Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Mostrar: 20 | 50 | 100
Resultados 1 - 20 de 91
Filtrar
1.
Animals (Basel) ; 14(12)2024 Jun 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38929347

RESUMO

MafB is a transcription factor that regulates macrophage differentiation. Macrophages are a traditional feature of the hamster Harderian gland (HG); however, studies pertaining to MafB expression in the HG are scant. Here, the full-length cDNA of the MafB gene in hamsters was cloned and sequenced. Molecular characterization revealed that MafB encodes a protein containing 323 amino acids with a DNA-binding domain, a transactivation domain, and a leucine zipper domain. qPCR assays indicated that MafB was expressed in different tissues of both sexes. The highest relative expression levels in endocrine tissues were identified in the pancreas. Gonadectomy in male hamsters was associated with significantly higher mRNA levels in the HG; replacement with dihydrotestosterone restored mRNA expression. The HG in male hamsters contained twofold more MafB mRNA than the HG of female hamsters. Adrenals revealed similar mRNA relative expression levels during the estrous cycle. The estrous phase was associated with higher mRNA levels in the ovary. A significantly up-regulated expression and sexual dimorphism of MafB was found in the pancreas. Therefore, MafB in the HG may play an active role in the macrophage differentiation required for phagocytosis activity and intraocular repair. Additionally, sex steroids appear to strongly influence the MafB expression in the HG and pancreas. These studies highlight the probable biological importance of MafB in immunological defense and pancreatic ß cell regulation.

2.
Genes (Basel) ; 15(6)2024 Jun 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38927724

RESUMO

Previous studies have demonstrated the essential role of the Kisspeptin/Neurokinin B/Dynorphin A (KNDy) pathway in female reproductive biology by regulating the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Identified loss-of-function mutations in these genes are linked to various reproductive disorders. This study investigated genetic disorders linked to mutations in the KNDy genes related to premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). A cohort of 14 Mexican POI patients underwent genetic screening using PCR-SSCP and Sanger sequencing, assessing the genetic variations' impact on protein function thereafter using multiple in silico tools. The PCR excluded extensive deletions, insertions, and duplications, while SSCP detected five genetic variants. Variations occurred in the KISS1 (c.58G>A and c.242C>G), KISS1R (c.1091A>T), PDYN (c.600C>T), and OPRK1 (c.36G>T) genes, whereas no genetic anomalies were found in NK3/NK3R genes. Each single-nucleotide variant underwent genotyping using PCR-SSCP in 100 POI-free subjects. Their allelic frequencies paralleled the patient group. These observations indicate that allelic variations in the KNDy genes may not contribute to POI etiology. Hence, screening for mutations in KNDy genes should not be a part of the diagnostic protocol for POI.


Assuntos
Kisspeptinas , Neurocinina B , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária , Humanos , Feminino , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/genética , México , Adulto , Neurocinina B/genética , Kisspeptinas/genética , Estudos de Coortes , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único , Receptores de Kisspeptina-1/genética , Encefalinas/genética , Precursores de Proteínas
3.
PLoS One ; 19(5): e0304554, 2024.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38820287

RESUMO

Genetic sex-determining mechanisms have been extensively elucidated in mammals; however, the sex chromosomes, sex-determining genes, and gene regulatory networks involved in sex differentiation remain poorly understood in amphibians. In this study, we investigated the sex-determining mechanism in the Hyla eximia treefrog based on karyotypic analysis and identification of H-Y antigen, a sex-linked peptide that is present in the gonads of the heterogametic sex (XY or ZW) in all vertebrates. Results show a diploid chromosome number 2n = 24 with homomorphic sex chromosomes. The heterogametic sex, ZW-female, were hypothesized based on H-Y antigen mRNA expression in female gonads (24,ZZ/24,ZW). The treefrog H-Y peptide exhibited a high percentage of identity with other vertebrate sequences uploaded to GenBank database. To obtain gene expression profiles, we also obtained the coding sequence of the housekeeping Actb gene. High H-Y antigen expression levels were further confirmed in ovaries using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) during non-breeding season, we noted a decrease in the expression of the H-Y antigen during breeding season. This study provides evidence that sex hormones might suppress H-Y antigen expression in the gonads of heterogametic females 24,ZW during the breeding season. These findings suggest that H-Y gene expression is a well-suited model for studying heterogametic sex by comparing the male and female gonads.


