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Biomedical subjects

F Rodríguez

Publications and source records attributed to F Rodríguez.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Spatial learning and memory deficits after telencephalic ablation in goldfish trained in place and turn maze procedures.

The present work investigated whether the fish telencephalon is involved in spatial learning based on place strategies in a manner similar to mammalian hippocampus. Goldfish were trained in a 4-arm maze in a room with relevant spatial cues. Sham and to-be-ablated subjects were trained in each of 4 experimental procedures designed as follows: place, turn, place-turn, and control. After acquisition, complete ablations of both telencephalic hemispheres for the experimental groups were carried out. The results showed that ablation exclusively impaired performance in animals using place strategies; in these, accuracy fell to chance level during both postsurgery retraining and reversal periods. In the other groups, ablation of the telencephalon did not induce any significant deficit. These results suggest that the fish telencephalon plays a crucial role in complex place learning.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Neutralizing antibodies to different proteins of African swine fever virus inhibit both virus attachment and internalization.

African swine fever virus induces in convalescent pigs antibodies that neutralized the virus before and after binding to susceptible cells, inhibiting both virus attachment and internalization. A further analysis of the neutralization mechanisms mediated by the different viral proteins showed that antibodies to proteins p72 and p54 are involved in the inhibition of a first step of the replication cycle related to virus attachment, while antibodies to protein p30 are implicated in the inhibition of virus internalization.

African Swine Fever↗
PubMed1996

Demonstration of rat CAR bacillus using a labelled streptavidin biotin (LSAB) method.

Immunohistochemical detection of rat CAR bacillus antigen in paraffin-embedded experimentally infected rat lungs, using an immunoperoxidase technique based on the labelled streptavidin biotin (LSAB) method and 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole (AEC) as substrate is described in this paper. The pattern of immunostaining was confined to the ciliated bronchial epithelium and the specificity of this technique was confirmed. The use of AEC as substrate was evaluated more efficient than diaminobenzidine (DAB). The usefulness of this immunoperoxidase technique for the detection of CAR bacillus in rats and its advantages compared to the indirect immunofluorescence (IF) are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Infertile women with and without endometriosis: a case control study of luteal phase and other infertility conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship in infertile women between endometriosis and luteal phase defects and other infertility conditions. SETTING: University Medical School. DESIGN: Case-control study. PATIENTS: One hundred and seventy-four infertile women with endometriosis and 174 infertile women without endometriosis, all of them studied by laparoscopy. The inclusion criteria were failure of six cycles of ovulation stimulation or abnormal preliminary study (abnormal pelvic physical, hysterosalpingographic or ultrasound findings). RESULTS: The frequency of out-of-phase biopsies (16.1% vs 16.7%) as well as other endometrial abnormalities were similar in endometriosis associated infertility (EAI) and in non-endometriosis infertility (NEI). Mean progesterone and prolactin levels, as well as the proportion of abnormal progesterone levels (37.4% vs 44.3%) and of hyperprolactinemia (12.9% vs 13.2%) were similar in EAI and NEI. The frequency of uterine myomas was similar in both groups. Sperm characteristics were not better in EAI than in NEI. Higher endometriosis stages were not associated with a higher frequency of the aforementioned conditions. CONCLUSION: Luteal phase defects, sperm abnormalities and myomas are no more common in EAI than in NEI or in advanced stages of endometriosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Prognostic factors affecting leukemia relapse after allogeneic BMT conditioned with cyclophosphamide and fractionated TBI.

Between June 1985 and May 1992, 94 consecutive patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML = 28), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL = 27) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML = 39), were transplanted using genotypically HLA-identical marrow donors. All were conditioned with cyclophosphamide (CY) plus 12 Gy fractionated TBI. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporin A alone in nine patients and methotrexate-cyclosporin A in 85 patients. Forty-eight patients developed grades II-IV acute GVHD and 24 of 68 patients who survived at least 100 days developed chronic GVHD. The 5-year actuarial probability of survival, event-free survival and relapse were 41 +/- 5%, 37 +/- 5% and 37 +/- 6%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, an increased risk of leukemia relapse was associated with (1) absence of chronic GVHD (P = 0.017), (2) advanced disease at transplant (P = 0.034) and (3) diagnosis of AML (P = 0.047). Our results confirm that disease status at transplant and chronic GVHD are the more important risk factors associated with leukemia relapse, and suggest that CY-TBI has only a partial role in eradicating leukemia in AML.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Development of methanogenic consortia in fluidized-bed batches using sepiolite of different particle size.

The addition of support materials, such as sepiolite, to fluidized-bed anaerobic digesters enhances the methane production by increasing the colonization by syntrophic microbiota. However, the efficiency in the methanogenesis depends on the particle size of the support material, the highest level of methane production being obtained by the smaller particle size sepiolite. Because of the porosity and physico-chemical characteristics of these support materials, the anaerobic microbial consortia formed quickly (after one week of incubation). The predominant methanogenic bacteria present in the active granules, detected both by immunofluorescence using specific antibodies and by scanning electron microscopy, were acetoclastic methanogens, mainly Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1996

[Primary herpetic esophageal infection in an immunocompetent patient].

Herpetic esophageal primary infection is not a common event in immunocompetent patients. The case of a 27-year-old immunocompetent woman who developed herpetic esophagitis involving the whole esophagus as a manifestation of primary herpetic infection is presented. The endoscopic appearance initially suggested esophageal candidiasis, which is not an exceptional event.

Acyclovir↗
PubMed1995

Improvement of African swine fever virus neutralization assay using recombinant viruses expressing chromogenic marker genes.

Antibody neutralization of African swine fever (ASF) virus measured by a plaque reduction assay presents frequent difficulties because of the absence or delay in plaque formation by many strains, especially low-passage viruses. To overcome this problem, a new ASF virus neutralization test has been developed. The new test consists of a conventional plaque reduction assay in which the viral plaques are detected by expression of marker genes. For the development of this neutralization assay 4 mutant viruses were generated by homologous recombination, containing beta-galactosidase or beta-glucuronidase reporter genes inserted into the thymidine kinase locus of the viral genome. These recombinant viruses have the following advantages with respect to parental viruses: (1) the neutralization assay takes less than a third of the time needed using non-recombinant viruses; (2) the small plaques can be detected more accurately by color contrast; and (3) the neutralization-resistant virus clones can be recovered easily post-plaque counting. Additionally, these recombinant viruses permit differentiation by chromogenic staining of individual infected pig macrophages, the natural host cell for ASF virus, facilitating neutralization assays in these primary cultures as described in cell lines.

African Swine Fever Virus↗
PubMed1995

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis syndrome in a dog.

We performed a clinical and pathological study of a 5 year old female mongrel dog (Drahthaar) with eosinophilic gastroenteritis. The animal was presented with vomiting and was reported to have had bloody diarrhoea for 4 months. The lesions were in atypical locations: in the fundus of the stomach, the ileocaecal valve and the rectum, near the anal sphincter. The lesions in the stomach wall were particularly severe and included severe fibroplasia, especially in the muscle layer and submucosa. Fibroplasia was less visible in the other locations. The presence of eosinophilic granulomatous masses led us to suspect a possible parasitic infection, although some authors note that this pathological condition may have an allergic aetiology.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Serial serum C-reactive protein to monitor recovery from acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in children.

Serial C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate determinations were compared with clinical course and outcome at 1 to 2 months in 63 children with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis. High CRP values (163 +/- 108 mg/liter) on admission began to descend after the second day of treatment. From the fourth day on higher (P = 0.03 to P = 0.0001) CRP values distinguished a complicated from an uneventful course of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis and the patients symptomatic at follow-up (P = 0.003 to P = 0.0001) from asymptomatic ones. Children who developed extensive radiographic changes had elevated CRP values for a longer time (32 +/- 13 days) than children with typical changes (11 +/- 6 days, P = 0.0001). Erythrocyte sedimentation rates did not identify the type of clinical course but higher values on Days 4 to 7 distinguished children symptomatic at follow-up (P = 0.02) from asymptomatic ones. Monitoring serial CRP values can alert the physician to complications and predict outcome earlier than clinical signs or roentgenograms.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Distribution of neurons projecting to the trochlear nucleus in goldfish (Carassius auratus).

The distribution of neurons projecting to the trochlear nucleus of goldfish (Carassius auratus) was studied by the electrophoretic injection of horseradish peroxidase into the nucleus. The location of the injection site was electrophysiologically determined by the antidromic field potential elicited from the trochlear nucleus after the electrical stimulation of its nerve. Retrogradely labeled neurons were observed in the following structures: (1) anterior, tangential and descending nuclei of the octaval column--afferents to these nuclei were mainly ipsilateral for the former and exclusively contralateral for the other two; (2) cerebellum; (3) rhombencephalic reticular formation, near the abducens nucleus; and (4) nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus. In addition, a few stained neurons were scattered in the nucleus of the posterior commissure and in nucleus pretectalis superficialis pars magnocellularis. These results are compared with the afferent sources to trochlear nucleus in mammals and with the set of structures projecting to the oculomotor and abducens nuclei in goldfish. It is suggested that the neuronal pathways involved in the compensatory vestibular and optokinetic reflexes, as well as in the saccadic system, are similarly organized in vertebrates but that the relative importance of some of the components of these pathways varies.

Abducens Nerve↗
PubMed1995

Comparative effects of food restriction, fasting, diabetes and thyroidectomy on growth hormone and thyrotropin gene expression in the rat pituitary.

To examine the molecular basis for the decreased pituitary growth hormone (GH) and thyrotropin (TSH) content during restricted feeding, fasting and diabetes, we measured steady-state levels of mRNA for TSH-alpha, TSH-beta and GH in the pituitary from normal rats either fed ad libitum (C), limited to 75%, 50% and 25% (FR75, FR50, FR25, respectively) of ad libitum intake, or deprived of food for 2 and 4 days (F2 and F4, respectively), and also in streptozotocin-diabetic (D) and D insulin-treated animals. The results from these experimental groups were compared with those in thyroidectomized (Tx) rats. Pituitary mRNA was quantified by Northern blot hybridization with cDNA probes specific for rat TSH-alpha, TSH-beta and GH. Although changes in the pituitary GH mRNA during restricted feeding, fasting and diabetes were similar qualitatively to those induced by hypothyroidism, GH mRNA levels in Tx rats (> 10% of C values) were less than in the other experimental groups (p < 0.001). Pituitaries from FR50, FR25 and D rats also contained less GH mRNA than F2 and F4 animals (p < 0.05). Thyroidectomy resulted in a marked increase in both TSH-beta and TSH-alpha mRNAs, the changes in TSH-beta mRNA being greater than those in TSH-alpha mRNA. In contrast, FR50, FR25, F2, F4 and D rats exhibited a decrease in pituitary TSH-beta mRNA (60%, 50%, 35%, 36% and 33%, respectively, of C values; p < 0.01-0.05) and in TSH-alpha mRNA levels (81%, 64%, 46%, 43% and 36%, respectively, of normal values; p < 0.02-0.05), TSH-beta mRNA showing the greater changes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1995

[The hepatitis C virus among the prison population of Valencia].

AIM: To know the prevalence of anti-VHC in the Valencia Male Penitentiary Centre. DESIGN: A prospective study in which a representative sample of the inmates is included. In each case the anti-VHC and the ALT are studied. Serological results were correlated with history of intravenous drug addiction, alcohol abuse and duration and number of internments. INMATES: 750 inmates are included; they represent 41% of the people interned in this Centre during 1991. RESULTS: A high prevalence (45%) of the serological marker for VHC infection was observed. The prevalence of anti-VHC+ among the drug addict inmates is around 90% and this situation was already found during the first year of drug addiction. Among non-drug addict inmates the prevalence is 14%. Hepatitis C virus infection has a correlation with the duration and number of internments; 75% of the inmates with high ALT values have anti-VHC+. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of the inmates are infected with hepatitis C virus. The drug addict inmates are infected during the first year of their habit. The majority of the inmates with elevated ALT has anti-VHC+.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Upmodulation by estrogen of HLA class I expression in breast tumor cell lines.

The expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens was studied in five breast carcinoma cell lines before and after treatment with 17-beta estradiol. Increased HLA class I antigen expression correlated with the presence of estrogen receptors. The modulation of expression appeared to be mediated by transcriptional mechanisms, as revealed by class I mRNA levels. To elucidate the basis of MHC class I upregulation, we examined transcriptional factor binding activity to the class I regulatory element (CRE). Our results showed that 17-beta estradiol induced increases in factor binding activity to the CRE II probe, and decreases to the CRE I probe. In addition, our results suggested that factors that bind the CRE I region may modulate the binding of CRE II. Binding to CRE II was significantly increased in extracts pretreated with a competitor that contained the CRE I sequence, and that bound NF-kB/kBF1. In addition, induction of NF-kB binding activity by the tumor necrosis factor was accompanied by a decrease in nuclear factors that bind to the CRE II region.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Creatine kinase isoenzymes as markers of differentiation in rhabdomyosarcoma cells in culture.

Rhabdomyosarcomas have been classified on the basis of their degree of differentiation, a feature closely related with their response to chemotherapy. We recently reported the role of creatine kinase isoenzymes as tumoral markers in the diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma. The present study was designed to determine whether these isoenzymes are also good markers of the degree of differentiation of these neoplasm. Dimethyl sulfoxide, a well-known differentiating agent, was used to induce myogenic differentiation. This agent increased CK-MM and/or CK-MB fractions, and decreased CK-BB isoenzyme in rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. The variable behavior of MCK-1 macromolecule was unrelated to the degree of differentiation. Our findings suggest that CK-MM, CK-MB and CK-BB isoenzymes are good markers of the degree of differentiation in rhabdomyosarcomas and could be used as specific markers of prognostic and diagnostic value.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