Occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in honey samples from different geographic regions

Trabajo presentado a la XV Reunión científica de la Sociedad Española de Cromatografía y Técnicas Afines - SECyTA 2015. Castellón de la Plana, 27-30 de octubre de 2015.Honey is a natural product produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar or secretions of plants, and has been consumed by many people around the world as a natural food, in medical therapies, and as food supplements [1]. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of toxic and persistent organic pollutants that are present in food an environmental samples at different concentrations levels. For the general population, dietary intake is the main route of PCB exposure, contributing with more than 90% to daily exposure [2]. Some PCB congeners are toxic to humans, and the European Commission has recently established maximum permissible levels of dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) in foods [3]. Twenty PCB congeners (# 28, 52, 77, 81, 101, 105, 114, 118, 123, 126, 138, 153, 156, 157, 167, 169, 170, 180, 189, and 194), including non-ortho, mono-ortho, and the most abundant PCBs were determined in 35 commercially available honeys collected between 2010 and 2012 in Brazil (n=16), Spain (n=10), Portugal (n=4), Slovenia (n=4), and Morocco (n=3). The analytical procedure followed was previously validated by the working group and briefly consists on liquid-liquid extraction followed by a clean-up step carried out using a multilayer column filled with neutral, acid, and basic modified silica. The final instrumental determination was carried out by GC-QqQ(MS/MS), using the isotope dilution technique as quantification method [4]. The results reveal the presence of low amounts of all PCB congeners (between <LOD to 878 pg/g fresh weight, f.w.) in all samples analyzed. The highest total PCB concentrations were found in Brazilian honeys (median of 1423, range of 513-3267 pg/g f.w.), followed by Portuguese (median of 1214, range of 1073-2210 pg/g f.w.), Spanish (median of 1200, range of 458-2439 pg/g f.w.), Moroccan (median of 1022, range of 955-1496 pg/g f.w.), and Slovenian (median of 558, range of 505-626 pg/g f.w.) honey samples. The WHO-TEQ concentrations are far below the maximum permissible levels for low-fatty foods in the UE legislation [3]. The principal component analysis (PCA) shows differences and similarities between PCB honey profiles from the five countries and those with Aroclors 1242, 1248, 1254, and 1260. [1] Blasco et al., J. Chromatogr. A 1049 (2011) 155-160. [2] S.M. Hays, L.L. Aylward, Regul. Toxicol. Pharm. 37 (2003) 202-217. [3] Comission Regulation (EU) No 1067/2013, OJL 289, 31.10.2013. p 56-57. [4] A. Garcia-Bermejo et al., Anal. Chim. Acta (in press) Acknowledgments: Financial support was obtained from the Spanish MINECO (project AGL2012-37201), CM (Spain) and European funding from FEDER programme (project S2013/ABI-3028, AVANSECAL).Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadComunidad de MadridEuropean CommissionPeer reviewe

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140364

The fate of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in amended soils remains unclear, moreover in basic soils. This work aimed to assess the adsorption, leaching, and biodegradation of sulfamethoxazole in unamended and biochar from holm oak pruning (BC)- and green compost from urban pruning (CG)-amended basic soil. Adsorption properties of the organic amendments and soil were determined by adsorption isotherms of sulfamethoxazole. The leachability of this antibiotic from unamended (Soil) and BC- (Soil + BC) and GC- (Soil + GC) amended soil was determined by leaching columns using water as solvent up to 250 mL. Finally, Soil, Soil + BC, and Soil + GC were spiked with sulfamethoxazole and incubated for 42 days. The degradation rate and microbial activity were periodically monitored. Adsorption isotherms showed poor adsorption of sulfamethoxazole in unamended basic soil. BC and CG showed good adsorption capacity. Soil + BC and Soil + GC increased the sulfamethoxazole adsorption capacity of the soil. The low sulfamethoxazole adsorption of Soil produced quick and intense sulfamethoxazole leaching. Soil + BC reduced the sulfamethoxazole leaching, unlike to Soil + GC which enhanced it concerning Soil. The pH of adsorption isotherms and leachates indicate that the anion of sulfamethoxazole was the major specie in unamended and amended soil. CG enhanced the microbial activity of the soil and promoted the degradability of sulfamethoxazole. In contrast, the high adsorption and low biostimulation effect of BC in soil reduced the degradation of sulfamethoxazole. The half-life of sulfamethoxazole was 2.6, 6.9, and 11.9 days for Soil + GC, Soil, and Soil + BC, respectively. This work shows the benefits and risks of two organic amendments, BC and GC, for the environmental fate of sulfamethoxazole. The different nature of the organic carbon of the amendments was responsible for the different effects on the soilPDC 2021-120744-I0

