Efecto de la reestructuración cognitiva sobre las distorsiones cognitivas de los adolescentes frente al duelo por fallecimiento de sus padres / Cognitive restructuring effects on cognitive distortions in adolescents in grief over parent's death

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar los efectos de la técnica reestructuración cognitiva sobre las distorsiones cognitivas en los adolescentes frente al duelo por el fallecimiento de sus padres. Se realizó una investigación de tipo descriptiva, con diseño cuasi­experimental, de corte transversal, dirigida a una muestra intencional conformada por 10 estudiantes de bachillerato de instituciones públicas y privadas quienes perdieron a alguno de sus padres. Se diseñó un instrumento de preguntas cerradas con una confiabilidad de 0,94. El instrumento se aplicó a los adolescentes antes y después del abordaje con la técnica de reestructuración cognitiva para así explorar la valoración cognitiva elaborada en su respectivo proceso de duelo. Entre los resultados obtenidos se aprecia que 35% evidencian distorsiones cognitivas antes del estudio (razonamiento emocional, sobregeneralización, pensamiento dicotómico y personalización) mientras que después del abordaje sólo en 25% persistieron estas distorsiones. En cuanto a la dimensión estímulos, el 63% se afectaban por las conversaciones sobre sus padres fallecidos y sólo 25% lo hacían después del abordaje. Tristeza e ira fue detectada en 63% de los adolescentes previo abordaje y luego sólo en 48% de ellos. El análisis de los datos reveló la efectividad de la técnica en estudio para modificar las distorsiones cognitivas en este grupo de adolescentes(AU)

The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of cognitive restructuring on cognitive distortions in adolescents in grief over their parent's death. A descriptive, cross-sectional, with quasi-experimental design was performed on 10 high school students of public and private institutions who lost one or both parents. An instrument of closed questions was designed with a reliability of 0.94. The results show that 35% of adolescents had cognitive distortions before the study (emotional reasoning, overgeneralization, dichotomous thinking and personalization); after therapy 25% persisted with these distortions. Regarding the dimension stimuli, 63% were affected by conversations about their deceased parents; after therapy, only 25% were still affected. Sadness and anger was detected in 63% of adolescents; after the application of the technique, these emotional expressions presented only in 48% of participants. The analysis of the data revealed the effectiveness of this technique to modify cognitive distortions in this group of adolescents(AU)

Enhanced Delignification of Lignocellulosic Biomass by Recombinant Fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium Overexpressing Laccases and Peroxidases.

Ligninolytic enzyme production and lignin degradation are typically the rate-limiting steps in the biofuel industry. To improve the efficiency of simultaneous bio-delignification and enzyme production, Phanerochaete chrysosporium was transformed by shock wave-induced acoustic cavitation to co-overexpress 3 peroxidases and 1 laccase and test it on the degradation of sugarcane bagasse and wheat bran. Lignin depolymerization was enhanced by up to 25% in the presence of recombinant fungi in comparison with the wild-type strain. Sugar release on lignocellulose was 2- to 6-fold higher by recombinant fungi as compared with the control. Wheat bran ostensibly stimulated the production of ligninolytic enzymes. The highest peroxidase activity from the recombinant strains was 2.6-fold higher, whereas the increase in laccase activity was 4-fold higher in comparison to the control. The improvement of lignin degradation was directly proportional to the highest peroxidase and laccase activity. Because various phenolic compounds released during lignocellulose degradation have proven to be toxic to cells and to inhibit enzyme activity, a significant reduction (over 40%) of the total phenolic content in the samples treated with recombinant strains was observed. To our knowledge, this is the first report that engineering P. chrysosporium enhances biodegradation of lignocellulosic biomass.

Recombinant expression of four oxidoreductases in Phanerochaete chrysosporium improves degradation of phenolic and non-phenolic substrates.

