Adsorption features of reduced aminated supports modified with glutaraldehyde: Understanding the heterofunctional features of these supports.

Immobilization of enzymes on aminated supports using the glutaraldehyde chemistry may involve three different interactions, cationic, hydrophobic, and covalent interactions. To try to understand the impact this heterofunctionality, we study the physical adsorption of the beta-galactosidase from Aspergillus niger, on aminated supports (MANAE) and aminated supports with one (MANAE-GLU) or two molecules of glutaraldehyde (MANAE-GLU-GLU). To eliminate the chemical reactivity of the glutaraldehyde, the supports were reduced using sodium borohydride. After enzyme adsorption, the release of the enzyme from the supports using different NaCl concentrations, Triton X100, ionic detergents (SDS and CTAB), or different temperatures (4 °C to 55 °C) was studied. Using MANAE support, at 0.3 M NaCl almost all the immobilized enzyme was released. Using MANAE-GLU, 0.3 M, and 0.6 M NaCl similar results were obtained. However, incubation at 1 M or 2 M NaCl, many enzyme molecules were not released from the support. For the MANAE-GLU-GLU support, none of the tested concentrations of NaCl was sufficient to release all enzyme bound to the support. Only using high temperatures, 0.6 M NaCl, and 1 % CTAB or SDS, could the totality of the proteins be released from the support. The results shown in this paper confirm the heterofunctional character of aminated supports modified with glutaraldehyde.

Mortality and associated risk factors in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in a Peruvian reference hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 from a Peruvian national hospital. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of medical records of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized at Hospital Nacional Hipólito Unanue (HNHU) during the months of April to August 2020. The dependent variable was in-hospital mortality. Independent variables included sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, physical examination findings, oxygen saturation (SaO2) at admission, treatment received during hospitalization and laboratory results at admission. A Cox regression model was used to evaluate the crude and adjusted hazard ratios for associated factors. RESULTS: We included 1418 patients. Median age was 58 years (IQR 47-68 years) and 944 (66.6%) were male. The median length of hospitalization was 7 (4-13) days, and the mortality rate was 46%. The most frequent comorbidities were type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity. In the adjusted analysis, mortality was associated with age (HR 1.02; 95%CI 1.02-1.03), history of surgery (HR 1.89; 95%CI 1.31-2.74), lower oxygen saturation at admission (HR 4.08; CI95% 2.72-8.05 for SaO2<70% compared to SaO2>94%), the presence of poor general condition (HR 1.81; 95% CI 1.29-2.53), altered state of consciousness (HR 1.58; 95%CI 1.18-2.11) and leukocyte levels (HR 1.01; 95%CI 1.00-1. 02). Treatment with ivermectin (HR 1.44; 95%CI 1.18-1.76) and azithromycin (HR 1.25; 95%CI 1.03-1.52) were associated with higher mortality. Treatment with corticosteroids at low to moderate doses was associated with lower mortality (HR 0.56 95%CI 0. 37-0. 86) in comparison to no steroid use. CONCLUSION: A high mortality was found in our cohort. Low oxygen saturation at admission, age, and the presence of hematological and biochemical alterations were associated with higher mortality. The use of hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin or azithromycin was not useful and was probably associated with unfavorable outcomes. The use of corticosteroids at moderate doses was associated with lower mortality.

Síndrome de Wünderlich asociado a lupus eritematoso sistémico y síndrome antifosfolipídico

Se presenta el caso de un varón de 32 años de edad, con historia de dolor abdominal, anemia severa y confusión mental. Se le halló anemia ferropénica, hematomas perirrenales bilateral, microaneurismas de las arterias renales, trombosis venosa cerebral. Los estudios inmunológicos fueron positivos para anticuerpos antinucleares, anti Smith, anticoagulante lúpico, anti B2GP1 y anti cardiolipina, Se le trató con pulsos de metilprednisolona, con buena evolución clínica.

Immobilization of lipases on hydrophobic supports: immobilization mechanism, advantages, problems, and solutions.

Lipases are the most widely used enzymes in biocatalysis, and the most utilized method for enzyme immobilization is using hydrophobic supports at low ionic strength. This method allows the one step immobilization, purification, stabilization, and hyperactivation of lipases, and that is the main cause of their popularity. This review focuses on these lipase immobilization supports. First, the advantages of these supports for lipase immobilization will be presented and the likeliest immobilization mechanism (interfacial activation on the support surface) will be revised. Then, its main shortcoming will be discussed: enzyme desorption under certain conditions (such as high temperature, presence of cosolvents or detergent molecules). Methods to overcome this problem include physical or chemical crosslinking of the immobilized enzyme molecules or using heterofunctional supports. Thus, supports containing hydrophobic acyl chain plus epoxy, glutaraldehyde, ionic, vinylsulfone or glyoxyl groups have been designed. This prevents enzyme desorption and improved enzyme stability, but it may have some limitations, that will be discussed and some additional solutions will be proposed (e.g., chemical amination of the enzyme to have a full covalent enzyme-support reaction). These immobilized lipases may be subject to unfolding and refolding strategies to reactivate inactivated enzymes. Finally, these biocatalysts have been used in new strategies for enzyme coimmobilization, where the most stable enzyme could be reutilized after desorption of the least stable one after its inactivation.

