Rofecoxib should be tried in NSAID hypersensitivity.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
R Alonso
Publications and source records attributed to R Alonso.
Simultaneous occupational allergy to a carnation and its parasite in a greenhouse worker.
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Adult↗
Dietary soya beans and kidney beans stimulate secretion of cholecystokinin and pancreatic digestive enzymes in 400-day-old Hooded-Lister rats but only soya beans induce growth of the pancreas.
The effects of age on cholecystokinin (CCK) release, pancreatic enzyme secretion, and growth of the pancreas mediated by dietary kidney beans or soya beans were evaluated in trials with 30-, 90-, 250-, and 400-day-old rats. Soya beans increased blood CCK and caused hypersecretion of digestive enzymes and rapid pancreatic growth in all rats. Kidney beans also elevated circulating CCK and stimulated enzyme secretion. However, with 90-, 250-, and 400-day-old rats, the secretory responses were attenuated. Furthermore, kidney beans did not induce pancreatic growth in 250- and 400-day-old rats.
Aging↗
Positive patch test to diclofenac in Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
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Aged↗
Antiretroviral treatment induces a shift to type-2 cytokine responses in HIV-1 infected pregnant women.
We report on a cross-sectional study on proliferation and cytokine production (IFN-gamma, IL-12, IL-5 and TNF-alpha) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), activated or not with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in HIV-1-infected pregnant women, untreated or treated with zidovudine. We compared the results with healthy women, either pregnant or not, and with HIV-1-infected, non-pregnant women. The most significant results indicate that basal IL-5 production in HIV-1-infected pregnant women was higher than in the rest of the groups, being even higher in the zidovudine-treated than in the untreated group. IL-5 and TNF-alpha production by PHA-activated PBMC was also higher in HIV-1 pregnant women than in controls and infected non-pregnant women. IFN-gamma production was much higher in healthy women than in the other groups. Finally, the IFN-gamma/IL-5 (Th1-type/Th2-type-cytokine) ratio was lower in HIV-infected than in uninfected groups. Zidovudine treatment reduced basal IL-12 and increased PHA-stimulated IL-5 production. Our results indicate that both HIV-1 infection and pregnancy favored a Th2-type response by T cells. Interestingly, zidovudine-treated pregnant women had a significantly higher Th2-type response than untreated ones.
Anti-HIV Agents↗
[Organization of the autonomous registries of renal patients in replacement treatment in Spain].
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Databases as Topic↗
[Profile of bacterial isolates and antimicrobial susceptibility: Multicenter study using a one-day cut-off].
The frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from the largest clinical samples collected in 19 Spanish hospitals were studied. A total of 523 strains were identified and grouped by sample. Blood stream: Staphylococcus coagulase-negative (41%) and Escherichia coli (19.7%); oxacillin resistance occurred in 44% of coagulase-negative strains, strains which were also resistant to nonbetalactam agents. All antimicrobial agents tested had good activity against E. coli, with the exception of penicillins (25 to 33% susceptible). Urine: E. coli (59.1%) and Enterococcus faecalis (15%); aminoglycosides and third generation cephalosporins were the most active compounds against E. coli, whereas penicillins and cotrimoxazole were the least active. E. faecalis isolates showed low rates of resistance to the antibiotics tested and no glycopeptide-resistant strains were detected. Skin and soft tissues: Staphylococcus aureus (24.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17.7.%); oxacillin resistance occurred in 15.8% of S. aureus strains and co-resistance to nonbetalactam agents was frequently observed among these strains. Ceftazidime susceptibility was elevated among P. aeruginosa (76.9%) and the most active agents were aminoglycosides (100% susceptibility). Lower respiratory tract: P. aeruginosa (21.4%) and Haemophilus influenzae (15.5%). Aminoglycosides (88.8 to 94.4%) and ceftazidime (72%) presented the highest susceptibility rates in P. aeruginosa. All the agents tested were very active against H. influenzae (89% susceptibility). Among Gram-positive cocci, no vancomycin and/or teicoplanin-resistant strains were detected.
