Editorial: The roles of micro-RNAs in neuroendocrine systems

International audienc

Prevalence of overweight/obesity and its associated factors among a sample of Moroccan type 2 diabetes patients

Background: Obesity constitutes a major risk factor for the development of diabetes, and has been linked with poor glycaemic control among type 2 diabetic patients. Aims: This study examines the prevalence of overweight/obesity and associated factors in type 2 diabetic patients in the Beni-Mellal Khenifra region in Morocco. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 among 975 diabetes patients attending primary health centres. Demographic and clinical data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Anthropometric measurements, including body weight, height and waist circumference, were taken using standardized techniques and calibrated equipment. Results: The prevalence of overweight was 40.4%, the general obesity was 28.8% and the abdominal obesity was 73.7%. Using multivariate analysis, we noted that the general obesity was associated with female sex (AOR= 3,004, 95% CI: 1.761-5.104, P<0.001), increased age (AOR=2.192, 95% CI: 1.116-4.307, P<0.023) and good glycaemic control (AOR=1.594, 95% CI: 1.056-2.407, P=0.027), whereas abdominal obesity was associated wih female sex (AOR=2.654, 95% CI: 1.507-4.671, P<0.001) and insulin treatment (AOR=2.927, 95% CI: 1.031-8.757, P=0.048). Conclusion: Overweight, general obesity and abdominal obesity were high among participants, especially among women. Taken together, these findings urge the implementation of a roadmap for this diabetic subpopulation to have a new lifestyle

Distribution of delta sleep-inducing peptide in the newborn and infant human hypothalamus: an immunohistochemical study

The distribution of delta sleep-inducing peptide immunoreactive cell bodies, fibers, and terminal-like structures was investigated in the normal human hypothalamus during the first postnatal year, using immunohistofluorescence and peroxidase anti-peroxidase techniques. Immunolabeled perikarya were relatively few and were mostly scattered through the anterior (preoptic) and mediobasal regions (infundibular nucleus) of the hypothalamus. DSIP-immunoreactive fibers and terminal-like fibers were observed throughout the entire rostro-caudal extent of the hypothalamus. They exhibit high densities in the preoptic region, the organum vasculosum of lamina terminalis, infundibular nucleus and median eminence. Moderate to low densities of DSIP-immunoreactive fibers were observed in the other hypothalamic structures, located in the anterior and mediobasal regions of hypothalamus, such as periventricular, paraventricular, suprachiasmatic, ventromedial, dorsomedial and parafornical nuclei. In the present study, the analysis of the immunohistochemical pattern of DSIP-immunoreactive neuronal elements in the human infant hypothalamus during the first postnatal year provided evidence of the presence of several differences. We have found qualitative age-related changes in the density of DSIP immunoreactivity in several hypothalamic structures such as the anterior region and the median eminenc

Modulation of orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides gene expression in the rat DVC and hypothalamus by acute immobilization stress

We studied the long term effects of a single exposure to immobilization stress (IS) (1 h) on the expression of anorexigenic (Pro-opiomelanocortin: POMC and cocaine amphetamine related transcript: CART) and orexigenic (neuropeptide Y:NPY, Agouti related peptide: AgRP) factors in hypothalamus and dorso vagal complex (DVC). We showed, by using RT-PCR that in the hypothalamus, that the mRNAs of POMC and CART were up-regulated at the end of IS and up to 24 h. This up regulation persists until 48-72 h after IS for CART only. In the DVC, their expressions peak significantly at 24 h post stress and decline afterwards; CART mRNA is down regulated after 48 h post stress. NPY and AgRP mRNAs show a gradual increase just after the end of IS. The up regulation is significant only at 24 h after stress for AgRP but remains significantly higher for NPY compared to controls. In DVC, the mRNAs of the two factors show generally a similar post stress pattern. A significant increase jut after the end of IS of rats which persists up to 24 h after is firstly noticed. The levels tend then to reach the basal levels although, they were slightly but significantly higher up to 72 h after stress for mRNA NPY. The comparison between the expression profiles of anorexigenic and the two orexigenic peptides investigated shows the presence of a parallelism between that of POMC and AgRP and that of CART and NPY when each brain region (hypothalamus and DVC) is considered separately. It seems that any surge in the expression of each anorexigenic factor stimulates the expression of those of corresponding and appropriated orexigenic one. These last reactions from orexigenic peptides tend to attenuate the anorexigenic effects of CART and POMC and by consequent to abolish the anorexia state generated by stress

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH OF FACTORS AGGRAVATING THE READING LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AMONG MOROCCAN ARABIC-SPEAKING STUDENTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DYSLEXIA PROFILE

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in school and the most devastating in terms of academic performance. In interaction with the socio-cultural environment, several and various factors can aggravate the difficulties of reader acquisition in dyslexic children. Identifying these factors and interpreting them according to the neuropsychological approach, in the Moroccan context, was the objective of this study Socio-economic data was collected from 626 children, aged 9 to 15 years with an average age of 11,95 years, enrolled in public educational establishments in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region, located in central Mo- rocco. Among all the participants, 41 had a profile of dyslexia, 13 of whom had reading attitudes evoking "severe dyslexia". Subjects underwent a cognitive assessment. the others were normal-readers and classified as good readers (n=481) and weak readers (n=104). To follow our purpose, we have determined socio-cultural and cognitive variables that may discriminate between students in the "severely dyslexic" group and their "dyslexic" peers. The performance gap was significant in favor of "dyslexic" students in the reading test of pseudowords, rapid naming of images, and the deletion of the initial phoneme. These data reinforce the hypothesis that the phonological deficit is at the root of developmental dyslexia. On the socio-cultural domain, the results showed that preschool attendance and early exposure to written language activity discriminate the participants with a "severe dyslexia" profile from their peers in the "dyslexic" group. We believe that these two factors were responsible for the moderate intensity of the disorder observed in the "dyslexic" group. Our study also showed that bilingualism raises the degree of learning reading difficulties among students with this disorder. These results are consistent with those described in the literature, it suggests that dyslexics can implement compensation strategies both at the behavioral and neuronal level. They call on those in charge of the Moroccan education system to recognize the existence of learning disabilities of neurobiological origin in order to address the necessary care for children who suffer from them

Physicochemical Quality of Cow Raw Milk Produced in the Fkih Ben Saleh Area

The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the physicochemical quality of raw cow milk produced in Fkih Ben Saleh,one of the major milk production areas in Beni Mellal-Khenifra region in Morocco located in the North-Centre of Morocco. Physicochemical quality of raw milk was determined by assessing the analysis of Fat Content “FC”, Protein Content “PC”, TotalSolids “TS”, Solids No-Fat “SNF”, Acidity “Ac”, Brix “Bx”, Density “Ds”, Temperature “T°” and Alcohol Test “AT”, usingrecognized standardized methods and infrared methods for better assessing of characteristics (fat, protein, total solids and no-fatsolids contents). The results obtained from this study showed an average ranging from 34.06 to 38.60 g/l, 30.01 to 31.61 g/l, 40.53to 42.52 g/l, 116.03 to 121.51 g/l, 88.88 to 90.85 g/l, 9.87 to 10% for FC, PC, LC, TS, SNF and Bx, respectively. On the other hand, an average ranging from 14.62 to 15.04 D°, 6.68 to 6.76, 1.0208 to 1.0494, 0.517 to 0.532 was showed for Ac, pH, Ds and FP, respectively. Furthermore, all milk samples tested for AT were, in most cases, normal at different concentrations of 79, 76, 74 and 68% while T° of all samples collected from bulk milk was under 06 °C. The present findings showed a good quality of the milk produced in this area in terms of chemical and physical criteria. Finally, the milk originated from Fkih Ben Saleh could be considered as an important riche and source of fabrication of dairy products with high quality

Diagnosis of dyslexic disorders and identification of factors associated with reading learning disabilities within the Moroccan context

Reading acquisition disorders constitute the main problem in children's learning. in Morocco, epidemiological data are very rare. Research, mainly in the English language, concerns either the sociological or the cognitive field. Few studies, among them not one in Arabic, have explored the link relating to social and cognitive factors. The purpose of our work is to study and analyze the cognitive and social variables related to different reading skills among Moroccan pupils in primary and secondary public schools. From a sample of 754 learners (388 boys and 366 girls) ranging in age from 9 to 15 years with an average of 11.59 years, the diagnostic tests identified 145 students with deficient skills "Bad readers (BR)," 128 suspected of being in difficulty classified as « intermediate level (IL) » and a group of 481 children as good readers ( GR). Statistical analyses have shown that the first two groups (BR and IL) represent 24% in the favoured areas compared to 43% in the disadvantaged. The analysis of scores and the nature of the errors made on various reading tests show that 41 students, or 5.43% of our sample, present a dyslexia profile. 13 (1.72%) of whom have very severe difficulties. The phonological aptitudes (Rapid automatized naming, phonological short-time memory and especially phonological awareness) mainly reflect the level of reading. These phonological abilities are highly influenced by early attendance of preschool and by the degree of exposure to written language at home. These data, which are unique in Morocco, are consistent to that of the published subject literature. They make it possible to plan preventive actions by generalizing pre-school teaching, particularly in precarious environments. These actions should be based on playful exercises aimed at improving phonological abilities at an early age, while exploiting the brain sensitivity to reading at that age. Phonological awareness and rapid naming are the most implicated factors in the disparity of reading skills. These abilities are highly influenced by the integration of preschool at a very early age and by the degree of exposure to written language activities. Therefore, there is a need to plan preventive actions, based on playful exercises, aiming to improve phonological skills from the pre-school perio