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Biomedical subjects

C Rodríguez

Publications and source records attributed to C Rodríguez.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Heterosis and epistasis for teat number and fluctuating asymmetry in crosses between Jiaxing and Iberian pigs.

In the framework of Wright's view of evolution, long-separate breeds of domestic animals could establish different adaptive epistatic genetic complexes that could be destroyed in crossbred animals by recombination. The objective of this study was to evaluate heterosis and recombination effects in a crossing experiment involving two distinct European and Asian breeds (Iberian and Jiaxing) in the F1 and two successive backcrosses to the Iberian line. Teat number (TN) was recorded in the right and left sides of piglets and analysed by fitting a mixed linear model including the Dickerson's crossbreeding parameters. TN in pigs is a discontinuous and often canalised trait presenting bilateral symmetry. The minor differences between sides make this trait a good candidate to evaluate fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and developmental instability. For TN, the posterior means and standard deviations (SD) of the heritability and of the relative contribution of common litter environmental effect to variance were 0.248 (0.028) and 0.057 (0.019), respectively. The respective values of the difference between breeds, heterosis and recombination effect were 9.990 (0.411), -0.506 (0.196) and 0.684 (0.232). For FA, the posterior means and SDs of the heritability and of the relative contribution of common litter environmental effect to variance were 0.023 (0.005) and 0.014 (0.005), respectively. Another significant genetic effect was a recombination effect of 0.773 (0.117). These results confirm that the rupture by recombination of coadapted genomes decreases developmental stability in domestic pigs.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension and its association with respiratory disturbances in obese patients living at moderately high altitude.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the point prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and its relationship with respiratory disturbances in obese patients living at moderate altitude. SUBJECTS: A total of 57 obese patients comprised the final sample and consisted of 34 women and 23 men, with a mean age of 42.7+/-12.1 ys and a mean body mass index (BMI) 47.1+/-10.6 kg/m(2) (range from 30.1 to 76.1). The mean living altitude was 2248.7 m, range 2100-2400 m above sea level. MEASUREMENTS: Doppler echocardiography, pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gas analysis, and polysomnography were performed. RESULTS: Data showed that 96.5% of the studied sample had daytime PH defined as calculated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PSAP) >30 mmHg (mean PSAP=50, s.d.=13 mmHg). The severity of diurnal PH was found to be related to the presence of alveolar hypoventilation and BMI. The main risk factor for severity of diurnal PH was hypoventilation with a significant odds ratio (OR) 7.96, 95% CI 1.35-46.84, BMI was (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.25) and apnea/hypopnea index was not a predictor of pulmonary hypertension severity (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.97-1.02). CONCLUSION: We concluded that prevalence of diurnal PH is high in obese patients living at moderate altitude, and that hypoventilation is the main risk factor associated with the severity of pulmonary hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Respiratory disease in aggregate quarry workers related to risk factors and Pi phenotype.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the respiratory health and its relationship with exposure to silica, smoking, alpha 1-antitrypsin, and Pi phenotype in aggregate quarries workers. METHODS: In a prevalence study, 378 subjects were studied, x-ray opacities and pulmonary function was analyzed in relation to cumulative dust exposure, smoking, alpha1- antitrypsin, and Pi phenotype. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of round opacities (> or =0/1) was significantly related to smoking (P <0.001). The predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) percentage had a negative relationship with the product dust. pack-years (P = 0.005). The OR of FEV1 <90% was 3.03 for smokers exposed to dust versus nonexposed nonsmokers (P = 0.049). The criteria for dust-tobacco interaction are satisfied. A subgroup with the highest level of alpha1-antitrypsin presented more opacities and worse pulmonary function. CONCLUSIONS: Radiologic alterations are found in relation to tobacco. The FEV1 has a negative relation with the product dust-tobacco. No alterations related to Pi phenotype are found. A subgroup with the highest alpha1-antitrypsin levels had more radiologic alterations and worse function.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Mapping of the porcine oestrogen receptor 2 gene and association study with litter size in Iberian pigs.

Genes encoding the oestrogen receptors (ESR) are considered candidate genes for prolificacy traits due to the key role these molecules play in the regulation of reproductive physiology. In this paper, we report the assignment of the pig ESR2 gene to porcine chromosome 1 by radiation hybrid mapping. Most of the ESR2 cDNA was sequenced from Iberian pig ovarian RNA samples and one A/G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was found at exon 5, being associated with a Met/Val substitution at position 949. This SNP was genotyped using a PCR-RFLP (Hsp92II) protocol and its potential effect on litter size was evaluated in two Iberian pig populations. However, no statistically significant association between the ESR2 polymorphism and litter size was found.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Age-related changes in the pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin after intravenous administration in goats.

The pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin was studied in adult goats and 1-, 3- and 6-weeks-old kids after single dose i.v. dose of 2 mg/kg body weight. Drug concentration in plasma was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the data collected were subjected to compartmental kinetic analysis. Volume of distribution was relatively high in adult goats (Vss = 1.31 L/kg), and increased with age (Vss = 0.92 L/kg, 0.95 L/kg and 1.00 L/kg, in 1-, 3- and 6-weeks-old kids respectively). Total body clearance (Cl) also increased with age from 0.080 L/kg.h (1-week-old) to 0.097 L/kg.h (3-weeks-old), 0.18 L/kg.h (6-weeks-old) and 0.23 L/kg.h (adult goats). As a consequence of increased body Cl, area under the plasma concentration vs. time curve decreased with age (AUC = 27.46 microg.h/mL, 22.61 microg.h/mL, 11.86 microg.h/mL and 8.44 microg.h/mL in 1-, 3-, 6-weeks-old kids and adults, respectively) and a longer elimination half-life was found during the first 3 weeks of age (t1/2beta = 9.66 h, 8.25 h, 6.44 h and 7.18 h, in 1-, 3-, 6-weeks-old kids and adults, respectively). Mean residence time decreased with age from 11.86 h in 1-week-old kids to 9.63 h (3 weeks), 5.76 h (6 weeks) and 5.06 h in adult goats.

Aging↗
PubMed2004

[Bilateral superior oblique palsy and botulinum toxin].

PURPOSE: To study the effectiveness of botulinum toxin in the treatment of bilateral acquired oblique superior palsy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Five patients with bilateral asymmetrical acquired superior oblique palsy were treated with periodical injections of botulinum toxin in the inferior oblique and rectus muscles (2.5-5 U). The average age of the sample was 37.4 years. A trauma etiology was present in four cases. Treatment was applied at two months after the beginning of the illness in two cases, at four months in another two cases, and at one year in the other patient. RESULTS: A good result was achieved in three of the cases with botulinum toxin. Two patients required surgery. All of the patients were injected in the inferior obliques, and two cases were also injected in the inferior rectus. The number of injections ranged between four and six applications. It was considered to be a good result when diplopia was corrected in reading and primary position, and torticollis disappeared. Diplopia was not corrected in extreme lateral gazes and supraversion in two cases. CONCLUSIONS: Periodical botulinum toxin injections represent an alternative management to surgery in the treatment of bilateral acquired oblique palsy. In some cases botulinum toxin injections can prevent or decrease the number of surgical interventions

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Job satisfaction and burnout in general practitioners].

OBJECTIVE: To describe job satisfaction in general practitioners (GP) in the province of Barcelona, and to analyse its relationship with their job burnout, and social and professional characteristics. DESIGN: Transversal observational study.Setting. Province of Barcelona, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 603 General Practitioners had participated in ninety three primary care centers. MEASUREMENT: Through a direct interview (individual or in group) a validated questionnaire was administered in three parts: general data (social, demographic and professional), job satisfaction (Font Roja-9 dimensions) and job burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory-3 scales). RESULTS: The job satisfaction questionnaire (score ranging from 1-5) showed a global satisfaction level of 3.02 (95%CI, 2.98%-3.05%) and we obtained a 18% non response rate. There was a positive association between overall satisfaction and the following variables: less years working in primary health, working in centres providing instruction, and willingness to receive information from the survey. Low levels of satisfaction were associated to high scores in emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation scales, and low scores in personal accomplishment scale. CONCLUSIONS: Overall satisfaction has a medium score in the Font-Roja questionnaire. Age seems to lead to a significant tendency to decrease satisfaction as practitioners grow older. Job satisfaction and job burnout present a closely linked behaviour, inversely, as satisfaction increases when job burnout presents low scores.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Temperature-activity relationship for the intestinal Na+-K+-ATPase of Sparus aurata. A role for the phospholipid microenvironment?

The temperature dependence for Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase has been examined in the proximal-distal axis of the intestine of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), i.e. pyloric caeca (PC), anterior intestine (AI) and posterior intestine (PI). Data derived from the Arrhenius plots showed differences in terms of temperature discontinuity points ( Td) (13.29 degrees C, 16.39 degrees C and 17.48 degrees C for PC, AI and PI, respectively) and activation energy ratios (Ea(2)/Ea(1)) obtained at both sides of Td (2.38, 1.98 and 1.78, for PC, AI and PI, respectively). The analyses of polar lipids showed differences in the levels of certain fatty acids among intestinal regions. The content of each fatty acid and different fatty acid ratios were correlated with the corresponding Td and Ea(2)/Ea(1) values. Regression analyses revealed the existence of strong negative correlations between docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) or the DHA/monoenes ratio and Td. No obvious relationships were observed for other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) nor saturated fatty acids. The results obtained in the present study indicate that the heterogeneous values of Td displayed by the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase along the intestinal tract could be related to a modulatory role of certain fatty acid within the lipid microenvironment of the enzyme.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Factors influencing the fracture of nickel-titanium rotary instruments.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of rotational speed and the angle and radius of curvature of root canals on the fracture of two types of nickel-titanium rotary instruments: K3 and ProTaper. METHODOLOGY: A total of 240 root canals of extracted human maxillary and mandibular molars were divided into two groups of 120, according to the angle of the canal curvature (group A: <30 degrees, group B: >30 degrees). Each group was then divided into two subgroups of 60 canals in order to perform instrumentation using K3 and ProTaper rotary instruments at three different rotational speeds: 150, 250 and 350 r.p.m. (20 canals at each rotational speed). Each instrument was used a maximum of 20 times and at one rotational speed only. The angle and radius of canal curvature were measured in the only group in which fractures actually took place (group B). RESULTS: There were a total of 22 instrument fractures; all of these occurred in canals with curves >30 degree. In a multivariate analysis, it was demonstrated that the files used at a rotational speed of 350 r.p.m. were more likely to fracture than those used at 250 r.p.m. (OR: 1113.88; 95% CI: 2.36-526420.05) and than those used at 150 r.p.m. (OR: 13531.33; 95% CI: 5.37-34120254.00). A decrease in the angle of curvature of the canal also significantly reduced the likelihood of fracture (OR: 0.2083; 95% CI: 0.068-0.6502). These relationships remained significant after being adjusted for the potential interactions between the remaining variables. No significant differences were found between the files or the radii of the canals. CONCLUSIONS: Instrument fracture was associated with rotational speed and the angle of curvature of the canal.

Dental Alloys↗
PubMed2003

Influence of Escherichia coli endotoxin-induced fever on the pharmacokinetic behavior of marbofloxacin after intravenous administration in goats.

The pharmacokinetic behavior of marbofloxacin was studied in seven healthy goats and in the same goats with induced fever after single-dose intravenous (i.v.) administration of 2 mg/kg b.w. Fever was induced by the administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin. Drug concentration in plasma was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Drug distribution was somehow altered by fever as febrile goats showed a volume of distribution at steady-state (Vss = 0.72 +/- 0.15 L/kg) lower than normal goats (Vss = 1.19 +/- 0.33 L/kg). The elimination of the drug was also modified. Total plasma clearance (Cl) decreased from 0.24 +/- 0.12 L/kg/h in healthy animals to 0.13 +/- 0.05 L/kg/h in animals with endotoxin-induced fever, which is related to an increase in the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC). Consequently, mean residence time (MRT) was also slightly increased in sick animals (MRT = 5.28 +/- 00.99 and 6.09 +/- 01.45 h, in healthy and febrile animals, respectively).

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Pharmacokinetics, toxicities, and efficacies of sodium stibogluconate formulations after intravenous administration in animals.

The pharmacokinetics and toxicities of free sodium stibogluconate (SSG) and two vesicular formulations of this drug (a nonionic surfactant vesicular formulation of SSG [SSG-NIV] and SSG-NIV-dextran) were determined after treatment with a single intravenous dose in healthy dogs and were related to their antileishmanial efficacies in mice. Analysis of the curves of the concentrations in plasma after intravenous administration of SSG and SSG-NIV in dogs showed that both formulations produced similar antimony (Sb) pharmacokinetics. In contrast, treatment with SSG-NIV-dextran significantly modified the pharmacokinetics of the drug. The elimination half-life was four times longer (280 min) than that observed after administration of SSG (71 min) (P = 0.01), and the volume of distribution at steady state (V(SS)) was also increased (V(SS) for SSG, 0.21 liters/kg; V(SS) for SSG-NIV-dextran, 0.34 liters/kg [P = 0.02]), thus indicating that drug encapsulation favors the distribution of Sb into organs and increases its residence time in tissues. This would explain the superior antileishmanial efficacy of this formulation compared to those of the free drug in mice. No signs of toxicity were found in dogs after SSG and SSG-NIV administration. However, SSG-NIV-dextran treatment was associated with short-term toxicity, demonstrated by the development of chills and diarrhea, which cleared by 24 h postdosing, and hepatic dysfunction at 24 h postdosing (P < 0.05). The levels of all the biochemical parameters had returned to normal at 1 month postdosing. No signs of toxicity were observed in mice treated with all three formulations.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed2003

Absence of hepatitis C virus transmission in a prospective cohort of heterosexual serodiscordant couples.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission in a cohort of heterosexual couples who are discordant both for HIV and for HCV. METHODS: We followed an open cohort of 171 people, 152 women and 19 men, who were not initially infected by either HIV or HCV, and whose steady heterosexual partner presented antibodies to both viruses (index case). Other risk exposures were excluded. Every 6 months clinical, epidemiological, and risk behaviour information was collected, and antibodies to both viruses were determined. RESULTS: During 529 person years of follow up more than 40 000 vaginal or anal penetrations were recorded. 74 partners (43.3%) had vaginal and/or anal intercourse without condoms with the index case; another 15.8%, who always used condoms, declared breaking or slipping episodes during intercourse; and another 22.2% had unprotected orogenital exposures. During the follow up, over 5800 unprotected vaginal and anal contacts with the index case were estimated, as well as more than 25 000 unprotected orogenital contacts. 31 women became pregnant (two were index cases), and seroconversion to HIV occurred for one woman (1.7 per 10 000 unprotected contacts; 95% CI, 0 to 9.5), but there was no seroconversion to HCV (95% CI, 0-6.3 per 10 000 unprotected contacts). CONCLUSION: These results are consistent with a low or null transmissibility of HCV in heterosexual relations, even when the index case is HIV co-infected.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

[HIV prevalence among homosexual and bisexual men in Spain, 1992-2000].

BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to describe the time trend in HIV seroprevalence among homo/ bisexual men. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We analyzed 9,383 homo/ bisexual men who had a first voluntary test for HIV in 10 Spanish clinics from 1992 to 2000. RESULTS: HIV prevalence decreased from 20.3% in 1992 to 8.4% in 2000. In the multivariate analysis this decline appeared independently associated with the testing year and the birth cohort. CONCLUSIONS: New generations of voluntarily tested homo/bisexual men are less infected by HIV, but it is yet necessary to intensify the prevention programs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Oral candidiasis as a clinical marker related to viral load, CD4 lymphocyte count and CD4 lymphocyte percentage in HIV-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: High viral load is currently considered to be one of the main indicators of the progression of HIV-induced immunodepression, but few studies have analysed its relationship to the presence of oral candidiasis (OC). The aim of this cross-sectional study is to analyse the relationship between viral load, total CD4 lymphocyte count, and percentage of CD4 lymphocytes to the occurrence of OC. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study included 156 HIV-infected patients seen at a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. We assessed the presence or absence of OC, and microbiological samples were obtained from the palatine mucosa and dorsal tongue for a smear stained with KOH (potassium hydroxide) and culture on Sabouraud's dextrose agar in all patients. Viral load was determined by quantification of viral RNA in peripheral blood with a minimum detectable level of 500 RNA copies/ml. CD4+ counts/CD4+ percentage were categorized as <200/<14%, 200-499/14-28%, and >500/>29%, and HIV viral loads were categorized as <500, 500-10,000, >10,000 copies/ml. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent (37.8%) of the patients had OC. Patients with CD4+ lymphocyte counts below 200 x 10(6)/l and CD4+ percentages below 14% showed a significantly higher frequency of OC (57.9% and 48.0%, respectively). Patients with a viral load over 10,000 copies/ml also had OC more frequently (44.8%). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, OC showed a statistically significant association with high viral load [>10,000 vs <500, odds ratio (OR)=11.4], low percentage of CD4+ lymphocytes (<14% vs >28%, OR=5), and injection drug use (IDU vs heterosexual transmission, OR=10.2). In HIV-infected patients, high viral load was associated with more frequent OC, regardless of CD4+ lymphocyte level. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that oral candidiasis could be a useful clinical marker of patients with high viral load. In view of these results, emphasis should be placed on the importance of systematic examination of the oral cavity in all medical follow-up examinations of HIV-infected patients.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