Effects of decreased glutathione peroxidase activity on the pentose phosphate cycle in mouse lung

The effects of reducing glutathione peroxidase activity in the lung by changing dietary selenium intake has been investigated. In animals that were exposed to room air, selenium effects were confined to glutathione peroxidase activity, whereas under conditions of oxidant stress (ozone) the decrease in glutathione peroxidase activity prevented the stimulation of the pentose phosphate cycle (assayed by measuring glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities) which has been reported to increase in response to oxidant stress. The suppression of glutathione peroxidase activity was found to depend on dietary selenium concentration. The physiological significance of this observation may be related to the process of injury and repair in the lung.     

Association between serum irisin concentration and ischemic stroke: From etiology to clinic

BackgroundTo investigate the relationship between irisin levels in serum and classification of subtype of acute ischemic stroke, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Modified Rankin Score (mRS) at the time of discharge from the hospital in Turkish patients who had their first acute ischemic stroke (AIS).MethodsSerum irisin levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) 180 patients who applied to emergency department with the diagnosis of AIS from May 2021 to November 2021.ResultsA significant relationship was found between serum irisin levels and ischemic stroke aetiological factors (TAOST) (p=0.017). Increased serum irisin levels were detected in patients without neurological deficits with localization value than those with it (p<0.01). Serum irisin levels also have a negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) value in ischemic stroke (r: -0.272, p<0.01).ConclusionsHigh serum irisin levels found in patients with stroke attributed to small vessel disease and in patients with ischemic stroke in whom we did not find any neurological deficits with a localization value. The results of the study show that serum irisin levels have an important role in the etiology of ischemic stroke. Although the question how the irisin is involved in the course of ischemic stroke and what the clinical reflection has not been answered, these findings are a pioneering study on this subject.     

Evaluation of amino acid profile in serum of patients with Covid-19 for providing a new treatment strategy

BackgroundAmino acids have an important role in metabolism and may affect COVID-19-related outcomes. In our study, the amino acid serum level of hospitalized COVID19 patients was evaluated to determine a new treatment strategy.MethodsThe amino acid profile covering 43 amino acids in 68 subjects, comprising 30 (14 men and 16 women) controls and 38 (16 men and 22 women) COVID-19 patients, were examined. The amino acid profiles of the participants were screened by LC-MS/MS.ResultsCompared with the control group, serum levels of 27 amino acids increased in the patient group. Alpha-aminopimelic acid, sarcosine, and hydroxyproline amino acids were considerably higher in the control group than in the patient group (p<0.0001). There was no notable difference among control group and the case group for 13 amino acids (p≥0.05). A significant positive correlation was seen among the control and the patient groups in the mean amino acid values (r=0.937; p<0.0001).ConclusionsThese results postulated a clear picture on the serum levels of amino acid in the COVID-19 patients. Serum amino acids measured in hospitalized COVID-19 patients can explain the patient''s metabolic status during the disease.     

25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels in Turkish geriatric population: A nationwide study

BackgroundAcross the world, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) deficiency is a major health problem associated with many chronic diseases in the geriatric population. Prior to this study, there were no data regarding 25-OHD levels among individuals over the age of 65 in Turkey. The aim of this study was to assess 25-OHD levels and seasonal variations in these values among people over the age of 65 in Turkey.MethodsThis study included vitamin D measurements taken in 2016, 2017, and 2018 from the Turkish population over the age of 65. The age, gender, and seasonal average data of the study population were defined. The study data were obtained from the database of the Ministry of Health, and a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the distribution of the data. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated for all categories, as the data were nonparametric.ResultsThe number of vitamin D measurements taken from the geriatric individuals included in this study was 305,329 for 2016, 576,452 for 2017, and 752,837 for 2018. The medians and IQRs of the 25-OHD levels in this population were 16 μg/L (IQR 7.45-24.55 μg/L) for 2016, 16.1 μg/L (IQR 7.8-24.4 μg/L) for 2017, and 16.4 μg/L (IQR 8.95-23.85 μg/L) for 2018.ConclusionsWhile the 25-OHD levels of older men tended to increase during the period of seasonal sunlight in Turkey, this variability was observed in elderly women. This suggests that older women tend to live more sedentary lives and have insufficient sun exposure. Overall, the median 25-OHD levels of individuals over the age of 65 tended to decrease each year.     

Assessment of T Cell Receptor Complex Expression Kinetics in Natural Killer Cells

Among the polypeptides that comprise the T cell receptor (TCR), only CD3ζ is found in Natural Killer (NK) cells, where it transmits signals from activating receptors such as CD16 and NKp46. NK cells are potent immune cells that recognize target cells through germline-encoded activating and inhibitory receptors. Genetic engineering of NK cells enables tumor-specific antigen recognition and, thus, has a significant promise in adoptive cell therapy. Ectopic expression of engineered TCR components in T cells leads to mispairing with the endogenous components, making a knockout of the endogenous TCR necessary. To circumvent the mispairing of TCRs or the need for knockout technologies, TCR complex expression has been studied in NK cells. In the current study, we explored the cellular processing of the TCR complex in NK cells. We observed that in the absence of CD3 subunits, the TCR was not expressed on the surface of NK cells and vice versa. Moreover, a progressive increase in surface expression of TCR between day three and day seven was observed after transduction. Interestingly, the TCR complex expression in NK92 cells was enhanced with a proteasome inhibitor (bortezomib) but not a lysosomal inhibitor (chloroquine). Additionally, we observed that the TCR complex was functional in NK92 cells as measured by estimating CD107a as a degranulation marker, IFNγ cytokine production, and killing assays. NK92 cells strongly degranulated when CD3ε was engaged in the presence of TCR, but not when only CD3 was overexpressed. Therefore, our findings encourage further investigation to unravel the mechanisms that prevent the surface expression of the TCR complex.     

Antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities of the lipophylic extracts of Pistacia vera

In the present study, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties of 15 lipohylic extracts obtained from different parts (leaf, branch, stem, kernel, shell skins, seeds) of Pistacia vera were screened against both standard and the isolated strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis by microdilution method. Both Herpes simplex (DNA) and Parainfluenza viruses (RNA) were used for the determination of antiviral activity of the P. vera extracts by using Vero cell line. Ampicilline, ofloxocine, ketoconazole, fluconazole, acyclovir and oseltamivir were used as the control agents. The extracts showed little antibacterial activity between the range of 128-256 microg/ml concentrations whereas they had noticeable antifungal activity at the same concentrations. Kernel and seed extracts showed significant antiviral activity compared to the rest of the extracts as well as the controls.     

Effects of Antagonists and Heat on TRPM8 Channel Currents in Dorsal Root Ganglion Neuron Activated by Nociceptive Cold Stress and Menthol

Transient receptor potential ion channel melastatin subtype 8 (TRPM8) is activated by cold temperature and cooling agents, such as menthol and icilin. Compounds containing peppermint are reported to reduce symptoms of environmental cold stress such as cold allodynia in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron; however, the underlying mechanisms of action are unclear. We tested the effects of physiological heat (37°C), anthralic acid (ACA and 0.025 mM), 2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate (2-APB and 0.05) on noxious cold (10°C) and menthol (0.1 mM)-induced TRPM8 cation channel currents in the DRG neurons of rats. DRG neurons were freshly isolated from rats. In whole-cell patch clamp experiments, TRPM8 currents were consistently induced by noxious cold or menthol. TRPM8 channels current densities of the neurons were higher in cold and menthol groups than in control. When the physiological heat is introduced by chamber TRPM8 channel currents were inhibited by the heat. Noxious cold-induced Ca²⁺ gates were blocked by the ACA although menthol-induced TRPM8 currents were not blocked by ACA and 2-APB. In conclusion, the results suggested that activation of TRPM8 either by menthol or nociceptive cold can activate TRPM8 channels although we observed the protective role of heat, ACA and 2-APB through a TRPM8 channel in nociceptive cold-activated DRG neurons. Since cold allodynia is a common feature of neuropathic pain and diseases of sensory neuron, our findings are relevant to the etiology of neuropathology in DRG neurons.     

Nucleic acid-based vaccine for ovarian cancer cells; bench to bedside

Ovarian cancer continues to be a difficult medical issue that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Important platforms for cancer immunotherapy include checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, bispecific antibodies, cancer vaccines, and other cell-based treatments. To avoid numerous infectious illnesses, conventional vaccinations based on synthetic peptides, recombinant subunit vaccines, and live attenuated and inactivated pathogens are frequently utilized. Vaccine manufacturing processes, however, are not entirely safe and carry a significant danger of contaminating living microorganisms. As a result, the creation of substitute vaccinations is required for both viral and noninfectious illnesses, including cancer. Recently, there has been testing of nucleic acid vaccines, or NAVs, as a cancer therapeutic. Tumor antigens (TAs) are genetically encoded by DNA and mRNA vaccines, which the host uses to trigger immune responses against ovarian cancer cells that exhibit the TAs. Despite being straightforward, safe, and easy to produce, NAVs are not currently thought to be an ideal replacement for peptide vaccines. Some obstacles to this strategy include selecting the appropriate therapeutic agents (TAs), inadequate immunogenicity, and the immunosuppressive characteristic of ovarian cancer. We focus on strategies that have been employed to increase NAVs' effectiveness in the fight against ovarian cancer in this review.     

Anti-HIV-1 activity of low molecular weight sulfated chitooligosaccharides

Chitooligosaccharides are nontoxic and water-soluble compounds obtained by enzymatic degradation of chitosan, which is derived from chitin by a deacetylation process. Chitooligosaccharides possess broad range of activities such as antitumour, antifungal, antibacterial activities. Sulfated chitooligosaccharides (SCOSs) with different molecular weights were synthesized by a random sulfation reaction. In the present study, anti-HIV-1 properties of SCOSs and the impact of molecular weight on their inhibitory activity were investigated. SCOS III (MW 3-5 kDa) was found to be the most effective compound to inhibit HIV-1 replication. At nontoxic concentrations, SCOS III exhibited remarkable inhibitory activities on HIV-1-induced syncytia formation (EC₅₀ 2.19 μg/ml), lytic effect (EC₅₀ 1.43 μg/ml), and p24 antigen production (EC₅₀ 4.33 μg/ml and 7.76 μg/ml for HIV-1_RF and HIV-1_Ba-L, respectively). In contrast, unsulfated chitooligosaccharides showed no activity against HIV-1. Furthermore, it was found that SCOS III blocked viral entry and virus-cell fusion probably via disrupting the binding of HIV-1 gp120 to CD4 cell surface receptor. These results suggest that sulfated chitooligosaccharides represent novel candidates for the development of anti-HIV-1 agent.