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Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) cycle in the myocardium is associated with activation of an injurious cascade, thus leading to new myocardial challenges, which account for up to 50% of infarct size. Some evidence implicates reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a probable cause of myocardial injury in prooxidant clinical settings. Damage occurs during both ischemia and post-ischemic reperfusion in animal and human models. The mechanisms that contribute to this damage include the increase in cellular calcium (Ca2+) concentration and induction of ROS sources during reperfusion. Pharmacological preconditioning, which includes pharmacological strategies that counteract the ROS burst and Ca2+ overload followed to IR cycle in the myocardium, could be effective in limiting injury. Currently widespread evidence supports the use of anesthetics agents as an important cardioprotective strategy that act at various levels such as metabotropic receptors, ion channels or mitochondrial level. Their administration before a prolonged ischemic episode is known as anesthetic preconditioning, whereas when given at the very onset of reperfusion, is termed anesthetic postconditioning. Both types of anesthetic conditioning reduce, albeit not to the same degree, the extent of myocardial injury. This review focuses on cellular and pathophysiological concepts on the myocardial damage induced by IR and how anesthetic pharmacological agents commonly used could attenuate the functional and structural effects induced by oxidative stress in cardiac tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

They are of compulsory report in our country, because they produce serious consequences in Public Health. This project aims to epidemiologically describe accidents caused by poisonous animals in the north of La Pampa, identify the areas of highest risk and relate them to the distribution antivenoms centers and health institutions with intensive care. A retrospective descriptive epidemiological study was carried out to collect information about accidents with poisonous in the north of La Pampa province during the period 2005-2017. Primary and secondary data sources were used. A review of C2 reports of poisonous accidents from National Health Surveillance System (NHSS) and from records of the Dangerous Species for human and animal health Identification Services from FCV-UNLPam was carried out. Twentyeight interviews to community references and 10 health teams were done. According to the NHSS data, 6 cases of alacrism, 21 of arachnoidism and 3 of ophidism were recorded in the study period. According to the interviews, cases of poisonous animal accidents were described in different locations. The distribution centers of antivenoms, are according to the areas where the accidents were recorded. From the analysis of the data in the study period, we can conclude there are more underreporting than cases reported to the NHSS. In situations where data on accidents by venomous species are deficient, it is difficult to accurately determine the antidotes. This leads national health authorities to underestimate these needs, thereby reducing the distribution of anti-venoms. For this reason, it is important to strengthen the notification, systematization and dissemination of information to contribute to the monitoring and implementation of prevention measures and the treatment of accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Background: little information is availaible on the effect of fructose on bile lipids. The first stage in the formation of gallstones corresponds to biliary cholesterol crystallization, derived from the vesicular transporters. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of consuming diets with different fructose concentrations on serum lipids and their implications on gallstones formation. Methods: BALB/c mice divided into a control group as well as groups were treated with different fructose concentrations (10 %, 30 %, 50 % or 70 %) for different periods (1, 2 or 5 months). Blood, liver and bile samples were obtained. In bile samples, cholesterol and phospholipids levels were analyzed, and cholesterol transporters (vesicles and micelles) were separated by gel filtration chromatography. Results: treated animals showed: 1) increases in body weight similar to the control group; 2) a significant increase in plasma triglycerides only at very high fructose concentrations; 3) a significant increase in total serum cholesterol in the treatment for 1 month; 4) no variations in HDL-cholesterol; 5) a significant increase in serum glucose only at very high fructose concentrations in the second month of treatment; 6) no differences in the plasma alanine-aminotransferase activity; 7) a significant increase in liver triglyceride levels only at very high fructose concentrations; 8) no change in biliary lipid concentrations or in micellar and vesicular phospholipids. Conclusion: changes in plasma, liver and bile lipids were only observed at very high fructose concentrations diets. We conclude that fructose apparently does not alter the gallstone formation process in our experimental model.

Background: Diabesity is defined as the coexistence of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), either with or without additional cardiovascular risk factors. Despite its significance, its prevalence has not yet been investigated in Chile. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of prediabesity and diabesity in Chilean adults., Material and Method: 4,985 participants older than 18 from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016-2017 were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Nutritional status was determined through the body-mass index while T2D was determined through fasting glycemia ≥126 mg / dL or self-reported medical status. Using these two variables, six phenotypes were defined: normal without diabetes, normo-diabetes, overweight without diabetes, prediabesity, obesity without diabetes, and diabesity. The prevalence of these was studied according to sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics., Results: The prevalence of diabesity was 5.7%, 3.6% had prediabesity, and 2.5% were classified as normo-diabetes. Additionally, the prevalence of diabetes was mainly in women, in people with less than 8 years of schooling, and in those with an age of diagnosis of 45-46 years., Conclusions: 9.3% of the population presented pre or diabesity, with a higher proportion of diabesity cases in women and people with lower education. Considering the projections of obesity and T2DM in Chile, it is urgent to generate actions and strategies since a large proportion of the cases of these diseases can be preventable.

Objective: To investigate the association between a lifestyle score and all-cause mortality in the Chilean population., Design: Prospective study., Settings: The score was based on seven modifiable behaviours: salt intake, fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, smoking, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. 1-point was assigned for each healthy recommendation. Points were summed to create an unweighted score from 0 (less healthy) to 7 (healthiest). According to their score, participants were then classified into: less healthy (0-2 points), moderately healthy (3-4 points) and the healthiest (5-7 points). Associations between the categories of lifestyle score and all-cause mortality were investigated using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for confounders. Nonlinear associations were also investigated., Participants: 2706 participants from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009-2010., Results: After a median follow-up of 10·9 years, 286 (10·6 %) participants died. In the maximally adjusted model, and compared with the healthiest participants, those less healthy had 2·55 (95 % CI 1·75, 3·71) times higher mortality risk due to any cause. Similar trends were identified for the moderately healthy group. Moreover, there was a significant trend towards increasing the mortality risk when increasing unhealthy behaviours (hazard ratio model 3: 1·61 (95 % CI 1·34, 1·94)). There was no evidence of nonlinearity between the lifestyle score and all-cause mortality., Conclusion: Individuals in the less healthy lifestyle category had higher mortality risk than the healthiest group. Therefore, public health strategies should be implemented to promote adherence to a healthy lifestyle across the Chilean population.

Background: The Fat-mass and obesity-associated-gene (FTO gene) and sedentary behavior time are associated with obesity. However, whether sedentary behavior time can modify the genetic predisposition to obesity in the Chilean population is unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the association between sedentary behavior, adiposity markers, and the FTO gene., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 409 participants from the Genes, Environment, Diabetes, and Obesity (GENADIO) study. Adiposity markers studied included body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and fat mass. Sedentary behaviors were measured using accelerometers. Using multiple regression, we evaluated the interaction between sedentary behaviors and the FTO gene (rs9939609) on adiposity markers., Results: Sedentary behaviors and the FTO genotype were positively associated with higher body weight, BMI, WC, and fat mass. However, the association between time of sedentary behavior and adiposity markers was higher in carriers of the risk variant for the FTO gene. For each hour of increment in sedentary behaviors, body weight increases by 1.36 kg ([95% CI: 0.27; 2.46], p = 0.015) and 2.95 kg ([95%CI: 1.24; 4.65], p = 0.001) in non-risk carriers (TT) versus risk carriers (AA), respectively. We observed similar results for WC, BMI, and body fat, but the interaction was significant only for WC., Conclusion: The association between sedentary behaviors and adiposity markers, especially body weight and WC, is higher in individuals who carry the risk variant of the FTO gene.

Introduction: A Body Shape Index (ABSI) is a new obesity index based on body volume; this has been associated with chronic non-communicable diseases and mortality, independent of the values of the body mass index (BMI); however, its association with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Chilean adult population is unknown., Objective: To determine the association between ABSI, glycemia, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAc1), and self-reported T2DM in the Chilean adult population., Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 4,874 participants were included (mean age 43.3 years, 50.9% women) from the 2016-2017 National Health Survey. ABSI was calculated according to the proposed formula (based on waist circumference, BMI, and height). The Poisson regression was used to investigate the association between ABSI and T2DM, and linear regression was used to investigate the association between ABSI, glycemia, and HbAc1. Sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and BMI adjusted the analyses., Results: ABSI was positively associated with glycemia (p < 0.001), HbA1c (p < 0.001), and DMT2 (p < 0.001). In the most adjusted model, for every 0.025 unit increase in ABSI, glycemia increased by 1.78 mg/dL (95% CI: 1.21, 2.35) and HbAc1 by 0.92% (95% CI: 0.49, 1.35). Regarding T2DM, the prevalence ratio was 1.14 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.20), independent of sociodemographic factors, lifestyles, and BMI., Conclusions: ABSI was linearly associated with a higher probability of suffering from T2DM and higher levels of glycemia and HbA1c in Chilean adults. In this context, ABSI could be a complementary index, independent of BMI, to assess the risk of metabolic disorders associated with obesity.

Alternariol is a toxic metabolite of Alternaria fungi and studies have shown multiple potential pharmacological effects. To outline the anticancer effects and mechanisms of alternariol and its derivatives based on database reports, an updated search of PubMed/MedLine, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus databases was performed with relevant keywords for published articles. The studies found to suggest that this mycotoxin and/or its derivatives have potential anticancer effects in many pharmacological preclinical test systems. Scientific reports indicate that alternariol and/or its derivatives exhibit anticancer through several pathways, including cytotoxic, reactive oxygen species leading to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction-linked cytotoxic effect, anti-inflammatory, cell cycle arrest, apoptotic cell death, genotoxic and mutagenic, anti-proliferative, autophagy, and estrogenic and clastogenic mechanisms. In light of these results, alternariol may be one of the hopeful chemotherapeutic agents., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Islam, Martorell, González-Contreras, Villagran, Mardones, Tynybekov, Docea, Abdull Razis, Modu, Calina and Sharifi-Rad.)

Children carrying the minor allele 'A' at the fat mass and obesity-associated protein ( FTO) gene have higher obesity prevalence. We examined the link between FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and plasma adiponectin and the mediating role of body adiposity, in a cross-sectional study comprising 323 children aged 6-11 years. Adiponectin and FTO genotypes were assessed using a commercial kit and a real-time polymerase chain reaction with high-resolution melting analysis, respectively. Body adiposity included body mass index z-score, body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio. To investigate adiponectin (outcome) associations with FTO and adiposity, linear regressions were implemented in additive models and across genotype categories, adjusting for sex, age and Tanner's stage. Using mediation analysis, we determined the proportion of the association adiponectin- FTO mediated by body adiposity. Lower adiponectin concentrations were associated with one additional risk allele (β additive = -0.075 log-μg/mL [-0.124; -0.025]), a homozygous risk genotype (β AA/TT = -0.150 [-0.253; -0.048]) and a higher body mass index z-score (β = -0.130 [-0.176; -0.085]). Similar results were obtained for body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio. Body adiposity may mediate up to 29.8% of the FTO -adiponectin association. In conclusion, FTO rs9939609-related differences in body adiposity may partially explain lower adiponectin concentrations. Further studies need to disentangle the biological pathways independent from body adiposity.

We aimed to investigate the association between frailty status and all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older people. We included 2661 individuals aged ≥ 35 from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009−2010. Mortality was determined through linkage with the Chilean Civil Registry and Identification. A 36-item frailty index (FI) was used to assess the frailty status. Associations between frailty status and all-cause mortality were assessed using Kaplan−Meier and Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. A non-linear association was investigated using penalized cubic splines fitted in the Cox models. During an 8.9 median follow-up (interquartile range of 8.6−9.0), 308 individuals died (11.5%). Lower survival rates were observed in frail individuals compared to pre-frail and robust people (log-rank < 0.001). Compared with robust individuals, frail people had a higher mortality risk (HR: 2.35 [95% CI: 1.57 to 3.51]). Frail middle-aged individuals had a higher risk of dying independently of major risk factors.

GLUT1 is a facilitative glucose transporter that can transport oxidized vitamin C (i.e., dehydroascorbic acid) and complements the action of reduced vitamin C transporters. To identify the residues involved in human GLUT1's transport of dehydroascorbic acid, we performed docking studies in the 5 Å grid of the glucose-binding cavity of GLUT1. The interactions of the bicyclic hemiacetal form of dehydroascorbic acid with GLUT1 through hydrogen bonds with the -OH group of C3 and C5 were less favorable than the interactions with the sugars transported by GLUT1. The eight most relevant residues in such interactions (i.e., F26, Q161, I164, Q282, Y292, and W412) were mutated to alanine to perform functional studies for dehydroascorbic acid and the glucose analog, 2-deoxiglucose, in Xenopus laevis oocytes. All the mutants decreased the uptake of both substrates to less than 50%. The partial effect of the N317A mutant in transporting dehydroascorbic acid was associated with a 30% decrease in the V max compared to the wildtype GLUT1. The results show that both substrates share the eight residues studied in GLUT1, albeit with a differential contribution of N317. Our work, combining docking with functional studies, marks the first to identify structural determinants of oxidized vitamin C's transport via GLUT1.

Introduction: The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) participates in the control of appetite at the level of the central nervous system, through the leptin-melanocortin pathway. An association between different polymorphisms of the MC4R gene and obesity has been reported. However, there are few studies of the rs483145 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of this gene., Objective: To investigate its prevalence and association with adiposity markers in Chilean adults., Methods: The prevalence of SNP rs483145, of the MC4R gene, was determined in 259 participants of the GENADIO study (genes, environment, diabetes and obesity) by means of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The association between the risk allele of MC4R (A) and adiposity markers (body weight, body mass index, fat mass percentage, hip circumference, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) was performed by linear regression analysis and adjusted for confusion variables (socio-demographic and physic activity) using three statistical models., Results: It was determined that the prevalence of the risk allele (A) of the SNP rs483145 of the MC4R gene is 24.5% in the Chilean adult population included in this study, without finding an association with any of the adiposity markers studied, both in adjusted and unadjusted models., Conclusion: The presence of the risk allele of SNP rs483145 of the MC4R gene is not associated with adiposity markers in the Chilean adult population studied. New studies with a bigger sample size will be necessary to confirm these results., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant associated with the prevention of the common cold and is also a cofactor of hydrolases that participate in the synthesis of collagen and catecholamines, and in the regulation of gene expression. In cancer, vitamin C is associated with prevention, progression, and treatment, due to its general properties or its role as a pro-oxidant at high concentration. This review explores the role of vitamin C in cancer clinical trials and the aspects to consider in future studies, such as plasmatic vitamin C and metabolite excretion recording, and metabolism and transport of vitamin C into cancer cells. The reviewed studies show that vitamin C intake from natural sources can prevent the development of pulmonary and breast cancer, and that vitamin C synergizes with gemcitabine and erlotinib in pancreatic cancer. In vitro assays reveal that vitamin C synergizes with DNA-methyl transferase inhibitors. However, vitamin C was not associated with cancer prevention in a Mendelian randomized study. In conclusion, the role of vitamin C in the prevention and treatment of cancer is still an ongoing area of research. It is necessary that new phase II and III clinical trials be performed to collect stronger evidence of the therapeutic role of vitamin C in cancer.

