Children on dialysis have a cardiovascular mortality risk equivalent to older adults in the general population, and rapidly develop medial vascular calcification, an age-associated pathology. We hypothesized that premature vascular ageing contributes to calcification in children with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Vessels from children with Stage 5 CKD with and without dialysis had evidence of increased oxidative DNA damage. The senescence markers p16 and p21 were also increased in vessels from children on dialysis. Treatment of vessel rings ex vivo with calcifying media increased oxidative DNA damage in vessels from children with Stage 5 CKD, but not in those from healthy controls. Vascular smooth muscle cells cultured from children on dialysis exhibited persistent DNA damage, impaired DNA damage repair, and accelerated senescence. Under calcifying conditions vascular smooth muscle cells from children on dialysis showed increased osteogenic differentiation and calcification. These changes correlated with activation of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), an inflammatory phenotype characterized by the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors. Blockade of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-mediated DNA damage signaling reduced both inflammation and calcification. Clinically, children on dialysis had elevated circulating levels of osteogenic SASP factors that correlated with increased vascular stiffness and coronary artery calcification. These data imply that dysregulated mineral metabolism drives vascular “inflammaging” by promoting oxidative DNA damage, premature senescence, and activation of a pro-inflammatory SASP. Drugs that target DNA damage signaling or eliminate senescent cells may have the potential to prevent vascular calcification in patients with advanced CKD.

Introduction: Teachers have been reported to be a labor group with high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), stress, and strong deterioration of quality of life (QoL). However, little information exists about the association between MSD, QoL, and body composition in rural and urban teachers.Objective: The aim was to study the association of MSD with QoL perception and body composition of urban and rural teachers.Participants and Methods: Participants are comprised a representative sample of urban and rural public schoolteachers from the Valparaiso Region, Chile. MSDs were evaluated with the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire for Musculoskeletal Symptoms validated for the Chilean population. QoL perception was evaluated with the 36-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-36). Body composition was measured via bioimpedance. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between MSD, QoL, and body composition, adjusted for age and gender.Results: A total of 88.9% (urban 90%; rural 87%) of teachers felt pain in some body area, 71.2% of them with limitations; 39% of teachers presented body fat obesity, with the highest rate in rural women. The body area with the greatest MSD prevalence was the neck and shoulders (68.6%). Significant differences were observed between teachers with >p75 of MSD (over six pain regions) and those with ≤p75 (six or fewer painful regions; p < 0.05) on six QoL scales and on physical health components (PCSs) and mental health (MCS) in urban teachers. However, rural teachers presented no differences. The association between teachers with >p75 MSD and low QoL perception was significant (p < 0.05) in PCS and MCS. Furthermore, the regression model presents a significant association between rural areas and low PCS perception.Conclusions: Urban and rural teachers present high rates of MSD and obesity. Teachers with higher rates of MSD have their mental and physical QoL affected, making workplace intervention in MSD necessary to prevent teacher health deterioration.

Background Diverse studies have investigated the relationship between diet and depression. In fact some cross-sectional studies suggested that a healthy diet reduced the risk for depression. The main objective of this study was to assess the relationship of consumption of different food groups with depression. The food groups were selected based on their content of substances that were precursors to neurotransmitters (tryptophan or inositol) or their effect on oxidative stress. Methods This observational retrospective study compared the diets of individuals who were with depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory Questionnaire [BDI] ≥ 10; 53 women, 23 men, age 38+/− 11) and with no depressive levels (BDI < 10; 33 women, 23 men, age 41+/− 13). Dietary data were collected from a questionnaire that asked about consumption of legumes, nuts, whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables, chocolate, and sweet foods and refined sugars. Results Depressed individuals consumed significantly lower amounts of legumes, fruits, and vegetables, but higher amounts of sweets and refined sugars ( p < 0.05 for all comparisons). After statistical adjustment for age and sex, the consumption of no legumes (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19–5.67), low consumption of fruits and vegetables (aOR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.18–6.13), and high consumption of sweet foods and refined sugars (aOR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.23–2.99) were significantly associated with depression. The two groups had no significant differences in the consumption of chocolate. Discussion The results indicate significant relationships of the consumption of certain foods with depression, although the study design precludes any conclusions regarding causality. Further studies are necessary to determine the causal relationships of the consumption of specific foods with depression, and of depression with the consumption of specific foods. Conclusion In spite of the limitations, we find that individuals without depression consumed more legumes, fruits, and vegetables, but fewer sweets and pastries than those with depression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40359-019-0292-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Myo-inositol hexaphosphate (phytate; IP6) is a natural compound that is abundant in cereals, legumes, and nuts, and it can bind to crystal surfaces and disturb crystal development, acting as crystallization inhibitor. The adsorption of such inhibitors to crystal faces can also inhibit crystal dissolution. The binding of phytate to metal cofactors suggests that it could be used for treatment of osteoporosis. Our in-vitro study showed that phytate inhibits dissolution of hydroxyapatite (HAP). The effect of phytate was similar to that of alendronate and greater than that of etidronate. This led us to perform a cross-sectional study to investigate the impact of consumption of IP6 on bone mineral density (BMD) in post-menopausal women. Our data indicate that BMD and t-score of lumbar spine increased with increasing phytate consumption, and a phytate consumption higher than 307 mg/day was associated with a normal BMD (t-score > −1). These data suggest that phytate may have a protective effect in bone decalcification by adsorbing on the surfaces of HAP, and a daily consumption of phytate-rich foods (at least one serving/day of legumes or nuts) may help to prevent or minimize bone-loss disorders, such as osteoporosis. However, further studies are needed to gain a better understanding about the mechanism of inhibition of phytate in bone-related diseases (see graphical abstract).