Palliative care development in South America: a focus on Argentina

Many Latin American and Caribbean national health systems mainly focus on disease prevention, prenatal assistance, undernourishment, etc. They still do not have the conditions for developing palliative care (PC). In general, quality of life during the dying process is poor, with fragmented assistance, uncontrolled suffering, poor communication between professionals, patients, and families, and a great burden on family caregivers. The development of PC in the region started around 1981, but it is still not available to an acceptable number of patients.     

Effects of selenium depletion and selenium repletion by choice feeding on selenium status of young and old laying hens

We investigated the effect of choice feeding two diets with different selenium (Se) content to young and old moderately Se-deficient laying hens on serum Se (SSe), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), vitamin E, creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Each of two consecutive study parts (I and II) with the same hens and treatments began with a 6-week baseline period (Medium-Se diet), followed by a 9-week depletion period (Low-Se or Medium-Se diet), followed by a 6-week choice period with two different diets offered simultaneously (Medium-Se/Low-Se, Medium-Se/High-Se, or Low-Se/High-Se). During both depletion periods, SSe and GPX gradually decreased, whereas T4 gradually increased in hens fed Low-Se confirming gradual Se-depletion. T3 decreased transiently in young hens only. As reported earlier, Se-deficient hens preferred High-Se over Low-Se diet during the first 3 weeks of choice feeding in part I, not however in part II. This preference resulted in higher SSe in these hens. GPX activity did not reflect feed preference, probably because Se-intake exceeded Se-requirement for maximal GPX activity. In Part II, hens depleted with Low-Se diet had higher SSe when previously offered High-Se diet in either combination, than when offered Low-Se/Medium-Se, presumably due to Se-stores built during choice feeding in part I, which possibly prevented development of Se-deficiency in part II. In addition, in older hens, Se depletion proceeded faster, whereas Se-repletion by choice feeding was slower than in young hens, indicating the increase in Se requirement with advancing age. Vitamin E, ASAT and CK remained largely unchanged by the treatments.     

LPS-induced neuroinflammatory effects do not recover with time

Inflammatory processes develop in the vicinity of the neuropathological hallmarks associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may play a role in the progression of the disease and its clinical expression. We have previously reported that chronic infusion of LPS into the fourth ventricle of rat brains reproduced many of the inflammatory and pathological changes seen in the brain of AD patients. In the current study, we used the same animal model to investigate the effects of longer infusion of LPS and whether these effects could recover over time. The results show that doubling the time of LPS infusion did not increase the inflammatory reaction and did not produce a significantly greater behavioral impairment. Waiting for 37 days after the cessation of the LPS infusion did not decrease the density of activated microglia and did not improve performances in the Morris water maze task. The results suggest that inflammation may contribute to the pathogenic mechanisms that underlie the clinical expression of AD.     

Quantitative volumetric analyses of brain magnetic resonance imaging from rat with chronic neuroinflammation

Brain inflammation may have a pathogenic role in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic neuroinflammation upon anatomical changes in two regions of interest in the temporal lobe using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging techniques. We show that chronic infusion of lipopolysaccharide into the fourth ventricle for 4 consecutive weeks enlarged the lateral ventricles and significantly decreased the size of the hippocampal formation and the temporal lobe region. These changes are comparable to those observed in humans during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.     

Demonstration by the monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of erythrocyte antigens assay that a new red cell antigen belongs to the Kell blood group system

BACKGROUND: The Kell blood group system comprises 21 antigens residing on a red cell membrane glycoprotein of apparent M(r) 93,000. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Serologic techniques were used to identify a new red cell antigen. The monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of erythrocyte antigens (MAIEA) assay was used to identify the red cell membrane component carrying that antigen. RESULTS: A new high-frequency red cell antigen was identified and provisionally named RAZ. RAZ is absent from K.o red cells and from red cells treated with 2-amino- ethylisothiouronium bromide and is expressed weakly on McLeod phenotype cells. It differs from all other Kell system antigens, and no depression of other Kell system antigens on RAZ+ red cells was noticed. The RAZ antigen was shown by the MAIEA assay to be located on the Kell glycoprotein. CONCLUSION: RAZ is a new high-frequency antigen located on the Kell glycoprotein. The MAIEA assay is a very effective method of demonstrating the membrane structure carrying a red cell antigen.     

冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病患者升主动脉弹性与颈动脉内-中膜厚度的相关性

目的:观察冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病(简称冠心病)患者升主动脉弹性与颈动脉内膜-中层厚度及粥样斑块发生的相关性。方法:于2005-08/2006-04选择石河子大学医学院第一附属医院心内科行冠状动脉造影检查患者97例,根据冠状动脉造影结果分为正常对照组41例和冠心病组56例,对两组患者进行超声检查,分别测量升主动脉扩张性D、僵硬度指数β、测量升主动脉前壁收缩期S波以及舒张期E波、A波的速度、颈动脉内膜-中层厚度及粥样斑块发生率。僵硬度指数β=In(收缩压/舒张压)/[(收缩期内径-舒张期内径)/舒张期内径]。动脉扩张性D=2(收缩期内径-舒张期内径)/[舒张期内径(收缩压-舒张压)]×10-3m2/N。结果:纳入患者97例,均进入结果分析。①冠心病组升主动脉扩张性D低于正常对照组,差异有显著性意义[分别为(15.02±9.99)×10-4,(34.75±20.80)×10-3m2/N,P=0.001];僵硬度指数β高于正常对照组(分别为28.20±21.06,15.23±25.32,P=0.001);升主动脉前壁S波和E波速度低于正常对照组[分别为(0.08±0.01),(0.10±0.03)m/s;(0.05±0.01),(0.07±0.02)m/s,P=0.001];颈动脉内膜-中层厚度和颈动脉斑块发生率高于正常对照组[分别为(0.90±0.15),(0.66±0.09)mm;41.03%,5.88%,P=0.001]。②升主动脉前壁S波速度与扩张性呈正相关(r=0.43,P=0.003),与僵硬度指数呈负相关(r=-0.47,P=0.002)。升主动脉前壁E波速度与扩张性呈正相关(r=0.47,P=0.002),与僵硬度指数无相关性。升主动脉前壁A波速度与扩张性和僵硬度指数均无相关性。③升主动脉扩张性D与颈动脉内膜-中层厚度呈负相关(r=-0.49,P=0.004),而僵硬度指数β与内膜-中层厚度则呈正相关(r=0.46,P=0.003)。S波速度与内膜-中层厚度无相关性(r=-0.26,P=0.15)。结论:冠心病患者升主动脉弹性降低即动脉扩张性降低、僵硬度指数升高、升主动脉前壁S波速度下降,颈动脉内膜-中层厚度增厚及粥样斑块发生率增高,将这些参数结合可作为冠心病很有价值的预测指标。     

重组结缔组织生长因子对体外培养成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因表达的影响

目的:研究发现,结缔组织生长因子可促进软骨细胞和成骨细胞的增殖及其表型的发生,在骨骼发育以及骨量维持方面发挥重要作用,但其对成骨细胞的作用机制目前尚不清楚。观察重组结缔组织生长因子对体外培养人成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因表达的影响。方法:实验于2006-01/2007-01在日照市人民医院完成。①实验材料:外科手术取正常成人髂骨松质骨,患者对试验知情同意。②实验方法:体外培养正常人成骨细胞,用不同浓度0,50,100,200,1000μg/L的重组结缔组织生长因子(0μg/L作为空白对照组)干预48h后,抽提细胞总RNA和总蛋白。③实验评估:采用半定量反转录-聚合酶链反应和蛋白免疫印迹分析方法观察不同浓度重组结缔组织生长因子对体外培养人成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因表达的影响。结果:半定量反转录-聚合酶链反应和蛋白免疫印迹结果显示,50,100,200,1000μg/L重组结缔组织生长因子干预后均可显著上调成骨细胞核结合因子α1的表达,并呈明显剂量依赖关系,与空白对照组比较,差异显著(P<0.01)。结论:重组结缔组织生长因子可剂量依赖性上调成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因的表达,核结合因子α1可能参与了结缔组织生长因子对成骨细胞增殖和分化的调节。     

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of gatifloxacin against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus in a granulocyte-rich exudate

The pharmacokinetics of gatifloxacin were assessed in serum and in skin blister fluid (SBF), as was the pharmacodynamic activity in SBF. Five hours after a single dose of gatifloxacin, SBF killed 2.5 logs of Streptococcus pneumoniae and 1.5 log of Staphylococcus aureus during a 2-h incubation ex vivo.