Monochasma Savatieri Aqueous Extract inhibits Human Breast Cancer Cell Line Migration and Adhesion Without Generating Toxicity.

BACKGROUND: Monochasma savatieri, is a rare and endangered plant used to treat cancer in Chinese traditional medicine. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-cancer activity of M. savatieri aqueous extract by determining its cytotoxicity, anti-migratory, and anti-adhesion effects on breast cancer cells. METHODS: Cell viability, migration, adhesion, circularity, and cell cycle were evaluated by crystal violet (CV) staining, wound-healing, and transwell assays and flow cytometry in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Caveolin-1, snail, vimentin and activated Erk and Akt expression were determined by western blot in MDA-MB-231 cells. Immunofluorescent assays confirmed caveolin-1 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. RESULTS: Survival and cell cycle of MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were not modified by doses up to 500 µg/mL of the extract. The extract inhibited cell migration and adhesion of MDA-MB-231 cells. When cells were exposed to the extract, there was a slight decrease in protein expression of factors related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (snail and vimentin) and a strong decrease in the expression of the oncogenic membrane protein caveolin- 1. Furthermore, the levels of phosphorylated Erk and Akt were also decreased. The content of acteoside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside with reported anti-cancer activity present in M. savatieri, was almost 5 times as much as isoacteoside. CONCLUSION: M. savatieri possesses anti-cancer activity without exerting cytotoxicity on breast cancer cells. The extract exhibited anti-migratory and anti-adhesion effects on breast cancer cells by regulating Erk and Akt signaling pathways and the expression of caveolin-1. In addition, acteoside present in M. savatieri could be responsible for the observed effects.

Apgar values lower than 7 associated with mortality in premature newborns: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk factors associated with mortality in premature newborns (PNB). METHODS: An observational, descriptive, and retrospective study, carried out at the General Hospital of San Juan del Rio, Queretaro, Mexico. The medical records of PNB admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from January until December 2018 were studied. RESULTS: A total of 136 PNB were included (74 males and 62 females) of whom 16 (11.7%) died (9 males and 7 females). A correlation was observed between gestational age and birth weight with Apgar values at 1 and 5 minutes (r=0.37, p<0.001). A lower birth weight was found in premature infants with infectious diseases, as well as a lower gestational age in relation to respiratory diseases (p<0.0001). The PNB with Apgar values lower than 7 points at 1 and 5 minutes were more likely to die (p<0.0001). The PNB with very low birth weight (1-1.49 kg), with less than 28 weeks of gestation, and with infectious pathology showed more probabilities of dying (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Apgar values lower than 7 points in the PNB are associated with the presence of infectious diseases and mortality. Likewise, a lower gestational age represents a lower birth weight, with a higher risk for respiratory and infectious diseases, and consequently an elevated mortality.

The myostatin rs1805086 variant is associated with obesity in Mexican adults, independently of metabolic risk factors.

AIM: To determine whether rs1805086 is associated with obesity and metabolic disturbances in a Mexican adult population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We genotyped rs1805086 in 1024 men and women aged 18-58 years. Anthropometric and body fat data were used to estimate obesity. Biochemical parameters were measured and DNA was used to determine the rs1805086 genotype. RESULTS: rs1805086 heterozygous AG frequency was 5.4%, and the homozygous for the risk allele GG was absent. Heterozygous had higher levels of body mass index (BMI) and waist/height ratio (WHtR). Heterozygous subjects showed a greater total and central obesity compared to the homozygous for ancestral allele AA (OR BMI > 30 kg/m2 = 2.35, 95% CI 1.29-4.29; OR WHtR > 0.5 = 2.03, 95% CI 1.19-3.45; OR elevated fat mass (EFM) %= 1.72, 95% CI 1.01-2.92; OR fat mass index (FMI)>p85 = 1.96, 95% CI 1.05-3.68). rs1805086 was not associated with metabolic alterations. CONCLUSION: Heterozygosity for rs1805086 showed a predisposition to having elevated overall and central obesity parameters. This association with adiposity seems to be independent of metabolic risk.

Fat mass obesity-associated (FTO) (rs9939609) and melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) (rs17782313) SNP are positively associated with obesity and blood pressure in Mexican school-aged children.

Childhood overweight and obesity are worldwide public health problems and risk factors for chronic diseases. The presence of SNP in several genes has been associated with the presence of obesity. A total of 580 children (8-13 years old) from Queretaro, Mexico, participated in this cross-sectional study, which evaluated the associations of rs9939609 (fat mass obesity-associated (FTO)), rs17782313 (melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R)) and rs6548238 (transmembrane protein 18 (TMEM18)) SNP with obesity and metabolic risk factors. Overweight and obesity prevalence was 19·8 and 19·1 %, respectively. FTO, MC4R and TMEM18 risk allele frequency was 17, 9·8 and 89·5 %, respectively. A significant association between FTO homozygous and MC4R heterozygous risk alleles and obesity was found (OR 3·9; 95 % CI 1·46, 10·22, and OR 2·1; 95 % CI 1·22, 3·71; respectively). The FTO heterozygous subjects showed higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures, compared with the homozygous for the ancestral allele subjects. These results remain significant after considering adiposity as a covariate. The FTO and MC4R genotypes were not significantly associated with total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and insulin concentration. No association was found between TMEM18 risk allele and obesity and/or metabolic alterations. Our results show that, in addition to a higher BMI, there is also an association of the risk genotype with blood pressure in the presence of the FTO risk genotype. The possible presence of a risk genotype in obese children must be considered to offer a more comprehensive therapeutic approach in order to delay and/or prevent the development of chronic diseases.