A comparative study of the growth of the postlarval and juvenile pescadas Plagioscion squamosissimus (HECKEL) and Plagioscion monti (SOARES) in a white water lake of the Central Amazon

The age of 320 specimen of Plagioscion monti and 280 specimen or P. squamosissimus was determined by means of daily rings on the otoliths. The length of the fish were in the range of 0.4 - 15 cm. Within this size interval, the increase in length can be assumed to be linear, and the increase of weight to be an exponential function

Aspects of the reproduction of two sciaenid species, the pescadas Plagioscion squamosissimus HECKEL 1864) and Plagioscion monti (SOARES 1979), Pisces, in different water types of the Central Amazon

The pescadas, Plagioscion squamosissimus (HECKEL) and Plagiosscion monti (SOARES), were studied in various kinds of water body in the central Amazon region to determine aspects of their reproduction. In Lago do Janauacá, P. squamosissimus reaches sexual maturity in one year at a mean standard length of 20.5 cm, while in the blackwater Lago Aruaù, the fishes require 1.5 years and average only 19 cm in length. P. monti also becomes sexually mature at an age of one year in Lago do Janauacá, and its average standard length at that time is 18 cm. The main spawning period is at the beginning of the dry season while the water level is decreasing. It was demonstrated that both species spawn repeatedly at regular intervals determinated by the phases of the moon, P. monti biweekly during the the full and new moons and P. squamosissimus monthly during the new moon. From differences in the spawning period, a second population of P. squamosissimus was identified in the blackwaters of Lago Aruaù. It enters the lake from the Rio Branco

Autoantibodies against NMDAR subunit NR1 disappear from blood upon anesthesia

Anesthetics penetrate the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and - as confirmed preclinically – transiently disrupt it. An analogous consequence in humans has remained unproven. In mice, we previously reported that upon BBB dysfunction, the brain acts as ‘immunoprecipitator’ of autoantibodies against N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor subunit-NR1 (NMDAR1-AB). We thus hypothesized that during human anesthesia, pre-existing NMDAR1-AB will specifically bind to brain. Screening of N = 270 subjects undergoing general anesthesia during cardiac surgery for serum NMDAR1-AB revealed N = 25 NMDAR1-AB seropositives. Only N = 14 remained positive post-surgery. No changes in albumin, thyroglobulin or CRP were associated with reduction of serum NMDAR1-AB. Thus, upon anesthesia, BBB opening likely occurs also in humans

Serum tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 levels are associated with mortality in patients with malignant middle cerebral artery infarction

Background: In the last years, circulating matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 levels have been associated with functional outcome in ischemic stroke patients. However the prognostic value of circulating levels of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 and MMP-10 in functional outcome of ischemic stroke patients has been scarcely studied. In addition, to our knowledge, serum MMP-9, MMP-10 and TIMP-1 levels in patients with malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMCAI) for mortality prediction have not been studied, and these were the objectives of this study. Methods: This was a multicenter, observational and prospective study carried out in six Spanish Intensive Care Units. We included patients with severe MMCAI defined as Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) lower than 9. We measured circulating levels of MMP-9, MMP-10, TIMP-1, in 50 patients with severe MMCAI at diagnosis and in 50 healthy subjects. Endpoint was 30-day mortality. Results: Patients with severe MMCAI showed higher serum levels of MMP-9 (p = 0.001), MMP-10 (p 239 ng/mL are associated with 30-day mortality (OR = 5.82; 95 % CI = 1.37-24.73; P = 0.02) controlling for GCS and age. The area under the curve for TIMP-1 as predictor of 30-day mortality was 0.81 (95 % CI = 0.67-0.91; P < 0.001). We found an association between circulating levels of TIMP-1 and MMP-10 (rho = 0.45; P = 0.001), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 (rho = 0.53; P < 0.001), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha (rho = 0.70; P < 0.001). Conclusions: The most relevant and new findings of our study, were that serum TIMP-1 levels in MMCAI patients were associated with mortality, and could be used as a prognostic biomarker of mortality in MMCAI patients