Combination of Caloric Restriction and a Mixed Training Protocol as an Effective Strategy to Counteract the Deleterious Effects in Trabecular Bone Microarchitecture Caused by a Diet-Induced Obesity in Sprague Dawley Rats

The association of obesity with changes in bone mass is not clear. Obese individuals tend to have an increased bone mineral density, but other studies have shown that obesity is a major risk factor for fractures. The mechanisms of bone response during a weight loss therapy as well as the possible osteoprotective effect of exercise should be analyzed. The aim of this study was to test the effects of a weight-loss program based on the combination of caloric restriction and/or a mixed training protocol on different parameters of bone morphology and functionality in a DIO rat model. Three stages were established over a 21-week period (obesity induction 0–12 w, weight loss intervention 12–15 w, weight maintenance intervention 15–21 w) in 88 male Sprague Dawley rats. Bone microarchitecture, total mineral and elemental composition, and bone metabolism parameters were assessed. Weight loss interventions were associated to healthy changes in body composition, decreasing body fat and increasing lean body mass. On the other hand, obesity was related to a higher content of bone resorption and inflammatory markers, which was decreased by the weight control interventions. Caloric restriction led to marked changes in trabecular microarchitecture, with a significant decrease in total volume but no changes in bone volume (BV). In addition, the intervention diet caused an increase in trabeculae number and a decrease in trabecular spacing. The training protocol increased the pore diameter and reversed the changes in cortical porosity and density of BV induced by the high protein diet at diaphysis level. Regarding the weight-maintenance stage, diminished SMI values indicate the presence of more plate-like spongiosa in sedentary and exercise groups. In conclusion, the lifestyle interventions of caloric restriction and mixed training protocol implemented as weight loss strategies have been effective to counteract some of the deleterious effects caused by a dietary induction of obesity, specifically in trabecular bone morphometric parameters as well as bone mineral content.Spanish Government DEP2014-58296-R RTC-2017-6540-1 RTI2018-100934-B-I00Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through FEDER programEuropean Commission DEP2014-58296-R RTC-2017-6540-1 RTI2018-100934-B-I00European Union through FEDER progra

Angle-resolved photoemission study and first principles calculation of the electronic structure of GaTe

The electronic band structure of GaTe has been calculated by numerical atomic orbitals density-functional theory, in the local density approximation. In addition, the valence-band dispersion along various directions of the GaTe Brillouin zone has been determined experimentally by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Along these directions, the calculated valence-band structure is in good concordance with the valence-band dispersion obtained by these measurements. It has been established that GaTe is a direct-gap semiconductor with the band gap located at the Z point, that is, at Brillouin zone border in the direction perpendicular to the layers. The valence-band maximum shows a marked \textit{p}-like behavior, with a pronounced anion contribution. The conduction band minimum arises from states with a comparable \textit{s}- \textit{p}-cation and \textit{p}-anion orbital contribution. Spin-orbit interaction appears to specially alter dispersion and binding energy of states of the topmost valence bands lying at $\Gamma$. By spin-orbit, it is favored hybridization of the topmost \textit{p}$_z$-valence band with deeper and flatter \textit{p$_x$}-\textit{p$_y$} bands and the valence-band minimum at $\Gamma$ is raised towards the Fermi level since it appears to be determined by the shifted up \textit{p$_x$}-\textit{p$_y$} bands.Comment: 7 text pages, 6 eps figures, submitted to PR

Aerobic interval exercise improves parameters of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and other alterations of metabolic syndrome in obese Zucker rats.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a group of metabolic alterations that increase the susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has been described as the liver manifestation of MS. We aimed to test the beneficial effects of an aerobic interval training (AIT) protocol on different biochemical, microscopic, and functional liver alterations related to the MS in the experimental model of obese Zucker rat. Two groups of lean and obese animals (6 weeks old) followed a protocol of AIT (4 min at 65%-80% of maximal oxygen uptake, followed by 3 min at 50%-65% of maximal oxygen uptake for 45-60 min, 5 days/week, 8 weeks of experimental period), whereas 2 control groups remained sedentary. Obese rats had higher food intake and body weight (P < 0.0001) and suffered significant alterations in plasma lipid profile, area under the curve after oral glucose overload (P < 0.0001), liver histology and functionality, and antioxidant status. The AIT protocol reduced the severity of alterations related to glucose and lipid metabolism and increased the liver protein expression of PPARγ, as well as the gene expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (P < 0.001). The training protocol also showed significant effects on the activity of hepatic antioxidant enzymes, although this action was greatly influenced by rat phenotype. The present data suggest that AIT protocol is a feasible strategy to improve some of the plasma and liver alterations featured by the MS

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Neuroprotective activity of Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl: essential oil

INTRODUCCIÓN: El advenimiento de la biología molecular ha agregado una nueva dimensión al proceso de descubrimiento de nuevos fármacos dirigidos hacia el concepto de las terapias avanzadas donde medicamentos clásicos coexistirán con células madre, genes y tejidos transformados ex vivo. Existen muchos tipos de células madre y todos ellos comparten las características de ser capaces de renovarse y dar lugar a progenie diferenciada. El presente trabajo, compara y reflexiona sobre el desarrollo farmacéutico de un medicamento convencional con un medicamento celular. Ambos presentan la misma forma de dosificación, suspensión de un principio activo: de síntesis para el medicamento convencional y células para el medicamento celular; en un medio acuoso, contenido en una jeringa como acondicionamiento primario. METODOLOGÍA: La fabricación de inyectables requiere de más cuidados que cualquier otra forma farmacéutica clásica debido a su vía de administración. Un inyectable debe cumplir, entre otras, con las siguientes características: isotonía, ausencia de pirógenos, y de esterilidad. Sin embargo en la preparación de una suspensión celular, el producto final no puede ser esterilizado, ya que las células deben ser viables para poder mantener sus características terapéuticas. La esterilidad del medicamento celular, deberá ser aportada en el proceso de producción, clase A sobre un entorno clase B. CONCLUSIÓN / DISCUSIÓN: Los métodos de preparación y control de inyectables convencionales son procedimientos que no pueden utilizarse en el medicamento celular ya que dichas técnicas son incompatibles con la viabilidad de células mesenquimales, por lo que el método de elaboración del activo celular para la misma forma de dosificación debe realizarse en condiciones controladas. Así pues el desarrollo galénico de ambos medicamentos difiere y deberá ser considerado en cuanto a la tecnología farmacéutica se refiere.INTRODUCTION Neurodegenerative diseases are becoming more and more common and they represent one of the major public health problems. These diseases are related to oxidative stress, which is caused, among other factors, by an overproduction of free radicals. There are few studies regarding the beneficial effect of essential oil of Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl. (Spanish Sage) on cognitive function, memory and attention in people with dementia and even in the healthy population. In these studies, the effect is mainly ascribed to the capacity to inhibit the acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes, as well as, to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and estrogen properties. However, so far it has been not determined a neuroprotective activity based on its antioxidant capacity. OBJETIVE We have evaluated the neuroprotective activity of essential oil from different samples of Salvia lavandulifolia, studying their antioxidant capacity and using for this purpose astrocytes as glial cells,which carry out an important function in the central nervous system. METHODOLOGY The essential oil extracted was studied by gas chromatography to determine its composition. Its effect on survival, proliferation and cytotoxicity in cells was quantitatively evaluated using the technique of bromide 3 - (4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2,5-difeniltetrazol (MTT), just as its protective effect against toxic (H2O2). The intracellular generation of free radicals was also measured using dichlorofluorescein (DCFH-DA) technical as well as the ability of essential oil to reduce free radicals production induced by hydrogen peroxide. CONCLUSION /DISCUSSION The main components of the samples studied are: 1.8-cineole, camphor and α-pinene. The essential oil of S. lavandulifolia exerts a protective effect on astrocytes against hydrogen peroxide, increasing significantly viability of cells under oxidative stress conditions. None of the samples generated free radicals on the cell line of the study as dichlorofluorescein technique showed. The essential oil also demonstrated a slight free radical scavenger capacity

Improvement in food intake and nutritive utilization of protein from L. albus var. multolupa protein isolates supplemented with ascorbic acid

The protein quality of protein isolates from lupin (LPI) (Lupinus albus var. multolupa), prepared by isoelectric precipitation, was assessed by chemical analysis of protein and amino acids and biological analysis of digestive and metabolic utilization of protein by growing rats. The animals were fed isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets adjusted to meet their nutrient requirements, in which lupin protein isolate was the only protein source, complemented with 0.5% methionine. Different LPIs were prepared with addition, or not, of ascorbic acid as antioxidant. Protein isolates had a protein content of 7.8–98.1%. Manganese content of protein isolates was reduced by 72.8–89.5% compared to the raw seed flour. Results from in vivo experiments showed that addition of 0.5% ascorbic acid to LPI incorporated into diets led to a 82.8% increase in daily food intake, when compared to the non-supplemented LPI, reaching similar values to those obtained with a casein–methionine control diet. Digestive and metabolic utilization of protein from LPI, assessed by nitrogen absorption or apparent digestibility coefficient, and by nitrogen balance or percentage of retained to absorbed nitrogen, respectively, was high, when the dietary intake of animals fed the LPI diets was adequate after addition of 0.5% ascorbic acid, although slightly inferior to the values obtained with a casein–methionine control diet. The high nutritive utilization of protein was reflected in excellent growth and nutritional indices assayed.In conclusion, ascorbic acid supplementation led to an improvement in the palatability of the LPI diets and, therefore, in daily food intake, which was reflected in a higher nutritive utilization of protein and improvement in weight gain and the food transformation index.Project AGL2002-02905 ALI from the Spanish CICYT.Peer reviewe

Synthesis of [77Se]-methylselenocysteine when preparing sauerkraut in the presence of [77Se]-selenite. Metabolic transformation of [77Se]-methylselenocysteine in Wistar rats determined by LC-IDA-ICP-MS

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. The use of enriched Se isotopes as tracers has provided important information on Se metabolism. However, selenium isotopes are expensive and difficult to obtain. A simple and cheap strategy based on the production of [77Se]-methylselenocysteine ([77Se]-MeSeCys) when preparing sauerkraut in the presence of [77Se]-selenite was developed. The resulting [77Se]-MeSeCys was used for evaluating the metabolic transformation of MeSeCys in Wistar rats, by feeding them with an AIN-93 M diet containing 20 % sauerkraut enriched in [77Se]-MeSeCys. Organs (liver, kidney, brain, testicles, and heart) were obtained after seven days of treatment and subjected to total selenium and selenium-speciation analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with isotope-dilution-analysis inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-IDA-ICP-MS). Analysis of 77Se-labeled organs revealed a prominent increase (more than 100 % Se-level enhancement) of selenium in the kidney and heart, whereas in the liver selenium concentration only increased by up to 20 % and it remained constant in the brain and testicles. 77Se-enriched-sauerkraut supplementation does not alter the concentration of other essential elements in comparison to controls except for in the heart and kidney, in which selenium was positively correlated with Mg, Zn, Cu, and Mo. HPLC-ICP-MS analysis of hydrolyzed extracts after carbamidomethylation of the 77Se-labeled organs revealed the presence of [77Se]-SeCys and an unknown Se-containing peak, the identity of which could not be verified by electrospray-ionization (ESI)-MS-MS. Low amounts of [77Se]-MeSeCys were found in 77Se-labeled liver and kidney extracts, suggesting the incorporation of this selenium species in its intact form.The Complutense University Group of Trace and Speciation Analysis thanks the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology (CTQ2011-22732), the Community of Madrid, Spain, and the European Community for funding the FEDER programme (S2010/ AGR-1464, ANALYSIC II). María Sánchez-Martínez would also like to thank the Spanish Government for a doctoral fellowship (CTQ2008- 05925). This research was also funded by project AGL2007-62044 from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science.Peer Reviewe

