Person: López Torres, Mónica
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First Name
Mónica
Last Name
López Torres
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Ciencias Biológicas
Department
Genética, Fisiología y Microbiología
Area
Fisiología
Identifiers
12 results
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Now showing 1 - 10 of 12
Item Efectos de la manipulación de antioxidantes enzimáticos endógenos y de la edad a lo largo del ciclo vital de "Rana perezi", en relación con los radicales de oxígeno(2002) López Torres, Mónica; Barja de Quiroga, GustavoItem Independent and additive effects of atenolol and methionine restriction on lowering rat heart mitochondria oxidative stress(Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes, 2014) Sánchez-Román Rojas, Inés; Gómez, Alexia; Naudí, Alba; Jové, Mariona; Gómez, Jose; López Torres, Mónica; Pamplona, Reinald; Barja De Quiroga Losada, GustavoItem Adaptation to the European Space of Higher Education of the subject Projects and Studies in Biology(Edulearn 10. Conference Proceedings, 2010) Vacas, Ana María; Fonfría Díaz, José; Acosta Gallo, Belén; Alonso Gómez, Ángel Luis; Pedro Ormeño, Nuria de; Díez Sancho, Manuel; Fernández Pérez, Joaquín; López Torres, Mónica; Ramírez, Rosalía; Barrera, Alfonso; Reviriego, Mario; Gómez Chova, L.; Martí Belenguer, D.; Candel Torres, I.The subject projects and Studies in Biology is of a professional and applied nature, as the knowledge acquired can be applied in professional practice, because the students are initiated in the implementation of a Project (Planning, Alternative Solutions, Studies, Pre-projects and Projects. The general objective of this Project involved adapting the contents of the subject to the European Space of Higher Education (EEES) by installing it in the platform WebCT (Web Course Tools), adopted by Madrid's Complutense University for its Virtual Campus. The specific objectives to be met are the following: Conceptual objectives: To introduce students to the typology of Projects. This knowledge will enable people with a degree in Biology to work in Consultancy companies and different Organisms of the Administration and to adjust to the general work market. The students are also introduced to the Spanish System of Science and Technology and to the typology of Research Projects and Projects in collaboration with industries. Procedural objectives: handling procedures for searching for updated information, both offers and calls, and innovation in regulations or in science-technology and knowledge of software programs necessary for drafting a Budget for planning and implementing projects. Attitude-related projects: Considering that people with degrees in Biology traditionally work in Teaching and Research, this subject attempts to change the attitude of students towards what could involve practicing their profession in other areas tan these. In accordance wíth these objectives, the information on the development of the subject has been organized into a series of modules through which the basic knowledge the students should avail of is expounded. Each of these modules has línks to more elaborate documents in which the amount of material is increased and its implications and relationships with other contents of the subject are indicated. The modules are organízed into classes, practica! work aimed at problem- solving, common projects, presentation and debate, and the students must draft a Pre-project for implementation using the different documents it comprises. The subject requíres evaluation of the different conceptual, procedural and attitude-related objectives, and the general adoption of an ongoing evaluation process, in which the following aspects are evaluated: - Participation in classes requiring the presence of students, refresher courses and debates. - Evaluation of the seminars: presentation and defense of projects and of exercises completed. - Directed Academíc Work (creation and defense of a Pre-project with its corresponding documents). - Correct desígn of questionnaires. - Evaluation throughout the course with objective evaluation of the contents, by means of test-types exams.Item Effects of aging and methionine restriction applied at old age on ROS generation and oxidative damage in rat liver mitochondria(Biogerontology, 2012) Sánchez-Román Rojas, Inés; Gómez, Alexia; Pérez, Irene; Sánchez, Carlota; Suárez, Henar; Naudí, Alba; Jové, Mariona; López Torres, Mónica; Pamplona, Reinald; Barja De Quiroga Losada, GustavoIt is known that a global decrease in food ingestion (dietary restriction, DR) lowers mitochondrial ROS generation (mitROS) and oxidative stress in young immature rats. This seems to be caused by the decreased methionine ingestion of DR animals. This is interesting since isocaloric methionine restriction in the diet (MetR) also increases, like DR, rodent maximum longevity. However, it is not known if old rats maintain the capacity to lower mitROS generation and oxidative stress in response to MetR similarly to young immature animals, and whether MetR implemented at old age can reverse aging-related variations in oxidative stress. In this investigation the effects of aging and 7 weeks of MetR were investigated in liver mitochondria of Wistar rats. MetR implemented at old age decreased mitROS generation, percent free radical leak at the respiratory chain and mtDNA oxidative damage without changing oxygen consumption. Protein oxidation, lipoxidation and glycoxidation increased with age, and MetR in old rats partially or totally reversed these age-related increases. Aging increased the amount of SIRT1, and MetR decreased SIRT1 and TFAM and increased complex IV. No changes were observed in the protein amounts of PGC1, Nrf2, MnSOD, AIF, complexes I, II and III, and in the extent of genomic DNA methylation. In conclusion, treating old rats with isocaloric shortterm MetR lowers mitROS production and free radical leak and oxidative damage to mtDNA, and reverses aging-related increases in protein modification. Aged rats maintain the capacity to lower mitochondrial ROS generation and oxidative stress in response to a shortterm exposure to restriction of a single dietary substance: methionine- Project number: 201
Item Fomentando biólogos emprendedores desde la asignatura de Proyectos y Estudios en Biología (cuarto curso del Grado de Biología)(2022) Morcillo Alonso, Felipe; Beroiz Remírez, Beatriz; Pedro Ormeño, Nuria de; Alfaro Sánchez, David; Jiménez Escobar, María Dolores; López Torres, Mónica; Ortega Moreno, Álvaro Dario; Rello Varona, Santiago; López González-Nieto, Pilar; Urrialde de Andrés, Rafael; Reviriego Eiros, Mario; Pintos López, Beatriz; Roda Ghisleri, Lucía Vera; Sánchez Ballesta, María Teresa; Fernández Messina, Lola María; Trujillo de la Cruz, Marta; Franco López, Daniel; Baratas Díaz, AlfredoEste proyecto se elabora con el objetivo principal de fomentar el emprendimiento en los estudiantes de 4º Grado de Biología para que constituyan su empresa, redacten sus proyectos y participen en la Convocatoria de Premios de Emprendimiento Universitario UCM, en la Convocatoria Preincubadora BIO y, potencialmente, en futuras licitaciones públicas. Los miembros del equipo que han participado en el proyecto están o han estado involucrados a lo largo de varios cursos en la docencia de la asignatura de “Proyectos y Estudios en Biología”. El equipo tiene un marcado carácter interdisciplinar ya que está compuesto por profesores que pertenecen a diferentes unidades docentes de todos los departamentos de la Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, además de dos estudiantes UCM del Grado de Biología y del Máster de Ecología, egresados del curso académico anterior. La metodología seguida para la consecución de los objetivos del proyecto se ha basado en la búsqueda, la obtención, el análisis de documentos necesarios y, finalmente, la elaboración de los materiales didácticos. Los documentos ofrecidos a los estudiantes han sido consultados en torno al 60-70% por ellos en más de 5 ocasiones. La parte que más les ha ayudado, en todos los casos, es la de la estructura de los documentos, y coinciden, en todos los documentos, en la dificultad de comprensión del lenguaje empleado. Aun así, las actividades realizadas durante el desarrollo de este proyecto han permitido que se alcance el objetivo planteado, siendo conscientes de la necesidad de continuar evaluando los resultados del proyecto a largo plazo. Item Mitochondrial base excision repair positively correlates with longevity in the liver and heart of mammals(GeroScience, 2020) Gredilla Diaz, Ricardo; Sánchez-Román Rojas, Inés; Gómez Rodríguez, Alexia; López Torres, Mónica; Barja de Quiroga, GustavoDamage to DNA is especially important for aging. High DNA repair could contribute, in principle, to lower such damage in long-lived species. However, previous studies showed that repair of endogenous damage to nuclear DNA (base excision repair, BER) is negatively or not correlated with mammalian longevity. However, we hypothesize here that mitochondrial, instead of nuclear, BER is higher in long-lived than in short-lived mammals. We have thus measured activities and/or protein levels of various BER enzymes including DNA glycosylases, NTHL1 and NEIL2, and the APE endonuclease both in total and mitochondrial liver and heart fractions from up to eight mammalian species differing by 13-fold in longevity. Our results show, for the first time, a positive correlation between (mitochondrial) BER and mammalian longevity. This suggests that the low steady-state oxidative damage in mitochondrial DNA of long-lived species would be due to both their lower mitochondrial ROS generation and their higher mitochondrial BER. Long-lived mammals do not need to continuously maintain high nuclear BER levels because they release less mitROS to the cytosol. This can be the reason why they tend to show lower nuclear BER values. The higher mitochondrial BER of long-lived mammals contributes to their superior longevity, agrees with the updated version of the mitochondrial free radical theory of aging, and indicates the special relevance of mitochondria and mitROS for aging.Item Reduction in mitochondrialmembrane peroxidizability index and protein lipoxidation levels in therat heart after ß-adrenergic receptor signaling interruption with the ß-blocker atenolol(Anales de la Real Academia Nacional de Farmacia, 2013) Gomez, Alexia; Sánchez-Román Rojas, Inés; Gomez, Jose; Naudí, Alba; Pushparaj, Charumati; Portero-Otín, Manuel; López Torres, Mónica; Pamplona, Reinald; Barja De Quiroga Losada, GustavoItem Cysteine dietary supplementation reverses the decrease in mitochondrial ROS production at complex I induced by methionine restriction(Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes, 2015) Gómez, A.; Gómez Sánchez, José; López Torres, Mónica; Naudí, Alba; Mota Martorrell, N.; Pamplona, R.; Barja de Quiroga, GustavoIt has been described that dietary cysteine reverses many of the beneficial changes induced by methionine restriction in aging rodents. In this investigation male Wistar rats were subjected to diets low in methionine, supplemented with cysteine, or simultaneously low in methionine and supplemented with cysteine. The results obtained in liver showed that cysteine supplementation reverses the decrease in mitochondrial ROS generation induced by methionine restriction at complex I. Methionine restriction also decreased various markers of oxidative and non-oxidative stress on mitochondrial proteins which were not reversed by cysteine. Instead, cysteine supplementation also lowered protein damage in association with decreases in mTOR activation. The results of the present study add the decrease in mitochondrial ROS production to the various beneficial changes induced by methionine restriction that are reversed by cysteine dietary supplementation.Item Lifelong treatment with atenolol decreases membrane fatty acid unsaturation and oxidative stress in heart and skeletal muscle mitochondria and improves immunity and behavior, without changing mice longevity(Aging Cell, 2014) Gómez, Alexia; Sánchez-Román Rojas, Inés; Gomez, Jose; Cruces, Julia; Mate, Ianire; López Torres, Mónica; Naudi, Alba; Portero-Otín, Manuel; Pamplona, Reinald; Fuente Del Rey, María Mónica De La; Barja De Quiroga Losada, GustavoThe membrane fatty acid unsaturation hypothesis of aging and longevity is experimentally tested for the first time in mammals. Lifelong treatment of mice with the β1-blocker atenolol increased the amount of the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase signaling protein and successfully decreased one of the two traits appropriately correlating with animal longevity, the membrane fatty acid unsaturation degree of cardiac and skeletal muscle mitochondria, changing their lipid profile toward that present in much more longer-lived mammals. This was mainly due to decreases in 22:6n-3 and increases in 18:1n-9 fatty acids. The atenolol treatment also lowered visceral adiposity (by 24%), decreased mitochondrial protein oxidative, glycoxidative, and lipoxidative damage in both organs, and lowered oxidative damage in heart mitochondrial DNA. Atenolol also improved various immune (chemotaxis and natural killer activities) and behavioral functions (equilibrium, motor coordination, and muscular vigor). It also totally or partially prevented the aging-related detrimental changes observed in mitochondrial membrane unsaturation, protein oxidative modifications, and immune and behavioral functions, without changing longevity. The controls reached 3.93 years of age, a substantially higher maximum longevity than the best previously described for this strain (3.0 years). Side effects of the drug could have masked a likely lowering of the endogenous aging rate induced by the decrease in membrane fatty acid unsaturation. We conclude that it is atenolol that failed to increase longevity, and likely not the decrease in membrane unsaturation induced by the drug.Item Enriching Eggs with Bioactive Compounds through the Inclusion of Grape Pomace in Laying Hens Diet: Effect on Internal and External Egg Quality Parameters(Foods, 2024) Herranz Hernández, María Beatriz; Romero, Carlos; Sánchez-Román Rojas, Inés; López Torres, Mónica; Viveros Montoro, Agustín; Arija Martín, Ignacio; Álvarez, María Dolores; De Pascual-Teresa, Sonia; Chamorro Francisco, SusanaBackground: Grapes and their associated by-products (such as grape pomace, GP) stand out for their polyphenol content, which makes them a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant capacity. The aim of this research was to determine if the inclusion of 50 g/kg of GP in the diet of hens could enrich eggs with antioxidants and to study its effect on internal and external egg quality parameters. Methods: A trial was conducted with two genetic lines of hens, which were fed either a control diet or a diet containing 50 g/kg of GP. Performance, internal and external egg quality, and egg yolk content of vitamins E and A and gallic acid were determined. Results: In eggs laid by hens fed a GP diet, Haugh units and yolk color scores were enhanced, and eggshells became thinner, but without affecting the breaking strength. No dietary effect was observed on the vitamin contents of the yolk. A higher gallic acid content was observed in the yolks of eggs laid by hens fed the GP diet, suggesting that some dietary phenolic compounds could be transferred to the eggs. Hen genetics influenced egg weight, albumen Haugh units, shell thickness, and α- and γ-tocopherol concentration in yolks. Conclusions: Dietary inclusion of GP improved the internal quality of eggs, enriching yolks with a phenolic compound but reducing shell thickness.