Obesidad y enfermedad renal crónica: Una peligrosa asociación / Association between obesity and chronic renal disease

A higher frequency of chronic renal disease is observed in obese patients, suggesting a pathogenic association between both conditions. Obesity unmasks clinical manifestations of chronic kidney disease such as high blood pressure, which may accelerate its progression. Obesity also promotes hyper filtration and the appearance of microalbuminuria, activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and is associated with high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Therefore weight reduction may slow the progression of chronic renal disease and reduce its associated cardiovascular risk factors.

Hepatic STAMP2 decreases hepatitis B virus X protein-associated metabolic deregulation

Six transmembrane protein of prostate 2 (STAMP2) plays a key role in linking inflammatory and diet-derived signals to systemic metabolism. STAMP2 is induced by nutrients/feeding as well as by cytokines such as TNFalpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6. Here, we demonstrated that STAMP2 protein physically interacts with and decreases the stability of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx), thereby counteracting HBx-induced hepatic lipid accumulation and insulin resistance. STAMP2 suppressed the HBx-mediated transcription of lipogenic and adipogenic genes. Furthermore, STAMP2 prevented HBx-induced degradation of IRS1 protein, which mediates hepatic insulin signaling, as well as restored insulin-mediated inhibition of gluconeogenic enzyme expression, which are gluconeogenic genes. We also demonstrated reciprocal expression of HBx and STAMP2 in HBx transgenic mice. These results suggest that hepatic STAMP2 antagonizes HBx-mediated hepatocyte dysfunction, thereby protecting hepatocytes from HBV gene expression.

Simultaneous Translocation of Both TCR Loci (14q11) with Rare Partner Loci (Xq22 and 12p13) in a Case of T-lymphoblastic Leukemia

The most common recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities in T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia [T-ALL]) involve T-cell receptor (TCR) loci and a variety of partner genes, including HOX11, HOX11L2, MYC, and TAL1. In this report, we present a rare case involving simultaneous translocation of the TCR alpha/delta loci with different partner loci (Xq22 and 12p13); this resulted in a poor prognosis. Chromosomal analysis showed 46,Y,t(X;14)(q22;q11.2),t(12;14)(p13;q11.2) and FISH analysis by using a T-cell receptor alpha delta DNA probe, Split Signal (DakoCytomation, Denmark), showed translocations at the same TCR alpha/delta locus on both chromosomes. FISH with 2 bacterial artificial chromosome clones showed break apart signal, which suggests involvement of the IRS4 gene. To our knowledge, this is the first report of T-ALL in which both TCR alpha/delta loci were translocated with different partner loci, and 1 of the partner loci, Xq22, was a rare translocation partner locus that included IRS4 gene.

Disfunção mitocondrial e expressão gênica alterada como mecanismos envolvidos na progressão da hipertrofia para insuficiência cardíaca em camundongos CIRSKO e PGC-1BKO / Mitochondrial dysfunction and altered gene expression as mechanisms involved in the progression of hypertrophy to heart failure in mice CIRSKO and PGC-1BKO

A insuficiência cardíaca (IC) é a evolução final das várias formas de doenças cardiovascular, sendo resultado de modificações estruturais, metabólicas e de contratilidade miocárdica. A fim de compreender o papel na dinâmica do metabolismo cardíaco no estado basal e na sobrecarga de pressão, utilizamos os modelos de cre-lox com deleção específica no coração para substrato do receptor de insulina (IRS) e co-ativador do PPAR (PGC-1b) e analisamos a estrutura cardíaca (histologia e estereologia), função cardíaca (ecocardiograma e técnica de Working heart), o metabolismo (isolamento de cardiomiócito e captação de glicose), ação hormonal (Western Blotting), expressão gênica (PCR-RT) de enzimas do metabolismo (lipídico, glicídico, da cadeia respiratória fatores transcricionais e hipertróficos) e a função mitocondrial. Verificamos, nos CIRS12KO, disfunção cardíaca grave, disfunção mitocondrial e prejuízo na expressão gênica das enzimas do metabolismo energético. Nos PGC-1BKO observamos disfunção mitocondrial e alteração de expressão gênica das enzimas do metabolismo energético quando submetidos à sobrecarga de pressão. Através do estudo do metabolismo cardíaco e da expressão gênica nestes diferentes modelos conseguimos explorar as vias metabólicas que levam a hipertrofia compensada à IC. Sugerimos que o mecanismo responsável pela descompensação seja a disfunção mitocondrial em conseqüência à alteração da expressão gênica. E que IRS e o PGC-1B são fatores chaves da dinâmica cardíaca, e que são indispensáveis para a estrutura e funcionamento cardíaco. Além de representar alvo promissor para limitar a transição de hipertrofia cardíaca compensada a insuficiência cardíaca...

Heart failure (HF) is the end stage of different types of cardiovascular diseases and it is characterized by changes in the metabolic and myocardial contractility. We use the models cre-lox with specific knockout for insulin receptor substrate (IRS) and co-activator of PPAR (PGC-1b) (basal and pressure overload). The objective was understood the role in the dynamics of cardiac metabolism. We analyzed cardiac structure (histology and stereology), cardiac function (echocardiography and the working heart technique), metabolism (glucose uptake), hormonal action (Western Blotting), gene expression (RT-PCR) from enzyme metabolism (lipid, carbohydrates, respiratory chain, transcriptional and hypertrophic factors) and mitochondrial function. We found in CIRS12KO, severe cardiac dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction and reduction of gene expression. And in the PGC-1bKO when subjected to pressure overload, the progression to heart failure, with mitochondrial dysfunction, and alteration of gene expression from enzyme metabolism. The data show that changes on cardiac metabolism and gene expression in both models explain the metabolic pathways that lead to compensated hypertrophy to HF. We suggest that the mitochondrial dysfunction and the gene expression was possible mechanisms for HF. We conclude that IRS and PGC-1b are key factors of cardiac dynamics, which are essential to the structure and heart function. IRS and PGC-1b represent a promising target for limiting the transition from compensated cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure...