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Fulltext Habitat segregation and migration in tropical anguillid eels, Anguilla bengalensis bengalensis and A. bicolor bicolor

Arai T, Chai IJ, Iizuka Y, Chang CW

Sci Rep, 2020 10 09;10(1):16890.
PMID: 33037236 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72788-9

Anguillid eels of the genus Anguilla, which have a unique catadromous life history, are widely distributed across many parts of the world. However, little research has been conducted on the behavioural mechanisms of habitat segregation between sympatric species in tropical anguillid eels. To understand the ecological and behavioural mechanisms involved in the life history and migration of tropical anguillid eels, strontium (Sr):calcium (Ca) ratios were examined in otoliths of A. bengalensis bengalensis (41 specimens) and A. bicolor bicolor (130 specimens) collected from ten rivers in northwestern Peninsular Malaysia. The otolith Sr:Ca ratios revealed different habitat use between the two species. The broad range of otolith Sr:Ca ratios and habitat shift found in A. bicolor bicolor suggested that its habitat utilization was opportunistic in environments of varying salinity. A. bicolor bicolor prefers to live in the midstream to downstream areas with tidal influences. A. bengalensis bengalensis, however, was found to only reside in freshwater environments throughout their continental growth. A. bengalensis bengalensis tends to live in upstream area with no tidal influence. Their habitat use, migratory history, and habitat distribution indicate that habitat segregation occurs between the two species, leading to the different habitat preferences in tropical river systems.

Matched MeSH terms: Anguilla/metabolism; Calcium/metabolism; Strontium/metabolism
Clone, expression and plasminogen binding property of three fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolases from Clonorchis sinensis

Li S, Lu BP, Feng J, Zhou JJ, Xie ZZ, Liang C, et al.

Trop Biomed, 2020 Dec 01;37(4):852-863.
PMID: 33612738 DOI: 10.47665/tb.37.4.852

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FbA), a well characterized glycometabolism enzyme, has been found to participate in other important processes besides the classic catalysis. To understand the important functions of three fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolases from Clonorchis sinensis (CsFbAs, CsFbA-1/2/3) in host-parasite interplay, the open reading frames of CsFbAs were cloned into pET30a (+) vector and the resulting recombinant plasmids were transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) for expression of the proteins. Purified recombinant CsFbAs proteins (rCsFbAs) were approximately 45.0 kDa on 12% SDS-PAGE and could be probed with each rat anti-rCsFbAs sera by western blotting analysis. ELISA and ligand blot overlay indicated that rCsFbAs of 45.0 kDa as well as native CsFbAs of 39.5 kDa from total worm extracts and excretory-secretory products of Clonorchis sinensis (CsESPs) could bind to human plasminogen, and the binding could be efficiently inhibited by lysine analog ε-aminocaproic acid. Our results suggested that as both the components of CsESPs and the plasminogen binding proteins, three CsFbAs might be involved in preventing the formation of the blood clot so that Clonorchis sinensis could acquire enough nutrients from host tissue for their successful survival and colonization in the host. Our work will provide us with new information about the biological function of three CsFbAs and their roles in hostparasite interplay.

Matched MeSH terms: Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase/metabolism*; Plasminogen/metabolism*; Recombinant Proteins/metabolism
Fulltext Cephalomannine inhibits hypoxia-induced cellular function via the suppression of APEX1/HIF-1α interaction in lung cancer

Ullah A, Leong SW, Wang J, Wu Q, Ghauri MA, Sarwar A, et al.

Cell Death Dis, 2021 05 14;12(5):490.
PMID: 33990544 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03771-z

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. As one of the key features of tumor microenvironment, hypoxia conditions are associated with poor prognosis in LC patients. Upregulation of hypoxic-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) leads to the activation of various factors that contribute to the increased drug resistance, proliferation, and migration of tumor cells. Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease-1 (APEX1) is a multi-functional protein that regulates several transcription factors, including HIF-1α, that contribute to tumor growth, oxidative stress responses, and DNA damage. In this study, we explored the mechanisms underlying cell responses to hypoxia and modulation of APEX1, which regulate HIF-1α and downstream pathways. We found that hypoxia-induced APEX1/HIF-1α pathways regulate several key cellular functions, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9)-mediated intracellular pH, migration, and angiogenesis. Cephalomannine (CPM), a natural compound, exerted inhibitory effects in hypoxic LC cells via the inhibition of APEX1/HIF-1α interaction in vitro and in vivo. CPM can significantly inhibit cell viability, ROS production, intracellular pH, and migration in hypoxic LC cells as well as angiogenesis of HUVECs under hypoxia through the inhibition of APEX1/HIF-1α interaction. Taken together, CPM could be considered as a promising compound for LC treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism*; DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase/metabolism*; Taxoids/metabolism*
Insights into DEPTOR regulation from in silico analysis of DEPTOR complexes

Teh AH, Yeap KH, Hisano T

J Struct Biol, 2020 11 01;212(2):107602.
PMID: 32798656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107602

DEPTOR is an inhibitor of the mTOR kinase which controls cell growth. DEPTOR consists of two DEP domains and a PDZ domain connected by an unstructured linker, and its stability is tightly regulated through post-translational modifications of its linker region that contains the 286SSGYFS291 degron. Based on the mTORC1 complex, our modelling suggests a possible spatial arrangement of DEPTOR which is characterised to form a dimer. Our model shows that the two PDZ domains of a DEPTOR dimer bind separately to the dimeric mTOR's FAT domains ~130 Å apart, while each of the two extended linkers is sufficiently long to span from the FAT domain to the kinase domain of mTOR and beyond to join a shared dimer of the DEP domains. This places the linker's S299 closest to the kinase's catalytic site, indicating that phosphorylation would start with it and successively upstream towards DEPTOR's degron. The CK1α kinase is reportedly responsible for the phosphorylation of the degron, and our docking analysis further reveals that CK1α contains sites to bind DEPTOR's pS286, pS287 and pT295, which may act as priming phosphates for the phosphorylation of the degron's S291. DEPTOR's linker can also be ubiquitylated by the UbcH5A-SCFβ-TrCP complex without its PDZ dissociating from mTOR according to the modelling. As the catalytic cleft of mTOR's kinase is restricted, interactions between the kinase's unstructured segment surrounding the cleft and DEPTOR's linker, which may involve S293 and S299, may be critical to controlling DEPTOR's access to the catalytic cleft and hence its phosphorylation by mTOR in a manner dependent on mTOR's activation.

Matched MeSH terms: Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism*; Casein Kinase Ialpha/metabolism; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism*
Fulltext Association of SMAD4 loss with drug resistance in clinical cancer patients: A systematic meta-analysis

Xu W, Lee SH, Qiu F, Zhou L, Wang X, Ye T, et al.

PLoS One, 2021;16(5):e0250634.
PMID: 34048444 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250634

BACKGROUND: Drug resistance frequently led to the failure of chemotherapy for malignant cancers, hence causing cancer relapse. Thus, understanding mechanism of drug resistance in cancer is vital to improve the treatment efficacy. Here, we aim to evaluate the association between SMAD4 expression and the drug resistance in cancers by performing a meta-analysis.
METHOD: Relevant studies detecting SMAD4 expression in cancer patients treated with chemo-drugs up till December 2020 were systematically searched in four common scientific databases using selected keywords. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) was the ratio of hazard rate between SMAD4neg population vs SMAD4pos population. The HRs and risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to explore the association between SMAD4 expression losses with drug resistance in cancers.
RESULT: After an initial screening according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, eleven studies were included in the meta-analysis. There were a total of 2092 patients from all the included studies in this analysis. Results obtained indicated that loss of SMAD4 expression was significantly correlated with drug resistance with pooled HRs (95% CI) of 1.23 (1.01-1.45), metastasis with pooled RRs (95% CI) of 1.10 (0.97-1.25) and recurrence with pooled RRs (95% CI) of 1.32 (1.06-1.64). In the subgroup analysis, cancer type, drug type, sample size and antibody brand did not affect the significance of association between loss of SMAD4 expression and drug resistance. In addition, there was no evidence of publication bias as suggested by Begg's test.
CONCLUSION: Findings from our meta-analysis demonstrated that loss of SMAD4 expression was correlated with drug resistance, metastasis and recurrence. Therefore, SMAD4 expression could be potentially used as a molecular marker for cancer resistance.

Matched MeSH terms: Neoplasms/metabolism; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism*; Smad4 Protein/metabolism*
Beyond the Obvious: Smoking and Respiratory Infection Implications on Alzheimer's Disease

Wadhwa R, Paudel KR, Mehta M, Shukla SD, Sunkara K, Prasher P, et al.

CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets, 2020;19(9):698-708.
PMID: 33109069 DOI: 10.2174/1871527319999200817112427

Tobacco smoke is not only a leading cause for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disorders, and lung and oral cancers, but also causes neurological disorders such as Alzheimer 's disease. Tobacco smoke consists of more than 4500 toxic chemicals, which form free radicals and can cross blood-brain barrier resulting in oxidative stress, an extracellular amyloid plaque from the aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide deposition in the brain. Further, respiratory infections such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus have also been involved in the induction and development of the disease. The necessary information collated on this review has been gathered from various literature published from 1995 to 2019. The review article sheds light on the role of smoking and respiratory infections in causing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, resulting in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review will be of interest to scientists and researchers from biological and medical science disciplines, including microbiology, pharmaceutical sciences and the translational researchers, etc. The increasing understanding of the relationship between chronic lung disease and neurological disease is two-fold. First, this would help to identify the risk factors and possible therapeutic interventions to reduce the development and progression of both diseases. Second, this would help to reduce the probable risk of development of AD in the population prone to chronic lung diseases.

Matched MeSH terms: Brain/metabolism; Neurons/metabolism; Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism
In vitro catabolism of 3',4'-dihydroxycinnamic acid by human colonic microbiota

Hasyima Omar M, González Barrio R, Pereira-Caro G, Almutairi TM, Crozier A

Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2021 Jun;72(4):511-517.
PMID: 33238790 DOI: 10.1080/09637486.2020.1850650

3',4'-Dihydroxycinnamic acid (aka caffeic acid) is a common dietary component found in a variety of plant-derived food products either in a free form or esterified as in chlorogenic acids such as 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid. The dihydroxycinnamate is produced principally by hydrolysis in the colon of 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and other caffeoylquinic acid esters, and is catabolised by the resident microbiota prior to absorption. In the present study 3',4'-dihydroxycinnamic acid was incubated in vitro, with or without glucose, under anaerobic conditions with faecal slurries obtained from five volunteers. The main resultant catabolites to accumulate were 3-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid (aka dihydrocaffeic acid), 3-(3'-hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid and phenylacetic acid. Both the rate of degradation of the hydroxycinnamate substrate and the catabolite profile varied between the faecal samples from the individual volunteers. Overall there was no clear cut effect when glucose was added to incubation medium.

Matched MeSH terms: Caffeic Acids/metabolism*; Colon/metabolism*; Quinic Acid/metabolism
Fulltext Comparison of sPLA2IIA performance with high-sensitive CRP neutrophil percentage PCT and lactate to identify bacterial infection

Tan TL, Kang CW, Ooi KS, Tan ST, Ahmad NS, Nasuruddin DN, et al.

Sci Rep, 2021 05 31;11(1):11369.
PMID: 34059757 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90894-0

Early bacterial infection (BI) identification in resource-limiting Emergency Departments (ED) is challenging, especially in low- and middle-income counties (LMIC). Misdiagnosis predisposes to antibiotic overuse and propagates antimicrobial resistance. This study evaluates new emerging biomarkers, secretory phospholipase A2 group IIA (sPLA2-IIA) and compares with other biomarkers on their performance characteristic of BI detection in Malaysia, an LMIC. A prospective cohort study was conducted involving 151 consecutive patients admitted to the ED. A single measurement was taken upon patient arrival in ED and was analysed for serum levels of sPLA2-IIA, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), neutrophil percentage (N%), and lactate. All biomarkers' performance was compared for the outcomes using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, and specificity. The performance of sPLA2-IIA (AUROC 0.93 [95% CI: 0.89-0.97]; Sn 80% [95% CI: 72-87]; Sp 94% [95% CI: 81-89]) was the highest among all. It was comparable with high-sensitive CRP (AUROC 0.93 [95% CI: 0.88-0.97]; Sn 75% [95% CI: 66-83]; Sp 91 [95% CI: 77-98]) but had a higher Sn and Sp. The sPLA2-IIA was also found superior to N%, PCT, and lactate. This finding suggested sPLA2-IIA was recommended biomarkers for BI detection in LMIC.

Matched MeSH terms: C-Reactive Protein/metabolism*; Biomarkers/metabolism; Phospholipases A2, Secretory/metabolism*
Dysregulation of miR-638 in the progression of cancers

Chong ZX, Yeap SK, Ho WY

Pathol Res Pract, 2021 Apr;220:153351.
PMID: 33642053 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2021.153351

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a form of short, single-stranded and non-coding RNA that is important in regulating the post-transcriptional modification of multiple downstream targets. Many miRNAs have been reported to involve in controlling the progression of human diseases, and one of them is miR-638, which play essential roles in regulating the development of human cancer. By targeting the 3'-ends of its targets, miR-638 can regulate cellular processes including proliferation, invasion, metastases, angiogenesis, apoptosis and inflammation. This review was aimed to summarize current findings on the roles of miR-638 in different human cancers based on the results from various in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. The biogenesis process and tissue expression, followed by the roles of miR-638 in regulating the development of various human cancers by targeting different downstream targets were covered in this review. The potential applications and challenges of employing miR-638 as cancer biomarker and therapeutic agent were also discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Neoplasms/metabolism; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism; MicroRNAs/metabolism
Fulltext The Adipokine Component in the Molecular Regulation of Cancer Cell Survival, Proliferation and Metastasis

Umar MI, Hassan W, Murtaza G, Buabeid M, Arafa E, Irfan HM, et al.

Pathol Oncol Res, 2021;27:1609828.
PMID: 34588926 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2021.1609828

A hormonal imbalance may disrupt the rigorously monitored cellular microenvironment by hampering the natural homeostatic mechanisms. The most common example of such hormonal glitch could be seen in obesity where the uprise in adipokine levels is in virtue of the expanding bulk of adipose tissue. Such aberrant endocrine signaling disrupts the regulation of cellular fate, rendering the cells to live in a tumor supportive microenvironment. Previously, it was believed that the adipokines support cancer proliferation and metastasis with no direct involvement in neoplastic transformations and tumorigenesis. However, the recent studies have reported discrete mechanisms that establish the direct involvement of adipokine signaling in tumorigenesis. Moreover, the individual adipokine profile of the patients has never been considered in the prognosis and staging of the disease. Hence, the present manuscript has focused on the reported extensive mechanisms that culminate the basis of poor prognosis and diminished survival rate in obese cancer patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism*; Neoplasms/metabolism*; Adipokines/metabolism*
Relationship of selective complement markers with schizophrenia

Mohd Asyraf AJ, Nour El Huda AR, Hanisah MN, Norsidah KZ, Norlelawati AT

J Neuroimmunol, 2022 02 15;363:577793.
PMID: 34990981 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2021.577793

Immune system dysregulation may be involved in schizophrenia, but biomarker studies have thus far reported inconsistent findings. The relationship of plasma levels of complement markers C3 and C4, with schizophrenia, sociodemographic and clinico-psychological factors were here studied in 183 patients and 212 controls. C3 and C4 levels were significantly higher in the patients and in subjects with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), and positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) (p

Matched MeSH terms: C-Reactive Protein/metabolism*; Complement C3/metabolism*; Complement C4/metabolism*
ROCK2 inhibition: A futuristic approach for the management of Alzheimer's disease

Mani S, Jindal D, Chopra H, Jha SK, Singh SK, Ashraf GM, et al.

Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2022 11;142:104871.
PMID: 36122738 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104871

Neurons depend on mitochondrial functions for membrane excitability, neurotransmission, and plasticity. Mitochondrial dynamics are important for neural cell maintenance. To maintain mitochondrial homeostasis, lysosomes remove dysfunctional mitochondria through mitophagy. Mitophagy promotes mitochondrial turnover and prevents the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria. In many neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Alzheimer's disease (AD), mitophagy is disrupted in neurons. Mitophagy is regulated by several proteins; recently, Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) has been suggested to negatively regulate the Parkin-dependent mitophagy pathway. Thus, ROCK2 inhibition may be a promising therapy for NDDs. This review summarizes the mitophagy pathway, the role of ROCK2 in Parkin-dependent mitophagy regulation, and mitophagy impairment in the pathology of AD. We further discuss different ROCK inhibitors (synthetic drugs, natural compounds, and gene therapy-based approaches) and examine their effects on triggering neuronal growth and neuroprotection in AD and other NDDs. This comprehensive overview of the role of ROCK in mitophagy inhibition provides a possible explanation for the significance of ROCK inhibitors in the therapeutic management of AD and other NDDs.

