Els estudis del medi natural en la planificació urbanística i la gestió territorial. L'exemple de set municipis gironins

Qualsevol projecte de planificació hauria de basar-se en un estudi ample de les característiques físiques i biòtiques del territori implicat, per tal de conèixer amb suficient aproximació els recursos naturals que conté i la dinàmica dels seus ecosistemes. Al nostre país, malauradament, el planejament urbanístic ha estat basat únicament en unes anàlisis demogràfiques i socio-econòmiques -sovint tendencioses subestimant la importància dels estudis previs del medi natural, excepte en els casos en que hom hi veu un profit immediat

La malaltia d'Alzheimer

Sesión presentada dentro de los "Seminaris d'Actualització Científica per al Professorat de Secundària i Batxillerat, Activitiats per al professorat, curs 2012-2013, Recerca en Biomedicina", celebrado el 6 de febrero de 2013 en la Delegación del CSIC en BarcelonaPeer Reviewe

C/EBPβ expression in activated microglia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

El pdf del artículo es la versión post-print.Neuroinflammation is thought to play a pathogenic role in many neurodegenerative disorders including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this study we demonstrate that the expression of nitric oxide (NO) synthase-2 (NOS2), and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with interferon-γ is higher in microglial-enriched cultures from G93A-SOD1 mice, an ALS animal model, than from wild type mice. The levels of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ), a transcription factor that regulates proinflammatory gene expression, are also upregulated in activated G93A-SOD1 microglial cells. In vivo, systemic lipopolysaccharide also induces an exacerbated neuroinflammatory response in G93A-SOD1 mice versus wild type mice, with increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), CD11b, nitric oxide synthase-2, cyclooxygenase-2, proinflammatory cytokines, and C/EBPβ. Finally, we report that C/EBPβ is expressed by microglia in the spinal cord of ALS patients. This is the first demonstration to our knowledge of microglial C/EBPβ expression in human disease. Altogether these findings indicate that G93A-SOD1 expression results in an exacerbated pattern of neuroinflammation and suggest that C/EBPβ is a candidate to regulate the expression of potentially neurotoxic genes in microglial cells in ALS. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.This research was supported by grants from the Marato-TV3 foundation (V-2006-TV063031) and from the Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI07/0455). TV was recipient of a Juan de la Cierva contract from the Spanish Ministry of Science and PM was recipient of a grant from the Marató-TV3 foundation.Peer Reviewe

Liquid-chromatographic determination of indole-3-acetic acid and 5- hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid in human plasma

We describe a "high-performance" reversed-phase liquid-chromatographic method for determination of indole-3-acetic acid (I) and 5- hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (II) in human plasma. I is eluted at 1.0 mL/min with a mixture of 1-pentanesulfonic acid (pH 3.1), methanol, and water. It is detected by fluorometry. A mixture of citric acid/sodium phosphate solution (pH 4.8) and methanol, at 1.5 mL/min, is used to elute II, which is detected with an electrochemical cell. Platelet-poor plasma samples were pretreated with HCl, perchloric acid, and trichloroacetic acid for protein precipitation. Best results were obtained with the last (protein precipitation is incomplete with HCl, while recoveries of I are concentration dependent with perchloric acid). Analytical recoveries were 58% (SD 3.1%, CV 5.3%, n = 12) and 79% (SD 3.3%, CV 5.3%, n = 9) for I and II, respectively. Concentrations of I and II in plasma ranged from 0.61 to 3.32 (mean 1.54, SD 0.59, n = 15) mumol/L and from 33.0 to 102.6 (mean 51.8, SD 20.1, n = 16) nmol/L, respectively.Peer reviewe

Microcomputer adaptation of the wheel-shaped activity monitor: Effects of lindane

The development of microcomputers with increased power and memory capacity may allow for the spreading of the techniques of microanalysis of animal behavior in neurotoxicology. The present work describes the adaptation of the wheel-shaped activity monitor to a personal computer system (IBM-PC/XT/AT-compatible). The system has been used to study the effects elicited by a single 30 mg/kg dose of the organochlorine insecticide γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane) on the spontaneous behavior of rats. Lindane induced complex changes in behavior, the most prominent being a disruption of the temporal pattern of activity and changes in the local activity/locomotor activity ratios and in place preferences in the monitor. Effects on body weight and number of fecal boluses were also observed.This work has been supported by research grants PB87-0202 ti'om DGICYT (Direcci6n General de lnvestigaci6n Cientffica y T6cnica) and 88/2093 from FISss (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias de la Scguridad Social), and also a grant to J.L. from CIRIT (Generalitat de Catalunya). We gratefully thank Dr. Jtirg Eisner for the gift of his original source codes for the analysis of data from the monitors and for review of the manuscript. We also thank Mrs. C. Cleries for skillful technical assistance, Mr. Robin Rycrof for review of language, and Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez-Farr6 for review of the manuscript

