Analysis of the contribution of FTO, NPC1, ENPP1, NEGR1, GNPDA2 and MC4R genes to obesity in Mexican children.

BACKGROUND: Recent genome wide association studies (GWAS) and previous positional linkage studies have identified more than 50 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with obesity, mostly in Europeans. We aimed to assess the contribution of some of these SNPs to obesity risk and to the variation of related metabolic traits, in Mexican children. METHODS: The association of six European obesity-related SNPs in or near FTO, NPC1, ENPP1, NEGR1, GNPDA2 and MC4R genes with risk of obesity was tested in 1,463 school-aged Mexican children (N(cases) = 514; N(controls) = 949). We also assessed effects of these SNPs on the variation of body mass index (BMI), fasting serum insulin levels, fasting plasma glucose levels, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, in a subset of 1,171 nonobese Mexican children. RESULTS: We found a significant effect of GNPDA2 rs10938397 on risk of obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.30; P = 1.34 × 10-3). Furthermore, we found nominal associations between obesity risk or BMI variation and the following SNPs: ENPP1 rs7754561, MC4R rs17782313 and NEGR1 rs2815752. Importantly, the at-risk alleles of both MC4R rs17782313 and NPC1 rs1805081 showed significant effect on increased fasting glucose levels (ß = 0.36 mmol/L; P = 1.47 × 10(-3)) and decreased fasting serum insulin levels (ß = -0.10 µU/mL; P = 1.21 × 10(-3)), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our present results suggest that some obesity-associated SNPs previously reported in Europeans also associate with risk of obesity, or metabolic quantitative traits, in Mexican children. Importantly, we found new associations between MC4R and fasting glucose levels, and between NPC1 and fasting insulin levels.

Effects of arsenic exposure during the pre- and postnatal development on the puberty of female offspring.

UNLABELLED: The (As) arsenic exposure is a risk factor for causing disturbances in the endocrine organs. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if sub-chronic As exposure during the pre- and postnatal development causes disturbances in the puberty. Moreover, determine adverse effects of As on the ovarian follicle and adrenocortical cell maturation. METHODS: Females adult Wistar rats were exposed to sodium arsenite at 3 ppm calculated as As in drinking water from mating, gestation. Following the birth, the female offspring continued exposured to As via lactation. Weaned pups received the same As treatment as mothers, until they were 1-4 months (mo) old. At these ages, blood sampling and tissue harvest were done. The tissues were fixed in situ with 4% paraformaldehyde in phosphate buffer. After the perfusion the ovaries, uterus, adrenal glands were harvested, dissected out, weighted. The ovaries and the adrenal glands were processed to paraffin and sectioned at 5 µM and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for light microscopy. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Comparisons between groups were made by unpaired t-test or nonparametric Mann-Whitney test as appropriate. RESULTS: 100% As treated rats at 1 mo of age were at diestrous stage, with low estradiol E2. As treatment caused disturbances in the morphology of the ovarian cell consisting in DNA damage evidenced by picknotic chromatin, cariorexis, significant cytoplasmic vacuolization and also vasculature damaged. Arrest in follicle maturation was also present. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the onset of puberty in the As treated rats was 1 mo delayed since vagina was still closed, the vaginal smear showed that they were at diestrus stage with plasma low E2 levels.

Comportamiento de embarazo en la adolescencia en Consultorio médico de venezuela / Behavior of teenage pregnancy in doctor of Venezuela

comportamiento del embarazo en la adolescencia en el consultorio Carlos Márquez del ASIC Corazón de Jesús, Estado Barinas, Venezuela. El universo está constituido por 27 adolescentes embarazadas que se captan en el período enero de 2007 hasta enero de 2008. Se analizan las variables: edad, ocupación, escolaridad, método anticonceptivo utilizado y antecedente obstétrico. El procesamiento de la investigación se realiza con la utilización del análisis porcentual y se expresan los resultados en tablas. Predomina la edad entre 17 y 19 años, adolescentes de secundaria básica, las cuales utilizaban para su control tabletas anticonceptivas. La presencia de gestaciones anteriores fue lo más significativo dentro los antecedentes obstétricos. Se brinda charlas educativas sobre el embarazo en la adolescencia, atención a la gestación, preparación psicológica para el parto y la lactancia materna(AU)

