Characterization of four types of tail abnormalities in rats treated prenatally with valproic acid

Valproic acid (VPA) is an anticonvulsant drug used mainly for the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The VPA has been shown to be a potent teratogen that causes birth defects and malformations. Likewise, there are reports that suggest a relationship between the use of VPA during pregnancy and an increased incidence of children with neurological disorders such as autism. In humans, prenatal exposure to VPA produces malformations including dimorphic facial features suggestive of a lesion in the neural tube, as in the case of spina bifida, heart disease, limb defects and craniofacial anomalies as well as genital abnormalities. Herein we describe four tail abnormalities found in rats treated prenatally with valproic acid, which has been used as an animal model for the study of autistic features. These malformations may be associated with neural damage, but further studies are needed in order to correlate each tail abnormality with the kind of neural alterationEl ácido valpróico (AVP) es un fármaco anticonvulsivo usado principalmente para el tratamiento de la epilepsia, trastorno bipolar y esquizofrenia. Se ha demostrado que el AVP es un teratógeno potente que causa defectos de nacimiento y malformaciones. Así mismo, hay informes que sugieren una relación entre el uso de AVP durante el embarazo y un aumento de la incidencia de niños con trastornos neurológicos tales como el espectro autista. En los seres humanos, la exposición prenatal a la AVP produce malformaciones que sugieren un defecto durante el cierre del tubo neural, como es el caso de la espina bífida, enfermedades del corazón, defectos de las extremidades, anomalías craneofaciales, así como anomalías genitales. En el presente trabajo se describen cuatro anormalidades de la cola en ratas tratadas prenatalmente con ácido valpróico. Este tratamiento se ha utilizado como modelo animal para el estudio de rasgos autistas. Estas malformaciones pudieran estar asociadas con algún daño en el sistema nervioso, sin embargo se requieren más estudios para correlacionar cada anormalidad de la cola con el tipo de alteración neura

Safety and immunogenicity of a SARS-CoV-2 Gamma variant RBD-based protein adjuvanted vaccine used as booster in healthy adults

Abstract A Gamma Variant RBD-based aluminum hydroxide adjuvanted vaccine called ARVAC CG was selected for a first in human clinical trial. Healthy male and female participants (18-55 years old) with a complete COVID-19-primary vaccine scheme were assigned to receive two intramuscular doses of either a low-dose or a high-dose of ARVAC CG. The primary endpoint was safety. The secondary objective was humoral immunogenicity. Cellular immune responses were studied as an exploratory objective. The trial was prospectively registered in PRIISA.BA (Registration Code 6564) and ANMAT and retrospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05656508). Samples from participants of a surveillance strategy implemented by the Ministry of Health of the Province of Buenos Aires that were boosted with BNT162b2 were also analyzed to compare with the booster effect of ARVAC CG. ARVAC CG exhibits a satisfactory safety profile, a robust and broad booster response of neutralizing antibodies against the Ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2 and the Gamma, Delta, Omicron BA.1 and Omicron BA.5 variants of concern and a booster effect on T cell immunity in individuals previously immunized with different COVID-19 vaccine platforms