Relationship between psychoactive substance, alcohol and cigarette use in nursing students. A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The increase in the use of psychoactive substances, alcohol and cigarettes in young people has become a public health problem. The identification of factors that increase or reduce the risk of exposure to these substances and the possible relationship between them is essential for planning strategies with a risk approach; hence the reason for this study. The objective was to establish the profile of use of psychoactive substances, alcohol and cigarettes and the factors associated with such use in nursing students of a higher education institution. METHODS: Quantitative, observational, analytical cross-sectional study. RESULTS: We included 310 students from 1 st to 9th semester of a Nursing programme from a private higher education institution in Bogotá. The prevalence of psychoactive substance use in the last year was 2.96% (95%CI, 1.36-5.54), with marijuana being the substance most used (55.55%). The prevalence of alcohol and cigarette use during the last 12 months was estimated at 86.64% (95%CI, 83.24-91.0) and 12.16% (95%CI, 8.43-15.88) respectively. A statistically significant association was found between the use of these substances: alcohol use was associated with cigarette use (OR = 3.22; P = 0.006) and smoking was associated with psychoactive substance use (OR = 15.4; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use increases the likelihood of smoking cigarettes, and this in turn increases the likelihood of psychoactive substance use, in this university population.

New insights into the anticancer therapeutic potential of icaritin and its synthetic derivatives.

Icaritin is a natural prenylated flavonoid derived from the Chinese herb Epimedium. The compound has shown antitumor effects in various cancers, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Icaritin exerts its anticancer activity by modulating multiple signaling pathways, such as IL-6/JAK/STAT3, ER-α36, and NF-κB, affecting the tumor microenvironment and immune system. Several clinical trials have evaluated the safety and efficacy of icaritin in advanced HCC patients with poor prognoses, who are unsuitable for conventional therapies. The results have demonstrated that icaritin can improve survival, delay progression, and produce clinical benefits in these patients, with a favorable safety profile and minimal adverse events. Moreover, icaritin can enhance the antitumor immune response by regulating the function and phenotype of various immune cells, such as CD8+ T cells, MDSCs, neutrophils, and macrophages. These findings suggest that icaritin is a promising candidate for immunotherapy in HCC and other cancers. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and optimal dosing regimens of icaritin and its potential synergistic effects with other agents. Therefore, this comprehensive review of the scientific literature aims to summarize advances in the knowledge of icaritin in preclinical and clinical studies as well as the pharmacokinetic, metabolism, toxicity, and mechanisms action to recognize the main challenge, gaps, and opportunities to develop a medication that cancer patients can use. Thus, our main objective was to clarify the current state of icaritin for use as an anticancer drug.

Understanding different dominance patterns in western Amazonian forests.

Dominance of neotropical tree communities by a few species is widely documented, but dominant trees show a variety of distributional patterns still poorly understood. Here, we used 503 forest inventory plots (93,719 individuals ≥2.5 cm diameter, 2609 species) to explore the relationships between local abundance, regional frequency and spatial aggregation of dominant species in four main habitat types in western Amazonia. Although the abundance-occupancy relationship is positive for the full dataset, we found that among dominant Amazonian tree species, there is a strong negative relationship between local abundance and regional frequency and/or spatial aggregation across habitat types. Our findings suggest an ecological trade-off whereby dominant species can be locally abundant (local dominants) or regionally widespread (widespread dominants), but rarely both (oligarchs). Given the importance of dominant species as drivers of diversity and ecosystem functioning, unravelling different dominance patterns is a research priority to direct conservation efforts in Amazonian forests.

Distancia de la raíz a las tablas óseas y piso nasal de dientes anteriores maxilares con indicación de microcirugía apical / Root to bone table and nasal floor distance of maxillary anterior teeth with indication for apical microsurgery / Tabela raiz-osso e distância do pavimento nasal dos dentes anteriores superiores com indicação para microcirurgia apical

RESUMEN Objetivo: Evaluar la distancia de la raíz a las tablas óseas y piso nasal de dientes anteriores maxilares con indicación de microcirugía apical. Material y métodos: La muestra fue de 44 imágenes tomográficas computarizadas de haz cónico previas al procedimiento de microcirugía apical; además, se seleccionaron 31 imágenes para la comparación con los dientes contralaterales sin indicación de microcirugía apical. Se midió la distancia de la raíz a las tablas óseas y al piso nasal. Resultados: La distancia de la superficie radicular a las tablas óseas vestibular y palatina a 3 mm del ápice fue de 0,98 ± 0,67 mm y 4,26 ± 2,97 mm para el incisivo central; 0,77 ± 0,50 mm y 2,12 ± 1,22 mm para el incisivo lateral; y 0,52 ± 0,63 mm y 5,31 ± 1,38 mm para el canino, respectivamente. La distancia más corta del ápice al piso nasal fue de 9,56 ± 2,88 mm para el incisivo central; 10,33 ± 2,97 mm para el incisivo lateral; y 5,73 ± 2,57 mm para el canino. Solo se encontró una distancia mayor, estadísticamente significativa, del ápice al piso nasal del incisivo lateral con indicación de microcirugía apical en comparación con el incisivo lateral sin indicación de microcirugía apical. Conclusiones: La distancia de la raíz a la tabla ósea vestibular es menor que la distancia de la misma a la tabla ósea palatina. El ápice más próximo al piso nasal fue del canino. Los dientes anteriores maxilares con y sin indicación de microcirugía apical mostraron distancias similares de la raíz a las tablas óseas y piso nasal.

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the distance from the root to the bone tables and nasal floor of maxillary anterior teeth with indication for apical microsurgery. Material and methods : The sample consisted of 44 cone beam computed tomographic images prior to the apical microsurgery procedure; in addition, 31 images were selected for comparison with contralateral teeth without indication for apical microsurgery. The distance from the root to the bone tables and nasal floor was measured. Results: The distance from the root surface to the vestibular and palatal bone tables 3 mm from the apex was 0.98 ± 0.67 mm and 4.26 ± 2.97 mm for the central incisor; 0.77 ± 0.50 mm and 2.12 ± 1.22 mm for the lateral incisor; and 0.52 ± 0.63 mm and 5.31 ± 1.38 mm for the canine, respectively. The shortest distance from the apex to the nasal floor was 9.56 ± 2.88 mm for the central incisor, 10.33 ± 2.97 mm for the lateral incisor, and 5.73 ± 2.57 mm for the canine. A statistically significant greater distance from the apex to the nasal floor was found only for the lateral incisor with indication for apical microsurgery compared to the lateral incisor without indication for apical microsurgery. Conclusions: The distance from the root to the vestibular bone table is less than from the root to the palatal bone table. The apex closest to the nasal floor was that of the canine. Maxillary anterior teeth with and without indication for apical microsurgery showed similar distances from the root to the bone tables and nasal floor.

RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar a distância da raiz às tábuas ósseas e ao assoalho nasal de dentes anteriores superiores com indicação de microcirurgia apical. Material e métodos: a amostra foi composta por 44 imagens de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico antes do procedimento de microcirurgia apical; além disso, 31 imagens foram selecionadas para comparação com dentes contralaterais sem indicação de microcirurgia apical. Foi medida a distância da raiz até as tábuas ósseas e o assoalho nasal. Resultados: a distância da superfície radicular às tábuas ósseas vestibular e palatina, a 3mm do ápice, foi de 0,98mm ± 0,67mm e 4,26mm ± 2,97mm para o incisivo central; 0,77mm ± 0,50mm e 2,12mm ± 1,22mm para o incisivo lateral; e 0,52mm ± 0,63mm e 5,31mm ± 1,38mm para o canino, respetivamente. A menor distância entre o ápice e o assoalho nasal foi de 9,56 ± 2,88 mm para o incisivo central; 10,33 ± 2,97 mm para o incisivo lateral; e 5,73 ± 2,57 mm para o canino. Uma distância estatisticamente significativa maior do ápice ao assoalho nasal foi encontrada apenas para o incisivo lateral com indicação de microcirurgia apical em comparação com o incisivo lateral sem indicação de microcirurgia apical. Conclusões: a distância da raiz até a tábua óssea vestibular é menor do que a distância da raiz até a tábua óssea palatina. O ápice mais próximo do assoalho nasal foi o do canino. Os dentes anteriores superiores com e sem indicação de microcirurgia apical apresentaram distâncias semelhantes da raiz às tábuas ósseas e ao assoalho nasal.

3,3'-Diindolylmethane and indole-3-carbinol: potential therapeutic molecules for cancer chemoprevention and treatment via regulating cellular signaling pathways.

Dietary compounds in cancer prevention have gained significant consideration as a viable method. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) are heterocyclic and bioactive chemicals found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. They are synthesized after glycolysis from the glucosinolate structure. Clinical and preclinical trials have evaluated the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic, effectiveness, antioxidant, cancer-preventing (cervical dysplasia, prostate cancer, breast cancer), and anti-tumor activities of I3C and DIM involved with polyphenolic derivatives created in the digestion showing promising results. However, the exact mechanism by which they exert anti-cancer and apoptosis-inducing properties has yet to be entirely understood. Via this study, we update the existing knowledge of the state of anti-cancer investigation concerning I3C and DIM chemicals. We have also summarized; (i) the recent advancements in the use of I3C/DIM as therapeutic molecules since they represent potentially appealing anti-cancer agents, (ii) the available literature on the I3C and DIM characterization, and the challenges related to pharmacologic properties such as low solubility, and poor bioavailability, (iii) the synthesis and semi-synthetic derivatives, (iv) the mechanism of anti-tumor action in vitro/in vivo, (v) the action in cellular signaling pathways related to the regulation of apoptosis and anoikis as well as the cell cycle progression and cell proliferation such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and PPARγ agonists; SR13668, Akt inhibitor, cyclins regulation, ER-dependent-independent pathways, and their current medical applications, to recognize research opportunities to potentially use these compounds instead chemotherapeutic synthetic drugs.

High Levels of Anxiety, Depression, Risk of Suicide, and Implications for Treatment in Patients with Lamellar Ichthyosis.

Lamellar ichthyosis (LI) is a genodermatosis that injures the structure and function of the skin, affecting the appearance and self-esteem of patients, which may seriously impair their mental health and quality of life. In the present study, we determined anxiety, depression, and suicidal risk levels in patients with LI through the Beck anxiety and depression inventories (BAI and DBI-II, respectively) and the SAD PERSONS scale (SPS). We observed that anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation were strongly associated with the LI (Cramér's V = 0.429, 0.594, and 0.462, respectively). Furthermore, patients with LI showed a significant increase in the scores of anxiety, depression, and suicidal risk (p = 0.011, <0.001, and 0.001, respectively) compared to individuals without the disease. Additionally, the suicide risk increased even more in patients who presented comorbidity of anxiety and depression than in patients who presented only anxiety or depression (p = 0.02). Similarly, the increase in the BAI scores correlated with the score observed on the SPS. Our results indicate that patients with LI have higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to individuals without the disease, which could be associated with suicidal risk. Therefore, the collaborative involvement of skin and mental health professionals is necessary to manage patients with LI appropriately. We believe that psychiatric studies and individual evaluations must be performed in LI patients to determine a treatment that, in addition to reducing skin symptoms, focuses on reducing the levels of depression and anxiety and improving the quality of life to reduce the risk of suicide.

Transsulfuration pathway: a targeting neuromodulator in Parkinson's disease.

The transsulfuration pathway (TSP) is a metabolic pathway involving sulfur transfer from homocysteine to cysteine. Transsulfuration pathway leads to many sulfur metabolites, principally glutathione, H2S, taurine, and cysteine. Key enzymes of the TSP, such as cystathionine ß-synthase and cystathionine γ-lyase, are essential regulators at multiple levels in this pathway. TSP metabolites are implicated in many physiological processes in the central nervous system and other tissues. TSP is important in controlling sulfur balance and optimal cellular functions such as glutathione synthesis. Alterations in the TSP and related pathways (transmethylation and remethylation) are altered in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, suggesting their participation in the pathophysiology and progression of these diseases. In Parkinson's disease many cellular processes are comprised mainly those that regulate redox homeostasis, inflammation, reticulum endoplasmic stress, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and sulfur content metabolites of TSP are involved in these damage processes. Current research on the transsulfuration pathway in Parkinson's disease has primarily focused on the synthesis and function of certain metabolites, particularly glutathione. However, our understanding of the regulation of other metabolites of the transsulfuration pathway, as well as their relationships with other metabolites, and their synthesis regulation in Parkinson´s disease remain limited. Thus, this paper highlights the importance of studying the molecular dynamics in different metabolites and enzymes that affect the transsulfuration in Parkinson's disease.

Functional effect of indole-3 carbinol in the viability and invasive properties of cultured cancer cells.

Cancer treatment typically involves multiple strategies, such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, to remove tumors. However, chemotherapy often causes side effects, and there is a constant search for new drugs to alleviate them. Natural compounds are a promising alternative to this problem. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a natural antioxidant agent that has been studied as a potential cancer treatment. I3C is an agonist of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a transcription factor that plays a role in the expression of genes related to development, immunity, circadian rhythm, and cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of I3C on cell viability, migration, invasion properties, as well as mitochondrial integrity in hepatoma, breast, and cervical cancer cell lines. We found that all tested cell lines showed impaired carcinogenic properties and alterations in mitochondrial membrane potential after treatment with I3C. These results support the potential use of I3C as a supplementary treatment for various types of cancer.

Lithium: A Promising Anticancer Agent.

Lithium is a therapeutic cation used to treat bipolar disorders but also has some important features as an anti-cancer agent. In this review, we provide a general overview of lithium, from its transport into cells, to its innovative administration forms, and based on genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data. Lithium formulations such as lithium acetoacetate (LiAcAc), lithium chloride (LiCl), lithium citrate (Li3C6H5O7), and lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) induce apoptosis, autophagy, and inhibition of tumor growth and also participate in the regulation of tumor proliferation, tumor invasion, and metastasis and cell cycle arrest. Moreover, lithium is synergistic with standard cancer therapies, enhancing their anti-tumor effects. In addition, lithium has a neuroprotective role in cancer patients, by improving their quality of life. Interestingly, nano-sized lithium enhances its anti-tumor activities and protects vital organs from the damage caused by lipid peroxidation during tumor development. However, these potential therapeutic activities of lithium depend on various factors, such as the nature and aggressiveness of the tumor, the type of lithium salt, and its form of administration and dosage. Since lithium has been used to treat bipolar disorder, the current study provides an overview of its role in medicine and how this has changed. This review also highlights the importance of this repurposed drug, which appears to have therapeutic cancer potential, and underlines its molecular mechanisms.

Lower academic performance and dropout rates among University students with children: a prospective cohort study of nursing students in Bogotá, Colombia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between parenthood and academic performance and dropout among professional Nursing degree program students. METHODS: A prospective cohort was conducted. 310 students were included, 26 parents (exposed) and 284 nonparents (unexposed), who were followed up during 16 weeks. At the end of this follow-up, student records were reviewed. RESULTS: Academic performance in the exposed and unexposed groups was 3.51/5.0 and 3.64/5.0 respectively. Although it was higher in the latter group, i.e., with a difference of 0.13, the values were not statistically significant (p=0.058). After adjusting for confounding variables, a difference of -0.165 point was seen (p=0.037). The risk of students dropping out of college is 34 % less for exposed compared to those who are unexposed (RR: 0.66; CI: 0.075-5.78; p=0.708). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that parenthood has a modest impact on the academic performance, and has no impact on the risk of dropping out.

Latitudinal patterns and environmental drivers of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants in western Amazonian terra firme forests.

Elucidating how environmental factors drive plant species distributions and how they affect latitudinal diversity gradients, remain essential questions in ecology and biogeography. In this study we aimed: 1) to investigate the relationships between all three diversity attributes, i.e., taxonomic diversity (TD), functional diversity (FD), and phylogenetic diversity (PD); 2) to quantify the latitudinal variation in these diversity attributes in western Amazonian terra firme forests; and 3) to understand how climatic and edaphic drivers contribute to explaining diversity patterns. We inventoried ca. 15,000 individuals from ca. 1,250 species, and obtained functional trait records for ca. 5,000 woody plant individuals in 50 plots of 0.1 ha located in five terra firme forest sites spread over a latitudinal gradient of 1200 km covering ca. 10°C in latitude in western Amazonia. We calculated all three diversity attributes using Hill numbers: q = 0 (richness), q = 1 (richness weighted by relative abundance), and q = 2 (richness weighted by dominance). Generalized linear mixed models were constructed for each diversity attribute to test the effects of different uncorrelated environmental predictors comprising the temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, soil pH and soil bulk density, as well as accounting for the effect of spatial autocorrelation, i.e., plots aggregated within sites. We confirmed that TD (q = 0, q = 1, and q = 2), FD (q = 0, q = 1, and q = 2), and PD (q = 0) increased monotonically towards the Equator following the latitudinal diversity gradient. The importance of rare species could explain the lack of a pattern for PD (q = 1 and q = 2). Temperature seasonality, which was highly correlated with latitude, and annual precipitation were the main environmental drivers of variations in TD, FD, and PD. All three diversity attributes increased with lower temperature seasonality, higher annual precipitation, and lower soil pH. We confirmed the existence of latitudinal diversity gradients for TD, FD, and PD in hyperdiverse Amazonian terra firme forests. Our results agree well with the predictions of the environmental filtering principle and the favourability hypothesis, even acting in a 10°C latitudinal range within tropical climates.

FunAndes - A functional trait database of Andean plants.

We introduce the FunAndes database, a compilation of functional trait data for the Andean flora spanning six countries. FunAndes contains data on 24 traits across 2,694 taxa, for a total of 105,466 entries. The database features plant-morphological attributes including growth form, and leaf, stem, and wood traits measured at the species or individual level, together with geographic metadata (i.e., coordinates and elevation). FunAndes follows the field names, trait descriptions and units of measurement of the TRY database. It is currently available in open access in the FIGSHARE data repository, and will be part of TRY's next release. Open access trait data from Andean plants will contribute to ecological research in the region, the most species rich terrestrial biodiversity hotspot.

Indole-3-Carbinol, a Phytochemical Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Ligand, Induces the mRNA Overexpression of UBE2L3 and Cell Proliferation Arrest.

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common cancers in women, and is linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The virus oncoprotein E6 binds to p53, resulting in its degradation and allowing uncontrolled cell proliferation. Meanwhile, the HPV E7 protein maintains host cell differentiation by targeting retinoblastoma tumor suppressor. The host cell can ubiquitinate E6 and E7 through UBE2L3, whose expression depends on the interaction between the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) with Xenobiotic Responsive Elements (XREs) located in the UBE2L3 gene promoter. In this study, we used cell culture to determine the effect of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) over cellular viability, apoptosis, cell proliferation, and mRNA levels of UBE2L3 and CYP1A1. In addition, patients' samples were used to determine the mRNA levels of UBE2L3 and CYP1A1 genes. We found that I3C promotes the activation of AhR and decreases cell proliferation, possibly through UBE2L3 mRNA induction, which would result in the ubiquitination of HPV E7. Since there is a strong requirement for selective and cost-effective cancer treatments, natural AhR ligands such as I3C could represent a novel strategy for cancer treatment.

Inorganic-Cation Pseudohalide 2D Cs2 Pb(SCN)2 Br2 Perovskite Single Crystal.

