Effect of a pparγ synthetic agonist associated with retinoic acid on 24-hour rhythms in the hippocampus of an experimental model of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of dementia in the older adults. The main pathogenic mechanism in sporadic AD is the decreasein amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) clearance. It is known that Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) modulates Aβ deposition and clearance. ApoE expression istranscriptionally induced by PPARγ in coordination with RXRs. Previously, we found that an intracerebroventricular injection of Aβ(1-42) modifiedthe daily rhythms of Apo E, Bmal 1, and Aβ in the rat hippocampus. Taking into account those observations, the objective of this work was toinvestigate the effects of synthetic PPARγ agonist, pioglitazone, and retinoic acid (Pio-RA) on the 24-h rhythms of Apo E, BMAL1 and Aβ proteinlevels, as well as on the daily rhythms of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) and its receptor (TrkB) expression in the rat hippocampus. In thisstudy, male Holtzman rats from control, Aβ-injected (Aβ) and Aβ-injected treated with Pio-RA groups were euthanized throughout a 24-h period andhippocampus samples were isolated every 6 h. Apo E, BMAL1 and Aβ proteins levels were analyzed by immunoblotting and Bdnf and TrkB mRNAlevels were determined by RT-PCR. Regulatory regions of Apo E and clock genes were scanned for E-box, RORE, RXRE and PPRE sites. Weobserved that the treatment of Pio-RA reestablished the daily rhythms of Apo E, Aβ, BMAL1 protein, and Bdnf mRNA levels. This treatment alsoincreased Bdnf and TrkB levels. We found E-box, RXRE, and PPRE sites on regulatory regions of Apo E and Bmal1 genes. The results of thepresent study could suggest that the treatment of Pio-RA would not only restore the altered rhythmic patterns of the clock genes and their target genesobserved in animals injected with Aβ aggregates, but also, interestingly, would increase the levels of cognition-related genes, which are decreased inAlzheimer's patients.Fil: Castro, A.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Mazaferro, P.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Golini, Rebeca Laura Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Navigatore Fonzo, Lorena Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Anzulovich Miranda, Ana Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaXXXVII Annual Scientific Meeting of the Tucumán Biology Association XXIII Annual Scientific Meeting of the Córdoba Biology Society XXXVIII Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cuyo Biology Society Argentine Biology SocietyArgentinaSociedades de Biología de la República Argentin

Electrochemical genoassays on gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles to quantify genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and feed as GMO percentage

The integration of nanomaterials in the field of (bio)sensors has allowed developing strategies with improved analytical performance. In this work, ultrasmall core-shell Fe3O4@Au magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were used as the platform for the immobilization of event-specific Roundup Ready (RR) soybean and taxon-specific DNA sequences. Firstly, monodisperse Fe3O4 MNPs were synthesized by thermal decomposition and subsequently coated with a gold shell through reduction of Au(III) precursor on the surface of the MNPs in the presence of an organic capping agent. This nanosupport exhibited high colloidal stability, average particle size of 10.2 ± 1.3 nm, and spherical shape. The covalent immobilization of ssDNA probe onto the Au shell of the Fe3O4@Au MNPs was achieved through a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) created from mixtures of alkane thiols (6-mercapto-1-hexanol and mercaptohexanoic acid). The influence of the thiols ratio on the electrochemical performance of the resulting electrochemical genoassays was studied, and remarkably, the best analytical performance was achieved for a pure mercaptohexanoic acid SAM. Two quantification assays were designed; one targeting an RR sequence and a second targeting a reference soybean gene, both with a sandwich format for hybridization, signaling probes labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), enzymatic amplification and chronoamperometric detection at screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCE). The magnetogenoassays exhibited linear ranges from 0.1 to 10.0 nM and from 0.1 to 5.0 nM with similar detection limits of 0.02 nM and 0.05 nM for the event-specific (RR) and the taxon-specific (lectin) targets, respectively. The usefulness of the approach was demonstrated by its application to detect genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in feed and food.This work received financial support from the European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE), National Funds (FCT, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) through project UID/QUI/50006/2013 and Regional Funds (Principado de Asturias government through Project FC15-GRUPIN14-025), and cofinanced by FEDER funds. A.P. and M.F.B. are grateful to FCT grants SFRH/BD/97995/2013 and SFRH/BPD/78845/2011, financed by POPH–QREN–Tipologia 4.1–Formação Avançada, subsidized by Fundo Social Europeu and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior. C.P. thanks FCT for the FCT Investigator contract IF/01080/2015.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Asociación entre el estado de ansiedad y el grado de binge eating en estudiantes de medicina de una universidad peruana

