Person:
Villaescusa Fernández, Alejandra

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First Name
Alejandra
Last Name
Villaescusa Fernández
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/80464
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Veterinaria
Department
Medicina y Cirugía Animal
Area
Medicina y Cirugía Animal
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2020 - 20226
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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Isolation and immunophenotyping by flow cytometry of canine peripheral blood and intraepithelial and lamina propria duodenal T lymphocytes
    (Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 2021) Agulla Pérez, Beatriz; García-Sancho Téllez, Mercedes Guadalupe; Sainz Rodríguez, Ángel; Rodríguez Franco, Fernando; Díaz-Regañón Fernández, David Rafael; Rodríguez Bertos, Antonio Manuel; Villaescusa Fernández, Alejandra
    The gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) effector sites play a crucial role on the pathogenesis of many immunemediated gastrointestinal diseases. The lymphocytes at these effector sites are principally T cells which present important morphological, phenotypical and functional differences. Flow cytometry (FC) is one of the most commonly used techniques to characterize intestinal lymphocytes in human and animal models. Published studies with a focus on dogs for intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) immunophenotyping exist in very limited numbers. Moreover, no lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL) isolation protocols in the canine species have been described for FC evaluation. In addition to immune intestinal dysregulation, imbalances in the peripheral blood immune system have been described in both human and animal gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to provide a protocol for canine IEL and LPL isolation for FC immunophenotyping of T cells subsets. Specifically, T helper, T cytotoxic, activated Th and Tc lymphocytes, regulatory, double negative, double positive, IFN-γ and IL-4 producing T cells, and to compare their respective populations between these effector sites and with the blood stream compartment in healthy dogs. The potential relationship of these cells distributions with age, sex and breed was also evaluated. This study included sixteen healthy dogs of different sexes and breeds with a mean age of 4.55 ± 2.93 years old. The selected protocols for the three immune compartments showed proper cell yield, purity, viability, and the absence of phenotypic and functional disturbances. Histologically, an adequate separation of the duodenal epithelium from the lamina propria was also observed. All the proposed T cells subsets were identified in the three immune compartments studied, showing some statistically significant differences in their distributions at these locations that highlight the importance of their individual evaluation. This study provides an adequate method for canine small intestine IEL and LPL isolation for FC immunophenotyping and is key for future studies on the gastrointestinal immune system associated with different canine diseases.
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    Stray dogs in Nepal have high prevalence of vector-borne pathogens: a molecular survey
    (Parasites & Vectors, 2020) Díaz-Regañón Fernández, David Rafael; Agulla Pérez, Beatriz; Piya, Bidur; Fernández-Ruiz, Natalia; Villaescusa Fernández, Alejandra; García-Sancho Téllez, Mercedes Guadalupe; Rodríguez Franco, Fernando; Sainz Rodríguez, Ángel
    Background Population of stray dogs is significant in large cities of Nepal, such as Kathmandu. Most of stray dogs suffer a lack of basic health care. Considering the clinical relevance, the broad distribution and the lack of information of canine vector borne diseases (CVBD) in Nepal, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of different vector-borne pathogens (VBP) in stray dogs living in the metropolitan area of Kathmandu, and to assess different traits as possible risk factors. Methods A total of 70 canine blood samples from stray dogs attended at the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre during August 2017 were collected on filter paper (Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards). Data regarding signalment, clinical signs and epidemiological characteristics were recorded for each animal. Real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were performed for Leishmania spp., Ehrlichia spp./Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp./Theileria spp. and Hepatozoon canis. Results The overall prevalence detected was 31.43% for Hepatozoon canis, 31.43% for Anaplasma platys, 27.14% for Ehrlichia canis, 18.57% for Leishmania donovani species complex, 12.86% for isolates corresponding to Theileria spp., 12.86% for Babesia vogeli and 2.86% for B. gibsoni. A total of 81.43% of the dogs were positive to at least one of the VBP tested. Co-infections were detected in 41.43% of the dogs. Dogs positive to any of the VBP tested, and particularly to E. canis, were older than those that were negative. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first molecular detection of VBP in stray dogs from Kathmandu, Nepal. The high prevalence of VBP detected highlights the need to implement a surveillance programme and control strategies for these CVBD in the population of stray dogs in this area.