Estudio histológico del tubo digestivo y aparato venenoso de Gemmula periscelida (Gastropoda: Turridae) / Histologic study of digestive tract and venom apparatus of Gemmula periscelida (Gastropoda: Turridae)

En el presente trabajo se describe anatómica e histológicamente el tubo digestivo y aparato venenoso de Gemmula periscelida (Gastropoda: Turridae) en ejemplares colectados al Noroeste de la Plataforma Continental Yucateca. Se determinó que el tipo de epitelio que reviste a cada una de las zonas del tubo digestivo (probóscide, esófago anterior, medio y posterior, estómago, glándula digestiva e intestino) y al aparato venenoso, es diferente a lo reportado para otros túrridos; por lo que se infiere el posible mecanismo de alimentación para esta especie.

In this paper we realized anatomical and histologically description of the digestive tract and venom apparatus of Gemmula periscelida (Gastropoda: Turridae) specimens collected northwest of the Yucatan Shelf. Results of analysis show that there are differences in the type of epithelium coating each of the areas of the digestive tract (proboscis, anterior, middle and posterior esophagus, stomach, digestive gland and intestine) and of a venom apparatus with respect to that reported for other turrid snails. This suggests the possible feeding mechanism for this species.

Obtención, purificación y caracterización de dos formas de hormona luteinizante de la adenohipófisis caprina (gLH) / Obtention, purification and characterization of two forms of caprine luteinizing hormone from adenohypophsis (gLH)

Se describe la obtención, purificación y caracterización de dos proteínas hipofisiarias de origen caprino con carga eléctrica diferente y con características de hormona luteinizante (LH). La fracción no retenida en la cromatografía de intercambio catiónico (CM-celulosa) designada CM-lab y la correspondiente al segundo pico de dicha cromatografía (CM-2ab), se repurificaron en una cromatografía de intercambio aniónico (DEAE-celulosa) en condiciones idénticas, para obtener LH-I (CM-lab-DEAE-la) con un rendimiento de 76 mg/kg de adenohipófisis, y a la LH-II (CM2ab-DEAE-lb) con 15 mg/kg. La diferencia de carga de cada proteína se determinó por su movilidad relativa (Rf) mediante una electroforesis en geles de poliacrilamida (PAGE) en condiciones nativas. La LH-I mostró un Rf de 0.09 (banda mayoritaria) y 0.415, mientras la LH-II presentó 2 bandas de tipo catiónico con un Rf de 0.14, 0.19 (banda mayoritaria). La determinación del peso molecular relativo de LH-I y LH-II, se llevo a cabo por medio de una electroforesis en geles de poliacilamida-dodecilsulfato de sodio (SDS-PAGE). En condiciones no reductoras (NR), ambas proteínas presentaron un peso molecular relativo de 36.5 kilodaltones (KDa) correspondiente a la forma monomérica, semejante a los estándares NIDDK-oLH-26 y USDA-bLH5, mientras que en presencia de 2ß-mercaptoetanol (condiciones reducidas), las proteínas presentaron un peso molecular de 22.4 y 20.2 KDa. El análisis por inmunotransferencia (Western-blot) en condiciones NR utilizando el anti-oLH (CSU-204), permitió identificar bandas inmunorreactivas de peso molecular de 50,43, 36.5 (mayoritaria), y 22.4 KDa, tanto en los estándares como en las fracciones obtenidas en este estudio. La potencia biológica realizada en un bioensayo in vivo 3 + 3 balanceado fue de 1.03 UI/mg para la LH-I. y de 0.65 UI/mg para la LH-II con intervalos de confianza de 95 por ciento. Su actividad inmunológica se determinó con un radioinmunoensayo (RIA) homólogo de LH caprina, a la dosis esperada del 50 por ciento (ED 50). Los resultados fueron de 1.7 ng/ml y 3.5 ng/ml para LH-I y LH-II respectivamante. Se concluye que esta técnica permite la obtención de dos proteínas con carga eléctrica diferente, con actividad biológica e inmunológica de LH, y con peso molecular idéntico