Intracoronary and systemic release of the atrial natriuretic factor and cyclic-guanosine monophosphate during coronary angioplasty

Summary This study was undertaken to investigate intracoronary production and systemic release of the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and cyclic-guanosine monophosphate (c-GMP) during coronary angioplasty (PTCA). three coronary blood samples were collected, through a balloon catheter, from the area distal to the lesion: before balloon inflation, at maximum inflation and 5 min later. Four additional venous samples were collected: before PTCA, and 5 min, 2 h and 24 h after the procedure. Local intracoronary c-GMP production increased from the baseline level of 7.5±0.9 pmol/ml to 11.1±1.3 pmol/ml at maximum balloon inflation (p<0.01) and decreased 5 min later to 9.5 ±1.0 pmol/ml (p=NS). In contrast, intracoronary ANF production failed to show any significant change at any time during the procedure. Peripheral venous ANF levels increased from 79.1±11.1 pmol/ml to 99.9±16.6 pmol/ml 5 min after balloon inflation (p<0.05) and gradually decreased 2 h (91.9±13.6 pmol/ml) and 24 h (85.6±10.4 pmol/ml) after the procedure. Similarly, peripheral venous c-GMP levels increased from 11.3±1.7 pmol/ml before PTCA to 14.9±1.9 pmol/ml 5 min after balloon inflation (p<0.05), and then gradually decreased 2 h (10.8±1.4 pmol/ml) and 24 h (8.2±1.4 pmol/ml) after the procedure (p<0.01 and <0.0001 compared to the peak value, respectively). In conclusion, acute vessel occlusion and distension during balloon inflation stimulates intracoronary c-GMP production without affecting ANF release.     

Mesenchymal stromal cell delivery as a potential therapeutic strategy against COVID-19: Promising evidence from in vitro results

BACKGROUNDSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which was initiated in December 2019. COVID-19 is characterized by a low mortality rate (< 6%); however, this percentage is higher in elderly people and patients with underlying disorders. COVID-19 is characterized by mild to severe outcomes. Currently, several therapeutic strategies are evaluated, such as the use of anti-viral drugs, prophylactic treatment, monoclonal antibodies, and vaccination. Advanced cellular therapies are also investigated, thus representing an additional therapeutic tool for clinicians. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which are known for their immunoregulatory properties, may halt the induced cytokine release syndrome mediated by SARS-CoV-2, and can be considered as a potential stem cell therapy.AIMTo evaluate the immunoregulatory properties of MSCs, upon stimulation with COVID-19 patient serum. METHODSMSCs derived from the human Wharton’s Jelly (WJ) tissue and bone marrow (BM) were isolated, cryopreserved, expanded, and defined according to the criteria outlined by the International Society for Cellular Therapies. Then, WJ and BM-MSCs were stimulated with a culture medium containing 15% COVID-19 patient serum, 1% penicillin-streptomycin, and 1% L-glutamine for 48 h. The quantification of interleukin (IL)-1 receptor a (Ra), IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-a, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) was performed using commercial ELISA kits. The expression of HLA-G1, G5, and G7 was evaluated in unstimulated and stimulated WJ and BM-MSCs. Finally, the interactions between MSCs and patients’ macrophages were established using co-culture experiments.RESULTSThawed WJ and BM-MSCs exhibited a spindle-shaped morphology, successfully differentiated to “osteocytes”, “adipocytes”, and “chondrocytes”, and in flow cytometric analysis were characterized by positivity for CD73, CD90, and CD105 (> 95%) and negativity for CD34, CD45, and HLA-DR (< 2%). Moreover, stimulated WJ and BM-MSCs were characterized by increased cytoplasmic granulation, in comparison to unstimulated cells. The HLA-G isoforms (G1, G5, and G7) were successfully expressed by the unstimulated and stimulated WJ-MSCs. On the other hand, only weak expression of HLA-G1 was identified in BM-MSCs. Stimulated MSCs secreted high levels of IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, TGF-β1, FGF, VEGF, PDGF, and IDO in comparison to unstimulated cells (P < 0.05) after 12 and 24 h. Finally, macrophages derived from COVID-19 patients successfully adapted the M2 phenotype after co-culturing with stimulated WJ and BM-MSCs.CONCLUSIONWJ and BM-MSCs successfully produced high levels of immunoregulatory agents, which may efficiently modulate the over-activated immune responses of critically ill COVID-19 patients.     

Clusterin/apolipoprotein J in human aging and cancer

Clusterin/Apolipoprotein J (ApoJ) is a heterodimeric highly conserved secreted glycoprotein being expressed in a wide variety of tissues and found in all human fluids. Despite being cloned since 1989, no genuine function has been attributed to ApoJ so far. The protein has been reportedly implicated in several diverse physiological processes such as sperm maturation, lipid transportation, complement inhibition, tissue remodeling, membrane recycling, cell-cell and cell-substratum interactions, stabilization of stressed proteins in a folding-competent state and promotion or inhibition of apoptosis. ApoJ gene is differentially regulated by cytokines, growth factors and stress-inducing agents, while another defining prominent and intriguing ApoJ feature is its upregulation in many severe physiological disturbances states and in several neurodegenerative conditions mostly related to advanced aging. Moreover, ApoJ accumulates during the viable growth arrested cellular state of senescence, that is thought to contribute to aging and to tumorigenesis suppression; paradoxically ApoJ is also upregulated in several cases of in vivo cancer progression and tumor formation. This review focuses on the reported data related to ApoJ cell-type and signal specific regulation, function and site of action in normal and cancer cells. We discuss the role of ApoJ during cellular senescence and tumorigenesis, especially under the light of the recently demonstrated various ApoJ intracellular protein forms and their interaction with molecules involved in signal transduction and DNA repair, raising the possibility that its overexpression during cellular senescence might cause a predisposition to cancer.     

GIST suture-line recurrence at a gastrojejunal anastomosis 8 years after gastrectomy: can GIST ever be described as truly benign? A case report

Background

A synovial sarcoma (SS) is an aggressive soft tissue tumor that classically occurs in the extremities near, but rarely within large joints, in young adults. Variable symptoms and clinical manifestations may be encountered and a definite diagnosis should depend on pathological results. This poses certain difficulties in arriving at a prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 68-year-old woman patient who presented an inguinal mass with swelling and pain in the right lower limb. She underwent surgery, and later received systematic intravenous chemotherapy. The pathological studies, especially the specific chromosomal translocation of a t(X;18) (p11.2;q11.2), confirmed the diagnosis as a synovial sarcoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a monophasic synovial sarcoma in the inguinal region.

Conclusion

Besides making the readership aware of the rarity of location and age of this present case, this report distinctly highlights the great value of a molecular analysis of an SYT associated genetic alteration in the diagnosis of synovial sarcoma occurring at rare sites especially when immunochemical results are equivocal.     

A crosstalk of auxin and GA during tuber development

Several hormones have been studied for their effect on tuber initiation and development. Until recently, the hormone with the most prominent role in tuber initiation was attributed to GA. Genes involved in GA degradation do exhibit an upregulated profile during early stages of tuber development, leading to a rapid decrease of active GA content, thereby facilitating stolon-tip swelling. While GA is known to be involved in shoot and stolon elongation, the development of the new tuberorgan requires changes in meristem identity and the reorientation ofthe plane of cell division. In other developmental processes, such as embryo patterning, flower development and lateral root initiation auxin plays a key role. Recent evidence on the involvement of auxin in tuber formation was providedby the measurement of auxin content in swelling stolons. Auxin content in the stolon tips increased several fold prior to tuber swelling. In vitro tuberisation experiments with auxin applications support the role of auxin during tuber initiation. Taken together, it is becoming clear that the initiation and induction of tubers in potato is a developmental process that appears to be regulated by a crosstalk between GA and auxin.     

Blood viscosity modelling: influence of aggregate network dynamics under transient conditions

This paper reports on a theoretical examination of the hypothesis that red blood cell network characteristics influence the mechanical properties of the fluid. For this purpose a newly developed energy-rate based blood viscosity model, which incorporates network dynamics, was used to predict the transient behaviour of blood viscosity (steady-state results of this model have been reported in Biorheology 46 (2009), 487-508). The main network characteristic examined in the present work was the inter-aggregate branch size and its relationship to the evolving aggregates. Branch size was used to define a network integrity index that accounted for the strength of the developed network. For the development and validation of the model, experiments performed with an optical shearing microscope, with different step-changes in shear rate, were utilised, as well as viscosity measurements under similar flow conditions performed in a double wall Couette instrument. The experimental data were compared with the response of the model, which incorporated the network integrity index. The results suggest that network characteristics may influence the viscosity of blood at low shear rates and exhibit good agreement with experimental observations.     

Phenotypic and Molecular Biological Characterization of Cyanobacteria from Marble Surfaces of Treated and Untreated Sites of Propylaea (Acropolis,Athens)

Cyanobacteria cause aesthetic damage to marble surfaces and in particular their endolithic mode of life contributes to the breakdown of rock crystalline structures. The aim of this work was to estimate, with both phenotypical and molecular approach, the composition of cyanobacterial communities on the Propylaea marbles of the Acropolis Monuments. The two selected sampling sites were treated and untreated with a commercial biocide in order to estimate its effect on the cyanobacterial diversity. Our study revealed that in both sampling sites were present 13 phenotypes and 10 phylotypes and that the cyanobacterial taxa were considerably lower in the treated site.     

Comparative performance evaluation of a flat detector and an image intensifier angiographic system both used for interventional cardiology procedures in adult and pediatric patients

PurposeTo compare two angiography systems of different image capture technology, one with flat detector (FD) and one with image intensifier (II), in terms of entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) rate, detector dose (DD) rate and image quality (IQ), in interventional cardiology procedures concerning both adult and pediatric patients.Materials and methodsIn order to determine ESAK and DD rates, a digital dosimeter and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) plates were used. For the evaluation of IQ, two contrast objects (the Leeds TOR 18FG and a 5 mm-thick Aluminum plate) were used and two figures of merit were defined in fluoroscopy and cine acquisition modes. Measurements of ESAK, DD rates and IQ were made for various fields of view, pulse and frame acquisition rates.ResultsFor the particular setup used in this study was noted that ESAK values in the II system were generally larger than the respective values in the FD system (on average 70% for fluoro mode, 5 times for cine mode). When halving the fluoroscopy pulse rate, reduction in ESAK was not proportional, in fluoroscopy mode. Image quality evaluations indicated that II performs better in terms of low contrast sensitivity (LCS) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than the FD system which performs better regarding high contrast resolution (HCR). However, when considering image quality in relation to ESAK the FD system performs better than the II system (with the exception of low thicknesses and zooms for high pulse rates in the fluoroscopy mode).ConclusionsThe FD system, generally, provides a better image quality–dose relation than the II system although II unit provides better LCS and SNR. This means that with the right adjustments to both systems, FD unit is able to provide same image quality with lower dose. However, newer technology does not automatically imply better image quality and further investigation is necessary for deriving safe conclusions for units which utilize different capture technology.