Bridges of biomaterials promote nigrostriatal pathway regeneration.

Repair of central nervous system (CNS) lesions is difficulted by the lack of ability of central axons to regrow, and the blocking by the brain astrocytes to axonal entry. We hypothesized that by using bridges made of porous biomaterial and permissive olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG), we could provide a scaffold to permit restoration of white matter tracts. We implanted porous polycaprolactone (PCL) bridges between the substantia nigra and the striatum in rats, both with and without OEG. We compared the number of tyrosine-hydroxylase positive (TH+) fibers crossing the striatal-graft interface, and the astrocytic and microglial reaction around the grafts, between animals grafted with and without OEG. Although TH+ fibers were found inside the grafts made of PCL alone, there was a greater fiber density inside the graft and at the striatal-graft interface when OEG was cografted. Also, there was less astrocytic and microglial reaction in those animals. These results show that these PCL grafts are able to promote axonal growth along the nigrostriatal pathway, and that cografting of OEG markedly enhances axonal entry inside the grafts, growth within them, and re-entry of axons into the CNS. These results may have implications in the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's and others associated with lesions of central white matter tracts. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 107B: 190-196, 2019.

Sarcomas de cabeza y cuello. Nuestra experiencia / Head and neck sarcomas. Our experience

Introducción: Los sarcomas de cabeza y cuello son un grupo heterogéneo de tumores malignos con una alta variabilidad en la presentación clínica, en su clasificación histopatológica y sus características biológicas. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de los pacientes con un sarcoma localizado en cabeza y cuello tratado en nuestro centro a lo largo de un período de 25 años. Resultados: Durante el período de estudio fueron diagnosticados un total de 25 pacientes con sarcomas localizados en cabeza y cuello, que representaron un 0,5% del total de tumores malignos a dicho nivel. El tratamiento más habitual incluyó la resección quirúrgica del tumor, habitualmente complementado con un tratamiento de radioterapia y/o quimioterapia adyuvante. El control local final, incluyendo los tratamientos de rescate, fue del 52%, con una supervivencia ajustada a los 5 años del 51% y a los 12 años del 32%. Conclusiones: El tratamiento quirúrgico de los pacientes con sarcomas de cabeza y cuello consigue unos resultados aceptables de control local y supervivencia (AU)

Introduction: Head and neck sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of malignant tumours that vary greatly in clinical presentation, with different histopathological and biological characteristics. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with sarcoma located in the head and neck treated in our centre over a period of 25 years. Results: During the study period, a total of 25 patients were diagnosed with sarcomas in the head and neck, accounting for 0.5% of all malignancies at this level. The most common treatments included surgical resection of the tumour, often supplemented with radiotherapy and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. The final local control, including the salvage, was 52%, with an adjusted survival of 51% at 5 years and 32% at 12 years. Conclusions: Surgical treatment of patients with head and neck sarcomas achieves acceptable results of local control and survival (AU)

[Head and neck sarcomas. Our experience]. / Sarcomas de cabeza y cuello. Nuestra experiencia.

INTRODUCTION: Head and neck sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of malignant tumours that vary greatly in clinical presentation, with different histopathological and biological characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with sarcoma located in the head and neck treated in our centre over a period of 25 years. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 25 patients were diagnosed with sarcomas in the head and neck, accounting for 0.5% of all malignancies at this level. The most common treatments included surgical resection of the tumour, often supplemented with radiotherapy and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. The final local control, including the salvage, was 52%, with an adjusted survival of 51% at 5 years and 32% at 12 years. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of patients with head and neck sarcomas achieves acceptable results of local control and survival.

Olfactory ensheathing glia enhances reentry of axons into the brain from peripheral nerve grafts bridging the substantia nigra with the striatum.

Reconstruction of lost axonal pathways in the central nervous system (CNS) is possible with the use of peripheral nerve grafts (PNG). However, these permit the entry of axons, while their reentry back into the CNS is compromised. Olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG) may permit this reentry of axons if cografted with PNG. We compared the number of tyrosine-hydroxylase positive (TH+) fibers reinnervating PNGs and crossing the graft-striatum interface in PNG placed between the substantia nigra and the striatum in rats receiving both PNG and OEGs and animals receiving PNG only. More TH fibers were seen inside the grafts when OEG was cografted. Although the number of fibers decreases along the graft's length, this effect is less severe when OEG is present. TH+ fibers are seen crossing the PNG-striatum interface in the OEG group. This is correlated with a higher synaptic density at the striatum near the graft when OEG is co-grafted. While these results must be replicated in animal models of Parkinsonism, their implications may apply both to the treatment of Parkinson's disease and to other pathologies, such as spinal cord lesions, where regeneration of long axonal pathways is necessary.

Injection of embryonic median ganglionic eminence cells or fibroblasts within the amygdala in rats kindled from the piriform cortex.

