Genetic association study of preterm birth and gestational age in a population-based case-control study in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth (PTB) affects ∼15 million pregnancies worldwide. Genetic studies have identified several candidate loci for PTB, but results remain inconclusive and limited to European populations. Thus, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of PTB and gestational age at delivery (GA) among 2,212 Peruvian women. METHODS: PTB cases delivered≥20 weeks' but < 37 weeks' gestation, while controls delivered at term (≥37 weeks but <42 weeks). Multivariable regressions were used to identify genetic markers for PTB and GA (∼6 million SNPs), adjusting for maternal age and the first two genetic principal components. In silico functional analysis was conducted among top signals detected with an arbitrary P < 1.0×10-5 . We sought to replicate genetic markers for PTB and GA identified in Europeans, and we developed a genetic risk score for GA based on European markers. RESULTS: Mean GA was 30 ± 4 weeks in PTB cases (N = 933) and 39 ± 1 in the controls (N = 1,279). No associatiosn were identified at genome-wide level. Nominal PTB variants were enriched for biological pathways associated with polyketide, progesterone, steroid hormones, and glycosyl metabolism. Nominal GA variants were enriched in intronic regions and cancer pathways. Variants in WNT4 associated with GA in Europeans were replicated in our study. A genetic risk score was associated with a 2-day longer GA (P = 0.002) in our sample. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified various signals suggestively associated with PTB and GA in pregnant Peruvian women. None of these variants overlapped with signals previously identified in Europeans.

Comparison of two statistical methodologies for a binary classification problem of two-dimensional images.

The present work intends to compare two statistical classification methods using images as covariates and under the comparison criterion of the ROC curve. The first implemented procedure is based on exploring a mathematical-statistical model using multidimensional arrangements, frequently known as tensors. It is based on the theoretical framework of the high-dimensional generalized linear model. The second methodology is situated in the field of functional data analysis, particularly in the space of functions that have a finite measure of the total variation. A simulation study is carried out to compare both classification methodologies using the area under the ROC curve (AUC). The model based on functional data had better performance than the tensor model. A real data application using medical images is presented.

Metabolic disorders across the body mass index spectrum in a Colombian population with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The relationship between obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has long been established, and the prevalence of both conditions has grown together. Recent interest in NAFLD in nonobese individuals has led to an increasing number of studies, especially in Asia. Despite the fact that the prevalence of NAFLD in Latin America is one of the highest in the world, there is a lack of information on lean NAFLD populations from the region. The aim of the present study was to assess the risk of metabolic comorbidities across the whole body mass index spectrum when nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) was first diagnosed in a Latin American population. METHODS: A single-center, cross-sectional study on Colombian patients newly diagnosed with NAFLD, within the time frame of 2010-2020, compared their metabolic biochemical profile, liver enzymes, risk of prevalent metabolic abnormalities, and liver disease. RESULTS: Data from 300 patients were collected. Ninety-two percent of the patients were men and the median patient age was 47 (IQR 20) years. We found no significant differences in the biochemical, metabolic profile, or liver enzyme plasma concentration between lean, overweight, and obese individuals. Obese patients had significantly higher LDL cholesterol, and a higher risk of dyslipidemia (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.14-3.05). Every 1kg increase in body weight increased the risk of having NASH by 2% (95% CI 2-4). CONCLUSIONS: We evaluated the metabolic risk across the entire body mass index spectrum in a Colombian cohort with NAFLD and presented the characteristics of what we believe is the first Latin American lean NAFLD population to be described.

Anisotropic behavior of mechanical properties for thea- andc-domains in a (001) BaTiO3single crystal.

Barium titanate (BaTiO3) single crystal with a tetragonal phase was characterized by nanoindentation. Elastic and elastic-plastic deformation regimes were obtained. The main objective was the evaluation of the anisotropic behavior related to mechanical properties associated with the cross-section of the ferroelectrica- andc-domains (In-plane and out-of-plane) in (001) configuration domains. This behavior was evaluated along a line perpendicular to the between domains, which demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the BaTiO3single crystal depend on the distance from due to the effect of the influence of the neighbor domain. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model was developed to simulate mechanical effects revealed by the nanoindentations test. The FE simulation demonstrated that there is no simple isotropic mechanical behavior associated with the domain type. Numerical simulations and experiments performed to study ferroelastic switching domains in BaTiO3crystals revealed the interaction of the 90°-cadomain with the indentation position.

