Evaluation of in vitro bioactivity and in vitro biocompatibility of Polycaprolactone/Hyaluronic acid/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes/Extract from Mimosa tenuiflora composites.

BACKGROUND: The development of biomaterial scaffolds and implementation of tissue engineering techniques are necessary. Therefore, Polycaprolactone/Sodium Hyaluronate/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes/Extract of Mimosa tenuiflora composites have been produced by a thermally-induced phase separation method. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to evaluate the in vitro bioactivity and in vitro biocompatibility of the composites. METHODS: The in vitro bioactivity of the composites was assessed by soaking them in simulated body fluid for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. The structure and composition of the composites were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Also, the in vitro biocompatibility of the composites was evaluated by means of alkaline phosphatase activity of the osteoblasts and by measuring the metabolic activity of the cells using MTT assay. RESULTS: The results show a porous and interconnected morphology with enhanced bioactivity. It was observed that the incorporation of Mimosa tenuiflora in the composites promotes increased viability of osteoblasts in the scaffolds. CONCLUSIONS: The results show the efficiency of bioactive and biocompatible composites and their potential as candidates for tissue engineering applications.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in the elderly: A report from the International College of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS).

INTRODUCTION: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly disabling condition, with frequent early onset. Adult/adolescent OCD has been extensively investigated, but little is known about prevalence and clinical characterization of geriatric patients with OCD (G-OCD≥65years). The present study aimed to assess prevalence of G-OCD and associated socio-demographic and clinical correlates in a large international sample. METHODS: Data from 416 outpatients, participating in the ICOCS network, were assessed and categorized into 2 groups, age

A pilot in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of amino acid neurotransmitter response to ketamine treatment of major depressive disorder.

The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine can improve major depressive disorder (MDD) within hours. To evaluate the putative role of glutamatergic and GABAergic systems in ketamine's antidepressant action, medial prefrontal cortical (mPFC) levels of glutamate+glutamine (Glx) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were measured before, during, and after ketamine administration using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Ketamine (0.5 mg kg(-1) intravenously) was administered to 11 depressed patients with MDD. Glx and GABA mPFC responses were measured as ratios relative to unsuppressed voxel tissue water (W) successfully in 8/11 patients. Ten of 11 patients remitted (50% reduction in 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and total score ⩽10) within 230 min of commencing ketamine. mPFC Glx/W and GABA/W peaked at 37.8%±7.5% and 38.0%±9.1% above baseline in ~26 min. Mean areas under the curve for Glx/W (P=0.025) and GABA/W (P=0.005) increased and correlated (r=0.796; P=0.018). Clinical improvement correlated with 90-min norketamine concentration (df=6, r=-0.78, P=0.023), but no other measures.

Electropyroelectric technique: A methodology free of fitting procedures for thermal effusivity determination in liquids.

This paper describes an alternative methodology to determine the thermal effusivity of a liquid sample using the recently proposed electropyroelectric technique, without fitting the experimental data with a theoretical model and without having to know the pyroelectric sensor related parameters, as in most previous reported approaches. The method is not absolute, because a reference liquid with known thermal properties is needed. Experiments have been performed that demonstrate the high reliability and accuracy of the method with measurement uncertainties smaller than 3%.

Electrospinning of poly(lactic acid)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposites and their potential in chondrogenic tissue regeneration.

The study was conducted to evaluate the cytocompatibility and hydrolytic degradability of the new poly(lactic acid)/polyethylene glycol-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (peg-POSS/PLLA) nanocomposite as potential material for cartilage regeneration. PLLA scaffolds containing 0 to 5% of peg-POSS were fabricated by electrospinning. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC's) were cultured in vitro to evaluate the cytocompatibility of the new nanocomposite material. Hydrolytic degradation studies were also carried out to analyze the mass loss rate of the nanocomposites through time. The addition of the peg-POSS to the PLLA did not affect the processability of the nanocomposite by electrospinning. It was also observed that peg-POSS did not show any relevant change in fibers morphology, concluding that it was well dispersed. However, addition of peg-POSS caused noticeable decrease in mean fiber diameter, which made the specific surface area of the scaffold to rise. hMSC's were able to attach, to proliferate, and to differentiate into chondrocytes in a similar way onto the different types of electrospun peg-POSS/PLLA and pure PLLA scaffolds, showing that the peg-POSS as nano-additive does not exhibit any cytotoxicity. The hydrolytic degradation rate of the material was lower when peg-POSS was added, showing a higher durability of the nanocomposites through time. Results demonstrate that the addition of peg-POSS to the PLLA scaffolds does not affect its cytocompatibility to obtain hyaline cartilage from hMSC's.

[Morbidity and mortality in a series of patients suffering from intraperitoneal neoplasia treated with peritoneal cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy at the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá Teaching Hospital (ONCOLGroup--ATIA study)]. / Morbilidad y mortalidad en una serie de pacientes con neoplasias del peritoneo, tratados con citorreducción peritoneal más quimioterapia hipertérmica intraperitoneal en el Hospital Universitario de la Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá (ONCOLGroup--estudio ATIA).

BACKGROUND: The procedure of radical peritonectomy followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is considered the standard treatment for peritoneal cancers. AIMS: To evaluate various outcomes in a cohort of patients with peritoneal tumors treated with HIPEC. METHODS: Twenty-four patients consecutively treated with radical peritonectomy plus HIPEC within the time frame of November 2007 to July 2010 were enrolled; 15 (62%) had tumors of appendicular origin, 4 (16.7%) had primary peritoneal tumors, 2 had ovarian carcinomas and there was one case of colon cancer, one carcinosarcoma and one hemangioendothelioma. Mean age was 53 years (range: 26-68) and median follow-up was 14.2 months (range: 1-32). Demographic data, histology, peritoneal cancer index (PCI), surgical procedure characteristics, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) were all evaluated. Short-term morbidity and mortality were also determined. RESULTS: Complete cytoreduction was achieved in 18 patients (75%). Mean PCI was 15 (<10: 41% and >10: 58%), and the median (range) for surgery duration, length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit, parenteral nutritional support, and hospital stay were 12,5 (7-20) hours, 11,4 (2-74) days, 13,8 (12-65) days, and 29,1 (10-90) days, respectively. One patient (4%) died 6 months after the procedure, due to multiple associated complications. Considerable morbidity was seen in 52% of cases, including thromboembolic events (41%), catheter-related bacteremia (29%), fistulas (29%), and nephrotoxicity (25%). Six patients (25%) recurred after a median of 21 months of RFS. CONCLUSIONS: Cytoreductive surgery plus HIPEC in well-selected patients presenting with tumors that affect the peritoneum is a procedure that can be carried out in Colombia with an adequate safety and effectiveness profile. Mortality was similar to that reported in the international literature.

Vanadium inhalation in a mouse model for the understanding of air-suspended particle systemic repercussion.

There is an increased concern about the health effects that air-suspended particles have on human health which have been dissected in animal models. Using CD-1 mouse, we explore the effects that vanadium inhalation produce in different tissues and organs. Our findings support the systemic effects of air pollution. In this paper, we describe our findings in different organs in our conditions and contrast our results with the literature.

[Intestinal endometriosis]. / Endometriosis intestinal.

Endometriosis is a chronic, benign gynaecological disorder that is frequent in women of a child-bearing age. It is estimated that there is some degree of endometriosis in as many as 15% of pre-menopausal women, associated with a history of infertility, caesarean antecedents, dysmenorrhoea and abnormality in uterine bleeding. It is believed to be due to the rise of menstrual contents through the Fallopian tubes (retrograde menstruation). In the intestinal affectation, the colon is the segment most frequently affected, above all at the rectosigmoidal level. The clinical features are unspecific, with abdominal pain the most frequent and/or pelvic pain of a cholic type that coincides with, or is exacerbated by, menstruation. Differential diagnosis includes intestinal inflammatory disease, diverticulitis, ischemic colitis and neoplastic processes, with the definitive diagnosis being anatomopathological. With respect to treatment, this will depend on the clinical features and the age of the patient, as well as her wishes with regard to pregnancy.

