Mechanisms of adaptation to the effects of ethanol on activation of phospholipase C in NG 108-15 cells.

In this study the effect of different times of exposure to ethanol (1-7 days, 100 mM) on bradykinin and GTP(S)-stimulated activation of phospholipase C in NG 108-15 cells and on the binding of [3H]bradykinin to its receptors was investigated. Ethanol attenuated both agonist and GTP-analogue-induced hydrolysis of phosphoinositides for a period of up to 4 days of treatment, while exerting no effect on binding to bradykinin receptors. However, after 7 days of exposure to ethanol, the agonist-induced activation of phospholipase C was completely resistant to the inhibitory effects of alcohol. This finding correlated to a change in the affinity of the bradykinin receptor population after 7 days of treatment. The results indicate that bradykinin-induced breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate adapts to the effects of ethanol, after long-term treatment. Possible adaptative changes taking place at the level of the G protein(s), may induce a shift in the affinity of the receptor population and, consequently, serve as a compensatory mechanism to counteract the inhibitory effect of ethanol.     

Generation of murine triomas secreting bi-specific monoclonal antibodies that recognize HBsAG ad and ay subtypes.

We report the generation of murine triomas by fusing splenocytes from mice previously immunized with HBsAg ay-subtype and a hybridoma, secreting anti-HBsAg ad-subtype monoclonal antibody, which was rendered HGPRT- by induced mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. The fusion yielded a 83.8% of hybrids showing the antigen specificity of the parental hybridoma and a 16.1% of bi-specific monoclonal antibodies. One of them, coded as 1C8A5, showing a heavy chain isotype (IgG1/IgG2b) was used as capture reagent in an ultramicro-ELISA. As little as 0.78 I.U. of both HBsAg ad- and ay-subtypes could be realiably detected.     

Constipation in the population over 50 years of age in Albacete province.

OBJECTIVE: To Determine the incidence of constipation in Albacete province and its relation with diet and lifestyle. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional population survey. We studied 414 participants over 50 years of age in Albacete province. 445 persons over 50 years of age were included in the study. All participants were selected by systematic random sampling; 414 participants filled in the questionnaire correctly. Main measures: age, weight and height, marital status, level of education and occupation; presence of a disease, number of sleep hours a day, physical exercise, smoking, alcohol intake, drug intake (anti-inflammatories and laxatives); bowel habit, diet, meal frequency and place; food intake frequency per week, daily intake of water, coffee, tea and herbal beverages; vitamin and fiber supplements; presence of cancer in the family. RESULTS: 56.9% of participants were women. Mean age 67.07 years. In Albacete province, 4.4% of the population over 50 years have a bowel habit consistent with constipation. Most participants had three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and supper), while 50% had another meal in the morning or afternoon. These meals took place, habitually, in the domicile. There was a preponderance in daily intake of the following foods: milk (83.7%), bread (95.1%), vegetables (68.8%), fruit (91.8%), and virgin olive oil (96.6%). Fish was eaten every one to two days, and pulses and meat every three to six days. 44.4% of participants drank one to two liters of water a day. Only 3.9% of participants took some supplement; 35% of participants were on a diet. It was observed that 97.7% of participants with more than three defecations a week had a high intake of virgin olive oil; 65.7% of participants did some physical exercise customarily; 70.2% of participants were non-smokers, 10.2% were smokers, and 18.4% were ex-smokers. With regard to alcohol, the percentage of drinkers was 35.1%. The main class of medications taken by participants was NSAIDs - 14.5%; 79.7% took neither NSAIDs nor laxatives. Only 2.7% of participants took laxatives regularly. CONCLUSIONS: Most participants had relatively healthy eating habits.     

Supravalvular aortic stenosis and coronary aneurysm]

A 32-year old woman, with endocarditis caused by Streptococcus mitis, and systolic murmur is presented. The Doppler examination was found a systolic gradient of 150 mmHg. Aortography showed a multiple membranous supravalvular aortic stenosis, with aneurysmal dilatation of the left main coronary artery and circumflex artery, associated with bicuspid aortic valve and mild aortic insufficiency. The patient died suddenly by cardiac arrest in stand by to cardiac surgery. Anatomic comprobation was not possible. The coronary artery anomalies associated with the supravalvular aortic stenosis syndrome are reviewed.     

SEOM clinical guidelines for the treatment of follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the second most common subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) in the Western world. FL constitutes the most frequent indolent lymphoma, well characterized by its clinical presentation related to nodal involvement and its morphologic and biologic features. It is often managed as an incurable disease. However, several active therapeutic approaches from the ‘wait and watch” strategy to the allogeneic transplantation are available for management of patients with FL and clearly have changed the natural history of this disease, achieving a long-term disease-free survival. Therapeutic decision is mostly conditioned by patient’s characteristics, stage, histological grade, tumor burden, and risk-predicting factors. This article try to summarizes the diagnosis and treatment of this heterogeneous group of patients.     

Dosimetric Characteristics of the Siemens IGRT Carbon Fiber Tabletop

In this work, the dosimetric characteristics of a new commercial carbon fiber treatment table are investigated. The photon beam attenuation properties of the Siemens image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) tabletop were studied in detail. Two sets of dosimetric measurements were performed. In the first experiment a polystyrene slab phantom was used: the central axis attenuation and the skin-sparing detriment were investigated. In the second experiment, the off-axis treatment table transmission was investigated using a polystyrene cylindrical phantom. Measurements were taken at the isocenter for a 360° rotation of the radiation beam. Our results show that the photon beam attenuation of the Siemens IGRT carbon fiber tabletop varies from a minimum of 2.1% (central axis) to a maximum of 4.6% (120° and 240° beam incidence). The beam entrance dose increases from 82% to 97% of the dose at the depth of maximum for a clinical 6-MV radiation field. The depth of maximum also decreases by 0.4 cm. Despite the wedge cross section of the table the beam attenuation properties of the IGRT tabletop remain constant along the longitudinal direction. American Association of Medical Dosimetrists.     

Copper,Zinc and Lead Enrichments in Sediments from Guacanayabo Gulf,Cuba, and Its Bioaccumulation in Oysters,Crassostrea rhizophorae

Levels of iron, copper, zinc and lead were determined in sediments and soft tissue of the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae collected from Guacanayabo Gulf, Cuba. Metal-to-Iron ratio in sediments shows an average enrichment for Cu (5,1), Pb (11,7) and Zn (1,3) in the last 20 years. Metal concentrations found in soft tissue of C. rhizophorae are site dependent. The average biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) obtained for Fe, Cu and Pb are less than unity in all cases, indicating that only a little fraction of Cu and Pb in the sediments is bioavailable, independently of their enrichments. Zinc has an average BSAF value of 2.4 and may represent a serious impact in the area. The concentrations of zinc and copper in some of the oysters are above typical public health recommended limits.