Proyectos

Objetivo General del proyecto fue desarrollar y evaluar un modelo de intervención basado en tecnologías de la información y comunicación para reducir riesgo suicida y fortalecer factores protectores de la salud mental en adolescentes de establecimientos educacionales de la RM y VI Región. El producto central es una plataforma web, con aplicaciones móviles asociadas, que incluye un componente psicoeducativo y uno interactivo que estará constituido por recursos que fomentan el apoyo entre pares (adolescentes) y la generación de estrategias para afrontar problemas afectivos y sociales.

Consolidar y fortalecer una nueva red de nodos de innovación social que promueva la inclusión socio laboral en personas con alguna discapacidad, personas mayores, mujeres y personas en situación de vulnerabilidad enfocada en los sectores económicos priorizados en la Estrategia de Desarrollo Regional 2011-2020 (EDRE) y de innovación, priorizando el sector turístico, y agroalimentario y la puesta en valor de la identidad cultural.

Appropriate arterial function and structure are vital for a proper cardiovascular performance and therefore fundamental for a healthy life. Arterial function depends on cellular and molecular mechanisms but as well on the structural features. In fact, it has been shown that structural and biomechanical properties of vessels are very much related to several cardiovascular pathologies, such as systemic and pulmonary hypertension. Chronic lack of oxygen (hypoxia), may determine an impairment of the cardiovascular function, potentially deriving in pulmonary/systemic hypertension and cardiac failure. This is particularly relevant in human populations exposed to high altitude (above 2500m), either in chronic continuous (permanent inhabitants) or chronic intermittent (shifts of high altitude workers, such as miners, custom agents astronomers; and mountaineers) fashions. Most of the studies about vascular effects of chronic hypoxia have focused on function and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiological responses. However, few is known about the biomechanical responses of systemic, pulmonary and cerebral arteries in these conditions, particularly in the chronic exposure to hypoxia as it happens in high-altitude population and in several diseases in lowlanders. The main goal of this project is to determine the vascular biomechanical characteristics of a representative rat paradigm of living under hypoxia and, in addition, establish the modelling, numerical simulation and experimental validation of the biomechanical responses of arterial vessels. Specifically, three different types of vessels (aorta, carotid and femoral), at different age (neonates, juveniles and adults) will be analyzed, either under normoxic, chronic permanent hypoxic or chronic intermittent hypoxic conditions. Small rodents have been extensively used as a paradigm of cardiovascular and vascular function, allowing massive steps in the knowledge of mechanisms involved in cardiovascular pathologies. Using a rat model, we will deeply analyze the biomechanical properties of the vasculature of animals exposed to chronic hypoxia (permanent or intermittent) in a hypobaric chamber, adding substantial data for the comprehension of the vascular biomechanical behaviour under these conditions. The need for a better understanding of the biomechanical response of arteries leads to the development of constitutive models that may define realistic and reliable stress-strain relationships. In this project, several constitutive models aimed at describing the biomechanical behaviour of soft tissues will be assessed. The specific aspects to be taken into account of the vessels biomechanical characterisation are: incompressibility of the tissue, presence of large deformations, isotropic and anisotropic material behaviours, residual stresses, rate dependent (i.e., viscous) effects, damage and active response. The material characterisation of the biomechanical behaviour of rat arteries will be performed via in-vitro biaxial and myograph tensile tests and ring opening test, considering standard, cyclic and relaxation loading conditions. From these experiments, the material characterisation will also involve the derivation of the material parameters. Specifically, we will address the development of algorithms for the treatment of non-linearities in the fitting procedure and sensitivity analysis to determine the consistency of the parameters found with this methodology. The analysis will also include comparison between the numerical predictions of the different constitutive models in their application to experimental data to be measured in this project. The analysis of the response of pressurised straight arterial vessels will be additionally carried out. Importantly, this test mimics the in-vivo physiological conditions of the arterial vessel. Aside from the internal pressure, axial stretching is usually considered. As a non-uniform biaxial stress state is commonly developed in this test, this fact extends the validity of the material characterisation. The material response will be described via the constitutive models previously characterised. Due to the complex stress and strain patterns developed in this problem, numerical simulations defined in the context of the finite element method will be performed. The obtained numerical results will be validated with the corresponding experimental measurements. Moreover, we expect to characterise the biomechanical properties of different vascular beds, representatives of systemic, pulmonary and cerebral circulations. We shall also describe the effects of chronic hypoxia on these properties. Furthermore, we will perform histological analyses to assess the ultrastructure and the wall components of the intima, media and adventitia layers and relate them with the biomechanical findings. The outcomes of this project will enhance the knowledge necessary to integrate the functional, structural and biomechanical properties of vascular tissues. Clearly, our data will provide useful information not only for vascular pathophysiology understanding, but also for optimization of medical diagnosis, prognosis and potential therapeutic approaches to the related pathologies

Overweight and Obesity are worldwide epidemic conditions defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 and ≥30, respectively, characterized by an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue in the body that impairs both physical and psychosocial health and well-being [1]. Notably, according to the Chilean National Health Survey (ENS 2009-2010), 60% of woman in reproductive age (i.e. 15 and 44 years) are overweight or obese [2] with detrimental consequences on women as well as offspring health at long term. Epidemiological evidences have recognized pre-gestational obesity and, in a lesser degree, excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) as independent risk factors in the development of maternal complications and adverse perinatal outcomes [3]. This includes congenital malformations, perinatal death, large for gestational age babies (LGA, >p 90th), macrosomia (> 4 Kg at birth), birth dystocia, neonatal hypoglycemia, and others [4]. This evidences leaded the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (IOM) to provide guidelines for maternal weight gain in 1990, updated in 2009 [5] in order to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes. Conversely, a large number of evidence has shown that a deficient maternal nutrition during pregnancy affects the early in utero development, inducing adaptations/responses in the fetus and neonate which have been associated to increased risk of diseases in adulthood [6]. This concept, known as "Developmental Origins of Health and Disease” (DOHaD, referred also as intrauterine programming in this proposal) which was coined by Professor David Barker, who reported the association of low birth weight and the risk of T2DM and cardiovascular disease. Notably not only in utero under-nutrition (e.g. intrauterine growth restriction) but also over-nutrition (e.g. macrosomia, LGA) increase the cardiometabolic risk in the offspring [7-9]. Whilst the effect of maternal undernutrition on the risk of disease in the offspring has been extensively addressed, new efforts are required to clarify how increased maternal obesity and body fat previous and during pregnancy impinge an increased cardiometabolic risk in the progeny. In this context, in addition to perinatal complications associated with maternal obesity (MO), there is evidence of persistent adverse effects in the offspring throughout their lifespan. In fact, excessive maternal gestational weight gain is associated with a 2-fold increase in cardiometabolic risk in the offspring, which is evidenced since early infancy [10]. Notably, this effect is substantially higher (~5-fold increase) in offspring from women that initiate their pregnancy with obesity [11, 12]. This is relevant due to the high rate of childhood overweight/obesity in Chile (32.2% of the children ≤ 6 yo are overweight/obese, according to the ENS 2010), which is a strong predictor of later cardiometabolic complications in adulthood [13]. The effect of MO on susceptibility to obesity in the offspring appears to be independent of the presence of gestational diabetes (GDM) [14, 15]. This could have its origin during fetal development since it has been described that newborn whose mothers are obese, with normal glycaemia during gestation, present an increased adiposity versus lean mass compared to control pregnancies [16]. In this respect, it is noteworthy that the size of abdominal adipose tissue and hepatocellular lipid content in neonates strongly correlates with maternal BMI [17-19]. This has been also observed in offspring from pregnant obese non-human primates and mice, which exhibit increased accumulation of hepatic triglycerides and ceramides even before birth [17-19]. Furthermore, MO also relates with metabolic disturbances in the newborn, such as a reduced insulin sensitivity and altered inflammatory markers [20]. Altogether these data suggest that postnatal obesity could be programmed by MO during fetal development, however the mechanisms underlying the intrauterine programming of obesity are currently unknown. In this context inflammation, a mechanism exacerbated in pregnancies with MO, represents a potential pathway participating in this process.

Objetivo de la investigación: Evaluar el rol protector de un extracto hidroalcohólico de Lampaya sobre el aumento de marcadores de inflamación inducidos por ácido palmítico en macrófagos humanos THP-1.

Objetivo de la investigación: Evaluar el rol protector de un extracto hidroalcohólico de Lampaya sobre el aumento de marcadores de inflamación inducidos por ácido palmítico en macrófagos humanos THP-1.

La respuesta inflamatoria al daño muscular puede comprometer la fuerza/masa al inducir la formación de tejido adiposo intermuscular (IMAT). IMAT se origina de la diferenciación adipogénica de células mesenquimales progenitoras fibro-adipogénicas (FAPs). Este proceso podría revertirse modulando la respuesta inflamatoria aguda. Sin embargo, el uso de antiinflamatorios inhibe la síntesis proteica y reduce la capacidad regenerativa muscular. Alternativamente, medidas físicas como el reposo funcional o la reincorporación temprana a la actividad han reportado efectos contradictorios sobre el proceso inflamatorio, lo que dificulta establecer indicaciones en el manejo de la lesión muscular. Por otro lado, se ha descrito un potente papel antinflamatorio local o sistémico del cuerpo cetónico β-hydroxybutirato (βHB); efecto mediado por la inhibición del inflamasoma NLRP3 y la secreción de citoquinas proinflamatorias. Importantemente, la activación del inflamasoma NLRP3 favorecería la adipogénesis de células mesenquimales, lo que sugiere un rol en la formación de IMAT. Se hipotetiza que la suplementación con βHB durante la recuperación de una lesión muscular aguda inhibe la diferenciación adipogénica de FAPs reduciendo la formación de IMAT lo que acelera la reparación y recuperación funcional del tejido muscular. Este efecto estaría mediado por la inhibición del inflamasoma NLRP3. Se inyectará una solución hiperosmótica al 25% de glicerol o salino en el músculo tibial anterior en ratones con o sin suplementación de 3 mg/g βHB durante 2 semanas post injuria. Se recolectará tejido muscular al 14dpi para análisis histológico de IMAT. Paralelamente, se aislarán FAPs del estroma vascular muscular al 3dpi. En FAPs aisladas se evaluarán proteínas de la vía NLPR3 inflamasoma y su capacidad adipogénica en respuesta al tratamiento in-vitro con 3mM βHB. Los resultados de esta propuesta nos permitirán mostrar los efectos terapéuticos de la suplementación dietaría con cuerpos cetónicos en la función y recuperación muscular post daño.

La suplementación con proteínas es una de las principales recomendaciones ante la practica regular de ejercicio físico de resistencia (RT). En personas mayores, la necesidad de proteína se incrementa particularmente ante cambios fisiológicos y fisiopatológicos los que se asocian con la pérdida de la función y tejido muscular, por lo que su ingesta se hace de mayor relevancia en esta población. Los lácteos fermentados como el yogur, y en especial los con un contenido extra de proteína, han aumentado su popularidad y consumo en el mercado nacional. Su composición nutricional resulta de particular interés, dado su perfil de aminoácidos y en particular su alto contenido de Leucina, el que podría compararse con los clásico suplementos de proteína recomendados para la ganancia y recuperación muscular. Objetivo: Analizar el efecto en la composición corporal, perfil lipídico, condición fisica y funcionalidad muscular inducidas por ingesta de yogures altos en proteína versus proteína Whey junto un programa de resistencia muscular en personas mayores Hipótesis: La ingesta de yogures altos en proteína conllevará a iguales o mayores ganancias de masa muscular, condición fisica y funcionalidad que las obtenidas con la ingesta de proteínas Whey en conjunto a un entrenamiento de resistencia en personas mayores. Metodología: Se reclutarán 16 personas mayores (60-75 años), sanas y sin intolerancia a la lactosa para llevar a cabo 8 semanas de entrenamiento de resistencia (RT) muscular 3 veces por semana, los que de forma aleatoria serán suplementados con yogurt alto en proteínas (YPRT) o proteína Whey (WPRT). Al inicio y al término de la intervención se evaluará la composición corporal mediante DEXA, fuerza muscular, consumo máximo de oxígeno y perfil lipídico. Resultados Esperados: Se espera que el grupo YPRT logre incrementos similares o superiores en la fuerza muscular, masa libre de grasa, perfil lipídico y disminución de la masa grasa y que el grupo WPRT.