Disfunción ventricular transitoria o síndrome de Tako-Tsubo. A Propósito de un caso / Transient ventricular dysfunction or Tako-Tsubo syndrome. Report of a case

El síndrome de Tako-Tsubo, o disfunción ventricular transitoria, es una entidad que se caracteriza por ser clínicamente indistinguible del síndrome coronario agudo, con elevación enzimática y extensa acinesia anterior, pero sin alteraciones significativas en las arterias coronarias y con recuperación de las alteraciones segmentarias en las semanas siguientes. Presentamos el caso de un paciente ingresado en nuestro servicio que cumplía las características diagnósticas de este síndrome (AU)

The Tako-Tsubo syndrome, or transient ventricular dysfunction, is a clinical entity that is characterised by being clinically indistinguishable from acute coronary syndrome, with increased enzyme levels and extensive anterior akynesia, but without significant changes in the coronary arteries and with recovery of the segmental changes within the few ensuing weeks. We report the case of a patient admitted to our Service who fulfilled the diagnostic features for this condition (AU)

La ventilación mecánica no invasiva domiciliaria en el paciente EPOC / Non-invasive home mechanical ventilation in the COPD patient

Fundamento. El potencial beneficio de la ventilación mecánica no invasiva en los pacientes EPOC clínicamente estables no es aún bien conocido ni ha sido suficientemente estudiado. Se pretende valorar si la ventilación mecánica no invasiva beneficia a estos pacientes.Material y métodos. Se realiza un estudio transversal valorando la aplicación de la ventilación mecánica no invasiva (BIPAP) domiciliaria durante el descanso nocturno en 23 pacientes EPOC, los cuales se caracterizaban por presentar hipercapnia en la gasometría arterial basal realizada durante la estabilidad clínica. Se realizan revisiones clínicas, gasométricas y espirométricas a los 3, 6 y 12 meses de instaurar dicha terapia. Así mismo se evalúa el número de ingresos por agudización de la patología respiratoria subyacente durante un año.Resultados. Los pacientes incluidos en el estudio tenían una media de edad de 68,83 años. El 60,9% presentaban grado severo de EPOC. El 69,6% del total de la muestra recibían previamente oxigenoterapia continua domiciliaria; de ellos el 75% presentaban EPOC severa o muy severa. Durante el período de tiempo del estudio se objetivó un descenso en el número de ingresos hospitalarios por agudización (0,61±0,15 ingresos anuales de media) respecto al mismo período de tiempo previo a la ventilación mecánica no invasiva (1,07±0,16 ingresos de media) resultando más beneficiados los que presentaban previamente un mayor número de ingresos y los que asociaban comorbilidad. También se aprecia disminución de la presión arterial de dióxido de carbono (PaCO2) en la mayoría de los casos, principalmente aquellos que presentaban al inicio del estudio una PaCO2>63,32 mm de Hg; dicha mejoría se aprecia desde los primeros tres meses de tratamiento

Background. The potential benefits of non-invasive mechanical breathing in clinically stable COPD patients are still not well known, nor have they been sufficiently studied. We evaluate whether non-invasive mechanical ventilation is beneficial to these patients.Methods. A cross sectional study was carried out evaluating the application of non-invasive home mechanical ventilation (BIPAP), during the nocturnal rest in 23 COPD patients, who presented hypercapnia in basal arterial gasometry during clinical stability. Clinical, gasometric and spirometric evaluations were carried out 3, 6 and 12 months after initiating this therapy. Similarly, an evaluation was made of the number of admissions due to worsening of the underlying respiratory pathology during one year.Results. The patients included in the study had an average age of 68.83 years. Sixty point nine percent (60.9%) presented a severe degree of COPD. Sixty-nine point six percent (69.6%) of the total sample had previously received continuous oxygenotherapy at home; 75% of them presented severe or very severe COPD. During the period of time of the study a fall was recorded in the number of hospital admissions due to worsening (0.61±0.15 annual admissions on average) with respect to the period of time prior to the non-invasive mechanical ventilation (1.07±0.16 admissions on average), with greater benefits obtained by those who had previously shown a higher number of admissions and those with associated comorbidity. A reduction was also appreciated in the arterial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) in the majority of cases, principally those who at the start of the study presented a PaCO2>63.32 mm of Hg; this improvement was appreciated from the first three months of treatment

[Non-invasive home mechanical ventilation in the COPD patient]. / La ventilación mecánica no invasiva domiciliaria en el paciente EPOC.

