Consequences of the exposome to gestational diabetes mellitus.

The exposome is the cumulative measure of environmental influences and associated biological responses throughout the lifespan, including those from the environment, diet, behaviour, and endogenous processes. The exposome concept and the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the United Nations are the basis for understanding the aetiology and consequences of non-communicable diseases, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Pregnancy may be developed in an environment with adverse factors part of the immediate internal medium for fetus development and the external medium to which the pregnant woman is exposed. The placenta is the interface between maternal and fetal compartments and acts as a protective barrier or easing agent to transfer exposome from mother to fetus. Under and over-nutrition in utero, exposure to adverse environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pesticides, drugs, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle, air pollutants, and tobacco smoke plays a determinant role in the development of GDM. This phenomenon is worsened by metabolic stress postnatally, such as obesity which increases the risk of GDM and other diseases. Clinical risk factors for GDM development include its aetiology. It is proposed that knowledge-based interventions to change the potential interdependent ecto-exposome and endo-exposome could avoid the occurrence and consequences of GDM.

Viability of ex-vivo myography as a diagnostic tool for rectus abdominis muscle electrical activity collected at Cesarean section within a diamater cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Ex-vivo myography enables the assessment of muscle electrical activity response. This study explored the viability of determining the physiological responses in muscles without tendon, as rectus abdominis muscle (RAM), through ex-vivo myography to assess its potential as a diagnostic tool. RESULTS: All tested RAM samples (five different samples) show patterns of electrical activity. A positive response was observed in 100% of the programmed stimulation. RAM 3 showed greater weight (0.47 g), length (1.66 cm), and width (0.77 cm) compared to RAM 1, RAM 2, RAM 4 and RAM 5 with more sustained electrical activity over time, a higher percentage of fatigue was analyzed at half the time of the electrical activity. The order of electrical activity (Mn) was RAM 3 > RAM 5 > RAM 1 > RAM 4 > RAM 2. No electrical activity was recorded in the Sham group. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that it is feasible to assess the physiological responses of striated muscle without tendon as RAM, obtained at C-section, under ex vivo myography. These results could be recorded, properly analyzed, and demonstrated its potential as a diagnostic tool for rectus abdominis muscle electrical activity.

Short communication: Inhibitory activities of the lantibiotic nisin combined with phenolic compounds against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes in cow milk.

We aimed to investigate the antibacterial activities of carvacrol, thymol, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, and lantibiotic nisin against standard bacterial strains of the milk pathogens Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 15313 in cow milk. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these substances were recorded. The synergistic effects were also assessed in culture medium (time kill curve) and in a food model (cow milk) during the storage period (4 °C for 6 d) after inoculation with S. aureus and L. monocytogenes individually by combining nisin and the phenolic compounds at proportions of 1/4 + 1/4 the MIC (determined in a previous in vitro assay) in the culture medium and 1/4 + 1/4 of MIC in the food model. Inhibitory activities of nisin and the tested compounds, as well as synergism in the combinations, were found against both bacteria assayed. Bacteriostatic effects were found with all combinations and a significant difference in L. monocytogenes reduction was found compared with the control assays. Thus, the antibacterial activity of nisin combined with phenolic compounds was confirmed against these pathogenic bacteria that are important in the milk industry, or more broadly in food science, with potential applications for milk preservation.