Assessment of Cholesterol, Glycemia Control and Short- and Long-Term Antihypertensive Effects of Smooth Hound Viscera Peptides in High-Salt and Fructose Diet-Fed Wistar Rats.

In this study, the antihypertensive activity of Purafect®-smooth hound viscera protein hydrolysate (VPH) and its peptide fraction with molecular weight (MW) below 1 kDa (VPH-I) was investigated. In addition, the lipase inhibitory activity, as well the anticoagulant potential, in vitro, were assessed. The antihypertensive effects of VPH and VPH-I were studied during 24 h (short-term effect) and 30 days (long-term effect) using high-salt (18% NaCl) and -fructose (10%) diet (HSFD)-induced hypertension. Data showed that, 4 h post-administration of VPH and VPH-I (200 mg/kg BW), the systolic blood pressure of rats was reduced by about 6 and 9 mmHg, respectively. These effects were similar to that obtained with Captopril (~9 mmHg at t = 4 h). On the other hand, exposing the rats to daily to HSFD, coupled to the administration of viscera peptides, was found to attenuate hypertension. In addition, the proteins' treatments were able to correct lipid and glycemic disorders, by reducing the total cholesterol and triglyceride contents and resorting to the plasma glucose level, compared to the HSFD group. Overall, the present findings demonstrated the preventive effect of VPH-peptides from hypertension complications, as a result of their biological properties.

The Management of Depressed Patients by the Tunisian General Practitioners: A Critical Trans-sectional Study.

Under-diagnosed and under-treated, depression has a pejorative prognosis. The general practitioners (GP) represent the most often consulted healthcare professionals by depressed patients. The aim was to describe how the Tunisian GPs manage the depressed patients and to note the difficulties they encounter in order to suggest corrective measures. A survey was conducted among 140 GPs in Sfax Governorate. The percentage of the GPs whose responses conformed to the scientific data in at least 67% of the items was 31.4%. Four factors were correlated to a good management of depression: age (p = 0.028), masculine gender (p = 0.016), long career (p = 0.034) and participation to continuous medical education sessions on depression (p = 0.01). Our study revealed inadequacies in the management of depression by the GPs. GPs were invited to sensitizing meetings. A training on depression was assured for the future internship supervisors by the commission of medicine of family in the Faculty of Medicine of Sfax.