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M Borrás

Publications and source records attributed to M Borrás.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Modulatory effect of nonesterified fatty acids on structure and binding characteristics of estrogen receptor from MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

Arachidonic, docosahexaenoic and oleic acids were found to produce a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells; palmitic and stearic acids were totally ineffective in this regard suggesting that solely unsaturated fatty acids were able to arrest mammary tumor cell growth. Similarly, only former acids were able to decrease the binding capacity and affinity (increase Kd value) of the cells for 3H-E2 in a dose-dependent manner. In the case of arachidonic acid (the reference fatty acid), this decrease was associated with a slight cleavage of the native 67 KDa estrogen receptor (ER) into 50 and 25-30 KDa peptides as demonstrated by sequential labeling of high-salt cell extracts with 3H-tamoxifen aziridine, specific immunoadsorption with H-222 anti-ER monoclonal antibody, SDS-PAGE and fluorography. Both, modifications in binding characteristics of ER and cleavage of the native 67 KDa receptor were found to be extremely marked when unsaturated fatty acids were directly added to the high-salt cell extracts. This clear influence on the ER structure was reflected on enzyme immunological assay (EIA) by a reduction of ER immunoreactivity of approximately 50% in presence of arachidonic acid. Our observations are discussed in terms of possible interference of unsaturated fatty acids either through transmembrane modulation of phosphokinases and/or phospholipases implicated in ER mechanism of action, or through an intracellular interaction between ER and these acids acting as second messengers in regulation of cellular functions.

Breast Neoplasms

Peritoneal function tests: usefulness of simplified methods.

The Peritoneal Equilibration Test (PET) as standardized by Twardowski (T) and simplified Mass Transfer Coefficients (MTC) as per Garred (G) and Krediet (K) have been employed in our patients to assess: 1) the reproducibility of results, 2) correlation between methods, and 3) usefulness of patient categorization by simplified methods in contrast to PET patterns. We have performed 29 standardized PET (Dianeal 2.5%) in 24 stable CAPD patients. We have collected dialysate samples at 0, 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes. With this data we were able to calculate the dialysate/plasma ratio for PET, MTC as per Garred and MTC as per Krediet. Our results were not significantly different from data reported by the original authors, except for PET D/P urea at 240': 0.91 +/- 0.07(T) vs. 0.87 +/- 0.08 (our), p < 0.05. In our patients, good correlation was found between PET and MTC for urea, creatinine, and glucose, using both formulae (G and K). Patient categorization as High, High Average, Low Average, and Low by MTCs can well predict PET categorization with acceptable sensitivity and good specificity. We conclude there is good reproducibility of the methods. There is also a close correlation between PET, K and G methods for solute transport evaluation and patient categorization. Simplified methods can be substituted for the more complex ones.

Adolescent

Liver, brain, and heart metallothionein induction by stress.

To date, stress has been reported to induce metallothionein (MT) synthesis in the liver only. In the present experiment, the effects of food and water deprivation alone or of immobilization stress plus food and water deprivation on liver, brain, and heart MT have been studied in adult male rats. Liver and brain MT levels were increased by immobilization stress as soon as 6 h after the onset of stress. Eighteen hours of immobilization, which is accompanied by food and water deprivation, further increased liver and brain MT levels and significantly increased heart MT content. A specific effect of immobilization was evident in all three tissues, because the effect of food and water deprivation alone was significantly lower than that of immobilization plus starvation. Changes in MT apparently were not related to changes in cytosolic Zn.

Animals

Lack of effect of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on the response of some physiological variables to immobilization stress in rat.

The effect of alpha-tocopherol or ascorbic acid jointly and separately on the seric levels of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and corticosterone has been studied. ACTH response to stress is similar in all groups, whereas the corticosterone response is higher in the animals treated with alpha-tocopherol. Neither lactate response nor gastric ulceration caused by stress was influenced by the administration of alpha-tocopherol and/or ascorbic acid. These results suggest that free radicals might not be implicated in the control of the physiological response to stress.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone