Patterns of healthy lifestyle behaviours in older adults: findings from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009–2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate healthy lifestyle behaviours across age categories in the older population in Chile. Data from 1390 older adults (≥60 years), in the 2009–2010 Chilean National Health Survey were analyzed. We derived the following age categories: 60–65, 66–70, 71–75, 76–80 and >80 years. The association between age and compliance with healthy lifestyle behaviours (smoking, sitting time, physical activity, sleep duration and intake of salt, alcohol, fruit and vegetables) were investigated using logistic regression. The probability of meeting the guidelines for alcohol intake (OR trend: 1.35 [95% CI: 1.11; 1.64], p = 0.001) and smoking (OR trend: 1.23 [95% CI: 1.13; 1.33], p < 0.0001) increased with age, whereas spending <4 h per day sitting time or engaging in at least 150 min of physical activity per week or sleep on average between 7 and 9 h per day were less likely to be met with increasing age (OR trend: 0.77 [95% CI: 0.71; 0.83], p < 0.000; OR trend: 0.73 [95% CI: 0.67; 0.79], p < 0.0001, and OR trend: 0.89 [95% CI: 0.82; 0.96], p = 0.002, respectively). No significant trend across age categories was observed for fruit and vegetables, and salt intake. The probability of meeting at least 3 out of 7 healthy lifestyle behaviours across the age categories was also lower in older age categories compared to those aged 60 to 65 years. Overall, in older adults the probability of having the healthy lifestyle behaviours of physical activity, sitting time and sleeping behaviours was low but not for smoking or alcohol consumption. With an increasingly ageing population, these findings could inform stakeholders on which lifestyle behaviours could be targeted in the older adults and therefore which interventions should take place to promote healthy ageing

Bladder cancer index: cross-cultural adaptation into Spanish and psychometric evaluation

BACKGROUND: The Bladder Cancer Index (BCI) is so far the only instrument applicable across all bladder cancer patients, independent of tumor infiltration or treatment applied. We developed a Spanish version of the BCI, and assessed its acceptability and metric properties. METHODS: For the adaptation into Spanish we used the forward and back-translation method, expert panels, and cognitive debriefing patient interviews. For the assessment of metric properties we used data from 197 bladder cancer patients from a multi-center prospective study. The Spanish BCI and the SF-36 Health Survey were self-administered before and 12 months after treatment. Reliability was estimated by Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed through the multi-trait multi-method matrix. The magnitude of change was quantified by effect sizes to assess responsiveness. RESULTS: Reliability coefficients ranged 0.75-0.97. The validity analysis confirmed moderate associations between the BCI function and bother subscales for urinary (r = 0.61) and bowel (r = 0.53) domains; conceptual independence among all BCI domains (r ≤ 0.3); and low correlation coefficients with the SF-36 scores, ranging 0.14-0.48. Among patients reporting global improvement at follow-up, pre-post treatment changes were statistically significant for the urinary domain and urinary bother subscale, with effect sizes of 0.38 and 0.53. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish BCI is well accepted, reliable, valid, responsive, and similar in performance compared to the original instrument. These findings support its use, both in Spanish and international studies, as a valuable and comprehensive tool for assessing quality of life across a wide range of bladder cancer patients

Pre-hispanic Mesoamerican demography approximates the present-day ancestry of Mestizos throughout the territory of Mexico

The potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) is a potent convulsant drug which, in vitro, stimulates the release of neurotransmitter amino acids. We have studied the effect of 4-AP in vivo on the extracellular concentration of amino acids in rat striatum, by means of microdialysis and HPLC. Perfusion with 4-AP in the awake animal produced intense motor alterations, including barrel turning and running fits. Therefore, most microdialysis experiments were carried out in anesthetized rats. Perfusion with 20-75 mM 4-AP for 12.5 min resulted in a massive increase in extracellular glutamate (up to 20-fold), smaller increases in aspartate and taurine (up to 10-fold) and slight increments in glutamine, alanine, glycine and GABA. In contrast, perfusion with 100 mM K+ produced, mainly, an increment in taurine (7-fold) and modest increases in glutamate and aspartate (100-300%), as well as a notable decrease in glutamine. Tetraethylammonium (TEA, 120 mM) perfusion induced taurine and glutamate elevations similar to those after high K+, but glutamine was not affected. In unanesthetized rats, perfusion with 40 mM 4-AP induced changes in extracellular amino acids similar to those observed under anesthesia. In these animals neither high K+ nor TEA affected significantly the motor behavior. The results suggest that an enhancement of glutamatergic synaptic transmission, rather than a general depolarizing action, is an important factor in the neuronal hyperexcitability induced by 4-AP, which is consistent with the previously demonstrated inhibition of its convulsant effect by glutamate receptor antagonists. Copyright " 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.",,,,,,,,,"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12104/43805","http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0029655711&partnerID=40&md5=e912b37df698d82eea1890c56a0501b

Action of 4-aminopyridine on extracellular amino acids in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex: A dual microdialysis and electroencehalographic study in awake rats

In order to study the role of amino acids in the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex during the convulsive process induced by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), we have used a device allowing the simultaneous microdialysis and the recording of their electrical activity of both regions in freely moving rats. We found that infusion of 4-AP into the entorhinal cortex resulted in a large increase in extracellular glutamate and glutamine and small increases in glycine and taurine levels. Likewise, infusion of 4-AP into the hippocampus resulted in a major increase in glutamate, as well as slight increases in taurine and glycine. In both infused regions the peak concentration of extracellular glutamate was observed 15 min after 4-AP administration. No significant changes were found in the non-infused hippocampus or entorhinal cortex of the same rats. Simultaneous electroencephalographic recordings showed intense epileptiform activity starting during 4-AP infusion and lasting for the rest of the experiment (1 h) in both the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus. The discharges were characterized by poly-spikes and spike-wave complexes that propagated almost immediately to the other region studied. These findings suggest that increased glutamatergic synaptic function in the circuit that connects both regions is involved in the epileptic seizures induced by 4-AP. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc

Protection by NMDA receptor antagonists against seizures induced by intracerebral administration of 4-aminopyridine

The effects of NMDA receptor antagonists on the convulsant action of the administration of 4-aminopyridine in the rat lateral cerebral ventricle (i.c.v. injection) and motor cerebral cortex (i.cx. injection) were studied. 4-Aminopyridine administration in both regions induced various preconvulsive symptoms, such as salivation, tremors, chewing and rearing, followed by continuous clonic convulsions and, only after i.c.v. injection, running fits and generalized tonic convulsions. This behavioral pattern appeared 5-9 min after administration of 4-aminopyridine and persisted for 100-150 min. 4-Aminopyridine also generated epileptiform electroencephalographic (EEG) discharges characterized by isolated spikes, poly-spikes and spike-wave complexes, which began some seconds after administration of the drug and were present for more than 2 h. The NMDA receptor antagonists (±)-3-(2-carboxy-piperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP), (±)-2-amino-7-phosphono-heptanoic acid (AP7) and (+)-5-methyl-10, 11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate (MK-801) clearly protected against some of the behavioral alterations induced by i.c.v. 4-aminopyridine, particularly the tonic convulsions, but were less effective against those produced by i.cx. 4-aminopyridine. These antagonists also delayed the appearance of EEG epileptiform discharges, reduced its amplitude, frequency and duration, and blocked their propagation to other cortical regions after i.cx. 4-aminopyridine. These results, together with previous data showing that 4-aminopyridine stimulates the release of glutamate in vivo, suggest that an excessive glutamatergic neurotransmission involving NMDA receptors is implicated in 4-aminopyridine-induced seizures

Antiepileptic effect of carbenoxolone on seizures induced by 4-aminopyridine: A study in the rat hippocampus and entorhinal cortex

We have examined the effects of the gap junction blocker carbenoxolone (CBX) on the generation and propagation of epileptiform activity induced by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in the rat entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. We analyzed the epileptiform pattern generated on awaked rats by administering 10\ua0nmol of 4-AP and we studied the effect of administering CBX (50\ua0nmol) 30\ua0min later by injection into the entorhinal cortex. The injection of 4-AP produced an epileptiform pattern in EEG recordings characterized by an initial hypersynchronic activity followed by trains of high-amplitude epileptiform discharges. This pattern was associated with convulsive behavior rated as 0, 1 and 3 in the Racine Scale. In contrast, no changes in electrical activity or behavior were observed in animals that received NaCl or CBX alone. The application of CBX to rats that had received 4-AP decreased the amplitude and frequency of the epileptiform discharges, as well as the number and duration of the epileptiform trains in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. Indeed, discharge trains were completely blocked by CBX after 22 ± 4.4\ua0min, and likewise CBX reverted the convulsive behavior of these animals. We conclude that Gap junctions participate in the generation and propagation of epileptiform activity induced by 4-AP in these regions, as well as blocking motor alterations. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Simultaneous glutamate and EEG activity measurements during seizures in rat hippocampal region with the use of an electrochemical biosensor

Excessive release of l-glutamic acid (glu) has been associated with seizures and epilepsy. Some microdialysis studies have demonstrated an increase in glu levels during seizures both in human and in different animal models of experimental epilepsy. With these techniques it is difficult to monitor the glu concentrations with sufficient time resolution to clearly associate them with EEG activity. To solve this, we have built an electrochemical biosensor based on H2O2 production. A glu biosensor was inserted in the hippocampus of rats with an attached isolated tungsten wire to simultaneously record epileptiform EEG activity. 4-Aminopyridine (10 nmol) was administered into the entorhinal cortex to induce seizures. EEG activity and glu concentrations were measured in real time in awake rats through the use of a swivel to capture and digitize analogical signals. When the first epileptiform burst appeared, it was accompanied by a single and significant increase in glu that could play an essential role in the initiation of the seizure. Subsequent and lesser glu increases also were observed; however they were not directly correlated with further bursts it could be relevant to maintenance of seizures. Sustained increase in glu concentration associated with a flat EEG recording was present when rats died. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Monosodium glutamate neonatal treatment as a seizure and excitotoxic model

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) subcutaneously administrated to neonatal rats induces several neurochemical alterations in the brain, which have been associated with an excitotoxic process triggered by an over activation of glutamate receptors; however there are few systematic studies about initial changes in intracerebroventricular (ICV) Glu levels produced by MSG in the brain. Thus, to characterize these changes, rat pups were injected with a MSG solution at 1, 3, 5 and 7 postnatal days (PD), and ICV Glu levels and hippocampal total content of related amino acids (Asp, Glu, Gln, Gly, Tau, Ala and GABA) were estimated before, immediately and after each injection. Behavioral and EEG responses were also monitored after MSG administrations. Significant rise in ICV Glu levels were found, mainly in response to the first and second injection. Moreover, the total content of all amino acids evaluated also increased during the first hour after the first MSG administration but only Glu and GABA remained elevated after 24Zapotitlánh. These biochemical modifications were accompanied with behavioral alterations characterized by: screeching, tail stiffness, head nodding, emprosthotonic flexion episodes and generalized tonic-clonic convulsions, which were associated with electroencephalographic pattern alterations. Altered behavior found in animals treated with MSG suggests an initial seizure situation. Although four MSG administrations were used, the most relevant findings were observed after the first and second administrations at PD1 and PD3, suggesting that only two MSG injections could be sufficient to resemble a seizure and/or excitotoxic model. Zapotitlán 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved