Significant Decrease In Levels Research Articles

Selenium Enriched Yeast Modifies the Effects of Methandienone in Male Rabbits on the HPA Axis and Adrenal Gland Oxidative Stress

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes caused by anabolic androgenic steroids (methandienone) in the hypothalamic adrenal axis (HPA) and oxidative status in adrenal glands and a protective role role by using organic selenium (high-selenium yeast) in adult male rabbits which treated with Methandienone in combination with selenium. A total of 20 intact male rabbits were divided into four equal groups (n = 5 for each group):a control group receiving distilled water, the AAS group (T1) receiving Methandienone (oral dose of 0.35 mg / kg.B.W.),the selenium group (T2) receiving high-selenium yeast (3 μg/ kg B.W orally)and the combination group (T3) getting both methandienone and selenium. The dosing every day for 60 days. . The hormones β-endorphin, ACTH and cortisone were measured in serum during two periods, 30 and 60 days of the experiment and the expression levels of Nuclear factor erythroid-2 and related factor-2 (Nrf2) and Translocater protein (TSPO) genes were measured in adrenal gland. a significant increase in beta-endorphin and ACTH and a decrease in cortisone were found in both 30 and 60 day periods in the AAS group (T1) compared with another groups (control, T2 and T3). On the other hand, T3 group shows a decrease in serum β-Endorphin and ACTH and no significant changes in cortisone in both periods .These changes were a compared with to AAS group. Moreover, there is a significant increased in revers transcription (mRNA) of Nrf2 factor and TSPO genes in AAS group(T1) as compared with other groups (T2 and T3). In addition, we observed a significant decrease in levels of Nrf2 and TSPO mRNA in the selenium-yeast group compared to the AAS group (T1). In conclusion, these results showed that organic selenium (high selenium yeast) has a positive effect (protective role) against oxidative damage to the adrenal gland caused by AAS with no effect on the adrenal steroidogenesis, which are affected by AAS.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Effects of Equine Simulator Riding on Low Back Pain, Morphological Changes, and Trunk Musculature in Elderly Women.

Background and objectives: Studies on the effects of an equine riding simulator (ERS) program on back pain, spinal alignment, and isokinetic moments in subjects with chronic low back pain (CLBP) remain limited. The purpose of this study was to analyze changes in elderly women with CLBP who participate in an ERS program. Materials and Methods: The 80 participants were all women aged 61–84 years who were randomly assigned to either the control group (CON) or ERS group (ERSG). ERS exercise was performed for a duration of 12 weeks (three times each week). The degree of pain was measured using the Oswestry Disability Index and the visual analog scale. Body composition and spinal alignment were measured using bioelectrical impedance and raster stereography. The isokinetic moments of trunk extensor and flexor were measured before and after the training period. Results: The ERSG showed a significant decrease in back pain compared to the CON. There was a significant decrease in levels of fat in the ERSG, although no differences were shown in terms of muscle mass. However, there was an increased basal metabolic rate (BMR) in the ERSG. Spinal alignment in the ERSG significantly improved. The peak torques of the trunk extensor in the ERSG were also significantly increased. Conclusion: It can be inferred that the ERS exercise can decrease fat and improve the trunk extensor strength through increased BMR, leading to better spinal alignment and reducing back pain in elderly women with CLBP.

Changes in work stress among doctors in Norway from 2010 to 2019: a study based on repeated surveys

ObjectivesTo explore and discuss the changes in the levels of work stress for Norwegian doctors in different job positions (hospital doctors, general practitioners (GPs), private practice specialists, doctors in academia)...

MYASTHENIA & RELATED DISORDERS: P.37 Autophagy affected in patients with hypokalemic periodic paralysis

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (hypoPP) is an autosomal dominant rare disorder that is caused by mutations in the genes for voltage gated calcium channel CaV1.1 (CACNA1S) and NaV1.4 (SCN4A). Patients with hypoPP may suffer from periodic paralysis alone, periodic paralysis with weakness or permanent weakness. HypoPP has been known to be associated with vacuolar myopathy for decades but the cause of this has not been known. We have investigated a cohort of 14 hypoPP patients with the R528H mutation in the CACNA1S gene for vacuoles and their content. The R528H mutation has previously been demonstrated to cause a Ca2+ leak through CaV1.1 into the cytoplasm, possibly causing disturbance in the calcium homeostasis. Histology and transmission electron microscopy revealed that vacuoles had a very heterogenous content of glycogen, fibrils and autophagosomes/endosomes. Further investigation demonstrated autophagosomes and endosomes were arrested in the autophagic processing pathway between the early and late stages of maturation, as well as large non-fused lysosomes. Expression analysis of proteins associated with endosomes, autophagosomes and lysosomes showed a significant decrease in levels of proteins involved in autophagy such as Rab5, Rab7, p62/SQSTM1, LC3I, Atg5 and LAMP1 in patients with hypoPP suggesting a systemic effect on the protein expression at the gene level, which decreased mRNA expression levels confirmed, possibly through a master regulator of autophagy gene expression. The findings suggest that changes in calcium homeostasis leads to disruptions in autophagic flux and abnormally large endosomes, autophagosomes and lysosomes that contribute to the vacuoles seen in patients with hypoPP.

FTIR spectroscopic analysis and effect of Diplotaxis Acri’s flower extract on pro-inflammatory cytokines in THP-1 human macrophages

Plants and natural compounds are extensively reported for diverse biological activities, including their effects on the inflammation pathway. The annual winter herb Diplotaxis Acris (D.Acris) is found only slopes of sandy and stony valleys in the desert. This research is intended to make a contribution to the literature regarding the employment of the species of plant ethnomedicinally by undertaking FTIR spectroscopic analysis and examining several concentrations of the plant's extract for anti-inflammatory activity in vitro with activated THP-1 human macrophages to examine its mediating effect on inflammation. Cell viability was also evaluated, and there was no severe cytotoxic effect from D.Acris extract with any of the concentrations being assessed on cells. ELISA was used to assess the pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemo kines that were produced. It has been noted that the plant extract led to a significant decrease in levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)- α and IL-6. Inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines indicates the anti-inflammatory trends of D.Acris. This plant can be investigated further by isolation of natural compounds from the extract and effects of these compounds can be evaluated on the same inflammatory markers to show the main active constituent responsible for anti-inflammatory activities.

Effect of atorvastatin on inflammatory markers in hemodialysis patients

BackgroundCardiovascular disease is the commonest cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) under maintenance hemodialysis. Dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, and low-grade inflammation with increased circulating cytokines are factors that increase the cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic kidney disease, in addition to traditional risk factors, such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. We aimed to investigate the possible anti-inflammatory effects of atorvastatin in prevalent hemodialysis patients. Fifty-three stable adult hemodialysis patients were assigned into two groups (a drug group and a control group). Patients in the drug group received 20 mg of atorvastatin daily for 6 months. Serum levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured in both groups at baseline and at the end of the study period.ResultsAtorvastatin therapy caused a statistically significant decrease in levels of hs-CRP but no change in levels of IL-6 after 6 months of therapy.ConclusionsIn addition to its favorable effect on lipid profile parameters, atorvastatin therapy can be considered as an effective and safe modality to overcome the problem of chronic inflammation encountered in end-stage renal disease patients.

Estimation of Serum Copper and Zinc Levels among Tuberculosis Patients in Khartoum State

Background: Trace elements play an important role in tuberculosis infection because their deficiencies can be associated with impaired immunity. The aim to assessment the serum copper and zinc levels among the tuberculosis patients in Khartoum state Material: This is cross sectional study was conducted in Aboanja hospital in Khartoum state during the period from November 2016_January 2017.Citrated samples were collected from 100 study group , 50 tuberculosis patients , and 50 apparently healthy Individuals, Serum level of Zinc and Copper was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Result: The result is the mean level of Zinc in tuberculosis patients were significant decreased when compared with control group (P. value= <0.001) and also the mean level of Copper in tuberculosis patients significant increase when compared with group ( P. value = <0.001). Conclusion: This study showed significant decrease in level of Zinc and increase in level of Copper once compared with control group among tuberculosis patients. Keywords: Copper, Impaired immunity, Trace element, Tuberculosis, Zinc

