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Microsporum canis is a widely distributed dermatophyte, which is among the main etiological agents of dermatophytosis in humans and domestic animals. This fungus invades, colonizes and nourishes itself on the keratinized tissues of the host through various virulence factors. This review will bring together the known information about the mechanisms, enzymes and their associated genes relevant to the pathogenesis processes of the fungus and will provide an overview of those virulence factors that should be better studied to establish effective methods of prevention and control of the disease. Public databases using the MeSH terms "Microsporum canis", "virulence factors" and each individual virulence factor were reviewed to enlist a series of articles, from where only original works in English and Spanish that included relevant information on the subject were selected. Out of the 147 articles obtained in the review, 46 were selected that reported virulence factors for M. canis in a period between 1988 and 2023. The rest of the articles were discarded because they did not contain information on the topic (67), some were written in different languages (3), and others were repeated in two or more databases (24) or were not original articles (7). The main virulence factors in M. canis are keratinases, fungilisins and subtilisins. However, less commonly reported are biofilms or dipeptidylpeptidases, among others, which have been little researched because they vary in expression or activity between strains and are not considered essential for the infection and survival of the fungus. Although it is known that they are truly involved in resistance, infection and metabolism, we recognize that their study could strengthen the knowledge of the pathogenesis of M. canis with the aim of achieving effective treatments, as well as the prevention and control of infection.
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Microsporum , Fatores de Virulência , Microsporum/patogenicidade , Microsporum/genética , Fatores de Virulência/genética , Fatores de Virulência/metabolismo , Animais , Humanos , Fenótipo , Dermatomicoses/microbiologia , Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Proteínas Fúngicas/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Developing effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that consider manufacturing limitations, equitable access, and acceptance is necessary for developing platforms to produce antigens that can be efficiently presented for generating neutralizing antibodies and as a model for new vaccines. RESULTS: This work presents the development of an applicable technology through the oral administration of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD antigen fused with a peptide to improve its antigenic presentation. We focused on the development and production of the recombinant receptor binding domain (RBD) produced in E. coli modified with the addition of amino acids extension designed to improve antigen presentation. The production was carried out in shake flask and bioreactor cultures, obtaining around 200 mg/L of the antigen. The peptide-fused RBD and peptide-free RBD proteins were characterized and compared using SDS-PAGE gel, high-performance chromatography, and circular dichroism. The peptide-fused RBD was formulated in an oil-in-water emulsion for oral mice immunization. The peptide-fused RBD, compared to RBD, induced robust IgG production in mice, capable of recognizing the recombinant RBD in Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In addition, the peptide-fused RBD generated neutralizing antibodies in the sera of the dosed mice. The formulation showed no reactive episodes and no changes in temperature or vomiting. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of the designed peptide added to the RBD to improve antigen immunostimulation by oral administration.
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COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Adjuvantes Imunológicos , Vacinas contra COVID-19 , Escherichia coli , Administração Oral , Antígenos Virais , Anticorpos Neutralizantes , Peptídeos , Anticorpos AntiviraisRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic (declared in March 2020) affected our surgical workload. METHODS: Using the University of Puerto Rico Department of Surgery database, we evaluated the number of surgical cases and their characteristics for the years 2019 through 2021. The variables examined included age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiology classification, type of surgery (elective/emergency), whether the patient had been admitted or was an outpatient, and outcome. RESULTS: The total number of surgical cases decreased 30%, falling from 5,040 in 2019 to 3,564 in 2020, but then increasing about 10% to 3,935 in 2021. The number of elective surgery cases dropped 33%, going from 4,383 in 2019 to 2,924 in 2020. The number of emergency surgeries had a minor decrease of 16%, diminishing from 650 to 546 between 2019 and 2020, inclusive. Patients undergoing elective surgery during 2020 were found to be older, were more frequently men, and required inpatient admission more often. Three significant periods were identified and correlated to the number of surgical cases, the first being the COVID-19 lockdown (March 2020) and the second and third being the increases in infections caused by the Delta and Omicron variants of the virus (July 2021 and December 2021, respectively). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant decrease in the number of surgical cases. Two years after the pandemic, we have not recovered and continue to have fewer surgical cases than we did in 2019.
