Síndrome de la orina púrpura / Purple urine bag syndrome

El síndrome de la bolsa de orina púrpura es una entidad poco frecuente que consiste en un cambio de coloración de la orina, que se vuelve de color púrpura en un contexto muy determinado: pacientes ancianos o pluripatológicos, portadores de sonda vesical y en el seno de una infección del tracto urinario por determinados gérmenes. Presentamos el caso de una mujer de 81 años con neoplasia metastásica de cavum, dependiente parcial que se moviliza en silla de ruedas y es portadora de sonda vesical. Acude a Urgencias por cuadro de fiebre y orina de color púrpura en bolsa colectora vesical. Es diagnosticada de infección urinaria y tratada de forma empírica con ceftriaxona. Presenta evolución clínica favorable con recuperación de la coloración normal de la orina en 48 horas (AU)

The purple urine bag syndrome is a rare disorder consisting of a change in urine color, which turns purple in a very specific context: elderly or multi-pathological patients, having a urinary catheter due to a urinary tract infection caused by certain germs. We present the case of an 81-year-old woman with metastatic nasopharyngeal neoplasia. Partially dependent, the woman uses a wheelchair and has a urinary catheter. She presents to the emergency department with fever and purple urine in the collection bag. She is diagnosed with urinary tract infection and treated empirically with ceftriaxone. The patient makes a good progress regaining normal urine color within 48 hours (AU)

Phytoestrogen -zearalanol ameliorates memory impairment and neuronal DNA oxidation in ovariectomized mice

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a novel phytoestrogen, α-Zearalanol, on Alzheimer's disease-related memory impairment and neuronal oxidation in ovariectomized mice. METHODS: Female C57/BL6 mice were ovariectomized or received sham operations and treatment with equivalent doses of 17β-estradiol or α-Zearalanol for 8 weeks. Their spatial learning and memory were analyzed using the Morris water maze test. The antioxidant enzyme activities and reactive oxygen species generation, neuronal DNA oxidation, and MutT homolog 1 expression in the hippocampus were measured. RESULTS: Treatment with 17β-estradiol or α-Zearalanol significantly improved spatial learning and memory performance in ovariectomized mice. In addition, 17β-estradiol and α-Zearalanol attenuated the decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities and increased reactive oxygen species production in ovariectomized mice. The findings indicated a significant elevation in hippocampi neuronal DNA oxidation and reduction in MutT homolog 1 expression in estrogen-deficient mice, but supplementation with 17β-estradiol or α-Zearalanol efficaciously ameliorated this situation. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that α-Zearalanol is potentially beneficial for improving memory impairments and neuronal oxidation damage in a manner similar to that of 17β-estradiol. Therefore, the compound may be a potential therapeutic agent that can ameliorate neurodegenerative disorders related to estrogen deficiency. .

Estado nutricional, consumo de lácteos y niveles séricos de calcio, fósforo y fosfatasas alcalinas en escolares de mérida / Nutritional status, consumption of dairy products and levels sericos of calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatases in schoolchildren of mérida

Se realizó una investigación de Campo de Tipo Descriptiva Correlacional y de corte transversal para determinar el estado nutricional, consumo de lácteos y niveles séricos de calcio, fósforo, y fosfatasas alcalinas en escolares del 1er, 3er y 5to grado de la U.E "Rafael Antonio González" de la comunidad de Mesa Bolívar en el año 2007. La población estuvo conformada por la matricula escolar de 171 estudiantes. Se determinó la muestra con el método estratificado aleatorio simple, obteniéndose 47% de la matricula escolar, correspondiendo 80 niños distribuidos por grado: 21 niños en 1ero, 28 en 3ero y 31 en 5to, en edades comprendidas entre 6 a 12 años. Se determinó la cantidad y la frecuencia de consumo de productos lácteos para lo cual, se diseñó un cuestionario "ad hoc" contentivo de 10 ítems relacionados con la frecuencia de consumo, cantidad y tipo de lácteos. Se realizó evaluación nutricional a través de la Combinación de Indicadores (Peso para la Talla y Talla para la Edad) utilizando las tablas de Evaluación de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Se determinaron los valores séricos de calcio, fósforo y fosfatasas alcalinas. Los escolares presentan 32,6% de malnutrición; tanto los niños (6-10 años y 11-12 años) como las niñas (8-12 años) presentaron un porcentaje de adecuación diario de calcio bajo (77,16%, 28,57% y 38,96%) respectivamente y 60% tienen hipocalcemia. Existe significancia estadística entre los niveles séricos de calcio y fósforo con el consumo diario promedio de calcio (p 0,05 y p 0,04). No hubo relación estadísticamente significativa entre el consumo de productos lácteos y el estado nutricional de los escolares. El estado nutricional de los escolares no depende del consumo diario de productos lácteos, sin embargo, dicho consumo si afecta los niveles séricos de calcio y fósforo(AU)

