MARISA L. ZALLOCCHI^*1, MARIA C. DAMASCO¹, JUAN C. CALVO^1,2, CARLOS P. LANTOS¹, LAURA B. MATKOVIC¹

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.3, pp. 469-477, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.469

Abstract Prior to this work, we found that adrenal as well as extra-adrenal factors activate the response of renal 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 to stressful situations. These results -showing ways through which the organism hinders the pathological occupation of mineralocorticoid receptors by glucocorticoids leading to sodium retention and hypertension- prompted the present study on the nature of the above-mentioned extraadrenal factors. Serotonin was chosen because of its properties as a widely distributed neurohormone, known to interact with glucocorticoids at many sites, also exhibiting increased levels and effects under stressful situations. We studied serotonin effects on 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 activity in a cell… More >

C. DAMBORENEA*, F. BRUSA*, A. PAOLA**

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.3, pp. 457-468, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.457

Abstract Pomacea canaliculata is a common gastropod in freshwater habitats from Central and Northern Argentina, extending northwards into the Amazon basin. Several Platyhelminthes have been reported associated to P. canaliculata, sharing an intimate relationship with this gastropod host. The objectives of this study were to describe the symbiotic species assemblages associated to P. canaliculata in the study area, and to disclose differences among them. Samples were taken in three typical small streams and one artificial lentic lagoon, all connected with the Río de la Plata estuary. The 81.53% were infested with different symbiotic (sensu lato) species. Among the Platyhelminthes, the commensal… More >

ALICIA VIVIANA LAPIERRE, MARIA ELENA ARCE, JOSÉ RAUL LOPEZ, GLADYS MARÍA CIUFFO.

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.3, pp. 447-455, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.447

Abstract Essential hypertension is considered a multifactorial trait resulting from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. The angiotensin II type 1 receptor mediates the vasoconstrictor and growthpromoting effects of Ang II. The A¹¹⁶⁶C polymorphism of the AT₁ receptor gene may be associated with cardiovascular phenotypes, such as high arterial blood pressure, aortic stiffness, and increased cardiovascular risk. We investigated the association between this A¹¹⁶⁶C polymorphism and hypertension in hypertense and normotense subjects from San Luis (Argentina) by mismatch PCR-RFLP analysis. Hypertense patients exhibited significant increases in lipid related values and body mass index. The frequency of occurrence of the C¹¹⁶⁶… More >

ANDREA BOZZO*, CARLOS ALBERTO SOÑEZ*, MARÍA TERESA MUGNAINI*, ISABEL CECILIA PASTORINO*, ALICIA NÉLIDA ROLANDO*, MARÍA CRISTINA ROMANINI*, HÉCTOR FERNANDO GAUNA**

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.3, pp. 439-445, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.439

Abstract Chronic stress by immobilization during gestation can alter several mechanisms that maintain homeostasis in adrenal gland. The aim of this work was to quantify the apoptotic index of adrenal cortex during mid-pregnancy and to prove cytological characteristics by electron microscopy. The apoptotic index did not present significant differences between the adrenal cortex areas of control and experimental rats in any of the three ages studied. The day of gestation influenced significantly on the apoptotic index in both groups. This index increased as gestation progressed. It may be concluded that chronic stress by immobilization might induce the increase of apoptotic index… More >

MARTA B. CASANOVA, LIVIA LUSTIG, EMILCE S. DIAZ, ELIANA H. PELLIZZARI*, SELVA B. CIGORRAGA*, BERTA DENDUCHIS

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.3, pp. 431-438, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.431

Abstract Caveolin-1, the first member of caveolin family reported, is recognized as the structural component of caveola, a plasma membrane invagination or vesicles that are a subcompartment distinct from clathrin-coated pits. This protein is also known to be involved in cholesterol trafficking.
The aim of this study was to determine the expression of caveolin-1 in adult rat Leydig cells. Testis sections incubated with an antibody to caveolin-1 showed, by immunohistochemistry, a moderate number of Leydig cells with different degrees of immunoreaction and a strong reaction in endothelial cells and in the lamina propia of seminiferous tubules. Caveolin-1 was detected in… More >

