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ide; protein kinase C; angiotensin converting enzyme; mesangial cell; diabetic nephropathy. Background. Oxidative stress is considered to play a role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE ) inhibitors are hypotensive drugs with a well-known effect in pre- Introduction venting the progression of chronic renal failure. Their mechanism of action is not clearly established. Several factors (growth hormone, insulin-like growth Methods. The effect of enalaprilat on hydrogen perox- factor-1, transforming growth factor-beta, tumour necide (H 2 O 2 ) production by cultured murine mesangial rosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 and others) play a role cells exposed to 5.5 (basal condition), 30 and 50 mM in the damaging effects of hyperglycaemia in chronic glucose concentrations was examined over 8 h. A fluo- renal failure of diabetic nephropathy [1,2]. rimetric method quantifying, in arbitrary units, the Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and other reactive intracellular dichlorofluorescein ( DCFH) oxidation to oxygen metabolites ( ROM) such as superoxide anion the highly fluorescent compound 2’7’dichlorofluoresc- and hydroxyl radical are also mediators of tissue injury ein (DCF ) from the non‐fluorescent probe dichloro- [3]. These reactive species are associated with both fluorescein-diacetate (DCFH-DA) was employed (a immune and non-immune glomerular injury [4,5], method not previously reported for cultured mesangial chronic progression of renal disease [5,6] and also with cells). Experiments were repeated three times in quad- diabetic vascular complications [3,7]. However, little ruplicate wells. information exists regarding a possible role of mesangResults. H 2 O 2 production by mesangial cells exposed ial cell in ROM production in diabetes mellitus. to 50 mM glucose was significantly increased after 1 Recently a significant lipid peroxide production in h, compared to cells exposed to 5.5 and 30 mM glucose. cultured rat glomeruli exposed to high glucose concenThis observation was not reproduced with 50 mM trations has been reported. The proposed biochemical mannitol. Addition of 100 ng/ml enalaprilat to cells pathway is a de novo synthesis of diacylglycerol with 50 mM glucose significantly inhibited H 2 O 2 pro- resulting from hyperglycaemia, leading to an activation duction during the 8 h of the assay. This response was of the protein kinase C ( PKC ) enzyme [8 ]. similar to that obtained with 100 ng/ml catalase. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE ) inhibitors Increasing enalaprilat concentrations (10, 50 and are drugs with significant clinical benefits in the preven100 ng/ml ) also significantly decreased the constitutive tion of chronic renal failure in diabetic nephropathy H 2 O 2 generation in the presence of 5.5 mM glucose. [9]. The mechanism of renal protection, which appears not to be fully related to their hypotensive effect

Metastases from infraclavicular neoplasms to the oral cavity are rare, and the anatomical structures most frequently affected are the maxillae. The primary sites that develop metastases to head and neck include lung, breast, liver, thyroid gland, kidney and melanomas, among others. The breast is one of the usual primary regions that can present them. In the literature, most metastases to these regions correspond to squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas; few studies report other type of neoplasms such as phyllodes tumour (PT) that present this behaviour. The importance of identifying metastatic disease to the oral cavity, be it as the first manifestation of a neoplasm from unknown origin or as a development in the course of the disease, is that it allows determination of adequate treatment, which has an effect on the patient's prognosis. The usual behaviour of PT is frequent recurrence and, when metastases are present, these are to lungs and bone. Two cases of malignant PT metastasising to tongue and lip are presented, as well as a review of the literature.

Since 2006 projects have been carried out in the Universidad Nacional de Tucuman to introduce Telemedicine in the Provincial System of Health (SIPROSA) in Tucuman, Argentina. These projects aim at improving accessibility to remote populations, providing equity and avoiding costly and unnecessary transfers as well as helping early diagnosis and treatments, timely and appropriate referrals. On the other hand, this consultation has already been set up within the SIPROSA with the application of the system of reference and counter- reference for several years. By applying Telemedicine it is possible to accelerate the times and make this more efficient. This paper presents a prototype Web application for performing consultation in dermatology. These were conducted by professionals in Ranchillos, a small town within the Province, together with specialists from the capital city. After the experience, it can be said that the teledermatological application of the platform has been well received by physicians and dermatologists of rural areas, especially because the interfaces could be adjusted to their requirements. The physicians consider it a useful tool to complete the process of referral and counter-referral.

Endovenous rHu-EPO treatment by a constant and low dosage is as effective as in a variable and increasing way. We have seen an important differentiated effect on iron stores: Variable dosage may decrease iron stores whereas this is not seen in the former.

A method is described for the isolation and purification of the intracellular amastigotes ofTrypanosoma cruzi from cultured Vero cells. Host cells were infected with metacyclic forms obtained in Grace's medium. Six days after infection, the cells were subjected to treatment with trypsin to obtain the intracellular forms. The parasites were collected and purified by Percoll discontinuous gradient centrifugation.

Results are presented on the effects of human lymphoblastoid interferon (HUIFN-α-ly) on the infectivity of metacyclic culture forms of Trypanosoma cruzi in HeLa cells. When cells were pretreated with interferon the parasitisation ratios of the cultures increased with respect to controls. This phenomenon also occurs when interferon was added during the period of parasite-cell interaction. When parasites were pretreated with interferon but cells were not, no increase in the parasitisation ratios was observed.

Excerpt To the editor: We read with interest the report by Lakhanpal and associates (1) about transient regional osteoporosis. We agree with the clinical description of the syndrome, but wish to po...