1. Universidad San Pablo-CEU

Excessive dietary fat consumption has been linked to impairments in synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus (HIP), a brain region crucial for learning and memory that relies on balanced glutamatergic neurotransmission. This study investigates the acute effects of three fatty acids (FAs)—lauric acid (LA), palmitic acid (PA), and oleic acid (OA)—on glutamate (GLU)-related gene expression in the HIP of male and female young mice. Hippocampal slices were treated with FAs, and mRNA levels of genes involved in GLU transport, GLU-glutamine (GLN) cycling, and GLU receptor subunit encoding were quantified using RT-PCR. FA treatment reduced mRNA levels of enzymes involved in the conversion of GLU to GLN (glutamine synthetase; GS), GABA (glutamate decarboxylase 1; GAD67), and α-ketoglutarate (glutamate pyruvate transaminase 2; AAT2). Additionally, the expression of glutamine transporters (SNAT1, SNAT2, SNAT3), the astrocytic GLU transporter GLT-1, and the NMDA receptor subunit NMDA2a was also reduced. These effects were most pronounced with LA. Notably, while the HIP showed similar sensitivity to fatty acids across sexes, overall gene expression levels were lower in females. These findings highlight the acute susceptibility of hippocampal GLU-related pathways to FA exposure, particularly LA, suggesting potential risks of high-LA diets on cognitive function. Further research is needed to explore the long-term consequences of dietary fat on hippocampal health and its sex-specific effects.

The effect of the histamine H3 receptor antagonist thioperamide on morphine reinforcement and physical dependence was studied by using the conditioned place preference paradigm and naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in the rat. Coadministration of low doses of thioperamide (0.2 and 2 mg/kg) with morphine did not produce consistent changes of the place conditioning effect of the opioid; however, the highest dose of thioperamide tested (10 mg/kg) completely blocked morphine preference. This effect did not seem to result from thioperamide-induced dysphoria since this drug did not elicit place aversion per se. Thioperamide (10 mg/kg) failed to alter the signs of opiate withdrawal when acutely injected in morphine-dependent rats 1 h before naloxone administration. These results show that thioperamide could decrease the positive reinforcing properties of morphine, an effect that could be related to an activation of the central histaminergic function. On the other hand, the results obtained do not support a prominent role for histamine H3 receptors in the expression of opiate withdrawal.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a postprandial hormone that elicits a satiating effect and regulates feeding behaviour. CCK has been shown to enhance the effect of leptin in several experimental paradigms. The goal of this work was to characterize the effect of endogenous CCK on plasma leptin content by using CCK receptor antagonists. Therefore, we administered SR-27,897, a selective CCK1 receptor antagonist, and L-365,260, a selective CCK2 receptor antagonist, to fed and food-deprived rats and determined plasma leptin concentration by enzyme immunoassay. Plasma insulin and glucose concentration as well as food intake were also determined. Under our conditions, SR-27,897 increased plasma concentration of leptin both in fed and food-deprived rats. It also increased food intake as well as plasma concentration of insulin in fed animals. L-365,260 increased plasma leptin concentration only in fed rats. In animals receiving exogenous leptin, CCK-8 increased the ratio between the concentration of leptin in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma. These results show that CCK receptor antagonists increases plasma concentration of leptin and suggest that endogenous CCK may facilitate the uptake of plasma leptin to the cerebrospinal fluid.

Peripheral cholecystokinin (CCK) elicits satiety by acting on hypothalamic nuclei. The anoretic effect of CCK is mediated by the vagus nerve and involves brainstem areas receiving vagal inputs, such as the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and the area postrema (AP). This work aims to analyze, by measuring c-Fos expression, the effect of selective CCK receptor agonists on brain areas involved in food-intake/satiety process. We observed that SR-146,131, a CCK1R agonist, increased c-Fos expression in NTS and AP as well as in some hypothalamic nuclei. CCK-4, a CCK2R agonist which does not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), only was effective in the hypothalamus. Our data show that the activation of the brainstem is not a requisite to obtain a hypothalamic effect of peripheral CCK and suggest that CCK-4 may indirectly stimulate hypothalamic areas endowed with BBB, without previous activation of neither NTS nor AP.

Activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis by fasting seems to involve cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors. This work aims to characterize the role of endogenous CCK in the activity of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus during food withdrawal. We investigated, by c-Fos immunohistochemistry, the effect of CCK1 and CCK2 receptor antagonists (SR-27,897 and L-365,260, respectively) on c-Fos levels expression induced by food deprivation. Under our conditions, the number of cells expressing c-Fos was reduced both by SR-27,897 and L-365,260 in food-deprived rats. To investigate the importance of glucose availability, we studied the effect of CCK receptor antagonists on c-Fos synthesis induced by the glucose antimetabolite 2-deoxyglucose. In these animals, only SR-27,897 decreased c-Fos expression in the PVN. Our results indicate that the effect of CCK antagonists is mainly perceptible when glucose availability decreases, and suggest that CCK-ergic inputs could drive the activity of the PVN under fasting/low glucose conditions.

