Heart rate variability,exercise capacity and levels of daily physical activity in children and adolescents with mild-to-moderate cystic fibrosis

Background:Autonomic nervous system balance is altered in cystic fibrosis (CF), although its influence on physical fitness has been poorly explored.Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the association of heart rate variability (HRV) with exercise capacity and levels of daily physical activity in children and adolescents with mild-to-moderate CF.Methods:A cross-sectional study including individuals with CF aged 6–18 years, not under CFTR modulator therapy, was performed. Sociodemographic (age, sex) and clinical information (airway colonization, pancreatic insufficiency, and genotyping) were collected. In addition, exercise capacity (modified shuttle test — MST), lung function (spirometry), body composition (bioimpedance), levels of daily physical activity (5-day accelerometer), and HRV (both at rest and during the MST) were evaluated.Results:30 individuals (20 females) aged 11.2±3.7 years, mean FEV162.8±27.6%, were included. A sympathovagal balance (LF/HF) increase (p<0.001) during the MST was shown, indicating a predominance of sympathetic modulation. The standard deviation of all RR intervals (SDNN) and the high frequency (HF) index during exercise correlated significantly with FEV₁ (r=0.45, p=0.01 and r=0.46, p=0.01; respectively). MST distance also correlated positively and significantly with SDNN (r=0.43, p=0.01), square root of the mean of the sums of squares of frequencies between RR intervals greater than 50 ms — RMSSD (r=0.53, p<0.01), low frequency — LF (r=0.48, p<0.01), HF (r=0.64, p<0.01), dispersion of points perpendicular to the short-term identity line — SD1 (r=0.40, p=0.02) and negatively with LF/HF (r=−0.57, p<0.01). Regarding daily physical activity, SDNN at rest (r=0.37, p=0.04) and exercise (r=0.41, p=0.02) showed positive correlations with time in moderate-to-vigorous activities. When normalizing the SDNN and classifying individuals as normal or altered, those presenting altered SDNN showed poorest FEV₁ (p=0.001) and lower exercise capacity (p=0.027).Conclusion:HRV correlates with lung function, exercise capacity and levels of daily physical activity in children and adolescents with CF. The study highlights the influence of CF on autonomic function and suggests HRV measurement as an easy tool to be used in clinical settings as an alternative marker to monitor CF individuals.     

Transdermal permeation of curcumin promoted by choline geranate ionic liquid: Potential for the treatment of skin diseases

The transdermal permeation of curcumin aided by choline and geranic acid ionic liquid (CAGE-IL) was addressed as a potential treatment for skin diseases. An in-depth analysis of the effect of CAGE-IL concentration in the enhancement of transdermal permeation of curcumin was performed, and the results were modelled via nonlinear regression analysis. The results obtained showed that a low percentage of CAGE-IL (viz. 2.0%, w/w) was effective in disrupting the skin structure in a transient fashion, facilitating the passage of curcumin dissolved in it.     

Hyperimmunized Chickens Produce Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic. Effective interventions are urgently needed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and likely require multiple strategies. Egg-extracted antibody therapies are a low-cost and scalable strategy to protect at-risk individuals from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Commercial laying hens were hyperimmunized against the SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein using three different S1 recombinant proteins and three different doses. Sera and egg yolk were collected at three and six weeks after the second immunization for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and plaque-reduction neutralization assay to determine antigen-specific antibody titers and neutralizing antibody titers, respectively. In this study we demonstrate that hens hyperimmunized against the SARS-CoV-2 recombinant S1 and receptor binding domain (RBD) proteins produced neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. We further demonstrate that antibody production was dependent on the dose and type of antigen administered. Our data suggests that antibodies purified from the egg yolk of hyperimmunized hens can be used as immunoprophylaxis in humans at risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.     

