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Biomedical subjects

F Díaz

Publications and source records attributed to F Díaz.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Long-term effects in two generations of enriched soybean and olive oil diets on some cardiovascular and biochemical parameters in male rats.

The effect of ingestion of enriched oil diets (soybean and olive) during two generations on some cardiovascular and biochemical parameters was measured in male rats. The animals (dams and pups) were fed with 3 different diets: standard diet, standard diet enriched with 7% of soybean oil and standard diet enriched with 7% of olive oil. At 2.5 months of age, male rats (first and second generation) after remaining in metabolic cages for a period of 10 days, were then anaesthetized, and body and heart weight, systolic, diastolic, mean blood pressure and heart rate, total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and insulin were measured. Experimental diets produced over-weight only in the second generation. Blood pressure values were within normal limits, but in animals eating soybean oil these parameters were significantly increased in the second generation. While the concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin in the second generation were significantly greater in experimental animals, and the concentrations of HDL-cholesterol and glucose were lower than in the controls, only the concentration of insulin was significantly greater in the experimental animals in the first generation. Plasmatic value of cholesterol was significantly increased in animals eating olive oil and plasmatic value of glucose was significantly decreased in animals eating soybean oil in the first generation. These results suggest that chronic ingestion of enriched oil diets negatively affects a number of key parameters implicated in the regulation of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in male rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Evolution of neuronal density in the ageing thalamic reticular nucleus.

In this paper we present an analysis of the visual sector of the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus (TRN) from 3, 6, 18, 24 and 30 month old Wistar rats using stereological methods. The volume density (Vv), the number of neurones per surface unit (Na) and the neurone numerical density (Nv) showed a progressive decrease between the 3rd and the 24th months as the animals aged, whereas a significant increase was observed between the 24th and the 30th month, the period at which these rodents have fully entered old age.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1995

Auditory evoked potentials in Down's syndrome.

Short-, middle- and long-latency auditory evoked potentials (SAEPs, MAEPs and LAEPs) were examined in 12 subjects with Down's syndrome and in 12 age-matched normal subjects. In comparison with the normal subjects, Down subjects showed shorter latencies for SAEP peaks II, III, IV and V (and correspondingly shorter interpeak intervals I-II and I-III) so long as stimulus intensity was at least 45 dB SL. The MAEP peak Na had a longer latency in Down subjects than in normal subjects, but not the Pa latency. In passive oddball experiments for LAEPs, the latencies of all components from N1 to P3 were progressively longer in Down subjects, and the N2-P3 amplitude increased slightly between the first and fourth blocks of stimuli (whereas in the normal subjects it decreased). These alterations in auditory evoked potentials, which may correlate with cerebral alterations in organization and responsiveness responsible for deficient information processing, may constitute an electrophysiological pattern that is characteristic of Down's syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Study of certain clinical variables in patients with psoriasis and their relation to DNA content of keratinocytes.

BACKGROUND: In a previous study of 26 patients with psoriasis we analyzed cytophotometrically the nuclear DNA content of the germinative compartment of involved and uninvolved skin by means of the Feulgen technique. These subjects were classified into three groups according to their DNA profile. Group 1 had a monomodal diploid profile, group 2 showed a significantly increased 2C-4C population, and group 3 demonstrated high proportions of 4C and hyperdiploid keratinocytes. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to analyze clinical variables implicated in the development of psoriasis in reference to the three groups. METHODS: Nuclear DNA content of each group by quantitative histochemical studies was analyzed and correlated with variables such as chronologic age, sex, age at onset, duration of flare during the study, stress, and the Koebner phenomenon. RESULTS: No significant differences in DNA profile were observed in the involved epidermis among the clinical variables. The only differences in the uninvolved skin pertained to the duration of the flare, where a statistically significant difference was observed between groups 1 and 3 in the basal (p < or = 0.0459) and suprabasal keratinocytes (p < or = 0.06), and in the Koebner phenomenon, which was induced in all subjects (100%) in groups 2 and 3 and in only 44% of subjects in group 1. CONCLUSION: Uninvolved skin of patients with psoriasis should be included in analysis of the clinical behavior of the disease. Furthermore, the Koebner phenomenon is a good clinical indicator of the DNA profile of these subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The epidemiology of tuberculosis in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, 1988-92: effectiveness of control measures.

SETTING: Since there is no national programme for tuberculosis control in Spain and the epidemiological situation in this country is unknown, a programme against tuberculosis in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) was started in 1987. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of this control programme, particularly the trend of new cases of tuberculosis by age groups and risk factors for 1988-92. DESIGN: A detailed search of all new cases of tuberculosis was carried out by examining the files of all public and private hospitals and outpatient clinics of the island, the records of the Services of Clinical Microbiology and Pathology of the public hospitals, and the registers of patients with AIDS. RESULTS: The annual rates of new cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 were 32.2 in 1988 (214 cases), 26.2 in 1990 (174 cases), and 29.4 in 1992 (196 cases), and the rates of sputum-positive cases 13.3 (89 cases), 12 (80 cases) and 15 (100 cases), respectively. The distribution of tuberculosis cases by age peaked in the age groups 40-49 and 30-39 years. Between 1988 and 1992, statistically significant differences were found in the percentage of cured patients (21% [45/214] vs 85.7% [168/196]), patients with a delay in diagnosis > 3 months (40.2% [86/214] vs 21.9% [43/196]), and contacts evaluated (45.3% [97/214] vs 90.3% [177/196]). However, an upward trend in the incidence of tuberculosis for 1990-92 was found in association with an increase of new cases among the homeless, immigrants, and HIV-infected people. When these three population groups were excluded from the analysis, the annual rate for the total population showed a progressive decline from 1988-92. CONCLUSIONS: The data studied here show that successful priority control measures (cure rate, early diagnosis, study of contacts) have been achieved in this island. It is necessary, however, to develop strategies for combating the tuberculosis problem in specific high risk populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Acute eosinophilic pneumonia in a patient infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

A 24-year-old man infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) developed cough and progressive dyspnea over a period of 4 weeks. Absolute blood eosinophil count was 3360/mm3. Chest X-ray revealed alveolointerstitial infiltrates in both lower lobes. Eosinophilia was also found in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The clinical picture improved dramatically with steroids. Other causes of acute eosinophilic pneumonia were excluded.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Effects of delayed recanalization of an occluded acute myocardial infarction-related artery using coronary angioplasty on late potentials.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that late reperfusion of an occluded infarct-related artery after an acute myocardial infarction may reduce the frequency of subsequent arrhythmic events. Late mechanical reperfusion by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) under these circumstances has a high success rate. The present study was performed to test the hypothesis that the late mechanical restoration of anterograde flow in an occluded infarct artery after an acute myocardial infarction causes a resolution of late potentials. METHODS: Twenty subjects (10 men, one woman; aged 32-77 years) suffering a first acute myocardial infarction, with signal-averaged electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings and a severely occluded infarct-related artery, were prospectively identified. RESULTS: Eighteen patients underwent successful PTCA of the occluded artery 6-32 days after a first acute myocardial infarction. Late potentials were observed in 14 patients 5-22 days after the infarction. A follow-up signal-averaged ECG was performed 1-8 days later. In the subgroup of 12 patients with successful reperfusion and an abnormal signal-averaged ECG before PTCA, seven (58.3%) showed resolution of the late potentials at follow-up; in these patients the filtered QRS duration showed a significant reduction (112.1 +/- 14.2 to 96.7 +/- 12.7 ms, P = 0.02), the root-mean-square voltage increased (9.8 +/- 6.5 to 33.1 +/- 15.5 microV, P = 0.017), and the duration of low-amplitude signals < 40 microV decreased after angioplasty (46.3 +/- 11.0 to 28.5 +/- 6.5 ms, P < 0.022). In contrast, two patients with late potentials before PTCA and unsuccessful reperfusion had no significant changes in signal-averaged ECG. CONCLUSIONS: In some patients with an acute myocardial infarction, late mechanical reperfusion of the culprit vessel may reduce the incidence of abnormalities on the signal-averaged ECG. Whether this will improve long-term survival has yet to be confirmed in a large trial.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Gastric cavernous hemangioma as a cause of upper digestive hemorrhage].

