265 research outputs found
Effects of Acute Cadmium Exposure on the Pituitary Gland of Podarcis sicula
Reptiles are rarely used in studies on the possible toxic effects of heavy metals even if they are susceptible to
the accumulation of persistent pollution due also to their presence in a variety of habitats. Cadmium is a heavy metal, a
significant environmental pollutant and an endocrine disruptor. Therefore the aim of this study was to analyze the
cytotoxic effects of cadmium on the pituitary gland of the lizard Podarcis sicula after an acute exposure to this metal. The
analysis were carried out after 2, 7 and 16 days following the intraperitoneal injection of a single and massive dose of
cadmium chloride. The pituitary glands were analyzed by histological and immuhistochemical stains. Besides cadmium
accumulation in brain was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Cadmium concentration increased in lizard brain
lightly after 2 days and widely after 16 days. The tissue of the pituitary gland appeared slightly atrophied in a few areas
only at 7 and 16 days after treatment. Moreover an increase in intensity of immunostaining and occurrence of some
adenohypophyseal cells was revealed respect to control lizards. This evidence suggests an inhibitory effect of cadmium on
the normal hormonal secretion. Evidently an acute cadmium exposure in P. sicula involves the accumulation of this metal
in the brain but also the alteration of the normal endocrine function of the pituitary gland
Incorporación de ácidos grasos de cadena media a triglicéridos de aceite de pescado por interesterificación quÃmica y enzimática
Structured triglycerides (STs) containing both medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the same molecule offer nutritional and therapeutic benefits. The aim of this work was to establish the incorporation of MCFA into fish oil triglycerides (TAGs), while maintaining substantial levels of docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The effects of different acyl donors (capric acid methyl ester/MeC10 or medium chain triglyceride/TCM) and of the catalyst (chemical or enzymatic) on the fatty acid composition of the reaction product were studied. The fatty acid composition of the fish oil TAG was modified after interesterification to contain MCFA, and it depended on the catalyst and on the substrates. Thermograms obtained by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed that interesterification promoted noteworthy changes in the melting profile of the samples. STs of clinical nutrition interest containing both EPA and DHA obtained from fish oil along with MCFA were successfully produced.Triglicéridos estructurados (SL) conteniendo ácidos grasos de cadena media (MCFA) y ácidos grasos poliinsaturados (PUFA) en la misma molécula de glicerol tienen ventajas nutricionales y terapéuticas. Se establece la incorporación de MCFA a los triglicéridos (TAGs) de aceite de pescado, conservando un contenido considerable de ácidos docosahexaenóico (DHA) y eicosapentaenóico (EPA). El efecto de diferentes acil donadores (éster metÃlico de ácido cáprico/MeC10 o triglicéridos de cadena media/TCM) y de catalizador (quÃmico o enzimático) sobre la composición del producto de las reacciones fue estudiado. La composición de ácidos grasos de los TAGs del aceite de pescado fue modificada después de las reacciones para contener MCFA y dependió del catalizador y de los substratos. Los termogramas obtenidos por CalorimetrÃa Diferencial de Barrido (DSC) indicaron que la interesterificación provocó alteraciones considerables de los perfiles de fusión de las muestras. Fueron producidos STs de interés en nutrición clÃnica conteniendo EPA y DHA, además de MCFA
incidence and factors influencing retinal displacement in eyes treated for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with vitrectomy and gas or silicone oil
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Italian association of clinical endocrinologists (AME) position statement: drug therapy of osteoporosis
Treatment of osteoporosis is aimed to prevent fragility fractures and to stabilize or increase bone mineral density. Several drugs with different efficacy and safety profiles are available. The long-term therapeutic strategy should be planned, and the initial treatment should be selected according to the individual site-specific fracture risk and the need to give the maximal protection when the fracture risk is highest (i.e. in the late life). The present consensus focused on the strategies for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis taking into consideration all the drugs available for this purpose. A short revision of the literature about treatment of secondary osteoporosis due both to androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer and to aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer was also performed. Also premenopausal females and males with osteoporosis are frequently seen in endocrine settings. Finally particular attention was paid to the tailoring of treatment as well as to its duration
Improved Canine and Human Visceral Leishmaniasis Immunodiagnosis Using Combinations of Synthetic Peptides in Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in many areas of tropical and subtropical America where it constitutes a significant public health problem. It is usually diagnosed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) using crude Leishmania antigens, but a variety of other immunological methods may also be applied. Although these approaches are useful, historically their sensitivity and specificity have often been compromised by the use of complex mixtures of antigens. In this context, the use of combinations of purified, well-characterized antigens appears preferable and may yield better results. In the present study, combinations of peptides derived from the previously described Leishmania diagnostic antigens A2, NH, LACK and K39 were used in ELISA against sera from 106 dogs and 44 human patients. Improved sensitivities and specificities, close to 100%, for both sera of patients and dogs was observed for ELISA using some combinations of the peptides, including the detection of VL in dogs with low anti-Leishmania antibody titers and asymptomatic infection. So, the use of combinations of B cell predicted synthetic peptides derived from antigens A2, NH, LACK and K39 may provide an alternative for improved sensitivities and specificities for immunodiagnostic assays of VL
Caracterização isoenzimática de isolados humanos de Leishmania sp (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) dos municÃpios de Rio Preto da Eva e Manaus, Estado do Amazonas
Twenty-three isolates of Leishmania sp from patients in the municipalities of Rio Preto da Eva and Manaus were characterized and identified by means of isoenzyme electrophoresis and the degree of similarity between the organisms was analyzed. The results indicated that Leishmania guyanensis and Leishmania naiffi were present in these two environments and that the Leishmania naiffi samples were heterogenous
Quantum state preparation and macroscopic entanglement in gravitational-wave detectors
Long-baseline laser-interferometer gravitational-wave detectors are operating
at a factor of 10 (in amplitude) above the standard quantum limit (SQL) within
a broad frequency band. Such a low classical noise budget has already allowed
the creation of a controlled 2.7 kg macroscopic oscillator with an effective
eigenfrequency of 150 Hz and an occupation number of 200. This result, along
with the prospect for further improvements, heralds the new possibility of
experimentally probing macroscopic quantum mechanics (MQM) - quantum mechanical
behavior of objects in the realm of everyday experience - using
gravitational-wave detectors. In this paper, we provide the mathematical
foundation for the first step of a MQM experiment: the preparation of a
macroscopic test mass into a nearly minimum-Heisenberg-limited Gaussian quantum
state, which is possible if the interferometer's classical noise beats the SQL
in a broad frequency band. Our formalism, based on Wiener filtering, allows a
straightforward conversion from the classical noise budget of a laser
interferometer, in terms of noise spectra, into the strategy for quantum state
preparation, and the quality of the prepared state. Using this formalism, we
consider how Gaussian entanglement can be built among two macroscopic test
masses, and the performance of the planned Advanced LIGO interferometers in
quantum-state preparation
Incorporation of medium chain fatty acids into fish oil triglycerides by chemical and enzymatic interesterification
Fossilized Biophotonic Nanostructures Reveal the Original Colors of 47-Million-Year-Old Moths
Original structural colors reconstructed in fossil moths had a dual defensive function and illuminate the evolution of communication strategies in insects
Discovery of a quinoline-4-carboxamide derivative with a novel mechanism of action, multistage antimalarial activity, and potent in vivo efficacy
The antiplasmodial activity, DMPK properties, and efficacy of a series of quinoline-4-carboxamides are described. This series was identified from a phenotypic screen against the blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum (3D7) and displayed moderate potency but with suboptimal physicochemical properties and poor microsomal stability. The screening hit (1, EC50 = 120 nM) was optimized to lead molecules with low nanomolar in vitro potency. Improvement of the pharmacokinetic profile led to several compounds showing excellent oral efficacy in the P. berghei malaria mouse model with ED90 values below 1 mg/kg when dosed orally for 4 days. The favorable potency, selectivity, DMPK properties, and efficacy coupled with a novel mechanism of action, inhibition of translation elongation factor 2 (PfEF2), led to progression of 2 (DDD107498) to preclinical development
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