Assessment of seabed litter at Concepción Seamount (Canary island) using a remotely operated towed vehicle.

The seafloor is recognised as a major sink for marine litter. However, studies conducted in this compartment addressing marine litter densities and its interactions with fauna are scarce, mainly due to sampling constraints. In this paper, we assess marine litter density, composition and interactions with marine communities and evaluate its relationship with fishing activities at the "Banco de la Concepción" seamount (Canary Islands, Spain). We took advantage of underwater video records taken with a Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle in the framework of the LIFE IP INTEMARES project. A total of 56 video transects were analysed covering about 9 km with 19 h of video recording. Transects were categorised as high, low, and null fishing effort based on the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) positional data registered between 2009 and 2017. Litter items were recorded in 70% of the transects with a mean density of 2122 (±2464) items km-2. There were significant differences in litter densities over the three levels of fishing pressure, with a density decrease from stations of high to stations of null fishing pressure. Regarding categories, plastic was by far the most abundant category found (83.1%), mainly consisting of fishing lines, both monofilaments and entangled longlines. The study of the interactions of marine litter with fauna showed that less than 20% of the items presented an interaction with benthic organisms either by causing or not a visible impact. The sponge Asconema setubalense accounted for more than half (57.4%) of all interactions, but only 5% of all A. setubalense specimens showed physical damage.

Unique arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase-2 polymorphism in salmonids and profound variations in thermal stability and catalytic efficiency conferred by two residues.

Melatonin contributes to synchronizing major biological and behavioral functions with cyclic changes in the environment. Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) is responsible for a daily rhythm in melatonin secretion. Teleost possess two enzyme forms, AANAT1 and AANAT2, preferentially expressed in the retina and the pineal gland, respectively. The concomitant action of light and temperature shapes the daily and seasonal changes in melatonin secretion: the former controls duration while the latter modulates amplitude. Investigating the respective roles of light and temperature is particularly relevant in the context of global warming, which is likely to affect the way fish decode and anticipate seasonal changes, with dramatic consequences on their physiology and behavior. Here we investigated the impact of temperature on pineal melatonin secretion of a migratory species, the Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), the northernmost living and cold-adapted salmonid. We show that temperature directly impacts melatonin production in cultured pineal glands. We also show that one organ expresses two AANAT2 transcripts displaying high similarity between them and with trout Oncorhynchus mykiss AANAT2, differing by only two amino acid sites. We compared the kinetics and 3D models of these enzymes as well as of a chimeric construct, particularly with regard to their response to temperature. Our study brings interesting and new information on the evolutionary diversity of AANAT enzymes in teleosts and the role played by specific residues in the catalytic properties of the enzymes.

Functional diversity of Teleost arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase-2: is the timezyme evolution driven by habitat temperature?

Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase-2 (AANAT2) is the enzyme responsible for the rhythmic production of the time-keeping hormone melatonin. It plays a crucial role in the synchronization of biological functions with changes in the environment. Annual and daily fluctuations in light are known to be key environmental factors involved in such synchronization. Previous studies have demonstrated that AANAT2 activity is also markedly influenced by temperature but the mechanisms through which it impacts the enzyme activity need to be further deciphered. We investigated AANAT2 primary to tertiary structures (3D models) and kinetics in relation to temperature for a variety of Teleost species from tropical to Arctic environments. The results extend our knowledge on the catalytic mechanisms of AANAT enzymes and bring strong support to the idea that AANAT2 diversification was limited by stabilizing selection conferring to the enzyme well conserved secondary and tertiary structures. Only a few changes in amino acids appeared sufficient to induce different enzyme activity patterns. It is concluded that AANAT2 evolution is mainly driven by phylogenetic relationships although catalytic properties (enzyme turnover and substrate affinity) are also under the influence of the respective species normal habitat temperature.

Variations in the carbohydrate expression pattern and in lesions of the uterine horns of BALB/c mice infected with different Tritrichomonas foetus isolates.

Bovine tritrichomonosis, a sexually transmitted disease caused by the protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus, is characterized by producing reproductive alterations in cattle. Carbohydrates on the surface of the uterine epithelium are involved in the process of adhesion and colonization of the protozoan. The murine model has proved to be an inexpensive, practical and representative alternative to study the lesions produced in the natural host. For this work, during the first stage, 6-8 week old female BALB/c mice were inoculated with 24 different T. foetus isolates in order to classify them according to their pathogenicity. Then, seven isolates were selected and processed with lectin histochemistry to determine if the differences in pathogenicity corresponded to the changes found in the uterine carbohydrate expression pattern. In this work, we demonstrate the differences in the expression of the carbohydrate pattern between infected and uninfected mice. In addition, within the group of infected mice, differences were found in the degree of pathogenicity of the isolates, thus evidencing their biological variability.

Radiology volunteers to support a breast cancer screening program in Peru: Description of the project, preliminary results, and impressions.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Peruvian women. Due to limitations in national breast cancer screening programs, especially in rural areas, more than 50% of cases of breast cancer in Peru are diagnosed in advanced stages. In collaboration with a local clinic registered as a nongovernmental organization (CerviCusco), RAD-AID International aims to create a sustainable diagnostic structure to improve breast cancer screening in Cuzco. With the support of local, national, and international partners that have collaborated in analyzing radiological resources, raising awareness in the population, acquiring equipment, training clinical staff, and building referral networks, our teams of radiologists, included in the RAD-AID team, have participated in training CerviCusco staff in breast ultrasound, thus enabling additional training for radiology residents through a regulated international collaboration.

Radiology volunteers to support a breast cancer screening program in Peru: description of the project, preliminary results, and impressions. / Voluntariado radiológico para apoyar un programa de detección precoz del cáncer de mama en Perú: descripción del proyecto, presentación de los primeros resultados e impresiones.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Peruvian women. Due to limitations in national breast cancer screening programs, especially in rural areas, more than 50% of cases of breast cancer in Peru are diagnosed in advanced stages. In collaboration with a local clinic registered as a nongovernmental organization (CerviCusco), RAD-AID International aims to create a sustainable diagnostic structure to improve breast cancer screening in Cuzco. With the support of local, national, and international partners that have collaborated in analyzing radiological resources, raising awareness in the population, acquiring equipment, training clinical staff, and building referral networks, our teams of radiologists, included in the RAD-AID team, have participated in training CerviCusco staff in breast ultrasound, thus enabling additional training for radiology residents through a regulated international collaboration.

Marine reserves: fish life history and ecological traits matter.

Marine reserves are assumed to protect a wide range of species from deleterious effects stemming from exploitation. However, some species, due to their ecological characteristics, may not respond positively to protection. Very little is known about the effects of life history and ecological traits (e.g., mobility, growth, and habitat) on responses of fish species to marine reserves. Using 40 data sets from 12 European marine reserves, we show that there is significant variation in the response of different species of fish to protection and that this heterogeneity can be explained, in part, by differences in their traits. Densities of targeted size-classes of commercial species were greater in protected than unprotected areas. This effect of protection increased as the maximum body size of the targeted species increased, and it was greater for species that were not obligate schoolers. However, contrary to previous theoretical findings, even mobile species with wide home ranges benefited from protection: the effect of protection was at least as strong for mobile species as it was for sedentary ones. Noncommercial bycatch and unexploited species rarely responded to protection, and when they did (in the case of unexploited bentho-pelagic species), they exhibited the opposite response: their densities were lower inside reserves. The use of marine reserves for marine conservation and fisheries management implies that they should ensure protection for a wide range of species with different life-history and ecological traits. Our results suggest this is not the case, and instead that effects vary with economic value, body size, habitat, depth range, and schooling behavior.

Current knowledge on the melatonin system in teleost fish.

Melatonin is a much conserved feature in vertebrates that plays a central role in the entrainment of daily and annual physiological rhythms. Investigations aiming at understanding how melatonin mediates the effects of photoperiod on crucial functions and behaviors have been very active in the last decades, particularly in mammals. In fish a clear-cut picture is still missing. Here we review the available data on (i) the sites of melatonin production in fish, (ii) the mechanisms that control its daily and annual rhythms of production and (iii) the characterization of its different receptor subtypes, their location and regulation. The in vivo and in vitro data on melatonin effects on crucial neuroendocrine regulations, including reproduction, growth, feeding and behavioral responses, are also reviewed. Finally we discuss how manipulation of the photic cues impact on fish circannual clock and annual cycle of reproduction, and how this can be used for aquaculture purposes.

Electrochemical corrosion behavior and mechanical properties of Ti-Ag biomedical alloys obtained by two powder metallurgy processing routes.

Titanium is frequently used as a biomaterial and the importance of Ti-Ag alloys has increased thanks to the antibacterial behavior of silver. In this study, Ti-Ag alloys (5, 10 and 15 wt% Ag) were obtained by two different powder metallurgy routes: blended elemental (BE) and mechanical alloying (MA). The influence of the powder mixture methodology on both microstructure and electrochemical behavior was analyzed. Powders were compacted at 600 and 900 MPa, respectively, and sintered at high vacuum for 3 h at 950 °C. The obtained Ti-Ag alloys were microstructurally characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and mechanically tested by hardness and bending tests. Electrochemical tests were run using a three-electrode cell in an artificial Fusayama saliva solution. Open-Circuit Potential (OCP), polarization curves, potentiostatic tests and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) techniques were employed to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the studied Ti-Ag alloys. The initial characteristics of powders before sintering and after blend/alloying modified the electrochemical behavior of the Ti-Ag-sintered alloys and were determined. The samples obtained with the BE powders better resisted corrosion than the MA samples, and this behavior was directly related to the quantity and distribution of intermetallic Ti2Ag. A large quantity of intermetallics present on both the edge and inside grains reduced the corrosion resistance of TiAg alloys.

Toxoplasma gondii: congenital transmission in a hamster model.

The objective of the research was to test the hamster for a model of transmission of congenital toxoplasmosis. A non-invasive method for the diagnosis of pregnancy in hamsters was designed, with a specificity and a sensitivity of 70.2 and 94.7%, respectively (n=168). Of 32 females with a chronic toxoplasma infection, 3 transmitted Toxoplasma congenitally during their first pregnancy, but not during the subsequent pregnancy. Congenital transmission rates of infections initiated during pregnancy with 2 stages of 2 strains of Toxoplasma were in the range of 33 to 100% of the 76 females inoculated. Only 1 of 17 females transmitted the parasite exclusively via milk. It was concluded that the hamster is a promising species for a model of transmission of congenital toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii: protection against colonization of the brain and muscles in a rat model.

The objective was to test immune protection against the formation of Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts in rats. It has been previously shown that 50 T. gondii tissue cysts of strain Me49 are not pathogenic for CF-1 mice, whereas 1 T. gondii tissue cyst of strain M-7741, can be lethal for mice 11-13 days after subcutaneous or oral administration. In the present study, ten rats were fed T. gondii oocysts of strain Me49 and after a further 30 days they were each orally challenged with T. gondii oocysts of strain M-7741. Thirty days after this, they were euthanased and brain and muscle samples inoculated subcutaneously or orally dosed, respectively, to mice for bioassay. None of the mice died, whereas all the mice that were inoculated with brain homogenates or were fed muscle samples from four non-immunized rats that had been inoculated with T. gondii oocysts of strain M-7741, died. These results encourage further research towards achieving vaccinal protection against the formation of T. gondii tissue cysts in meat animals and people.

Toxoplasma gondii: an improved rat model of congenital infection.

The objective of this study was to refine the rat model of congenital toxoplasmosis. In Fischer rats we found that visualization of spermatozoa in vaginal exudates and the detection of at least 6g body weight increase between days 9 and 12 of pregnancy, allowed the diagnosis and timing of pregnancy with 60% specificity and 84% sensitivity. A dose of 10(4) Toxoplasma gondii bradyzoites or 10(2) T. gondii oocysts of the Prugniaud strain resulted in more than 50% of congenital infection of the rat litters. Transmission of T. gondii via lactation was not detected in rats inoculated with either bradyzoites or oocysts. Bioassays of 51 neonates born from mothers inoculated with bradyzoites (in tissue cysts) and 29 neonates from mothers inoculated with oocysts demonstrated that both liver and lungs can be used for the diagnosis of congenital transmission in this model.

Transcriptional regulation of arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase-2 gene in the pineal gland of the gilthead seabream.

Pineal serotonin-N-acetyltransferase (arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase; AANAT) is considered the key enzyme in the generation of circulating melatonin rhythms; the rate of melatonin production is determined by AANAT activity. In all the examined species, AANAT activity is regulated at the post-translational level and, to a variable degree, also at the transcriptional level. Here, the transcriptional regulation of pineal aanat (aanat2) of the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) was investigated. Real-time polymerase chain reaction quantification of aanat2 mRNA levels in the pineal gland collected throughout the 24-h cycle revealed a rhythmic expression pattern. In cultured pineal glands, the amplitude was reduced, but the daily rhythmic expression pattern was maintained under constant illumination, indicating a circadian clock-controlled regulation of seabream aanat2. DNA constructs were prepared in which green fluorescent protein was driven by the aanat2 promoters of seabream and Northern pike. In vivo transient expression analyses in zebrafish embryos indicated that these promoters contain the necessary elements to drive enhanced expression in the pineal gland. In the light-entrainable clock-containing PAC-2 zebrafish cell line, a stably transfected seabream aanat2 promoter-luciferase DNA construct exhibited a clock-controlled circadian rhythm of luciferase activity, characteristic for an E-box-driven expression. In NIH-3T3 cells, the seabream aanat2 promoter was activated by a synergistic action of BMAL/CLOCK and orthodenticle homeobox 5 (OTX5). Promoter sequence analyses revealed the presence of the photoreceptor conserved element and an extended E-box (i.e. the binding sites for BMAL/CLOCK and OTX5 that have been previously associated with pineal-specific and rhythmic gene expression). These results suggest that seabream aanat2 is a clock-controlled gene that is regulated by conserved mechanisms.

Sindemia, anomia social y complejidad de la emergencia del COVID-19 / Syndemic, social anomie and complexity of the COVID-19 emergency

La pandemia de COVID-19, declarada en el 2020 por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), se ha constituido en una de las crisis de mayor impacto para la salud y sus determinantes sociales. Las sindemias se presentan cuando la inequidad sanitaria de la biopolítica predominante manifiesta su control sobre la vida. Para hacer frente a esta sindemia, es necesario comprender, mejorar y tomar en cuenta las determinantes sociales de la salud, con el propósito de propiciar las condiciones del bienestar de la población y reducir las inequidades. La presencia de entornos no saludables, la estigmatización de los enfermos o de los prestadores de servicios de salud, manifestada en actos de agresión y violencia, revelan la anomia social; el momento en que el estado pierde su capacidad de regulación normativa, y que tiene como resultado la resistencia individual y colectiva que repercute en la labor preventiva.El reconocimiento de la sindemia por parte de los actores políticos, sociales y del ciudadano común debe asentarse en un escenario más igualitario y reconsiderar las conductas anómicas. Es necesario empoderar a la población, fomentar la ciudadanía, así como el uso de la evidencia científica, reconfigurar los sistemas de atención a la salud e integrar a la población en las decisiones asumidas e instrumentadas por el estado.La atención de la sindemia y la anomia social, producidas por la pandemia e intensificadas por factores socioeconómicos, requiere la solidaridad ciudadana y la reformulación de la biopolítica de estado

The COVID-19 pandemic, declared in 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), has become one of the crises with the greatest impact on health and its social determinants. Syndemics appear when the health inequity of the prevailing biopolitics displays its power over life. In order to face this syndemic, it is necessary to understand, improve and consider the social determinants of health, with the purpose of restoring the well-being conditions of the population and thus reducing social inequities. The presence of unhealthy environments, the stigmatization of the sick or of health service providers manifested through acts of aggression and violence, reveal social anomie; a moment when the state loses its capacity for normative regulation, which can result in forms of individual and collective resistance that have an impact on preventive work.The recognition of the syndemic by the political and social actors and the common citizen must move towards a more egalitarian scenario and reassess anomic behaviors. It is necessary to empower the population, promote citizenship, as well as the use of scientific evidence, reconfigure health care systems and, above all, fully integrate the population into the decisions taken and implemented by the state.Actions against the syndemic and the social anomie resulting from the pandemic and exacerbated by economic-social factors, requires citizen convergence and the reformulation of state biopolitics.