BACKGROUND: The potential benefits of non-invasive mechanical breathing in clinically stable COPD patients are still not well known, nor have they been sufficiently studied. We evaluate whether non-invasive mechanical ventilation is beneficial to these patients. METHODS: A cross sectional study was carried out evaluating the application of non-invasive home mechanical ventilation (BIPAP), during the nocturnal rest in 23 COPD patients, who presented hypercapnia in basal arterial gasometry during clinical stability. Clinical, gasometric and spirometric evaluations were carried out 3, 6 and 12 months after initiating this therapy. Similarly, an evaluation was made of the number of admissions due to worsening of the underlying respiratory pathology during one year. Results. The patients included in the study had an average age of 68.83 years. Sixty point nine percent (60.9%) presented a severe degree of COPD. Sixty-nine point six percent (69.6%) of the total sample had previously received continuous oxygenotherapy at home; 75% of them presented severe or very severe COPD. During the period of time of the study a fall was recorded in the number of hospital admissions due to worsening (0.61+/-0.15 annual admissions on average) with respect to the period of time prior to the non-invasive mechanical ventilation (1.07+/-0.16 admissions on average), with greater benefits obtained by those who had previously shown a higher number of admissions and those with associated comorbidity. A reduction was also appreciated in the arterial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) in the majority of cases, principally those who at the start of the study presented a PaCO2>63.32 mm of Hg; this improvement was appreciated from the first three months of treatment.

Antibodies to an epitope from the Cha human autoantigen are markers of Chagas' disease.

Chagas' disease is a prevalent disease in South America that is thought to have an autoimmune etiology. We previously identified human Cha as a new autoantigen recognized by chagasic sera. Those sera recognized an epitope spanning amino acids 120 to 129 of Cha, named R3. In the present study we have used the synthetic R3 peptide for the detection of serum immunoglobulin G antibodies from patients at different stages of Chagas' disease, including a therapeutically treated group. The immunoreactivity with R3 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed 92.4% sensitivity and 100% specificity for Chagas' disease sera. This sensitivity and specificity were higher than for any other autoantigen described to date. No anti-R3 antibodies were detected in sera from Leishmania-infected or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy patients or healthy controls from the same areas. Moreover, anti-R3 antibody reactivity detected by ELISA correlated with conventional serological tests as indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA assays with Trypanosoma cruzi extracts and other diagnostic tests as indirect hemagglutination. The levels of anti-R3 antibodies increased with progression and symptomatology of Chagas' disease. More interestingly, a statistically significant fall in anti-R3 antibody titer was observed in patients treated with antiparasitic drugs. Those results suggest that the presence of anti-R3 antibodies is a highly specific marker of Chagas' disease and that R3 ELISA could be helpful in the diagnosis and monitoring of this disease.

Dominant T- and B-cell epitopes in an autoantigen linked to Chagas' disease.

In Chagas' disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a paradigm of autoimmune disease, both autoantibodies and autoreactive T cells have been described. We have identified a novel dominant autoantigen, named Cha, recognized by the majority of sera from T. cruzi-infected humans and mice. We noted significant homologies between amino acids 120-129 of Cha, where the B-cell epitope maps, and an expressed sequence tag from T. cruzi, and also between amino acids 254-273 of Cha and a repeated amino acid sequence from the shed acute-phase antigen (SAPA) of T. cruzi. Moreover, T. cruzi-infected mice contain autoreactive T cells that can cross-react with Cha and the SAPA homologous peptides. Transfer of T cells from infected mice triggered anti-Cha (120-129) Ab production in naive recipients. Interestingly, heart tissue sections from those adoptive transferred mice showed cardiac pathology similar to T. cruzi-infected mice. Our results demonstrate the presence of both T- and B-cell cross-reactive epitopes in the Cha antigen. This dual mimicry may lead to T/B cell cooperation and give rise to a pathological immunodominant response against Cha in T. cruzi infected animals.