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COVID-19 , Masculino , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Pandemias , Carga de Trabalho , Controle de Doenças Transmissíveis , SARS-CoV-2 , HospitaisRESUMO
The temperature-inducible λpL/pR-cI857 expression system has been widely used to produce recombinant proteins (RPs), especially when it is necessary to avoid the addition of exogenous materials to induce the expression of recombinant genes, preventing contamination of bioprocesses. The temperature increase favors the formation of inclusion bodies (IBs). The temperature upshift could change the metabolism, productivities, cell viability, IBs architecture, and the host cell proteins inside IBs, affecting downstream to obtain the final product. In this contribution, we focus on the relationship between the bioprocesses using temperature increase as inducer, the heat shock response associated with temperature up-shift, the RP accumulation, and the formation of IBs. Here, we describe how to produce IBs and how culture conditions can modulate the composition and architecture of IBs by modifying the induction temperature in RP production.
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Escherichia coli , Corpos de Inclusão , Proteínas Recombinantes , Escherichia coli/genética , Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Corpos de Inclusão/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes/biossíntese , TemperaturaRESUMO
Inflammation and oxidative stress are critical events involved in neurodegeneration. In animal models, it has been shown that chronic consumption of a hypercaloric diet, which leads to inflammatory processes, affects the hippocampus, a brain region fundamental for learning and memory processes. In addition, advanced age and menopause are risk factors for neurodegeneration. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) ameliorates menopause symptoms. Tibolone (TB), a synthetic hormone, exerts estrogenic, progestogenic and androgenic effects on different tissues. We aimed to determine the effect of short-term TB administration on oxidative stress and inflammation markers in the hippocampus of ovariectomized rats fed a high-fat-and-fructose diet (HFFD). Adult female rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and fed standard diet or HFFD-consisting of 10% lard supplemented chow and 20% high-fructose syrup in the drinking water-and administered vehicle or TB (1â mg/kg for seven days). Finally, we administered hormone receptor antagonists (MPP, RU486 or FLU) to each of the OVX + HFFD + TB groups. Bodyweight, triglycerides and cholesterol, oxidative stress and inflammation markers, and the activity and expression of antioxidant enzymes were quantified in the hippocampus of each experimental group. We observed that short-term TB administration significantly reduced body weight, AGEs, MDA levels, increased SOD and GPx activity, improved GSH/GSSG ratio, and reduced IL-6 and TNF-α. Our findings suggest that short-term administration of TB decreases oxidative stress and reduces inflammation caused by HFFD and early estrogenic decline. These effects occurred via estrogen receptor alpha.
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Frutose , Estresse Oxidativo , Ratos , Feminino , Animais , Frutose/efeitos adversos , Inflamação/metabolismo , Dieta Hiperlipídica/efeitos adversos , Peso Corporal , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Hormônios/metabolismo , Hormônios/farmacologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how the proportion of elderly patients aged 65 and above has increased in our surgical services over a 5-year period. METHODS: We compared the ages and characteristics of the surgical cases in 2014 with those in 2019, a 5-year interval, using the information from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) General Surgery Database. The variables examined included age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) classification and outcome. RESULTS: In the UPR General Surgery Database information was available for 4,906 surgical cases performed in 2014 and for 4,954 such cases performed in 2019. The mean age of the patients increased from 48 (±23) years to 50 (±22) years in the 5-year interval. The gender distribution indicated that 56% were women and 44% were men, with no significant difference between the 2 periods evaluated. A statistically significant (P<0.001) increase in patients, 65 years of age and older occurred from 2014 (27%) to 2019 (31%). Patients aged 65 years and older were sicker, as indicated by more frequent ASA classifications of 3 or greater (in 2014: 13% vs. 32% and in 2019: 31% vs. 59%; P<0.001). Postoperative morbidity and/or mortality were slightly higher in the older group (5%, 3%) when compared to the younger group (3%, 2%). CONCLUSION: Elderly patients represent about one-third of the surgical workload, a proportion that is expected to grow as the general population ages. The rapid aging of the population presents important challenges, such as shifting disease burden and increased expenditures on health and the long-term care of the elderly, for which we will have to prepare.
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Hospitais , Complicações Pós-Operatórias , Idoso , Masculino , Humanos , Feminino , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Bases de Dados Factuais , Período Pós-Operatório , Estudos Retrospectivos , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Low temperature and sodium butyrate (NaBu) are two of the most used productivity-enhancing strategies in CHO cell cultures during biopharmaceutical manufacturing. While these two approaches alter the balance in the reciprocal relationship between cell growth and productivity, we do not fully understand their mechanisms of action beyond a gross cell growth inhibition. Here, we used continuous culture to evaluate the differential effect of low temperature and NaBu supplementation on CHO cell performance and gene expression profile. We found that an increase in cell-productivity under growth-inhibiting conditions was associated with the arrest of cells in the G1/G0 phase. A transcriptome analysis revealed that the molecular mechanisms by which low temperature and NaBu arrested cell cycle in G1/G0 differed from each other through the deregulation of different cell cycle checkpoints and regulators. The individual transcriptome changes in pattern observed in response to low temperature and NaBu were retained when these two strategies were combined, leading to an additive effect in arresting the cell cycle in G1/G0 phase. The findings presented here offer novel molecular insights about the cell cycle regulation during the CHO cell bioprocessing and its implications for increased recombinant protein production. This data provides a background for engineering productivity-enhanced CHO cell lines for continuous manufacturing.
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Técnicas de Cultura de Células , Cricetinae , Animais , Células CHO , Fase de Repouso do Ciclo Celular , Cricetulus , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Ciclo CelularRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To compare the amount of days lost from work by women with symptomatic macromastia while on conservative management and after they undergo breast reduction surgery. METHODS: Working women with symptomatic macromastia were requested to record the number of days lost from work as a result of back or neck pain associated with their large breasts during a 6 months period of conservative management required by their health insurance. The conservative management included physical therapy, weight loss and analgesics. A reduction mammoplasty was approved and performed in all the women following the period of conservative management. After the women returned to work, they were again requested to record the number of lost work days associated with back/neck pain during the next 6 months. Basic demographic information was also obtained. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-three women with symptomatic macromastia participated. The mean age was 31±10, the mean body mass index was 29±4, mean bra size was 38-D, 45% had a college degree or higher, and 90% had full-time employment. The mean number of lost work days was 6±3 with conservative and 1±1 with surgical management in a 6 months period, a difference that was statistically significant (p<0.05). Based on gender-specific median wage rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these lost days represent an economic loss of $1,642 annually per woman in conservative management. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of breast hypertrophy resulted in significantly less days lost from work. There is a higher cost in loss productivity with conservative management.
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Mamoplastia , Cervicalgia , Adulto , Mama/anormalidades , Feminino , Humanos , Hipertrofia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
With the uncontrolled growth of multidrug-resistant bacteria, there is an urgent need to search for new therapeutic targets, to develop drugs with novel modes of bactericidal action. FoF1-ATP synthase plays a crucial role in bacterial bioenergetic processes, and it has emerged as an attractive antimicrobial target, validated by the pharmaceutical approval of an inhibitor to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. In this work, we aimed to design, through two types of in silico strategies, new allosteric inhibitors of the ATP synthase, by targeting the catalytic ß subunit, a centerpiece in communication between rotor subunits and catalytic sites, to drive the rotary mechanism. As a model system, we used the F1 sector of Escherichia coli, a bacterium included in the priority list of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Drug-like molecules and an IF1-derived peptide, designed through molecular dynamics simulations and sequence mining approaches, respectively, exhibited in vitro micromolar inhibitor potency against F1. An analysis of bacterial and Mammalia sequences of the key structural helix-turn-turn motif of the C-terminal domain of the ß subunit revealed highly and moderately conserved positions that could be exploited for the development of new species-specific allosteric inhibitors. To our knowledge, these inhibitors are the first binders computationally designed against the catalytic subunit of FOF1-ATP synthase.
