Vitamin D-related polymorphisms and vitamin D levels as risk biomarkers of COVID-19 disease severity

© The Author(s) 2021. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Vitamin D is a fundamental regulator of host defences by activating genes related to innate and adaptive immunity. Previous research shows a correlation between the levels of vitamin D in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and the degree of disease severity. This work investigates the impact of the genetic background related to vitamin D pathways on COVID-19 severity. For the first time, the Portuguese population was characterized regarding the prevalence of high impact variants in genes associated with the vitamin D pathways. This study enrolled 517 patients admitted to two tertiary Portuguese hospitals. The serum concentration of 25 (OH)D, was measured in the hospital at the time of patient admission. Genetic variants, 18 variants, in the genes AMDHD1, CYP2R1, CYP24A1, DHCR7, GC, SEC23A, and VDR were analysed. The results show that polymorphisms in the vitamin D binding protein encoded by the GC gene are related to the infection severity (p = 0.005). There is an association between vitamin D polygenic risk score and the serum concentration of 25 (OH)D (p = 0.04). There is an association between 25 (OH)D levels and the survival and fatal outcomes (p = 1.5e-4). The Portuguese population has a higher prevalence of the DHCR7 RS12785878 variant when compared with its prevalence in the European population (19% versus 10%). This study shows a genetic susceptibility for vitamin D deficiency that might explain higher severity degrees in COVID-19 patients. These results reinforce the relevance of personalized strategies in the context of viral diseases.This project was supported by the “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia”, program “Research 4 Covid-19 Apoio especial a projetos de implementação rápida para soluções inovadoras de resposta à pandemia de COVID-19”. It was also partially supported by each institution.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The impact of enriched environments on cerebral oxidative balance in rodents: a systematic review of environmental variability effects

IntroductionThe present review aimed to systematically summarize the impacts of environmental enrichment (EE) on cerebral oxidative balance in rodents exposed to normal and unfavorable environmental conditions.MethodsIn this systematic review, four databases were used: PubMed (830 articles), Scopus (126 articles), Embase (127 articles), and Science Direct (794 articles). Eligibility criteria were applied based on the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Study (PICOS) strategy to reduce the risk of bias. The searches were carried out by two independent researchers; in case of disagreement, a third participant was requested. After the selection and inclusion of articles, data related to sample characteristics and the EE protocol (time of exposure to EE, number of animals, and size of the environment) were extracted, as well as data related to brain tissues and biomarkers of oxidative balance, including carbonyls, malondialdehyde, nitrotyrosine, oxygen-reactive species, and glutathione (reduced/oxidized).ResultsA total of 1,877 articles were found in the four databases, of which 16 studies were included in this systematic review. The results showed that different EE protocols were able to produce a global increase in antioxidant capacity, both enzymatic and non-enzymatic, which are the main factors for the neuroprotective effects in the central nervous system (CNS) subjected to unfavorable conditions. Furthermore, it was possible to notice a slowdown in neural dysfunction associated with oxidative damage, especially in the prefrontal structure in mice.DiscussionIn conclusion, EE protocols were determined to be valid tools for improving oxidative balance in the CNS. The global decrease in oxidative stress biomarkers indicates refinement in reactive oxygen species detoxification, triggering an improvement in the antioxidant network

SARS-CoV-2 introductions and early dynamics of the epidemic in Portugal

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal was rapidly implemented by the National Institute of Health in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, in collaboration with more than 50 laboratories distributed nationwide. Methods By applying recent phylodynamic models that allow integration of individual-based travel history, we reconstructed and characterized the spatio-temporal dynamics of SARSCoV-2 introductions and early dissemination in Portugal. Results We detected at least 277 independent SARS-CoV-2 introductions, mostly from European countries (namely the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland), which were consistent with the countries with the highest connectivity with Portugal. Although most introductions were estimated to have occurred during early March 2020, it is likely that SARS-CoV-2 was silently circulating in Portugal throughout February, before the first cases were confirmed. Conclusions Here we conclude that the earlier implementation of measures could have minimized the number of introductions and subsequent virus expansion in Portugal. This study lays the foundation for genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal, and highlights the need for systematic and geographically-representative genomic surveillance.We gratefully acknowledge to Sara Hill and Nuno Faria (University of Oxford) and Joshua Quick and Nick Loman (University of Birmingham) for kindly providing us with the initial sets of Artic Network primers for NGS; Rafael Mamede (MRamirez team, IMM, Lisbon) for developing and sharing a bioinformatics script for sequence curation (https://github.com/rfm-targa/BioinfUtils); Philippe Lemey (KU Leuven) for providing guidance on the implementation of the phylodynamic models; Joshua L. Cherry (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health) for providing guidance with the subsampling strategies; and all authors, originating and submitting laboratories who have contributed genome data on GISAID (https://www.gisaid.org/) on which part of this research is based. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government. This study is co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (234_596874175) on behalf of the Research 4 COVID-19 call. Some infrastructural resources used in this study come from the GenomePT project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184), supported by COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Lisboa Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), Algarve Portugal Regional Operational Programme (CRESC Algarve2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Environmental Enrichment in Cancer as a Possible Tool to Combat Tumor Development: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to evaluate the influence of environmental enrichment (EE) on oncological factors in experimental studies involving various types of cancer models. A comprehensive search was conducted in three databases: PubMed (161 articles), Embase (335 articles), and Scopus (274 articles). Eligibility criteria were applied based on the PICOS strategy to minimize bias. Two independent researchers performed the searches, with a third participant resolving any discrepancies. The selected articles were analyzed, and data regarding sample characteristics and EE protocols were extracted. The outcomes focused solely on cancer and tumor-related parameters, including cancer type, description of the cancer model, angiogenesis, tumor occurrence, volume, weight, mice with tumors, and tumor inhibition rate. A total of 770 articles were identified across the three databases, with 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The findings demonstrated that different EE protocols were effective in significantly reducing various aspects of tumor growth and development, such as angiogenesis, volume, weight, and the number of mice with tumors. Furthermore, EE enhanced the rate of tumor inhibition in mouse cancer models. This systematic review qualitatively demonstrates the impacts of EE protocols on multiple parameters associated with tumor growth and development, including angiogenesis, occurrence, volume, weight, and tumor incidence. Moreover, EE demonstrated the potential to increase the rate of tumor inhibition. These findings underscore the importance of EE as a valuable tool in the management of cancer

Physical activity and mental health in Brazilian university students: An analysis in different sexes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Study aim: To identify symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in Brazilian university students of both sexes and the association of physical activity parameters during the COVID-19 pandemic

Impactos do treinamento aeróbico e resistido de alta intensidade na capacidade funcional de pacientes com doença de Parkinson: uma revisão sistemática

Introdução: A doença de Parkinson (DP) é uma patologia neurodegenerativa que apresenta manifestações clínicas, incluindo tremores involuntários, rigidez articular e declínio da força muscular. A DP é comumente associada à morte de neurônios dopaminérgicos na região dos gânglios da base, responsáveis pelo controle das atividades motoras. O tratamento consiste em medicamentos, no entanto, ferramentas não farmacológicas, como o exercício físico supervisionado, são amplamente recomendadas. Objetivo: Resumir os impactos de protocolos de treinamento aeróbio e resistido de alta intensidade sobre a capacidade funcional de pacientes com DP. Métodos: Quatro bases de dados [PubMed, Scopus, Embase e Science Direct. Após a aplicação dos critérios de elegibilidade, os artigos foram selecionados de forma independente por pares. Resultados e Discussão: Foram identificados 4.745 estudos por meio de busca nas bases de dados, mas apenas 17 atenderam aos critérios de elegibilidade. Finalmente, 17 estudos foram incluídos nesta revisão sistemática. Foram extraídas informações sobre o estudo (autor e ano), características da amostra (idade, sexo, tamanho da amostra), informações sobre o tipo de exercício físico, duração do protocolo, descrição do exercício: aquecimento; frequência; volume, além de extrair resultados relacionados à capacidade funcional (aspectos motores e não motores). Ambas as modalidades de treinamento (HIA e HIRT) podem melhorar as variáveis da capacidade funcional em pacientes com DP. Ressalta-se que essas modalidades de treinamento podem atuar sinergicamente na promoção de uma melhor qualidade de vida/saúde desses pacientes. Conclusão: Portanto, ambas as modalidades foram capazes de melhorar os componentes não motores e motores (força, potência, equilíbrio) relacionados à capacidade funcional em pacientes com DP

<i>Hibiscus acetosella</i>: An Unconventional Alternative Edible Flower Rich in Bioactive Compounds

The interest in the consumption of edible flowers has increased since they represent a rich source of bioactive compounds, which are significantly beneficial to human health. The objective of this research was to access the bioactive compounds and antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of unconventional alternative edible flowers of Hibiscus acetosella Welw. Ex Hiern. The edible flowers presented pH value of 2.8 ± 0.00, soluble solids content of 3.4 ± 0.0 °Brix, high moisture content of about 91.8 ± 0.3%, carbohydrates (6.9 ± 1.2%), lipids (0.90 ± 0.17%), ashes (0.4 ± 0.0%), and not detectable protein. The evaluation of the scavenging activity of free radicals, such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), of the flower extract was better than the results observed for other edible flowers (507.8 ± 2.7 μM TE and 783.9 ± 30.8 μM TE, respectively) as well as the total phenolic composition (TPC) value (568.8 ± 0.8 mg GAE/g). These flowers are rich in organic acids and phenolic compounds, mainly myricetin, and quercetin derivatives, kaempferol, and anthocyanins. The extract showed no cytotoxicity for the cell lineages used, suggesting that the extract has no directly harmful effects to cells. The important bioactive compound identified in this study makes this flower especially relevant in the healthy food area due to its nutraceutical potential without showing cytotoxicity