Effect of perfluorodecanoic acid on pig oocyte viability, intracellular calcium levels and gap junction intercellular communication during oocyte maturation in vitro.

Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) is a synthetic perfluorinated compound, which has been reported to exert adverse effects on somatic cells. However, its effects on germ cells have not been studied to date. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of PFDA on the viability, intracellular calcium levels and gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) during porcine oocyte maturation in vitro. PFDA negatively impacted oocyte viability (medium lethal concentration, LC50 = 7.8 µM) and maturation (medium inhibition of maturation, IM50 = 3.8 µM). Oocytes exposed to 3.8 µM PFDA showed higher levels of intracellular calcium relative to control oocytes. In addition, GJIC among the cumulus cells and the oocyte was disrupted. The effects of PFDA on oocyte calcium homeostasis and intercellular communication seem to be responsible for the inhibition of oocyte maturation and oocyte death. In addition, since the deleterious effects of PFDA on oocyte viability, maturation and GJIC are significantly stronger than the previously reported effects of another widely used perfluorinated compound (Perfluorooctane sulfonate) in the same model, the use of PFDA in consumer products is questioned.

[Cranberry juice and its role in urinary infections]. / El jugo de arándano y su papel en las infecciones de las vías urinarias.

The urinary tract infection is a worldwide health problem, with a ratio of 9 to 1 in women compared with men. In 80% of the cases, the causing bacteria is Escherichia coli. During reproductive life this infection represents a great amount of work disabilities, hence the need to insist on its prophylaxis. The red cranberry juice is an option to prevent urinary tract infection, a quality demonstrated in several recent publications which emphasize that its mechanism of action lies in the effect exerted by proantocyanidines, especially those of type A, in the urothelium that prevent Escherichia coli from adhering to this and exerts its antibacterial action, which is achieved with the ingestion of at least 300 mL of juice every day.