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BACKGROUND: Providing optimal care for type 2 diabetes (DM2) patients remains a challenge for all healthcare systems. Patients often encounter various barriers in adhering to self-management programs due to lack of knowledge and understanding of self-care activities, lack of individualized and coordinated care, inconvenient and costly education sessions, and poor patient-provider communication. Mobile technologies such as cell phones/smartphones, handheld tablets, and other wireless devices offer new and exciting opportunities for addressing some of these challenges. The purpose of this study is to compare a diabetes management strategy using an information board and a mobile application versus standard care in patients with uncontrolled DM2. METHOD: The SANENT (Sistema de Análisis de Enfermedades No Transmisibles) trial is a primary care-based, prospective, two-arm, randomized controlled, open-label, blinded-endpoint study. We aim to recruit 1440 DM2 patients during a period of 6 months until the requested number of participants has been achieved. The total length of the intervention will be 1 year. Both men and women treated for DM2 with an HbA1c > 8.5% and ≥ 20 years of age are eligible to participate in the study. The primary outcome of the study is improved diabetes control measured by changes in HbA1c in the study participants. HbA1c will be measured at baseline, 3-month, 6-month, 9-month, and 12-month follow-up visits in all participants. The main analysis will be based on the intention-to-treat principle. The primary endpoint of the study will be the change in HbA1C within the groups and the differences between the groups. This will be assessed by a repeated measurement approach based on mixed models which contain both fixed effects and random effects. DISCUSSION: The overall goal of this project is to contribute to the evidence for the use of mobile technology to improve the treatment and regulation of poorly controlled DM2 patients living in Mexico. Our proposed project will show how mobile health technology tools can be used in the treatment of patients with uncontrolled DM2 in primary health care in a Latin American population, and particularly how they could help diabetes patients take better care of themselves. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , US National Institutes of Health NCT04974333 . Prospectively registered on July 13, 2021. Protocol version number 1, dated August 15th, 2021.
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Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 , Aplicativos Móveis , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/diagnóstico , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/terapia , Feminino , Humanos , Sistemas de Informação , Masculino , México , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Estudos Prospectivos , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto , Estados UnidosRESUMO
The selection of highly recombinant protein (RP)-productive Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines is widely carried out in shake flasks. It is assumed that increases in the operating parameters in shake flasks lead to impairments in cell growth and RP production. These effects in cells metabolism are widely associated with high mass transfers and hydrodynamic stress. This study examined the impact of commonly used operational parameters on growth and specific productivity (qP) of two CHO cell lines differentially secreting a humanized anti-hIL8 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and cultured in 250 ml flasks. The evaluated parameters are filling volume (10, 15, and 20%), shaking frequency (60 and 120 revolutions per minute -rpm-), and orbital diameter (25.4 and 19 mm). The analysis of the oxygen transfer was done in terms of the measured volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa) and of the hydrodynamics in terms of power input per unit volume of liquid (P/V), the turbulent eddy length scale measured by the Kolmogorov's microscale of turbulence, the energy dissipation rate, the average shear stress, and the shear rate. Though almost all measured kinetic and stoichiometric parameters remained unchanged, mAb titer included, significant differences were found in maximum cell concentration, 10-45% higher in conditions with lower values of kLa and P/V. Changes in glucose metabolism contributing to qP were only shown in the higher producer cell line. Non-lethal responses to elevated oxygen transfer and shear stress might be present and must be considered when evaluating CHO cell cultures in shake flasks.
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Reatores Biológicos , Oxigênio , Animais , Células CHO , Cricetinae , Cricetulus , Oxigênio/metabolismo , Proteínas RecombinantesRESUMO
Competing interaction fluids have become ideal model systems to study a large number of phenomena, for example, the formation of intermediate range order structures, condensed phases not seen in fluids driven by purely attractive or repulsive forces, the onset of particle aggregation under in- and out-of-equilibrium conditions, which results in the birth of reversible and irreversible aggregates or clusters whose topology and morphology depend additionally on the thermodynamic constrictions, and a particle dynamics that has a strong influence on the transport behaviour and rheological properties of the fluid. In this contribution, we study a system of particles interacting through a potential composed by a continuous succession of a short-ranged square-well (SW), an intermediate-ranged square-shoulder and a long-ranged SW. This potential model is chosen to systematically analyse the contribution of every component of the interaction potential on the phase behaviour, the microstructure, the morphology of the resulting aggregates and the transport phenomena of fluids described by competing interactions. Our results indicate that the inclusion of a barrier and a second well leads to new and interesting effects, which in addition result in variations of the physical properties associated to the competition among interactions.
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Despite early control measures, SARS-CoV-2 reached all regions of Peru during the first wave of the pandemic, including native communities of the Peruvian Amazon. Here, we aimed to describe the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in the Amazonas region of Peru using an open database of 11,124 COVID-19 cases reported from 19 March to 29 July 2020, including 3278 cases from native communities. A high-incidence area in northern Amazonas (Condorcanqui) reported a cumulative incidence of 63.84/1000 inhabitants with a much lower death rate (0.95%) than the national average. Our results showed at least eight significant factors for mortality, and the Native Amazonian ethnicity as a protective factor. Molecular confirmatory tests are necessary to better explain the high incidence of antibody response reported in these communities.
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BACKGROUND: Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the workhorse for obtaining recombinant proteins. Proteomic studies of these cells intend to understand cell biology and obtain more productive and robust cell lines for therapeutic protein production in the pharmaceutical industry. Because of the great importance of precipitation methods for the processing of samples in proteomics, the acetone, methanol-chloroform (M/C), and trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-acetone protocols were compared for CHO cells in terms of protein recovery, band pattern resolution, and presence on SDS-PAGE. RESULTS: Higher recovery and similar band profile with cellular homogenates were obtained using acetone precipitation with ultrasonic bath cycles (104.18 ± 2.67%) or NaOH addition (103.12 ± 5.74%), compared to the other two protocols tested. TCA-acetone precipitates were difficult to solubilize, which negatively influenced recovery percentage (77.91 ± 8.79%) and band presence. M/C with ultrasonic homogenization showed an intermediate recovery between the other two protocols (94.22 ± 4.86%) without affecting protein pattern on SDS-PAGE. These precipitation methods affected the recovery of low MW proteins (< 15â¯kDa). CONCLUSIONS: These results help in the processing of samples of CHO cells for their proteomic study by means of an easily accessible, fast protocol, with an almost complete recovery of cellular proteins and the capture of the original complexity of the cellular composition. Acetone protocol could be incorporated to sample-preparation workflows in a straightforward manner and can probably be applied to other mammalian cell lines as well.
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Animais , Proteínas Recombinantes , Células CHO , Proteômica/métodos , Acetona , Precipitação Química , Solubilidade , Ácido Tricloroacético , Separação Celular , Clorofórmio , Técnicas de Cultura de Células , Metanol , Eletroforese em Gel de PoliacrilamidaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The characteristics of surgical patients were examined according to type of health insurance to determine whether differences existed between these groups. METHODS: We evaluated the characteristics of cases in the UPR General Surgery Department's database (entered from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018) by insurance type. The variables examined included age, gender, inpatient/outpatient status, wound classification, type of surgery, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) scores and whether a given patient had diabetes, was a smoker, or suffered from hypertension. This database had no trauma cases. RESULTS: Information was available for 5,097 cases during the study period. The mean age of the group was 51 (±22) years. The gender distribution indicated that 56% were women and 44% were men. The insurance types were distributed as follows: government/no insurance, 40%; Medicare, 12%; and private insurance, 48%. The government-insured/uninsured patients were younger (mean age, 41 ±24) and had had emergency surgery more frequently (18%) than had privately insured patients (10%). Medicare patients were significantly older (mean age, 72 ±12), and had had higher incidences of diabetes (46%) and hypertension (81%), presenting with ASA scores greater than or equal to 3 in 73% of cases. More privately insured individuals than those in other groups had had elective surgery (90%); 48% had been outpatients when they had their surgery, 58% had had clean wounds, and 61% of the patients having elective surgery were women. CONCLUSION: There were significant differences (P<.05) in the characteristics of patients with different types of health insurance. The frequency of emergency surgery was found to be significantly higher in the government-insured/uninsured group than in the privately insured group.
