Molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exercise and dietary interventions in the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases.

Cardiometabolic diseases still represent a major cause of mortality worldwide. In addition to pharmacological approaches, lifestyle interventions can also be adopted for the prevention of these morbid conditions. Lifestyle changes include exercise and dietary restriction protocols, such as calorie restriction and intermittent fasting, which were shown to delay cardiovascular ageing and elicit health-promoting effects in preclinical models of cardiometabolic diseases. Beneficial effects are mediated by the restoration of multiple molecular mechanisms in heart and vessels that are compromised by metabolic stress. Exercise and dietary restriction rescue mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation. They also improve autophagy. The result of these effects is a marked improvement of vascular and heart function. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of exercise and dietary restriction in models of diabetes and obesity. We also discuss clinical studies and gap in animal-to-human translation.

Mitochondria and Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy: A Complex Interplay.

Cardiotoxicity has emerged as a major side effect of doxorubicin (DOX) treatment, affecting nearly 30% of patients within 5 years after chemotherapy. Heart failure is the first non-cancer cause of death in DOX-treated patients. Although many different molecular mechanisms explaining the cardiac derangements induced by DOX were identified in past decades, the translation to clinical practice has remained elusive to date. This review examines the current understanding of DOX-induced cardiomyopathy (DCM) with a focus on mitochondria, which were increasingly proven to be crucial determinants of DOX-induced cytotoxicity. We discuss DCM pathophysiology and epidemiology and DOX-induced detrimental effects on mitochondrial function, dynamics, biogenesis, and autophagy. Lastly, we review the current perspectives to contrast the development of DCM, which is still a relatively diffused, invalidating, and life-threatening condition for cancer survivors.

Schistosoma haematobium infection, health and nutritional status in school-age children in a rural setting in Northern Senegal.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of urinary schistosomiasis in school children in a rural village of Northern Senegal, and to evaluate the impact of this parasitic infection on children's health, growth, and nutritional status. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 465 children resident in the village of Kassak Nord, in Senegal, in an area which is highly endemic for Schistosoma haematobium. Data on health, nutritional status and urinary schistosomiasis were collected. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in school children in Kassak was 47.4%. As for malnutrition, 29.7% of children were malnourished (BMI-for-age Z-score [BAZ] <-2) and 14.5% had a significant linear growth retardation (height-for-age Z-score [HAZ] <-2). Children with urinary schistosomiasis showed lower mean BAZ and HAZ than uninfected children (HAZ positives -0.7±1.4 vs. HAZ negatives -0.4±1.4, P=0.004; BAZ positives -1.5±1 vs. BAZ negatives -1.3±1.1, P=0.03). It was also found that infected children were at greater risk of malnutrition (BAZ<-2; OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.01-2.26). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the hypothesis that urinary schistosomiasis affects negatively childhood health and nutritional status and are of importance for planning intervention aimed to monitoring and control Urinary Schistosomiasis and malnutrition.