Editorial: Yeast cell aging and death

A conspicuous amount of knowledge about the molecular biol- ogy of the cell has come from studies on yeast Saccharomyces cere- visiae, mostly because of its unrivaled qualities as a toolkit for molecular genetics study. The discovery in the late 90’s that this unicellular eukaryote also may activate cell death programs both physiologically, like mammalian apoptotic cell death (Madeo, Frohlich and Frohlich 1997), and under environmental stress, completed the yeast-toolkit. The rst thematic issue on this topic of FEMS Yeast Research four years ago witnessed the no- ticeable amount of research carried out to get a deeper insight into the mechanisms of fundamental biological processes, al- ready discovered in yeast, such as genetic stability and expres- sion, cell cycle, organelle biogenesis and cross-talk. Indeed, it has been possible to study these processes with the added di- mension to discover their function and interrelationships in cell homeostasis maintenance considering also the effect of envi- ronmental cues

Yeast stress, aging, and death

[Excerpt] Until about 15 years ago, programmed cell death (PCD), at that time mainly defined as apoptosis, was believed to be a feature occurring only in metazoans to ensure proper embryonic development, cell differentiation, and regulation of the immune response. However, the discovery that single-celled organisms, such as yeast, also undergo PCD challenged this idea. Meanwhile, several key regulators and cell death executers were shown to be highly conserved in yeast and other unicellular organisms, and it is now generally accepted that at least part of the molecular cell death machinery originated early in evolution. Approximately 31% of the yeast genes have a mammalian homologue, and an additional 30% of yeast genes show domain similarity. This, combined with the ease of manipulation of yeast and the elegance of yeast genetics, has turned this lower eukaryote into an ideal system to study more complex phenomena that occur in metazoan cells, including stress responses, mechanisms governing life span and cell death, and processes contributing to aging or human diseases like cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. In this special issue, we collected both original research and review articles, which combined give a nice overview on the current status of the field. (...

Effects of Isolated Systolic Hypertension and Essential Hypertension on Large and Middle-sized Artery Compliance

Systolic hypertension of the elderly is characterized by a reduction in arterial compliance. Whether and to what extent this involves arteries of various structure and size is not well known.To study carotid and radial artery compliance in systolic hypertension of the elderly, compared to essential hypertension and normotension.We investigated 28 elderly patients with systolic hypertension (age 68.6 +/- 1.4 years, mean +/- SE; systolic blood pressure160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure90 mmHg) plus 17 age-matched patients with essential hypertension and 15 age-matched healthy normotensive subjects. Radial and carotid artery compliance were evaluated using echotracking techniques. In both arteries compliance was assessed statistically and dynamically, i.e. as compliance values throughout the diasto-systolic pressure range. Measurements included intima-media wall thickness of the radial artery.Compared to normotensive subjects, carotid artery compliance was reduced in essential hypertension and more so in systolic hypertension. However, although in both groups radial artery wall thickness was markedly greater than in the normotensive group, radial artery compliance was markedly reduced in systolic hypertension, but unchanged in essential hypertension.In systolic hypertension of the elderly the reduction of arterial compliance is marked in both muscular and large elastic arteries, while in elderly essential hypertensives changes in arterial compliance are more heterogeneous, i.e. only carotid artery compliance is reduced. The different effects of these two types of hypertension on arterial mechanics are visible throughout the physiological range of blood pressure and probably accounted for by different alterations in vessel wall structure

Delayed, severe thrombocytemia after abciximab infusion for primary angioplasty in acute coronary syndromes: Moving between systemic bleeding and stent thrombosis

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Arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia in a HIV-positive patient treated with antiretroviral therapy

The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has substantially modified the clinical history and epidemiology of HIV infection with an important decline in infective causes of death and an increase in non-infective comorbidities particularly in cardiovascular complications. HIV infection has been related to an increased cardiovascular risk due to the presence of three factors: classic cardiovascular risk factors (shared with the general population), HIV infection itself (indirectly due to the inflammation and directly due to viral molecule) and ART-related chronic metabolic alterations. We describe a peculiar case of metabolic alteration in an HIV infected patient on ART with particular attention to the diagnosis and therapeutic aspects. Giving the higher cardiovascular risk of this specific population it is advisable that the clinician performs a frequent re-assessment of risk factors and cardiovascular organ damage. An early detection of metabolic alteration must lead to an aggressive specific therapy; this must be done by taking care of the HIV-infected subject fragility and the interactions with ART

Variant on chromosome 9p is associated with left ventricular mass: results from two cohorts of essential hypertensive individuals

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Impact of blood glucose variability on carotid artery intima media thickness and distensibility in type 1 diabetes mellitus

Aims. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by structural and functional alterations of the large- and medium-size arteries. Whether blood glucose variability, i.e. the glycemic oscillations occurring during the 24-h period, represents a risk factor for vascular alterations additional to and independent on HbA1c in type 1 diabetes mellitus is still undefined. The present study was carried out with the aim at investigating the impact of different measures of blood glucose variability on arterial structure and function. We studied 17 non-complicated type 1 diabetic patients (11 males, six females) with an age of 40.8 ± 7.6 years (mean ± SD). In each patient, 24-h glucose profile was obtained by continuous glucose monitoring system and glucose variability was expressed as mean ± SD of 24-h blood glucose levels, mean amplitude of glycemic excursions and postprandial hyperglycemic spikes. Arterial structure and function was measured as carotid IMT and stiffness. Major findings. The different approaches to assessing blood glucose variability well correlated between and with HbA1c. Carotid IMT and stiffness showed significant correlations with age, blood pressure, heart rate and daily insulin intake but a non- significant correlation with blood glucose variability. Principal conclusion. Thus, in type 1 diabetes mellitus, measures of glycemic variability are useful in predicting both actual and long-lasting glycemic control. In absence of diabetes-related complications and of any intima-media thickness alterations, the major predictors of arterial distensibility are represented by traditional risk factors beside glycemic 24-h control. © 2013 Scandinavian Foundation for Cardiovascular Researc

The Role of Uric Acid in Acute and Chronic Coronary Syndromes.

Uric acid (UA) is the final product of the catabolism of endogenous and exogenous purine nucleotides. While its association with articular gout and kidney disease has been known for a long time, new data have demonstrated that UA is also related to cardiovascular (CV) diseases. UA has been identified as a significant determinant of many different outcomes, such as all-cause and CV mortality, and also of CV events (mainly Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) and even strokes). Furthermore, UA has been related to the development of Heart Failure, and to a higher mortality in decompensated patients, as well as to the onset of atrial fibrillation. After a brief introduction on the general role of UA in CV disorders, this review will be focused on UA's relationship with CV outcomes, as well as on the specific features of patients with ACS and Chronic Coronary Syndrome. Finally, two issues which remain open will be discussed: the first is about the identification of a CV UA cut-off value, while the second concerns the possibility that the pharmacological reduction of UA is able to lower the incidence of CV events

Desafios à Docência no Ensino Superior em Tempos Neoliberais

As transformações econômicas do mundo atual têm ocasionado mudanças em vários setores da sociedade, inclusive no setor da educação, levando a conflitos fundamentais com relação à atuação docente e a questionamentos até mesmo sobre o papel da própria educação. A lógica neoliberal que promove a quase total liberdade de mercado com mínima intervenção do Estado, ao ser aplicada à formação de pessoas dentro do sistema educacional vem trazendo grandes problemas para os profissionais docentes do Ensino Superior no Brasil. Este artigo pretende discutir a docência na Educação Superior em tempos neoliberais, com acúmulo de funções e o uso da tecnologia, bem como alertar para problemas na forma como são preparados os docentes para essa etapa do ensino, nos programas de pós-graduação da Universidade de São Paulo. Ao se pensar na educação como mercadoria dentro da lógica capitalista surgem inúmeros problemas para a profissão docente que busca uma educação que emancipa e não apenas contribui para a reprodução do que já está posto de antemão. Frente aos desafios que envolvem a formação docente, seu exercício e o modo como esses impactam a qualidade do ensino e a produção de conhecimento na universidade, sugere-se que a comunidade acadêmica, em conjunto com a sociedade, intensifique sua participação frente a políticas públicas para a educação