Changes In Cellular Structure Research Articles

Pectate lyase-like Gene GhPEL76 regulates organ elongation in Arabidopsis and fiber elongation in cotton

Pectate lyases (PELs) play important roles in plant growth and development, mainly by degrading the pectin in primary cell walls. However, the role of PELs in cotton fiber elongation, which also involves changes in cellular structure and components, is poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to isolate and characterize GhPEL76, as we suspected it to contribute to the regulation of fiber elongation. Expression analysis (qRT-PCR) revealed that GhPEL76 is predominately expressed in cotton fiber, with significantly different expression levels in long- and short-fiber cultivars, and that GhPEL76 expression is responsive to gibberellic acid and indoleacetic acid treatment. Furthermore, GhPEL76 promoter-driven β-glucuronidase activity was detected in the roots, hypocotyls, and leaves of transgenic Arabidopsis plants, and the overexpression of GhPEL76 in transgenic Arabidopsis promoted the elongation of several organs, including petioles, hypocotyls, primary roots, and trichomes. Additionally, the virus-induced silencing of GhPEL76 in cotton reduced fiber length, and both yeast one-hybrid and transient dual-luciferase assays suggested that GhbHLH13, a bHLH transcription factor that is up-regulated during fiber elongation, activates GhPEL76 expression by binding to the G-box of the GhPEL76 promoter region. Therefore, these results suggest GhPEL76 positively regulates fiber elongation and provide a basis for future studies of cotton fiber development.

Radiological, biomechanical and histopathological characteristics of rat brain in Kaolin-induced hydrocephalus

Objective: A better understanding of the pathophysiology and underlying mechanisms of brain damage in hydrocephalus is vital in developing diagnostic, observational and treatment tools that will have an impact on hydrocephalus outcomes. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the radiological, biomechanical and histopathological characteristics of rat brain tissue in an experimental hydrocephalus model.
 Materials and Methods: Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats (21 days old, weighing between 150 and 200 grams) were used in this study. Animals were randomly assigned to control (n = 6), 1-week hydrocephalus (n = 10), 2-week hydrocephalus (n = 10) and 3-week hydrocephalus (n = 10) groups. Hydrocephalus was induced with cisternal kaolin injection and controls received sham injection. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure ventricle size and cortical thickness. Vital signs, cerebral blood flow (CBF), mechanical tests and brain histology were assessed.
 Results: Three rats in the hydrocephalus group died during the follow-up, yielding an overall mortality of 10% among animals from hydrocephalus groups. Ventricular width, cross-sectional area of the lateral ventricles, ventricular index and ventricle / brain area ratio progressively increased and cortical thickness progressively decreased following kaolin injection. CBF was significantly lower at baseline than at 1st, 2nd and 3rd week (p < 0.05, for all). ICP was significantly elevated in all hydrocephalic groups in comparison with controls. EIT that was calculated from the first load-unload indentation test showed a significant increase at 2nd week post-injection (p=0.0001), indicating increased intracranial stiffness. However, this significant difference disappeared at 3rd week (p=0.956). Quantitative immunohistochemistry showed that hydrocephalic brains demonstrated significantly less NeuN-positive cells and significantly higher IBA-1-positive microglia and glial fibrillary acidic protein positive astrocytes cells in the cortex.
 Discussion and Conclusion: Cisternal kaolin injection causes varying degrees of ventricular enlargement in a rat model and hydrocephalus might contribute to neuronal and axonal damage and alter brain stiffness through axonal stretching or local hypoperfusion progressively over a period of days to months. As shown in this study, irreversible changes in viscoelastic behaviour and cellular structure develop in the late stages of hydrocephalus, suggesting the importance of early intervention in the treatment of hydrocephalus.

Effects of 0.4% ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate on morphological changes in rabbit eyes.

We evaluated the cellular structure changes after continuous use of ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate in rabbit eyes which might affect its own efficacy and adverse effects. Two pigmented Dutch rabbits and 1 Japanese white rabbit were instilled with 0.4% ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate to the left eye twice daily. The right eye was observed as the control. Both eyes of all 3 rabbits were then enucleated for histopathologic examination by light and electron microscope at 1mo in 1 of the pigmented Dutch rabbits, 3mo in the other pigmented Dutch rabbit, and in the Japanese white rabbit after instillation. Microscopic observations showed increase intercellular space in trabecular meshwork, ciliary body, and iris stoma, increase pigmented granule number and size in iris epithelial cells, and decrease actin filament in iris muscle fiber cells. Consequently, ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate decreases the intraocular pressure by improving the conventional outflow and may also facilitate the unconventional outflow via intercellular space widening without serious side effects.

Differences in the prognosis of gastric cancer patients of different sexes and races and the molecular mechanisms involved.

To evaluate the prognostic and molecular mechanisms of sex and racial differences in gastric cancer, data from two large centers were used to retrospectively analyze the survival of gastric cancer patients with regard to sex and racial differences. In examining the molecular mechanism of sex in gastric cancer patients of different races, data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were used to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and DNA methylation analyses were performed. Among White gastric cancer patients, it was found that the survival prognosis for females was better than that for males; conversely, among Chinese patients, males had a better prognosis. For African Americans, sex may have an impact on gastric cancer, but this relationship was unclear. The core DEGs between the different sexes included glycogenin 2 pseudogene 1, ribosomal protein S4 Y-linked 1, taxilin-γ and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 1A X-linked among White patients, and GO enrichment analysis revealed that these genes act mainly through RNA binding and transcription pathways. Among Black patients, core DEGs included DnaJ heat shock protein family (Hsp40) member C5, histone deacetylase 10, neogenin 1 and SMG5 nonsense mediated mRNA decay factor, which are mainly related to pathways of cellular structural changes based on GO enrichment analysis. For Asian patients, core DEGs included zinc finger protein Y-linked, thymosin β4 Y-linked, zinc finger protein 787 and ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat containing, Y-linked, participating in cell surface receptor-associated signal transduction and G-protein coupled receptor protein signaling pathways, according to GO. The expression of different core genes and differences in path ways are likely to be the main causes affecting the variation observed among gastric cancer patients of different races and sexes.

Cellular structure of PP/PPma/Palygorskite and its capacity to absorb water

The present work studies the effect of Palygorskite content on the water absorption kinetics and cellular structure of polypropylene. These foams were obtained by a single extrusion process (simultaneous formulation and foaming), using as chemical foaming agent: azodicarbonamide at 1%, and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene as compatibilizer. The cellular structure of the foams was characterized by scanning electron microscopy; also, the water absorption of the foams was measured at long-terms. It was found that the clay content increases cell size and diminishes the nucleation density of the foams; the cellular structure changes from closed cells to open cells. The absorption kinetics is affected by the cellular structure, the presence of micropores in the cell wall and the Palygorskite content. The foam with 1% of clay absorbed the greatest quantity of water.

Abstract 48: Cellular dynamics and heterogeneity of active Kras induced-gastric pre-neoplasia in mouse

Abstract Cellular heterogeneity in cancer development is considered as a source of cancer cell generation and drug resistance. However, cellular heterogeneity has not been fully eluciated during metaplasia progression to gastric pre-neoplasia and neoplasia in gastric carcinogenesis. Recent investigations have suggested that Ras activation, rather than Ras mutation, may promote the gastric carcinogenesis. We have recently established several in vitro metaplastic/pre-neoplastic organoid lines; Meta3-metaplasia and Meta4-pre-neoplasia, derived from mouse stomachs induced active Kras expression in chief cells and investigated cellular heterogeneity and plasticity that may lead to the progression of metaplasia to gastric neoplasia. While both Meta3 and Meta4 initially formed spherical or spheroidal structures and generated complicated budding or cyst-like structures between 2 and 4 weeks, Meta4 cells displayed more disorganized structures and aggressive behaviors than Meta3. We also examined altered cellular behaviors, structural changes and survival of Meta4 organoids after MEK inhibition which is a downstream mediator of Kras signaling pathway. The Meta4 treated with Selumetinib for 3 days died or did not show an increase in size at various concentrations. However, some Meta4 organoids showed an ability to survive and retained a spheroidal structure despite the Selumetinib treatment. Single cell-RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data analysis demonstrated distinct characteristics of Meta4 cells as pre-neoplastic cells and a signature of presence and heterogeneity of pre-neoplasia stem cell (PNSC) populations. The scRNA-seq data analysis also revealed that cellular behavior and dynamics of pre-neoplastic cells can be controlled by MEK inhibition, but the PNSC populations still maintain the niche for stem-like cells in gastric pre-neoplasia. The isolated two PNSC populations showed functional differences and the stemness of the PNSCs in pre-neoplastic stage through high-throughput functional analysis. Therefore, our study concludes that putative gastric cancer stem cells in gastric pre-neoplasia might be the source for maintenance of heterogeneity and contribute to the progression of gastric pre-neoplasia to cancer. Citation Format: Eunyoung Choi, Paige N. Vega, Jimin Min, Amy C. Engevik, janice A. Williams, Qing Yang, Loraine M. Patterson, Alan J. Simmons, Ken S. Lau, Scott T. Magness, James R. Goldenring. Cellular dynamics and heterogeneity of active Kras induced-gastric pre-neoplasia in mouse [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 48.

Electrical Impedance Characterization of Erythrocyte Response to Cyclic Hypoxia in Sickle Cell Disease.

Cell sickling is the process in which intracellular polymerization of deoxygenated sickle hemoglobin (HbS) leads to distorted, rigid cells, resulting in abnormal blood rheology and painful vaso-occlusion. Current methods for detection of this process mainly rely on optical microscopy of cellular morphology and measurements of cell deformability and blood rheology. As electrical impedance of cells is a sensitive indicator of changes in cellular structure and biophysical characteristics, it can be a promising marker for characterization of abnormal blood rheology and a means more convenient than optics to be integrated into point-of-care devices. In this work, a microfluidics-based electrical impedance sensor has been developed for characterizing the dynamic cell sickling-unsickling processes in sickle blood. The sensor is capable of measuring the continuous variation in the sickle cell suspension due to cyclic hypoxia-induced intracellular HbS polymerization and depolymerization. Simultaneous microscopic imaging of cell morphological change shows the reliability and repeatability of the electrical impedance-based measurements of cell sickling and unsickling processes. Strong correlation is found between the electrical impedance measurement and patients' hematological parameters such as levels of HbS and fetal hemoglobin. The combination of electrical impedance measurement and on-chip hypoxia control provides a promising method for rapid assessment of the dynamic processes of cell sickling and unsickling in patients with sickle cell disease.

Revealing the Effects of Curcumin on SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells: A Combined Study from Cellular Viability, Morphology, and Biomechanics.

In this work, the effects of curcumin on the viability, morphology, and nanomechanics of SH-SY5Y neuronal cells were investigated using a conventional cell viability test kit (CCK-8) and sophisticated AFM imaging and force measurement techniques. CCK-8 tests show that SH-SY5Y neuronal cells have a dose-response to curcumin in terms of viability that is dependent on the exposure durations. When exposed to a maximum dosage of 32 μg/mL used in the present study for 4 h, 24 h, and 48 h, the cell viability dropped to 73.4 ± 4.5%, 9.1 ± 3.2%, and 2.5 ± 1.2% of the control, correspondingly. AFM studies show that curcumin can induce the disappearance of synapses of the cells and the change of biomechanics. After exposure for 24 h at the concentration of 16 μg/mL, the viscous deformation of the cells decreased from 2.15 ± 0.02 to 1.58 ± 0.03 (×10-15 N·m), the elastic deformation increased from 1.26 ± 0.04 to 1.72 ± 0.07 (×10-15 N·m), and adhesion work decreased from 0.56 ± 0.07 to 0.39 ± 0.04 (×10-16 N·m). The morphological and mechanical changes obtained using AFM can be interpreted from optically observed cellular structural changes. The present study provides insights into the effects of curcumin on neuronal cells from both biological and biophysical aspects, which can help more comprehensively understand the interactions between curcumin and SH-SY5Y cells. The demonstrated techniques can be potentially used to assess the efficacy of bioactive constituents on cells or help screen drugs.

Downregulation of AKT and MDM2, Melatonin Induces Apoptosis in AGS and MGC803 Cells.

Melatonin, a neurohormone secreted by the pineal gland, has a variety of biological functions, such as circadian rhythms regulation, anti-oxidative activity, immunomodulatory effects, and anittumor, etc. At present, its antitumor effect has attracted people's attention due to its extensive tissue distribution, good tissue compatibility, and low toxic and side effects. In the gastrointestinal tract, there is high level of melatonin and many studies showed melatonin has effects of anti-gastric cancer. In this experiment, human gastric cancer cell lines AGS and MGC803 were used to investigate the intracellular molecular mechanism of melatonin against gastric cancer. After AGS and MGC803 have been treated with melatonin, the changes of cell morphology and cellular structure were observed under electron microscope. Flow cytometer and apoptosis detection kits were used to analyze the effect of apoptosis on AGS and MGC803. The alterations of apoptosis-related proteins Caspase 9, Caspase 3, and upstream regulators AKT, MDM2 including expression, phosphorylation, and activation were detected to analyze the intracellular molecular mechanism of melatonin inhibiting gastric cancer. In AGS and MGC803 cells with melatonin exposure, cleaved Caspase 9 was upregulated and Caspase 3 was activated; moreover, MDM2 and AKT expression and phosphorylation were downregulated. Melatonin promoted apoptosis of AGS and MGC803 cells by the downregulation of AKT and MDM2. Anat Rec, 302:1544-1551, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.

Micromanagement of Developmental and Stress-Induced Senescence: The Emerging Role of MicroRNAs.

MicroRNAs are short (19–24-nucleotide-long), non-coding RNA molecules. They downregulate gene expression by triggering the cleavage or translational inhibition of complementary mRNAs. Senescence is a stage of development following growth completion and is dependent on the expression of specific genes. MicroRNAs control the gene expression responsible for plant competence to answer senescence signals. Therefore, they coordinate the juvenile-to-adult phase transition of the whole plant, the growth and senescence phase of each leaf, age-related cellular structure changes during vessel formation, and remobilization of resources occurring during senescence. MicroRNAs are also engaged in the ripening and postharvest senescence of agronomically important fruits. Moreover, the hormonal regulation of senescence requires microRNA contribution. Environmental cues, such as darkness or drought, induce senescence-like processes in which microRNAs also play regulatory roles. In this review, we discuss recent findings concerning the role of microRNAs in the senescence of various plant species.

Sciatic nerve injury alters the spatial arrangement of neurons and glial cells in the anterior horn of the spinal cord.

The spatial arrangement of the cell is important and considered as underlying mechanism for mathematical modeling of cell to cell interaction. The ability of cells to take on the characteristics of other cells in an organism, it is important to understand the dynamical behavior of the cells. This method implements experimental parameters of the cell-cell interaction into the mathematical simulation of cell arrangement. The purpose of this research was to explore the three-dimensional spatial distribution of anterior horn cells in the rat spinal cord to examine differences after sciatic nerve injury. Sixteen Sprague-Dawley male rats were assigned to control and axotomy groups. Twelve weeks after surgery, the anterior horn was removed for first- and second-order stereological studies. Second-order stereological techniques were applied to estimate the pair correlation and cross-correlation functions using a dipole probe superimposed onto the spinal cord sections. The findings revealed 7% and 36% reductions in the mean volume and total number of motoneurons, respectively, and a 25% increase in the neuroglial cell number in the axotomized rats compared to the control rats. In contrast, the anterior horn volume remained unchanged. The results also indicated a broader gap in the pair correlation curve for the motoneurons and neuroglial cells in the axotomized rats compared to the control rats. This finding shows a negative correlation for the distribution of motoneurons and neuroglial cells in the axotomized rats. The cross-correlation curve shows a negative correlation between the motoneurons and neuroglial cells in the axotomized rats. These findings suggest that cellular structural and functional changes after sciatic nerve injury lead to the alterations in the spatial arrangement of motoneurons and neuroglial cells, finally affecting the normal function of the central nervous system. The experimental protocol was reviewed and approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (approval No. IR.SBMU.MSP.REC1395.375) on October 17, 2016.

