High frequency pulsed electrodialysis of acidic filtrate in kraft pulping.

We introduce high frequency pulsed electrodialysis (hf-pED) to process the acidic filtrate of a Kraft pulp bleaching stage, tested in a pilot trial. Compared with conventional electrodialysis, hf-pED at 2,000 Hz allows a reduction in operational cost by 12%, estimated as 0.54 USD/m3 of acidic filtrate, while simultaneously preventing membrane fouling. The proposed sectorial stream treatment is demonstrated to significantly improve the quality of the final effluent, according to mass balances, making it more suitable for irrigation applications, considering requirements of irrigation norms. Thus, we estimate a reduction of 59, 21, and 20% in the concentration of chloride, sodium, and sulfate, respectively, in the final effluent of a conventional Kraft pulping mill. This strategy is presented as a sustainable and economic solution compared with the desalinization of the whole final effluent.

Divergent effects of aging and sex on vasoconstriction to endothelin in coronary arterioles.

OBJECTIVE: The risk for cardiovascular disease increases with advancing age; however, the chronological development of heart disease differs in males and females. The purpose of this study was to determine whether age-induced alterations in responses of coronary arterioles to the endogenous vasoconstrictor, endothelin, are sex-specific. METHODS: Coronary arterioles were isolated from young and old male and female rats to assess vasoconstrictor responses to endothelin (ET), and ETa and ETb receptor inhibitors were used to assess receptor-specific signaling. RESULTS: In intact arterioles from males, ET-induced vasoconstriction was reduced with age, whereas age increased vasoconstrictor responses to ET in intact arterioles from female rats. In intact arterioles from both sexes, blockade of either ETa or ETb eliminated age-related differences in responses to ET; however, denudation of arterioles from both sexes revealed age-related differences in ETa-mediated vasoconstriction. In arterioles from male rats, ETa receptor protein decreased, whereas ETb receptor protein increased with age. In coronary arterioles from females, neither ETa nor ETb receptor protein changed with age, suggesting age-related changes in ET signaling occur downstream of ET receptors. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, aging-induced alterations in responsiveness of the coronary resistance vasculature to endothelin are sex-specific, possibly contributing to sexual dimorphism in the risk of cardiovascular disease with advancing age.

Antitumor effect of a small-molecule inhibitor of KRASG12D in xenograft models of mucinous appendicular neoplasms.

Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare disease characterized by a massive accumulation of mucus in the peritoneal cavity. The only effective treatment is aggressive surgery, aimed at removing all visible tumors. However, a high percentage of patients relapse, with subsequent progression and death. Recently, there has been an increase in therapies that target mutated oncogenic proteins. In this sense, KRAS has been reported to be highly mutated in PMP, with KRASG12D being the most common subtype. Here, we tested the efficacy of a small-molecule KRASG12D inhibitor, MRTX1133, in a high-grade PMP xenograft mouse model carrying a KRASG12D mutation. The results obtained in this work showed a profound inhibition of tumor growth, which was associated with a reduction in cell proliferation, an increase in apoptosis, and a reduction in the MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the high potency and efficacy of MRTX1133 in KRASG12D-PMP tumors and provide a rationale for clinical trials.

A Pilot Study on the Feasibility of Developing and Implementing a Mobile App for the Acquisition of Clinical Knowledge and Competencies by Medical Students Transitioning from Preclinical to Clinical Years.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent restrictions, universities have had to adapt their curricula substantially to new schemes in which remote learning is of the essence. In this study, we assess the feasibility of developing a mobile app supplementary to the distant teaching paradigm for the "Cardiology" module of the "General Pathology" subject in undergraduate Medical Education, and we evaluate its impact and acceptability. A cohort of volunteer second-year medical students (n = 44) had access to the app, and their opinions on its utility (1−10) were collected. Additionally, the students were invited to refer their expected satisfaction (1−10) with a blended learning methodology overlapping this new tool with the traditional resources. The average expected satisfaction had been compared to the average satisfaction obtained by just the traditional methodology in other modules from the same subject. Through a qualitative approach, we defined the strengths and weaknesses of the tool. Seventy-seven percent of the participants rated at 8/10 or more the potential learning value of the application and, if used as a supplement to traditional teaching, it would also statistically improve the satisfaction of students (6.52 vs. 8.70, p < 0.001). Similarly, the qualitative data corroborated the benefits of such innovation. Multidisciplinary collaborations are encouraged to develop teaching innovations, although further research should aim to better define the effectiveness of learning with these resources.