Bacterial Infections↗
[Diets enriched with monounsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease blood pressure without changing the plasma insulin concentration in healthy subjects].
BACKGROUND: Plasma glucose, insulin and blood pressure are wellknown cardiovascular risk factors, which may be influence by dietary factors. The aim of the study was to investigate whether changes in dietary fatty acids could modify plasma concentration of glucose, insulin and mean blood pressure (MBP). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty two subjects (18 women and 24 men) were placed in four consecutive five week diet periods. Energy intake from proteins, carbohydrates and fats was constant during the study and there was only changes on fatty acids composition. First period was enriched on saturated fatty acids (SFA), second period on monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and third and fourth periods were enriched on polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Fourth period was also enriched on PUFA n-3. RESULTS: No significant changes were found on glucose and insulin plasma concentration. However, a significant effect was detected on MBP on total population (p < 0.0001) and by gender. MUFA and PUFA n-3 enriched diet decreased significantly MBP compared to SFA enriched diet AGS (85.7, SD 9.1, 87.3, SD 8.7 y 90.3, SD 8.8 mmHg, respectively). In addition, a weak (r = 0.28) but significant (p = 0.002) correlation was found between MBP and plasma insulin. CONCLUSIONS: Diets enriched on MUFA fatty acids and n-3 fatty acids decrease significantly MBP without modifying glucose and insulin plasma concentration.
Analysis of Variance↗
Effect of potentially interfering substances on the measurement of HIV-1 viral load by the bDNA assay.
As high heterogeneity of plasma composition may be responsible for interference with HIV-1 viral load determination by the bDNA assay, the potential interference caused by a number of plasma components was examined. Among the biochemical substances assayed, cholesterol, bilirubin, and triglycerides did not affect viral load quantification. Hemoglobin did not interfere with the assay at concentrations lower than or equal to 14 g/dl. Above this concentration, measurements decreased by up to 0.78 log, but these hemoglobin levels do not usually occur in the clinical setting. None of the antiretroviral drugs assayed (AZT, dDC, d4T, 3TC and Indinavir) interfered with the measurement. HIV bDNA is a robust assay even in those frequent circumstances in which plasma composition differs notably from normal.
Anti-HIV Agents↗
Rapid detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile from stool samples by a nested PCR of toxin B gene.
Toxigenic Clostridium difficile is the aetiologic agent of most cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis. The present standard method for C. difficile diagnosis is a cytotoxicity assay, performed on human fibroblast cultures. It is time consuming and requires special facilities. A nested-PCR assay detecting toxin B gene within a few hours was designed. One hundred and two stool samples were collected during four months. All samples were processed for toxin B-PCR, cultured for C. difficile and tested for cytotoxicity. This approach achieved 99% concordance with the cytotoxic assay. The sensitivity and specificity for the new PCR assay were 96.3% and 100% respectively. The procedure described is easy to perform, does not require special equipment and has produced excellent results. It deserves serious consideration for routine clinical microbiology laboratory use.
Bacterial Toxins↗
Blockade of cannabinoid receptors by SR141716 selectively increases Fos expression in rat mesocorticolimbic areas via reduced dopamine D2 function.
The present study investigated, in rats, whether blockade of cannabinoid CB1 receptors may alter Fos protein expression in a manner comparable to that observed with antipsychotic drugs. Intraperitoneal administration of the selective CB1 receptor antagonist, SR141716, dose-dependently (1.0, 3.0 and 10 mg/kg) increased Fos-like immunoreactivity in mesocorticolimbic areas (prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral septum, shell of the nucleus accumbens and dorsomedial caudate-putamen), while motor-related structures such as the core of the nucleus accumbens and the dorsolateral caudate-putamen were unaffected. In the ventrolateral septum, taken as a representative structure, the Fos-inducing effect of SR141716 (10 mg/kg) was maximal 2 h after injection and returned to near control levels by 4 h. Within the prefrontal cortex, SR141716 increased the number of Fos-positive cells predominantly in the infralimbic and prelimbic cortices, presumptive pyramidal cells being the major cell types in which Fos was induced. The D1-like receptor antagonist, SCH23390 (0.1 mg/kg), did not prevent the Fos-inducing effect of SR141716 in any brain region examined (prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, ventrolateral septum and dorsomedial caudate-putamen), although SCH23390 significantly reduced Fos expression induced by cocaine (20 mg/kg) in all these regions. By contrast, the dopamine D2-like agonist, quinpirole (0.25 mg/ kg), counteracted SR141716-induced Fos-like immunoreactivity in the ventrolateral septum, the nucleus accumbens and the dorsomedial caudate-putamen, while no antagonism was observed in the prefrontal cortex. Microdialysis experiments in awake rats indicated that SR141716, at doses which increased Fos expression (3 and 10 mg/kg), did not alter dopamine release in the shell of the nucleus accumbens. Finally, SR141716 increased the levels of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity in the nucleus accumbens, but not in the caudate-putamen. Collectively, the present results show that blockade of cannabinoid receptors increases Fos- and neurotensin-like immunoreactivity with characteristics comparable to those reported for atypical neuroleptic drugs.
Animals↗
Effects of dietary fatty acids and vitamin E levels in HL-60 cell proliferation.
BACKGROUND: Fatty acids have shown to be both modulators and messengers of signals triggered at the level of cell membranes. There is, however, controversy about the role of fatty acids in cell proliferation kinetics, and it is still unknown whether cell proliferation can be regulated by fatty acid dietary intake in humans. Our objective was to investigate whether feasible changes in the human dietary food intake that induce significant changes in lipids, fatty acids and the oxidative state were able to influence proliferation kinetics of the leukaemia cell line HL-60. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Healthy men and women were subjected to four consecutive dietary periods with increasing degree of unsaturation: saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFAs), n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). Plasma lipids and oxidation parameters were controlled during each period. Serum from each subject in the four dietary periods was incubated for 3 days with the leukaemia cell line, HL-60 (250 x 10(3) cell mL-1), to study cell proliferation. RESULTS: In men, an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid-enriched diet showed a significant inhibition of DNA duplication with respect to a saturated-enriched diet, but the effect is not sufficient in blocking cell proliferation. However, as expected, the in vitro addition of fatty acids to HL-60 cells significantly halted proliferation. In addition, the HL-60 growth ratio was shown to be inversely correlated with plasma vitamin E (P = 0.0004) and oleic acid in phospholipids (P = 0.01) in plasma of the individuals in the dietary intervention study. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that changes in serum fatty acid composition obtained with dietary changes, without extreme variations of the regular diets of a free-living population, cannot block HL-60 cell proliferation.
Adolescent↗
Immunoreactive neurotensin in gonadotrophs and thyrotrophs is regulated by sex steroid hormones in the female rat.
In addition to regulating anterior pituitary function by being released from the median eminence, mammalian neurotensin (NT) may also exert an autocrine or a paracrine action within the anterior pituitary. In this study, using double immunostaining with elution restaining, we identified the specific anterior pituitary cells which express NT immunoreactivity (NT-IR) during the rat oestrous cycle. In the normal cycling rat, NT-IR was present in both gonadotrophs and thyrotrophs and displayed plastic changes along the oestrous cycle. Both the number of TSH-NT positive cells and the intensity of immunological reaction were elevated during dioestrus, and decreased through pro-oestrus and early oestrus. NT-IR was also high in both follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)- or luteinizing hormone (LH)-positive cells during early pro-oestrus, and decreased during late pro-oestrus. Treatment of intact rats with either the anti-oestrogens Tamoxifen or LY117018, or the anti-progestagen RU486 prevented the normal expression of NT-IR in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-, FSH-, and LH-positive cells during pro-oestrus. Bilateral ovariectomy induced a dramatic reduction in the number of NT-IR cells. This effect was completely prevented by treatment of ovariectomized rats with oestradiol and progesterone, and was unaffected by the concurrent administration of a GnRH antagonist. Furthermore, administration of an anti-oestrogen together with an anti-progestagen to ovariectomized-oestrogen, progesterone-treated rats, blocked the stimulatory effect of ovarian hormones on NT-IR in anterior pituitary cells. These findings demonstrate that, in female rats, NT is specifically localized in gonadotrophs or thyrotrophs. In addition, they strongly suggest that changes in circulating concentrations of ovarian steroids may control both NT synthesis in, and release from, these cells.
