Changes in cytokine content in the peripheral blood of volunteers after their exposure to polychromatic visible and infrared light

Anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating and wound-healing effects of visible and infrared (IR) radiation from laser and non-laser sources are widely used in current medicine. However, the role of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in development of these effects has been poorly studied. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind study was made. Using ELISA, the content of 10 cytokines was studied in the peripheral blood of volunteers after a single and four daily irradiations of the sacral area (D = 15 cm) with polychromatic visible + IR polarized light (480-3400 nm, 12 J/cm2). The phototherapeutic sessions were accompanied by four blood exfusions for the study (to a total volume of 80 ml). In the control (placebo) group, irradiation was imitated, and blood samples of the same volume were drawn at the same time intervals as in volunteers of the main group. A fast decrease in the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines was revealed as soon as in 0.5 h after the irradiation. This level was retained until the end of the phototherapeutic course. At the parameters exceeding the norm, the contents of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IFN-gamma fell, on average, by 34, 12 and 1.5 times, respectively. By the end of the course, the levels of IFN-gamma and of IL-12 decreased by 5 and 15 times, respectively. A fast decrease (by two-fold) was also characteristic of normal values of IL-6. Neither IL-1beta, nor IL-2 were detected in blood plasma of the examined people both before and after the irradiation. In parallel with a decrease in the proinflammatory factor levels the amount of anti-inflammatory cytokines was found to rise: that of IL-10--by 2.7-3.5 times in 0.5 h and at later terms at the initially normal parameters, and that of TGF-beta1--by 1.4-1.5 times at the initially decreased level. The IL-4 content did not change. A characteristic feature of the light effect was a fast rise of IFN-gamma amount--by 3.3-4.0 times in individuals with its initially normal level, with no changes in IFN-alpha content. The above-reported regularities of the light effects were also recorded at a direct (in vitro) irradiation of the examined volunteers' blood, as well as on addition of irradiated blood to a 10-fold volume of non-irradiated autologous blood, i.e. at a modeling of mixing, of a small amount of transcutaneously photomodified blood with its main circulating volume in the vascular bed of an irradiated person. Such a similarity of effects in blood following its irradiation in vivo and in vitro enables us to associate the fast changes of the cytokine content in the entire volume of peripheral blood with the transcutaneous photomodification of its small amounts, and with a "transfer" of the light effects by photomodified blood to the whole pool of circulating blood.     

Mechanisms of the synergistic action of ionizing radiation and hydrogen peroxide on the viability of bacteria

The combined effect of ionizing radiation and minor concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (0.1-0.01 M) has been studied on bacteria differing in the cell wall structure (Gy+, Gy-), radioresistance, and activity of DNA repair system. The H2O2 concentrations applied, which have a slight antibacterial action, enhance significantly the bactericidal effect of ionizing radiation producing a synergistic effect due to the decreased effectiveness of repair of DNA single-strand breaks.     

Demonstration of the activity of a rhesus-positive antigen in the erythrocytes of rhesus-negative donors and an increase in the expression of ABO system antigens after ultraviolet irradiation of the blood

UV irradiation (254 nm) in doses increasing erythrocyte (Er) hemolysis by 5 to 32% was found to stimulate the agglutination activity of ABO and Rhesus (Rh) system antigens. The stimulation effect was the higher the lower the antigen activity before irradiation. In the Rh-negative (Rh-)-Er, irradiation induced the Rh0(D)-like antigen specific activity suggesting that this antigen may be present in the Rh--Er membrane. Expression of Rh0(D)-antigen in Rh--Er, stimulation of its activity in Rh-positive cells, and activation of ABO system antigens may result from photo-chemical destruction of the outer membranous layer of the ER.     

Discovery of highly potent, nonsteroidal 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitors by virtual high-throughput screening

17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17β-HSD1) catalyzes the formation of the potent proliferation-stimulating hormone estradiol, and it is thus involved in the development of hormone-dependent breast cancer. Due to its high substrate specificity and the known relationships between its overexpression and disease incidence, 17β-HSD1 is considered an attractive target for drug development. Here, we have used structure-based virtual high-throughput screening to successfully identify potent nonsteroidal 17β-HSD1 inhibitors. Computational screening of a drug-like database containing 13 million compounds identified hits with a 2-benzylidenebenzofuran-3(2H)-one scaffold that we show to be highly potent 17β-HSD1 inhibitors. The most potent in the series, compound 1, showed an IC(50) of 45nM in our 17β-HSD1 inhibition assay, and also showed good selectivity for 17β-HSD1 over 17β-HSD2.     

Electroporation in Food Processing and Biorefinery

Electroporation is a method of treatment of plant tissue that due to its nonthermal nature enables preservation of the natural quality, colour and vitamin composition of food products. The range of processes where electroporation was shown to preserve quality, increase extract yield or optimize energy input into the process is overwhelming, though not exhausted; e.g. extraction of valuable compounds and juices, dehydration, cryopreservation, etc. Electroporation is—due to its antimicrobial action—a subject of research as one stage of the pasteurization or sterilization process, as well as a method of plant metabolism stimulation. This paper provides an overview of electroporation as applied to plant materials and electroporation applications in food processing, a quick summary of the basic technical aspects on the topic, and a brief discussion on perspectives for future research and development in the field. The paper is a review in the very broadest sense of the word, written with the purpose of orienting the interested newcomer to the field of electroporation applications in food technology towards the pertinent, highly relevant and more in-depth literature from the respective subdomains of electroporation research.     

Biochemical biomarkers in chronically metal-stressed daphnids

Biochemical biomarkers are a popular measure of toxic effects on organisms due to their assumed fast response, and are usually assessed after acute exposure of the organism to the stressor. However, increasing interest in the use of biochemical biomarkers in environmental pollution monitoring calls for more laboratory long-term studies of contaminants' effects on biochemical endpoints. In this study, four biochemical biomarkers (protein content, activity of cholinesterase (ChE), catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), were correlated with standardised reproductive and survival endpoints of water fleas (Daphnia magna) after chronic exposure to Cr (VI) and Cd. No effect on the reproduction and survival was noticed up to the highest tested concentration of Cr (VI) (52.5 microg/L), while the protein content, and the ChE and CAT activity decreased, and GST activity increased. Cd affected reproduction of daphnids above 0.656 microg/L, but the protein content and ChE activity were changed at 0.328 microg/L and 0.082 microg/L of Cd, respectively. Biochemical biomarkers in some cases proved to be equally or more sensitive than reproduction and mortality. We recommend more frequent use of a battery of biochemical biomarkers in combination with other higher-level biomarkers also in chronic studies and not only in the acute ones.