Relación entre la Real Academia Nacional de Farmacia y la Sociedad Española de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular / Relationship between the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy and the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

La relación entre la Real Academia Nacional de Farmacia y la Sociedad Española de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular ha sido, desde la fundación de la Sociedad, un claro exponente del compromiso mantenido entre un número elevado de personas al pertenecer simultáneamente a ambas, en algunos casos además desempeñando cargos de relevancia y responsabilidad. Como muestra se citan algunas de las personas más representativas.La relación entre ambas instituciones se ha visto recientemente reforzada y consolidada con la firma el 17 de noviembre de 2020 de un Convenio de Colaboración entre ambas. Este hecho debe estimular a investigadoras e investigadores jóvenes y de gran valía –ya miembros de las dos instituciones- a intervenir en las actividades promovidas por ambas. Estrechar lazos en iniciativas e intereses comunes será sin duda enormemente beneficioso para las dos instituciones.

The relationship between the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy and the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has been, since the foundation of the Society, a clear exponent of the commitment that is maintained among a large number of people for simultaneously belonging to both, in some cases also occupying positions of relevance and responsibility. Some of the most representative people are cited.This relationship has recently been strengthened and consolidated with the signing on November 17, 2020 of a Collaboration Agreement between both institutions. This fact should stimulate young and valuable researchers – and members of the two institutions – to participate in the activities promoted by both. Undoubtedly, closing ties in initiatives and common interests will be enormously beneficial for the two institutions. (AU)

Exploratory and territorial behavior in a reintroduced population of Iberian lynx.

In reintroduction projects, an analysis of dispersal, exploratory movements and territorial behavior of the species concerned offers valuable information on the adaptive management of threatened species and provides a basis for the management of future reintroductions. This is the case of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) an endemic and endangered species reintroduced in Extremadura (Spain) in 2014. We analysed spatial data from 32 individuals just after their reintroduction. Our findings show exploratory movements sufficient to colonise and connect population nuclei within a radius of about 50 km of the reintroduction area. No significant differences were found in the exploratory movements capacity or in any directionality of males and females. Our results showed an effect of sex on the sizes of the territories established, as well as an inverse relationship between them and the time elapsed since release. No effects of rabbit abundance and lynx density on the size of territories are occurring during the early stages of reintroduction. On average, the territories of reintroduced individuals were less stable than those previously described in natural populations. Findings indicate that the reintroduced population has successfully been established but it takes more than 5 years to stabilize the territories in the area. Exploratory movements of reintroduced lynx can be large and in any direction, even when there is still a lot of high quality habitat available, which should be taken into account when reintroducing species, especially terrestrial carnivores.

Parasites of the Reintroduced Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) and Sympatric Mesocarnivores in Extremadura, Spain.

The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is one of the most endangered felid species in the world. Conservation efforts have increased its population size and distribution and reinforced their genetic diversity through captive breeding and reintroduction programmes. Among several threats that the Iberian lynx faces, infectious and parasitic diseases have underlined effects on the health of their newly reintroduced populations, being essential to identify the primary sources of these agents and assess populations health status. To achieve this, 79 fresh faecal samples from Iberian lynx and sympatric mesocarnivores were collected in the reintroduction area of Extremadura, Spain. Samples were submitted to copromicroscopic analyses to assess parasite diversity, prevalence, and mean intensity of parasite burden. Overall, 19 (24.1%, ±15.1-35.0) samples were positive for at least one enteric parasite species. Parasite diversity and prevalence were higher in the Iberian lynx (43.8%) compared with the others mesocarnivores under study (e.g., the red fox Vulpes vulpes and the Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon). Ancylostomatidae and Toxocara cati were the most prevalent (15.6%) parasites. Obtained results revealed that Iberian lynx role as predator control might have reduced parasite cross-transmission between this felid and mesocarnivores due to their decreasing abundances. Surveillance programs must include regular monitoring of this endangered felid, comprising mesocarnivores, but also domestic/feral and wild cat communities.

