Seasonal variations in the biochemical composition of the serum of Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk. and its relationship to the reproductive cycle and parasitic load

12 páginas, 4 figuras, 2 tablasThe levels of carbohydrate and protein in the blood serum of mussels (Mytilus galluprovincialis Lmk.) experimentally cultured at two depths in Galicia (NW Spain) were determined over a period of 1 year. The changes in concentration of total and reducing carbohydrate and protein exhibited an annual cycle; their values varied from 0.053 to 0.700 mg/ml, from 0.050 to 0.669 mg/ml and from 0.620 to 2.830 mg/ml respectively. Also, the concentrations of total carbohydrate and protein were greater in animals from 5 m depth than those from 2 m. Total and reducing carbohydrate were the components most affected by parasitism. The greatest effect on total carbohydrate concentration was detected in mussels affected by the parasites Mytilicola intestinalis and Marteilia refringens, which presented lower values in infected mussels than in non-infected ones, mainly in the summer months.This work was partially financed by CICYT (MEC, Spain) PPA86-0441 and the FAR project AQ- l-272 of DG-XIV from the EEC.Peer reviewe

Pathogenic A. salmonicida from human patients

The bacterium Aeromonas salmonicida is known since long time as a major fish pathogen unable to grow at 37 °C. However, some cases of human infection by putative mesophilic A. salmonicida have been reported. The goal of the present study is to examine two clinical cases of human infection by A. salmonicida in Spain and to investigate the pathogenicity in mammals of selected mesophilic A. salmonicida strains. An evaluation of the pathogenicity in a mouse model of clinical and environmental A. salmonicida strains was performed. The genomes of the strains were sequenced and analyzed in order to find the virulence determinants of these strains. The experimental infection in mice showed a gradient in the virulence of these strains and that some of them can cause necrotizing fasciitis and tissue damage in the liver. In addition to demonstrating significant genomic diversity among the strains studied, bioinformatics analyses permitted also to shed light on crucial elements for the virulence of the strains, like the presence of a type III secretion system in the one that caused the highest mortality in the experimental infection. Clinicians and microbiologists should consider these results for the inclusion of A. salmonicida in diagnosis tests since it is now clear that some mesophilic strains are also pathogens for humans

A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis of Methyl Aminolevulinate Photodynamic Therapy Consultation at the Hospital de Braga

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a well-established treatment for actinic keratosis (AK), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and Bowen's disease (BD). The object of this study was to describe the results of a retrospective analysis of patients treated with methyl aminolevulinate PDT (MAL-PDT) with red light, over the past decade at the Hospital de Braga (Braga, Portugal)

The young open cluster NGC 7067 using Strömgren photometry

© 2016 The Authors. NGC 7067 is a young open cluster located in the direction between the first and the second Galactic quadrants and close to the Perseus spiral arm. This makes it useful for studies of the nature of the MilkyWay spiral arms. Strömgren photometry taken with theWide Field Camera at the Isaac Newton Telescope allowed us to compute individual physical parameters for the observed stars and hence to derive the cluster's physical parameters. Spectra from the 1.93-m telescope at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence helped to check and improve the results. We obtained photometry for 1233 stars, individual physical parameters for 515 and spectra for 9 of them. The 139 selected cluster members lead to a cluster distance of 4.4 ±0.4 kpc, with an age below log10(t(yr)) = 7.3 and a present mass of 1260 ± 160 M⊙. The morphology of the data reveals that the centre of the cluster is at (α, δ) = (21: 24: 13.69, +48: 00: 39.2) J2000, with a radius of 6.1 arcmin. Strömgren and spectroscopic data allowed us to improve the previous parameters available for the cluster in the literature

The young open cluster NGC 7067 using Stromgren photometry

© The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. M. Monguio et al, ' The young open cluster NGC 7067 using Stromgren photometry ', MNRAS Vol 466(3): 3636-3647 (2017), first published online 17 December 2016, the version of record is available online via doi: 10.1093/mnras/stw3302NGC 7067 is a young open cluster located in the direction between the first and the second Galactic quadrants and close to the Perseus spiral arm. This makes it useful for studies of the nature of the Milky Way spiral arms. Stromgren photometry taken with the Wide Field Camera at the Isaac Newton Telescope allowed us to compute individual physical parameters for the bserved stars and hence to derive cluster’s physical parameters. Spectra from the 1.93-m telescope at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence helped to check and improve the results. We obtained photometry for 1233 stars, individual physical parameters for 515 and spectra for 9 of them. The 139 selected cluster members lead to a cluster distance of 4.4±0.4 kpc, with an age below log10(t(yr))=7.3 and a present Mass of 1260±160M⊙. The morphology of the data reveals that the centre of the cluster is at (α,δ)=(21: 24: 13.69,+48: 00: 39.2) J2000, with a radius of 6.′1. Stromgren and spectroscopic data allowed us to improve the previous parameters available for the cluster in the literature.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

