Browsing by Author "Santibanez, Rodrigo"

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    Allostatic-Interoceptive Overload in Frontotemporal Dementia
    (2022) Birba, Agustina; Santamaria-Garcia, Hernando; Prado, Pavel; Cruzat, Josefina; Sainz Ballesteros, Agustin; Legaz, Agustina; Fittipaldi, Sol; Duran-Aniotz, Claudia; Slachevsky, Andrea; Santibanez, Rodrigo; Sigman, Mariano; Garcia, Adolfo M.; Whelan, Robert; Moguilner, Sebastian; Ibanez, Agustin
    BACKGROUND: The predictive coding theory of allostatic-interoceptive load states that brain networks mediating autonomic regulation and interoceptive-exteroceptive balance regulate the internal milieu to anticipate future needs and environmental demands. These functions seem to be distinctly compromised in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), including alterations of the allostatic-interoceptive network (AIN). Here, we hypothesize that bvFTD is typified by an allostatic-interoceptive overload.
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    Characterization of microbial communities and predicted metabolic pathways in the uterus of healthy mares
    (2022) Thomson, Pamela; Pareja, Josefina; Nunez, Andrea; Santibanez, Rodrigo; Castro, Rodrigo
    Background: Culture-independent techniques have made it possible to expand the knowledge about the composition of bacterial communities present in the healthy uterus and their role in health and disease, mainly in humans. However, in animals like mares, there is a dearth of information regarding this area.
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    Differences in the composition and predicted functions of the intestinal microbiome of obese and normal weight adult dogs
    (2022) Thomson, Pamela; Santibanez, Rodrigo; Rodriguez-Salas, Camila; Flores-Yanez, Carla; Garrido, Daniel
    Obesity is a multifactorial nutritional disorder highly prevalent in dogs, observed in developed and developing countries. It is estimated that over 40% of the canine population suffers from obesity, which manifests in an increased risk of chronic osteoarticular, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases. The intestinal microbiome of obese animals shows increases in the abundance of certain members capable of extracting energy from complex polysaccharides. The objective of this study was to compare the composition and predicted function of the intestinal microbiome of Chilean obese and normal weight adult dogs. Twenty clinically healthy dogs were classified according to their body condition score (BCS) as obese (n = 10) or normal weight (n = 10). DNA was extracted from stool samples, followed by next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region and bioinformatics analysis targeting microbiome composition and function. Significant differences were observed between these groups at the phylum level, with anincrease in Firmicutes and a decrease in Bacteroidetes in obese dogs. Microbiome compositions of these animals correlated with their BCS, and obese dogs showed enrichment in pathways related to transport, chemotaxis, and flagellar assembly. These results highlight the differences in the gut microbiome between normal weight and obese dogs and prompt further research to improve animal health by modulating the gut microbiome.
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    Isolation and Identification of Staphylococcus Species Obtained from Healthy Companion Animals and Humans
    (2022) Thomson, Pamela; Garcia, Patricia; Miles, Jorge; Isla, David; Yanez, Camilo; Santibanez, Rodrigo; Nunez, Andrea; Flores-Yanez, Carla; del Rio, Camila; Cuadra, Francoise
    The close contact between people and their pets has generated the exchange of skin microbiota, accompanied by bacteria that present resistance to antibiotics. Staphylococcus spp., opportunistic pathogens present in the skin and mucosa of mammals, have had their importance recognized in human and veterinary medicine. The objectives of this study were to identify Staphylococcus spp. present in isolates from the nostrils of healthy humans, dogs and cats as well as to determine their phenotype of resistance to methicillin. Strain identification was performed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using a disk diffusion assay for 12 antibiotics. Sixty humans (veterinary and technicians), sixty dogs and sixty cats were sampled; of them, 61.6%, 56.6% and 46.6%, respectively, carried Staphylococcus spp. in their nostrils, and only two people carried two different species of Staphylococcus in the only anatomical site sampled. A methicillin-resistant phenotype was present in 48.7% of the humans, 26.5% of the dogs and 57.1% of the cats, and sampled. These results demonstrate the presence of Staphylococcus spp. strains resistant to methicillin in personnel who work in contact with animals, as well as in dogs and cats that entered the same hospital or veterinary clinic, which alerts us to the potential transfer of these strains to or between people, dogs and/or cats.
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    Ocular Microbiome in a Group of Clinically Healthy Horses
    (2022) Santibanez, Rodrigo; Lara, Felipe; Barros, Teresa M.; Mardones, Elizabeth; Cuadra, Francoise; Thomson, Pamela
    Simple Summary The microbiome of the ocular surface is composed of a large number of microorganisms dominated by bacteria and is poorly described in horses compared to other species, including humans. The objective of this study was to characterize and predict the abundance of metabolic genes of the ocular microbiome of a group of clinically healthy horses. Conjunctival swabs were obtained from both eyes of 14 horses, and DNA extraction was performed from the swabs, followed by next generation sequencing and bioinformatics analyses. The most abundant phylum was Pseudomonadota (Proteobacteria), followed by Actinomycetota (Actinobacteria) and Bacteroidota (Bacteroidetes). A total of 278 genera were identified, such as Massilia, Pedobacter, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Suttonella and Verticia, among others. The inference of metabolic functions indicates that the microorganisms present in the ocular conjunctiva perform functions that point to cell growth and metabolism. The ocular microbiome in horses is poorly described compared to other species, and most of the information available in the literature is based on traditional techniques, which has limited the depth of the knowledge on the subject. The objective of this study was to characterize and predict the metabolic pathways of the ocular microbiome of a group of healthy horses. Conjunctival swabs were obtained from both eyes of 14 horses, and DNA extraction was performed from the swabs, followed by next generation sequencing and bioinformatics analyses employing DADA2 and PICRUSt2. A total of 17 phyla were identified, of which Pseudomonadota (Proteobacteria) was the most abundant (59.88%), followed by Actinomycetota (Actinobacteria) (22.44%) and Bacteroidota (Bacteroidetes) (16.39%), totaling an average of 98.72% of the communities. Similarly, of the 278 genera identified, Massilia, Pedobacter, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Suttonella and Verticia were present in more than 5% of the samples analyzed. Both Actinobacteria and Bacteroides showed great heterogeneity within the samples. The most abundant inferred metabolic functions were related to vital functions for bacteria such as aerobic respiration, amino acid, and lipid biosynthesis.
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    The impact of SARS-CoV-2 in dementia across Latin America: A call for an urgent regional plan and coordinated response
    (2020) Ibanez, Agustin; Santamaria-Garcia, Hernando; Guerrero Barragan, Alejandra; Kornhuber, Alexander; Marques Ton, Alyne Mendonca; Slachevsky, Andrea; Lucio Teixeira, Antonio; Mar Meza, Beatriz Marcela; Serrano, Cecilia M.; Cano, Carlos; Arias Gonzalez, Carolina; Gonzalez-Billault, Christian; Butler, Christopher; Bustin, Julian; Duran-Aniotz, Claudia; Acosta, Daisy; Matallana, Diana L.; Acosta-Alvear, Diego; Trepel, Dominic; Franca Resende, Elisa De Paula; Ferreira Oliveira, Fabricio; Ibanez, Francisco; De Felice, Fernanda G.; Navarrete, Gorka; Tarnanas, Ioannis; Meier, Irene B.; Smid, Jerusa; Llibre-Guerra, Jorge; Llibre-Rodriguez, Juan J.; Fajersztajn, Lais; Takada, Leonel Tadao; Duque, Lissette; de Oliveira, Maira Okada; Camargos Bicalho, Maria Aparecida; Isabel Behrens, Maria; Pintado-Caipa, Maritza; Parra, Mario; Wilson, Maxwell Z.; De la Cruz Puebla, Myriam; Custodio, Nilton; Santibanez, Rodrigo; Serafim, Rodrigo Bernardo; Tavares, Ronnielly Melo; Pina Escudero, Stefanie Danielle; Leon Rodriguez, Tomas; Dawson, Walter; Miller, Bruce L.; Kosik, Kenneth S.
    The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic will disproportionately impact countries with weak economies and vulnerable populations including people with dementia. Latin American and Caribbean countries (LACs) are burdened with unstable economic development, fragile health systems, massive economic disparities, and a high prevalence of dementia. Here, we underscore the selective impact of SARS-CoV-2 on dementia among LACs, the specific strain on health systems devoted to dementia, and the subsequent effect of increasing inequalities among those with dementia in the region. Implementation of best practices for mitigation and containment faces particularly steep challenges in LACs. Based upon our consideration of these issues, we urgently call for a coordinated action plan, including the development of inexpensive mass testing and multilevel regional coordination for dementia care and related actions. Brain health diplomacy should lead to a shared and escalated response across the region, coordinating leadership, and triangulation between governments and international multilateral networks.