Voluntariado radiológico para apoyar un programa de detección precoz del cáncer de mama en Perú: descripción del proyecto, presentación de los primeros resultados e impresiones / Radiology volunteers to support a breast cancer screening program in Peru: description of the project, preliminary results, and impressions

El cáncer de mama es el segundo cáncer más frecuente en las mujeres peruanas. Las limitaciones de los programas nacionales de detección precoz, sobre todo en las regiones rurales, propician que más del 50% de los nuevos casos de cáncer de mama en Perú se diagnostiquen en estadios avanzados. RAD-AID Internacional, en colaboración con una clínica local registrada como organización no gubernamental (CerviCusco), pretende crear una estructura diagnóstica sostenible que mejore el cribado del cáncer de mama en Cuzco. Para ello se ha contado con socios locales, nacionales e internacionales que han colaborado en el análisis de recursos radiológicos, la concienciación de la población, la adquisición de equipamiento, el entrenamiento clínico y las redes de referencia. Nuestros equipos de radiólogos, incluidos en el equipo RAD-AID, han participado en la capacitación ecográfica del personal de CerviCusco, permitiendo una formación adicional a los residentes de radiología gracias a una colaboración internacional reglada.(AU)

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Peruvian women. Due to limitations in national breast cancer screening programs, especially in rural areas, more than 50% of cases of breast cancer in Peru are diagnosed in advanced stages. In collaboration with a local clinic registered as a nongovernmental organization (CerviCusco), RAD-AID International aims to create a sustainable diagnostic structure to improve breast cancer screening in Cuzco. With the support of local, national, and international partners that have collaborated in analyzing radiological resources, raising awareness in the population, acquiring equipment, training clinical staff, and building referral networks, our teams of radiologists, included in the RAD-AID team, have participated in training CerviCusco staff in breast ultrasound, thus enabling additional training for radiology residents through a regulated international collaboration.(AU)

Cellular circadian clocks in the pineal.

Daily rhythms are a fundamental feature of all living organisms; most are synchronized by the 24 hr light/dark (LD) cycle. In most species, these rhythms are generated by a circadian system, and free run under constant conditions with a period close to 24 hr. To function properly the system needs a pacemaker or clock, an entrainment pathway to the clock, and one or more output signals. In vertebrates, the pineal hormone melatonin is one of these signals which functions as an internal time-keeping molecule. Its production is high at night and low during day. Evidence indicates that each melatonin producing cell of the pineal constitutes a circadian system per se in non-mammalian vertebrates. In addition to the melatonin generating system, they contain the clock as well as the photoreceptive unit. This is despite the fact that these cells have been profoundly modified from fish to birds. Modifications include a regression of the photoreceptive capacities, and of the ability to transmit a nervous message to the brain. The ultimate stage of this evolutionary process leads to the definitive loss of both the direct photosensitivity and the clock, as observed in the pineal of mammals. This review focuses on the functional properties of the cellular circadian clocks of non-mammalian vertebrates. How functions the clock? How is the photoreceptive unit linked to it and how is the clock linked to its output signal? These questions are addressed in light of past and recent data obtained in vertebrates, as well as invertebrates and unicellulars.

El cuidado de la salud mental y ubicuidad / Mental healthcare and ubiquity

La ubicuidad en salud plantea una serie de estrategias para hacer llegar los servicios de salud donde y cuando sea necesario. La modalidad uHealth surgida en Corea (2006) tiene la finalidad de mejorar la calidad de vida al brindar servicios, productos e información de salud. La atención de la salud en la ubicuidad incluye: eHealth, mHealth, uHeath y pHealth. En la atención a la salud mental se requiere un enfoque preventivo alterno al hospitalario que actualmente prevalece y resulta más favorable en su cobertura aprovechando los vínculos generados con los usuarios. De esta forma, promover la salud mental a través de eHealth para prevenir trastornos mentales, brindar atención, mejorar la recuperación, promover los derechos humanos y reducir la mortalidad, morbilidad y discapacidad de personas con trastornos mentales. Conclusiones: La práctica de enfermería a través de dispositivos digitales promueve nuevas relaciones consigo mismo y con el mundo, es una oportunidad de ampliar las posibilidades de encuentro. La mHealth considera la práctica del cuidado como un acto responsable y racional, de capacidad de las tecnologías digitales para registrar múltiples aspectos corporales y comportamentales, de emergencia de una economía digital y un capital viviente explotable.

