The Impact of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Male Fertility: Focus on the Action of Obesogens

The current scenario of male infertility is not yet fully elucidated; however, there is increasing evidence that it is associated with the widespread exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and in particular to obesogens. These compounds interfere with hormones involved in the regulation of metabolism and are associated with weight gain, being also able to change the functioning of the male reproductive axis and, consequently, the testicular physiology and metabolism that are pivotal for spermatogenesis. The disruption of these tightly regulated metabolic pathways leads to adverse reproductive outcomes. The permanent exposure to obesogens has raised serious health concerns. Evidence suggests that obesogens are one of the leading causes of the marked decline of male fertility and key players in shaping the future health outcomes not only for those who are directly exposed but also for upcoming generations. In addition to the changes that lead to inefficient functioning of the male gametes, obesogens induce alterations that are “imprinted” on the genes of the male gametes, establishing a link between generations and contributing to the transmission of defects. Unveiling the molecular mechanisms by which obesogens induce toxicity that may end-up in epigenetic modifications is imperative. This review describes and discusses the suggested molecular targets and potential mechanisms for obesogenic–disrupting chemicals and the subsequent effects on male reproductive health

Diabetes in the Portuguese population: an analysis of e_COR study

[PT] As doenças cardiovasculares são umas das principais causas de morbilidade e mortalidade a nível mundial, sendo um importante problema de saúde pública. A diabetes mellitus é um fator de risco cardiovascular e a sua incidência tem vindo a aumentar mundialmente. No estudo e_COR avaliou-se a prevalência, tratamento e controlo da diabetes numa amostra da população portuguesa. Participaram 1688 indivíduos, distribuídos pelas 5 regiões continentais. Foram determinados os níveis de glicose e de HbA1c. A prevalência da diabetes na população estudada foi de 8,9%, salientando-se que esta prevalência foi baseada somente nos valores de glicose em jejum. Verificou-se que os níveis de glicose aumentam com a idade, sendo significativamente superiores no sexo masculino, e que os valores de HbA1c apresentam um comportamento similar. Dos indivíduos com diabetes, 82% estavam medicados farmacologicamente, mas apenas 60,7% estavam controlados. A identificação e o conhecimento do controlo dos fatores de risco é uma medida fundamental para as autoridades de saúde implementarem medidas de promoção de saúde adequadas. As baixas taxas de controlo dos fatores de risco, como é o caso da diabetes, são um problema sério de saúde pública que precisa de intervenção através de políticas de saúde locais e nacionais.[EN] Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and a major public health problem. Diabetes mellitus is a cardiovascular risk factor and its incidence is increasing worldwide. The e_COR study evaluated the prevalence, treatment and control of diabetes in a sample of the Portuguese population. A total of 1688 individuals, distributed among the five continental regions, participated in this study. Levels of glucose and HbA1c were determined. The prevalence of diabetes in this population was 8.9%, but this prevalence was only based on glucose fasting values. It was found that glucose levels increase with age and is significantly higher in males, and that HbA1c values behave similarly. From the individuals with diabetes, 82% were treated pharmacologically, but only 60.7% were controlled. The identification and knowledge of the degree of management of risk factors is a key measure for the health authorities implement appropriate health promotion measures. The low control rates of risk factors such as diabetes, is a serious public health problem that needs intervention through local and national health policies

Evolutionary history of the genus Tarentola (Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae) from the Mediterranean Basin, estimated using multilocus sequence data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The pronounced morphological conservatism within <it>Tarentola </it>geckos contrasted with a high genetic variation in North Africa, has led to the hypothesis that this group could represent a cryptic species complex, a challenging system to study especially when trying to define distinct evolutionary entities and address biogeographic hypotheses. In the present work we have re-examined the phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationships between and within all Mediterranean species of <it>Tarentola</it>, placing the genealogies obtained into a temporal framework. In order to do this, we have investigated the sequence variation of two mitochondrial (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA), and four nuclear markers (ACM4, PDC, MC1R, and RAG2) for 384 individuals of all known Mediterranean <it>Tarentola </it>species, so that their evolutionary history could be assessed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of all three generated genealogies (combined mtDNA, combined nDNA, and mtDNA+nDNA) we prefer the phylogenetic relationships obtained when all genetic markers are combined. A total of 133 individuals, and 2,901 bp of sequence length, were used in this analysis. The phylogeny obtained for <it>Tarentola </it>presents deep branches, with <it>T. annularis, T. ephippiata </it>and <it>T. chazaliae </it>occupying a basal position and splitting from the remaining species around 15.38 Mya. <it>Tarentola boehmei </it>is sister to all other Mediterranean species, from which it split around 11.38 Mya. There are also two other major groups: 1) the <it>T. mauritanica </it>complex present in North Africa and Europe; and 2) the clade formed by the <it>T. fascicularis</it>/<it>deserti </it>complex, <it>T. neglecta </it>and <it>T. mindiae</it>, occurring only in North Africa. The cladogenesis between these two groups occurred around 8.69 Mya, coincident with the late Miocene. Contrary to what was initially proposed, <it>T. neglecta </it>and <it>T. mindiae </it>are sister taxa to both <it>T. fascicularis </it>and <it>T. deserti</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>At least in the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa, the lineages obtained have some geographic coherency, whilst the evolutionary history of the forms from Northeast Africa remains unclear, with a paraphyletic <it>T. fascicularis </it>with respect to <it>T. deserti</it>. The separation between the <it>T. mauritanica </it>complex and the clade formed by the <it>T. fascicularis</it>/<it>deserti </it>complex, <it>T. neglecta </it>and <it>T. mindiae </it>is coincident with the uplift of the Atlas Mountain chain, and the establishment of two distinct bioclimatic regions on each side of the barrier.</p

A figura do agente provocador e consequências da sua actuação em matéria de prova

O Direito Penal e o Direito Processual Penal são cada vez mais confrontados com os desafios que advêm de uma sociedade global. À estrutura hierarquizada e à opacidade do modus operandi que caracterizam as organizações criminosas soma-se a influência que é exercida e consolidada nos mais diversos domínios da sociedade. Por estas razões, o recurso a métodos ocultos de investigação criminal afigura-se como necessário, estando a sua utilização sujeita a apertadas exigências constitucionais invariavelmente reflectidas nos regimes legislativos que os consagram e que obrigam a uma harmonização constante entre a necessidade de administrar a justiça e as garantias de defesa dos arguidos. É neste contexto que se move o agente encoberto cuja consagração foi antecedida da utilização de agentes provocadores, nos dias de hoje reconduzidos a métodos proibidos. Uma vez estabelecida a provocação, distinguindo-a do ardil tolerável e próprio do método em causa, há que apurar as consequências jurídico-probatórias. Com efeito, as provas imediata e mediatamente obtidas estarão sujeitas a um regime próprio, com fundamento constitucional, que tem por efeito torná-las inutilizáveis, através de uma proibição de valoração. Esta proibição terá ainda efeito sobre as provas obtidas mediatamente. Este efeito, designado por efeito-à-distancia, é inabalável a qualquer uma das excepções e soluções compromissórias que têm sido reconhecidas e importadas para o ordenamento jurídico português. Resposta diferente é dada para as situações em que a prova mediata resulta de um acto de vontade esclarecido e livre do arguido ou da existência de um processo autónomo e efectivo.Criminal Law and Criminal Procedural Law are increasingly faced with the challenges posed by a global society. The hierarchical structure and opacity of the modus operandi defining criminal organisations are complemented by the influence that is exercised and consolidated in the most diverse areas of society. For these reasons, the use of concealed methods of criminal investigation appears to be necessary and their use is subject to stringent constitutional requirements which are consistently reflected in the legislative schemes enshrining them and requiring constant harmonisation between the need to administer justice and the defence guarantees of the defendants. In this context, the undercover agent acts, established following the use of provocative agents, who have now resumed banned methods. Once the provocation has been established and distinguished from the tolerable deception inherent in the method in question, the legal probative consequences must be ascertained. In fact, the evidence immediately and indirectly obtained will be subject to a specific scheme, on constitutional grounds, which has the effect of rendering them unusable by means of a prohibition on valuation. That prohibition will have an effect on the indirectly obtained evidence. This effect, known as effect at a distance, remains entirely unaffected by any of the compromising exceptions and solutions that have been recognised and imported into the Portuguese legal system. A different answer is given for situations where the indirect evidence results from an informed and free act of will of the defendant or from the existence of an autonomous and effective procedure

Editorial: Obesogens in the XXI century: Emerging health challenges

The global prevalence of overweight and obesity has risen dramatically in recent decades. Obesity is a major public health problem, recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the most important public health challenges of the 21st century (1). Therefore, preventing obesity is a public health priority for adults, children, and adolescents. This is especially important because overweight and obese children are likely to remain obese into adulthood and are more likely to develop non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease at a younger age. Several factors are thought to be involved in the obesity pandemic, but in recent years the focus has been on exposure to specific environmental pollutants, the obesogens. The obesogen hypothesis was postulated in 2006 by Grün and Blumberg (2). The authors found that tributyltin could induce adipogenesis in vitro and in vivo. This “simple” finding was a huge breakthrough in Endocrinology and Metabolism. In these almost two decades, a significant body of evidence was gathered, and currently, obesogens have been considered key actors in the obesity epidemic

Nutrição em doentes oncológicos: uma perspetiva farmacêutica

Trabalho Final de Mestrado Integrado, Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia, 2017O cancro é uma doença complexa, sendo uma das principais causas de mortalidade e morbilidade no mundo. As alterações metabólicas e da ingestão de alimentos causadas pelo crescimento tumoral e pelo tratamento anticancerígeno influenciam o estado nutricional do doente oncológico, provocando em alguns casos malnutrição. A malnutrição conduz à perda de peso e ao agravamento da qualidade de vida do doente. Em casos mais severos, o doente pode desenvolver a síndrome caquexia-anorexia, um problema multifatorial responsável pela acentuada perda de peso e massa muscular. De forma a evitar que o estado de saúde do doente se agrave devido à malnutrição, é necessária a avaliação do seu estado nutricional através de ferramentas que permitam a identificação rápida e pouco dispendiosa dos doentes em risco. Após a avaliação, é necessário um acompanhamento nutricional do doente, que se destina a manter ou melhorar a condição nutricional do indivíduo através de um plano adaptado às suas necessidades. Este acompanhamento é desenvolvido por um equipa especializada, da qual o farmacêutico faz parte. Para além da importância da Nutrição no bem-estar e qualidade de vida do doente no decorrer da doença oncológica, esta tem também um papel importante na prevenção ou surgimento da neoplasia e de possíveis recidivas, sendo que a incorporação de determinados alimentos e a restrição no consumo de outros poderá prevenir a ocorrência de neoplasia. Na qualidade de profissional de saúde, o farmacêutico tem um papel ativo no acompanhamento nutricional do doente oncológico, quer a nível hospitalar, quer a nível comunitário, sendo um dos primeiros profissionais a que o doente oncológico poderá recorrer para se aconselhar e se informar acerca da sua doença.Cancer is a complex disease and one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity around the world. The changes in metabolism and food intake caused by tumoral growth and anti-cancer treatment have an influence in the nutritional status of the oncologic patient, inducing malnutrition in some cases. Malnutrition leads to weight loss and aggravates patient’s quality of life. In more severe cases, the patient can develop cachexia-anorexia syndrome, a multifactorial problem responsible for accentuated loss of weight and lean mass. To avoid the worsening of patient’s health caused by malnutrition, an evaluation of the nutritional status with tools that allow a fast and inexpensive identification of risk patients is necessary. After the evaluation, the patient needs nutritional counselling, to maintain or improve their nutritional status through a plan adapted to the patient’s needs. This counselling is developed by a specialised team,of which the Pharmacist is part. Besides the importance of Nutrition in patient’s well-being and quality of life during oncologic disease, it also has a major role in the prevention or emergence of cancer and possible recurrences, since the inclusion of certain foods and the restriction of others can prevent the occurrence of neoplasia. The Pharmacist, as health-care worker, has an active role in nutritional counselling, in the hospital and in the community Pharmacy, being one of the first health professionals the patients look for to guide them and inform them about their disease

Foreign Body in the Eustachian Tube: A Challenging Diagnosis and Management

Foreign bodies in the external ear are very common. The same cannot be said about foreign bodies in the Eustachian tube (ET). We report the case of a 63-year-old woman with a history of painless left side otorrhea and hearing loss. She reported a left ear surgery when she was 30-year-old but she did not know the diagnosis that was made at that time neither the kind of surgery performed. Otoscopic examination revealed an inferior perforation of the eardrum. Audiologic evaluation demonstrated a unilateral, moderate-severe mixed hearing loss. Computed tomography scan showed, in left ear, a soft tissue density filling the middle ear cavity and a foreign body in ET. The patient underwent middle ear exploration which required endoscopic assistance to visualize and remove the foreign body. It appeared to be a stapes prothesis of Robinson type. The displacement of a stapes prosthesis to the ET has not been reported in the literature. Surgeries in this region are challenging. This case highlights the importance of the integration of endoscopy into otologic surgery

Male infertility in the XXI century: are obesogens to blame?

The permanent exposure to environmental contaminants promoting weight gain (i.e., obesogens) has raised serious health concerns. Evidence suggests that obesogens are one of the leading causes of the marked decline in male fertility and are key players in shaping future health outcomes, not only for those who are directly exposed to them, but also for upcoming generations. It has been hypothesized that obesogens affect male fertility. By using an interdisciplinary strategy, combining in silico, in vitro, in vivo and epidemiological findings, this review aims to contribute to the biological understanding of the molecular transformations induced by obesogens that are the basis of male infertility. Such understanding is shaped by the use of Adverse Outcomes Pathways, a new approach that may shift the paradigm of reproductive toxicology, contributing to the improvement of the diagnosis and management of the adverse effects of obesogens in male fertility

Migration Patterns and Behaviour of Trout (Salmo trutta L.) in the Southern Limit of the Species Distribution

The trout Salmo trutta L. is an iconic fish species very well studied across most of its range. However, there is a lack of information about the biology and ecology of S. trutta populations from southern European rivers, which coincide with the southern limit of its global distribution. This study aims to analyse the movement patterns and habitat use of S. trutta in the Mondego River basin, Central Portugal, and relate them with the environmental factors to which the species is exposed. Biotelemetry represents an important tool to obtain temporal and spatial specific details about the behaviour of target species and, in this work, we used a set of complementary techniques, namely acoustics, radio and PIT telemetry. A total of 114 trout specimens were tagged with PIT-tags, to be identified in future recaptures or detected at an antenna installed at Coimbra dam fish pass. From these, 18 were also tagged with Dual Mode transmitters, that include radio and acoustic telemetry signals, allowing to track the species’ movements from the estuary to the upstream freshwater sections. Results show the existence of a migratory peak between November and January that coincides with the reproduction season, while reinforcing the importance of Alva River to spawning S. trutta, one of the main tributaries in the study area. River fragmentation in the study area, particularly in the tributaries, is still limiting the vital area of the tracked individuals, although recent restoration actions provided easier access to some important areas in this river for distinct trout life-stages. This study aims to improve the knowledge of southern European trout populations, contributing to enhancing efforts for restoring and managing these populations inhabiting areas under severe climate change effects

Temporal patterns of the catadromous thinlip grey mullet migration in freshwater

The thinlip grey mullet (Chelon ramada Risso, 1827) is a catadromous fish that performs massive migrations to freshwater habitats for feeding purposes that can assume a structuring role on riverine ecology due to the biomass involved in these movements. Seasonal movements of thinlip grey mullet through a vertical slot fish pass located in River Mondego (Portugal) were continuously monitored between 2013 and 2017. The extent of trophic migration, population size structure, biomass and the environmental triggers of bi-directional species' migratory activity were analysed. Between March and November of 2013/2014, ~2 million and 1 million movements were respectively recorded. From a subsampling approach, the upstream movements between 2015 and 2017 were estimated. Annually, around five hundred thousand upstream movements can occur to provide species access to the upstream freshwater reaches. Movements are exclusively diurnal, and the population composed by young adults in their first year of maturity, yet juveniles and larger fish were present (TL range: 90–540 mm). Upstream movements increased with temperatures above 15°C, reaching a peak at around 20°C coupled with a photoperiod of 15 h. Downstream movements attained the higher rates when temperature dropped from 22°C to 20°C and photoperiod to 13 h. However, under wetter hydrological conditions (as in 2014), discharge flows have a higher influence. These finding provide unique information regarding species migration to freshwater habitats in the Atlantic coast, namely the extended periods spent in such environments, overlapping with the spawning migration period. Additionally, highlights the importance of species' trophic migration both for its life cycle and riverine food-web