Fatty Acids in Waste Tissues: The Nutraceutical Value of Gonads and Livers from the Moroccan Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Cyprinus carpio Fishes

Fishes are an important component of human nutrition, mainly acting as source of essential fatty acids in the prevention of cardiovascular disorders. The increase in their consumption has led to a growth of fishes waste; therefore, the disposal and recycling of waste has become a key issue to address, in accordance with circular economy principles. The Moroccan Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Cyprinus carpio fishes, living in freshwater and marine environments, were collected at mature and immature stages. The fatty acid (FA) profiles of liver and ovary tissues were investigated by GC-MS and compared with edible fillet tissues. The gonadosomatic index, the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio, and the atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indexes were measured. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were found to be abundant in the mature ovary and fillet of both species, with a polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids ratio ranging from 0.40 to 1.06 and a monounsaturated fatty acids/polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio between 0.64 and 1.84. Saturated fatty acids were found to be highly abundant in the liver and gonads of both species (range 30-54%), as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (range 35-58%). The results suggested that the exploitation of fish wastes, such as the liver and ovary, may represent a sustainable strategy for the achievement of high value-added molecules with nutraceutical potential.

The reaction of rhenium nitrosyl with a sterically hindered NHC-carbene

In this article, we present the serendipitous synthesis of the unknown Re(I) complex [(OPPh3)Re(NO)2Cl3] (3) that we obtained reacting the Re(V) complex trans-[(PPh3)2ReOCl3] (1) with NO gas in presence of CH3COOH. We found that 3 reacts with 1,3-bis (2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) to yield a stable oximate-Re(III) complex [(OPPh3)Re(NO)(ONIMes)Cl3] (4). We speculate that the IMes reacts with a bent NO, because the DFT calculations excluded the formation of both dimeric and η2-NO complexes in solution. The reactivity of the NO toward the carbene is probably due to an internal fluxional process in which the NO passes from linear to bent, triggered by the π-electrons given by the three chlorides to the Re through the mesomeric effect.

Adult onset familiar dystonia-plus syndrome: A novel presentation of IRF2BPL-associated neurodegeneration

Pathogenic variants of the IRF2BPL gene have been mostly associated with early onset epileptic encephalopathy. Movement disorders such as dystonia and ataxia were also reported, with symptoms mainly developing between childhood and adolescence. Here we describe a family with several members affected by a late onset dystonic and ataxic progressive syndrome, caused by a novel heterozygous pathogenic variant in the IRF2BPL gene.

Characterization and evaluation of magnesite ore mining by-products of Gerakini mines (Chalkidiki, N. Greece)

The qualitative and quantitative characterization of several mining by-product samples, were collected from the magnesite mine of "Grecian Magnesite SA" company (Gerakini, Chalkidiki, North Greece), was aiming to evaluate the possibility of upgrading their refractory properties by applying thermal treatment. The concentration range of main components for the selected best qualified samples was 38.7-43 wt% for MgO, 37.5-44.1 wt% for SiO₂ and 6.5-7.3 wt% for FeO. The mineralogical characterization revealed the presence of olivine, pyroxenes and serpentine, with the concentration of the latter positively correlated to LOI. Microprobe analyses clarified the presence of olivine [(Mg_1.79Fe_0.19Ni_0.01)SiO₄], consisting mainly of 90 wt% of forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) and 10 wt% of fayalite (Fe₂SiO₄), as well as of pyroxene group minerals [(Mg_0.87Fe_0.08Ca_0.01Cr_0.01)(Si_0.98Al_0.04)O₃], consisting mainly of 91 wt% enstatite (MgSiO₃) and 9 wt% of ferrosilite (FeSiO₃), respectively. The thermal treatment of the qualified samples demonstrated that at the temperature of 650-680 °C serpentine is almost totally decomposed and at the temperature of 850 °C it has been totally recrystallized to olivine and pyroxenes. At higher temperature treatment (1300 °C), it seems that there is a recrystallization process that favors the deformation of olivine and the further formation of pyroxenes, due to the excess of Si available from the initial decomposition of serpentine, while the presence of magnesite resulted to the restriction of olivine deformation through the partial capture of available Si. For increasing the olivine percentage and, subsequently, the improvement of refractory properties of this material, at temperature > 1300°C, the ideal theoretical addition dose of wt% MgO for optimizing the formation of olivine was calculated, ranging from 7.4 to 17.5 wt%. The latter calculations are reported for the first time in the literature regarding this kind of materials.

Novel CLN3 mutation causing autophagic vacuolar myopathy

OBJECTIVE

To identify the genetic cause of a complex syndrome characterized by autophagic vacuolar myopathy (AVM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pigmentary retinal degeneration, and epilepsy.

METHODS

Clinical, pathologic, and genetic study.

RESULTS

Two brothers presented with visual failure, seizures, and prominent cardiac involvement, but only mild cognitive impairment and no motor deterioration after 40 years of disease duration. Muscle biopsy revealed the presence of widespread alterations suggestive of AVM with autophagic vacuoles with sarcolemmal features. Through combined homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing, we identified a novel p.Gly165Glu mutation in CLN3.

CONCLUSIONS

This study expands the clinical phenotype of CLN3 disease. Genetic testing for CLN3 should be considered in AVM with autophagic vacuoles with sarcolemmal features.

Cortical response to somatosensory stimulation in medication overuse headache patients is influenced by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) I/D genetic polymorphism

BACKGROUND

Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a disabling health problem. Convincing evidence attributes a pathophysiologic role to central sensitization. By recording somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) in patients with MOH, we observed increased sensitization and deficient habituation to repetitive sensory stimuli consistent with drug overuse. The renin-angiotensin system in the brain seems to play a relevant role in neural plasticity and dependence behavior. We therefore sought differences in SSEP sensitization and habituation in patients with MOH who underwent angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) I/D polymorphism analysis.

METHODS

We recorded median-nerve SSEPs (two blocks of 100 sweeps) in 43 patients with MOH. We measured N20-P25 amplitudes, and assessed sensitization using the first block amplitudes, and habituation using amplitude changes between the two sequential blocks. According to their genotype, subjects were divided into three groups: "D/D", "D/I" and "I/I" carriers.

RESULTS

The habituation slope of the two SSEP block amplitudes was significantly increased in the D/D subgroup (n = 16) with respect to that of the I/I subgroup (n = 6), with the D/I subgroup (n = 21) falling in between. In D/D carriers, the habituation slope correlated positively with the duration of the overuse headache, and the first SSEP block amplitudes, a measure of sensitization, increased in strict relationship with the type of overused medication in the MOH patients overall and in the D/D subgroup; this was not so in the D/I and I/I subgroups.

CONCLUSION

In patients with MOH, the homozygote D/D ACE polymorphism influences habituation and sensitization to repeated sensory stimuli in strict relationship with medication overuse. We suggest that angiotensin peptides influence neuronal mechanisms of plasticity by interacting with central monoaminergic synaptic transmission.

Skeletal muscle wasting in tumor-bearing rats is associated with MyoD down-regulation

Cachexia is a syndrome characterized by profound skeletal muscle wasting that frequently complicates malignancies. A number of studies indicate that protein hypercatabolism, largely mediated by classical hormones and cytokines, is the major component of muscle depletion. Impaired regeneration has been suggested to contribute to the reduction of muscle size. In particular, it has been shown that the expression of MyoD, a muscle-specific transcription factor, is down-regulated by cytokines such as TNFalpha and IFNgamma in a NF-kappaB-dependent posttranscriptional manner. The present study investigated whether modulations of the transcription factor MyoD are associated with the onset of muscle wasting in a well established model of cancer cachexia. Rats bearing the Yoshida AH-130 hepatoma develop a condition of muscle protein hypercatabolism, largely dependent on TNFalpha bioactivity. In the gastrocnemius of these animals the expression of MyoD was markedly reduced, paralleling the decrease of muscle weight. This pattern is associated with increased nuclear translocation of AP-1, while DNA-binding assays did not detect any change in NF-kappaB activity. This is the first observation demonstrating that muscle depletion in tumor-bearing rats is associated with a down-regulation of MyoD levels. Although the underlying mechanisms remain to be clarified, this change is compatible with the hypothesis that a reduced expression of molecules involved in the regulation of the regenerative response may concur to muscle wasting in cancer cachexia.

Multicentre Italian family-based association study on tyrosine hydroxylase, catechol-O-methyl transferase and Wolfram syndrome 1 polymorphisms in mood disorders

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to investigate tyrosine hydroxylase, catechol-O-methyl transferase and Wolfram syndrome 1 genes in mood disorders using a family-based association approach.

METHODS

The sample included 134 nuclear mood disorder families, with subjects affected by bipolar disorder (n=103) or major depressive disorder (n=58). All subjects were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction techniques.

RESULTS

No significant transmission disequilibrium was found in the overall sample for any polymorphism. Analysis considering bipolar subjects only, or psychopathology traits as affection status did not influence the observed results.

CONCLUSIONS

The study could not support the involvement of tyrosine hydroxylase, catechol-O-methyl transferase and Wolfram syndrome 1 polymorphisms in mood disorders.

Anticytokine treatment prevents the increase in the activity of ATP-ubiquitin- and Ca(2+)-dependent proteolytic systems in the muscle of tumour-bearing rats

The ascites hepatoma Yoshida AH-130 induces loss of body weight and tissue waste. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of muscle wasting in this model system, but other cytokines, such as interleukin-6, may be involved. In order to verify whether a combined anticytokine treatment may synergistically counteract muscle protein degradation, tumour bearing rats were treated with pentoxyfilline (PTX, an inhibitor of TNF-alpha synthesis), or with suramin (SUR, an antiprotozoal drug blocking the peripheral action of several cytokines including IL-6 and TNF-alpha), or both the drugs, and the effects on muscle proteolytic systems were assessed. Muscle protein loss in the AH-130-bearing rats was associated with increased activity of both the ATP-ubiquitin- and the calpain- dependent proteolytic pathways (246% and 230% of controls, respectively). Both PTX and SUR, either alone or in combination, prevented the depletion of muscle mass and significantly reduced the activity of muscle proteolytic systems. In particular, treatment with SUR, either alone or with PTX, induced a decrease in enzymatic activities to values similar to those of controls. The results obtained in the present paper demonstrate that: (i) muscle depletion in this model is indeed associated with increased proteasome- and calpain-dependent proteolysis, as previously suggested by increased mRNA expression of molecules pertaining to both pathways; (ii) anticytokine treatments effectively reduce muscle protein loss by down-regulating the activity of at least two major proteolitic systems; (iii) SUR is more effective than PTX in reducing the activity of proteolytic systems, possibly because of its multiple anticytokine action.

Family-based association study of 5-HTTLPR, TPH, MAO-A, and DRD4 polymorphisms in mood disorders

Variants of the functional polymorphism in the serotonin transporter (upstream regulatory region: 5-HTTLPR), the tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), and the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) genes have all been associated with mood disorders. The aim of this study was to test those hypotheses by using a family-based association approach. Both diagnoses and psychopathology were used for phenotype definitions. A total of 134 nuclear families with mood disorders, with probands affected by bipolar (n = 103) or major depressive (n = 58) disorders, were included in the study. All subjects were typed for the above-mentioned gene variants using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. No significant transmission disequilibrium was found in the overall sample for any polymorphism. A separate analysis of bipolar subjects only, or the use of continuous psychopathologic traits as affectation status did not influence the observed results. Our study did not support the involvement of 5-HTTLPR, TPH, MAO-A, or DRD4 polymorphisms in mood disorders.

Measurements and recovery patterns in a multicenter study of acute spinal cord injury

STUDY DESIGN

Post hoc, secondary analysis of data from 1992 to 1998 in the trial of Sygen in acute spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVES

Quasi-epidemiologic understanding of measurement tools and of recovery patterns. No drug efficacy results.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Many authors have studied individual scales for measuring the severity of spinal cord injury.

METHODS

Emphasis on descriptive, rather than inferential, statistics: consistent with secondary analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 760 patients, 43 died within 365 days. The rate was higher for complete injuries (7.1% vs. 3.2%, P = 0.017). Marked recovery at 26 weeks was more frequent in those with better baseline American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) scores, but was not different for methylprednisolone within versus after 3 hours. Light touch scores improved at each visit, more so in those with higher scores at baseline. Bladder control similarly improved. Motor and sensory scores exhibited departures from assumptions underlying normal-theory statistical techniques: t test and analysis of variance. Furthermore, they were mixtures of differing distributions from different study strata, so that overall conclusions depend on the mixture of patients seen.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis of these patients with spinal cord injury seen at 28 centers in North America during the mid-1990s appears better than was often assumed earlier. The general patterns are similar across different measurement scales, although there are intriguing differences. The patterns in different strata are different in specifics, and complete injuries do less well. Pooling data from different strata may result in probability distributions that depart from normal-theory assumptions and give misleading results depending on recruitment patterns.

Recruitment and early treatment in a multicenter study of acute spinal cord injury

STUDY DESIGN

Post hoc secondary analysis of data from 1992 to 1998 in the trial of Sygen in Acute Spinal Cord Injury.

OBJECTIVES

Quasi-epidemiologic understanding of injury and treatment patterns and of recruitment in an SCI trial. No drug efficacy results.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

The most recent large epidemiologic study was the National SCI Database by Stover and colleagues around 1980.

METHODS

Emphasis on descriptive, rather than inferential, statistics: consistent with secondary analysis.

RESULTS

The study involved 760 patients at 28 centers in North America. Cervical injuries were more common than thoracic, and complete injuries were more common than incomplete injuries. Recruitment in the complete cervical stratum was 332, but the incomplete thoracic strata had only 31 patients combined. Vital signs at arrival and on randomization show fair stability. Clock times show more injuries on weekends and nights but suggest immediate attention was given. Elapsed times to treatment (especially EMT and Medevac arrival) are short. The rate of direct admission to tertiary centers, traction weight, and time to surgery vary among centers. Inpatient rehabilitation appeared driven by insurance in addition to severity.

CONCLUSIONS

The imbalances in favor of cervical and of complete injuries would make it hard for studies to attain results for SCI in general. The vital signs and time patterns suggest local protocol-driven stabilization to prevent secondary physiologic injury early after SCI. Some features of care vary among centers, but the sparseness of prospective data in specific injury and treatment categories suggests that treatment guidelines have limited empirical support and should be made cautiously.

The Sygen multicenter acute spinal cord injury study

STUDY DESIGN

Randomized, double-blind, sequential, multicenter clinical trial of two doses of Sygen versus placebo.

OBJECTIVES

To determine efficacy and safety of Sygen in acute spinal cord injury.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

An earlier, single-center trial in 28 patients showed an improvement (50.0% vs. 7.1%, P = 0.034) in marked recovery with Sygen.

METHODS

Standard clinical trial techniques.

RESULTS

The prospectively planned analysis at the prespecified endpoint time for all patients was negative. There was a significant effect in all patients in the primary outcome variable (the percentage of marked recovery) at week 8, the end of the dosing period. There was a significant effect in all patients in the time at which marked recovery is first achieved. Restricted to severity Group B, which has small sample size, the primary efficacy analysis showed a trend but did not reach significance. There is a large, consistent and, at some time points, significant effect in the primary outcome variable in the nonoperated patients through week 26. The American Spinal Injury Association motor, light touch, and pinprick scores showed a consistent trend in favor of Sygen, as also did bowel function, bladder function, sacral sensation, and anal contraction. The less severely injured patients appeared to have a greater beneficial drug effect. Evidence against an effect of Sygen was minimal and scattered.

CONCLUSIONS

Although not proven in the primary efficacy analysis of this trial, Sygen appears to be beneficial in patients with severe spinal cord injury.

Association in the same patient of autosomal dominant progressive external ophthalmoplegia with multiple mtDNA deletions and X-linked ichthyosis: clinical, biochemical, histological, submicroscopic and molecular genetic study

Autosomal dominant chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (AdPEO) is a muscle mitochondrial disorder due to multiple large scale rearrangements of the mitochondrial DNA. This disorder is probably due to a nuclear defect which causes genetic instability or an impairment in the replication of mitochondrial DNA. X-linked ichthyosis (XLI) is a skin disorder caused by a deletion in the steroid-sulphatase gene. Here we report the clinical, biochemical, morphologic and molecular genetic findings in a patient affected by both AdPEO, inherited by the father, and steroid-sulphatase-deficiency, inherited by the mother. The association in the same patient of the two inherited diseases is merely casual and does not seem to influence the phenotypic expression of the two diseases.

Evaluating neuroprotective agents for clinical anti-ischemic benefit using neurological and neuropsychological changes after cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Methodological strategies and results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of GM1 ganglioside

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Many neuroprotective agents (NPAs) are effective in acute experimental cerebral ischemia in animals. None have proven effective in human stroke trials. Even short treatment delays cause substantial efficacy loss. Cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CS-CPB) causes cerebral ischemia with cognitive impairment at a predeterminable time point and should permit efficient screening of NPAs for stroke benefit. We sought to develop sensitive methods to assess dysfunction from CS-CPB in a double-blind trial of the NPA GM1 ganglioside.

METHODS

Eighteen GM1 and 11 Control patients received GM1 300 mg or placebo, two doses intravenously, before nonemergency CS-CPB. Independent examiners administered structured neurological examinations and neuropsychological test batteries at Baseline and 1 day (Acute Postop; neurological only), 1 week (Early F/U), and > or = 6 months (Long-term F/U) postoperatively; using defined procedures they employed ordinal Clinical Change Scores (CCSs) to quantify neurological cerebral, neurological noncerebral, and neuropsychological performance changes. Several methods to analyze CCSs and neuropsychological test score changes were evaluated.

RESULTS

The most sensitive indicators were the mean Acute Postop Neurologist's CCS-Cerebral (P < 10(-5)) and the mean Early F/U Neuropsychologist's CCS (P < .01), with statistically nonsignificant differences favoring GM1. No significant mean changes in Neurologist's CCS-Noncerebral or any Long-term F/U CCSs occurred. CCS distributions and neuropsychological test score mean changes showed similar temporal patterns, with less sensitivity to change. When, as usual in prior CS-CPB studies, impairment was defined by neuropsychological test score declines (increases ignored), results were spurious.

CONCLUSIONS

The strokelike cerebral dysfunction (maximal acutely, with eventual recovery) that occurs after CS-CPB is useful to screen NPAs for clinical efficacy. CCSs based on detailed neurological examination and neuropsychological testing are sensitive measures; refinement of this approach should enhance the efficiency of the CS-CPB model. Further testing of GM1 is warranted.

Marginal donors for patients on regular waiting lists for liver transplantation

The use of marginal donors is well accepted by most centers for emergency situations, but there is debate on their use for patients on regular waiting lists. We report our experience of the 1-year survival for patients on waiting lists (n = 147, 1-year survival = 32%), patients transplanted from good donors (n = 60, 1-year survival = 84%), and patients transplanted from marginal donors (n = 15, 1-year survival = 56%). We concluded that liver transplantation from marginal donors (a) is a safe procedure (b) has a 1-year survival that is significantly better than that on a waiting list (c) is ethically justified especially in countries with donor shortages, and (d) may allow transplantation of "special" high risk and poor long-term outcome patients.

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Late follow-up after ventricular myotomy-myectomy

A series of 25 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, isolated or associated with minor anomalies, were operated upon using a modified Morrow's procedure. The indication for operation was based on either the presence of severe symptoms despite treatment with beta-blocking agents, or a significant peak gradient of over 50 mmHg even in asymptomatic patients. All patients survived and none was lost to follow-up. Long-term results were evaluated with 2-dimensional echocardiography. Surgical versus pharmacological treatment is discussed, with particular consideration given to paediatric patients.