Leptin,insulin and thyroid hormones in a cohort of Egyptian obese Down syndrome children: a comparative study

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bilirubin is a potent endogenous antioxidant, and coffee is a major source of exogenous antioxidants. Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), a marker of oxidative stress, is a strong predictor of the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated the effect modification of bilirubin and coffee consumption on the association of serum GGT with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and the combined effect of bilirubin and coffee on HbA1c concentrations. The subjects were 4492 men and 6242 women aged 49–76 years who participated in the baseline survey of an on-going cohort study on lifestyle-related diseases in Fukuoka, Japan. Geometric means of HbA1c were examined according to quartile categories of GGT, with stratification by serum total bilirubin (≥ 0.6 mg/dL versus less in men and ≥ 0.5 mg/dL versus less in women) and coffee consumption (< 1, 1–3 and ≥ 4 cups of per day). Statistical adjustment was made for age, smoking, alcohol use and body mass index by using analysis of covariance. HbA1 concentrations increased progressively with increasing levels of GGT in both men and women. The increasing trend of HbA1c concentrations associated with GGT did not differ by either bilirubin status or coffee consumption. Both men and women with high bilirubin had consistently lower concentrations of HbA1c across the GGT quartiles. Higher coffee consumption was associated with lower concentrations of HbA1c in women with low bilirubin (trend P = 0.04), but not with high bilirubin (trend P = 0.37). There was no such association between coffee and HbA1c in men with either low or high bilirubin levels. Bilirubin is possibly protective against deterioration of glucose metabolism. Further studies are needed regarding the combined effect of bilirubin and coffee on glucose metabolism.     

Pyrimidine non-nucleoside analogs: A direct synthesis of a novel class of N-substituted amino and N-sulfonamide derivatives of pyrimidines

A convenient method for the regioselective synthesis of pyrimidine non-nucleoside analogs was developed. This study reports a novel and efficient method for the synthesis of a new type of N-substituted amino methylsulfanylpyrimidines and the corresponding pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines. This series of compounds was designed through the reaction of dimethyl N-cyanodithioiminocarbonate with 2-cyano-N′-(thiophen-2-yl-, furan-2-yl- and pyridin-4-ylmethylene)acetohydrazide and N′-(2-cyanoacetyl)arylsulfonohydrazides. The scope and limitation of the method are demonstrated. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the synthesized compounds were also evaluated.     

Lectin-Like OLR1 3′UTR Rs1050286 Gene Polymorphism and Plasma Oxidized-LDL in Coronary Artery Disease and Their Relation to Cardiovascular Risk and Outcomes

Background:Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) has an important role in the genesis of coronary atherosclerosis. Lectin-like ox-LDL receptor 1 (OLR1) contributes to the uptake and internalization of ox-LDL. Genetic polymorphisms have been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Here we explore the association of plasma levels of ox-LDL and 3′ UTR OLR1 (rs1050286) SNP with CAD risk and in-hospital adverse outcomes.Methods:A case-control study enrolled 192 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 100 patients with unstable angina, and 100 healthy controls. Baseline, clinical characteristics, and risk scores of the patients were determined. Plasma ox-LDL and other biochemical variables were measured. All subjects are genotyped for OLR1 (rs1050286) by RT-PCR with TaqMan SNP genotyping assay.Results:Plasma ox-LDL was higher with enhanced sensitivity and specificity in identifying patients with STEMI and was found as a significant independent risk factor for CAD in those two groups. Levels of ox-LDL were increased with increasing poor prognostic factors in STEMI patients that are associated with an increased incidence of some adverse events and in-hospital mortality. Elevated STEMI risk was associated with T allele of OLR1 (rs1050286) (odds ratio of 4.9, 95% CI: 2.6-9.4, p< 0.001). STEMI patients who have T allele exhibited higher risk scores, coronary multivessel narrowing, and elevated incidence of in-hospital major adverse clinical events.Conclusion:These results suggest that plasma ox-LDL, as well as T allele of ORL-1 (rs1050286), is associated with the increased risk for developing STEMI and the associated adverse clinical outcomes.Key Words: Coronary artery disease, genotyping, OLR1, outcomes, Oxidized low-density lipoprotein     

Evaluating the effects of different processing methods on the nutritional composition of shrimp and the antioxidant activity of shrimp powder

Shrimp is a prevalent food in the Arabian Gulf that is known for its good sensory properties and high nutritional value. The aim of the present work was to assess the effects of diverse processing methods on the nutritional composition of shrimp and the antioxidant activity of shrimp powder. Shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus) flesh was treated using four processes (salting, frying, grilling, and boiling), following which its macronutrient content, fatty acid profile, vitamins and mineral contents were measured. Also, the antioxidant activity of all shrimp powder extracts was assessed using the 2, 2 diphenyl 1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), linoleic acid oxidation inhibition, and reducing power methods. The results revealed that the fresh and processed shrimp flesh had significant nutritional value and the fresh and treated shrimp powders have high antioxidant activity, but the cooking processes have significant effects on the nutritional value and antioxidant activity of shrimp flesh. These effects were greater significantly in grilled shrimp followed by boiled shrimp and then fried shrimp. It is concluded that the high nutritional value and antioxidant activity of shrimp flesh make it an important food for nutritional health promotion for the community.     