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    Project number: 193
    Elaboración de material docente para la enseñanza de la ecografía pulmonar en el bovino
    (2022) Re, Michela Tatiana; Villaescusa Fernández, Alejandra; Sánchez Calabuig, María Jesús; Coronel Araujo, Carlos Críspulo; Romero Crespo, Isabel; Mejías López, Elena; Blanco Murcia, Francisco Javier
    Con este proyecto se quiere desarrollar material audiovisual que sirva de apoyo a las prácticas que reciben los alumnos de Veterinaria. Dicho material incluirá descripciones de la técnica ecográfica pulmonar y de la interpretación de las imágenes, incluyendo material visual de tipo multimedia sobre la ecografía del aparato respiratorio fisiológico y patológico en el bovino. Con este proyecto se pretende facilitar el acceso a material docente útil para el aprendizaje de la ecografía, de forma que los estudiantes y los profesionales veterinarios puedan afianzar sus conocimientos de dicha técnica de forma previa a su empleo en los animales vivos.
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    Project number: 382
    Elaboración de material docente para la enseñanza de la exploración física del caballo
    (2022) Fores Jackson, Paloma; Gutiérrez Cepeda, Luna; Villaescusa Fernández, Alejandra; Villalba Orero, María; Ruiz de León Robledo, María de los Ángeles; Crespo Castejón, Francisco; Dominuez Gimbernat, Monica
    El objetivo principal del presente proyecto fue incorporar una serie de recursos educativos virtuales que facilitaran e implementaran la enseñanza de la exploración física del caballo.
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    Effect of chemically modified tetracycline-8 (CMT-8) on hematology, blood chemistry, cytokines and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets of healthy dogs
    (Research in Veterinary Science, 2021) Sainz Rodríguez, Ángel; García-Sancho Téllez, Mercedes Guadalupe; Rodríguez Franco, Fernando; San Andrés Larrea, Manuel Ignacio; Rodríguez Fernández, Casilda; Lucas Burneo, José Julio De; San Andrés Larrea, María Dolores De; Agulla Pérez, Beatriz; Villaescusa Fernández, Alejandra
    Tetracyclines are antibiotics widely used in human and veterinary medicine. Effects on the immune system and inflammatory response, including effects on blood leukocytes proliferation and function and in cytokines synthesis, have been described. Chemically modified tetracyclines (CMT) have lost their antimicrobial activity, but maintain these other properties. This study analyzes the effect of chemically modified tetracycline-8 (CMT-8) on the evolution of complete blood count, blood chemistry, the mRNA expression of selected cytokines and peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations distribution in healthy dogs. CMT-8 at a dose of 10 mg/kg once daily was administered per os to six healthy dogs. A control group of five healthy dogs, living in the same conditions than dogs treated with CMT-8, received placebo with an identical therapeutic regimen. When given at the doses used in this study, no side effects of CMT-8 were detected, suggesting a good tolerance and a limited toxicity of the drug. Dogs treated with CMT-8 showed a gradual increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin. The administration of CMT-8 in healthy dogs did not affect blood mRNA expression of IFN-γ, TNFα, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 p40 and IL-13. However, the lymphocytes expressing class II MHC on their surface decreased during the first two weeks of CMT-8 treatment and subsequently increased for the next three months. Considering the absence of antimicrobial properties of the drug, the effects of CMT-8 detected in this study seem to be unrelated to the classical antimicrobial activity attributed to tetracyclines.
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    Project number: 356
    Elaboración de material docente para la exploración física del gato
    (2020) Agulla Pérez, Beatriz; Díaz-Regañón Fernández, David Rafael; García-Sancho Téllez, Mercedes Guadalupe; Rodríguez Franco, Fernando; Sainz Rodríguez, Ángel; Villaescusa Fernández, Alejandra