Reductions in smoking due to ratification of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control in 171 countries.

Smoking globally kills over half of long-term smokers and causes about 7 million annual deaths. The World Health Organization Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the main global policy strategy to combat smoking, but its effectiveness is uncertain. Our interrupted time series analyses compared before- and after-FCTC trends in the numbers and prevalence of smokers below the age of 25 years (when smoking initiation occurs and during which response to interventions is greatest) and on cessation at 45-59 years (when quitting probably occurs) in 170 countries, excluding China. Contrasting the 10 years after FCTC ratification with the income-specific before-FCTC trends, we observed cumulative decreases of 15.5% (95% confidence interval = -33.2 to -0.7) for the numbers of current smokers and decreases of -7.5% (95% CI = -10.6 to -4.5) for the prevalence of smoking below age 25 years. The quit ratio (comparing the numbers of former and ever smokers) at 45-59 years increased by 1.8% (1.2 to 2.3) 10 years after FCTC ratification. Countries raising taxes by at least 10 percentage points concurrent with ratification observed steeper decreases in all three outcomes than countries that did not. Over a decade across 170 countries, the FCTC was associated with 24 million fewer young smokers and 2 million more quitters.

Hepatocyte ballooning and steatosis in early and late gestation without liver malfunction: Effects of low protein/high carbohydrate diet.

Pregnancy is a challenging metabolic and physiological condition. The aim of this study was to include a second demanding situation as a low protein/high carbohydrate diet (LPHCD) to characterize the histological and functional responses of the maternal liver. It is unknown how the maternal liver responds during early and late pregnancy to LPHCD intake. We explored early pregnancy (3 and 8 gestational age, G) and late pregnancy (15 and 20 G). The results indicated that pregnant rats under control diet showed an evident presence of ballooned hepatocytes, lipid vesicles and edema at late pregnancy (15G); in contrast, pregnant rats under LPHCD showed similar pattern of histological modification but at early pregnancy (3G). Unexpectedly, the serum biomarkers didn't display functional alterations in either group, despite of the evident histological changes no liver malfunction was detected. We conclude that pregnant rats fed with control diet and experimental LPHCD, are subjected to metabolic and physiological conditions that impact the histopathological condition of the maternal liver. Control diet promoted the histological modifications during late pregnancy whereas LPCHCD advanced the onset of these changes. Further experiments are needed to explore the biochemical mechanisms that underlie these histological modifications. Our results are also an example of the resilience associated with the pregnancy: since no functional hepatic alterations accompanied the histopathological changes, another conclusion is that no evident pathological condition was detected in this nutritional protocol.

Visceral fat sympathectomy ameliorates systemic and local stress response related to chronic sleep restriction.

Disturbance of sleep homeostasis encompasses health issues, including metabolic disorders like obesity, diabetes, and augmented stress vulnerability. Sleep and stress interact bidirectionally to influence the central nervous system and metabolism. Murine models demonstrate that decreased sleep time is associated with an increased systemic stress response, characterized by endocrinal imbalance, including the elevated activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, augmented insulin, and reduced adiponectin, affecting peripheral organs physiology, mainly the white adipose tissue (WAT). Within peripheral organs, a local stress response can also be activated by promoting the formation of corticosterone. This local amplifying glucocorticoid signaling is favored through the activation of the enzyme 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1). In WAT, 11ß-HSD1 activity is upregulated by the sympathetic nervous system, suggesting a link between sleep loss, augmented stress response, and a potential WAT metabolic disturbance. To gain more understanding about this relationship, metabolic and stress responses of WAT-sympathectomized rats were analyzed to identify the contribution of the autonomic nervous system to stress response-related metabolic disorders during chronic sleep restriction. Male Wistar rats under sleep restriction were allowed just 6 h of daily sleep over eight weeks. Results showed that rats under sleep restriction presented higher serum corticosterone, increased adipose tissue 11ß-HSD1 activity, weight loss, decreased visceral fat, augmented adiponectin, lower leptin levels, glucose tolerance impairment, and mildly decreased daily body temperature. In contrast, sympathectomized rats under sleep restriction exhibited decreased stress response (lower serum corticosterone and 11ß-HSD1 activity). In addition, they maintained weight loss, explained by a reduced visceral fat pad, leptin, and adiponectin, improved glucose management, and persisting decline in body temperature. These results suggest autonomic nervous system is partially responsible for the WAT-exacerbated stress response and its metabolic and physiological disturbances.

The rarity of Petit's hernia: A case report on diagnosis and treatment.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Lumbar hernias are a rare type of hernia that occur in the posterior abdomen; they represent less than 3 % of all hernias, and approximately 350 cases have been reported in the medical literature. They can be categorized as congenital, traumatic, incisional, and spontaneous. Clinically they are not different from other hernias and the gold standard for diagnosis is computed tomography (CT) followed by tension-free plasty treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 15-year-old female patient with a Petit's hernia, who was successfully treated using tension-free plasty. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Petit's hernia occurs more commonly between the ages of 50 and 70 years. Our case involved a 15-year-old female patient with a clinical presentation of an uncomplicated hernia that was managed by tension-free plasty. CONCLUSION: Petit's hernia is an uncommon hernia that requires a high index of suspicion the support of imaging studies to confirm diagnosis and provide treatment.

Illicit trade and real prices of cigarettes in Chile.

INTRODUCTION: The tobacco industry claims that tobacco taxes are responsible for increased illicit trade in Chile, which they estimated at 37% in 2022. However, the evolution of cigarette consumption, estimated from population surveys, and of tax-paying cigarettes shows a decreasing penetration of illicit trade since 2018. METHODS: A gap analysis was used to estimate the evolution of illicit trade based on an arithmetic identity stating that total national cigarette consumption over a given period is equal to the registered consumption as paying taxes plus the cigarettes that are consumed nationally without paying taxes. RESULTS: Illicit trade penetration in Chile was around 10% in 2020, less than half of what the tobacco industry claimed. In addition, the evolution of real prices of cigarettes, calculated using tax collection data, indicates that real prices net of tobacco taxes increased significantly during 2015-2021, a period with no changes in tobacco taxation. The cheapest cigarettes, presumably competing with illicit cigarettes, registered the most significant price increase. CONCLUSIONS: Claims of increasing illicit trade penetration in Chile are unfounded and are not supported by data on consumption and tax-paying cigarettes.

Purinergic Activation of Store-Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE) Regulates Cell Migration in Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Cells.

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is an important process in calcium signaling. Its role in physiological and pathological events is well recognized. However, in cancerous systems, the importance of SOCE in relation to the degree of cancer aggressiveness, as well as its regulation by ligands such as purinergic molecules, are not well documented. This study aimed to characterize a differential effect of the P2Y2 receptor (promoted by UTP of 10 µM and inhibited by ARC118925XX of 1 µM) on intracellular calcium response between metastatic (SKOV-3) and non-metastatic (CAOV-3) ovarian cell lines in conditions of normal (1.5 mM) and zero extracellular calcium concentration. The sustained calcium influx observed exclusively in SKOV-3 cells was associated with the presence of SOCE (promoted by thapsigargin (74.81 ± 0.94 ΔF) and sensitive to 2-APB (20.60 ± 0.85 ΔF)), whereas its absence in CAOV-3 cells (26.2 ± 6.1 ΔF) was correlated with a low expression of ORAI1. The relevance of SOCE in metastatic SKOV-3 cells was further corroborated when 2-APB significantly inhibited (40.4 ± 2.8% of covered area) UTP-induced cell migration (54.6 ± 3.7% of covered area). In conclusion, our data suggest that SOCE activation elicited by the P2Y2 receptor is involved in the aggressiveness of ovarian cancer cells.

Lactation attenuates pro-oxidant reactions in the maternal brain.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are intimately linked to bioenergetics and redox biology, contributing to cellular functioning and physiological signaling, but also acting as toxic agents during oxidative stress. Hence, the balance between pro-oxidant reactions and the activity of antioxidant defenses sustains a basal oxidative status, controls the increase of redox signaling, and mediates potential pathological events during oxidative stress. Maternal experience, especially during nursing, requires high energetic demands and expenditure to ensure the well-being of the offspring. The mother must adapt from satisfying her own needs to additionally fulfilling those of her descendants. Oxidative stress has been proposed as one of the reproductive trade-off hallmarks. However, the oxidative shielding hypothesis has also been proposed in the context of reproduction. The reproductive experience induces a wide range of well-documented changes in the female brain, which potentially lead to protection against the enhanced oxidative activity. To date, the metabolic and cellular mechanisms that underlie lactation-induced neuroprotection against oxidants are unknown. The neuroendocrine changes in the brain of the lactating dam promote diminished propensity to excitotoxic brain injury and stress, as well as enhanced neuroprotection and plasticity. In addition to review studies on the oxidant balance due to motherhood, we included new data from our laboratory, addressing the importance of measuring pro-oxidant reactions in separated brain regions. The hippocampus of lactating rats exhibits lower levels of pro-oxidant reactions than that of virgin rats, supporting the oxidative shielding hypothesis in lactation.

Glutamatergic system components as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer in non-neural organs.

Glutamate is one of the most abundant amino acids in the blood. Besides its role as a neurotransmitter in the brain, it is a key substrate in several metabolic pathways and a primary messenger that acts through its receptors outside the central nervous system (CNS). The two main types of glutamate receptors, ionotropic and metabotropic, are well characterized in CNS and have been recently analyzed for their roles in non-neural organs. Glutamate receptor expression may be particularly important for tumor growth in organs with high concentrations of glutamate and might also influence the propensity of such tumors to set metastases in glutamate-rich organs, such as the liver. The study of glutamate transporters has also acquired relevance in the physiology and pathologies outside the CNS, especially in the field of cancer research. In this review, we address the recent findings about the expression of glutamatergic system components, such as receptors and transporters, their role in the physiology and pathology of cancer in non-neural organs, and their possible use as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

COVID-19 como Enfermedad Laboral en personal de la Salud de los Países miembros de la Comunidad Andina de Naciones. Un estudio de Normatividad Comparada / Citizens of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru have additional rights to those of their country of birth, which are effective throughout the territory of the andean community

Introducción: Los estudios de normatividad comparada se usan como una metodología de análisis jurídico basada en la comparación de las distintas aplicaciones e interpretaciones para casos similares, el interés en el derecho comparado radica en que nutre y ampliar la visión para el entendimiento internacional, que nos hace comprender la razón de ser de las normas en los distintos estados, de nuestro interés el concepto del ciudadano andino y el Estatuto migratorio que define que los migrantes trabajadores de Bolivia Colombia Perú y Ecuador tienen derechos, garantías y deberes adicionales a los de su país de nacimiento, estos nuevos derechos sociales son los otorgados desde el 11 de agosto 2021 mediante la decisión 878 estatuto migratorio andino. Al analizar si los trabajadores de salud que atendieron el COVID-19, se les considero en cada uno de sus países la exposición a riesgo ocupacional tipo biológico como de origen laboral, ya que el objetivo de la comunidad es estandarizar y normalizar conceptos y normativas y así permitir inferir si se tiene derecho a las prestaciones asistenciales y económicas objeto de cobertura al trabajador. Enfermedad Laboral en los trabajadores de la salud que atendieron la Pandemia. Material y Método: Se realizó una revisión exhaustiva en los canales oficiales de comunicación de la autoridad sanitaria de Colombia, Ecuador, Perú y Bolivia países miembros de la CAN, filtrando la información sobre cómo desarrollaron en sus normativas internas el COVID-19 como Enfermedad Laboral, identificando garantías y protecciones que brindan los Países a los Trabajadores de la Salud que se han encargado de la atención integral de esta contingencia. Estudio descriptivo que incluyo búsqueda entre abril a diciembre del 2021. (AU)

Introduction: The studies of comparative law are used as a methodology of legal analysis based on the comparison of different applications and interpretations for similar cases, the interest in comparative law lies in that it nourishes and broadens the vision for international understanding, which makes us understand the rationale of the rules in different states, Of our interest is the concept of the Andean citizen and the migratory statute that defines that migrant workers from Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador have additional rights, guarantees and duties to those of their country of birth, these new social rights are those granted since August 11, 2021 by decision 878 of the Andean migratory statute. When analyzing whether the health workers who attended the COVID-19, exposure to occupational biological risk was considered in each of their countries as of occupational origin, since the objective of the community is to standardize and normalize concepts and regulations and thus allow inferring whether they are entitled to the assistance and economic benefits covered to the workerObjective: To compare the legislation issued by the health authorities of the member countries of the Andean Community of Nations on COVID-19, and if this was configured as an Occupational Disease in health workers who attended the Pandemic. Material and Method: An exhaustive review was carried out in the official communication channels of the health authorities of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, CAN member countries, filtering the information on how they developed COVID-19 as an Occupational Disease in their internal regulations, identifying guarantees and protections provided by the countries to the health workers who have been in charge of the integral attention of this contingency. Descriptive study that included a search from April to December 2021. (AU)

Apendicitis aguda y el riesgo de tumor maligno oculto. Presentación de un caso y revisión sistemática de la literatura / Acute appendicitis and the risk of hidden malignant tumor. Presentation of a case and systematic review of literature

Introducción: Los tumores apendiculares representan aproximadamente 1% de los tumores malignos del intestino grueso. Más del 50% de las neoplasias primarias del apéndice se manifiestan inicialmente como apendicitis aguda. Métodos: Se reporta caso de paciente masculino que presentó adenocarcinoma invasor en biopsia de pieza quirúrgica de apéndice cecal tras apendicectomía, tomando la decisión de realizar hemicolectomía derecha laparoscópica diferida. Discusión: En este caso y como en la mayoría de los reportes de la bibliografía mundial, el adenocarcinoma simula un cuadro de AA. En un metaanálisis y una revisión sistemática de 2.771 pacientes diagnosticados de masa apendicular inflamatoria (flemón o absceso), Andersson et al. encontró 31 con tumores malignos. Estas lesiones se detectan en el 0,9% al 1,4% de las apendicectomías realizadas para tratar la AA. Conclusión: Este subtipo histológico presenta mayor incidencia de metástasis en los ganglios linfáticos y la supervivencia global era del 47,5%. Es por ello por lo que abogamos por la resección colónica como tratamiento definitivo del adenocarcinoma de apéndice cecal.

INTRODUCTION: Appendulular tumors represent approximately 1% of malignant tumors of the large intestine. More than 50% of the primary neoplasms of the appendix initially manifest as acute appendicitis. Methods: Men's patient who presented invading adenocarcinoma in Cecal Appendix Surgical Party Biopsy after appendectomy, making the decision to perform deferred laparoscopic right hemicolectomy, is reported. Discussion: In this case and as in most world literature reports, adenocarcinoma simulates an AA picture. In a meta -analysis and a systematic review of 2,771 diagnosed patients of inflammatory appendicular mass (phlegmon or abscess), Andersson et al. He found 31 with malignant tumors. These lesions are detected at 0.9% to 1.4% of appendectomies made to treat the AA. Conclusion: This histological subtype has a greater incidence of metastasis in lymph nodes and global survival was 47.5%. That is why we advocate colonic resection as a definitive treatment of cecal appendix adenocarcinoma.

Intususcepción intestinal en adultos. Un desafío para el cirujano general. Reporte de caso / Intestinal Intussusception in Adults. A Challenge for the General Surgeon: Case Report

Resumen La intususcepción intestinal es la invaginación de un segmento de intestino en el interior de otro segmento inmediato, asociado a una alteración en la pared intestinal, siendo en intestino delgado más común por patologías benignas y en intestino grueso por patologías malignas. Presentamos caso de paciente femenino de 30 años, con dolor abdominal de 1 semana de evolución y datos de oclusión intestinal, se somete a laparotomía de urgencia, donde se encuentra intususcepción intestinal en íleon terminal. La intususcepción intestinal generalmente se va a presentar como un cuadro de obstrucción intestinal. El tratamiento es la resección del segmento afectado.

Abstract The intestinal intussusception is the invagination of one segment of the bowel into an immediately adjacent segment, associated to an alteration into the wall, the small intestinal is the most associated a benign pathology and large intestinal by malignant pathologies. We present the case of a 30-year-old female patient, who came to the emergency room due to intense abdominal pain of 1 week of evolution and evidence of intestinal occlusion, who underwent emergency laparotomy, where intestinal intussusception was found in the terminal ileum. Generally, the clinical presentation like an intestinal obstruction. Treatment is resection of the affected segment.

Lieber-DeCarli Diet Promotes Different Hepatic Histological Changes During Early and Late Pregnancy: An Example of Maternal Resilience.

BACKGROUND/AIM: During pregnancy, maternal liver can be affected by ethanol (ETOH) intake, whose effects depend on concentration levels ingested. This study aims to describe histological and serum marker characteristics of maternal liver during two metabolic conditions: gestation (G), and sustained ETOH intake, in early and late pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats were fed with Lieber-DeCarli diet during pregnancy, following an experimental protocol that allows a semi-chronic intake of ETOH (5%). Liver and serum samples were processed for histological characterization and biochemical profiling. Hematoxylin/eosin and Schiff's Periodic Acid staining were used. RESULTS: During pregnancy, a significant elevation in ballooned and edamatous hepatocytes, and a significant increase in micro and macrovesicular deposits were observed in rats fed with the ETOH diet at gestation days 3G, 8G and 15G. These changes were reverted by 20G. Liver glycogen content increased significantly at 15G. Serum metabolites in pregnant rats fed with the ETOH diet showed a significant reduction in urea (from 3G to 15G), an increase in albumin and uric acid at 20G, and a reduction in creatinine. Number of offsprings and weight of male newborns were reduced by 20% and 14%, respectively. Liver function markers in serum showed no significant changes. CONCLUSION: ETOH diet intake promotes hepatic histological changes and histological modifications during pregnancy. These results support the assumption that pregnancy is an adaptive procedure that is associated with nutritional conditions and has a strong influence on hepatic histology. They suggest that pregnancy promotes a state of resilience to the liver function during the sustained intake of 5% ETOH.

Obesity in male volcano mice Neotomodon alstoni affects the daily rhythm of metabolism and thermoregulation.

The mouse N. alstoni spontaneously develops the condition of obesity in captivity when fed regular chow. We aim to study the differences in metabolic performance and thermoregulation between adult lean and obese male mice. The experimental approach included indirect calorimetry using metabolic cages for VO2 intake and VCO2 production. In contrast, the body temperature was measured and analyzed using intraperitoneal data loggers. It was correlated with the relative presence of UCP1 protein and its gene expression from interscapular adipose tissue (iBAT). We also explored in this tissue the relative presence of Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH) protein, the rate-limiting enzyme for catecholamine biosynthesis present in iBAT. Results indicate that obese mice show a daily rhythm persists in estimated parameters but with differences in amplitude and profile. Obese mice presented lower body temperature, and a low caloric expenditure, together with lower VO2 intake and VCO2 than lean mice. Also, obese mice present a reduced thermoregulatory response after a cold pulse. Results are correlated with a low relative presence of TH and UCP1 protein. However, qPCR analysis of Ucp1 presents an increase in gene expression in iBAT. Histology showed a reduced amount of brown adipocytes in BAT. The aforementioned indicates that the daily rhythm in aerobic metabolism, thermoregulation, and body temperature control have reduced amplitude in obese mice Neotomodon alstoni.

Glial Cells and Brain Diseases: Inflammasomes as Relevant Pathological Entities.

Inflammation mediated by the innate immune system is a physiopathological response to diverse detrimental circumstances such as microbe infections or tissular damage. The molecular events that underlie this response involve the assembly of multiprotein complexes known as inflammasomes. These assemblages are essentially formed by a stressor-sensing protein, an adapter protein and a non-apoptotic caspase (1 or 11). The coordinated aggregation of these components mediates the processing and release of pro-inflammatory interleukins (IL-ß and IL-18) and cellular death by pyroptosis induction. The inflammatory response is essential for the defense of the organism; for example, it triggers tissue repair and the destruction of pathogen microbe infections. However, when inflammation is activated chronically, it promotes diverse pathologies in the lung, liver, brain and other organs. The nervous system is one of the main tissues where the inflammatory process has been characterized, and its implications in health and disease are starting to be understood. Thus, the regulation of inflammasomes in specific cellular types of the central nervous system needs to be thoroughly understood to innovate treatments for diverse pathologies. In this review, the presence and participation of inflammasomes in pathological conditions in different types of glial cells will be discussed.

Adenosine Receptor A2B Negatively Regulates Cell Migration in Ovarian Carcinoma Cells.