Background There is extensive concern about older people’s care in institutions, especially recently in the past years. One of the reasons is linked to the cases of elder abuse, not only shown by academic and scientific sources, but also by social and mass media and their impact on public perception of the institutional setting. What is more, current COVID-19 pandemic consequences on older people have provoked alarm and worry especially about what is happening in institutions. Methods The sample for this study consists of 286 staff working in nursing homes in Spain. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Professional Good Care Scale in Nursing Homes (GCS-NH). Results Results of parallel analyses and exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) showed a four-factor model for the 32-item scale: humanization (9 items), non-infantilization (10 items), respect (7 items) and empowerment (6 items). Then, psychometric properties were tested analysing internal consistency (reliability) and convergent, divergent and criterion validity. High internal consistency (reliability) and different validity evidence were obtained for the total scores of the GCS-NH and its subscales. GCS-NH scores were also capable of detecting risk of probable institutional elder abuse. Conclusions Results show that this scale is an appropriate, valid, and reliable multidimensional instrument to evaluate good care in older institutionalized people by staff. Good care is an outcome of a complex construct in which a wide range of factors converge (staff, older people, and environmental characteristics). The GCS-NH has potential to be used as a multidimensional tool to assess good care.

The objective of this work was to characterize the adaptation of cardiac metabolism to a lipid overload in a model of diet-induced obesity (DIO) in mice. After 8 wk dietary treatment, mice receiving a high-fat diet exhibited an increase in the amount of adipose tissue, accompanied by a surge in plasma leptin concentration (from 5.4-16.0 ng/ml). This was associated with: 1) an induction of uncoupling protein-2 (120%), 2) an increase in the phosphorylated form of AMP-activated protein kinase (120%), and 3) a reduction in lactate concentration and lactate dehydrogenase activity in myocardial tissue (40%). Because DIO induces leptin resistance, we analyzed leptin receptor functionality by measuring phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in response to acute leptin (1 mg/kg). We observed that leptin receptor signaling remained unaltered within the heart but was fully impaired within the hypothalamus. Taken together, these data show that during DIO development, there is a metabolic shift in the heart aimed at increasing fatty acid oxidation to the detriment of carbohydrates. This effect seems to be leptin-dependent, suggesting that the increased adiposity observed during the onset of obesity might contribute to impairing ectopic lipidic deposition in the heart

Memory and behavioral difficulties among older people living in nursing homes can cause burden and other consequences in professional caregivers. There is a lack of instruments that evaluate these behaviors and their influence in formal caregivers. The aim of this study is to develop and psychometrically test—the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist for Nursing Homes (RMBPC-NH). A cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample was made up of 312 formal caregivers working in nursing homes from different territories in Spain, 87.5% were women and 12.5% were men. The average age of participants was 39 years (SD = 12.2). The sample was recruited from January 2019 to March 2020. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, which included sociodemographic information, and assessed quality of technical equipment, level of training, experience of working with older people, job satisfaction, professional quality of life, burnout, and conception of negative stereotypes held towards aging. The four-factor structure of the RMBPC-NH showed a good fit, namely in relation to memory, functional, and emotional factors, and other problems. It has shown adequate psychometric properties, internal consistency, and validity (correlations with professional quality of life, job satisfaction, burnout, and negative stereotypes). The RMBPC-NH is a useful instrument to evaluate the frequency of older people’s memory and behavior problems and professional caregivers’ burden. The practical application in nursing homes is discussed

Researchers have mainly focused on aging risk factors and COVID19 consequences. However, older adults have proved their ability to overcome adversities along their life. Resilience is a protective variable that dampens the impact of stress. Based on MacLeod’s et al. (2016) approach, we aimed to analyze the relationship between older adults’ resilience and COVID19 relatedstressors as well as their physical, mental, and social characteristics. Eight hundred eightynine people aged 60 and over participated in this study. Older participants, women, having better perceived health and not losing a loved one because of the virus were associated with more resilience. Moreover, higher levels of gratitude, personal growth, life purpose and lower levels of depression were associated with greater scores in resilience. This study ofers a change of perspective in which aging is perceived from a positive viewpoint by focusing on easily accessible resources that may help older adults to cope with adverse situations.

Objectives: Caring for older adults is a demanding task. Some professionals may find themselves in complex situations for which they may not be prepared. However, the repercussions of these difficult experiences will depend on personal factors. Resilience acts as a buffer against difficulties and experiences. However, its study with first-line caregivers in nursing homes is limited. This study aimed to validate the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-2 (CD-RISC2), examine its psychometric properties, and analyze the variables associated with resilience (sociodemographic and professionals´ variables). Methods: 312 nursing home professionals participated in the study. Besides the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-2, they answered questionnaires about good care, burnout, quality of life, person-centered care, and well-being. Results: The CD-RISC2 showed adequate reliability and test-retest reliability. Good support was found for convergent validity with perceived health, person-directed care, personal growth, life purpose, quality of life and good care, and for discriminant validity with burnout. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study that validates the CD-RISC2 Spanish version with front-line workers in nursing homes showing adequate psychometric properties. Clinical implications: An abbreviated, simpler, self-assessed version may be more useful than longer versions, especially with professionals with a heavy workload, such as direct care staff in nursing homes.