Role of 5 α -dihydrotestosterone in testicular development of gilthead seabream following finasteride administration

In teleosts, spermatogenesis is regulated by pituitary gonadotropins and sex steroids. 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), derived from testosterone (T) through the action of 5α-reductase, has recently been suggested to play a physiologically important role in some fish species. In this study, gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata L., males received an implant of 1μg T/g body mass (bm) or vehicle alone and, 7 days later, 1 mg finasteride (FIN, an inhibitor of 5α-reductase)/kg bm or vehicle. Serum levels of T, 11-ketotestosterone (11KT), DHT and 17β-estradiol (E2), and the mRNA levels of the main enzymes involved in their synthesis, were analysed. T promoted a transient increase in the serum levels of T, 11KT and E2 but a decrease in those of DHT at day 15 following T injection, in accordance with the up-regulation of mRNA levels of the enzymes involved in T transformation to 11KT (coding genes: cyp11b1 and hsd11b) and the down-regulation of mRNA levels of the enzyme responsible for T transformation to DHT (coding gene:srd5a). Interestingly, a similar effect was observed when FIN was in- jected. However, when fish were injected with T and FIN successively (T + FIN), control levels were not re-covered at the end of the experimental period (28 days). DHT seems to regulate E2 serum levels via the down-regulation of mRNA levels of aromatase (coding gene:cyp19a1a), which is needed for the transformation of T into E2. The testis histology, together with the proliferative rates recorded upon T, FIN or T + FIN treatment, suggests that DHT is involved in the onset of the meiotic phase of spermatogenesis.Versión del edito

Characterization of the annual regulation of reproductive and immune parameters on the testis of European sea bass

The European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax L., is a seasonal gonochoristic species, which males are generally mature during the second year of life. It has been demonstrated that cytokines and immune cells play a key role in the testicular development. This reproductive-immune interaction might be very important in the sea bass since several pathogens are able to colonize the gonad and persist in this tissue, altering further reproductive functions and spreading the disease. This study aims to investigate the reproductive cycle of one year European sea bass males by analyzing cell proliferation and apoptosis and expression profile of some reproductive and immune-related genes in the testis as well as the serum sex steroid levels. Our data demonstrate that in one year old European sea bass males, the testis undergoes the spermatogenesis process and that the reproductive and immune parameters analyzed varied during the reproductive cycle. In the testis, the highest proliferative rates were recorded at spermatogenesis stage, while the highest apoptotic rates were recorded at spawning stage. We have also analyzed, for the first time in European sea bass males, the serum levels of 17β-estradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone and the gene expression profile of the enzymes implied in their production, determining that at least E2 might be involved in the regulation of the reproductive cycle. Some immune relevant genes, including cytokines, lymphocyte receptors, anti-viral and antibacterial molecules were detected in the testis of naïve European sea bass specimens and their expression profile was related with the stages of the reproductive cycle, suggesting an important role for the defence of the reproductive tissues.Postprin

PipeSim: Simulador para la planificación de unidades funcionales segmentadas

La segmentación, los procesadores segmentados y la planificación de los mismos son conceptos muy importantes en las arquitecturas de computadores de hoy día. Todos los procesadores actuales utilizan la segmentación para mejorar el rendimiento; de hecho, la eficiencia con la que se planifique el uso de los recursos de un procesador va a influir de manera muy significativa en el rendimiento del mismo. Por tanto, hablando de manera más general, los conceptos de unidad segmentada y de planificación de unidades segmentadas son temas muy relevantes en los estudios de Informática, por lo que es importante que dichos conceptos sean adquiridos por los alumnos de forma robusta y clara. Con el trabajo que presentamos en este artículo se ha querido dotar tanto a profesores como a alumnos de Informática con una herramienta que permite estudiar, enseñar y aprender de forma sencilla y completa cómo trabaja y se planifica una unidad segmentada (pipeline), ya sea estática o dinámica