The purinergic system is fundamental in the tumor microenvironment, since it regulates tumor cell interactions with the immune system, as well as growth and differentiation in autocrine-paracrine responses. Here, we investigated the role of the adenosine A2B receptor (A2BR) in ovarian carcinoma-derived cells' (OCDC) properties. From public databases, we documented that high A2BR expression is associated with a better prognostic outcome in ovarian cancer patients. In vitro experiments were performed on SKOV-3 cell line to understand how A2BR regulates the carcinoma cell phenotype associated with cell migration. RT-PCR and Western blotting revealed that the ADORA2B transcript (coding for A2BR) and A2BR were expressed in SKOV-3 cells. Stimulation with BAY-606583, an A2BR agonist, induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which was abolished by the antagonist PSB-603. Pharmacological activation of A2BR reduced cell migration and actin stress fibers; in agreement, A2BR knockdown increased migration and enhanced actin stress fiber expression. Furthermore, the expression of E-cadherin, an epithelial marker, increased in BAY-606583-treated cells. Finally, cDNA microarrays revealed the pathways mediating the effects of A2BR activation on SKOV-3 cells. Our results showed that A2BR contributed to maintaining an epithelial-like phenotype in OCDC and highlighted this purinergic receptor as a potential biomarker.

[A He(art) museum for an existential rebirth after a myocardial infarction]. / HeART museum : soigner son cœur au musée après un infarctus du myocarde.

Rebuilding one's life after a myocardial infarction requires mobilizing each and every resource available during a difficult period. Medical treatments, physical training and patient education (PE) help to initiate this process. Associating healthcare with art and culture is known to favour an existential « rebirth ¼ and positive biological effects. Since 2019, we propose an initiation to museotherapy (museum in health) to patients in our cardiac rehabilitation program. This article summarizes the evidence about museotherapy benefits in cardiovascular diseases and describes the experience gathered by the cardiology service of the HUG since museotherapy was initiated in 2019.

Reconstruire sa vie, une santé et une identité acceptables après un infarctus du myocarde nécessite de mobiliser toutes ses ressources dans un moment perturbé. Traitements médicamenteux, réentraînement physique et éducation thérapeutique du patient (ETP) engagent ce processus. On sait de longue date qu'incorporer l'art et la culture aux soins favorise une « renaissance ¼ existentielle et des effets biologiques positifs. Depuis 2019, nous proposons aux patients une initiation à la muséothérapie intégrée à notre programme de réadaptation cardiovasculaire (RCV) ambulatoire. Cet article a pour but de résumer les évidences concernant les bénéfices de la muséothérapie dans les maladies cardiovasculaires et de décrire l'expérience débutée en 2019 par le Service de cardiologie des HUG dans ce domaine.

Effects of Low Protein-High Carbohydrate Diet during Early and Late Pregnancy on Respiratory Quotient and Visceral Adiposity.

Background: Low Protein-High Carbohydrate (LPHC) diet during pregnancy is considered a nutritional and health problem related to the development of maternal metabolic alterations, such as fatty liver and obesity in the perinatal and postnatal period. It is known that increase in visceral adiposity tissue (VAT) modulates maternal metabolic rate, with the respiratory quotient (RQ) being a parameter related to that variable; however, it is unknown whether LPHC intake during pregnancy affects the VAT and the RQ. In this study, we examine if consumption of LPHC during pregnancy modifies the VAT and RQ in early and late periods of pregnancy. Methods: This is a longitudinal and cross-sectional study with Wistar rats during gestation (G) (3, 8, 15, and 20) and nonpregnant rats. Rats were fed with a control diet with 63/18% carbohydrate/protein and an experimental diet with 79/6% carbohydrate/protein. We studied water and food consumption and metabolic parameters such as RQ and energy expenditure (EE), calculated by indirect calorimetry. In the cross-sectional study, we determined visceral fat, as well as the concentration of free fatty acids, insulin, glucose, and lipid profile in serum. Results: Nonpregnant rats with LPHC intake decreased significantly in VAT (86%) and the RQ (18%); in pregnant rats in early (8G) and late pregnancy (15G) in LPHC diet, both parameters (VAT and RQ) (25%-92%) increased during light time. When comparing time points during pregnancy in the control and LPHC groups, the RQ increased in 15G during daytime compared to 8G during the night period (17 and 5%, respectively). In late pregnancy, LPHC intake and triacylglyceride levels increased and cholesterol and glucose decreased (45 and 26%, respectively), in comparison to nonpregnant rats. Conclusions: LPHC intake in nonpregnant rats decreases the RQ and VAT. Interestingly, the opposite occurs in early pregnancy: the RQ and VAT increased, and this correlates with free fatty acid (FFA) levels. The increase in RQ and VAT during light time in early pregnancy increased mobilization of carbohydrate and protein metabolism. These results suggest that LPHC intake during pregnancy increases the glucose metabolism as a compensatory mechanism for energy needs in the fetus and the mother in early pregnancy.

