Peptides from purified soybean β-conglycinin inhibit fatty acid synthase by interaction with the thioesterase catalytic domain

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is uniquely expressed at high levels in cancer cells and adipose tissue. The objectives of this study were to identify, purify and validate soy FAS inhibitory peptides and to predict their binding modes. Soy peptides were isolated from hydrolysates of purified β-conglycinin by co-immunoprecipitation and identified using LC-MS/MS. Three peptides, KNPQLR, EITPEKNPQLR and RKQEEDEDEEQQRE, inhibited FAS. The biological activity of these peptides was confirmed by their inhibitory activity against purified chicken FAS (IC50=79, 27 and 16μm, respectively) and a high correlation (r=−0.7) with lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The FAS inhibitory potency of soy peptides also correlated with their molecular mass, pI value and the number of negatively charged and hydrophilic residues. Molecular modeling predicted that the large FAS inhibitory peptides (EITPEKNPQLR and RKQEEDEDEEQQRE) bond to the thioesterase domain of human FAS with lower interaction energies (−442 and −353kcal·mol−1, respectively) than classical thioesterase inhibitors (Orlistat, −91kcal·mol−1 and C75, −51kcal·mol−1). Docking studies suggested that soy peptides blocked the active site through interactions within the catalytic triad, the interface cavity and the hydrophobic groove in the human FAS thioesterase domain. FAS thioesterase inhibitory activities displayed by the synthetic soy peptides EITPEKNPQLR and RKQEEDEDEEQQRE (IC50=10.1±1.6 and 10.7±4.4μm, respectively) were higher than C75 (58.7μm) but lower than Orlistat (0.9μm). This is the first study to identify FAS inhibitory peptides from purified β-conglycinin hydrolysates and predict their binding modes at the molecular level, leading to their possible use as nutraceuticals.This research was supported by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES), AG 2007-34505-15767 Future Foods IL; Illinois Soybean Association; the European Commission, Marie Curie IOF grant (PIOF-GA-2008-219860) for Career Development (to CM-V).Peer reviewe

Fermentation of soybean meal and its inclusion in diets for newly weaned pigs reduced diarrhea and measures of immunoreactivity in the plasma

A 2-week experiment was conducted to detect antigenic soy proteins in plasma of pigs fed soybean meal (SBM) and fermented soybean meal (FSBM). The suitability of a commercial FSBM to replace SBM in diets for newly weaned pig was also evaluated. A total of 160 pigs were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments (n = 8): 400 g/kg soybean meal (FSBM-0), its replacement by protein from fermented soybean meal as 1/3 (FSBM-1), 2/3 (FSBM-2), 3/3 (FSBM-3), and no soy protein in diet (PCON). Diets were fed at weaning, but feed intake (ADFI) and weight gain (ADG) record began after 3 days. Overall, pigs fed PCON had greater (P<0.001) performance and less diarrhea than pigs fed soy proteins. Pigs fed diets with FSBM had less (P<0.001) diarrhea than those fed the FSBM-0 diet. Western blot analysis showed that pig plasma recognized α, α′ and β subunits of β-conglycinin and basic subunits of glycinin present in SBM, while acidic subunits of glycinin, and P34 (human immunodominant soybean allergen) showed a weak immunoreactivity. Plasma from pigs fed FSBM exhibited reduced immunoreactivity toward α and α′ subunits of β-conglycinin and acidic subunits of glycinin, due to a partial hydrolysis of those proteins during fermentation. In agreement with that observation, analysis of soy proteins in FSBM by sodium-dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed partial digestion of large proteins with antigenic activity. A linear regression analysis of values from enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) did not support the notion that anti-soy immunoreactivity in pig plasma changed significantly as the dietary inclusion of FSBM increased. The FSBM used in this study may be used in substitution of SBM protein without detrimental effect on pig performance. Moreover, inclusion of FSBM in diets for newly weaned pigs may reduce diarrhea after weaning. However, optimization of the fermentation conditions in the commercial FSBM is still needed to produce a more hypoallergenic soybean product for young pigs.Authors thank SAI, Intl. Co (Geneva, IL) for FSBM PepSoyGen® supply and also the European Community for a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship for Career Development grant (CM-V). This study was funded by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES), AG 2008-34505-19226 Future Foods IL to EGM and the Illinois Soybean Association to EGM.Peer reviewe

Use of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors and risk of COVID-19 requiring admission to hospital: a case-population study

Background: Concerns have been raised about the possibility that inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) could predispose individuals to severe COVID-19; however, epidemiological evidence is lacking. We report the results of a case-population study done in Madrid, Spain, since the outbreak of COVID-19. Methods: In this case-population study, we consecutively selected patients aged 18 years or older with a PCR-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 requiring admission to hospital from seven hospitals in Madrid, who had been admitted between March 1 and March 24, 2020. As a reference group, we randomly sampled ten patients per case, individually matched for age, sex, region (ie, Madrid), and date of admission to hospital (month and day; index date), from Base de datos para la Investigación Farmacoepidemiológica en Atención Primaria (BIFAP), a Spanish primary health-care database, in its last available year (2018). We extracted information on comorbidities and prescriptions up to the month before index date (ie, current use) from electronic clinical records of both cases and controls. The outcome of interest was admission to hospital of patients with COVID-19. To minimise confounding by indication, the main analysis focused on assessing the association between COVID-19 requiring admission to hospital and use of RAAS inhibitors compared with use of other antihypertensive drugs. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs, adjusted for age, sex, and cardiovascular comorbidities and risk factors, using conditional logistic regression. The protocol of the study was registered in the EU electronic Register of Post-Authorisation Studies, EUPAS34437. Findings: We collected data for 1139 cases and 11 390 population controls. Among cases, 444 (39·0%) were female and the mean age was 69·1 years (SD 15·4), and despite being matched on sex and age, a significantly higher proportion of cases had pre-existing cardiovascular disease (OR 1·98, 95% CI 1·62–2·41) and risk factors (1·46, 1·23–1·73) than did controls. Compared with users of other antihypertensive drugs, users of RAAS inhibitors had an adjusted OR for COVID-19 requiring admission to hospital of 0·94 (95% CI 0·77–1·15). No increased risk was observed with either angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (adjusted OR 0·80, 0·64–1·00) or angiotensin-receptor blockers (1·10, 0·88–1·37). Sex, age, and background cardiovascular risk did not modify the adjusted OR between use of RAAS inhibitors and COVID-19 requiring admission to hospital, whereas a decreased risk of COVID-19 requiring admission to hospital was found among patients with diabetes who were users of RAAS inhibitors (adjusted OR 0·53, 95% CI 0·34–0·80). The adjusted ORs were similar across severity degrees of COVID-19. Interpretation: RAAS inhibitors do not increase the risk of COVID-19 requiring admission to hospital, including fatal cases and those admitted to intensive care units, and should not be discontinued to prevent a severe case of COVID-19. Funding: Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Habitabilidad y política de vivienda

En esta obra, en la que participan destacados investigadores y profesores, dedicados al estudio de la problemática habitacional se presentan diferentes análisis que permiten conocer cuales son las condiciones de habitabilidad y las características de la actual política de vivienda de México. En sus capítulos se abordan los principales desafíos que enfrentan las familias mexicanas para acceder a una vivienda digna y decorosa y cuales son los retos económicos, políticos, territoriales, arquitectónicos, ambientales, financieros y culturales de las formas de producción habitacional en México y en otros países, en el marco de una sociedad global

A snapshot of antimicrobial resistance in Mexico. Results from 47 centers from 20 states during a six-month period.

AIM:We aimed to assess the resistance rates of antimicrobial-resistant, in bacterial pathogens of epidemiological importance in 47 Mexican centers. MATERIAL AND METHODS:In this retrospective study, we included a stratified sample of 47 centers, covering 20 Mexican states. Selected isolates considered as potential causatives of disease collected over a 6-month period were included. Laboratories employed their usual methods to perform microbiological studies. The results were deposited into a database and analyzed with the WHONET 5.6 software. RESULTS:In this 6-month study, a total of 22,943 strains were included. Regarding Gram-negatives, carbapenem resistance was detected in ≤ 3% in Escherichia coli, 12.5% in Klebsiella sp. and Enterobacter sp., and up to 40% in Pseudomonas aeruginosa; in the latter, the resistance rate for piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) was as high as 19.1%. In Acinetobacter sp., resistance rates for cefepime, ciprofloxacin, meropenem, and TZP were higher than 50%. Regarding Gram-positives, methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was as high as 21.4%, and vancomycin (VAN) resistance reached up to 21% in Enterococcus faecium. Acinetobacter sp. presented the highest multidrug resistance (53%) followed by Klebsiella sp. (22.6%) and E. coli (19.4%). CONCLUSION:The multidrug resistance of Acinetobacter sp., Klebsiella sp. and E. coli and the carbapenem resistance in specific groups of enterobacteria deserve special attention in Mexico. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and MRSA are common in our hospitals. Our results present valuable information for the implementation of measures to control drug resistance

3er. Coloquio: Fortalecimiento de los Colectivos de Docencia

Las memorias del 3er. Coloquio de Fortalecimiento de Colectivos de Docencia deben ser entendidas como un esfuerzo colectivo de la comunidad de académicos de la División de Ciencias y Artes para el Diseño, en medio de la pandemia COVID-19, con el fin de: • Analizar y proponer acciones concretas que promuevan el mejoramiento de la calidad docente en la División. • Proponer acciones que permitan continuar fortaleciendo los cursos con modalidad a distancia (remotos). • Ante un escenario que probablemente demandará en el mediano plazo, transitar del modelo remoto a un modelo híbrido, proponer acciones a considerar para la transición de los cursos. • Planear y preparar cursos de nivelación de conocimientos, para cuando se transite a la impartición de la docencia de manera mixta o presencial, dirigidos a los alumnos que no hayan tenido oportunidad de desarrollar actividades relevantes para su formación, como prácticas de talleres y laboratorios, visitas, o alguna otra actividad relevante