Assuntos
Anuros , Processos de Determinação Sexual , Animais , Feminino , Masculino , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Anuros/genética , Gônadas/metabolismo , Ovário/metabolismo , Cromossomos Sexuais/genética , Processos de Determinação Sexual/genética
5.
Appl Environ Microbiol ; 90(2): e0173623, 2024 02 21.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38259076

RESUMO

In this study, we conducted an in-depth analysis to characterize potential Acanthamoeba castellanii (Ac) proteins capable of recognizing fungal ß-1,3-glucans. Ac specifically anchors curdlan or laminarin, indicating the presence of surface ß-1,3-glucan-binding molecules. Using optical tweezers, strong adhesion of laminarin- or curdlan-coated beads to Ac was observed, highlighting their adhesive properties compared to controls (characteristic time τ of 46.9 and 43.9 s, respectively). Furthermore, Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc) G217B, possessing a ß-1,3-glucan outer layer, showed significant adhesion to Ac compared to a Hc G186 strain with an α-1,3-glucan outer layer (τ of 5.3 s vs τ 83.6 s). The addition of soluble ß-1,3-glucan substantially inhibited this adhesion, indicating the involvement of ß-1,3-glucan recognition. Biotinylated ß-1,3-glucan-binding proteins from Ac exhibited higher binding to Hc G217B, suggesting distinct recognition mechanisms for laminarin and curdlan, akin to macrophages. These observations hinted at the ß-1,3-glucan recognition pathway's role in fungal entrance and survival within phagocytes, supported by decreased fungal viability upon laminarin or curdlan addition in both phagocytes. Proteomic analysis identified several Ac proteins capable of binding ß-1,3-glucans, including those with lectin/glucanase superfamily domains, carbohydrate-binding domains, and glycosyl transferase and glycosyl hydrolase domains. Notably, some identified proteins were overexpressed upon curdlan/laminarin challenge and also demonstrated high affinity to ß-1,3-glucans. These findings underscore the complexity of binding via ß-1,3-glucan and suggest the existence of alternative fungal recognition pathways in Ac.IMPORTANCEAcanthamoeba castellanii (Ac) and macrophages both exhibit the remarkable ability to phagocytose various extracellular microorganisms in their respective environments. While substantial knowledge exists on this phenomenon for macrophages, the understanding of Ac's phagocytic mechanisms remains elusive. Recently, our group identified mannose-binding receptors on the surface of Ac that exhibit the capacity to bind/recognize fungi. However, the process was not entirely inhibited by soluble mannose, suggesting the possibility of other interactions. Herein, we describe the mechanism of ß-1,3-glucan binding by A. castellanii and its role in fungal phagocytosis and survival within trophozoites, also using macrophages as a model for comparison, as they possess a well-established mechanism involving the Dectin-1 receptor for ß-1,3-glucan recognition. These shed light on a potential parallel evolution of pathways involved in the recognition of fungal surface polysaccharides.


Assuntos
Acanthamoeba castellanii , Amoeba , beta-Glucanas , Amoeba/metabolismo , Manose/metabolismo , Proteômica , beta-Glucanas/metabolismo , Glucanos/metabolismo , Histoplasma/metabolismo
6.
Diagnostics (Basel) ; 13(22)2023 Nov 14.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37998576

RESUMO

Breast cancer is a significant health concern for women, emphasizing the need for early detection. This research focuses on developing a computer system for asymmetry detection in mammographic images, employing two critical approaches: Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) for shape analysis and the Growing Seed Region (GSR) method for breast skin segmentation. The methodology involves processing mammograms in DICOM format. In the morphological study, a centroid-based mask is computed using extracted images from DICOM files. Distances between the centroid and the breast perimeter are then calculated to assess similarity through Dynamic Time Warping analysis. For skin thickness asymmetry identification, a seed is initially set on skin pixels and expanded based on intensity and depth similarities. The DTW analysis achieves an accuracy of 83%, correctly identifying 23 possible asymmetry cases out of 20 ground truth cases. The GRS method is validated using Average Symmetric Surface Distance and Relative Volumetric metrics, yielding similarities of 90.47% and 66.66%, respectively, for asymmetry cases compared to 182 ground truth segmented images, successfully identifying 35 patients with potential skin asymmetry. Additionally, a Graphical User Interface is designed to facilitate the insertion of DICOM files and provide visual representations of asymmetrical findings for validation and accessibility by physicians.

7.
Plant Dis ; 2023 Nov 30.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38035786

RESUMO

Banana (Musa spp.) is the most economically important crop in Ecuador, with exports representing 35% of the agricultural GDP of the country. It covers 230,000 hectares, mostly concentrated in three coastal provinces, Guayas, Los Ríos, and El Oro. Between July and September 2022, disease symptomatic banana cv. Williams plants were observed in commercial plantations located in two parishes in the province of Guayas (Naranjito and Lorenzo de Garaicoa) and one parish in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (La Concordia), with an incidence that ranged from 5% to 15%. Symptoms included soft rot of the pseudostem and rhizome decay, characterized by a fetid odor. Three symptomatic pseudostems from each location were collected, washed with running water to remove any debris, and dried with absorbent paper. From the lesion of each pseudostem, seven pieces of 2 cm² were taken, surface-sterilized, and macerated in 9 ml of sterile peptone water (0.1% w/v). The macerate was diluted three fold in sterile water, plated on nutrient agar, and incubated at 30°C for 24 h. Eight randomly picked colonies, with convex elevation and creamy white color, were isolated on nutrient agar. Each of the bacterial isolates was biochemically profiled by the Biolog system (Biolog Inc., USA) and identified as Pectobacterium. Three isolates, one from each parish (FP220416, FP220694, and FP220904), were selected for testing Koch's postulates and further identification. Sequences from fragments of the 16S, dnaA, gapA and gyrB genes were obtained from these isolates, following the protocols used by Dobhal et al. (2020) and Boluk et al. (2020), showing 98.1-99.0%, 98.2%, 99.7-99.8%, and 98.4-98.9% identitity, respectively, with sequences from the P. brasiliense type strain LMG_21371 (Acc. number JQOE00000000). The obtained sequences were deposited in GenBank with the following accession numbers: OR392417, OR371545,OR371546, OR727281, OR727282, and OR739074-OR739080. Using BEAST v.1.10.4 (Suchard et al.,2018), a bayesian multilocus phylogenetic tree was built with multiple sequence alignments of dnaA, gapA, ang gyrB from 22 P. brasiliense isolates and 2 P. aquaticum isolates used as outgroup. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the Ecuadorian isolates cluster with P. brasiliense BF20, isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica in México and are closely related with the type strain. Pathogenicity tests were conducted through syringe infiltration with 1 ml of 1 × 10^8 CFU ml-1 bacterial suspensions. Each of the three characterized isolates were inoculated into the pseudostems of five healthy 4-month-old banana plants of the Williams cultivar. Negative control plants were infiltrated with sterile distilled water. The plants were incubated at 25°C and 74% relative humidity. Black lesions started to appear 11 days after inoculation and 5 weeks after inoculation plants showed clear symptoms of soft rot of the pseudostem, including fetid odor associated with plant tissue decomposition. Control plants remained symptom-free. Bacteria were re-isolated only from symptomatic pseudostems and identified as P. brasiliense with specific primers Pb1F and Pb1R. Soft rot of banana caused by different enterobacteria including Dickeya zeae, Erwinia carotovora, and Erwinia chrysanthemi hasve been previously reported (Jingxin et al. 2022, Arun et al. 2012, Loganathan, et al. 2019). This is the first report of P. brasiliense causing soft rot of banana in Ecuador, the biggest exporter of the fruit in the world.

8.
Acta méd. peru ; 40(4): 334-338, oct.-dic. 2023. graf
Artigo em Espanhol | LILACS-Express | LILACS | ID: biblio-1556704

RESUMO

RESUMEN El linfoma cerebral primario es una variedad de linfoma no Hodgkin agresivo que se origina en el sistema nervioso central y se diagnostica cuando no hay evidencia de linfoma en ninguna otra parte del cuerpo. Aunque los linfomas sistémicos son más conocidos y estudiados, el linfoma cerebral primario ha sido menos comprendido debido a su baja frecuencia hasta hace algunas décadas. El tratamiento de esta enfermedad sigue siendo objeto de debate. En esta oportunidad se reporta el inusual caso de linfoma B de células grandes (NOS, del inglés Not Other form Specified); asociada a hidrocefalia y su manejo.


ABSTRACT Primary brain lymphoma is a type of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma that originates in the central nervous system and is diagnosed when there is no evidence of lymphoma anywhere else in the body. Although systemic lymphomas are better known and studied, primary brain lymphoma has been less understood due to its low frequency until a few decades ago. The treatment of this disease continues to be debated. On this occasion, the unusual case of large B cell lymphoma NOS associated with hydrocephalus and its management is reported.

9.
Acta méd. peru ; 40(4): 339-342, oct.-dic. 2023. graf
Artigo em Espanhol | LILACS-Express | LILACS | ID: biblio-1556705

RESUMO

RESUMEN El traumatismo craneoencefálico es un evento ocasionado por la fuerza sobre el continente que guarda al contenido cerebral, que hace que la inercia ocasione lesiones por aceleración y desaceleración produciendo hemorragias y/o fracturas Estas pueden generar una serie de complicaciones como el absceso epidural que al estar muy cerca al cerebro constituye una emergencia, siendo complejo su manejo y seguimiento. En esta oportunidad mostramos el caso de un paciente con absceso epidural ocasionado por traumatismo craneoencefálico y manejo neuroquirúrgico, con buena evolución clínica.


ABSTRACT Cranioencephalic trauma is an event caused by force on the container that holds the brain content, which causes inertia to cause acceleration and deceleration injuries, producing hemorrhages and/or fractures; These can generate a series of complications such as epidural abscess which, being very close to the brain, constitutes an emergency for its management and follow-up15. On this occasion we show the case of a patient with epidural abscess caused by cranioencephalic trauma and neurosurgical management.