Plasma perfluoroalkyls are associated with decreased levels of proteomic inflammatory markers in a cross-sectional study of an elderly population

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to immunotoxicity in experimental studies. Although PFAS exposure is associated with altered immune response in epidemiological studies of children, it is less known whether this is observed also in elderly adults. Eight PFAS and 86 proteins were measured in plasma from 965 elderly individuals from Sweden (all aged 70, 50% women). PFAS were measured using isotope-dilution ultra-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Proteins were measured using a multiplex proximity extension assay (PEA) and covered among others inflammatory marker proteins such as monocyte chemoattractant proteins, tumor necrosis factors, and interleukins. We examined cross-sectional associations using multivariable linear regression at two levels of adjustment. We observed significant decreases in levels of 24 proteins in relation to a ln-unit increase in PFAS concentrations following adjustment for sex, sample storage time in freezer, and correction for multiple testing. Associations of PFAS and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) remained significant (p-value <0.05) following full covariate adjustment for smoking, exercise habits, education, energy, and alcohol intake, body mass index (BMI), glomular filtration rate (GFR) as well as corticoid- and COX-inhibitor treatment. CSF-1 was inversely associated with perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) β: −0.08: 95% confidence interval (CI); −0.13, −0.02), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) β: −0.04: 95% CI; −0.07, −0.006, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) β: −0.04: 95% CI; −0.08, −0.003, perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) β: −0.03: 95% CI; −0.06, −0.003, and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) β: −0.05: 95% CI; −0.08, −0.02. The magnitude and direction of PFAS vs protein relationships were similar also for HGF. Our findings implicate PFAS exposure with decreased levels of proteomic markers of inflammation in elderly humans.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of new challenging thalidomide analogs as potential anticancer immunomodulatory agents

Thalidomide and its analogs are immunomodulatory drugs that inhibit the production of certain inflammatory mediators associated with cancer. In the present work, a new series of thalidomide analogs was designed and synthesized to obtain new effective antitumor immunomodulatory agents. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against a panel of four cancer cell lines (HepG-2, HCT-116, PC3 and MCF-7). Compounds 33h, 33i, 42f and 42h showed strong potencies against all tested cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 14.63 to 49.90 µM comparable to that of thalidomide (IC50 values ranging from 32.12 to 76.91 µM). The most active compounds were further evaluated for their in vitro immunomodulatory activities via estimation of human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), human caspase-8 (CASP8), human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nuclear factor kappa-B P65 (NF-κB P65) in HCT-116 cells. Thalidomide was used as a positive control. Compounds 33h and 42f showed a significant reduction in TNF-α. Furthermore, compounds 33i and 42f exhibited significant elevation in CASP8 levels. Compounds 33i and 42f inhibited VEGF. In addition, compound 42f showed significant decrease in levels of NF-κB p65. Moreover, apoptosis and cell cycle tests of the most active compound 42f, were performed. The results indicated that compound 42f significantly induce apoptosis in HCT-116 cells and arrest cell cycle at the G2/M phase.

Effect of Cupping (Al-Hijima) on Hematological and Biochemical Parameters for some Volunteers in Missan Province

Objective: The aim of Cupping is to extract the blood which is believed to be harmful for the body which in turn rids the body of potential harm from symptoms leading to a reduction in stressful condition. The study was performed to evaluate the effects of cupping (Hijama) on the hematological and the biochemical parameters in the patients before and after making the cupping. Subjects and Method: The study was performed in period between (first November -2018 to May- 2019) and conducted on (30) volunteers coming to Hijama centers in different parts of Missan province in ages between (30-50) years with . Five (5ml) of venous blood samples were collected the first sample was taken before and after one week of cupping and two weeks later after cupping . Each sample of blood was separated into two tubes for hematological assessment and the serum was stored in -20°C freezer till handled for biochemical analysis ,determined lipid profile and serum electrolytes level. These parameters were performed in laboratories of Al- Sadder Teaching Hospital – Amarha City according to the standard methods that described in the Analysis Kits that used in this study was products of Spinach Company Spin react. Results: The obtained results for hematological analysis observed significant increase in (RBCs) after one and two week of making Hijima in (p< 0.05).as compared results before making hijjama ,significant decrease in haematocrit(HCT) ,hemoglobin (Hb) ,Platelets (Plt) , neutrophiles and lymphocytes percentages after one and two week of making Hijama as compared results before making hijama . Total cholesterol were observed significant decrease in (P>0.05) after one and two weeks of hijima in compared with the total cholesterol before making the hijima ,decrease in (LDL), (vLDL) and Triglyceride after one week and two week of hijima as compared before making the hijima .High density lipoprotein (HDL-ch) observed significant increase in (P>0.05) after one week and two weeks of making hijima as compared with (HDL ch) before making the hijima. The biochemical analysis observed significant decrease in levels of ALP enzyme,creatinine ,blood urea nitrogen and blood glucose in(P>0.05) after one and two weeks of Hijima, significant increase in levels of total proteins , AST and ALT in(P>0.05) after one and two weeks of making Al-hijima as compared with levels before making the hijima. Serum electrolytes level showed an significant decline in serum Calcium ions (Ca+2) in (P>0.05) after one and two weeks of making Al-hijima as compared to the serum calcium level before making of Al- hijama. Also observed insignificant decline in serum sodium(Na+2), chloride ions (Cl-) and potassium ions(K+) as compared to level of sodium ,chloride and potassium ions before making of Al- hijama.

A research on effects of tobacco dust on status of total thiol in bidi industry workers

Background: Bidi industries workers handle tobacco ingredients during rolling of bidi and inhale tobacco dust and volatile component are present in the work environment. Tobacco absorbed by the body in tremendous amount leading to preventable cause of disease, disability and including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular, carcinomas, premature death exposure among bidi workers. The goal of this study was to occupational exposure of tobacco dust on status of total thiol level in bidi workers.Methods: Healthy controls - 30 subjects and 90 bidi workers were further subdivided on the basis of work experience in years as, Group-I: 5-9 years (30 subjects), Group-II: 10-14 years (30 subjects), Group-III: 15-19 years (30 subjects). Authors are measure total thiol concentration and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. All the biochemical parameters measured in study group subjects were statistically compared with those estimated in controls.Results: Highly significant decrease in levels of total thiol was found in all groups of bidi workers as compared to healthy controls (p&lt;0.001) and serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels were significantly elevated in all groups of bidi workers when compared with healthy controls (p&lt;0.001). The study groups indicates that decline the total thiol gradually progresses with increase in exposure period to tobacco dust.Conclusions: The study groups showed that decrease the total thiol level and increases the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in all groups of bidi workers compared with healthy controls.

Study on electrolytes and antioxidants in premenstrual syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the most common disorder experienced by women during the menstrual years. Up to 90% of women’s are affected to some degree. Electrolytes and antioxidants imbalance may act as contributory factor towards the worsening of PMS. The present study was conducted to investigate serum electrolytes and antioxidants Vit C, Vit E, and uric acid.The study population grouped into 50 patients of age group 18 to 42 years (Group A) and 50 without PMS (Group B) non menstrual days. Patients with Diabetes, Hypertension, tuberculosis, leprosy or any chronic illness where excluded from study. Electrolytes were measured in Roche electrolyte analyser and other antioxidants by manual methods.There was significant decrease in level of serum sodium for Group A as compared to Group B (p&amp;#60;0.001) where assignificant increase in level of serum potassium for Group A as compared to Group B (p=0.003). In the present study, it was found that, all antioxidants parameters (Vitamin C, Vitamin E &amp; Uric acid) level significantly decreased in Group A as compared to Group B (p=0.001).In conclusion, serum sodium and potassium with decreased level of antioxidants are closely related to PMS.

