Power of Light: Raman Spectroscopy and Machine Learning for the Detection of Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, emphasizing the urgent need for reliable and efficient diagnostic methods. Conventional approaches often involve invasive procedures and can be time-consuming and costly, thereby delaying the effective treatment. The current study explores the potential of Raman spectroscopy, as a promising noninvasive technique, by analyzing human blood plasma samples from lung cancer patients and healthy controls. In a benchmark study, 16 machine learning models were evaluated by employing four strategies: the combination of dimensionality reduction with classifiers; application of feature selection prior to classification; stand-alone classifiers; and a unified predictive model. The models showed different performances due to the inherent complexity of the data, achieving accuracies from 0.77 to 0.85 and areas under the curve for receiver operating characteristics from 0.85 to 0.94. Hybrid methods incorporating dimensionality reduction and feature selection algorithms present the highest figures of merit. Nevertheless, all machine learning models deliver creditable scores and demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy represents a powerful method for future in vitro diagnostics of lung cancer.

Psychometric Evaluation and Misophonic Experience in a Portuguese-Speaking Sample.

Misophonia, a disorder characterised by an extreme sensitivity to certain sounds, is increasingly being studied in cross-cultural settings. The S-Five scale is a multidimensional psychometric tool initially developed to measure the severity of misophonia in English-speaking populations. The scale has been validated in several languages, and the present study aimed to validate the European Portuguese S-Five scale in a Portuguese-speaking sample. The scale was translated into Portuguese using a forward-backwards translation method. The psychometric properties of the S-Five scale were evaluated in a sample of 491 Portuguese-speaking adults. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a five-factor structure consistent with previous versions of the S-Five scale. The five factors were as follows: (1) internalising appraisals, (2) externalising appraisals, (3) perceived threat and avoidance behaviour, (4) outbursts, and (5) impact on functioning. The satisfactory psychometric properties of the S-Five scale further indicated its cross-cultural stability. As a psychometrically robust tool, the S-Five can measure misophonia in Portuguese-speaking populations, allowing future studies to explore and compare misophonia in this population.

Bilateral tractional retinal detachment in hemoglobin SC disease patient / Descolamento tracional de retina bilateral em hemoglobinopatia S-C

ABSTRACT A 36-year-old black male presented with a progressive loss of visual acuity in both eyes for 7 years. He had a history of tractional retinal detachment in the right eye and vitreous hemorrhage followed by retinal detachment in the left eye. He denied any systemic illness, trauma, or drug abuse. After clinical investigation, he was diagnosed with SC hemoglobinopathy and proliferative sickle cell retinopathy stage V in both eyes.

RESUMO Paciente do sexo masculino, 36 anos, negro, apresentou baixa acuidade visual progressiva em ambos os olhos por 7 anos. Possuía antecedentes de descolamento tracional de retina no olho direito e hemorragia vítrea, seguida de descolamento de retina no olho esquerdo. Negava doenças sistêmicas, trauma ou abuso de drogas. Após investigação clínica, foi diagnosticado com hemoglobinopatia S-C e retinopatia falciforme proliferativa estágio V em ambos os olhos.

Post-Covid condition and clinic characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a 2-year follow-up to Brazilian cases.

Until January 2023, Brazil recorded 37 million COVID-19 cases despite the decrease in mortality due to mass vaccination efforts against COVID-19. The infection continues to challenge researchers and health professionals with the persistent symptoms and onset manifestations after the acute phase of the disease, namely Post-Covid Condition (PCC). Being one of the countries with the highest infection rate, Brazil must prepare for a growing number of patients with chronic health consequences of COVID-19. Longitudinal studies that follow patients over extended periods are crucial in understanding the long-term impacts of COVID-19, including potential health consequences and the effects on quality of life. We describe the clinical profile of a cohort of COVID-19 patients infected during the first year of the pandemic in Brazil and a follow-up after two years to investigate the health impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Brazil featured extensive drug misuse, notably the ineffective COVID kit comprised of ivermectin, antimalarials and azithromycin, and elevated in-hospital mortality. In the second phase of the study, Post-Covid Condition was reported by symptomatic COVID-19 subjects across different severity levels two years after infection. Long haulers are more likely to be women, previously hospitalized, and reported a range of symptoms from muscle pain to cognitive deficit. Our longitudinal study is essential to inform public health authorities to develop strategies and policies to control the spread of the virus and mitigate its impacts on society.