miR-127 protects proximal tubule cells against ischemia/reperfusion : identification of Kinesin family member 3B as miR-127 target

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is at the basis of renal transplantation and acute kidney injury. Molecular mechanisms underlying proximal tubule response to I/R will allow the identification of new therapeutic targets for both clinical settings. microRNAs have emerged as crucial and tight regulators of the cellular response to insults including hypoxia. Here, we have identified several miRNAs involved in the response of the proximal tubule cell to I/R. Microarrays and RT-PCR analysis of proximal tubule cells submitted to I/R mimicking conditions in vitro demonstrated that miR-127 is induced during ischemia and also during reperfusion. miR-127 is also modulated in a rat model of renal I/R. Interference approaches demonstrated that ischemic induction of miR-127 is mediated by Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) stabilization. Moreover, miR-127 is involved in cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion maintenance, since overexpression of miR-127 maintains focal adhesion complex assembly and the integrity of tight junctions. miR-127 also regulates intracellular trafficking since miR-127 interference promotes dextran-FITC uptake. In fact, we have identified the Kinesin Family Member 3B (KIF3B), involved in cell trafficking, as a target of miR-127 in rat proximal tubule cells. In summary, we have described a novel role of miR-127 in cell adhesion and its regulation by HIF-1α. We also identified for the first time KIF3B as a miR-127 target. Both, miR-127 and KIF3B appear as key mediators of proximal epithelial tubule cell response to I/R with potential al application in renal ischemic damage management

Circulating extracellular vesicle proteins and microRNA profiles in subcortical and cortical-subcortical ischaemic stroke

In order to investigate the role of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs), proteins, and microRNAs as damage and repair markers in ischaemic stroke depending on its topography, subcor-tical (SC), and cortical-subcortical (CSC) involvement, we quantified the total amount of EVs using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique and analysed their global protein content using proteomics. We also employed a polymerase chain reaction to evaluate the circulating microRNA profile. The study included 81 patients with ischaemic stroke (26 SC and 55 CSC) and 22 healthy controls (HCs). No differences were found in circulating EV levels between the SC, CSC, and HC groups. We detected the specific expression of C1QA and Casp14 in the EVs of patients with CSC ischaemic stroke and the specific expression of ANXA2 in the EVs of patients with SC involvement. Patients with CSC ischaemic stroke showed a lower expression of miR-15a, miR-424, miR-100, and miR-339 compared with those with SC ischaemic stroke, and the levels of miR-339, miR-100, miR-199a, miR-369a, miR-424, and miR-15a were lower than those of the HCs. Circulating EV proteins and microRNAs from patients with CSC ischaemic stroke could be considered markers of neurite outgrowth, neurogenesis, inflammation process, and atherosclerosis. On the other hand, EV proteins and microRNAs from patients with SC ischaemic stroke might be markers of an anti-inflammatory process and blood–brain barrier disruption reduction.This work was sponsored by a grant from Miguel Servet (CP15/00069; CPII20/00002 to María Gutiérrez-Fernández), Miguel Servet (CP20/00024 to Laura Otero-Ortega), a predoctoral fellowship (FI17/00188 to Mari Carmen Gómez-de Frutos; FI18/00026 to Fernando Laso-García), a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship (CD19/00033 to María Pérez-Mato), a Río Hortega (CM20/00047 to Elisa Alonso-López) and the INVICTUS PLUS network grant (RD16/0019/0005) from the Carlos III Health Institute Health Care Research Fund and was co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Non-invasive monitoring of hypoxia-inducible factor activation by optical imaging during antiangiogenic treatment in a xenograft model of ovarian carcinoma

Open Access Article.Targeting the hypoxia response pathway and angiogenesis are two promising therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Their use as single strategies has important limitations. Thus, development of combined regimens has become an important step toward improving therapeutic efficacy. Also, non-invasive monitoring of the response to targeted biological therapies, as well as determination of the optimal schedule for combination regimens has become an active field of research over the last five years, with relevance for both preclinical and clinical settings. Here, we used an optical imaging method to non-invasively monitor the functional changes in HIF activity in response to antiangiogenic treatment in a xenograft model of human ovarian carcinoma. A bioluminescent reporter construct containing nine copies of the hypoxia response element upstream of the luciferase gene (9xHRE-luciferase) was characterized in vitro in a panel of tumor cell lines and in vivo in a subcutaneous xenograft model of ovarian carcinoma by means of optical imaging. We showed that in OVCAR-3 subcutaneous xenografts, the most abrupt change in the HIF functional reporter occurs before the onset of massive tumor growth. However, this system failed to detect hypoxia induced upon antiangiogenic treatment due to the compensating effects of increased hypoxia and decreased tumor cell viability caused by imbalanced neovascularization vs. tumor expansion. Therefore, the readout based on HIF functional reporter could be conditioned by the dynamics of tumor growth and angiogenesis, which is highly variable depending on the tumor type, tumor model and stage of progression.This study was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (SAF2008-03147 to LdP and SAF2010-19256 to BJ), Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (S-SAL-0311_2006) and the 7th Research Framework Programme of the European Union (METOXIA, project ref. HEALTH-F2-2009-222741). B.M.P. and V.G. have been supported by a grant from the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (S-SAL-0311_2006).Peer Reviewe

A semi-automatic mHealth system using wearable devices for identifying pain-related parameters in elderly individuals

Background Mobile health systems integrating wearable devices are emerging as promising tools for registering pain-related factors. However, their application in populations with chronic conditions has been underexplored. Objective To design a semi-automatic mobile health system with wearable devices for evaluating the potential predictive relationship of pain qualities and thresholds with heart rate variability, skin conductance, perceived stress, and stress vulnerability in individuals with preclinical chronic pain conditions such as suspected rheumatic disease. Methods A multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted with 67 elderly participants. Predicted variables were pain qualities and pain thresholds, assessed with the McGill Pain Questionnaire and a pressure algometer, respectively. Predictor variables were heart rate variability, skin conductance, perceived stress, and stress vulnerability. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the influence of the predictor variables on the pain dimensions. Results The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the predictor variables significantly accounted for 27% of the variability in the affective domain, 14% in the miscellaneous domain, 15% in the total pain rating index, 10% in the number of words chosen, 14% in the present pain intensity, and 16% in the Visual Analog Scale scores. Conclusion The study found significant predictive values of heart rate variability, skin conductance, perceived stress, and stress vulnerability in relation to pain qualities and thresholds in the elderly population with suspected rheumatic disease. The comprehensive integration of physiological and psychological stress measures into pain assessment of elderly individuals with preclinical chronic pain conditions could be promising for developing new preventive strategies.R&D&i Project Ref. PID2019-109644RB-I00 funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación / Agencia Estatal de Investigación / 10.13039/501100011033R&D&i Project Ref. B-TIC-320-UGR20 funded by Junta de Andalucía and “ERDF A way of making Europe.

Similarities and differences in extracellular vesicle profiles between ischaemic stroke and myocardial infarction

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in intercellular signalling through the transfer of molecules during physiological and pathological conditions, such as ischaemic disease. EVs might therefore play a role in ischaemic stroke (IS) and myocardial infarction (MI). In the present study, we analysed the similarities and differences in the content of circulating EVs in patients with IS and MI. This prospective observational study enrolled 140 participants (81 patients with IS, 37 with MI and 22 healthy controls [HCs]). We analysed the protein and microRNA content from EVs using proteomics and reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and compared it between the groups. In the patients with IS and MI, we identified 14 common proteins. When comparing IS and MI, we found differences in the protein profiles (apolipoprotein B, alpha-2-macroglobulin, fibronectin). We also found lower levels of miR-340 and miR-424 and higher levels of miR-29b in the patients with IS and MI compared with the HCs. Lastly, we found higher miR-340 levels in IS than in MI. In conclusion, proteomic and miRNA analyses suggest a relationship between circulating EV content and the patient’s disease state. Although IS and MI affect different organs (brain and heart) with distinct histological characteristics, certain EV proteins and miRNAs appear to participate in both diseases, while others are present only in patients with ISThis work was sponsored by a grant from Miguel Servet (CP15/00069 to María Gutiérrez- Fernández), a predoctoral fellowship (FI17/00188 to Mari Carmen Gómez-de Frutos;FI18/00026 to Fernando Laso-García), a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship (CD19/00033 to María Pérez-Mato), the INVICTUS PLUS network grant (RD16/0019/0005) from the Carlos III Health Institute Health Care Research Fund and was co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellowship (IJCI-2017-33505 to Laura Otero-Ortega, Spanish State Research Agency) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovatio

Dependence of Induced Biological Damage on the Energy Distribution and Intensity of Clinical Intra-Operative Radiotherapy Electron Beams

The survival fraction of epithelial HaCaT cells was analysed to assess the biological damage caused by intraoperative radiotherapy electron beams with varying energy spectra and intensities. These conditions were achieved by irradiating the cells at different depths in water using nominal 6 MeV electron beams while consistently delivering a dose of 5 Gy to the cell layer. Furthermore, a Monte Carlo simulation of the entire irradiation procedure was performed to evaluate the molecular damage in terms of molecular dissociations induced by the radiation. A significant agreement was found between the molecular damage predicted by the simulation and the damage derived from the analysis of the survival fraction. In both cases, a linear relationship was evident, indicating a clear tendency for increased damage as the averaged incident electron energy and intensity decreased for a constant absorbed dose, lowering the dose rate. This trend suggests that the radiation may have a more pronounced impact on surrounding healthy tissues than initially anticipated. However, it is crucial to conduct additional experiments with different target geometries to confirm this tendency and quantify the extent of this effect

Selective miRNA inhibition in CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes enhances HIV-1 specific cytotoxic responses

miRNAs dictate relevant virus-host interactions, offering new avenues for interventions to achieve an HIV remission. We aimed to enhance HIV-specific cytotoxic responses—a hallmark of natural HIV control— by miRNA modulation in T cells. We recruited 12 participants six elite controllers and six patients with chronic HIV infection on long-term antiretroviral therapy ("progressors"). Elite controllers exhibited stronger HIV-specific cytotoxic responses than the progressors, and their CD8+T cells showed a miRNA (hsa-miR-10a-5p) significantly downregulated. When we transfected ex vivo CD8(+) T cells from progressors with a synthetic miR-10a-5p inhibitor, miR-10a-5p levels decreased in 4 out of 6 progressors, correlating with an increase in HIV-specific cytotoxic responses. The effects of miR-10a-5p inhibition on HIV-specific CTL responses were modest, short-lived, and occurred before day seven after modulation. IL-4 and TNF-α levels strongly correlated with HIV-specific cytotoxic capacity. Thus, inhibition of miR-10a-5p enhanced HIV-specific CD8(+) T cell capacity in progressors. Our pilot study proves the concept that miRNA modulation is a feasible strategy to combat HIV persistence by enhancing specific cytotoxic immune responses, which will inform new approaches for achieving an antiretroviral therapy-free HIV remission

Estrategias de Afrontamiento Cognitivo, Auto-eficacia y variables laborales. Orientaciones para prevenir el Estrés Docente

Teachers often face a variety of stressful situations at their work that may come to threaten their psychological well being. The so-called coping strategies are responses to a stressful situation implemented to try to manage or neutralize it. We analyze the relationship between cognitive coping strategies, self-efficacy, and job variables in a sample composed by 413 teachers. The evaluation was conducted through a questionnaire with 3 different stressful situations, as well as items of the Brief COPE, the CERQ, and other items designed to assess cognitive coping. Self-efficacy was evaluated asking the teachers to what extent they feel able to cope with each situation of stress successfully. The job variables evaluated were: type of school, educational level, and usefulness of received training to face this kind of situations. The results show that teachers of public schools use more the strategies of Pessimistic Passivity and Obsessive Self-Reference than those teachers of private schools. Teachers of Infant and Primary Education use more the Rational Planning when they face problems of students’ behavior, and also use less Pessimistic Passivity when they are work overloaded, than teachers of Secondary Education. We also found significant differences in Pessimistic Passivity and Rational Planning according to the level of efficacy perceived. Finally, those who consider more useful their training use fewer strategies like Pessimistic Passivity and Obsessive Self-Reference. The results suggest the importance of adequate the interventions to prevent teachers stress to their educative level of teaching and to the kind of school in which their work. Also the results point out that it is necessary to design trainings of quality for teachers that became useful for their daily work and make them feel with much more efficacy.ResumenLos profesores se enfrentan a menudo a muy diversas situaciones de estrés en su trabajo que pueden llegar a poner en juego su bienestar psicológico. Las denominadas estrategias de afrontamiento son respuestas ante una situación estresante puestas en marcha para tratar de manejarla o neutralizarla.  Se analiza la relación de las estrategias de afrontamiento cognitivo con auto-eficacia y con variables laborales en una muestra de 413 profesores. La evaluación se realizó mediante un cuestionario donde se presentaron tres situaciones estresantes diferentes, junto a ítems del Brief COPE, del CERQ, y otros ítems diseñados para evaluar el afrontamiento cognitivo. La auto-eficacia se evaluó preguntando a los profesores en qué medida se percibían capaces de afrontar cada situación de estrés con éxito. Como variables laborales se evaluaron: titularidad del centro, nivel de enseñanza y utilidad de la formación recibida para afrontar ese tipo de situaciones. Los resultados indican que los profesores de centros públicos utilizan más las estrategias de Pasividad pesimista y Autorreferencia Obsesiva que los de centros privados. Los de Infantil y Primaria emplean más la Planificación Racional ante los problemas de conducta de los alumnos y menos la Pasividad Pesimista ante la sobrecarga de trabajo que los de Secundaria. También aparecen diferencias significativas en Pasividad Pesimista y Planificación racional en función del nivel de percepción de eficacia. Finalmente, quienes encuentran más útil la formación recibida usan menos estrategias como Pasividad Pesimista y Autorrefencia Obsesiva. Estos resultados sugieren la importancia de adecuar las intervenciones para prevenir el estrés al nivel educativo y tipo de centro en que trabajen los docentes, así como la necesidad de diseñar iniciativas formativas de calidad que resulten útiles para su práctica cotidiana y les hagan percibirse significativamente más eficaces. AbstractTeachers often face a variety of stressful situations at their work that may come to threaten their psychological well being. The so-called coping strategies are responses to a stressful situation implemented to try to manage or neutralize it. We analyze the relationship between cognitive coping strategies, self-efficacy, and job variables in a sample composed by 413 teachers. The evaluation was conducted through a questionnaire with 3 different stressful situations, as well as items of the Brief COPE, the CERQ, and other items designed to assess cognitive coping. Self-efficacy was evaluated asking the teachers to what extent they feel able to cope with each situation of stress successfully. The job variables evaluated were: type of school, educational level, and usefulness of received training to face this kind of situations. The results show that teachers of public schools use more the strategies of Pessimistic Passivity and Obsessive Self-Reference than those teachers of private schools. Teachers of Infant and Primary Education use more the Rational Planning when they face problems of students’ behavior, and also use less Pessimistic Passivity when they are work overloaded, than teachers of Secondary Education. We also found significant differences in Pessimistic Passivity and Rational Planning according to the level of efficacy perceived. Finally, those who consider more useful their training use fewer strategies like Pessimistic Passivity and Obsessive Self-Reference. The results suggest the importance of adequate the interventions to prevent teachers stress to their educative level of teaching and to the kind of school in which their work. Also the results point out that it is necessary to design trainings of quality for teachers that became useful for their daily work and make them feel with much more efficacy