Effects of stimulus complexity on simple spatial discriminations

We have extended previous measurements on the detection of a target, differentiated in orientation or magnification from a number of identical reference elements. In these new experiments, we have used more than one class of reference element from which the target must be discriminated. For example, in the case of orientation discrimination, the reference elements are of two classes, which differ from each other in orientation, but are otherwise identical. Representatives of the two classes are present in equal numbers, and the target to be detected is presented at an orientation angle different from that of either class of reference element. Data for discrimination of target magnification or orientation are given for simple geometric elements, namely lines, squares and triangles. In nearly all cases, the characteristic time required for 50% probability of target detection, T1/2, is greater with two classes of reference elements than with a single class. In nearly all cases, T1/2 values for the mixed reference elements increase with the number of reference elements, N, corresponding to discrimination by serial processing. This remains the case even when detection is parallel (T1/2 independent of N) for either class of reference element used separately. We discuss the properties of the spatial discrimination mechanisms which give rise to these responses.     

Contrasting root traits and native regulation of aquaporin differentially determine the outcome of overexpressing a single aquaporin (OsPIP2;4) in two rice cultivars

Protoplasma - Overexpressing OsPIP2;4 in the two rice cultivars Giza178 and IR64 resulted in contrasting cultivar-dependent physiological attributes under control and drought conditions in the...     

Spatial, colour and contrast response characteristics of mechanisms which mediate discrimination of pattern orientation and magnification

We have measured response times for the detection of a single target presented against a set of reference elements which are characterised by combinations of four different stimulus parameters; colour, contrast polarity, magnification and orientation. The aim of the experiments was to determine the response characteristics of visual mechanisms which mediate target detection through the discrimination of orientation and magnification. In the first experiments, we determined sensitivity to differences in colour and contrast polarity, and show that the mechanisms responsible for the discrimination of orientation and of magnification are both selective in their responses to colour and to contrast polarity. There are, nonetheless, residual interactions between patterns of different contrast polarities and between those of different colour, and in the latter case, weak interactions persist under equiluminance conditions. In a second set of experiments, we examined the interactions between orientation and magnification. We conclude that the responses of visual mechanisms which mediate target detection through discrimination of orientation are markedly dependent on stimulus magnification whereas those which mediate detection through discrimination of magnification are, in contrast, relatively insensitive to stimulus orientation.     

Engineered resistance and hypersusceptibility through functional metabolic studies of 100 genes in soybean to its major pathogen, the soybean cyst nematode

During pathogen attack, the host plant induces genes to ward off the pathogen while the pathogen often produces effector proteins to increase susceptibility of the host. Gene expression studies of syncytia formed in soybean root by soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) identified many genes altered in expression in resistant and susceptible roots. However, it is difficult to assess the role and impact of these genes on resistance using gene expression patterns alone. We selected 100 soybean genes from published microarray studies and individually overexpressed them in soybean roots to determine their impact on cyst nematode development. Nine genes reduced the number of mature females by more than 50 % when overexpressed, including genes encoding ascorbate peroxidase, β-1,4-endoglucanase, short chain dehydrogenase, lipase, DREPP membrane protein, calmodulin, and three proteins of unknown function. One gene encoding a serine hydroxymethyltransferase decreased the number of mature cyst nematode females by 45 % and is located at the Rhg4 locus. Four genes increased the number of mature cyst nematode females by more than 200 %, while thirteen others increased the number of mature cyst nematode females by more than 150 %. Our data support a role for auxin and ethylene in susceptibility of soybean to cyst nematodes. These studies highlight the contrasting gene sets induced by host and nematode during infection and provide new insights into the interactions between host and pathogen at the molecular level. Overexpression of some of these genes result in a greater decrease in the number of cysts formed than recognized soybean cyst nematode resistance loci.     

Effects of Diclofenac Versus Meloxicam in Pentylenetetrazol-Kindled Mice

Neurochemical Research - Epilepsy comes after stroke as the most common chronic neurological disorder worldwide. Inflammation enhances neuronal hyperexcitability that could provide a background...     

Epidemiology of vitiligo and associated autoimmune diseases in Caucasian probands and their families

Generalized vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder characterized by acquired white patches of skin and overlying hair, the result of loss of melanocytes from involved areas. The most common disorder of pigmentation, vitiligo occurs with a frequency of 0.1-2.0% in various populations. Family clustering of cases is not uncommon, in a non-Mendelian pattern suggestive of multifactorial, polygenic inheritance. We surveyed 2624 vitiligo probands from North America and the UK regarding clinical characteristics, familial involvement, and association with other autoimmune disorders, the largest such survey ever performed. More than 83% of probands were Caucasians, and the frequency of vitiligo appeared approximately equal in males and females. The frequency of vitiligo in probands' siblings was 6.1%, about 18 times the population frequency, suggesting a major genetic component in disease pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the concordance of vitiligo in monozygotic twins was only 23%, indicating that a non-genetic component also plays an important role. Probands with earlier disease onset tended to have more relatives affected with vitiligo, suggesting a greater genetic component in early onset families. The frequencies of six autoimmune disorders were significantly elevated in vitiligo probands and their first-degree relatives: vitiligo itself, autoimmune thyroid disease (particularly hypothyroidism), pernicious anaemia, Addison's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and probably inflammatory bowel disease. These associations indicate that vitiligo shares common genetic aetiologic links with these other autoimmune disorders. These results suggest that genomic analysis of families with generalized vitiligo and this specific constellation of associated autoimmune disorders will be important to identify the mechanisms of genetic susceptibility to autoimmunity.