Quality control validation for exogenous natural surfactant labeled with 99mTc.

Objective: Exogenous natural surfactant (ENS) labeled with 99mTc shows an elevated lung specificity allowing the acquisition of high-quality images for ventilation scintigraphy.

Methods: The methods for 99mTc-ENS quality control (physical properties, pH determination, radiochemical studies, and biologic studies) were evaluated and validated.

Results: The physical properties of the nonradioactive precursor and of the radiopharmaceutical were analyzed as general descriptors of the product.

Different mitogen-mediated Beta-adrenergic receptor modulation in murine T lymphocytes depending on the thyroid status.

Objective: The aim of this work was to analyze beta-adrenergic receptor (betaAR) regulation of T-lymphocyte proliferation in mice according to different thyroid hormone statuses.

Methods: T cells from eu-, hypo- (by propylthiouracil treatment) and hyperthyroid (by thyroxine, T4 administration) mice were purified and specific radioligand binding assays were performed. The effects of the beta-agonist isoproterenol (ISO) on intracellular levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP) were determined.

[Iron metabolism: current concepts of an essential micronutrient].

Iron is an essential micronutrient involved in multiple biochemical and physiological process. In this review we discuss the most relevant aspect of its metabolism in order to reach a better comprehension of the relevant roll that this micronutrient plays in human health.

Stabilized ferrous gluconate as iron source for food fortification: bioavailability and toxicity studies in rats.

The iron bioavailability and acute oral toxicity in rats of a ferrous gluconate compound stabilized with glycine (SFG), designed for food fortification, was studied in this work by means of the prophylactic method and the Wilcoxon method, respectively. For the former studies, SFG was homogeneously added to a basal diet of low iron content, reaching a final iron concentration of 20.1 +/- 2.

Current knowledge of iron metabolism.

Iron plays many roles in human physiology. In this article, we summarize the basic and current knowledge of this essential micronutrient on human metabolism.

Bioavailability of Petit-Suisse cheese as food vehicle for iron fortification estimated by the prophylactic method.

Microencapsulated ferrous sulfate (SFE-171) and ferric orthophosphate in Petit-Suisse cheese were examined for iron bioavailability by the prophylactic method. The iron sources were industrially added to different samples of Petit-Suisse cheese, which were mixed with other food components in our laboratory before use. A reference standard diet inclusive of nonmicroencapsulated ferrous sulfate and a control diet low in iron content were prepared in the laboratory.

Antitumoral activity of a new series of 5,6-dihydrobenzo(a)carbazoles.

The overlapping of three-dimensional structures of 5,6-dihydrobenzo(a)carbazole (DHBC) derivatives over the structure of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OH-TAM), by means of the MDL CHEMLAB 11.0 computational program, shows a reasonable structural and spatial resemblance. This finding raised the hypothesis of their possible antitumoral activity, similar to that of tamoxifen (TAM).

Zinc and iron interactions evaluated between different mineral sources in different nutritional matrixes.

We compared the absorption of BioZn, SFE-171, SO4Fe (reference standard) and SO4Zn (reference standard) alone or in combination in water and in an infant dessert. When mineral interactions were evaluated, zinc and iron were administered in a 1:1 molar relation. There 160 rats divided in 16 groups of 10 animals each which received: SO(4)65Zn, Bio65Zn, SO(4)65Zn + SO4Fe, Bio65Zn + SFE-171, SO(4)59Fe, 59SFE-171, SO(4)59Fe + SO4Zn and 59SFE-171 + BioZn either in water or an infant dessert.

Evidence of Helicobacter sp. in dental plaque of captive dolphins (Tursiops gephyreus).

Gastrointestinal lesions have been extensively reported in wild and captive marine mammals. However, their etiology remains unclear. In humans and other animals, chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers have been associated with Helicobacter sp.

The role of zinc in the growth and development of children.

This review concerns the importance of zinc in growth, development, and cognitive function in children and the deleterious consequences of its deficiency on children's health. Possible strategies to overcome zinc deficiency and the results of some supplementation trials are discussed.

Bioavailability of microencapsulated ferrous sulfate in powdered milk produced from fortified fluid milk: a prophylactic study in rats.

Objective: We investigated the iron bioavailability of microencapsulated ferrous sulfate (SFE-171) in a diet based on powdered milk by using the prophylactic method in rats.

Methods: The SFE-171 was added into fluid milk and industrially processed into powdered milk, which was then mixed in our laboratory with a normalized diet (17.2 +/- 2.

Fortification strategies to combat zinc and iron deficiency.

Food fortification is an important strategy to combat iron and zinc deficiency. This review covers the basic concepts of food fortification, as well as its advantages and disadvantages. The main characteristics of the most common zinc and iron compounds used in this procedure are also analyzed.