The let-7b-5p, miR-326, and miR-125a-3p are associated with left ventricular systolic dysfunction in post-myocardial infarction.

Background: Acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) can lead to adverse cardiac remodeling, resulting in left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSd) and heart failure. Epigenetic regulators, such as microRNAs, may be involved in the physiopathology of LVSd. Objective: This study explored microRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of post-myocardial infarction patients with LVSd. Methods: Post-STEMI patients were grouped as having (LVSd, n = 9) or not LVSd (non-LVSd, n = 16). The expression of 61 microRNAs was analyzed in PBMC by RT-qPCR and the differentially expressed microRNAs were identified. Principal Component Analysis stratified the microRNAs based on the development of dysfunction. Predictive variables of LVSd were investigated through logistic regression analysis. A system biology approach was used to explore the regulatory molecular network of the disease and an enrichment analysis was performed. Results: The let-7b-5p (AUC: 0.807; 95% CI: 0.63-0.98; p = 0.013), miR-125a-3p (AUC: 0.800; 95% CI: 0.61-0.99; p = 0.036) and miR-326 (AUC: 0.783; 95% CI: 0.54-1.00; p = 0.028) were upregulated in LVSd (p < 0.05) and discriminated LVSd from non-LVSd. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed let-7b-5p (OR: 16.00; 95% CI: 1.54-166.05; p = 0.020) and miR-326 (OR: 28.00; 95% CI: 2.42-323.70; p = 0.008) as predictors of LVSd. The enrichment analysis revealed association of the targets of these three microRNAs with immunological response, cell-cell adhesion, and cardiac changes. Conclusion: LVSd alters the expression of let-7b-5p, miR-326, and miR-125a-3p in PBMC from post-STEMI, indicating their potential involvement in the cardiac dysfunction physiopathology and highlighting these miRNAs as possible LVSd biomarkers.

Diseño de una estrategia de comunicación para la promoción del uso del etiquetado de advertencia en niños, niñas y adolescentes mexicanos.

OBJETIVO: Describir el proceso para diseñar una estrategia de comunicación con el fin de promover el uso del etiqueta-do frontal de advertencia (EFA) y la selección de alimentos saludables en niños, niñas y adolescentes (NNA) mexicanos. Material y métodos. Estudio de cuatro fases con esco-lares, adolescentes y cuidadores: 1) investigación formativa (18 grupos focales, n= 179); 2) talleres de cocreación con NNA (n= 33); 3) diseño de la estrategia, con base en el modelo de comportamiento COM-B; y 4) prueba piloto (seis grupos focales, n= 52). RESULTADOS: La estrategia de comunicación debería mejorar la comprensión del EFA y los conocimientos sobre la relación de los ingredientes críticos (calorías, grasas saturadas, grasas trans, sodio, edulcorantes y cafeína) y la enfermedad; asimismo, debería resaltar las consecuencias positivas de una alimentación saludable y las negativas del consumo excesivo de alimentos con sellos, así como destacar que los alimentos naturales tienen un menor costo y mejor calidad que los alimentos con sellos; se deben ofrecer sugerencias de preparaciones atractivas y saludables con alimentos naturales. Conclusión. La investigación formativa y la participación de NNA en la creación de la campaña fueron esenciales para diseñar una estrategia cultu-ralmente pertinente con potencial de impacto. El proceso y los resultados del estudio podrían informar sobre esfuerzos en contextos parecidos al de México.

Long non-coding RNA and circular RNA: new perspectives for molecular pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation.

