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Biomedical subjects

M Moreno

Publications and source records attributed to M Moreno.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Synaptophysin expression in "ependymal tumors" induced by ethyl-nitrosourea in rats.

Synaptophysin expression was studied in seven "ependymomas" induced by transplacental administration of ethyl-nitrosourea in rats. In all the cases, strong positivity for synaptophysin was found on tumor cells. This finding supports previous studies suggesting that ENU-induced brain tumors considered to be ependymal neoplasms, are, in fact, primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

Animals↗

Expression of neuronal and glial markers in so-called oligodendroglial tumors induced by transplacental administration of ethyl-nitrosourea in the rat.

A series of 18 tumors with histological features of oligodendrogliomas, induced in the rat by means of transplacental ethyl-nitrosourea administration were studied for immunohistochemical demonstration of neuronal (synaptophysin and neurofilament protein) and glial (gliofibrillar acidic protein and vimentin) markers. Most of the tumors showed cells with strong positivity to synaptophysin and to a lesser degree, to neurofilament protein, suggesting the neuronal character of these neoplasms. In 10 tumors, cells with strong positivity to vimentin were found, and in three cases, tumoral cells expressed gliofibrillar acidic protein. The observation that ENU-induced oligodendroglial tumors express neuronal and, to a minor degree, glial markers, suggests their interpretation as primitive neuroectodermal tumors with clear neuronal differentiation.

Animals↗

[Assessment of the degree of severity of mitral regurgitation by the systolic inversion of the pulmonary venous flow. Transesophageal echocardiography study].

It is controversial the value of an echocardiographic mitral regurgitation evaluation based on planimetric patterns color codification area. We made this study using as alternative methods of quantification, the parameter of pulmonary venous flow, concretly maximum velocity and area of pulmonary systolic inversion venous flow. Considered the values of this related parameters to 3 crescent degrees on mitral regurgitation severity and obtained the following results: Lightness mitral insufficiency with maximum inversion area, 10 +/- 21 mm2 and maximum inversion velocity, 3.2 +/- 6 cm/seg. Moderate mitral insufficiency with maximum inversion area, 171 +/- 140 mm2 and maximum moderate velocity, 21 +/- 13 cm/seg. Several mitral insufficiency with maximum inversion area, 648 +/- 615 and maximum inversion velocity, 50 +/- 20 cm/seg. We conclude that systolic parameters of pulmonary venous flow evaluated by transesophagic echocardiography constitute considerable sensibility rules in the evaluation of severity degree in echocardiographic mitral regurgitation.

Adult↗

[Thalassemia minor with iron overload: genetic and clinical study of a family].

A patient with thalassemia minor (TM) is reported who ingested 80 g of alcohol/day and presented an important overload of iron with deposits and a hepatic iron ratio compatible with primary hemochromatosis. The results obtained from the study of histocompatibility antigens, clinical manifestations and family analysis discarded the possibility of two genetic diseases, beta-thalassemia and primary hemochromatosis, being concomitantly present in the same progeny. Thalassemia minor and alcoholic hepatopathy are considered as having acted together and being responsible for the iron overload. The relation between alcohol ingested, TM and iron deposits is discussed.

Adult↗

Biotype and macromolecular profiles of cytotoxin-producing strains of Helicobacter pylori from antral gastric mucosa.

Biotype, genome, protein and plasmid profile diversity amongst 40 epidemiologically unrelated strains of Helicobacter pylori was studied. Strains were API Zym biotypes II, III and IV but most (87%) were biotype II. Four subsets of strains were defined on a combination of motility (56% positive) and cytotoxin production (44% positive). A close association (P = 0.45) between these two features was observed for 69% of strains. Each strain of H. pylori had a unique DNA type defined by either HaeIII or HindIII total digest patterns and by ribopatterns, except for DNA of the rare strains not cut by these endonucleases. Strain diversity was confirmed by one-dimensional SDS-PAGE electrophoretic protein patterns. No consistent associations between cytotoxin activity and overall ribopattern or band subsets within a ribopattern were detected. Some strains (39%) contained a plasmid but the presence of plasmids was not consistently associated with either cytotoxin activity, biotype, motility or ribopattern. We conclude that the cytotoxin-producing strains of H. pylori were genomically as diverse as the non-cytotoxin producing strains.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Enhancement of propoxyphene bioavailability by ethanol. Relation to psychomotor and cognitive function in healthy volunteers.

The interaction between a single oral dose of 130 mg propoxyphene and 0.5 g/kg body weight ethanol was investigated in 12 healthy male volunteers by 9 objective performance tests, 8 visual analogue self-rating scales and the measurement of plasma propoxyphene, norpropoxyphene and ethanol concentrations, using a double-blind threeway crossover design. Volunteers were each given one of three treatments, propoxyphene + ethanol, placebo + ethanol and propoxyphene alone, separated by a two week interval. The performance tests were completed before and 1.25 and 4 h after drug intake, and the self-rating scales before and 1.25, 4 and 10 h after it. Ethanol was shown to enhance the bioavailability of propoxyphene by 25% probably by reducing its first-pass metabolism. However, despite this pharmacokinetic effect no pharmacodynamic interaction was found. Subjective ratings disclosed that the effect of ethanol on physical and mental sedation predominated over the effects of propoxyphene.

Biological Availability↗

Trypanosoma cruzi: cellular and antibody response against the parasite in mice immunized with a 19-amino acid synthetic peptide.

Several monoclonal antibodies were prepared against the flagellar fraction of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes (Tulahuén strain, stock Tul 2). One of them, FCH-F8-4, has previously shown biologic activity against the parasite (complement-mediated lysis and neutralization of the trypomastigote infectivity). Immunopurified antigens using this monoclonal antibody elicited a protective immune response in mice. Two recombinant cDNA clones were detected with this anti-flagellar fraction monoclonal antibody on a lambda gt11 expression library prepared from T. cruzi epimastigote mRNA. The insert of one of these cDNA clones, lambda(FCH-F8-4)1 (150 bp) coded for a 19-amino acid peptide (PAFLGCSSRFSGSFSGVEP). This insert hybridized with a 5.0-kb mRNA from epimastigotes. The beta-galactosidase fusion protein was produced in lysogenic bacteria. The monoclonal antibody recognized the epitope present in the fusion protein after western blotting of the crude lysate. A synthetic peptide (SP4) containing the complete sequence of lambda(FCH-F8-4)1 was constructed on solid phase. This peptide was able to inhibit the ELISA reactivity (in a range from 13 to 52%) of flagellar fraction immunized mouse sera and when administered (coupled to KLH or alone) to BALB/c mice with Bordetella pertussis as adjuvant, it induced a humoral and cellular immune response which was detected by ELISA, immunofluorescence, blotting, and DTH reactions against T. cruzi antigens. The immune response obtained indicates that this synthetic peptide resembles the parasite antigen conformation and could be useful for diagnosis purposes or be able to elicit immunoprotection against T. cruzi infection.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Gastrointestinal emptying in the final days of incubation of the chick embryo.

1. The gastrointestinal (GI) emptying of the chick embryo was studied in days 19 and 20 of incubation using radioactive (14C-PEG-4000) and coloured (Evans Blue dye) tracer markers. 2. Following administration by oral cannula, the percentages of tracer marker recovered in the yolk sac and the GI tract showed the existence of a GI motor pattern in both 19 d and 20 d chick embryos and suggested that the fluids drunk by the chick embryo during the final days of incubation could have reached the yolk sac from the GI tract via the vitelline diverticulum.

Animals↗

Regional development of alpha-methyl-D-glucoside transport in the small intestine of chick embryos and newly-hatched chicks.

A regional study of the intestinal hexose transport shows the role played by duodenum, jejunum and ileum during the chick perinatal development. From at least two days before hatching the three regions of small intestine accumulate alpha-Méthyl-D-Glucose (alpha-MG) by mediated transport mechanisms, and phloridzin inhibit about 90% of the uptakes. This ability reaches the maximal level at 1 day after hatch in the three regions. Before hatching the jejunum shows higher transport levels than the observed values in the duodenum and ileum, but the three regions show similar values at 1 day after hatch. In the following days, the alpha-MG transport ability is strongly reduced in the duodenum, slightly reduced in the jejunum and maintained in the ileum until at least 7 day-old chicks.

Animals↗

[Regurgitation jets in mitral prosthesis studied using transesophageal echocardiography].

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To analyze the regurgitant jets of mitral valve prostheses studied by transesophageal echocardiography. DESIGN: Prospective study of patients with mitral prostheses with or without suspicion of dysfunction. SETTING: Patients referred to the Echocardiology Department of the Instituto de Cardiologia in Madrid, some as outpatients. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Twenty five patients with mitral valve prostheses (5 biological, 7 St Jude, 12 Bjork Shiley and 1 Hall Kaster). Ten male patients and fifteen female, mean age 50 years. Five also had aortic valve prostheses. In only 5 there was a suspicion of dysfunction. The transthoracic echos were done with phased array transducers and the transthoracic with 2.5 (18 patients) or 5 MHz (7 patients) transducers coupled to a commercial echocardiographer. The presence of regurgitant jets was looked for, as well as their origin, maximal area and length, their type and degree of turbulence. MAIN RESULTS: Only 3 mitral regurgitations were noticed by transthoracic echocardiography. All the mechanical prostheses and 80% of the biological ones had regurgitant jets by transesophageal echocardiography. The tilting disc prostheses had two physiological jets, the St. Jude 2, 3, or exceptionally only one central jet. The biological prostheses had one central regurgitant jet, that was smaller than those from the mechanical prostheses (p less than 0.05). There were ten malfunctioning prostheses (5 Bjork Shiley, 3 St Jude and 2 biological). The diagnosis of dysfunction was based on the abnormal origin of the jet (9 cases) or just simply on the characteristics of the regurgitation (turbulence). Four patients were submitted to surgery, all with dysfunctioning prostheses. CONCLUSIONS: Transthoracic echocardiography has a low sensitivity for detecting the regurgitant jets of mitral prostheses. All mechanical prostheses and 80% of biological ones have regurgitation by transesophageal echocardiography. The area and length of the jets are not so different between normal and malfunctioning prostheses in order to separate them. The abnormal jets are recognised because of their abnormal origin and/or their characteristics, with formation of mosaic in color coded Doppler echocardiography.

Adult↗

Fractionation in two-phase systems of red cells during rat development: changes in pyruvate kinase and bisphosphoglycerate mutase activities in relation to red cell switching.

An inverse relationship between 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate levels and the ratio calculated from pyruvate kinase and bisphosphoglycerate mutase activities has been observed in red populations of rats during animal development. Counter-current distribution in aqueous two-phase systems of these cells populations shows a displacement of distribution profiles towards the high-numbered cavities of the rotor as animal ages. Heterogeneity of cells after distribution is only observed during the switching process from fetal to adult red cells taking place along the postnatal stage of development. Values for the pyruvate kinase/bisphosphoglycerate mutase ratio in these fractions suggest the separation of fetal (liver) from adult (bone marrow) red cells.

Animals↗