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This study evaluated the effects of long-term intake of nutritive sweeteners (NSs) and non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) on body weight, food and energy intake, blood pressure, metabolic parameters, and memory retention in rats. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups (

We examined in a rat model of Gulf War illness (GWI), the potential of (−)-epicatechin (Epi) to reverse skeletal muscle (SkM) atrophy and dysfunction, decrease mediators of inflammation and normalize metabolic perturbations. Male Wistar rats (n = 15) were provided orally with pyridostigmine bromide (PB) 1.3 mg/kg/day, permethrin (PM) 0.13 mg/kg/day (skin), DEET 40 mg/kg/day (skin) and were physically restrained for 5 min/day for 3 weeks. A one-week period ensued to fully develop the GWI-like profile followed by 2 weeks of either Epi treatment at 1 mg/kg/day by gavage (n = 8) or water (n = 7) for controls. A normal, control group (n = 15) was given vehicle and not restrained. At 6 weeks, animals were subjected to treadmill and limb strength testing followed by euthanasia. SkM and blood sampling was used for histological, biochemical and plasma pro-inflammatory cytokine and metabolomics assessments. GWI animals developed an intoxication profile characterized SkM atrophy and loss of function accompanied by increases in modulators of muscle atrophy, degradation markers and plasma pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Treatment of GWI animals with Epi yielded either a significant partial or full normalization of the above stated indicators relative to normal controls. Plasma metabolomics revealed that metabolites linked to inflammation and SkM waste pathways were dysregulated in the GWI group whereas Epi, attenuated such changes. In conclusion, in a rat model of GWI, Epi partially reverses detrimental changes in SkM structure including modulators of atrophy, inflammation and select plasma metabolites yielding improved function.

Introduction: obesity is a cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factor in adolescents. It represents a public health problem that requires simple diagnostic strategies based on the determination of anthropometric indicators (AIs) such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), conicity index (CONI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and body fat percentage (BFP). The purpose of the current contribution was to analyze the utility of the aforementioned AIs for evaluating obesity as a CMR factor in Mexican adolescents. Materials and methods: the design of the study is descriptive and cross-sectional. Nutritional status was established by using various AIs and as a CMR factor under the criteria of WHtR. Participating in the present investigation were 2,000 adolescents from 15 to 17 years of age, of which 1,079 (53.9 %) were female and 921 (46.1 %) were male. All were high school students in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico. Results and conclusion: the prevalence of obesity was influenced by gender. With the WHtR and BFP, male students exhibited a greater prevalence of obesity, while with the BMI and CONI, the percentage of obesity was similar between the two genders. BMI was significantly correlated with BFP, WC and WHtR, and was one of the AIs with the greatest area under the curve, showing a good capacity to predict cardiometabolic risk. BMI is a simple and adequate tool for diagnosing obesity and predicting CMR in adolescents.Introducción: la obesidad es un factor de riesgo cardiometabolico (RCM) en los adolescentes y representa un problema de salud pública que requiere estrategias diagnosticas sencillas, basadas en la determinación de indicadores antropométricos (IA) como el índice de masa corporal (IMC), la circunferencia de la cintura (CC), el índice de conicidad (ICONI), el índice de cintura-talla (ICT) y el porcentaje de grasa corporal (PGC). El propósito del presente estudio fue analizar la utilidad de diversos IA (IMC, CC, ICONI, ICT y PGC) para evaluar la obesidad como factor de RCM en adolescentes mexicanos. Materiales y métodos: el diseño del estudio fue descriptivo y transversal. Se analizó el estado nutricional mediante varios IA y el factor de RCM bajo los criterios del ICT. Este estudio fue conducido en 2000 adolescentes de entre 15 y 17 años, de los cuales 1079 (53,9 %) eran mujeres y 921 (46,1 %) varones, todos ellos estudiantes de nivel medio superior de Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México. Resultados y conclusión: la prevalencia de la obesidad estuvo influenciada por el género: los varones presentaron una mayor prevalencia de obesidad con ICT y PGC, mientras que con IMC e ICONI, el porcentaje de obesidad fue similar entre ambos géneros. El IMC se correlacionó significativamente con el PGC, la CC y el ICT, y fue uno de los IA con mayor área bajo la curva, mostrando una buena capacidad para predecir el RCM. El IMC representa una herramienta sencilla y adecuada para el diagnóstico de obesidad y predecir el RCM en adolescentes.