Animals↗
Blockade of neurotensin receptors suppresses the dopamine D1/D2 synergism on immediate early gene expression in the rat brain.
A remarkable feature of dopamine functioning is that the concomitant activation of D1-like and D2-like receptors acts to intensify the expression of various dopamine-dependent effects, in particular the expression of the immediate-early genes, c-fos and zif268. Using non-peptide neurotensin receptor antagonists, including SR48692, we have determined that blockade of neurotensin receptors reduced the cooperative responses of direct acting D2-like (quinpirole) and partial D1-like (SKF38393) dopamine agonists on the expression of Fos-like antigens and zif268 mRNA. Pretreatment with SR48692 (3 and 10 mg/kg) reduced the number of Fos-like immunoreactive cells produced by the combined administration of SKF38393 (20 mg/kg) and quinpirole (1 mg/kg) in the caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, globus pallidus and ventral pallidum. High-affinity neurotensin receptors are likely to be involved in these D1-like/D2-like cooperative responses, as compounds structurally related to SR48692, SR48527 (3 mg/kg) and its (-)antipode, SR49711 (3 mg/kg), exerted a stereospecific antagonism in all selected brain regions. Pretreatment with SR48692 (10 mg/kg) also diminished Fos induction by the indirect dopamine agonist, cocaine (25 mg/kg), particularly at the rostral level of the caudate-putamen. In situ hybridization experiments in the caudate-putamen indicated that SR48692 (10 mg/kg) markedly reduced zif268 mRNA labelling produced by SKF38393 plus quinpirole in cells not expressing enkephalin mRNA, but was unable to affect the concomitant decrease of zif268 mRNA labelling in enkephalin-positive cells. Taken together, the results of the present study indicate that neurotensin is a key element for the occurrence of cooperative responses of D2-like and partial D1-like agonists on immediate-early gene expression.
2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗
Antioxidative defense and photoprotection in Pinus halepensis induced by Mediterranean conditions and ozone exposure.
Pigment levels and antioxidative stress-related metabolites were determined over a period of two years in Pinus halepensis to characterize the response of some plant protective processes to both environmental stresses and 03 exposure. Two-year-old-Aleppo pine seedlings were grown in open-top chambers under optimal nutrient and water conditions and exposed to different 03 levels: charcoal filtered air, non-filtered air and nonfiltered air plus 40 ppb O3 10 h/day. In summer an activation of photoprotective systems was observed since a decrease in chlorophyll levels, an increase in the carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio and SOD activation were recorded. Interestingly, the SOD activity in Pinus halepensis was highly related to low-molecular weight compounds and this relationship increased with needle age. Ozone exposure induced alterations in the activity of some antioxidant enzymes along with reductions in pigment concentrations and an activation of the xanthophyll cycle.
Antioxidants↗
Evidence of nosocomial Stenotrophomonas maltophilia cross-infection in a neonatology unit analyzed by three molecular typing methods.
OBJECTIVE: To characterize the epidemiological relationships among Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolates in the neonatology unit of our institution over a 4-month period in which an increased number of isolates was observed. SETTING: The neonatology ward in a 2,000-bed university hospital in Madrid, Spain. DESIGN: A retrospective molecular epidemiological analysis using three different typing methods, arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR, was performed with 11 isolates obtained from seven neonates over a 4-month period. Presumed unrelated isolates also were included as controls. A similarity dendrogram was obtained, to analyze the genetic relatedness among the isolates. RESULTS: All isolates from the neonates, except one, showed a remarkably high homology among their typing patterns for the three methods assayed and clustered in the relatedness dendrogram at 96% similarity. The unrelated strains selected as controls were unclustered. The index case was considered to be a newborn who had an S. maltophilia isolate from a culture drawn on the day of admission to the neonatology unit and which was included in the clustered similarity group. CONCLUSIONS: Such a high genetic similarity among the isolates, together with the presence of an index case who had been colonized or infected by S. maltophilia before arrival at our institution, constitutes the first evidence of nosocomial cross-transmission of this microorganism.
Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
Expression of the insecticidal bean alpha-amylase inhibitor transgene has minimal detrimental effect on the nutritional value of peas fed to rats at 30% of the diet.
The effect of expression of bean alpha-amylase inhibitor (alpha-AI) transgene on the nutritional value of peas has been evaluated by pair-feeding rats diets containing transgenic or parent peas at 300 and 650 g/kg, respectively, and at 150 g protein/kg diet, supplemented with essential amino acids to target requirements. The results were also compared with the effects of diets containing lactalbumin with or without 0.9 or 2.0 mg bean alpha-AI, levels equivalent to those in transgenic pea diets. When 300 and 650 g peas/kg diet were fed, the daily intake of alpha-AI was 11.5 or 26.3 mg alpha-AI, respectively. At the 300 g/kg level, the nutritional value of the transgenic and parent line peas was not significantly different. The weight gain and tissue weights of rats fed either of the two pea diets were not significantly different from each other or from those of rats given the lactalbumin diet even when this was supplemented with 0.9 g alpha-AI/kg. The digestibilities of protein and dry matter of the pea diets were slightly but significantly lower than those of the lactalbumin diet, probably due to the presence of naturally occurring antinutrients in peas. The nutritional value of diets containing peas at the higher (650 g) inclusion level was less than that of the lactalbumin diet. However, the differences between transgenic and parent pea lines were small, possibly because neither the purified recombinant alpha-AI nor that in transgenic peas inhibited starch digestion in the rat small intestine in vivo to the same extent as did bean alpha-AI. This was the case even though both forms of alpha-AI equally inhibited alpha-amylase in vitro. Thus, this short-term study indicated that transgenic peas expressing bean alpha-AI gene could be used in rat diets at 300 g/kg level without major harmful effects on their growth, metabolism and health, raising the possibility that transgenic peas may also be used at this level in the diet of farm animals.
Animals↗
Characterization of two novel propachlor degradation pathways in two species of soil bacteria.
Propachlor (2-chloro-N-isopropylacetanilide) is an acetamide herbicide used in preemergence. In this study, we isolated and characterized a soil bacterium, Acinetobacter strain BEM2, that was able to utilize this herbicide as the sole and limiting carbon source. Identification of the intermediates of propachlor degradation by this strain and characterization of new metabolites in the degradation of propachlor by a previously reported strain of Pseudomonas (PEM1) support two different propachlor degradation pathways. Washed-cell suspensions of strain PEM1 with propachlor accumulated N-isopropylacetanilide, acetanilide, acetamide, and catechol. Pseudomonas strain PEM1 grew on propachlor with a generation time of 3.4 h and a Ks of 0.17 +/- 0.04 mM. Acinetobacter strain BEM2 grew on propachlor with a generation time of 3.1 h and a Ks of 0.3 +/- 0.07 mM. Incubations with strain BEM2 resulted in accumulation of N-isopropylacetanilide, N-isopropylaniline, isopropylamine, and catechol. Both degradative pathways were inducible, and the principal product of the carbon atoms in the propachlor ring was carbon dioxide. These results and biodegradation experiments with the identified metabolites indicate that metabolism of propachlor by Pseudomonas sp. strain PEM1 proceeds through a different pathway from metabolism by Acinetobacter sp. strain BEM2.
Acetanilides↗