PM2.5, component cause of severe metabolically abnormal obesity: An in silico, observational and analytical study.

Obesity is currently one of the most alarming pathological conditions due to the progressive increase in its prevalence. In the last decade, it has been associated with fine particulate matter suspended in the air (PM2.5). The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanistic interaction of PM2.5 with a high-fat diet (HFD) through the differential regulation of transcriptional signatures, aiming to identify the association of these particles with metabolically abnormal obesity. The research design was observational, using bioinformatic methods and an explanatory approach based on Rothman's causal model. We propose three new transcriptional signatures in murine adipose tissue. The sum of transcriptional differences between the group exposed to an HFD and PM2.5, compared to the control group, were 0.851, 0.265, and -0.047 (p > 0.05). The HFD group increased body mass by 20% with two positive biomarkers of metabolic impact. The group exposed to PM2.5 maintained a similar weight to the control group but exhibited three positive biomarkers. Enriched biological pathways (p < 0.05) included PPAR signaling, small molecule transport, adipogenesis genes, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and HIF-1 signaling. Transcriptional regulation predictions revealed CpG islands and common transcription factors. We propose three new transcriptional signatures: FAT-PM2.5-CEJUS, FAT-PM2.5-UP, and FAT-PM2.5-DN, whose transcriptional regulation profile in adipocytes was statistically similar by dietary intake and HFD and exposure to PM2.5 in mice; suggesting a mechanistic interaction between both factors. However, HFD-exposed murines developed moderate metabolically abnormal obesity, and PM2.5-exposed murines developed severe abnormal metabolism without obesity. Therefore, in Rothman's terms, it is concluded that HFD is a sufficient cause of the development of obesity, and PM2.5 is a component cause of severe abnormal metabolism of obesity. These signatures would be integrated into a systemic biological process that would induce transcriptional regulation in trans, activating obesogenic biological pathways, restricting lipid mobilization pathways, decreasing adaptive thermogenesis and angiogenesis, and altering vascular tone thus inducing a severe metabolically abnormal obesity.

Detection of organochlorine pesticides in infertile eggs of crocodylus acutus from sinaloa.

Environmental contaminants endanger human health and non-target organisms such as crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) that live in aquatic bodies surrounding agricultural areas. Due to their intrinsic characteristics, these organisms could be bioaccumulating and transmitting organochlorine pesticides (OCs) to their eggs. The objectives of this study were to determine the OCs in infertile eggs of C. acutus from Sinaloa and their correlation with the morphometric characteristics (MC), and to perform a preliminary estimate of the ecological risk due to the presence of pesticides using the PERPEST model. In June 2022, 76 infertile eggs (Ie) were collected: 57 from wild areas (Wa) and 19 from a crocodile farm (CSMf). Determination of OC in Ie was performed according to the USEPA method 8081b, modified. The observed percentages of Ie in Wa were 31.48% and 21.33% in CSMf. Twenty OCs were detected in the Ie, where dieldrin recorded the highest average concentration in Wa (6542.6 ng/g), and endosulfan-II in the CSMf (2172.8 ng/g). Bad negative and positive correlations were observed between OCs and MC, standing out the correlations between endosulfan-II and %Ie (-0.688) in the Wa, Cedritos drain, and between endrin and the weight of Ie (0.786) of the CSMf. The evaluation of the ecological risks of the aquatic environment due to the presence of OCs follow the sequence cyclodienes > aromatic > alicyclic hydrocarbons. A potential risk to the endocrine health of the species C. acutus was observed. Crocodiles are excellent biological models for monitoring the effects of OCs.

La obesidad y su relación con los contaminantes ambientales, la alimentación y los mecanismos epigenéticos / Obesity related to environmental pollutants, diet and epigenetic mechanisms