Objective: To study the association of SLC16A11 gene variants with obesity and metabolic markers in nondiabetic Chilean adults., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 263 non-diabetic adults. The genotype of the rs75493593 polymorphism of SLC16A11 gene was performed by real-time PCR. It's association with adiposity markers (body weight, BMI, waist circumference and fat mass percentage), metabolic markers (glucose, insulin, HOMA IR , leptin, total cholesterol, LDLc, HDLc, triglycerides, ALT, GGT and hsCRP) and blood pressure was analyzed by linear regression., Results: The minor allele (T) of the SLC16A11 gene (rs75493593) has a frequency of 29.7% among Chileans. Risk genotypes (GT and TT) were associated with a significant 1.49 mU/l increase in plasmatic insulin for each copy of the minor allele (95% CI: 0.12, 2.87, p < 0.05). This association remained significant after adjusting for socio-demographic variables, physical activity and smoking (1.36 mU/l, 95% CI: 0.16, 2.58 p < 0.05), but was lost when BMI was included as a confounding factor. Higher BMI was also significantly associated with polymorphic genotypes in SLC16A11 , independent of socio-demographic variables., Conclusion: The minor allele of the SLC16A11 gene (T) is highly prevalent among Chileans and is associated with increased insulin and BMI in nondiabetic individuals. These findings suggest that the genetic variant in SLC16A11 is not only associated with type 2 diabetes as previously shown in Mexicans, but is also related to early metabolic alterations in healthy subjects that may lead to type 2 diabetes.

Background: Genetic variants within the FTO gene have been associated with increased adiposity and metabolic markers; however, there is limited evidence regarding the association of FTO gene variants with physical activity-related variables. The authors aimed to investigate the association of the rs17817449 single-nucleotide polymorphism of FTO with physical activity, sedentary time, and cardiorespiratory fitness in Chilean adults., Methods: A total of 409 participants from the GENADIO study were included and genotyped for the rs17817449 single-nucleotide polymorphism of FTO in this cross-sectional study. Physical activity and sedentary time were measured with ActiGraph accelerometers. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the Chester step test. The associations were assessed by using multivariate regression analyses., Results: No associations were found for FTO variant with physical activity levels and cardiorespiratory fitness. The risk allele (G) of the FTO was found to be associated with sedentary time in the minimally adjusted model (β = 19.7 min/d; 95% confidence interval, 4.0 to 35.5, per each copy of the risk allele; P = .006), but the association was no longer significant when body mass index was included as a confounder (P = .211)., Conclusion: The rs17817449 single-nucleotide polymorphism of the FTO gene was not associated with the level of physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and sedentary behaviors in Chilean adults.

Differentiated mammary epithelial cells are responsible for milk synthesis during lactation, supporting early postnatal life in mammals. These cells are found in the terminal alveoli of a secretory epithelium, which is surrounded by myoepithelial cells and a stroma rich in fatty tissue. The aim of this study was to explore the cell-specific expression of the glucose transporter GLUT8 in mammary gland and evaluate its functionality for glucose transport, in order to confirm its role in lactose synthesis. Our histological results revealed that GLUT8 is expressed in adipocytes and the epithelial and myoepithelial cells in mammary gland, with a predominant intracellular granular pattern. Colocalization studies of endogenous and green fluorescent protein fused GLUT8 revealed their expressions in lysosome and Golgi, respectively, with Pearson's coefficient correlations of 0.82 ± 0.05 and 0.68 ± 0.16. Functional studies of dileucine to dialanine mutant of GLUT8 showed a fructose-sensitive 2-deoxy glucose uptake at a rate of 83.3 pmoles/(min∗10 6  cells), 7 folds over empty vector, with a 60 ± 4 and 72 ± 6% decline in 2-deoxy glucose in the presence of 20 and 50 mM fructose, respectively. We concluded that functional GLUT8 is expressed in mammary gland, localizing in mammary epithelial and myoepithelial cells, and adipocytes. In lactation, GLUT8 is expressed mainly in luminal epithelial cells, at the compartments of the endomembrane system. It is necessary to explore the physiological/pathological functions of GLUT8 in mammary gland, including its role in lactation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have not conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) participates in the control of appetite at the level of the central nervous system, through the leptin-melanocortin pathway. An association between different polymorphisms of the MC4R gene and obesity has been reported. However, there are few studies of the rs483145 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of this gene., Objective: To investigate its prevalence and association with adiposity markers in Chilean adults., Methods: The prevalence of SNP rs483145, of the MC4R gene, was determined in 259 participants of the GENADIO study (genes, environment, diabetes and obesity) by means of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The association between the risk allele of MC4R (A) and adiposity markers (body weight, body mass index, fat mass percentage, hip circumference, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) was performed by linear regression analysis and adjusted for confusion variables (socio-demographic and physic activity) using three statistical models., Results: It was determined that the prevalence of the risk allele (A) of the SNP rs483145 of the MC4R gene is 24.5% in the Chilean adult population included in this study, without finding an association with any of the adiposity markers studied, both in adjusted and unadjusted models., Conclusion: The presence of the risk allele of SNP rs483145 of the MC4R gene is not associated with adiposity markers in the Chilean adult population studied. New studies with a bigger sample size will be necessary to confirm these results., (Copyright © 2021 SEEN y SED. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The study describes the current state of knowledge on nanotechnology and its utilization in medicine. The focus in this manuscript was on the properties, usage safety, and potentially valuable applications of chitosan-based nanomaterials. Chitosan nanoparticles have high importance in nanomedicine, biomedical engineering, discovery and development of new drugs. The manuscript reviewed the new studies regarding the use of chitosan-based nanoparticles for creating new release systems with improved bioavailability, increased specificity and sensitivity, and reduced pharmacological toxicity of drugs. Nowadays, effective cancer treatment is a global problem, and recent advances in nanomedicine are of great importance. Special attention was put on the application of chitosan nanoparticles in developing new system for anticancer drug delivery. Pre-clinical and clinical studies support the use of chitosan-based nanoparticles in nanomedicine. This manuscript overviews the last progresses regarding the utilization, stability, and bioavailability of drug nanoencapsulation with chitosan and their safety.