Upper digestive bleeding caused by an isolated gastric hemangioma is a rather rare occurrence, even in cases of Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome. The case reported here, which brings to 40 the number reported in the world literature, is that of a 68-year-old patient who presented with upper digestive bleeding. Endoscopy led us to suspect a hemangioma due to the abnormally large lesion, a suspicion that was confirmed preoperatively through arteriography, which detected a hypervascular mass of 6 x 4 cm dependent on the gastroduodenal artery. This finding was in turn confirmed by the surgical intervention. Diagnostic difficulties based on barium studies, endoscopy and surgical exploration have meant that preoperative diagnosis has been rare in the cases published to date. We consider that a more liberal use of arteriography could reverse this tendency, as indeed our case has shown. Furthermore, we feel that arteriography is indicated in cases of upper digestive bleeding of obscure origin, which might be due to small angiomas that may be overlooked in other diagnostic tests.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Auditory and visual evoked potentials in individuals with organic and cultural-familial mental retardation.

Brainstem, middle-latency, and long-latency auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs, MAEPs, and LAEPs) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded from subjects without mental retardation (control subjects) and from subjects with organic mental retardation or cultural-familial mental retardation. Both mentally retarded groups had smaller mean VEP amplitudes and longer mean LAEP latencies in response to target stimuli than did the control subjects, showing that the target stimuli were evaluated more slowly by the subjects with than by those without mental retardation. We found no significant differences between the mentally retarded and control groups with regard to BAEPs or MAEPs, and the two mentally retarded groups did not differ significantly in any EP parameter. The implications of these results for the defect and developmental theories of mental retardation were discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Role of the measurement of serum procollagen type III N-terminal peptide in the evaluation of liver diseases.

Serum N-terminal procollagen-III peptide (PIIIP) was measured in 151 patients with diverse liver diseases together with other clinical and laboratory data. Patients with cirrhosis had higher serum PIIIP than those without cirrhosis (P < 0.0001). Significant associations were found between PIIIP and many data characteristic of liver diseases, including alcohol markers. Serum PIIIP was also associated with portal hypertension (P = 0.0001), although such association was probably due to the fact that most patients with portal hypertension were cirrhotic patients. The predictive values of PIIIP in portal hypertension were too low to be clinically useful. No one single factor could be identified as responsible for the increase in PIIIP and the data suggest that the mechanism is multifactorial. Measurement of serum PIIIP has a limited clinical value in the evaluation of patients with diverse liver diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Cytochrome oxidase activity in the lateral geniculate nucleus of postnatal rats.

We have studied the cytochrome oxidase activity and its pattern of distribution in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the rat during postnatal development. Between the 1st and the 8th postnatal days, the geniculate nucleus is seen to have a homogeneous enzymatic pattern with high neuronal density and moderately reactive neuropil. On the 15th postnatal day, different levels of neuronal enzymatic activity are found, and adult morphology is attained as of the 21st. The densitometric study has revealed that moderate and lightly reactive neurons are predominant between the 1st and the 8th postnatal days, whereas dark neurons are more numerous and optical density maximum on the 15th postnatal day. No variation in the enzymatic pattern was observed between the 21st and the 42nd days.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Serum laminin levels offer only a little additional information in liver disease.

We have measured serum laminin, a marker of portal hypertension, in 151 patients with nonmalignant liver diseases, to evaluate its utility in cirrhosis and portal hypertension. There were abnormal serum levels in 43.1% of the patients as a whole and in 62.7% of the cirrhotics. Laminin showed a correlation with many laboratory tests, especially those that reflect liver insufficiency and alcohol intake. Cirrhotics had higher laminin levels than noncirrhotics (p < 0.0001); an association was also found with portal hypertension (p < 0.0001), but laminin was also increased in patients without portal hypertension. Our results suggest that liver dysfunction can also lead to abnormal laminin concentrations, probably through slower metabolization rate. Laminin serum concentrations reflect the severity of the liver disease, and are also a marker of alcohol consumption. Determination of laminin serum levels could play an adjunctive role with respect to other liver tests in the evaluation of these patients although the measure does not really provide more useful information.

Adolescent↗