Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and its impact on the fetus, the newborn and in childhood / Deficiência de vitamina D na gravidez e o seu impacto sobre o feto, o recém-nascido e na infância

OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in pregnant women and their children is an important health problem with severe consequences for the health of both. Thus, the objectives of this review were to reassess the magnitude and consequences of VDD during pregnancy, lactation and infancy, associated risk factors, prevention methods, and to explore epigenetic mechanisms in early fetal life capable of explaining many of the non-skeletal benefits of vitamin D (ViD). DATA SOURCE: Original and review articles, and consensus documents with elevated level of evidence for VDD-related clinical decisions on the health of pregnant women and their children, as well as articles on the influence of ViD on epigenetic mechanisms of fetal programming of chronic diseases in adulthood were selected among articles published on PubMed over the last 20 years, using the search term VitD status, in combination with Pregnancy, Offspring health, Child outcomes, and Programming. DATA SYNTHESIS: The following items were analyzed: ViD physiology and metabolism, risk factors for VDD and implications in pregnancy, lactation and infancy, concentration cutoff to define VDD, the variability of methods for VDD detection, recommendations on ViD replacement in pregnant women, the newborn and the child, and the epigenetic influence of ViD. CONCLUSIONS: VDD is a common condition among high-risk pregnant women and their children. The routine monitoring of serum 25(OH)D3 levels in antenatal period is mandatory. Early preventive measures should be taken at the slightest suspicion of VDD in pregnant women, to reduce morbidity during pregnancy and lactation, as well as its subsequent impact on the fetus, the newborn and the child. .

OBJETIVO: Deficiência de vitamina D (DVD) nas gestantes e seus filhos é problema de saúde, com consequências graves à saúde de ambos. Assim, esta revisão visou reavaliar a magnitude e as consequências da DVD na gestação, lactação e infância, fatores de risco associados, métodos de prevenção, além de explorar os mecanismos epigenéticos na vida fetal capazes de explicar benefícios não-esqueléticos da vitamina D (ViD). FONTES DE DADOS: Selecionaram-se artigos originais, de revisão e consensos com nível elevado de evidência para decisões clínicas relacionadas à DVD na saúde das gestantes e seus filhos e artigos sobre sua ação sobre os mecanismos epigenéticos da programação fetal de doenças crônicas na vida adulta, publicados no PubMed nos últimos 20 anos, empregando-se VitD status, e em combinação com Pregnancy, Offspring health, Child outcomes e Programming. SÍNTESE DOS DADOS: Abordou-se fisiologia, metabolismo, fatores de risco para a DVD e implicações na gravidez, lactação e infância, concentração de corte para definir DVD, variabilidade de métodos na sua detecção, recomendações sobre a reposição de ViD nas gestantes, no recém-nascido e na criança, bem como sobre ter as influências epigenéticas da ViD. CONCLUSÕES: DVD é frequente entre gestantes de alto risco e seus filhos. Monitorar rotineiramente os níveis séricos de 25(OH)D3 no período antenatal é imperativo. Medidas preventivas precoces devem ser instituídas à menor suspeita de DVD na gestante, para reduzir morbidades durante a gestação e a lactação, bem como seu posterior impacto sobre o feto, o recém-nascido e na infância. .

Synthesis, DNA cleavage and antimicrobial activity of 4-thiazolidinones-benzothiazole conjugates.

Antimicrobial screening of several novel 4-thiazolidinones with benzothiazole moiety has been performed. These compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial activity against a panel of bacterial and fungal strains. The strains were treated with these benzothiazole derivatives at varying concentrations, and MIC’s were calculated. Structures of these compounds have been determined by spectroscopic studies viz., FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and elemental analysis. Significant antimicrobial activity was observed for some members of the series, and compounds viz. 3-(4-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl) phenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)thiazolidin-4-one and 3-(4-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)phenyl)-2-(4-hydroxy phenyl)thiazolidin-4-one were found to be the most active against E.coli and C.albicans with MIC values in the range of 15.6–125 μg/ml. Preliminary study of the structure–activity relationship revealed that electron donating groups associated with thiazolidine bearing benzothiazole rings had a great effect on the antimicrobial activity of these compounds and contributes positively for the action. DNA cleavage experiments gave valuable hints with supporting evidence for describing the mechanism of action and hence showed a good correlation between their calculated MIC’s and its lethality.

H1 but not H2 histamine antagonist receptors mediate anxiety-related behaviors and emotional memory deficit in mice subjected to elevated plus-maze testing

This study investigated the role of H1 and H2 receptors in anxiety and the retrieval of emotional memory using a Trial 1/Trial 2 (T1/T2) protocol in an elevated plus-maze (EPM). Tests were performed on 2 consecutive days, designated T1 and T2. Before T1, the mice received intraperitoneal injections of saline (SAL), 20 mg/kg zolantidine (ZOL, an H2 receptor antagonist), or 8.0 or 16 mg/kg chlorpheniramine (CPA, an H1 receptor antagonist). After 40 min, they were subjected to the EPM test. In T2 (24 h later), each group was subdivided into two additional groups, and the animals from each group were re-injected with SAL or one of the drugs. In T1, the Student t-test showed no difference between the SAL and ZOL or 8 mg/kg CPA groups with respect to the percentages of open arm entries (%OAE) and open arm time (%OAT). However, administration of CPA at the highest dose of 16 mg/kg decreased %OAE and %OAT, but not locomotor activity, indicating anxiogenic-like behavior. Emotional memory, as revealed by a reduction in open arm exploration between the two trials, was observed in all experimental groups, indicating that ZOL and 8 mg/kg CPA did not affect emotional memory, whereas CPA at the highest dose affected acquisition and consolidation, but not retrieval of memory. Taken together, these results suggest that H1 receptor, but not H2, is implicated in anxiety-like behavior and in emotional memory acquisition and consolidation deficits in mice subjected to EPM testing.

Benzothiadiazole (BTH) induces resistance to Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV) in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Pepper is an economically important crop in many countries around the world but it is susceptible to many diseases. In Mexico, diseases caused by bipartite begomoviruses have emerged as important problems in pepper. Several control strategies have been explored wiht little success; most of them are based on the avoidance of virus transmission and the breeding for resistance. Abiotic inducers can act at various points in the signaling pathways involved in disease resistance, providing long-lasting, wide-spectrum resistance. Benzothiadiazole (BTH) shares the property of activating the systemic acquired resistance pathway downstream from the SA signaling. In this work, resistance to PepGMV infection was induced in pepper plants by activating the SA pathway using BTH treatment. The resistance was characterized by evaluating symptom appearance, virus accumulation and viral movement. Our results showed that BTH could be an attractive alternative to induce geminivirus resistance in pepper plants without a significant damage of the fruit quality and productivity.