Potential Impacts in the Gilthead Seabream Larviculture by Nodavirus

The nervous necrosis virus (NNV) leads to viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER) disease in more than 170 fish species, mainly from marine habitats. It replicates in the central nervous tissues, reaching up to 100% mortalities after a few days of infection, mainly in the larvae and juvenile stages. This is continuously spreading and affecting more species, both wild and cultured, posing a risk to the development of the aquaculture industry. In the Mediterranean Sea, it mainly affects European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and some grouper species (Epinephelus spp.). Interestingly, in the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), typically resistant to common NNV strains, great mortalities in hatcheries associated with typical clinical signs of VER have been confirmed to be caused by RGNNV/SJNNV reassortants. Thus, we have evaluated the susceptibility of seabream larvae to either RGNNV/SJNNV or SJNNV/RGNNV reassortants, as well as the larval immunity. Based on our results we can conclude that: (i) gilthead seabream larvae are susceptible to infection with both NNV reassortant genotypes, but mainly to RGNNV/SJNNV; (ii) virus replicated and infective particles were isolated; (iii) larval immunity was correlated with larval survival; and (iv) larval resistance and immunity were correlated with age of the larvae. Further investigations should be carried out to ascertain the risks of these new pathogens to Mediterranean larviculture

Obras y artistas portugueses en la Tierra de Sevilla entre los siglos XVI al XVIII

La actual comarca de la Sierra de Huelva, territorio limítrofe con el alto Alentejo portugués, fue, desde la Baja Edad Media, un espacio de prolijos intercambios comerciales, de trasvases de población y, en particular en el ámbito de las artes, de permuta de obras y artistas entre los dos países. Las poblaciones a ambos lados de la frontera muestran signos común de identidad, de manifiesto tanto a nivel de arte popular como de arte culto, principalmente en los campos de la arquitectura y la escultura. Este artículo recopila todos los ejemplos, hasta hoy conocidos, de la actividad de artistas portugueses en la comarca, unos publicados desde hace años junto a otros inéditos.The current region of the Huelva Mountains, a territory bordering the Portuguese Alentejo High, was, since the Late Middle Ages, a space of prolific commercial exchanges, population transfers and, in particular in the field of the arts, a swap works and artists between the two countries. Populations on both sides of the border show common signs of identity, manifested both at the level of popular art and cult art, mainly in the fields of architecture and sculpture. This article collects all the examples, until today known, of the activity of Portuguese artists in the region, some published since some years ago with other unpublished ones

Cimetidine disrupts the renewal of testicular cells and the steroidogenesis in a hermaphrodite fish

The importance of histamine in the physiology of the testis in mammals and reptiles has been recently shown. Histamine receptors (Hrs) are well conserved in fish and are functional in several fish species. We report here for the first time that histamine and the mRNA of Hrh1, Hrh2 and Hrh3 are all present in the gonad of the hermaphrodite teleost fish gilthead seabream. Moreover, cimetidine, which acts in vitro as an agonist of Hrh1 and Hrh2 on this species, was intraperitoneally injected in one and two years old gilthead seabream males. After three and five days of cimetidine injection, we found that this compound differently modified the gonadal hrs transcript levels and affects the testicular cell renewal and the gene expression of steroidogenesis-related molecules as well as the serum steroid levels. Our data point to cimetidine as a reproductive disruptor and elucidate a role for histamine in the gonad of this hermaphrodite fish species through Hr signalling.Postprint2,616

Nodavirus colonizes and replicates in the testis of gilthead seabream and European sea bass modulating its immune and reproductive functions

Viruses are threatening pathogens for fish aquaculture. Some of them are transmitted through gonad fluids or gametes as occurs with nervous necrosis virus (NNV). In order to be transmitted through the gonad, the virus should colonize and replicate inside some cell types of this tissue and avoid the subsequent immune response locally. However, whether NNV colonizes the gonad, the cell types that are infected, and how the immune response in the gonad is regulated has never been studied. We have demonstrated for the first time the presence and localization of NNV into the testis after an experimental infection in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), and in the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), a very susceptible and an asymptomatic host fish species, respectively. Thus, we localized in the testis viral RNA in both species using in situ PCR and viral proteins in gilthead seabream by immunohistochemistry, suggesting that males might also transmit the virus. In addition, we were able to isolate infective particles from the testis of both species demonstrating that NNV colonizes and replicates into the testis of both species. Blood contamination of the tissues sampled was discarded by completely fish bleeding, furthermore the in situ PCR and immunocytochemistry techniques never showed staining in blood vessels or cells. Moreover, we also determined how the immune and reproductive functions are affected comparing the effects in the testis with those found in the brain, the main target tissue of the virus. Interestingly, NNV triggered the immune response in the European sea bass but not in the gilthead seabream testis. Regarding reproductive functions, NNV infection alters 17β-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone production and the potential sensitivity of brain and testis to these hormones, whereas there is no disruption of testicular functions according to several reproductive parameters. Moreover, we have also studied the NNV infection of the testis in vitro to assess local responses. Our in vitro results show that the changes observed on the expression of immune and reproductive genes in the testis of both species are different to those observed upon in vivo infections in most of the casesMINECO and FEDER (AGL2010-20801-C02-01; AGL2010-20801-C02-02; AGL2013-43588-P); Fundación Séneca (04538/GERM/06)Versión del editor4,411

CoQ deficiency causes disruption of mitochondrial sulfide oxidation, a new pathomechanism associated with this syndrome

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a key component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, but it also has several other functions in the cellular metabolism. One of them is to function as an electron carrier in the reaction catalyzed by sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR), which catalyzes the first reaction in the hydrogen sulfide oxidation pathway. Therefore, SQR may be affected by CoQ deficiency. Using human skin fibroblasts and two mouse models with primary CoQ deficiency, we demonstrate that severe CoQ deficiency causes a reduction in SQR levels and activity, which leads to an alteration of mitochondrial sulfide metabolism. In cerebrum of Coq9R239X mice, the deficit in SQR induces an increase in thiosulfate sulfurtransferase and sulfite oxidase, as well as modifications in the levels of thiols. As a result, biosynthetic pathways of glutamate, serotonin, and catecholamines were altered in the cerebrum, and the blood pressure was reduced. Therefore, this study reveals the reduction in SQR activity as one of the pathomechanisms associated with CoQ deficiency syndrome.Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadERDF/SAF2013-47761-RERDF/SAF2014-55523-RERDF/RD12/0042/0011ERDF/SAF2015-65786-RJunta de AndalucíaNIH/P01HD08064

Cuerpo y educación : variaciones en torno a un mismo tema

El presente texto es una compilación de los trabajos realizados por el Instituto para la Investigación Educativa y el Desarrollo Pedagógico, IDEP, con un grupo de investigadores que orientaron los estudios y los procesos de cualificación en el ámbito de Subjetividad, diversidad e interculturalidad, propuesto desde el Componente de Educación y Políticas Públicas del proyecto misional del IDEP. El hilo conductor en cada uno de los textos es el lugar del cuerpo, unas veces como eje central de la propuesta investigativa, y otras como elemento relevante desde su relación con distintas dimensiones que surgen en los diferentes trabajos desarrollados por los colectivos de maestros y maestras.Presentación 1. Obertura 1.1 Cuerpo y recreación. Reconfiguración subjetiva a través del uso de las prácticas lúdico-creativas 2. Primer Movimiento 2.1. Reflexiones sobre el cuerpo. Conciencia, experiencia, vivencias 2.2. El cuerpo de la memoria. Políptico de mnemotecnias 3. Segundo Movimiento 3.1. Cuerpo y Erotismo en la Escuela. Discursos y Tensiones 3.2. El Poder de la Apariencia. Construcciones Escolares del Cuerpo 4. Tercer Movimiento 4.1. Diversidad epistémica e interculturalidad crítica. Una perspectiva para los estudios sobre diversidad en la escuela 4.2. Territorio y derechos. Cartografías Corporales en la Investigación sobre Territorio en los Contextos Escolares 5. Coda 5.1. Videojuegos y conocimiento: un estado de la cuestió

Hypothyroidism confers tolerance to cerebral malaria

The modulation of the host’s metabolism to protect tissue from damage induces tolerance to infections increasing survival. Here, we examined the role of the thyroid hormones, key metabolic regulators, in the outcome of malaria. Hypothyroidism confers protection to experimental cerebral malaria by a disease tolerance mechanism. Hypothyroid mice display increased survival after infection with Plasmodium berghei ANKA, diminishing intracranial pressure and brain damage, without altering pathogen burden, blood-brain barrier disruption, or immune cell infiltration. This protection is reversed by treatment with a Sirtuin 1 inhibitor, while treatment of euthyroid mice with a Sirtuin 1 activator induces tolerance and reduces intracranial pressure and lethality. This indicates that thyroid hormones and Sirtuin 1 are previously unknown targets for cerebral malaria treatment, a major killer of children in endemic malaria areas.This work was funded by grants SAF2017-83289-R to S.A. and A.A., SAF2017-90604REDT to A.A. supported by the The European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and BIO2016-77430-R to J.M.B. from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; B2017/BMD-3724 to S.A. and A.A. from the Comunidad de Madrid; and CIBERONC CB/16/00228 to A.A. from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III