Introduction: Obesity is a chronic disease resulting from environmental, psychological and genetic factors. The objective was to carry out a bibliometry of the scientific literature on this pathology related to environmental pollutants, food and epigenetics, to elucidate lines of research. Materials and method: The documents were managed from the Web of Science database. The search strategy was Obesity AND (pollution OR contamination) in the Titles field, AND (epigenetic * OR obesity OR food OR nutrition OR diet) in Themes. 654 articles were found: 577 original investigations and 77 reviews. The articles were exported in BibTeX format to be analyzed with the Bibliometrix program. Results: The evolution of the production of reports per year has been upward. In 2020, the average number of references of the original articles was 38 and of the review articles, 200. Based on the Lotka index combined with the h index, the most prominent author was Joel Schwartz. The United States concentrated the largest production of scientific articles, which coincides with the location of the institutions with the highest affiliation of the authors. The 5 most frequent keywords were: air pollution, particulate matter, obesity, pollution and epigenetics. Conclusions: A line of research on obesity linked to DNA methylation, oxidative stress and PM2.5 is proposed; which will contribute to reducing this pandemic and, therefore, will impact the morbidity and mortality profiles of non-communicable diseases and COVID-19.

Introducción: La obesidad es una enfermedad crónica resultante de factores ambientales, psicológicos y genéticos. El objetivo fue realizar una bibliometría de la literatura científica sobre esta patología relacionada con contaminantes ambientales, alimentación y epigenética, para dilucidar líneas de investigación. Materiales y método: Los documentos se gestionaron de la base de datos Web of Science. La estrategia de búsqueda fue Obesity AND (pollution OR contamination) en el campo Titles, AND (epigenetic* OR obesity OR alimentation OR nutrition OR diet) en Themes. Se encontraron 654 artículos: 577 investigaciones originales y 77 revisiones. Los artículos se exportaron en formato BibTeX para ser analizados con el programa Bibliometrix. Resultados: La evolución que ha tenido la producción de infrmes por año ha sido ascendente. En 2020, el promedio del número de referencias de los artículos originales fue de 38 y de los artículos de revisión, 200. Con base en el índice de Lotka aunado con el índice h, el autor más destacado fue Schwartz. Estados Unidos concentró la mayor producción de artículos científicos, lo que coincide con la ubicación de las instituciones con más adscripción de los autores. Las cinco palabras clave más frecuentes fueron: contaminación del aire, material particulado, obesidad, contaminación y epigenética. Conclusiones: Se propone una línea de investigación sobre la obesidad vinculada con la metilación del ADN, estrés oxidativo y material particulado fino; lo que contribuirá a reducir esta pandemia y por lo tanto, impactará en los perfiles de morbimortalidad de las enfermedades no transmisibles y de la COVID-19.

First report of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (L.) mexicana in Sinaloa, Mexico.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by different species of protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Dogs have been proven as primary hosts of the parasite. Cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans caused by Leishmania mexicana have been reported in Sinaloa; however, the vectors and hosts involved in the epidemiology of the parasite in northwestern Mexico are still unknown. Given the public health implications of this parasite's domestic hosts regarding the permanence and transmission of the disease to humans, the objective of the present study was to detect and determine the species of Leishmania that caused the first three cases of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. Three domestic dogs showing symptoms similar to canine leishmaniasis were identified, including chronic eye inflammation, corneal opacity, ocular exudate, emaciation and hyporexia. DNA was extracted from venous blood of the infected animals using a commercial kit. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was amplified by specific primers for Leishmania from the extracted DNA, and the PCR products were digested with the restriction enzyme HaeIII. In addition, PCR products were subjected to automated sequencing. Molecular analysis showed that the infecting species was L. mexicana. This is the first report of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis caused by L. mexicana in Sinaloa, Mexico. Further studies are required to identify the species that serve as vectors and other wild and domestic hosts of the parasite, as well as to determine if there are more species of Leishmania circulating in Sinaloa.

First Evidence of Vertical Infection of Dengue Virus 2 in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes from Sinaloa, Mexico.

Fourteen pools of Aedes aegypti larvae collected within the urban area of Culiacán, Sinaloa, were analyzed by RT-PCR. The results demonstrate, for the first time, the vertical infection of serotype-2 dengue virus (DENV-2) in Sinaloa, Mexico, suggesting that Ae. aegypti acts as a natural reservoir of DENV-2 in this region.

Hematology, blood chemistry, and bacteriology of the free-ranging Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum).

Blood samples from 16 adult, wild Mexican beaded lizards were obtained for complete blood count and serum biochemical analysis. In addition, both oral and cloacal swab samples were collected and submitted for bacteriologic culture. This is the first report of hematologic and bacterial data from free-living beaded lizards. This information will serve as baseline reference values for future health assessment studies in conservation, captive breeding, and research programs.