Browsing by Author "Rovegno, Maximiliano"

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    SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 activates Cx43 hemichannels and disturbs intracellular Ca2+ dynamics
    (2023) Prieto Villalobos, Juan Carlos; Lucero, Claudia M.; Rovegno, Maximiliano; Gómez, Gonzalo I.; Retamal, Mauricio A.; Orellana Roca, Juan Andrés
    Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). An aspect of high uncertainty is whether the SARS-CoV-2 per se or the systemic inflammation induced by viral infection directly affects cellular function and survival in different tissues. It has been postulated that tissue dysfunction and damage observed in COVID-19 patients may rely on the direct effects of SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. Previous evidence indicates that the human immunodeficiency virus and its envelope protein gp120 increase the activity of connexin 43 (Cx43) hemichannels with negative repercussions for cellular function and survival. Here, we evaluated whether the spike protein S1 of SARS-CoV-2 could impact the activity of Cx43 hemichannels.
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    The effects of arterial CO2 on the injured brain: Two faces of the same coin
    (2021) Agustin Godoy, Daniel; Rovegno, Maximiliano; Lazaridis, Christos; Badenes, Rafael
    Serum levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) closely regulate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and actively participate in different aspects of brain physiology such as hemodynamics, oxygenation, and metabolism. Fluctuations in the partial pressure of arterial CO2 (PaCO2) modify the aforementioned variables, and at the sametime influence physiologic parameters in organs such as the lungs, heart, kidneys, and the gastrointestinal tract. In general, during acute brain injury (ABI), maintaining normal PaCO2 is the target to be achieved. Both hypercapnia and hypocapnia may comprise secondary insults and should be avoided during ABI. The risks of hypocapnia mostly outweigh the potential benefits. Therefore, its therapeutic applicability is limited to transient and second-stage control of intracranial hypertension. On the other hand, inducing hypercapnia could be beneficial when certain specific situations require increasing CBF. The evidence supporting this claim is very weak. This review attempts providing an update on the physiology of CO2, its risks, benefits, and potential utility in the neurocritical care setting. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc.