Publications by authors named "M E Cifuentes"
Obesity, a global health crisis, disrupts multiple systemic processes, contributing to a cascade of metabolic dysfunctions by promoting the pathological expansion of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). This expansion is characterized by impaired differentiation of pre-adipocytes and an increase in senescent cells, leading to a pro-inflammatory state and exacerbated oxidative stress. Particularly, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and adipose tissue hypoxia further impair cellular function, promoting chronic disease development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLow-Grade Chronic Inflammation: a Shared Mechanism for Chronic Diseases.
Physiology (Bethesda)
January 2025
Article Synopsis
- Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury or infection, but if it becomes chronic, it can lead to serious health issues like obesity, cancer, and heart disease.
- Chronic low-grade inflammation is increasingly common and is linked to rising global health problems, highlighting a pressing need for intervention.
- The review explores current understanding and knowledge gaps about chronic inflammation's role in various diseases and suggests future research directions to combat its effects.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) constitutes a prevalent risk factor associated with non communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A major factor impacting the etiology of MetS is diet. Dietary patterns and several individual food constituents have been related to the risk of developing MetS or have been proposed as adjuvant treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Aging and obesity lead to insulin resistance and inflammation, with mechanisms involving impaired glucose uptake and the NF-κB pathway; elevated palmitic acid (PA) in obesity exacerbates these issues.* -
- In laboratory tests on human adipocytes, different concentrations of Lampaya (HEL) were shown to have no toxic effects, while PA reduced insulin signaling and glucose uptake; HEL, when co-treated with PA, improved these markers.* -
- The study found that HEL helps mitigate the negative effects of PA on insulin signaling by increasing phospho-Akt and glucose uptake, while also reducing inflammatory markers like phospho-NF-κB and phospho-AS160.*
Article Synopsis
- Transgender and gender-diverse individuals often face discrimination in medical settings, but gender-affirming treatments, like genital-affirming surgery, can enhance their quality of life; however, sexual function assessments after such surgeries have typically used tools meant for those assigned female at birth, leading to inaccuracies.
- The study involved translating and adapting the Male to Female Sexual Function Index (oMtFSFI) into Spanish for Chilean transgender women, testing its face validity through input from eight participants.
- Feedback indicated that while the questionnaire effectively evaluated sexual function, some terminology was confusing, and assumptions regarding partner presence and penetrative intercourse needed reconsideration, leading to an agreement on necessary adaptations based on patient perspectives.