Obesity-dependent molecular alterations in fatal COVID-19: A retrospective postmortem study of metabolomic profile of adipose tissue.

We investigated the effects of obesity on metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress parameters in the adipose tissue of patients with fatal COVID-19. Postmortem biopsies of subcutaneous adipose tissue were obtained from 25 unvaccinated inpatients who passed from COVID-19, stratified as nonobese (N-OB; body mass index [BMI], 26.5 ± 2.3 kg m-2) or obese (OB BMI 34.2 ± 5.1 kg m-2). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that body composition was responsible for most of the variations detected in the metabolome, with greater dispersion observed in the OB group. Fifteen metabolites were major segregation factors. Results from the OB group showed higher levels of creatinine, myo-inositol, O-acetylcholine, and succinate, and lower levels of sarcosine. The N-OB group showed lower levels of glutathione peroxidase activity, as well as higher content of IL-6 and adiponectin. We revealed significant changes in the metabolomic profile of the adipose tissue in fatal COVID-19 cases, with high adiposity playing a key role in these observed variations. These findings highlight the potential involvement of metabolic and inflammatory pathways, possibly dependent on hypoxia, shedding light on the impact of obesity on disease pathogenesis and suggesting avenues for further research and possible therapeutic targets.

Physical Training Protects Against Brain Toxicity in Mice Exposed to an Experimental Model of Glioblastoma.

Glioma 261 (Gl261) cell-mediated neurotoxicity has been reported in previous studies examining glioblastoma (GBM), and the effects of physical exercise (PE) on this neurotoxicity have been poorly investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a PE program in animals with experimental GBM. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into sham or GBM groups and subjected to a PE program for four weeks. Gl261 cells were administered into the intraventricular region at 48 h after the last exercise session. Body weight, water and feed consumption, and behavior were all evaluated for 21 days followed by euthanasia. The right parietal lobe was removed for the analysis of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vimentin, C-myc, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), interleukin 6 (IL-6), hydrogen peroxide, the glutathione system, and oxidative damage to proteins. The results revealed changes in the behavioral patterns of the trained animals, and no anatomopathological changes were observed in response to PE training. In contrast, animals with GBM subjected to PE exhibited lower immunoexpression of c-MYC, vimentin, and GFAP. Although experimental GBM altered the redox profile and inflammatory mediators, no significant alterations were observed after PE. In conclusion, our data provide consistent evidence of the relationship between PE and the improvement of tumorigenic parameters against the neurotoxicity of GL261 cells.

Regulation of Redox Profile and Genomic Instability by Physical Exercise Contributes to Neuroprotection in Mice with Experimental Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive, common brain cancer known to disrupt redox biology, affecting behavior and DNA integrity. Past research remains inconclusive. To further understand this, an investigation was conducted on physical training's effects on behavior, redox balance, and genomic stability in GBMA models. Forty-seven male C57BL/6J mice, 60 days old, were divided into GBM and sham groups (n = 15, n = 10, respectively), which were further subdivided into trained (Str, Gtr; n = 10, n = 12) and untrained (Sut, Gut; n = 10, n = 15) subsets. The trained mice performed moderate aerobic exercises on a treadmill five to six times a week for a month while untrained mice remained in their enclosures. Behavior was evaluated using open-field and rotarod tests. Post training, the mice were euthanized and brain, liver, bone marrow, and blood samples were analyzed for redox and genomic instability markers. The results indicated increased latency values in the trained GBM (Gtr) group, suggesting a beneficial impact of exercise. Elevated reactive oxygen species in the parietal tissue of untrained GBM mice (Gut) were reduced post training. Moreover, Gtr mice exhibited lower tail intensity, indicating less genomic instability. Thus, exercise could serve as a promising supplemental GBM treatment, modulating redox parameters and reducing genomic instability.