Detección molecular de Brucella sp, Leptospira spp y Toxoplasma gondii en felinos domésticos y silvestres y el impacto zoonótico en el personal encargado de su manejo en Pereira, Colombia

The study aimed to determine the presence of the infectious agents that cause toxoplasmosis, brucellosis and leptospirosis using the conventional PCR molecular technique in domestic and wild cats, as well as in the personnel related to the care and management of these animals in the city of Pereira, Risaralda. (Colombia). Blood samples were taken from domestic cats (n=99) and wild cats in captivity (n=4) and from the personnel responsible for their care and management (veterinarians, zootechnicians, and operators; n=65). A prevalence of 37% for toxoplasmosis and 1% for leptospirosis in domestic felines was estimated. The presence of these pathogens was not found in the personnel.El estudio buscó determinar la presencia de los agentes infecciosos causantes de la toxoplasmosis, brucelosis y leptospirosis empleando la técnica molecular PCR convencional en felinos domésticos y silvestres, así como en el personal relacionado con el cuidado y manejo de estos animales en la ciudad de Pereira, Risaralda (Colombia). Se tomaron muestras de sangre de felinos domésticos (n=99) y silvestres en cautiverio (n=4) y del personal responsable de su cuidado y manejo (médicos veterinarios, zootecnistas, y operarios; n=65). Se estimó una prevalencia de 37% para toxoplasmosis y de 1% para leptospirosis en felinos domésticos. No se encontró la presencia de los patógenos en el personal

Nrf2-Mediated Antioxidant Activity of the inner bark extracts obtained from Tabebuia rosea (Bertol) DC and Tabebuia chrysantha (JACQ) G. Nicholson. [version 2; referees: 2 approved]

Background: Several ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies have shown the therapeutic potential of plants from the genus Tabebuia, which have long been used in traditional medicine in rural areas of South America, for the treatment of several human diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant activity of the inner bark extracts obtained from Tabebuia rosea and Tabebuia chrysantha. Methods: The antioxidant activity of extracts obtained from the inner bark of T. rosea and T. chrysantha was evaluated using the Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) technique. The effect of extracts on the viability of HepG2 cells was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. The translocation of Nrf2 to the nucleus after exposure of HepG2 cells to the extracts and controls (α-lipoic acid, curcumin and hydrogen peroxide) was evaluated using the Nrf2 transcription factor kit. Induction of the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response gene (NQO1) was evaluated by real-time PCR. Results: The ethyl acetate extract obtained from both species displayed the highest ORAC activity (12,523 and 6,325 µmoles Eq Trolox/g extract). In addition, the extracts had the ability to activate and to translocate Nrf2 to the nucleus, as well as to induce the expression of NQO1. Conclusion: These results indicate that the ethyl acetate extracts obtained from the inner bark of T. chrysantha and T. rosea have an important antioxidant effect mediated by Nrf2 activation, and could be used as a new source of natural antioxidants

Differential clinical characteristics and prognosis of intraventricular conduction defects in patients with chronic heart failure

Intraventricular conduction defects (IVCDs) can impair prognosis of heart failure (HF), but their specific impact is not well established. This study aimed to analyse the clinical profile and outcomes of HF patients with LBBB, right bundle branch block (RBBB), left anterior fascicular block (LAFB), and no IVCDs. Clinical variables and outcomes after a median follow-up of 21 months were analysed in 1762 patients with chronic HF and LBBB (n = 532), RBBB (n = 134), LAFB (n = 154), and no IVCDs (n = 942). LBBB was associated with more marked LV dilation, depressed LVEF, and mitral valve regurgitation. Patients with RBBB presented overt signs of congestive HF and depressed right ventricular motion. The LAFB group presented intermediate clinical characteristics, and patients with no IVCDs were more often women with less enlarged left ventricles and less depressed LVEF. Death occurred in 332 patients (interannual mortality = 10.8%): cardiovascular in 257, extravascular in 61, and of unknown origin in 14 patients. Cardiac death occurred in 230 (pump failure in 171 and sudden death in 59). An adjusted Cox model showed higher risk of cardiac death and pump failure death in the LBBB and RBBB than in the LAFB and the no IVCD groups. LBBB and RBBB are associated with different clinical profiles and both are independent predictors of increased risk of cardiac death in patients with HF. A more favourable prognosis was observed in patients with LAFB and in those free of IVCDs. Further research in HF patients with RBBB is warranted

Pharmacogenomics in medicine

Introducción: La farmacogenómica estudia la forma como las variaciones del genoma influyen en la respuesta a medicamentos. Su principal valor médico consiste en: i) la identificación de individuos en quienes se puede predecir si un fármaco será eficaz y a qué dosis o, por el contrario, si el fármaco se debe evitar por alto riesgo de toxicidad o porque el paciente nunca responderá a él; ii) identificar blancos moleculares susceptibles de ser intervenidos por fármacos. Objetivo: Revisar y sistematizar información farmacogenómica relacionada con la utilización y el impacto clínico de medicamentos. Metodología: Se consultó la literatura biomédica pertinente en las bases de datos Medline, Proquest, Science Direct, Ovid y Cochrane, así como la información disponible en sitios web de organismos sanitarios internacionales. Introduction: Pharmacogenomics studies how changes in the genome influence the response to drugs. Its main medical value consists in: i) the identification of individuals in which it is possible to predict if certain drug and dose will be effective or on the contrary, if the drug must be avoided due to its high toxicity risk or because the patient will never respond to it; ii) to identify molecular targets able to be intervened by drugs. Objective: To carry out a systematic review about pharmacogenomic oriented to the use and clinical impact of drugs. Methodology: The pertinent biomedical literature was searched in several databases such as Medline, Proquest, Science Direct, Ovid and Cochrane, as well as the available information in web sites of international sanitary organizations

La farmacogenómica en medicina

Introduction: Pharmacogenomics studies how changes in the genome influence the response to drugs. Its main medical value consists in: i) the identification of individuals in which it is possible to predict if certain drug and dose will be effective or on the contrary, if the drug must be avoided due to its high toxicity risk or because the patient will never respond to it; ii) to identify molecular targets able to be intervened by drugs. Objective: To carry out a systematic review about pharmacogenomic oriented to the use and clinical impact of drugs. Methodology: The pertinent biomedical literature was searched in several databases such as Medline, Proquest, Science Direct, Ovid and Cochrane, as well as the available information in web sites of international sanitary organizations.Introducción: La farmacogenómica estudia la forma como las variaciones del genoma influyen en la respuesta a medicamentos. Su principal valor médico consiste en: i) la identificación de individuos en quienes se puede predecir si un fármaco será eficaz y a qué dosis o, por el contrario, si el fármaco se debe evitar por alto riesgo de toxicidad o porque el paciente nunca responderá a él; ii) identificar blancos moleculares susceptibles de ser intervenidos por fármacos. Objetivo: Revisar y sistematizar información farmacogenómica relacionada con la utilización y el impacto clínico de medicamentos. Metodología: Se consultó la literatura biomédica pertinente en las bases de datos Medline, Proquest, Science Direct, Ovid y Cochrane, así como la información disponible en sitios web de organismos sanitarios internacionales

Nanocompuestos de quitosano aplicados al campo de la medicina regenerativa. Una revisión sistemática

Chitosan is a biopolymer obtained from the chitin found in the exoskeleton of crustaceans, insects, arachnids and the cell wall of fungi. Recent research has confirmed the use of chitosan as a promising biomaterial due to its characteristics such as porous structure, the capacity of chemical modification, high affinity to macromolecules in vivo, among others. The aim of this systematic literature review was to evaluate the applications of chitosan as a biomaterial in regenerative medicine. A literature search was conducted between 2013-2018 in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase databases. In this review, the “ToxRTool” (Toxicological data Reliability Assessment Tool) was used to assess the inherent quality or reliability of selected studies at the methodological level . The results showed that the chitosan nanocomposites are being studied mainly using in vitro methodologies (92.59%), diverse coupling components, and in multiple applications. However, the lack of methodological information concerning the use of controls for the experiments make reproducibility difficult and constrain the subsequent development of in vivo studies. The ToxRTool was found useful to identify eight studies (29.6%) as “Reliable without Restrictions” and 19 studies (70.4%) as “Reliable with restrictions”, indicating that more carefully studies concerning the toxicity of chitosan nanocomposites are required. Chitosan is a versatile biomaterial, which has allowed its incorporation into a wide variety of components, improving its biological, mechanical and physical properties, thus obtaining nanocomposites that are increasingly useful and effective for nanomedicine use.El quitosano es un biopolímero obtenido de la quitina presente en el exoesqueleto de crustáceos, insectos, arácnidos y en la pared celular de los hongos. Investigaciones recientes han confirmado el uso del quitosano como biomaterial prometedor debido a características como estructura porosa, facilidad de modificación química, alta afinidad hacia macromoléculas in vivo, entre otras. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar las aplicaciones del quitosano como biomaterial en medicina regenerativa. Se realizó una búsqueda de la literatura en el período comprendido entre 2013-2018 en las bases de datos PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science y Embase. En esta revisión, la herramienta “ToxRTool” (Toxicological data Reliability Assessment Tool) se usó para evaluar la calidad y confiabilidad metodológica de los estudios evaluados. Los nanocompuestos de quitosano se están evaluando con metodologías in vitro (92.59%), empleando diversos componentes de acople y en múltiples aplicaciones. Sin embargo, la falta de información metodológica con relación al uso de controles en los estudios dificulta la reproducibilidad de los mismos e introducen limitaciones para el posterior desarrollo de estudios in vivo. La herramienta ToxRTool fue útil para identificar ocho estudios (29.6%) como “Confiable sin restricciones” y 19 estudios (70.4%) como “Confiable con restricciones”, indicando que se requieren estudios más cuidadosos con relación a la toxicidad de los nanocompuestos de quitosano. El quitosano es un biomaterial versátil lo que ha permitido su incorporación en una amplia variedad de componentes mejorando sus propiedades biológicas, mecánicas y físicas, obteniendo así nanocompuestos cada vez más útiles y eficaces para uso nanomedicina

Plant expression systems, a budding way to confront chikungunya and Zika in developing countries? [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Plant expression systems could be used as biofactories of heterologous proteins that have the potential to be used with biopharmaceutical aims and vaccine design. This technology is scalable, safe and cost-effective and it has been previously proposed as an option for vaccine and protein pharmaceutical development in developing countries. Here we present a proposal of how plant expression systems could be used to address Zika and chikungunya outbreaks through development of vaccines and rapid diagnostic kits

EVALUATION OF CARDIORRESPIRATORY FITNESS IN PATIENTS WITH LUNG CANCER SUBMITTED TO LUNG RESECTION SURGERY

Patients with lung cancer who undergo lung resection surgery, should undergo a range of evaluations prior to this. One of the fundamental elements is the knowledge of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), mostly measured as maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) or as peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak); being of great importance because of its relation with perioperative morbidity and mortality's risk of these patients, therefore, determinant in clinical decisions. The cardiopulmonar test (CPET) is the 'gold standard' for knowledge of CRF and the physiological state of the patient prior to surgery; being a valuable tool, wich allows to identify those patients who have less than 10 ml/kg/min who could have a higher risk of perioperative complications, as well as mortality. However, it's not considered a primary evaluation, and does not overcome spirometry and the oxygen diffusion test; thus it is a test that requires great implementation and resources, both human and economic. There are publications of another alternative for its evaluation, although still with limited evidence and without greater concordance for knowledge of the CRF, such as Stair Climbing Test (SCT) y Shuttle Walking Test (SWT) which are considered by clinical guidelines, even when these two main ones have limitations both in their internal assessment, as well as in protocols, and its importance as perioperative prognosis factor. We can find different alternatives, however, new studies that follow this research line are necessary, together with the use and generation of tests that create greater impact, in research area as well as in clinic