Francesc Cardellach

Bio: Francesc Cardellach is an academic researcher from University of Barcelona. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mitochondrion & Mitochondrial DNA. The author has an hindex of 37, co-authored 153 publications receiving 4972 citations. Previous affiliations of Francesc Cardellach include Carlos III Health Institute & Elsevier.

Noninvasive Diagnosis of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in HAART-Related Hyperlactatemia

Abstract: This study explores the role played by the welfare state in affecting women’s labor force participation and occupational achievement. Using data from 22 industrialized countries, the authors examine the consequences of state interventions for both women’s employment patterns and gender inequality in occupational attainment. The findings reveal a twofold effect: developed welfare states facilitate women’s access into the labor force but not into powerful and desirable positions. Specifically, nations characterized by progressive and developed welfare policies and by a large public service sector tend to have high levels of female labor force participation, along with a high concentration of women in female‐typed occupations and low female representation in managerial occupations. The findings provide insights into the social mechanisms underlying the relations between welfare states’ benefits to working mothers and women’s participation and achievements in the labor market.

Carbon Monoxide Specifically Inhibits Cytochrome C Oxidase of Human Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain

Abstract: Carbon monoxide (CO) toxicity is the result of a combination of tissue hypoxia and direct CO-mediated damage at a cellular level, since not all the signs and symptoms presented can be explained only by the formation of carboxyhaemoglobin. Mitochondria, specially the electron transport chain, seem to be the target for CO at a subcellular level. However, the direct effect of CO in individual complexes of the human mitochondrial respiratory chain has not been completely elucidated. We here studied the in vitro effect of CO on individual complexes of the mitochondrial respiratory chain of human mitochondria. We obtained muscle tissue from 10 healthy people who underwent orthopaedic surgery for hip replacement. Isolated mitochondria were incubated for 5 min. under CO concentrations of 50, 100 and 500 ppm. Afterwards, enzymatic activities of individual complexes of the mitochondrial respiratory chain were assessed in vitro and compared with those obtained in basal (synthetic air without CO) conditions. Cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV of the mitochondrial respiratory chain) activity showed a decrease from 836+/-439 nmol/min./mg of mitochondrial protein after air incubation to 670+/-401, 483+/-182, and 379+/-131 nmol/min./mg after 50, 100 and 500 ppm of CO incubation, respectively (20%, 42% and 55% decrease in cytochrome c oxidase activity). This gradual decrease in cytochrome c oxidase was found to be statistically significant (P<0.001). Other complex activities showed no any significant variation. Carbon monoxide is toxic for mitochondria in man, altering the mitochondrial respiratory chain at the cytochrome c oxidase level. This inhibition in cytochrome c oxidase may play a role in the development of the symptoms observed in acute CO poisoning, and in some diseases related to smoking.

Effect of using reporting guidelines during peer review on quality of final manuscripts submitted to a biomedical journal: masked randomised trial.

Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of an additional review based on reporting guidelines such as STROBE and CONSORT on quality of manuscripts. Design Masked randomised trial. Population Original research manuscripts submitted to the Medicina Clinica journal from May 2008 to April 2009 and considered suitable for publication. Intervention Control group: conventional peer reviews alone. Intervention group: conventional review plus an additional review looking for missing items from reporting guidelines. Outcomes Manuscript quality, assessed with a 5 point Likert scale (primary: overall quality; secondary: average quality of specific items in paper). Main analysis compared groups as allocated, after adjustment for baseline factors (analysis of covariance); sensitivity analysis compared groups as reviewed. Adherence to reviewer suggestions assessed with Likert scale. Results Of 126 consecutive papers receiving conventional review, 34 were not suitable for publication. The remaining 92 papers were allocated to receive conventional reviews alone (n=41) or additional reviews (n=51). Four papers assigned to the conventional review group deviated from protocol; they received an additional review based on reporting guidelines. We saw an improvement in manuscript quality in favour of the additional review group (comparison as allocated, 0.25, 95% confidence interval –0.05 to 0.54; as reviewed, 0.33, 0.03 to 0.63). More papers with additional reviews than with conventional reviews alone improved from baseline (22 (43%) v eight (20%), difference 23.6% (3.2% to 44.0%), number needed to treat 4.2 (from 2.3 to 31.2), relative risk 2.21 (1.10 to 4.44)). Authors in the additional review group adhered more to suggestions from conventional reviews than to those from additional reviews (average increase 0.43 Likert points (0.19 to 0.67)). Conclusions Additional reviews based on reporting guidelines improve manuscript quality, although the observed effect was smaller than hypothesised and not definitively demonstrated. Authors adhere more to suggestions from conventional reviews than to those from additional reviews, showing difficulties in adhering to high methodological standards at the latest research phases. To boost paper quality and impact, authors should be aware of future requirements of reporting guidelines at the very beginning of their study. Trial registration and protocol Although registries do not include trials of peer review, the protocol design was submitted to sponsored research projects (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, PI081903).

Mitochondrial function in heart muscle from patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract: Objective: To study the mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activities in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). Methods: Mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activities were assessed spectrophotometrically in left ventricular tissue of 17 patients with IDC undergoing cardiac transplantation, as well as in two groups of controls: a group of six patients suffering from ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (IC) also undergoing cardiac transplantation, and a group of 17 organ donors considered normal from a cardiac point of view. Cytochrome b gene from three IDC patients whose complex III activity was particularly low and from three controls was also sequenced. Results: We found that complex III enzymatic activity was lower not only in IDC but also in IC patients when compared with normal controls. When analysing cytochrome b gene we only found neutral polymorphisms previously described. Conclusions: In view of such results, we believe that the decrease of respiratory chain complex III activity found in some cases of IDC is a secondary phenomenon, and not due to a primary mitochondrial disease.

Chronic systemic pesticide exposure reproduces features of Parkinson's disease

Abstract: The cause of Parkinson's disease (PD) is unknown, but epidemiological studies suggest an association with pesticides and other environmental toxins, and biochemical studies implicate a systemic defect in mitochondrial complex I. We report that chronic, systemic inhibition of complex I by the lipophilic pesticide, rotenone, causes highly selective nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration that is associated behaviorally with hypokinesia and rigidity. Nigral neurons in rotenone-treated rats accumulate fibrillar cytoplasmic inclusions that contain ubiquitin and alpha-synuclein. These results indicate that chronic exposure to a common pesticide can reproduce the anatomical, neurochemical, behavioral and neuropathological features of PD.

[The REporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely-collected health Data (RECORD) statement].

Abstract: Routinely collected health data, obtained for administrative and clinical purposes without specific a priori research goals, are increasingly used for research. The rapid evolution and availability of these data have revealed issues not addressed by existing reporting guidelines, such as Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE). The REporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely collected health Data (RECORD) statement was created to fill these gaps. RECORD was created as an extension to the STROBE statement to address reporting items specific to observational studies using routinely collected health data. RECORD consists of a checklist of 13 items related to the title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, and discussion section of articles, and other information required for inclusion in such research reports. This document contains the checklist and explanatory and elaboration information to enhance the use of the checklist. Examples of good reporting for each RECORD checklist item are also included herein. This document, as well as the accompanying website and message board (http://www.record-statement.org), will enhance the implementation and understanding of RECORD. Through implementation of RECORD, authors, journals editors, and peer reviewers can encourage transparency of research reporting.

Myocardial Substrate Metabolism in the Normal and Failing Heart

Abstract: The alterations in myocardial energy substrate metabolism that occur in heart failure, and the causes and consequences of these abnormalities, are poorly understood. There is evidence to suggest th...