Biology subjects

Martinez, L. O.

Publications and source records attributed to Martinez, L. O..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Neuroprotective Effect of Combined Pomegranate and Candesartan Therapy Against Chronic Cerebral Ischemia in Rats.

BackgroundStroke remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Ischemic stroke, caused by arterial occlusion, induces sensorimotor deficits and memory impairments. Excessive activity of the brain angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) is associated with hypertension and cerebral ischemia. Candesartan (CN), an AT1R blocker, improves cerebrovascular blood flow. Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is rich in polyphenolic antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, suggesting potential neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemia. AimThis study compared the neuroprotective effects of CN administered alone or in combination with pomegranate (POM) in a rat model of cerebral ischemia induced by chronic unilateral carotid artery ligation. MethodsCerebral ischemia was induced by ligation of the right common carotid artery (RCCA) in adult rats. Animals were randomly assigned to four groups: sham control, untreated ischemic, ischemic treated with CN, and ischemic treated with CN + POM. Sensorimotor and cognitive functions were assessed 1-15 days post-surgery using beam balance (BB), beam walking (BW), modified sticky-tape (MST), novel object recognition (NOR), and the Morris water maze (MWM) tests. ResultsRCCA ligation induced marked sensorimotor deficits and memory impairments. Both CN monotherapy and CN + POM treatment equally restored sensorimotor function to sham-control levels, as demonstrated by BB, BW, and MST tests. In contrast, CN + POM treatment showed greater efficacy than CN alone in improving short-term recognition and spatial memory, as demonstrated by NOR and MWM performance. ConclusionCN effectively reverses ischemia-induced sensorimotor deficits, whereas the addition of POM confers specific and enhanced protection against cognitive impairment, indicating distinct mechanisms underlying sensorimotor and memory recovery after cerebral ischemia.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2019

Serum level of High-density lipoprotein particles are independently associated with long-term prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease: The GENES study

BACKGROUNDHDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C) is not an accurate surrogate marker to measure the cardioprotective functions of HDL in coronary artery diseases (CAD) patients. Hence, measurement of other HDL-related parameters may have prognostic superiority over HDL-C. OBJECTIVEThis work aimed to examine the predictive value of HDL particles profile for long-term mortality in CAD patients. Its informative value was compared to that of HDL-C and apoA-I. METHODSHDL particles profile were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in 214 male participants with stable CAD (45-74 years). Median follow up was 12.5 years with a 36.4% mortality rate. Cardiovascular mortality accounted for 64.5 %. RESULTSMean concentrations of total HDL particles (HDL-P), small-sized HDL (SHDL-P) and apoA-I were lower in deceased than in surviving patients whereas no difference was observed according to HDL-C and large HDL particles. All NMR-HDL measures were correlated between themselves and with other HDL markers (HDL-C, apoA-I and LpA-I). In a multivariate model adjusted for 14 cardiovascular risk factors and bioclinical variables, HDL-P and SHDL-P displayed the strongest inverse association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Weaker associations were recorded for apoA-I. CONCLUSIONHDL particle profile measured by NMR spectroscopy should be considered to better stratify risk in population at high risk or in the setting of pharmacotherapy.

epidemiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Liraglutide improves hepatic steatosis and metabolic dysfunctions in a 3-week dietary mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

AimNon-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an emerging health problem worldwide. However, efficacious pharmacological treatment for NASH is lacking. A major issue for preclinical evaluation of potential therapeutics for NASH is the limited number of appropriate animal models, i.e., models that do not require long-term dietary intervention and adequately mimic disease progression in humans. The present study aimed to evaluate a 3-week dietary mouse model of NASH and to validate it by studying the effects of liraglutide, a compound in advanced clinical development for NASH.\n\nMethodsC57BL6/J mice were fed a diet high in fat (60%), cholesterol (1.25%) and cholic acid (0.5%) along with 2% hydroxypropyl-{beta}-cyclodextrin in drinking water (HFCC-CDX diet). Histological and biological parameters were measured at 1 and 3 weeks. Following 1-week diet induction, liraglutide was administrated daily for 2 weeks, and then NASH-associated phenotypic aspects were evaluated in comparison with control mice.\n\nResultsPrior to treatment with liraglutide, mice fed the HFCC-CDX diet for 1 week developed liver steatosis and had increased levels of oxidative-stress markers and hepatic and systemic inflammation. For mice not treated with liraglutide, these aspects were even more pronounced after 3 weeks of the dietary period, with additional liver insulin resistance and fibrosis. Liraglutide treatment corrected the diet-induced alterations in glucose metabolism and significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and inflammation.\n\nConclusionThis study provides a novel 3-week dietary model of mice that rapidly develop NASH features, and this model will be suitable for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of compounds in preclinical drug development for NASH.

pathology↗