Metabolismo de la SeMeSeCys en ratas alimentadas con chucrut enriquecido en 77Se

Trabajo presentado a la XVIII Reunión de la Asociación Española de Química Analítica, celebrada en Úbeda (España) en Junio de 2013.Peer reviewe

SeMeSeCys metabolismin rats fed with 77Se-enriched sauerkraut

Resumen del póster presentado a la European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, celebrada en Krakow (Polonia) del 10 al 15 de febrero de 2013.Selenium (Se), an essential trace element for human health, has a well-known role in prevention of chronic diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. As several millions of people worldwide do not reach the RDA of selenium, intake of Se supplements has been the most widespread approach to prevent Se deficiency. Several authors have reported preparation of Se-enriched foods by fermentation processes. Fermented white cabbage, "sauerkraut", a traditional North-East European food product with nutritional and health-promoting properties, has been prepared in presence of seleniuro salt (Na2SeOJ) providing important amounts of SeMeSeCys. This Se species is recognized to have anticarcinogenic properties and, hence, consumption sauerkraut will contribute to the population well-being. Nevertheless, fuere is a lack of knowledge about Se metabolism, distribution and safety in living organisms. Therefore, the aim of this work was to establish the metabolism of SeMeSeCys in rats fed with Se-enriched sauerkraut and to assess its distribution in different body organs. Wistar rats weighing about 150g were fed ad libitum with a standard AIN-93M diet containing 77Se-enriched sauerkraut (20%) for an experimental period of 7 days. During the experiment, weight gain and the intake of food and water were monitored. On day seven, the rats were sacrificed and the organs were removed for further selenium distribution analysis. For this purpose, an analytical methodology based on previous works for trace element determination in rat tissues was applied. In the present communication, bioaccumulation and distribution of exogenous (7Se) and endogenous seleniurn in different organs as liver, heart, brain, testicles, etc. as total selenium using HG-AFS and IDA-ICP-MS will be reported. Se-species identification in the different organs will be performed by applying several sample treatments and chromatographic columns of different mechanisrns. Quantification of the Se-species will be carried out by IDA in combination with LC-ICP-MS. The results obtained will achieve deeper insights about the metabolisrns of SeMetSeCys in living organisms.Peer reviewe

The Combined Intervention with Germinated Vigna radiata and Aerobic Interval Training Protocol Is an Effective Strategy for the Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Other Alterations Related to the Metabolic Syndrome in Zucker Rats

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of related metabolic alterations that increase the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Several lifestyle interventions based on dietary treatment with functional ingredients and physical activity are being studied as alternative or reinforcement treatments to the pharmacological ones actually in use. In the present experiment, the combined treatment with mung bean (Vigna radiata), a widely used legume with promising nutritional and health benefits that was included in the experimental diet as raw or 4 day-germinated seed flour, and aerobic interval training protocol (65–85% VO2 max) has been tested in lean and obese Zucker rats following a 2 × 2 × 2 (2 phenotypes, 2 dietary interventions, 2 lifestyles) factorial ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) statistical analysis. Germination of V. radiata over a period of four days originated a significant protein hydrolysis leading to the appearance of low molecular weight peptides. The combination of 4 day-germinated V. radiata and aerobic interval training was more efficient compared to raw V. radiata at improving the aerobic capacity and physical performance, hepatic histology and functionality, and plasma lipid parameters as well as reverting the insulin resistance characteristic of the obese Zucker rat model. In conclusion, the joint intervention with legume sprouts and aerobic interval training protocol is an efficient treatment to improve the alterations of glucose and lipid metabolism as well as hepatic histology and functionality related to the development of NAFLD and the MetS