Structure-activity features of purines and their receptors: implications in cell physiopathology.

The purine molecular structure consists of fused pyrimidine and imidazole rings. Purines are main pieces that conform the structure of nucleic acids which rule the inheritance processes. Purines also work as metabolic intermediates in different cell functions and as messengers in the signaling pathways throughout cellular communication. Purines, mainly ATP and adenosine (ADO), perform their functional and pharmacological properties because of their structural/chemical characteristics that make them either targets of mutagenesis, mother frameworks for designing molecules with controlled effects (e.g. anti-cancer), or chemical donors (e.g., of methyl groups, which represent a potential chemoprotective action against cancer). Purines functions also come from their effect on specific receptors, channel-linked and G-protein coupled for ATP, and exclusively G-coupled receptors for ADO (also known as ADORAs), which are involved in cell signaling pathways, there, purines work as chemical messengers with autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine actions that regulate cell metabolism and immune response in tumor progression which depends on the receptor types involved in these signals. Purines also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and participate in the cell energy homeostasis. Therefore, purine physiology is important for a variety of functions relevant to cellular health; thus, when these molecules present a homeostatic imbalance, the stability and survival of the cellular systems become compromised.

Anorexia disrupts glutamate-glutamine homeostasis associated with astroglia in the prefrontal cortex of young female rats.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss with a notorious prevalence in young women. The neurobiology of AN is unknown but murine models, like dehydration induced anorexia (DIA), reproduce weight loss and avoidance of food despite its availability. Astrocytes are known to provide homeostatic support to neurons, but it is little explored if anorexia affects this function. In this study, we tested if DIA disrupts glutamate-glutamine homeostasis associated with astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of young female rats. Our results showed that anorexia reduced the redox state, as well as endogenous glutamate and glutamine. These effects correlated with a reduced expression of the glutamate transporters (GLT-1 and GLAST) and glutamine synthetase, all of them are preferentially expressed by astrocytes. Accordingly, the expression of GFAP was reduced. Anorexia reduced the astrocyte density, promoted a de-ramified morphology, and augmented the de-ramified/ramified astrocyte ratio in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), but not in the motor cortex (M2). The increase of a de-ramified phenotype correlated with increased expression of vimentin and nestin. Based on these results, we conclude that anorexia disrupts glutamate-glutamine homeostasis and the redox state associated with astrocyte dysfunction.

Functional expression of P2Y2 receptors in mouse ovarian surface epithelium (OSE).

Ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) is a cell monolayer surrounding the ovary; it is involved in the regulation of the ovulatory process and the genesis of ovarian carcinoma. However, intercellular messengers regulating signaling events, like proliferation in the OSE, have not been completely described. Purines have emerged as novel intercellular messengers in the ovary, in which expression of purinergic receptors has been reported in different cell types. In the present work, we described the functional expression of P2Y2 receptor (P2Y2R), a purinergic receptor widely associated with cell proliferation, in the OSE. The expression of P2Y2R by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR, and its functionality by Ca2+ recording was demonstrated in primary cultured OSE. Functional expression of P2Y2R was also exhibited in situ, by recording of intracellular Ca2+ release and detection of ERK phosphorylation after injection of a selective agonist into the ovarian bursa. Furthermore, P2Y2R activation with UTPγS, in situ, induced cell proliferation at 24 h, whereas continuous stimulation of P2Y2R during a complete estrous cycle significantly modified the size distribution of the follicular population. This is the first evidence of the functional expression of purinergic P2Y2R in the OSE and opens new perspectives on the roles played by purines in ovarian physiology.