10.
Acta méd. peru ; 40(1)ene. 2023.
Artigo em Espanhol | LILACS-Express | LILACS | ID: biblio-1439129

RESUMO

El cavernoma cerebral es una malformación vascular de diagnóstico infrecuente. Se define como una malformación a nivel de la vasculatura microcerebral que, dependiendo a la ubicación y si existe la posibilidad de ruptura, conlleva a una emergencia que puede terminar en la muerte del paciente. En esta oportunidad se reporta el caso de un paciente con cavernoma cerebral asociado al síndrome de Evans. Se decide manejo quirúrgico de la lesión por aumento de intensidad de cefalea e intolerancia oral. Dada la coexistencia del Síndrome de Evans y la alta tasa de morbimortalidad es que se decide manejo quirúrgico mediante radiocirugía estereotáxica con gamma knife. El uso de dosis de margen bajo para tratamiento con gamma knife para uso en cavernomas cerebrales produce un manejo controlado para sintomatología de convulsiones y mejor expectativa de calidad de vida.


Cerebral cavernoma is an infrequently diagnosed vascular malformation. It is defined as a malformation at the level of the microcerebral vasculature that, depending on the location and if there is a possibility of rupture, leads to an emergency that can end in the death of the patient. On this occasion, we report a case of a patient with cerebral cavernoma associated with Evans syndrome. Surgical management of the lesion was decided due to increased intensity of headache and oral intolerance. Given the coexistence of Evans Syndrome and the high rate of morbidity and mortality, surgical management was decided by stereotaxic radiosurgery with a gamma knife. The use of low-margin doses for treatment with gamma knife for use in brain cavernomas produces controlled management for seizure symptoms and better quality of life expectancy.

11.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 30(11): 31977-31997, 2023 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36459317

RESUMO

Climate change might affect energy production and therefore the energy security of a country or region. This situation may impact renewable energy sources such as hydro power, leading to consequences on energy transition strategies. This might be critical in sensitive regions to climate change, one of them being the Caribe and northern South America. Since there are numerous energy systems based on sensitive technologies worldwide, it is necessary to introduce techniques to analyze the effects of climate change on different possible energy transition paths. The goal of this study is to develop and assess a method to analyze one of the most critical effects faced by climate change for societies worldwide: the sensitivity of the energy systems to climate change. This is especially critical in developing countries, in locations where temperatures will strongly increase in the following years. To assess this effect, this study proposes a vulnerability index (VI) to evaluate the vulnerability of an on-grid electricity system to climate change at the national and regional scales. This index was assessed using a Monte-Carlo method for uncertainty. The case of Colombia, a country with a system based on hydropower (> 70%) is used to illustrate the method. VI is based on variables related to climate change, the energy matrix, and vulnerability. Results show that the regions with the larger vulnerability correspond to the more energy-demanding ones. The VI for these regions is greater than 50% of the maximum possible vulnerability; meanwhile, the vulnerability of the whole country was estimated as 43%.


Assuntos
Mudança Climática , Eletricidade , Colômbia , Incerteza , América do Sul
12.
Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex ; 79(4): 263-267, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36100213

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Distal segment atresia (isthmus) is an extremely rare anatomical variant of obstructive aortic arch anomalies. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a newborn who, at 48 hours of life, presented a clinical picture of heart failure. The initial echocardiogram showed a congenital interrupted aortic arch type A, patent ductus arteriosus, and ventricular septal defect. Prostaglandins were initially indicated. Subsequently, a second echocardiogram showed the absence of ductus arteriosus; the CT angiography study confirmed this finding and revealed blood flow to the descending aorta through small intercostal blood vessels. The possibility of atresia of the distal segment (isthmus) of the aortic arch was considered and confirmed at the time of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic atresia should be considered a diagnostic possibility in the presence of type A interrupted aortic arch since the hemodynamic behavior between them is similar. Surgical medical treatment should be individualized since this condition is frequently an emergency in the neonatal period. However, this is not always the case, as other cases have been reported in schoolchildren and adults.


INTRODUCCIÓN: La atresia de segmento distal (istmo) de arco aórtico es una variante anatómica extremadamente rara de las anomalías obstructivas del arco aórtico. CASO CLÍNICO: Se presenta el caso de un recién nacido que a las 48 horas de vida presentó un cuadro clínico de insuficiencia cardiaca. El estudio de ecocardiograma inicial mostró una anomalía congénita de interrupción de arco aórtico tipo A, conducto arterioso y comunicación interventricular. De inicio se indicaron prostaglandinas. Posteriormente, el segundo ecocardiograma mostró la ausencia del conducto arterioso; el estudio de angiotomografía confirmó este hallazgo y también reveló flujo sanguíneo hacia aorta descendente a través de pequeños vasos sanguíneos intercostales. Se consideró la posibilidad de atresia del segmento distal (istmo) de arco aórtico y se confirmó al momento del acto quirúrgico. CONCLUSIONES: La atresia aórtica debe ser considerada como posibilidad diagnóstica en presencia de interrupción de arco aórtico tipo A, ya que el comportamiento hemodinámico entre ellos es similar. El tratamiento médico quirúrgico debe individualizarse, ya que es frecuente que sea una urgencia en el periodo neonatal. Sin embargo, no sucede así siempre, ya que se han reportado casos en escolares y adultos.


Assuntos
Síndromes do Arco Aórtico , Coartação Aórtica , Permeabilidade do Canal Arterial , Insuficiência Cardíaca , Adulto , Aorta Torácica/anormalidades , Aorta Torácica/cirurgia , Síndromes do Arco Aórtico/congênito , Síndromes do Arco Aórtico/cirurgia , Coartação Aórtica/diagnóstico , Criança , Permeabilidade do Canal Arterial/complicações , Permeabilidade do Canal Arterial/diagnóstico , Permeabilidade do Canal Arterial/cirurgia , Insuficiência Cardíaca/etiologia , Humanos , Recém-Nascido
13.
Zoonoses Public Health ; 69(8): 987-992, 2022 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36028935

RESUMO

The species of the genus Leishmania are protozoa that are widely distributed from Asia to the Americas, affecting humans and wild and domestic animals. Little is known about infection by Leishmania in bats in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of Leishmania in bats in Maranhão. Blood samples were collected from bat species for parasitological diagnosis. Samples of spleen and liver were collected for molecular analysis. All the blood cultures were negative. In two blood smears, organisms similar to amastigotes of Leishmania sp. were detected. Of the 116 samples, two spleen samples were positive and showed similarity to Leishmania infantum. Therefore, further studies are needed to elucidate whether bats take part in the epidemiological chain of leishmaniasis.


Assuntos
Quirópteros , Leishmania infantum , Leishmaniose Visceral , Leishmaniose , Humanos , Animais , Leishmaniose Visceral/epidemiologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/veterinária , Leishmaniose Visceral/parasitologia , Brasil/epidemiologia , Leishmaniose/epidemiologia , Leishmaniose/veterinária
14.
Bol. méd. Hosp. Infant. Méx ; 79(4): 263-267, Jul.-Aug. 2022. graf
Artigo em Inglês | LILACS-Express | LILACS | ID: biblio-1403648

RESUMO

Abstract Background: Distal segment atresia (isthmus) is an extremely rare anatomical variant of obstructive aortic arch anomalies. Case report: We present the case of a newborn who, at 48 hours of life, presented a clinical picture of heart failure. The initial echocardiogram showed a congenital interrupted aortic arch type A, patent ductus arteriosus, and ventricular septal defect. Prostaglandins were initially indicated. Subsequently, a second echocardiogram showed the absence of ductus arteriosus; the CT angiography study confirmed this finding and revealed blood flow to the descending aorta through small intercostal blood vessels. The possibility of atresia of the distal segment (isthmus) of the aortic arch was considered and confirmed at the time of surgery. Conclusions: Aortic atresia should be considered a diagnostic possibility in the presence of type A interrupted aortic arch since the hemodynamic behavior between them is similar. Surgical medical treatment should be individualized since this condition is frequently an emergency in the neonatal period. However, this is not always the case, as other cases have been reported in schoolchildren and adults.


Resumen Introducción: La atresia de segmento distal (istmo) de arco aórtico es una variante anatómica extremadamente rara de las anomalías obstructivas del arco aórtico. Caso clínico: Se presenta el caso de un recién nacido que a las 48 horas de vida presentó un cuadro clínico de insuficiencia cardiaca. El estudio de ecocardiograma inicial mostró una anomalía congénita de interrupción de arco aórtico tipo A, conducto arterioso y comunicación interventricular. De inicio se indicaron prostaglandinas. Posteriormente, el segundo ecocardiograma mostró la ausencia del conducto arterioso; el estudio de angiotomografía confirmó este hallazgo y también reveló flujo sanguíneo hacia aorta descendente a través de pequeños vasos sanguíneos intercostales. Se consideró la posibilidad de atresia del segmento distal (istmo) de arco aórtico y se confirmó al momento del acto quirúrgico. Conclusiones: La atresia aórtica debe ser considerada como posibilidad diagnóstica en presencia de interrupción de arco aórtico tipo A, ya que el comportamiento hemodinámico entre ellos es similar. El tratamiento médico quirúrgico debe individualizarse, ya que es frecuente que sea una urgencia en el periodo neonatal. Sin embargo, no sucede así siempre, ya que se han reportado casos en escolares y adultos.

15.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol ; 12: 900608, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35873163

RESUMO

Zika is a vector-borne disease caused by an arbovirus (ZIKV) and overwhelmingly transmitted by Ae. aegypti. This disease is linked to adverse fetal outcomes, mostly microcephaly in newborns, and other clinical aspects such as acute febrile illness and neurologic complications, for example, Guillain-Barré syndrome. One of the most promising strategies to mitigate arbovirus transmission involves releasing Ae. aegypti mosquitoes carrying the maternally inherited endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia pipientis. The presence of Wolbachia is associated with a reduced susceptibility to arboviruses and a fitness cost in mosquito life-history traits such as fecundity and fertility. However, the mechanisms by which Wolbachia influences metabolic pathways leading to differences in egg production remains poorly known. To investigate the impact of coinfections on the reproductive tract of the mosquito, we applied an isobaric labeling-based quantitative proteomic strategy to investigate the influence of Wolbachia wMel and ZIKV infection in Ae. aegypti ovaries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most complete proteome of Ae. aegypti ovaries reported so far, with a total of 3913 proteins identified, were also able to quantify 1044 Wolbachia proteins in complex sample tissue of Ae. aegypti ovary. Furthermore, from a total of 480 mosquito proteins modulated in our study, we discuss proteins and pathways altered in Ae. aegypti during ZIKV infections, Wolbachia infections, coinfection Wolbachia/ZIKV, and compared with no infection, focusing on immune and reproductive aspects of Ae. aegypti. The modified aspects mainly were related to the immune priming enhancement by Wolbachia presence and the modulation of the Juvenile Hormone pathway caused by both microorganism's infection.


Assuntos
Aedes , Coinfecção , Wolbachia , Infecção por Zika virus , Zika virus , Aedes/microbiologia , Animais , Feminino , Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Mosquitos Vetores , Ovário , Proteômica
16.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol ; 12: 858979, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35711659

RESUMO

Acanthamoeba castellanii (Ac) is a species of free-living amoebae (FLAs) that has been widely applied as a model for the study of host-parasite interactions and characterization of environmental symbionts. The sharing of niches between Ac and potential pathogens, such as fungi, favors associations between these organisms. Through predatory behavior, Ac enhances fungal survival, dissemination, and virulence in their intracellular milieu, training these pathogens and granting subsequent success in events of infections to more evolved hosts. In recent studies, our group characterized the amoeboid mannose binding proteins (MBPs) as one of the main fungal recognition pathways. Similarly, mannose-binding lectins play a key role in activating antifungal responses by immune cells. Even in the face of similarities, the distinct impacts and degrees of affinity of fungal recognition for mannose receptors in amoeboid and animal hosts are poorly understood. In this work, we have identified high-affinity ligands for mannosylated fungal cell wall residues expressed on the surface of amoebas and macrophages and determined the relative importance of these pathways in the antifungal responses comparing both phagocytic models. Mannose-purified surface proteins (MPPs) from both phagocytes showed binding to isolated mannose/mannans and mannosylated fungal cell wall targets. Although macrophage MPPs had more intense binding when compared to the amoeba receptors, the inhibition of this pathway affects fungal internalization and survival in both phagocytes. Mass spectrometry identified several MPPs in both models, and in silico alignment showed highly conserved regions between spotted amoeboid receptors (MBP and MBP1) and immune receptors (Mrc1 and Mrc2) and potential molecular mimicry, pointing to a possible convergent evolution of pathogen recognition mechanisms.


Assuntos
Acanthamoeba castellanii , Amoeba , Acanthamoeba castellanii/microbiologia , Amoeba/microbiologia , Animais , Antifúngicos , Parede Celular/metabolismo , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Manose/química , Camundongos , Trofozoítos/metabolismo
17.
Genes (Basel) ; 13(4)2022 03 29.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35456418

RESUMO

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is one of the main causes of female premature infertility. POI is a genetically heterogeneous disorder with a complex molecular etiology; as such, the genetic causes remain unknown in the majority of patients. Therefore, this study aimed to identify mutations and characterize the associated molecular contribution of gonadogenesis-determinant genes to POI. Genomic assays, including PCR-SSCP and Sanger sequencing, followed by in silico analyses were used to investigate the underpinnings of ovarian deficiency in 11 women affected by POI. Large deletions and nucleotide insertions and duplications were excluded by PCR. Thirteen genetic variants were identified in the WT1 (c.213G>T, c.609T>C, c.873A>G, c.1122G>A), NR0B1 (c.353C>T, c.425G>A), NR5A1 (c.437G>C, IVS4-20C>T), LHX9 (IVS2-12G>C, IVS3+13C>T, c.741T>C), ZNF275 (c.969C>T), and NRIP1 (c.3403C>T) genes. Seven novel genetic variants and five unpublished substitutions were identified. No genetic aberrations were detected in the ZFP92 and INSL3 genes. Each variant was genotyped using PCR-SSCP in 100 POI-free subjects, and their allelic frequencies were similar to the patients. These analyses indicated that allelic variation in the WT1, NR0B1, NR5A1, LHX9, ZFP92, ZNF275, INSL3, and NRIP1 genes may be a non-disease-causing change or may not contribute significantly to the genetics underlying POI disorders. Findings support the polygenic nature of this clinical disorder, with the SNVs identified representing only a probable contribution to the variability of the human genome.


Assuntos
Infertilidade Feminina , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária , Alelos , Estudos de Coortes , Receptor Nuclear Órfão DAX-1/genética , Feminino , Humanos , Infertilidade Feminina/genética , Proteínas com Homeodomínio LIM/genética , Masculino , Mutação , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/genética , Fator Esteroidogênico 1/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Proteínas WT1/genética
18.
Rev. chil. enferm ; 4(1): 109-132, 2022. ilus, tab
Artigo em Espanhol | LILACS | ID: biblio-1436087

RESUMO

OBJETIVO: Describir las estrategias de consolidación de los vínculos en el contexto de las intervenciones de salud orientadas a la salud intercultural en América Latina. METODOLOGÍA: Revisión sistemática cualitativa, utilizando el flujograma prisma para selección de artículos. Las bases de datos revisadas fueron: SciELO, PubMed (MEDLINE), Redalyc y Scopus. Los criterios de inclusión fueron artículos originales y/o revisión, con metodología cualitativa y cuantitativa descriptiva, que no tuvieran más de 10 años desde su publicación, basados en países pertenecientes a América Latina y cuyo idioma sea español, portugués y/o inglés. La calidad metodológica se evaluó mediante la guía de lectura crítica de CASPe. Se analizaron un total de 19 estudios publicados entre el periodo 2014-2021. RESULTADOS: La consolidación de vínculos se logra a través de la participación activa de integrantes de las comunidades en el diseño de las intervenciones en salud. La preparación de los profesionales es clave, considerando el desarrollo de la competencia intercultural como una piedra angular. Adicionalmente, las políticas públicas en salud permean en la ejecución de los programas e intervenciones en salud intercultural. CONCLUSIÓN: La construcción de vínculos y de relaciones sólidas y de confianza toman tiempo, y es necesario que haya suficiente co-diseño y un proceso participativo para establecer la relación entre equipo de salud y comunidades. Es necesario reconocer el contexto epistemológico y cosmológico que impulsa la salud y el bienestar en las comunidades nativas.


OBJECTIVE: Describe the strategies for consolidating links in the context of health programs/interventions aimed at intercultural health in Latin America. METHODOLOGY: Qualitative systematic review, using the prism flowchart for article selection. The databases reviewed were: SciELO, PubMed (MEDLINE), Redalyc,andScopus.The inclusion criteria were original articles and/or reviews, with descriptive qualitative and quantitative methodology, whichwere not more than 10 years old from their publication, based on countries belonging to Latin America and whose language is Spanish, Portuguese,and/or English. The methodological quality was evaluated using the CASPe critical reading guide. A total of 19 studies published between the 2014-2021 period were analyzed. RESULTS: The consolidation of links isachieved through the active participation of community members in the design of health disturbances. The preparation of professionals is key, considering the development of intercultural competence as a cornerstone. Additionally, public health policies permeate the execution of intercultural health programs and interventions.CONCLUSIONS: Building bonds and solid, trusting relationships take time, and there needs to be sufficient co-design and a participatory process to establish the relationship between the health team and the communities. It is necessary to recognize the epistemological and cosmological context that drives health and well-being in native communities


OBJETIVO: Descrever as estratégias de consolidação de vínculos no contexto das intervenções de saúde orientado à saúde intercultural na América Latina. METODOLOGIA: Revisão sistemática qualitativa, utilizando o fluxograma prisma para seleção dos artigos. Os bancosde dados usadas são:SciELO, PubMed (MEDLINE), Redalyc eScopus. Os critérios de inclusão foram artigos originais e/ou revisões, com metodologia qualitativa e quantitativa descritiva, com até 10 anos de sua publicação, baseados em países pertencentes à América Latina e cujo idioma seja espanhol, português e/ou inglês. A qualidade metodológica foi avaliada por meio do guia de leitura crítica CASPe.Foram analisados 19 estudos publicados entre o período 2014-2021. RESULTADOS: A consolidação dos vínculos é alcançada por meio da participação ativa dos membros da comunidade no desenho das intervenções de saúde. A preparação dos profissionais é fundamental, tendo como pilar fundamental o desenvolvimento da competência intercultural. Além disso, as políticas públicas de saúde permeiam a execução de programas e intervenções de saúde intercultural. CONCLUSÃO: A construção de vínculos e relações sólidas e de confiança leva tempo, e é preciso haver co-design suficiente e um processo participativo para estabelecer a relação entre a equipe de saúde e as comunidades. É necessário reconhecer o contexto epistemológico e cosmológico que impulsiona a saúde e o bem-estar nas comunidades nativas


Assuntos
Humanos , Estratégias de Saúde Nacionais , Grupos Populacionais , Assistência à Saúde Culturalmente Competente , Programas Nacionais de Saúde , América Latina
19.
Animals (Basel) ; 11(12)2021 Dec 14.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34944321

RESUMO

Several species of the planktonic free-living genus Oithona have been successfully used in the larviculture of marine fish and shrimp. However, few studies have been published that allow us to estimate the potential of Oithona nana culture under controlled conditions. This work evaluated the effect of the microalgae Isochrysis galbana and Chaetoceros calcitrans as single (200,000 cells/mL) and mixed diets (100,000 + 100,000 cells/mL) on population and individual growth, ingestion rate, number of spawnings, fertility, development time by stage, and sex ratio of O. nana. We cultured this copepod at 28 ± 0.5 °C, 35 PSU salinity, 125 lux, and 12:12 photoperiod. Results showed that diet had no effect on the final population level (6273-7966 ind/L) or on individual growth, nor on sex ratio, with less males than females. With C. calcitrans, O. nana had a higher filtration rate (57 ng C/ind/day). On the other hand, a mixed diet induced a higher number of spawns (0.4 events/day) and nauplii per spawn (23 ind). Similarly, a single or mixed diet, containing I. galbana, accelerated the development rate by 6.33-7.00 days. We concluded that O. nana can be cultured with both microalgae, indicating its potential use in an intensive system for production. However, more research is required to improve the productivity of O. nana rearing.

20.
Plant Dis ; 2021 May 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33970033

RESUMO

Maize (Zea mays) is the second most cultivated grain crop in Ecuador, with growing significance as a source of fodder and food. During the rainy season (November and December) of 2018 and 2019, a disease of maize that was not previously observed in Ecuador was found at commercial fields of Misqui Sara variety, at four parishes of canton Quito (Tumbaco, Pifo, Puembo, and Checa), province of Pichincha. Infected plants, at tassel initiation, displayed symptoms of localized chlorotic streaks on leaves that expanded with time, and around a month later turned necrotic. Severely affected plants wilted and died. Symptoms appeared in lower leaves first and were later observed in upper leaves as the disease progressed. Disease incidence was between 20 and 30% in the affected plantations, with around 30% of infected plants wilting and dying, resulting in 20-25% of yield losses. Upper leaves from ten symptomatic plants, five from Puembo and five from Checa, were collected randomly. Two 0.5 cm2 pieces of leaf from each plant were excised from the margins of the necrotic lesions, surface sterilized and macerated in 9 mL of sterile peptone water. The 10-3 dilutions were plated onto nutrient agar and incubated at 28°C for 24 hours. Yellow, mucoid colonies were isolated on nutrient agar. Three isolates from Puembo and two from Checa were selected for testing Koch´s postulates and further biochemical and molecular characterization. Isolates were Gram-negative rods, oxidase negative, catalase, indol and citrate positive. Fragments of the 16S, gyrB, and rpoB loci were amplified and sequenced using the 27F/1492R (Lane, D. J., 1991), UP-1/UP-2r (Yamamoto & Harayama, 1995), and rpoBCM81-F/rpoBCM32b-R (Brady, C., et al., 2008) primer pairs, respectively. All isolates presented identical sequences for the different loci, therefore only sequences from isolate FP191505 were deposited in GenBank (GenBank accession no. MW528428-MW528430). A search of homologous sequences using BLAST resulted in identities of 99.3, 99.7, and 100 % for 16S, gyrB, and rpoB, respectively, with sequences from Pantoea ananatis type specimen LGM 2665 (Brady, C., et al., 2008; Hauben, L., et al., 1998; GenBank accession nos NR_119362.1, EF988824.1 EF988996.1), indicating that our isolates belong to this species. Pathogenicity tests were performed by syringe infiltration of bacterial suspensions. Each one of the five characterized P. ananatis isolates was inoculated in four leaves (500 ul of 1 x 108 CFU mL-1 per leave) of three healthy maize plants. Negative control plants were infiltrated with sterile distilled water. Plants were incubated at 28-30°C and 60% relative humidity for 24 hours. Later, plants were maintained in a greenhouse with 27°C/21°C day/night temperatures and observed daily. After six weeks all bacteria-inoculated plants developed symptoms of chlorosis and necrosis while the control was symptomless. Bacteria were re-isolated from symptomatic leaves and identified as P. ananatis following the same methodologies used for the initial identification. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. ananatis causing leaf spot of maize in Ecuador.

SELEÇÃO DE REFERÊNCIAS
DETALHE DA PESQUISA