Biomedical subjects

M J Faus

Publications and source records attributed to M J Faus.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

[Second Consensus of Granada on pharmacotherapy failure. Cross-cultural translation from Spanish to Portuguese (European)].

The cross-cultural translation from spanish to portuguese (european) of the Second Consensus of Granada on Pharmacotherapy failure has the objective to provide clinicians and researchers, working in drug therapy follow-up, with a working tool translated with the accuracy and the reliability that a biomedical document requires. The common origin of the spanish and portuguese languages emphasizes the need to do a cross-cultural translation. Errors of translation or wrong interpretations can be due to falses cognates. The cross-cultural translation followed three steps: translation, back-translation and review of the translation of the original text of the Second Consensus of Granada on Pharmacotherapy failure. The result was the portuguese version of the Second Consensus of Granada on Pharmacotherapy failure, presented in the annex I.

Consensus Statements as Topic↗

PubMed2004

Structural process and implementation programs of pharmaceutical care in different countries.

Pharmaceutical care started in the nineties in the United States and has rapidly extended in many other countries. Although there are different trends, such as clinical pharmacy services, cognitive services, medication management, medication review, they all share the same philosophy and objectives, namely "the responsible provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patient's quality of life". To attain these objectives, a pharmaceutical care process has to be followed point-by-point in order to detect possible medication-related problems. Furthermore, pharmacists have to work together with patients, and ultimately with physicians to establish a care plan. This methodology requires basic skills of documentation and communication and therefore, it is important to establish implementation programs aimed at community-, hospital-, and consultant pharmacists, and to consider PC as a basic element of University teaching programs and postgraduate studies. Moreover, there are still barriers that hinder the provision of this service and have to be overcome. In this article, we have revised the implementation process and the existing projects in many countries and we conclude that despite the enormous amount of work, there is still much to be done from sides of Administration and pharmacists themselves.

Delivery of Health Care↗

PubMed2004

Morbidity and mortality associated with pharmacotherapy. Evolution and current concept of drug-related problems.

Medicines are a great contribution to the rising life expectancy in XX century. But a lot of drug safety problems were reported since 1960's. More recently, ineffectiveness is also being considered as a problem. Since 1975, the term 'drug-related problem' (DRP) is being used for several definition and purposes. This has led to a number of different DRP classifications. The aim of the present review is to gather different positions, definitions and classifications of DRP. And to present a more modern concept, which is also named as pharmacotherapy failure, corresponding to negative clinical outcomes resulting from the use or the lack of use of medicines. Those pharmacotherapy failures include necessity, effectiveness and safety problems.

Drug Therapy↗

PubMed2000

Antihepatotoxic activity of Rosmarinus tomentosus in a model of acute hepatic damage induced by thioacetamide.

R. tomentosus is a vegetal species closely related to the culinary rosemary (R. officinalis), a plant reported to contain antihepatotoxic agents. A dried ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Rosmarinus tomentosus (Lamiaceae) and its major fraction separated by column chromatography (fraction F19) were evaluated for antihepatotoxic activity in rats with acute liver damage induced by a single oral dose of thioacetamide. Silymarin was used as a reference antihepatotoxic substance. Pre-treatment with R. tomentosus ethanol extract, fraction F19 or silymarin significantly reduced the impact of thioacetamide toxicity on plasma protein and urea levels as well as on plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities compared with thioacetamide-treated animals (group T). Pre-treatment with R. tomentosus ethanol extract significantly reduced the impact of thioacetamide damage on alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities compared with group T. Silymarin administration significantly reduced alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities compared with group T. Fraction F19 administration reduced only alkaline phosphatase activity compared with group T. According to these data, R. tomentosus extract shows promising antihepatotoxic activity, suggesting the need to isolate the chemical principles responsible for this activity and to study this activity in a model of thioacetamide-induced cirrhosis.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Addition of vitamin E to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid-enriched diets protects neonatal tissue lipids against peroxidation in rats.

BACKGROUND: Tissue 10:4(n-6) and 22:6(n-3) status have been correlated with neonatal development and growth. Artificial formulas for neonates have been supplemented with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP) from animal and marine sources which may enhance sensitivity of cellular membranes to oxidative damage. Diet-derived antioxidants like vitamin E play a key role in the protection of tissue lipids against oxidation. AIM OF THE STUDY: We seek to determine the influence of dietary vitamin E on tissue sensitivity to oxidative stress in rats fed for 4 weeks on diets enriched in (n-3) and (n-6) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. METHODS: Weanling rats received 10% fat diets that provided 18:1(n-9), 18:2(n-6) and 18:3(n-3) in a similar ratio to that of rat milk (group A), supplemented with fish oil (groups B and B+E) and supplemented with (n-6) and (n-3) LCP from an animal phospholipid concentrate (groups C and C+E). Vitamin E (500 mg vitamin E/kg fat) was added to diets B+E and C+E. Tissue fatty acid content and the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione transferase und glutathione peroxidase in liver and brain were measured. Glutathione status, vitamin E and the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) after incubation of erythrocyte, liver and brain lipids with inducers of enzymatic or non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation was measured. RESULTS: Group B registered significantly lower total superoxide dismutase activity than group B+. Catalase activity was significantly higher in group C than in group C+E. Hepatic total and reduced glutathione levels were decreased in vitamin E supplemented groups compared to unsupplemented ones. TBARs production in erythrocyte lipids was significantly higher in groups B and C compared to vitamin E supplemented groups B+E and C+E. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the addition of vitamin E protected erythrocyte and liver microsome lipids enriched in (n-3) and (n-6) LCP from lipid peroxidation during the postnatal development of rats. The protection was more effectively in group C+E than in group B+E.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids modify heart, kidney, and lung fatty acid composition in weanling rats.

The fatty acid composition of heart, kidney, and lung was studied in weanling rats fed three diets differing in their polyunsaturated fatty acid content for 0, 2, and 4 wk. The first group had a 10% w/w fat semipurified diet which consisted of a mixture of olive oil (62.5%), soybean oil (11.1%), and refined coconut oil (26.4%) and provided 18:1n-9, 18:2n-6, and 18:3n-3 in similar amounts to a maternal human milk (diet HO). The second group received 7% of HO fat and 3% fish oil (0.4% 20:4n-6 and 5% 22:6n-3 of total fatty acids) (diet FO), and the third group was fed 7% HO fat, 1.5% of the same fish oil, and 1.5% of a purified pig brain phospholipid concentrate (0.6% 20:4n-6 and 3.5% 22:6n-3 of total fatty acids) (diet FO + BPL). The experimental diets increased tissue monounsaturated fatty acids in comparison with rats at weaning. Tissue lipid content of 20:4n-6 was increased and 22:6n-3 decreased in Group HO compared with weanling rats, whereas opposite changes were observed in Group FO. Feeding diet FO + BPL increased 22:6n:3 in tissue lipids compared with diet HO, and increased 20:4n-6 content in relation to diet FO. Our results indicate that rat heart, kidney, and lung are highly responsive to dietary n-3 and n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids during postnatal life.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids influence tissue fatty acid composition in rats at weaning.

We studied the fatty acid composition of plasma, plasma phospholipids, erythrocyte membrane lipids, liver microsomal phospholipids and brain lipids in rats fed three different diets varying in their (n-3) and (n-6) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCP) concentrations for 0, 2 and 4 wk after weaning. The three diets contained 10% fat; diet HO had a high-oleic acid proportion; diet FO was enriched in n-3 LCP provided by fish oil; and diet FO + BPL contained n-3 and n-6 LCP supplied by fish oil and a brain phospholipid concentrate. At 2 and 4 wk after weaning the proportions of oleic acid in all tissues, except in liver microsomes of the FO + BPL group, were significantly higher than in weanling rats. The absence of (n-3) LCP intake resulted in significantly lower levels of docosapentaenoic [20:5(n-3)] and 22:6(n-3) acids in plasma, plasma phospholipids, erythrocyte membrane lipids and liver microsomal phospholipids but not in brain lipids compared with rats at weaning. Dietary supplementation with (n-3) LCP (FO and FO + BPL groups) for 4 wk led to higher levels of 22:6(n-3) in all tissues compared with rats fed the HO fat. The proportions of 20:4(n-6) and total (n-6) LCP were significantly lower in all tissues from rats fed the FO diet than in rats at weaning and rats fed the HO diet. After 2 and 4 wk, rats fed the FO + BPL diet had significantly higher levels of 20:4(n-6) and total (n-6) LCP in plasma, plasma phospholipids, erythrocyte lipids and liver microsomal phospholipids; the brain also showed a higher content of those fatty acids after 4 wk. Our results suggest that dietary supplementation with 20:4(n-6) and 22:6(n-3) influences the concentration of 20:4-(n-6) and 22:6(n-3) in body tissues of rats after weaning.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Characterization of SPf(66)n: a chimeric molecule used as a malaria vaccine.

SPf66 is a chemically synthesized 45 amino acid peptide derived from fractions of four different proteins of Plasmodium falciparum (83, 55 and 35 kDa and CS, the circumsporozoite protein) that elicits a protective immune response against malaria. In this paper we show the characterization of the SPf(66)n in batch 9 to be used in a field trial in young children at Ifakara in Tanzania. The analysis of SPf(66)n indicates that it is highly soluble in water and that the amino acid composition and sequence corresponds to that designed for the synthesis of the polypeptide. The packed product has a molecular weight ranging from 10 to 25 kDa. It is pure, free of metallic contaminants, atoxic and stable at 4 degrees C. The antibodies raised against this product in rabbits recognize the individual antigenic determinants of the molecule and the native epitopes of merozoites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1990

Changes in the fatty acid profiles of red blood cell membrane phospholipids in human neonates during the first month of life.

We have studied the changes in the fatty acid profiles of red blood cell membrane phospholipids in 47 infants who were exclusively fed human milk from birth to 1 month of life. Twenty blood samples were obtained from cord, 15 at 7 days and 12 at 30 days after birth. Membrane phospholipids were obtained from erythrocyte ghosts by thin-layer chromatography and fatty acid composition was determined by gas liquid chromatography. Phosphatidylcholine showed the most important changes during early life; stearic, w6 eicosatrienoic and arachidonic acids decreased whereas oleic and linoleic acids increased. In phosphatidylethanolamine, palmitic and stearic acid declined and oleic, linoleic and docosahexenoic acids increased with advancing age. Small changes were noted for individual fatty acids in phosphatidylserine. In sphingomyelin stearic acid increased from birth to 1 month and linoleic, arachidonic and nervonic acids decreased. Total polyunsaturated fatty acids of the w6 series greater than 18 carbon atoms increased with advancing age in phosphatidylethanolamine and decreased in choline and serine phosphoglycerides and in sphingomyelin. Long chain fatty acids derived from linoleic acid decreased in phosphatidylcholine but increased in ethanolamine and serine phosphoglycerides. The different behavior in the changes observed in fatty acid patterns for each erythrocyte membrane phospholipid may be a consequence of its different location in the cell membrane bilayer and specific exchange with plasma lipid fractions.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1989

Effect of long-term feeding olive and sunflower oils on fatty acid composition and desaturation activities of liver microsomes.

Changes in microsomal fatty acid composition, delta 9- and delta 6-desaturase activities and cholesterol and phosphorus liver content were studied in dogs fed olive and sunflower oil diets. No changes were observed in the saturated fatty acids between dietary groups. The level of monounsaturated fatty acids was more elevated in animals fed the OO diet, because of its high relative content in this diet although the in vitro delta 9-desaturase activity was similar in microsomes from the two groups. The proportion of arachidonic acid was similar in SO and OO fed animals. This similar level occurred despite a significant increase in the level of linoleic acid in membrane lipids as a result of feeding the SO supplement. The in vitro delta 6-desaturase activity in liver microsomes showed no differences between dogs fed the two diets. Thus, the higher desaturation presented in vivo by microsomes from OO group may be related to the inhibition by linoleic acid of delta 6-desaturase in dogs fed the SO diet. The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from the n-3 series were higher in microsomal phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine from animals fed the OO supplemented diet. The cholesterol/phosphorus molar ratio was higher in the SO group in which the unsaturation index was only slightly affected in phospholipids.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Influences of diet and postnatal age on the lipid composition of red blood cell membrane in newborn infants.

The fatty acid and cholesterol contents of tissue membranes are determinants of their stability and functionality. This study was designed to evaluate the influences of diet and postnatal age on the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of erythrocyte membrane phospholipid fractions and on the red blood cell membrane cholesterol and phosphorus contents in newborn infants during the 1st month of life. A group of infants was fed on human milk and another group on adapted milk formula. Blood samples were obtained at birth, from cord blood, and at 7 and 30 days of age. Long-chain w6 PUFA declined with advancing age in all membrane phosphoglycerides and sphingomyelin (SM) in those infants fed formula. w6 PUFA also decreased in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS) in infants fed human milk and were maintained constant in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and SM. w3 PUFA were less affected by postnatal age. PE and SM showed significantly higher percentages of w6 and w3 long-chain PUFA in infants fed human milk than in those fed formula. Membrane cholesterol content increased in all infants from birth to 1 month of life but phosphorus levels were unaffected by diet and postnatal age. These results suggest that diets with a low content of long-chain PUFA, such as adapted cow's milk formulas, may induce changes in membrane functionality and that incorporation of PUFA to the diet in amounts similar to those found in human milk should be considered at least in early life.

Aging↗

PubMed1988

Apparent nitrogen balance and 3-methylhistidine urinary excretion in intravenously fed children with trauma and infection.

This study was designed to compare and evaluate the effects of two isocaloric parenteral nutrition infusions, FreAmine and F080, differing in their amino acid composition, on the apparent nitrogen balance and urinary excretion of 3-methylhistidine in children with trauma (n = 27) or grave infection (n = 24). Trauma patients at the beginning of parenteral nutrition showed a more negative nitrogen balance than infected children, but in all children the apparent nitrogen balance increased to become positive and the 3-methylhistidine urinary excretion dropped. No differences related to the amino acid composition of the parenteral nutrition solutions were found. Apparent nitrogen balance and 3-methylhistidine excretion were correlated in all study groups irrespective of urine sample time. The enriched branched chain amino acid solution used for parenteral nutrition of trauma and infected children did not show a better effect than the non-enriched one in terms of muscle catabolism and nitrogen balance. The use of adequate nutritional support including both amino acids and energy source is of major importance in children recovering from trauma and infection.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1987

Changes in the fatty acid composition of plasma and red blood cell membrane during the first hours of life in human neonates.

The objective of this work was to examine the changes in the fatty acid profiles of plasma lipid fractions and red blood cell membrane phospholipids in newborn infants during the first 6-8 h of life. Methyl esters of fatty acids from plasma free fatty acids and phospholipids and from membrane phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin for cord blood (n = 20) and venous blood (n = 19) were analyzed by GLC. Important changes were observed in plasma fatty acids. Palmitic and palmitoleic acid increased from birth to 6-8 h of age for both free fatty acids and phospholipids. Palmitic acid also increased in membrane phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. In the former, stearic acid declined whereas oleic and docosatetraenoic acids increased. Phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin were less affected than phosphatidylcholine probably because the internal location of the two first fractions in erythrocyte membrane. Polyunsaturated fatty acids dropped slightly during the first hours of life in most lipid fractions. This may be a consequence of the interruption of placental fatty acid supply and the limited capacity of the newborn to desaturate their essential fatty acid tissue stores.

Erythrocyte Membrane↗

PubMed1986

[Branched-chain amino acids: indicators of fetal nutritional status].

Both nutritive state for Rohrer's ratio (Rr) and serum aminoacids (aa) (Chromatospek J-180) of the umbilical cord have been analyzed and correlated in two groups of the newborns: G-I (n: 12) preterm infants with an adequated weight for their gestational age (Re greater than 10 percentile) and G-II (n: 8) small for-date term infants (Rr less than 10 p). Ratios of the serum aa (total aa, no essential aa, NE/E, Ala/Thr, Whitehead's ratio (Wr), Ala/Leu, Ala/BCA, Gly/Val, Ser + Gly + Ala/BCA) were more elevated in G-II than those one of the G-I. We have shown a single correlation between Wr and Rr (r. much greater than 0.48, p less than 0.025) in G-I and between BCA Rr (r. much greater than 0.88, p less than 0.0025) in G-II; furthermore, we have proved a good correlation between the week of gestation and sum of BCA (r. much greater than 0.53, p less than 0.05) in the former that have not been observed among the latter which had BCA more increased than G-I (p less than 0.050). Some speculations about the role that could play the BCA in the energetic metabolism of the small-for-date infants are made; on the other hand, the BCA can give help to distinguish between premature or pseudopremature among infants weighing 2.500 g or less a birth.

Amino Acids, Branched-Chain↗

PubMed1984

[Free amino acids of various lacteal formulas used in Spain].

A comparative study has been made upon free amino-acids in human milk, cow's milk and some infant formulas commercialized in Spain. The contents of free amino-acids in human milk is significantly increased when compared to those of raw of UHT sterilized cow's milk and to those of infant formulas. The concentrations of alanine are significantly lower in cow's milk and in infant formulas compared to human milk. The same occurs with branched chain amino-acids, glutamic acid, serine, threonine and taurine. On the contrary, the levels of free cysteine are significantly higher in cow's milk and in infant formulas. The concentrations of free amino-acids determined in different infant formulas on sale in Spain are rather similar between each others, being the cuantitative pattern very different from that determined in human milk.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1984

[Free amino acid content of human milk in Spain].

The concentrations of free amino-acids have been determined in 54 samples of human milk: 18 in colostrum, 18 in transition milk and 18 in mature milk, all of them taken from women in the Eastern part of Andalucía. The amino-acids have been determined through high pressure ion-exchange chromatography and fluorimetric detection. Glutamic acid is the major free amino-acid, representing 21-52% of the total amount of these components in human milk. Its level increase significantly with advancing lactation. Taurine represents 14-19 of total free amino-acids in human milk, remaining its levels practically unchanged during the whole lactation. The fact that the major content of essential free amino-acids in present in human colostrum could suppose a contribution of these substances which are directly absorbable during a period of life when the nutritional requirements of the neonate are incremented.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1984

[Lipid profile in low birth weight neonates, small for gestational age].

Serum triglycerides, cholesterol, lipoproteins and fatty acids has been determined in 11 normal infants (RN) and 20 small for date newborn infants (SFD) at birth, before feeding, and at one week of life. All infants were bed with a milk formula (Maseda adaptado ) according with ESPGAN recommendations. Serum triglycerides are significantly increased in SFD after one week of feeding (p less than 0.01). Serum cholesterol in SFD show no differences in relation to normal infants. VLDL are significantly increased in SFD ab birth (p less than 0.01) reaching normal values after one week of feeding. After delivery SFD infants show a low serum level of linoleate (C18:2 omega 6) (p less than 0.05), linolenate (C18:3 omega 3) (p less than 0.02) and eicosadienoate (C20:2 omega 6) (p less than 0.02). No differences are observed in arachidonate (C20:4 omega 6). At one week after feeding no differences are observed in serum fatty acids between SFD and normal infants.

Cholesterol↗

PubMed1984

Urinary 3-methylhistidine derivative as indicator of nutrients intake in low-birth-weight infants.

Urinary excretion levels of N-methylhistidine derivatives and N-methylhistidine/creatinine ratios were studied in a group of 20 small for date newborns, 10 premature infants and 8 normal infants, at birth and at one week of life. All infants were fed with an adapted milk formula supplying 2.8 g protein/kg body weight. 1-methyl and 3-methylhistidine urinary excretion were increased in all groups of infants from birth to the 7th day of life. Creatinine and N-methyl derivatives/creatinine ratios were also significantly increased at one week of life. The two ratios showed a higher level in small for date and premature infants than in normal infants at birth which continued relatively increased at one week of life. 3-methyl-histidine/creatinine ratio appears as a useful indicator of the turnover rate of muscular proteins in low-birth-weight infants.

Body Weight↗