Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A R Rodríguez

Publications and source records attributed to A R Rodríguez.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Application of electroanalytical methods to the characterization of metallothioneins and related molecules.

Electroanalytical methods have been applied to the characterization and to the study of complexing properties of several Cd,Zn metallothioneins (MT) of different mammalian origin, rabbit and rat liver and horse kidney and human foetal liver and adult kidney. Differential pulse polarography (DPP) has been selected as the most suitable technique for distinguishing the chemical form of compounds and, assuming a diffusion controlled mechanism, monitoring the evolution of different species as a function of parameters, such as the solution pH and the gradual addition of cations, cadmium and/or zinc, initially contained in the studied molecules. Due to the fact that the metallothioneins structure is complex and often not perfectly known, the peptidic fragment Lys-Cys-Thr-Cys-Cys-Ala (56-61) MT-1 (FT) of the mouse liver has been taken as a model for MT characterization. The study of FT alone and in the presence of Cd and/or Zn, using several electroanalytical methods has been very useful for the investigation of adsorption-diffusion processes and for the identification and elucidation of electrochemical systems. The interpretation of voltammetric data is very often not easy. For some cases, proper interpretation can be made using chemometric techniques. Multivariate factor analysis has been applied to the electroanalytical investigation of the complexing properties between cadmium and/or zinc and FT, using results obtained by DPP and linear sweep voltammetry. For more complex systems, like MT, the application of chemometry becomes more complex.

Adult↗

[Introduction and development of local anesthesia in Spain].

This study was carried out to identify key events in the history of the introduction and evolution of techniques for local anesthesia in Spain. We searched Spanish archives, finding a large number of documentary evidence, most of which is unpublished or has not been cited by other authors. Analyzing these documents with methods usually applied by medical historians, we found that techniques of local anesthesia were put into practice rapidly and widely and that they were an important factor in the development of Spanish surgery, as anesthesia made both the undertaking and the success of many procedures a real possibility.

Anesthesia, Local↗

Experimental smallpox in chimpanzees.

In an attempt to prepare highly specific antiserum to variola virus, a chimpanzee was inoculated with a virulent human strain of this virus. Three uninoculated chimpanzees were housed in the same room; two of these developed clinical disease with seroconversion, while the third developed no evidence of infection and no antibody. The three animals that became ill also developed antibody to vaccinia and monkeypox viruses. Human contacts during the study and following a break in containment showed no evidence of infection as determined by serological tests and lack of clinical disease.

Animals↗