PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C Caballero

Publications and source records attributed to C Caballero.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

In vitro assessment of antimicrobial activity of carvacrol, thymol and cinnamaldehyde towards Salmonella serotype Typhimurium DT104: effects of pig diets and emulsification in hydrocolloids.

AIMS: To determine the effect of pig diets in vitro on the antimicrobial activity of carvacrol, thymol and cinnamaldehyde, and to identify an emulsifier/stabilizer that can stabilize the essential oil (EO) components in aqueous solution and retain their antimicrobial activity in the presence of the diets. METHODS AND RESULTS: Emulsification of essential oil components with hydrocolloid solution was achieved by blending with a Polytron. Antimicrobial activity was measured through in vitro assays to determine the inhibition of bacterial growth by measuring the optical density at 600 nm or plating on nutrition agar after incubation of the mixtures of an EO component with the culture of Salmonella serotype Typhimurium DT104 in the presence or absence of pig diets. The results generated through the in vitro assays indicated that pig diets were able to abolish the antimicrobial activity of EOs. Xanthan, fenugreek and yellow mustard gums were the best in forming stable emulsions of five different EO components among ten different plant polysaccharides and surfactants examined. Emulsification of all the EO components in the fenugreek gum solution did not alter their antimicrobial activity. However, the antimicrobial activity of geraniol was significantly reduced when emulsified with other polysaccharides and surfactants. Both fenugreek and xanthan gum solutions were unable to protect the antimicrobial activity of carvacrol and thymol when mixed with the diets. Although cinnamaldehyde required no emulsification, but a high concentration (equivalent to at least three times of minimum bactericidal concentration for cinnamon oil) to inhibit Salmonella growth significantly in the presence of the diets, emulsification in fenugreek gum appeared to be essential for cinnamaldehyde solution to retain its antimicrobial activity during storage. CONCLUSIONS: The diets for newly weaned pigs were a significant factor limiting the antimicrobial activity of EOs and their components. Cinnamaldehyde required a high concentration to retain its antimicrobial activity in the diets, in addition to its requirement for emulsification to stabilize its activity during the storage. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The assay with the diets used in this study for measuring the antimicrobial activity can be used in vitro for rapid and effective screening of potential antimicrobials for swine production. This study has identified polysaccharides that are able to stabilize EO component solutions. It has also identified cinnamaldehyde for further in vivo studies that may have potential in future application in controlling Salmonella and possibly other enteric pathogens in swine production.

Acrolein↗
PubMed2005

Lumbar bone mineral density after kidney transplantation: a three-year prospective study.

Osteopenia is a common complication after transplantation. However, prospective long-term studies are scarce and most were performed in patients on cyclosporine and high-dose steroids. In 65 patients with functioning grafts, 41 males and 24 females, 50 on tacrolimus-based immunosuppression and 15 on cyclosporine-based immunosuppression, bone mineral density (BMD) was measured in the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and femoral neck (FN) using dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in the first month after transplantation (baseline) and at 1, 2, and 3 years. At baseline, BMD was similar to the control population both in L2-L4 (z score = -0.421) and in FN (z score = -0.518). During the follow-up, 3 types of patterns were identified: BMD increased in L2-L4 in 25 patients (38.5%), remained stable in 20 patients (30.8%), and decreased in 20 patients (30.8%). BMD losses appeared mainly during the first year (0.964 +/- 0.162 baseline; 0.904 +/- 0.161 at 1 year, 0.886 +/- 0.140 at 3 years; analysis of variance [ANOVA] P < .001). However, the improvement was maintained throughout the follow-up (0.860 +/- 0.176 g/cm2 at baseline; 0.901 +/- 0.161 at 1 year; 0.954 +/- 0.178 at 3 years; ANOVA P < .001) and there was a parallel increase of BMD in FN (0.712 +/- 0.144 at baseline; 0.744 +/- 0.249 at 1 year; 0.826 +/- 0.184 at 3 years; ANOVA P < .01). There were no differences between both groups in graft function, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels, number of postmenopausal women, or steroid doses. About one third of patients had bone loss during the first year after transplantation. We were unable to identify any risk factor for this complication in patients on low-dose steroids.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2003

Quality of life and psychometric functionality in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