Type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) prevalence has significantly increased worldwide in recent years due to population age, obesity, and modern sedentary lifestyles. The projections estimate that 439 million people will be diabetic in 2030. T2DM is characterized by an impaired β-pancreatic cell function and insulin secretion, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, and recently the epigenetic regulation of β-pancreatic cells differentiation has been underlined as being involved. It is currently known that several bioactive molecules, widely abundant in plants used as food or infusions, have a key role in histone modification and DNA methylation, and constituted potential epidrugs candidates against T2DM. In this sense, in this review the epigenetic mechanisms involved in T2DM and protein targets are reviewed, with special focus in studies addressing the potential use of phytochemicals as epidrugs that prevent and/or control T2DM in vivo and in vitro . As main findings, and although some controversial results have been found, bioactive molecules with epigenetic regulatory function, appear to be a potential replacement/complementary therapy of pharmacological hypoglycemic drugs, with minimal side effects. Indeed, natural epidrugs have shown to prevent or delay the T2DM development and the morbidity associated to dysfunction of blood vessels, eyes and kidneys due to sustained hyperglycemia in T2DM patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Ramírez-Alarcón, Victoriano, Mardones, Villagran, Al-Harrasi, Al-Rawahi, Cruz-Martins, Sharifi-Rad and Martorell.)

Background: Adiposity and education are two independent risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, there is limited evidence whether both education and adiposity are associated with T2D in an additive manner in the Chilean population., Aim: To investigate the joint association between adiposity and education with T2D in the Chilean adult population., Material and Methods: Analysis of data of the Chilean National Health Survey 2016-2017, which included 5,033 participants with a mean age of 43 years, (51% women). Poisson regression analyses with robust standard error were used to investigate the joint association of the education level and general and central adiposity with T2D. The results were reported as Prevalence Ratio and their 95% confidence intervals (PR, 95% CI)., Results: Obesity was associated with a higher probability of having T2D in men than in women, however central adiposity was associated with a higher probability of having T2D in women than in men. Compared with men who had higher education (> 12 years) and had normal body weight, those with the same educational level and who were obese had 2.3-times higher probability of having T2D (PR: 2.35 [95% CI: 1.02; 5.39]). For women, having a low education and being obese was associated with 4.4-times higher probability of having T2D compared to those with higher education and normal body mass index (BMI) (PR: 4.47 [95% IC: 2.12; 9.24]). Similar results were observed when waist circumference was used as a marker of obesity rather than BMI., Conclusions: Women and men with higher BMI and low education had a higher risk of T2D. However, this risk was higher in women than in men.

Background: Depression has been previously associated with cognitive impairment in high income country populations. However, its association in the Chilean population has not been investigated., Aim: To investigate the association between depression and cognitive impairment., Material and Methods: Data from 1384 Chilean adults aged > 60 years, participating in the National Health Survey 2009-2010 was analyzed. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Mini Mental Examination score. The medical diagnosis of depression was self-reported. The association between depression and cognitive impairment was assessed using a logistic regression., Results: Depression was positively associated with cognitive impairment. However, the magnitude of the association was higher in men (Odds ratio (OR) = 4.02 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.44; 6.61], p < 0.01]) than in women (OR = 2.23 [95%CI: 1.03; 3.43], p = 0.04). Older adults who were diagnosed for the first time with depression after 65 years of age, showed a stronger association with cognitive impairment (OR = 6.65 [95% CI: 2.39; 10.9], p < 0.01) than those diagnosed before 55 years., Conclusions: Our study confirms the association between depression and cognitive impairment. Further research is needed to elucidate the nature and potential mechanisms that link depression with cognitive impairment.

Background: Sugar intake is a risk factor for the development of obesity., Aim: To investigate the association between total sugar intake and obesity markers in Chilean adults., Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 396 participants of the GENADIO study. Anthropometric measurements (body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio, and % body fat) were measured through standardized protocols. Total sugar intake was determined from a 7-days weighted food daily. Sugar intake expressed in g/day was categorized into quartiles., Results: Higher sugar intake was associated with a higher BMI, WC and HC but not with body fat %. One quartile increment in sugar intake was associated with 1.50 kg [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49; 2.50] higher body weight, 0.34 kg/m2 [95% CI: 0.01; 0.69] higher BMI, 1.23 cm [95% CI: 0.11; 2.34] higher WC, 1.39 cm [95% CI: 0.28; 2.50] higher HC and 0.02 the waist-to-hip ratio [95% C: 0.01; 0.02]., Conclusions: Total sugar intake was associated with higher adiposity levels in these Chilean adults.

Introduction: Obesity is considered a chronic inflammatory disease with an important genetic component. Although several studies have reported an association between the FTO (fat-mass associated gene) and adiposity in children, there is limited evidence in the Chilean population., Objective: To deter mine the association between the polymorphism rs9939609 of the FTO gene and markers of adipo sity in Chilean children., Patients and Method: Cross-sectional study which included 361 children aged between 6 and 11 years (50% were girls). Between March and June 2008, clinical data and blood sample collection was carried out. The rs9939609 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the FTO gene, was determined using the genomic DNA extracted from leukocytes, using the QIAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany).The adiposity markers included were body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body fat, and WC/H index; which were later compared adjusted by sex, age, and Tanner stage. Linear regression analyses were conducted to detect the association between the polymorphism and obesity markers., Results: After adjusting the models by age, sex, and Tanner stage, we found a significant association between the polymorphism and markers of adiposity. For each extra copy of the risk allele, we found an increase of 2.47 kg body weight (95% CI: 1.39-3.55); 1.06 kg/m2 BMI (95% CI: 0.56-1.54); 2.55 cm WC, (95% CI: 1.26-3.85); and 1.98% body fat (95% CI: 0.78-3.19). When converting adiposity markers to z-score, we found that WC/height index shows the strongest association with the risk allele FTO., Conclusion: This study supports the association between the rs9939609 SNP of the FTO gene and overall and central adiposity markers in Chilean children.

Background Sleep duration may be a risk factor for cognitive impairment. Aim To investigate the association between sleep duration and cognitive function in Chilean older adults. Material and Methods We analyzed information from 1,384 participants aged > 60 years participating in the National Health Survey 2009-2010 who were assessed with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and self-reported their average daily sleep hours. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between MMSE and sleep duration. Results Compared to those participants who reported sleeping 7 hours per day, those that reported sleeping < 5 hours had a higher odd for cognitive impairment (Odds ratio (OR): 3.66 [95% confidence intervals (CI: 1.69; 7.95], p < 0.01). Similarly, those who reported sleeping > 8 hours per day also showed a higher odd for cognitive impairment (OR: 2.56 [95% CI: 1.32; 4.95], p < 0.01). This association was even stronger for people who reported more than 10 hours of sleep per day (OR: 4.46 [95% CI: 1.32; 4.95], p < 0.01). Conclusions Long and short sleep duration is associated with cognitive impairment in older adults in Chile independent of major confounding factors.

Background: Lifestyle factors could promote healthy ageing., Aim: To investigate the association between physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior and cognitive impairment in Chilean older adults., Material and Methods: We included 1,390 participants from the National Health Survey (2009-2010). The Mini-Mental State Examination was used to diagnose cognitive impairment. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were assessed with the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Logistic regression was performed to investigate the associations., Results: Compared with older adults with lower levels of PA (< 48 min/day), those with middle (48-248 min/day) and higher (>248 min/day) levels of PA had lower odds for cognitive impairment (Odds ratio (OR): 0.57 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.33; 0.82], p < 0.01 and 0.58 [95% CI: 0.32; 0.83], p < 0.01, respectively). Participants who reported spending more than 8 hours/day sitting had a high odds for cognitive impairment compared to those who spent < 4 hours/day (OR: 3.70 [95% CI: 1.37; 6.03], p = 0.01)., Conclusions: Both PA and sedentary behavior were independently associated with cognitive decline independent of major confounding factors in Chilean older adults.

Background: Type 2 diabetes etiology has a strong genetic component. More than 20 genetic variants have been associated with diabetes and other metabolic markers. However, the polymorphism rs7903146 of the TCF7L2 gene has shown the strongest association., Aim: To investigate the association of TCF7L2 (rs7903146) genotype with adiposity and metabolic markers in the Chilean adult population., Material and Methods: The association of TCF7L2 (rs7093146) with adiposity and metabolic markers was studied in 301 participants. The outcomes of the study were adiposity markers (body weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass and waist circumference) and metabolic markers (blood glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, lipid profile, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and leptin)., Results: There was an association between the polymorphism TCF7L2 genotype and fasting blood glucose. The latter increased by 4.86 mg/dl per each copy of the risk allele [(95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.48; 9.24), p = 0.03] in the unadjusted adjusted model. However, this association was slightly attenuated in the fully adjusted model [4.38 mg/dl (95% IC: 0.16; 8.60), p = 0.04)]. There were no associations between the TCF7L2 genotype and any other metabolic or adiposity outcome., Conclusions: These findings confirm the association between the TCF7L2 (rs7903146) and fasting glucose in the Chilean population. However, further studies are needed to confirm the association between the TCF7L2 and diabetes risk in the Chilean population.

