Glioblastoma is the most frequent primary tumor in the human brain. Glioblastoma cells express aromatase and the classic estrogen receptors ERalpha and ERbeta and can produce estrogens that promote ...tumor growth. The membrane G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) also plays a significant role in numerous types of cancer; its participation in glioblastoma tumor development is not entirely known. The present study investigated the effect of the agonists 17beta-estradiol (E2) and G1 and antagonist (G15) of GPER on proliferation and apoptosis of C6 glioblastoma cells. GPER expression was evaluated by immunofluorescence, western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Cell proliferation was determined using Ki67 immunopositivity. Cell viability was examined using the MTT assay and apoptosis using caspase-3 immunostaining and ELISA. C6 cells express GPER, and the immunopositivity increased after exposure to E2, G1, or their combination. GPER protein expression increased after treatment with E2 combined with G1. However, GPER mRNA expression decreased in treated cells compared with control. The percentage of Ki67 immunopositive C6 cells increased under the effect of E2 in combination with G1 or G1 alone. G15 significantly reduced Ki67 immunopositivity. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between GPER and Ki67 immunopositivity across the study conditions. Additionally, the MTT assay showed a significant reduction in C6 cell viability after G15 treatment, alone or in combination with G1. The exposure to G15 increased the percentage of caspase-3 immunopositivity cells and caspase-3 levels. Pearson's correlation analysis demonstrated a negative correlation between GPER and caspase-3 immunopositivity across the study conditions. Glioblastoma C6 cells express GPER, and this receptor modulates cell proliferation and apoptosis. The GPER agonists E2 and G1 favored cell proliferation; meanwhile, the antagonist G15 reduced cell proliferation, viability and favored apoptosis. Therefore, GPER may be used as a biomarker of glioblastoma and as a target to develop new therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma treatment.
Transection of peripheral nerves produces loss of sensory and/or motor function. After complete nerve cutting, the distal and proximal segment ends retract, but if both ends are bridged with ...unaltered chitosan, progesterone-impregnated chitosan, or silicone tubes, an axonal repair process begins. Progesterone promotes nerve repair and has neuroprotective effects thwarting regulation of neuron survival, inflammation, and edema. It also modulates aberrant axonal sprouting and demyelination. The authors compared the efficacy of nerve recovery after implantation of progesterone-loaded chitosan, unaltered chitosan, or silicone tubes after sciatic nerve transection in rats.
After surgical removal of a 5-mm segment of the proximal sciatic nerve, rats were implanted with progesterone-loaded chitosan, unaltered chitosan, or silicone tubes in the transected nerve for evaluating progesterone and chitosan effects on sciatic nerve repair and ipsilateral hindlimb kinematic function, as well as on gastrocnemius electro-myographic responses. In some experiments, tube implantation was performed 90 minutes after nerve transection.
At 90 days after sciatic nerve transection and tube implantation, rats with progesterone-loaded chitosan tubes showed knee angular displacement recovery and better outcomes for step length, velocity of locomotion, and normal hindlimb raising above the ground. In contrast, rats with chitosan-only tubes showed reduced normal raising and pendulum-like hindlimb movements. Aberrant fibers coming from the tibial nerve innervated the gastrocnemius muscle, producing electromyographic responses. Electrical responses in the gastrocnemius muscle produced by sciatic nerve stimulation occurred only when the distal nerve segment was stimulated; they were absent when the proximal or intratubular segment was stimulated. A clear sciatic nerve morphology with some myelinated fiber fascicles appeared in the tube section in rats with progesterone-impregnated chitosan tubes. Some gastrocnemius efferent fibers were partially repaired 90 days after nerve resection. The better outcome in knee angle displacement may be partially attributable to the aberrant neuromuscular synaptic effects, since nerve conduction in the gastrocnemius muscle could be blocked in the progesterone-impregnated chitosan tubes. In addition, in the region of the gap produced by the nerve resection, the number of axons and amount of myelination were reduced in the sciatic nerve implanted with chitosan, progesterone-loaded chitosan, and silicone tubes. At 180 days after sciatic nerve sectioning, the knee kinematic function recovered to a level observed in control rats of a similar age. In rats with progesterone-loaded chitosan tubes, stimulation of the proximal and intratubular sciatic nerve segments produced an electromyographic response. The axon morphology of the proximal and intratubular segments of the sciatic nerve resembled that of the contralateral nontransected nerve.
Progesterone-impregnated chitosan tubes produced aberrant innervation of the gastrocnemius muscle, which allowed partial recovery of gait locomotion and could be adequate for reinnervating synergistic denervated muscles while a parent innervation is reestablished. Hindlimb kinematic parameters differed between younger (those at 90 days) and older (those at 180 days) rats.
The objective of this article is to assess the safety of intraspinal infusion of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMNCs) and, ultimately, to look for histopathological signs of cellular ...neurotrophism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. We conducted an open single arm phase I trial. After 6 months observation, autologous BMNCs were infused into the posterior spinal cord funiculus. Safety was the primary endpoint and was defined as the absence of serious transplant-related adverse events. In addition, forced vital capacity (FVC), ALS-functional rating scale (ALS-FRS), Medical Research Council scale for assessment of muscle power (MRC), and Norris scales were assessed 6 and 3 months prior to the transplant and quarterly afterward for 1 year. Pathological studies were performed in case of death. Eleven patients were included. We did not observe any severe transplant-related adverse event, but there were 43 nonsevere events. Twenty-two (51%) resolved in ≤2 weeks and only four were still present at the end of follow-up. All were common terminology criteria for adverse events grade ≤2. No acceleration in the rate of decline of FVC, ALS-FRS, Norris, or MRC scales was observed. Four patients died on days 359, 378, 808, and 1,058 post-transplant for reasons unrelated to the procedure. Spinal cord pathological analysis showed a greater number of motoneurons in the treated segments compared with the untreated segments (4.2 ± 0.8 motoneurons per section mns per sect and 0.9 ± 0.3 mns per sect, respectively). In the treated segments, motoneurons were surrounded by CD90+ cells and did not show degenerative ubiquitin deposits. This clinical trial confirms not only the safety of intraspinal infusion of autologous BMNC in ALS patients but also provides evidence strongly suggesting their neurotrophic activity.
El desempeño motor suele ser evaluado de dos formas; la primera se enfoca en cómo se realiza la destreza, mientras que la segunda registra el resultado obtenido después de la ejecución; ambas son ...ampliamente usadas, sin embargo, la relación entre ellas no está clara. El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar la relación entre los resultados de las pruebas orientadas al proceso o al producto utilizadas para medir el desempeño motor real y examinar posibles variables moderadoras por medio de la técnica meta-analítica. Para resumir los resultados, se utilizó el modelo de efectos aleatorios (REML) y se calculó el tamaño de efecto (TE) de correlación. Un total de siete estudios cumplieron con los criterios de elegibilidad, se obtuvo un total de 37 TE. Se encontró que existe una relación significativa y positiva entre el desempeño evaluado por medio de proceso y producto (TE = 0.466; IC95% = 0.391,0.541; p < .001; n = 37; Q = 78.68; p < .001; I2 = 60.17%). Como posibles variables moderadoras se analizó la edad y el tipo de destreza. Los resultados sugieren que existe una relación entre el desempeño motor real evaluado por medio de pruebas orientadas al proceso y al producto, la edad y el tipo de destreza no influyen en dicha relación.
El propósito de este estudio fue efectuar un análisis bibliométrico de la producción científica sobre la incidencia del Clima Motivacional de Maestría en los entornos de aprendizaje y desempeño de ...seres humanos, para establecer la evolución temática de la producción científica en esta materia. Sobre la metodología, la producción científica analizada fue extraída de la Web of Science para el periodo 2000-2022 y en su análisis se empleó la interfaz web para bibliometrix por medio de la aplicación del paquete biblioshiny de R Studio. Entre los principales resultados se encontró que desde 2014 ha habido un incremento en la tendencia de publicaciones de artículos sobre la temática y Estados Unidos es el país más influyente. Las principales fuentes de publicaciones se concentraron en cinco revistas con alta capacidad de difusión. Las personas autoras con más publicaciones, más influencia y más citaciones cuentan con una larga trayectoria profesional. Con respecto a las palabras claves se halló el uso de una taxonomía fragmentada. En cuanto a los resultados en redes y mapas de colaboración se determinaron clústeres en todo el mundo. Se concluye del análisis, pionero en su área, que el tema es de crecimiento moderado, que se emplea, aplica e investiga en diferentes regiones del mundo y que denota rasgos multidisciplinares. Este trabajo contribuye a nuevos tópicos de interés y a la toma de decisiones en futuras investigaciones.
The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between perceived athletic abilities and actual motor
performance in two fundamental motor skills, jumping and throwing, in young-adults. ...A total of 155 university students
volunteered to participate and were assessed in the perception of athletic abilities, using the subscale of the instrument
«Self-perception Profile for Adults»; in addition, the performance in fundamental motor skills for long distance jump and
over-arm throw was assessed using the «Test for Fundamental Motor Skills in Adults». Using Spearman’s non-parametric
correlation technique, a significant relationship was found between jump and athletic abilities (rho = .353; p <.001), but not
for throw (rho = .137; p <.089). When analyzing the relationship by sex, the same behavior was found in men and women.
Considering that motor perception and motor competence are related to physical activity levels, strengthening these factors
may be a strategy to decrease sedentary lifestyle levels in the population.
El objetivo del presente estudio fue examinar la relación entre la autopercepción de las habilidades deportivas yel desempeño en dos patrones básicos fundamentales, saltar a distancia y lanzar por encima del hombro, en personasadultas-jóvenes. Un total de 155 estudiantes universitarios, participaron de manera voluntaria. La percepción de lashabilidades deportivas se evaluó utilizando la subescala del instrumento «Perfil de autopercepción para adultos»; ademásse les evaluó el desempeño en el patrón de saltar a distancia y lanzar por encima del hombro utilizando el «Instrumento parala evaluación de Patrones Básicos de Movimiento». Al aplicar la técnica de correlación no paramétrica de Spearman, seencontró una relación significativa entre el patrón de saltar y la percepción de las habilidades deportivas (rho = .353; p<.001), no así para el patrón de lanzar (rho = .137; p< .089). Al examinar la relación por sexo, se encontró el mismo comportamientoen los hombres y las mujeres. Considerando, que la percepción motriz y la competencia motriz están relacionados con elnivel de actividad física, fortalecer estos factores, puede ser una estrategia para disminuir los niveles de sedentarismo en lapoblación
El objetivo del presente estudio fue examinar la relación entre la autopercepción de las habilidades deportivas y el desempeño en dos patrones básicos fundamentales, saltar a distancia y lanzar por ...encima del hombro, en personas adultas-jóvenes. Un total de 155 estudiantes universitarios, participaron de manera voluntaria. La percepción de las habilidades deportivas se evaluó utilizando la subescala del instrumento “Perfil de autopercepción para adultos”; además se les evaluó el desempeño en el patrón de saltar a distancia y lanzar por encima del hombro utilizando el “Instrumento para la evaluación de Patrones Básicos de Movimiento”. Al aplicar la técnica de correlación no paramétrica de Spearman, se encontró una relación significativa entre el patrón de saltar y la percepción de las habilidades deportivas (rho = .353; p< .001), no así para el patrón de lanzar (rho = .137; p< .089). Al examinar la relación por sexo, se encontró el mismo comportamiento en los hombres y las mujeres. Considerando, que la percepción motriz y la competencia motriz están relacionados con el nivel de actividad física, fortalecer estos factores, puede ser una estrategia para disminuir los niveles de sedentarismo en la población.
Abstract. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between perceived athletic abilities and actual motor performance in two fundamental motor skills, jumping and throwing, in young-adults. A total of 155 university students volunteered to participate and were assessed in the perception of athletic abilities, using the subscale of the instrument "Self-perception Profile for Adults"; in addition, the performance in fundamental motor skills for long distance jump and over-arm throw was assessed using the “Test for Fundamental Motor Skills in Adults”. Using Spearman's non-parametric correlation technique, a significant relationship was found between jump and athletic abilities (rho = .353; p <.001), but not for throw (rho = .137; p <.089). When analyzing the relationship by sex, the same behavior was found in men and women. Considering that motor perception and motor competence are related to physical activity levels, strengthening these factors may be a strategy to decrease sedentary lifestyle levels in the population.
Traumatic brain injury has been the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in human beings. One of the most susceptible structures to this damage is the hippocampus due to cellular and synaptic ...loss and impaired hippocampal connectivity to the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord. Thus, hippocampal damage in rodents using a stereotaxic device could be an adequate method to study a precise lesion from CA1 to the dentate gyrus structures. We studied male and female rats and mice, analyzing hindlimb locomotion kinematics changes to compare the locomotion kinematics using the same methodology in rodents. We measure (1) the vertical hindlimb metatarsus, ankle, and knee joint vertical displacements (VD) and (2) the factor of dissimilarity (DF). The VD in intact rats in metatarsus, ankle, and knee joints differs from that in intact mice in similar joints. In rats, the vertical displacement through the step cycle changed in the left and right metatarsus, ankle, and knee joints compared to the intact group versus the lesioned group. More subtle changes were also observed in mice. DF demonstrates contrasting results when studying locomotion kinematics of mice or rats and sex-dependent differences. Thus, a precise lesion in a rodent’s hippocampal structure discloses some hindlimb locomotion changes related to species and sex. Thus, we only have a qualitative comparison between murine species. In order to make a comparison with other species, we should standardize the model.
Spontaneous interneuron activity plays a critical role in developing neuronal networks. Discharges conducted antidromically along the dorsal root (DR) precede those from the ventral root's (VR) ...motoneurons. This work studied whether spinal interneurons project axons into the neonate's dorsal roots. Experiments were carried out in postnatal Swiss-Webster mice. We utilized a staining technique and found that interneurons in the spinal cord's dorsal horn send axons through the dorsal roots. In vitro electrophysiological recordings showed antidromic action potentials (dorsal root reflex; DRR) produced by depolarizing the primary afferent terminals. These reflexes appeared by stimulating the adjacent dorsal roots. We found that bicuculline reduced the DRR evoked by L5 dorsal root stimulation when recording from the L4 dorsal root. Simultaneously, the monosynaptic reflex (MR) in the L5 ventral root was not affected; nevertheless, a long-lasting after-discharge appeared. The addition of 2-amino-5 phosphonovaleric acid (AP5), an NMDA receptor antagonist, abolished the MR without changing the after-discharge. The absence of DRR and MR facilitated single action potentials in the dorsal and ventral roots that persisted even in low Ca2+ concentrations. The results suggest that firing interneurons could send their axons through the dorsal roots. These interneurons could activate motoneurons producing individual spikes recorded in the ventral roots. Identifying these interneurons and the persistence of their neuronal connectivity in adulthood remains to be established.
Toxoplasma gondii is the causal agent of toxoplasmosis in which one third of the world's population has been infected. In pregnant women, it may cause abortion and severe damage to the fetal central ...nervous system. During pregnancy, the prevalence of toxoplasmosis increases throughout the second and third quarter of gestation, simultaneously progesterone and 17β-estradiol also increase. Thus, it has been suggested that these hormones can aggravate or reduce parasite reproduction. The aim of this study was reviewing the relationship between hormones and infection caused by T. gondii in several experimental animal models and humans, focused mainly on: (a) congenital transmission, (b) parasite reproduction, (c) strain virulence, (d) levels of hormone in host induced by T. gondii infection, and (e) participation of hormone receptors in T. gondii infection. Are the hormones specific modulators of T. gondii infection? A systematic review methodology was used to consult several databases (Pub Med, Lilacs, Medline, Science direct, Scielo, Ebsco, Sprinker, Wiley, and Google Scholar) dated from September, 2013 to March, 2014.
Thirty studies were included; eight studies in humans and 22 in animals and cell cultures. In the human studies, the most studied hormones were testosterone, progesterone, prolactin, and 17β-estradiol. Type I (RH and BK) and Type II (Prugniaud, SC, ME49, T45, P78, and T38) were the most frequent experimental strains.
Thirty-five years have passed since the first studies regarding T. gondii infection and its relationship with hormones. This systematic review suggests that hormones modulate T. gondii infection in different animal models. However, given that data were not comparable, further studies are required to determine the mechanism of hormone action in the T. gondii infectious process.
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