Aging and estrogen alter endothelial reactivity to reactive oxygen species in coronary arterioles.

Endothelium-dependent, nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation can be impaired by reactive oxygen species (ROS), and this deleterious effect of ROS on NO availability may increase with aging. Endothelial function declines rapidly after menopause, possibly because of loss of circulating estrogen and its antioxidant effects. The purpose of the current study was to determine the role of O(2)(-) and H(2)O(2) in regulating flow-induced dilation in coronary arterioles of young (6-mo) and aged (24-mo) intact, ovariectomized (OVX), or OVX + estrogen-treated (OVE) female Fischer 344 rats. Both aging and OVX reduced flow-induced NO production, whereas flow-induced H(2)O(2) production was not altered by age or estrogen status. Flow-induced vasodilation was evaluated before and after treatment with the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic Tempol (100 µM) or the H(2)O(2) scavenger catalase (100 U/ml). Removal of H(2)O(2) with catalase reduced flow-induced dilation in all groups, whereas Tempol diminished vasodilation in intact and OVE, but not OVX, rats. Immunoblot analysis revealed elevated nitrotyrosine with aging and OVX. In young rats, OVX reduced SOD protein while OVE increased SOD in aged rats; catalase protein did not differ in any group. Collectively, these studies suggest that O(2)(-) and H(2)O(2) are critical components of flow-induced vasodilation in coronary arterioles from female rats; however, a chronic deficiency of O(2)(-) buffering by SOD contributes to impaired flow-induced dilation with aging and loss of estrogen. Furthermore, these data indicate that estrogen replacement restores O(2)(-) homeostasis and flow-induced dilation of coronary arterioles, even at an advanced age.

Treatment with an Anti-CK2 Synthetic Peptide Improves Clinical Response in COVID-19 Patients with Pneumonia. A Randomized and Controlled Clinical Trial.

The instrumental role of CK2 in the SARS-CoV-2 infection has pointed out this protein kinase as promising therapeutic target in COVID-19. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity has been reported by CK2 inhibitors in vitro; however, no anti-CK2 clinical approach has been investigated in COVID-19. This trial aimed to explore the safety and putative clinical benefit of CIGB-325, an anti-CK2 peptide previously assessed in cancer patients. A monocentric, controlled, and therapeutic exploratory trial of intravenous CIGB-325 in adults hospitalized with COVID-19 was performed. Twenty patients were randomly assigned to receive CIGB-325 (2.5 mg/kg/day during 5-consecutive days) plus standard-of-care (10 patients) or standard-of-care alone (10 patients). Adverse events were classified by the WHO Adverse Reaction Terminology. Parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses were performed according to the type of variable. Considering the small sample size, differences between groups were estimated by Bayesian analysis. CIGB-325 induced transient mild and/or moderate adverse events such as pruritus, flushing, and rash in some patients. Both therapeutic regimens were similar with respect to SARS-CoV-2 clearance in nasopharynx swabs over time. However, CIGB-325 significantly reduced the median number of pulmonary lesions (9.5 to 5.5, p = 0.042) at day 7 and the proportion of patients with such an effect was also higher according to Bayesian analysis (pDif > 0; 0.951). Also, CIGB-325 significantly reduced the CPK (p = 0.007) and LDH (p = 0.028) plasma levels at day 7. Our preliminary findings suggest that this anti-CK2 clinical approach could be combined with standard-of-care in COVID-19 in larger studies.

Effects of ageing and exercise training on eNOS uncoupling in skeletal muscle resistance arterioles.

