Biomedical subjects

Daniel Acosta

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel Acosta.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Diminished ECT response in catatonia due to chronic neurologic condition.

A series of four clinical cases suggests that catatonic disorder due to a chronic neurologic condition does not respond as reliably to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as functional catatonia does. Cases reported in the medical literature show a similar pattern. Presumably this form of catatonia is intrinsically less responsive to ECT, although the possibility remains that a more intense quality of treatment and prophylaxis is needed. Conversely, catatonia resistant to ECT suggests an underlying medical condition.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Membrane-associated dipeptidyl peptidase IV is involved in encystation-specific gene expression during Giardia differentiation.

Giardia is a flagellated protozoan that resides in the upper small intestine of its vertebrate host and is the most common cause of defined waterborne diarrhoea worldwide. Giardia trophozoites undergo significant biological changes to survive outside the host by differentiating into infective cysts. Encystation is thus essential for transmission of the parasite among susceptible hosts. In the present study, we report that bestatin, a competitive inhibitor of aminopeptidases, blocks cyst formation in vitro by abolishing the expression of encystation-specific genes, such as those coding for cyst wall proteins. Bestatin does not affect proliferating trophozoites, indicating that its effect is encystation-specific. Using biochemical and molecular biological approaches, we identified the enzyme inhibited by bestatin and cloned its corresponding gene. Sequence similarity indicated that this enzyme belongs to a family of dipeptidyl peptidases. Our results suggest that a specific proteolytic event caused by a constitutively expressed membrane-associated dipeptidyl peptidase IV is necessary for encystation of Giardia.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Postictal asystole during ECT.

BACKGROUND: Asystole is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Several risks for poststimulus asystole have been described, but risks for asystole at other times have not. METHOD: Two instances of ECT postictal asystole in healthy adult males are reported. Features in common are identified. RESULTS: features shared differ from risk factors for poststimulus asystole. In common were adult but not geriatric age, male sex, good physical and cardiac health, mesomorphic habitus, anticholinergic pretreatment, vigorous ECT seizure, and low resting heart rate. Both patients showed postictal bradyarrhythmia at the previous ECT. CONCLUSIONS: Postictal asystole has apparent similarities to postexertional asystole in athletes. The combination of higher pretreatment doses of an atropinic agent, a sympatholytic agent, and close monitoring of postictal cardiac rhythm should be considered with patients similar to ours, especially after occurrence of postictal bradyarrhythmia.

Adult↗