Early transcriptional responses in Solanum peruvianum and Solanum lycopersicum account for different acclimation processes during water scarcity events.

Cultivated tomato Solanum lycopersicum (Slyc) is sensitive to water shortages, while its wild relative Solanum peruvianum L. (Sper), an herbaceous perennial small shrub, can grow under water scarcity and soil salinity environments. Plastic Sper modifies the plant architecture when suffering from drought, which is mediated by the replacement of leaf organs, among other changes. The early events that trigger acclimation and improve these morphological traits are unknown. In this study, a physiological and transcriptomic approach was used to understand the processes that differentiate the response in Slyc and Sper in the context of acclimation to stress and future consequences for plant architecture. In this regard, moderate (MD) and severe drought (SD) were imposed, mediating PEG treatments. The results showed a reduction in water and osmotic potential during stress, which correlated with the upregulation of sugar and proline metabolism-related genes. Additionally, the senescence-related genes FTSH6 protease and asparagine synthase were highly induced in both species. However, GO categories such as "protein ubiquitination" or "endopeptidase inhibitor activity" were differentially enriched in Sper and Slyc, respectively. Genes related to polyamine biosynthesis were induced, while several cyclins and kinetin were downregulated in Sper under drought treatments. Repression of photosynthesis-related genes was correlated with a higher reduction in the electron transport rate in Slyc than in Sper. Additionally, transcription factors from the ERF, WRKY and NAC families were commonly induced in Sper. Although some similar responses were induced in both species under drought stress, many important changes were detected to be differentially induced. This suggests that different pathways dictate the strategies to address the early response to drought and the consequent episodes in the acclimation process in both tomato species.

¿Cómo realizar el seguimiento de los pacientes con fibrosis pulmonar idiopática? / How to monitor patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?

La fibrosis pulmonar idiopática (FPI) se ha clasificado en enfermedad leve o temprana-moderada-severa o Avanzada, sin puntos de corte en parámetros clínicos, funcionales o imagenológicos. No existe aún consenso en cual es el principal parámetro que se debe medir. Si bien las variables funcionales como la capacidad vital forzada (CVF), capacidad de difusión de monóxido de carbono (DLCO) y test de caminata de 6 minutos se han utilizado de forma rutinaria en la practica clínica y en los principales estudios clínicos de tratamiento muchas veces no son representativos de la evolución clínica. Por lo anterior se han desarrollado, índices o puntajes compuestos como la escala GAP (Gender-Age-Physiology) que podrían ser útiles en el seguimiento de los pacientes.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has been classified as mild or early - moderate - severe or advanced disease, with no cut-off points in clinical, functional or imaging parameters. There is no consensus yet on which is the main parameter to be measured although the functional variables such as forced vital capacity (FVC), carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO) and 6-minute walk test, have been routinely used in clinical practice and in the main clinical studies of treatment, are often not representative of the clinical evolution. Therefore, composite indices or scores such as the GAP (Gender-Age-Physiology) scale have been developed that could be useful in the follow-up of patients.

In vitro ovicidal activity of Baccharis conferta Kunth against Haemonchus contortus.

The indiscriminate use of chemical drugs to deworm livestock tends to trigger an anthelmintic resistance problem. In this context, the use of plant extracts rich in secondary metabolites could be an alternative method for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes. Baccharis conferta Kunth is a native plant species from Mexico that is widely used by several ethnic groups as forage for farm animals and medicinally to treat gastrointestinal diseases such as acute stomach ache, dysentery, diarrhoea, vomiting, indigestion, colic, intestinal spasms, urinary problems, and cramps. The aim of the present study was to isolate and characterise the ovicidal constituents of B. conferta and to determine a possible mode of action against Haemonchus contortus. The ovicidal activity was determined using the egg hatching inhibition test (EHI) to assess the methanol extract obtained from B. conferta foliage. The dry extract was partitioned (water/ethyl acetate) to obtain an ethyl acetate (BcEtOAc-F) and aqueous fraction. BcEtOAc-F showed an ovicidal activity of 72.32% EHI at 1 mg/mL. The chromatographic fractionation of BcEtOAc-F resulted in three active sub-fractions with higher ovicidal activity: BcC1R4 (99.15% EHI at 1.0 mg/mL); BcC1R5 (92.51% EHI at 0.75 mg/mL); and BcC1R8 (96.8% EHI at 3.0 mg/mL). Chemical analysis of the BcC1R4 fraction allowed the identification of the major active compound, isokaempferide (1, 98.06% EHI at 1 mg/mL). While, 4,5-di-O-acid caffeoylquinic (3; 96.8% EHI at 3 mg/mL) and an inactive flavone (vicenin-2, 2) were identified as the main compounds in BcC1R8. Chemical characterisation of the isolated compounds was performed via spectroscopic (NMR) and spectrometric (UPLC-MS) analyses. Additionally, the environmental and confocal scanning microscopy analyses revealed that isokaempferide was able to cross the eggshell layer without breaking it and attach itself to the embryo, causing its death. The flavonol, isokaempferide, and the hydroxycinamic acid, 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic, displayed powerful ovicidal effects, proving to be a potential alternative for the development of a phytodrug for the control of haemonchosis.

