Aurora magazine

In our society, we consume large quantities of omega 6 fats, in particular linoleic acid. The latter is present in potato chips and vegetable oils. However, a study shows that excess of this substance can become dangerous in pregnancy. It appears to be associated with a higher rate of heart disease.

The research was published in The Journal of Physiology. Doctors recommend consuming linoleic acid about three times a week. The researchers analyzed the effects of the substance during pregnancy by subjecting guinea pigs to a diet rich in linoleic acid for 10 weeks. Then they made them mate and continued to analyze the effects of the diet on pregnancy.

The guinea pigs that followed the diet before and during gestation showed three changes:

• increased inflammatory proteins in the liver;
• higher levels of a protein that causes contractions of the uterus;
• reduction of a hormone that regulates the growth and development of the fetus.

All these changes are linked to increased complications and problems in fetal development. However, it is necessary to verify if the effects of linoleic acid are the same in rats and human beings.

If this were the case, pregnant women should reduce their consumption of omega 6 during pregnancy. Speaking of rats, the only variant with respect to the control group were the quantities of linoleic acid. Fat and sugar levels were normal, so you can't attribute any of these effects to them. When we talk about human beings, we must keep in mind that foods rich in omega 6 tend to be also fat and salty. This entails an additional health risk.

Source: physoc.org

As genetic tests become more popular, the traditional approach to medicine is becoming less and less efficient. There is a growing need for multidisciplinary clinical programs that combine different types of skills. It's when the American Heart Association reports, especially about heart and brain diseases. Cardiovascular genetics has made great strides forward, making us discover the genetic causes of many diseases.

Today's major challenges are to understand these causes and create new personalized therapies. Furthermore, there is a lack of experts able to read genetic tests and give advice also to the families of sick people. According to the authors of the article, a specialized program would be needed that includes cardiologists, geneticists, consultants and chemical coordinators. In this way, those who rely on genetic testing would have an extra grip. At the moment, instead, programs focused on the relationship between genetics and cardiovascular treatments are scarce.

In addition, many of these are focused on a specific disease. One of the authors, Professor Kiran Musunuru, pushes for a genetic program that integrates clinical findings obtained with traditional techniques and those that come from genetics. This would improve diagnosis and treatment, helping patients' families as well. For the latter, programs that monitor the presence of any early symptoms of the disease would be useful.

Source: news-medical.net

Fat is often demonized, but it is essential for the body's health. Everything depends on the type of fat: the white cells are the reserve cells, the beige and brown ones have a rich sympathetic innervation. The latter increase the basal metabolism and burn more calories.

Researchers at the University of Utah have discovered a gene that regulates the transition from white fat to beige / brown fat, and vice versa. White fat cells with an overexpressed version of the EFB2 gene have more chances to turn into beige cells. To activate the gene, however, several factors must come into play, not all clear ones. The authors of the study therefore focused on the gene encoding TLE3, a protein from the same region as EFB2.

They discovered that the protein in question acts to inhibit the action of EFB2 on fat cells. To prove the discovery, the scientists deleted TLE3 from some guinea pigs and put them in the cold for several days. In theory, low temperatures basically stimulate the transformation of white cells into beige.

Without the TLE3 brake, the process was maximized: the guinea pigs developed large amounts of beige fat. What were the consequences? Beige fat burns far more calories than white fat. Mice with high levels of this fat have therefore lost weight in the cold and remained stable in the heat. The discovery could help many people with metabolic problems, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Source: medicalxpress.com

The testicular tissues of 189 young men show that fertility can survive chemotherapy with the right techniques. Dr. Hanna Valli-Pulaski's team analyzed the tissues taken for biopsies. Inside them there are sperm progenitor cells, which can be used to obtain gametes to be used for IVF.

Some children with cancer are too young to produce sperm to keep. Even the older ones, can have problems in this sense during the therapies, because of the stress. Until a few years ago, this would have denied them any chance of having children in adulthood. Indeed, chemotherapy tends to reduce or cancel subjects' fertility. Lastly, alternatives are emerging. The preservation of testicular tissue is one of these.

The tissues taken with biopsies contain stem cells, which could generate new spermatozoa. The study in question shows that these undifferentiated stem cells could also be obtained from those in the early stages of treatment. This therefore leaves a greater amount of time to act, in order to determine how to separate healthy and tumor cells present in the samples.

The study also includes meetings between doctors and patients' families focused only on future fertility. The goal is to analyze the benefits of post-cancer life and also promote alternatives that are currently little known. To date, only 39% of patients use a fertility preservation tool.

Source: eurekalert.org