RESUMEN: El objetivo de esta investigación fue estudiar la actividad a nivel bioquímico y molecular de enzimas del estrés oxidativo en plantas de tomate cv. Mariela cultivadas con diferentes concentraciones de plomo (0, 50 y 100 mg kg-1 de PbAc2). Para la actividad bioquímica, se seleccionaron las enzimas superóxido dismutasa (SOD) y glutatión reductasa (GR); además, se determinó la concentración de proteínas. La actividad molecular se estudió mediante PCR en tiempo real para tres genes: SOD, isoflavona reductasa (IFR) y proteína tumoral controlada transcripcionalmente (TCTP). En hojas y tallos hubo diferencias significativas en las proteínas comparadas con el control. La GR mostró que en hojas la mayor actividad se logró a 50 mg kg-1 de PbAc2, mientras que en tallos hubo diferencias con el control. En hojas y tallos la menor actividad de la SOD fue al utilizar PbAc2. La expresión de los tres genes en hojas fue mayor con PbAc2 y en tallos varió.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this research was to study the activity at biochemical and molecular level of oxidative stress enzymes in tomato plants cv. Mariela grown with different concentrations of lead (0, 50 and 100 mg kg-1 of PbAc2). For the biochemical activity, the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) were selected; in addition, the protein concentration was determined. Molecular activity was studied by real-time PCR for three genes: SOD, isoflavone reductase (IFR), and transcriptionally controlled tumor protein (TCTP). In leaves and stems there were significant differences in proteins compared to the control. The GR showed that in leaves the highest activity was achieved at 50 mg kg-1 of PbAc2, while in stems there were differences with the control. In leaves and stems, the lowest SOD activity was when using PbAc2. The expression of the three genes in leaves was higher with PbAc2 and in stems it varied.

ABSTRACT Ethical dilemmas regarding end-of-life care are the most delicate and important in contemporary medical practice; this care goes beyond the field of bioethics due to legal, social, cultural and religious implications. Regardless of the universality of bioethical postulates, they must be contextualized taking into account the characteristics of each nation. The demographic and epidemiological panorama of Cuba makes the problem behave similarly to the developed world, which motivated us to make a theoretical approach to the practice of limiting the therapeutic effort. For this purpose, we start from the ethical principles of Cuban nationality, the social-demographic scenario, the current legal framework and the health policy in the context of the economic transformations that the country is experiencing. This therapeutic strategy is not related to euthanasia and it allows dysthanasia to be removed from the clinical setting. At the same time, it constitutes a starting point towards palliative care with an economic impact and in the efficient organization of potentially beneficial health services. There is a favorable movement in the national literature regarding this medical practice; but the main weakness in the country is the lack of a legal framework that condemns dysthanasia and it recognizes the limitation of therapeutic effort as the measure that avoids it.