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Seguro Saúde/classificação , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Bases de Dados Factuais/estatística & dados numéricos , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiologia , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Eletivos/estatística & dados numéricos , Emergências/epidemiologia , Feminino , Hospitais Universitários , Humanos , Hipertensão/epidemiologia , Seguro Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Masculino , Pessoas sem Cobertura de Seguro de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Medicare/estatística & dados numéricos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Setor Privado/estatística & dados numéricos , Setor Público/estatística & dados numéricos , Porto Rico/epidemiologia , Fatores Sexuais , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Operatórios/estatística & dados numéricos , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Estrogen replacement therapy decreases some risk factors of the metabolic syndrome but increases the risk of some types of cancer. Tibolone (TIB) has shown similar neuroprotective effects as estrogens. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of TIB on metabolic parameters and the expression of sex hormone receptors in the CNS in ovariectomised rats fed with a hypercaloric diet. Sprague-Dawley female rats were ovariectomised and fed for 30 days with a standard diet (SD) or high-fat high-fructose diet (HFFD) and treated with TIB (1 mg/kg) or vehicle. At the end of the treatments, HFFD increased body weight, glucose tolerance, triglycerides and cholesterol levels, while TIB treatment decreased these parameters. Subsequently, the hippocampus, the hypothalamus and the frontal cortex were dissected. RT-PCR was performed for progesterone receptor (PR), androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptors alpha and beta (ERα, ERß), insulin receptor (IR) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). HFFD altered the expression of sex hormone receptors in specific brain structures involved in the regulation of homeostasis and cognition, which highlights the importance of a healthy diet. In turn, TIB modulated the expression of these receptors, particularly in the hypothalamus.
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Dieta Hiperlipídica , Carboidratos da Dieta , Moduladores de Receptor Estrogênico/farmacologia , Lobo Frontal/metabolismo , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Hipotálamo/metabolismo , Norpregnenos/farmacologia , Animais , Feminino , Lobo Frontal/efeitos dos fármacos , Frutose , Hipocampo/efeitos dos fármacos , Hipotálamo/efeitos dos fármacos , Ovariectomia , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Receptor IGF Tipo 1/metabolismo , Receptor de Insulina/metabolismo , Receptores Androgênicos/metabolismo , Receptores de Estrogênio/metabolismo , Receptores de Progesterona/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Modern imaging plays a central role in the care of obese patients, and there is an integral focus on its use and accessibility in individuals who have alterations of various in various organs. The objective in this study was to perform an echographic analysis of musculoskeletal system disorders, endothelial dysfunction and the left ventricle (LV) in obese rats. METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats (250 ± 5 g) were obtained and divided into two groups: the control (C) group was fed with a standard diet, and the obese (Ob) group was fed hyper caloric diet with a high fructose-fat content for 4 months. Body weight, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1) were measured. Additionally, two-dimensional echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound and musculoskeletal system studies were performed in the lower extremities. RESULTS: The body weight in the Ob group was increased compared to that in the control group, (p < 0.001); in addition, increased glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations (p < 0.05) as well as increased levels of the adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and, VCAM-1 (p < 0.01) were found in the Ob group vs the C group. On ultrasound, 75% of the Ob group presented fatty liver and distal joint abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Obese rats exhibit endothelial dysfunction and musculoskeletal changes, also, fatty liver and articular cysts in the posterior region of the distal lower- extremity joints.
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Endotélio Vascular/diagnóstico por imagem , Coração/diagnóstico por imagem , Fígado/diagnóstico por imagem , Sistema Musculoesquelético/diagnóstico por imagem , Obesidade/diagnóstico , Anatomia Transversal , Animais , Endotélio Vascular/patologia , Endotélio Vascular/fisiopatologia , Coração/fisiopatologia , Molécula 1 de Adesão Intercelular/metabolismo , Fígado/fisiopatologia , Masculino , Doenças Musculoesqueléticas/diagnóstico , Doenças Musculoesqueléticas/etiologia , Doenças Musculoesqueléticas/patologia , Doenças Musculoesqueléticas/fisiopatologia , Sistema Musculoesquelético/patologia , Sistema Musculoesquelético/fisiopatologia , Miocárdio/patologia , Obesidade/complicações , Obesidade/fisiopatologia , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Ultrassonografia , Doenças Vasculares/diagnóstico , Doenças Vasculares/etiologia , Doenças Vasculares/patologia , Doenças Vasculares/fisiopatologia , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/diagnóstico , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/etiologia , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/patologia , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/fisiopatologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The Caribbean islands are regularly affected by hurricanes in a seasonal manner, but major (category 4 and 5) hurricanes are infrequent, and what happens in their aftermath is important for future planning. METHODS: We reviewed the surgical cases entered into the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) General Surgery Department database from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2017. This database collects patient and procedural information from the surgical services of the UPR-affiliated hospitals. To analyze the impact that Hurricane Maria had on the surgical population, we compared cases per month using September 2017 (the month that Maria struck Puerto Rico) as the reference month. A chi-square goodness-of-fit test was used to evaluate differences between months. RESULTS: Information was available for 9,059 cases during the study period. The mean age of the group was 49±14 years, the gender distribution being 56% women, 44% men. The study found a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) in the number of surgical cases per month, with fewer patients in September 2017 (n = 210) compared to other months, representing a 57% decline in the number of cases. These patients tended to be sicker, with an increase in the number who had an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification of 3 or greater. Within 3 months after the natural disaster, the volume of patients started to return to normal. CONCLUSION: We found that this major hurricane resulted in a decreased surgical workload, mostly because elective surgery cases were fewer, but that the patients that came for surgical care tended to be sicker and had, for the most part, poorly controlled systemic diseases. The volume of surgical cases did not reach normal levels until 3 months after the natural disaster.
