Calidad de carne de 7 razas españolas de ganado bovino vinculadas a su sistema de producción

En España, de modo general, el consumidor de carne de vacuno le da poca importancia a la raza en comparación con otros países Europeos, a pesar de que la misma influye en otras características que sí considera relevantes como el aspecto (color, grasa intramuscular) o la terneza. Las razas bovinas rústicas y locales españolas están ligadas a una región geográfica particular y a un sistema de erra tradicional, donde varios factores como la edad y peso al sacrificio, el sexo, el grado de engrasamiento, el manejo, la alimentación y el tratamiento post-sacrificio intervienen conjuntamente en la definición de cada producto. Estos productos suelen promocionarse a través de denominaciones de origen o marcas de calidad que, por otro lado, permiten al consumidor reducir la incertidumbre cuando compran alimentos, ya que están asociadas a ciertas características sensoriales y/o procesos productivos distintivos. Algunos autores han descrito la calidad de canal (Piedraflta et al., 2003) y las características bioquímicas (Gil et al., 2001) y sensoriales (Serra et al., 2008) de varias razas españolas vinculadas al sistema de producción, de modo que este trabajo se centra en la textura de la carne evaluada instrumentalmente y en algunas de sus características químicas. En: https://calidadcarnecita.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/calidad-de-la-carne-de-7-razas-espanolas-vinculadas-a-sus-sistema-de-produccion

Newborns and low to moderate prenatal environmental lead exposure: Might fathers be the key?

This study is part of the BioMadrid Project, a bio-monitoring study designed to assess pollutants in the environment surrounding children born in the Madrid region. Our aim in this report is to evaluate the association between prenatal lead exposure and fetal development using three biological samples (maternal and paternal blood lead at around 34 weeks of gestation as well as cord blood lead levels), three biomarkers of effect in cord blood peripheral lymphocytes (micronucleus in binucleated cells, nucleoplasmic bridges, and nuclear buds), and different anthropometrical characteristics at birth. Maternal and cord blood lead were not associated with newborn measurements or genotoxicity biomarkers. In contrast, increases in father blood lead were coupled with lower weight (mean difference (MD), -110.8 g; 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), -235.6 to 6.00; p < 0.10) and shorter abdominal (MD, -0.81 cm; 95%CI, -1.64 to 0.00; p < 0.05) and cephalic (MD, -0.32 cm; 95%CI, -0.65 to 0.00; p < 0.05) circumferences at birth as well as with the presence of nucleoplasmic bridges (odds ratio, 1.03; 95%CI, 1.00 to 1.06; p < 0.05) and nuclear buds (odds ratio, 1.02; 95%CI, 0.99 to 1.04; p < 0.10). These associations were mainly confined to female babies, in whom paternal lead was also inversely associated with length. Our results support the hypothesis that paternal lead exposure may be affecting the development of newborns.Financial support was obtained from the Madrid Regional Health and Consumer Affairs Authority and the Spanish Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS) grant PI040777). Dr. Esther Garcia-Esquinas was supported by a Río Hortega (CM10/00332) research training grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Carlos III Institute of Health) and by the Enrique Nájera predoctoral grant awarded by the Spanish Society of Epidemiology and funded by the National School of Public Health.Peer reviewe

Cytogenetic status in newborns and their parents in Madrid: The BioMadrid study

Monitoring cytogenetic damage is frequently used to assess population exposure to environmental mutagens. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay is one of the most widely used methods employed in these studies. In the present study we used this assay to assess the baseline frequency of micronuclei in a healthy population of father-pregnant woman-newborn trios drawn from two Madrid areas. We also investigated the association between micronucleus frequency and specific socioeconomic, environmental, and demographic factors collected by questionnaire. Mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium blood levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. The association between micronucleated cell frequency and the variables collected by questionnaire, as well as, the risk associated with the presence of elevated levels of metals in blood, was estimated using Poisson models, taking the number of micronucleated cells in 1,000 binucleated cells (MNBCs) as the dependent variable. Separate analyses were conducted for the 110 newborns, 136 pregnant women, and 134 fathers in whom micronuclei could be assessed. The mean number of micronucleated cells per 1,000 binucleated cells was 3.9, 6.5, and 6.1 respectively. Our results show a statistically significant correlation in MNBC frequency between fathers and mothers, and between parents and newborns. Elevated blood mercury levels in fathers were associated with significantly higher MNBC frequency, compared with fathers who had normal mercury levels (RR:1.21; 95%CI:1.02-1.43). This last result suggests the need to implement greater control over populations which, by reason of their occupation or life style, are among those most exposed to this metal.Peer reviewe