A cross-sectional descriptive correlational field research was conducted in order to determine the nutritional status, consumption of milk and serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase in students of 1st, 3rd and 5th grades of the "Rafael Antonio Gonzalez "school in Mesa Bolívar in 2007. The population consisted of 171 students. We determined the sample with a simple random stratified method, yielding 47% of school enrollment, corresponding to 80 children distributed by grade: 21 children in 1st, 28 in 3rd, 31 in 5th, aged 6 to 12 years old. The amount and frequency of consumption of dairy products, with an "ad hoc" questionnaire designed containing 10 items related to the frequency of consumption, quantity and type of dairy product. Nutritional assessment was carried out by means of the combination of indicators (weight for height and height for age) using the tables of evaluation of the World Health Organization. Values were determined in serum calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase. The students had 32,6% of malnutrition, both boys (6-10 years and 11-12 years) and girls (8-12 years) had an adequate percentage of low calcium daily intake(77.16%, 28. 57% and 38.96%, respectively) and 60% had hypocalcemia. There is statistical significance between serum calcium and phosphorus with an average daily intake of calcium (p 0.05 and p 0.04). There was no statistically significant relationship between dairy products consumption and nutritional status of schoolchildren. The nutritional status of schoolchildren does not depend on daily consumption of dairy products, however, that consumption does affect serum calcium and phosphorus(AU)

Therapeutic opportunities to control tumor cell cycles

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Tumor cell proliferation is frequently associated togenetic or epigenetic alterations in key cell cycleregulators. Most human tumors deregulate thispathway to sustain proliferation with independenceof external mitogenic factors. In addition, the alterationof cell cycle proteins may confer genomic instabilitythat results in additional mutations inthese tumor cells. The frequent alteration of the cellcycle in tumor cells has launched the identificationfor critical cell cycle regulators as anticancer targets.The inhibition of some cell cycle kinases suchas cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) or the Auroraand Polo mitotic kinases is currently under study inseveral preclinical and clinical trials. Similarly, theclinical success of microtubule poisons such as taxolhas promoted new applied research in mitosisregulation. Recent investigations have suggestednew targets of interest including additional kinases,phosphatases and other mitotic regulators such asmicrotubule motor proteins (kinesins). Currrent researchin this area will undoubtedly result in newand improved targeted therapies for cancer treatment

Protein kinases and phosphatases as therapeutic targets in cancer

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Protein phosphorylation plays key roles in many physiologicalprocesses and is often deregulated in pathologicalconditions. Our current understanding of howprotein kinases and phosphatases orchestrate thephosphorylation changes that control cellular functionshas made these enzymes potential drug targetsfor the treatment of many diseases. The success of thetyrosine kinase inhibitor Gleevec in the treatment ofsome cancers has further invigorated the developmentof kinase inhibitors as anti-cancer drugs. Alarge number of these compounds are currently undergoingclinical trials and there is much expectationon the therapeutic potential of these molecules, asmore specific and less toxic drugs than currentlyused generic chemotherapeutic agents. In this manuscript,we review the current status of more than 30protein kinase inhibitors with proven or potentialtherapeutic value for cancer treatment. These includeinhibitors of receptor and cytosolic tyrosine kinasesas well as compounds that target different families ofserine/threonine kinases involved in signalling andcell cycle regulation. We also briefly touch on theprospects of phosphatase inhibitors. The combinationof kinase inhibitors to target different components ofsignalling pathways that are found deregulated in tumoursis also emerging as an interesting approach forcancer therapy

Bacterial phytase: potential application, in vivo function and regulation of its synthesis

The stepwise release of phosphate from phytate, the major storage form of phosphate in plant seeds and pollen, is initiated by a class of enzymes that have been collectively called phytases. The classification is solely due to the in vitro capability of these enzymes to accept phytate as a substrate. Phytases have been studied intensively in recent years because of the great interest in such enzymes for reducing phytate content in animal feed and food for human consumption. They have a wide distribution in plants, microorganisms, and in some animal tissues. Due to several biological characteristics, such as substrate specificity, resistance to proteolysis and catalytic efficiency, bacterial phytases have considerable potential in commercial applications. In bacteria, phytase is an inducible enzyme and its expression is subjected to a complex regulation, but phytase formation is not controlled uniformly among different bacteria. It was suggested that phytase is not required for balanced growth of bacterial cells, but may be synthesised in response to a nutrient or energy limitation.

