EPR study of Ni+ centers in CsCaF3.
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Journal Article↗
Biomedical subjects
M Moreno
Publications and source records attributed to M Moreno.
The peroxisomal membrane proteins of Candida boidinii: gene isolation and expression.
Candida boidinii is a methylotrophic yeast in which several growth substrates can cause vigorous peroxisomal proliferation. While such diverse substrates as methanol, oleic acid and D-alanine induce different peroxisomal metabolic pathways, membranes seem to contain common abundant peroxisomal membrane proteins (PMPs). These proteins have been termed PMP31, PMP32 and PMP47. The gene encoding PMP47 has been previously cloned and analysed. We now report the isolation of a second PMP47 gene (or allele) as well as PMP31 and PMP32. PMP47A and PMP47B share 95% sequence identity at the amino acid level. PMP31 and PMP32 each contain 256 amino acids and are highly similar (97% identity) in protein sequence. Both PMP31 and PMP32 are predicted to span the membrane once or twice. All abundant PMPs of C. boidinii are basic in charge; they all have predicted isoelectric points above 10. RNAs corresponding to the PMP47s and to PMPs31-32 are strongly induced by methanol, oleic acid and D-alanine. While the PMP47s probably encode substrate carriers, the functions of PMP31 and PMP32 from C. boidinii are still unknown.
Alanine↗
Neurocytoma of spinal cord.
We report a case of spinal cord neurocytoma in a 67-year-old man who had experienced a progressive numbness of the left foot during the previous 4 years. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-defined intramedullary tumor located at the T10-T11 level. The pathological examination revealed histological characteristics described in neurocytomas. The tumor cells showed a uniform small nucleus and clear or slightly eosinophilic cytoplasm with frequent perinuclear halos, resembling the picture of oligodendroglioma. Some tumor cells exhibited mature ganglion cell appearance. Electron microscopy showed cells with microtubules and dense-core vesicles in their cytoplasm and cytoplasmic process. Immunohistochemically, the majority of tumor cells expressed synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase. We conclude that this tumor is an exceptional case of neurocytoma located in the spinal cord, and consider that the term neurocytoma can be applied to tumors with neuronal differentiation intermediate between neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroma, even if arising in CNS outside of the intracranial ventricular system.
Aged↗
Rapid stimulation in vitro of rat liver cytochrome oxidase activity by 3,5-diiodo-L-thyronine and by 3,3'-diiodo-L-thyronine.
The effect of the iodothyronines (thyroxine (T4), 3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine (L-T3), 3,5-diiodo-L-thyronine (3,5-T2), 3,3'-diiodo-L-thyronine (3,3'-T2), 3',5'-diiodo-L-thyronine (3',5'-T2), 3'-monoiodo-L-thyronine (3'-T1), 3-monoiodo-L-thyronine (3-T1) and thyronine (T0)) on rat liver cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity after their addition to rat liver homogenate and isolated mitochondria from normal and hypothyroid rats has been investigated. The addition of 3,3'-T2 and 3,5-T2 (T2s) to the liver homogenate from hypothyroid rats, but not from normal rats, significantly enhanced COX activity. The addition of T3 had a remarkably lower effect that was almost completely abolished when the propylthiouracil (PTU), an inhibitor of the type I deiodinase activity, was also added to the incubation mixture. After the addition of T2s the maximum effect was obtained at a concentration of about 10(-6) M for both 3,3'-T2 and 3,5-T2, while a 50% increase was obtained at a concentration of about 10(-9) M in both cases. The effects of T2s were rapid and already evident after 5 min of incubation (+40-50%). The maximal effect was reached after only 30 min of incubation. The above effects were not observed after the addition of T2s to the isolated mitochondria. The results clearly demonstrate that both 3,3'-T2 and 3,5-T2 directly stimulate mitochondrial COX activity which is possibly achieved through a cytoplasmic factor. The addition of the other iodothyronines (T4, 3',5'-T2, 3'-T1, 3-T1 and T0).
Animals↗
Rapid glucuronidation of tri- and tetraiodothyroacetic acid to ester glucuronides in human liver and to ether glucuronides in rat liver.
T3 is the principal bioactive thyroid hormone, although its metabolite 3,3',5-triiodothyroacetic acid (TA3) shows higher affinity for the nuclear T3 receptor. However, TA3 has a low in vivo potency because of its short half-life in both humans and rats. We have compared the glucuronidation of TA3, 3,3',5,5'-tetraiodothyroacetic (TA4), T3, and T4 by human and rat liver microsomes. In rat liver, TA3 and TA4 were glucuronidated about 20 times faster than T3 and T4. Both TA3 and TA4 glucuronides were stable during treatment with dilute base or methanol, suggesting that they represent ether glucuronides with the phenolic hydroxyl group. In human liver, TA3 and TA4 were glucuronidated about 1500 and 200 times faster than T3 and T4, respectively. Both TA3 and TA4 glucuronides were hydrolyzed by treatment for 30 min at 37 C with 0.1 M NaOH and showed transesterification to the methyl esters by treatment with methanol, suggesting that they represent ester glucuronides with the carboxyl group. Therefore, both TA3 and TA4 undergo very rapid, but different, types of glucuronidation in human and rat liver. The high glucuronidation rates may explain their short half-lives and the low bioactivity of TA3 in vivo.
Animals↗
In vitro binding of 3,5-di-iodo-L-thyronine to rat liver mitochondria.
In this study we have demonstrated that specific binding sites for 3,5-di-iodo-L-thyronine (3,5-T2) can be detected in rat liver mitochondria. After incubation with the homogenate, liver mitochondria bound only a small portion of [3,5-125I]T2. The addition of a 100-fold excess of unlabelled 3,5-T2 caused the displacement of on average 50-60% of the [3,5-125I]T2 bound. Specific binding of 3,5-T2 to rat liver mitochondria occurred rapidly; a maximum was achieved after 5 min. Maximal binding was obtained at 37 degrees C, while at 0 degrees C and 20 degrees C the values were only slightly lower. Binding was maximal at pH 7.0; mean (+/- S.E.M.) values for the apparent association constant and the binding capacity (calculated at pH 7.0, 0 degrees C and after 30 min of incubation) were 0.5 +/- 0.04 x 10(8) M-1 and 0.4 +/- 0.04 pmol/mg mitochondrial protein respectively. The specificity of binding, examined in competition studies, followed the order: 3,5-T2 > 3,3'-di-iodo-L-thyronine > 3',3,5-tri-iodo-L-thyronine > thyroxine. Other iodothyronines (3',5'-di-iodo-L-thyronine, 3,5-di-iodo-D-thyronine, 3,3',5'-tri-iodo-L-thyronine, 3-iodo-L-thyronine and 3,5-di-iodothyroacetic acid) showed little or no competition. This suggests that the specific 3,5-T2 binding sites could be of biological relevance with respect to the understanding of the mechanism of physiological action of thyroid hormones at the cellular level.
Adenosine Triphosphate↗
[The usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in general intensive care units].
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It's well known the utility of transesophageal echocardiography in the evaluation of cardiological patients that are critically ill. However, there is less experience about this usefulness in non-cardiological critically ill patients. METHODS: To assess the utility and safety of the method we analyzed 51 correlative studies of patients admitted to our general Intensive Care Unit. Forty-seven patients (92%) were on mechanical ventilation and in 24 patients (47%) continuous assessment of the hemodynamic variables were available. RESULTS: The most frequent diagnoses on admission were sepsis (23.5%) and shock status (17.6%). The indications were: suspicion of endocarditis (15 patients), hemodynamic instability (11 cases), cardiac source of embolus (10), suspicion of cardiac tamponade (4), suspicion of aortic dissection (4) and other causes in 7. The study confirmed the clinical suspicion in 31 cases (60.8%), excluded it in 15 (29.4%) and established a new, non-suspected, diagnosis in 5 patients (9.8%). There were major diagnostic changes in 16 patients (31.6%) and minor changes in 17 (33.3%) comparing the results of the transesophageal and transthoracic approaches. It was also assessed the influence of the result on the clinical management of the patient: in 32 cases (62.8%) there were a significant change in the treatment; in 5 patients (9.8%) cardiac surgery was prompted by echocardiography. Only in 3 patients hypertensive reactions and tachycardia were detected, without posterior consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Transesophageal echocardiography can be safely performed and has a definite role in the diagnosis (showing sometimes non-suspected abnormalities) and management of non-cardiological critically ill patients.
Adolescent↗
[Multiplanar transesophageal echocardiography: technique, methodology, and applications].
OBJECTIVE: To present the experience of transesophageal echocardiography with a multiplane probe, its methodology, the advantages, disadvantages and diagnostic improvements of this type of probe. SETTING: Laboratory of Echocardiography of the General Hospital Gregorio Marañon. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Analysis of the first 1000 examinations performed on hospitalized patients and outpatients, in most cases to study either native valvular heart disease and valvular prosthesis or to search for embolic sources. We evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, initial difficulties and complications of this type of probe. RESULTS: Multiplane probe provides continuous imaging from 0 degree to 180 degrees without need of intraesophagic movements. This type of probe increases the diagnostic capability of transesophagic echocardiography because it performs as a scanning of anatomy and pathological features of cardiac chambers and great vessels. Pulmonary artery and its branches, right heart chambers and tricuspid valve, inferior and superior vena cava, outflow tract of both ventricles, aortic root, pulmonary veins and segmental views of both ventricles are well analyzed. Also in native and prosthetic regurgitants jets, cardiac tumors and other masses, diagnosis and complications of endocarditis, aortic dissection and in anomalous return of pulmonary veins, multiplane probe proves to be more informative. There was no difficulties in the intubation despite the bigger size of the transducer. No severe complications occurred. The higher price and the initial more difficult understanding of the images are the only disadvantages we have found. CONCLUSIONS: Multiplane probe contributes to increase diagnostic capability of transesophageal echocardiography without significant risk and it is an important and promising refinement of the transesophageal technique.
Echocardiography, Transesophageal↗
[Value of transesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of blunt chest trauma: correlation with electrocardiogram, heart enzymes, and transthoracic echocardiogram].
OBJECTIVE: To asses the feasibility, usefulness and clinical rentability of the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the evaluation of patients suffering a severe blunt chest trauma as well as to correlate the TEE findings with those provided by the conventional electrocardiogram (ECG), cardiac isoenzymes assay and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). DESIGN: Prospective study using ECG, blood cardiac enzymes assay, TTE and TEE. SETTING: Intensive care unit of a general hospital. PATIENTS: We studied 34 patients admitted with blunt chest trauma and suspected cardiac contusion in spite of the existence of other traumatic injuries in some of them. There were 23 (67.6%) males and 11 females, with a mean age of 37.1 +/- 19.4 years (range: 16-69 years). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with a previous history of cardiovascular or chronic pulmonary disease, cardiac arrest upon admission or positive cocaine or amphetamine levels in the urine were excluded from the study. Suspected cardiac contusion was established by clinical data, electrocardiographic findings, enzymes blood values (CPK-total and MB-fraction) and TTE findings. Additionally, a TEE was performed in each patient. Patients were stratified into two groups according to the TEE findings: Group A patients had signs compatible with cardiac contusion and in Group B patients there was a lack of evidence to substantiate this diagnosis. Those tests were evaluated in respect to their accuracy in the diagnosis of cardiac contusion when compared to transesophageal echocardiography and TEE findings were compared, whenever possible, to surgical or necropsic findings. RESULTS: We found TEE signs of cardiac injury in 22 (64.7%) patients and a wide spectrum of traumatic cardiac abnormalities were identified. TEE signs of ventricular injury were found in 15 pts of Group A (68.2%) being the right ventricle the most frequent affected. There were also two cases of mitral leaflet rupture, one case of tricuspid valve prolapse (with severe tricuspid regurgitation and associated with right ventricle wall motion abnormalities) and seven cases of pericardial effusion as well as one case of thoracic aortic dissection. In every patient submitted to cardiothoracic surgery or necropsy the TEE findings were confirmed. TEE provided significant information, sometimes crucial, to the patient evaluation and management, it was performed without any difficulty and it doesn't carried out any related complication. TTE was technically suboptimal in 53% and fail to demonstrate many cases of cardiac contusion and the thoracic aorta lesion, being the number of cardiovascular injuries demonstrated by TEE significantly higher (p = 0.029). No statistically significant difference was found between the number of patients with either an abnormal ECG or high values of CPK-MB in each group. Neither clinical findings, cardiac enzymes values, serial ECG's nor TTE predicted all the patients who had traumatic cardiac injury and those would subsequently developed complications related to cardiac contusion. CONCLUSIONS: A severe blunt chest trauma frequently results in cardiac injury. The ECG and the CPK-MB measurements appears both to be fairly sensitive and specific tests in the cardiac contusion diagnosis. TTE has shown to have important limitations in these patients, thus not allowing neither a complete echo evaluation nor a reliable one. TEE plays an important role in the evaluation and management of this type of patients providing rapid diagnostic information and being of high value in the rule out cardiac contusion as well as in the establishment of a specific diagnosis of cardiac and/or thoracic aorta injuries with a consequent better assessment and treatment strategy in these patients.
Adolescent↗
[Multiplane transesophageal echocardiography: technique, methodology and uses. Comparison of monoplane and biplane techniques].
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Echocardiography, Transesophageal↗
[Transesophageal echocardiography assessment of regurgitant jets of eccentric geometry in mitral valve prosthesis: superiority of multiplanar sections over standard sections].
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether multiplanar (MP) transesophageal echocardiographic views were superior to standard views (ST) at 0 degree and 90 degrees in the evaluation of mitral prosthesis regurgitation (MR), particularly in presence of wall regurgitant jets. DESIGN: Comparison between MP and ST views in the evaluation of mitral prosthesis regurgitation. SETTING: Laboratory of Echocardiography of the General Hospital Gregorio Marañon. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Study of all mitral prostheses in which pathological mitral regurgitation had been detected by multiplanar TEE, between January 1993 and March 1994. Regurgitation prosthesis were classified in two groups according to the presence of wall regurgitation jets and maximum turbulent color flow areas (MAX) were measured on standard (0 degree and 90 degrees) and MP (0 degree to 180 degrees) views. The sample was divided in two groups, A (n = 33): with wall jets and B (n = 10): without wall jets. Students' t test was used to compare both areas using a 95% confidence interval (95% c.i.). RESULTS: MAX detected on ST views were of 5.80 +/- 4.60 cm2 and on MP were of 7.42 +/- 5.13 cm2 being the difference statistically significant: 1.61 cm2, 95% c.i. from 0.94 to 2.28 cm2, p = 0.000025. MAX for group A was of 5.64 +/- 4.30 cm2 in ST views and of 7.51 +/- 5.12 cm2 in MP views, being the difference 1.86 cm2, 95% c.i. from 1.04 to 2.68; p = 0.00009. Differences for group B were also statistically significant: 0.68 cm2, p = 0.0176. Mitral regurgitation (MR) was classified as mild, moderate and severe according to the color flow area. MP views detected a severer degree of MR than ST views in 8 patients, all of them with wall regurgitation jets. Three of these cases had been considered normal on ST views. CONCLUSIONS: Multiplanar transesophageal views are significantly superior to standard views in the assessment of regurgitant prosthetic mitral valves, particularly in presence of wall regurgitant jets. Our data strongly suggest that multiplanar TEE is the procedure of choice in the assessment of wall regurgitant mitral prostheses.
Adult↗
[Recto-uterine fistula caused by colonic cancer].
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Adenocarcinoma↗
[The accuracy and applicability of different methods in the Doppler technic for the quantification of mitral stenosis].
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: We analyse the applicability and accuracy of the various Doppler methods for quantification of mitral stenosis as well as the value of combining measurements. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprised 74 patients with reliable planimetry of mitral orifice. The following Doppler methods were tested: a) pressure half-time; b) color jet width at the mitral valve orifice in the apical long-axis view (short diameter) and its width in the 90 degree rotated view (long diameter), assuming an elliptic mitral orifice; c) proximal isovelocity surface area from the 4-chamber view assuming a hemispheric surface, and d) the continuity equation. The mean value of mitral valve area estimates from all applicable Doppler methods was calculated in each patient. RESULTS: The rates of applicability of each method were, respectively: 85, 97, 97 and 53% (p < 0.01). The correlations--r (SEE)--between each method and planimetry were: 0.86 (0.17 cm2), 0.81 (0.19 cm2), 0.74 (0.21 cm2) and 0.83 (0.18 cm2), respectively. The highest correlation was found with the mean value (r = 0.90; SEE = 0.14 cm2), and only this parameter was selected by stepwise multiple regression analysis (r = 0.93; SEE = 0.12 cm2). CONCLUSIONS: The continuity equation method has the lowest level of obtainable results owing to the high incidence of mitral regurgitation. The mean value of mitral area estimates from all applicable methods in each patient showed the closest correlation with planimetry, thus the performance of these Doppler methods provides improved accuracy in the quantification of mitral stenosis.
Adult↗
[Perforation of the mitral valve: transesophageal echocardiographic diagnosis in 3 cases].
We submit 3 cases of perforation of the mitral valve leaflet as a consequence of infectious endocarditis. In the first of this cases, perforation was the result of the impact of the regurgitant jet of an aortic insufficiency affected by bacterial endocarditis of the anterior mitral leaflet in a young female presenting various congenital malformations. Both the transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed that the regurgitant jet affected the area where the lesions were later detected. In the other 2 cases the perforation appeared in valves previously affected by endocarditis. In these cases, only the transesophageal echocardiography showed the lesions. Surgery was performed in all 3 cases with satisfactory results, confirming the echocardiographical findings. We wish to emphasize the role of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of this rare process that may be the primary effect of the destructive action of the endocarditis, or a secondary effect, on dissemination by means of affected valves, on previously unaffected valvular leaflets.
Adult↗
Purification and antipathogenic activity of lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) from the leaves of Arabidopsis and spinach.
Two homogeneous proteins active in vitro against the bacterial pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus were obtained from a crude cell-wall preparation from the leaves of Columbia wild-type Arabidopsis. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of these proteins allowed their identification as lipid transfer proteins (LTP-a1, LTP-a2); the LTP1-a1 sequence was identical to that deduced from a previously described cDNA (EMBL M80566) and LTP-a2 was quite divergent (44% identical positions). These proteins were not detected in the cytoplasmic fraction by Western-blot analysis. Proteins LTP-s1 and LTP-s2 were similarly obtained from spinach leaves; LTP-s1 was 91% identical to a previously purified spinach LTP (Swiss Prot P10976), and LTP-s2 was moderately divergent (71% identical positions). About 1/3 of the total LTPs were detected in the cytoplasmic fraction from spinach by Western-blot analysis. Concentrations of these proteins causing 50% inhibition (EC-50) were in the 0.1-1 microM range for the bacterial pathogens C. michiganensis and Pseudomonas solanacearum and close to 10 microM for the fungal pathogen Fusarium solani.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
[Infantile asthma within a health area: the population affected and its characteristics].
OBJECTIVE: To discover the prevalence and the characteristics of the population group affected by infantile asthma and attended at a Health Centre. DESIGN: Descriptive crossover study, conducted throughout 1991. SETTING: Primary Care. PATIENTS: Patients between 2 and 14 attending the Health Centre. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We identified 349 children suffering from asthma (9.6% of the child population). 206 (59%) were male and 143 (41%), female. 45% of these children had shown symptoms suggesting asthma before their first birthday; 74% before they were 3; and 90% before 7. Family histories of asthma existed in 72%, of allergic rhinitis in 45% and atopic dermatitis in 17%. Out of the asthmatic children, 58% had allergic rhinitis and 20% atopic dermatitis. As to severity, 55% suffered light asthma, 31% moderate asthma and the remaining 14%, severe asthma. 79% had follow-up control of their asthma at the Health Centre. The rest were controlled by professionals outside the Centre (allergologists, pneumologists, hospital paediatricians etc.). 70% of the asthmatic children were passive smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Infantile asthma has 9.6% prevalence among the children attending our Health Centre. These patients are generally cared for in Primary Care. Usually their symptoms have started in very early infancy.
Adolescent↗
Detection of the cystic fibrosis delta-F508 mutation at autopsy by site-directed mutagenesis.
In Caucasian populations cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal recessive disorder. CF was previously considered rare in Mexico; however, the reported frequency is about 1% in autopsies. This discrepancy appears to be due to the inability to diagnose the illness during life. It is now known that in developing countries a great number of affected children die without the benefit of CF diagnosis and appropriate treatment. In this study we have used the PCR-mediated site-directed mutagenesis technique for the detection of the delta-F508 mutation in a 6-month-old Mexican boy who died without definitive diagnosis. The tissue available from the child was a formaldehyde fixed paraffin-embedded liver. We identified the delta-F508 mutation in homozygous form in the propositus and in a heterozygous form in his parents. This represents the first report of CF molecular diagnosis in Mexico.
Autopsy↗
The barley alpha-thionin promoter is rich in negative regulatory motifs and directs tissue-specific expression of a reporter gene in tobacco.
The promoter of the barley alpha-thionin gene (1.6 kb) fused to the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene directs temporally-controlled, tissue-specific expression in the endosperm of transgenic tobacco. The nucleotide sequence of this promoter shows negative regulatory motifs which have been functionally analyzed in other genes.
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides↗