The Preclinical discovery and development of opicapone for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease

Introduction: Opicapone (OPC) is a well-established catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) associated with L-DOPA / L-amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor (DDI) therapy allowing for prolonged activity due to a more continuous supply of L-DOPA in the brain. Thus, OPC decreases fluctuation in L-DOPA plasma levels and favours more constant central dopaminergic receptor stimulation, thus improving PD symptomatology. Areas covered: This review evaluates the preclinical development, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and safety profile of OPC. Data were extracted from published preclinical and clinical studies published on PUBMED and SCOPUS (Search period: 2000-2019). Clinical and post-marketing data were also evaluated. Expert opinion: OPC is a third generation COMT inhibitor with a novel structure. It has an efficacy and tolerability superior to its predecessors, tolcapone (TOL) and entacapone (ENT). It also provides a safe and simplified drug regimen that allows neurologists to individually adjust the existing daily administration of L-DOPA. OPC is indicated as an adjunctive therapy to L-DOPA/DDI in patients with PD and end-of-dose motor fluctuations who cannot be stabilised on those combinations. Abbreviations: 3-OMD, 3-O-methyldopa; 6-OHDA, 6-hydroxydopamine; BG, basal ganglia; COMT, Catechol-O-methyltransferase; DDI, decarboxylase inhibitors; ENT, Entacapone; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; MPTP, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; OPC, Opicapone; PD, Parkinson's disease; TOL, Tolcapone; GDNF, Glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor; NTN, neurturin; ICV, Intracerebroventricular; PDUFA, Prescription Drug User Fees Act; EMA, European Medicine Administration; AE, Adverse event BG, Basal ganglia. QD, once a day

Some Considerations about Thiamine or Vitamin B1

Se exponen los aspectos estructurales y las principales funciones de la vitamina B1 o tiamina. Se citan los principales alimentos ricos en esta vitamina y sus requerimientos nutricionales, según datos aportados por la Organización para la Agricultura y la Alimentación y la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Se analizan las principales manifestaciones clínicas que caracterizan el estado carencial de tiamina y se hace referencia a algunas técnicas para evaluar el estado nutricional de la misma. The structural aspects and main functions of vitamin B1 or thiamine are discussed. It cites the main foods rich in this vitamin and its nutritional requirements, according to data provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. The main clinical manifestations that characterize the thiamine deficiency status are analyzed and some techniques are used to evaluate the nutritional status of thiamine

The Ethyl Acetate Extract of Leaves of Ugni molinae Turcz. Improves Neuropathological Hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease in Female APPswe/PS1dE9 Mice Fed with a High Fat Diet

The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by impairment in cognitive performance in aged individuals. Currently, there is no effective pharmacological treatment that cures the disease due to the lack of knowledge on the actual mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis. In the last decades, the amyloidogenic hypothesis has been the most studied theory trying to explain the origin of AD, yet it does not address all the concerns relating to its development. In the present study, a possible new preclinical treatment of AD was evaluated using the ethyl acetate extract (EAE) of leaves of Ugni molinae Turcz. (synonym Myrtus ugni Molina Family Myrtacea). The effects were assessed on female transgenic mice from a preclinical model of familial AD (APPswe/PS1dE9) combined with a high fat diet. This preclinical model was selected due to the already available experimental and observational data proving the relationship between obesity, gender, metabolic stress, and cognitive dysfunction; related to characteristics of sporadic AD. According to chemical analyses, EAE would contain polyphenols such as tannins, flavonoid derivatives, and phenolic acids, as well as pentacyclic triterpenoids that exhibit neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. In addition, the treatment evidenced its capacity to prevent deterioration of memory capacity and reduction of progression speed of AD neuropathology