Person:
Peral Cerda, María Asunción

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First Name
María Asunción
Last Name
Peral Cerda
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Óptica y Optometría
Department
Optometría y Visión
Area
Optica
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UCM identifierORCIDScopus Author IDDialnet IDGoogle Scholar ID

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Immunolocalisation of P2Y receptors in the rat eye
    (Purinergic Signalling, 2004) Pintor Just, Jesús Jerónimo; Sánchez Nogueiro, Jesús; Irazu, Marta; Mediero Muñoz, Aránzazu; Peláez García, María Teresa; Peral Cerda, María Asunción
    Nucleotides present an important role in ocular physiology which has been demonstrated by recent works that indicate their involvement in many ocular processes. P2Y are important among P2 receptors since they can control tear production, corneal wound healing, aqueous humour dynamics and retinal physiology. Commercial antibodies have allowed us to investigate the distribution of P2Y receptors in the cornea, anterior and posterior chamber of the eye and retina. The P2Y1 receptor was present mainly in cornea, ciliary processes, and trabecular meshwork. The P2Y2 receptors were present in cornea, ciliary processes and retinal pigmented epithelium. P2Y4 was present in cornea, ciliary processes, photoreceptors, outer plexiform layer and ganglion cell layer. The P2Y6 presented almost an identical distribution as the P2Y4 receptor. The P2Y11 was also detectable in the retinal pigmented epithelium. The detailed distribution of the receptors clearly supports the recent findings indicating the relevant role of nucleotides in the ocular function.
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    Corneal Re-epithelialization Stimulated by Diadenosine Polyphosphates Recruits RhoA/ROCK and ERK1/2 Pathways
    (Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2008) Mediero Muñoz, Aránzazu; Guzmán Aránguez, Ana Isabel; Crooke Álvarez, Almudena; Peral Cerda, María Asunción; Pintor Just, Jesús Jerónimo
    Purpose. To investigate the role of ERK1/2 and RhoA/ROCK intracellular pathways in the modification of corneal re-epithelialization when stimulated by the diadenosine polyphosphates Ap4A and Ap3A. Methods. In wounded confluent SIRC (Statens Seruminstitut rabbit cornea) cell monolayers and in the presence or absence of Ap4A or Ap3A 100 μM, a battery of P2 receptor antagonists and inhibitors of tyrosin kinases, MAPK, and cytoskeleton pathways (AG1478 100 μM, U0126 100 μM, Y27632 100 nM, and (−)-blebbistatin 10 μM; n = 8 each) were assayed. Also, the activation of ERK1/2 and ROCK-I was examined by Western blot assay after treatment with Ap4A and Ap3A (100 μM), with or without suramin, RB-2, U0126, and Y27632. The intracellular distribution of pERK and ROCK-I was examined in the presence of Ap4A or Ap3A (100 μM) with U0126 and Y27632 (100 nM). Results. In the presence of Ap4A, U0126, Y27632, AG1478, and (−)-blebbistatin, reduced the migration rate compared to the effect of Ap4A alone (P < 0.0001, P < 0.001, P < 0.01, and P < 0.1 versus Ap4A, respectively). In the presence of Ap3A 100 μM, U0126 and Y27632 accelerated the migration rate when compared with the effect of Ap3A alone, whereas AG1478 and (−)-blebbistatin (P < 0.0001 versus Ap3A) slowed the migration rate. Western blot assays demonstrated that both dinucleotides activated the ERK1/2 pathway but only Ap4A activated the ROCK-I pathway. The intracellular distribution of pERK1/2 and ROCK-I reflected cross-talk between these two pathways. Conclusions. The activation of the Ap4A/P2Y2 receptor, accelerates corneal epithelial cell migration during wound healing with the activation of MAPK and cytoskeleton pathways, whereas activation of the Ap3A/P2Y6 receptor signals only the MAPK pathway.
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    Increased Levels of Diadenosine Polyphosphates in Dry Eye
    (Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2006) Peral Cerda, María Asunción; Carracedo Rodríguez, Juan Gonzalo; Acosta Boj, María Carmen; Gallar Martínez, Juana; Pintor Just, Jesús Jerónimo
    Purpose. To analyze the levels of the diadenosine polyphosphates Ap4A and Ap5A in tears, in a set of control subjects and in groups of symptomatic and nonsymptomatic persons with dry eye. Methods. Ninety-seven subjects participated in the study. The subjects were divided into five experimental groups: control subjects; symptomatic patients with normal tear secretion; symptomatic patients with low tear secretion; forced blink; and corneal mechanical stimulation provided by a gas esthesiometer. The Schirmer I test was used to measure and collect tear secretions from each subject. All samples were processed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and their Ap4A and Ap5A levels determined. Results. The levels of Ap4A and Ap5A in tears were greater in all symptomatic patients than in control subjects, especially in symptomatic subjects with low tear secretion. Within the symptomatic subjects with normal tear secretion, significant differences in concentrations of Ap4A and Ap5A were found between men and women. In the forced blink experiments, concentrations of the Ap4A and Ap5A rose with increasing blink frequency. When the cornea was mechanically stimulated, the levels of Ap4A and Ap5A rose significantly during both moderate and high-flow rate tests. Conclusions. The increased levels of Ap4A and Ap5A in tears of patients with dry eye allow these dinucleotides to be used as objective biomarkers in dry eye conditions.
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    Dual Roles of Diadenosine Polyphosphates in Corneal Epithelial Cell Migration
    (Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2006) Mediero Muñoz, Aránzazu; Peral Cerda, María Asunción; Pintor Just, Jesús Jerónimo
    Purpose. To investigate the influence of diadenosine polyphosphates on the rate of corneal epithelial cell migration. Methods. Primary corneal epithelial cell cultures were obtained from New Zealand White rabbits. Immunocytochemical experiments were performed by fixing the cells with 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA) and incubated with cytokeratin 3 primary antibody, which was subsequently incubated with a secondary IgG mouse labeled with FITC, and the cells were observed under confocal microscopy. Migration studies were performed by taking confluent monolayers that were wounded with a pipette tip and challenged with different di- and mononucleotides with or without P2 antagonist (n = 8 each treatment). For concentration–response analysis, compounds were tested in doses ranging from 10−8 to 10−3 M (n = 8). The stability of the dinucleotides was assayed by HPLC, with an isocratic method (n = 4). Results. Cells under study were verified as corneal epithelial cells via the immunocytochemical analysis. Cell migration experiments showed that Ap4A, UTP, and ATP accelerated the rate of healing (5, 2.75, and 3 hours, respectively; P < 0.05; P < 0.001), whereas Ap3A, Ap5A, and UDP delayed it (6.5, 10, and 2 hours, respectively; P < 0.05). ADP did not modify the rate of migration. Antagonists demonstrated that Ap4A and Ap3A did activate different P2Y receptors mediating corneal wound-healing acceleration and delay. Concerning the possible degradation of the dinucleotides, it was almost impossible to detect any products resulting from their cleavage. Conclusions. Based on the pharmacological profile of all the compounds tested, the two main P2Y receptors that exist in these corneal cells are a P2Y2 receptor accelerating the rate of healing and a P2Y6 receptor that delays this process.
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    Diadenosine Polyphosphates in Tears of Sjögren Syndrome Patients
    (Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2010) Carracedo Rodríguez, Juan Gonzalo; Peral Cerda, María Asunción; Pintor Just, Jesús Jerónimo
    Purpose.: To analyze the levels of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and diadenosine pentaphosphate (Ap5A) in tears of subjects with Sjögren syndrome and to compare them with those in a control group. Methods.: Twelve subjects with a diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome and 20 healthy control subjects were invited to participate in the present study. Schirmer strips were used to measure tear secretion (Schirmer I test) and to collect tears. Ap4A and Ap5A were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), and a dry eye questionnaire (DEQ) was used to evaluate dry eye symptomatology. Results.: The mean concentrations of Ap4A and Ap5A in the Sjögren syndrome group were 2.54 ± 1.02 and 26.13 ± 6.95 μM, respectively. This group of patients was divided in two subgroups: four patients with normal tear production and eight patients with low tear production. Concentrations of Ap4A, and Ap5A in patients with normal tear production (Schirmer test result, 12.3 ± 1.2 mm) were 0.47 ± 0.20 and 8.03 ± 3.27 μM, respectively. In the patients with low tear production (Schirmer test result, 1.0 ± 0.3 mm), the concentrations were 4.09 ± 1.36 and 39.51 ± 8.46 μM, respectively and in the control group, 0.13 ± 0.03 and 0.04 ± 0.02 μM, respectively. Conclusions.: Patients with Sjögren syndrome have abnormally elevated concentrations of diadenosine polyphosphates, indicating that these compounds could be used in the diagnosis of this disease.