Polycystic ovary syndrome, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular risk and the role of insulin sensitizing agents

The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects 6 to 10% of women of childbearing age. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia are present in nearly all PCOS patients and play a central role in the development of both hyperandrogenism and metabolic syndrome (MS). MS occurs in approximately 43% of PCOS patients, raising the cardiovascular risk to up seven fold in these patients. Several serum, functional and structural markers of endothelial dysfunction and subclinical atherosclerosis were described in PCOS patients, even those young and non-obese. However, despite the fact that PCOS adversely affects the cardiovascular profile, long-term studies did not demonstrate a consistent raise in cardiovascular mortality, which seems to be more observed in the post-menopausal period. Recently, oral contraceptives are being substituted for insulin sensitizing agents (metformin and glitazones) in the PCOS treatment, due to their effects on insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk.A Síndrome dos Ovários Policísticos (SOP) afeta de 6 a 10% das mulheres em idade reprodutiva. Resistência à insulina e hiperinsulinemia estão presentes em praticamente todas as pacientes com SOP e desempenham papel central no desenvolvimento tanto do hiperandrogenismo como da síndrome metabólica (SM). SM ocorre em aproximadamente 43% das pacientes com SOP, elevando em até sete vezes o risco de doença cardiovascular nestas pacientes. Vários marcadores séricos, funcionais e estruturais de disfunção endotelial e de aterosclerose subclínica foram descritos em pacientes com SOP, mesmo nas jovens e não-obesas. Entretanto, embora a SOP afete adversamente o perfil cardiovascular, estudos a longo prazo não demonstraram consistentemente aumento da mortalidade cardiovascular, a qual parece ser mais observada no período da pós-menopausa. Recentemente, os anticoncepcionais orais estão sendo substituídos pelos agentes sensibilizadores de insulina (metformina e glitazonas) no tratamento da SOP, devido aos seus efeitos sobre a resistência à insulina e o risco cardiovascular.UNIFESP-EPMUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

To untangle, to iluminate and to advance

Schwarcz, L. M. (2019). Sobre o autoritarismo brasileiro. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras./nLa obra Sobre o autoritarismo brasileiro, de Lilia Moritz Schwarcz, reúne una serie de datos, investigaciones e información histórica para apoyar importantes discusiones actuales.  La autora se muestra perspicaz en el acto de desentrañar la realidad al relacionar lo que estamos viviendo con puntos anteriores de nuestra historia nacional y, definiendo como eje central el autoritarismo que refleja en varios puntos discutidos en la obra, reafirma la relevancia del estudio del pasado para la  construcción del sentido crítico, necesario para fomentar la reflexión sobre las realidades vividas por ciertos grupos de la sociedad. Un libro breve y directo, que lleva el lector a pasear la mirada por un contenido que arroja luz sobre el enmarañado pensamiento de nuestros días, engendrado a lo largo de nuestra formación nacional, que dificulta vislumbrar las formas de autoritarismo establecidas en nuestras relaciones económicas, políticas y sociales.Schwarcz, L. M. (2019). Sobre o autoritarismo brasileiro. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras./nA obra Sobre o autoritarismo brasileiro, de autoria de Lilia Moritz Schwarcz, reúne uma série de dados, pesquisas e informações históricas para embasar importantes discussões da atualidade. A autora é perspicaz no ato de destrinchar a realidade por relacionar o que estamos vivendo com pontos anteriores da nossa história nacional e, definindo como eixo central o autoritarismo que reflete em vários pontos discutidos na obra, ela reafirma a relevância do estudo do passado para a construção do senso crítico, necessário para fomentar a reflexão sobre as realidades vivenciadas por determinados grupos da sociedade. Um livro curto e direto, leva o leitor a folhear um conteúdo capaz de lançar luz sobre o pensamento emaranhado do presente, engendrado no decorrer de nossa formação nacional, que dificulta o vislumbre das formas de autoritarismo fixadas em nossas relações econômicas, políticas e sociais.Schwarcz, L. M. (2019). Sobre o autoritarismo brasileiro. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras./nThe book Sobre o autoritarismo brasileiro, authored by Lilia Moritz Schwacz, brings a set of data, deep research and historic information to support an important present discussion. The authoress is insightful in the act of unraveling the reality by relating what we are living with previous points of our national history and, defining as central axis the authoritarianism, which reflects in several points discussed in the book, she reaffirms the relevance of the study of the past for the construction of a critical sense, necessary to foment the reflection about the realities experienced by certain groups of society. The book, short and straight to the point, takes the reader to flip through contents that can shed light on the tangles of the present thinking engineered during the construction of our nation, which complicates the comprehension of the forms of authoritarianism fixed in our economic, politic and social relations

Desenmarañar, iluminar y avanzar

La obra Sobre o autoritarismo brasileiro, de Lilia Moritz Schwarcz, reúne una serie de datos, investigaciones e información histórica para apoyar importantes discusiones actuales. La autora se muestra perspicaz en el acto de desentrañar la realidad al relacionar lo que estamos viviendo con puntos anteriores de nuestra historia nacional y, definiendo como eje central el autoritarismo que refleja en varios puntos discutidos en la obra, reafirma la relevancia del estudio del pasado para la construcción del sentido crítico, necesario para fomentar la reflexión sobre las realidades vividas por ciertos grupos de la sociedad. Un libro breve y directo, que lleva el lector a pasear la mirada por un contenido que arroja luz sobre el enmarañado pensamiento de nuestros días, engendrado a lo largo de nuestra formación nacional, que dificulta vislumbrar las formas de autoritarismo establecidas en nuestras relaciones económicas, políticas y sociales.The book Sobre o autoritarismo brasileiro, authored by Lilia Moritz Schwacz, brings a set of data, deep research and historic information to support an important present discussion. The authoress is insightful in the act of unraveling the reality by relating what we are living with previous points of our national history and, defining as central axis the authoritarianism, which reflects in several points discussed in the book, she reaffirms the relevance of the study of the past for the construction of a critical sense, necessary to foment the reflection about the realities experienced by certain groups of society. The book, short and straight to the point, takes the reader to flip through contents that can shed light on the tangles of the present thinking engineered during the construction of our nation, which complicates the comprehension of the forms of authoritarianism fixed in our economic, politic and social relations.A obra Sobre o autoritarismo brasileiro, de autoria de Lilia Moritz Schwarcz, reúne uma série de dados, pesquisas e informações históricas para embasar importantes discussões da atualidade. A autora é perspicaz no ato de destrinchar a realidade por relacionar o que estamos vivendo com pontos anteriores da nossa história nacional e, definindo como eixo central o autoritarismo que reflete em vários pontos discutidos na obra, ela reafirma a relevância do estudo do passado para a construção do senso crítico, necessário para fomentar a reflexão sobre as realidades vivenciadas por determinados grupos da sociedade. Um livro curto e direto, leva o leitor a folhear um conteúdo capaz de lançar luz sobre o pensamento emaranhado do presente, engendrado no decorrer de nossa formação nacional, que dificulta o vislumbre das formas de autoritarismo fixadas em nossas relações econômicas, políticas e sociais

Genomic structure, promoter activity, and developmental expression of the mouse homologue of the Machado–Joseph disease (MJD) gene

Machado–Joseph disease (MJD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, caused by the expansion of the (CAG)n tract in the MJD gene. This encodes the protein ataxin-3, of unknown function. The mouse Mjd gene has a structure similar to that of its human counterpart and it also contains a TATA-less promoter. Its 5V flanking region contains conserved putative binding regions for transcription factors Sp1, USF, Arnt, Max, E47, and MyoD. Upon differentiation of P19 cells, the Mjd gene promoter is preferentially activated in endodermal and mesodermal derivatives, including cardiac and skeletal myocytes; and less so in neuronal precursors. Mouse ataxin-3 is ubiquitously expressed during embryonic development and in the adult, with strong expression in regions of the CNS affected in MJD. It is particularly abundant in all types of muscle and in ciliated epithelial cells, suggesting that it may be associated with the cytoskeleton and may have an important function in cell structure and/or motility.Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento - (Proc. 3.L./A.II/P.582/99Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - (Project POCTI/MGI 33759/99), BD/9759/ 2003).Fundo Social Europeu (FSE) - Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER)

Phytochemicals with Added Value from Morella and Myrica Species

Terrestrial plants, due to their sessile nature, are highly exposed to environmental pressure and therefore need to produce very effective molecules that enable them to survive all the threats. Myrica and Morella (Myricaceae) are taxonomically close genera, which include species of trees or shrubs with edible fruits that exhibit relevant uses in traditional medicine. For instance, in Chinese or Japanese folk medicine, they are used to treat diarrhea, digestive problems, headache, burns, and skin diseases. A wide array of compounds isolated from different parts of Myrica and/or Morella species possess several biological activities, like anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and cardio-/neuro-/hepatoprotective activities, both in vitro and in vivo, with myricanol, myricitrin, quercitrin, and betulin being the most promising. There are still many other compounds isolated from both genera whose biological activities have not been evaluated, which represents an excellent opportunity to discover new applications for those compounds and valorize Morella/Myrica species.This research was funded by FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, supporting G.P.R.'s grant (SFRH/BD/144446/2019) as well by FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, the European Union, QREN, FEDER, and COMPETE, through funding the cE3c center (UIDB/00329/2020) and the LAQV-REQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020). Funded by RTI2018-094356-B-C21 Spanish MINECO project, co-funded by European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Leguminosas invasoras de áreas cultivadas no nordeste do Pará, Brasil.

Plantas invasoras são aquelas que vegetam em locais onde sua presença não é desejada, por provocarem inúmeros efeitos diretos e indiretos nas atividades agropecuárias do homem, mas que podem desempenhar funções ecológicas importantes. Os trabalhos taxonômicos com Leguminosae invasora na Amazônia precisam ser incrementados, e a carência de literatura especializada dificulta a identificação desses vegetais no elenco de plantas invasoras das áreas cultivadas. O trabalho tem como objetivo estabelecer chave de identificação para as espécies de Leguminosae invasoras de cultivos, no município de Terra Alta e região metropolitana de Belém, nordeste do Pará, Brasil, coletando todas as espécies presentes nas áreas. Durante as coletas, foram encontradas dez espécies, agrupadas em oito gêneros. Destes, os mais representativos foram Mimosa L. e Stylosanthes Sw., com duas espécies cada. Quanto ao hábito de crescimento, as espécies mostraram-se em sua maioria como ervas a subarbustos (3 ssp.), e apenas uma espécie arbórea (Senna reticulata (Willd.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby) foi registrada para as áreas estudadas. Em relação ao ciclo de vida, a maioria dos táxons é perene, sendo que todas as espécies coletadas reproduzem-se principalmente por sementes. São fornecidas descrições, comentários, nomes vulgares e ilustrações para as espécies registradas

Role of SOCS3 in POMC Neurons in metabolic and cardiovascular regulation.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is a negative regulator of leptin signaling. We previously showed that the chronic effects of leptin on blood pressure (BP) and glucose regulation are mediated by stimulation of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. In this study, we examined the importance of endogenous SOCS3 in POMC neurons in control of metabolic and cardiovascular function and potential sex differences. Male and female SOCS3flox/flox/POMC-Cre mice in which SOCS3 was selectively deleted in POMC neurons and control SOCS3flox/flox mice were studied during a control diet (CD) or high fat diet (HFD) and during chronic leptin infusion. On CD, male and female SOCS3flox/flox/POMC-Cre mice were lighter in body weight despite similar food intake compared to control mice. Male SOCS3flox/flox/POMC-Cre mice exhibited increased energy expenditure. BP and heart rate were similar in male and female SOCS3flox/flox/POMC-Cre and control mice on CD. On a HFD, male and female SOCS3flox/flox/POMC-Cre mice showed attenuated weight gain. Female SOCS3flox/flox/POMC-Cre mice exhibited greater HFD-induced elevations in baseline BP and BP responses to air jet stress test compared to control mice. Chronic leptin infusion produced similar responses in all groups for food intake, body weight, oxygen consumption, blood glucose, BP and heart rate. Thus, SOCS3 deficiency in POMC neurons influences body weight regulation in CD and HFD and differentially affects BP and energy balance in a sex specific manner, but does not amplify the dietary, glycemic or cardiovascular effects of leptin

GC- and UHPLC-MS Profiles as a Tool to Valorize the Red Alga Asparagopsis armata

Asparagopsis armata Harvey is a red alga native from the southern hemisphere and then introduced in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, including the Azores Archipelago, where it is considered an invasive alga. Some studies show that the extracts exhibit antimicrobial and antifouling activities, and it is incorporated in some commercialized cosmetic products. (e.g., Ysaline®). However, knowledge of this species chemical composition is scarce. The GC-MS and UHPLC-MS profiles of both the nonpolar and polar extracts were established to contribute to this problem solution. According to the results, A. armata is rich in a great structural variety of halogenated lipophilic and aromatic compounds, some of them identified here for the first time. In the lipophilic extract, 25 compounds are identified, being the halogenated compounds and fatty acids, the two major compound families, corresponding to 54.8% and 35.7% of identified compounds (224 and 147 mg/100 g of dry algae, respectively). The 1,4-dibromobuten-1-ol and the palmitic acid are the two most abundant identified compounds (155 and 83.4 mg/100 g of dry algae, respectively). The polar extract demonstrated the richness of this species in brominated phenolics, from which the cinnamic acid derivatives are predominant. The results obtained herein open new perspectives for valuing the A. armata as a source of halogenated compounds and fatty acids, consequently improving its biotechnological and economic potential. Promoting this seaweed and the consequent increase in its demand will contribute to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem sustainability.This study was financed by ASPAZOR project (DRCT: ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-00060- ASPAZOR); Portuguese National Funds, through FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, and as applicable co-financed by the FEDER within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement by funding the LAQV-REQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020) and the cE3c centre (FCT Unit funding (Ref. UID/BIA/00329/2013, 20152018) and UID/BIA/00329/2019).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio