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Antecedentes. Objetivo. Se buscaron nuevas aplicaciones de la guayaba (Psidium guajava L.), fruta rica en nutrientes funcionales como pectina y compuestos antioxidantes, enriqueciendo alimentos de alto consumo (pan y arepa), con la pectina extraída de esta fruta.Material y métodos. Se realizó un estudio clínico en 31 adultos entre 20-70 años, clasificados en dos categorías de riesgo cardiovascular (latente y alto), quienes consumieron durante 15 días los productos pan o arepa enriquecidos con 5 ó 10 % de pectina extraída de guayaba. Se evaluaron los niveles séricos de colesterol total (CT), lipoproteínas de baja densidad (cLDL) y de alta densidad (cHDL), y triglicéridos (TG), antes y después de dicho consumo.Resultados. Se encontró una disminución en los niveles de colesterol total dependiente de la dosis de pectina adicionada al alimento, tanto en el grupo de riesgo latente como en el de alto riesgo. La mayor disminución (36 mg/dl) se observó en el grupo latente que consumió el alimento con 10% de pectina, igualmente en este grupo se encontró la mayor disminución en el cLDL (24 mg/dl). Respecto a los niveles de cHDL y TG no se observó relación con el contenido de pectina adicionada a los alimentos. En cuanto al tipo de alimento suministrado (pan o arepa) se observó una mayor disminución en los niveles de CT y cLDL en los individuos que consumieron arepa. Conclusiones. El consumo de los alimentos pan y arepa enriquecidos con 5 y 10% de pectina extraída de guayaba, durante 15 días, produjo una disminución en los niveles séricos de CT y de cLDL dependiente de la dosis tanto en el grupo de riesgo cardiovascular latente como en el grupo de alto riesgo. El efecto hipolipemiante fue mayor en los pacientes que consumieron arepa enriquecida con 10% de pectina extraída de guayaba.

A large body of evidence has shown that treatments that interfere with memory consolidation become ineffective when animals are subjected to an intense learning experience; this effect has been observed after systemic and local administration of amnestic drugs into several brain areas, including the striatum. However, the effects of amnestic treatments on the process of extinction after intense training have not been studied. Previous research demonstrated increased spinogenesis in the dorsomedial striatum, but not in the dorsolateral striatum after intense training, indicating that the dorsomedial striatum is involved in the protective effect of intense training. To investigate this issue, male Wistar rats, previously trained with low, moderate, or high levels of foot shock, were used to study the effect of tetrodotoxin inactivation of dorsomedial striatum on memory consolidation and subsequent extinction of inhibitory avoidance. Performance of the task was evaluated during seven extinction sessions. Tetrodotoxin produced a marked deficit of memory consolidation of inhibitory avoidance trained with low and moderate intensities of foot shock, but normal consolidation occurred when a relatively high foot shock was used. The protective effect of intense training was long-lasting, as evidenced by the high resistance to extinction exhibited throughout the extinction sessions. We discuss the possibility that increased dendritic spinogenesis in dorsomedial striatum may underly this protective effect, and how this mechanism may be related to the resilient memory typical of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Martínez-Degollado et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion in the huntingtin ( HTT ) gene. Juan de Acosta, Atlántico, a city located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, is home to the world's second-largest HD pedigree. Here, we include 291 descendants of this pedigree with at least one family member with HD. Blood samples were collected, and genomic DNA was extracted. We quantified the HTT CAG expansion using an amplicon sequencing protocol. The genetic heterogeneity was measured as the ratio of the mosaicism allele's read peak and the slippage ratio of the allele's read peak from our sequence data. The statistical and bioinformatic analyses were performed with a significance threshold of p < 0.05. We found that the average HTT CAG repeat length in all participants was 21.91 (SD = 8.92). Of the 291 participants, 33 (11.3%, 18 females) had a positive molecular diagnosis for HD. Most affected individuals were adults, and the most common primary and secondary alleles were 17/7 (CAG/CCG) and 17/10 (CAG/CCG), respectively. The mosaicism increased with age in the participants with HD, while the slippage analyses revealed differences by the HD allele type only for the secondary allele. The slippage tended to increase with the HTT CAG repeat length in the participants with HD, but the increase was not statistically significant. This study analyzed the genetic and molecular features of 291 participants, including 33 with HD. We found that the mosaicism increased with age in the participants with HD, particularly for the secondary allele. The most common haplotype was 17/7&#95;17/10. The slippage for the secondary allele varied by the HD allele type, but there was no significant difference in the slippage by sex. Our findings offer valuable insights into HD and could have implications for future research and clinical management.

