Daniel Barrio

GROUP LEADER NAME (as it appears in publications):

Prof. Dr. Barrio, Daniel Alejandro

AFFILIATION:

CONICET – Universidad Nacional de Río Negro: Sede Atlántica. Don Bosco y Leloir s/n (CP: 8500) Viedma, Río Negro.

TEL:* (02920) 428969

FAX:*  (02920) 428601

EMAIL:* drbarrio@unrn.edu.ar

WEB:www.unrn.edu.ar

GROUP NAME / RESEARCH INTEREST IN FEW WORDS:

Our group is devoted to finding natural bioactive compounds that could be used to develop new functional foods. Bioprospective effects on drug discovery.

SHORT SUMMARY OF RESEARCH INTEREST (MAX. 200 WORDS):

The goal of our research is aimed at finding food components showing biological activity in order to develop foods that improve human health and prevent disease. In particular, we are interested in components with antitumor and osteogenic activity. Currently we are working with food-borne proteins (amaranth, rapeseed and safflower) and polyphenols from olive oil. The osteogenic activity (bone formation and incorporation of calcium) are determined using models in vitro (osteoblast cells) and in vivo (zebrafish). The antitumor activity (inhibition of cell proliferation and prevention of tumors induced with chemical agents) are determined using in vivo models (mouse and zebrafish) and in vitro (tumoral cells).

Note: please attach at the end of the form a longer description, with a maximum of 2000 words.

LIST OF UP TO FIVE RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:

1. Synthesis of a new vanadyl(IV) complex with trehalose (TreVO). Insulin-like activities in osteoblast-like cells in culture. Daniel A Barrio, Patricia AM Williams, Ana M Cortizo, Susana B Etcheverry. Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry 8: 459-468, 2002

2. Potential use of vanadium compounds in therapeutics. (Review) (2010). D. A. Barrio and S. B. Etcheverry. Curr Med Chem. 17(31):3632-42.

3. Potential antitumor properties of a protein isolate obtained from the seeds of Amaranthus mantegazzianus (2010). Barrio DA, Añón MC. Eur J Nutr. 49(2):73-82.

4. Hydroxylamido-amino acid complexes of oxovanadium(v). Toxicological study in cell culture and in a zebrafish model. León IE, Di Virgilio AL, Barrio DA, Arrambide G, Gambino D, Etcheverry SB. l. Metallomics. 2012 (En prensa)

5. Vanadium Effects on Bone Metabolism (2011) Etcheverry SB , Di Virgilio AL, Barrio DA. En: Vanadium: Biochemical and Molecular Biological Approaches. Prof. Dr. Hitoshi Michibata (Ed). (En prensa).

GROUP MEMBERS (NAME, POSITION, EMAIL):*

1-      Barrio, Daniel Alejandro. Position: Profesor Asociado, Investigador Adjunto de CONICET. E-mail: drbarrio@unrn.edu.ar

2-      Piñuel, María Lucrecia. Position: Becario Posdoctoral. E-mail: lucreciapinuel@exactas.unlpam.edu.ar

3-      Zubillaga, María Fany. Position: Becaria doctoral. E-mail: fzubillaga@unrn.edu.ar

4-      Boeri, Patricia, Position: Becaria doctoral. E-mail: pboeri@unrn.edu.ar

FISH FACILITIES (TYPE OF FISH SYSTEM/TANKS, CAPACITY, ETC.)*

Fish house-room. One rack zebrafish system (filter dry-wet, pump, tanks: 8). The home (30 L capacity) with a population of 15-20 adult fish. Water purification systems. Laminar flow cabinet.

FISH LINES KEPT IN STOCK:*

Wild type strain zebrafish (Danio rerio)

OTHER EQUIPMENT RELATED TO ZEBRAFISH RESEARCH*

Stereo microscope (50x) and microscope (1000X) with camera (9 MP). UV-vis spectrophotometer, electrophoresis and western blot system, water systems, ovens, centrifuges, balance, pH meter, conductivity, staining system, microtome, multiparametric meters, equipment of Kjeldahl.

LAB EXPERTISE AND TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES (RELATED TO ZEBRAFISH RESEARCH)*

In our laboratory we study the biological activity of natural compounds using the zebrafish as a model for studies of toxicity and development of new chemical induced models of diseases.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:*

RESEARCH INTEREST

Most of the prevalent chronic diseases in the world have a significant nutritional dimension that either contributes directly to the cause, enhances the risk through the phenomenon of promotion, exerts a beneficial effect by decreasing the risk, or even prevents the disease altogether. Healthy eating habits and the incorporation of functional food should therefore help minimize or even eliminate certain chronic human illnesses. Epidemiological evidence suggests that dietary factors play an important role in the etiology of different kinds of cancers. Research to identify active components in the diet reducing the cancer risk, to understand the mechanism of cancer prevention and (the last few years) to design functional foods with the specific goal to reduce the incidence of cancers has made considerable progress.

Currently there are various methodologies (in vivo and in vitro) to investigate the antitumor activity of novel compounds. In vivo models used rats and mice with well-established and reliable protocols. In recent years there have developed transgenic zebrafish lines to study drug with potential antitumor activity, nevertheless is not a simple and reproducible model. In this regard, we are working on a new alternative zebrafish model.

An (in vivo) bioassay will be developed, based on histological and proteomic changes in colorectal cells, to assess the efficacy of (functional) food ingredients in prevention or inhibition of the development of early stages of colorectal cancer. The histological and proteomic changes in colorectal cells will be powerful biomarkers of colon carcinogenesis as a large portfolio of morphologic and proteins are tested simultaneously and the assays are easy to perform. The scientific consensus is that cancers are largely preventable, and one of the most effective means of reducing risk is consumption of appropriate diets. Great efforts have been made in the last ten years to identify active components in the diet reducing cancer risk, to understand the mechanism of cancer prevention, to give better dietary recommendation to reduce cancer risk and to design functional foods with the aim to reduce cancer incidences. The aim of the present project is to develop a bioassay, based on histological and proteomic changes in colorectal cells, in order to identify food components specifically designed to prevent the development or progression of colorectal cancer.