Conclusions MCS is often the only option of support for critically ill patients waiting for a heart transplant and could be considered as a short-term bridge therapy

Mechanical circulatory support as bridge therapy for heart transplant: Case series report

Background: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) represents an effective urgent therapy for patients with cardiac arrest or end-stage cardiac failure. However, its use in developing countries as a bridge therapy remains controversial due to costs and limited duration. This study presents five patients who underwent MSC as bridge therapy for heart transplantation in a developing country. Case presentation: We present five patients who underwent MCS as bridge therapy for heart transplant between 2010 and 2015 at Fundación Cardioinfantil-Instituto de Cardiología. Four were male, median age was 36 (23-50) years. One patient had an ischemic cardiomyopathy, one a lymphocytic myocarditis, two had electrical storms (recurrent ventricular tachycardia) and one an ischemic cardiomyopathy with an electrical storm. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was used in three patients, left ventricular assistance in one, and double ventricular assistance in one (Levitronix® Centrimag®). Median assistance time was 8 (2.5-13) days. Due to the inability of cardiopulmonary bypass weaning, two patients required ECLS after transplant. One patient died in the intensive care unit due to type I graft rejection. Endpoints assessed were 30-day mortality, duration of bridge therapy and complications related to MCS. Patients that died on ECLS, or were successfully weaned off ECLS were not included in this study. Conclusions: MCS is often the only option of support for critically ill patients waiting for a heart transplant and could be considered as a short-term bridge therapy. © 2018 The Author(s)

Mechanical circulatory support as bridge therapy for heart transplant: Case series report

Background: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) represents an effective urgent therapy for patients with cardiac arrest or end-stage cardiac failure. However, its use in developing countries as a bridge therapy remains controversial due to costs and limited duration. This study presents five patients who underwent MSC as bridge therapy for heart transplantation in a developing country. Case presentation: We present five patients who underwent MCS as bridge therapy for heart transplant between 2010 and 2015 at Fundación Cardioinfantil-Instituto de Cardiología. Four were male, median age was 36 (23-50) years. One patient had an ischemic cardiomyopathy, one a lymphocytic myocarditis, two had electrical storms (recurrent ventricular tachycardia) and one an ischemic cardiomyopathy with an electrical storm. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was used in three patients, left ventricular assistance in one, and double ventricular assistance in one (Levitronix® Centrimag®). Median assistance time was 8 (2.5-13) days. Due to the inability of cardiopulmonary bypass weaning, two patients required ECLS after transplant. One patient died in the intensive care unit due to type I graft rejection. Endpoints assessed were 30-day mortality, duration of bridge therapy and complications related to MCS. Patients that died on ECLS, or were successfully weaned off ECLS were not included in this study. Conclusions: MCS is often the only option of support for critically ill patients waiting for a heart transplant and could be considered as a short-term bridge therapy. © 2018 The Author(s)

Properties of Resveratrol: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies about Metabolism, Bioavailability, and Biological Effects in Animal Models and Humans

Plants containing resveratrol have been used effectively in traditional medicine for over 2000 years. It can be found in some plants, fruits, and derivatives, such as red wine. Therefore, it can be administered by either consuming these natural products or intaking nutraceutical pills. Resveratrol exhibits a wide range of beneficial properties, and this may be due to its molecular structure, which endow resveratrol with the ability to bind to many biomolecules. Among these properties its activity as an anticancer agent, a platelet antiaggregation agent, and an antioxidant, as well as its antiaging, antifrailty, anti-inflammatory, antiallergenic, and so forth activities, is worth highlighting. These beneficial biological properties have been extensively studied in humans and animal models, both in vitro and in vivo. The issue of bioavailability of resveratrol is of paramount importance and is determined by its rapid elimination and the fact that its absorption is highly effective, but the first hepatic step leaves little free resveratrol. Clarifying aspects like stability and pharmacokinetics of resveratrol metabolites would be fundamental to understand and apply the therapeutic properties of resveratrol

Microheterogeneous Catalysis

The catalytic effect of micelles, polymers (such as DNA, polypeptides) and nanoparticles, saturable receptors (cyclodextrins and calixarenes) and more complex systems (mixing some of the above mentioned catalysts) have been reviewed. In these microheterogeneous systems the observed changes in the rate constants have been rationalized using the Pseudophase Model. This model produces equations that can be derived from the Brönsted equation, which is the basis for a more general formulation of catalytic effects, including electrocatalysis. When, in the catalyzed reaction one of the reactants is in the excited state, the applicability (at least formally) of the Pseudophase Model occurs only in two limiting situations: the lifetime of the fluorophore and the distributions of the quencher and the probe are the main properties that define the different situations