Feeding the Brain: Effect of Nutrients on Cognition, Synaptic Function, and AMPA Receptors.

In recent decades, traditional eating habits have been replaced by a more globalized diet, rich in saturated fatty acids and simple sugars. Extensive evidence shows that these dietary factors contribute to cognitive health impairment as well as increase the incidence of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. However, how these nutrients modulate synaptic function and neuroplasticity is poorly understood. We review the Western, ketogenic, and paleolithic diets for their effects on cognition and correlations with synaptic changes, focusing mainly (but not exclusively) on animal model studies aimed at tracing molecular alterations that may contribute to impaired human cognition. We observe that memory and learning deficits mediated by high-fat/high-sugar diets, even over short exposure times, are associated with reduced arborization, widened synaptic cleft, narrowed post-synaptic zone, and decreased activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, and also observe that these alterations correlate with deregulation of the AMPA-type glutamate ionotropic receptors (AMPARs) that are crucial to neuroplasticity. Furthermore, we explored which diet-mediated mechanisms modulate synaptic AMPARs and whether certain supplements or nutritional interventions could reverse deleterious effects, contributing to improved learning and memory in older people and patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Implementation of a functional endpoint to the zebrafish embryotoxicity test to evaluate craniofacial abnormalities.

The inclusion of a read-out to detect functional consequences of craniofacial alterations in the zebrafish embryotoxicity test will allow to evaluate these alterations which are difficult to assess morphologically, and to detect alterations in cranial nerves functions leading to impairment of jaw movements. In this study we have established an ingestion test in zebrafish larvae younger than 120 hpf. To overcome the challenge of evaluating larvae which still do not present independent feeding behaviour, we have tested the ability of 72, 96 or 102 hpf larvae to ingest food mixed with fluorescent microspheres under several conditions (dark/light, with/without shaking) to find the best experimental set-up for the test. We have included the investigation of two substances as potential positive controls: ketoconazole and tricaine. Ketoconazole 10 µM exposure during development produced significant embryotoxic effects including a characteristic craniofacial alteration pattern consisting in impaired development of brain, nasal cavity, mouth opening and jaw, as well as a significant decrease in food intake. Tricaine exposure at 380 µM during the food availability period significantly decreased the food intake. The method proposed will be a useful alternative tool to animal testing to detect compounds inducing adverse effects on craniofacial development.

Diagnóstico prenatal en la provincia de Girona en el período 1999-2009 / Prenatal diagnosis in the Girona area in the period 1999-2009

Objetivo. El objetivo de este trabajo es dar una visión global del uso y evolución del diagnóstico citogenético prenatal en la provincia de Girona en el período 1999-2009 y relacionar el diagnóstico citogenético con el cribado prenatal de aneuploidías. A partir de los datos recogidos se obtuvieron diversos indicadores presentados básicamente en forma de gráficos y tablas descriptivas. Resultados. Los resultados obtenidos indican lo siguiente: el uso del diagnóstico citogenético prenatal y posnatal aumentó a través del tiempo. El cribado prenatal de aneuploidías de procedencia pública en el período 1999-2009 mostró una tendencia creciente hasta el año 2005 y decreciente hasta el año 2009, cuando volvió a aumentar ligeramente. En pacientes del PASSIR Gironès-Pla de l’Estany la detección de la trisomía 21 fue del 88,9% en el cribado del primer trimestre y del 45% en el del segundo trimestre. La tasa media de detección de los cariotipos prenatales anómalos fue del 1,4% sin una tendencia temporal clara. Conclusiones. Las conclusiones principales son: - Se constata un aumento del uso del diagnóstico citogenético en el período 1999-2009. - La casuística de anomalías cromosómicas coincide con la bibliografía. - La sustitución del cribado del segundo trimestre por el del primer trimestre ha supuesto un incremento importante en la detección de aneuploidías. -La contribución de las pruebas de cribado prenatal es importante(AU)

Objective. The main goal of this research is to give a broad view of the use and evolution of prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis in Girona province between 1999 and 2009 and linking prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis with aneuploidy prenatal screening. The information collected allowed several indicators to be extracted, primarily presented as descriptive tables and charts. Results. The results show as follows: The use of prenatal and postnatal cytogenetic diagnosis increased in the mentioned period. The evolution of demand for aneuploidy prenatal screening in public health services during 1999-2009 showed an upward trend until 2005. From then on, it varied following a downward path until 2009, when it had a slight increase. Among PASSIR Gironès-Pla de l’Estany patients, detection of trisomy 21 through first-trimester screening was 88.9%, and through second-trimester screening was 45%. The average detection rate of abnormal prenatal karyotyping was 1.4%, with no clear trend in the above mentioned period. Conclusions. The main conclusions of this work are the following: - A rise in the use of cytogenetic diagnosis has been detected in Girona province between 1999 and 2009. - Case studies of chromosome abnormalities match the literature consulted. - Moving from second-trimester to first-trimester screening has meant a significant increase in aneuploidy detections. - Prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis is seen as an interdisciplinary field in which the extent of prenatal screening tests is crucial(AU)