Nicotiana Glauca Graham (Solanaceae) Bioactivity and Toxic Effects on Mortality, Feeding Behavior and Pupation Choice of Drosophila Melanogaster Larvae (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Nicotiana glauca is a medicinal plant used by traditional healers as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory medicines. The leaves of N. glauca are very rich in indolic alkaloids which give it a larvicidal power which allows us to use it as a bio-insecticide.In the present study we were perfomed in the direct (mortality) and indirect (food attractiveness and pupation) toxic effects of the aqueous extract of N. glauca on the mortality and feeding behavior of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The treatment was administered to 2nd instar larvae (L2) and the mortality rate was monitored for 15 days. Similarly we treated the 2nd instar larvae (n=50) with a sub-lethal concentration of 25µg/ml. Two days after the treatment the third instar larvae of D. melanogster are exposed to two nutrient media (control and treated with N. glauca) and the choice of the larvae is noted during one hour of time.The findings show that after 15 days of treatment, mortality rates in D. melanogaster larvae can reach 50%, as we observed a disruption in olfactory and gustatory signals, with both control and treated larvae preferring the food preparation mixed with the aqueous extract of N. glauca Graham and losing their ability to smell their control medium. This indicates that the bioactive chemicals isolated from this poisonous plant are mostly appealing allelochemical substances

Dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids in relation to red blood cell membrane fatty acids and bone health in healthy men: a cross-sectional study

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and long chain PUFA (LCPUFA) may play a role in bone health, but evidence is scarce in human males. The objective of this study is to determine if the dietary intake of PUFA and LCPUFA, particularly the omega-3 LCPUFA, and their subsequent levels in red blood cell (RBC) membranes are associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole body, spine, hip, and femoral neck in healthy middle aged men. Anthropometric measurements, assessment of dietary and supplement intake, assessment of total and weight-bearing physical activity, quantification of total fatty acid levels in RBC membranes, and assessment of BMD using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was conducted in a cross-sectional sample of healthy middle-aged men. Statistical Analysis using the student t-test for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake and status above and below the median was conducted, followed by multiple linear regression analysis to confirm the results of the t-test while accounting for covariates including body mass index (BMI), serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D), calcium intake, alcohol intake, and physical activity. Higher dietary intake of EPA+DHA was associated with higher whole body and spine BMD and spine z-score. Higher EPA intake was associated with higher spine z-score. Finally, higher EPA status (% in RBC) was associated with higher whole body and spine BMD; and of femoral neck and spine z‐scores. These preliminary results suggest that men with higher intakes of EPA and DHA and higher EPA status have improved bone health. However, it appears the LCPUFA status is a stronger predictor than dietary LCPUFA intake.Les acides gras polyinsaturés (AGPI) et les acides gras polyinsaturés à longue chaîne (AGPI-LC) peuvent influencer la santé osseuse, mais très peu de preuves existent en ce qui concerne les hommes. L'objectif de cette étude est de déterminer si l'apport alimentaire en AGPI et en AGPI-LC, en particulier en oméga-3 AGPI-LC, et leurs concentrations subséquents dans les membranes des érythrocytes sont associés à une plus grande densité minéral osseuse (DMO) du corps entier, de la colonne vertébrale, des hanches et du col du fémur chez les hommes d'âge moyen en bonne santé. Dans un échantillon transversal d'hommes d'âge moyen en bonne santé, les mesures anthropométriques ont été relevées, l'apport des aliments et des suppléments alimentaires ainsi que les activités physiques totales et celles avec mise en charge évalués, les concentrations totales des acides gras dans les membranes des érythrocytes quantifiées et les DMO mesurées par ostéodensitométrie. L'analyse statistique a été effectuée à la fois pour l'apport et le bilan en acide eicosapentanoique (EPA) et acide docosahexaenoique (DHA) au-dessus et en-dessous de la médiane en utilisant des tests-t de Student, suivi par une analyse de régression linéaire multiple pour confirmer les résultats des tests-t en prenant en compte les covariables. Un apport alimentaire plus élevé en EPA et DHA est associé avec des DMO plus élevées du corps entier et de la colonne vertébrale et un plus grand score-z pour la colonne vertébrale. Un apport plus élevé en EPA est associé avec un score-z réduit de celle-ci. Enfin, bilan plus élevé d'EPA (% présent dans les érythrocytes) est associé avec des DMO plus élevées du corps entier et de la colonne vertébrale et des plus grands score-z pour le col du fémur et la colonne vertébrale. Ces résultats préliminaires suggèrent que les hommes qui consomment plus d'EPA et de DHA et qui ont un bilan en EPA plus élevé ont une meilleure santé osseuse. Cependant, il semblerait que le bilan en AGPI-LC soit un meilleur indicateur que l'apport alimentaire en AGPI-LC

Gender Differences in Associations between Insufficient Sleep and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Endpoints: A Contemporary Review

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States for both men and women. The increasing appreciation of the gender differences in behavioral and physiologic interconnectedness of cardiometabolic risk factors has led to a growing literature evaluating relationships between sleep—an integral part of overall health and a source of physiological resilience—in relation to CVD and its risk factors in male and female cohorts. This article reviews the published research related to gender differences in the role of insufficient sleep in the etiology of CVD. Evidence on gender differences in the associations between sleep and other behavioral risk factors for CVD, namely diet and physical activity, is in the nascent stages of characterization but suggests that insufficient sleep may have a more pronounced detrimental impact on the diets of women. The literature on gender differences in the role of insufficient sleep in inflammation, dyslipidemia, glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, and obesity is inconclusive. Inadequate sleep duration is associated with elevated blood pressure, weight gain, hypertension, and obesity in both men and women, but associations may be stronger among women. Moreover, gender differences may vary by age group. Inflammation resulting from inadequate sleep may also be more pronounced among women. Inconsistent results were observed in studies on dyslipidemia with results ranging from null to detrimental associations in men and from detrimental to protective associations in women. Short sleep is also associated with poor glycemic control among men, with evidence of potential gender differences in associations with insulin sensitivity. Finally, insufficient sleep is convincingly associated with CVD etiology, but women appear to be more vulnerable to the effects of poor sleep on CVD risk and mortality. In conclusion, emerging data demonstrate that heterogeneity exists between men and women in how sleep duration influences behavioral and cardiometabolic risk factors in addition to CVD risk and mortality, but additional research is warranted to clarify associations and disentangle underlying mechanisms. In an era of genomics and personalized medicine, studying gender differences in the role of sleep in the risk for cardiometabolic disease is crucial for identifying innovative targets and tailoring public health interventions to focus on the most vulnerable population groups

Multidimensional Sleep Health Is Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence and Cardiometabolic Health in US Adults.

Individual sleep dimensions have been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and cardiometabolic health (CMH), but sleep health is multifaceted. We investigated associations of a multidimensional sleep health (MDSH) score, enabling the assessment of sleep health gradients, with CVD and CMH. Participants were 4555 adults aged ≥20 years from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A MDSH score, capturing poor, moderate, and ideal sleep was computed from self-reported sleep duration, sleep regularity, difficulty falling asleep, symptoms of sleep disorders, and daytime sleepiness. Survey-weighted multivariable linear and logistic models examined associations of MDSH with CVD and CMH. Ideal and moderate vs. poor MDSH were related to lower odds of hypertension (62% and 41%), obesity (73% and 56%), and central adiposity (68% and 55%), respectively; a statistically significant linear trend was observed across gradients of MDSH (p-trend < 0.001). Ideal vs. moderate/poor MDSH was associated with 32% and 40% lower odds of prevalent CVD and type 2 diabetes, respectively. More favorable MDSH was associated with lower blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, and fasting glucose. In sex-stratified analyses, ideal vs. moderate/poor MDSH was associated with lower CVD odds and blood pressure in women only. The MDSH framework may be more than just the sum of its parts and could better capture information regarding CVD risk

Gender Differences in Associations Between Stress and Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Outcomes

Psychological stress, a subjective perception of an adverse environmental change, is a hallmark of modern society. Although psychological stress has previously been established as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), it is unclear whether stress influences cardiovascular risk differently in men versus women. Gender disparities exist in the prevalence of stress as well as in the prevalence and prognosis of CVD; therefore, associations between stress and CVD risk and mortality may vary by sex. The purpose of this review was to summarize the evidence from recent and landmark studies on gender differences in the associations of stress with CVD risk factors and end points and to highlight clinical and public health implications as well as future research directions in this field. Taken together, research to date indicates that while stress is associated with poorer cardiovascular health metrics in both men and women, the influence of stress on measures of glucose regulation and dyslipidemia and on overall CVD risk may be stronger among women. However, men may be more susceptible to the influence of stress on body adiposity, blood pressure, and CVD mortality. In terms of behavioral risk factors for CVD, associations between stress and diet quantity and quality appear to be stronger among women, but the influence of stress on sedentary behaviors and sleep may be stronger among men. Given that gender disparities exist in the prevalence of overall and different types of stress (eg, financial stress, caregiving stress, and occupational stress), future studies should decipher the potential differential associations between types of stress and cardiovascular risk among men and women to identify vulnerable populations and develop targeted interventions