Genetic diagnosis of X-linked dominant hypophosphatemic rickets in a cohort study: Tubular reabsorption of phosphate and 1,25(OH)2D serum levels are associated with PHEX mutation type

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genetic Hypophosphatemic Rickets (HR) is a group of diseases characterized by renal phosphate wasting with inappropriately low or normal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃(1,25(OH)₂D) serum levels. The most common form of HR is X-linked dominant HR (XLHR) which is caused by inactivating mutations in the <it>PHEX </it>gene. The purpose of this study was to perform genetic diagnosis in a cohort of patients with clinical diagnosis of HR, to perform genotype-phenotype correlations of those patients and to compare our data with other HR cohort studies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty three affected individuals from 36 non related families were analyzed. For the genetic analysis, the <it>PHEX </it>gene was sequenced in all of the patients and in 13 cases the study was complemented by mRNA sequencing and Multiple Ligation Probe Assay. For the genotype-phenotype correlation study, the clinical and biochemical phenotype of the patients was compared with the type of mutation, which was grouped into clearly deleterious or likely causative, using the Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mutations in the <it>PHEX </it>gene were identified in all the patients thus confirming an XLHR. Thirty four different mutations were found distributed throughout the gene with higher density at the 3' end. The majority of the mutations were novel (69.4%), most of them resulted in a truncated PHEX protein (83.3%) and were family specific (88.9%). Tubular reabsorption of phosphate (TRP) and 1,25(OH)₂D serum levels were significantly lower in patients carrying clearly deleterious mutations than in patients carrying likely causative ones (61.39 ± 19.76 vs. 80.14 ± 8.80%, p = 0.028 and 40.93 ± 30.73 vs. 78.46 ± 36.27 pg/ml, p = 0.013).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>PHEX </it>gene mutations were found in all the HR cases analyzed, which was in contrast with other cohort studies. Patients with clearly deleterious <it>PHEX </it>mutations had lower TRP and 1,25(OH)₂D levels suggesting that the <it>PHEX </it>type of mutation might predict the XLHR phenotype severity.</p

Lead, mercury and cadmium in umbilical cord blood and its association with parental epidemiological variables and birth factors

Abstract Background In Spain, few studies have evaluated prenatal exposure to heavy metals. The objective of this study was to describe lead, mercury and cadmium concentrations in blood from a sample of newborn–mother-father trios, as well as to investigate the association between metals in cord blood and parental variables. We also explored the relationship between cord blood metal concentrations and child characteristics at birth. Methods Metal correlations among family members were assessed using Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient. Linear regression was used to explore the association between parental variables and log-transformed cord blood lead and cord blood mercury concentrations. In the case of cadmium, tobit regression was used due to the existence of samples below the detection limit. The association between cord blood metal concentrations and child characteristics at birth was evaluated using linear regression. Results Geometric means for lead, mercury and cadmium were 14.09 μg/L, 6.72 μg/L and 0.27 μg/L in newborns; 19.80 μg/L, 3.90 μg/L and 0.53 μg/L in pregnant women; and 33.00 μg/L, 5.38 μg/L and 0.49 μg/L in men. Positive correlations were found between metal concentrations among members of the trio. Lead and cadmium concentrations were 15% and 22% higher in newborns from mothers who smoked during pregnancy, while mercury concentrations were 25% higher in newborns from mothers with greater fish intake. Cord-blood lead levels showed seasonal periodicity, with lower concentrations observed in winter. Cord blood cadmium concentrations over 0.29 μg/L were associated with lower 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores. Conclusions These results reinforce the need to establish biomonitoring programs in Spain, and provide support for tobacco smoke and fish consumption as important preventable sources of heavy metal exposure in newborns. Additionally, our findings support the hypothesis that cadmium exposure might be deleterious to fetal development.Financial support was obtained from the Madrid Regional Health & Consumer Affairs Authority and the Spanish Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria [FIS] grant PI040777). Dr. Esther Garcia-Esquinas was supported by a Río Hortega (CM10/00332) research training grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Carlos III Institute of Health). The authors are deeply indebted to the primary-care midwives and health staff of the Gregorio Marañón and Getafe Hospital maternity wards and laboratories, and in particular to the study participants themselvesPeer Reviewe