Publications by authors named "Caroline Mescka"

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is the most common inherited metabolic disorders caused by severe deficiency or absence of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity that converts phenylalanine (Phe) to tyrosine. PKU patients were treated with a Phe restricted diet supplemented with a special formula containing l-carnitine (L-car), well-known antioxidant compound. The lack of treatment can cause neurological and cognitive impairment, as severe mental retardation, neuronal cell loss and synaptic density reduction.

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Phenylketonuria (PKU) was the first genetic disease to have an effective therapy, which consists of phenylalanine intake restriction. However, there are patients who do not adhere to treatment and/or are not submitted to neonatal screening. PKU patients present L-carnitine (L-car) deficiency, compound that has demonstrated an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory role in metabolic diseases.

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Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a genetic disorder that leads the accumulation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) leucine (Leu), isoleucine, valine and metabolites. The symptomatology includes psychomotor delay and mental retardation. MSUD therapy comprises a lifelong protein strict diet with low BCAA levels and is well established that high concentrations of Leu and/or its ketoacid are associated with neurological symptoms.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Research reveals that these compounds can cause DNA damage, and this damage is intensified when they are present together, with Allo causing the most significant harm.
  • * The study also shows that l-Carnitine (L-Car) can reduce this DNA damage both in vitro and in vivo, highlighting its protective effects against oxidative stress in MSUD patients.
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X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is an inherited neurometabolic disorder caused by disfunction of the ABCD1 gene, which encodes a peroxisomal protein responsible for the transport of the very long-chain fatty acids from the cytosol into the peroxisome, to undergo β-oxidation. The mainly accumulated saturated fatty acids are hexacosanoic acid (C26:0) and tetracosanoic acid (C24:0) in tissues and body fluids. This peroxisomal disorder occurs in at least 1 out of 20,000 births.

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Several studies have examined neonatal diabetes, a rare disease characterized by hyperglycemia and low insulin levels that is usually diagnosed in the first 6 month of life. Recently, the effects of diabetes on the brain have received considerable attention. In addition, hyperglycemia may perturb brain function and might be associated with neuronal death in adult rats.

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Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD) comprise a heterogeneous group of >50 genetic disorders caused by mutations in genes that encode lysosomal enzymes, transport proteins or other gene products essential for a functional lysosomal system. As a result, abnormal accumulation of substrates within the lysosome leads to a progressive cellular impairment and dysfunction of numerous organs and systems. The exact mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of LSD remain obscure.

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Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), or branched-chain α-keto aciduria, is an inherited disorder that is caused by a deficiency in branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex (BCKAD) activity. Blockade of this pathway leads to the accumulation of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), leucine, isoleucine, and valine, and their respective ketoacids in tissues. The main clinical symptoms presented by MSUD patients include ketoacidosis, hypoglycemia, opisthotonos, poor feeding, apnea, ataxia, convulsions, coma, psychomotor delay, and mental retardation.

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Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficient activity of iduronate-2-sulfatase, leading to abnormal accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). The main treatment for MPS II is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Previous studies described potential benefits of six months of ERT against oxidative stress in patients.

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Oxidative stress has been proposed as an important pathophysiologic feature of various inborn errors of metabolism, including phenylketonuria (PKU). Considering that there are few studies relating oxidative stress and inflammation directly in PKU disease, the aim of this study was to evaluate and correlate oxidative damage to biomolecules, antioxidant defenses, pro-inflammatory cytokines, phenylalanine (Phe) and its metabolites (phenyllactic acid--PLA and phenylacetic acid--PAA) levels in urine and plasma from patients with PKU under dietary treatment. We observed a marked increase of isoprostanes, which is a lipid peroxidation biomarker, in urine from these treated patients.

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Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) is a metabolic disorder caused by a severe deficiency of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex activity which leads to the accumulation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) leucine (Leu), isoleucine and valine and their respective α-keto-acids in body fluids. The main symptomatology presented by MSUD patients includes ketoacidosis, failure to thrive, poor feeding, apnea, ataxia, seizures, coma, psychomotor delay and mental retardation, but, the neurological pathophysiologic mechanisms are poorly understood. The treatment consists of a low protein diet and a semi-synthetic formula restricted in BCAA and supplemented with essential amino acids.

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Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an inherited disorder caused by severe deficient activity of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex involved in the degradation pathway of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and their α-ketoacid derivatives. MSUD patients generally present ketoacidosis, poor feeding, ataxia, coma, psychomotor delay, mental retardation and brain abnormalites. Treatment consists of dietary restriction of the BCAA (low protein intake) supplemented by a BCAA-free amino acid mixture.

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Article Synopsis
  • CBS deficiency leads to the accumulation of harmful metabolites like homocysteine, which significantly impacts cardiovascular health, though the exact mechanism of these effects is still not fully understood.
  • Research showed that CBS-deficient patients exhibited lower levels of HDL cholesterol and ApoA-1, along with decreased PON1 activity, indicating a negative impact on lipid and inflammatory profiles.
  • Treatment with vitamin B12 and folic acid was linked to improvements in these biochemical parameters, suggesting that proper adherence to a protein-restricted diet and supplementation is crucial for managing CBS deficiency and its associated complications.
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Toxic metabolites accumulation and oxidative stress have been associated to the pathophysiology of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD), an inborn error of peroxisome metabolism. Parameters of oxidative damage to proteins and lipids in X-ALD patients were already described in literature; however, DNA injuries were not studied yet. Considering that, the aims were to investigate DNA damage by comet assay in heterozygotes and symptomatic X-ALD patients, to look for associations between DNA damage and lipid peroxidation as measured by urinary 15-F2t-isoprostane; and to evaluate the in vitro effect of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), trolox (TRO) and rosuvastatin (RSV) on DNA damage in leukocytes from symptomatic patients.

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Recently, the consequences of diabetes on the central nervous system (CNS) have received great attention. However, the mechanisms by which hyperglycemia affects the central nervous system remain poorly understood. In addition, recent studies have shown that hyperglycemia induces oxidative damage in the adult rat brain.

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Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a disorder of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). The defect in the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex activity leads to an accumulation of these compounds and their corresponding α-keto-acids and α-hydroxy-acids. Studies have shown that oxidative stress may be involved in neuropathology of MSUD.

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There is increasing evidence suggesting that oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of many chronic and degenerative conditions such as diabetic encephalopathy and depression. Considering that diabetic rats and mice present higher depressive-like behaviour when submitted to the forced swimming test and that treatment with insulin and/or clonazepam is able to reverse the behavioural changes of the diabetic rats, the present work investigated the antioxidant status, specifically total antioxidant reactivity and antioxidant potential of insulin and clonazepam, as well as the effect of this drugs upon protein oxidative damage and reactive species formation in cortex, hippocampus and striatum from diabetic rats submitted to forced swimming test. It was verified that longer immobility time in diabetic rats and insulin plus clonazepam treatment reversed this depressive-like behaviour.

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Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an inherited aminoacidopathy caused by a deficiency in branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex activity that leads to the accumulation of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine (Leu), isoleucine, and valine and their respective α-keto-acids, α-ketoisocaproic acid (KIC), α keto-β-methylvaleric acid, and α-ketoisovaleric acid. The major clinical features presented by MSUD patients include ketoacidosis, failure to thrive, poor feeding, apnea, ataxia, seizures, coma, psychomotor delay, and mental retardation; however, the pathophysiology of this disease is poorly understood. MSUD treatment consists of a low protein diet supplemented with a mixture containing micronutrients and essential amino acids but excluding BCAAs.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess oxidative damage in macromolecules and changes in antioxidant defenses in patients with medium-chain acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency.
  • Compared to healthy controls, MCAD-deficient patients lacking supplementation showed higher protein oxidative damage, while those with carnitine supplementation had increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as a potential compensatory response.
  • The combination of carnitine and riboflavin supplementation appears to prevent oxidative damage, suggesting a need for further research on the role of free radicals in MCAD deficiency and potential antioxidant therapies.
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Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a metabolic disease caused by a deficiency in the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex, leading to the accumulation of branched-chain keto acids and their corresponding branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in patients. Treatment involves protein-restricted diet and the supplementation with a specific formula containing essential amino acids (except BCAA) and micronutrients, in order to avoid the appearance of neurological symptoms. Although the accumulation of toxic metabolites is associated to appearance of symptoms, the mechanisms underlying the brain damage in MSUD remain unclear, and new evidence has emerged indicating that oxidative stress contributes to this damage.

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Article Synopsis
  • Diabetes mellitus leads to high blood sugar levels due to issues with insulin, and it can negatively affect the brain, causing conditions like diabetic encephalopathy and depression.
  • There is a higher rate of depression in diabetics compared to the general population, and clonazepam is used to help treat this issue alongside insulin therapy.
  • Research on diabetic rats showed that those treated with insulin and clonazepam had less DNA and lipid damage in brain areas linked to depression, suggesting these treatments might provide neuroprotective effects.
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Context: It is known that oxidative stress occurs in peripheral blood in an experimental animal model of diabetes and depression, and acute treatment with insulin and clonazepam (CNZ) has a protective effect on oxidative stress in this model.

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of insulin plus CNZ on oxidative stress parameters in the liver of diabetic male rats induced with streptozotocin (STZ) and subjected to forced swimming test (FST).

Materials And Methods: Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal (i.

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Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an inborn error of metabolism biochemically characterized by elevated levels of the branched chain amino acids (BCAA) leucine, isoleucine, valine and the corresponding branched-chain α-keto acids. This disorder is clinically characterized by ketoacidosis, seizures, coma, psychomotor delay and mental retardation whose pathophysiology is not completely understood. Recent studies have shown that oxidative stress may be involved in neuropathology of MSUD.

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Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder biochemically characterized by the accumulation of cholesterol and glycosphingolipids in late endosomes and lysosomes of the affected patients. N-butyl-deoxynojirimycin is the only approved drug for patients with NPC disease. It inhibits glycosphingolipid synthesis, therefore reducing intracellular lipid storage.

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Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, including X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). In the present work, we evaluated lipid (malondialdehyde [MDA] content) and protein (sulfhydryl and carbonyl contents) oxidative damage parameters in plasma from X-ALD patients before and after bone marrow transplant (BMT), in order to verify if this treatment is capable to alter the oxidative parameters studied. We also evaluated the plasma concentration of hexacosanoic acid (C26:0) from X-ALD patients and correlated it with the oxidative damage parameters investigated.

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