Metabolismo di cellule adipose umane isolate in vitro. II. Regolazione della lipolisi

Riassunto È stato dimostrato che il tessuto adiposo umano ha un comportamento differente dal tessuto adiposo di altre specie animali, per quanto riguarda la regolazione della lipolisi. Mentre la noradrenalina e la teofillina mostrano uno spiccato effetto lipolitico, confermando così l'importanza del ruolo giocato dal sistema adenilciclasi-3,5-AMP-ciclico-fosfodiesterasi nella regolazione del processo lipolitico anche nelle cellule adipose umane isolatein vitro, diversi ormoni polipeptidici, quali il glucagone, l'ACTH e l'HGH hanno mostrato di essere inefficaci sotto questo punto di vista.

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Summary It has been demonstrated that human adipose tissue has a different behaviour from that of other animal species as regards the regulation of lipolysis, while norepinephrine and theophylline show a strong lipolytic effect, thus confirming the importance of the role played by the adenylcyclase-3,5-cyclic-AMP-phosphodiesterase system in the regulation of the lipolytic process in isolated human adipose cells. Several polypeptide hormones, among them glucagon, ACTH and HGH, have been proved ineffective from this point of view.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurde bewiesen, dass das humane Fettgewebe ein Verhalten aeussert, welches sich in Bezug auf die Regelung der Lipolyse von demjenigen des Fettgewebes anderer Tier-Species unter-scheidet. Waehrend das Nor-Adrenalin und das Theophyllin einen ausgepraegten lipolytischen Effekt ausueben und somit die Bedeutung des «Adenylcyclase-cyklisches-Phosphodiesterase-System» bei der Regelung des lipolytischen Prozesses auch bei denin vitro isolierten menschlichen Fettzellen bestaetigen, erwiesen sich verschiedene Polypeptid-Hormone, wie das Glucagon, ACTH und HGH unter diesem Gesichtspunkt als unwirksam.

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Resumen Se ha demostrado que el tejido adiposo humano no se comporta de la misma manera que el tejido adiposo de otras especies animales por lo que se refiere a la regulación de la lipólisis. Mientras la noradrenalina y la teofilina manifiestan un acentuado efecto lipolítico, confirmando con ello la importancia del papel que desempeña el sistema adenilciclasa-3,5-AMP-cíclico-fosfodiesterasa en la regulación del proceso lipolítico incluso en las células adiposas humanas aisladasin vitro, diversos hormones polipéptidos, tales como el «glucagón», el ACTH y el HGH han demostrado su ineficacia desde este punto de vista.

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Resume Les AA. ont démontré que le tissue adipeux humain a un comportement différent du tissue adipeux des autres animaux, pour ce qui concerne la régulation de la lipolyse. Tandis que la noradrénaline et la teophilline démontrent un clair effet lipolytique, en confirmant de cette manière l'importance du rôle joué par le système adenilciclase-3,5-AMP-ciclique-phosphodiésterase dans la régulation du procès lipolytique aussi que dans les cellules adipeuses humaines isoléesin vitro, plusieures hormones polipeptidiques comme le glucagon, l'ACTH et l'HGH ont démontré d'être inefficaces de ce point de vue.

     

Head and neck cancer: health related quality of life assessment considering clinical and epidemiological perspectives

The importance of oncology diseases as a cause of morbidity and mortality is increasing worldwide, and their social impact is being recognized due to economic and social costs involved in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Head and neck cancer is one of the six most prevalent neoplasms worldwide, with an estimated 900,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Regardless of tumor site, deterioration of basic functions affecting head and neck areas are perceived and affect patients' lives. Appropriate cancer registration may provide a better analysis of health-related quality of life outcomes. In this study, 380 head and neck cancer patients were evaluated. The study showed that women have lower overall Quality of Life results. It also emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, which often relates to stages with better prognosis and better Quality of Life outcomes. The study concluded that tumor location has an impact on Quality of Life self-perception. Values of Health Related Quality of Life should be analyzed along with socio-demographic and clinical variables in order to better understand the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and prevention of Head and Neck Cancer.     

Meta-analysis of the prevalence of physical inactivity among Brazilian adolescents

A systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out to investigate the prevalence of physical inactivity among adolescents in Brazil. We identified articles that had been published up to August 2010 and the search was conducted using six electronic databases. We did not enforce any search limitations. Forest plot-type graphs were generated using the prevalence of physical inactivity stratified by region and sex. Meta-regression models were fitted to identify possible sources of heterogeneity in the prevalence estimates. Of the 1,496 articles initially identified, 37 were deemed appropriate for the systematic review. Prevalence rates ranged from 2% to 80% for male and from 14% to 91% for female subgroups. The lowest prevalence rates of physical inactivity were found to be for the Southern region, whereas the highest rates were observed in the North-Northeast. The methods employed to evaluate physical inactivity in Brazilian adolescents also differed among the studies. This variation demonstrates the need for standardised and validated methods of measuring physical activity in epidemiological investigation.     

Abnormal serum lipid profile in Brazilian police officers with post-traumatic stress disorder

BACKGROUND: To measure the serum lipid composition of a sample of Brazilian police officers with and without PTSD regularly exposed to potentially traumatic situations. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 118 active duty male police officers. Serum concentrations for total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides were enzymatically determined. Body mass index (BMI) was obtained for each participant. RESULTS: Officers with PTSD exhibited significantly higher serum total cholesterol, LDL-C and triglycerides levels than those without PTSD. Total cholesterol and triglycerides, but not LDL-C, remained associated with PTSD diagnosis after controlling for confounding influences (i.e. socio-demographics, BMI, and tobacco, alcohol and medication use). LIMITATIONS: The sample size was small. A nutritional interview was employed instead of established scales to assess alimentary habits, tobacco or alcohol consumption. A self-report screening tool was used to assess the prevalence of PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: The association between PTSD and abnormal serum lipid profile and a tendency to exhibit higher BMI suggests that individuals with PTSD may be at increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome, a condition that by itself could account for many of the most serious PTSD-related physical health problems.     