[Prions, infections and confusions in the "transmissible" spongiform encephalopathies. The other evidence-based science. III. Review]. / Priones, infecciones y confusiones en las encefalopatías espongiformes "trasmisibles". Ciencia basada en la otra evidencia III. Revisión.

There are some neurological disorders with a pathological hallmark called spongiosis which include Creutzfeld-Jakob disease and its new variant, the Gertsmann-Straussler-Scheinker Syndrome and the Fatal Familial Insomnia in humans; and Scrapie and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, among others, in animals. The etiological agent has been considered either transmissible or hereditary or both. Curiously, this agent has no nucleic acids, is impossible to filter, is resistant to inactivation by chemical means, has not been cultured and is unobservable at electron microscopy. All of these facts have led to some researches to claim that these agents are similar to viruses appearing in computers. However, after almost fifty years of research, is still not possible to explain why and how such elements produce the diseases commented about. On the contrary, during these years have been possible to know that these entities called slow viral infections, transmissible amyloidosis, transmissible dementia, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases appear in individuals with genetical predispositions exposed to several worldwide immunological stressors. The possibility that prions are the consequence and not the cause of these diseases in animals and man is day by day more reliable, and supports the suggestion that a systematic intoxication due to pesticides as well as mycotoxin ingestion, produced mainly by different molds such as Aspergillus, Penicillium or Fusarium, seem to be the true etiology of these neurodegenerative disorders.

Origin of the precerebellar system.

The precerebellar system provides the principal input to the cerebellum and is essential for coordinated motor activity. Using a FLP recombinase-based fate mapping approach, we provide direct evidence in the mouse that this ventral brainstem system derives from dorsally located rhombic neuroepithelium. Moreover, by fate mapping at the resolution of a gene expression pattern, we have uncovered an unexpected subdivision within the precerebellar primordium: embryonic expression of Wnt1 appears to identify the class of precerebellar progenitors that will later project mossy fibers from the brainstem to the cerebellum, as opposed to the class of precerebellar neurons that project climbing fibers. Differential gene expression therefore appears to demarcate two populations within the precerebellar primordium, grouping progenitors by their future type of axonal projection and synaptic partner rather than by final topographical position.

Permanent and transient effects of repeated preweaning stress on social and sexual behaviors of rats.

We have reported that exposure of preweaning male and female rats to a model of unpredictable mild physical stressors (Neo-A) can decrease the behavioral and hormonal responses to acute and chronic stress as adults. In this paper we have analyzed the effect of Neo-A on development of social behaviors, including aggressiveness, social dominance, and sexual behavior in adulthood. The subjects were divided into two groups: Neo-A (daily exposed to unpredictable mild stresses- from day 2 up to day 15 of suckling; n = 30 litters) and controls (C) (undisturbed rats, except for testing, during the same period of life; n = 26 litters). When day 6 pups were submitted to a social clustering test the Neo-A group showed a higher rate of litter-mate clustering than C. The 35 days Neo-A males and Neo-A females submitted to a social behavior test after 24 h of social isolation also showed higher scores of time spent in active social interaction than controls, as well as a higher ratio of animals showing aggressive playing. A second social behavior test performed after 48 h of social isolation at days 75-80 of age revealed that only Neo-A females displayed increased social behavior and aggressive behaviors, whereas controls did not. A water competition test performed at 24 and 48 h after water deprivation showed that Neo-A adult males spent more time in possession of the drinking device and drank more frequently than C. When adult proestrous females were exposed to a sexual behavior test, the Neo-A group showed shorter latency and higher scores of lordosis quotient. These results support the view that exposure to this model of repeated mild stress early in life stimulates the development of social behavior, dominance and sexual behavior.