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Biomedical subjects

C Avendaño

Publications and source records attributed to C Avendaño.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Anatomical and functional connectivity of the transected ulnar nerve after accessory nerve neurotization in the cat.

AIM: The objective of this experimental study was to test the capacity of accessory nerve motoneurons to innervate muscles of the ulnar nerve territory after direct anastomosis. METHODS: This study used 22 cats in two groups: experimental group (15 cats) and control group (7 cats). The first one was followed during twelve months using electromyographic records every two months postsurgery; muscle and nerve histological assessment and counting horseradish peroxidase-labeled motoneurons. RESULTS: Our results showed that reinnervation was achieved in 12/15 nerves. The number of HRP labelled medullar motoneurons after anastomosis showed a significant statistic difference with a simple ulnar nerve transection; there was no significant statistic difference in labelling between the group with an anastomosis and the one with a simple accessory nerve transection. CONCLUSIONS: Direct anastomosis between the spinal accessory nerve and the ulnar nerve is achievable and thus, the accessory spinal nerve is another possible choice for correcting the motor deficit arising from lower brachial plexus avulsion, but the limited number of motoneurons would only allow partial reinnervation..

Accessory Nerve↗
PubMed2005

Impedance spectroscopy of water solutions: the role of ions at the liquid-electrode interface.

We discuss the influence of the ions dissolved in a liquid on the impedance spectroscopy of a cell. Our analysis is performed in the small-voltage regime, where the actual bulk density of ions is only slightly perturbed by the external electric field. In this framework, we show that the presence of the ions can be taken into account by a surface density of charge. The agreement between the theoretical prediction, on the basis of the assumption that the ionic mobility is frequency independent, and the experimental data for the real and imaginary parts of the impedance is fairly good for frequencies larger than 100 Hz. In the low-frequency range, the agreement of the theory with the experiment is rather poor. In this region, the experimental data can be successfully fitted by introducing the impedance of the metal-electrolyte interface, which is accurately represented by Zi = w(i omega)(-nu), where w and nu are two constants, with 0 < nu < 1. From the analysis of the experimental data, we determine w and nu. The theoretical predictions of our model are in good agreement with the experimental data in the investigated frequency range.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Differential growth of axons from sensory and motor neurons through a regenerative electrode: a stereological, retrograde tracer, and functional study in the rat.

Polyimide regenerative electrodes (RE) constitute a promising neural interface to selectively stimulate regenerating fibers in injured nerves. The characteristics of the regeneration through an implanted RE, however, are only beginning to be established. It was recently shown that the number of myelinated fibers distal to the implant reached control values 7 months postimplant; however, the functional recovery remained substantially below normal [J Biomed Mater Res 60 (2002) 517]. In this study we sought to determine the magnitude, and possible selectivity, of axonal regeneration through the RE by counting sensory and motor neurons that were retrogradely labeled from double tracer deposits in the sciatic nerve. Adult rats had their right sciatic nerves transected, and the stumps were placed in silicone tubes; some simply were filled with saline (Tube group), and others held a RE in its center (RE group). Simultaneously, the proximal stump was exposed to Diamidino Yellow. Two months later the nerves were bilaterally excised distal to the implant, and exposed to Fast Blue. Electrophysiological recordings, and skin nociceptive responses confirmed previous findings of partial functional recovery. In controls, an average of 20,000 and 3080 neurons were labeled in L4-L5 dorsal root ganglia (with minor contributions from L3 and/or L6), and in the ventral horn of the lumbar spinal cord, respectively. In the regenerating side, 35% of the DRG neurons were double-labeled, without differences between groups. In contrast, only 7.5% of motoneurons were double-labeled in the RE group, vs. 21% in the Tube group. Moreover, smaller ganglion cells regenerated better than large neurons by a significant 13.8%. These results indicate that the RE is not an obstacle for the re-growth of sensory fibers, but partially hinders fiber regeneration from motoneurons. They also suggest that fine fibers may be at an advantage over large ones to regenerate through the RE.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2001

Intramolecular Friedel-Crafts-type reactions involving N-acyliminium ions derived from glycine templates.

Enantiomerically pure 4-substituted 2-aralkyl-2,4-dihydro-1H-pyrazino[2,1-b]quinazoline-3,6-diones (1b-m) in which the alkyl chain is (CH(2))(n), n = 1-3, behave as glycine templates giving by treatment with [hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo]benzene in ethyl acetate cis-1-tosyloxy derivatives. When these compounds contain electron-rich aryl substituents with n = 2, they spontaneously cyclize through intramolecular Friedel-Crafts-type diastereoselective reactions to give penta- or hexacyclic compounds. Otherwise, they give by solvolysis cis-1-alkoxy derivatives, which in a second step, may be cyclized in acid if n = 2, 3. All these reactions must occur through N-acyliminium species in S(N)1-like mechanisms. 1-Alkoxy-2-arylmethyl derivatives are reluctant to cyclize, giving trans-1-hydroxy compounds as the only isolated reaction products.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Definite segregation of cortical neurons projecting to the dorsal column nuclei in the rat.