Major depression is one of the most common affective disorders caused by schizophrenia. The administration of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, such as ketamine, can reproduce the negative and affective symptoms of this disorder in animals. Preclinical studies have shown that 5-HT6 receptor (5-HT6R) agonists and antagonists have a considerable antipsychotic response. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of an acute treatment with an agonist, E-6837, and an antagonist, SB-271046, of 5-HT6R on the immobility induced in mice by a subchronic ketamine regimen (5 days; 10 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneal). Repeated ketamine administration alone increased the immobility time in the forced-swimming test and the tail-suspension test. E-6837 at 10 and 20 mg/kg caused a significant reduction of immobility in the tail-suspension test and forced-swimming test, respectively. Interestingly, SB-271046 (10 mg/kg) also elicited an antidepressant-like effect in both tests. The current findings suggest an important role for these 5-HT6R ligands as mood modulators. However, it is necessary to explore the physiological mechanisms involved in this process in greater detail.

espanolIntroduccion: los indicadores antropometricos (IA) como la circunferencia de cintura (CC), el indice de masa corporal (IMC), el indice cintura/ cadera (ICC), el indice cintura/talla (ICT) y el porcentaje de grasa corporal (PGC) son herramientas utiles para el diagnostico del estado nutricional (EN) en los adolescentes. Sin embargo, cada uno de estos IA presentan ventajas y desventajas. El proposito del presente estudio fue analizar la asociacion de los IA (IMC, CC, ICC, ICT y PGC) para evaluar el EN y estimar el riesgo cardiometabolico (RCM) en adolescentes mexicanos. Material y metodo: el diseno del estudio fue descriptivo transversal. Se analizo el EN a traves de diversos IA y el RCM bajo los criterios de ICT. Este estudio fue conducido en 917 adolescentes de entre 15 y 17 anos, de los cuales 488 (52,9%) eran mujeres y 429 (47,1%) varones, todos estudiantes de nivel medio superior de Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. Resultados y conclusion: las mujeres presentaron mayor prevalencia de obesidad con la mayoria de los IA utilizados. El ICT fue el IA que detecto mayor prevalencia de obesidad (31%), correlacionandose con el IMC y el PGC. Ademas, se evidencio una asociacion significativa entre el EN valorado por todos los IA y el RCM. El ICT podria ser considerado como una herramienta adecuada para el diagnostico de obesidad asociada a RCM en adolescentes. EnglishIntroduction: anthropometric indicators (AIs) such as waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist/hip index (WHpI), waist/height index (WHtI) and body fat percentage (BFP) are useful tools for the diagnosis of nutritional status (NS) in adolescents. Each of these parameters has advantages and disadvantages. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the association of these AIs (WC, BMI, WHpI, WHtI, and BFP) to evaluate nutritional status and estimate the cardiometabolic risk (CMR) in Mexican adolescents. Material and method: in a cross-sectional descriptive study, the NS was analyzed through various AIs and CMR with the WHtI criteria. Nine hundred and seventeen adolescents between 15 and 17 years old participated in the study, of whom 488 (52.9%) were female and 429 (47.1%) male, all students of middle school in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. Results and conclusion: women presented a higher prevalence of obesity according to most indicators. The WHtI was the parameter that detected the highest prevalence of obesity (31%), correlating with the BMI and the BFP. Moreover, there was evidence of a significant relation between NS (assessed by all the anthropometric indicators) and CMR. The WHtI could be considered as an adequate tool for the diagnosis of obesity associated with CMR in adolescents.

It is well accepted that acetylcholine is involved in memory and learning processes and that loss of memory is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several muscarinic agonists have been shown to be clinically effective in the treatment of AD. However, their use has been limited due to adverse side effects. As a result, more selective M1 agonists are expected to be the next generation of agents for the treatment of AD. One pharmacological approach to evaluate possible cognitive effects of compounds includes their ability to reverse scopolamine-induced amnesia. In the current study the succinamide and succinimide of p-aminophenol, two newly synthesized compounds that were previously designed to be acetylcholine analogues, were evaluated in a Pavlovian/Instrumental autoshaped memory task. Simultaneously, docking studies on the M1 receptor were done. The scopolamine-induced amnesia was reversed by the amide but not the imide. These findings are in line with results derived from the docking simulations, and suggest that at least the succinamide of p-aminophenol could represent a novel candidate for the treatment of AD.

p-Aminobenzoic acid (p-ABA) derivatives were evaluated as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs). Finding a correlation between AChE activity with the partition coefficient (log P) and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy of the compounds.