Hipovitaminosis D en pacientes hospitalizados por trastornos por consumo de sustancias en Unidad de Adicciones del Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile / Hypovitaminosis D in patients hospitalized for substance use disorders in the Addictions Unit of the Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile

The pathological consumption of alcohol and other drugs is associated with calcium metabolism disfunction through different pathways. Hypovitaminosis D contributes to acute a chronic neuronal injury in alcohol dependent patients. We do not have national evidence regarding the presence of hypovitaminosis D in addicted patients and there is a lack of information in the literature regarding polysubstance users. In this retrospective study, we evaluate the presence of hypovitaminosis of D in Substance Use Disorder inpatients treated in the Psychiatric Clinic of the University during the months of August to November 2017 and we described their main characteristics. 24 patients were evaluated, 19 of whom presented levels lower than 30 ng/ml of Vitamin D. Of those patients with hypovitaminosis 79% were men and 90% of them consumed alcohol, although in only 26% alcohol was the main substance. The main substance reported by the patients was cocaine (37%), smokable cocaine (32%) and marijuana (5%). Despite the methodological limitations of the study and the high prevalence of Hypovitaminosis D reported in the Chilean population, the results of this study suggest the need for a systematic evaluation of Vitamin D levels in patients hospitalized for addictions to adequately supplement those who require it. (AU)

Different combinations of morpho-physiological traits are responsible for tolerance to drought in wild tomatoes Solanum chilense and Solanum peruvianum.

Herbaceous species can modify leaf structure during the growing season in response to drought stress and water loss. Evolution can select combinations of traits in plants for efficient water use in restricted environments. We investigated plant traits that mediate adaptation and acclimation to water stress in two herbaceous drought-tolerant species. Anatomical, morphological and physiological traits related to stems and leaves were examined under optimal watering (OW) and a long period of restricted watering (RW) in 11 accessions from three Solanaceae species (Solanum chilense, S. peruvianum and S. lycopersicum). The relationships between these traits were tested using linear regression and PCA. There were significant differences in anatomical traits between the species under both OW and RW, where leaf area correlated with stem diameter. Proline and total carbohydrates accumulated highly in S. chilense and S. peruvianum, respectively, and these osmolytes were strongly correlated with increased osmotic potential. Stomatal density varied between species but not between acclimation treatments, while stomatal rate was significantly higher in wild tomatoes. There was a strong positive relationship between stem growth rate and a group of traits together expressed as total stomatal number. Total stomata is described by integration of leaf area, stomatal density, height and internode length. It is proposed that constitutive adaptations and modifications through acclimation that mediate RW play an important role in tolerance to drought stress in herbaceous plants. The capacity for growth under drought stress was not associated with any single combination of traits in wild tomatoes, since the two species differed in relative levels of expression of various phenotypic traits.

Cysticercosis vaccine: cross protecting immunity with T. solium antigens against experimental murine T. crassiceps cysticercosis.

Vaccination of mice with an antigen extract from Taenia solium cysticerci induced protection against challenge with T. crassiceps cysticerci as successfully as did antigen extracts from T. crassiceps. Vaccination was more effective in male than in female mice and in the resistant strain (BALB/B) more so than in the susceptible strain (BALB/c). While only the resistant strain was completely protected by vaccination, the parasite load of the susceptible strain was significantly reduced by vaccination. Cross immunity between the human and murine parasites establishes murine T. crassiceps cysticercosis as a convenient laboratory model in which to test promising T. solium antigens aimed at vaccine development against T. solium cysticercosis. Further, results point to strong interactions of the immune system with sexual and histocompatibility factors in the host's dealing with cysticercosis.