Many studies have demonstrated the association of atrial fibrillation (AF) with endogenous genetic regulatory mechanisms. These interactions could advance the understanding of the AF pathophysiological process, supporting the search for early biomarkers to improve diagnosis and disease monitoring. Among the endogenous genetic regulatory mechanisms, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have gained special attention, and studies have demonstrated their involvement in AF development and other AF-related diseases such as coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy. This review describes the main experimental results reported by studies that analyzed the expression of lncRNAs and circRNAs in AF associated with miRNA or mRNA. The search was conducted in PubMed public database using the terms "lncRNA and atrial fibrillation" or "long ncRNA and atrial fibrillation" or "long non-coding RNA and atrial fibrillation" or "circular RNA and atrial fibrillation" or "circRNA and atrial fibrillation". There was no overlapping of lncRNA or circRNA among the studies, attributed to the different sample types, methods, species, and patient classification evaluated in these studies. Although the regulatory mechanisms in which these molecules are involved are not yet well understood, the studies analyzed show their importance in the pathophysiological process of AF, supporting the idea that lncRNAs and circRNAs are involved in miRNA or mRNA regulation in the molecular mechanism of this disease.

TREML4 polymorphisms increase the mRNA in blood leukocytes in the progression of atherosclerosis.

TREML4 and other members of the triggering receptor expressed in the myeloid cell family are associated with a risk of atherosclerosis and progression in coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndrome, and coronary artery calcification. Herein, the relationship between TREML4 expression and its polymorphisms (rs2803495 and rs280396) was evaluated in patients with subclinical atherosclerosis (n = 340) and heart failure post-acute myocardial infarction (MI) (n = 68) for the first time. TREML4 variants rs2803495 (A > G) and rs2803496 (T > C) and leukocyte mRNA expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR. The rs2803495 G allele was associated with TREML4 expression (OR 8.01, CI 3.78-16.99, p < 0.001). Patients carrying the rs2803496 C minor allele (TC/CC genotypes) were more likely to express TREML4 than those without the C allele (OR 10.42, CI 4.76-22.78, p < 0.001), as well as having higher levels of TREML4 expression (OR 4.88, CI 2.35-10.12, p < 0.001). Thus, we report for the first time that TREML4 is not associated with the early stages of atherosclerotic plaque formation and later stages after MI. In conclusion, TREML4 mRNA expression in blood leukocytes is influenced by minor alleles (G and C) and may regulate differently during the atherosclerosis progression stages, but not in asymptomatic atherosclerosis disease and post-MI.

TREML4 polymorphisms increase the mRNA in blood leukocytes in the progression of atherosclerosis

ABSTRACT: TREML4 and other members of the triggering receptor expressed in the myeloid cell family are associated with a risk of atherosclerosis and progression in coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndrome, and coronary artery calcification. Herein, the relationship between TREML4 expression and its polymorphisms (rs2803495 and rs280396) was evaluated in patients with subclinical atherosclerosis (n = 340) and heart failure post-acute myocardial infarction (MI) (n = 68) for the first time. TREML4 variants rs2803495 (A > G) and rs2803496 (T > C) and leukocyte mRNA expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR. The rs2803495 G allele was associated with TREML4 expression (OR 8.01, CI 3.78-16.99, p < 0.001). Patients carrying the rs2803496 C minor allele (TC/CC genotypes) were more likely to express TREML4 than those without the C allele (OR 10.42, CI 4.76-22.78, p < 0.001), as well as having higher levels of TREML4 expression (OR 4.88, CI 2.35-10.12, p < 0.001). Thus, we report for the first time that TREML4 is not associated with the early stages of atherosclerotic plaque formation and later stages after MI. In conclusion, TREML4 mRNA expression in blood leukocytes is influenced by minor alleles (G and C) and may regulate differently during the atherosclerosis progression stages, but not in asymptomatic atherosclerosis disease and post-MI.

Welfare Resilience at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Selection of European Countries: Impact on Public Finance and Household Incomes.

This paper assesses the impact on household incomes of the COVID-19 pandemic and governments' policy responses in April 2020 in four large and severely hit EU countries: Belgium, Italy, Spain and the UK. We provide comparative evidence on the level of relative and absolute welfare resilience at the onset of the pandemic, by creating counterfactual scenarios using the European tax-benefit model EUROMOD combined with COVID-19-related household surveys and timely labor market data. We find that income poverty increased in all countries due to the pandemic while inequality remained broadly the same. Differences in the impact of policies across countries arose from four main sources: the asymmetric dimension of the shock by country, the different protection offered by each tax-benefit system, the diverse design of discretionary measures and differences in the household level circumstances and living arrangements of individuals at risk of income loss in each country.

Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries; however, few systematic reviews are available in the literature. This review examines the prevalence of COPD in the Brazilian population. For this purpose, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of epidemiological observational studies indexed in the databases PubMed, Cochrane, Ovid, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SciELO, Lilacs, and Google Scholar published up to May 2018. The prevalence was estimated using a random effects model. Of the 1,182 articles identified, 12 were eligible. The prevalence of COPD in Brazil was 17% (95%CI: 13-22; I2 = 94%) and the region with the highest prevalence of COPD was the Center-western region (25%), followed by the Southeastern region (23%). The Southern region had the lowest prevalence among the studies (12%). We found that Brazil has a high occurrence of COPD, higher than the estimates of Latin American and world population Hence, additional studies are necessary to support intervention strategies, as well as formulation of specific public health policies to control and prevent COPD.

Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis / Epidemiologia da Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica no Brasil: uma revisão sistemática e metanálise

Abstract Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries; however, few systematic reviews are available in the literature. This review examines the prevalence of COPD in the Brazilian population. For this purpose, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of epidemiological observational studies indexed in the databases PubMed, Cochrane, Ovid, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SciELO, Lilacs, and Google Scholar published up to May 2018. The prevalence was estimated using a random effects model. Of the 1,182 articles identified, 12 were eligible. The prevalence of COPD in Brazil was 17% (95%CI: 13-22; I2 = 94%) and the region with the highest prevalence of COPD was the Center-western region (25%), followed by the Southeastern region (23%). The Southern region had the lowest prevalence among the studies (12%). We found that Brazil has a high occurrence of COPD, higher than the estimates of Latin American and world population Hence, additional studies are necessary to support intervention strategies, as well as formulation of specific public health policies to control and prevent COPD.

Resumo A Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica (DPOC) encontra-se entre as principais causas de morbidade e mortalidade em países em desenvolvimento, contudo, poucos estudos de revisão sistemática estão disponíveis na literatura. Neste sentido, sumarizamos a prevalência de DPOC na população brasileira. Para tanto, foi realizada revisão sistemática e metanálise de estudos epidemiológicos observacionais indexados nas bases de dados PubMed, Cochrane, Ovid, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SciELO, Lilacs, Google Scholar, publicados até maio de 2018. As prevalências foram estimadas utilizando modelo de efeitos aleatórios. Identificaram-se 1.182 e 12 artigos foram elegíveis. A prevalência de DPOC no Brasil foi de 17% (IC95%: 13-22; I2 = 94%) entre adultos maiores de 40 anos e a região de maior prevalência de DPOC é o Centro-Oeste (25%), seguida pela Região Sudeste (23%). A Região Sul registrou a menor prevalência entre os estudos (12%). Conclui-se que o Brasil apresenta elevada ocorrência de DPOC. Desta forma, estudos adicionais são necessários para subsidiar estratégias de intervenção, bem como formulação de políticas públicas de saúde especificas voltadas ao controle e prevenção da DPOC.

Graphene-Based Contacts for Optoelectronic Devices.

Hybrid transparent contacts based on combinations of a transparent conductive oxide and a few graphene monolayers were developed in order to evaluate their optical and electrical performance with the main aim to use them as front contacts in optoelectronic devices. The assessment of the most suitable strategies for their fabrication was performed by testing different protocols addressing such issues as the protection of the device structure underneath, the limitation of sample temperature during the graphene-monolayer transfer process and the determination of the most suitable stacking structure. Suitable metal ohmic electrodes were also evaluated. Among a number of options tested, the metal contact based on Ti + Ag showed the highest reproducibility and the lowest contact resistivity. Finally, with the objective of extracting the current generated from optoelectronic devices to the output pins of an external package, focusing on a near future commercial application, the electrical properties of the connections made with an ultrasonic bonding machine (sonic welding) between the optimized Ti + Ag metal contacts and Al or Au micro-wires were also evaluated. All these results have an enormous potential as hybrid electrodes based on graphene to be used in novel designs of a future generation of optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells.

The impact of vitamin D supplementation on VDR gene expression and body composition in monozygotic twins: randomized controlled trial.

Vitamin D supplementation is widely used. However, there is no consensus on the use and dosage of this supplement and the existing recommendations arise from studies based on the benefits that this nutrient can facilitate in bones. In addition, individual genetics can influence the response to supplementation, therefore, research involving monozygotic twins aims to reduce these differences in phenotypic responses. The objective of this randomised controlled study is to examine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on body composition and the expression of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) mRNA. An intervention was performed through supplementation with cholecalciferol at the concentration of 2000 IU in 90 healthy adult monozygotic twins (male or female pairs) for 2 months. The findings showed that serum vitamin D concentration increased by 65% and VDR gene expression sixty times (p = 0.001). Changes in body composition parameters were observed regarding body fat and lean mass. Our results indicate that an increase in serum vitamin D concentration may have potential therapeutic implications.

The Effects Of Slow Breathing Exercise On Heart Rate Dynamics And Cardiorespiratory Coherence In Preschool Children: A Prospective Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND: Slow breathing has been used to improve psychophysiological regulation due to positive action on the autonomic nervous system. PRIMARY STUDY OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effects of slow breathing on heart rate autonomic control in preschool-aged children. METHODS/DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: Campinas, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: We included 42 children in the experimental group (age 5.7 ± 0.3) and 33 children in the control group (age 6.2 ± 0.3). INTERVENTION: Children received a daily training of eight weeks duration for practicing a slow breathing technique. Primary Outcome Measures • We analyzed heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiorespiratory coherence at rest under spontaneous breathing and during respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) at the end of the 1st, 4th, and 8th weeks of training. RESULTS: The percentage of high coherence ratio increased (P < .0001), HRV reduced (SDNN, P = .0066; RMSSD, P = .0015; pNN50, P < .0001; SD1, P = .0015; SD2, P = .0166) and the complexity of HRV increased (ApEn, P = .0004; MSE area, P < .0001; DFAαl, P = .0001; ShanEnt, P = .0106; Lmean, P = .0066) during RSA compared to spontaneous breathing after slow breathing training period. CONCLUSION: Slow breathing training exercise induced increased cardiorespiratory coherence and increased nonlinear behavior of heart rate dynamics suggesting improvements in health status. Increased cardiorespiratory coherence reinforces the importance of including respiratory exercises in strategies that aim to promote physical health and self-regulation skills in educational settings.

miRNAs emerge as circulating biomarkers of post-myocardial infarction heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome that involves structural changes in the heart, leading to a decrease in cardiac output, mainly caused by myocardial infarction (MI), which is the most common form of cardiovascular disease worldwide. Clinical evaluation remains the most accurate diagnostic method for ischemic HF, since the known biomarkers have high cost, are difficult to use for early diagnosis, and have low specificity. This often leads to late diagnosis since only ~ 25% symptoms of HF appear after MI. Studies suggest that small non-coding RNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the regulation of this pathophysiological process and are, therefore, important targets in the discovery of non-invasive biomarkers for HF. Thus, the aim of this review was to identify circulating miRNAs (plasma, serum, and whole blood) described for post-MI HF patients. This review covered 19 experimental studies on humans, which investigated the relationship between circulating miRNAs and the development, monitoring, or prognosis of ischemic HF. This analysis was aimed at proposing potential targets for HF and the future application of miRNAs as HF biomarkers.

Advanced Graphene-Based Transparent Conductive Electrodes for Photovoltaic Applications.

