Inhalational lung diseases.

The term inhalational lung disease comprises a group of entities that develop secondary to the active aspiration of particles. Most are occupational lung diseases. Inhalational lung diseases are classified as occupational diseases (pneumoconiosis, chemical pneumonitis), hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and electronic-cigarette-associated lung diseases. The radiologic findings often consist of nonspecific interstitial patterns that can be difficult to interpret. Therefore, radiologists' experience and multidisciplinary teamwork are key to ensure correct evaluation. The role of the radiologist is fundamental in preventive measures as well as in diagnosis and management, having an important impact on patients' overall health. It is crucial to take into account patients' possible exposure to particles both at work and at home.

Artralgias invalidantes secundarias al tratamiento con pioglitazona / Pioglitazone-induced disabling arthralgia

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Reflexiones sobre la homeostasis de la glucosa a partir del estudio STOP-NIDDM / Reflections on glucose homeostasis based on the STOP-NIDDM study

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Trombosis de las venas porta y mesentérica superior asociada a déficit de proteína S / Portal and mesenteric thrombosis and protein "S" deficiency

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Protein-energy malnutrition during gestation and lactation in rats affects growth rate, brain development and essential fatty acid metabolism.

The influence of feeding a low protein diet to rat dams during gestation and lactation on lipid metabolism in pups was studied. Wistar rats were fed 5, 10, 15 and 25% dietary protein during gestation and lactation. Pup growth was monitored until weaning, and brain weight, protein concentration, proteolipid concentration and total lipid phosphorus concentration of brain were analyzed. The levels of fatty acids in dam milk as well as in pup liver phospholipids and brain prosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were determined. The progressive deprivation of maternal dietary protein produced a reduction in the total saturated fatty acid concentration of dam milk and an increment in the concentration of nonmetabolized linoleic acid. Pup body and brain weights as well as proteolipid, protein and total lipid phosphorus concentrations in brain were reduced in proportion to the degree of dietary protein deficiency. The products:precursor ratio of (n-6) fatty acids in liver phospholipids revealed an impairment in the elongation-desaturation pathway due to maternal protein deficiency. Both (n-6) and (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids within brain phosphatidylethanolamine were decreased by reduced maternal dietary protein intake, whereas only the linoleic acid-derived products were similarly affected in the corresponding phosphatidylcholine fraction. These results demonstrate the widespread and profound deleterious effects of low protein levels of maternal diet on the growth rate, brain development and fatty acid metabolism in rat pups.

[Effect of the administration of corn oil on the composition of fatty acids of plasma phospholipids in normal and malnourished infants fed with cow's milk]. / Efecto de la administración de aceite de maíz sobre la composición en ácidos grasos de los fosfolípidos del plasma de lactantes normales y desnutridos alimentados con leche de vaca.

The effect of corn oil diet administration on the essential fatty acids (EFAs) profiles was evaluated in plasma phospholipids from normal and malnourished cow's milk fed infants nursing infants. A control group of only breast-fed was also selected for this study. The fatty acid composition was determined by gas-liquid chromatography and used as biochemical variable for evaluating EFA status. A fall in the proportion of fatty acids concomitant with an increase in the saturated fatty acids, consistent with a pattern of essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD) was observed in the cow's milk fed infants, either normal or malnourished (Table 2). The corn oil administration was capable of restoring the fatty acid profile to normal values, similar to the values of the control group of breast-fed infants, even in malnourished infants, although during the 15 days test they did not correct their clinical syndrome of malnutrition (Table 3). Calculation of the product-precursor of the linoleic acid provided evidence for the positive effect of the corn oil administration.

Efecto de la administración de aceite de maíz sobre la composición en ácidos grasos de los fosfolípidos del plasma de lactantes normales y desnutridos alimentados con leche de vaca. / [Effect of the administration of corn oil on the composition of fatty acids of plasma phospholipids in normal and malnourished infants fed with cows milk]

The effect of corn oil diet administration on the essential fatty acids (EFAs) profiles was evaluated in plasma phospholipids from normal and malnourished cows milk fed infants nursing infants. A control group of only breast-fed was also selected for this study. The fatty acid composition was determined by gas-liquid chromatography and used as biochemical variable for evaluating EFA status. A fall in the proportion of fatty acids concomitant with an increase in the saturated fatty acids, consistent with a pattern of essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD) was observed in the cows milk fed infants, either normal or malnourished (Table 2). The corn oil administration was capable of restoring the fatty acid profile to normal values, similar to the values of the control group of breast-fed infants, even in malnourished infants, although during the 15 days test they did not correct their clinical syndrome of malnutrition (Table 3). Calculation of the product-precursor of the linoleic acid provided evidence for the positive effect of the corn oil administration.

Metabolic transformation of intracraneally injected [1-14C]linoleic and [1-14C]alpha-linolenic acids in malnourished developing rats.

The effect of a low protein diet during pregnancy and lactation on the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) from brains of ten-day-old rats was studied. The results indicated that partial deprivation of protein during early development was associated with an increase in the fatty acids of the n-9 family in PC. The fatty acids of the linoleic acid series decreased in PE but were not modified in PC. These minor changes did not affect the double bond index values either in PC or in PE. The effect of protein depletion on the in vivo metabolic transformation of intracraneally injected [1-14C]linoleic and [1-14C]alpha-linolenic acids was also studied. The percentage distribution of the labeled precursors and their derivatives among PC and PE differed from that of mass distribution. These results indicate that the direct uptake of polyunsaturated fatty acids from the blood and/or the low turnover rate of these acids incorporated into PC and PE might be involved in maintaining the fatty acid pattern of these brain lipids.

Effects of an eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid concentrate on a human lung carcinoma grown in nude mice.

The effects of the n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on the growth of a human lung mucoepidermoid carcinoma (HLMC) in athymic mice were studied. The mice were divided into three groups which were given either a control chow diet (C), a chow diet supplemented with EPA/DHA (P) (25 or 50 mg of free n-3 fatty acids/g of pellet/day), or chow diet supplemented with palmitic acid (S) (isocaloric with P). Two independent experimental schedules were followed: i) host mice bearing either tumors that were allowed to reach 4000 mm3, or only 35 mm3, were fed C, P or S for 21 or 41 days; ii) animals were fed C, P and S for 9 days before tumor implant and were maintained on these diets throughout tumor growth. Food consumption, mouse weight and liver/body weight ratio showed no significant differences between supplemented diets and chow. Tumor growth was markedly inhibited (45%) in both experiments by the EPA/DHA supplemented diet. In Experiment 2, only 60% of mice fed diet P had tumors. The fatty acid composition of neutral and polar lipids of host liver and tumor reflected the dietary intake of n-3 fatty acids; the content of arachidonic acid was reduced by 50%, and EPA/DHA was increased 3- to 5-fold. Tumor prostaglandin E2 levels were reduced 7.4-fold in the P group. The reduced PGE2 content may be a factor in tumor growth inhibition.

Interrelationship between protein-energy malnutrition and essential fatty acid deficiency in nursing infants.

The influence of severe protein-calorie malnutrition on essential fatty acid (EFA) status was evaluated in nursing infants aged 2-5 mo. A control group of the same age and with normal weight-for-height was also selected for this study. The fatty acid pattern of total phospholipids from plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) was determined and then used as a biochemical variable for evaluating EFA status. A sharp fall in the relative percentage of n-6 (omega-6) fatty acids concomitant with an increase in the n-9 fatty acids in plasma and RBC phospholipids was observed. These results are consistent with the picture of EFA deficiency and showed that the deficiency state is well correlated with the severity of malnutrition. Calculation of the product-precursor ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from linoleic acid (18:2n-6) in RBC phospholipids provides evidence for an impairment in the elongation-desaturation pathway promoted by the protein-calorie malnutrition.

In vitro effect of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids on prostaglandin E2 synthesis in a human lung carcinoma.

The capacity to synthesize both prostaglandins E1 (PGE1) and E2 (PGE2) has been determined in human lung mucoepidermoid carcinoma homogenates when [14C]-fatty acid precursors were added to the incubation medium. Only 10% of the total radioactivity recovered in PGs was found in PGF1 alpha and PGF2 alpha. The experiments were principally focused to inhibit the PGE2 synthesis either with pure eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids or with mixtures of both n-3 fatty acids obtained from fish oil. The results demonstrated that significant inhibitions were found when using 25 microM or a higher concentration of pure EPA or DHA in the incubation medium; however, 5 microM of mixtures of different EPA/DHA ratio caused the same inhibition. The results suggest that EPA and DHA, when added together, may enforce their inhibitory effect on PGE2 synthesis.

Microsomal fatty acid desaturation and elongation in a human lung carcinoma grown in nude mice.

Since tumor cells show abnormal fatty acid composition, it is likely that their desaturase systems were affected to some extent. Although desaturase activities in experimental tumors have been evaluated, to our knowledge, fatty acid desaturases in human neoplasms and particularly in human tumors grown in nude mice have not been assessed yet. We have therefore, chosen a rapidly growing human lung mucoepidermoid carcinoma (HLMC) grown in nude mice to study microsomal fatty acid desaturation and chain elongation activities. Tumor microsomal proteins were incubated with unlabeled malonyl-CoA and one of the following fatty acids: [1-14C]palmitic (16:0), [1-14C]linoleic (18:2), alpha-[1-14C]linolenic (alpha-18:3), and unlabeled gamma-linolenic (gamma-18:3) plus [2-14C]malonyl-CoA. Data show that HLMC microsomes were capable to desaturate 16:0, alpha-18:3, and dihomogammalinolenic acids (20:3) by delta 9, delta 6 and delta 5 desaturase, respectively; however, delta 6 desaturase activity on [14C]18:2 was not detected. The microsomal elongation system was active in all fatty acid series tested except for 18:2. These findings show that the undetectable activity for 18:2 desaturation is not exclusively found in experimental tumors.

Changes in the plasma free fatty acid composition during VLDL lipolysis induced by heparin: their effect on platelet phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis.

The contribution of the acyl specificity of post heparin lipolytic enzymes to changes in the plasma free fatty acid (FFA) pattern during very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) lipolysis, was studied. The effect of these changes in the 3H-choline incorporation into platelet phosphatidylcholine (PC) during incubation, was also investigated. "In vitro" experiments with post heparin plasma and isolated VLDL showed an increase of 61.1 in the percentage of linoleic acid (C 18:2) concomitant with a decrease of 57.1% in the relative concentration of stearic acid (C 18:0) during VLDL triacylglycerol lipolysis. Similarly, a decrease of 39.2% in the plasma concentration of C 18:0 and an increase of 29.4% in the C 18:2 and 9.6% in the oleic acid (C 18:1) concentration were observed after intravenous injection of low doses of heparin. The plasma FFA compositional changes that occur during "in vitro" VLDL lipolysis accelerate not only the incorporation of labeled choline but also the incorporation of C 18:2 into platelet PC. It is suggested that the above observed changes on platelet response are due to the increase in the C 18:2 concentration during incubation.