Major adverse events related to endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures in achalasia. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Surgical or endoscopic treatments play an essential role in the management of achalasia. The probability of adverse events in the performance of said treatments is a relevant aspect, when establishing the risk-benefit balance. The present study aimed to establish the association between serious adverse events and the performance of those procedures, in adult patients with achalasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systemic search of randomized and nonrandomized clinical trials, retrospective cohorts, and cases series on adult patients with achalasia that underwent laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM), peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), or endoscopic balloon dilation, that reported serious adverse events, was carried out on the Medline, CENTRAL, and EBSCO databases. Serious adverse events were defined as: death at 30 days, Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher classification, esophageal or gastric perforation, pneumothorax, mucosal tear, leakage, emphysema, pneumonia, and chest pain. The methodology included the PRISMA guidelines for reporting systematic reviews. RESULTS: Thirty-five studies were found that reported information on 1,276 patients that underwent POEM, 5,492 that underwent LHM, and 10,346 that underwent endoscopic balloon dilation. The proportions of adverse events for the three techniques were 3.6, 4.9, and 3.1%, respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The 3 therapeutic interventions evaluated had similar proportions of adverse events. There were few reports of death at 30 days as an outcome and the lack of standardization in reporting adverse events in the studies analyzed was prominent.

Genomic Epidemiology of Salmonella enterica Circulating in Surface Waters Used in Agriculture and Aquaculture in Central Mexico.

Salmonella enterica can survive in surface waters (SuWa), and the role of nonhost environments in its transmission has acquired increasing relevance. In this study, we conducted comparative genomic analyses of 172 S. enterica isolates collected from SuWa across 3 months in six states of central Mexico during 2019. S. enterica transmission dynamics were assessed using 87 experimental and 112 public isolates from Mexico collected during 2002 through 2019. We also studied genetic relatedness between SuWa isolates and human clinical strains collected in North America during 2005 through 2020. Among experimental isolates, we identified 41 S. enterica serovars and 56 multilocus sequence types (STs). Predominant serovars were Senftenberg (n = 13), Meleagridis, Agona, and Newport (n = 12 each), Give (n = 10), Anatum (n = 8), Adelaide (n = 7), and Infantis, Mbandaka, Ohio, and Typhimurium (n = 6 each). We observed a high genetic diversity in the sample under study, as well as clonal dissemination of strains across distant regions. Some of these strains are epidemiologically important (ST14, ST45, ST118, ST132, ST198, and ST213) and were genotypically close to those involved in clinical cases in North America. Transmission network analysis suggests that SuWa are a relevant source of S. enterica (0.7 source/hub ratio) and contribute to its dissemination as isolates from varied sources and clinical cases have SuWa isolates as common ancestors. Overall, the study shows that SuWa act as reservoirs of various S. enterica serovars of public health significance. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms involved in SuWa contamination by S. enterica, as well as to develop interventions to contain its dissemination in food production settings. IMPORTANCE Surface waters are heavily used in food production worldwide. Several human pathogens can survive in these waters for long periods and disseminate to food production environments, contaminating our food supply. One of these pathogens is Salmonella enterica, a leading cause of foodborne infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in many countries. This research demonstrates the role of surface waters as a vehicle for the transmission of Salmonella along food production chains. It also shows that some strains circulating in surface waters are very similar to those implicated in human infections and harbor genes that confer resistance to multiple antibiotics, posing a risk to public health. This study contributes to expand our current knowledge on the ecology and epidemiology of Salmonella in surface waters.

Comparison between Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation with multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy and Whole Breast Irradiation, in clinical practice.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) with multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy (BT) and whole breast irradiation (WBI), in terms of toxicity, aesthetic result, quality of life and survival, in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comparative study of two prospectively recorded cohorts of 76 breast cancer patients who complied with the recommendations of GEC-ESTRO for APBI was conducted. The main objective was toxicity, quality of life measured through validated questionnaires and the aesthetic results. Secondary objectives were overall survival and disease-free survival. RESULTS: Seventy-six stage I/II breast cancer patients, with a mean age of 66 years entered the study. APBI group showed less acute G1-2 dermatitis (51.4 vs 94.9%, p < 0.001) and late hyperpigmentation (0 vs 17.9%, p = 0.04). There were no differences in aesthetic results, both assessed by the patient herself and by the doctor. Statistically significant differences in measures of quality of life were observed in favour of the APBI, both in EORTC QLQ-BR23 and body image scale questionnaires. With a median follow-up of 72 months (6 years), the estimated overall survival at 5 and 10 years was 96.8 and 77.7%, respectively, and disease-free survival at 5 and 10 years was 91.1 and 69.4%, respectively, without statistically significant differences between groups. DISCUSSION: APBI is an attractive alternative in candidate patients with initial breast cancer, with benefits in acute toxicity and quality of life and fewer visits to the hospital, without compromising tumor control or survival.