RESUMEN Los dilemas éticos respecto al cuidado al final de la vida son los más delicados e importantes en la práctica médica contemporánea; rebasan el campo de la bioética por sus implicaciones legales, sociales, culturales y religiosas. Independientemente de la universalidad de los postulados bioéticos, estos deben ser contextualizados atendiendo las características propias de cada nación. El panorama demográfico y epidemiológico de Cuba hace que la problemática tenga un comportamiento similar al mundo desarrollado, lo cual nos motivó a realizar un acercamiento teórico a la práctica de la limitación del esfuerzo terapéutico. Para ello partimos de los principios éticos de la nacionalidad cubana, el escenario social-demográfico, el marco legal vigente y la política de salud en el contexto de las transformaciones económicas que vive el país. Esa estrategia terapéutica no guarda relación alguna con la eutanasia y permite retirar del escenario clínico la distanasia. A la vez, constituye un punto de partida hacia los cuidados paliativos con impacto en lo económico y en el ordenamiento eficiente de los servicios de salud potencialmente beneficioso. Existe en la literatura nacional un movimiento favorable respecto a esa práctica médica; pero la principal debilidad en el país es la falta de un marco legal que condene la distanasia y reconozca la limitación del esfuerzo terapéutico como la medida que la evita.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Postoperative pain is the main cause of acute pain worldwide. Providing suitable analgesia in the postoperative period guarantees the reduction of hospital stay and has a positive impact on the final outcome of the interventions. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative analgesia with intrathecal administration of bupivacaine plus morphine in prostate surgery. Methods: A quasiexperimental research was carried out between January 2015 and January 2018. The sample was nonprobabilistic and made up by the patients who gave their informed consent and met criteria to enter the study. They were randomly distributed into two groups called bupivacaine (B) and morphine-bupivacaine (MB). To collect the information, the anesthetic medical records and a form prepared for this purpose were used. The results were shown in tables and graphs, expressed in absolute frequencies and percentages, some descriptive measures of interest were determined which showed the behavior of the variables that required it. Results: The most relevant result was the very significant analgesic effect in the MB group in the first 24 hours after surgery. The most frequent adverse reaction was pruritus and only occurred in the group that received morphine. Conclusions: Spinal anesthesia with morphine and bupivacaine is effective and safe, providing better analgesia in the immediate postoperative period when compared with bupivacaine alone.

RESUMEN Introducción: El dolor posoperatorio constituye la principal causa de dolor agudo en el mundo. Brindar analgesia adecuada en el posquirúrgico garantiza la disminución de la estadía hospitalaria y tiene un impacto positivo en el resultado final de las intervenciones. Objetivo: Evaluar la efectividad de la analgesia posoperatoria con bupivacaína más morfina intratecal en la cirugía de próstata. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación cuasiexperimental, entre enero de 2015 y enero de 2018. La muestra quedó conformada de manera no probabilística por los pacientes que dieron su consentimiento informado y reunieron criterios para entrar en el estudio. Quedaron distribuidos de manera aleatoria en dos grupos denominados bupivacaína (B) y morfina-bupivacaína (MB). Para recolectar la información se emplearon las historias clínicas anestésicas y un formulario elaborado al efecto. Los resultados se mostraron en tablas y gráficos, se expresaron en frecuencias absolutas y en porcientos, se determinaron algunas medidas descriptivas de interés que mostraron el comportamiento de las variables que lo requirieron. Resultados: El resultado más relevante fue el efecto analgésico muy significativo en el grupo MB en las primeras 24 h del posoperatorio. La reacción adversa más frecuente fue el prurito y solo se presentó en el grupo que recibió morfina. Conclusiones: La anestesia espinal con morfina y bupivacaína es efectiva y segura, proporcionando mejor analgesia en el posoperatorio inmediato cuando se compara con bupivacaína sola.

Abstract Background Hadruroides lunatus is the most abundant scorpion species in the Peruvian central coast, where most of the accidents involving humans are registered. In spite of its prevalence, there are only very few studies on H. lunatus envenomation. The aim of the present study was to analyze the cardiorespiratory alterations caused by H. lunatus envenomation in rodents. Methods Wistar rats injected with H. lunatus scorpion venom were submitted to electrocardiography. After euthanasia, rat lungs were collected and histopathologically analyzed. Mouse cardiomyocytes were used to perform immunofluorescence and calcium transient assays. Data were analyzed by ANOVA or Student’s t-test. The significance level was set at p< 0.05. Results It was observed that H. lunatus venom increased heart rate and caused arrhythmia, thereby impairing the heart functioning. Lungs of envenomed animals showed significant alterations, such as diffuse hemorrhage. In addition, immunofluorescence showed that H. lunatus venom was capable of binding to cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes incubated with H. lunatus venom showed a significant decrease in calcium transient, confirming that H. lunatus venom exerts a toxic effect on heart. Conclusion Our results showed that H. lunatus venom is capable of inducing cardiorespiratory alterations, a typical systemic effect of scorpionism, stressing the importance of medical monitoring in envenomation cases.