Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Carbonell

Publications and source records attributed to J Carbonell.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Effects of Sjögren's syndrome on pulmonary function impairment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

The influence of Sjögren syndrome (SS) on pulmonary function impairment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients has been few studied. The aim of this study was to analyse the pulmonary function impairment in RA patients, and to establish differences between patients associated or not to SS. Pulmonary function of 57 patients, non smokers and without another pulmonary disease, diagnosed of RA were studied. Fourteen (24.6%) were associated to SS, and 43 (75.4%) to RA without SS. Age and time of evolution of disease were similar. Eight patients with associated SS (57.2%), and in 20 (46.5%) without SS showed pulmonary function disorder. Airflow obstruction and DLCO diminution were the most common types of impairment, respectively. The comparison between the types of impairment and the mean values of FEVI, FVC, FEVI/FVC %, FEF 25-75 and DLCO were not statistical different. This results suggest a poor influence on pulmonary function impairment in RA patients with SS.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Expression of arginine decarboxylase is induced during early fruit development and in young tissues of Pisum sativum (L.).

A cDNA coding for arginine decarboxylase (ADC, EC 4.1.1.19) has been isolated from a cDNA library of parthenocarpic young fruits of Pisum sativum (L.). The deduced aminoacid sequence is 74%, 46% and 35% identical to ADCs from tomato, oat and Escherichia coli, respectively. When the pea ADC cDNA was put under the control of the galactose inducible yeast promoter CYC1-GAL10 and introduced into Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it conferred galactose-regulated expression of the ADC activity. The ADC activity expressed in S. cerevisiae was inhibited 99% by alpha-DL-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), a specific inhibitor of ADC activity. No activity was detected in the untransformed S. cerevisiae, nor when it was transformed with an antisense ADC construct. This provides direct evidence that the ADC cDNA from pea encoded a functional, specific ADC activity and that S. cerevisiae is able to process correctly the protein. In the pea plant, gene expression of the ADC is high in young developing tissues like shoot tips, young leaflets and flower buds. Fully expanded leaflets and roots have much lower, but still detectable, levels of the ADC transcript. In the ovary and fruit, they are developmentally regulated, showing high levels of expression during the early stages of fruit growth, which in pea is mainly due to cell expansion. The observed changes in the steady-state levels of ADC mRNA alone, however, cannot account for the differences in ADC activity suggesting that other regulatory mechanisms must be acting.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Laryngeal leishmaniasis as initial opportunistic disease in HIV infection.

A case of laryngeal leishmaniasis, with symptoms of hoarseness and odinophagia which had developed over the past year, is presented. Clinical features and histological findings are discussed. Visceral leishmaniasis is increasingly associated with HIV infection and some authors have suggested the possibility of including it as a diagnostic criterium for AIDS in HIV-positive patients. When any case of leishmaniasis presents atypical clinical features, localization or treatment response in endemic areas, HIV infection should be ruled out.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1994

Candida albicans spondylodiscitis and vertebral osteomyelitis in patients with intravenous heroin drug addiction. Report of 3 new cases.

We describe 3 patients with a history of intravenous (iv) heroin addiction presenting with indolent, persisting lumbar pain. Clinical findings and initial investigations were unremarkable. Gallium scintigraphy revealed septic spondylodiscitis, and cultures of material obtained by biopsy were positive for Candida albicans in all 3 cases. Two patients were treated with iv amphotericin B and the other with fluconazole with excellent results. Surgical treatment was needed only in one patient because of neurological involvement.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Temporal and spatial expression of a thiolprotease gene during pea ovary senescence, and its regulation by gibberellin.

Clones encoding a thiolprotease (tpp) have been isolated from a cDNA library of unpollinated, senescent pea ovaries and its pattern of expression during both ovary senescence and parthenocarpic development have been studied. The sequence of the tpp cDNA displays a high similarity with other plant and animal thiolproteases of the papain group. The homology is highest around the Cys-His of the active centre; a 109 amino acid sequence at the carboxy terminus was found to be homologous only to thiolproteases of plant origin; this part of the mRNA is also present in another pea mRNA that exhibits similar patterns of induction. tpp mRNA shows a temporal pattern of accumulation that precedes that observed for proteolytic activity. Such accumulation did not occur when ovaries were induced to grow parthenocarpically by gibberellic acid (GA) treatment; furthermore the initial low level of expression present in ovaries decreased after GA treatment, indicating that the gene is down-regulated by gibberellins. Spatially, tpp mRNA is localized mainly within the ovule and ovary vascular elements, and transiently within the endocarp of senescent ovaries. This pattern of expression precedes the development of the cytopathogenic effects observed as unpollinated ovaries undergo senescence.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Polyamines in plants infected by citrus exocortis viroid or treated with silver ions and ethephon.

The levels of polyamines in leaves of Gynura aurantiaca DC and tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv Rutgers, infected with citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd) or treated with silver nitrate or ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) were measured by HPLC in relation to development of symptoms. Previously it had been demonstrated that treatment of G. aurantiaca plants with silver nitrate or ethephon closely mimicked the effects of viroid infection in the plants. In the studies reported here, a marked decrease in putrescine level was observed in plants infected by CEVd or treated with silver ions or ethephon. There was no significant change in either spermidine or spermine levels. Treatment of G. aurantiaca plants with specific inhibitors of ethylene biosynthesis (aminoethoxyvinylglycine, Co(2+)) or ethylene action (norbornadiene) prevented the decrease of putrescine associated with silver nitrate treatment and had no effect on spermidine or spermine levels. The development of viroid-like symptoms, the production of associated pathogenesis-related proteins, and the rise in protease activity induced by silver nitrate, were all suppressed by exogenous application of putrescine. The decreased level of putrescine as an ethylene-mediated step in the transduction of the viroid and silver or ethephon signaling is discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Changes in the Level of Peptidase Activities in Pea Ovaries during Senescence and Fruit Set Induced by Gibberellic Acid.

The activities and changes in the levels of exopeptidase and endopeptidase activities were characterized in unpollinated ovaries of Pisum sativum L. cv Alaska during senescence and early fruit development induced by gibberellic acid (GA(3)). Two aminopeptidases and one iminopeptidase were electrophoretically separated. These peptidases were sensitive to inhibitors of sulfhydryl proteases. Carboxypeptidase activity was inhibited by phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride. An azocasein-degrading endopeptidase, sensitive to thiol protease inhibitors, was also found. An increase in the specific activity of aminopeptidase during both fruit development and ovary senescence was observed. In contrast, the specific activity of carboxypeptidase and endopeptidase increased only during senescence of the ovary. Changes in exopeptidase activity in senescing ovaries could be mainly the consequence of a greater stability to proteolysis while the rise in endopeptidase activity appeared to be due to new or increased synthesis of the enzyme. These results suggest that endopeptidase, and not amino or carboxypeptidase, plays a key role in the senescence of pea ovaries and that the changes in unpollinated ovaries leading to ovary senescence or fruit development can be controlled by gibberellins.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1989

Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase, ornithine transcarbamylase, and aspartate transcarbamylase activities in the pea ovary : changes with senescence of the unpollinated ovary or with fruit set induced by gibberellic Acid.

Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), and aspartate transcarbamylase (ATC) were assayed in extracts from unpollinated ovaries of Pisum sativum L. CPS and OTC activities were, per milligram protein, the highest reported in a plant tissue, representing an estimated 0.1% of the protein in the ovary. The OTC/CPS and ATC/CPS ratios were about 100 and 0.5, respectively, indicating that most of the carbamoyl phosphate is used for arginine synthesis. The weight, protein content, and CPS, OTC, and ATC activities per ovary were determined during the senescence of the ovary and also during fruit set induced by treatment with gibberellic acid (GA(3)). In the nontreated ovary the weight and the protein first increased and then decreased dramatically, but the decrease in protein took place much earlier. In the GA(3)-treated ovaries the increase in weight was considerably greater than the increase in the protein. Whether or not the ovaries were treated with GA(3), CPS, OTC, and ATC activities closely followed the changes in protein, and thus their ratios and specific activities remained essentially constant. It appears that treatment with GA(3) increases the amount of protein and enzymic activities by preventing a large increase in the rate of protein degradation. In addition, the effects of acetylglutamate, ornithine, and UMP on CPS activity were studied. The pea enzyme exhibits regulatory properties intermediate between those of Escherichia coli and the ureotelic liver enzymes.

Journal Article↗