Introduction: Background: genetic variants of the FTO gene confer the highest risk of obesity identified so far. Associations between the FTO gene and alterations in metabolic markers have been reported in different populations but not in Chileans. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the association of rs3751812 gene polymorphism with adiposity and metabolic markers in the Chilean adult population. Methods: genotype of the FTO gene was determined in 409 participants from the GENADIO study. Adiposity markers (body weight, BMI, % fat mass and waist circumference), metabolic markers (glycemia, insulin, HOMAIR, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, leptin, ALT, GGT, PCRhs) and blood pressure were measured. The association between the FTO genotype and the different markers was determined using linear regression analyses. Results: there was an association between the polymorphism and all adiposity markers as well as insulin, HOMAIR, leptin and HDL cholesterol (p < 0.05) in the fully adjusted model. For total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, ALT, GGT and PCRhs, the association disappeared after adjustment by body mass index. Conclusion: our findings verify the association between the FTO rs3751812 polymorphism with obesity, hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia and lower levels of HDL cholesterol in the Chilean population. These alterations could increase the risk of diabetes mellitus type II and metabolic syndrome.

The mammary gland increases energy requirements during pregnancy and lactation to support epithelial proliferation and milk nutrients synthesis. Lactose, the principal carbohydrate of the milk, is synthetized in the Golgi of mammary epithelial cells by lactose synthase from glucose and UPD galactose. We studied the temporal changes in the expression of GLUT1 and GLUT8 in mammary gland and their association with lactose synthesis and proliferation in BALB/c mice. Six groups were used: virgin, pregnant at 2 and 17 days, lactating at 2 and 10 days, and weaning at 2 days. Temporal expression of GLUT1 and GLUT8 transporters by qPCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry, and its association with lactalbumin, Ki67, and cytokeratin 18 within mammary tissue was studied, along with subcellular localization. GLUT1 and GLUT8 transporters increased their expression during mammary gland progression, reaching 20-fold increasing in GLUT1 mRNA at lactation (p < 0.05) and 2-fold at protein level for GLUT1 and GLUT8 (p < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively). The temporal expression pattern was shared with cytokeratin 18 and Ki67 (p < 0.01). Endogenous GLUT8 partially co-localized with 58 K protein and α-lactalbumin in mammary tissue and with Golgi membrane-associated protein 130 in isolated epithelial cells. The spatial-temporal synchrony between expression of GLUT8/GLUT1 and alveolar cell proliferation, and its localization in cis-Golgi associated to lactose synthase complex, suggest that both transporters are involved in glucose uptake into this organelle, supporting lactose synthesis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate healthy lifestyle behaviours across age categories in the older population in Chile. Data from 1390 older adults (≥60 years), in the 2009-2010 Chilean National Health Survey were analyzed. We derived the following age categories: 60-65, 66-70, 71-75, 76-80 and >80 years. The associations between age and compliance with healthy lifestyle behaviours (smoking, sitting time, physical activity, sleep duration and intake of salt, alcohol, fruit and vegetables) were investigated using logistic regression. The probability of meeting the guidelines for alcohol intake (OR trend: 1.35 [95% CI: 1.11; 1.64], p = 0.001) and smoking (OR trend: 1.23 [95% CI: 1.13; 1.33], p < 0.0001) increased with age, whereas spending <4 h per day sitting time or engaging in at least 150 min of physical activity per week or sleep on average between 7 and 9 h per day were less likely to be met with increasing age (OR trend: 0.77 [95% CI: 0.71; 0.83], p < 0.000; OR trend: 0.73 [95% CI: 0.67; 0.79], p < 0.0001, and OR trend: 0.89 [95% CI: 0.82; 0.96], p = 0.002, respectively). No significant trend across age categories was observed for fruit and vegetables, and salt intake. The probability of meeting at least 3 out of 7 healthy lifestyle behaviours across the age categories was also lower in older age categories compared to those aged 60 to 65 years. Overall, in older adults the probability of having the healthy lifestyle behaviours of physical activity, sitting time and sleeping behaviours was low but not for smoking or alcohol consumption. With an increasingly ageing population, these findings could inform stakeholders on which lifestyle behaviours could be targeted in the older adults and therefore which interventions should take place to promote healthy ageing., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Numerous studies have identified the role of Fat-mass-associated-gene (FTO) in the development of obesity., Aim: To investigate the association of FTO gene with adiposity markers in Chilean adults., Material and Methods: 409 participants were included in this cross-sectional study. The association between FTO (rs9939609) genotype and adiposity markers was determined using linear regression analyses. Adiposity markers included were: body weight, body mass index, fat mass, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist/hip ratio., Results: A fully adjusted model showed a significant association between FTO genotype and body weight (2.16 kg per each extra copy of the risk allele [95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.45 to 3.87], p = 0.014), body mass index (0.61 kg.m-2 [95% CI: 0.12 to 1.20], p = 0.050) and fat mass (1.14% [95% CI: 0.39 to 1.89], p = 0.010). The greater magnitude of association was found between the FTO gene and fat mass when the outcomes were standardized to z-score., Conclusions: This study confirms an association between the FTO gene and adiposity markers in Chilean adults, which is independent of major confounding factors.

Background: It is known that some nutrients play an important role in the development of cholelithiasis. Cholesterol is carried by micelles and vesicles in the bile. During the first stage of gallstone formation, cholesterol crystals derive from thermodynamically unstable vesicles., Aim: To determine the effect of a high fat diet on blood lipids and bile composition, and its implication in the formation of gallstones., Material and Methods: Two groups of 15 BALB/c mice each, coming from the same litter, were treated with a control or with a high-fat diet (64% fat and 0.14% cholesterol). After two months, the animals were sacrificed, blood and bile samples were obtained. Serum glucose and the corresponding lipid profiles were measured. In bile samples, cholesterol and phospholipid levels were analyzed, and cholesterol transporters (vesicles and micelles) were separated by gel filtration chromatography., Results: Treated animals showed an 87% increase in serum total cholesterol (p < 0.01), a 97% increase in HDL-cholesterol (p < 0.05) and a 140% increase in LDL-cholesterol (p < 0.05). No changes in serum triglycerides or glucose were observed. In bile, a 13% increase in biliary cholesterol (p < 0.05) was observed but no change in biliary phospholipids. Also, an increase in biliary vesicular transporters and an increase of cholesterol/phospholipid ratio in vesicular transporters were observed., Conclusions: A high fat diet may contribute to the formation of gallstones in our experimental model.

The liver has an extraordinary regenerative capacity in response to partial hepatectomy (PHx), which develops with neither tissue inflammation response nor alterations in the whole organism. This process is highly coordinated and it has been associated with changes in glutathione (GSH) metabolism. However, there are no reports indicating ascorbic acid (AA) levels after partial hepatectomy. AA and GSH act integrally as an antioxidant system that protects cells and tissues from oxidative damage and imbalance observed in a variety of diseases that affect the liver. Although rat hepatocytes are able to synthesize AA and GSH, which are the providers of AA for the whole organism, they also acquire AA from extracellular sources through the sodium-coupled ascorbic acid transporter-1 (SVCT1). Here, we show that hepatocytes from rat livers subjected to PHx increase their GSH and AA levels from 1 to 7 days post hepatectomy, whose peaks precede the peak in cell proliferation observed at 3 days post-hepatectomy. The increase in both antioxidants was associated with higher expression of the enzymes involved in their synthesis, such as the modifier subunit of enzyme glutamine cysteine ligase (GCLM), glutathione synthetase (GS), gulonolactonase (GLN) and gulonolactone oxidase (GULO). Importantly, rat hepatocytes, that normally exhibit kinetic evidence indicating only SVCT1-mediated transport of AA, lost more than 90% of their capacity to transport it at day 1 after PHx without evidence of recovery at day 7. This observation was in agreement with loss of SVCT1 protein expression, which was undetectable in hepatocytes as early as 2h after PHx, with partial recovery at day 7, when the regenerated liver weight returns to normal. We conclude that after PHx, rat hepatocytes enhance their antioxidant capacity by increasing GSH and AA levels prior to the proliferative peak. GSH and AA are increased by de novo synthesis, however paradoxically hepatocytes from rat subjected to PHx also suppress their capacity to acquire AA from extracellular sources through SVCT1., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Although there is in vivo evidence suggesting a role for glutathione in the metabolism and tissue distribution of vitamin C, no connection with the vitamin C transport systems has been reported. We show here that disruption of glutathione metabolism with buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO) produced a sustained blockade of ascorbic acid transport in rat hepatocytes and rat hepatoma cells. Rat hepatocytes expressed the Na(+)-coupled ascorbic acid transporter-1 (SVCT1), while hepatoma cells expressed the transporters SVCT1 and SVCT2. BSO-treated rat hepatoma cells showed a two order of magnitude decrease in SVCT1 and SVCT2 mRNA levels, undetectable SVCT1 and SVCT2 protein expression, and lacked the capacity to transport ascorbic acid, effects that were fully reversible on glutathione repletion. Interestingly, although SVCT1 mRNA levels remained unchanged in rat hepatocytes made glutathione deficient by in vivo BSO treatment, SVCT1 protein was absent from the plasma membrane and the cells lacked the capacity to transport ascorbic acid. The specificity of the BSO treatment was indicated by the finding that transport of oxidized vitamin C (dehydroascorbic acid) and glucose transporter expression were unaffected by BSO treatment. Moreover, glutathione depletion failed to affect ascorbic acid transport, and SVCT1 and SVCT2 expression in human hepatoma cells. Therefore, our data indicate an essential role for glutathione in controlling vitamin C metabolism in rat hepatocytes and rat hepatoma cells, two cell types capable of synthesizing ascorbic acid, by regulating the expression and subcellular localization of the transporters involved in the acquisition of ascorbic acid from extracellular sources, an effect not observed in human cells incapable of synthesizing ascorbic acid., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We studied the acquisition of dehydroascorbic acid by rat hepatocytes, H4IIE rat hepatoma cells and Xenopus laevis oocytes. Transport kinetics and competition and inhibition studies revealed that rat hepatocytes transport oxidized dehydroascorbic acid through a single functional component possessing the functional and kinetic properties expected for the glucose transporter GLUT2. On the other hand, rat hepatoma cells showed expression of at least two dehydroascorbic acid transporters with the expected functional and kinetic properties expected for GLUT1 and GLUT2. Expression studies of GLUT2 in X. laevis oocytes followed by transport kinetics and competition and inhibition studies revealed that GLUT2 is a low affinity dehydroascorbic transporter whose kinetic and functional properties match those observed for the endogenous GLUT2 transporter in rat hepatocytes and rat hepatoma cells. Therefore, GLUT2, a transporter known as a low affinity transporter of glucose and fructose and a high affinity transporter of glucosamine is also a low affinity dehydroascorbic acid transporter., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)