Effect of the intervention mindfulness based compassionate living on the - level of self - criticism and self – compassion

Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is an intervention developed to teach individuals to cope with physical, mental, emotional or relational stress in a healthy way. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of a short-term online version of the MBCL intervention on level of self-criticism and self-compassion in a non-clinical convenience sample. The participants were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. After the intervention and the follow-up, the experimental group consisted of 26 participants who were sent daily emails instructing them to complete the MBCL tasks for 15 consecutive days. At that time, the control group consisted of the remaining 24 participants who did not perform any of the tasks. Data collection was conducted through an online battery of questionnaires measuring level of self-criticism and self-compassion, which we administered three times – before the intervention, after the intervention and as a follow-up two months later. The data were analysed using the repeated measures ANOVA and paired samples t-test. In case of non- normal distribution, the Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used. The results showed a significant decrease in level of self-criticism and a significant increase in level of self-compassion after completion of the MBCL intervention, and the results persisted in the follow-up. The main limitations of our research are the small sample and high attrition rate. To conclude, the MBCL could also be administered in online format and have a lasting impact on self-criticism and self-compassion.

Role of Low FODMAP Diet and Probiotics on Gut Microbiome in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disease prevalent in today’s society and diet remains the most common aggravator of IBS symptoms. Existing literature suggest that IBS patients are dysbiotic as evidence indicates decreased levels of Bifidobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and increased levels of Firmicutes in comparison to healthy individuals. Studies suggest that changes in diet can modulate gut microbiota and therefore improve IBS symptoms. The two diets being investigated are the low FODMAP diet and the use of probiotics. A low FODMAP diet implements a reduction in the amount of poorly absorbed carbohydrates and probiotics are live microorganisms that have been proven beneficial when consumed appropriately. Based on the literature acquired from PubMed, a positive correlation appears to exist between the low FODMAP diet and IBS symptoms; 57% report symptom relief. There is also a notable effect on the gut microbiome after changing to low FODMAP diet, noted with a significant decrease in levels of Bifidobacterium, Clostridium, F. prausnitzii and Actinobacteria. This poses a concern as bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and F. prausnitzii are beneficial for health. When probiotics are taken amongst IBS patients a reduction in symptoms is also observed. Additionally, there is an increase in the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacilli. It is suggested that co-administration of probiotics with a low FODMAP diet may ensure beneficial levels of Bifidobacterium while IBS symptoms ameliorate.

Radiation Induced Metabolic Alterations Associate With Tumor Aggressiveness and Poor Outcome in Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is uniformly fatal with a 1-year median survival, despite best available treatment, including radiotherapy (RT). Impacts of prior RT on tumor recurrence are poorly understood but may increase tumor aggressiveness. Metabolic changes have been investigated in radiation-induced brain injury; however, the tumor-promoting effect following prior radiation is lacking. Since RT is vital to GBM management, we quantified tumor-promoting effects of prior RT on patient-derived intracranial GBM xenografts and characterized metabolic alterations associated with the protumorigenic microenvironment. Human xenografts (GBM143) were implanted into nude mice 24 hrs following 20 Gy cranial radiation vs. sham animals. Tumors in pre-radiated mice were more proliferative and more infiltrative, yielding faster mortality (p < 0.0001). Histologic evaluation of tumor associated macrophage/microglia (TAMs) revealed cells with a more fully activated ameboid morphology in pre-radiated animals. Microdialyzates from radiated brain at the margin of tumor infiltration contralateral to the site of implantation were analyzed by unsupervised liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In pre-radiated animals, metabolites known to be associated with tumor progression (i.e., modified nucleotides and polyols) were identified. Whole-tissue metabolomic analysis of pre-radiated brain microenvironment for metabolic alterations in a separate cohort of nude mice using 1H-NMR revealed a significant decrease in levels of antioxidants (glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate (ASC)), NAD+, Tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) intermediates, and rise in energy carriers (ATP, GTP). GSH and ASC showed highest Variable Importance on Projection prediction (VIPpred) (1.65) in Orthogonal Partial least square Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA); Ascorbate catabolism was identified by GC-MS. To assess longevity of radiation effects, we compared survival with implantation occurring 2 months vs. 24 hrs following radiation, finding worse survival in animals implanted at 2 months. These radiation-induced alterations are consistent with a chronic disease-like microenvironment characterized by reduced levels of antioxidants and NAD+, and elevated extracellular ATP and GTP serving as chemoattractants, promoting cell motility and vesicular secretion with decreased levels of GSH and ASC exacerbating oxidative stress. Taken together, these data suggest IR induces tumor-permissive changes in the microenvironment with metabolomic alterations that may facilitate tumor aggressiveness with important implications for recurrent glioblastoma. Harnessing these metabolomic insights may provide opportunities to attenuate RT-associated aggressiveness of recurrent GBM.

