Pinturas antimicrobianas formuladas con nanomateriales bioactivos obtenidos a partir del reciclado de pilas agotadas

Las pinturas antimicrobianas cuentan con uno o más aditivos bioactivos, denominados biocidas, que en bajas concentraciones tienen como objetivo prevenir la colonización y el posterior crecimiento microbiológico (Falkiewicz-Dulik et al., 2015). Las estructuras edilicias son susceptibles a la colonización microbiológica y la constitución de biopelículas, frecuentemente por parte de hongos y bacterias (Olaf and Samson, 2011). Por lo tanto, la prevención de la colonización microbiológica de las superficies es estudiada intensamente, en especial, a partir del desarrollo de nuevos materiales bioactivos entre los que se destacan aquellos de tamaño nanométrico con aplicación en: recubrimientos, pinturas, dispositivos médicos, envasado de alimentos, materiales estructurales y textiles (Deyá & Bellotti, 2017). Las pilas alcalinas son usadas en juguetes, controles remotos, relojes, etc. Estas pilas se agotan rápidamente y son descartadas. Poseen un contenido de Zn y Mn de entre 12-28% y 26-45%, respectivamente (Sayilgan et al., 2009). Por otro lado, dentro de las pilas botón las de Zn/Ag2O son las más utilizadas debido a distintas características tales como; alto voltaje, alta densidad de energía, etc., siendo utilizadas en relojes, marcapasos, computadoras, etc (Reddy & Linden, 2011). Los metales que las forman, a partir de la corrosión de carcasas lixivian entrando en contacto con el agua y el suelo, pudiendo originar problemas ambientales. Por esta razón son clasificadas como residuos peligrosos. Si bien existen procesos de tratamiento, tal como la incineración y cementación, el concepto de reutilización y el reciclado de los metales constituyentes de pilas agotadas son tecnologías emergentes a tal punto que la Unión Europea legisló sobre el tema recién en el año 2006 (Directiva 2006/66/CE). Entre estos metales el Zn resulta promisorio por sus aplicaciones en electrónica, pinturas, carga de neumáticos, etc., siendo uno de los materiales con mayor potencial de recuperación y reutilización (Huang et al., 2018). Una de las posibles aplicaciones de estos productos obtenidos a partir del reciclado de pilas agotadas es su uso como aditivos bioactivos para pinturas antimicrobianas o higiénicas. En tal sentido, se ha reportado información sobre la actividad antimicrobiana de distintos óxidos como MgO, ZnO y Fe2O3 de tamaño nanométrico, que se atribuye a la generación de especies de oxígeno reactivas en la superficie de los mismos (Chai et al., 2019). La ventaja de usar este tipo de óxidos como aditivos es que contienen elementos minerales esenciales para los humanos al mismo tiempo que exhiben actividad antimicrobiana, incluso cuando se administran en pequeñas cantidades. La fabricación de nuevos materiales con una posible aplicación en la formulación de pinturas con propiedades antimicrobianas otorga una importante valorización a los residuos cerrando así el ciclo de vida e ingresando en lo que se denomina "economía circular".Fil: Lopez, Guillermo Pablo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas; ArgentinaFil: Bellotti, Natalia. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas; ArgentinaFil: Peluso, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas "Dr. Jorge J. Ronco". Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas; ArgentinaEncuentro de Becarios de Posgrado de la Universidad Nacional de la PlataLa PlataArgentinaUniversidad Nacional de la Plat

Aldosterone induces cardiotrophin-1 expression in HL-1 adult cardiomyocytes

Aldosterone (ALDO) may induce cardiac hypertrophy by nonhemodynamic mechanisms that are not completely defined. Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a cytokine that exerts hypertrophic actions on isolated cardiomyocytes and promotes cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. We investigated whether ALDO induces CT-1 expression in HL-1 cardiomyocytes aiming at the possibility that the cytokine is involved in ALDO-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. mRNA and protein expression were quantified by RT-PCR and Western blot. Cardiomyocyte area, as an index of hypertrophy, was assayed by image analysis in phalloidin-stained HL-1 cells. ALDO addition to adult HL-1 cardiomyocytes increased (P<0.01) CT-1 mRNA and protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect was abrogated by actinomycin D, the mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptor antagonists spironolactone and RU486, respectively, and the p38 MAPK blocker SB203580. CT-1 signaling pathway blockade with specific antibodies against the cytokine and its two receptor subunits avoided (P<0.01) alpha-sarcomeric actin and c-fos protein overexpression as well as cell size increase induced by ALDO in HL-1 cells. In vivo, a single ALDO injection acutely increased (P<0.01) the myocardial expression of CT-1 in C57BJ6 wild-type mice but not CT-1-null mice. The bolus of the mineralocorticoid increased (P<0.01) ANP and c-fos mRNA expression in the myocardium of wild-type mice, whereas no changes were observed in CT-1-null mice. In summary, ALDO induces CT-1 expression in adult HL-1 cardiomyocytes via genomic and nongenomic mechanisms. CT-1 up-regulation could have relevance in the direct hypertrophic effects of ALDO in cardiomyocytes