BACKGROUND: Intracerebral infusion of anticonvulsant agent secreting cells has proven to raise the threshold for seizure generation in epileptogenic areas. Median ganglionic eminence (MGE) is the main embryonic region where future GABAergic cells originate. Here we report the results of intraamygdaline grafting of MGE cells versus fibroblasts in a piriform cortex kindling model of epilepsy in the rat. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Rats were implanted with an electrode in the left piriform cortex and subjected to infusion at the left basolateral amygdala of cells obtained from the MGE of embryos or fibroblasts. Some of the donor cells were obtained from transgenic rats expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Seizure and neurologic behavior were recorded, and inmunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies were carried out. RESULTS: Cells obtained from the embryonic MGE elevated both the afterdischarge and the seizure threshold progressively, being significant 3 weeks after their injection. On the contrary, fibroblasts injected into the amygdala raised the seizure thresholds the first week, the effect weaning during the following weeks. Fibroblasts and MGE cells were shown at the injected amygdala. No behavioral side effects were recorded in either experimental group. CONCLUSION: MGE cells implanted at the amygdala may control the focal component of temporolimbic seizures. This effect may be mediated by local release of GABA.

Neutrophilic dermatoses in a patient with collagenous colitis.

We report the case of a 75-year old woman with collagenous colitis who presented with erythematous and edematous plaques on the periorbital and eyelid regions, accompanied by oral ulcers. Histopathology showed a dermal neutrophilic infiltrate plus mild septal and lobular panniculitis with lymphocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils. Five years earlier she had presented a flare of papules and vesicles on the trunk, together with oral ulcers; a skin biopsy revealed a neutrophilic dermal infiltrate and Sweet's syndrome was diagnosed. Both the neutrophilic panniculitis and the Sweet's syndrome were accompanied by fever, malaise and diarrhea. Cutaneous and intestinal symptoms disappeared with corticoid therapy. The two types of neutrophilic dermatoses that appeared in periods of colitis activity suggest that intestinal and cutaneous manifestations may be related.

[Curative partial hepatectomy in adult Caroli's disease]. / Hepatectomía parcial curativa en la enfermedad de Caroli del adulto.

Caroli's disease consists of a congenital malformation of the intrahepatic bile ducts characterized by saccular, segmental, cystic dilatations giving rise to recurrent cholangitis. The inheritance pattern is unclear and the disease may be associated with other hereditary diseases such as adult polycystic kidney disease. The most effective therapeutic option in symptomatic unilobar Caroli's disease is resection of the affected lobe. In bilobar involvement, liver transplantation should be considered. Due to their rarity, we report three cases of Caroli's disease successfully resolved through lobectomy of the affected lobe: two patients with recurrent cholangitis and one patient with associated adult polycystic kidney disease.

Hepatectomía parcial curativa en la enfermedad de Caroli del adulto / Curative partial hepatectomy in adult Caroli's disease

La enfermedad de Caroli consiste en una malformación congénita de la vía biliar intrahepática caracterizada por dilataciones saculares, segmentarias múltiples y quísticas, cuyas manifestaciones clínicas se centran en crisis repetitivas de colangitis. Esta enfermedad tiene una base hereditaria incierta y puede asociarse a otras enfermedades de carácter hereditario como la enfermedad poliquística renal del adulto (EPRAD). La mejor opción terapéutica en los casos sintomáticos unilobares hepáticos es la exéresis hepática del lóbulo afecto correspondiente; en caso de afección bilobar, debe plantearse el trasplante hepático. Presentamos por su rareza 3 casos de enfermedad de Caroli resueltos con éxito mediante una lobectomia hepática del lado afecto: 2 pacientes manifestaron la enfermedad en forma de episodios de colangitis de repetición y 1 paciente, con asociación a EPRAD (AU)

Caroli's disease consists of a congenital malformation of the intrahepatic bile ducts characterized by saccular, segmental, cystic dilatations giving rise to recurrent cholangitis. The inheritance pattern is unclear and the disease may be associated with other hereditary diseases such as adult polycystic kidney disease. The most effective therapeutic option in symptomatic unilobar Caroli's disease is resection of the affected lobe. In bilobar involvement, liver transplantation should be considered. Due to their rarity, we report three cases of Caroli's disease successfully resolved through lobectomy of the affected lobe: two patients with recurrent cholangitis and one patient with associated adult polycystic kidney disease (AU)

Implantación ortotópica de fragmentos sólidos de cáncer de páncreas exocrino humano en ratones atímicos / Orthotopic solid human pancreatic cancer fragment implants in athimic rats

Introducción: el desarrollo de modelos experimentales de cáncer de páncreas exocrino es esencial para un mejor conocimiento de la enfermedad. El objetivo del presente trabajo ha sido implantar y perpetuar carcinomas de páncreas exocrino humano en el páncreas del ratón atímico (implantación ortotópica), estudiar su patrón de diseminación y las alteraciones en genes implicados en la tumorigénesis. Material y Métodos: Se implantaron, de forma ortotópica, fragmentos sólidos de 11 carcinomas de páncreas exocrino humano. Se analizó la presencia de mutaciones en los genes K-ras y p53, tanto en tumores primarios como en los tumores perpetuados. Resultados: Siete de 11 tumores implantados (63 por ciento) crecieron como ortoimplantes. En 4 tumores se evidenció diseminación a distancia (metástasis hepáticas, diseminación peritoneal, o metástasis en los ganglios linfáticos). El patrón de diseminación fue específico para cada tumor y reproducible a lo largo de múltiples pases. Los tumores primarios y los perpetuados compartían el mismo genotipo. Conclusiones: La implantación ortotópica de fragmentos sólidos de carcinomas de páncreas exocrino humano permite la perpetuación de tumores con distinto genotipo y la reproducción de diferentes patrones de crecimiento local y a distancia