Encapsulation of Pollutant Gaseous Molecules by Adsorption on Boron Nitride Nanotubes: A Quantum Chemistry Study.

Based on density functional theory (DFT) and the semiempirical method PM7, we analyze the encapsulation process of polluting gases and/or their adsorption on different sites, viz., on the inner wall, the outer wall, and on the boron nitride (BN) nanotube ends, with chirality (7,7) armchair. DFT calculations are performed using the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) functional and the M06-2X method through the 6-31G(d) divided valence orbitals as an atomic basis. Various geometrical configurations were optimized by minimizing the total energy for all analyzed systems, including the calculation of vibrational frequencies, which were assumed to be of a nonmagnetic nature, and where the total charge was kept neutral. Results are interpreted in terms of adsorption energy and electronic force, as well as on the analysis of quantum molecular descriptors for all systems considered. The study of six molecules, namely, CCl4, CS2, CO2, CH4, C4H10, and C6H12, in gas phase is addressed. Our results show that C4H10, C6H12, and CCl4 are chemisorbed on the inner surfaces (encapsulation) and on the nanotube ends. In contrast, the other molecules CS2, CO2, and CH4 show weak interaction with the nanotube surface, leading thereby to physisorption. Our findings thus suggest that this kind of polluting gases can be transported within nanotubes by encapsulation.

Correlated flickering of erythrocytes membrane observed with dual time resolved membrane fluctuation spectroscopy under different D-glucose concentrations.

A correlated human red blood cell membrane fluctuation dependent on D-glucose concentration was found with dual time resolved membrane fluctuation spectroscopy (D-TRMFS). This new technique is a modified version of the dual optical tweezers method that has been adapted to measure the mechanical properties of red blood cells (RBCs) at distant membrane points simultaneously, enabling correlation analysis. Mechanical parameters under different D-glucose concentrations were obtained from direct membrane flickering measurements, complemented with membrane fluidity measurements using Laurdan Generalized Polarization (GP) Microscopy. Our results show an increase in the fluctuation amplitude of the lipid bilayer, and a decline in tension value, bending modulus and fluidity as D-glucose concentration increases. Metabolic mechanisms are proposed as explanations for the results.

The avalanche-like behaviour of large-scale haemodynamic activity from wakefulness to deep sleep.

Increasing evidence suggests that responsiveness is associated with critical or near-critical cortical dynamics, which exhibit scale-free cascades of spatio-temporal activity. These cascades, or 'avalanches', have been detected at multiple scales, from in vitro and in vivo microcircuits to voltage imaging and brain-wide functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recordings. Criticality endows the cortex with certain information-processing capacities postulated as necessary for conscious wakefulness, yet it remains unknown how unresponsiveness impacts on the avalanche-like behaviour of large-scale human haemodynamic activity. We observed a scale-free hierarchy of co-activated connected clusters by applying a point-process transformation to fMRI data recorded during wakefulness and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Maximum-likelihood estimates revealed a significant effect of sleep stage on the scaling parameters of the cluster size power-law distributions. Post hoc statistical tests showed that differences were maximal between wakefulness and N2 sleep. These results were robust against spatial coarse graining, fitting alternative statistical models and different point-process thresholds, and disappeared upon phase shuffling the fMRI time series. Evoked neural bistabilities preventing arousals during N2 sleep do not suffice to explain these differences, which point towards changes in the intrinsic dynamics of the brain that could be necessary to consolidate a state of deep unresponsiveness.

Tomografía de Coherencia Óptica. Uso en Dermatología / Optical Coherence Tomography. Use in Dermatology

RESUMEN La Tomografía de Coherencia Óptica (OCT) ha sido recientemente muy usada en diversas patologías de piel. Es una técnica no invasiva para la investigación morfológica de los tejidos, comparable con una biopsia virtual, capaz de generar imágenes en sección transversal de la microestructura del tejido; esta técnica se basa principalmente en el esparcimiento de la luz en los medios a estudiar y gracias a las fibras de colágeno hace que pueda utilizarse en la piel. Con el uso de OCT, es posible caracterizar la morfología normal y patológica de la piel, similar a la arquitectura del tejido que se observa en la histología de rutina, así como la progresión de la enfermedad, la cual se puede investigar in situ. Representa un enfoque no traumático y eficiente en el tiempo para el diagnóstico y seguimiento de un amplio número de enfermedades dermatológicas.

SUMMARY The Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has recently been widely used in various skin pathologies. It is a non-invasive technique for the morphological research of tissues, comparable with a virtual biopsy, capable of generating cross-sectional images of the tissue microstructure; this technique is based mainly on the scattering of light in the media to be studied and thanks to the collagen fibers it can be used on the skin. With the use of OTC, it is possible to characterize the normal and pathological morphology of the skin, similar to the tissue architecture observed in routine histology, as well as the progression of the disease which can be investigated in situ. Representing a non-traumatic and time-efficient approach for the diagnosis and monitoring of a large number of dermatological diseases.

ABPSE: Alineador de ADN Basado en Paralelismo a Nivel de Bit y la Estrategia Siembra y Extiende / ABPSE: DNA Aligner Based on Bit-level Parallelism and the Seed and Extend Strategy

Resumen La alineación de ADN es un proceso clave para la reconstrucción de genomas, a partir de los millones de lecturas cortas producidas por las máquinas de secuenciación paralela masiva. Tal proceso suele realizarse mediante algoritmos con elevada complejidad espacial y temporal, requiriendo varias horas para entregar los resultados, así como decenas de GB de RAM. Esto ha motivado la búsqueda de nuevos algoritmos y/o estrategias que permitan disminuir los tiempos de ejecución, mientras se utilizan recursos mínimos de memoria. En este artículo se presenta ABPSE, un nuevo alineador de ADN que combina el algoritmo de Ferragina y Manzini (o índices de FM) y el algoritmo de Myers, mediante la estrategia siembra y extiende. En la siembra, los índices de FM permiten calcular de manera rápida regiones con alta probabilidad de alineación; mientras que en la extensión, el algoritmo de Myers refina la alineación utilizando operaciones basadas en vectores de bits, calculando simultáneamente varias celdas de la matriz de programación dinámica. Los resultados muestran un 96.1% de lecturas alineadas correctamente, un factor de aceleración de 2.45x en relación a BWA-SW y un uso de memoria de apenas 7.6 GB, cuando se alinea el genoma humano completo.

Abstract DNA alignment is a key process in the assembly of genomes from the millions of short reads that are produced by massive parallel sequencing machines. Such a process is usually done by means of high spatial and temporal complexity algorithms, which takes hours to deliver the results as well as tens of GB of RAM. This has prompted the search for new algorithms and/or strategies that allow shorter runtimes, while using minimal memory footprint. In this article, we present ABPSE, a new DNA aligner that combines the Ferragina and Manzini algorithm (or FM indexes) and the Myers algorithm, by means of the seed and extend strategy. In the seeding, the FM indices allow a rapid calculation of the regions with high probability of alignment. In the extension, the Myers algorithm refines the alignment using operations based on bit vectors. It simultaneously calculates several cells of the dynamic programming matrix. The results show 96.1% of correctly aligned reads, an acceleration factor of 2.45x in relation to BWA-SW and a memory footprint of only 7.6 GB when aligning the entire human genome.

Laparoscopic cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC is effective regarding peritoneum tissue paclitaxel distribution.

BACKGROUND: In some patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, we could perform the cytoreductive surgery and the HIPEC procedure by a complete laparoscopic approach to avoid morbidity. We consider that using laparoscopic approach for performing peritoneal carcinomatosis cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC with closed CO2 recirculation technique is possible and safe, with equal efficacy to conventional methods and hemodynamic complications. OBJECTIVE: Monitoring the effectiveness of the drug distribution in a laparoscopic ctoreductive and HIPEC surgery group with CO2 recirculation respect to a closed and open HIPEC group METHODS: Porcine model that included fifteen mini-pigs. Five pigs were operated with laparoscopic approach performing a pelvic and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. They later received a total laparoscopic closed HIPEC with CO2 recirculation (G1). Group 2 (G2): five pigs operated by an open cytoreductive surgery and closed HIPEC technique. Group 3 (G3): five animals in which an open cytoreductive surgery and an open HIPEC technique was performed. Blood and peritoneal determinations were realized after recirculation of the drug, at 60 min using chromatographic analysis. RESULTS: G1-G2: phrenic right peritoneum, p: 0.46. Phrenic left peritoneum, p: 0.46. Pelvic peritoneum, p: 0.17. Serum paclitaxel: p: 0.01. G1-G3: phrenic right peritoneum, p: 0.34. Phrenic left peritoneum, p: 0.34. Pelvic peritoneum, p: 0.17. Serum paclitaxel G1-G3, p: 0.02. CONCLUSIONS: A total laparoscopic approach for ctoreductive surgery and closed HIPEC with CO2 recirculation may be safe and feasible. In our experimental model there was no significant difference in tissue drug distribution respect the conventional techniques and there was a less toxicity because the serum drug concentration was significantly lower with laparoscopic approach respect the other groups.

Age-Related Changes in Ang II Receptor Localization and Expression in the Developing Auditory Pathway.

We studied Ang II receptor localization in different nuclei of the auditory system, by means of binding autoradiography, during brain development. The inferior colliculus (IC), a large midbrain structure which serves as an obligatory synaptic station in both the ascending and descending auditory pathways, exhibited high Ang II AT2 binding at all ages (P0, P8, P15, P30), being maximal at P15. These observations were confirmed by in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence at P15, demonstrating that AT2 receptor mRNA localized at the same area recognized by AT2 antibodies and anti ß III-tubulin suggesting the neuronal nature of the reactive cells. Ang II AT1 receptors were absent at early developmental ages (P0) in all nuclei of the auditory system and a low level was observed in the IC at the age P8. AT2 receptors were present at ventral cochlear nucleus and superior olivary complex, being higher at P15 and P8, respectively. We also explored the effect of prenatal administration of Ang II or PD123319 (AT2 antagonist) on binding of Ang II receptors at P0, P8, P15. Both treatments increased significantly the level of AT2 receptors at P0 and P8 in the IC. Although total binding in the whole IC from P15 animals showed no difference between treatments, the central nucleus of the IC exhibited higher binding. Our results supports a correlation between the timing of the higher expression of Ang II AT2 receptors in different nuclei, the onset of audition and the establishment of neuronal circuits of the auditory pathway.

Colorectal cancer survival at an oncologic center in Colombia. A historic cohort study. / Supervivencia de cáncer colorrectal en un centro oncológico de Colombia. Estudio de cohorte histórica.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: In Colombia, cancer of the colon is the third most frequent cancer in relation to incidence and mortality. Five-year survival depends on stage at diagnosis, albeit that rate is not known for the country. The aim of the present study was to characterize the overall survival and disease-free survival rates in an adult population with colorectal cancer treated at an oncology center in Medellín, Colombia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The case records of patients with a histologic diagnosis of colorectal cancer, seen within the time frame of 2011 and 2015, were reviewed. The overall survival and disease-free survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: A total of 824 (54.9%) patients with cancer of the colon and 676 (45.1%) with cancer of the rectum were treated. Mean patient age was 63.3 years, female sex predominated (56.3%), and 98.1% of the tumors were adenocarcinomas. The majority of the lesions were stage iii (31.9% in the colon and 35.5% in the rectum) at the time of diagnosis. Surgery was the most frequent treatment in the colon (85.2%) and radiotherapy was the most frequent in the rectum (75.4%). Overall survival at the median follow-up (27.3 months) was 66.7% for cancer of the colon and 63.9% for cancer of the rectum. Disease-free survival at the median follow-up (18.6 months in colon and 14.9 in rectum) was 72.5 and 68.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics and treatment of patients were similar to those found in other studies. Two-year survival was higher than in other Colombian reports and 5-year survival was lower than that observed in developed countries.

Estudios sobre el virus del papiloma humano y cáncer cervical en el Ecuador / Studies on the human papillomavirus and cervical cancer in Ecuador

El presente artículo recopila un extracto de las distintas ponencias realizadas por investigadores de diferentes lugares del Ecuador en el marco del Simposio sobre Cáncer Cervical y el virus del papiloma humano ocurrido en el 5° Congresosobre enfermedades infecciosas llevado a cabo en octubre del 2018 en la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (Quito). Estas presentaciones presentan un diagnóstico acerca de la situación actual del virus de papiloma humano (VPH) y del cáncer cervical en nuestra región. Estas presentaciones complementan la información presentada en un evento similar realizado hace un par de años en las Jornadas Nacionales de Biología Espol 2016, constituyendo estas memorias en conjunto como uno de los pocos documentos disponibles que recopilan los últimos avances realizados en este campo en el Ecuador en años recientes.

Thisarticle compiles an extract of the different presentations made by researchers from different parts of Ecuador in the framework of the Symposium on Cervical Cancer and the human papillomavirus occurred at the 5th Congress on infectious diseases carried out in October 2018 at the Pontificia Catholic University of Ecuador (Quito). These presentations present a diagnosis about the current situation of human papilloma virus (HPV) and Cervical Cancer in our region. These presentations complement the informationpresented in a similar event held a couple of years ago at the National Conference of Biology Espol2016, constituting these memories together as one of the few documents available that assemble the latest advances made in this field in Ecuador in recent years.

Sedation or anaesthesia decrease the stress response to electroejaculation and improve the quality of the collected semen in goat bucks.

Electroejaculation (EE) is stressful and probably painful; thus the administration of anaesthesia is recommended to decrease those negative effects. However, anaesthesia has a direct risk of provoking death, but sedation is less risky than anaesthesia. At the same time, α2-adrenergic agonists may improve semen quality. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the physiological and behavioural responses indicative of stress and possibly pain, and the semen quality in electroejaculated untreated, anaesthetised or sedated goat bucks. Semen was collected from eight bucks using three different procedures in all them (EE in untreated bucks, EE under sedation or EE under general anaesthesia). The number of vocalizations during EE and the behavioural pattern before and after procedures were recorded. Pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score was also determined during EE. Rectal temperature, heart rate, serum cortisol concentration, biochemical and haematological parameters were measured before and after each procedure, and sperm characteristics were determined. Bucks vocalised more often when untreated than sedated or anaesthetised (P<0.02). The pain VAS score was greater when bucks were untreated than sedated or anaesthetised (P<0.002). The rectal temperature, heart rate, total protein, albumin and haemoglobin concentrations were greater when bucks were untreated than anaesthetised or sedated (P<0.02). Serum cortisol increased after EE (P=0.0006), without differences between procedures. The frequency and duration of lying down after EE were greater when bucks were anaesthetised than sedated or untreated (P<0.05), and were also greater when bucks were sedated than untreated (P<0.05). The number of times that the animal tried to stand up after EE was greater when bucks were anaesthetised than sedated or untreated (P<0.02). The sperm mass motility was greater when bucks were anaesthetised or sedated than when they were untreated (P=0.048). When animals were sedated, the ejaculate contained more spermatozoa with functional plasma membrane (P=0.03) and morphologically normal (P=0.05) than when they were untreated. In conclusion, general anaesthesia and sedation decreased the stress and probably the pain response provoked by EE and especially sedation improved the quality of the semen collected.

Cardioprotective strategies preserve the stability of respiratory chain supercomplexes and reduce oxidative stress in reperfused ischemic hearts.

Electron leakage from dysfunctional respiratory chain and consequent superoxide formation leads to mitochondrial and cell injury during ischemia and reperfusion (IR). In this work we evaluate if the supramolecular assembly of the respiratory complexes into supercomplexes (SCs) is associated with preserved energy efficiency and diminished oxidative stress in post-ischemic hearts treated with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and the cardioprotective maneuver of Postconditioning (PostC). Hemodynamic variables, infarct size, oxidative stress markers, oxygen consumption and the activity/stability of SCs were compared between groups. We found that mitochondrial oxygen consumption and the activity of respiratory complexes are preserved in mitochondria from reperfused hearts treated with both NAC and PostC. Both treatments contribute to recover the activity of individual complexes. NAC reduced oxidative stress and maintained SCs assemblies containing Complex I, Complex III, Complex IV and the adapter protein SCAFI more effectively than PostC. On the other hand, the activities of CI, CIII and CIV associated to SCs assemblies were preserved by this maneuver, suggesting that the activation of other cardioprotective mechanisms besides oxidative stress contention might participate in maintaining the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory complexes in such superstructures. We conclude that both the monomeric and the SCs assembly of the respiratory chain contribute to the in vivo functionality of the mitochondria. However, although the ROS-induced damage and the consequent increased production of ROS affect the assembly of SCs, other levels of regulation as those induced by PostC, might participate in maintaining the activity of the respiratory complexes in such superstructures.