Reduced availability of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) contributes to the age-related decline of nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilatation of soleus muscle arterioles. Depending on availability of substrate and/or necessary co-factors, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) can generate NO and/or superoxide (O(2)(-)). We evaluated the effects of age and chronic exercise on flow-induced vasodilatation and levels of NO and O(2)(-) in soleus muscle arterioles. Young (3 months) and old (22 months) male rats were exercise trained or remained sedentary (SED) for 10 weeks. Flow-stimulated NO and O(2)(-), as well as BH(4) and l-arginine content, were determined in soleus muscle arterioles. Flow-induced vasodilatation was assessed under control conditions and during the blockade of O(2)(-) and/or hydrogen peroxide. Exercise training enhanced flow-induced vasodilatation in arterioles from young and old rats. Old age reduced, and exercise training restored, BH(4) content and flow-stimulated NO availability. Flow-stimulated, eNOS-derived O(2)(-) levels were higher in arterioles from old SED compared to those from young SED rats. Exercise training increased flow-stimulated eNOS-derived O(2)(-) levels in arterioles from young but not old rats. O(2)(-) scavenging with Tempol reduced flow-induced vasodilatation from all groups except young SED rats. Addition of catalase to Tempol-treated arterioles eliminated flow-induced vasodilatation in arterioles from all groups. Catalase reduced flow-induced vasodilatation from all groups. In Tempol-treated arterioles, flow-induced vasodilatation was restored by deferoxamine, an iron chelator. These data indicate that uncoupling of eNOS contributes to the age-related decline in flow-induced vasodilatation; however, reactive oxygen species are required for flow-induced vasodilatation in soleus muscle arterioles from young and old rats.

Aging impairs flow-induced dilation in coronary arterioles: role of NO and H(2)O(2).

Aging contributes significantly to the development of cardiovascular disease and is associated with elevated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The beneficial effects of nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation are quickly abolished in the presence of ROS, and this effect may be augmented with aging. We previously demonstrated an age-induced impairment of flow-induced dilation in rat coronary arterioles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of O(2)(-) scavenging, as well as removal of H(2)O(2), the byproduct of O(2)(-) scavenging, on flow-mediated dilation in coronary resistance arterioles of young (4 mo) and old (24 mo) male Fischer 344 rats. Flow increased NO and H(2)O(2) production as evidenced by enhanced diaminofluorescein and dichlorodihydrofluorescein fluorescence, respectively, whereas aging reduced flow-induced NO and H(2)O(2) production. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was evaluated by increasing intraluminal flow (5-60 nl/s) before and after treatment with the superoxide dismutase mimetic Tempol (100 muM), the H(2)O(2) scavenger catalase (100 U/ml), or Tempol plus catalase. Catalase reduced flow-induced dilation in both groups, whereas Tempol and Tempol plus catalase diminished vasodilation in young but not old rats. Tempol plus deferoxamine (100 muM), an inhibitor of hydroxyl radical formation, reversed Tempol-mediated impairment of flow-induced vasodilation in young rats and improved flow-induced vasodilation in old rats compared with control. Immunoblot analysis revealed increases in endogenous superoxide dismutase, catalase, and nitrotyrosine protein levels with aging. Collectively, these data indicate that NO- and H(2)O(2)-mediated flow-induced signaling decline with age in coronary arterioles and that elevated hydroxyl radical formation contributes to the age-related impairment of flow-induced vasodilation.

Estrogen replacement restores flow-induced vasodilation in coronary arterioles of aged and ovariectomized rats.

The risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases with advancing age; however, the age at which CVD risk increases significantly is delayed by more than a decade in women compared with men. This cardioprotection, which women experience until menopause, is presumably due to the presence of ovarian hormones, in particular, estrogen. The purpose of this study was to determine how age and ovarian hormones affect flow-induced vasodilation in the coronary resistance vasculature. Coronary arterioles were isolated from young (6 mo), middle-aged (14 mo), and old (24 mo) intact, ovariectomized (OVX), and ovariectomized + estrogen replaced (OVE) female Fischer-344 rats to assess flow-induced vasodilation. Advancing age impaired flow-induced dilation of coronary arterioles (young: 50 +/- 4 vs. old: 34 +/- 6; % relaxation). Ovariectomy reduced flow-induced dilation in arterioles from young females, and estrogen replacement restored vasodilation to flow. In aged females, flow-induced vasodilation of arterioles was unaltered by OVX; however, estrogen replacement improved flow-induced dilation by approximately 160%. The contribution of nitric oxide (NO) to flow-induced dilation, assessed by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition with N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), declined with age. l-NAME did not alter flow-induced vasodilation in arterioles from OVX rats, regardless of age. In contrast, l-NAME reduced flow-induced vasodilation of arterioles from estrogen-replaced rats at all ages. These findings indicate that the age-induced decline of flow-induced, NO-mediated dilation in coronary arterioles of female rats is related, in part, to a loss of ovarian estrogen, and estrogen supplementation can improve flow-induced dilation, even at an advanced age.

Aerobic exercise reduced oxidative stress in saliva of persons with Down syndrome.

The aim of this investigation was to examine the effect of aerobic exercise (AE) on uric acid (UA), total antioxidant activity (TAA), oxidative stress (OS) and nitrite a stable nitric oxide (NO) metabolite in saliva from persons with Down syndrome (DS). Stimulated saliva was sampled from 12 participants 1 hour before and immediately after a 1,600-meter walking test. Uric acid (UA) was assayed by enzymatic method, TAA by ABTS method, lipid hydroperoxides (OS marker) by the ferrous iron/xylenol orange (FOX) method and nitrite concentration by the Griess reaction. Aerobic exercise (AE) caused a decrease in salivary lipid hydroperoxides in persons with DS (p = 0.001). Aerobic exercise (AE), however, did not affect salivary UA, TAA, and nitrite. This result suggested that AE can be considered as a way to reduce the OS in persons with DS, particularly in the mouth cavity.

A Rare Case of Giant Intraperitoneal Lipoma Found Incidentally on 18F-FDG PET/CT in a Patient with Nodular Fasciitis.

We report a case of concurrent nodular fasciitis and incidental giant intraperitoneal lipoma diagnosed on whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT, an imaging modality that has the advantage of being able to detect unsuspected lesions.

Effects of aerobic exercise on uric acid, total antioxidant activity, oxidative stress, and nitric oxide in human saliva.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of aerobic exercise on uric acid (UA), total antioxidant activity (TAA), lipid hydroperoxides, and nitric oxide (NO) metabolites in human saliva. Twenty-four healthy male and female subjects were studied during a 10,000-m race. Saliva samples were collected 1 h before and immediately after exercise. The NO concentration was determined by the Griess reaction, UA by enzymatic method, TAA by the ABTS method, and lipid hydroperoxide by the ferrous iron/xylenol orange (FOX) method. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on salivary UA, TAA, lipid hydroperoxides, and NO metabolites. Aerobic exercise caused an increase in both salivary UA and TAA, and a decrease in salivary lipid hydroperoxide. There was no, however, change in nitrite concentration. These results suggested that aerobic exercise-induced increment in both UA and TAA seems to inhibit lipid hydroperoxide generation, a marker of oxidative stress in human saliva.

Derrame pericárdico en pacientes embarazadas / Pericardial effusion in pregnant patients