Eficácia da associação Metotrexato e Cloroquina no tratamento da artrite induzida por adjuvante / Effectiveness of the association Methotrexate and Chloroquine in the treatment of the induced arthritis for adjuvant

A artrite reumatóide (AR) é uma doença inflamatória crônica, de natureza autoimune, caracterizada pela infiltração e ativação de células inflamatórias no tecido sinovial de múltiplas articulações. O metotrexato (MTX) é muito utilizado na terapia da AR, apresentando atividade antiinflamatória e imunomoduladora, atuando sobre a proliferação celular na sinóvia e inibindo a migração de leucócitos e a produção de radicais superóxidos. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um estudo sistemático dos efeitos do MTX, da CQ e da associação MTX+CQ sobre a resposta inflamatória, e sobre a atividade de enzimas (fosfatases e transaminases) no plasma e no fígado de ratos, utilizando o modelo da artrite induzida por adjuvante. A artrite foi induzida em ratos Holtzman pela injeção intradérmica de 0,1 mL da suspensão de M. tuberculosis em óleo mineral em uma das patas posteriores do animal. O desenvolvimento da resposta inflamatória (edema das patas posteriores e anteriores, aparecimento de nódulos na cauda e nas orelhas, perfil hematológico e evolução do peso corporal) foi avaliado por um período de 21 dias. Grupos de animais foram tratados com: a) MTX, administrado semanalmente, via intraperitonial, nas doses de 0,15; 1,5; 3; 6 e 12 mg/Kg; b) CQ, administrada por via intragástrica, diariamente, nas doses de 25 e 50 mg/Kg e c) associação MTX+CQ, administrada em duas combinações diferentes (MTX1,5 mg/kg+CQ50 mg/Kg e MTX6 mg/kg+CQ50 mg/Kg). Os tratamentos foram iniciados no mesmo dia da indução da artrite. No final do período experimental, os animais foram anestesiados e o sangue e o fígado coletados e preparados para as determinações bioquímicas. A atividade de fosfatases (ácida e alcalina) e de transaminases (aspartato amino transferase e alanina amino transferase) no plasma e no fígado foram determinadas, assim como a concentração plasmática de creatinina. Os resultados obtidos neste estudo mostraram que o MTX nas doses de 6 e 12 mg/Kg reduziu...

Cytochemical localization of phosphatases in the germ- and Sertoli cells of Odontophrynus cultripes (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae)

Ultrastructural cytochemical techniques were used for the localization of phosphatases in spermatid and spermatozoon, as well as in Sertoli cells of Odontophrynus cultripes (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae). Acid phosphatase was found in the acrosome. Thiamine pyrophosphatase was observed in the Golgi cisternae and in the tail spermatozoon surface. Glucose-6-phosphatase was located in the membrane complex of the acrosomal region. Already, in the Sertoli cells acid phosphatase was located in the lysosomes and glucose-6-phosphatase was observed in association with the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex. These observations support the idea that various phosphatases may play some role in spermatid differentiation and in the interactions germ cells--Sertoli cells during spermiogenesis process

Cytochemical localization of phosphatases in the germ- and Sertoli cells of Odontophrynus cultripes (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae)

Ultrastructural cytochemical techniques were used for the localization of phosphatases in spermatid and spermatozoon, as well as in Sertoli cells of Odontophrynus cultripes (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae). Acid phosphatase was found in the acrosome. Thiamine pyrophosphatase was observed in the Golgi cisternae and in the tail spermatozoon surface. Glucose-6-phosphatase was located in the membrane complex of the acrosomal region. Already, in the Sertoli cells acid phosphatase was located in the lysosomes and glucose-6-phosphatase was observed in association with the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex. These observations support the idea that various phosphatases may play some role in spermatid differentiation and in the interactions germ cells--Sertoli cells during spermiogenesis process