Prevalence of esophageal inlet patch and clinical characteristics of the patients. / Prevalencia y características clínicas de pacientes con parche de mucosa gástrica ectópica en esófago.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: An inlet patch (IP) is the presence of gastric columnar epithelium outside of the stomach. No studies have been conducted in Mexico on that pathology. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of esophageal IP and the clinical characteristics of the patients that present it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted that included consecutive patients referred for endoscopy within the time frame of September 2015 to May 2016. The patients answered a questionnaire, and high-definition endoscopy with digital chromoendoscopy was performed. The prevalence of IP was identified. The chi-square test was used to compare the clinical characteristics between patients that presented with esophageal IP and those without it. RESULTS: A total of 239 patients were included in the study. Their mean age was 53 years, and 130 (54.4%) were women. IP was found in 26 patients (10.9%), 15 of whom were men (57.7%). The main reason for referral to endoscopy was gastroesophageal reflux disease, present in 69.2% of the patients with IP and in 55.9% without IP (p=.19). The most common symptoms were heartburn and regurgitation. The former was present in 69.2% of the patients with IP and in 59.1% without IP (p=.32), and the latter was present in 65.4% of the patients with IP and 69.1% without IP (p=.7). Extraesophageal manifestation distribution was: cough in 46.2% of the patients with IP and 38% without IP (p=.45) and dysphonia in 54% with IP and 47% without IP (p=.53). Twenty-three percent of the patients with IP had Barrett's esophagus, as did 23% without IP (p=.99). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of IP was high. The primary referral diagnosis was gastroesophageal reflux disease. No differences were found in relation to symptoms or the presence of Barrett's esophagus between the patients with and without IP.

The anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib inhibits T-type Ca2+ currents in spermatogenic cells yet it elicits the acrosome reaction in mature sperm.

Celecoxib (Cx), an anti-inflammatory drug designed to inhibit COX2, can affect some ion channels. T-type (CaV3) channels have been implicated in sperm physiology. Here we report and characterize the Cx induced inhibition of T-type channels in mouse spermatogenic cells. Unexpectedly, Cx can also induce the acrosome reaction (AR), an intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i) increase and a sperm depolarization. This [Ca(2+)]i increase possibly results from the ability Cx has to alkalinize intracellular pH (pHi), which is known to activate the sperm specific Ca(2+) channel CatSper. As the Cx induced [Ca(2+)]i increase is sensitive to mibefradil, a CatSper blocker, this channel may mediate the Cx-induced Ca(2+) entry leading to the AR. Our observations demonstrate that Cx can compromise fertilization.

A study on parasites in Mexican rheumatic disease patients.

Blastocystis hominis is a common human parasite with infection rates up to 50% in developing countries, and giardiasis is the commonest intestinal one in Mexico. No doubt, various parasites as Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica can cause rheumatic diseases. This study coproparasitoscopic analysis evaluated the cysts by B. hominis, G. lamblia, E. hartmani, E. coli and E. histolytica in Mexican rheumatic disease patients. Also, ELISA was used to detect E. histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides, Toxocara canis, and Trichinella spiralis in Mexican patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Thirty-six patients (24 with AS and 12 with RA) and 77 healthy control individuals were enrolled in this study. The frequencies of protozoan cysts were comparable in rheumatic disease patients (AS and RA) and healthy control donors (33 and 25 vs. 26%, respectively; p > 0.05). The frequency of antibodies to T. canis was significantly higher in AS patients than in healthy control donors (16 vs. 2.6%, respectively; p = 0.027), whereas no differences were observed for the prevalence of antibodies for the other parasites (E. histolytica, A. lumbricoides and T. spiralis) (p > 0.05). This information indicates the need to intensify educational efforts for the prevention of parasite infections associated with AS disease that cannot be controlled only by drugs.

Hypoglycemic action of Cucurbita ficifolia on Type 2 diabetic patients with moderately high blood glucose levels.

Ten Type 2 diabetic patients with moderately hyperglycemia, received a raw extract of Cucurbita ficifolia or potable water in a single dose of 4 ml/Kg body weight, in two different sessions at least separated by 1 week. Blood glucose levels were followed in both parts of the study by a period of 5 h. The patients had stopped their pharmacologic medication 24 h prior to each part of the study. As expected, no significant changes on blood glucose were observed after giving the vehicle; however, the oral administration of C. ficifolia was followed by a significant decrease in blood glucose levels, from 12.07+/-1.69 mM (217.2+/-30.4 mg/dl) to 9.42+/-1.96 mM (169.6+/-35.3 mg/dl) 3 h after and to 8.37+/-1.74 mM (150.8+/-31.3 mg/dl) 5 h after the extract administration. The hypoglycemic action of Cucurbita ficifolia agrees with its effects previously observed in laboratory animals. The results of this preliminary study do not give indications for the mechanism of this hypoglycemic effect.

Current oscillations under voltage-clamp conditions: an interplay of series resistance and negative slope conductance.

Using the patch-clamp technique, we observed profound oscillations of the whole-vacuole outward current across the tonoplast of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. (common ice plant). These current oscillations showed a clear voltage dependence and appeared at membrane potentials more positive than 90-100 mV. This paper describes the oscillations in terms of two separate mechanisms. First, the Mesembryanthemum vacuolar membrane shows a negative slope conductance at membrane potentials more positive than 100-120 mV. The fact that the oscillations and the negative slope conductance show a similar threshold potential suggests that (part of) the same mechanism is involved in both phenomena. The second mechanism involved is the voltage drop across the series resistance. As a result, the potential actually experienced by the vacuolar membrane deviates from the command potential defined by the patch-clamp amplifier. This deviation depends in an Ohmic manner on the current magnitude. We suggest that the interplay of the negative slope conductance and the voltage drop across the series resistance can cause a positive feedback which is responsible for the current oscillations.

[Abdominal pregnancy with fetal survival. A report of 2 cases]. / Embarazo abdominal con supervivencia fetal. Presentación de dos casos.

The objective of this paper is to present two cases of abdominal pregnancy, secondary, with fetal survival, studied at Hospital General de Zona No. 1, IMSS, at Villahermosa, Tabasco. Both patients were referred to our Unit for cesarean section by pelvic presentation. A review was done of: classification, clinical picture, operative findings, medical and surgical treatment, hemorrhagic complications, fetal findings and specific diagnostic methods. It was concluded that one should know about this condition, in order to offer a therapeutic option to the patients.

[Somatometry in full-term newborns in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. Study of a middle-class population]. / Somatometría en el recién nacido a término en Villahermosa, Tabasco, México. Estudio en una población de clase media.

OBJECTIVE: Realize a somatometric study in the Tabasco zone and compared this results with a similar study. DESIGN: Full term newborns without patology take weight, height and head circumference. SETTING: In Villahermosa City, Capital of Tabasco State in México, from march 1, 1988 to january 31, 1989. SUBJECT: 915 fullterm newborn, male 450, female 465, from the patients of Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Social Security System). RESULTS: The average weight in male was 3,290 g, with standard deviation (SD) 358 g, in female 3,130, SD 343 g (P less than 0.01); height in male 50.2, SD 1.3 cm, female 49.8, SD 1.3 cm (P less than 0.01); head circumference in male 34.7, SD 1.5 cm, female 34.5 SD 1.5 cm (P: without significance). We make our own percentiles. CONCLUSION: We found stadistic significance between both sexes; we don't found between another study; when we compared our work with others in past decades, observed the improved obtained by the people in our country.

Intoxicacion por azul de metileno en un recien nacido. / Methylene blue intoxication in a newborn infant

Se presenta un caso de ruptura de membranas, diagnosticado por la inyeccion intraamniotica de azul de metileno el cual condiciono en el recien nacido neumonitis y hepatitis quimica, metahemoglobinemia, hemolisis e hiperbilirrubinemia que requirio exsanguinotransfusion en dos ocasiones. Se revisa el mecanismo de produccion del dano y se recomienda en estos casos, substituir el azul de metileno por otros colorantes inocuos para el recien nacido