The ubiquity in health raises a series of strategies to get health services where and when necessary. The uHealth modality emerged in Korea (2006) in this way has the purpose of improving the quality of life by providing health services, products and information.Health care in ubiquity includes: eHealth, mHealth, uHeath, and pHealth. In mental health care, an alternative preventive approach to the hospital approach is required that currently prevails and that is more favorable in its coverage, taking advantage of the links generated with users. In this way, promoting mental health through eHealth to prevent mental disorders, provide care, improve recovery, promote human rights and reduce mortality, morbidity and disability of people with mental disorders. Conclusions:Nursing practice through digital devices promotes new relationships with oneself and with the world and is an opportunity to expand the possibilities of encounter. MHealth considers the practice of care as a responsible and rational act, of the capacity of digital technologies to register multiple bodily and behavioral aspects, the emergence of a digital economy and an exploitable living capital.

Psychological Interventions for Parents of Children with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

This study provides a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that analyzed the efficacy of psychological interventions for parents of children with cancer. The search was conducted in the databases PsycInfo, Medline, PsycArticles, and PsycTests. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Two independent researchers extracted relevant data, and the studies were assessed for methodological quality. The standardized mean difference (d) was used as the effect size index. The meta-analyses, which applied random and mixed-effects models, showed that weighted effect sizes were statistically significant for depression at posttreatment (d= 1.19). However, the methodological quality moderated the depression estimate. The weighted effect sizes for the remaining variables were not statistically significant: stress/burnout (d= 0.90), quality of life (d= 1.26), anxiety (d= 0.21), posttraumatic stress (d= 0.05), and general indicator of emotional symptoms (d= 0.33). This review also highlights several methodological limitations of the studies. Future directions for research that examines interventions targeting primary caregivers of children with cancer are discussed. In conclusion, more high-quality research is needed to establish the efficacy of psychological interventions for parents of children with cancer (AU)

Functional development of the zebrafish pineal gland: light-induced expression of period2 is required for onset of the circadian clock.

In zebrafish, the pineal gland is a photoreceptive organ that contains an intrinsic circadian oscillator and exhibits rhythmic arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase (zfaanat2) mRNA expression. In the present study, we investigated the role of light and of a clock gene, zperiod2 (zper2), in the development of this rhythm. Analysis of zfaanat2 mRNA expression in the pineal gland of 3-day-old zebrafish embryos after exposure to different photoperiodic regimes indicated that light is required for proper development of the circadian clock-controlled rhythmic expression of zfaanat2, and that a 1-h light pulse is sufficient to initiate this rhythm. Analysis of zper2 mRNA expression in zebrafish embryos exposed to different photoperiodic regimes indicated that zper2 expression is transiently up-regulated by light but is not regulated by the circadian oscillator. To establish the association between light-induced zper2 expression and light-induced clock-controlled zfaanat2 rhythm, zPer2 knock-down experiments were performed. The zfaanat2 mRNA rhythm, induced by a 1-h light pulse, was abolished in zPer2 knock-down embryos. These experiments indicated that light-induced zper2 expression is crucial for establishment of the clock-controlled zfaanat2 rhythm in the zebrafish pineal gland.

Differential expression and function of PACAP and VIP receptors in four human colonic adenocarcinoma cell lines.

Human colonic adenocarcinoma cell lines have conserved several features of the native tissue. Among these is the expression of cell surface receptors for hormones and neurotransmitters that may be involved in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation processes in these cancer cells. Here, we confirm that high-affinity binding sites for the Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP) and for the VIP analogue Pituitary Adenylate-Cyclase Activating Polypeptide (PACAP), were expressed in 4 human colonic adenocarcinoma cell lines, HT29, SW403, DLD-1 and Caco-2, that spontaneously displayed variable phenotypic properties in culture. We demonstrated that after long-term treatments, VIP and PACAP significantly reduced cell proliferation in the 4 cell lines and modulated intracellular cAMP and cGMP levels. Furthermore, conspicuous differences were observed from one cell type to another concerning expression of the receptor subsets or the effects of the neuropeptides on cell growth and on cyclic nucleotides production.