Environmental chemicals may be involved in the etiology of breast cancers. Many studies have addressed the association between cancer in humans and agricultural pesticide exposure. Organophosphorous pesticides have been used extensively to control mosquito plagues. Parathion and malathion are organophosphorous pesticides extensively used to control a wide range of sucking and chewing pests of field crops, fruits, and vegetables. They have many structural similarities with naturally occurring compounds, and their primary target of action in insects is the nervous system; they inhibit the release of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase at the synaptic junction. Eserine, parathion, and malathion are cholinesterase inhibitors responsible for the hydrolysis of body choline esters, including acetylcholine at cholinergic synapses. Atropine, a parasympatholytic alkaloid, is used as an antidote to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. The aim of this study was to examine whether pesticides were able to induce malignant transformation of the rat mammary gland and to determine whether alterations induced by these substances increase the cholinergic activation influencing such transformation. These results showed that eserine, parathion, and malathion increased cell proliferation of terminal end buds of the 44-day-old mammary gland of rats, followed by formation of 8.6, 14.3, and 24.3% of mammary carcinomas, respectively, after about 28 months. At the same time, acetylcholinesterase activity decreased in the serum of these animals from 9.78 +/- 0.78 U/mL in the control animals to 3.05 +/- 0.06 U/mL; 2.57 +/- 0.15 U/mL; and 3.88 +/- 0.44 U/mL in the eserine-, parathion-, and malathion-treated groups, respectively. However, atropine alone induced a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the acetylcholinesterase activity from the control value of 9.78 +/- 0.78 to 4.38 +/- 0.10 for atropine alone, to 1.32 +/- 0.06 for atropine in combination with eserine, and 2.39 +/- 0.29 for atropine with malathion, and there was no mammary tumor formation. These results indicate that organophosphorous pesticides induce changes in the epithelium of mammary gland influencing the process of carcinogenesis, and such alterations occur at the level of nervous system by increasing the cholinergic stimulation.

To explore the possibility that specific characteristics of the epithelium of the male tract can be modified, transfections of the mouse vas deferens have been performed using in vivo injections of cationic DNA/liposome complexes. Gene transfer was done employing the reporter genes pEGFP-C1 encoding Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) and pCMV-nls-beta encoding the nuclear beta-Galactosidase (beta-Gal). Foreign gene expression reached a maximum of 6.8% in the epithelial cells of the vas after treatment with the nuclear beta-Gal gene construction and of 13.3% after employing the GFP gene construction. Expression of the GFP gene appeared from one week up to three months following injection, and it appeared as patches of modified cells along the epithelium. Results from immunocytochemistry and Western Blotting support the conclusion that transfection of epithelial cells was achieved. We have also transfected the vas using gene constructions that express secretory proteins--specifically, the reporter system pSEAP-control that expresses a secretory form of human placental alkaline phosphatase, and the pGFP-Ctk-37 that expresses a secretion form of GFP. In both cases, the fluids expressed from the transfected vas showed a significant increase of alkaline phosphatase activity after pSEAP transfection and the presence of GFP protein when pGFP-Ctk-37 gene construction was employed. Our results indicate that the vas can be transfected in vivo using liposomes as vectors of foreign genes and that the vas fluid contents can be modified.

Morphol., 35(4):1351Morphol., 35(4): -1358Morphol., 35(4): , 2017. SUMMARY:Ultrasound is one of the most used tools in physiotherapy, its LIPUS modality allows to treat musculoskeletal injuries, but like the conventional ultrasound it is contraindicated its application in areas close to growth cartilage by a possible closure of this one. In the literature there is no conclusive evidence of this contraindication, so the objective of the present study is to evaluate the effects of doses equivalent to underwater LIPUS on the histomorphometry of the proximal tibial epiphysis growth plate in an animal model. LIPUS was applied in underwater mode in the right pelvic limb to 8 mice in p 15 for 4 days, 2 times a day. On completion of 8 sessions the histology of the stimulated limb growth plate was sacrificed and the histology. When evaluating the histomorphometry of the plaque, a significant increase in the thickness and area of the proliferative zone stimulated with LIPUS (p = 0.048) was observed. In the hypertrophic area were observed no significant differences in thickness or areas, but in the hypertrophic area there were significant changes in the histological organization, observing a significant increase of the entire columns in the stimulated plaque (p = 0.04). LIPUS in underwater modality modifies the histomorphometry of the proximal epiphyseal PC of the tibia of rodents in the late postnatal stage, promoting proliferation and columnar organization in the proliferative and hypertrophic zone, respectively.

se utiliza para diagnosticar el trastorno por déficit atencional/ hiperactividad (TDAH) en niños del Liceo Agrícola "José Abelardo Núñez", ubicado en San Miguel de Azapa, Arica, Chile, con el propósito de desarrollar estrategias de diagnóstico precoz para prevenir este trastorno, que se asocia frecuentemente a conductas de alto riesgo, como el uso de sustancias adictivas. Las niñas y varones aymarás obtuvieron puntajes significativamente menores en comparación con los niños pertenecientes a la población no aymará. Se discuten las implicaciones genéticas, antropológicas y culturales de este hallazgo, concluyendo que posiblemente tenga como causa una interacción entre factores culturales y genéticos en concordancia con la etiología multifactorial que en general se asigna al TDAH. Palabras claves: niños aymarás, baja prevalencia de trastornos déficit atencional/hiperactividad, etiología multifactorial. The distribution of scores on the Conners Scale which is used to diagnose attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is studied in children of the "José Abelardo Núñez" school of San Miguel de Azapa, Arica, Chile with the purpose of developing early diagnostic strategies to prevent ADHD which is frequently associated with high risk conducts, like the use of addictive substances. Aymara girls and boys rated significantly lower when compared to non-Aymará children. The genetic, anthropological and cultural implications of these findings are discussed, concluding that an interaction of cultural and genetic factors is probably responsible for our findings in agreement with the multifactorial etiology generally assigned to ADHD.

El guayacán es una especie endémica que se distribuye en las regiones de clima mediterráneo árido, semiárido y subhúmedo de Chile. Actualmente, en la región árida existen aproximadamente 15,3 mil hectáreas de formaciones vegetales con presencia del guayacán. Debido a la sobreexplotación sin normas de manejo a que han sido sometidas para la obtención de madera para energía y artesanía; como asimismo al sobrepastoreo, su condición actual es de vulnerabilidad. Este árbol goza de gran prestigio en el ámbito artesanal por las delicadas figuras que se realizan con su madera. Sin embargo, la creciente falta de materia prima hace cada vez más difícil esta actividad. Por tal motivo, con el propósito de recuperar las formaciones naturales de guayacán, dentro del contexto de un proyecto financiado por la FIA, durante el invierno del 2005 se establecieron ensayos en cinco localidades de la región de clima mediterráneo árido, donde se intervinieron cuatro tipos de hábito de la especie: camefitizado, arbustivo, plurifustal y monofustal. En cada uno de ellos se realizaron dos tipos de intervenciones silviculturales: 1) cortas intermedias (clareos y podas) con el propósito de mejorar las condiciones de crecimiento de los ejemplares inmaduros; 2) cortas totales (a la altura del tocón y a un tercio de la altura de los ejemplares) para determinar la capacidad de rebrote luego de la cosecha. Además, en la localidad más extrema en términos de aridez se instalaron dispositivos individuales para cosecha de aguas lluvia. Las evaluaciones se realizan trimestralmente sobre la base de la elongación de brotes preseleccionados, como respuesta a clareos y podas; y cantidad y desarrollo de rebrote, en el caso de las cortas totales.