The Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response in Neuroprogressive Diseases: Emerging Pathophysiological Role and Translational Implications

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the main cellular organelle involved in protein synthesis, assembly and secretion. Accumulating evidence shows that across several neurodegenerative and neuroprogressive diseases, ER stress ensues, which is accompanied by over-activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Although the UPR could initially serve adaptive purposes in conditions associated with higher cellular demands and after exposure to a range of pathophysiological insults, over time the UPR may become detrimental, thus contributing to neuroprogression. Herein, we propose that immune-inflammatory, neuro-oxidative, neuro-nitrosative, as well as mitochondrial pathways may reciprocally interact with aberrations in UPR pathways. Furthermore, ER stress may contribute to a deregulation in calcium homoeostasis. The common denominator of these pathways is a decrease in neuronal resilience, synaptic dysfunction and even cell death. This review also discusses how mechanisms related to ER stress could be explored as a source for novel therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative and neuroprogressive diseases. The design of randomised controlled trials testing compounds that target aberrant UPR-related pathways within the emerging framework of precision psychiatry is warranted

Overweight, obesity, weight-related behaviors, and health-related quality of life among high-school students in Turkey

PubMed: 31463887Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and associated socio-demographic and lifestyle behaviors among a sample of high-school students in Turkey. This study also examined the effect of overweight and obesity on health-related quality of life in students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1216 adolescents aged 14?18 years old was conducted from 2018 to 2019 in Turkey, using questionnaire forms and anthropometric measurements. Classification of BMI was based on the WHO reference weight categories. Factors linked to adolescent obesity were identified using the binary logistic regression model and the degree of association was revealed by determining the odds ratio, at a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Results: The prevalence of overweight was 26.1%, while that of obese students was 12.8%. Factors associated with being obese included being in the 14?15 age group, being male, having dysfunctional family relationships, spending more than 3 h/day on screen time, and performing physical activity (? 60 min) two times or less per week. Obese adolescents reported significantly lower scores in physical and mental health. Conclusions: In this study, more than one-third of the students were either overweight or obese. Obesity was associated with screen time, physical activity, and family relationship. Obesity in children had a negative impact on their quality of life. Therefore, increasing physical activity, lowering screen time, and having a healthy parent?adolescent relationship could contribute to reducing the prevalence of obesity in overweight/obese students. Level of evidence: Level V, descriptive (cross-sectional) study. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG