High Levels of Anxiety, Depression, Risk of Suicide, and Implications for Treatment in Patients with Lamellar Ichthyosis.

Lamellar ichthyosis (LI) is a genodermatosis that injures the structure and function of the skin, affecting the appearance and self-esteem of patients, which may seriously impair their mental health and quality of life. In the present study, we determined anxiety, depression, and suicidal risk levels in patients with LI through the Beck anxiety and depression inventories (BAI and DBI-II, respectively) and the SAD PERSONS scale (SPS). We observed that anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation were strongly associated with the LI (Cramér's V = 0.429, 0.594, and 0.462, respectively). Furthermore, patients with LI showed a significant increase in the scores of anxiety, depression, and suicidal risk (p = 0.011, <0.001, and 0.001, respectively) compared to individuals without the disease. Additionally, the suicide risk increased even more in patients who presented comorbidity of anxiety and depression than in patients who presented only anxiety or depression (p = 0.02). Similarly, the increase in the BAI scores correlated with the score observed on the SPS. Our results indicate that patients with LI have higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to individuals without the disease, which could be associated with suicidal risk. Therefore, the collaborative involvement of skin and mental health professionals is necessary to manage patients with LI appropriately. We believe that psychiatric studies and individual evaluations must be performed in LI patients to determine a treatment that, in addition to reducing skin symptoms, focuses on reducing the levels of depression and anxiety and improving the quality of life to reduce the risk of suicide.

Molecular Assessments, Statistical Effectiveness Parameters and Genetic Structure of Captive Populations of Tursiops truncatus Using 15 STRs.

Genetic analysis is a conventional way of identifying and monitoring captive and wildlife species. Knowledge of statistical parameters reinforcing their usefulness and effectiveness as powerful tools for preserving diversity is crucial. Although several studies have reported the diversity of cetaceans such as Tursiops truncatus using microsatellites, its informative degree has been poorly reported. Furthermore, the genetic structure of this cetacean has not been fully studied. In the present study, we selected 15 microsatellites with which 210 dolphins were genetically characterized using capillary electrophoresis. The genetic assertiveness of this set of hypervariable markers identified one individual in the range of 6.927e13 to 1.806e16, demonstrating its substantial capability in kinship relationships. The genetic structure of these 210 dolphins was also determined regarding the putative capture origin; a genetic stratification (k = 2) was found. An additional dolphin group of undetermined origin was also characterized to challenge the proficiency of our chosen markers. The set of markers proposed herein could be a helpful tool to guarantee the maintenance of the genetic diversity rates in conservation programs both in Tursiops truncatus and across other odontocetes, Mysticeti and several genera of endangered and vulnerable species.

Curcumin for parkinson´s disease: potential therapeutic effects, molecular mechanisms, and nanoformulations to enhance its efficacy.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders worldwide. It is caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons from the substantia nigra pars compacta. This neuronal loss causes the dopamine deficiency that leads to a series of functional changes within the basal ganglia, producing motor control abnormalities. L-DOPA is considered the gold standard for PD treatment, and it may alleviate its clinical manifestations for some time. However, its prolonged administration produces tolerance and several severe side effects, including dyskinesias and gastrointestinal disorders. Thus, there is an urgent need to find effective medications, and current trends have proposed some natural products as emerging options for this purpose. Concerning this, curcumin represents a promising bioactive compound with high therapeutic potential. Diverse studies in cellular and animal models have suggested that curcumin could be employed for the treatment of PD. Therefore, the objective of this narrative mini-review is to present an overview of the possible therapeutic effects of curcumin and the subjacent molecular mechanisms. Moreover, we describe several possible nanocarrier-based approaches to improve the bioavailability of curcumin and enhance its biological activity.

High prevalence of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis in a Mexican population caused by a new mutation in the TGM1 gene: epidemiological evidence of a founder effect.

BACKGROUND: Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses (ARCI) are inherited disorders produced by mutations in essential genes for the skin function. A low prevalence of this disease has been resported worldwide; however, in a recent study, we identified a large cluster of ARCI families who resided in the High Mountains Region from the Veracruz State, Mexico. Thus, we aimed to identify the causative mutation of ARCI and describe the high prevalence of this disease in this region. METHODS: We selected seven familiar trios and performed whole-exome sequencing to identify the mutation associated with ARCI. To validate the identified mutation, we performed Sanger sequencing in 62 patients, 30 unaffected relatives, and 100 healthy volunteers. Finally, we performed molecular modeling to investigate the possible functional consequences produced by the mutation. RESULTS: We identified a novel homozygous mutation (c.1054C>G [p.Pro352Ala]) in the exon 7 of the TGM1 gene in all the patients. We calculated a prevalence rate of ARCI of 74:100,000 (1:1,348) in the studied communities. Molecular modeling revealed that the mutation leads to a nonconservative amino acid substitution, which is very probably damaging to the protein structure/function. CONCLUSIONS: We report a novel mutation in the TGM1 gene in 62 Mexican patients. The unusually high frequency of this mutation suggests a founder effect; however, further haplotype analysis is necessary to corroborate this hypothesis. In this respect, to our knowledge, the prevalence of ARCI found in the studied communities is the highest observed worldwide.