Llindar de dolor

En una primera parte del artículo hemos resaltado la importancia de definir el punto de referencia del que se parte en todo estudio sobre dolor experimental. En la segunda parte hemos resaltado los factores que influyen en la percepción del umbral doloroso y otros factores cuya influencia es dudosa. La última parte es una aproximación a los estudios existentes sobre el umbral doloroso en los animales.In the first part of the article we have outlined the importante of defining the point of reference from which we start experimental pain. In the second part, we have detached the factors that influence on the perception of painful threshold, and others factors whose influence is not clear. In the last part we have given an approximation to the existings studies about the threshold of pain in animal

Current Status of Stem Cell Therapy for Sepsis and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are life-threatening diseases with high mortality, around 40%, and morbidity in all the critical care units around the world. After decades of research, and numerous pre-clinical and clinical trials, sepsis and ARDS remain without a specific and effective pharmacotherapy and essentially the management remains supportive. Over the last years, cell therapies gained potential as a therapeutic treatment for ARDS and sepsis. Based on numerous pre-clinical studies, there is a growing evidence of the potential benefits of cell-based therapies for the treatment of sepsis and ARDS. Different cell subtypes have been used for the treatment of both syndromes; however, the major part of the studies is using mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC). Also, other relevant groups performed some pre-clinical studies using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) for the treatment of both syndromes and alveolar type II cells for ARDS treatment. Numerous questions need further study, including determining the best source for the progenitor cells isolation, their large-scale production, and cryopreservation. Also, the heterogeneity of patients with sepsis and ARDS is massive, and the stratification of the patients will help us to determine better the therapeutic effect of these cell therapies. In this review, we are going to describe briefly the different cell types, their potential sources, and characteristics and mechanism of action. We will review several pre-clinical and clinical studies in ARDS and sepsis

Role of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells in Coagulation

This study was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III through the Miguel Servet, contract "CP20/00133 (ISCIII-AES-2019/002067) "and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund "A way to make Europe"/"Investing in your future".Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are widely used in disease models in order to control several phases in the response to injuries, immune reaction, wound healing, and regeneration. MSCs can act upon both the innate and adaptive immune systems and target a broad number of functions, such as the secretion of cytokines, proteolytic enzymes, angiogenic factors, and the regulating of cell proliferation and survival. The role of MSCs in coagulation has been less studied. This review evaluates the properties and main functions of MSCs in coagulation. MSCs can regulate coagulation in a wide range of pathways. MSCs express and release tissue factors (TF), one of the key regulators of the extrinsic coagulation pathways; MSCs can trigger platelet production and contribute to platelet activation. Altogether, MSCs seem to have a pro-thrombotic role and their superior characterization prior to their administration is necessary in order to prevent adverse coagulation events

Proteomics of Plant Pathogenic Fungi

Plant pathogenic fungi cause important yield losses in crops. In order to develop efficient and environmental friendly crop protection strategies, molecular studies of the fungal biological cycle, virulence factors, and interaction with its host are necessary. For that reason, several approaches have been performed using both classical genetic, cell biology, and biochemistry and the modern, holistic, and high-throughput, omic techniques. This work briefly overviews the tools available for studying Plant Pathogenic Fungi and is amply focused on MS-based Proteomics analysis, based on original papers published up to December 2009. At a methodological level, different steps in a proteomic workflow experiment are discussed. Separate sections are devoted to fungal descriptive (intracellular, subcellular, extracellular) and differential expression proteomics and interactomics. From the work published we can conclude that Proteomics, in combination with other techniques, constitutes a powerful tool for providing important information about pathogenicity and virulence factors, thus opening up new possibilities for crop disease diagnosis and crop protection

Application of Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Aerosol Phase Extraction to the Analysis of Total and Individual Phenolic Compounds in Fried Extra Virgin Olive Oils

Seventeen extra virgin olive oil samples from Valencian Community (Spain) were submitted to a domestic-frying process (180 °C) during different degradation times (5, 10, 30, 60, 120 min). A dispersive liquid–liquid aerosol phase extraction by using a methanol/water (50:50) extracting solution was used to isolate the polyphenol fraction. Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined, whereas the determination of seven individual target polyphenolic compounds (hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleuropein, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and vanillin) was carried out by using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer. Statistically significant differences in the TPC values were found for Blanqueta and Manzanilla samples from different harvesting years. The domestic-frying process impacted the TPC and the individual phenolic compounds content. Thermal treatment for 2 h gave rise to a 94% decrease in the TPC. A first-order kinetic model was suitable to accurately describe the degradation of the individual phenolic compounds.The authors wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities for the financial support (project ref. PID2021-127566NB-I00)

Occurrence and Removal of Priority Substances and Contaminants of Emerging Concern at the WWTP of Benidorm (Spain)

This work is part of the European research project LIFE15 ENV/ES/00598 whose objective was to develop an efficient and sustainable methodology to eliminate Priority Substances (PS) and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC), in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP). The aim was to achieve reduce the concentration of PSs until their concentration was below the quality limit established in the DIRECTIVE 2013/39/EU, and to achieve reductions of 99% of the initial concentration for the selected CECs. The plant selected for the experimentation was the Benidorm WWTP (Spain). This publication studied the appearance and elimination, in the conventional treatment of this plant, of 12 priority substances (EU) and 16 emerging pollutants (5 of them included in the EU watch lists) during a year of experimentation. The analytical methods of choice were High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to a Mass Spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS) and Gas Chromatography coupled to a Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS/MS). Results showed that the PSs atrazine, brominated diphenyl ether, isoproturon, octylphenol, pentachlorobenzene, simazine, terbutryn, tributyltin, and trifluralin, and the CECs 17-α-ethinylestradiol, 17-β-estradiol, imazalil, orthophenylphenol, tertbutylazine, and thiabendazole, were not detected. The micropollutants with the highest a-verage percentages of removal (>90%) are: chloramphenicol (100%), estriol (100%) and ibuprofen (99%). Partially removed were ketoprofen (79%), chlorpyrifos (78%), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (78%), estrone (76%), sulfamethoxazole (68%), and fluoxetine (53%). The compounds with the lowest average percentage of removal (<50%) are diclofenac (30%), erythromycin (1%), diuron (0%) and carbamazepine (0%). For the micropollutants chlorpyrifos, diclofenac, erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, fluoxetine, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen, complementary treatments will be necessary in case there is a need to reduce their concentrations in the WWTP effluent below a certain standard. The presence of the different micropollutants in the samples was not regular. Some of them were presented continuously, such as carbamazepine; however, others sporadically such as chloramphenicol and others were associated with seasonal variations or related to remarkable periods of time, such as sulfamethoxazole.This research was funded by European Commission, grant number LIFE15ENV/ES/00598 Development of an Efficient and Sustainable Methodology for Emerging Pollutants Removal in WWTPS

Volatile Profile of Nuts, Key Odorants and Analytical Methods for Quantification

The presence of nuts in diets has notably increased due to their composition, and the presence of antioxidants and their unsaturated fatty acid profile has led to a considerable increase in their consumption. The volatile profile of nuts is important from different points of view. It affects consumer’s selection, influences raw material selection for the production of composite foods, dictates variety selection in breeding programs, and, from a quality perspective, its changes can indicate food degradation or alteration. A review of the published bibliography concerning the determination of volatiles in nuts has been carried out. The information retrieved has been divided into four main sections. First, a discussion on the main volatiles present in nuts is performed; next, a revision of the methods used to determine the volatiles is presented; and, finally, two sections describing how harvesting conditions, healthy state and the thermal treatment of nuts modifies their volatile profile are added. Analysis of the published bibliography denoted the complexity of volatile determination and the different variables that can modify the compounds present in the volatile fraction of nuts.The authors would like to acknowledge the Generalitat Valenciana (FEDEGENT/2018/021) for their financial support

Novel experimental model of maintained acute lung injury

Trabajo presentado en el 23rd Annual Congress European Respiratory Society (ERS) celebrado del 7 al 11 de septiembre de 2013 en Barcelona (España)Abstract publicado en "European Respiratory Journal" 42 (Suppl 57): 50s-51s (2013)Rationale: Several animal models have been developed to study acute lung injury (ALI); however the majority of these studies are focused on different mechanisms within the acute phase. These models do not allow studying the mechanisms in the later phases or testing any possible long-term treatment. The aim of this study was to develop an experimental ALI model simulating bronchial aspiration of gastric contents with bacterial superinfection with alveolar epithelial damage persisting over time. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250g) were anesthetized with isofl uorane. ALI was induced by intratracheal instillation of HCl (1 μl/g, 0.1 mol/L pH=1.4) followed by instillation of LPS from Escherichia coli O55:B5 (0, 10, 20, 30 or 40μg/g b.w.) two hours later. Control rats were treated with intratracheal instillations of saline. After 72h, the animals were sacrifi ced and bronchoalveolar lavage fl uid (BALF) was sampled for further analysis of total protein concentration by bicinchoninic acid method. Results: At 72 h, rats suffered a signifi cant loss of weight proportional to the administered dose of LPS (5.6% with 10μg/g b.w, 12.6% with 20μg/g b.w, 14.2% with 30μg/g b.w and 17.7% with 40μg/g b.w). Control rats gained in weight at 72h. LPS at 10, 20, 30 and 40μg/g b.w induced a 1.7, 2.5, 2.9 and 3.4 fold increase in total protein concentration in BAL fl uid, respectively, refl ecting a substantial increase proportional to the LPS dose. Conclusion: The degree of weight loss and the increase of total protein concentration in BAL fl uid in the current model may refl ect disease severity and progression. This model would be useful in future for new therapeutical optionsGrant acknowledgements: FIS-PI12/02548 and Fundació Parc TaulíPeer Reviewe

Aerosol-Phase Extraction Method for Determination of Ca, K, Mg, and Na in Biodiesel through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry

A novel extraction method was developed, optimized, and validated for the elemental analysis of organic samples. The method, called aerosol-phase extraction (APE), is based on nebulization of the extracting aqueous solution (0.1 mol·L–1 nitric acid) on the sample. Extraction was performed at the interface of generated extractant droplets as they entered into contact with the samples. Afterward, the phases were allowed to separate and Ca, K, Na, and Mg were determined in aqueous phase by means of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Measurement of aerosol characteristics demonstrated that a water-in-oil emulsion was generated. Therefore, once the aqueous solution was dispersed into the sample, the phases spontaneously separated. Furthermore, the interfacial specific surface area exhibited values on the order of 1 m2·mL–1, hence enhancing the extraction kinetics over conventional extraction methods. Key variables affecting the extraction yield were the nebulization gas flow rate, liquid flow rate, extraction time, acid concentration, nebulizer tip to sample surface gap, and morg/maq ratio. Once the optimal conditions were selected, the method was applied and validated for the determination of Ca, K, Na, and Mg by ICP-OES in 0.5 mL biodiesel samples with an expanded uncertainty lower than 2%. With the APE method, the extraction time was around 1 min, whereas conventional methods employed to perform this kind of extraction required from 4 to 50 min. Additionally, the APE involved preconcentration of analytes, thus lowering the limit of detection (LOD) to the nanograms per milliliter level (i.e., LODs based on the 3sb criterion were 32, 20, 19, and 24 ng·mL–1 for Ca, K, Na, and Mg, respectively). Furthermore, accuracy of quantification of Ca, K, Na, and Mg concentration by APE was not significantly different as compared to that afforded by conventional liquid–liquid extraction. Finally, Ca, K, Na, and Mg contents were determined in four real samples in the 0.5–13 mg·kg–1 range. The obtained results were not statistically different from those encountered with a microwave-based digestion method

Prognostic value of the six-second spirometry in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A cohort study

Background The six-second spirometry has been proposed as an alternative to diagnose airflow limitation, although its prognostic value in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of the postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced expiratory volume in 6 seconds (FEV6) ratio and FEV6 in COPD patients. Methods and Findings The study population consisted of 2,614 consecutive stable patients with COPD. The patients were monitored for an average period of 4.3 years regarding mortality, hospitalizations by COPD exacerbations, diagnosis of lung cancer, and annual lung function decline. The overall rate of death was 10.7 (95%CI: 8.7–12.7) per 1000 person-years. In addition to male gender, age and comorbidity, FEV6 (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.981, 95%CI: 0.968–0.003) and FEV1/FEV6 quartiles (lowest quartile (<74% pred.): HR 3.558, 95%CI: 1.752–7.224; and second quartile (74–84% pred.): HR 2.599, 95%CI: 1.215–5.561; versus best quartile (>0.89% pred.)) were independently associated with mortality, whereas FEV1 was not retained in the model. 809 patients (30.9%) had at least one hospital admission due to COPD exacerbation. In addition to sex, age, smoking and comorbidity, FEV1 and FEV1/ FEV6 quartiles were independent risk factors of hospitalization. FEV6 was the only spirometric parameter independently related with lung function annual decline, while the FEV6 and FEV1/FEV6 quartiles were independent risk factors for lung cancer Conclusions In a general COPD outpatient population, airflow obstruction assessed by the FEV1/FEV6 is an independent risk factor for both death and hospitalizationThis study is supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain (PI10-00642 and PI13-01512) and from the Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (S2010/BMD-2542)