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Biomedical subjects

V Garcia

Publications and source records attributed to V Garcia.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Parental care and the prolactin secretion pattern in the King penguin: an endogenously timed mechanism?

The King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) has been studied on Possession Island, Crozet Archipelago (46 degrees 25'S-51 degrees 45'E). It is an offshore feeder, but it breeds on land. Its breeding cycle is unusually long (about 14 months). It starts at the beginning of spring, is interrupted during 5 months of winter, and ends in the next spring. Furthermore, it is characterized by a long parental care period, of about 11 months, including the winter interruption. In fact, care given to the egg and the chick is biparental, which supposes that parental behavior includes both parents. Each parent alternates care given to the egg and to the chick on land and foraging bouts at sea. An incubation bout, or a chick care bout, is called a shift. Prolactin is the hypophyseal hormone known to be correlated with incubation and chick care. We studied the mechanism of the maintenance of prolactin during the parental care period in the King penguin, a period which is unusually long. In many species, prolactin secretion has been shown to be stimulated by the presence of eggs and/or chicks, but in the King penguin, prolactin secretion is observed throughout the entire period of parental care, despite the fact that the birds leave the egg and the chick repeatedly and for extended periods of time to feed. Prolactin levels rise significantly at the beginning of courtship; females have significantly higher prolactin levels than males during courtship, copulation, and the period of waiting for egg laying. In both sexes, prolactin levels remain high during incubation and the first part of chick rearing, before winter. Prolactin concentrations decline somewhat during the winter period of minimal parental care, but remain that level in spring when parental care starts again. The level returns to basal value during molt. Prolactin levels rise during the incubation shifts but not over the course of contact with young. Prolactin values remain high in unsuccessful breeders, possibly preventing the birds from relaying, but remain low in immature birds. These data raise questions about how prolactin secretion is controlled in this species. The hypothesis of a programmed secretion of prolactin is advanced.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Endocrine basis of the reproductive pattern of the Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua): winter breeding and extended laying period in northern populations.

Changes in plasma LH, prolactin, testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone were investigated throughout moult and reproduction in free-living male and female Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) at Crozet Island (46 degrees S, 51 degrees E), where this species is able to relay after a reproductive failure. In both sexes, LH, prolactin, and steroid hormones, remained at basal levels during the moult. LH level was highest at the time of arrival at the colony for breeding and, although it decreased after courtship, it did not drop at basal value by incubation and first chick brooding period. Prolactin peaked for both chick brooding periods; replacement clutch was associated with an increased secretion of LH, whereas high prolactin levels were maintained. Testosterone, in male, and estradiol, in female, peaked during courtship I and chick brooding II; progesterone, in female, peaked during courtship I and II. These hormonal patterns are consistent with those observed in passerine species which are also able to relay after a reproductive failure. Winter breeding observed at Crozet Island might reflect the extreme adaptive capacity of Gentoo penguin species.

Adaptation, Biological↗
PubMed1995

[Hemangiopericytoma].

A case of hemangiopericytoma located in the left upper thigh is presented. The literature is reviewed, particularly the clinical aspects and reference is made to arteriography and preoperative embolization.

Female↗
PubMed1994

[The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt].

The case of a 66-year-old woman with several episodes of hemorrhage by esophageal varices and ascites due to portal hypertension is presented. Despite 4 sessions of endoscopic sclerotherapy bleeding recurred. A transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt was performed. In the 10 months following the intervention, there was no further hemorrhage, the ascites disappeared and the shunt is open.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Preliminary evaluation of a simple method for detection of bovine tuberculosis: the glutaraldehyde test.

The glutaraldehyde test (GT) is performed by mixing whole blood with a 1.25% glutaraldehyde solution. Gelification time is shorter in tuberculous cattle. This test was performed in blood samples obtained from: (a) 48 cattle with bacteriologically confirmed tuberculous lesions; (b) 61 animals with no evidence of tuberculosis at the time of slaughterhouse inspection, 14 of which had hydatid cysts; (c) 260 tuberculin-negative apparently healthy animals, and (d) 21 cattle, also tuberculin-negative but serologically positive for brucellosis. Sensitivity for detecting tuberculosis was 85.4% (41 of 48 animals). The test was negative in 298 out of 307 healthy animals (97.1% specificity). This specificity decreased when the test was applied in animals with evidence of diseases other than tuberculosis. This simple, rapid and inexpensive method could play a complementary role to the tuberculin test for detecting tuberculous cattle, especially in endemic areas with scarce resources and facilities.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Paediatric dialysis and renal transplantation in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Renal replacement therapy (RRT) for Brazilian children with uraemia has been utilized since 1970 in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. One hundred and eighty patients receiving this therapy between 1970 and 1988 have been reviewed. The annual acceptance rate of new paediatric patients in this period increased from 0.6 to 6.5 patients per million child population. Glomerulonephritis (36.1%) and pyelonephritis including urological anomalies (31.7%) were the most frequent causes of end-stage renal disease. Outpatient hospital haemodialysis was the primary form of dialytic treatment in patients 5-15 years of age. Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis was more often used in patients less than 5 years of age. The survival after 1 year on dialysis was 79.9% for children aged 5-15 years starting dialysis during the period 1985-1988. Fluid overload with congestive heart failure and infection were the main causes of death in children on dialysis. Eighty-four children received 93 grafts; only 14 (15%) were from cadaveric donors. One-year patient and graft survival of first living-related donor transplants were 92.2% and 78.5% respectively during the period 1985-1988. Infection accounted for 43.5% of deaths after transplantation. We conclude that RRT is becoming increasingly successful for children in our region but that greater emphasis upon patient compliance with all forms of RRT and upon cadaver kidney donation is needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Renal artery angioplasty].

In the 59 hypertensive patients submitted to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the renal artery, there was an immediate success in the blood pressure in 91.5% and a later one of 79.6%. In these patients we obtained better results: 81.4% in the unilateral lesions, more than in the bilateral ones--72.7%; 82.5% in the renal artery trunk lesions, more than in the ostium ones--71.4%; 88.9% in the lesions of fibromuscular origin, more than in the aterosclerotic ones--75%; 84.4% in up to 55 years old patients, more than in older ones--71.4%. These differences were not significant. The results of renal angioplasty in renovascular hypertension suggest this type of intervention as an alternative treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Pseudoadrenal mass: unusual presentation of bronchogenic cyst.

Isolated abdominal bronchogenic cysts are extremely rare. We report the fourth such case in an asymptomatic 4-year-old girl who initially presented for evaluation of urinary tract infection and new-onset urinary incontinence. Ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging findings were consistent with an adrenal mass. At exploration, the patient was found to have a mass in the area of the gastroesophageal junction and a normal left adrenal gland. The final pathology confirmed the diagnosis of a bronchogenic cyst. Abdominal bronchogenic cysts, although rare, should be considered in the diagnosis of a retroperitoneal mass.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1991

IgM antibodies to native phenolic glycolipid-I in contacts of leprosy patients in Venezuela: epidemiological observations and a prospective study of the risk of leprosy.

In a randomized, double-blind vaccine trial in Venezuela, about 29,000 contacts of leprosy patients have been vaccinated with either a mixture of heat-killed Mycobacterium leprae and BCG or BCG alone, and are being re-surveyed annually to detect new cases of leprosy. All contacts had a serum sample collected at the time of entry into the trial, and 13,020 of these sera have been analyzed for antibodies to phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I). Antibody levels have been related to various characteristics of the contacts and to their risk of developing leprosy in the following 4 years. A strong association was found between PGL-I antibody level and the risk of developing leprosy, in spite of possible modification of the incidence rate induced by vaccination. Antibody levels were higher in females than in males, and declined progressively with age. Household contacts had higher levels than did non-household contacts, and levels were higher in individuals from the state in Venezuela which has the highest incidence of the disease. No substantial differences were found in antibody levels between contacts of multibacillary and paucibacillary patients, which may in part reflect the influence of treatment, and there was no clear association with the presence of BCG or lepromin scars or with skin-test responses to PPD and leprosy soluble antigen. The assay of antibodies to PGL-I seems unlikely to provide a sensitive or specific test for infection with M. leprae, and measuring PGL-I antibody levels as a screening procedure to identify those at high risk of developing leprosy is unlikely to be particularly useful in most leprosy control programs. Such assays may be useful for the epidemiological monitoring of changes in the intensity of infection with M. leprae in a community and for the study of carefully defined groups of contacts during some phases of control programs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis due to Salmonella enteritidis in cirrhotic ascites.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis due to Salmonella is uncommon. We report three patients with ascites infected by Salmonella. All three patients had advanced chronic liver disease, typically cirrhosis with portal hypertension. Salmonella enteritidis grew in the ascite fluid culture of the three patients. There was no clinical or microbiological evidence of Salmonella infection other than in the ascitic fluid. One patient died before antibiotic treatment was started, but the other two were treated with different combinations of antimicrobial drugs. One of them died on the fourteenth day of hospitalization, and the other survived.

Ascites↗
PubMed1988

Structural organization of the multienzyme complex of mammalian aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.

The multienzyme complexes of mammalian aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases were purified from rat liver, rabbit liver, and rabbit reticulocytes according to the procedure slightly modified from Kellermann et al. [Kellermann, O., Brevet, A., Tonetti, H., & Waller, J.-P. (1979) Eur. J. Biochem. 99, 541-550]. Three forms of the synthetase complex with slightly different protein compositions were identified, suggesting a microheterogeneity of the synthetase complex. The hydrodynamic properties and the protein composition of the purified complexes were determined. The electron micrographs of the complex showed mostly amorphous particles and some hollow rings with an outer diameter of 164 A and an inner diameter of 42 A. The predicted hydrodynamic properties of several models of the complex were calculated. The properties of a ring model appear to best fit with those of the synthetase complex.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