H.R. CONTRERAS¹, V. PAREDES¹, B. URQUIETA², L. DEL VALLE⁴, E. BUSTOS-OBREGÓN³

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.3, pp. 423-429, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.423

Abstract Parathion® is an organophosphorate pesticide amply used in agriculture. Many alterations induced by organophosphorate pesticides have been described, such as: cytogenetic alterations in germinal cells, oligozoospermia and teratozoospermia in the mouse. The effect of Parathion®, both pure (PP) and commercial (PC), on mouse interstitial cell testosterone production was evaluated in vivo and in vitro. Male mice were intraperitoneally injected with a single dose of 1/3 LD50 of Parathion®, both PP and PC. The animals were sacrificed at 1, 8 and 40 days post injection to evaluate the impact of disrupting testosterone production on spermatogonia, spermatocytes and elongated spermatids. The plasma… More >

P. CORNEJO*, E.L. CAMADRO**, R.W. MASUELLI*

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.3, pp. 413-421, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.413

Abstract The Endosperm Balance Number (EBN) is an important concept for potato breeding and has evolutionary importance in tuber-bearing Solanum species. The EBN is part of the post-zygotic hybridization barriers in the group and represents a reproductive isolating mechanism. Few genes have been proposed to be involved in its genetic control; until now, however, neither specific genes nor its molecular basis have been well established. Histological observations of embryo and endosperm development in inter-EBN crosses in tuber-bearing Solanum revealed phenotypes similar to those recently described in Arabidopsis seed mutants. The common feature between them is that the endosperm nuclei become greatly… More >

MÓNICA S. OLIVELLA, NORA B. DEBATTISTA, NORA B. PAPPANO

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.2, pp. 321-324, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.321

Abstract Considering the skin´s function, different dermal pharmaceutical forms can be developed according to the type of therapeutic activity, active principle and excipients involved in the formulation, such as “transdermal preparations”. In the present study, the permeation parameters of the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug, salicylic acid (SA) through synthetic membrane, polyvinyliden difluoride, and a biological membrane, egg shell membrane, with different vehicles, propylene glycol, isopropyl alcohol and carbopol gel, were determined. The reported physicochemical parameters of SA from CG were significantly higher than those obtained using PG and IP. This is attributed to the lipophilic nature of the vehicle that facilitates the… More >

M. F. IZAGUIRRE, M. N. VERGARA, V. H. CASCO.

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.2, pp. 309-320, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.309

Abstract CAS might have a key role in the apoptosis induced by toxins, acting as anti-apoptotic factor, stimulating the cellular proliferation and the cell contact stabilization. To start to elucidate their role in the brain apoptosis of Bufo arenarum induced by cypermethrin (CY), the expression patterns of CAS and several cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) were established.
Bufo arenarum tadpoles of the control and acute bioassay survival at different doses (39, 156, 625 and 2,500 μg CY/L) and times (24, 48, 72 and 96 h) of CY treatment were fixed in Carnoy, embedded in paraffin and sectioned. CAS and CAMs expression… More >

M.E. RÜTTLER, C.S. YANZÓN, M.J. CUITIÑO, N.F. RENNA, M.A. PIZARRO, A.M. ORTIZ.

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.2, pp. 301-308, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.301

Abstract Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) has been implicated in sporadic diarrhea in children and adults and has been identified as the cause of several outbreaks worldwide. The HEp-2 test remains the gold standard for identification of this pathotype. A 60-65 MDa plasmid encodes the aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAF/I and AAF/II), a transcriptional activator (aggR gene), the enteroaggregative heat-stable enterotoxin EAST1 (astA gene) and a cytotoxin (Pet). The standard assay for EAEC is performed only in research laboratories, because it is expensive, labor intensive and time-consuming. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) offers the possibility of rapid diagnosis. In the current study, a… More >