Alzheimer's disease and diabetes: new insights and unifying therapies.

Several research groups have begun to associate the Alzheimer Disease (AD) to Diabetes Mellitus (DM), obesity and cardiovascular disease. This relationship is so close that some authors have defined Alzheimer Disease as Type 3 Diabetes. Numerous studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes have twice the incidence of sporadic AD. Insulin deficiency or insulin resistance facilitates cerebral ß-amyloidogenesis in murine model of AD, accompanied by a significant elevation in APP (Amyloid Precursor Protein) and BACE1 (ß-site APP Cleaving Enzime 1). Similarly, deposits of Aß produce a loss of neuronal surface insulin receptors and directly interfere with the insulin signaling pathway. Furthermore, as it is well known, these disorders are both associated to an increased cardiovascular risk and an altered cholesterol metabolism, so we have analyzed several therapies which recently have been suggested as a remedy to treat together AD and DM. The aim of the present review is to better understand the strengths and drawbacks of these therapies.

Impact of gender on platelet membrane functions of Alzheimer's disease patients.

There are many evidences suggesting that oxidative stress is one of the earliest events in Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis and plays a key role in the development of the AD pathology. The existence of substantial gender-related differences in the clinical features of AD has been recently confirmed (i.e. pathophysiologic features and epidemiologic trends). In addition, study results appear to indicate that the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of AD differ significantly in the 2 sexes. Based on previous results regarding changes in AD platelet plasma membrane, the purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of gender in the same model above reported. In particular we aimed at studying platelets from AD patients (M-AD and F-AD) and matched controls (M-C and F-C), divided into gender, by studying nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) production, the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]i), membrane Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity and fluidity. NO production was significantly elevated in platelets from both F-AD and M-AD compared to matched controls. M-AD showed NO production significantly higher than F-AD and it was the same between M-C and F-C. A similar trend was seen for ONOO(-). Platelets of both M-AD and F-AD had intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations significantly higher than F-C and M-C, while membrane Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity showed an opposite trend, but these differences are still significant. M-AD male subjects showed a significantly increased DPH fluorescence anisotropy (r) compared with controls, while for F-AD this discrepancy was not significant. The difference in DHP fluorescence anisotropy remained significant between M-AD and F-AD as well as between M-C and F-C. The TMA-DPH fluorescence anisotropy showed the same trend, but there were no significant differences between M-AD and F-AD, as well as between controls. The results of the current research support the conclusion that F-AD is not at greater risk than M-AD for oxidative stress injuries. Studies on gender differences could lead to a higher probability of improved health outcomes via better-targeted therapies.

Isolamento do poliovírus a partir do líquido cefalorraquidiano de crianças com poliomielite / Isolation of poliovirus from the cerebrospinal fluid of children with poliomyelitis

É apresentado o resultado da pesquisa de poliovírus em casos de meningite concomitante com paralisia ou paresia. Foram estudados materiais de 193 crianças com isolamento do poliovírus do tipo I, de 172; do tipo II, de um caso e, do tipo III, de 10 casos. Verificou-se a ocorrência de maior número de casos nos dois primeiros anos de vida, com sensível diminuição em crianças de maior idade. Foram isoladas 16 amostras do poliovírus de líquido cefalorraquidiano (AU).

Isolamento e identificação de poliovírus em São Paulo de 1967 a 1970 / Isolation and identificatio of poliovirus in São Paulo, Brasil from 1967 to 1970

Foram apresentados resultados obtidos no isolamento de poliovírus em fezes , líquido céfalo-raquidiano e material de garganta de pacientes suspeitos de poliomielite. Foram examinados materiais de 800 pessoas, com a idade variando de 10 dias até 70 anos, provenientes, na maioria dos casos, de pacientes hospitalizados. De 490 pacientes foram isoladas amostras de poliovírus assim distribuídas: 379 de poliovírus tipo I, 35 de poliovírus tipo II e 76 de poliovírus tipo III. A sorologia por neutralização em culturas celulares foi realizada para confirmação pelo aumento de título de anticorpos, e tipo de vírus isolado (AU).