Regulatory peptides in the urinary bladder of two genera of Antarctic Teleosts

Somatostatin 14, prolactin, atrial natriuretic peptide, galanin and urotensin II were found using immunohistochemistry in the urinary bladders of the Antarctic \uaeshes Trematomus bernacchii (Nototheniidae) and Chionodraco hamatus (Channichthyidae) caught in the Ross Sea. The urinary bladders of the two species showed a dierent histology in the epithelial layer. In T. bernacchii the epithelium comprises a single type of columnar cells, while in C. hamatus the columnar cells are restricted to the ventral portion of the bladder, and the dorso-lateral region is lined by cuboidal cells. No dierence in the intensity of the immunostaining was observed in the two cell types; the only variation was a dierent distribution of the immunoreactions, which were present in the whole cytoplasm in the cuboidal cells and restricted to the apical and/or basal portion of the columnar cells

Effect of oral nitrate supplementation on pulmonary hemodynamics during exercise and time trial performance in normoxia and hypoxia: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction increases pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and may impede right heart function and exercise performance. This study examined the effects of oral nitrate supplementation on right heart function and performance during exercise in normoxia and hypoxia. We tested the hypothesis that nitrate supplementation would attenuate the increase in PAP at rest and during exercise in hypoxia, thereby improving exercise performance. METHODS: Twelve trained male cyclists [age: 31 ± 7 year (mean ± SD)] performed 15 km time-trial cycling (TT) and steady-state submaximal cycling (50, 100, and 150 W) in normoxia and hypoxia (11% inspired O2) following 3-day oral supplementation with either placebo or sodium nitrate (0.1 mmol/kg/day). We measured TT time-to-completion, muscle tissue oxygenation during TT and systolic right ventricle to right atrium pressure gradient (RV-RA gradient: index of PAP) during steady state cycling. RESULTS: During steady state exercise, hypoxia elevated RV-RA gradient (p > 0.05), while oral nitrate supplementation did not alter RV-RA gradient (p > 0.05). During 15 km TT, hypoxia lowered muscle tissue oxygenation (p < 0.05). Nitrate supplementation further decreased muscle tissue oxygenation during 15 km TT in hypoxia (p < 0.05). Hypoxia impaired time-to-completion during TT (p < 0.05), while no improvements were observed with nitrate supplementation in normoxia or hypoxia (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that oral nitrate supplementation does not attenuate acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction nor improve performance during time trial cycling in normoxia and hypoxia

Caracterización, biológica, psicológica y social de la madre adolescente y su hijo

Durante el año de 1991 del total de los egresos en el hospital San Blas de Bogotá, por atención brindada al momento del nacimiento, el 16.6% fueron madres adolescentes a las cuales se les dio una atención similar al resto de gestantes, sin tener en cuenta la complejidad de sus necesidades y dificultades generadas por el nuevo rol. Se considera importante determinar las características de las madres adolescentes que son atendidas allí ya que esta institución admite no solo a la población de su área de influencia sino también aquella que es remitida de otras entidades de salud. La caracterización pretende dar a conocer la situación de salud prenatal específica de las madres adolescentes y sus hijos que demandan los servicios de esta institución, para que se determine si existe o no la necesidad de crear un programa de intervención clínica y social para este grupo

Molecular and clinical studies in five index cases with novel mutations in the GLA gene

Fabry disease is a metabolic and lysosomal storage disorder caused by the functional defect of the α-galactosidase A enzyme; this defect is due to mutations in the GLA gene, that is composed of seven exons and is located on the long arm of the X-chromosome (Xq21–22). The enzymatic deficit is responsible for the accumulation of glycosphingolipids in lysosomes of different cellular types, mainly in those ones of vascular endothelium. It consequently causes a cellular and microvascular dysfunction. In this paper, we described five novel mutations in the GLA gene, related to absent enzymatic activity and typical manifestations of Fabry disease. We identified three mutations (c.846_847delTC, p.E341X and p.C382X) that lead to the introduction of a stop codon in positions 297, 341 and 382. Moreover we found a missense mutation (p.R227P) in the exon 5 of the GLA gene and a single point mutation (c.639 + 5 G > T) occurring five base pairs beyond the end of the exon 4. These mutations have never been found in our group of healthy control subjects > 2300. The studied patients presented some clinical manifestations, such as cornea verticillata, hypo-anhidrosis, left ventricular hypertrophy, cerebrovascular disorders and renal failure, that, considering the null enzymatic activity, suggest that the new mutations reported here are related to the classic form of Fabry disease. The identification of novel mutations in patients with symptomatology referable to FD increases the molecular knowledge of the GLA gene and it gives clinicians an important support for the proper diagnosis of the disease

An Evaluation of Therapeutic Noninferiority of 0.005% Latanoprost Ophthalmic Solution and Xalatan in Patients With Glaucoma or Ocular Hypertension.

PURPOSE: To assess the therapeutic noninferiority of 0.005% latanoprost ophthalmic solution versus Xalatan in the treatment of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a double-masked, randomized, multicenter study. A total of 184 patients with a diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension were randomly assigned to either 0.005% latanoprost ophthalmic solution or Xalatan for 12 weeks. The primary end-point was the change in intraocular pressure (IOP) at 12 weeks in the 2 groups. Noninferiority was reached if the 2-sided 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the difference between adjusted treatment means were entirely within the interval from -1.5 to +1.5 mm Hg. RESULTS: The difference between treatments in the change of IOP from baseline to the end of treatment was 0.12 mm Hg (95% CI: -0.47, 0.71) in the intention-to-treat population and 0 mm Hg (95% CI: -0.58, 0.57) in the per protocol population. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of drug-related adverse events. The most commonly reported drug-related local adverse events were: ocular hyperemia, eyelashes growth, and eye irritation. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that 0.005% latanoprost ophthalmic solution is noninferior to Xalatan in lowering IOP and is generally well tolerate

Gut microbiota markers associated with obesity and overweight in Italian adults

In the present study, we characterized the distinctive signatures of the gut microbiota (GM) from overweight/obese patients (OB), and normal-weight controls (NW), both of Sardinian origin. Fecal bacterial composition of 46 OB patients (BMI = 36.6 ± 6.0; F/M = 40/6) was analyzed and compared to that of 46 NW subjects (BMI = 21.6 ± 2.1; F/M = 41/5), matched for sex, age and smoking status, by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on MiSeq Illumina platform. The gut microbial community of OB patients exhibited a significant decrease in the relative abundance of several Bacteroidetes taxa (i.e. Flavobacteriaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, Sphingobacteriaceae, Flavobacterium, Rikenella spp., Pedobacter spp., Parabacteroides spp., Bacteroides spp.) when compared to NW; instead, several Firmicutes taxa were significantly increased in the same subjects (Lachnospiraceae, Gemellaceae, Paenibacillaceae, Streptococcaceae, Thermicanaceae, Gemella, Mitsuokella, Streptococcus, Acidaminococcus spp., Eubacterium spp., Ruminococcus spp., Megamonas spp., Streptococcus, Thermicanus, Megasphaera spp. and Veillonella spp.). Correlation analysis indicated that body fatness and waist circumference negatively correlated with Bacteroidetes taxa, while Firmicutes taxa positively correlated with body fat and negatively with muscle mass and/or physical activity level. Furthermore, the relative abundance of several bacterial taxa belonging to Enterobacteriaceae family, known to exhibit endotoxic activity, was increased in the OB group compared to NW. The results extend our knowledge on the GM profiles in Italian OB, identifying novel taxa linking obesity and intestine

Impact of a Moderately Hypocaloric Mediterranean Diet on the Gut Microbiota Composition of Italian Obese Patients

Although it is known that the gut microbiota (GM) can be modulated by diet, the efficacy of specific dietary interventions in determining its composition and diversity in obese patients remains to be ascertained. The present work aims to evaluate the impact of a moderately hypocaloric Mediterranean diet on the GM of obese and overweight patients (OB). The GM of 23 OB patients (F/M = 20/3) was compared before (T0) and after 3 months (T3) of nutritional intervention (NI). Fecal samples were analyzed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. At baseline, GM characterization confirmed typical obesity-associated dysbiosis. After 3 months of NI, patients presented a statistically significant reduction in body weight and fat mass, along with changes in the relative abundance of many microbial patterns. In fact, an increase in the abundance of several Bacteroidetes taxa (i.e., Sphingobacteriaceae, Sphingobacterium, Bacteroides spp., Prevotella stercorea) and a depletion of many Firmicutes taxa (i.e., Lachnospiraceae members, Ruminococcaceae and Ruminococcus, Veillonellaceae, Catenibacterium, Megamonas) were observed. In addition, the phylum Proteobacteria showed an increased abundance, while the genus Sutterella, within the same phylum, decreased after the intervention. Metabolic pathways, predicted by bioinformatic analyses, showed a decrease in membrane transport and cell motility after NI. The present study extends our knowledge of the GM profiles in OB, highlighting the potential benefit of moderate caloric restriction in counteracting the gut dysbiosis

FOXP3 expression in tumor cells and its role in cancer progression

Deep insight on FOXP3 expression in tumor cells and its role in cancer progression

uma revisão de âmbito

PMID: 25123417 Scopus ID: 84905528392 WOS: 000343195900009publishersversionpublishe

Working conditions and high emotional exhaustion among hospital nurses

Background: Healthcare workers are exposed to many different occupational stressors, some of which are related to their working conditions. While the experience of stress seems to depend on individual perceptions, some characteristics of inpatient units might influence the occurrence of emotional exhaustion among nurses. Objective: The aim of the present study was to identify characteristics of inpatient units which might be associated with high levels of emotional exhaustion among healthcare workers, nurses in this case. Methods: We conducted the present cross-sectional, exploratory and descriptive study with 108 nurses (83.8% female; average age 33 years old) allocated to inpatients units (wards and intensive care) at a university hospital in Portugal. We administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) emotional exhaustion subscale and collected the following data relative to the units to which the participants were allocated: 1) mortality rate; 2) number of deceased patients; 3) shortage of nurses compared to national standards; 4) occupancy rate; 5) proportion of elderly patients (>65 years old). Results: We found a positive relationship between high levels of emotional exhaustion among nurses and very high number of deceased patients (p=0.012), high fatality rate (p=0.036) and high proportion of elderly patients (p=0.025). Conclusion: Very high number of deceased patients, high proportion of elderly patients and high fatality rate in inpatients units were associated with high levels of emotional exhaustion among nurses. These findings suggest that characterizing the objective conditions of inpatient units seems to be an important aspect to be considered in psychosocial risk management programs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio