Urine analysis using FTIR spectroscopy: A study on healthy adults and children

Urine spectra from 108 healthy volunteers are studied by attenuated total refraction-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. The spectral features are correlated with observable urine components. The variation of spectra within a healthy population is quantified and a library of reference spectra is constructed. Using the band assignments, these spectra are compared with both age-wise and gender-wise. Children show the least intensity variations compared to both adult groups. Young adults show the highest variation, particularly in the 1650 to 1400 cm⁻¹ and 1200 to 900 cm⁻¹ regions. These results indicate the importance of the size of the control group in comparative studies utilizing FTIR. Age-wise comparisons reveal that phosphate and sulfate excretion decreases with age, and that the variance of phosphate among individuals is higher with adults. As for gender-wise comparisons, females show a slightly higher citrate content at 1390 cm⁻¹ regardless of the age and they show a higher variance in the 1200 to 1000 cm⁻¹ region when compared to men.     

Neuromediator adaptation of the cerebral cortex and brain stem structures after radiation exposure]

In experiments with male Wistar rats a decreased receptor binding of 3H-corticosterone and impairment of neuromediator adaptation in the brain structures responsible for the regulation of animal and vegetative functions were observed 6 months after the effect of external radiation (0.5 Gy) and a mixture of external radiation and 131I (6.5 microCi/kg). These processes, being partly arrested by neurotropin, lay the neurochemical basis for the development of diencephalic syndrome.     

Imagerie moléculaire nucléaire des paragangliomes

Paragangliomas (PGL) are relatively rare neural crest tumors originating in the adrenal medulla (usually called pheochromocytoma), chemoreceptors (i.e., carotid and aortic bodies) or autonomic ganglia. These tumors are highly vascular, usually benign and slow-growing. PGL may occur as sporadic or familial entities, the latter mostly in association with germline mutations of the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) B, SDHC, SDHD, SDH5, von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), ret proto-oncogene (RET), neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) (von Recklinghausen's disease), prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 (PHD2) genes and TMEM127. Molecular nuclear imaging has a central role in characterization of PGL and include: somatostatine receptor imaging (¹¹¹In, ⁶⁸Ga), MIBG scintigraphy (¹³¹I, ¹²³I), ¹⁸F-dihydroxyphenylalanine (¹⁸F-DOPA) positron emission tomography (PET), and ¹⁸F-deoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) PET. The choice of the tracer is not yet fully established but the work-up of familial forms often require the combination of multiple approaches.     

Changes in maize-stalk proteins during ear development

Although the stalk of maize ( Zea mays L.) functions as a reservoir for N, little is known of qualitative changes which accompany the remobilization of N to the developing ear. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that certain stalk proteins were lost, whereas others were not. The removal of ears and the prevention of pollination eliminated the selective protein loss. The use of ¹⁵N labelling showed that some stalk-protein fractions turned over faster with ear development, whereas the turnover of others was unchanged or slowed. The data indicate that at least 7 proteins function as temporary storage forms of N in the stalk, and that they are degraded during the first 3 weeks after silking to provide organic N for ear development.     

The ACE gene D/I polymorphism as a modulator of severity of cystic fibrosis

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a monogenic disease with complex expression because of the action of genetic and environmental factors. We investigated whether the ACE gene D/I polymorphism is associated with severity of CF. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed, from 2009 to 2011, at University of Campinas - UNICAMP. We analyzed 180 patients for the most frequent mutations in the CFTR gene, presence of the ACE gene D/I polymorphism and clinical characteristics of CF. RESULTS: There was an association of the D/D genotype with early initiation of clinical manifestations (OR: 1.519, CI: 1.074 to 2.146), bacterium Burkholderia cepacia colonization (OR: 3.309, CI: 1.476 to 6.256) and Bhalla score (BS) (p = 0.015). The association was observed in subgroups of patients which were defined by their CFTR mutation genotype (all patients; subgroup I: no mutation detected; subgroup II: one CFTR allele identified to mutation class I, II or III; subgroup III: both CFTR alleles identified to mutation class I, II and/or III). CONCLUSION: An association between the D allele in the ACE gene and the severity of CF was found in our study.     

The ultrastructure of the thyroid medullary carcinoma

The ultrastructure and the morphometrical pattern of secretory granules were studied in six cases of thyroid medullary carcinoma. The tumor cells were fusiform or polyhedral with irregular, mostly elongated nuclei. Phagolysosomes containing a crystalloid material, probably degraded lipoprotein complexes, degeneratively changed mitochondria, moderately developed rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complexes were commonly found. Amyloid occurred as small fibrils in intercellular spaces. Marked dystrophic lesions of tumor cells surrounding amyloid fibrils were found. Numerous roundshaped electron-dense secretory granules were noticed in tumor cell cytoplasms. The morphometrical analysis showed that the size of granules oscillated between 60 and 450 nm with mean values ranging from 171.4 +/- 31.8 to 227.7 +/- 28.1 nm. Frequency distribution curves showed at least two peaks varying with the investigated case at different intervals. In two cases two distinct groups of granules were found within the same cells: one group of electron-dense, compact, smaller sized granules and another group of larger, finely granulated, less dense granules. In the other four cases the granule sizes were more homogeneous. These results might indicate that the granule size depends on the maturation degree and functional activity or that there are several kinds of granules specialized in the secretion of various substances.     

Early effects of the influence of ionizing radiation in relatively small doses on the neuromediator systems responding to the central regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal cortex system

In experiments with mature Wistar male rats changes of mediator interrelations in different brain parts, responsible for the central regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical system, were detected at early times after whole-body X-irradiation with a dose of 12.9 mC/kg. These changes represent one of the major mechanisms leading, at later times after irradiation, to the development of syndromes related to diencephalic disturbances.     

Ultrastructural pathology of the adrenal gland in Cushing's syndrome

The ultrastructural pathology of the adrenal glands was studied in fifteen cases of Cushing's syndrome. Some specific features correlated with the pathological aspects of adrenals were found. In the hyperplastic adrenal cortex the cytoplasms contained a rich smooth endoplasmic reticulum and many mitochondria. Increased lipid-pigment complexes were found especially in the compact cells. In adenomas, the clear cells showed large lipid vacuoles; the compact cells presented anisomorphous mitochondria, a well developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum and many pigment bodies. The nuclei of adenomatous cells were irregular, with deep invaginations. In adrenal carcinomas, the pleomorphism of nuclei, nucleoli, mitochondria, and smooth endoplasmic reticulum was more obvious. Absolutely reliable characteristics proving malignancy at ultrastructural level do not, however, exist. The steroidogenic activity of both hyperplastic and tumoral adrenal glands can be assessed using the agranular endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria as functional parameters.