We studied the psychological performance and the quality of life in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, either during treatment with chronic suppressive doses of levothyroxine, or during the withdrawal of levothyroxine needed to perform whole-body scanning with radioactive iodine, with those of appropriate healthy controls. Eighteen women with differentiated thyroid carcinoma and 18 euthyroid age-matched healthy women were recruited. Patients were studied the day before levothyroxine withdrawal (when in chronic mild or subclinical hyperthyroidism), 4-7 days later (when most patients had normal serum free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine levels), and the day before scanning (when in profound hypothyroidism). Controls were studied at one time point. When compared with controls, patients presented with impairment of several indexes during chronic suppressive levothyroxine therapy (total score, emotional, sleep, energy and social of the Nottingham Health Profile; mental health, general health and social function of the SF-36, and total score on Wais Digit Span; P<0.05 for all comparisons). Also, quality of life indexes (19 of 21 scores), cognitive tests (6 of 12 scores), and affective and physical symptoms visual mental scales (18 of 19) worsened during profound hypothyroidism (P<0.05 for all comparisons). Quality of life and cognitive performance were almost comparable with those of euthyroid controls when most patients had normal free thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels. In conclusion, quality of life and psychometric functionality in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma is not only affected by withdrawal of levothyroxine but also by long-term treatment with supraphysiological doses of levothyroxine.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Genomic imbalances detected by comparative genomic hybridization are prognostic markers in invasive ductal breast carcinomas.

AIMS: The aim of this work is the study of the prognostic significance of the chromosomal aberrations described in a series of invasive ductal breast carcinomas. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analysed by comparative genomic hybridization a group of 70 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded invasive ductal breast carcinomas. Aberrations showed a frequency similar to previous studies using frozen tumours. Interestingly, we identified gains involving 6q16-q24 more frequently than in other series. We analysed the association among the chromosomal imbalances, 11 histopathological factors, relapse rate and overall survival of patients. Associations showed 16q losses as a potential marker of good prognosis, as they were more frequent in node-negative (P=0.025) and in oestrogen-positive tumours (P < 0.001). Furthermore, 100% of bcl-2+ tumours presented this aberration compared with 29.3% in bcl-2- (P=0.014). 1q, 11q, 17q and 20q gains were associated with poor prognosis: 95% of cases with 1q gains were bigger than 20 mm (P=0.041). Tumours with 1q and 11q gains showed a higher relapse rate (P=0.063; P=0.066). Within the good prognosis group of lymph node-negative patients, 17q and 20q gains identify a subgroup with increased relapse rate (P=0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Chromosomal imbalances, together with histopathological factors, may help to predict outcome in breast cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Effects of ajugarins and related neoclerodane diterpenoids on feeding behaviour of Leptinotarsa decemlineata and Spodoptera exigua larvae.

Three naturally occurring ajugarins and seven semisynthetic derivatives of them, possessing different functionalities in the decalin part, together with two natural furoneoclerodane diterpenes, have been assessed as feeding behavior modifying agents of larvae of the generalist Spodoptera exigua and a specialist like Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Ajugarin I and some of its derivatives exhibited a significant antifeedant activity against larvae of S. exigua in both choice and no-choice assays. Conversely, the furoneoclerodane diterpenes only presented antifeedant activity against larvae of L. decemlineata. These results indicate that the biological action of the tested substances is strongly modulated by minimal structural variations, which are also responsible for the specificity of action.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Effect of the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric emptying and its influence on the glycaemic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection plays a role in gastric emptying (GE) in type 1 diabetic patients and may have implications for glycaemic control. The aim of our study was to investigate this relationship. Gastric emptying was studied in 13 patients with type 1 diabetes and Hp infection. The Hp infection status was assessed by serology and urease breath test (UBT). In addition upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with gastric mucosal biopsy was performed to look for gastritis. A radionuclide-labeled solid meal was used to study GE before and after eradication therapy (amoxicillin, clarithromycin and omeprazole) for Hp infection. All patients were evaluated for autonomic and peripheral neuropathy and were asked for symptoms of gastrointestinal motor dysfunction. Blood glucose levels were determined before the meal and at 30,60,90 and 120 min after the start of the meal. Home blood glucose self-monitoring and HbA(1c) were performed to document glycaemic control during the study. Three months after treatment, five patients were free of Hp infection and were without gastritis (group I: no Hp infection, no gastritis); eight of the patients continued to have gastritis after treatment (group II) and of these eight patients, six had gastritis without Hp infection and two had gastritis plus persistent Hp infection. These last two patients were re-treated with eradication therapy. Patients with gastritis were re-evaluated 6 months after initial treatment; at which time four were now free of gastritis and were added to group I (n=9) while four continual to have gastritis although without Hp infection (group II, n=4). In group I, GE half-time showed an increase (30.6+/-10.3 min vs. 60.2+/-15.4 min; P<0.05) while no change (28.8+/-9.5 vs. 26.9+/-8.7 min; n.s.) was observed in group II. GE half-time was not altered by autonomic and peripheral neuropathy or blood glucose during solid meal test. HbA(1c) did not change significantly after treatment in either groups but the blood glucose levels were more stable in group I compared to group II. A delay in GE was observed with disappearance of gastritis associated to H. pylori infection after eradication treatment in patients with type 1 diabetes. This change in GE could help to stabilise the blood glucose levels in these patients treated with insulin before each meal.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Solitary fibrous tumor of the thyroid gland: report of seven cases.