Disease Surveillance during the Reintroduction of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) in Southwestern Spain.

The restoration of Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) populations in Extremadura (Southwestern Spain) have been carried out since 2014. One of the measures to ensure the success of this program is to examine the effects that diseases may have on reintroduction. Since diseases may be greatly located at certain sites because of the specific ecological requirements of the pathogens and/or vectors, reintroduced individuals may present a risk of infection once released. To determine which pathogens the reintroduced individuals may encounter, we performed a molecular and sero-epidemiological survey in reintroduced and wild-born lynxes. From 2015 to 2019, 69 Iberian lynxes (40 reintroduced and 29 wild-born) were sampled and screened against 10 viral, bacterial and piroplasmid agents. In parallel, 195 sympatric carnivores from the families Canidae, Felidae, Viverridae, Herpestidae and Mustelidae were tested against current or past infections to six common canine/feline viruses. In the Iberian lynx, low contact rates of active infection were obtained for the feline leukemia provirus (FeLV: 1.5%; 1/67), feline parvovirus (FPV: 1.5%; 1/67) and Cytauxzoon sp. (6.7%; 1/15). We also confirmed the emergence of Aujeszky's disease (suid herpesvirus-1) in this population (SuHV-1: 11.8%; 2/17). Evidence of previous exposure was detected for canine distemper virus (CDV: 5.8%; 3/52), feline coronavirus (1.9%; 1/52), FPV (7.7%; 1/13) and feline calicivirus (FCV: 5.3%; 1/19). From 25 recovered lynx carcasses, we could confirm infectious etiology involvement in the death of four individuals (SuHV-1 in two individuals, coinfection of Cytauxzoon spp. and Aeromonas veronii in one lynx and a Streptococcus canis myositis in another lynx). We confirmed the circulation of CDV, FPV, FeLV, FCV and the feline immunodeficiency virus within the sympatric carnivore community. Due to the low contact rate of infectious agents in such a small, endangered population, we recommend continuing a disease surveillance program to determine the prognostic factors of survival, understand the role that disease may play during the reintroduction and anticipate disease outbreaks that may pose a risk for the entire reintroduced population.

Relación entre la Real Academia Nacional de Farmacia y la Sociedad Española de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular / Relationship between the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy and the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

La relación entre la Real Academia Nacional de Farmacia y la Sociedad Española de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular ha sido, desde la fundación de la Sociedad, un claro exponente del compromiso mantenido entre un número elevado de personas al pertenecer simultáneamente a ambas, en algunos casos además desempeñando cargos de relevancia y responsabilidad. Como muestra se citan algunas de las personas más representativas. La relación entre ambas instituciones se ha visto recientemente reforzada y consolidada con la firma el 17 de noviembre de 2020 de un Convenio de Colaboración entre ambas. Este hecho debe estimular a investigadoras e investigadores jóvenes y de gran valía -ya miembros de las dos instituciones- a intervenir en las actividades promovidas por ambas. Estrechar lazos en iniciativas e intereses comunes será sin duda enormemente beneficioso para las dos instituciones

The relationship between the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy and the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has been, since the foundation of the Society, a clear exponent of the commitment that is maintained among a large number of people for simultaneously belonging to both, in some cases also occupying positions of relevance and responsibility. Some of the most representative people are cited. This relationship has recently been strengthened and consolidated with the signing on November 17, 2020 of a Collaboration Agreement between both institutions. This fact should stimulate young and valuable researchers - and members of the two institutions - to participate in the activities promoted by both. Undoubtedly, closing ties in initiatives and common interests will be enormously beneficial for the two institutions

Silicon-calcium phosphate ceramics and silicon-calcium phosphate cements: Substrates to customize the release of antibiotics according to the idiosyncrasies of the patient.

Bone substitutes based on calcium phosphates can be classified in two major groups: ceramics and cements. Both are biomaterials with excellent biocompatibility that have been studied as local delivery systems for drugs. This study aims to evaluate drug-release kinetics in silicon beta-tricalcium phosphate ceramics (Si-ß-TCP) and in silicon calcium phosphate cements (Si-CPCs). We want to investigate if the differences in composition and in structure of the Si-ß-TCP and the Si-CPC may influence for drug loading and in its release kinetics from the biomaterial. The results obtained indicate that all drug-loaded materials were efficient to tailor drug release kinetics and inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. The cements prepared with high concentrations of silicon (80% Si-CPC) present zero-order release kinetics, independent of the drug concentration loaded. Si-ß-TCP and Si-CPC offer a simple technology that could serve to personalize the delivery of bioactive molecules according to each patient's needs in the treatment of bone conditions, not only limited to prophylaxis, but also for the treatment of bone infection.

Estimating carnivore community structures.

Obtaining reliable estimates of the structure of carnivore communities is of paramount importance because of their ecological roles, ecosystem services and impact on biodiversity conservation, but they are still scarce. This information is key for carnivore management: to build support for and acceptance of management decisions and policies it is crucial that those decisions are based on robust and high quality information. Here, we combined camera and live-trapping surveys, as well as telemetry data, with spatially-explicit Bayesian models to show the usefulness of an integrated multi-method and multi-model approach to monitor carnivore community structures. Our methods account for imperfect detection and effectively deal with species with non-recognizable individuals. In our Mediterranean study system, the terrestrial carnivore community was dominated by red foxes (0.410 individuals/km2); Egyptian mongooses, feral cats and stone martens were similarly abundant (0.252, 0.249 and 0.240 individuals/km2, respectively), whereas badgers and common genets were the least common (0.130 and 0.087 individuals/km2, respectively). The precision of density estimates improved by incorporating multiple covariates, device operation, and accounting for the removal of individuals. The approach presented here has substantial implications for decision-making since it allows, for instance, the evaluation, in a standard and comparable way, of community responses to interventions.

Effect of physicochemical properties of a cement based on silicocarnotite/calcium silicate on in vitro cell adhesion and in vivo cement degradation.

A silicon calcium phosphate cement (Si-CPC) was developed to produce a composite of calcium phosphate and calcium silicate. The silicon cements prepared with low silicon (Si) content were composed of crystalline phases of brushite and silicocarnotite. However, the cements prepared with high Si content were mainly composed of amorphous phases of silicocarnotite, hydroxyapatite and calcium silicate. The cement porosity was about 40% with a shift of the average pore diameter to the nanometric range with increasing Si content. Interestingly, this new cement system provides a matrix with a high specific surface area of up to 29 m(2) g(-1). The cytocompatibility of the new Si-doped cements was tested with a human osteoblast-like cell line (MG-63) showing an enhancement of cell proliferation (up to threefold) when compared with unsubstituted material. Cements with a high silica content also improved the cell attachment. The in vivo results indicated that Si-CPCs induce the formation of new bone tissue, and modify cement resorption. We conclude that this cement provides an optimal environment to enhance osteoblast growth and proliferation that could be of interest in bone engineering.

Magnesium substitution in brushite cements: Efficacy of a new biomaterial loaded with vancomycin for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Staphylococcus aureus is the most relevant pathogen associated with bone infection that sometimes appears after implant surgery, thus compromising a successful treatment. The aim of this work was to assess the effectiveness of brushite cements, doped with magnesium, as a new vancomycin carrier system against S.aureus infections. We performed an "in vitro" study to evaluate vancomycin release from the cements by measuring its antimicrobial activity against a strain of S.aureus. We have used two methods to load the cements with vancomycin: i) adsorption from a solution and ii) incorporation of the antibiotic into the solid phase during the cement synthesis. Furthermore, the compression strength of the loaded samples was measured to detect changes in the mechanical properties of the system. The "in vitro" study showed that the sustained release of vancomycin depends on the concentration of magnesium in the cement matrix. In addition, the standardized antibacterial assay revealed that the release of vancomycin from the cements may be helpful to prevent infections in bone regeneration procedures.

Caracterización molecular de un aislamiento cubano de parvovirus canino / Molecular characterization of a Cuban isolation of canine parvovirus

El parvovirus canino tipo 2 (VPC-2) es el agente causal de una enfermedad infecto-contagiosa que produce gastroenteritis aguda hemorrágica que afecta a caninos jóvenes. El VPC-2 es un virus con genoma ADN, pequeño, desnudo y muy resistente a las condiciones ambientales que emergió y se expandió rápidamente a fines de la década de los años 70. En los años 80 surgieron consecutivamente dos variantes antigénicas, denominadas VPC-2a y VPC-2b. En el 2000 se detectó una nueva variante antigénica llamada VPC-2c, reportándose con frecuencia en comunidades caninas de varios países del mundo. El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en caracterizar un aislamiento cubano de parvovirus canino, atenuado y adaptado a cultivo celular. El material genético fue amplificado por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa y secuenciado posteriormente. Las secuencias obtenidas fueron analizadas y comparadas con secuencias de aislados y cepas conocidas depositadas en las bases de datos, donde se evidenció que el aislamiento cubano era del tipo VPC-2(AU)

The type 2 canine parvovirus (CPV-2) is the causal agent of an infected-contagious disease that produces a hemorrhagic and acute gastroenteritis that affects young canines. The CPV-2 is a virus with a small, naked DNA genome, very resistant to the environmental conditions that emerged and expanded fast at the end of the 70´s decade. In the 1980, two antigenic variants of CPV-2 emerged almost simultaneously. They were called CPV-2a and CPV-2b. In the 2000, a new antigenic variant was detected. It was called CPV-2c, and was frequently reported in canine communities in some countries worldwide. The objective of this work is to characterize a Cuban isolation of canine parvovirus attenuated and adapted to cellular cultivation. The genetic material was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing later. The obtained sequences were analyzed and compared with sequences of well-known strains placed in the data base where it was evidenced that the Cuban isolation was of CPV-2 type(AU)

Magnesium substitution in brushite cements for enhanced bone tissue regeneration.

We have synthesized calcium phosphate cements doped with different amounts of magnesium (Mg-CPC) with a twofold purpose: i) to evaluate in vitro the osteoblast cell response to this material, and ii) to compare the bone regeneration capacity of the doped material with a calcium cement prepared without magnesium (CPC). Cell proliferation and in vivo response increased in the Mg-CPCs in comparison with CPC. The Mg-CPCs have promoted higher new bone formation than the CPC (p<0.05). The cytocompatibility and histomorfometric analysis performed in the rabbit calvaria showed that the incorporation of magnesium ions in CPC improves osteoblasts proliferation and provides higher new bone formation. The development of a bone substitute with controllable biodegradable properties and improved bone regeneration can be considered a step toward personalized therapy that can adapt to patient needs and clinical situations.

Strontium ions substitution in brushite crystals: the role of strontium chloride.

The incorporation of strontium chloride to brushite cement was successful to introduce strontium ions within the lattice of brushite crystals. The effect of strontium ions on brushite cement properties was concentration dependent; such that, the addition of 5% and 10% (w/w) SrCl2 significantly increased the cement FST and the addition of 10% SrCl2 decreased the cement tensile strength. Further, cement weight loss was shown to be increased by cement modification with SrCl2. The combination of ionic substitution and the degradability of brushite cements would constitute a system for the local delivery of strontium ions in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Effect of silica gel on the cohesion, properties and biological performance of brushite cement.

The cohesion of calcium phosphate cements can be improved by the addition of substances to either the solid or liquid phase during the setting reaction. This study reports the effect of silica gel on brushite cement cohesion. The cement was prepared using a mixture of beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) and monocalcium phosphate monohydrate as the solid phase, while the liquid phase comprised carboxylic acids silica gel. This cement presents a shorter final setting time (FST), better cohesion and higher amount of unreacted beta-TCP than the cement prepared without silica gel. Furthermore, in vivo experiments using rabbits as an animal model showed that after 8 weeks of implantation cements modified with silica gel showed a similar new bone formation volume and more remaining graft in comparison with unmodified cements. Thus, the silica gel could be efficiently applied to reduce cement disintegration and to decrease the resorption rate of brushite cements.

Longitudinal pubertal growth according to age at pubertal growth spurt onset: data from a Spanish study including 458 children (223 boys and 235 girls).

BACKGROUND: Age at pubertal growth spurt (PGS) onset varies and is sex-dependent. We present anthropometric pubertal growth data for five 1-year interval age maturity groups: very early, early, intermediate, late and very late. METHODS: Longitudinal growth study of 458 healthy children (223 boys, 235 girls). Ages at PGS onset and at adult height attainment, total pubertal growth (TPG), and peak height velocity (PHV) were evaluated. PGS begins between the ages of 10 and 15 in boys and 8 and 13 in girls; children were allocated to the corresponding 1-year interval age maturity group. RESULTS: For each sex, the earlier the start of PGS onset, the higher were PHV and TPG gain. However, adult heights were similar among the five pubertal maturity groups. Height SDS values for mean values of the very early, early, late and very late maturity groups calculated according to data from the five pubertal maturity groups taken together as a single group differed from zero in both sexes, mainly during the pubertal years for the very early (> +1) and very late (> -1) maturers. These differences disappeared at adult height. CONCLUSIONS: Our data might contribute to better clinical evaluation of pubertal growth according to individual pubertal maturity tempo.

Doxycycline sustained release from brushite cements for the treatment of periodontal diseases.

Doxycycline (DOXY) is a wide spectrum antibiotic used in the treatment of dental, periodontal, and bone infections. Brushite cements are calcium phosphate biomaterials especially interesting for bone regeneration processes. In this work, we describe the preparation of a brushite cement containing DOXY and the drug release from the cement. DOXY solutions were mixed with the cement powder and after a 50% burst release in the first 12 h, a slow and controlled release was achieved over 3.5 days. The release of DOXY hyclate was controlled by both, diffusion and Ca(2+) interaction. Formation of DOXY-Ca(2+) chelates was detected in the cement structure using solid state fluorescence. The brushite cement loaded with DOXY hyclate had antibacterial activity against periodontal pathogens: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Bacteroides frosthytus. This new biomaterial may be helpful for the treatment of periodontal diseases.

Diferencias histológicas de la mucosa oral en personas sanas entre 15 y 65 años de edad / Histologic differences of oral mucosa in healthy people among 15 and 65 years of age

PROPOSITOS: reconocer e identificar los cambios histológicos que se presentan en las mucosas gingival, palatina y del carrillo, en diferentes rangos de edad, y verificar si con el aumento de la edad se presentan cambios paulatinos en dichas mucosas. METODOS: la población de este estudio comprendió los pacientes de la Facultad de Odontología de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá, Colombia, quienes de manera voluntaria aceptaron formar parte del estudio. La muestra consistió en 46 biopsias tomadas de 26 pacientes. Se tuvieron encuenta los siguientes criterios de inclusión: buen estado nutricional, ausencia de hábitos, edad entre 15 y 65 años, y ausencia de compromiso sistémico. Las variables estudiadas fueron la edad en relación con los tipos de mucosas con las diferencias histológicas. El análisis se realizó por medio de medidas de tendencia y la prueba del Chi cuadrado. CONCLUSIONES: histológicamente, no se presentaron cambios significativos, relacionados con el aumento de la edad; la mucosa gingival presentó más cambios histológicos que los otros tipos de mucosa, pero no estuvieron relacionados con el incremento de la edad; la morfología da las crestas y papilas no varió con el incremento de la edad; la hiperplasia de los estratos epiteliales se presentó como una característica predominante sobre la hipertrofia o la atrofia y no hubo relación directa con la edad.