Morphological Root Responses and Molecular Regulation of Cation Transporters Are Differently Affected by Copper Toxicity and Cropping System Depending on the Grapevine Rootstock Genotype.

The high copper (Cu) concentration in vineyard soils causes the increase of Cu toxicity symptoms in young grapevines. Recently, intercropping of grapevine and oat was shown to reduce Cu toxicity effects, modulating the root ionome. On these bases, the focus of the work was to investigate the impact of Cu toxicity of either monocropped or oat-intercropped grapevine rootstocks plants (196.17 and Fercal), at both phenotypic (i.e., root architecture), and molecular (i.e., expression of transporters) levels. The results showed a different response in terms of root morphology that are both rootstock- and cropping system dependent. Moreover, the expression pattern of transporter genes (i.e., VvCTr, VvNRAMP, and VvIRT1) in monocropped grapevine might resemble a Mn deficiency response induced by the excess of Cu, especially in Fercal plants. The gene expression in intercropped grapevines suggested rootstock-specific response mechanisms, depending on Cu levels. In fact, at low Cu concentrations, Fercal enhanced both root system growth and transporter genes expression; contrarily, 196.17 increased apoplast divalent cations accumulation and transporters expression. At high Cu concentrations, Fercal increased the expression of all bivalent cation transporters and, as previously observed, enhanced the release of root exudates, whereas the 196.17 only modulated transporters. In conclusion, our results might suggest that the different adaptation strategies of the two rootstocks to Cu toxicity could be mainly ascribable to a fine-tuning of bivalent cations transporters expression at root level.

Uso de medicamentos e suas potenciais interações com alimentos em idosos institucionalizados / Use of medicines and their potential interactions with foods in institutionalized elderly individuals

OBJETIVOS: Verificar o uso de medicamentos e identificar potenciais interações entre fármacos e alimentos/nutrientes em idosos institucionalizados. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo transversal de abordagem quali-quantitativa. A coleta de dados ocorreu por meio da análise dos prontuários e prescrições médicas dos idosos residentes em uma instituição de longa permanência para idosos do Município de Ijuí-RS. A amostra, de conveniência, incluiu todos os idosos internados na instituição no período da coleta de dados: mês de setembro de 2015. RESULTADOS: Dos 30 idosos residentes na instituição, 29 utilizavam medicamentos de uso contínuo, com média de 8,72±2,56 medicamentos por idoso, totalizando 91 medicamentos distintos. Vinte e oito (93,3%) idosos usavam cinco ou mais medicamentos, o que indica a existência de polifarmácia na grande maioria dos residentes na instituição. Os medicamentos mais utilizados atuam no sistema nervoso (35,07%), seguidos dos que atuam no aparelho gastrointestinal ou no metabolismo (31,52%) e no sistema cardiovascular (20,1%). Constatou-se que 41 (45,05%) medicamentos apresentavam potencial para interagir com alimentos, totalizando 142 interações. Potenciais interações foram identificadas em todos os idosos que faziam uso de medicamentos, variando de duas a oito, com média de 4,89±2,00 interações por idoso. A cafeína foi o nutriente que esteve envolvido em mais interações, com potencial de interagir com nove (21,95%) medicamentos distintos, sendo que destes, cinco (12,19%) atuam no sistema nervoso. CONCLUSÕES: Identificou-se alta frequência de polifarmácia pelos idosos institucionalizados, sendo os medicamentos de ação sobre o sistema nervoso os mais utilizados. Foram identificadas várias potenciais interações entre os fármacos e alguns tipos de alimentos/nutrientes presentes na alimentação.

AIMS: To verify the use of medicines identifying their potential interactions with food/nutrients in institutionalized elderly individuals. METHODS: A qualitative and quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted. The data were collected through the analysis of medical charts and prescriptions of elderly individuals from a long-stay institution in Ijuí, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The convenience sample included all the elderly individuals institutionalized during the data collection period (September 2015). RESULTS: Of the 30 institutionalized elderly individuals, 29 were using continuous medication with a mean of 8.72±2.56 medicines per individual, totaling 91 different drugs. Twenty-eight (93.3%) individuals used five or more medicines, which indicates polypharmacy among most of the elderly residents. The most commonly used medicines were for the nervous system (35.07%), digestive system and metabolism (31.52%), and cardiovascular system (20.1%). Forty-one (45.05%) drugs could potentially interact with foods, totaling 142 interactions. Potential interactions were verified in all elderly individuals, ranging from two to eight, averaging 4.89±2.00 interactions per elderly. Caffeine was involved in most interactions, potentially interacting with nine (21.95%) different medications, five (12.19%) of which acted on the nervous system. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high frequency of polypharmacy among the institutionalized elderly and medicines to treat nervous system conditions were the most common ones. Several potential interactions between drugs and some types of foods/nutrients were verified.