Introducción: La ansiedad puede causar sentimientos de profunda preocupación y se ha asociado con inadecuada alimentación y uno de los grupos afectados son los universitarios, quienes presentan cambios en la calidad de la alimentación y suelen tener atracones, sobre todo en quienes cursan los primeros años de la carrera de medicina. Por esta razón, el objetivo de este estudio fue la asociación entre el estado de ansiedad y el grado de Binge eating en estudiantes de Medicina de la Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC). Metodología: Estudio analítico de corte transversal en estudiantes mayores de 18 años de la carrera de Medicina de la UPC. Se invitó a 126 estudiantes en quienes se aplicó el cuestionario de Ansiedad de Beck (BAI) y de acuerdo con el puntaje obtenido se clasificó el nivel de ansiedad como: muy baja (menor de 22 puntos, ansiedad moderada (22 a 35 puntos), ansiedad alta (36 o más puntos). Para evaluar Binge eating se aplicó un cuestionario que mide la Binge Eating Scale (BES) y de acuerdo con los resultados se clasificó como: inexistencia de Binge eating (0 a 17 puntos), presencia moderada (18 a 26 puntos) y presencia severa (27 o más puntos). Resultados: Se observó un aumento en la prevalencia de Binge eating en participantes con niveles más elevados de ansiedad. Conclusiones: Se evidenció una asociación significativa entre el estado de ansiedad y el grado de Binge eating. Se observó mayor prevalencia de Binge eating en mujeres.Introduction: Anxiety can generate feelings of deep concern and has been associated with inadequate nutrition and one of the affected groups is university students, who present changes in the quality of food and tend to binge, especially in those who are in the first years of the medical career. The objective of this study is to identify the association between the state of anxiety and the degree of Binge Eating in medical students from the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC). Methodology: Cross-sectional analytical study in students over 18 years of age of the Medicine career of the UPC. 126 students were invited to applied the Beck anxiety questionnaire (BAI) and according to the score obtained, the level of anxiety was classified as: very low (less than 22 points, moderate anxiety (22 to 35 points), high anxiety (36 or more points) To evaluate Binge Eating, a questionnaire that measures the Binge Eating Scale (BES) was used and according to the results it was classified as: nonexistence of Binge Eating (0 to 17 points), moderate presence (18 to 26 points). points) and severe presence (27 or more points). Results: An increase in the prevalence of Binge Eating was observed in participants with higher levels of anxiety. Conclusions: Although there was evidence of an association between the state of anxiety and the degree of Binge eating, the presence of variables such as symptoms of depression, measured with PHQ-2, showed a greater relationship with it.Trabajo de investigació

A quantitative PCR-electrochemical genosensor test for the screening of biotech crops

The design of screening methods for the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food would improve the efficiency in their control. We report here a PCR amplification method combined with a sequence-specific electrochemical genosensor for the quantification of a DNA sequence characteristic of the 35S promoter derived from the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV). Specifically, we employ a genosensor constructed by chemisorption of a thiolated capture probe and p-aminothiophenol gold surfaces to entrap on the sensing layer the unpurified PCR amplicons, together with a signaling probe labeled with fluorescein. The proposed test allows for the determination of a transgene copy number in both hemizygous (maize MON810 trait) and homozygous (soybean GTS40-3-2) transformed plants, and exhibits a limit of quantification of at least 0.25% for both kinds of GMO lines

A Mobile Health Intervention for Patients With Depressive Symptoms: Protocol for an Economic Evaluation Alongside Two Randomized Trials in Brazil and Peru

BACKGROUND: Mobile health interventions provide significant strategies for improving access to health services, offering a potential solution to reduce the mental health treatment gap. Economic evaluation of this intervention is needed to help inform local mental health policy and program development. OBJECTIVE: This paper presents the protocol for an economic evaluation conducted alongside 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a psychological intervention delivered through a technological platform (CONEMO) to treat depressive symptoms in people with diabetes, hypertension, or both. METHODS: The economic evaluation uses a within-trial analysis to evaluate the incremental costs and health outcomes of CONEMO plus enhanced usual care in comparison with enhanced usual care from public health care system and societal perspectives. Participants are patients of the public health care services for hypertension, diabetes, or both conditions in São Paulo, Brazil (n=880) and Lima, Peru (n=432). Clinical effectiveness will be measured by reduction in depressive symptoms and gains in health-related quality of life. We will conduct cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses, providing estimates of the cost per at least 50% reduction in 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire scores, and cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. The measurement of clinical effectiveness and resource use will take place over baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up in the intervention and control groups. We will use a mixed costing methodology (ie, a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches) considering 4 cost categories: intervention (CONEMO related) costs, health care costs, patient and family costs, and productivity costs. We will collect unit costs from the RCTs and national administrative databases. The multinational economic evaluations will be fully split analyses with a multicountry costing approach. We will calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios and present 95% CIs from nonparametric bootstrapping (1000 replicates). We will perform deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Finally, we will present cost-effectiveness acceptability curves to compare a range of possible cost-effectiveness thresholds. RESULTS: The economic evaluation project had its project charter in June 2018 and is expected to be completed in September 2021. The final results will be available in the second half of 2021. CONCLUSIONS: We expect to assess whether CONEMO plus enhanced usual care is a cost-effective strategy to improve depressive symptoms in this population compared with enhanced usual care. This study will contribute to the evidence base for health managers and policy makers in allocating additional resources for mental health initiatives. It also will provide a basis for further research on how this emerging technology and enhanced usual care can improve mental health and well-being in low- and middle-income countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT12345678 (Brazil) and NCT03026426 (Peru); https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02846662 and https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03026426. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/26164