Role of potassium and pH on the initiation of sperm motility in the European eel

[EN] The role of potassium from the seminal plasma and/or the activation media was examined by selectively removing from this media, and by testing the use of channel inhibitors and a K-ionophore. Sperm motility was measured using a CASA system, intracellular K+ and pH were measured by flow cytometry, and sperm head area was measured by ASMA: Automated Sperm Morphometry Analyses. Sperm motility was notably inhibited by the removal of K+ from the seminal plasma and by treatment with the K+ ionophore valinomycin. This therefore indicates that a reduction of K+ levels in the quiescent stage inhibits further motility. The normal decrease in sperm head area induced by seawater activation was altered by the removal of K+ from the seminal plasma, and an increase in the pH; in the quiescent stage was also induced. Intracellular pH (pH;) was quantitatively measured for the first time in European eel spermatozoa, being 7.2 in the quiescent stage and 7.1 post-activation. Intracellular and external pH levels influenced sperm motility both in the quiescent stage and at activation. The alkalinization of the pH; (by NH4Cl) inhibited sperm motility activation, while acidification (by Na-acetate) did not have any effect. Our results indicate that a pH gradient between the sperm cell and the seminal plasma is necessary for sperm motility activation. The presence of the ion K+ in the seminal plasma (or in the extender medium) is necessary in order to maintain sperm volume, intracellular pH and sperm motility.Funded from the SPERMOT project (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, MINECO AGL2010-16009). M.C. Vilchez has a predoctoral grant from UPV PAID Subprogramme 2 (2011-S2-02-6521), Marina Morini has a predoctoral grant from Generalitat Valenciana (Programa Grisolia, GRISOLIA/2012/006), Victor Gallego has a postdoctoral contract from UPV (PAID-10-14), and David S. Penaranda was supported by MICINN (PTA2011-4948-1) and UPV (PTA2011-4948-I). Grants to attend meetings were received from COST Office (AQUAGAMETE COST Action: FA1205).Vilchez Olivencia, MC.; Morini, M.; Peñaranda, D.; Gallego Albiach, V.; Asturiano Nemesio, JF.; Pérez Igualada, LM. (2017). Role of potassium and pH on the initiation of sperm motility in the European eel. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 203:210-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.09.024S21021920

Recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia del grupo andaluz para la reflexión e investigación en nutrición (Garin) para el manejo del paciente con síndrome de intestino corto

In order to develop evidence-based recommendations and expert consensus for the nutritional management of patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS), we conducted a systematic literature search using the PRISMA methodology plus a critical appraisal following the GRADE scale procedures. Pharmacological treatment with antisecretory drugs, antidiarrheal drugs, and somatostatin contributes to reducing intestinal losses. Nutritional support is based on parenteral nutrition; however, oral intake and/or enteral nutrition should be introduced as soon as possible. In the chronic phase, the diet should have as few restrictions as possible, and be adapted to the SBS type. Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) should be individualized. Single-lumen catheters are recommended and taurolidine should be used for locking the catheter. The HPN’s lipid content must be greater than 1 g/kg per week but not exceed 1 g/kg per day, and omega-6 fatty acids (ω6 FAs) should be reduced. Trace element vials with low doses of manganese should be used. Patients with chronic SBS who require long-term HPN/fluid therapy despite optimized treatment should be considered for teduglutide treatment. All patients require a multidisciplinary approach and specialized follow-up. These recommendations and suggestions regarding nutritional management in SBS patients have direct clinical applicability

Sodium affects the sperm motility in the European eel

[EN] The role of seminal plasma sodium and activation media sodium on sperm motility was examined by selectively removing the element from these two media, in European eel sperm. Sperm size (sperm head area) was also measured using an ASMA (Automated Sperm Morphometry Analyses) system, in the different conditions. Intracellular sodium [Na+](i) was quantitatively analyzed by first time in the spermatozoa from a marine fish species. Measurement of [Na+](i) was done before and after motility activation, by Flow Cytometry, using CoroNa Green AM as a dye. Sperm motility activation induced an increase in [Na+](i) from 96.72 mM in quiescent stage to 152.21 mM post-activation in seawater. A significant decrease in sperm head area was observed post activation in seawater. There was a notable reduction in sperm motility when sodium was removed from the seminal plasma, but not when it was removed from the activation media. Sodium removal was also linked to a significant reduction in sperm head area in comparison to the controls. Our results indicate that the presence of the ion Na+ in the seminal plasma (or in the extender medium) is necessary for the preservation of sperm motility in European eel, probably because it plays a role in maintaining an appropriate sperm cell volume in the quiescent stage of the spermatozoa. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.Funded from the SPERMOT project (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, MICINN; AGL2010-16009). M.C. Vilchez has a predoctoral grant from UPV PAID Program (2011-S2-02-6521), Marina Morini has a predoctoral grant from Generalitat Valenciana (Programa Grisolia, GRISOLIA/2012/006), Victor Gallego has a postdoctoral contract from UPV (PAID-10-14), and David S. Penaranda was supported by MICINN (PTA2011-4948-I) and UPV (PTA2011-4948-I). Grants to attend meetings were received from COST Office (Food and Agriculture COST Action FA1205: AQUAGAMETE).Vilchez Olivencia, MC.; Morini, M.; Peñaranda, D.; Gallego Albiach, V.; Asturiano Nemesio, JF.; Pérez Igualada, LM. (2016). Sodium affects the sperm motility in the European eel. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - B: Comparative Biochemistry. 198:51-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.04.008S515819

