La guerra de Irak ha provocado que publicaciones científicas del ámbito de la salud incluyan artículos sobre diversos aspectos relacionados con el conflicto bélico. Entre ellos, cabe citar uno aparecido en la edición electrónica de "Nature Genetics", dedicado a las repercusiones de las armas químicas.
Científicos del Salk Institute for Biological Studies (Estados Unidos) abordan los efectos neurológicos a largo plazo de la exposición a gas nervioso. Señalan que ciertos componentes de este gas, llamados organofosfatos, deterioran la función de una proteína específica, llamada esterasa neuropática (NTE), implicada en el desarrollo de los nervios. Asimismo, creen que ciertas personas son más vulnerables que otras a los efectos de estas armas químicas.
En su investigación, inhibieron genética o químicamente el gen que codifica la NTE en ratones y observaron que los animales se volvían hiperactivos. En este sentido, creen que las personas con bajos niveles de la proteína, debido por ejemplo a variantes genéticas, presentan mayor riesgo de daño si se exponen a las toxinas de los gases nerviosos. Por otra parte, la investigación pone de manifiesto que el gen de la NTE es esencial para el funcionamiento normal del cerebro y para al supervivencia.
Nature Genetics 2003;10.1038/ng1131
Webs Relacionadas
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
![IntraMed](data:image/svg+xml,<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>%0A<svg id="Capa_1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 1080 315">%0A <defs>%0A <style>%0A .st0 {%0A fill-rule: evenodd;%0A }%0A%0A .st0, .st1 {%0A fill: %23002bc7;%0A }%0A%0A .st2 {%0A fill: %23fff;%0A }%0A </style>%0A </defs>%0A <g>%0A <circle class="st2" cx="141.5" cy="179.93" r="135.02"/>%0A <g>%0A <path class="st2" d="M350.28,126.97v106.62c0,7-4.04,11.22-10.41,11.22s-10.5-4.22-10.5-11.22v-106.62c0-7,4.13-11.22,10.5-11.22s10.41,4.22,10.41,11.22Z"/>%0A <path class="st2" d="M459.96,184.86v49.09c0,6.82-4.04,10.86-10.23,10.86s-10.14-4.04-10.14-10.86v-47.03c0-13.28-6.73-20.28-20.73-20.28-7.81,0-15.53,2.15-20.19,4.85v62.47c0,6.82-4.04,10.86-10.23,10.86s-10.14-4.04-10.14-10.86v-66.68c0-6.37,1.35-9.24,7.09-12.21,5.38-3.14,18.49-8.17,33.48-8.17,26.66,0,41.11,14.36,41.11,37.96Z"/>%0A <path class="st2" d="M505.83,137.92v10.68h24.14c7,0,10.59,3.59,10.59,9.42s-3.59,9.33-10.59,9.33h-24.14v45.05c0,9.78,3.86,14.09,12.74,14.09,4.76,0,8.08-1.08,10.77-1.98,2.15-.72,3.95-1.52,6.28-1.52,4.58,0,8.44,3.77,8.44,9.06s-3.14,8.08-7.99,9.96c-5.21,1.97-11.76,3.59-18.76,3.59-19.03,0-31.86-10.86-31.86-31.23v-76.47c0-6.82,3.95-10.77,10.14-10.77s10.23,3.95,10.23,10.77Z"/>%0A <path class="st2" d="M559.96,233.95v-55.73c0-19.3,11.76-31.32,30.69-31.32,6.01,0,11.22.72,15.17,1.89,5.83,1.61,9.87,4.67,9.87,10.32,0,6.28-4.22,9.87-8.44,9.87-1.97,0-3.41-.36-4.85-.72-3.05-.81-5.92-1.26-9.69-1.26-8.44,0-12.39,4.04-12.39,12.39v54.57c0,6.82-3.95,10.86-10.14,10.86s-10.23-4.04-10.23-10.86Z"/>%0A <path class="st2" d="M624.04,214.83c0-15.08,11.76-28.9,36.08-28.9,7.81,0,14.72.99,22.89,3.14v-7.45c0-10.86-5.74-16.25-20.28-16.25-6.37,0-12.74,1.62-16.69,3.23-2.69.99-5.21,1.88-7.45,1.88-4.76,0-8.53-3.68-8.62-8.71,0-4.22,2.24-7.54,7.81-9.69,6.19-2.6,15.8-5.21,26.48-5.21,24.5,0,38.41,11.04,38.41,35.27v46.13c0,3.68-.99,5.56-3.77,7.45-5.65,3.86-19.57,9.87-37.87,9.87-23.78,0-36.98-13.37-36.98-30.78ZM662.73,228.84c7.27,0,14.81-2.06,20.28-4.94v-20.19c-7.45-2.24-13.55-3.23-20.37-3.23-12.83,0-19.21,6.28-19.21,14.36,0,8.89,7.54,14,19.3,14Z"/>%0A <path class="st2" d="M724.12,235.12c0-.81.09-2.06.18-2.78l13.73-96.57c2.15-15.17,9.51-20.01,20.1-20.01,9.51,0,16.78,3.95,19.66,19.12l18.4,85.71c.45,1.62.72,2.33,1.98,2.33,1.35,0,1.7-.72,2.06-2.42l18.31-85.62c2.87-15.17,10.05-19.12,19.57-19.12,10.68,0,17.95,4.85,20.01,20.1l13.73,96.03c.18,1.44.27,2.24.27,3.32,0,5.84-3.95,9.6-9.69,9.6-6.55,0-10.14-3.5-10.86-10.05l-12.12-94.86c-.27-1.89-.72-2.51-1.88-2.51-.99,0-1.53.45-1.88,2.15l-19.57,88.22c-2.42,11.58-8.53,17.05-18.13,17.05-10.23,0-15.71-5.57-18.22-17.14l-19.48-88.04c-.45-1.62-.99-2.24-1.79-2.24-1.17,0-1.71.72-1.97,2.6l-11.85,94.78c-.81,6.64-4.31,10.05-10.41,10.05s-10.14-3.59-10.14-9.69Z"/>%0A <path class="st2" d="M891.08,208.91c-.63-6.73-.63-17.68-.09-23.96,2.06-22.17,18.04-37.87,42.18-37.87s39.67,16.06,39.67,39.67v5.3c0,9.87-1.97,11.31-10.86,11.31h-51.88c0,1.26,0,2.6.09,3.86.72,12.03,9.96,20.01,24.32,20.01,7.9,0,13.91-1.71,18.85-3.68,2.96-1.08,4.85-2.06,7.45-2.06,4.85,0,8.44,3.14,8.44,8.44.09,5.12-3.77,8.08-7.54,9.78-6.91,3.32-16.78,5.92-27.64,5.92-24.5,0-41.01-15.08-42.99-36.71ZM954,188.81c1.26-15.44-7.81-24.32-21.45-24.32s-21.54,8.98-22.35,22.08c0,.72-.09,1.53-.09,2.24h43.89Z"/>%0A <path class="st2" d="M1074.18,125.17v102.85c0,3.95-1.08,5.92-3.86,7.81-5.83,3.86-20.1,9.78-37.16,9.78-23.87,0-39.22-14.81-41.19-36.17-.72-7.27-.72-19.21,0-26.39,1.97-21.36,17.32-36.17,39.4-36.17,8.17,0,16.78,2.06,22.44,4.85v-26.57c0-6.82,3.95-10.86,10.23-10.86s10.14,4.04,10.14,10.86ZM1033.97,225.87c6.91,0,15.53-2.06,19.83-5.11v-49c-4.31-3.05-12.93-5.12-19.83-5.12-13.37,0-20.73,7.99-21.81,19.75-.54,6.55-.45,13.82,0,19.74,1.08,11.76,8.44,19.75,21.81,19.75Z"/>%0A </g>%0A <g>%0A <path class="st1" d="M101.42,217.17c0-.64.07-1.63.14-2.2l10.87-76.46c1.71-12.01,7.53-15.85,15.92-15.85,7.53,0,13.29,3.13,15.56,15.14l14.57,67.86c.36,1.28.57,1.85,1.56,1.85,1.07,0,1.35-.57,1.63-1.92l14.5-67.79c2.27-12.01,7.96-15.14,15.49-15.14,8.46,0,14.21,3.84,15.85,15.92l10.87,76.04c.14,1.14.21,1.78.21,2.63,0,4.62-3.13,7.6-7.67,7.6-5.19,0-8.03-2.77-8.6-7.96l-9.59-75.11c-.21-1.49-.57-1.99-1.49-1.99-.78,0-1.21.36-1.49,1.71l-15.49,69.85c-1.92,9.17-6.75,13.5-14.36,13.5-8.1,0-12.44-4.41-14.43-13.57l-15.42-69.71c-.36-1.28-.78-1.78-1.42-1.78-.92,0-1.35.57-1.56,2.06l-9.38,75.04c-.64,5.26-3.41,7.96-8.24,7.96s-8.03-2.84-8.03-7.67Z"/>%0A <path class="st1" d="M90.62,131.29v84.42c0,5.54-3.2,8.88-8.24,8.88s-8.31-3.34-8.31-8.88v-84.42c0-5.54,3.27-8.88,8.31-8.88s8.24,3.34,8.24,8.88Z"/>%0A </g>%0A <g>%0A <path class="st0" d="M74.36,202.14c19.92.79,54.3-4.62,92.4-15.33,58-16.32,102.67-38.77,99.76-50.15-2-7.85-26.05-8.39-59.77-2.65,23.98-2.82,37.51-1.37,39.11,4.9,2.82,11.03-37.79,32.76-93.95,48.56-1.26.35-2.51.7-3.76,1.04,0,0,0,0-.01,0-13.29,3.95-50.37,13.62-73.78,13.62Z"/>%0A <path class="st0" d="M191.55,191.02c-13.03,4.75-27.19,9.32-42.09,13.5-70.38,19.79-130.56,23.59-134.41,8.48-2.65-10.4,20.1-26.01,58.76-41.85-26.73,12.73-38.09,24.13-35.96,32.45,3.73,14.63,59.37,10.95,127.5-8.22,36.59-10.29,68.58-22.95,89.79-34.73-9.63,6.73-23.48,14.01-40.32,21.2-4.91,2.44-18.07,7.34-23.28,9.16Z"/>%0A </g>%0A </g>%0A</svg>%0A)