ЭЛЕКТРОННО-МИКРОСКОПИЧЕСКИЕ ИЗМЕНЕНИЯ В КЛЕТОЧНЫХ И ВНЕКЛЕТОЧНЫХ СТРУКТУРАХ НАДПОЧЕЧНИКОВ И ЩИТОВИДНОЙ ЖЕЛЕЗЫ ПРИ ОСТРОЙ ГИПОКСИИ

Objective: To study the morphofunctional features of ultrastructural changes in the cellular and extracellular structures of adrenal and thyroid glands during acute hypoxia. Methods: During the study, thyroid and adrenal glands of adult male white rats with a mass of 180-200 grams divided into 2 groups were used. In the course of the study, anatomic, histological, electron microscopic and morphometric examination methods were implemented. Results: Thus, in the comparative analysis of electron micrographs obtained from the ultrathin sections of both glands, cellular and extracellular acute dystrophic and destructive changes of adrenocytes of the adrenal gland induced by the acute hypoxia – separation of basal membranes into layers, edema of cells, hypertrophy as a compensatory reaction and vacuolation of organelles – observed at the early stage (second day) of the experiment, and on the 5th day of the experiment in thyrocytes and cytoplasmic organelles of the thyroid gland. Conclusion: As a result of the study, it can be concluded that hypobaric hypoxia affects the morphofunctional state of the adrenal and thyroid glands as the main «stress» factor, causes cellular and extracellular structural changes in the glands. Because the resistance of the adrenal and thyroid glands to hypoxia, especially strong short-term hypoxic effects, is different, the cells (adrenocytes and thyrosites), vessels and connective tissue structures of the glands respond with varying degrees of damage and changes with different morphofunctional reactions. Dystrophic and destructive changes in the adrenal gland, especially on the ultrastructural level are more pronounced, as the adrenal gland is more and more exposed to the influence of endogenous and exogenous factors compared to the thyroid gland. Keywords: Electron microscopy, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, acute hypoxia.

Differential Antifungal Efficiency of Geraniol and Citral

Terpenoids such as geraniol and citral are known to have antibacterial, antifungal and anti-cancerous properties; however, their mechanism of action is least understood. In this study, the antifungal mechanism of monoterpene alcohol (geraniol) and monoterpene aldehyde (citral) was studied using Saccharomyces cerevisiae throughout 120 h duration and over a maximum tolerable dosage of 0.5% (v/v). Cell growth studies using optical density readings at 600 nm (ODλ=600nm), Cell viability using MTT assay, Na+/K+ leakage into media, osmotic stress using flame photometry, detection of metabolites like dehydroergosterol (DHE), H2O2 using fluorescence spectroscopy, changes in functional group analysis using FT-IR, elemental analysis using EDAX, DNA damage using gel electrophoresis and cellular structural changes using SEM were carried out. Growth inhibition studies using ODλ=600nm and MTT assays suggest that both geraniol and citral inhibited the growth kinetics significantly up to 0.1% v/v at and significantly increased beyond 0.1% at all the studied time points. Both the monoterpenoids induced the osmotic stress in S. cerevisiae measured as a change in reduction in pH, [H]+ concentration, with elevation in [Na]+ and [K]+ leakage into the media. Geraniol treatment reduced the levels of metabolites, dehydroergosterol (DHE) and H2O2, in a time-dependent manner whereas citral only affected their levels at 120 h. Energy dispersive X - ray spectroscopy (EDAX) studies suggest that both the monoterpenoids treatment differentially modulated the cellular elemental contents. Geraniol (0.03% v/v) and not the citral treatment induced DNA damage. Cellular structural analysis showed that both monoterpenoids have differential damaging effects to S. cerevisiae. This study shows that having an aldehyde and alcohol group on the terpenoids strongly affect the anti-fungal activity.

CRMP2 mediates GSK3β actions in the striatum on regulating neuronal structure and mania-like behavior

