Bioactive triterpenoids from the caffeine-rich plants guayusa and maté.

Unlike all other caffeinated plants, guayusa (Ilex guayusa Loes.) and maté (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hill) contain high amounts of pentacyclic triterpenoid acids and alcohols. A phytochemical investigation on these plants revealed a similar triterpenoid profile and a content of ursolic acid (0.7-1%) and amyrin esters (up to 0.5%), quite unusual for dietary plants. The major constituent of the amyrin complex from both plants is α-amyrin palmitate (2a), accompanied by lower amounts of its corresponding palmitoleate (2b) and by the corresponding constitutional isomers from the ß-series (3a and 3b, respectively). Ursolic acid (1) was identified as the responsible for the activity of maté and guayusa extracts in the activation of TGR5, a nuclear receptor of relevance for the prevention and management of diabetes and metabolic syndrome because of its involvement in the regulation of energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity.

Neuroprotective effect of carvedilol and melatonin on 3-nitropropionic acid-induced neurotoxicity in neuroblastoma.

In neurodegenerative diseases, progressive oxidative stress is a major event that precedes neuronal death. Oxidative stress is characterized by an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants. This imbalance induced oxidative molecular and cell damage, reducing cellular viability. 3-Nitropropionic acid (3NP) causes oxidative stress and other molecular and cellular changes similar to those observed in neurons of patients with Huntington's disease. Since carvedilol and melatonin act as free-radical scavengers, this study examined the effect of carvedilol (10(-5) M) and melatonin (10(-5) M) on oxidative and cell damage induced by 3NP in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. Carvedilol and melatonin prevented the increases in lipid peroxidation and total LDH activity, as well as the depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the reduction of antioxidative enzymes activities in N1E-115 cells incubated with 100 mM 3NP. All these carvedilol and melatonin effects were more intense when the drugs were added before rather than after inducing the damage by 3NP. These results also provided evidence supporting the hypothesis that carvedilol and melatonin can be useful for treating neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's disease.

Protection against liver injury by PGE1 or anti-TNF-alpha is associated with a reduction of TNF-R1 expression in hepatocytes.

BACKGROUND: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-5) has been shown to exacerbate or protect against liver injury in different experimental models. In a previous study, we observed that enhancement of TNF-alpha expression in hepatocytes by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) pre-administration induced iNOS expression and cytoprotection against experimental liver injury in rats. Nevertheless, the reduction of TNF-alpha bioactivity by anti-TNF-alpha antibodies also reduced liver injury by D-GalN. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether protection by PGE1 or anti-TNF-alpha was related to a common effect on the membrane-bound TNF-alpha receptor expression. METHODS: Liver injury was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine (D-GalN) (1 g/kg). PGE1 or anti-TNF-alpha was administered at 30 or 60 min before D-GalN, respectively. Liver injury was evaluated by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in serum and histological examination in liver sections. TNF-alpha was determined by ELISA in serum. The expression of TNF-alpha receptor type 1 (TNF-R1) and TNF-alpha receptor type 2 (TNF-R2) in hepatocytes was assessed by immunohistochemistry and immunoprecipitation + Western-blot analysis. RESULTS: PGE1 or anti-TNF-alpha reduced liver injury induced by D-GalN. Although PGE1 enhanced and anti-TNF-alpha reduced TNF-alpha concentration in serum, both protective treatments reduced the expression of TNF-R1 in hepatocytes. TNF-R2 was not detected in our experimental conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that reduction of liver injury by PGE1 or anti-TNF-alpha antibodies was related to a reduction of TNF-R1 expression in hepatocytes.

[An epidemiological study on unwanted pregnancy]. / Estudio epidemiológico sobre embarazo no deseado.

OBJECTIVE: To define the profile of the woman with an unwanted pregnancy (UWP) and to analyse differences between wanted pregnancies (WP) and UWP. DESIGN: Longitudinal and retrospective observation study. SETTING: La Chana Health Centre, Granada. PATIENTS: 511 pregnancies. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Pregnant women were grouped according to whether their pregnancy was WP or UWP. 29.4% of all pregnancies were UWP. 70.5% of pregnancies in under-19s and 75% in over-35s are UWP (chi2 = 12.24; p = 0.00046 regarding the 19 to 35 age group). Women with WP first attend for prenatal care before women with UWP (chi 2 = 10.5; p = 0.0018). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high proportion of UWP, especially among women under 19 and over 35. We defined two profiles of women at risk of UWP.

[Evaluation of the quality of prenatal care in primary care]. / Evaluación de la calidad de la asistencia prenatal en atención primaria.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the quality of prenatal assistance by means of an audit. DESIGN: This is a retrospective and longitudinal observational study. SITE. At the Primary Attention level, at the "La Chana" Health Centre, Granada. PATIENTS: 514 mothers-to-be. MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The completion rate of the programme was studied via twelve indicators. Gynecological examination during the first visit (37.74%), serology of infections and toxoplasma (32%) and AgHBs (14.28%) were the indicators least carried out. Gestatory age (98.84%) probable date of the birth (98.45%) and arterial blood pressure (96.7%) were those most frequently carried out. CONCLUSIONS: Motivation exists in the Primary Attention team to record complete medical histories. Need to: unify therapeutic diagnostic criteria, increase coordination between the different levels of attention, and carry out audits more often, to evaluate the quality of attention given objectively.

Cell death during detachment of the lens rudiment from ectoderm in the chick embryo.

The distribution and cytological characters of physiological cell death associated with formation of the lens vesicle in the chick embryo was studied by means of vital staining, light and electron microscopy. We have established a constant pattern of cell death which differs in some aspects from that reported for mammals and amphibians. The necrotic process is observed initially in the dorsal part of the lens cup (stage 15). The necrotic area progressively surrounds the lens pore as invagination proceeds (stage 16) and at stage 17 is located in the zone of fusion of the invaginated lens. After detachment of the lens (stages 18, 19 and 20) dead cells appear in the ectoderm, in the superficial epithelium of the lens vesicle and in the space between both structures. Ultrastructurally we observe isolated dead cells in different stages of degeneration and in phagocytosed cells. Phagocytosis is carried out by the neighboring healthy epithelial cells. Phagocytic activity was detected concomitant with the beginning of the necrotic process. Cell fragments were occasionally detected within the lens cavity.