Nutritional patterns associated with the maintenance of neurocognitive functions and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease: A focus on human studies.

Ample epidemiological evidence suggests a strong correlation among diet, lifestyle factors and the onset and consolidation of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been demonstrated that AD, diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease are strongly interconnected pathologies. Preventive strategies and nutritional interventions seem to be promising approaches to delay neurocognitive decline and reduce the risk of AD and other non-psychiatric co-morbidities. In this regard, healthy dietary patterns, characterized by high intake of plant-based foods, probiotics, antioxidants, soy beans, nuts, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and a low intake of saturated fats, animal-derived proteins, and refined sugars, have been shown to decrease the risk of neurocognitive impairments and eventually the onset of AD. Here we review the role of some nutrients and, in particular, of healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet and other emerging healthy diets, DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) and MIND (Mediterranean-DASH dietIntervention for Neurodegenerative Delay), for the maintenance of cognitive performance, focusing specifically on human studies. The beneficial effects associated with overall diet composition, rather than single nutrient supplementations, for the prevention or the delay of AD and dementia are discussed.

Oxidative stress in retinal pigment epithelium cells increases exosome secretion and promotes angiogenesis in endothelial cells.

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer located between the photoreceptors and the choroid, is constantly damaged by oxidative stress, particularly because of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As the RPE, because of its physiological functions, is essential for the survival of the retina, any sustained damage may consequently lead to loss of vision. Exosomes are small membranous vesicles released into the extracellular medium by numerous cell types, including RPE cells. Their cargo includes genetic material and proteins, making these vesicles essential for cell-to-cell communication. Exosomes may fuse with neighbouring cells influencing their fate. It has been observed that RPE cells release higher amounts of exosomes when they are under oxidative stress. Exosomes derived from cultured RPE cells were isolated by ultracentrifugation and quantified by flow cytometry. VEGF receptors (VEGFR) were analysed by both flow cytometry and Western blot. RT-PCR and qPCR were conducted to assess mRNA content of VEGFRs in exosomes. Neovascularization assays were performed after applying RPE exosomes into endothelial cell cultures. Our results showed that stressed RPE cells released a higher amount of exosomes than controls, with a higher expression of VEGFR in the membrane, and enclosed an extra cargo of VEGFR mRNA. Angiogenesis assays confirmed that endothelial cells increased their tube formation capacity when exposed to stressed RPE exosomes.

Adherence to the Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern and Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a serious degenerative disease affecting the eyes, and is the main cause of severe vision loss among people >55 years of age in developed countries. Its onset and progression have been associated with several genetic and lifestyle factors, with diet appearing to play a pivotal role in the latter. In particular, dietary eating patterns rich in plant foods have been shown to lower the risk of developing the disease, and to decrease the odds of progressing to more advanced stages in individuals already burdened with early AMD. We systematically reviewed the literature to analyse the relationship between the adherence to a Mediterranean diet, a mainly plant-based dietary pattern, and the onset/progression of AMD. Eight human observational studies were analysed. Despite some differences, they consistently indicate that higher adherence to a Mediterranean eating pattern lowers the odds of developing AMD and decreases the risk of progression to more advanced stages of the disease, establishing the way for preventative measures emphasizing dietary patterns rich in plant-foods.

Cloning of the gene containing mutations that cause PARK8-linked Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD; OMIM #168600) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the Western world and presents as a progressive movement disorder. The hallmark pathological features of PD are loss of dopaminergic neurons from the substantia nigra and neuronal intracellular Lewy body inclusions. Parkinsonism is typically sporadic in nature; however, several rare familial forms are linked to genetic loci, and the identification of causal mutations has provided insight into the disease process. PARK8, identified in 2002 by Funayama and colleagues, appears to be a common cause of familial PD. We describe here the cloning of a novel gene that contains missense mutations segregating with PARK8-linked PD in five families from England and Spain. Because of the tremor observed in PD and because a number of the families are of Basque descent, we have named this protein dardarin, derived from the Basque word dardara, meaning tremor.

Epigenetic Study in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Analysis of DNA Methylation in Candidate Genes in Brain.

Efforts have been made to understand the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). A significant number of studies have focused on genetics, despite the fact that the described pathogenic mutations have been observed only in around 10% of patients; this observation supports the fact that PD is a multifactorial disorder. Lately, differences in miRNA expression, histone modification, and DNA methylation levels have been described, highlighting the importance of epigenetic factors in PD etiology. Taking all this into consideration, we hypothesized that an alteration in the level of methylation in PD-related genes could be related to disease pathogenesis, possibly due to alterations in gene expression. After analysing promoter regions of five PD-related genes in three brain regions by pyrosequencing, we observed some differences in DNA methylation levels (hypo and hypermethylation) in substantia nigra in some CpG dinucleotides that, possibly through an alteration in Sp1 binding, could alter their expression.

Are by-products from beeswax recycling process a new promising source of bioactive compounds with biomedical properties?

During the process of beeswax recycling, many industrial derivatives are obtained. These matrices may have an interesting healthy and commercial potential but to date they have not been properly studied. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the proximal and phytochemical composition, the antioxidant capacity and cytotoxic effects of two by-products from beeswax recycling process named MUD 1 and MUD 2 on liver hepatocellular carcinoma. Our results showed that MUD 1 presented the highest (P < .05) fiber, protein, carbohydrate, polyphenol and flavonoid concentration, as well as the highest (P < .05) total antioxidant capacity than the MUD 2 samples. MUD1 exerted also anticancer activity on HepG2 cells, by reducing cellular viability, increasing intracellular ROS levels and affecting mitochondrial functionality in a dose-dependent manner. We showed for the first time that by-products from beeswax recycling process can represent a rich source of phytochemicals with high total antioxidant capacity and anticancer activity; however, further researches are necessary to evaluate their potentiality for human health by in vivo studies.

The use of natural compounds for the targeting and chemoprevention of ovarian cancer.

Among gynaecological cancers, ovarian cancer represents the leading cause of death in women. Current treatment for ovarian cancer entails surgery followed by combined chemotherapy with platinum and taxane, which are associated, particularly cisplatin, with severe side effects. While this treatment approach appears to be initially effective in a high number of patients, nearly 70% of them suffer a relapse within a few months after initial treatment. Therefore, more effective and better-tolerated treatment options are clearly needed. In recent years, several natural compounds (such as curcumin, epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), resveratrol, sulforaphane and Withaferin-A), characterized by long-term safety and negligible and/or inexistent side effects, have been proposed as possible adjuvants of traditional chemotherapy. Indeed, several in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that phytocompounds can effectively inhibit tumor cell proliferation, stimulate autophagy, induce apoptosis, and specifically target ovarian cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are generally considered to be responsible for tumor recurrence in several types of cancer. Here we review current literature on the role of natural products in ovarian cancer chemoprevention, highlighting their effects particularly on the regulation of inflammation, autophagy, proliferation and apoptosis, chemotherapy resistance, and ovarian CSC growth.

Trasplante dentario autólogo en el sector anterior: presentación de caso clínico / Autologous tooth transplantation in anterior teeth: report of a clinical case

El autotrasplante dentario se refiere al traslado de una pieza dentaria de su alveolo a otro sitio, alveolo post-extracción o alveolo quirúrgico, en la misma persona. El trasplante dentario ha sido practicado durante siglos, pero generalmente fracasaba por complicaciones en la cicatrización, debido a la falta de conocimiento acerca de la etiología de la reabsorción radicular y el control de la infección. Las investigaciones realizadas en los últimos años tornaron predecible el pronóstico del mismo, demostrando buena supervivencia y brindando una alternativa para la rehabilitación ante la pérdida dental en individuos jóvenes y niños

Tratamiento integral de las avulsiones dentarias: evolución y seguimiento / Comprehensive treatment of tooth avulsions: evolution and follow-up

El estudio incluyó 66 pacientes cuyuas edades oscilaban entre los 7 y 15 años, 44 varones y 22 mujeres, con 70 avulsiones en piezas dentarias permanentes, de las cuales 67 se produjeron en el maxilar superior y 3 en el maxilar inferior; 57 fueron incisivos centrales superiores, 10 incisivos laterales superiores y 3 incisivos centrales inferiores. Los pacientes bajo estudio fueron tratados de urgencia y tu y tuvieron un seguimiento mínimo de dos años en el área de residencia del Hospital Zonal Especializado en Odontología Infantil Dr. A. Bollini, de la ciudad de La Plata, en el período comprendido entre junio de 2003 y diciembre de 2009. Del total de piezas dentarias avulsionadas, 19 presentaban ligamento periodontal vital y 51 ligamento periodontal no vital. En los casos de avulsiones con ligamento periodontal vital, luego del tratamiento integral adecuado se detectó un 21,05 por ciento (N=4) con reabsorción sustitutiva y un 5.26 por ciento (N=1) con reabsorción inflamatoria, mientras que en el 73,68 por ciento (N=14) de los casos se observáo reabsorción superficial transitoria. En cuanto al pronóstico pulpar, todas las piezas dentarias sufrieron necrosis. En aquellos casos con ligamento periodontal no vital (N=51), luego del tratamiento integral adecuado, un 96,07 por ciento (N=49) de los casos presentaron reabsorción sustitutiva y un 3, 92 por ciento (N=2) reabsorción superficial. No se detectaron, en ningún caso, reabsorciones inflamatorias. Todos los casos tuvieron un seguimiento mínimo de dos años. Los pacientes con lesiones traumáticas deben ser tratados en forma integral, esto significa resolver no sólo correctamente la situación de urgencia, sino también hacer un adecuado seguimiento para realizar las intervenciones pertinentes en cada caso en particular, mejorando así el pronóstico.