Alfabetización en salud y COVID-19 en mayores: aproximación desde la Farmacia Comunitaria

Introducción: La alfabetización en salud son las habilidades cognitivas y sociales que determinan que los individuos puedan acceder, entender y usar la información para promover y mantener su salud. La necesidad de estas habilidades ha sido notable en la pandemia.  Método: Se realiza un cuestionario específico a los pacientes mayores de 60 años. Este consta de tres partes: el instrumento HLS-EU-Q16 adaptado a COVID-19, preguntas sobre la actuación del farmacéutico y la herramienta SAHLSA. Resultados: La población era mayoritariamente femenina (75,4%) y su edad era de 79,2±9,4 años. El nivel educativo mayoritario fue de educación primaria (34,4%), predominando éste y el sin estudios en mayores de 80 años. El cuestionario HLS-EU-Q16 reveló que la alfabetización en salud sobre COVID-19 era deficiente (23%), insuficiente (70,5%) y suficiente (6,6%). El cuestionario SAHLSA mostró alfabetización suficiente en el 80%. Mientras que el primer cuestionario no mostró relación con el nivel educativo, ningún bachiller o universitario presentó valores insuficientes en el cuestionario SAHLSA. Por último, los entrevistados consideraron como primer sanitario al que acudir para obtener información fiable al médico (77%), seguido por el farmacéutico (13%). El 75% consideró que el farmacéutico le había ayudado a comprender las precauciones frente a la COVID-19.  Conclusiones: Los pacientes presentan dificultades para identificar la información fiable y para encontrar información de tratamientos frente a la COVID. Esta necesidad no está relacionada con el nivel educativo ni con la alfabetización en salud en otras áreas. El farmacéutico puede ser un agente clave en resolver esta necesidad

The influence of statins on the free intracellular calcium concentration in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

BACKGROUND: Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs that are widely used to reduce the risk of cardiac infarction. Their beneficial clinical effects, however, are not restricted to their influence on cholesterol production. As several studies have shown that they have a potency of relaxing blood vessels. METHODS: We measured the effects of statins on the intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) after acute application and 24-h-preincubation of statins. RESULTS: Incubation of the cells for 24 h with cerivastatin or fluvastatin significantly increased the resting [Ca(2+)](i). For cerivastatin this effect manifested at a concentration of 1 μM. Increase of resting [Ca(2+)](i )in the presence of cerivastatin also occurred when the nitric oxide synthase was inhibited. Transient Ca(2+ )release induced by histamine was not affected. CONCLUSIONS: The increase of resting [Ca(2+)](i )after incubation with cerivastatin or fluvastatin may provide an explanation for the direct effects of statins on the endothelial-dependent vasodilatation and restoration of endothelial activity in vivo

The bHLH transcription factor SPATULA enables cytokinin signaling, and both activate auxin biosynthesis and transport genes at the medial domain of the gynoecium

[EN] Fruits and seeds are the major food source on earth. Both derive from the gynoecium and, therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms that guide the development of this organ of angiosperm species. In Arabidopsis, the gynoecium is composed of two congenitally fused carpels, where two domains: medial and lateral, can be distinguished. The medial domain includes the carpel margin meristem (CMM) that is key for the production of the internal tissues involved in fertilization, such as septum, ovules, and transmitting tract. Interestingly, the medial domain shows a high cytokinin signaling output, in contrast to the lateral domain, where it is hardly detected. While it is known that cytokinin provides meristematic properties, understanding on the mechanisms that underlie the cytokinin signaling pattern in the young gynoecium is lacking. Moreover, in other tissues, the cytokinin pathway is often connected to the auxin pathway, but we also lack knowledge about these connections in the young gynoecium. Our results reveal that cytokinin signaling, that can provide meristematic properties required for CMM activity and growth, is enabled by the transcription factor SPATULA (SPT) in the medial domain. Meanwhile, cytokinin signaling is confined to the medial domain by the cytokinin response repressor ARABIDOPSIS HISTIDINE PHOSPHOTRANSFERASE 6 (AHP6), and perhaps by ARR16 (a type-A ARR) as well, both present in the lateral domains (presumptive valves) of the developing gynoecia. Moreover, SPT and cytokinin, probably together, promote the expression of the auxin biosynthetic gene TRYPTOPHAN AMINOTRANSFERASE OF ARABIDOPSIS 1 (TAA1) and the gene encoding the auxin efflux transporter PIN-FORMED 3 (PIN3), likely creating auxin drainage important for gynoecium growth. This study provides novel insights in the spatiotemporal determination of the cytokinin signaling pattern and its connection to the auxin pathway in the young gynoecium.IRO, VMZM, HHU and PLS were supported by the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) with a PhD fellowship (210085, 210100, 243380 and 219883, respectively). Work in the SDF laboratory was financed by the CONACyT grants CB-2012-177739, FC-2015-2/1061, and INFR-2015-253504, and NMM by the CONACyT grant CB-2011-165986. SDF, CF and LC acknowledge the support of the European Union FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IRSES project EVOCODE (grant no. 247587) and H2020-MSCARISE-2015 project ExpoSEED (grant no. 691109). SDF also acknowledges the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole for a scholarship for the Gene Regulatory Networks for Development Course 2015 (GERN2015). IE acknowledges the International European Fellowship-METMADS project and the Universita degli Studi di Milano (RTD-A; 2016). Research in the laboratory of MFY was funded by NSF (grant IOS-1121055), NIH (grant 1R01GM112976-01A1) and the Paul D. Saltman Endowed Chair in Science Education (MFY). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Reyes Olalde, J.; Zuñiga, V.; Serwatowska, J.; Chávez Montes, R.; Lozano-Sotomayor, P.; Herrera-Ubaldo, H.; Gonzalez Aguilera, K.... (2017). The bHLH transcription factor SPATULA enables cytokinin signaling, and both activate auxin biosynthesis and transport genes at the medial domain of the gynoecium. PLoS Genetics. 13(4):1-31. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1006726S131134Reyes-Olalde, J. I., Zuñiga-Mayo, V. M., Chávez Montes, R. A., Marsch-Martínez, N., & de Folter, S. (2013). Inside the gynoecium: at the carpel margin. Trends in Plant Science, 18(11), 644-655. doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2013.08.002Alvarez-Buylla, E. 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Statins in community acquired pneumonia: Evidence from experimental and clinical studies

SummaryStatins are widely used to lower cholesterol and prevent complications of cardiovascular disease. The non-lipid lowering (pleiotropic) effects of statins may also have applications to the management of infections. These include effects on endothelial function, inflammation and coagulation pathways. Several observational studies have shown a significant reduction in 30-day mortality associated with prior statin therapy in hospitalised patients with sepsis and community acquired pneumonia.This article explores the evidence for statins as novel therapy in community acquired pneumonia. Experimental and animal studies suggest statins attenuate acute lung injury by modulating neutrophil function, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine release and reducing vascular leak. Statins reduce endothelial dysfunction and have anti-thrombotic effects that improve outcome from pneumonia and sepsis in animal models. Clinical studies have provided conflicting results, but many suggest that statins may have a role in preventing pneumonia, or improving prognosis in hospitalised patients with community-acquired pneumonia