New architectures of transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) incorporating graphene monolayers in different configurations have been explored with the aim to improve the performance of silicon-heterojunction (SHJ) cell front transparent contacts. In SHJ technology, front electrodes play an important additional role as anti-reflectance (AR) coatings. In this work, different transparent-conductive-oxide (TCO) thin films have been combined with graphene monolayers in different configurations, yielding advanced transparent electrodes specifically designed to minimize surface reflection over a wide range of wavelengths and angles of incidence and to improve electrical performance. A preliminary analysis reveals a strong dependence of the optoelectronic properties of the TCEs on (i) the order in which the different thin films are deposited or the graphene is transferred and (ii) the specific TCO material used. The results shows a clear electrical improvement when three graphene monolayers are placed on top on 80-nm-thick ITO thin film. This optimum TCE presents sheet resistances as low as 55 Ω/sq and an average conductance as high as 13.12 mS. In addition, the spectral reflectance of this TCE also shows an important reduction in its weighted reflectance value of 2-3%. Hence, the work undergone so far clearly suggests the possibility to noticeably improve transparent electrodes with this approach and therefore to further enhance silicon-heterojunction cell performance. These results achieved so far clearly open the possibility to noticeably improve TCEs and therefore to further enhance SHJ contact-technology performance.

TREML4 mRNA Expression and Polymorphisms in Blood Leukocytes are Associated with Atherosclerotic Lesion Extension in Coronary Artery Disease.

Members of the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM) family are associated with atherosclerosis risk and progression. TREML4 is upregulated in the early phase of acute coronary syndrome. We investigated the relationship between the mRNA expression of 13 genes in blood leukocytes, TREML4 polymorphisms, and coronary artery lesion extension (Friesinger index) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (n = 137). TREML4 rs2803495 (A > G) and rs2803496 (T > C) variants and leukocyte mRNA expression were analysed by qRT-PCR. TREML4 expression was higher in patients with major coronary artery lesions than in subjects without or with low and intermediate lesions (p < 0.05). However, TREML4 polymorphisms were not associated with coronary lesion extent. Presence of the rs2803495 G allele was not associated with increased TREML4 mRNA expression. Patients carrying the rs2803496 C allele (TC/CC genotypes) were more likely to express TREML4 mRNA than non-C allele carriers (allele C: OR 7.3, and 95% CI 1.9-27.5, p = 0.03). In conclusion, increased TREML4 mRNA expression in blood leukocytes is influenced by gene polymorphisms and is associated with more severe coronary artery lesions, suggesting its potential as a biomarker of the extent of coronary lesions in patients with CAD.

Factors Associated with Increased Alpha-Tocopherol Content in Milk in Response to Maternal Supplementation with 800 IU of Vitamin E.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin E supplementation might represent an efficient strategy to increase the vitamin E content in milk. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of supplementation with 800 IU RRR-alpha-tocopherol on the alpha-tocopherol content of milk and the factors associated with the increase in vitamin E. METHODS: Randomized clinical trial with 79 lactating women from Brazil, who were assigned to the control group, or to the supplemented group (800 IU of RRR-alpha-tocopherol). Milk and serum were collected between 30 and 90 days after delivery (collection 1), and on the next day (collection 2). Alpha-tocopherol was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: In the supplemented group, the alpha-tocopherol content in serum and milk increased after supplementation (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, only alpha-tocopherol in milk (collection 1) was associated with the level of this vitamin in milk after supplementation (ß = 0.927, p < 0.001), and binary logistic regression showed that the dietary intake was the only determinant for the greater effect of supplementation in milk. CONCLUSION: The pre-existing vitamin level in milk and diet are determinants for the efficacy of supplementation in milk, suggesting that in populations with vitamin E deficiency, high-dose supplementation can be used to restore its level in milk.

Diosgenin induces genotoxic and mutagenic effects on HepG2 cells.

Yam roots and other plants from Dioscorea genus have cultural, nutritional and economic importance to tropical and subtropical regions and have a great amount of diosgenin in its composition. In the present study the cytotoxic, genotoxic and mutagenic potential of diosgenin on HepG2 cells was investigated. Cytotoxicity was assessed using MTT and clonogenic assay. Genotoxic and mutagenic effects were performed using single cell gel electrophoresis and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay, respectively. A reduction on cell viability was observed due to diosgenin treatment at concentrations higher than 30 µM. A genotoxic effect was shown by comet assay and CBMN. Besides, an increase in micronucleus frequency along with a significant cytostatic effect were observed. Diosgenin elicited DNA damage on HepG2 cells which could not be efficiently repaired contributing to the mutagenic effect observed. Those results suggest that diosgenin deleterious effect could take place through genetic instability, fact that affects the normal cell cycle, leading to cell's death.