Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Rodríguez.
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Different enzymes of Schistosoma mansoni are recognized by IgG antibodies present in the sera of infected human patients. The antigenicity of these enzymes suggests their possible use in immunodiagnostic assays that would take advantage of their activities.
The effect of Ribavirin (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) on the replication in vitro of Junin virus, the causative agent of Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF), was examined. A concentration as low as 3.12 micrograms/ml of the drug inhibited the cytopathic effect observed five days post-infection (pi) on Vero cells. On the other hand, a concentration of 25 micrograms/ml reduced the virus yield and specific antigen formation to undetectable levels. This same concentration of Ribavirin prevented plaque formation under methylcellulose. The high sensitivity of Junin virus to Ribavirin in vitro, the low toxicity of the drug for mammals and the therapeutic effect observed on in vivo infections with other arenaviruses, makes Ribavirin a promising antiviral agent that deserves testing on AHF primate models before clinical trials are undertaken.
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A study on blood clotting has been carried out in a number of obese individuals and compared to a group of non-obese persons, in order to assess if the former can be considered to be in "high risk" regarding the onset of a thromboembolic process. The technique of thromboelastography was chosen. The results point out that in obese people a series of alterations take place, both in the time of clot formation, which is enlarged, as in the organization of its nets, which appear strongly structured, favoured by the hyperfibrinogenemia and thrombocytosis detected in these subjects. Likewise, the effect of a hypocaloric diet on clotting in obese persons has been evaluated and compared with the former groups. Clotting in treated obese individuals is modified in the same way as in the untreated group when compared to the non-obese population; nevertheless, when both groups of obese people are compared, no significant difference is observed in the different parameters studied, even though constants determined in citrated whole blood are closer to normality in the subjects undergoing caloric restriction.
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The possible action of melatonin and 5-methoxytryptophol, two pineal indoles, upon castrated male rat sexual behaviour with three testosterone dose levels was studied. Both indoles reduced the number of mounts and intromissions. 5-Methoxytryptophol, in addition, decreased the number of ejaculations. The sexual actions of the pineal indoles are prevented by the administration of high testosterone dose levels (500 micrograms/day).
A macroscopic nonlinear mathematical model of simulation of the different mechanisms that participate at long, medium and short term in the arterial pressure regulation is described. In order to establish the availability and usefulness of this model two types of conditions were simulated. The first ones were compared to the results obtained in live experiments in dogs and the other ones were referred to the data from clinical research. This model makes possible both the qualitative and quantitative appreciation of the sequence of physiological events whenever a disturbance modifies the normal conditions in the control of the arterial pressure. This model is easy to handle in both clinical and experimental applications since it does not require the knowledge of computer handling for its operation.
Psoriasis is a skin disease affecting up to a 3% of the world's population. New theories try to explain it as disease provoked by many agents and transmitted by an only gen, where the environmental factors are important. This should be confirmed with the association found with HLA and psoriasis. In this paper we study the HLA association with psoriasis as it has been described in populations of the northern hemisphere, 19 patients with vulgar psoriasis were tested by means of 9 HLA A and 15 HLA B antigens. Postulous, arthropatic and palmo-plantar psoriasis were excluded. We employed the NIH microlymphocytotoxicity test. An association with HLA B13 is shown in accordance to some other reports.
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Thrombelastography in the whole blood and determination of antithrombin III by means of chromogenic substrates were performed in a group of 10 patients with hypertension. The results of the thrombelastograms showed a slight shift toward hypercoagulability, as revealed by a significant increase in the thrombodynamic potential index. There was no significant change in antithrombin activity as compared with control group.
The value of right ventriculography in the diagnosis of tricuspid insufficiency (TI) is often questioned because of 1) the high incidence of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) during injections and 2) interference of the catheter in the valve closure mechanism. In 168 patients a commercially available, not preshaped, balloon-tipped catheter was used for right ventriculography. To avoid the induction of PVCs, the catheter tip was placed in the middle third of the diafragmatic wall of the right ventricle, and the balloon was inflated, becoming trapped by the trabeculae. In this position the catheter's side holes should be located in the inflow chamber. To ensure this correct position, and therefore lack of ectopic beats during angiography, a saline test injection was performed previously in every case. With this technique the incidence of PVCs during ventriculography was only 7.7%. In all but one case, such beats were isolated. The 168 patients were divided into three groups according to their likelihood of experiencing tricuspid interference by the catheter: group 1 included 41 patients with a normal heart or with coronary artery disease. No one from this group had TI. Of group II, 28 patients with right ventricular pressure or volume overload or cardiomyopathy, only 2 had TI, both with a previous clinical diagnosis of regurgitation. Group III contained 99 patients with rheumatic heart disease. Thirty-five of them showed angiographic TI, and 24 of these had this diagnosis confirmed either clinically or at surgery. It is felt that this technique of right ventriculography, with its low incidence of PVCs and slight interference with tricuspid closure, is a valid method for the objective study of the tricuspid valve.
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Variations in proteinaemia levels in healthy man from posture changes or from physical exercise, as well as their chemical and physical consequences in plasma colloid-osmotic pressure, have been studied. Proteinaemia and oncotic pressure were measured in ten young males while lying flat, walking about, standing up motionless at attention and once again in a lying flat position. Proteinaemia and oncotic pressure increased on changing from a lying posture to orthostatism. The increase was much greater when the subjects were kept at rigid attention. Walking about did not produce any significant changes independently of the time factor. A significant correlation between changes in oncotic pressure and proteinaemia was always present. Changes in the oncotic pressure, however, were statistically more important.
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