Role of angiotensin II in experimental Venezuelan equine encephalitis in rats.

Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. The inflammation induced by the VEE virus is associated with a high mortality rate in mice. Angiotensin II (Ang II), a pro-inflammatory molecule, is produced in the normal rat brain.

Increased cytokine/chemokines in serum from asthmatic and non-asthmatic patients with viral respiratory infection.

Background: Respiratory viral infections can induce different cytokine/chemokine profiles in lung tissues and have a significant influence on patients with asthma. There is little information about the systemic cytokine status in viral respiratory-infected asthmatic patients compared with non-asthmatic patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine changes in circulating cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5) and chemokines (MCP1: monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and RANTES: regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted) in patients with an asthmatic versus a non-asthmatic background with respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus or adenovirus respiratory infection.

[Prevalence of cytomegalovirus infection in pediatric patients with neurological disorders in Zulia state, Venezuela (2007-2008)].

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in pediatric patients with neurological disorders from Zulia State, Venezuela, during the period 2007-2008. Samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum were obtained from 186 patients with neurological symptoms and bacteriological negative CSF. The albumin CSF/serum content was determined to rule out contamination of CSF and optimal pairs were determined by ELISA of IgM and IgG anti-CMV antibodies in serum and IgG in CSF.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection increases regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 levels in serum of patients with asthma and in human monocyte cultures.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is associated to episodic exacerbations of asthma involving alveolar macrophages and chemokine production.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the circulating levels of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), and substance P (SP) in patients with and without asthma with acute respiratory RSV infection and the chemokine profile in RSV- infected monocyte cultures from normal individuals and individuals with asthma.

Methods: In this regard, 31 adult patients with acute respiratory infection (15 patients with asthma) were studied.

Efficient synthesis and free-radical scavenging capacity of new 2,4-substituted tetrahydroquinolines prepared via BiCl₃-catalyzed three-component Povarov reaction, using N-vinylamides.

Efficient synthesis of new structurally different 2-(het)aryl-4-amidyl-substituted tetrahydroquinolines 8-29 is reported. The synthesis based on BiCl(3)-catalyzed three-component Povarov reaction between anilines, (het)aryl aldehydes and enamides offers a fast, safe, and cheap way for efficient tetrahydroquinoline libraries construction. Using N-vinylamides (N-vinylpyrrolidin-2-one and N-vinylacetamide) in this reaction, it was possible to obtain two series of different cis tetrahydroquinolines with antioxidant properties.

[Viral etiology of acute respiratory infections].

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are pathologies that affect the respiratory tract from the proximal pharynx to the lungs, with an evolution of less than 15 days. They constitute the most frequent cause of morbimortality in the world. With the purpose of identifying the viral agents associated to this type of infections in patients of Zulia State, Venezuela, between February 2005 and July 2006, a total of 102 samples of the respiratory tract (oropharyngeal swab, nasopharyngeal swab, nasopharyngeal washing, spit and bronchoalveolar lavage) were studied.

[Increase of interleukin-1 beta, gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor alpha in serum and brain of mice infected with the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus].

Considerable efforts have been directed to clarify the main protective and recovery mechanisms in acute viral infections and, the possible role of the cytokines involved in the primary immune response induced by an epizootic strain of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE) virus. This study examined the levels of TH1 cytokines Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), TH2 cytokines Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, TNF-alpha) in serum and brain of mice infected with the VEE virus during different post infection periods. NMRI albino male mice infected with a suspension (10 DL50) of the Guajira strain of the VEE virus, and a control group (without infection) were used.