Soluble ST2 levels and left ventricular structure and function in patients with metabolic syndrome

Background: A biomarker that is of great interest in relation to adverse cardiovascular events is soluble ST2 (sST2), a member of the interleukin family. Considering that metabolic syndrome (MetS) is accompanied by a proinflammatory state, we aimed to assess the relationship between sST2 and left ventricular (LV) structure and function in patients with MetS. Methods: A multicentric, cross-sectional study was conducted on180 MetS subjects with normal LV ejection fraction as determined by echocardiography. LV hypertrophy (LVH) was defined as an LV mass index greater than the gender-specific upper limit of normal as determined by echocardiography. LV diastolic dysfunction (DD) was assessed by pulse-wave and tissue Doppler imaging. sST2 was measured by using a quantitative monoclonal ELISA assay. Results: LV mass index (β=0.337, P<0 .001, linear regression) was independently associated with sST2 concentrations. Increased sST2 was associated with an increased likelihood of LVH [Exp (B)=2.20, P=0.048, logistic regression] and increased systolic blood pressure [Exp (B)=1.02, P=0.05, logistic regression]. Comparing mean sST2 concentrations (adjusted for age, body mass index, gender) between different LV remodeling patterns, we found the greatest sST2 level in the group with concentric hypertrophy. There were no differences in sST2 concentration between groups with and without LV DD. Conclusions: Increased sST2 concentration in patients with MetS was associated with a greater likelihood of exhibiting LVH. Our results suggest that inflammation could be one of the principal triggering mechanisms for LV remodeling in MetS

The BIDIAP index: a clinical, analytical and ultrasonographic score for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children

Background: Pediatric acute appendicitis (PAA) continues to be a diagnostic challenge today. The diagnostic performance of classical indices is only moderate, especially in pediatric population. This study aimed to define a clinical, radiological and analytical index for the diagnosis of PAA. Materials and methods: This prospective study included 151 patients divided into two groups: (1) 53 patients with non-surgical abdominal pain (NSAP) and (2) 98 patients with a confirmed PAA. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Fisher exact test. To identify the predictors of PAA, we performed a multivariable logistic regression using a forward stepwise analysis and we assigned multiples of integer values to the selected variables. The diagnostic performance of the index was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Intra-cohort calibration was assessed with the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Results: We developed the BIDIAP index (BIomarkers for the DIagnosis of Appendicitis in Pediatrics), which included three variables that independently predicted higher odds of PAA: appendiceal caliber (≥ 6.9 mm), systemic immune-inflammation index (≥ 890) and peritoneal irritation, which scored 4, 3 and 2 points, respectively. Mean (SD) score of the participants was 2.38 (2.06) in group 1 and 7.89 (1.50) in group 2. The area under the ROC was 0.97 (95% CI 0.95-0.99). The cut-off point was established at 4 points, resulting in a sensitivity of 98.98% and a specificity of 77.78%. Conclusions: The BIDIAP index has an exceptional diagnostic performance in PAA. The importance of these results lies in its novelty and in the simplicity of the index. Although external validation will be necessary, initial results look promising

Alterations and diagnostic performance of capillary ketonemia in pediatric acute appendicitis: a pilot study

Introduction: The diagnostic performance of capillary ketonemia (CK) has been previously evaluated in context of pediatric acute gastroenteritis. To our knowledge, there is no literature on its performance in the setting of pediatric acute appendicitis (PAA). Materials and methods: In this study, 151 patients were prospectively included and divided into two groups: (1) patients with non-surgical abdominal pain in whom the diagnosis of PAA was excluded (n : 53) and (2) patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PAA (n : 98). In 80 patients (Group 1, n : 23 and group 2, n : 57) a CK was measured at the time of diagnosis. The PAA group was further classified into complicated (n : 18) and uncomplicated PAA (n : 39). Quantitative variables were compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney U test. Diagnostic performance of CK was evaluated with ROC curves. Results: CK values were 0.3 [0.1-0.9] mmol/L in group 1 and 0.7 [0.4-1.4] mmol/L in group 2 (p = 0.01). Regarding the type of PAA, CK values were 0.6 [0.4-0.9] mmol/L in uncomplicated PAA and 1.2 [0.8-1.4] mmol/L in complicated PAA (p : 0.02). The AUC for the discrimination between groups 1 and 2 was 0.68 (95/100 IC 0.53-0.82) (p : 0.24) and the AUC for the discrimination between uncomplicated PAA and complicated PAA was 0.69 (95/100 IC 0.54-0.85) (p : 0.04). The best cut-off point (group 1 vs group 2) resulted in 0.4 mmol/L, with a sensitivity of 80.7/100 and a specificity of 52.2/100. The best cut-off point (non-complicated vs complicated PAA) resulted in 1.1 mmol/L, with a sensitivity of 61.1/100 and a specificity of 76.9/100. Conclusions: This study found significantly higher levels of CK in patients with PAA than in those with NSAP. Similarly, significantly higher levels were observed in patients with complicated than in those with uncomplicated PAA. Nevertheless, the diagnostic performance of CK was only moderate in the two settings analyzed. The potential usefulness of CK determination as a tool to guide the preoperative rehydration regimen of patients with PAA to prevent postoperative hyporexia and vomiting is a promising line of research and should be evaluated in future studies

Leucine-Rich Alpha-2-Glycoprotein as a non-invasive biomarker for pediatric acute appendicitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to analyze the diagnostic performance of Leucine-Rich Alpha-2-Glycoprotein (LRG1) in pediatric acute appendicitis (PAA). We conducted a systematic review of the literature in the main databases of medical bibliography. Two independent reviewers selected the articles and extracted relevant data. Methodological quality was assessed using the QUADAS2 index. A synthesis of the results, standardization of the metrics and 4 random-effect meta-analyses were performed. Eight studies with data from 712 participants (305 patients with confirmed diagnosis of PAA and 407 controls) were included in this review. The random-effect meta-analysis of serum LRG1 (PAA vs control) resulted in a significant mean difference (95% CI) of 46.76 μg/mL (29.26–64.26). The random-effect meta-analysis for unadjusted urinary LRG1 (PAA vs control) resulted in a significant mean difference (95% CI) of 0.61 μg/mL (0.30–0.93). The random-effect metaanalysis (PAA vs control) for urinary LRG1 adjusted for urinary creatinine resulted in a significant mean difference (95% CI) of 0.89 g/mol (0.11–1.66). Conlusion: Urinary LRG1 emerges as a potential non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of PAA. On the other hand, due to the high between-study heterogeneity, the results on serum LRG1 should be interpreted with caution. The only study that analyzed salivary LRG1 showed promising results. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings

Absence of cardiotrophin 1 is associated with decreased age-dependent arterial stiffness and increased longevity in mice

Cardiotrophin 1 (CT-1), an interleukin 6 family member, promotes fibrosis and arterial stiffness. We hypothesized that the absence of CT-1 influences arterial fibrosis and stiffness, senescence, and life span. In senescent 29-month- old mice, vascular function was analyzed by echotracking device. Arterial histomorphology, senescence, metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress parameters were measured by immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and ELISA. Survival rate of wild-type and CT-1–null mice was studied. Vascular smooth muscle cells were treated with CT-1 (10 −9 mol/L) for 15 days to analyze senescence. The wall stress-incremental elastic modulus curve of old CT-1–null mice was shifted rightward as compared with wild-type mice, indicating decreased arterial stiffness. Media thickness and wall fibrosis were lower in CT-1–null mice. CT-1–null mice showed decreased levels of inflammatory, apoptotic, and senescence pathways, whereas telomere-linked proteins, DNA repair proteins, and antioxidant enzyme activities were increased. CT-1–null mice displayed a 5-month increased median longevity compared with wild-type mice. In vascular smooth muscle cells, chronic CT-1 stimulation upregulated apoptotic and senescence markers and downregulated telomere-linked proteins. The absence of CT-1 is associated with decreased arterial fibrosis, stiffness, and senescence and increased longevity in mice likely through downregulating apoptotic, senescence, and inflammatory pathways. CT-1 may be a major regulator of arterial stiffness with a major impact on the aging proces

La galectina-3, una nueva diana terapéutica para las alteraciones cardiovasculares asociadas al desarrollo de la estenosis aórtica severa

Aortic stenosis is one of the most common heart valve diseases, as well as one of the most common causes of heart failure in the elderly. Currently, there are no medical therapies to prevent or slow the progression of the disease. When symptoms develop alongside severe aortic stenosis, there is a poor prognosis unless aortic valve replacement is performed. Aortic stenosis is a heterogeneous disease with a complex pathophysiology involving structural and biological changes of the valve, as well as adaptive and maladaptive compensatory changes in the myocardium and vasculature in response to chronic pressure overload. Galectin-3 serves important functions in numerous biological activities including cell growth, apoptosis, differentiation, inflammation and fibrosis. With evidence emerging to support the function of Galectin-3, the current review aims to summarize the latest literature regarding the potential of Galectin-3 as therapeutic target in aortic valve and cardiovascular alterations associated with aortic stenosis.La estenosis aórtica severa degenerativa (EA) es una enfermedad muy prevalente, cuya incidencia se incrementará en los próximos años debido al envejecimiento de la población. Actualmente no existe ningún tratamiento farmacológico que retarde su progresión y, cuando aparecen los síntomas, la cirugía de recambio valvular es la única opción. La EA se caracteriza por la calcificación de la válvula aórtica y por la aparición de fibrosis miocárdica. Sin embargo, no se conocen los mecanismos fisiopatológicos de la EA necesarios para identificar y desarrollar nuevas estrategias terapéuticas adecuadas. La Galectina-3 (Gal-3) regula funciones biológicas como el crecimiento, la diferenciación, la apoptosis, la inflamación o la fibrosis. Esta revisión resume los principales trabajos que describen el potencial de la Gal-3 como diana terapéutica para las alteraciones cardíacas y valvulares asociadas con el desarrollo de EA

Diagnostic performance of serum pentraxin-3 in pediatric acute appendicitis: a prospective diagnostic validation study

Introduction Pediatric acute appendicitis (PAA) is a pathology with a high rate of diagnostic error. The search for new diagnostic tools is justified by the high morbidity and healthcare costs associated with diagnostic error. Methods We designed a prospective study to validate serum pentraxin-3 (PTX3) as a diagnostic tool in PAA. Participants were divided into three groups: (1) patients with no underlying pathology (2) patients with non-surgical abdominal pain and (3) patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PAA. For further analyses, patients in group 3 were divided into complicated or uncomplicated PAA. Quantitative variables were expressed as medians and interquartile ranges and categorical variables as percentages. Quantitative variables were compared using the Kruskal–Wallis test and the Mann–Whitney U test. Diagnostic performance was evaluated with ROC curves. Results This study included 215 patients divided into group 1 (n : 63), group 2 (n : 53) and group 3 (n : 99). Median serum PTX3 values were 2.54 (1.70–2.95) ng/mL, 3.29 (2.19–7.64) ng/mL and 8.94 (6.16–14.05) in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p : 0.001). Patients with complicated PAA showed significantly higher values than patients with uncomplicated PAA (p = 0.04). The AUC (group 2 vs. 3) was 0.77 (95/100 CI 0.69–0.85) and the best cut-off point was at 7.28 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 61.3/100 and a specificity of 73.1/100. The AUC (complicated vs. uncomplicated PAA) was 0.65 (95/100 CI 0.54–0.77) and the best cut-off point was 12.33 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 51.72/100 and a specificity of 72.73/100. Conclusions The diagnostic ability of serum PTX3 in PAA is only moderate and therefore it cannot be considered a definitive diagnostic test. The discriminatory ability of PTX3 between complicated and uncomplicated PAA is poor. These findings, which contrast with those reported to date, should be validated with future properly designed prospective studies

Cardiotrophin 1 is involved in cardiac, vascular, and renal fibrosis and dysfunction

Cardiotrophin 1 (CT-1), a cytokine belonging to the interleukin 6 family, is increased in hypertension and in heart failure. We aimed to study the precise role of CT-1 on cardiac, vascular, and renal function; morphology; and remodeling in early stages without hypertension. CT-1 (20 g/kg per day) or vehicle was administrated to Wistar rats for 6 weeks. Cardiac and vascular functions were analyzed in vivo using M-mode echocardiography, Doppler, and echo tracking device and ex vivo using a scanning acoustic microscopy method. Cardiovascular and renal histomorphology were measured by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and Western blot. Kidney functional properties were assessed by serum creatinine and neutrophile gelatinase-associated lipocalin and microalbuminuria/creatininuria ratio. Without alterations in blood pressure levels, CT-1 treatment increased left ventricular volumes, reduced fractional shortening and ejection fraction, and induced myocardial dilatation and myocardial fibrosis. In the carotid artery of CT-1–treated rats, the circumferential wall stress-incremental elastic modulus curve was shifted leftward, and the acoustic speed of sound in the aorta was augmented, indicating increased arterial stiffness. Vascular media thickness, collagen, and fibronectin content were increased by CT-1 treatment. CT-1–treated rats presented unaltered serum creatinine concentrations but increased urinary and serum neutrophile gelatinase-associated lipocalin and microalbuminuria/creatininuria ratio. This paralleled a glomerular and tubulointerstitial fibrosis accompanied by renal epithelial-mesenchymal transition. CT-1 is a new potent fibrotic agent in heart, vessels, and kidney able to induce cardiovascular-renal dysfunction independent from blood pressure. Thus, CT-1 could be a new target simultaneously integrating alterations of heart, vessels, and kidney in early stages of heart failure