Histopathology of the renal and splenic haemopoietic tissues of coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch experimentally infected with Renibacterium salmoninarum

We report the histopathological changes occurring in the renal and splenic haemopoietic tissues of coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch experimentally infected with renibacterium salmoninarum. In both tissues we were able by light microscopy to distinguish 3 different grades in the progression of the infection. The grades of infection were characterized according to the location of the bacteria and the tissue injuries. Ultrastructural observation revealed sinusoidal cells, macrophages, reticular and barrier cells to be infected by the pathogen, and necrosis of the tissue to be general in advanced stages of the infection. Despite destruction of the haemopoietic tissue, plasmacytopoietic foci were frequently observed in both organs. Other major changes were the appearance of epithelioid cells and an increase in the number of barrier cells. These 2 cell types might be involved in the local defence response to the pathogen, but they may also act as a reservoir and proliferation locus for R. salmoninarum

Optimization and validation of a new microbial inhibition test for the detection of antimicrobial residues in living animals intended for human consumption

Even though antibiotics are necessary in livestock production, they can be harmful not only due to their toxicity, but also in view of their contribution to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Screening tests based on microbial growth inhibition appeared to be useful tools to prevent its entry into the food chain. They have nevertheless been traditionally carried out post mortem, leading to great economical loss and harm to the environment in case a positive sample is found. Hence, the objective was to evaluate the use of a screening test as an ante mortem alternative for the detection of antibiotic residues in meat: thus, Explorer®-Blood test was optimized and validated. After adapting the procedure for matrix preparation, the assay parameters were assessed from 344 antibiotic-free blood serum samples. Limits of Detection (LoDs) were defined by spiking blood serum with several of the most common antimicrobials used in veterinary practice. LoDs were similar to those obtained for meat and were at or below the maximum residue limits set by EU legislation for muscle. Analyses of in vivo injected samples, previously characterized by LC-MS/MS, demonstrated the method’s accuracy and proved that Explorer®-Blood can be considered a suitable alternative to conventional post mortem screening methods

Egg consumption and dyslipidemia in a Mediterranean cohort

Introduction and objectives: Our aim was to prospectively evaluate the association between egg consumption and dyslipidemia in a Mediterranean cohort. Methods: We followed-up 13,104 Spanish university graduates for a mean period of 8 years. Dietary habits at baseline were assessed using a validated semi-quantitative 136-item food-frequency questionnaire. Self-reported blood concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-c) and triglycerides were evaluated according to categories of egg consumption after 6 and 8 years of follow-up. We also assessed the association between baseline egg consumption and the incidence of hypercholesterolemia, low HDL-c concentrations and hypertriglyceridemia during follow-up. Results: We observed a significant inverse association for intermediate levels of egg consumption (2 to 4 eggs/week vs. less than 1 egg/week) and hypertriglyceridemia with OR = 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54 to 0.93, p < 0.05) in the multivariable-adjusted model. Using HDL-c values after 8-year follow-up, we found an association between higher egg consumption and lower HDL-c levels (p for trend = 0.02) with an adjusted difference of –4.01 mg/dl (-7.42 to -0.61) for > 4 vs. < 1 egg/week. Lower means of triglycerides were found in each of the three upper categories of egg consumption compared to the lowest category (< 1 egg/week) with significant results for some of these categories both after 6 and 8 year follow-up. Conclusions: Our data do not support that higher egg consumption was associated with abnormal blood levels of total cholesterol or triglycerides; an inverse association with HDL-c as a quantitative variable was found only in one of our analyses.Introducción y objetivos: evaluar prospectivamente la asociación entre el consumo de huevo y el riesgo de dislipidemia en una cohorte mediterránea. Métodos: se siguieron 13.104 graduados universitarios españoles durante un periodo medio de 8 años. La dieta se evaluó al inicio utilizando un cuestionario semicuantitativo de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos repetidamente validado. Las concentraciones sanguíneas de colesterol total, lipoproteínas de alta densidad (HDL-c) y triglicéridos autorreferidas fueron evaluadas según categorías de consumo de huevo tras 6 y 8 años de seguimiento. También se evaluó la asociación entre el consumo basal de huevo y la incidencia de hipercolesterolemia, concentraciones bajas de HDL-c e hipertrigliceridemia durante el seguimiento. Resultados: se observó una asociación entre los niveles intermedios de consumo de huevo (2-4 unidades/semana frente a < 1 unidad/semana) y menor riesgo de hipertrigliceridemia con OR = 0,71 (intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC]: 0,54 a 0,93, p < 0,05) en el modelo más ajustado. Tras 8 años de seguimiento, encontramos una asociación entre un mayor consumo de huevo y menores niveles de HDL-c (p tendencia lineal = 0,02) con una diferencia ajustada de -4,01 mg/dl (-7,42 a -0,61) para > 4 vs. < 1 unidad/semana. Se encontraron menores concentraciones de triglicéridos en las tres categorías superiores de consumo de huevo en comparación con la inferior con resultados significativos para algunas de estas categorías después de 6 y 8 años de seguimiento. Conclusiones: un mayor consumo de huevo no se asoció con niveles anormales de colesterol total o triglicéridos; se encontró una asociación inversa con HDL-c como variable cuantitativa solo en uno de nuestros análisis