Most of the reported 2D Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) lead halide perovskites with the general formula of An +1 Bn X3 n +1 (n = 1, 2, …) comprise layered perovskites separated by A-site-substituted organic spacers. To date, only a small number of X-site-substituted RP perovskites have been reported. Herein, the first inorganic-cation pseudohalide 2D phase perovskite single crystal, Cs2 Pb(SCN)2 Br2 , is reported. It is synthesized by the antisolvent vapor-assisted crystallization (AVC) method at room temperature. It exhibits a standard single-layer (n = 1) Ruddlesden-Popper structure described in space group of Pmmn (#59) and has a small separation (d = 1.69 Å) between the perovskite layers. The SCN- anions are found to bend the 2D Pb(SCN)2 Br2 framework slightly into a kite-shaped octahedron, limiting the formation of a quasi-2D perovskite structure (n > 1). This 2D single crystal exhibits a reversible first-order phase transformation to 3D CsPbBr3 (Pm3m #221) at 450 K. It has a low exciton binding energy of 160 meV-one of the lowest for 2D perovskites (n = 1). A Cs2 Pb(SCN)2 Br2 -single-crystal photodetector is demonstrated with respectable responsivity of 8.46 mA W-1 and detectivity of ≈1.2 × 1010 Jones at a low bias voltage of 0.5 V.

The high methylation level of a novel 151-bp CpG island in the ESR1 gene promoter is associated with a poor breast cancer prognosis.

BACKGROUND: The ESR1 gene suffers methylation changes in many types of cancers, including breast cancer (BC), the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women that is also present in men. Methylation at promoter A of ESR1 is the worse prognosis in terms of overall survival; thus, the early detection, prognostic, and prediction of therapy involve some methylation biomarkers. METHODS: Therefore, our study aimed to examine the methylation levels at the ESR1 gene in samples from Mexican BC patients and its possible association with menopausal status. RESULTS: We identified a novel 151-bp CpG island in the promoter A of the ESR1 gene. Interestingly, methylation levels at this CpG island in positive ERα tumors were approximately 50% less than negative ERα or control samples. Furthermore, methylation levels at ESR1 were associated with menopausal status. In postmenopausal patients, the methylation levels were 1.5-fold higher than in premenopausal patients. Finally, according to tumor malignancy, triple-negative cancer subtypes had higher ESR1 methylation levels than luminal/HER2+ or luminal A subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that methylation at this novel CpG island might be a promising prognosis marker.

Breast cancer-related single-nucleotide polymorphism and their risk contribution in Mexican women.

CONTEXT: Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Mexican patients and their association with the development of breast cancer (BC). AIMS: This work is focused on determining the association of fibroblast growth factor receptor (rs12196489), TOX3 (rs3803662), human telomerase reverse transcriptase (h TERT, rs10069690), and FTO (rs17817449) polymorphisms and BC in a cohort of Mexican women. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study included 56 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of BC and 83 controls. Clinical characteristics were obtained from medical records. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Genomic DNA from the samples was obtained from lymphocytes, and the genotyping of rs12196489, rs3803662, rs10069690, and rs17817449 polymorphisms was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction using specific TaqMan probes. Statistical analysis was assessed to evaluate the distribution of genotype frequencies between cases and controls. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: We used the STATA Statistical Package (version 10.1; STATA Corp., College Station, TX, USA). Student's t-test, χ2 test, or Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate the distribution of genotype frequencies. RESULTS: No statistical differences in allelic and genotypic frequencies were found between patients with BC and controls for SNPs: rs1219648, rs3803662, and rs17817449. Interestingly, according to the χ2 test, a significant difference was exhibited for rs10069690 (odds ratio = 0.095; 95% confidence interval = 0.038-0.214; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The h TERT (rs10069690) polymorphism might be associated with BC in Mexican women. Nevertheless, additional studies in a larger cohort are required to confirm this association and to possibly use this polymorphism as a potential biomarker in the early diagnosis of BC.

