Biomedical subjects

O Viñas

Publications and source records attributed to O Viñas.

58 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1987

Effects of chronic ethanol consumption on lactational performance in rat: mammary gland and milk composition and pups' growth and metabolism.

The effects of chronic ethanol consumption on lactational performance were studied in the rat on day 15 after delivery by determining mammary gland and milk composition, while growth rate and metabolic parameters were studied in pups coming from untreated mothers but being suckled by ethanol-treated mothers. Alcohol treatment increases the dry weight and lipoprotein lipase activity in the mammary gland, and decreases both absolute and relative mammary gland weight and mammary tissue protein content. The triacylglycerol concentration of milk from treated dams is increased, whereas lactose concentration is decreased in comparison to milk from controls, although the total energy content of milk from alcohol-treated dams is higher than that from controls. Ethanol treatment produces a reduction of daily milk production. Pups nursed by alcoholic mothers show a retarded growth with respect to pups nursed by untreated mothers. Furthermore, they present a reduction in the levels of circulating glucose, insulin, glycerol and free fatty acids, whereas an increase in acetoacetate and in urea levels is observed. Pups from alcoholic mothers show reduced glycogen concentration in the liver while the protein content is increased. Plasma free amino acids in pups nursed by alcoholic mothers are lower than in control pups, the differences in Ala, Glu+Gln, Gly, Pro, 4-OH-Pro, citrulline, Cys, Tyr, Phe and the combined total values being statistically significant. We may therefore draw the conclusion that chronic ethanol treatment impairs lactational performance affecting mammary gland function as shown by the decline in milk production and altered milk composition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed1986

Effects of chronic ethanol ingestion on circulating metabolites and liver composition in the lactating rat.

A model of chronic ethanol administration has been used to study the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on the general metabolism of lactating rats on day 15 after delivery. We have studied the effects of ethanol on calories, food and fluid intake, body weight, circulating parameters such as glucose, glycerol, free fatty acids (FFA), triacylglycerols (TAG), amino acids (AA), ketone bodies, insulin and ethanol levels and liver composition. Chronic ethanol consumption markedly increases the levels of circulating B-OH-butyrate (B-OB-B), glycerol and FFA, while those of acetoacetate (AcAc), glucose, insulin and TAG remain constant. With the only exception of an increase in Glu + Gln levels, plasma AA decrease in the alcohol-treated rats, the change being significant for Ala, Pro, Lys, Arg, Val, Phe and 4-OH-proline. In the liver ethanol treatment causes an increment in TAG concentration and a decrease in glycogen content. In conclusion, chronic ethanol consumption produces notable alterations in the metabolism of lactating rats, which may diminish the efficiency of lactation, influencing milk production and, therefore, the pups' development.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed1983

Intralipid and free plasmatic tryptophan in vitro.

In an attempt to investigate the role of the lipidic emulsion Intralipid in the development of metabolic encephalopathy in a patient showing high free tryptophan levels, the relationship between lipidic emulsion and free tryptophan was examined in in vitro experiments. The addition of intralipid to normal serum produces an immediate increase in non-esterified fatty acids and a parallel rise in free tryptophan. Moreover, when serum with intralipid is incubated at 37 degrees C, the lipases release new non-esterified fatty acids and the free tryptophan increases proportionally. The non-esterified fatty acid content of intralipid was found to be 12 +/- 2 mEq X 1(-1). An inverse correlation was seen between free tryptophan and different serum albumin concentrations. It is concluded that intralipid causes an increase in free tryptophan levels. It is known that in vivo free tryptophan modulates 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis and thus may be considered a possible causal agent for encephalopathy.

Bilirubin↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Follow-up study of the revascularization process of purified rat islet beta-cell grafts.

The revascularization of islets of Langerhans transplanted in heterotopic sites like the liver by portal vein embolization or the renal subcapsular space is a major process necessary for the viability of grafted cells. This process has been extensively studied by different techniques and the results have shown that islet revascularization is an early phenomenon that takes place soon after transplantation. In this report we have analyzed by a double indirect immunofluorescence technique, the revascularization process of purified endocrine islet beta-cells transplanted in the renal subcapsular space of syngeneic rats. Lewis rats were grafted with islets cultured for 24 h, with a suspension of purified beta-cells cultured for 24 h, and with a suspension of purified beta plus nonbeta-cells cultured for 24 h. Rats were killed at different days after implantation and the kidney bearing the grafts were snap frozen and immunohistochemically stained with a rabbit anti factor VIII antiserum (which labels endothelial cells). Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that cultured islets completed revascularization by days 3-5 after transplantation, as shown by the detection of capillary endothelial cells within and surrounding the islets. Within purified endocrine beta-cell grafts, the presence of numerous endothelial cells was not observed until days 10-14, indicating that revascularization of beta-cells with host vessels is not such an early phenomenon as it takes place in whole isolated islets. Conversely, the addition of a population of endocrine nonbeta-cells to the purified islet cell grafts, partially accelerated the revascularization of pure beta-cell grafts, which showed the presence of abundant capillary endothelial cells already at day 7 after transplantation, indicating that some other unidentified factors besides the absence of endothelial cells may explain the retardation of beta-cell grafts revascularization.

Animals↗