Melatonin Represses Oil and Anthocyanin Accumulation in Seeds.

Previous studies have clearly demonstrated that the putative phytohormone melatonin functions directly in many aspects of plant growth and development. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the role of melatonin in seed oil and anthocyanin accumulation, and corresponding underlying mechanisms, remain unclear. Here, we found that serotonin N-acetyltransferase1 (SNAT1) and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes were ubiquitously and highly expressed and essential for melatonin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis developing seeds. We demonstrated that blocking endogenous melatonin biosynthesis by knocking out SNAT1 and/or COMT significantly increased oil and anthocyanin content of mature seeds. In contrast, enhancement of melatonin signaling by exogenous application of melatonin led to a significant decrease in levels of seed oil and anthocyanins. Further gene expression analysis through RNA sequencing and reverse-transcription quantitative PCR demonstrated that the expression of a series of important genes involved in fatty acid and anthocyanin accumulation was significantly altered in snat1-1 comt-1 developing seeds during seed maturation. We also discovered that SNAT1 and COMT significantly regulated the accumulation of both mucilage and proanthocyanidins in mature seeds. These results not only help us understand the function of melatonin and provide valuable insights into the complicated regulatory network controlling oil and anthocyanin accumulation in seeds, but also divulge promising gene targets for improvement of both oil and flavonoids in seeds of oil-producing crops and plants.

Aspirin-induced gastrointestinal lesions in patients with chronic coronary artery disease: special aspects and therapeutic options

Aim. To assess the prevalence, structure, and features of aspirin-induced gastroduodenal lesions in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and outline therapeutic options. Material and methods . The study included 340 patients with chronic CAD who received long-term low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) therapy. The diagnosis of chronic CAD was verified using a complex examination with selective coronary angiography (SCA). Further, esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed in patients with chronic CAD to diagnose aspirin-induced gastroduodenal lesions. We also assessed their prevalence and structure. An endogenous prostaglandin-inducer rebamipide (300 mg daily) in combination with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) pantoprazole were used to treat aspirin-induced gastroduodenal lesions. The comparison group consisted of patients with chronic CAD who received only pantoprazole. To clarify the pathogenesis of aspirin-induced gastroduodenal lesions before and after treatment, the levels of following serum pro-inflammatory cytokines were determined: interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). The control group consisted of patients with chronic CAD and without signs of gastrointestinal lesions. Statistical processing was carried out using Statistica 10.0 software package. Results . Aspirin-induced gastroduodenal lesions were recorded in 15% of patients. Results of esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed that gastric erosions of body and antrum prevailed among aspirin-induced lesions. The level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in these patients was significantly higher than in patients of control group. Therapy with PPI resulted in a positive endoscopic response in 19 of 25 patients and a slight decrease in cytokines. Combination of PPI with rebamipide led to mucosal reconstruction in all subjects and a statistically significant decrease in levels of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion. The current study showed aspects of development and possible therapeutic options in aspirin-induced gastrointestinal lesions in patients with chronic CAD.

Affective psychological restoration through mediated exposure to the environment (Restauración psicológica afectiva a partir de la exposición mediada del ambiente)

This paper reports on the affective psychological restoration achieved through exposure to images with varying degrees of restorative potential. By means of an experimental paradigm to evaluate psychological restoration, 55 university students were grouped into two experimental conditions: environments with a high level of restorative potential (HRP; 23, mean age M = 23.70, SD = 5.66) and a low level of restorative potential (LRP; 32, mean age M = 23.31, SD = 1.89). Self-reported scores for stress, fatigue, vigour and arousal were evaluated in both groups, considering a baseline state, after exposure to a stressor, and subsequent to exposure to an environmental condition. After creating a need for restoration, exposure to HRP environments had positive effects on the measures of affect (recovery from stress, reduction in fatigue, greater vitality and arousal), and a significant decrease in levels of vigour post environmental exposure. The results allow us to quantify the impact of a bank of restorative images on the affective restoration of a Mexican population.

Complementarity of gluCEST and 1 H-MRS for the study of mouse models of Huntington's disease.

Identification of relevant biomarkers is fundamental to understand biological processes of neurodegenerative diseases and to evaluate therapeutic efficacy. Atrophy of brain structures has been proposed as a biomarker, but it provides little information about biochemical events related to the disease. Here, we propose to identify early and relevant biomarkers by combining biological specificity provided by 1 H-MRS and high spatial resolution offered by gluCEST imaging. For this, two different genetic mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD)-the Ki140CAG model, characterized by a slow progression of the disease, and the R6/1 model, which mimics the juvenile form of HD-were used. Animals were scanned at 11.7 T using a protocol combining 1 H-MRS and gluCEST imaging. We measured a significant decrease in levels of N-acetyl-aspartate, a metabolite mainly located in the neuronal compartment, in HD animals, and the decrease seemed to be correlated with disease severity. In addition, variations of tNAA levels were correlated with striatal volumes in both models. Significant variations of glutamate levels were also observed in Ki140CAG but not in R6/1 mice. Thanks to its high resolution, gluCEST provided complementary insights, and we highlighted alterations in small brain regions such as the corpus callosum in Ki140CAG mice, whereas the glutamate level was unchanged in the whole brain of R6/1 mice. In this study, we showed that 1 H-MRS can provide key information about biological processes occurring in vivo but was limited by the spatial resolution. On the other hand, gluCEST may finely point to alterations in unexpected brain regions, but it can also be blind to disease processes when glutamate levels are preserved. This highlights in a practical context the complementarity of the two methods to study animal models of neurodegenerative diseases and to identify relevant biomarkers.

Treadmill Exercise Attenuates Aβ-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Enhances Mitophagy Activity in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which may be related to mitophagy failure. Previous reports suggest that treadmill exercise protects against mitochondrial dysfunction in AD. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between mitophagy and mitochondrial adaptation caused by treadmill exercise in AD. The current study aimed to investigate whether exercise-ameliorated AD is associated with changes in mitophagy activity. Both Wild-type and APP/PS1 transgenic mice were divided into sedentary (WTC and ADC) and exercise (WTE and ADE) groups (n = 9 for each group). WTE and ADE mice were subjected to treadmill exercise for 12weeks, followed by evaluating the effect of treadmill exercise on learning and memory ability, Aβ plaques, mitochondrial Aβ peptide level, synaptic activity and mitochondrial function. Meanwhile, mitophagy-related proteins PINK1, Parkin, LC3II and P62 were measured in the hippocampal mitochondrial fractions. The results indicated that exercise not only restored learning and memory ability, but also reduced Aβ plaque area, mitochondrial Aβ peptide level, and increased levels of synaptic markers SYN and GAP43, as well as reversed mitochondrial dysfunction (defective mitochondrial ultrastructure, decreased PGC-1α, TFAM and ATP levels) in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Moreover, exercise increased mitophagy activity as evidenced by a significant decrease in levels of P62 and PINK1 as well as an increase in levels of LC3II and Parkin in ADE mice. These findings suggest that treadmill exercise can enhance mitophagy activity in the hippocampus, which is efficient in ameliorating pathological phenotypes of APP/PS1 transgenic mice.