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Tempestades Ciclônicas , Centro Cirúrgico Hospitalar/estatística & dados numéricos , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Operatórios/estatística & dados numéricos , Carga de Trabalho , Adulto , Bases de Dados Factuais , Feminino , Hospitais , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Porto RicoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Transplantation depends on a donation from a living or deceased donor, with the latter ideally involving a multiorgan transplant. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence the attitudes of the population in Mexico toward being a donor. METHODS: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study with a survey on the attitudes toward donation in the population of Mexico. The survey had 33 items on it regarding sociodemographic aspects and people's positions on the issues of organ and tissue donation. We used central tendency and dispersion averages and calculated the difference between groups using chi squares or the Student t test. We also used the statistical program SPSS version 25. RESULTS: The perception of respondents regarding organ and tissue donation (with 1064 people or 65.1% in favor) points to a lack of knowledge in Mexico. People do not talk about organ donation with their relatives and especially do not discuss their wishes in case of death (only 660 people indicated they had or 40.4%). There is a better attitude toward donation among younger respondents, women, single people, health personnel, people with higher incomes, Catholics, and those who do not have a hospitalized family member. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to provide more information about organ donation to people in Mexico. The opinion toward donation is generally favorable; however, there are multiple factors that influence opinions. Family members of patients in intensive care are the least willing to donate themselves or donate a relative's organs.
Assuntos
Atitude Frente a Saúde , Transplante de Órgãos/psicologia , Doadores de Tecidos/psicologia , Adulto , Atitude Frente a Saúde/etnologia , Estudos Transversais , Família , Feminino , Pessoal de Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , México , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
The global rise in urbanization and industrial activity has led to the production and incorporation of foreign contaminant molecules into ecosystems, distorting them and impacting human and animal health. Physical, chemical, and biological strategies have been adopted to eliminate these contaminants from water bodies under anthropogenic stress. Biotechnological processes involving microorganisms and enzymes have been used for this purpose; specifically, laccases, which are broad spectrum biocatalysts, have been used to degrade several compounds, such as those that can be found in the effluents from industries and hospitals. Laccases have shown high potential in the biotransformation of diverse pollutants using crude enzyme extracts or free enzymes. However, their application in bioremediation and water treatment at a large scale is limited by the complex composition and high salt concentration and pH values of contaminated media that affect protein stability, recovery and recycling. These issues are also associated with operational problems and the necessity of large-scale production of laccase. Hence, more knowledge on the molecular characteristics of water bodies is required to identify and develop new laccases that can be used under complex conditions and to develop novel strategies and processes to achieve their efficient application in treating contaminated water. Recently, stability, efficiency, separation and reuse issues have been overcome by the immobilization of enzymes and development of novel biocatalytic materials. This review provides recent information on laccases from different sources, their structures and biochemical properties, mechanisms of action, and application in the bioremediation and biotransformation of contaminant molecules in water. Moreover, we discuss a series of improvements that have been attempted for better organic solvent tolerance, thermo-tolerance, and operational stability of laccases, as per process requirements.