Mecanismo de acción de "plantas medicinales" aplicadas en lesiones estomatológicas: Revisión. Mecanismo de transferencia de energía mediante moléculas antiinflamatorias y antioxidantes absorbidas por los receptores de las membranas celulares de la mucosa oral. Hipótesis / Action's mechanism of medical plants applied on stomatological lesions: Review. Transfer mechanism of energy by anti-inflammatory and antioxidant molecules absorved by cell membranes receptors of oral mucosa. Hypotesis

Se realiza una síntesis de las características estructurales y moleculares de las membranas celulares humanas y de las paredes celulares de las plantas medicinales (CWP). El presente análisis soporta una hipótesis acerca de las relaciones existente entre ambas. El propósito es establecer el mecanismo de acción en el tratamiento local de irritaciones, quemaduras, abrasiones, pequeñas úlceras y reacciones agudas ampollares alérgicas, y enfermedad de las encías. Las proteínas de las paredes celulares de las plantas son proteínas extracelulares glicosiladas, polisacáridos, proteasas y lectinas. Acerca del 90% de las CWP son capaces de realizar funciones bioquímicas y biológicas. Su actividad antiinflamatoria ha sido investigada por varios autores como una inhibición del ácido araquidónico metabolizado por flavonoides. Investigaciones clínicas sugieren que las plantas medicinales aceleran la curación de las heridas ya que ellas aumentan la síntesis de colágeno y de proteoglicanos, promoviendo la reparación de los tejidos (AU)

Previously, a synthesis is presented about structural and molecular characteristics of human cell´s membranes and cell´s walls of medicinal plants. This analyses support an hypothesis about the relationships between both of them. The purpose is to establish the possibility of using it, as local treatment on irritations, burns, abrasions, small ulcers, acute bullous allergic reaction, gums illness and fungal infections of oral mucosa. Cell wall proteins (CWP) are glycosided proteins and polysaccharides, proteasas and lectins. They have been described as being extracellular. About 90% of CWP are capable to realize biochemical and biological functions. Anti-inflammatory activity and inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism by flavonoids, isolated from medicinal plants have been studied. Clinical investigations suggest that medicinal plants accelerate wound healing because they increase collagen and proteoglycan syntesis promoting tissue repair (AU)

Efecto de los ácidos grasos poliinsaturados omega-3 sobre la función cognitiva en pacientes con deterioro cognitivo leve / No disponible

Introducción: el deterioro cognitivo leve (DCL) afecta a entre el 3 y el 17 % de la población anciana, con tasas de conversión a demencia del 10 % al año. Distintos estudios publicados han mostrado el beneficio de los ácidos grasos poliinsaturados omega-3 (omega-3) en pacientes con DCL. Objetivo: evaluar el efecto de un complemento alimenticio a base de ácidos grasos omega-3 (ácido docosahexaenoico [DHA] y ácido eicosapentaenoico [EPA]) sobre el estado cognitivo y anímico en mayores de 60 años con DCL. Materiales y métodos: se seleccionaron 60 pacientes mayores de 60 años con DCL que fueron divididos aleatoriamente en dos grupos: grupo con complemento de omega-3 (grupo omega-3) y grupo control. Se efectuó una visita basal y otra a las 24 semanas. En cada visita se realizó: test de mini-mental (MMSE por sus siglas en inglés), test de Barcelona abreviado (TB-A) y escala de calidad de vida EQ-5D. Se analizaron las diferencias obtenidas entre las dos visitas y entre ambos grupos. Resultados: 46 (76,7 %) pacientes completaron el estudio: 25 del grupo omega-3 y 21 del grupo control. No encontramos diferencias entre ambos grupos en la puntuación del MMSE. Se halló mejoría significativa (p = 0,025) a favor del grupo omega-3 en el ítem «Memoria de textos diferida (preguntas)» del TB-A y mejoría significativa en el apartado ansiedad/depresión del EQ-5D a favor del grupo omega-3 (p = 0,005). El complemento de omega-3 fue bien tolerado. Conclusión: tras 24 semanas de seguimiento, el complemento de omega-3 ha mostrado un efecto positivo en la memoria y en el estado anímico. Estos resultados son equiparables a los publicados anteriormente, aunque se trata del primer estudio de estas características realizado en España (AU)

Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects between 3-17% of the elderly, with conversion rates to dementia of 10% per year. Different published studies have shown the benefit of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3) in patients with MCI. Objective: To assess the effect of an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] and eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]) food supplement on cognitive state and mood in people aged 60 years and above with MCI. Methods: 60 patients aged 60 years and above with MCI were recruited and were randomly divided into two groups: group with an omega-3 supplement (omega-3 group) and control group. A basal visit and a visit after 24 weeks were conducted. A minimental state examination (MMSE), an abbreviated Barcelona test (a-BT) and a EQ-5D quality of life scale were made in every visit. The differences between both visits and both groups were analyzed. Results: 46 patients completed the study (76.7%), 25 from the omega-3 group and 21 from the control group. There were no differences between both groups for the MMSE score. A significant improvement (p = 0.025) in favour of the omega-3 group for the "Deferred text memory (questions)" item in the a-BT and a significant improvement (p = 0.005) in favour of the omega-3 group for the anxiety/depression section in the EQ-5D were found. Omega-3 supplement was well tolerated. Conclusion: After 24 weeks of follow-up, the omega-3 supplement has shown a benefit on memory and mood. These results are comparable to those published earlier, although this is the first time that such a study has been conducted in Spain (AU)

Vascular endothelial tight junctions and barrier function are disrupted by 15(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid partly via protein kinase C ε-mediated zona occludens-1 phosphorylation at threonine 770/772.

Disruption of tight junctions (TJs) perturbs endothelial barrier function and promotes inflammation. Previously, we have shown that 15(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15(S)-HETE), the major 15-lipoxygenase 1 (15-LO1) metabolite of arachidonic acid, by stimulating zona occludens (ZO)-2 tyrosine phosphorylation and its dissociation from claudins 1/5, induces endothelial TJ disruption and its barrier dysfunction. Here, we have studied the role of serine/threonine phosphorylation of TJ proteins in 15(S)-HETE-induced endothelial TJ disruption and its barrier dysfunction. We found that 15(S)-HETE enhances ZO-1 phosphorylation at Thr-770/772 residues via PKCε-mediated MEK1-ERK1/2 activation, causing ZO-1 dissociation from occludin, disrupting endothelial TJs and its barrier function, and promoting monocyte transmigration; these effects were reversed by T770A/T772A mutations. In the arteries of WT mice ex vivo, 15(S)-HETE also induced ZO-1 phosphorylation and endothelial TJ disruption in a PKCε and MEK1-ERK1/2-dependent manner. In line with these observations, in WT mice high fat diet feeding induced 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LO) expression in the endothelium and caused disruption of its TJs and barrier function. However, in 12/15-LO(-/-) mice, high fat diet feeding did not cause disruption of endothelial TJs and barrier function. These observations suggest that the 12/15-LO-12/15(S)-HETE axis, in addition to tyrosine phosphorylation of ZO-2, also stimulates threonine phosphorylation of ZO-1 in the mediation of endothelial TJ disruption and its barrier dysfunction.

Chirality in supramolecular self-assembled monolayers of achiral molecules on graphite: formation of enantiomorphous domains from arachidic anhydride.

The molecular arrangement and chirality of the self-assembled arachidic anhydride monolayer on graphite were investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This molecule has two identical alkyl chains, linked by an anhydride group in the middle. In its extended form, one alkyl chain is shifted, with respect to the other, along the molecular backbone. Upon adsorption on graphite, this achiral anhydride spontaneously forms two types of homogeneous domains (denoted as m and m') with mirror symmetry. The angle from the molecular chain to the row-packing direction is 98.0 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees and 82.0 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees for domains m and m', respectively. Domain m is the mirror image of m'. The molecular arrangement of this self-assembled monolayer shows that domains m and m' are two-dimensional enantiomers with opposite chiralities. This new molecular packing motif is confirmed by line-profile analyses along the molecule-chain and the row-packing directions. This finding demonstrates the spontaneous formation of highly ordered homogeneous enantiomorphous domains on graphite resulting only from weak van der Waals forces between the achiral arachidic anhydride molecules.