RESUMEN Introducción: El derrame pericárdico en la paciente embarazada es infrecuente, pero se ha visto su presencia en algunos casos aislados sin repercusión hemodinámica, por lo que no se describe la evolución y la conducta a seguir en estas pacientes. Objetivos: Caracterizar a la paciente embarazada con derrame pericárdico, según variables clínicas, epidemiológicas y de laboratorio; y determinar el tiempo de evolución del derrame pericárdico posterior al parto. Método: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo prospectivo con 15 embarazadas con diagnóstico de derrame pericárdico, definido por ecocardiograma transtorácico, seleccionadas de forma intencional de una población de 256 mujeres en estado de gravidez, que fueron atendidas en el Hospital Universitario Gineco-Obstétrico Mariana Grajales de la ciudad de Santa Clara (Villa Clara, Cuba) durante el período de julio 2018 a marzo 2019. Resultados: De las 256 pacientes, solo 15 (5,9%) presentaron derrame pericárdico. El 80% de estos derrames fue encontrado en pacientes con preeclampsia. El 66,7% tenía entre 20 y 29 años de edad, y el 73,3%, color blanco de piel. El derrame fue predominantemente leve (66,7%) y nunca grave, y las pacientes afectadas tenían, además, hipertensión arterial crónica (40%), obesidad (20%) y enfermedad del colágeno (13,3%). En el 86,7% de los casos el derrame pericárdico desapareció en los primeros 15 días posparto. Conclusiones: El derrame pericárdico fue encontrado con más frecuencia en pacientes con preeclampsia, hipertensión arterial crónica, obesidad, proteinuria, hipoproteinemia e hipoalbuminemia; y desapareció, en la mayoría de los casos, en los primeros 15 días posparto.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Pericardial effusions are infrequent in pregnant patients, but its presence has been seen in some isolated cases without hemodynamic involvement. Therefore, neither outcome nor treatment of these cases are described. Objectives: To characterize pregnant patients with pericardial effusion, according to clinical, epidemiological and laboratory variables and determine the recovery time from post-delivery pericardial effusion. Method: A prospective descriptive observational study was carried out with 15 pregnant women with pericardial effusion, diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiogram, intentionally selected from a population of 256 pregnant women who were treated at the Hospital Universitario Gineco-Obstétrico Mariana Grajales in the city of Santa Clara (Villa Clara, Cuba) during the period from July 2018 to March 2019. Results: Of the 256 patients, only 15 (5.9%) presented pericardial effusion. Eighty percent of these effusions were found in patients with pre-eclampsia. A total of 66.7% were aged between 20 and 29 years and 73.3% were white. Effusions were predominantly mild (66.7%) and never severe, and the affected patients also had chronic high blood pressure (40%), obesity (20%) and collagen disease (13.3%). In 86.7% of cases the pericardial effusion resolved in the first 15 days postpartum. Conclusions: Pericardial effusion was more frequently found in patients with pre-eclampsia, chronic arterial hypertension, proteinuria, hypoproteinemia and hipoalbuminemia, and in most cases resolved within the first 15 days postpartum.

[Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Peru: report of eleven cases]. / Enfermedad de Creutzfeldt-Jakob en el Perú: reporte de once casos.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal neurological disease caused by pathological isoform of the human prion protein. Clinical features of six cases of the sporadic form of CJD with definitive diagnosis by histopathology, and five cases with probable diagnosis were reported in patients treated at the Peruvian National Institute of Neurological Sciences. The average age of onset in definite cases was 55.8 years and in probable cases was 59.6, mostly males. The average disease duration was 8.8 months. A typical EEG was found in 50% of definite cases and in 80% of probable. The 14-3-3 protein in cerebrospinal fluid was positive in a probable case, and typical MRI findings were observed in two probable cases. All cases studied had a typical clinical course of the disease, and it is considered as the first report of CJD in Peru.

Inmunidad e inflamación en el proceso quirúrgico / Immunity and inflammation in the surgical act

Resumen Todo acto quirúrgico implica un traumatismo directo al organismo, porque expone moléculas que normalmente no se encuentran en el medio extracelular, a las cuales el sistema inmune puede reconocer, e iniciará una respuesta inflamatoria aguda, con la consecuente producción de proteínas mensajeras llamadas citocinas proinflamatorias. Éstas se encargan de generar cambios en el tejido conectivo y el sistema vascular, lo que origina una vasodilatación que ocasiona la salida de líquido al espacio extracelular, lo que permitirá llegar al sitio de la lesión a los leucocitos y proteínas efectoras solubles, con el fin de responder al estímulo agresor mediante mecanismos innatos y adaptativos. Una vez que el estímulo agresor ha sido controlado, la respuesta fisiológica normal llevará a la producción de mediadores antiinflamatorios que permitan realizar una adecuada reparación tisular para llevar a los tejidos lesionados por el proceso quirúrgico a su estado normal.

Abstract Every surgical procedure results in a direct trauma to the organism because of an exposure to molecules that are not normally found in the extracellular environment, yet they can be recognized by the immune system and initiate an acute inflammatory response resulting in the production of messenger proteins called pro-inflammatory cytokines. This will produce changes in the connective and vascular tissues, leading to vasodilation and afterwards, the reléase of fluid into the extracellular space, allowing leukocytes and the soluble effector proteins to reach the injury in order to respond to the aggressor's stimulus with innate and adaptive mechanisms. Once the aggressor's stimulus has been controlled, the normal physiological response will lead to the production of anti-inflammatory mediators that will allow an adequate tissue repair. In this way, the injured tissues by the surgical lesion will return to its normal state.

[Respiratory tract infections in indigenous migrant Mexican day-laboring families' children]. / Infecciones respiratorias en niños migrantes indígenas de familias jornaleras mexicanas.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying factors associated with respiratory tract infection in indigenous migrant day-laborer families'children living in the sugarcane sector in Colima, Mexico. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Having given their informed consent, 71 mothers were interviewed for compiling pertinent sociodemographic data and a history of respiratory tract infection in their children during the harvest period 2010-2011. Anthropometry for 176 children aged 0-14 years was recorded and they were clinically examined for upper and lower respiratory tract infection. Frequencies, percentages, Chi-square, odds ratio (crude and adjusted) and 95 % confidence intervals were calculated for the resulting data. RESULTS: 52.3 % of the children in the sample had a history of respiratory infection occurring during the last six months. Respiratory infection rates were statistically significant regarding temporary residence in shelters/hostels. The factors associated with a background of infection were being aged less than four years (AOR 4.06 (2.03-8.09) 95 % CI) and having been involved in temporary residence in a shelter,thereby leading to more overcrowding and an increased use of wood stoves for cooking (AOR 1.92 (1.01-3.63) 95 % CI). CONCLUSION: Indigenous migrant day-laboring families'children are vulnerable to respiratory infection. Prevention programs should target their activities by age-group, emphasizing younger children, and promote improved sanitary conditions in the shelters.

Age and exercise training alter signaling through reactive oxygen species in the endothelium of skeletal muscle arterioles.

Exercise training ameliorates age-related impairments in endothelium-dependent vasodilation in skeletal muscle arterioles. Additionally, exercise training is associated with increased superoxide production. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of superoxide and superoxide-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling in mediating endothelium-dependent vasodilation of soleus muscle resistance arterioles from young and old, sedentary and exercise-trained rats. Young (3 mo) and old (22 mo) male rats were either exercise trained or remained sedentary for 10 wk. To determine the impact of ROS signaling on endothelium-dependent vasodilation, responses to acetylcholine were studied under control conditions and during the scavenging of superoxide and/or hydrogen peroxide. To determine the impact of NADPH oxidase-derived ROS, endothelium-dependent vasodilation was determined following NADPH oxidase inhibition. Reactivity to superoxide and hydrogen peroxide was also determined. Tempol, a scavenger of superoxide, and inhibitors of NADPH oxidase reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation in all groups. Similarly, treatment with catalase and simultaneous treatment with tempol and catalase reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation in all groups. Decomposition of peroxynitrite also reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Aging had no effect on arteriolar protein content of SOD-1, catalase, or glutathione peroxidase-1; however, exercise training increased protein content of SOD-1 in young and old rats, catalase in young rats, and glutathione peroxidase-1 in old rats. These data indicate that ROS signaling is necessary for endothelium-dependent vasodilation in soleus muscle arterioles, and that exercise training-induced enhancement of endothelial function occurs, in part, through an increase in ROS signaling.

Immunization with neural-derived antigens inhibits lipid peroxidation after spinal cord injury.

Lipid peroxidation (LP) is one of the most harmful mechanisms developed after spinal cord (SC) injury. Several strategies have been explored in order to control this phenomenon. Protective autoimmunity is a physiological process based on the modulation of inflammatory cells that can be boosted by immunizing with neural-derived peptides, such as A91. Since inflammatory cells are among the main contributors to lipid peroxidation, we hypothesized that protective autoimmunity could reduce LP after SC injury. In order to test this hypothesis, we designed two experiments in SC contused rats. First, animals were immunized with a neural-derived peptide seven days before injury. With the aim of inducing the functional elimination of CNS-specific T cells, for the second experiment, animals were tolerized against SC-protein extract and thereafter subjected to a SC injury. The lipid-soluble fluorescent products were used as an index of lipid peroxidation and were assessed after injury. Immunization with neural-derived peptides reduced lipid peroxidation after SC injury. Functional elimination of CNS-specific T cells avoided the beneficial effect induced by protective autoimmunity. The present study demonstrates the beneficial effect of immunizing with neural-derived peptides on lipid peroxidation inhibition; besides this, it also provides evidence on the neuroprotective mechanisms exerted by protective autoimmunity.