Application of antigenic biomarkers for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The study and characterization of biomolecules involved in the interaction between mycobacteria and their hosts are crucial to determine their roles in the invasion process and provide basic knowledge about the biology and pathogenesis of disease. Promising new biomarkers for diagnosis and immunotherapy have emerged recently. Mycobacterium is an ancient pathogen that has developed complex strategies for its persistence in the host and environment, likely based on the complexity of the network of interactions between the molecules involved in infection. Several biomarkers have received recent attention in the process of developing rapid and reliable detection techniques for tuberculosis. Among the most widely investigated antigens are CFP-10 (10-kDa culture filtrate protein), ESAT-6 (6-kDa early secretory antigenic target), Ag85A, Ag85B, CFP-7, and PPE18. Some of these antigens have been proposed as biomarkers to assess the key elements of the response to infection of both the pathogen and host. The design of novel and accurate diagnostic methods is essential for the control of tuberculosis worldwide. Presently, the diagnostic methods are based on the identification of molecules in the humoral response in infected individuals. Therefore, these tests depend on the capacity of the host to develop an immune response, which usually is heterogeneous. In the last 20 years, special attention has been given to the design of multiantigenic diagnostic methods to improve the levels of sensitivity and specificity. In this review, we summarize the state of the art in the study and use of mycobacterium biomolecules with the potential to support novel tuberculosis control strategies.

Decoding Aging: Understanding the Complex Relationship among Aging, Free Radicals, and GSH.

N-aryl maleimides can undergo a 1,4-Michael-type addition reaction with reduced glutathione (GSH), leading to a decreased concentration of GSH and an increased concentration of free radicals (FRs) in cells. GSH is a critical scavenging molecule responsible for protecting cells from oxidation and for maintaining redox homeostasis. N-aryl maleimides disturb redox homeostasis in cells because they scavenge thiol-containing molecules, especially GSH. This study aimed at measuring the concentrations of GSH and FRs by electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR), in the brain and liver tissue of male Wistar rats (ex vivo) at different ages and after treatment with 3,5-dimaleimylbenzoic acid (3,5-DMB). Our results showed a relationship between age and the concentrations of GSH and FRs in cells. In young rats, the concentration of GSH was higher than in old rats, while the concentration of FRs was higher in adult rats than in young rats, suggesting an inverse relationship between GSH and FRs. On the other hand, the reaction of 3,5-DMB (an electrophilic maleimide) with cellular GSH increased the FR content. The results of this study contribute to the awareness that the process of aging implies not only a loss of tissue function but also essential changes in the molecular contents of cells, especially the concentrations of FRs and GSH.

Protein Phosphorylation in Serine Residues Correlates with Progression from Precancerous Lesions to Cervical Cancer in Mexican Patients.

Protein phosphorylation is a posttranslational modification that is essential for normal cellular processes; however, abnormal phosphorylation is one of the prime causes for alteration of many structural, functional, and regulatory proteins in disease conditions. In cancer, changes in the states of protein phosphorylation in tyrosine residues have been more studied than phosphorylation in threonine or serine residues, which also undergo alterations with greater predominance. In general, serine phosphorylation leads to the formation of multimolecular signaling complexes that regulate diverse biological processes, but in pathological conditions such as tumorigenesis, anomalous phosphorylation may result in the deregulation of some signaling pathways. Cervical cancer (CC), the main neoplasm associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, is the fourth most frequent cancer worldwide. Persistent infection of the cervix with high-risk human papillomaviruses produces precancerous lesions starting with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), progressing to high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) until CC is generated. Here, we compared the proteomic profile of phosphorylated proteins in serine residues from healthy, LSIL, HSIL, and CC samples. Our data show an increase in the number of phosphorylated proteins in serine residues as the grade of injury rises. These results provide a support for future studies focused on phosphorylated proteins and their possible correlation with the progression of cervical lesions.

Asociación entre el bajo nivel socioeconómico del área de residencia y embarazo en adolescentes / Relationship Between Low Socioeconomic Level of the Area of Residence and Pregnancy in Adolescents

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