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Biomedical subjects

Jorge Mendoza

Publications and source records attributed to Jorge Mendoza.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Metal availability and uptake by sorghum plants grown in soils amended with sludge from different treatments.

Several factors depending on the sludge, the soil, or the combination of both substrates, may affect element availability to plants. In this study, an assessment was done of the effect of two sludges obtained by different processes (activated sludge and facultative stabilization pond) on heavy-metal availability and uptake by sorghum plants in soils with high and low copper contents. Results obtained for DTPA-extractable metal indicated higher metal availability in sludge-amended soils. In addition, sludges caused changes in copper and zinc distribution in soil, indicating in most cases a discrete increase in the more labile metal forms. However, observed changes did not increase heavy metal concentration in plant leaves, indicating that assessment of metal availability by a chemical procedure (single extraction or metal fractionation) would not permit a good prediction of metal bioavailability. On the other hand, sludge application at a rate of 100 t ha(-1) to high-copper agricultural soils would not imply greater mobility of this metal on account of a greater sorbing capacity provided by the sludges. Such results would indicate that sludges from wastewater treatment plants, meeting the standards of heavy metal contents, regardless of the process by which they were obtained, may be applied to several kinds of soil, even to high-copper soils, with no risk of increasing heavy metal bioavailability to phytotoxic levels in the short range.

Biomass↗
PubMed2005

Differential role of the accumbens Shell and Core subterritories in food-entrained rhythms of rats.

Restricted feeding schedules (RFS) entrain behavioral and physiological rhythms even in suprachiasmatic nucleus ablated animals, suggesting the existence of a food-entrained oscillator. The nucleus accumbens is an important structure for the expression of motivational behaviors and because its anatomical subterritories, Shell (Acc-Sh) and Core (Acc-Co) establish connections with different functional systems, they may participate in a differential way in food-entrainment. A first experiment, explored the role of Acc-Sh and Acc-Co in food-entrainment using the immunohistochemical detection of the protein c-Fos as a transcriptional activation marker. Experiment 2 tested the differential effect of Acc-Sh and Acc-Co, NMDA excitotoxic lesions. Lesioned rats were entrained to RFS and locomotor activity and free fatty acids (FFA) concentrations were evaluated. Results data show that in the Acc-Sh there is an increase of c-Fos immunoreactivity in food-entrained rats principally during feeding, whereas c-Fos expression in the Acc-Co region was increased during feeding and also anticipating mealtime. FFA were entrained in both lesioned groups, but the basal level was lower in Core-lesion rats. All rats exhibited food anticipatory activity (FAA). However, FAA was increased in Shell-lesioned animals and was almost abolished in the Core-lesion rats. These data indicate that the accumbens nucleus is involved with behavioral and metabolic food-entrainment, and that there is a differential role between both subregions.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Feeding cues alter clock gene oscillations and photic responses in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of mice exposed to a light/dark cycle.

The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus contain the master mammalian circadian clock, which is mainly reset by light. Temporal restricted feeding, a potent synchronizer of peripheral oscillators, has only weak influence on light-entrained rhythms via the SCN, unless restricted feeding is coupled with calorie restriction, thereby altering phase angle of photic synchronization. Effects of daytime restricted feeding were investigated on the mouse circadian system. Normocaloric feeding at midday led to a predominantly diurnal (60%) food intake and decreased blood glucose in the afternoon, but it did not affect the phase of locomotor activity rhythm or vasopressin expression in the SCN. In contrast, hypocaloric feeding at midday led to 2-4 h phase advances of three circadian outputs, locomotor activity rhythm, pineal melatonin, and vasopressin mRNA cycle in the SCN, and it decreased daily levels of blood glucose. Furthermore, Per1 and Cry2 oscillations in the SCN were phase advanced by 1 and 3 h, respectively, in hypocalorie- but not in normocalorie-fed mice. The phase of Per2 and Bmal1 expression remained unchanged regardless of feeding condition. Moreover, the shape of behavioral phase-response curve to light and light-induced expression of Per1 in the SCN were markedly modified in hypocalorie-fed mice compared with animals fed ad libitum. The present study shows that diurnal hypocaloric feeding affects not only the temporal organization of the SCN clockwork and circadian outputs in mice under light/dark cycle but also photic responses of the circadian system, thus indicating that energy metabolism modulates circadian rhythmicity and gating of photic inputs in mammals.

ARNTL Transcription Factors↗
PubMed2005

A daily palatable meal without food deprivation entrains the suprachiasmatic nucleus of rats.

Food is considered a potent Zeitgeber for peripheral oscillators but not for the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is entrained principally by the light-dark cycle. However, when food attains relevant properties in quantity and quality, it can be a potent Zeitgeber even for the SCN. Here we evaluated the entrainment influence of a daily palatable meal, without regular food deprivation, on the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity and the c-Fos and PER-1 protein expression in the SCN. Rats fed ad libitum, in constant darkness, received a palatable meal for 6 weeks starting in the middle of the subjective day. Locomotor activity showed entrainment when the offset of activity coincided with the palatable meal-time. In the SCN, the peak expression of c-Fos was observed at palatable meal-time and PER-1 showed a peak during the onset of subjective night, as predicted according to the behavioural entrained pattern. In addition, c-Fos and PER-1 expression in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) showed increased expression at palatable meal-time, while the intergeniculate leaflet did not, suggesting that the PVT may be involved as an input pathway of palatable food-entrainment to the SCN. These results demonstrate that daily access to a palatable meal can entrain the SCN; several stimuli can be implicated in this process, including motivation and arousal.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Food entrainment modifies the c-Fos expression pattern in brain stem nuclei of rats.

When food is restricted to a few hours daily, animals increase their locomotor activity 2-3 h before food access, which has been termed food anticipatory activity. Food entrainment has been linked to the expression of a circadian food-entrained oscillator (FEO) and the anatomic substrate of this oscillator seems to depend on diverse neural systems and peripheral organs. Previously, we have described a differential involvement of hypothalamic nuclei in the food-entrained process. For the food entrainment pathway, the communication between the gastrointestinal system and central nervous system is essential. The visceral synaptic input to the brain stem arrives at the dorsal vagal complex and is transmitted directly from the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) or via the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) to hypothalamic nuclei and other areas of the forebrain. The present study aims to characterize the response of brain stem structures in food entrainment. The expression of c-Fos immunoreactivity (c-Fos-IR) was used to identify neuronal activation. Present data show an increased c-Fos-IR following meal time in all brain stem nuclei studied. Food-entrained temporal patterns did not persist under fasting conditions, indicating a direct dependence on feeding-elicited signals for this activation. Because NST and PBN exhibited a different and increased response from that expected after a regular meal, we suggest that food entrainment promotes ingestive adaptations that lead to a modified activation in these brain stem nuclei, e.g., stomach distension. Neural information provided by these nuclei to the brain may provide the essential entraining signal for FEO.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Determination of oxidized and reduced glutathione, by capillary zone electrophoresis, in Brassica juncea plants treated with copper and cadmium.

A rapid method of capillary zone electrophoresis is described to determine the oxidized (GSSG) and reduced (GSH) form of glutathione in plant tissue. In order to separate both analytes in a fused-silica capillary, the pH and composition of the electrolyte solution were optimized. The electrolyte composition was 100 mmol/L, borate 25 mmol/L Tris, and 0.2% w/v metaphosphoric acid (MPA), pH 8.2. Some instrumental conditions used to run the samples were hydrostatic injection for 30 s, 30 kV applied voltage, and UV detection (185 nm) at 25 degrees C. Linearity and useful range obtained for the calibration curves were optimum, with correlation coefficients about 0.999 in the 0-120 micromol/L range. The migration time was highly reproducible, less than 5 min being afforded to run a sample. Electrolyte buffer and samples required a careful pH control for optimal separation of both analytes. This aspect constitutes a critical analytical step when acids are used in the procedure for sample preparation. Simultaneous analysis of GSH and GSSG may provide a useful tool for comparative studies of plants in order to select those species with a potential capacity for detoxification from toxic elements or those appearing promising from phytoremediation for these elements.

Cadmium↗