Un bien escaso e imprescindible para la vida : el desafío de su preservación

Fil: Reyes Toso, Carlos F. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaEl ser humano posee aproximadamente entre un 75% y un 45% de agua corporal total en su ciclo vital, en un equilibrio dinámico en el que los egresos son compensados con los ingresos. La realización de las diferentes funciones orgánicas lleva a la pérdida diaria de una importante cantidad de agua, cerca de dos litros. Este valor puede ampliarse considerablemente en condiciones climáticas adversas o al practicar actividades laborales o deportivas extenuantes. El organismo sólo es capaz de producir por óxido-reducción una pequeña cantidad de agua diariamente. Por esta razón, la única forma de cubrir este déficit es con el ingreso de agua, ya sea en forma líquida o formando parte de los alimentos

Pslam 139 (Part II): Poetic analysis and exegesis

El presente artículo, apoyado en los frutos del estudio textual y retórico del Salmo 139 (138), se propone un detallado examen de los paralelismos e imágenes que utiliza el hagiógrafo para expresar su experiencia de Dios. Recorriendo segmento tras segmento se destacan los elementos de particular relieve teológico y antropológico que con especial belleza el salmista propone para la meditación y alabanza de Dios.This article, supported by the fruits of the textual and rhetorical study of Psalm 139 (138), proposes a detailed examination of the parallels and images that the hagiographer uses to express his experience of God. The elements of particular theological and anthropological importance that the psalmist proposes with special beauty for meditation and praise of God are highlighted segment after segment.Cátedra Libre de Pensamiento Cristiano (UNLP)Seminario Mayor San José (La Plata

Pslam 139 (Part I). Textual study and rhetorical analysis

El presente artículo ofrece una traducción del Salmo 139 (138) a partir del texto masorético y en base al aparato crítico, lexicográfico y gramatical de mayor reconocimiento científico y académico. El uso del método retórico bíblico, resultará en una nueva comprensión de la estructura del salmo con un doble foco en los vv. 6-7 y 16-17. A partir de ellos como centros estructurantes, descubrimos que el salmista alaba la Providencia divina expresada en su omnisciencia y omnipresencia.This article offers a translation of Psalm 139 (138) from the Masoretic text and based on the critical, lexicographical and grammatical apparatus of greater scientific and academic recognition. The use of the biblical rhetorical method will result in a new understanding of the structure of the psalm with a double focus on vv. 6-7 and 16-17. Reading the Psalm through them, as structuring centers, we discover that the psalmist praises divine Providence expressed in its omniscience and omnipresence.Cátedra Libre de Pensamiento Cristiano (UNLP)Seminario Mayor San José (La Plata

24-hour changes in circulating prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone in male rats subjected to social isolation

BACKGROUND: This work analyzes the effect of social isolation (a mild stressor) on the 24-h variation of pituitary-testicular function in young Wistar rats, assessed by measuring circulating levels of prolactin, FSH, LH and testosterone. METHODS: Animals were either individually caged or kept in groups (4–5 animals per cage) under a 12:12 h light-dark cycle (lights on at 0800 h) for 30 days starting on day 35 of life. Rats were killed at 4-h intervals during a 24-h cycle, beginning at 0900 h. RESULTS: Isolation brought about a decrease in prolactin, LH and testosterone secretion and an increase of FSH secretion. In isolated rats the 24-h secretory pattern of prolactin and testosterone became modified, i.e., the maximum in prolactin seen in control animals at the beginning of the activity span was no longer detected, whereas the maximum in circulating testosterone taking place at 1700 h in controls was phase-delayed to 2100 h in isolated rats. CONCLUSION: Social isolation affects the 24-h variation of pituitary-testicular function in young rats. Secretion of prolactin, LH and testosterone decreases, and secretion of FSH increases, in isolated rats. The maximum in prolactin seen in group-caged rats at the beginning of the activity span is not observed in isolated rats. The maximum in circulating testosterone taking place at the second part of the rest span in controls is phase-delayed to the light-dark transition in isolated rats

Influence of Normo- and Hypogonadal Condition, Hyperuricemia, and High-Fructose Diet on Renal Changes in Male Rats

