This paper examines the current state of pre-Hispanic archaeological heritage in the province of Mendoza and its potential for the development of archaeotourism. Utilizing an analytical-synthetic approach, 135 sites distributed across five sectors (Metropolitan, North, Uco Valley, East, and South) were recorded and classified based on standardized forms, an exhaustive literature review, interviews with regional archaeologists, and selective fieldwork. A sample of these sites (N=117) was evaluated using tourism assessment criteria across three levels (P1, P2, and P3), and the associations between functional typology and enhancement potential were analyzed using the Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test. The results reveal a marked asymmetry: while 52.1% of the sites exhibit intermediate potential (P2) for public visitation, only 6% feature effective heritage enhancement (P1). Rock art emerges as the resource with the greatest immediate viability. These gaps are associated with a reactive management model that invisibilizes the pre-Hispanic past in the face of hegemonic historical narratives. As a limitation, direct fieldwork was restricted to a subset of sites; the remaining classifications are based on secondary sources.

Hypoprolactinemia (hypoPRL) disrupts lactation and compromises milk production. Although maternal milk is a critical source of nutrients and bioactive compounds for newborns, the consequences of deficient lactation based on reduced milk quantity on the offspring’s immune development remain incompletely understood. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate how deficient lactation due to hypoPRL interferes with offspring immunity and development. Female Sprague Dawley (SD) and spontaneous hypoPRL Oncins France Colony A (OFA) rats were euthanized on day 2 of lactation to assess the impact of hypoPRL on serum, milk, and tissue samples. We demonstrated that early deficient lactation in the OFA model impaired maternal performance, leading to increased pup mortality during early lactation. OFA pups exhibited reduced body weight and weight gain, decreased cerebral weight and index, and an increased cephalization index. Thymic development was markedly altered, as evidenced by reduced thymus weight, area, and cortical extension. These structural changes were accompanied by increased thymic Rag 1 expression, suggesting altered lymphocyte development. In parallel, passive immune transfer was compromised, with reduced levels of OVA-specific immunoglobulin isotypes detected in pup serum, reflecting changes in milk-derived immune support. In summary, maternal hypoPRL during early lactation adversely affects offspring growth and thymic maturation with lasting consequences for neonatal immune maturation. This study provides a novel experimental framework to investigate the consequences of lactation deficiency with potential implications for understanding lactation insufficiency and its impact on neonatal immune exposure.

Desmogleins (Dsg) are transmembrane proteins involved in cell-cell junctions. Keratinized epithelia, such as skin, express several forms of Dsg. Dsg4 deficiency is associated with hair loss in humans, mice, and rats. Recently, we reported that topical administration of imiquimod (IMQ) to Dsg4-deficient rats exacerbates skin inflammation. Different immune-mediated diseases, including Psoriasis, Spondyloarthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and Atopic Dermatitis, involve skin inflammation. Unfortunately, the role of Dsg4 in the induction of humoral immunity has not been addressed. Our work aimed to determine whether Dsg4 deficiency impairs the induction of an antigen-specific immune response. For this purpose, Dsg4 deficient Oncins France Colony A hairless/hairless (OFA) and wild-type Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were treated with IMQ, or vaseline, to evaluate lymph node (LN) expansion. We found that OFA rats exhibited higher LN size with histological differences compared to SD rats. Brachial LN expansion after topical IMQ treatment was reduced in OFA rats compared to SD. Surprisingly, when we evaluated the induction of the immune response to intradermal ovoalbumin (OVA) challenge, we observed that OFA rats showed lower levels of OVA-specific IgM, IgG, IgG2a and IgA than the SD group. Although further investigations are necessary, our results suggest a novel role for Dsg4 in supporting humoral immunity under inflammatory conditions.