Innovación y estrategias de intervención en acoso escolar

Los problemas de convivencia escolar, violencia escolar, bullying y cyberbullying, en los centros españoles son una realidad y, por tanto, es necesario que los futuros docentes cuenten con estrategias específicas para el abordaje de estas situaciones cuando se enfrenten a la realidad de las aulas. En este manual, profesionales del área de la convivencia escolar presentan las actuaciones, programas y herramientas disponibles que en estos momentos se están poniendo en práctica en los centros escolares con resultados positivos. Así, se pretende ampliar el conocimiento teórico-práctico en el ámbito de la convivencia, gestión de conflictos y violencia escolar.EducaciónPsicologí

The expression of nuclear and membrane estrogen receptors in the European eel throughout spermatogenesis

[EN] Estradiol (E-2) can bind to nuclear estrogen receptors (ESR) or membrane estrogen receptors (GPER). While mammals possess two nuclear ESRs and one membrane GPER, the European eel, like most other teleosts, has three nuclear ESRs and two membrane GPERs, as the result of a teleost specific genome duplication. In the current study, the expression of the three nuclear ESRs (ESR1, ESR2a and ESR2b) and the two membrane GPERs (GPERa and GPERb) in the brain-pituitary-gonad (BPG) axis of the European eel was measured, throughout spermatogenesis. The eels were first transferred from freshwater (FW) to seawater (SW), inducing parallel increases in E2 plasma levels and the expression of ESRs. This indicates that salinity has a stimulatory effect on the E-2 signalling pathway along the BPG axis. Stimulation of sexual maturation by weekly injections of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) induced a progressive decrease in E-2 plasma levels, and different patterns of expression of ESRs and GPERs in the BPG axis. The expression of nuclear ESRs increased in some parts of the brain, suggesting a possible upregulation due to a local production of E-2. In the testis, the highest expression levels of the nuclear ESRs were observed at the beginning of spermatogenesis, possibly mediating the role of E2 as spermatogonia renewal factor, followed by a sharply decrease in the expression of ESRs. Conversely, there was a marked increase observed in the expression of both membrane GPERs throughout spermatogenesis, suggesting they play a major role in the final stages of spermatogenesis.Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (REPRO-TEMP project; AGL2013-41646-R) and IMPRESS (Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions; Grant agreement no: 642893). M.C. Vilchez has a predoctoral grant from UPV PAID Programme (2011-S2-02-6521), M. Morini has a predoctoral grant from Generalitat Valenciana (Programa Grisolia). D.S. Penaranda was supported by MICINN and UPV (PTA2011-4948-1).Morini, M.; Peñaranda, D.; Vilchez Olivencia, MC.; Tveiten, H.; Lafont, A.; Dufour, S.; Pérez Igualada, LM.... (2017). The expression of nuclear and membrane estrogen receptors in the European eel throughout spermatogenesis. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 203:91-99. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.08.020S919920

Effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus on the expression of genes involved in European eel spermatogenesis

[EN] Positive effects of probiotics on fish reproduction have been reported in several species. In the present study, 40 male European eels were weekly treated with recombinant hCG for 9 weeks and with three different concentrations (10(3), 10(5), and 10(6) CFU/mL) of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501 (Sinbyotec, Italy). The probiotics were daily added to the water from the sixth week of the hCG treatment. Males from the treated and control groups were sacrificed after 1, 2, and 3 weeks of probiotic treatment (seventh ninth weeks of hCG treatment); at this point, sperm and testis samples were also collected. Sperm volume was estimated, and motility was analyzed by computer-assisted sperm analysis software. Alternations in transcription of specific genes involved in reproductive process such as activin, androgen receptors alpha and beta (ar alpha and ar beta), progesterone receptor 1 (pr1), bone morphogenetic protein 15 (bmp15), and FSH receptor (fshr) were analyzed in the testis. After 2 weeks of probiotic treatment, sperm production and sperm motility parameters (percentage of motile cells and percentage of straight-swimming spermatozoa) were increased in the European eel treated with 105 CFU/mL compared to controls or to the other probiotic doses. These changes were associated with increases in messenger RNA expression of activin, ar alpha, ar beta, pr1, and fshr. Conversely, after 3 weeks, activin and pr1 expression decreased. No significant changes were observed on bmp15 expression throughout the duration of the treatment with 10(5) CFU/mL dose. The lowest and highest probiotic dose (10(3) and 10(6) CFU/mL, respectively) inhibited the transcription of all genes along all the experiment, except for ar alpha and ar beta after 1 week of probiotic treatment when compared to controls. The changes observed by transcriptomic analysis and the sperm parameters suggest that a treatment with L rhamnosus at 10(5) CFU/mL for 2 weeks could improve spermatogenesis process in Anguilla anguilla. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.This study was funded by the European Community’s 7th FP (grant agreement no. 245257, PRO-EEL) and COST Office (Food and Agriculture COST Action FA1205: AQUAGAMETE) Victor Gallego and M. Carmen Vilchez have predoctoral grants from MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA Y COMPETITIVIDAD (BES-2009-020310) and UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA PAID Program (2011-S2-02-6521), respectively. Fondo Ateneo 2012 to Oliana Carnevali.Vilchez Olivencia, MC.; Santangeli, S.; Maradonna, F.; Gioacchini, G.; Verdenelli, C.; Gallego Albiach, V.; Peñaranda, D.... (2015). Effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus on the expression of genes involved in European eel spermatogenesis. Theriogenology. 84(8):1321-1331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.07.011S1321133184

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Stereoisomerism in coordination chemistry: A laboratory experiment for undergraduate students

2 páginas.This experiment makes students become acquainted with stereochemical concepts and several techniques used in this field and incorporate in the learning some of the recent research tasks.Peer reviewe

Elaboración y diseño de estructura modular para la formación en Técnicas estadísticas básicas y para la investigación

Depto. de Estadística y Ciencia de los DatosFac. de Estudios EstadísticosFALSEsubmitte