Informing infant and young child feeding programming in humanitarian emergencies: An evidence map of reviews including low and middle income countries

Around 200 million people were affected by conflict and natural disasters in 2015. Whereas those populations are at a particular high risk of death, optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices could prevent almost 20% of deaths amongst children less than 5 years old. Yet, coverage of interventions for improving infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in emergencies is low, partly due to lack of evidence. Considering the paucity of data generated in emergencies to inform programming, we conducted an evidence map from reviews that included low‐ and middle‐income countries and looked at several interventions: (a) social and behavioural change interpersonal and mass communication for promoting breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding; (b) provision of donated complementary food; (c) home‐based fortification with multiple micronutrient powder; (d) capacity building; (e) cash transfers; (f) agricultural or fresh food supply interventions; and (g) psychological support to caretakers. We looked for availability of evidence of these interventions to improve IYCF practices and nutritional status of infants and young children. We identified 1,376 records and included 28 reviews meeting the inclusion criteria. The highest number of reviews identified was for behavioural change interpersonal communication for promoting breastfeeding, whereas no review was identified for psychological support to caretakers. We conclude that any further research should focus on the mechanisms and delivery models through which effectiveness of interventions can be achieved and on the influence of contextual factors. Efforts should be renewed to generate evidence of effectiveness of IYCF interventions during humanitarian emergencies despite the challenges.     

Bilateral loss of cortical SEPs predict severe MRI lesions in neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia

Objective

The introduction of therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy calls for reevaluation of the prognostic role of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs).

Anxiolytic and antidepressant activities of Pelargonium roseum essential oil on Swiss albino mice: Possible involvement of serotonergic transmission

The anxiolytic and antidepressant activities of the Reunion Geranium (Pelargonium roseum Willd) essential oil (EO) were evaluated in male Swiss albino mice by intraperitoneal administration of 10, 20, and 50 mg/kg bw using elevated plus maze (EPM), open‐field test (OFT), and forced swimming test (FST). Moreover, we evaluated whether the 5‐HT_1A and GABA_A–benzodiazepine receptor systems are involved in the anxiolytic effects through the coadministration of WAY‐100635 (a selective 5‐HT_1A receptor antagonist) and flumazenil (an antagonist of benzodiazepine). GC–MS revealed the monoterpene alcohols citronellol (35.9%) and geraniol (18.5%) as the main components of the P. roseum EO. EO was effective in increasing the total number of entries and time spent in the open arms of EPM whereas number of rearing in OFT was significantly decreased in comparison with the control. In the FST, immobility time decreased in EO treated mice. Pretreatment with WAY‐100635, but not Flumazenil, was able to reverse the effects of the EO in the EPM and FST, indicating that the EO activity occurs via the serotonergic but not GABAergic transmission. Overall, results of this work showed significant anxiolytic and antidepressant activity of P. roseum EO and confirmed the traditional uses of Pelargonium species as calming agents.     

Repurposing Pomalidomide as a Neuroprotective Drug: Efficacy in an Alpha-Synuclein-Based Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Marketed drugs for Parkinson’s disease (PD) treat disease motor symptoms but are ineffective in stopping or slowing disease progression. In the quest of novel pharmacological approaches that may target disease progression, drug-repurposing provides a strategy to accelerate the preclinical and clinical testing of drugs already approved for other medical indications. Here, we targeted the inflammatory component of PD pathology, by testing for the first time the disease-modifying properties of the immunomodulatory imide drug (IMiD) pomalidomide in a translational rat model of PD neuropathology based on the intranigral bilateral infusion of toxic preformed oligomers of human α-synuclein (H-αSynOs). The neuroprotective effect of pomalidomide (20 mg/kg; i.p. three times/week 48 h apart) was tested in the first stage of disease progression by means of a chronic two-month administration, starting 1 month after H-αSynOs infusion, when an already ongoing neuroinflammation is observed. The intracerebral infusion of H-αSynOs induced an impairment in motor and coordination performance that was fully rescued by pomalidomide, as assessed via a battery of motor tests three months after infusion. Moreover, H-αSynOs-infused rats displayed a 40–45% cell loss within the bilateral substantia nigra, as measured by stereological counting of TH + and Nissl-stained neurons, that was largely abolished by pomalidomide. The inflammatory response to H-αSynOs infusion and the pomalidomide treatment was evaluated both in CNS affected areas and peripherally in the serum. A reactive microgliosis, measured as the volume occupied by the microglial marker Iba-1, was present in the substantia nigra three months after H-αSynOs infusion as well as after H-αSynOs plus pomalidomide treatment. However, microglia differed for their phenotype among experimental groups. After H-αSynOs infusion, microglia displayed a proinflammatory profile, producing a large amount of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α. In contrast, pomalidomide inhibited the TNF-α overproduction and elevated the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Moreover, the H-αSynOs infusion induced a systemic inflammation with overproduction of serum proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, that was largely mitigated by pomalidomide. Results provide evidence of the disease modifying potential of pomalidomide in a neuropathological rodent model of PD and support the repurposing of this drug for clinical testing in PD patients.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13311-022-01182-2.