The Antioxidant Potential of the Mediterranean Diet in Patients at High Cardiovascular Risk: An In-Depth Review of the PREDIMED

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading global cause of death. Diet is known to be important in the prevention of CVD. The PREDIMED trial tested a relatively low-fat diet versus a high-fat Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) for the primary prevention of CVD. The resulting reduction of the CV composite outcome resulted in a paradigm shift in CV nutrition. Though many dietary factors likely contributed to this effect, this review focuses on the influence of the MedDiet on endogenous antioxidant systems and the effect of dietary polyphenols. Subgroup analysis of the PREDIMED trial revealed increased endogenous antioxidant and decreased pro-oxidant activity in the MedDiet groups. Moreover, higher polyphenol intake was associated with lower incidence of the primary outcome, overall mortality, blood pressure, inflammatory biomarkers, onset of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and obesity. This suggests that polyphenols likely contributed to the lower incidence of the primary event in the MedDiet groups. In this article, we summarize the potential benefits of polyphenols found in the MedDiet, specifically the PREDIMED cohort. We also discuss the need for further research to confirm and expand the findings of the PREDIMED in a non-Mediterranean population and to determine the exact mechanisms of action of polyphenols

The Pro12Ala polymorphism of the PPARγ2 gene interacts with a Mediterranean Diet to prevent telomere shortening in the PREDIMED-NAVARRA randomized trial

Background: The gene variant Pro/Ala (rs1801282) in the PPARγ2 has been associated with lower cardiovascular risk and greater benefit from lifestyle interventions. This polymorphism also seems to be associated with longer lifespan, but no information on telomere length (TL) is available. Our aim was to study the association between the Ala allele and changes in TL in high cardiovascular risk subjects, and the potential interaction with a Mediterranean Diet (MeDiet) pattern. Methods and Results: A total of 521 subjects (55-80 years) participating in the Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) randomized trial were genotyped. Changes in TL, measured by quantitative real-time PCR, were assessed over 5 years of a nutritional intervention which promoted adherence to the MeDiet. Interestingly, Ala carriers showed lower telomere shortening after 5 years, compared with the Pro/Pro genotype (P=0.031). This association was modulated by MeDiet since those Ala carriers who reported better conformity to the MeDiet exhibited increased TL (P<0.001). Moreover, a reduction in carbohydrate intake (≤9.5 g/d) resulted in increased TL among Ala carriers. Notably, an apparent gene-diet interaction was found through the observed changes in the MUFA+PUFA/Carbohydrates ratio: as this ratio increased, TL lengthening was detected to a greater extent in the Ala carriers compared with the Pro/Pro subjects (P for interaction <0.001). Conclusions: The Pro12Ala polymorphism is associated with TL homeostasis after 5 years follow-up in subjects at high cardiovascular risk. In addition, a higher adherence to the MeDie

Detection of norovirus in saliva samples from acute gastroenteritis cases and asymptomatic subjects : Association with age and higher shedding in stool

