PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

I Villa

Publications and source records attributed to I Villa.

64 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

[Alkaline urine in the aged].

Considering the frequent finding of alkalinity in the urines of elderly people of both sexes, we can propose many hypothesis among which the most probable seems a latent renal failure with secondary hyperparathyroidism and consequent alkalinization of the urines. We can presume that such a frequent alkalinity of the urines in old subjects has an important role in the frequent infectious of the urinary tract of elderly people.

Aged↗

Eel calcitonin binding site distribution and antinociceptive activity in rats.

The distribution of binding site for [125I]-eel-calcitonin (ECT) to rat central nervous system, studied by an autoradiographic technique, showed concentrations of binding in the diencephalon, the brain stem and the spinal cord. Large accumulations of grains were seen in the hypothalamus, the amygdala, in the fasciculus medialis prosencephali, in the fasciculus longitudinalis medialis, in the ventrolateral part of the periventricular gray matter, in the lemniscus medialis and in the raphe nuclei. The density of grains in the reticular formation and in the nucleus tractus spinalis nervi trigemini was more moderate. In the spinal cord, grains were scattered throughout the dorsal horns. Binding of the ligand was displaced equally by cold ECT and by salmon CT(sCT), indicating that both peptides bind to the same receptors. Human CT was much weaker than sCT in displacing [125I]-ECT binding. The administration of ECT into the brain ventricles of rats dose-dependently induced a significant and long-lasting enhancement of hot-plate latencies comparable with that obtained with sCT. The antinociceptive activity induced by ECT is compatible with the topographical distribution of binding sites for the peptide and is a further indication that fish CTs are active in the mammalian brain.

Animals↗

Treatment with pertussis toxin does not prevent central effects of eel calcitonin.

To determine whether or not the CNS inhibitory activity of eel calcitonin (eCT) on adenylyl cyclase is the endocellular mechanism underlying the antinociceptive effect of the peptide, as shown for morphine analgesia, we administered Bordetella pertussis toxin (PTX) by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection (0.5 microgram/rat) to block the receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. In PTX-treated rats there was no change in eCT (2.5 micrograms/rat, ICV)-induced antinociceptive activity (hot-plate test) nor in eCT (100 ng/rat, ICV) inhibition of gastric acid secretion (Shay test) whereas morphine (5 micrograms/rat, ICV) analgesia was significantly reduced. In vitro studies showed no reduction of eCT binding in the CNS of rats treated with PTX in vivo. Moreover, PTX treatment did not change the inhibitory effect of eCT on adenylyl cyclase in isolated membranes from rat striatum in contrast with opiates (DAME and morphine) whose effects were lost. As PTX is known to inactivate the guanidine binding inhibitory protein Gi, these data suggest that a G protein, distinct from the Gi protein involved in the coupling of opiate receptors into a functional response, could be responsible for regulating the intracellular pathways resulting in eCT-induced antinociceptive effect and inhibition of gastric acid secretion.

Adenylate Cyclase Toxin↗

Nonspecific B and T cell-stimulatory activity mediated by mast cells is associated with exosomes.

Bone marrow-derived mouse mast cells (BMMC) and mast cell lines P815 and MC9 have recently been shown to induce antigen-independent B and T lymphocyte activation. It has been demonstrated that a physical contact between mast cells and B and T lymphocytes is not necessary since mast cell supernatants contain full activity. Electron microscopy studies revealed the presence in mast cell supernatants of small vesicles called exosomes with a heterogeneous size from 60 to 100 nm of diameter. When cocultured with spleen cells, purified exosomes induce B and T cell blast formation, proliferation as well as IL-2 and IFN-gamma production. In contrast to P815 and MC9 mast cell lines, a pretreatment with IL-4 is required for BMMC to produce active exosomes. Structurally, these exosomes were found to harbor immunologically relevant molecules such as MHC class II, CD86, LFA-1 and ICAM-1. Here we provide for the first time the evidence that mast cells use exosomes as sophisticated messengers to communicate with cells of the immune system.

Animals↗

[Lipidic profile: evolution, tendency and tracking from infancy to adulthood. PECNA Study].

Cardiovascular diseases start during infancy, although the clinical manifestations show themselves during adulthood. Since the year 1987 a (PECNA) study has been underway in Navarra to analyse the epidemiology of the cardiovascular risk factors of the infant-juvenile population. This paper presents the evolution of the lipidic profile from 4 to 23 years of age, the tendency from 1987 to 1993, the evolution of the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia seric cholesterol >200 mg/dl and the tracking from infancy to adult age. Outstanding amongst the results are the differences between the lipidic profile in both sexes, as well as the observed fall in the average levels of total seric cholesterol and in the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia. With regard to the tracking, it is concluded that between 50% and 55% of individuals belonging to the extreme quintile of the distribution of the lipidic variables persist at this level six years later.

English Abstract↗

[Child obesity in Navarra: evolution, tendency and relation between child and adult obesity. Pecna study].

INTRODUCTION: Excess of weight at an adult age is linked to an increased risk of dying. Obesity during childhood has been increasing in recent years in the developed countries. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of obesity in an infant-youth population of Navarra and its follow up over six years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Longitudinal study of a cohort formed by 1,164 children of both sexes of 4, 10 and 17 years of age at the start of the study, with data collection in 1987 and 1993. Obesity was calculated using the Index of Corporal Mass or Quetelet Index (QI) higher than percentile 90 for their age and sex. RESULTS: The rate of response obtained was 63.3% (n=737). Between 1987 and 1993 there was an increase of 5% in the obese population (p<0.01). There is a significant correlation (r=0.72) between the values of the QI at the start of the study and those obtained at its conclusion. Some 61.4% of the individuals belonging to the higher quintile of the sample at the start of the study continued belonging to this quintile after six years of follow up. CONCLUSIONS: There was an increase in obesity, in correspondence with the findings of similar studies. There is good "tracking" between obesity during childhood and its presence at an adult age. The strategies for prevention of obesity must start from infancy.

English Abstract↗