Solitary fibrous tumor is a soft tissue neoplasm initially described in the pleura but subsequently reported in a wide variety of locations. The clinical behavior is usually benign, but the existence of aggressive cases has been documented both in the pleura and in extrapleural sites. In this report clinical and pathologic features of seven solitary fibrous tumors of the thyroid gland are presented. Patients' ages ranged from 43 to 64 years (mean 52 years), and tumor sizes varied from 2 to 6 cm. Grossly, the tumors were white-tan and well circumscribed. Microscopically, there was a variegated, wavy, storiform, hemangiopericytic or desmoid-like arrangement of spindle cells. Trapped thyroid follicles within the tumor and peripheral jagged tumor infiltration among follicles were common. There was immunohistochemical reactivity for CD34, CD99, and bcl-2, and ultrastructural analysis of one tumor was consistent with a fibroblastic lineage. The differential diagnosis included other benign and malignant mesenchymal tumors of the thyroid, spindle cell follicular adenoma, Riedel's thyroiditis, the spindle cell, and paucicellular variants of anaplastic carcinoma, papillary thyroid carcinoma with exuberant nodular fasciitis-like stroma, and the spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation. The cumulative data of 13 cases (comprised of the seven present cases and the six previously reported) suggest a benign clinical behavior for thyroid SFT.

12E7 Antigen↗
PubMed2001

Free radical production in aortic rings from rats fed a fish oil-rich diet.

To study the effect of the degree of unsaturation of dietary fatty acids on the production of free radicals and on the vascular smooth muscle tone in rings of the aorta, Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a semipurified diet containing 5% lipids from either corn oil (CO) or menhaden oil (MO) for 8 wk. The MO diet did not change the basal or NADPH-dependent superoxide anion (O2-*) release. There were no significant differences in phenylephrine-induced contractions between the two groups in intact rings. However, these contractions increased in endothelium-intact aortic rings from the MO group after addition of the nitric oxide (*NO) synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine and in endothelium-denuded rings, both indicating a greater endothelial basal *NO production in rats fed with the MO diet. Endothelium-dependent relaxations in response to acetylcholine were more prominent in rings from the MO group. These differences were not due to an increased smooth muscle response to.NO, because relaxations were the same using an exogenous *NO donor. Our results indicate that dietary MO did not modify O2-* release by the vessel wall or relaxation due to the cyclooxygenase pathway, but it potentiated endothelial production of *NO.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed2000

Single large-scale mitochondrial DNA deletion in a patient with encephalopathy, cardiomyopathy, and prominent intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

We studied a 62 year-old woman with a clinical phenotype characterized by encephalopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and prominent intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Muscle morphology showed ragged red fibres with ultrastructurally abnormal mitochondrial whereas muscle respiratory chain was normal. Molecular genetics revealed the 'common deletion' in mtDNA, which represented 40% of total mtDNA. These data expand and confirm the wide clinical spectrum of mitochondrial disorders associated with single large-scale mtDNA deletions.

Cardiomyopathies↗
PubMed1999

[Congenital cyanotic heart disease and peripheral neurogenic tumor].

The association between neuroblastic tumours and congenital heart disease is widely confirmed in the literature references. The authors describe a case of a patient with congenital heart disease, high blood pressure, renal artery stenosis and high levels in 24 hours urine metanephrines. A MIBG-I-123 scintigraphy was essential for the diagnosis of neuroblastic tumour.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗
PubMed1998

[Better at home: a continuous health care program for patients with advanced chronic respiratory disease].

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of continuous health care on the frequency of readmissions of patients with advanced chronic respiratory disease. The study was prospective, enrolling 26 patients (16 with COPD, 7 with bronchiectasis and 3 with pachypleuritis) who had been admitted at least 3 times within the past year. The patients were assigned to 3 groups: group A was the ambulatory monitoring group, with 8 patients who were able to travel to the hospital for monthly outpatient checkups; group B was the ambulatory pulmonary rehabilitation group, with 10 patients who were able to travel to the hospital and who needed rebreathing training (one weekly group session); and group C was the home care group, with 8 patients who were unable to travel to the hospital and who received weekly or biweekly house calls. All patients had telephone contact with the program team. Mean lung function values for the whole population were FVC 40 (11)%, FEV1 23 (7)% of reference, PaO2 55 (7) and PaCO2 55 (10) mmHg. A significant decrease in number of admissions (79 versus 18, p < 0.0001) was observed in both the first and second halves of the year in all three treatment groups: A, 25 to 2; B, 28 to 8; and C, 26 to 8 (p < 0.001). The reduction in health care costs over the previous year's expenditure was calculated to be 22,751,402 pesetas. We conclude that specialized health care that is continuous and personalized reduces the number of hospital readmissions of patients with advanced chronic respiratory disease. Moreover, the overall cost of care, without the need to make house calls to all patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Pathologic features of epidermoid carcinoma of the penis. A prospective study of 66 cases.

