Carlos Gustavo Vásquez Peláez

Aqueous Humor Endothelin-1 (Et-1), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) levels in Mexican Glaucomatous Patients

Purpose: To evaluate the concentration of endothelin-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cyclooxygenase-2 in aqueous humor from normal and glaucomatous human patients. Material and Methods: Concentrations of these proteins were measured using ELISA kits in 83 patients (30 presenting for cataract surgery and 53 with glaucoma). Results: Endothelin-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cyclooxygenase-2 were detected in all samples. The ages of the patients with glaucoma (64.51 ± 17.51 years) and cataracts subjects (59.30 ± 19.15 years) were similar. The endothelin-1 concentration in cataracts patients (48.55 ± 9.50 pg/ml) was statistically different when compared to endothelin-1 concentration in aqueous humor from primary open-angle glaucoma (107.94 ± 12.20 pg/ml) and neovascular glaucoma (114.68 ± 25.50 pg/ml) (p < 0.05). No statistical difference was observed in normal tension glaucoma group (69.14 ± 52.80 pg/ml) (p > 0.05). Vascular endothelial growth factor concentration was higher in neovascular glaucoma (81.84 ± 6.40 pg/ml), being the difference statistically significant when compared with the other groups (p < 0.0001). Cyclooxygenase-2 levels showed no statistical difference between cataract groups and any other glaucoma group (p > 0.05). No effect of age, gender, or previously medication of aqueous humor concentration of these proteins could be detected (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In this study we observed increased levels of endothelin-1 in aqueous humor from patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and neovascular glaucoma, and increased levels of vascular endothelial growth factor only in neovascular glaucoma patients, raising a possible connection between endothelin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor in the role of some types of glaucoma. Regarding cyclooxygenase-2 levels detected, perhaps indicate that low values of cyclooxygenase-2 are necessary for normal functions of the eye.

Desarrollo embrionario y posembrionario en líneas white leghorn seleccionadas para eclosión lenta y rápida

El presente estudio se realizo utilizando lineas de aves de la raza White Leghom seleccionadas para eclosion, lenta y rapida, despues de 11 generaciones esta diferencia es de 4a hs como resultado de la seleccion. El desarrollo embrionario se midio en peso y longitud del embrion durante los primeros 14 dias de incubacion. Se encontraron diferencias significativas (P <0.05) entre todas las lineas mostrando que los embriones de la linea seleccionada a precocidad desarrollaron mas rapidamente que los embriones seleccionados a lenta eclocion. El crecimiento posembrionario fue estudiado con base en peso corporal y ganancia de peso desde la eclosion b.sta la sexta semana de edad, y se observaron diferencias significativas (P <0.05) entre lineas en el mismo orden que en el crecimiento embrionario.