VY6, a ß-lactoglobulin-derived peptide, altered metabolic lipid pathways in the zebra fish liver.

Today enormous research efforts are being focused on alleviating the massive, adverse effects of obesity. Short peptides are key targets for research as they can be generated from natural proteins, like milk. Here we conducted trypsinogen digestion of beta-lactoglobulin (ß-lg), the major mammalian milk protein, to release the hexamer VY6. It was assayed in vivo for its activities on lipid metabolism using zebra fish as a vertebrate model. Zebra fish juveniles were injected with two different doses of the peptide: 100 and 800 µg per g fish and left for 5 days before sacrificing. Lipid measurements showed significant reduction in liver triglycerides and free cholesterol, as well as increased liver HDL cholesterol. Dose-dependent increases of the mRNA levels of the genes coding for the enzymes acyl coenzyme A oxidase 1 (acox1) and lipoprotein lipase (lpl) were also found. The complete results suggest significant anti-obesity activity of the ß-lg-derived VY6 peptide. Its use as a nutraceutical has been discussed.

[Carotid thrombosis as the clinical onset of cervical metastasis of unknown origin]. / Trombosis carotídea como presentación clínica de una metástasis cervical de origen desconocido.

Carotid infiltration by a cervical metastatic node, although uncommon, has a poor prognosis and controversial treatment. We report the case of a 59-year-old male patient with a metastatic node of squamous cell carcinoma of unknown origin and a clinical onset in the form of ischemic cerebrovascular accident caused by ipsilateral occlusion of the internal carotid. Radical neck dissection was performed, sparing the carotid artery, which was not infiltrated by the tumor. The pathogenesis of carotid occlusion is discussed and the literature reviewed.