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- Cappi, C, et al.
(författare)
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Association study between functional polymorphisms in the TNF-alpha gene and obsessive-compulsive disorder
- 2012
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Ingår i: Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria. - : FapUNIFESP (SciELO). - 1678-4227 .- 0004-282X. ; 70:2, s. 87-90
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder of unknown etiology. However, there is some evidence that the immune system may play an important role in its pathogenesis. In the present study, two polymorphisms (rs1800795 and rs361525) in the promoter region of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFA) gene were genotyped in 183 OCD patients and in 249 healthy controls. The statistical tests were performed using the PLINK® software. We found that the A allele of the TNFA rs361525 polymorphism was significantly associated with OCD subjects, according to the allelic χ² association test (p=0.007). The presence of genetic markers, such as inflammatory cytokines genes linked to OCD, may represent additional evidence supporting the role of the immune system in its pathogenesis.
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- Leite, Liz M., et al.
(författare)
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Anti-inflammatory Properties of Doxycycline and Minocycline in Experimental Models : An in Vivo and in Vitro Comparative Study
- 2011
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Ingår i: InflammoPharmacology. - : Springer. - 0925-4692 .- 1568-5608. ; 19:2, s. 99-110
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims and methods: Minocycline (Mino) and doxycycline (Dox) are second generation tetracyclines known to present several other effects, which are independent from their antimicrobial activities. We studied in a comparative way the anti-inflammatory effects of Mino and Dox, on acute models of peripheral inflammation in rodents (formalin test and peritonitis in mice, and carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats). Immunohistochemical assays for TNF-alpha and iNOS in rat paws of carrageenan-induced oedema were also carried out as well as in vitro assays for myeloperoxidase (MPO) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Furthermore, antioxidant activities were evaluated by the DPPH assay. Results: In the formalin test although Mino and Dox (1, 5, 10 and 25 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited the first phase, they acted predominantly on the second phase of the test, where inhibition of the licking time close to 80% were observed. Mino and Dox were very efficacious in reducing the carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg, i.p.) and carrageenan-induced leucocyte migration (1 and 5 mg/kg, i.p.) to mice peritoneal cavities. Besides, they also significantly inhibited MPO and LDH releases at doses ranging from 0.001 to 1 μg/ml. Thus, in general, the anti-inflammatory activity of Dox was higher as compared to that of Mino, although the radical scavenging activity of Mino was of a magnitude 10 times higher. Conclusions: Our data indicate that anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, involve the inhibition of iNOS and TNF-alpha, among other properties, and these encourage clinical studies of these compounds for new therapeutic applications, especially those were inflammation plays a role.
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- Oliveira, Aldair J., et al.
(författare)
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Social support and leisure-time physical activity : longitudinal evidence from the Brazilian Pro-Saude cohort study
- 2011
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Ingår i: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1479-5868. ; 8, s. 77-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Although social support has been observed to exert a beneficial influence on leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), multidimensional approaches examining social support and prospective evidence of its importance are scarce. The purpose of this study was to investigate how four dimensions of social support affect LTPA engagement, maintenance, type, and time spent by adults during a two-year follow-up. Methods: This paper reports on a longitudinal study of 3,253 non-faculty public employees at a university in Rio de Janeiro (the Pro-Saude study). LTPA was evaluated using a dichotomous question with a two-week reference period, and further questions concerning LTPA type (individual or group) and time spent on the activity. Social support was measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale (MOS-SSS). To assess the association between social support and LTPA, two different statistical models were used: binary and multinomial logistic regression models for dichotomous and polytomous outcomes, respectively. Models were adjusted separately for those who began LTPA in the middle of the follow up (engagement group) and for those who had maintained LTPA since the beginning of the follow up (maintenance group). Results: After adjusting for confounders, statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) between dimensions of social support and group LTPA were found in the engagement group. Also, the emotional/information dimension was associated with time spent on LTPA (OR = 2.01; 95% CI 1.2-3.9). In the maintenance group, material support was associated with group LTPA (OR = 1.80; 95% CI; 1.1-3.1) and the positive social interaction dimension was associated with time spent on LTPA (OR = 1.65; 95% CI; 1.1-2.7). Conclusions: All dimensions of social support influenced LTPA type or the time spent on the activity. However, our findings suggest that social support is more important in engagement than in maintenance. This finding is important, because it suggests that maintenance of LTPA must be associated with other factors beyond the individual's level of social support, such as a suitable environment and social/health policies directed towards the practice of LTPA.
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- Plunkett, Jevon, et al.
(författare)
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An Evolutionary Genomic Approach to Identify Genes Involved in Human Birth Timing
- 2011
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Ingår i: PLoS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7404. ; 7:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coordination of fetal maturation with birth timing is essential for mammalian reproduction. In humans, preterm birth is a disorder of profound global health significance. The signals initiating parturition in humans have remained elusive, due to divergence in physiological mechanisms between humans and model organisms typically studied. Because of relatively large human head size and narrow birth canal cross-sectional area compared to other primates, we hypothesized that genes involved in parturition would display accelerated evolution along the human and/or higher primate phylogenetic lineages to decrease the length of gestation and promote delivery of a smaller fetus that transits the birth canal more readily. Further, we tested whether current variation in such accelerated genes contributes to preterm birth risk. Evidence from allometric scaling of gestational age suggests human gestation has been shortened relative to other primates. Consistent with our hypothesis, many genes involved in reproduction show human acceleration in their coding or adjacent noncoding regions. We screened.8,400 SNPs in 150 human accelerated genes in 165 Finnish preterm and 163 control mothers for association with preterm birth. In this cohort, the most significant association was in FSHR, and 8 of the 10 most significant SNPs were in this gene. Further evidence for association of a linkage disequilibrium block of SNPs in FSHR, rs11686474, rs11680730, rs12473870, and rs1247381 was found in African Americans. By considering human acceleration, we identified a novel gene that may be associated with preterm birth, FSHR. We anticipate other human accelerated genes will similarly be associated with preterm birth risk and elucidate essential pathways for human parturition.
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