Cribado e intervención breve en consumo de alcohol

La morbilidad asociada al consumo de alcohol incluye patología digestiva, psiquiátrica, neurológica, infecciosa, cáncer de diversos tipos, enfermedades cardiovasculares, lesiones intencionales, no intencionales, patología social y problemas familiares. Las evidencias más recientes no indican que el consumo «moderado» sea beneficioso para la salud. Por lo tanto, debe enfatizarse más bien la idea de evitar los consumos de riego y transmitir a los pacientes que lo más beneficioso para la salud sería no consumir alcohol o hacerlo en dosis de bajo riesgo. El instrumento más adecuado de cribado es el AUDIT-C. Las bases de la intervención breve consisten en estrategias cognitivo-conductuales y motivacionales. Hay que dar una información positiva sobre los beneficios de la moderación e informar sobre el peligro de la ingesta de alcohol. En fases precoces de la dependencia se contempla la oferta de tratamiento farmacológico de desintoxicación, deshabituación y seguimiento. Los casos más graves requieren coordinación con los servicios de adicciones. En España se ha podido comprobar que la intervención breve es efectiva y que disminuye el consumo 100 gramos de alcohol a la semana. Las estrategias comunitarias son el marco normativo adecuado para lograr los mejores resultados de la intervención breve. Estas deberán ir encaminadas a reducir la oferta y la disponibilidad para el consumo, mediante la adopción de medidas legislativas, de manera que se limite tanto la accesibilidad económica como la física. Por otra parte, habrá que implementar medidas para disminuir la demanda del alcohol mediante la educación para la salud a determinados grupos de riesgo.Palabras clave: Alcohol, Intervención breve, Prevención, Atención Primaria     

Inhibition of Neu-Induced Mammary Carcinogenesis in Transgenic Mice Expressing ERΔ3, a Dominant Negative Estrogen Receptor α Variant

The estrogen receptor ?? (ER??) splicing variant with an in-frame deletion of exon 3 (ER??3) is frequently expressed in the normal breast, but its influence on tumorigenesis has not been explored. In vitro, ER??3 has dominant negative activity, suggesting it may suppress estrogen stimulation in the breast. ER??3 may inhibit classical signaling on estrogen response element (ERE)-regulated genes as well as activate non-classical pathways at Sp1 and AP-1 sites. Transgenic mice were developed that express mouse ER??3 in all tissues examined, including the mammary gland. To investigate if ER??3 expression affects tumorigenesis, ER??3 mice were crossbred with MMTV-Neu mice. Mammary tumor onset was significantly delayed in ER??3/Neu versus MMTV-Neu females and metastatic incidence and burden was significantly reduced. Consequently, ER??3 expression suppressed tumor development and metastasis in this aggressive model of HER2/Neu-positive breast cancer. To determine if ER ligands with anticancer activity may augment ER??3 protection, the bitransgenic mice were treated with tamoxifen and soy isoflavones starting at age 2?months. Soy protein with isoflavones (181?mg/1,800?kcal) did not affect tumor development in MMTV-Neu or ER??3/Neu mice; however, metastatic progression was not inhibited in soy-treated ER??3/Neu mice, as it was in untreated ER??3/Neu mice. In contrast, tamoxifen (20?mg/1,800?kcal) significantly enhanced tumor prevention in ER??3/Neu versus MMTV-Neu mice (98?% vs. 81?% tumor free). The results in ER??3/Neu mice demonstrate that ER??3 influences estrogen-dependent mammary carcinogenesis and, thus, may be protective in women expressing ER??3 in the breast. However, exposure to different estrogens may augment or block its beneficial effects.     

Effectiveness of diaphragmatic stimulation with single-channel electrodes in rabbits

Every year, a large number of individuals become dependent on mechanical ventilation because of a loss of diaphragm function. The most common causes are cervical spinal trauma and neuromuscular diseases. We have developed an experimental model to evaluate the performance of electrical stimulation of the diaphragm in rabbits using single-channel electrodes implanted directly into the muscle. Various current intensities (10, 16, 20, and 26 mA) produced tidal volumes above the baseline value, showing that this model is effective for the study of diaphragm performance at different levels of electrical stimulation