Imaging brain phospholipase A2-mediated signal transduction in response to acute fluoxetine administration in unanesthetized rats.

Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) reuptake inhibitor, is used widely to treat depression and related disorders. By inhibiting presynaptic 5-HT reuptake, fluoxetine is thought to act by increasing 5-HT in the synaptic cleft, thus 5-HT binding to postsynaptic 5-HT(2A/2C) receptors. These receptors can be coupled via a G-protein to phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)), which when activated releases the second messenger arachidonic acid from synaptic membrane phospholipids. To image this activation, fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) or saline vehicle was administered i.p. to unanesthetized rats, and regional brain incorporation coefficients k(*) of intravenously injected radiolabeled arachidonic acid were measured after 30 min. Compared with vehicle, fluoxetine significantly increased k(*) in prefrontal, motor, somatosensory, and olfactory cortex, as well as in the basal ganglia, hippocampus, and thalamus. Many of these regions demonstrate high densities of the serotonin reuptake transporter and of 5-HT(2A/2C) receptors. Brain stem, spinal cord, and cerebellum, which showed no significant response to fluoxetine, have low densities of the transporters and receptors. The results show that it is possible to image quantitatively PLA(2)-mediated signal transduction in vivo in response to fluoxetine.

The influence of dietary nucleotides and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on the incorporation of [3H] arachidonic acid on experimental liver cirrhosis.

The purposes of this study were to determine: a) the incorporation of labeled [3H] arachidonic acid on the intestinal mucosa, the liver and plasma, after 1,3 and 5 hours of administration, b) preferential incorporation by different tissues, c) and the effects on experimental rats with thioacetamide-induced cirrhosis, after four weeks of a dietary supplementation with nucleotides and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. 209 female Wistar rats were divided into two groups (control and TAA group). The TAA group was given 300 mg of thioacetamide/L, in their drinking water for four months. After this period, a sample of 6 rats were taken from each group and examined, to evaluate the biochemical and histological changes of the experimental model, and 36 rats were taken to determine the incorporation of radioactivity by the groups. The rest of the animals were divided into four subgroups. Each group, receiving a supplementary diet with only long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and/or nucleotides or neither, for 4 weeks. After four months of thioacetamide, the incorporation of the [3H] arachidonic acid showed: a) an increased within 3 h in the intestinal mucosa, b) a decreased in the liver after 3 to 5 h c) and a drastic decrease in the plasma after 3 to 5 h. With a dietary supplementation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and nucleotides combined, there was a decrease of accumulate [3H] arachidonic acid in the intestine and a increase in the liver and plasma. The simultaneous supply of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and nucleotides was beneficial in the reversal of abnormalities of the lipid metabolism, in this experimental model of liver cirrhosis.

Selective uptake of liposomes containing lactose mono-fatty acid derivatives by hepatic parenchymal cells.

In this study we investigated the hepatic uptake of liposomes containing a novel synthetic glycolipid, lactose mono-arachidic acid amide (LAA). Liposomes containing LAA were aggregated by Ricinus communis agglutinin from caster bean, while the control liposomes were not, and the results suggested that the galactose residues of LAA were exposed to the outer surface of the liposomes. Next, the blood clearance and hepatic uptake of liposomes containing LAA after intravenous administration were compared with those of the control liposomes in rat. Hepatic uptake of liposomes containing LAA was greater than that of the control liposomes, rising significantly with dose. As a result of separation of the parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells, it was shown that the increase in hepatic uptake was mostly accounted for by a greater uptake by parenchymal cells. The inhibitory activity of asialofetuin on the hepatic uptake of liposomes containing LAA suggested that a galactose-specific recognition is involved in this uptake. These results demonstrate that the lactose mono-fatty acid amides (LFAs) are promising novel compounds for the introduction of carbohydrate residues onto the liposomal surface and that liposomes containing LFAs are potential carriers for the selective delivery of drugs to specific cells.