Intervención educativa en adolescentes sobre enfermedades de transmisión sexual / Educative actions in teens about sexual transmitted diseases

Se realiza una investigación de tipo intervención comunitaria con enfoque cualitativo, para modificar conocimientos sobre enfermedades de transmisión sexual en adolescentes del consultorio No. 1 de La Yaya, municipio Niceto Pérez, en el período comprendido desde abril de 2008 hasta abril de 2009. Para ello se aplica una encuesta en la etapa de diagnóstico y luego del programa seleccionado aplicado a 63 adolescentes. Entre las variables estudiadas, se encuentran: sexo, edad, nivel de conocimiento sobre signos y síntomas, prevención de ETS, grupos con conducta de riesgo y fuente de conocimiento sobre estas enfermedades. Se logra modificar los conocimientos una vez aplicada la intervención con óptimos resultados(AU)

A community intervention type research was done with a qualitative approach to change knowledge about sexually transmitted desease adolescent 's clinic No. 1 from La Yaya municipality Niceto Perez, during April 2008 to April 2009 . For that it is applied a survey in the diagnostic phase of the program and then applied to 63 adolescents selected . Among the variables are: sex, age, level of knowledge about sings and symptoms, prevention of ETS, group with risk behaviour and source of knowledges about these illnesses . Knowledges are able to modify the intervention once applied with excellent results

Validation of an analytical method for quality control of residual solvents (n-hexane and acetone) in D-002: new active ingredient from beeswax.

D-002 is a new natural product consisting of a mixture of aliphatic fatty alcohols, which shows antioxidant and anti-ulcer effects in experimental models. A new validated methodology for determining simultaneously residual n-hexane and acetone in D-002 using the headspace gas chromatography (HS/GC) is described. The very poor solubility of D-002 in most solvents did necessary sample preparations in solid state. Limit test conditions allowed a detection of residual n-hexane and acetone more sensitively than that recommended for such purposes in the general method of the European Pharmacopoeia. Validation assays, applied to both D-002 residual solvents, proved: suitable sensitivity; very high linearity (correlation coefficients > or =0.999, R.S.D. of slopes < or =0.8% and R.S.D. of response factors < or =5% and no biases) and accuracy (average recoveries between 94.7 and 100.1%); and precision was < or =2.1%. The method was found suitable for quality control and stability studies of this new product.

Fluoride-induced disruption of reproductive hormones in men.

Fluoride-induced reproductive effects have been reported in experimental models and in humans. However, these effects were found in heavily exposed scenarios. Therefore, in this work our objective was to study reproductive parameters in a population exposed to fluoride at doses of 3-27 mg/day (high-fluoride-exposed group-HFEG). Urinary fluoride levels, semen parameters, and reproductive hormones in serum (LH, FSH, estradiol, prolactin, inhibin-B, free and total testosterone) were measured. Results were compared with a group of individuals exposed to fluoride at lower doses: 2-13 mg/day (low-fluoride-exposed group-LFEG). A significant increase in FSH (P<0.05) and a reduction of inhibin-B, free testosterone, and prolactin in serum (P<0.05) were noticed in the HFEG. When HFEG was compared to LFEG, a decreased sensitivity was found in the FSH response to inhibin-B (P<0.05). A significant negative partial correlation was observed between urinary fluoride and serum levels of inhibin-B (r=-0.333, P=0.028) in LFEG. Furthermore, a significant partial correlation was observed between a chronic exposure index for fluoride and the serum concentrations of inhibin-B (r=-0.163, P=0.037) in HFEG. No abnormalities were found in the semen parameters studied in the present work, neither in the HFEG, nor in the LFEG. The results obtained indicate that a fluoride exposure of 3-27 mg/day induces a subclinical reproductive effect that can be explained by a fluoride-induced toxic effect in both Sertoli cells and gonadotrophs.