Background. There is a gender disparity in the incidence, prevalence, and progression of renal disease. The object of this paper is to evaluate the presence and type of renal lesion in normogonadic and hypogonadic male rats in a mild hyperuricemia induced condition and exposed to a high-fructose diet. Methods. 56 adult male Wistar rats were used. Animals were divided into two groups, one normogonadic (NGN) and one hypogonadic (HGN), and each group was divided into four subgroups in accordance with the treatment: control with only water (C), fructose (F), oxonic acid (OA), and fructose + oxonic acid (FOA). Renal changes were evaluated by measuring glomerulosclerosis, fibrosis, and arteriolar media/lumen (M/L) ratio. Results. The OA and FOA groups presented significantly hypertension (p<0.001). The OA group significantly increased (p<0.05) the percentage of glomerulosclerosis as well as the FOA group (p<0.001). When comparing NGN versus HGN, we observed a trend to a lower glomerulosclerosis in the latter. A higher arteriolar M/L ratio was observed in the OA (p<0.05) and FOA (p<0.001). Conclusion. Hyperuricemia conditions and a high-fructose diet favor blood pressure increase together with changes in the arteriolar media/lumen ratio and renal glomerular damage. These changes were more apparent in normogonadic animals

Acute and delayed sulfur mustard toxicity; novel mechanisms and future studies

Sulfur mustard (SM), also known as mustard gas, has been the most widely used chemical weapon. The toxicity of SM as an incapacitating agent is of much greater importance than its ability to cause lethality. Acute toxicity of SM is related to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, DNA damage, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation and energy depletion within the affected cell. Therefore melatonin shows beneficial effects against acute SM toxicity in a variety of manner. It scavenges most of the oxygen- and nitrogen-based reactants, inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase, repairs DNA damage and restores cellular energy depletion. The delayed toxicity of SM however, currently has no mechanistic explanation. We propose that epigenetic aberrations may be responsible for delayed detrimental effects of mustard poisoning. Epigenetic refers to the study of changes that influence the phenotype without causing alteration of the genotype. It involves changes in the properties of a cell that are inherited but do not involve a change in DNA sequence. It is now known that in addition to genetic mutations, epimutations can also involve in the pathogenesis of a variety of human diseases. Several actions of melatonin are now delineated by epigenetic actions including modulation of histone acetylation and DNA methylation. Future studies are warranted to clarify whether epigenetic mechanisms are involved in pathogenesis of delayed sulfur mustard toxicity and melatonin alleviates delayed toxicity of this warfare agent

Common variants in Alzheimer’s disease and risk stratification by polygenic risk scores

Funder: Funder: Fundación bancaria ‘La Caixa’ Number: LCF/PR/PR16/51110003 Funder: Grifols SA Number: LCF/PR/PR16/51110003 Funder: European Union/EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Number: 115975 Funder: JPco-fuND FP-829-029 Number: 733051061Genetic discoveries of Alzheimer's disease are the drivers of our understanding, and together with polygenetic risk stratification can contribute towards planning of feasible and efficient preventive and curative clinical trials. We first perform a large genetic association study by merging all available case-control datasets and by-proxy study results (discovery n = 409,435 and validation size n = 58,190). Here, we add six variants associated with Alzheimer's disease risk (near APP, CHRNE, PRKD3/NDUFAF7, PLCG2 and two exonic variants in the SHARPIN gene). Assessment of the polygenic risk score and stratifying by APOE reveal a 4 to 5.5 years difference in median age at onset of Alzheimer's disease patients in APOE ɛ4 carriers. Because of this study, the underlying mechanisms of APP can be studied to refine the amyloid cascade and the polygenic risk score provides a tool to select individuals at high risk of Alzheimer's disease

Seroprevalence of T. Cruzi infection in blood donors and chagas cardiomyopathy in patients from the coal mining region of coahuila, Mexico

Context and Objective: Chagas disease is considered a worldwide emerging disease; it is endemic in Mexico and the state of Coahuila and is considered of little relevance. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of T. cruzi infection in blood donors and Chagas cardiomyopathy in patients from the coal mining region of Coahuila, Mexico. Design and Setting: Epidemiological, exploratory and prospective study in a general hospital during the period January to June 2011. Methods: We performed laboratory tests ELISA and indirect hemagglutination in three groups of individuals: 1) asymptomatic voluntary blood donors, 2) patients hospitalized in the cardiology department and 3) patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Results: There were three levels of seroprevalence: 0.31% in asymptomatic individuals, 1.25% in cardiac patients and in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy in 21.14%. Conclusions: In spite of having detected autochthonous cases of Chagas disease, its importance to local public health remains to be established as well as the details of the dynamics of transmission so that the study is still in progress