Inhibition of the renal apical sodium dependent bile acid transporter prevents cholemic nephropathy in mice with obstructive cholestasis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cholemic nephropathy (CN) is a severe complication of cholestatic liver diseases for which there is no specific treatment. We revisited its pathophysiology with the aim of identifying novel therapeutic strategies. METHODS: Cholestasis was induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in mice. Bile flux in kidneys and livers was visualized by intravital imaging, supported by MALDI mass spectrometry imaging and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The effect of AS0369, a systemically bioavailable apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) inhibitor, was evaluated by intravital imaging, RNA-sequencing, histological, blood, and urine analyses. Translational relevance was assessed in kidney biopsies from patients with CN, mice with a humanized bile acid (BA) spectrum, and via analysis of serum BAs and KIM-1 (kidney injury molecule 1) in patients with liver disease and hyperbilirubinemia. RESULTS: Proximal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) reabsorbed and enriched BAs, leading to oxidative stress and death of proximal TECs, casts in distal tubules and collecting ducts, peritubular capillary leakiness, and glomerular cysts. Renal ASBT inhibition by AS0369 blocked BA uptake into TECs and prevented kidney injury up to 6 weeks after BDL. Similar results were obtained in mice with humanized BA composition. In patients with advanced liver disease, serum BAs were the main determinant of KIM-1 levels. ASBT expression in TECs was preserved in biopsies from patients with CN, further highlighting the translational potential of targeting ASBT to treat CN. CONCLUSIONS: BA enrichment in proximal TECs followed by oxidative stress and cell death is a key early event in CN. Inhibiting renal ASBT and consequently BA enrichment in TECs prevents CN and systemically decreases BA concentrations. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: Cholemic nephropathy (CN) is a severe complication of cholestasis and an unmet clinical need. We demonstrate that CN is triggered by the renal accumulation of bile acids (BAs) that are considerably increased in the systemic blood. Specifically, the proximal tubular epithelial cells of the kidney take up BAs via the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT). We developed a therapeutic compound that blocks ASBT in the kidneys, prevents BA overload in tubular epithelial cells, and almost completely abolished all disease hallmarks in a CN mouse model. Renal ASBT inhibition represents a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with CN.

Outlook for Tissue Engineering of the Tympanic Membrane.

Tympanic membrane perforation is a common problem leading to hearing loss. Despite the autoregenerative activity of the eardrum, chronic perforations require surgery using different materials, from autologous tissue - fascia, cartilage, fat or perichondrium - to paper patch. However, both, surgical procedures (myringoplasty or tympanoplasty) and the materials employed, have a number of limitations. Therefore, the advances in this field are incorporating the principles of tissue engineering, which includes the use of scaffolds, biomolecules and cells. This discipline allows the development of new biocompatible materials that reproduce the structure and mechanical properties of the native tympanic membrane, while it seeks to implement new therapeutic approaches that can be performed in an outpatient setting. Moreover, the creation of an artificial tympanic membrane commercially available would reduce the duration of the surgery and costs. The present review analyzes the current treatment of tympanic perforations and examines the techniques of tissue engineering, either to develop bioartificial constructs, or for tympanic regeneration by using different scaffold materials, bioactive molecules and cells. Finally, it considers the aspects regarding the design of scaffolds, release of biomolecules and use of cells that must be taken into account in the tissue engineering of the eardrum. The possibility of developing new biomaterials, as well as constructs commercially available, makes tissue engineering a discipline with great potential, capable of overcoming the drawbacks of current surgical procedures.

Carga submáxima en pescadores de langostas por buceo / Submaximal load in lobster fishers by diving

Un grupo de 20 buzos fueron sometidos a una carga submáxima en un banco de madera de 50 cm de altura. Los valores de las variables fisiológicas registradas fueron comparadas con los de otros trabajadores pertenecientes a la industria ligera. De los resultados obtenidos se concluye que el consumo de oxígeno de los pescadores durante la prueba de esfuerzo fue superior al de los trabajadores referidos y presentaron una lenta recuperación de la frecuencia cardíaca desplazada durante la actividad. Se analizó la influencia de la práctica del buceo en la respuesta fisiológica ante la prueba de esfuerzo