Phanerochaete chrysosporium belongs to a group of lignin-degrading fungi that secretes various oxidoreductive enzymes, including lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP). Previously, we demonstrated that the heterologous expression of a versatile peroxidase (VP) in P. chrysosporium recombinant strains is possible. However, the production of laccases (Lac) in this fungus has not been completely demonstrated and remains controversial. In order to investigate if the co-expression of Lac and VP in P. chrysosporium would improve the degradation of phenolic and non-phenolic substrates, we tested the constitutive co-expression of the lacIIIb gene from Trametes versicolor and the vpl2 gene from Pleurotus eryngii, and also the endogenous genes mnp1 and lipH8 by shock wave mediated transformation. The co-overexpression of peroxidases and laccases was improved up to five-fold as compared with wild type species. Transformant strains showed a broad spectrum in phenolic/non-phenolic biotransformation and a high percentage in synthetic dye decolorization in comparison with the parental strain. Our results show that the four enzymes can be constitutively expressed in a single transformant of P. chrysosporium in minimal medium. These data offer new possibilities for an easy and efficient co-expression of laccases and peroxidases in suitable basidiomycete species.

High-yield production of manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase, and versatile peroxidase in Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

The white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium secretes extracellular oxidative enzymes during secondary metabolism, but lacks versatile peroxidase, an enzyme important in ligninolysis and diverse biotechnology processes. In this study, we report the genetic modification of a P. chrysosporium strain capable of co-expressing two endogenous genes constitutively, manganese peroxidase (mnp1) and lignin peroxidase (lipH8), and the codon-optimized vpl2 gene from Pleurotus eryngii. For this purpose, we employed a highly efficient transformation method based on the use of shock waves developed by our group. The expression of recombinant genes was verified by PCR, Southern blot, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and assays of enzymatic activity. The production yield of ligninolytic enzymes was up to four times higher in comparison to previously published reports. These results may represent significant progress toward the stable production of ligninolytic enzymes and the development of an effective fungal strain with promising biotechnological applications.

A novel and highly efficient method for genetic transformation of fungi employing shock waves.

Genetic transformation of filamentous fungi is an essential tool in many areas such as biotechnology, medicine, phytopathology and genetics. However, available protocols to transform fungi are inefficient, laborious and have low reproducibility. We report the use of underwater shock waves as a novel method to transform filamentous fungi. An experimental piezoelectric shock wave generator was designed to expose fungal conidia to heterologous DNA. The device was successfully tested in Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Trichoderma reesei and Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The transformation frequency per number of conidia was between two and four orders of magnitude higher in comparison to previously published methods. For example, the frequency of transformation in A. niger was improved up to 5400-fold as compared with Agrobacterium protocols. Transformation was verified by expression of the green fluorescent protein, PCR and Southern blot. Our method offers new possibilities for fast, easy and efficient genetic manipulation of diverse fungal species.

[Dysfunction of diastolic [Ca²âº] in cardiomyocytes isolated from chagasic patients]. / Disfunción de la [Ca(2+)] diastólica en cardiomiocitos aislados de pacientes chagásicos.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Chagas is an endemic disease in Latin America, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which usually affects the functioning of the heart. We have studied the regulation of intracellular calcium in cardiomyocytes isolated from chagasic patients with different degrees of heart dysfunction. METHODS: Calcium selective microelectrodes were used to simultaneously measure diastolic calcium concentration ([Ca²âº](d)) and resting membrane potential in endomyocardial biopsies obtained from chagasic patients and controls. RESULTS: The [Ca²âº](d) increased by 123%, 295%, and 738% in chagasic patients in functional class I, II, and III, respectively, in relation to controls. Membrane potential showed a partial depolarization of 6% in functional class I, 10% in functional class II, and 22% in functional class III, compared to control values. Alteration in the [Ca²âº](d) was partially reverted by 1-[6-[[(17ß)-3-metoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl]amino]hexyl]-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U-73122), a ß-phospholipase C antagonist, and by 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl-borate (2-APB), an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor blocker. Phenylephrine, an agent that induces a rapid transient increase in 1,4,5-trisphosphate intracellular content, produced a rise in [Ca²âº](d), higher in chagasic cardiomyocytes than in controls, and its effect was fully inhibited by 2-APB. CONCLUSIONS: In cardiomyocytes from chagasic patients there is a dysfunction of the regulation of the [Ca²âº](d), which correlates with the cardiac abnormalities observed in the different stages of the disease. This disturbance in the regulation of intracellular calcium appears to be associated with alterations in the regulation of intracellular messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.