Objective : It has been reported that monochorionic twin pregnancies conceived through assisted reproductive techniques (ART) display a higher risk of second-trimester miscarriage, cesarean delivery, and neonatal death than those conceived naturally. The aim of this study was to compare the perinatal outcomes of monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies conceived naturally and through ART in a tertiary hospital. Methods : This was a retrospective cohort study of all MCDA twin pregnancies that received obstetric care and delivered at La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital between 2015 and 2021. MCDA pregnancies that were referred to the tertiary hospital for specialized management, follow-up, and delivery were also included. The study was approved by The Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe (IIS La Fe). Results : Among the 184 MCDA pregnancies, 149 (81%) had a natural conception, and 35 (19%) were conceived through ART. Patients with an MCDA pregnancy who conceived through ART had a significantly older maternal age (38.0 [35.5-42.5] vs. 32.0 [29.0-36.0], p < 0.001) and an elevated rate of nulliparity (80.0% vs. 50.3%, p = 0.001). Regarding pregnancy complications, MCDA pregnancies through ART were associated with a significantly higher incidence of gestational diabetes (22.9% vs. 2.7%, p < 0.001), hypertensive disorders during pregnancy (22.9% vs. 9.4%, p = 0.04), and other pregnancy complications such as threatened labor or preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (14.3% vs. 36.2%, p = 0.015), than naturally conceived MCDA pregnancies. No differences were found in the incidence of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (20% vs. 33.6%, p = 0.155). MCDA pregnancies through natural conception had a greater rate of vaginal delivery than MCDA through ART (16.8% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.032). When adjusted for confounding factors, MCDA pregnancies through ART were only more likely to develop gestational diabetes than those naturally conceived (aOR 7.86, 95% CI 1.55-39.87). No differences were found regarding neonatal outcomes between groups. Conclusions : Compared with naturally conceived MCDA twin pregnancies, those conceived through ART displayed a significantly higher risk of developing gestational diabetes. No differences regarding other pregnancy complications, mode of delivery, or neonatal outcomes were found between groups.

Some of the species of the genus Bacopa have been used in Pharmacopoeia worldwide. However, in Mexico, Bacopa monnieri has neither been extensively cultivated nor studied, nor has their use in traditional medicine been reported. The aim of this work was to assess the taxonomic verification of the four wild populations of B. monnieri , the chemical content of their pigments and phenols and to provide an analysis of their potential bioactivity. B. monnieri wild populations from Mexico were validated using molecular markers. Chromatographic profiling using HPLC-PDA revealed 21 compounds comprising 12 chlorophylls and nine carotenoids; of the latter, the major ones were lutein (0.921 ± 0.031 μg/mg of dry extract) and β-carotene (0.095 ± 0.003 μg/mg of dry extract). The total phenolic content, determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, ranged from 54.8 ± 5.8 to 70.3 ± 2.2 µg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/mg. Plant extracts scavenged from the free radical DPPH in IC 50 ranged from 130.6 ± 3.0 to 249.9 ± 12.1 µg dry extract/mL. In terms of the anti-inflammatory potential, the most effective extract was from a soil-based plant from Jalisco (BS), reduced from nitric oxide in a RAW 264.7 culture medium, with an IC 50 value of 134 µg of dry extract/mL. The BS extract showed a significant neutral lipid-reducing activity in the zebrafish model, ranging from 3.13 μg/mL p < 0.05 to 100 μg/mL p < 0.0001. Overall, the extracts analyzed here for the first time seem promising for future use because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity potential.

The search for molecules that contribute to the relief of pain is a field of research in constant development. Lamiaceae is one of the most recognized families world-wide for its use in traditional medicine to treat diseases that include pain and inflammation. Mexico can be considered one of the most important centers of diversification, and due to the high endemism of this family, it is crucial for the in situ conservation of this family. Information about the most common genera and species found in this country and their uses in folk medicine are scarcely reported in the literature. After an extensive inspection in bibliographic databases, mainly Sciencedirect, Pubmed and Springer, almost 1200 articles describing aspects of Lamiaceae were found; however, 217 articles were selected because they recognize the Mexican genera and species with antinociceptive and/or anti-inflammatory potential to relieve pain, such as Salvia and Agastache . The bioactive constituents of these genera were mainly terpenes (volatile and non-volatile) and phenolic compounds such as flavonoids (glycosides and aglycone). The aim of this review is to analyze important aspects of Mexican genera of Lamiaceae, scarcely explored as a potential source of secondary metabolites responsible for the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of these species. In addition, we point out the possible mechanisms of action involved and the modulatory pathways investigated in different experimental models. As a result of this review, it is important to mention that scarce information has been reported regarding species of this family from Mexican genera. In fact, despite Calosphace being one of the largest subgenera of Salvia in the world, found mainly in Mexico, it has been barely investigated regarding its potential biological activities and recognized bioactive constituents. The scientific evidence regarding the different bioactive constituents found in species of Lamiaceae demonstrates that several species require further investigation in preclinical studies, and of course also in controlled clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of these natural products to support their therapeutic potential in pain relief and/or inflammation, among other health conditions. Since Mexico is one of the most important centers of diversification, and due to the high endemism of species of this family, it is crucial their rescue, in situ conservation, and investigation of their health benefits.

In heterozygote state, we interogressed three chromosomal segments of Drosophila koepferae in D. buzzatii . The effect of each introgression was evaluated in the fertility of the segmental males, quantifying the amount of offspring produced. Through specific crosses method, we generated Drosophila segmental isolines carrying specific chromosomal introgression segments. The introgressions were monitored cytogenetically by the method of molecular markers of chromosomal asynapsis. The statistical analysis showed that none of the three segments evaluated, introgressed individually or in pairs, as well as cis or trans , do not produce sterility in the segmental males, as determined by the normal productions of offspring. Additional introgressions using other larger segments show that when the introgressions reach a minimum size of 31.15%, they produce sterility. It is concluded that the hybrid sterility genes present in the three segments evaluated did not act in strong epistasis, but show a pattern of gradual additive behaviour by requiring a minimum threshold size to produce sterility. Finally, we also isolated the smallest introgressing segment that has been reported for these species (2.19%), and for the first time we have managed to place it in homozygous state (data not shown), so we are now in the process of evaluating the ability to these segments in homozygous state.

Scenedesmus obtusiusculus AT-UAM, isolated from Cuatro Ciénegas wetlands in Mexico was taxonomically, molecularly and biochemically compared to S. obtusiusculus CCAP 276/25 (Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa, Scotland, UK). Analysis of Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) secondary structures confirmed that the mexican strain belongs to S. obtusiusculus with one change in the ITS2 nucleotide sequence. However, both strains exhibited different biochemical and fatty acid profiles and therefore biotechnological potential, emphasizing the need for deeper studies among strains of the same species. Furthermore, the biochemical variations of S. obtusiusculus AT-UAM under nitrogen starvation and different levels of irradiance were evaluated. The maximum lipid production (1730 mg L -1 ) was obtained at 613 μmol m -2  s -1 while the highest carbohydrate content (49%) was achieved at 896 μmol m -2  s -1 . Additionally, this strain was capable of storing lipids (∼52%) and carbohydrates (∼40%) under outdoor condition depending on the light availability in the cultivation broth.

Background: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) genome is divided into early and late coding sequences, including 8 open reading frames (ORFs) and a regulatory region (LCR). Viral gene expression may be regulated through epigenetic mechanisms, including cytosine methylation at CpG dinucleotides. We have analyzed the distribution of CpG sites and CpG islands/clusters (CGI) among 92 different HPV genomes grouped in function of their preferential tropism: cutaneous or mucosal. We calculated the proportion of CpG sites (PCS) for each ORF and calculated the expected CpG values for each viral type., Results: CpGs are underrepresented in viral genomes. We found a positive correlation between CpG observed and expected values, with mucosal high-risk (HR) virus types showing the smallest O/E ratios. The ranges of the PCS were similar for most genomic regions except E4, where the majority of CpGs are found within islands/clusters. At least one CGI belongs to each E2/E4 region. We found positive correlations between PCS for each viral ORF when compared with the others, except for the LCR against four ORFs and E6 against three other ORFs. The distribution of CpG islands/clusters among HPV groups is heterogeneous and mucosal HR-HPV types exhibit both lower number and shorter island sizes compared to cutaneous and mucosal Low-risk (LR) HPVs (all of them significantly different)., Conclusions: There is a difference between viral and cellular CpG underrepresentation. There are significant correlations between complete genome PCS and a lack of correlations between several genomic region pairs, especially those involving LCR and E6. L2 and L1 ORF behavior is opposite to that of oncogenes E6 and E7. The first pair possesses relatively low numbers of CpG sites clustered in CGIs while the oncogenes possess a relatively high number of CpG sites not associated to CGIs. In all HPVs, E2/E4 is the only region with at least one CGI and shows a higher content of CpG sites in every HPV type with an identified E4. The mucosal HR-HPVs show either the shortest CGI size, followed by the mucosal LR-HPVs and lastly by the cutaneous viral subgroup, and a trend to the lowest CGI number, followed by the cutaneous viral subgroup and lastly by the mucosal LR-HPVs.