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Biomedical subjects

M M Morales

Publications and source records attributed to M M Morales.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

CIC-2: a developmentally dependent chloride channel expressed in the fetal lung and downregulated after birth.

Growth and differentiation of the fetal lung are dependent on chloride and fluid secretion, yet the specific molecular identities of fetal chloride channels have not been fully determined. In this study, we demonstrate mRNA expression of the volume-activated chloride channel, CIC-2, in fetal rat lung using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ribonuclease (RNase) protection assay. By RNase protection assay, CIC-2 mRNA expression is most abundant in fetal lung and diminishes after birth until it is almost undetectable in adult rat lung. To confirm this result at the protein level, a C-terminal fragment of CIC-2 cDNA derived from 19-day fetal rat lung was cloned into an expression plasmid. The truncated 33-kD CIC-2 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by column chromatography. Polyclonal antibodies to this antigen were raised in chickens, and the antisera detected a 94-kD protein in fetal rat lung homogenates by Western blotting. Protein expression of CIC-2 was most abundant in mid and late gestation and decreased significantly shortly after birth, as would be predicted by the RNase protection data. CIC-2 protein was localized along the apical surface of fetal airway epithelium by immunocytochemistry. The abundant fetal expression of CIC-2 RNA and protein supports the hypothesis that CIC-2 is important to fetal lung development, and its apical location suggests that it may be involved in fluid secretion during normal lung morphogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Predicting the donor liver lobe weight from body weight for split-liver transplantation.

It is possible to obtain two good-quality hepatic transplants from a single cadaveric liver by separation of the right and left lobes of the liver. We attempted to define a relationship based only on donor body weight for predicting donor total liver weight as well as donor right (segments V-VIII) and left (segments II-IV) hepatic lobe weight. Segment I (caudate lobe) is resected and thus lost in this procedure. The study was performed on 60 human cadaveric livers. We correlated cadaveric body weight (mean +/- SD), 72.43 +/- 9.54 kg, with total liver weight, 1.54 +/- 0.36 kg, and right and left lobe weight, 0.88 +/- 0.23 kg and 0.65 +/- 0.17 kg, respectively, with total liver weight. A formula was obtained by linear regression which provided the following relationships: total liver weight (g) = [245.57 + 17.92 x (body weight, kg)]; right lobe weight (g) = [67.58 + 0.52 x (total liver weight, g)]; left lobe weight (g) = [-63.38 + 0.47 x (total liver weight, g)]. The selection of the recipient on the liver transplant waiting list can be made on the basis of these relationships.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Epidemiologic study of tuberculous disease in the Hospital La Fe in Valencia].

BACKGROUND: Hospitals have currently been entrusted with an important role in both the diagnosis and treatment as well as the control and surveillance of tuberculosis. The situation of tuberculosis in the Hospital La Fe of Valencia (Spain) was herewith studied, evaluating the epidemiologic changes of clinical presentation and the development of this disease during from 1985 to 1989. METHODS: A series of 376 patients diagnosed with tuberculosis was reviewed. Personal data and that of hospitalization, toxic habits, other diseases, association to known risk groups, characteristics of the tuberculous disease, diagnostic methods, treatment and related mortality were studied. A descriptive epidemiologic study was performed. RESULTS: A predominance was observed in males (73%), with a mean age of 42 years (SD 19.32) and a predominance of patients working in the industrial or agricultural sector. Hospitalization for this disease was notably reduced throughout the study period. The year 1988 showed the greatest incidence of cases and in 83.9% of the case patients were only admitted to hospital once because of tuberculosis. The main localization was the lung with a common therapeutic schedule being used in most of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: In the authors' medium it must be taken into consideration that tuberculosis may manifest with several and insidious forms. A better quality of life has been described for tuberculous patients thanks to the unified therapeutic schedule, being usually completed in the everyday environment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The incidence of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and tuberculosis (TB) in the Hospital "La Fe" of Valencia, Spain (1985-1989).

We studied the incidence of TB and TB-AIDS in the area served by "La Fe" hospital in Valencia. We also studied the different evolution of the incidence of TB and TB-AIDS during the 1985-1989 period. We noticed the progressive increase of the incidence of TB in AIDS patients, while the incidence of TB without AIDS remained the same.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1993

[Geographic distribution of mortality from cancer of the stomach and the colon in Spain].

The present study analyzes the mortality of gastric and colon cancer in Spain from 1975 to 1985, and examines the figures obtained for each Spanish province as well as in several major cities. During the study period, proportional mortality for all cancers increased, except for gastric cancer which decreased both for men and women. We found that Soria the highest mean mortality rate due to gastric cancer (81.83), whereas figures were highest for men in Segovia (97.71) and for women in Soria (66.69). By contrast, Gran Canaria had the lowest mean mortality rate due to gastric cancer (6.26), whereas lowest values were obtained for men in Tenerife (8.42) and for women in Gran Canaria (4.11). On the other hand, the highest mortality rate due to colon cancer was found in Gerona (19.11), and the sex distribution was as follows: for men the rate was highest in Gerona (22.22), and for women in Burgos (19.75). Albacete had the lowest mortality rate due to colon cancer (1.09); for men the lowest was obtained in Avila (1.20), and for women in Albacete (0.90). This geographical distribution suggest that environmental as well as dietary factors may play a role in cancer mortality.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Epidemiological study of the clinical forms of tuberculosis at the La Fe Children's Hospital of Valencia (1986-1989)].

We analyze, in a retrospective review, the clinical presentation of tuberculosis among 226 pediatric patients admitted to the Hospital Infantil La Fe of Valencia (Spain) during the years 1986-1989. We observed the persistence of severe forms of tuberculosis, such as miliary tuberculosis and tuberculous meningitis. Also, cases of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis seldom encountered nowadays like bone and joint, intestinal and lymph node infection were recorded. In view of the current status of pediatric tuberculosis, new recommendations should be developed, because this infection could potentially be eradicated if adequate treatment and prophylactic guidelines are followed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[School children poisoning by ornamental trees].

Eleven cases of poisoning of children who had chewed threads from the barks of trees subsequently identified as Robinia pseudo-acacia were detected in Sanlúcar La Mayor (Sevilla). A retrospective study was carried out of all children who had chewed barks of these trees on the days 28, 29 and 30 of January. The data were collected from the daily record of emergencies. From the twenty fulfilled epidemiological questionnaires it was found out that the predominant symptoms were abdominal pain, nausea, "biliary" vomits and some degree of weakness. This fact points to the need to identify and to control the risk factors in a given milieu so as to prevent these occurrences.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Epidemiologic aspects and financial cost of tuberculosis at the Clinical Hospital of Valencia from 1986 to 1987].

Tuberculosis is an important sanitary and social as well as economical problem. This descriptive and retrospective study analyzes the features of the TBC patients in the Hospital Clínico of Valencia during 1986 and 1987 through data proceeding from clinical records and quantifies the social and economical cost coming to conclusions about the hospital's role regarding this disease. Admissions become more frequent in males and patients with current disease (class 3 of American Thoracic Society) from 50 years of age on, location is pulmonary in 95% of the cases, and 68% of the patients show risk factors. From the analysis of the economical data, we inferred the small importance of income and total cost due to TBC in contrast to the hospital whole although its individualized analysis shows an average cost 1.76 times bigger in a TBC patient as well as the fact that 85% tallies to hospital sustenance expenses which brings us to consider the importance of disease prevention.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Epidemiological profile of patients infected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)].

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present work is to identify the principal characteristics of a sample of individuals at the moment of diagnosis of HIV infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive, retrospective study, based on the hospital clinical records of 70 HIV+ patients, without AIDS, selected by means of simple aleatory sampling. RESULTS: Transmission categories: Users of Injectable Drugs (UID) 81.4%, heterosexuals 10%, homo/bisexuals 4.3% and transfusions/plasma donors 2.9%, sex: ratio man/woman = 3.8/1, average age on diagnosis: 27.3 +/- 7.0 years (UID 26.3 +/- 5.1 years, heterosexuals 29.6 +/- 2.1 years, homo/bisexuals 27.3 +/- 3.9 and transfusions/plasma donors 51.4 +/- 23.1 years (p = 0.02). Heterosexual transmission amongst women was 18.8% against 7.4% in men (2.5:1). Marital status: single in 66.7% of the cases. Working activity: 48.9% without work, outstanding amongst those with work was the relatively high proportion of HIV+ working in the building trade (29.2%). Smoking habit: 91.8% were smokers, with greater incidence amongst the UID (100%). Clinical situation: during the five years of follow up, 49% of the patients developed AIDS, with cachectic syndrome because of HIV being the first disease indicative of AIDS at the time of its appearance in the majority of the cases (36.7%) in this sample. The average interval between the date of diagnosis of HIV infection and diagnosis of AIDS was 44 months (rank: 0.9-131). CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection in our sample appears mainly in individuals who are young, male, UID, unemployed and smokers. Prevention strategies should be directed at women, at individuals with a higher risk of heterosexual transmission and at youths who are unemployed or low skilled.

English Abstract↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Expression of functionally P-glycoprotein in MA104 kidney cells.

Rhesus monkey kidney MA104 cells are a polarized epithelium with some unusual characteristics, including a resistance to ouabain, although their Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase has normal affinity with this drug. This work suggests that MA104 cells have high expression of functionally P-glycoprotein in their membranes. This was established using four complementary methods to investigate the expression and function of P-glycoprotein in these cells. MA104 cells were strongly resistant to vincristine, which could be reversed by three known P-glycoprotein modulators: verapamil, cyclosporin A and trifluoperazine. In addition, MA104 cells accumulate little rhodamine 123, and the incubation with verapamil increased this accumulation. The mdr1-mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and a subcloned 283-bp product was identified. Its nucleotide sequence was compared with the related region of human mdr1, showing a high identity (96%) between the two sequences. The expression of P-glycoprotein in the cell membrane was observed by Western blot and immunofluorescence. The results taken together suggest that MA104 cells intrinsically have a high expression of functionally P-glycoprotein in their membranes.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hepatic venous system and its application in the so-called split-liver transplantation technic].

Sixty fresh adult livers were obtained from cadavers together with celiac trunk, head of the pancreas and superior mesenteric artery. The right portal vein, left portal vein and their respective branches were dissected as well as the hepatic veins. There was only one right hepatic vein in 59 cases. The median hepatic vein was present in 53 (88.3%) cases and the left hepatic vein only in 46(76.3%). In 59(98.3%) cases, there were right and left portal vein but in one (1.6%) case no portal bifurcation has been found. The median portal vein has been found only in 9(15.2%) cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Current status of "Split-liver" as a liver transplantation technique option: review of the literature].

The availability of donor organs is a critical factor that limits the use of orthotopic liver transplantation. Split-liver technique means by cutting the liver into two hemilivers one could implant the new reduced-livers in two recipients. The authors have extensively reviewed the literature and concluded that in spite of both greatest postoperative complications and mortality, this technique could be useful in both chronically waiting list patients and those with acute hepatic failure whom desperately need a new organ.

Adolescent↗