The dorsal column nuclei (DCN) receive a substantial contingent of projections that arise from a number of somatosensory and motor cortical areas. We investigated the spatial organization of these projections in the rat by placing small deposits of two retrograde fluorescent tracers in adjacent foci within the DCN. Single-labeled neurons were abundant in layer V of the primary somatosensory (SI) and motor areas, and in the posterior parietal cortex. More sparse labeling was found in the medial agranular cortex (or MII), and the second somatosensory area. A somatotopic-like arrangement of these neurons was more clearly noticed in the granular zones of SI. Double-labeled neurons were very uncommon, and appeared at border regions where single-labeled cells intermingled. The segregation of these projections supports some differential modulatory effects that the cortex exerts on the somatosensory processing that takes place in the DCN.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

A C-ring regioisomer of the marine alkaloid meridine exhibits selective in vitro cytotoxicity for solid tumours.

9-Hydroxybenzo[b]pyrido[4,3,2-de](1,10)-phenantrolin-8-one (1), a regioisomer of the marine alkaloid meridine, was synthesized from 5,8-dimethoxy-6-nitro-4(1H)-quinolinone in eight steps and 23% overall yield. A shorter route was also investigated, based on the hetero Diels-Alder reaction between o-nitrocinnamaldehyde dimethylhydrazone and 4-halogen-6-bromo-5,8-quinolinequinones followed by reductive cyclization onto the C-5 carbonyl of the quinone. Compound 1 showed a remarkable in vitro cytotoxicity, with a pattern of selectivity towards solid tumours that is not found in the reference alkaloid, the activity against the human lung carcinoma (A-549) being particularly noteworthy. The activities of meridine and compound 1 as inhibitors of topoisomerase II were also significantly different.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed2000

Lateral asymmetries in the trigeminal ganglion of the male rat.

We have applied stereological methods to estimate the number and perikaryal size of primary sensory neurons in celloidin-embedded trigeminal ganglia of male albino rats, specifically looking for inter-individual and side variability. The mean total number of neurons per ganglion was 35,300, with a moderate variability among ganglia. On average, 66% of the neurons were classified as A-type and 34% as B-type. Although for individual cases there could be notable side differences in the number of neurons of each type, on a population basis these differences were not significant. Mean neuronal volume was four times larger for A- than for B-cells, and both populations exhibited a moderate variability among individuals. High intra-animal side differences were found for A-cells, which were on average a significant 23.5% larger in the right ganglia. B-cells did not show significant side differences. The distribution of individual volumes around the mean value was consistently skewed to the right, particularly in the case of A-cells, which partially overlapped with the largest B-cells. In the right ganglion the distribution of A-cells, but not of B-cells, showed a rightward bias, revealing the increase in bigger neurons. The existence of larger A-type neurons in the right trigeminal ganglion may provide a structural substrate for some somesthetically based complex behaviors which are best performed by rats using their right vibrissae.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

A new route toward 4-substituted pyrazino[2,1-b]quinazoline-3,6-dione systems. Total synthesis of glyantrypine.

Treatment of sodium N-(o-azidobenzoyl)aminoacylglycinates 8 with acetic anhydride afforded 1-acetyl-4-(o-azidobenzoyl)-2,5-piperazinediones 7, with complete retention of the stereochemistry. The intramolecular aza Wittig reactions of compounds 7 in the presence of tributylphosphine followed by deacetylation gave 1,2-unsubstituted pyrazino[2,1-b]quinazoline-3,6-diones 1. This route was adapted to the synthesis of both enantiomers of the alkaloid glyantrypine.

Drug Resistance, Multiple↗
PubMed2000

Mechanisms involved in the hemodynamic alterations in congestive heart failure as a basis for a rational pharmacological treatment.

Congestive heart failure is a complex syndrome and one of the major cardiological problems of our time. It is characterized by an important neurohumoral activation to compensate for the reduction of cardiac output and blood pressure, that worsens the prognosis with time. The aim of the treatment is focused on how to improve the quality of life and how to prolong survival. Usually, treatment, either symptomatic or directed to control the neuroendocrine compensatory changes, is necessary. The drugs currently used are angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, digoxin, and beta-adrenoceptor agonists. In addition, new drugs, such as angiotensin II receptor antagonists, beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, ibopamine, Ca(2+) antagonists, neutral endopeptidase inhibitors, vasopressin antagonists, Ca(2+)-sensitizers with cyclic AMP-dependent or -independent mechanisms, and endothelin antagonists, are also being used.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Rhythmic neuronal interactions and synchronization in the rat dorsal column nuclei.

Single-unit and multiunit activities were recorded from dorsal column nuclei of anesthetized rats in order to study the characteristics of the oscillatory activity expressed by these cells and their neuronal interactions. On the basis of their firing rate characteristics in spontaneous conditions, two types of dorsal column nuclei cell have been identified. Low-frequency cells (74%) were silent or displayed a low firing rate (1.9+/-0.48 spikes/s), and were identified as thalamic-projecting neurons because they were activated antidromically by medial lemniscus stimulation. High-frequency cells (26%) were characterized by higher discharge rates (27.2+/-5.1 spikes/s). None of them was antidromically activated by medial lemniscus stimulation. Low-frequency neurons showed a non-rhythmic discharge pattern spontaneously which became rhythmic under sensory stimulation of their receptive fields (48% of cases; 4.8+/-0.23Hz). All high-frequency neurons showed a rhythmic discharge pattern at 13.8+/- 0.68Hz either spontaneously or during sensory stimulation of their receptive fields. The shift predictor analysis indicated that oscillatory activity is not phase-locked to the stimulus onset in either type of cell, although the stimulus can reset the phase of the rhythmic activity of high-frequency cells. Cross-correlograms between pairs of low-frequency neurons typically revealed synchronized rhythmic activity when the overlapping receptive fields were stimulated. Rhythmic synchronization of high-frequency discharges was rarely observed spontaneously or under sensory stimulation. High-frequency neuronal firing could be correlated with the low-frequency neuronal activity or more often with the multiunit activity during sensory stimulation. Moreover, the presence of oscillatory activity modulated the sensory responses of dorsal column nuclei cells, favoring their responses. These findings indicate that thalamic-projecting and non-projecting neurons in dorsal column nuclei exhibited distinct oscillatory characteristics. However, both types of neuron may be entrained into an oscillatory rhythmic pattern when their overlapping receptive fields are stimulated, suggesting that in those conditions the dorsal column nuclei generate a populational oscillatory output to the somatosensory thalamus which could modulate and amplify the effectiveness of the somatosensory transmission.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Hippocampal cell loss in transient global cerebral ischemia in rats: a critical assessment.

The induction of transient global cerebral ischemia by permanent vertebral occlusion and temporary carotid ligation (four-vessel occlusion) is widely accepted as a valid tool for the study of pathogenesis and treatment of ischemia. The neural damage inflicted by this intervention is often assessed by measuring pyramidal cell loss in the CA1 hippocampal field. Nevertheless studies using this model in rats often fail to control variables that are relevant to the outcome, and/or apply biased methods to quantitate histological damage. We have applied unbiased stereological methods to estimate absolute numbers of surviving neurons in CA1 in Wistar rats subjected to either 10 or 20 min global ischemia using the Sugio et al. variant of the original four-vessel occlusion model. Animal mortality was high at both times, with neuron losses averaging 39% and 31%, respectively. Post-operative mortality was reduced substantially by using decompressive craniectomies and, even more effectively, by pre-treating the rats with low doses of phenytoin. Both maneuvers led to a severely increased CA1 neuron loss, which reached 50%, after an ischemia of 10 min. This finding strongly supports that mortality biases the sample. Other noteworthy findings that emerged from this study were a linear relationship between per-ischemic blood pressure increments and animal survival, and a negative correlation between cell survival and preferentially left-sided damage.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1999

Anatomical and functional connectivity of the transected ulnar nerve after intercostal neurotization in cats.

OBJECT: Acute transfer of three intercostal nerves to the ulnar nerve was performed in cats for histological and clinical evaluation of a distal muscle reinnervation. METHODS: Infraclavicular intercostal-ulnar communications were created after dividing the motor branches of the upper intercostal nerves in 14 adult cats. Reinnervation of distal forelimb muscles in the ulnar territory was assessed by electromyographic (EMG) studies and motor function rating each month until 18 months postsurgery. In five of these treated animals, and in tour controls, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was applied to the ulnar or intercostal nerves to study the amount and distribution of retrograde motor neuron labeling in the spinal cord. Also, samples of reinnervated muscles and neurotized ulnar nerves were processed to assess regeneration. Simple ulnar transection without reconstruction led to permanent atrophy of ulnar muscles, lack of recovery according to EMG or clinical studies, and disappearance of the ulnar motor neuron pool. In contrast, ulnar neurotization with the intercostal nerves led to a high rate of functional recovery, which began 5 months postsurgery, and progressed from muscle activity synchronized with ventilatory movements to spontaneous movements that were independent of respiration. This recovery was accompanied by substantial retrograde labeling of intercostal motor neurons after HRP application in the ulnar nerve. Cell counts showed that practically the whole motor neuron pool of the involved intercostal nerves contributed to reinnervation of the transected ulnar nerve. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that the use of intercostal nerves to neurotize long brachial plexus nerves can achieve long-lasting and successful reinnervation of distal forelimb muscles.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Sensory information processing in the dorsal column nuclei by neuronal oscillators.

The dorsal column nuclei, a first relay station of the somatosensory system, express coherent oscillatory activity in the 4-22 Hz frequency range at single unit, multiunit and local field potential levels. This activity appears spontaneously (33% of the cases) or, more commonly (83%), during natural sensory stimulation of the receptive field. Such oscillations are not imposed upon the dorsal column nuclei by incoming sensory afferents nor cortico-nuclear projections, which indicates that they are generated within the dorsal column nuclei. We concluded that dorsal column nuclei transform a non-rhythmic input from the periphery to a populational oscillatory output to the somatosensory thalamus during sensory stimulation.

Afferent Pathways↗