Oligomers of carrageenan regulate functional activities and artemisinin production in Artemisia annua L. exposed to arsenic stress

Protoplasma - Recently, a promising technique has come forward in field of radiation-agriculture in which the natural polysaccharides are modified into useful oligomers after depolymerization....     

Simultaneous impact of atorvastatin and mesenchymal stem cells for glioblastoma multiform suppression in rat glioblastoma multiform model

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is known as an aggressive glial neoplasm. Recently incorporation of mesenchymal stem cells with anti-tumor drugs have been used due to lack of immunological responses and their easy accessibility. In this study, we have investigated the anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity of atorvastatin (Ator) in combination of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on GBM cells in vitro and in vivo. The MSCs isolated from rats and characterized for their multi-potency features. The anti-proliferative and migration inhibition of Ator and MSCs were evaluated by MTT and scratch migration assays. The annexin/PI percentage and cell cycle arrest of treated C6 cells were evaluated until 72 h incubation. The animal model was established via injection of C6 cells in the brain of rats and subsequent injection of Ator each 3 days and single injection of MSCs until 12 days. The growth rate, migrational phenotype and cell cycle progression of C6 cells decreased and inhibited by the interplay of different factors in the presence of Ator and MSCs. The effect of Ator and MSCs on animal models displayed a significant reduction in tumor size and weight. Furthermore, histopathology evaluation proved low hypercellularity and mitosis index as well as mild invasive tumor cells for perivascular cuffing without pseudopalisading necrosis and small delicate vessels in Ator?+?MSCs condition. In summary, Ator and MSCs delivery to GBM model provides an effective strategy for targeted therapy of brain tumor.

     

Coenzyme Q10 in association with metabolism-related AMPK/PFKFB3 and angiogenic VEGF/VEGFR2 genes in breast cancer patients

Molecular Biology Reports - Low levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) have been reported in the circulation of patients with breast cancer, particularly in metastatic features. Our objective was to study...     

Dissolved oxygen concentration regulates human hepatic organoid formation from pluripotent stem cells in a fully controlled bioreactor

Developing technologies for scalable production of human organoids has gained increased attention for “organoid medicine” and drug discovery. We developed a scalable and integrated differentiation process for generation of hepatic organoid from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in a fully controlled stirred tank bioreactor with 150 ml working volume by application of physiological oxygen concentrations in different liver tissue zones. We found that the 20–40% dissolved oxygen concentration [DO] (corresponded to 30–60 mmHg pO₂ within the liver tissue) significantly influences the process outcome via regulating the differentiation fate of hPSC aggregates by enhancing mesoderm induction. Regulation of the [DO] at 30% DO resulted in efficient generation of human fetal-like hepatic organoids that had a uniform size distribution and were comprised of red blood cells and functional hepatocytes, which exhibited improved liver-specific marker gene expressions, key liver metabolic functions, and, more important, higher inducible cytochrome P450 activity compared to the other trials. These hepatic organoids were successfully engrafted in an acute liver injury mouse model and produced albumin after implantation. These results demonstrated the significant impact of the dissolved oxygen concentration on hPSC hepatic differentiation fate and differentiation efficacy that should be considered ascritical translational aspect of established scalable liver organoid generation protocols for potential clinical and drug discovery applications.     

Modulatory effects of statins on the autophagy: A therapeutic perspective

Autophagy is considered as an important mechanism for maintaining homeostasis and responsible for the degradation of superfluous or potentially toxic components and organelles. Autophagy impairment is associated with a number of pathological conditions, such as aging, neurological disorders, cancer, and infection. Autophagy also plays a significant role in cancer chemotherapy. The multiple cancer drugs have been notably developed with the strategy of autophagy modulation. Statins, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA inhibitors, are known due to their efficacy in decreasing low-density lipoprotein and extensively used for the management of cardiovascular diseases. Statins have other therapeutic and biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and neuroprotective known as pleiotropic effects. It seems that statins are capable of targeting various signaling pathways in the induction of their great pharmacological effects. At the present study, we demonstrate the therapeutic effects of statins mediated via autophagy regulation.     

Role of iNOS in osteoarthritis: Pathological and therapeutic aspects

Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammation has a key role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Nitric oxide (NO) has been established as one of the major inflammatory mediators in OA and drives many pathological changes during the development and progression of OA. Excessive production of NO in chondrocytes promotes cartilage destruction and cellular injury. The synthesis of NO in chondrocytes is catalyzed by inducible NO synthase (iNOS), which is thereby an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of OA. A number of direct and indirect iNOS inhibitors, bioactive compounds, and plant-derived small molecules have been shown to exhibit chondroprotective effects by suppressing the expression of iNOS. Many of these iNOS inhibitors hold promise for the development of new, disease-modifying therapies for OA; however, attempts to demonstrate their success in clinical trials are not yet successful. Many plant extracts and plant-derived small molecules have also shown promise in animal models of OA, though further studies are needed in human clinical trials to confirm their therapeutic potential. In this review, we discuss the role of iNOS in OA pathology and the effects of various iNOS inhibitors in OA.     

Reaction of sunflower varieties to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum under various inoculation methods,time of field evaluation and phylogenic stages of host

Sunflower cultivation is affected seriously by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary in Iran, particularly north-western areas. Because of economic and environmental harms by chemical control, it is necessary to develop cultivars with adequate genetic resistance for reduction of yield losses. The purpose of this study was to find an effective method of inoculation with S. sclerotiorum under field evaluations. Three stem-inoculation techniques including: 1 – mycelium plug, 2 – oxalic acid solution (OAS) and 3 – infested wheat seeds with Sclerotinia mycelium were employed under field conditions. Four genotypes including Ghalami (local variety in market), Confeta, Allstar and Master were used in this study. The lesion length, lesion width and lesion as up and down leading on the stem from inoculation site were measured after 3, 7, 10 and 14 days of inoculation. The analysis of variance showed significant difference between all employed techniques and incubation days after inoculation. Mycelial plug (MP) inoculation technique produced significantly more developed lesions on the treated stems. In spite of this effect, Master variety demonstrated reasonable resistance reaction against the disease. The progress of disease in wounded treatments was also faster than the non-wounded ones. And, the shortest time to obtain significant differences between varieties was 10?days after inoculation. By comparison of results of lesion length at flowering and seed-filling stages, the more obvious effectiveness of the disease was observed at the second stage. Finally, there were negative correlations between mean temperature and mean lesion length in all three inoculation methods.     

Studies on the transmission of some Fusarium spp. to potato progeny tubers from mother plants and its biological control

Fusarium spp. attack potato roots causing root-rot, damping-off and wilt disease in Assuit Governorate. Forty-five Fusarium isolates were isolated from F. nygamai, F. acutatum, F. solani, F. proliferatum, F. subglutinans, and F. oxysporum. Isolates were tested for their pathogenic capability on Burn potato variety during growing season 2007/2008. Isolates infect potato plants causing either damping-off or wilt symptoms. Isolates varied in their virulence. Role of potato tuber seed in the transmission of the causal pathogen to daughter using Electrophoresis. Protein profiles of the tested isolates divided into four sub-clusters at similarity levels 93.79, 91.55 and 92.62% while isolate of Fusarium profile No. 11 formed separate sub-clusters at similarity level 69.79%. F. nygamai and F. solani were notable exception because profile No. 4 of F. nygamai from roots and profile No. 4 from sprouts were almost identical (similarity level 96.81%); similarity level between profile No. 8 from roots and profile no/8 from sprouts was 95.44%. Results prove that F. nygamai and F. solani are potato tuber seed-borne fungus. T. harzianum, T. viride, T. longibrachiatum, G. virens and E. nigrum or its filtrate inhibited the growth of F. nygamai, F. acutatum, F. solani, F. proliferatum, F. subglutinans and F. oxysporum. The formulation of T. harzianum, T. longibrachiatum and G. virens against tested pathogenic fungi reduce disease incidence under greenhouse conditions.     

Co-limitation of potato growth by Potato Cyst Nematode (Globodera rostochiensis) and Rhizoctonia solani

Globodera rostochiensis and Rhizoctonia solani are the most important growth limiting factors influencing potato production in Iran. The effects of inoculation with Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCN) (0, 50, 75 and 100 cysts/3.5?kg soil) and R. solani (with or without inoculation) on potato growth and development were investigated in cultivars Santé and Marfona. Inoculation with R. solani induced severe damage, especially when inoculation was accompanied with high density of PCN. The damage caused by R. solani tended to increase with an increase in PCN density, especially in Marfona. In Santé, number of stems or branches per plant significantly increased by inoculation with R. solani, while in Marfona it was significantly affected either by R. solani inoculation or PCN density. In Santé, number of stolons per plant was significantly increased by PCN, but not by R. solani. In Marfona, however, the number of stolons per plant was significantly affected either by R. solani inoculation or by presence of PCN, but not affected by PCN density. The general effect of R. solani or PCN inoculation treatments on shoot, below-ground and total dry weight of potato was significant, but strongly affected by cultivar. In general, our study supports the synergistic interaction between R. solani and PCN and its moderation by the use of a resistant cultivar such as Santé.     

Association of vitamin D binding protein polymorphism with long-term kidney allograft survival in Hispanic kidney transplant recipients

Polymorphism of genes encoding components of the vitamin D pathway including vitamin D receptor (VDR) and vitamin D binding protein (VDBP), have been widely explored due to the complex role played by vitamin D in renal transplant outcomes. In this study, we investigated whether polymorphisms of genes encoding VDR and VDBP were associated with allograft survival or acute rejection (AR) among a Hispanic kidney transplant population. A total of 502 Hispanic renal allograft recipients at the St. Vincent Medical Center between 2001 and 2010 were genotyped for four different single nucleotide polymorphisms of VDR: FokI C>T (rs2228570), BsmI G>A (rs1544410), ApaI T>G (rs7975232), and TaqI T>C (rs731236). We also performed genotyping for one common polymorphism in the VDBP gene (rs4588). Survival was significantly improved for patients who were homozygous GG for the rs4588 G>T allele in the VDBP gene (GG vs. GT + TT, OR = 0.63, p = 0.02) while GT genotype was associated with a higher risk of graft loss (GT vs. GG + TT, OR = 1.67, p = 0.01). We found no association for polymorphic markers in VDR with allograft survival and AR. The frequency of the haplotype GTCG (in the order of VDR FokI C>T, BsmI G>A, ApaI T>G, and TaqI T>C), was significantly different in the patients with graft rejection compared to the control (p = 0.007) while ACCA haplotype was found to be associated with graft loss (p = 0.02). Hence, the VDBP G>T polymorphism (rs4588) and two haplotypes (GTCG and ACCA) of VDR appear to be associated with renal allograft outcomes among Hispanic allograft recipients.