Matched MeSH terms: Mitochondria/metabolism; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism; rho-Associated Kinases/metabolism
Preparation, characterization, immobilization, and molecular docking analysis of a novel detergent-stable subtilisin-like serine protease from Streptomyces mutabilis strain TN-X30

Mechri S, Allala F, Bouacem K, Hasnaoui I, Gwaithan H, Chalbi TB, et al.

Int J Biol Macromol, 2022 Dec 01;222(Pt A):1326-1342.
PMID: 36242508 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.09.161

We recently described the production of a detergent-biocompatible crude protease from Streptomyces mutabilis strain TN-X30. Here, we describe the purification, characterization, and immobilization of the serine alkaline protease (named SPSM), as well as the cloning, sequencing, and over-expression of its corresponding gene (spSM). Pure enzyme was obtained after ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by heat-treatment and Sephacryl® S-200 column purification. The sequence of the first 26 NH2-terminal residues of SPSM showed a high sequence identity to subtilisin-like serine proteases produced by actinobacteria. The spSM gene was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLysS and E. coli BL21-AI™ strains using pTrc99A (rSPSM) and Gateway™ pDEST™ 17 [(His)6-tagged SPSM] vectors, respectively. Results obtained indicated that the (His)6-tagged SPSM showed the highest stability. The SPSM was immobilized using encapsulation and adsorption-encapsulation approaches and three different carriers. Features of SPSM in soluble and immobilized forms were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode, X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential measurements, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The white clay and kaolin used in this study are eco-friendly binders to alginate-SPSM and show great potential for application of the immobilized SPSM in various industries. Molecular modeling and docking of N-succinyl-l-Phe-l-Ala-l-Ala-l-Phe-p-nitroanilide in the active site of SPSM revealed the involvement of 21 amino acids in substrate binding.

Matched MeSH terms: Escherichia coli/metabolism; Serine Endopeptidases/metabolism; Subtilisins/metabolism
Inclusion complexation of artemisinin with alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrins

Wong JW, Yuen KH

Drug Dev Ind Pharm, 2003 Oct;29(9):1035-44.
PMID: 14606667

The present study was conducted to investigate the inclusion complexation of artemisinin (ART) with natural cyclodextrins (CyD), namely alpha-, beta-, and gamma-CyDs with the aim of improving its solubility and dissolution rate. Complex formation in aqueous solution and solid state was studied by solubility analysis, dissolution, and thermal analysis. Solubility diagrams indicated that the complexation of ART and the three CyDs occurred at a molar ratio of 1:1, and showed a remarkable increase in ART solubility. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters calculated by using the van't Hoff equation revealed that the complexation process was associated with negative enthalpy of formation and occurred spontaneously. The complexation capability of CyDs with ART increased in the order of alpha- < gamma- < beta-CyDs and could be ascribed to the structural compatibility between the molecular size of ART and the diameter of the CyD cavities. Dissolution profiles of the three complexes demonstrated an increased rate and extent of dissolution compared with those of their respective physical mixtures and a commercial preparation. In solid-state analysis, using differential scanning calorimetry, the gamma-CyD was capable of complexing the highest percentage of ART, followed by beta- and alpha-CyDs. The respective estimated percentage of ART complexed by the CyDs were 85%, 40%, and 12%.

Matched MeSH terms: Cyclodextrins/metabolism; Sesquiterpenes/metabolism; Artemisinins/metabolism
Epigenetic oncogenesis, biomarkers and emerging chemotherapeutics for breast cancer

Ayipo YO, Ajiboye AT, Osunniran WA, Jimoh AA, Mordi MN

Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech, 2022 10;1865(7):194873.
PMID: 36064110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2022.194873

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally and the most prominent among females, yet with limited effective therapeutic options. Most of the current medications are challenged by various factors including low efficacy, incessant resistance, immune evasion and frequent recurrence of the disease. Further understanding of the prognosis and identification of plausible therapeutic channels thus requires multimodal approaches. In this review, epigenetics studies of several pathways to BC oncogenesis via the inducement of oncogenic changes on relevant markers have been overviewed. Similarly, the counter-epigenetic mechanisms to reverse such changes as effective therapeutic strategies were surveyed. The epigenetic oncogenesis occurs through several pathways, notably, DNMT-mediated hypermethylation of DNA, dysregulated expression for ERα, HER2/ERBB and PR, histone modification, overexpression of transcription factors including the CDK9-cyclin T1 complex and suppression of tumour suppressor genes. Scientifically, the regulatory reversal of the mechanisms constitutes effective epigenetic approaches for mitigating BC initiation, progression and metastasis. These were exhibited at various experimental levels by classical chemotherapeutic agents including some repurposable drugs, endocrine inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies and miRNAs, natural products, metal complexes and nanoparticles. Dozens of the potential candidates are currently in clinical trials while others are still at preclinical experimental stages showing promising anti-BC efficacy. The review presents a model for a wider understanding of epigenetic oncogenic pathways to BC and reveals plausible channels for reversing the unpleasant changes through epigenetic modifications. It advances the science of therapeutic designs for ameliorating the global burden of BC upon further translational studies.

Matched MeSH terms: Antibodies, Monoclonal/metabolism; Estrogen Receptor alpha/metabolism; Cyclin T/metabolism
Fulltext Minocycline Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Locomotor Deficit and Anxiety-like Behavior and Related Expression of the BDNF/CREB Protein in the Rat Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC)

Abdo Qaid EY, Abdullah Z, Zakaria R, Long I

Int J Mol Sci, 2022 Nov 03;23(21).
PMID: 36362262 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113474

Neuroinflammation following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration induces locomotor deficits and anxiety-like behaviour. In this study, minocycline was compared to memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, for its effects on LPS-induced locomotor deficits and anxiety-like behaviour in rats. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were administered either two different doses of minocycline (25 or 50 mg/kg/day, i.p.) or 10 mg/kg/day of memantine (i.p.) for 14 days four days prior to an LPS (5 mg/kg, i.p.) injection. Locomotor activity and anxiety-like behaviour were assessed using the open-field test (OFT). The phosphorylated tau protein level was measured using ELISA, while the expression and density of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cAMP response element-binding (CREB) protein in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were measured using immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively. Minocycline treatment reduced locomotor deficits and anxiety-like behaviour associated with reduced phosphorylated tau protein levels, but it upregulated BDNF/CREB protein expressions in the mPFC in a comparable manner to memantine, with a higher dose of minocycline having better benefits. Minocycline treatment attenuated LPS-induced locomotor deficits and anxiety-like behaviour in rats and decreased phosphorylated tau protein levels, but it increased the expressions of the BDNF/CREB proteins in the mPFC.

Matched MeSH terms: Anxiety/metabolism; tau Proteins/metabolism; Prefrontal Cortex/metabolism
Fine-needle aspiration cytology of metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Jayaram G, Swain M, Khanijow V, Jalaludin MA

Diagn Cytopathol, 1998 Sep;19(3):168-72.
PMID: 9740988 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0339(199809)19:3<168::aid-dc2>3

Over a 32-month period at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, we were able to study the cytological appearance of metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in 17 cases. This comprised 14 males and three females of which 13 were Chinese, three were Malay, and one was Indian. Their ages ranged from 27 to 64 years. Histological correlation was available in all the patients in the form of nasopharyngeal biopsies, and they were classified as per the World Health Organization classification into types I, II, and III NPC. Smears from type II NPC showed good cellularity with mainly clustered and occasionally dissociated cells, with focal columnar appearance, vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and variable amounts of cytoplasm. Clusters of malignant cell closely associated with lymphoid cells and dissociation of malignant cells were more characteristic of type III NPC. FNA cytology is now applied extensively to the diagnosis of head and neck tumours and knowledge of the cytomorphology of NPC would greatly aid in pinpointing the primary of this tumour which is notorious for presenting with early nodal metastasis.

Matched MeSH terms: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism; Keratins/metabolism; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/metabolism
Experimental Study on Plasmodium knowlesi Normocyte Binding Protein Xa Region II (PkNBPXaII) for Erythrocyte Binding

