Physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex, heterogeneous endocrinopathy affecting metabolic, reproductive, and cardiovascular health in women. Evidence indicates that women with PCOS present with a cluster of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Physical activity (PA) interventions have been shown to reduce various CVD risk factors in women with PCOS. Research also suggests that sedentary behaviours have a distinct deleterious effect on cardiometabolic health. Thus, increasing PA and reducing sedentary behaviour may be a worthwhile therapeutic target to improve cardiovascular health in women with PCOS. The programme of research presented in this thesis investigates the feasibility and acceptability of two PA interventions to improve markers of CVD risk in women with PCOS using both quantitative and qualitive methods. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of exercise interventions on CVD risk factors in women with PCOS provided an evidence base on which to design a supervised exercise intervention. A feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) of two physical activity interventions for women with PCOS was conducted. Participants were randomised to either a supervised exercise intervention, a lifestyle physical activity intervention (LPAG) aimed at reducing sedentary behaviours, or a control group, for 12 weeks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of participants from each group on completion of the RCT to explore the acceptability of the interventions, and barriers and facilitators to PA. Results The systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that moderate intensity aerobic exercise interventions of ≥three months in duration, with a frequency of three sessions/week, had favourable effects on CVD risk factors. These results informed the design of the RCT. Thirty-six women with PCOS were enrolled onto the feasibility RCT (12 per group). The recruitment rate was 56% and adherence rate to the exercise intervention was considered moderate at 53%. The retention rate was high at 89%, with only five participants lost to follow-up. Adherence to the LPAG was 100%. Two non-serious adverse events were reported in the exercise group, unrelated to trial procedures. For the secondary outcomes, trend data indicates a 14% reduction in oxidised LDL concentrations in the exercise group. In addition, the data indicates weight loss (kg) of 3.4% and 3.6% in the exercise group and the LPAG, respectively. Qualitative data from the interviews (n=11) indicated that the interventions were well received, but acceptability could be improved by providing social connectivity and implementing measures that encourage the adoption of long-term health-promoting behaviours. Conclusions iii The findings suggest that the procedures for recruitment, allocation, and outcome measurements were acceptable. However, adherence to the supervised exercise intervention was below an acceptable rate. The qualitative component provides valuable contextual data that will be crucial to addressing adherence for both the progression to a full-scale RCT, and community interventions for women with PCOS

Antioxidant effect of Linalool on testicular-injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in male rats

Background: The oxidative stress and generation of free radicals plays an important role in testicular impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of linalool on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced male reproductive system damage. Methods: In this study, 24 male rats were divided into four groups. Two of the groups were normal control group andCCl4 damage control group which received a daily dose of distilled water for 14 days. Two of the other groups were pretreatment groups; the rats in one of them received a daily dose of 25 mg/kg linalool and those in the other were administered with a daily dose of 100 mg/kg silymarin for 14 days. On the 14th day, the damage control group as well as the pretreatment groups was intraperitoneally injected with 1 ml/kg of the mixture of CCl4and olive oil (1:1). The rats in the normal control group were only administered with olive oil. 48 hours after the injection of CCl4, a part of the testis tissue was separated for conducting antioxidant and malondialdehyde (MDA) tests. Results: The injection of CCl4 into the rats caused a significant increase in the concentration of MDA and insignificant decrease in the level of antioxidants in the testicular lysate as compared to the normal control group (P<0.01). Treatment with linalool improved the level of MDA and enhanced antioxidant as compared to the damage control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that linalool has antioxidant properties and can have a therapeutic effect against CCl4-induced testicular injuries

Psr1p interacts with SUN/sad1p and EB1/mal3p to establish the bipolar spindle

Regular Abstracts - Sunday Poster Presentations: no. 382During mitosis, interpolar microtubules from two spindle pole bodies (SPBs) interdigitate to create an antiparallel microtubule array for accommodating numerous regulatory proteins. Among these proteins, the kinesin-5 cut7p/Eg5 is the key player responsible for sliding apart antiparallel microtubules and thus helps in establishing the bipolar spindle. At the onset of mitosis, two SPBs are adjacent to one another with most microtubules running nearly parallel toward the nuclear envelope, creating an unfavorable microtubule configuration for the kinesin-5 kinesins. Therefore, how the cell organizes the antiparallel microtubule array in the first place at mitotic onset remains enigmatic. Here, we show that a novel protein psrp1p localizes to the SPB and plays a key role in organizing the antiparallel microtubule array. The absence of psr1+ leads to a transient monopolar spindle and massive chromosome loss. Further functional characterization demonstrates that psr1p is recruited to the SPB through interaction with the conserved SUN protein sad1p and that psr1p physically interacts with the conserved microtubule plus tip protein mal3p/EB1. These results suggest a model that psr1p serves as a linking protein between sad1p/SUN and mal3p/EB1 to allow microtubule plus ends to be coupled to the SPBs for organization of an antiparallel microtubule array. Thus, we conclude that psr1p is involved in organizing the antiparallel microtubule array in the first place at mitosis onset by interaction with SUN/sad1p and EB1/mal3p, thereby establishing the bipolar spindle.postprin

Removal of antagonistic spindle forces can rescue metaphase spindle length and reduce chromosome segregation defects

Regular Abstracts - Tuesday Poster Presentations: no. 1925Metaphase describes a phase of mitosis where chromosomes are attached and oriented on the bipolar spindle for subsequent segregation at anaphase. In diverse cell types, the metaphase spindle is maintained at a relatively constant length. Metaphase spindle length is proposed to be regulated by a balance of pushing and pulling forces generated by distinct sets of spindle microtubules and their interactions with motors and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). Spindle length appears important for chromosome segregation fidelity, as cells with shorter or longer than normal metaphase spindles, generated through deletion or inhibition of individual mitotic motors or MAPs, showed chromosome segregation defects. To test the force balance model of spindle length control and its effect on chromosome segregation, we applied fast microfluidic temperature-control with live-cell imaging to monitor the effect of switching off different combinations of antagonistic forces in the fission yeast metaphase spindle. We show that spindle midzone proteins kinesin-5 cut7p and microtubule bundler ase1p contribute to outward pushing forces, and spindle kinetochore proteins kinesin-8 klp5/6p and dam1p contribute to inward pulling forces. Removing these proteins individually led to aberrant metaphase spindle length and chromosome segregation defects. Removing these proteins in antagonistic combination rescued the defective spindle length and, in some combinations, also partially rescued chromosome segregation defects. Our results stress the importance of proper chromosome-to-microtubule attachment over spindle length regulation for proper chromosome segregation.postprin

ATHENA Research Book, Volume 2

ATHENA European University is an association of nine higher education institutions with the mission of promoting excellence in research and innovation by enabling international cooperation. The acronym ATHENA stands for Association of Advanced Technologies in Higher Education. Partner institutions are from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal and Slovenia: University of Orléans, University of Siegen, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Niccolò Cusano University, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Polytechnic Institute of Porto and University of Maribor. In 2022, two institutions joined the alliance: the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University from Poland and the University of Vigo from Spain. Also in 2022, an institution from Austria joined the alliance as an associate member: Carinthia University of Applied Sciences. This research book presents a selection of the research activities of ATHENA University's partners. It contains an overview of the research activities of individual members, a selection of the most important bibliographic works of members, peer-reviewed student theses, a descriptive list of ATHENA lectures and reports from individual working sections of the ATHENA project. The ATHENA Research Book provides a platform that encourages collaborative and interdisciplinary research projects by advanced and early career researchers