Arylesterase activity is associated with antioxidant intake and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) gene methylation in metabolic syndrome patients following an energy restricted diet

The arylesterase (ARE) activity linked to the paraoxonase-1 (PON1) gene is known to protect lipoproteins from oxidation and provide defense against metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular diseases. The epigenetic regulation of enzymatic activities is gaining importance nowadays. This research aimed to assess the potential relationships between the ARE activity with the methylation levels of the PON1 gene transcriptional regulatory region, anthropometrics, biochemical markers and antioxidant dietary components. Forty-seven subjects (47 ± 10 y.o; BMI 36.2 ± 3.8 kg/m² 46.8 % female) with MetS features, who followed a six-month energy-restricted dietary weight-loss intervention, were included in this study (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01087086). Anthropometric, biochemical, enzymatic and dietary data were assessed using validated procedures. PON1 transcriptional regulatory region methylation was analyzed by a microarray technical approach. Volunteers reduced ARE activity in parallel with body weight (p = 0.005), BMI (p = 0.006), total fat mass (p = 0.020), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.018), mean blood pressure (p = 0.022) and triglycerides (p = 0.014). Methylation levels of some CpG sites of the PON1 gene correlated negatively with ARE activity (p < 0.05). Interestingly, dietary vitamin C (p = 0.001), tocopherols (p = 0.009) and lycopene (p = 0.038) were positively associated with ARE activity and showed an inverse correlation (p = 0.004, p = 0.029 and p = 0.021, respectively) with the methylation of some selected CpG sites of the PON1 gene. In conclusion, ARE activity decreased in parallel with MetS-related markers associated to the energy restriction, while dietary antioxidants might enhance the ARE activity by lowering the PON1 gene methylation in patients with MetS features

Higher baseline irisin concentrations are associated with greater reductions in glycemia and insulinemia after weight loss in obese subjects

Irisin is assumed to be a relevant link between muscle and weight maintenance as well as to mediate exercise benefits on health. The aim of this study was to assess the possible associations between irisin levels and glucose homeostasis in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS) following an energy-restricted treatment. Ninety-six adults with excessive body weight and MetS features underwent a hypocaloric dietary pattern for 8 weeks, within the RESMENA randomized controlled trial (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01087086). After the intervention, dietary restriction significantly reduced body weight and evidenced a dietary-induced decrease in circulating levels of irisin in parallel with improvements on glucose homeostasis markers. Interestingly, participants with higher irisin values at baseline (above the median) showed a greater reduction on glucose (P=0.022) and insulin (P=0.021) concentrations as well as on the homeostasis model assessment index (P=0.008) and triglycerides (P=0.006) after the dietary intervention, compared with those presenting low-irisin baseline values (below the median). Interestingly, a positive correlation between irisin and carbohydrate intake was found at the end of the experimental period. In conclusion, irisin appears to be involved in glucose metabolism regulation after a dietary-induced weight loss

Quantum-Aware Software Defined Networks

Software Defined Networks (SDN) represent a major paradigm change in communications networks. It provides a level of abstraction and independence from the traditional networking practice that allows for a fast path of innovation and, specifically, opens new opportunities for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks. In this contribution we explore the implications of this paradigm for the deployment of QKD in practice from the point of view of telecommunications? providers, network equipment manufacturers and applied research and development. We propose a generic quantum-aware SDN architecture and two applications, a generic end to end encryption one and other for the network infrastructure itself

Prevention of diet-induced obesity by apple polyphenols in Wistar rats through regulation of adipocyte gene expression and DNA methylation patterns

This study was conducted to determine the mechanisms implicated in the beneficial effects of apple polyphenols (APs) against diet-induced obesity in Wistar rats, described in a previous study from our group. Supplementation of high-fat sucrose diet with AP prevented adiposity increase by inhibition of adipocyte hypertrophy. Rats supplemented with AP exhibited improved glucose tolerance while adipocytes isolated from these rats showed an enhanced lipolytic response to isoproterenol. AP intake led to reduced Lep, Plin, and sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (Srebf1) mRNA levels and increased aquaporin 7 (Aqp7), adipocyte enhancer binding protein 1 (Aebp1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1 alpha (Ppargc1a) mRNA levels in epididymal adipocytes. In addition, we found different methylation patterns of Aqp7, Lep, Ppargc1a, and Srebf1 promoters in adipocytes from apple-supplemented rats compared to high-fat sucrose fed rats. The administration of AP protects against body weight gain and fat deposition and improves glucose tolerance in rats. We propose that AP exerts the antiobesity effects through the regulation of genes involved in adipogenesis, lipolysis, and fatty acid oxidation, in a process that could be mediated in part by epigenetic mechanisms

Arylesterase activity is associated with antioxidant intake and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) gene methylation in metabolic syndrome patients following an energy restricted diet

The arylesterase (ARE) activity linked to the paraoxonase-1 (PON1) gene is known to protect lipoproteins from oxidation and provide defense against metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular diseases. The epigenetic regulation of enzymatic activities is gaining importance nowadays. This research aimed to assess the potential relationships between the ARE activity with the methylation levels of the PON1 gene transcriptional regulatory region, anthropometrics, biochemical markers and antioxidant dietary components. Forty-seven subjects (47 ± 10 y.o; BMI 36.2 ± 3.8 kg/m2; 46.8 % female) with MetS features, who followed a sixmonth energy-restricted dietary weight-loss intervention, were included in this study (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01087086). Anthropometric, biochemical, enzymatic and dietary data were assessed using validated procedures. PON1 transcriptional regulatory region methylation was analyzed by a microarray technical approach. Volunteers reduced ARE activity in parallel with body weight (p = 0.005), BMI (p = 0.006), total fat mass (p = 0.020), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.018), mean blood pressure (p = 0.022) and triglycerides (p = 0.014). Methylation levels of some CpG sites of the PON1 gene correlated negatively with ARE activity (p < 0.05). Interestingly, dietary vitamin C (p = 0.001), tocopherols (p = 0.009) and lycopene (p = 0.038) were positively associated with ARE activity and showed an inverse correlation (p = 0.004, p = 0.029 and p = 0.021, respectively) with the methylation of some selected CpG sites of the PON1 gene. In conclusion, ARE activity decreased in parallel with MetS-related markers associated to the energy restriction, while dietary antioxidants might enhance the ARE activity by lowering the PON1 gene methylation in patients with MetS features

Luria-Delbrück estimation of Turnip mosaic virus mutation rate in vivo

[EN] A potential drawback of recent antiviral therapies based on the transgenic expression of artificial microRNAs is the ease with which viruses may generate escape mutations. Using a variation of the classic Luria-Delbruck fluctuation assay, we estimated that the spontaneous mutation rate in the artificial microRNA (amiR) target of a plant virus was ca.6 x 10(-5) per replication event.This work was supported by grants BFU2009-06993 from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, RGP12/2008 from the Human Frontier Science Program Organization, and PROMETEO2010/019 from Generalitat Valenciana to S.F.E.; by CSIC grant 2010TW0015 to J.-A.D.; and by U.S. National Institutes of Health grants R01GM079843-01 and ARRA PDS#35063 and EC grant FP7231807 to P.J.G. F.M. was supported by a fellowship from Universidad Politénica de Valencia, J.H. was supported by a fellowship from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, and J.M.C. was contracted under the CSIC JAE-Doc program.De La Iglesia Jordán, F.; Martinez Garcia, F.; Hillung, J.; Cuevas Torrijos, JM.; Gerrish, PJ.; Daros Arnau, JA.; Elena Fito, SF. (2012). Luria-Delbrück estimation of Turnip mosaic virus mutation rate in vivo. Journal of Virology. 86(6):3386-3388. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.06909-11S3386338886

Abscess of adrenal gland caused by disseminated subacute Nocardia farcinica pneumonia. A case report and mini-review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infections caused by <it>Nocardia farcinica </it>are uncommon and show a great variety of clinical manifestations in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. Because of its unspecific symptoms and tendency to disseminate it may mimic the clinical symptoms and radiologic findings of a tumour disease and the diagnosis of nocardiosis can easily be missed, because there are no characteristic symptoms.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present a case of an adrenal gland abscess caused by subacute disseminated <it>N. farcinica </it>pneumonia.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>An infection with <it>N. farcinica </it>is potentially lethal because of its tendency to disseminate -particularly in the brain- and its high resistance to antibiotics. Awareness of this differential diagnosis allows early and appropriate treatment to be administered.</p