Differences In Metabolic Profile In the Testes of Streptozotocin Induced Diabetes Mellitus Mice As Detected By 1H NMR

Contrary to the traditional view, recent studies suggest that diabetes mellitus has an adverse influence on male reproductive function. Our aim was to determine the affect of diabetes on the testicular environment by identifying and then assessing perturbations in small molecule metabolites. Testes were obtained from control and streptozotocin induced diabetic C57BL/6 mice, two, four and eight weeks post treatment. Diabetic status was confirmed by HbA1c, non fasting blood glucose, physiological condition and body weight. Protein free, low molecular weight, water soluble extracts were assessed using 1H NMR spectroscopy. Principal Component Analysis of the derived profiles was used to classify any variations and specific metabolites were identified based on their spectral pattern. Characteristic metabolite profiles were identified for control and diabetic animals with the most distinctive being from mice with the greatest physical deterioration and loss of bodyweight. Eight streptozotocin treated animals did not develop diabetes and displayed profiles similar to controls. Diabetic mice had decreases in creatine, choline and carnitine and increases in lactate, alanine and myo-inositol. Betaine levels were found to be increased in the majority of diabetic mice but decreased in two animals with severe loss of body weight and physical condition. The association between perturbations in a number of small molecule metabolites known to be influential in sperm function, with diabetic status and physiological condition, adds further impetus to the proposal that diabetes influences important spermatogenic pathways and mechanisms in a subtle and previously unrecognised manner.

Adaptation of a questionnaire to assess the epistemological beliefs of mathematics in secondary school teachers

The objective of the study is to determine the psychometric properties of the Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire on Mathematics. 171 Secondary School Mathematics Teachers of the Central Region of Cuba participated. The results show acceptable internal consistency. The factorial structure of the scale revealed three major factors, consistent with the Model of the Three Constructs: beliefs about knowledge, about learning and teaching. Irregular levels in the development of the epistemological belief system about mathematics of these teachers were shown, with a tendency among naivety and sophistication poles. In conclusion, the questionnaire is useful for evaluating teacher’s beliefs about mathematics.

Differences in Abdominal and Liver Fat Accumulation Between Obesity-Matched Adults With and Without Type 2 Diabetes

Despite attempts to identify the mechanisms by which obesity leads to the development of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), it remains unclear why some but not all adults with obesity develop T2D. Given the established associations between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and liver fat with insulin resistance, we hypothesized that compared to age and obesity matched adults who were non-diabetic (NT2D), adults with T2D would have greater amounts of VAT and liver fat. The International Study of Prediction of Intra-Abdominal Adiposity and Its Relationship with Cardiometabolic Risk/Intra-Abdominal Adiposity (INSPIRE ME IAA) aims to study the associations between VAT and liver fat and risk of developing T2D and cardiovascular disease. Four thousand, five hundred and four participants were initially recruited; from this, 2383 White and Asian adults were selected for this ancillary analysis. The NT2D and T2D groups were matched for age, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). The T2D and NT2D groups were also compared to participants with either impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT; IFG/IGT)). Abdominal adipose tissue was measured by computed tomography; liver fat was estimated using computed tomography-derived mean attenuation. Secondary analysis determined whether differences existed between NT2D and T2D groups in VAT and liver fat accumulation within selected BMI categories for Whites and Asians. We report across sex and race, T2D and IFG/IGT groups had elevated VAT and liver fat compared to the NT2D group (p<0.05). VAT was not different between IFG/IGT and T2D groups (p>0.05), however liver fat was greater in the T2D group compared to the IFG/IGT group in both Whites and Asians (p<0.05). Within each BMI category, the T2D group had elevated VAT and liver fat compared to the age and anthropometrically matched NT2D group in both Whites and Asians (p<0.05). With few exceptions, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue was not different in the T2D or IFG/IGT groups compared to the NT2D group independent of sex and race. Compared to age and obesity-matched adults who are NT2D, we observe that White and Asian adults with T2D, and those with IFG/IGT, present with greater levels of both VAT and liver fat.

Energy efficiency in gait, activity, participation, and health status in children with cerebral palsy

The aim of the study was to establish if a relationship exists between the energy efficiency of gait, and measures of activity limitation, participation restriction, and health status in a representative sample of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Secondary aims were to investigate potential differences between clinical subtypes and gross motor classification, and to explore other relationships between the measures under investigation. A longitudinal study of a representative sample of 184 children with ambulant CP was conducted (112 males, 72 females; 94 had unilateral spastic C P, 84 had bilateral spastic C P, and six had non-spastic forms; age range 4-17y; Gross Motor Function Classification System Level I, n=57; Level II, n=91; Level III, n=22; and Level IV, n=14); energy efficiency (oxygen cost) during gait, activity limitation, participation restriction, and health status were recorded. Energy efficiency during gait was shown to correlate significantly with activity limitations; no relationship between energy efficiency during gait was found with either participation restriction or health status. With the exception of psychosocial health, all other measures showed significant differences by clinical subtype and gross motor classification. The energy efficiency of walking is not reflective of participation restriction or health status. Thus, therapies leading to improved energy efficiency may not necessarily lead to improved participation or general health.

Mice lacking alpha-tocopherol transfer protein gene have severe alpha-tocopherol deficiency in multiple regions of the central nervous system

Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency is caused by mutations in a-tocopherol transfer protein (a-TTP) gene and it can be experimentally generated in mice by a-TTP gene inactivation (a-TTP-KO). This study compared a-tocopherol (a-T) concentrations of five brain regions and of four peripheral organs from 5 months old, male and female, wild-type (WT) and a-TTP-KO mice. All brain regions of female WT mice contained significantly higher a-T than those from WT males. a-T concentration in the cerebellum was significantly lower than that in other brain regions of WT mice. These sex and regional differences in brain a-T concentrations do not appear to be determined by a-TTP expression which was undetectable in all brain regions. All the brain regions of a-TTP-KO mice were severely depleted in a-T. The concentration of another endogenous antioxidant, total glutathione, was unaffected by gender but was decreased slightly but significantly in most brain regions of a-TTP-KO mice. The results show that both gender and the hepatic a-TTP, but not brain a-TTP gene expression are important in determining a-T concentrations within the brain. Interestingly, functional abnormality (ataxia) develops only very late in a-TTP-KO mice in spite of the severe a-tocopherol deficiency in the brain starting at an early age.