High-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection method for endogenous γ-aminobutyric acid validated by mass spectrometric and gas chromatographic techniques

Endogenous γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from aqueous (1 M KCI/HCI) or organic (methanol) homogenates of rat brain tissue has been determined by reversed-phase isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (0.1 M KH2PO4/acetonitrile, 4:6 at pH 2.8) with fluorometric detection of the corresponding o-phthalaldehyde derivative at 360 nm (excitation) and 440 nm (emission). Calibration standards were prepared with deuteriated GABA and/or aminovaleric acid (AVA). The precision of the method was 3.2% and the detection limit was established at 64 pg of GABA on column allowing the determination of GABA at the level of 1.7 ng/mg of tissue. The content of GABA in brain was 227.2 ± 11.1 (n = 10) μg/g and in cerebellum 110.3 ± 13.9 (n = 10) μg/g. Average recovery was 91.4 ± 11.6%. The method was validated by comparison of these results with those obtained by analyzing brain homogenates of 10 rats by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, direct thermospray high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography with electron capture detection. © 1988 American Chemical Society.This work has been carried out under the Programa Movilizador de Toxicologia of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and was supported by CSIC (Grant No. 618/581

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α is down-regulated by toll-like receptor agonists in microglial cells

The transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα) can regulate the expression of important genes in the inflammatory response, but little is known about its role in glial activation. By using primary cortical murine glial cultures, we show that C/EBPα is expressed by microglial cells in vitro. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) down-regulates C/EBPα mRNA at 2 hr and all C/EBPα protein isoforms at 4 hr. This effect is elicited by LPS concentrations ≥100 pg/ml. LPS-induced C/EBPα down-regulation occurs in microglial cells both in mixed glial and in microglial-enriched cultures. As seen with LPS, other toll-like receptor agonists (polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, peptidoglycan from Staphylococcus aureus, and the oligonucleotide CpG1668) also down-regulate C/EBPα whereas cytokines such as interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, macrophage-colony stimulating factor, and interferon-γ do not. These findings suggest that C/EBPα down-regulation in activated microglia could play an important role in the increased expression of genes that are potentially pathogenic in a variety of neurological disorders. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Funded by: Instituto de Salud Carlos III from Spanish Ministerio de Sanidad. Grant Numbers: PI040778, PI050658.Peer Reviewe

Distribution of Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin in the brains of acutely intoxicated mice and its effect upon glial cells

Epsilon toxin (ε-toxin), produced by Clostridium perfringens types B and D, causes fatal enterotoxaemia in livestock. The disease is principally manifested as severe and often fatal neurological disturbance. Oedema of several organs, including the brain, is also a clinical sign related to microvascular damage. Recombinant ε-toxin-green fluorescence protein (ε-toxin-GFP) and ε-prototoxin-GFP have already been characterised as useful tools to track their distribution in intravenously injected mice, by means of direct fluorescence microscopy detection. The results shown here, using an acutely intoxicated mouse model, strongly suggest that ε-toxin-GFP, but not ε-prototoxin-GFP, not only causes oedema but is also able to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in brain tissue. In some brain areas, ε-toxin-GFP is found bound to glial cells, both astrocytes and microglia. Moreover, cytotoxicity assays, performed with mixed glial primary cultures, demonstrate the cytotoxic effect of ε-toxin upon both astrocytes and microglial cells. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This work has been supported by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia of Spain (BFU2005-02202) and by grants PI050658 and PI040778 from de Instituto Carlos III of the Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo of Spain.Peer Reviewe

Exacerbated neuroinflammation and C/EBPß expression are induced by peripheral inflammation in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Trabajo presentado en la 10th European meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease, celebrada en Praga, República Checa, del 13 al 17 de septiembre de 2011Peer Reviewe