460 research outputs found
Demography of the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Mammalia: Delphinidae) in the Eastern Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean): quantification of female reproductive parameters
AbstractThe reproductive histories of 41 adult bottlenose dolphin females were analysed using photo-identification data collected between 2006 and 2014 in four sub-areas of the eastern Ligurian Sea (northwest Mediterranean). The Rapallo sub-area revealed the highest (highly significant) frequency of encounters (per unit effort) of reproductive females in association with young individuals, therefore emerging as a candidate nursery area in the region. The estimated fertility rate of adult females ranged between 290 and 407 births per 1000 individuals per year, higher than that of other known bottlenose dolphin populations, with a calving interval between 2.45 and 3.5 years. These results will be useful for projecting future trends of this (sub)population
Histochemical characterisation and gene expression analysis of skeletal muscles from maremmana and aubrac steers reared on grazing and feedlot systems
This study aimed to characterise the fibre composition of Triceps brachii (TB) and Semimem-branosus (SM) muscles from 20 Maremmana (MA) and 20 Aubrac (AU) steers, and the effect of grazing activity in comparison with feedlot system. The histochemical method was performed with the m-ATPase method with an acid pre-incubation, thus allowing to distinguish type I, IIA, and IIB fibres. Additionally, on total RNA extracted from SM muscle, the expressions of atp1a1, mt-atp6, and capn1 genes were evaluated, in order to find potential associations with muscle fibre histochemical characteristics. In SM muscle, the MA steers had the greater frequency of oxidative fibres (type I and IIA) and the higher atp1a1 expression, in comparison to AU steers. Conversely, AU steers had a greater frequency of type IIB fibres, and the higher capn1 expression. A similar histochemical pattern was observed in TB muscle. The grazing activity was probably insufficient to determine differences both for fibre proportion and size, and gene expressions, except for mt-atp6 expression that was surprisingly highest in feedlot MA in comparison to other steers. These findings further the knowledge of muscle properties belonging to these breeds, and the effect of voluntary physical activity since few studies were available in this regard
Clinical, biochemical and molecular characterization of prosaposin deficiency
Prosaposin (PSAP) deficiency is an ultra-rare, fatal infantile lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) caused by variants in the PSAP gene, with 7 subjects reported so far. Here, we provide the clinical, biochemical and molecular characterization of two additional PSAP deficiency cases. Lysoplex, a targeted resequencing approach was utilized to identify the variant in the first patient, while quantification of plasma lysosphingolipids (lysoSLs), assessed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), followed by Sanger sequencing allowed to attain diagnosis in the second case. Functional studies were carried out on patients' fibroblast lines to explore the functional impact of variants. The two patients were homozygous for two different truncating PSAP mutations (c.895G>T, p.Glu299*; c.834_835delGA, p.Glu278Aspfs*27). Both variants led to a complete lack of processed transcript. LC-MS/MS and brain MRI analyses consistently provided a distinctive profile in the two children. Quantification of specific plasma lysoSLs revealed elevated levels of globotriaosylsphingosine (lysoGb3) and glucosylsphingosine (GlSph), and accumulation of autophagosomes, due to a decreased autophagic flux, was observed. This report documents the successfully use of plasma lysoSLs profiling in the PSAP deficiency diagnosis, as a reliable and informative tool to obtain a preliminary information in infantile cases with complex traits displaying severe neurological signs and visceral involvement.Prosaposin (PSAP) deficiency is an ultra-rare, fatal infantile lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) caused by variants in the PSAP gene, with seven subjects reported so far. Here, we provide the clinical, biochemical and molecular characterization of two additional PSAP deficiency cases. Lysoplex, a targeted resequencing approach was utilized to identify the variant in the first patient, while quantification of plasma lysosphingolipids (lysoSLs), assessed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), followed by Sanger sequencing allowed to attain diagnosis in the second case. Functional studies were carried out on patients' fibroblast lines to explore the functional impact of variants. The two patients were homozygous for two different truncating PSAP mutations (c.895G>T, p.Glu299*; c.834_835delGA, p.Glu278Aspfs*27). Both variants led to a complete lack of processed transcript. LC-MS/MS and brain MRI analyses consistently provided a distinctive profile in the two children. Quantification of specific plasma lysoSLs revealed elevated levels of globotriaosylsphingosine (LysoGb3) and glucosylsphingosine (GlSph), and accumulation of autophagosomes, due to a decreased autophagic flux, was observed. This report documents the successful use of plasma lysoSLs profiling in the PSAP deficiency diagnosis, as a reliable and informative tool to obtain a preliminary information in infantile cases with complex traits displaying severe neurological signs and visceral involvement
The Impact of Stress and Social Determinants on Diet in Cardiovascular Prevention in Young Women
The prevention of cardiovascular diseases is a fundamental pillar for reducing morbidity and mortality caused by non-communicable diseases. Social determinants, such as socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood, physical environment, employment, social support networks, and access to health care, play a crucial role in influencing health outcomes and health inequities within populations. Social determinants and stress in women are interconnected factors that can significantly impact women's health and well-being. Pregnancy is a good time to engage young women and introduce them to beneficial behaviors, such as adopting essential life skills, especially diet, and learning stress management techniques. Stress influences diet, and women are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors such as emotional eating or coping with stress with food. Strong action is needed to improve women's lifestyle starting at a young age considering that this lays the foundation for a lower cardiovascular risk in adults and the elderly. The objective of this review is to examine cardiovascular primary prevention in young healthy women, focusing particularly on unresolved issues and the influence of social determinants, as well as the correlation with stressors and their influence on diet
Snoring, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes in obesity. Protection by physical activity
Sleep-related breathing disorders are recognized as major health problems in obesity. They are involved in both hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, through mechanisms possibly related to increased sympathetic tone. We studied the association of habitual snoring with diabetes, hypertension, weight cycling and physical activity in a large Italian database of treatment-seeking obese subjects. Clinical and behavioral data were assessed by standardized questionnaires. Consecutive data of 1890 obese patients were analyzed [average body mass index (BMI), 38.2 kg/m(2), median age: 46 yr, 78% females], from 25 obesity Italian centers, with low prevalence of clinical manifestations of cardiovascular disease. Habitual snoring was reported in 56% of the cases, and was associated with day-time sleepiness. The prevalence increased with obesity class and waist circumference, and was positively associated with weight cycling and weight gain since the age of 20, and smoking. Regular physical activity had a protective effect. Snoring was associated with diabetes and hypertension at univariate analysis, but in multivariate analysis an independent effect was only observed for hypertension. After adjustment for age, gender and BMI, physical activity maintained an independent, protective effect on both snoring (odds ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.49-0.84; p = 0.001), diabetes (0.50, 0.30-0.86; p = 0.011) and hypertension (0.71, 0.53-0.95; p = 0.023). We conclude that in treatment-seeking, obese subjects with low prevalence of cardiovascular disease, snoring independently increases the risk of hypertension, whereas physical activity exerts a protection on both snoring and complications. These data underline the importance of lifestyle interventions to limit the burden of obesity and associated diseases.ABSTRACT. Sleep-related breathing disorders
are recognized as major health problems in obesity.
They are involved in both hypertension and
Type 2 diabetes, through mechanisms possibly
related to increased sympathetic tone. We studied
the association of habitual snoring with diabetes,
hypertension, weight cycling and physical
activity in a large Italian database of treatmentseeking
obese subjects. Clinical and behavioral
data were assessed by standardized questionnaires.
Consecutive data of 1890 obese patients
were analyzed [average body mass index (BMI),
38.2 kg/m2, median age: 46 yr, 78% females], from
25 obesity Italian centers, with low prevalence of
clinical manifestations of cardiovascular disease.
Habitual snoring was reported in 56% of the cases,
and was associated with day-time sleepiness. The
prevalence increased with obesity class and waist
circumference, and was positively associated with
weight cycling and weight gain since the age of
20, and smoking. Regular physical activity had a
protective effect. Snoring was associated with diabetes
and hypertension at univariate analysis, but
in multivariate analysis an independent effect was
only observed for hypertension. After adjustment
for age, gender and BMI, physical activity maintained
an independent, protective effect on both
snoring (odds ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval
0.49–0.84; p=0.001), diabetes (0.50, 0.30–0.86;
p=0.011) and hypertension (0.71, 0.53–0.95;
p=0.023). We conclude that in treatment-seeking,
obese subjects with low prevalence of cardiovascular
disease, snoring independently increases the
risk of hypertension, whereas physical activity exerts
a protection on both snoring and complications.
These data underline the importance of
lifestyle interventions to limit the burden of obesity
and associated diseases
Circulating perilipin 2 levels are associated with fat mass, inflammatory and metabolic markers and are higher in women than men.
Perilipin 2 (PLIN2) is a protein involved in lipid storage and metabolism in non-adipose tissues. Detectable levels of circulating PLIN2 (cPLIN2) have been reported to be associated with some types of cancer, but no systematic analysis of age-related modifications in cPLIN2 levels has ever been performed. We measured serum cPLIN2 in a group of old people including centenarians in comparison with young subjects and tested possible correlations with parameters of body composition, fat and glucose metabolism, and inflammation. We found that: i. levels of cPLIN2 do not change with age, but women have higher levels of cPLIN2 with respect to men; ii. cPLIN2 levels strongly correlate to BMI, as well as fat and lean mass; iii. cPLIN2 levels strongly correlate with the proinflammatory adipokine leptin. Due to the adipogenic activity of leptin, it is hypothesized that cPLIN2 is affected and possibly regulated by this pleiotropic adipokine. Moreover, these results suggest that cPLIN2 (possibly together with leptin) could be assumed as a proxy for body adiposity
Human aging and longevity are characterized by high levels of mitokines
Mitochondrial stress elicits the production of stress response molecules
indicated as mitokines, including FGF21, GDF15 and Humanin (HN). Many diseases
are characterized by progressive mitochondrial dysfunction with alterations of
mitokine secretion. It is still controversial whether healthy aging and extreme
longevity are accompanied by altered production of mitokines. We analyzed FGF21,
HN and GDF15 plasma levels in 693 subjects aged from 21 to 113 years, and the
association of these mitokines with parameters of health status. FGF21, HN and
GDF15 resulted increased in old age, with the highest levels found in
centenarians. These molecules are associated with worsened parameters (such as
handgrip strength, insulin sensitivity, total triglycerides), particularly in
70-year-old persons, and their levels are inversely correlated with survival in
the oldest subjects. Considering the positive biological effect of these
molecules, our results can be interpreted in the framework of the hormetic
paradigm as an attempt of the cells/tissues to cope with a stress that can have
beneficial or detrimental effects depending on its intensity. Finally, persons
with Down Syndrome (characterized by accelerated aging) have higher levels of
GDF15 and HN with respect to their siblings, suggesting that these molecules,
especially GDF15, could be considered markers of biological age
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