The subcommissural organ of the rat secretes Reissner's fiber glycoproteins and CSF-soluble proteins reaching the internal and external CSF compartments

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The subcommissural organ (SCO) is a highly conserved brain gland present throughout the vertebrate phylum; it secretes glycoproteins into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), where they aggregate to form Reissner's fiber (RF). SCO-spondin is the major constituent protein of RF. Evidence exists that the SCO also secretes proteins that remain soluble in the CSF. The aims of the present investigation were: (i) to identify and partially characterize the SCO-secretory compounds present in the SCO gland itself and in the RF of the Sprague-Dawley rat and non-hydrocephalic hyh mouse, and in the CSF of rat; (ii) to make a comparative analysis of the proteins present in these three compartments; (iii) to identify the proteins secreted by the SCO into the CSF at different developmental periods.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The proteins of the SCO secreted into the CSF were studied (i) by injecting specific antibodies into ventricular CSF <it>in vivo</it>; (ii) by immunoblots of SCO, RF and CSF samples, using specific antibodies against the SCO secretory proteins (AFRU and anti-P15). In addition, the glycosylated nature of SCO-compounds was analysed by concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin binding. To analyse RF-glycoproteins, RF was extracted from the central canal of juvenile rats and mice; to investigate the CSF-soluble proteins secreted by the SCO, CSF samples were collected from the cisterna magna of rats at different stages of development (from E18 to PN30).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Five glycoproteins were identified in the rat SCO with apparent molecular weights of 630, 450, 390, 320 and 200 kDa. With the exception of the 200-kDa compound, all other compounds present in the rat SCO were also present in the mouse SCO. The 630 and 390 kDa compounds of the rat SCO have affinity for concanavalin A but not for wheat germ agglutinin, suggesting that they correspond to precursor forms. Four of the AFRU-immunoreactive compounds present in the SCO (630, 450, 390, 320 kDa) were absent from the RF and CSF. These may be precursor and/or partially processed forms. Two other compounds (200, 63 kDa) were present in SCO, RF and CSF and may be processed forms. The presence of these proteins in both, RF and CSF suggests a steady-state RF/CSF equilibrium for these compounds. Eight AFRU-immunoreactive bands were consistently found in CSF samples from rats at E18, E20 and PN1. Only four of these compounds were detected in the cisternal CSF of PN30 rats. The 200 kDa compound appears to be a key compound in rats since it was consistently found in all samples of SCO, RF and embryonic and juvenile CSF.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is concluded that (i) during the late embryonic life, the rat SCO secretes compounds that remain soluble in the CSF and reach the subarachnoid space; (ii) during postnatal life, there is a reduction in the number and concentration of CSF-soluble proteins secreted by the SCO. The molecular structure and functional significance of these proteins remain to be elucidated. The possibility they are involved in brain development has been discussed.</p

Impact of Sugary Food Consumption on Pregnancy: A Review

Obesity in pregnancy has been directly associated with an increased risk of almost all pregnancy complications such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and premature delivery. Thereby, according to current evidence available, life-style interventions to prevent pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity in women of fertile age are necessary to reduce the negative impact of obesity on mother and child health. Unhealthy dietary patterns, together with the increased consumption of processed foods rich in simple sugar and sweeteners are some of the responsible, among others, for the increase in obesity rates during the last years. Nevertheless, how its consumption can affect pregnancy outcomes and long-term children's health is still uncertain. This review aims to collate the available evidence about the consequences of unhealthy dietary patterns and sugary products consumption, including sweeteners, during pregnancy for obesity in childhood and mid-childhood. High simple sugar intake during gestation may contribute to an excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) as well as to develop other pregnancy complications such as GDM, preeclampsia and preterm birth. The heterogeneity of study populations, sample size, different approaches to measure GWG, GMD, preeclampsia, and birth weight, among other conditions, might explain the divergences observed among studies. Therefore, large, well-designed intervention-controlled trials with biological biomarkers to ensure dietary adherence are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in order to provide effective nutritional advice

Agent organisations: from independent agents to virtual organisations and societies of agents

Real world applications using agent-based solutions can include many agents that needs to communicate and interact with each other in order to meet their objectives. In organisations; Agent open multi-agent systems, problems can include not only the organisation of a large number of agents, but can also be heterogeneous and of unpredictable provenance or behavior. An overview of the alternatives for dealing with these problems is presented, highlighting the way they try to solve or mitigate them. This approach allows the development of complex systems in which there are agents that show very different behaviours and that are able to adapt to unforeseen changes in the environment. This makes it possible to simulate socio-technical or natural environments and observe their possible evolution without the ethical considerations involved in experimenting in real environments.This work has been developed as part of “Virtual-Ledgers-Tecnologías DLT/Blockchain y Cripto-IOT sobre organizaciones virtuales de agentes ligeros y su aplicación en la eficiencia en el transporte de última milla”, ID SA267P18, project financed by Junta Castilla y León, Consejería de Educación, and FEDER funds. It has been partially supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg Spain-Portugal V-A Program (POCTEP) under grant 0631_DIGITEC_3_E (Smart growth through the specialization of the cross-border business fabric in advanced digital technologies and blockchain.)

Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Western countries, representing almost 30% of all deaths worldwide. Evidence shows the effectiveness of healthy dietary patterns and lifestyles for the prevention of CVD. Furthermore, the rising incidence of CVD over the last 25 years has become a public health priority, especially the prevention of CVD (or cardiovascular events) through lifestyle interventions. Current scientific evidence shows that Western dietary patterns compared to healthier dietary patterns, such as the 'Mediterranean diet' (MeDiet), leads to an excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines associated with a reduced synthesis of anti-inflammatory cytokines. In fact, dietary intervention allows better combination of multiple foods and nutrients. Therefore, a healthy dietary pattern shows a greater magnitude of beneficial effects than the potential effects of a single nutrient supplementation. This review aims to identify potential targets (food patterns, single foods, or individual nutrients) for preventing CVD and quantifies the magnitude of the beneficial effects observed. On the other hand, we analyze the possible mechanisms implicated in this cardioprotective effect

Life Cycle of the Parasite Profilicollis chasmagnathi (Acanthocephala) on the Patagonian Coast of Argentina Based on Morphological and Molecular Data

This study verifies the identity of adult specimens of the parasite Profilicollis chasmagnathi (Acanthocephala, Polymorphidae) recovered from kelp gulls Larus dominicanus (Aves, Laridae), and cystacanths found in crabs Cyrtograpsus altimanus (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the southwestern Atlantic coast. The life cycle of this parasite is elucidated in the intertidal zone of Patagonia, Argentina, based on morphological and molecular data. Preferences by size and sex of the intermediate host and seasonal variation of this parasite are provided, contributing to the knowledge of this host-parasite association.Fil: Lorenti, Eliana Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, Sara M.. Universidad Austral de Chile; ChileFil: Cremonte, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos; ArgentinaFil: D'Elía, Guillermo. Universidad Austral de Chile; ChileFil: Diaz, Julia Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; Argentin

Life Cycle of the Parasite Profilicollis chasmagnathi (Acanthocephala) on the Patagonian Coast of Argentina Based on Morphological and Molecular Data

This study verifies the identity of adult specimens of the parasite Profilicollis chasmagnathi (Acanthocephala, Polymorphidae) recovered from kelp gulls Larus dominicanus (Aves, Laridae), and cystacanths found in crabs Cyrtograpsus altimanus (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the southwestern Atlantic coast. The life cycle of this parasite is elucidated in the intertidal zone of Patagonia, Argentina, based on morphological and molecular data. Preferences by size and sex of the intermediate host and seasonal variation of this parasite are provided, contributing to the knowledge of this host-parasite association.Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectore

Genetic Evaluation of the Class III Dentofacial in Rural and Urban Spanish Population by AI Techniques

The etiology of skeletal class III malocclusion is multifactorial, complex and likely results from mutations in numerous genes. In this study, we sought to understand genotype correlation of the class III dentofacial deformity in rural and urban spanish population of more than one generation. The genetic analyze was made using a Genome-wide scan. It will hold a novel classification using Artificial Intelligence techniques highlighting the difference between the two groups at the level of polymorphism. Our phenotypic and genetic analysis highlights that each group is unique

Protein degradation by E3 ubiquitin ligases in cancer stem cells

Review[Abstract] Cancer stem cells are a small subpopulation within the tumor with high capacity for self-renewal, differentiation and reconstitution of tumor heterogeneity. Cancer stem cells are major contributors of tumor initiation, metastasis and therapy resistance in cancer. Emerging evidence indicates that ubiquitination-mediated post-translational modification plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of cancer stem cell characteristics. In this review, we will discuss how protein degradation controlled by the E3 ubiquitin ligases plays a fundamental role in the self-renewal, maintenance and differentiation of cancer stem cells, highlighting the possibility to develop novel therapeutic strategies against E3 ubiquitin ligases targeting CSCs to fight cancer.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI18/00121Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI21/00238Xunta de Galicia; IN607B2020/1

Avian influenza: genetic evolution under vaccination pressure

Antigenic drift of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) has been observed in chickens after extended vaccination program, similar to those observed with human influenza viruses. To evaluate the evolutionary properties of endemic AIV under high vaccination pressure (around 2 billion doses used in the last 12 years), we performed a pilot phylogenic analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of AIVs isolated from 1994 to 2006. This study demonstrates that Mexican low pathogenicity (LP) H5N2-AIVs are constantly undergoing genetic drifts. Recent AIV isolates (2002–2006) show significant molecular drifts when compared with the H5N2 vaccine-strain or other field isolates (1994–2000). This study also demonstrates that molecular drifts in the HA gene lineages follow a yearly trend, suggesting gradually cumulative sequence mutations. These findings might explain the increasing incidence of LP H5N2 AIV isolated from commercial avian farms. These findings support recent concerns about the challenge of AIV antigenic drift and influenza epidemics