Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Previous studies in obese children demonstrating a positive association between serum uric acid (sUA) and components of MetS are confounded by lack of uniformity in age and pubertal status of children. Therefore, we have examined the role of sUA in MetS and its components in pre-pubertal children (Tanner Stage I, age ≤ 9 years). Pre-pubertal obese children (32 boys, 27 girls, age 6–9 years) were recruited from Nuevo Leon, Mexico. For comparison, an equal number of children with normal body mass index (BMI) in the same age range (22 Boys, 39 girls, age 6–9 years) were also recruited from the same community. Presence of MetS and its components was defined according to the criteria of International Diabetes Federation. Fasting blood was analyzed for lipids, glucose, insulin, and uric acid. Among the obese children, sUA was positively associated with insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia and negatively associated with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLc). Subjects were three times more likely to have a MetS diagnosis per one unit (md/dL) difference in sUA. Of the 59 obese pre-pubertal children, 20 were classified as having MetS defined by the presence of abdominal obesity and two or more of other components described under methods. Of these, 57.1% (20/61) had sUA between 5.1 and 7.1 mg/dl. The findings of this study clearly indicate a positive relationship between uric acid and MetS and its components in pre-pubertal obese children with Tanner stage I and ≤9 years of age.

Hypertension (HT) is considered to be a potential risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and has been directly related to pathologies such as obesity and dyslipidemias. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) blocked the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone cascade diminishing the production of angiotensin II and the level of bradykinin, produced by the kallikrein-kinin system. Although ACEIs are effective therapeutics in regulating HT, they present several side-effects that can be due to their mechanism of action (as hypotension, cough, dizziness, light-headedness or hyperkalemia) to specific drug molecular structure (skin rash, neutropenia and tasting disorders) or due to associated pathologies in the patients (it has been considered a possible nephrotoxic effect when ACEIs are administered in combination with angiotensin receptor blockers, in patients that present comorbidities as diabetes, acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease). Therefore, it is necessary the searching for new products with ACEI activity that do not produce side effects. Interestingly, species of the plant genus Salvia have been found to possess hypotensive effects. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of the ethanolic extract of Salvia hispanica L. seeds (EESH) on the expression of genes involved in pathways regulating HT. Administration of EESH to hypertensive rats inhibited the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity along with a decrease in Ace and elevation of Agtr1a and Nos3 gene expression, as compared to that in healthy rats. Moreover, these results were similar to those observed with captopril, an antihypertensive drug used as a control. No significant change in the expression of Bdkrb2 gene was observed in the different groups of rats. To conclude, our results demonstrate that EESH regulates blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive rats through transcriptionally regulating the expression of genes that participate in different pathways involving ACE.

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are the most common symptoms among menopausal women; these include hot flashes and night sweats, and palpitations often occur along with hot flashes. Some studies in Mexico reported that around 50% of women presented with VMS mainly in the menopausal transition. It has been proven that VMS are not only triggered by an estrogen deficiency, but also by nutritional risk factors. Evidence of an association between nutritional risk factors and VMS is limited in Mexican women. The aim of this study is to identify nutritional risk factors associated with VMS in women aged 40–65 years. This is a comparative cross-sectional study, undertaken in a retrospective way. A sample group (n = 406 women) was divided into four stages according to STRAW+10 (Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop): late reproductive, menopausal transition, early postmenopause, and late postmenopause. Hot flashes were present mainly in the early postmenopause stage (38.1%, p ≤ 0.001). Two or more VMS were reported in 23.2% of women in the menopausal transition stage and 29.3% in the early postmenopause stage (p < 0.001). The presence of VMS was associated with different nutritional risk factors (weight, fasting glucose levels, cardiorespiratory fitness, and tobacco use) in women living in the northeast of Mexico.

Background/Objectives: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in children has been increasing, raising concerns about early detection and clinical management. Adipokines, which are secreted by adipose tissue, play a critical role in metabolic regulation and inflammation, while gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), as a liver enzyme, is linked to oxidative stress and metabolic disorders. The objective was to examine the association of circulating adipokines and GGT with metabolic syndrome risk in school-aged children from Northeast Mexico. Methods: A total of 140 children from 6 to 12 years of age in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico, participated in this study. Obesity was classified according to the BMI z-score by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2007), and metabolic syndrome was classified according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF, 2007). Serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, TNF-α, IL-6, and GGT were measured. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student’s t-test, simple linear regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Among the 140 participants, 60 children (43%) were classified as obese, and of those children with obesity, 55% were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Leptin was significantly associated with waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), serum glucose, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol (HDL-c). Adiponectin also showed significant associations with WC, SBP, serum triglycerides, and HDL-c. GGT was significantly correlated with WC and HDL-c, while IL-6 and TNF-α did not indicate significance. Associations were observed among leptin, adiponectin, and GGT, highlighting their combined role as potential markers for metabolic syndrome in children. The ROC curve analysis and Youden’s index provided cut-off points for these biomarkers: leptin: 8.3665 ng/mL, adiponectin: 9.87 µg/mL, GGT: 17.8 U/L, IL-6 2.77 pg/mL, and TNF-α: 6.68 pg/mL; Conclusions: These findings emphasize the utility of leptin, adiponectin, and GGT as early biomarkers for identifying children with obesity who are at risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Summary: Objective: To introduce ObMetrics, a free and user‐friendly Shiny app that simplifies the calculation, data analysis, and interpretation of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) outcomes according to multiple definitions in epidemiological studies of paediatric populations. We illustrate its usefulness using ethnically different populations in a comparative study of prevalence across cohorts and definitions.Methods: We conducted a case study using data from two ethnically diverse paediatric populations: a Hispanic‐American cohort (N = 1759) and a Hispanic‐European cohort (N = 2411). Using ObMetrics, we computed MetS classifications (Cook, Zimmet, Ahrens) and component‐specific z‐scores for each participant to compare prevalences.Results: The analysis revealed significant heterogeneity in MetS prevalence across different definitions and cohorts. According to Cook, Zimmet, and Ahrens's definitions, MetS prevalence in children with obesity was 25%, 12%, and 48%, respectively, in the Hispanic‐European cohort, and 38%, 27%, and 66% in the Hispanic‐American cohort. Calculating component‐specific z‐scores in each cohort also highlighted ethnic‐specific differences in lipid metabolism and blood pressure. By automating these complex calculations, ObMetrics considerably reduced analysis time and minimised the potential for errors.Conclusion: ObMetrics proved to be a powerful tool for paediatric research, generating detailed reports on the prevalence of MetS and its components based on various definitions and reference standards. Our case study further provides valuable insights into the challenges of characterising metabolic health in paediatric populations. Future efforts should focus on developing unified consensus guidelines for paediatric MetS. Meanwhile, ObMetrics enables earlier identification and targeted intervention for high‐risk children and adolescents.

Introducción: La inflamación crónica está implicada en diversas enfermedades degenerativas y se asocia con la sobreexpresión de la ciclooxigenasa-2 (COX-2), una enzima clave en la respuesta inflamatoria. El resveratrol, un compuesto fenólico presente en uvas, bayas y cacahuates, ha demostrado propiedades antiinflamatorias, atribuibles en parte a su interacción con COX-2. Objetivo: Evaluar, mediante herramientas in silico, la biotransformación del resveratrol mediada por la microbiota intestinal y el posible efecto antiinflamatorio de sus metabolitos sobre COX-2. Material y Método: Se utilizó la plataforma BioTransformer para predecir los cambios estructurales del resveratrol inducidos por enzimas de la microbiota intestinal. Los metabolitos resultantes, estilbendiol y estilbenol, fueron analizados en cuanto a sus propiedades farmacocinéticas y posibles blancos moleculares mediante SwissADME y SwissTargetPrediction. Posteriormente, su afinidad por COX-2 se evaluó mediante acoplamiento molecular con AutoDock. Resultados: Los análisis computacionales indicaron que las deshidroxilasas bacterianas generan dos derivados del resveratrol: el 3,4’-dihidroxi-trans-estilbeno y el trans-4-hidroxiestilbeno. Ambos compuestos comparten a COX-2 como blanco molecular potencial (probabilidad = 0.4) y mantienen propiedades farmacocinéticas favorables (LogP ≥ 2). Sin embargo, el estilbenol mostró una mayor afinidad por el sitio activo de COX-2 en los estudios de acoplamiento molecular (-7.09 kcal/mol). Conclusión: La microbiota intestinal podría potenciar la actividad antiinflamatoria del resveratrol a través de su conversión en metabolitos más activos, como el trans-4-hidroxiestilbeno. Hasta donde tenemos conocimiento, este es el primer estudio que identifica al estilbenol como un posible inhibidor de COX-2.