Norovirus infections are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide and across all age groups, with two main genogroups (GI and GII) infecting humans. The aim of our study was to investigate the occurrence of norovirus in saliva samples from individuals involved in outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in closed and semiclosed institutions, and its relationship with the virus strain, virus shedding in stool, the occurrence of symptoms, age, and the secretor status of the individual. Epidemiological and clinical information was gathered from norovirus outbreaks occurring in Catalonia, Spain during 2017-2018, and stool and saliva samples were collected from affected and exposed resident individuals and workers. A total of 347 saliva specimens from 25 outbreaks were analyzed. Further, 84% of individuals also provided a paired stool sample. For GII infections, norovirus was detected in 17.9% of saliva samples from symptomatic cases and 5.2% of asymptomatic individuals. Positivity in saliva occurred in both secretors and nonsecretors. None of the individuals infected by norovirus GI was positive for the virus in saliva. Saliva positivity did not correlate with any of the studied symptoms but did correlate with age ≥ 65 years old. Individuals who were positive in saliva showed higher levels of virus shedding in stool. Mean viral load in positive saliva was 3.16 ± 1.08 log10 genome copies/mL, and the predominance of encapsidated genomes was confirmed by propidium monoazide (PMA)xx-viability RTqPCR assay. The detection of norovirus in saliva raises the possibility of oral-to-oral norovirus transmission during the symptomatic phase and, although to a lesser extent, even in cases of asymptomatic infections

Longitudinal association of telomere length and obesity indices in an intervention study with a Mediterranean diet: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA trial

Background: Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that protect the ends of eukaryote chromosomes. Shorter telomere length (TL) is associated with some age-related human disorders, but its relationship with obesity or adiposity parameters remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between TL and changes in adiposity indices after a 5-year nutritional intervention. Design and subjects: TL was measured by quantitative real-time PCR in 521 subjects (55-80 years, 55% women). Participants were randomly selected from the PREDIMED-NAVARRA centre after they completed a 5-year intervention programme. Anthropometric parameters were directly measured by trained personnel at baseline and on a yearly basis thereafter. TL at baseline and changes in TL after 5-year intervention were assessed. Results: Higher baseline TL significantly predicted a greater decrease in body weight (B= -1.09 kg, 95%CI: -2.01 to -0.16), BMI (B= -0.47 kg/m2, 95%CI: -0.83 to -0.11), waist circumference (B= -1.15 cm, 95%CI: -2.28 to -0.01), and waist to height ratio (B= -0.008, 95%CI: -0.010 to -0.001) in multiple-adjusted models. In addition, changes in TL during the 5-year intervention were inversely associated with changes in the four anthropometric variables. The reduction in adiposity indices during the intervention, associated with increasing TL, was even higher among subjects with the longest telomeres at baseline. Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of remaining obese after 5 years was lower in those participants who initially had the longest telomeres and increased their TL after intervention (OR=0.27, 95%CI: 0.03 to 2.03). Conclusions: Our research suggests that TL is inversely associated with changes in obesity parameters. The assessment of TL can provide further insights for biological pathways leading to adiposity. We show for the first time an improvement of obesity indices when an increase in TL is observed after a 5-year Mediterranean diet intervention

Association of Ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase with the photosynthetic apparatus modulates electron transfer in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

R.M. acknowledges support from the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 15K21122). T.H. gratefully acknowledges support from the DFG (DIP project cooperation “Nanoengineered optoelectronics with biomaterials and bioinspired assemblies”) and the Volkswagen Foundation (LigH2t). G.K. acknowledges support from CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency. M.H. acknowledges support from the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, HI 739/13-1)

Influence of FTO rs9939609 and Mediterranean diet on body composition and weight loss: a randomized clinical trial

Background The Mediterranean diet (MeD) plays a key role in the prevention of obesity. Among the genes involved in obesity, the Fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is one of the most known, but its interaction with MeD remained uncertain so far. Methods We carried out a study on a sample of 188 Italian subjects, analyzing their FTO rs9939609 alleles, and the difference in body composition between the baseline and a 4-weeks nutritional intervention. The sample was divided into two groups: the control group of 49 subjects, and the MeD group of 139 subjects. Results We found significant relations between MeD and both variation of total body fat (ΔTBFat) (p = 0.00) and gynoid body fat (p = 0.04). ∆TBFat (kg) demonstrated to have a significant relation with the interaction diet-gene (p = 0.04), whereas FTO was associated with the variation of total body water (p = 0.02). Conclusions MeD demonstrated to be a good nutritional treatment to reduce the body fat mass, whereas data about FTO remain uncertain. Confirming or rejecting the hypothesis of FTO and its influence on body tissues during nutritional treatments is fundamental to decide whether its effect has to be taken into consideration during both development of dietetic plans and patients monitoring. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Id: NCT01890070. Registered 01 July 2013, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0189007