Examinando por Autor "Parra, Heliana"
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Ítem Hypertension, emotions and happiness: A brief view from the biology to the positive psychology(Saber UCV, Universidad Central de Venezuela, 2022) Bautista-Sandoval, María; Chacín, Maricarmen; Chaparro-Suárez, Yudy; Riaño-Garzón, Manuel E; Díaz-Camargo, Edgar Alexis; Duran, Pablo; Parra, Heliana; Castro, Ana; Nava, Manuel; Medina Ortiez, Oscar; D’Marco, Luis; Rojas, Edward; Bermúdez, ValmoreHigh blood pressure (HBP) is a silent disease with an extremely high prevalence worldwide. It is considered the leading risk factor for cardiovascular (CVD) and neurovascular disorders. The etiology of hypertension is based on various genetic, environmental, and social factors. Currently, compelling evidence points to the link between HBP and certain psycho-emotional factors, such as mental stability, happiness, general well-being, and fulfillment, all consistently associated with better physical and psychological health. Clinical and epidemiological evidence supports their value as a novel target in HBP management despite the lack of clarity concerning how psycho-emotional and affective states affect cardiovascular health. Among the main psycho-emotional strategies implemented to treat HBP and other CVD patients, emphasis should be placed on psychosocial interventions and positive psychology, which have shown promising results in this regard thus far. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively determine whether an individual’s psychosocial and emotional state can be an HBP risk factor.Ítem Intrinsic and environmental basis of aging: A narrative review(Elsevier Ltd., 2023) Navarro, Carla; Salazar, Juan; Díaz, María P.; Chacin, Maricarmen; Santeliz, Raquel; Vera, Ivana; D'Marco, Luis; Parra, Heliana; Bernal, Mary Carlota; Castro, Ana; Escalona, Daniel; García-Pacheco, Henry; Bermúdez, ValmoreLongevity has been a topic of interest since the beginnings of humanity, yet its aetiology and precise mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Aging is currently viewed as a physiological phenomenon characterized by the gradual degeneration of organic physiology and morphology due to the passage of time where both external and internal stimuli intervene. The influence of intrinsic factors, such as progressive telomere shortening, genome instability due to mutation buildup, the direct or indirect actions of age-related genes, and marked changes in epigenetic, metabolic, and mitochondrial patterns constitute a big part of its underlying endogenous mechanisms. On the other hand, several psychosocial and demographic factors, such as diet, physical activity, smoking, and drinking habits, may have an even more significant impact on shaping the aging process. Consequentially, implementing dietary and exercise patterns has been proposed as the most viable alternative strategy for attenuating the most typical degenerative aging changes, thus increasing the likelihood of prolonging lifespan and achieving successful aging.Ítem Metabolic Syndrome: Is It Time to Add the Central Nervous System?(MDPI, 2021-06) Rojas, Milagros; Chávez-Castillo, Mervin; Pirela, Daniela; Parra, Heliana; Nava, Manuel; Chacín, Maricarmen; Angarita, Lissé; Añez, Roberto; Salazar, Juan; Ortiz, Rina; Durán Agüero, Samuel; Gravini-Donado, Marbel; Bermúdez, Valmore; Díaz-Camargo, EdgarMetabolic syndrome (MS) is a set of cardio-metabolic risk factors that includes central obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemias. The syndrome affects 25% of adults worldwide. The definition of MS has evolved over the last 80 years, with various classification systems and criteria, whose limitations and benefits are currently the subject of some controversy. Likewise, hypotheses regarding the etiology of MS add more confusion from clinical and epidemiological points of view. The leading suggestion for the pathophysiology of MS is insulin resistance (IR). IR can affect multiple tissues and organs, from the classic “triumvirate” (myocyte, adipocyte, and hepatocyte) to possible effects on organs considered more recently, such as the central nervous system (CNS). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be clinical expressions of CNS involvement. However, the association between MCI and MS is not understood. The bidirectional relationship that seems to exist between these factors raises the questions of which phenomenon occurs first and whether MCI can be a precursor of MS. This review explores shared pathophysiological mechanisms between MCI and MS and establishes a hypothesis of a possible MCI role in the development of IR and the appearance of MS.Ítem Role of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in the Pathogenesis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Comprehensive Review(MDPI, 2021) Cano, Raquel; Pérez, José L.; Angarita Dávila, Lissé; Ortega, Ángel; Gómez, Yosselin; Valero-Cedeño, Nereida Josefina; Parra, Heliana; Manzano, Alexander; Véliz Castro, Teresa Isabel; Díaz Albornoz, María P; Cano, Gabriel; Rojas-Quintero, Joselyn; Chacín, Maricarmen; Bermúdez, ValmoreNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the most common liver disorder, affecting around 25% of the population worldwide. It is a complex disease spectrum, closely linked with other conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome, which may increase liver-related mortality. In light of this, numerous efforts have been carried out in recent years in order to clarify its pathogenesis and create new prevention strategies. Currently, the essential role of environmental pollutants in NAFLD development is recognized. Particularly, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have a notable influence. EDCs can be classified as natural (phytoestrogens, genistein, and coumestrol) or synthetic, and the latter ones can be further subdivided into industrial (dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, and alkylphenols), agricultural (pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides), residential (phthalates, polybrominated biphenyls, and bisphenol A), and pharmaceutical (parabens). Several experimental models have proposed a mechanism involving this group of substances with the disruption of hepatic metabolism, which promotes NAFLD. These include an imbalance between lipid influx/efflux in the liver, mitochondrial dysfunction, liver inflammation, and epigenetic reprogramming. It can be concluded that exposure to EDCs might play a crucial role in NAFLD initiation and evolution. However, further investigations supporting these effects in humans are required.Ítem SGLT2i and GLP-1RA in Cardiometabolic and Renal Diseases: From Glycemic Control to Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Senescence(Hindawi, 2021) D'Marco, Luis; Morillo, Valery; Gorriz, José Luis; Suarez, María K.; Nava, Manuel; Ortega, Ángel; Parra, Heliana; Villasmil, Nelson; Rojas-Quintero, Joselyn; Bermúdez, ValmoreBackground. Over the last few years, the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) has increased substantially in medical practice due to their documented benefits in cardiorenal and metabolic health. In this sense, and in addition to being used for glycemic control in diabetic patients, these drugs also have other favorable effects such as weight loss and lowering blood pressure, and more recently, they have been shown to have cardio and renoprotective effects with anti-inflammatory properties. Concerning the latter, the individual or associated use of these antihyperglycemic agents has been linked with a decrease in proinflammatory cytokines and with an improvement in the inflammatory profile in chronic endocrine-metabolic diseases. Hence, these drugs have been positioned as first-line therapy in the management of diabetes and its multiple comorbidities, such as obesity, which has been associated with persistent inflammatory states that induce dysfunction of the adipose tissue. Moreover, other frequent comorbidities in long-standing diabetic patients are chronic complications such as diabetic kidney disease, whose progression can be slowed by SGLT2i and/or GLP-1RA. The neuroendocrine and immunometabolism mechanisms underlying adipose tissue inflammation in individuals with diabetes and cardiometabolic and renal diseases are complex and not fully understood. Summary. This review intends to expose the probable molecular mechanisms and compile evidence of the synergistic or additive anti-inflammatory effects of SGLT2i and GLP-1RA and their potential impact on the management of patients with obesity and cardiorenal compromise.Ítem Specialized Proresolving Lipid Mediators: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Atherosclerosis(MDPI, 2022) Salazar, Juan; Pirela, Daniela; Nava, Manuel; Castro, Ana; Angarita, Lissé; Parra, Heliana; Durán-Agüero, Samuel; Rojas-Gómez, Diana Marcela; Galbán, Néstor; Añez, Roberto; Chacín, Maricarmen; Diaz, Andrea; Villasmil, Nelson; Bautista De Sanctis, Juan; Bermúdez, ValmoreCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global public health issue due to its high morbidity, mortality, and economic impact. The implementation of innovative therapeutic alternatives for CVD is urgently required. Specialized proresolving lipid mediators (SPMs) are bioactive compounds derived from ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids, integrated into four families: Lipoxins, Resolvins, Protectins, and Maresins. SPMs have generated interest in recent years due to their ability to promote the resolution of inflammation associated with the pathogeneses of numerous illnesses, particularly CVD. Several preclinical studies in animal models have evidenced their ability to decrease the progression of atherosclerosis, intimal hyperplasia, and reperfusion injury via diverse mechanisms. Large-scale clinical trials are required to determine the effects of SPMs in humans. This review integrates the currently available knowledge of the therapeutic impact of SPMs in CVD from preclinical and clinical studies, along with the implicated molecular pathways. In vitro results have been promising, and as such, SPMs could soon represent a new therapeutic alternative for CVD.Ítem The YAP/TAZ Signaling Pathway in the Tumor Microenvironment and Carcinogenesis: Current Knowledge and Therapeutic Promises(MDPI, 2022) Ortega, Ángel; Vera, Ivana; Diaz, Maria P.; Navarro, Carla; Rojas, Milagros; Torres, Wheeler; Parra, Heliana; Salazar, Juan; De Sanctis, Juan B.; Bermúdez, ValmoreThe yes-associated protein (YAP) and the transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are transcriptional coactivators, members of the Hippo signaling pathway, which play a critical role in cell growth regulation, embryonic development, regeneration, proliferation, and cancer origin and progression. The mechanism involves the nuclear binding of the un-phosphorylated YAP/TAZ complex to release the transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) from its repressors. The active ternary complex is responsible for the aforementioned biological effects. Overexpression of YAP/TAZ has been reported in cancer stem cells and tumor resistance. The resistance involves chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. This review provides an overview of YAP/TAZ pathways’ role in carcinogenesis and tumor microenvironment. Potential therapeutic alternatives are also discussed.