伴有LADD综合征的角膜缘干细胞缺乏

泪管-耳-牙-指（趾）（LADD）综合征是一种具有多种表现的常染色体显性遗传疾病。最初在1967年由Levy报道。1例双侧泪液系统缺失、杯状耳、干嘴，以及牙、手臂和指（趾）异常的单发病例。之后一些新发现的临床表现，如肾脏异常、唾液腺缺乏、先天性髋脱位、先天性裂孔疝和横膈疝、感觉性耳聋和传导性耳聋、牙发育不全、四肢异常、口腔干燥和眼干都被报道与此综合征有关。     

Interleukin-6 -174 G/C promoter polymorphism and effects of fenofibrate and simvastatin on inflammatory markers in hypercholesterolemic patients.

To evaluate whether the interleukin-6 (IL-6) -174 G/C polymorphism might alter the effects of micronized fenofibrate or simvastatin therapy on inflammatory markers, we measured IL-6, C-reactive protein, CD40 ligand, adhesion molecules, P-selectin and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in hypercholesterolemic patients both before and after a 30-day treatment. Serum IL-6 levels were significantly higher in patients with the GC or CC genotypes (P=0.04). The presence of the C allele was associated with greater absolute reduction of IL-6 levels (P=0.04) following fenofibrate treatment. There was no significant association between the -174 G/C IL-6 polymorphism and the effects of simvastatin treatment. A relationship between the -174 G/C IL-6 polymorphism and the anti-inflammatory action of fenofibrate reported might be useful in the optimization of the treatment regimen in patients receiving this class of drugs.     

Partial Portal Vein Ligation Plus Thioacetamide: A Method to Obtain a New Model of Cirrhosis and Chronic Portal Hypertension in the Rat

To obtain a new model of chronic portal hypertension in the rat, two classical methods to produce portal hypertension, partial portal vein ligation and the oral administration of thioacetamide (TAA), have been combined. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: 1 (control; n?=?10), 2 [triple partial portal vein ligation (TPVL); n?=?9], 3 (TAA; n?=?11), and 4 (TPVL plus TAA; n?=?9). After 3 months, portal pressure, types of portosystemic collateral circulation, laboratory hepatic function tests (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) and liver histology were studied. The animals belonging to group 2 (TPVL) developed extrahepatic portosystemic collateral circulation, associated with mesenteric venous vasculopathy without hepatic destructurization or portal hypertension. Animals from group 3 (TAA) developed cirrhosis and portal hypertension but not extrahepatic portosystemic collateral circulation, or mesenteric venous vasculopathy. Finally, the animals from group 4 (TPVL?+?TAA) developed cirrhosis, portal hypertension, portosystemic collateral circulation, and mesenteric venous vasculopathy. The association of TPVL and TAA can be used to obtain a model of chronic portal hypertension in the rat that includes all the alterations that patients with hepatic cirrhosis usually have. This could, therefore, prove to be a useful tool to study the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in these alterations.     

Neoplasia sincrónica de endometrio y ovario

We report the case of a patient with synchronous neoplasms of the endometrium and ovary, which developed at a relatively young age (45 years). Clinical presentation consisted of hypermenorrhea. An ovarian tumor was subsequently detected through ultrasound and computed tomography. Pathological examination revealed endometrioid histology at both sites and, as in most synchronous tumors occurring in these locations, both the grade and the stage of the tumors were low. All these factors indicate a good prognosis.     

Rapid production of Candida albicans chlamydospores in liquid media under various incubation conditions.

The production of chlamydospores is a diagnostic tool used to identify Candida albicans; these structures also represent a model for morphogenetic research. The time required to produce them with standard methods is 48-72 hours in rice meal agar and tensoactive agents. This time can be shorted using liquid media such as cornmeal broth (CMB) and dairy supplements. Five media were tested: CMB plus 1% Tween-80, CMB plus 5% milk, CMB plus 5% milk serum, milk serum, and milk serum plus 1% Tween-80, under different incubation conditions: at 28 degrees C and 37 degrees C in a metabolic bath stirring at 150 rpm, and at 28 degrees C in a culture stove. The reading time points were established at 8 and 16 hours. The best results were obtained at 16 hours with CMB plus 5% milk under incubation at 28 degrees C and stirring at 150 rpm. The next most efficient methods were CMB plus 5% milk serum and CMB plus 1% Tween-80, under the same incubation conditions. The other media were ineffective in producing chlamydospores. The absence of stirring at 28 degrees C prevented the formation of chlamydospores within the set time points, and incubation at 37 degrees C decreased their production. This paper reports that the time to form C. albicans chlamydospores can be reduced.     

Brain uptake of radiolabeled N‐oleoyl‐dopamine in the rat

N‐acyl‐dopamines are a novel class of biologically active lipids that have recently been identified in the brain and have the potential to interact with neural signaling pathways. This study seeks to determine the ability of N‐oleoyl‐dopamine, a synthetic amide of oleic acid and dopamine, to cross the blood brain barrier. We determined the tissue content of radioactivity in selected brain regions, in a short‐run study design, following injections of [³H]N‐oleoyl‐dopamine (0.4 µCi) into the internal carotid artery in the rat. These results were compared with intracarotid injections of [³H]dopamine and with intravenous injections of both radiolabeled compounds. The level of radioactivity was determined using liquid scintillation and was expressed as the percentage of its total dose injected per gram of tissue. We found that the 15‐min brain uptake of radioactivity, with no distinct regional variations, amounted to about 6% following the intracarotid [³H]N‐oleoyl‐dopamine, which was a significant 3–4‐fold increase over that following similar administration of [³H]dopamine. Intravenous injections of [³H]N‐oleoyl‐dopamine gave a much smaller yield of radioactivity in brain tissue samples which was still severalfold greater than that for intravenous [³H]dopamine. Qualitative thin‐layered chromatography screening showed the presence of unchanged N‐oleoyl‐dopamine in the brain following injections. We conclude that N‐oleoyl‐dopamine has an appreciable ability to cross the blood‐brain barrier, which contrasts the limited transfer of dopamine alone. N‐oleoyl‐dopamine might exert physiological effects due to its known affinity for the central vanilloid receptors or to better satisfying the brain tissue demand for dopamine. The study suggests a potential pharmacological role for N‐oleoyl‐dopamine delivered exogenously in helping regulate the brain function. Drug Dev. Res. 60:217–224, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Prognostic significance of the electrocardiographic coronary reserve in stable angina

We've studied the prognostic significance of the electrocardiographic coronary reserve, evaluated by seried effort tests, in patients with stable angina and proved coronary disease. Seventy-three patients with stable angina, who performed 2 exercise tests (basal and after vasodilator therapy) were included. It's considered variable reserve when in the second test the ST-descent improves greater than or equal to 1 mm for equal or higher double product (43 patients) and fixed reserve when it doesn't (30 patients). All of them underwent to coronariography study. The exercise test was seried each term during the first year. Clinical follow-up lasted 3 years and we considered cardiac events: myocardial infarction, unstable angina, surgery, PTCA or death. Patients with fixed reserve had higher maximal ST-descent (2.5 +/- 0.7 vs 1.9 +/- 0.6; p less than 0.05), lesser effort-time (359 +/- 144 vs 430 +/- 112; p less than 0.05), and more severe coronary disease (score: 3.5 +/- 1.5 vs 2.4 +/- 0.8; p less than 0.01) as compared with variable reserve group. Unfavorable clinic evolution was similar in both groups (44.3% in the fixed reserve group and 34.8% in the variable reserve group). We verified that 92.3% of patients with variable reserve who didn't modify its character in a year had good evolution; 76.4% of patients who changed to fixed reserve had unfavorable evolution (significant association, p less than 0.01). We conclude that in patients with variable reserve, the periodic evaluation of the reserve character has important prognostic implication.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)