0000000000040510
AUTHOR
José María Vila
Aprendiendo de forma cooperativa a través del método científico
[EN] Usually, students tend to divide tasks unequally when they have to work in groups, everyone prepares a part of the manuscript and later they bind all parts together and deliver it. In this way, learning is fragmented and the desired goal is not achieved: to work cooperatively. In our experience we proposed students to work as a group of scientists. From a brief background they had to write an introduction, design a protocol using the indicated experimental technique and finally they had to speculate and discuss on the expected results. The activity should have raised the cooperation among all group members, because the correct understanding of a section required of the understanding of…
Contractile effects of arginine analogues on human internal thoracic and radial arteries
Abstract Objectives: Plasma levels of endogenous guanidino-substituted analogues of L -arginine are increased in various pathologic conditions. In the present study we determined the effects of some of these compounds on basal and stimulated release of nitric oxide in human internal thoracic and radial arteries. Methods: Rings of human internal thoracic and radial arteries were obtained from 16 multiorgan donors. The rings were suspended in organ baths for isometric recording of tension. Results: N G -monomethyl L -arginine (10 –6 to 10 –3 mol/L) and N G ,N G -dimethyl L -arginine (10 –6 to 10 –3 mol/L) caused concentration- and endothelium-dependent contractions. Maximal force of contracti…
Tyrosine Phosphorylation Modulates the Vascular Responses of Mesenteric Arteries from Human Colorectal Tumors
The aim of this study was to analyze whether tyrosine phosphorylation in tumoral arteries may modulate their vascular response. To do this, mesenteric arteries supplying blood flow to colorectal tumors or to normal intestine were obtained during surgery and prepared for isometric tension recording in an organ bath. Increasing tyrosine phosphorylation with the phosphatase inhibitor, sodium orthovanadate produced arterial contraction which was lower in tumoral than in control arteries, whereas it reduced the contraction to noradrenaline in tumoral but not in control arteries and reduced the relaxation to bradykinin in control but not in tumoral arteries. Protein expression of VEGF-A and of th…
Relaxant and antiadrenergic effects of ranolazine in human saphenous vein.
Abstract OBJECTIVES Ranolazine improves vascular function in animal models. We evaluate the effects of ranolazine on vascular function and adrenergic response in human saphenous vein. METHODS Rings from 53 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were mounted in organ baths. Concentration–response curves to ranolazine were constructed in rings precontracted with phenylephrine, endothelin-1, vasopressin, KCl and the thromboxane A2 analogue U-46619. In rings precontracted with phenylephrine, relaxation to ranolazine was tested in the absence and presence of endothelial factors inhibitors, K+ channel blockers and verapamil. The effects of ranolazine on frequency–response and concent…
Diseño de una rúbrica para evaluar trabajos en grupo: revisión y reflexión
[EN] Rubrics are scoring guides that, when done right, offer teachers some advantages while qualifying. Our experience consisted in elaborate a rubric to evaluate the group work and analyze the qualifications obtained, broken down by sections and compare them with weight given to each section within the rubric. The aim of our study was to analyze whether the rubric used was discriminatory, as well as, to detect strengths and weaknesses in the designed rubric. The results showed a wide range of qualifications once evaluated with our rubric. 80% of rubric featured well-defined descriptors and of the remaining 20%, 10% was evaluated by students and the other 10% was too subjective because eval…
Endothelin action on goat cerebral arteries.
Abstract Cumulative application of endothelin-1 (human) markedly constricted goat isolated cerebral arteries in a concentration-dependent manner. Contractile responses were not affected by removal of endothelial cells. Removal of extracellular calcium or addition of the calcium channel blocker nicardipine (10−7 M) failed to abolish responses to endothelin. The results suggest that the endothelium-independent constriction of cerebral arteries produced by endothelin cannot be explained solely by voltage-dependent calcium channels. The contractile responses are likely to be mediated by stimulation of specific receptors for this peptide.
Potentiation by vasopressin of adrenergic vasoconstriction in the rat isolated mesenteric artery
1. The aim of the present study was to investigate in rat mesenteric artery rings whether low concentrations of vasopressin could modify the contractile responses to noradrenaline and electrical stimulation of perivascular nerves. 2. Vasopressin (10[10]-10[-7] M) caused concentration-dependent contractions (pD2 = 8.36+/-0.09). The V1-receptor antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (10[-9]-10[-8] M) produced parallel rightward shifts of the control curve for vasopressin. Schild analysis yielded a pA2 value of 9.83 with a slope of 1.10+/-0.14. 3. Vasopressin (3 x 10[-10] and 10[-9] M) caused concentration-dependent potentiation of the contractions elicited by electrical stimulation (2-8 Hz; 0.2 ms dura…
Enhancement by vasopressin of adrenergic responses in human mesenteric arteries.
Vasopressin not only acts directly on blood vessels through V1-receptor stimulation but also may modulate adrenergic-mediated responses in animal experiments in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether subpressor concentrations of vasopressin could modify the constrictor responses to norepinephrine and electrical stimulation of the perivascular nerves in human mesenteric arteries. Human mesenteric artery rings (3-3.5 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm OD) were obtained from 38 patients undergoing abdominal operations. The arterial rings were suspended in organ bath chambers for isometric recording of tension. Vasopressin (3 x 10(-11) M) enhanced the contractions elicited…
Effects of photodynamic therapy in periodontal treatment: A randomized, controlled clinical trial
Aim To evaluate the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the nonsurgical treatment of chronic periodontitis. Materials and methods A randomized, single-blind, controlled, parallel-group clinical trial was performed. Sixty patients were enrolled: 20 healthy controls and 40 patients with periodontitis. The 40 patients were randomized for scaling and root planing (SRP) or SRP+PDT. Periodontal (plaque index, probing depth, clinical recession, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and gingival crevicular fluid volume, corresponding to 381 vs 428 critical sites), microbiological (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema dentico…
Effects of vasopressin on human renal arteries
The effects of vasopressin were studied in isolated rings from branches (2-3 mm in external diameter) of human renal arteries obtained from 18 patients undergoing nephrectomy for non-obstructive neoplasia. In arterial rings under resting tension, vasopressin produced concentration-dependent and endothelium-independent contractions with an EC 50 of 9.1 x 10 -10 mol L -1 . The vasopressin V 1 receptor antagonist d(CH 2 ) 5 Tyr(Me)AVP (10 -6 mol L -1 ) displaced the control curve to vasopressin 564-fold to the right in a parallel manner. In precontracted arterial rings and previously treated with the V 1 antagonist (10 -6 mol L -1 ) vasopressin caused endothelium-independent relaxation. The re…
Influence of endothelial nitric oxide on neurogenic contraction of human pulmonary arteries.
The present study was designed to investigate the contribution of the endothelium and that of the L-arginine pathway on the contractile responses of isolated human pulmonary arteries to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and noradrenaline. Isometric tension was measured in artery rings obtained from portions of human lung after thoracic surgery for removal of lung carcinoma (18 patients). Electrical field stimulation (EFS) induced frequency-dependent contractions of isolated human pulmonary arteries which were abolished by tetrodotoxin, guanethidine and prazosin (all at 10(-6) M). The increases in tension were of greater magnitude in arteries denuded of endothelium. NG-nitro-L-arginine meth…
Endothelial dysfunction in morbid obesity.
Morbid obesity is a chronic multifunctional disease characterized by an accumulation of fat. Epidemiological studies have shown that obesity is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Endothelial dysfunction, as defined by an imbalance between relaxing and contractile endothelial factors, plays a central role in the pathogenesis of these cardiometabolic diseases. Diminished bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) contributes to endothelial dysfunction and impairs endothelium- dependent vasodilatation. But this is not the only mechanism that drives to endothelial dysfunction. Obesity has been associated with a chronic inflammatory process, atherosclerosis, and oxidative stress. …
Relaxation of human isolated mesenteric arteries by vasopressin and desmopressin.
1. The effects of vasopressin and deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP, desmopressin) were studied in artery rings (0.8-1 mm in external diameter) obtained from portions of human omentum during the course of abdominal operations (27 patients). 2. In arterial rings under resting tension, vasopressin produced concentration-dependent, endothelium-independent contractions with an EC50 of 0.59 +/- 0.12 nM. The V1 antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (1 microM) and the mixed V1-V2 antagonist desGly-d(CH2)5D-Tyr(Et)ValAVP (0.01 microM) displaced the control curve to vasopressin to the right in a parallel manner without differences in the maximal responses. In the presence of indomethacin (1 microM) the…
Unchanged plasma levels of dimethylarginines and nitric oxide in chronic hepatitis C.
Previous studies have shown that asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and nitric oxide (NO) play a prominent role in liver dysfunction. The objective of this study was to determine whether plasma levels of ADMA, SDMA and NO are altered in patients with chronic hepatitis C.Plasma levels of ADMA, SDMA and NO (nitrite plus nitrate) were measured in 22 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 24 patients with sustained virologic response after treatment with peginterferon plus ribavirin. Seven healthy volunteers served as controls.Plasma levels of ADMA, SDMA and NO were not significantly different between groups: chronic hepatitis C, ADMA 0.55+/-0.06, SDMA 0.22+/-0…
Comparative effects of dilator drugs on human penile dorsal artery and deep dorsal vein
The present study was designed to characterize the response of human penile dorsal artery and deep dorsal vein to dilator drugs used in the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction with special emphasis on the effects on sympathetic neurotransmission. Ring segments of penile dorsal artery and deep dorsal vein were obtained from 20 multi-organ donors during procurement of organs for transplantation. The rings (3 ;mm long) were suspended in organ bath chambers for isometric recording of tension. We then studied the relaxant responses to prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), papaverine (PV), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and linsidomine chlorhydrate (SIN-1), and ana…