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Biomedical subjects

C M Garcia

Publications and source records attributed to C M Garcia.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Prognostic value of morphology and hormone receptor status in breast cancer - a population-based study.

We analysed the 5-year relative survival among 4473 breast cancer cases diagnosed in 1990-1992 from cancer registries in Estonia, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK. Among eight categories based on ICD-O codes (infiltrating ductal carcinoma, lobular plus mixed carcinoma, comedocarcinoma, 'special types', medullary carcinoma, not otherwise specified (NOS) carcinoma, other carcinoma and cancer without microscopic confirmation), the 5-year relative survival ranged from 66% (95% CI 61-71) for NOS carcinoma to 95% (95% CI 90-100) for special types (tubular, apocrine, cribriform, papillary, mucinous and signet ring cell); 27% (95% CI 18-36) for cases without microscopic confirmation. Differences in 5-year relative survival by tumor morphology and hormone receptor status were modelled using a multiple regression approach based on generalised linear models. Morphology and hormone receptor status were confirmed as significant survival predictors in this population-based study, even after adjusting for age and stage at diagnosis.

Aged↗

Infection with different Trypanosoma cruzi populations in rats: myocarditis, cardiac sympathetic denervation, and involvement of digestive organs.

We tested four isolates of Trypanosoma cruzi to assess parasite virulence and ability to cause myocarditis, cardiac sympathetic denervation, and histopathologic alterations in organs of the digestive system. The susceptibility of rats depends on the population of T. cruzi, with the ABC strain and the CL-Brener clone killing all animals, regardless of the parasitemic pattern. All tested T. cruzi populations caused acute myocarditis, but failed to induce histologic alterations in the intestine. The Cl-Brener and ABC isolates caused esophageal myositis. The myocarditis caused by the ABC, CL-Brener, and Y isolates was severe, but resolution started at the end of the acute phase. In contrast, the Col 1.7 G2 clone induced mild and sustained myocarditis. Our results also showed that T. cruzi populations able to induce severe acute myocarditis caused marked sympathetic denervation, but recovery of normal cardiac histology and innervation occurred. The sustained myocarditis induced by Col 1.7 G2 clone failed to cause sustained denervation.

Animals↗

Release of bFGF, an endothelial cell survival factor, by osmotic shock.

PURPOSE: To test the effects of osmotic change on basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) release from cultured endothelial cells (ECs). METHODS: Bovine aortic and bovine retinal ECs were exposed to hypoosmotic shock for 2 minutes, were allowed to recover for 15 minutes, and had bFGF release assayed. The role of bFGF in cell recovery was assessed by including neutralizing antibody against bFGF or the addition of exogenous bFGF. Cell number and viability were determined under varying conditions. Apoptosis was assessed by immunoperoxidase detection of digoxigenin-labeled DNA. RESULTS: After shock and recovery, both ECs released significantly greater amounts of bFGF than untreated control. bFGF release after shock for 2 minutes was lower than release after shock and recovery. Bovine retinal endothelial (BRE) cell number was reduced at 48 hours after shock, recovery, and removal of released bFGF compared with cells left in the presence of released bFGF. Cell number was significantly lower when BRE cells were shocked and recovered in the presence of a neutralizing anti-bFGF antibody (P<0.05). Exogenous bFGF reversed this effect. Apoptosis was significantly increased in BRE cells shocked and recovered or in the presence of bFGF antibody (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: bFGF is released by cultured ECs in response to osmotically induced cell injury. These results support the concept of bFGF as a "wound" hormone and survival factor for ECs. In further compromised tissue, release of bFGF in this manner may play a role in the pathogenesis of disease.

Animals↗

Temperature monitoring practices during regional anesthesia.

UNLABELLED: Monitoring and maintaining body temperature during the perioperative period has a significant impact on the risk of myocardial ischemia, cardiac morbidity, wound infection, surgical bleeding, and patient discomfort. To test the hypothesis that body temperature is inadequately monitored during regional anesthesia (RA), we randomly surveyed 60 practicing anesthesiologists to determine practice patterns for temperature monitoring. Only 33% of the clinicians surveyed routinely monitor body temperature during RA. Although skin temperature monitoring has limitations, it was the most commonly used method among the survey respondents. When temperature is monitored during RA, most clinicians use either liquid crystal skin-surface monitoring or axillary temperature probes. Of those surveyed, < 15% use acceptable core temperature monitoring techniques (urinary bladder or tympanic membrane). In conclusion, it seems that body temperature is often not monitored in patients receiving RA. IMPLICATIONS: The results of this survey of practicing anesthesiologists indicate that body temperature is often not monitored in patients receiving regional anesthesia. It is therefore likely that significant hypothermia goes undetected and untreated in these patients.

Anesthesia, Conduction↗

Producing exposed coat-free embryos.

Production of embryos that are free of tough outer coats facilitates studies that are not possible with embryos surrounded by impenetrable envelopes. This report describes a new procedure for preventing formation of fertilisation membranes in the sea urchin (Lytechinus pictus) model. This procedure involves treating unfertilised eggs with the enzyme alpha-amylase, which cleaves alpha-1,4 glucosidic bonds in the vitelline layer. A major advantage of this method is that it is very well defined and completely controllable with alpha-amylase inhibitor. The results suggest that intact alpha-1,4 glucosidic bonds are essential for vitelline layer integrity required for formation of the fertilisation membrane. Eggs treated with alpha-amylase possessed the same surface lectin receptors as untreated eggs and, as shown by light and transmission electron microscopy, produced healthy, cleaving embryos that were free of fertilisation envelopes.

Animals↗

Identification of novel loci affecting entry of Salmonella enteritidis into eukaryotic cells.

There are an estimated 2 million cases of salmonellosis in the United States every year. Unlike the incidence of many infectious diseases, the incidence of salmonellosis in the United States and other developed countries has been rising steadily over the past 30 years, and the disease now accounts for 10 to 15% of all cases of acute gastroenteritis in the United States. The infecting organism is ingested and must traverse the intestinal epithelium to reach its preferred site for multiplication, the reticuloendothelial system. Despite several recent studies, the genetic basis of the invasion process is poorly understood. An emerging theme from these studies is that wild-type Salmonella organisms probably have several chromosomal loci that are required for the most efficient level of invasion. In this study, we have identified and characterized 13 TnphoA insertion mutants of Salmonella enteritidis CDC5 that exhibit altered invasion phenotypes. The mutants were identified by screening a bank of TnphoA insertions in S. enteritidis CDC5str for their invasion phenotype in three tissue culture cell lines (HEp-2, CHO, and MDCK). These 13 mutants were separated into six classes based on their invasive phenotypes in the tissue culture cell lines. Several mutants were defective for entry of some cell lines but not for others, while two mutants (SM6 and SM7) were defective for entry into all three tissue culture cell lines. This suggests that Salmonella spp. may express more than one invasion pathway. Southern analysis and chromosomal mapping indicated that as many as nine chromosomal loci may contribute to the invasion phenotype. It is becoming clear that the invasive phenotype of Salmonella spp. is multifactorial and more complex than that of some other invasive members of the family Enterobacteriaceae.

Animals↗

Effects of monocrotaline and monocrotaline pyrrole on 5-hydroxytryptamine and paraquat uptake by lung slices.

Treatment of rats with monocrotaline (MCT) or its reactive pyrrole metabolite, dehydromonocrotaline (MCTP), injures pulmonary capillary endothelium and other lung cell types. The mechanism by which pulmonary damage occurs is unknown. To investigate the possibility that the metabolites of MCT can injure lung cells directly, slices of lung from male Sprague-Dawley rats were incubated with chemically synthesized MCTP (0.1-1.0 mM). The ability of the slices to accumulate 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) was then examined. After 5 hours exposure to MCTP in vitro, there was no change in either 5HT or PQ uptake at any of the MCTP concentrations tested. Similar results were obtained when lung slices were incubated with liver slices and MCT to generate MCT metabolites in vitro. In contrast, treatment in vivo with MCTP resulted in a 35% decrease in the uptake of 5HT and a 15% decrease in the uptake of PQ by lung slices 14 days after treatment. These results suggest that damage does not occur by direct interaction of MCTP with the lung tissue or that functional injury is slow to develop. Alternatively, the damage in vivo may be mediated by factors not present in the sliced tissue.

Animals↗