Wong KC, Lai MY, De Silva JR, Cheong FW, Fong MY, Lau YL

Trop Biomed, 2021 Jun 01;38(2):143-148.
PMID: 34172703 DOI: 10.47665/tb.38.2.051

Normocyte binding protein Xa (NBPXa) has been implied to play a significant role in parasite invasion of human erythrocytes. Previous phylogenetic studies have reported the existence of three types of NBPXa for Plasmodium knowlesi (PkNBPXa). PkNBPXa region II (PkNBPXaII) of type 1, type 2 and type 3 were expressed on mammalian cell surface and interacted with human and macaque (Macaca fascicularis) erythrocytes. The binding activities of PkNBPXaII towards human and macaque erythrocytes were evaluated using erythrocyte-binding assay (EBA). Three parameters were evaluated to achieve the optimal protein expression of PkNBPXaII and erythrocyte binding activity in EBA: types of mammalian cells, post transfection time and erythrocyte incubation time. COS-7, HEK-293, and CHO-K1 cells showed successful expression of PkNBPXaII, despite the protein expression is weak compared to the positive control. COS-7 was used in EBA. All three types of PkNBPXaII showed rosette formation with macaque erythrocytes but not with human erythrocytes. Future studies to enhance the PkNBPXaII expression on surface of mammalian cells is indeed needed in order to elucidate the specific role of PkNBPXaII in erythrocytes invasion.

Matched MeSH terms: Erythrocytes/metabolism; Membrane Proteins/metabolism*; Protozoan Proteins/metabolism*
Fulltext Eco-friendly soil amendments improve growth, antioxidant activities, and root colonization in lingrain (Linum Usitatissimum L.) under drought conditions

Fallah M, Hadi H, Amirnia R, Hassanzadeh-Ghorttapeh A, Zuan ATK, Sayyed RZ

PLoS One, 2021;16(12):e0261225.
PMID: 34941919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261225

This study's primary purpose was to investigate the possible amelioration of limited irrigation conditions by mycorrhiza (AMF), vermicompost, and green manure for lingrain plants. This experiment was accomplished as a factorial based on the completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor was green manure (without green manure and with Trifolium pratense as green manure); the second factor consisted of Rhizophagus irregularis mycorrhiza, vermicompost, a combination of mycorrhiza and vermicompost and none of them, and also the third factor was irrigation regime (full irrigation and late-season water limitation). Green manure, vermicompost, and mycorrhiza single-use enhanced the plant's underwater limitation conditions compared to the control. However, vermicompost and green manure or mycorrhiza developed a positive synergistic effect on most traits. Combining green manure with the dual fertilizer (mycorrhiza + vermicompost) resulted in the vermicompost and mycorrhiza synergistic effects, especially under limited irrigation. Consequently, the combination of green manure, mycorrhiza, and vermicompost experienced the highest amount of leaf relative water content, root colonization, leaf nitrogen, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, antioxidant enzymes activity, grain yield, and oil yield, which would lead to more resistance of plants to limited irrigation conditions.

Matched MeSH terms: Plant Roots/metabolism; Flax/metabolism*; Mycorrhizae/metabolism
Seasonal expression and distribution of kisspeptin1 (kiss1) in the ovary and testis of freshwater catfish, Clarias batrachus: A putative role in steroidogenesis

Singh A, Lal B, Parhar IS, Millar RP

Acta Histochem, 2021 Sep;123(6):151766.
PMID: 34384940 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2021.151766

The central role of kisspeptin (kiss) in mammalian reproduction is well established; however, its intra-gonadal role is poorly addressed. Moreover, studies investigating intra-gonadal role of kiss in fish reproduction are scanty, contradictory and inconclusive. The expression of kiss1 mRNA has been detected in the fish brain, and functionally attributed to the regulation of reproduction, feeding and behavior. The kiss1 mRNA has also been demonstrated in tissues other than the brain in some studies, but its cellular distribution and role at the tissue level have not been adequately addressed in fish. Therefore, an attempt was made in the present study to localize kiss1 in gonadal cells of the freshwater catfish, Clarias batrachus. This study reports the presence of kiss1 in the theca cells and granulosa cells of the ovarian oocytes and interstitial cells in the testis of the catfish. The role of kiss1 in the ovary and testis of the catfish was also investigated using kiss1 receptor (kiss1r) antagonist (p234). The p234 treatment decreased the production of 17β-estradiol in ovary and testosterone in the testis by lowering the activities of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase under both, in vivo as well as in vitro conditions. The p234 treatment also arrested the progression of oogenesis, as evident from the low number of advancing/advanced oocytes in the treated ovary in comparison to the control ovary. It also reduced the area and perimeter of the seminiferous tubules in the treated catfish testis. Thus, our findings suggest that kiss is involved in the regulation of gonadal steroidogenesis, independent of known endocrine/ autocrine/ paracine regulators, and thereby it accelerates gametogenic processes in the freshwater catfish.

Matched MeSH terms: Catfishes/metabolism*; Ovary/metabolism*; Testis/metabolism*

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