Publications by authors named "Cristina Donis"

The role of fructose consumption in the development of obesity, MetS, and CVD epidemic has been widely documented. Notably, among other effects, fructose consumption has been demonstrated to induce cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, fructose intake during pregnancy can cause hypertrophy of the maternal heart.

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HS, a gasotransmitter that can be produced both via the transsulfuration pathway and non-enzymatically, plays a key role in vasodilation and angiogenesis during pregnancy. In fact, the involvement of HS production on plasma levels of sFLT1, PGF, and other molecules related to preeclampsia has been demonstrated. Interestingly, we have found that maternal fructose intake (a common component of the Western diet) affects tissular HS production.

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We previously demonstrated that treatment with BemA (bempedoic acid), an inhibitor of ATP citrate lyase, significantly reduces fatty liver in a model of liver steatosis (HFHFr-female Sprague-Dawley rat fed a high-fat high-fructose diet). Since the hepatic production of the gasotransmitter HS is impaired in liver disorders, we were interested in determining if the production of HS was altered in our HFHFr model and whether the administration of BemA reversed these changes. We used stored liver samples from a previous study to determine the total and enzymatic HS production, as well as the expression of CBS (cystathionine β-synthase), CSE (cystathionine γ-lyase), and 3MST (3-mercaptopiruvate sulfurtransferase), and the expression/activity of FXR (farnesoid X receptor), a transcription factor involved in regulating CSE expression.

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Fructose-rich beverages and foods consumption correlates with the epidemic rise in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Severity of COVID-19 has been related to these metabolic diseases. Fructose-rich foods could place people at an increased risk for severe COVID-19.

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The role of fructose in the global obesity and metabolic syndrome epidemic is widely recognized. However, its consumption is allowed during pregnancy. We have previously demonstrated that maternal fructose intake in rats induces detrimental effects in fetuses.

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Scope: Fructose intake from added sugars correlates with the epidemic rise in metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, consumption of beverages containing fructose is allowed during gestation. Homocysteine (Hcy) is a well-known risk factor for CVD while hydrogen sulfide (H S), a product of its metabolism, has been proved to exert opposite effects to Hcy.

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