Altered Ca2+ homeostasis in human uremic skeletal muscle: possible involvement of cADPR in elevation of intracellular resting [Ca2+].

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic renal failure may develop muscle weakness and fatigability due to disorders of skeletal muscle function, collectively known as the uremic myopathy. Cyclic adenosine diphosphate-ribose (cADPR), an endogenous metabolite of beta-NAD+, activates Ca2+ release from intracellular stores in vertebrate and invertebrate cells. The current study investigated the possible role of cADPR in uremic myopathy. METHODS: We have examined the effect of cADPR on myoplasmic resting Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in skeletal muscle obtained from control subjects and uremic patients (UP). [Ca2+]i was measured using double-barreled Ca2+-selective microelectrodes in muscle fibers, prior to and after microinjections of cADPR. RESULTS: Resting [Ca2+]i was elevated in UP fibers compared with fibers obtained from control subjects. Removal of extracellular Ca2+, or incubation of cells with nifedipine, did not modify [Ca2+]i in UP or control fibers. Microinjection of cADPR produced an elevation of [Ca2+]i in both groups of cells. This elevation was not mediated by Ca2+ influx, or inhibited by heparin or ryanodine. [cADPR]i was determined to be higher in muscle fibers from UP compared to those from the control subjects. Incubation of cells with 8-bromo-cADPR, a cADPR antagonist, partially reduced [Ca2+]i in UP muscle fibers and blocked the cADPR-elicited elevation in [Ca2+]i in both groups of muscle cells. CONCLUSION: Skeletal muscles of the UP exhibit chronic elevation of [Ca2+]i that can be partially reduced by application of 8-bromo-cADPR. cADPR was able to mobilize Ca2+ from intracellular stores, by a mechanism that is independent of ryanodine or inositol trisphosphate receptors. It can be postulated that an alteration in the cADPR-signaling pathway may exist in skeletal muscle of the patients suffering from uremic myopathy.

Enhanced response to caffeine and 4-chloro-m-cresol in malignant hyperthermia-susceptible muscle is related in part to chronically elevated resting [Ca2+]i.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially fatal pharmacogenetic syndrome caused by exposure to halogenated volatile anesthetics and/or depolarizing muscle relaxants. We have measured intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) using double-barreled, Ca(2+)-selective microelectrodes in myoballs prepared from skeletal muscle of MH-susceptible (MHS) and MH-nonsusceptible (MHN) swine. Resting [Ca(2+)](i) was approximately twofold in MHS compared with MHN quiescent myoballs (232 +/- 35 vs. 112 +/- 11 nM). Treatment of myoballs with caffeine or 4-chloro-m-cresol (4-CmC) produced an elevation in [Ca(2+)](i) in both groups; however, the concentration required to cause a rise in [Ca(2+)](i) elevation was four times lower in MHS than in MHN skeletal muscle cells. Incubation of MHS cells with the fast-complexing Ca(2+) buffer BAPTA reduced [Ca(2+)](i), raised the concentration of caffeine and 4-CmC required to cause an elevation of [Ca(2+)](i), and reduced the amount of Ca(2+) release associated with exposure to any given concentration of caffeine or 4-CmC to MHN levels. These results suggest that the differences in the response of MHS skeletal myoballs to caffeine and 4-CmC may be mediated at least in part by the chronic high resting [Ca(2+)](i) levels in these cells.

Liberación anormal de CA²+ inducida por el inositol trifosfato en fibras estriadas susceptibles a hipertermia maligna / Abnormal liberation of CA²+ induced by the triphosphate inositol in striated fibers susceptible to malignant lypetermia

La hipertermia maligna es un síndrome farmocogenético asociado con la alteración de la regulación del calcio mioplásmico. Una modificación en el metabolismo del inositol 1,4,5 trifosfato (InsP3), hasido asociada con la fisiopatología de la hipertermia maligna. El objetivo del trabajo fue estudiar el efecto del InsP3 sobre la concentración intracelular de calcio ([CA²+]i) en fibras musculares obtenidas de sujetos no susceptibles y susceptibles a hipertermia maligna. La [CA²]i fue cuantificada mediante el uso de microelectrodos sensibles a CA²+. En susceptibles a hipertermia maligna la [CA²+]i fue más elevada que en las fibras musculares no suceptibles hipertemia maligna. La microinyección de InsP3 0,5 y 1 µM indujo una elevación significativa de la [CA²+]i, en ambos grupos musculares. Sin embargo, este incremento fue mayor en las fibras susceptibles a hipertermia maligna que en las no susceptibles a hipertermia maligna. La incubación de los músculos en soluciones con bajo contenido en Ca²+ o en nifedipina (10 µM) no modificó la elevación de [Ca²+]i mediana por el InsP3. El tratamiento con dantrolene (50 µM) redujo la [Ca²+]i, y bloqueó la elevación de la [Ca²+]i, inducida por el InsP3 en ambos grupos. Estos resultados sugieren (i) el posible papel del InsP3 como mediador químico en la liberación de Ca²+ desde los depósitos intracelulares; (ii) que el InsP3 podrá jugar un papel importante en la fisiopatología de la hipertermia maligna y (iii) que el efecto profiláctico y terapeútico del dantrolene podría estar relacionado con su efecto inhibitorio sobre la liberación de calcio intracelular mediada por el InsP3

Cambios en la [Ca²+]I: inducidos por el dantrolene en fibras esqueléticas susceptibles al síndrome de hipertermia maligna / Changes in the [Ca²+]I: armature the dantrolene in skeletal fibers from patients susceptible to syndrome of hyperthermia malignant

La hipertermia maligna es una miopatía de carácter hereditario, que puede ser desencadenada cuando individuos susceptibles son expuestos a relajantes musculares del tipo despolarizante y/o agentes anestésicos halogenados. Dantrolene representa el único fármaco capaz de prevenir o revertir el síndrome de hipertermia maligna. Nosotros hemos estudiado el efecto del dantrolene sobre la concentración intracelular de calcio libre ([Ca²+]i) en biosias musculares obtenidas de pacientes susceptibles a hipertermia maligna, antes y después de la administración oral de dantrolene (1,2, y 2,5 mh/kg de peso). La [Ca²+]i fue determinada mediante el uso de microelectrodos de doble barrera selectivos al ion calcio. La administración oral del dantrolene 1 mg/kg redujo [Ca²+]i de 413 ñ 10nM (n=15) a 325 ñ 9 nM (n=11), 2 mg/kg de 405 ñ 10 nM (n=11) a 203 ñ 11 nM (n=11) y 2,5 mg/kg de 395 ñ 15 nM (n=11) a 109 ñ 2 nM (n=14). El efecto del dantrolene sobre la [Ca²+]i no fue mediado por cambios en el potencial de membrana. Estos resultados demuestran la efectividad del dantrolene por vía oral en reducir la [Ca²+]i en fibras musculares esqueléticas obtenidas de pacientes susceptibles al síndrome de hipertermia maligna y explican el efecto beneficioso de este relajante muscular en el tratamiento prequirúrgico de estos pacientes