We report a whole-organ-section pathologic study of 66 cases of epidermoid carcinoma of the penis. Specimens were divided into three compartments: glans (G), coronal sulcus (COS), and foreskin (F) with 24, 4, and 12 histologic sections each. Four types of carcinomas were found: (a) superficially spreading (42%), a biphasic infiltrating and extensive carcinoma in situ usually involving more than one compartment and radially growing along the surface of G, BPS, F, or even urethra; (b) vertical growth (32%), unifocal high-grade, deeply invasive neoplasms with minimal or no carcinoma in situ component; (c) verrucous (18%), low-grade papillary or endophytic; and (d) multicentric (8%), two or more independent primary tumors separated by non-neoplastic mucosa. Inguinal lymph node metastasis were found in 82, 42, and 33% of pathologic types vertical growth, superficially spreading, and multicentric carcinomas, respectively; verrucous tumors did not show metastasis. The morphologic diversity of penile cancer may be related to different causative factors. Metastatic involvement suggests a distinctive biological behavior of the tumor. The widespread extension of superficially spreading and multicentric carcinomas to anatomical compartments indicate penile mucosa as one "field" prone to malignant transformation. These findings may be important for the selection of appropriate therapy and emphasize the need for a close follow-up of patients undergoing less than a complete removal of the three compartments.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1993

The effect of the blockade of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone on LH release in the rat.

We have investigated the effect of blocking alpha-MSH on the release of LH in rats at pro-oestrus. Continuous infusion of Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 (PLG; 0.2 microgram/h), from the afternoon of dioestrus-2 until the day of oestrus, inhibited LH at pro-oestrus and the next ovulation on the day of oestrus. Plasma alpha-MSH levels decreased significantly in rats treated with PLG. This inhibitory effect on LH release was not observed in rats treated with a continuous infusion of a diluted antiserum against alpha-MSH (0.5 microliter/h, diluted 1/10) from the afternoon of dioestrus-2 until the day of oestrus. On the contrary, the administration of undiluted antiserum against alpha-MSH (0.5 microliter/h) blocked LH release and ovulation. The release of alpha-MSH into the blood was also significantly blocked by this treatment. When serum levels of progesterone were measured at 12.00 and 14.00 h in rats in which alpha-MSH release was blocked by PLG or concentrated antiserum, a significant decrease was observed when compared with the levels of progesterone in control rats. These results show that the blockade of alpha-MSH inhibits LH release and the next ovulation in rats treated with PLG or with concentrated antiserum against alpha-MSH, through a blockade of progesterone of adrenal origin.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Giant cell fibroblastoma. Apropos of 2 cases].

Two cases of giant cell fibroblastoma (GCF) are reported. One presented as cervical tumor in a 11 year old child and the second localized in axillar region of 14 year old boy. Histologically both showed a typical distinctive appearance of this entity when focal fusocellular cells arranged in a storiform pattern was also constated in one. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study ruled out a vascular origin. The clinical and pathological findings suggest that CGF represent a juvenile form of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Rhabdomyosarcomas developing in association with mediastinal germ cell tumours.

Two mediastinal rhabdomyosarcomas that arose in association with germ cell tumours are reported. One presented as a small component of a mixed germ cell tumour with yolk sac and immature teratomatous elements. The other appeared as a large mass 4 months after diagnosis of a yolk sac carcinoma that had been treated with chemotherapy. The first patient was alive and free of disease 7 years later, whereas the second died of tumour 3 months post-operatively. The proportion of rhabdomyosarcoma within the germ cell tumours appears to have influenced the prognosis of these patients. This observation emphasizes the necessity of performing a thorough search for sarcomatous elements and quantifying their relative proportion in germ cell tumours of the mediastinum.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Inhibition of African swine fever infection in the presence of immune sera in vivo and in vitro.

In assay cultures, sera from African swine fever convalescent pigs inhibited infection by homologous African swine fever virus. The infection-inhibition capacity did not correspond with the virus-neutralizing capacity. The serum did not prevent infection by heterologous virulent viruses. Sera from pigs challenge inoculated with the homologous virulent virus and later with a heterologous virulent virus inhibited the infection by different heterologous virulent viruses. These sera did not interfere with the infection by pseudorabies virus. The specificity of the reaction indicated that the infection inhibition was caused by antibody.

African Swine Fever↗