BackgroundGenetic and physiological studies have implicated the striatum in bipolar disorder (BD). Although Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) has been suggested to play a role in the pathophysiology of BD since it is inhibited by lithium, it remains unknown how GSK3β activity might be involved. Therefore we examined the functional roles of GSK3β and one of its substrates, CRMP2, within the striatum. MethodsUsing CRISPR-Cas9 system, we specifically ablated GSK3β in the striatal neurons in vivo and in vitro. Sholl analysis was performed for the structural studies of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion was measured to investigate the effects of gene ablations on the mania-like symptom of BD. ResultsGSK3β deficiency in cultured neurons and in neurons of adult mouse brain caused opposite patterns of neurite changes. Furthermore, specific knockout of GSK3β in the MSNs of the indirect pathway significantly suppressed amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion. We demonstrated that these phenotypes of GSK3β ablation were mediated by CRMP2, a major substrate of GSK3β. LimitationsAmphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion only partially recapitulate the symptoms of BD. It requires further study to examine whether abnormality in GSK3β or CRMP2 is also involved in depression phase of BD. Additionally, we could not confirm whether the behavioral changes observed in GSK3β-ablated mice were indeed caused by the cellular structural changes observed in the striatal neurons. ConclusionOur results demonstrate that GSK3β and its substrate CRMP2 critically regulate the neurite structure of MSNs and their functions specifically within the indirect pathway of the basal ganglia network play a critical role in manifesting mania-like behavior of BD. Moreover, our data also suggest lithium may exert its effect on BD through a GSK3β-independent mechanism, in addition to the GSK3β inhibition-mediated mechanism.

Physico-textural and cellular structure changes of Carissa congesta fruit during growth and development

A study on the changes in physical and physiological characteristics of Carissa congesta fruit was conducted on weekly intervals from 1 until 13 weeks after anthesis (WAA) to establish its growth pattern. Based on the results obtained from the fruit length, diameter, fresh weight, and volume, C. congesta fruit exhibited a single sigmoidal growth pattern with three physiological stages; stage 1 (S1), stage 2 (S2) and stage 3 (S3). Cells of C. congesta fruit at S1 underwent rapid division, followed by cell expansion at S2 before it reached physiological maturity at S3. Color of C. congesta fruit appeared whitish-pink at early weeks of development, and then changed to red and dark purple at later weeks while fruit firmness increased initially before decreased during ripening. The fruit moisture content increased until third week then decreased during fruit growth and development. The respiration rate was high at the initial stage of growth before it declined at later stages. There was no ethylene detected throughout 13 weeks of observation considering C. congesta as a non-climacteric fruit.

Cyto-morphological investigation of cellular content of peripancreatic liquid accumulations in estimation of the clinical course severity in an acute complicated pancreatitis

Objective. To study up a character and peculiarities of cyto-morphological changes in cellular material of the peripancreatic liquid accumulations (LA) as a criterion of objective estimation of the clinical course severity in an acute complicated pancreatitis (ACP).
 Маterials and methods. Results of cyto-morphological investigation of the peripancreatic LA sediment, obtained while doing interventional ultrasonography in 51 (88%) observations and videolaparoscopy - in 7 (12%) observations in 58 patients with an ACP, were analyzed.
 Results. Of intraabdominal LA (n=37) observations in 10 (27 %) of them a domination of proliferating cells of mesothelium with their polymorphism was revealed, while in 15 (41%) - degenerative-dystrophic changes like a bulging of cytoplasm, appearance of large «signet-ring like» cells, in 12 (32%) - аtipically changed cells of mesothelium with signs of anizocytosis and anizonucleosis, as well as cyto-morphological changes like in neoplastic process. In retroperitoneal localization of LA (n=21) a more essential changes in the granulocytes nuclei were registered, including, in 9 (43%) observations their structure have got irreversible disorders: karyopycnosis, karyorexis and karyolysis. The depth of structural cellular changes in mesoteliocytes and neutrophil granulocytes have depended upon the ACP severity.
 Conclusion. Determination of depth of the cellular content cytomorphological disorders in the LA sediment may serve an objective criterion in the ACP severity estimation.

Assessment of anti-diabetic activity of peanut shell polyphenol extracts.

The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-diabetic property of peanut shell polyphenol extracts (PSPEs). Diabetic rats were oral-administrated with PSPE at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight (BW) per day for 28 consecutive days, with metformin (Met) as a positive control. The results showed that, similar to the Met treatment, administration of PSPE caused significant decreases in food intake, water intake, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and methane dicarboxylic aldehyde in serum, and significant increases in BW, insulin level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and liver glycogen. Further, glucose tolerance was markedly improved in the PSPE-treated diabetic groups. Histopathological results showed that PSPE improved cellular structural and pathological changes in liver, kidney, and pancreatic islets. Collectively, the results indicated that the hypoglycemic effects of PSPE on high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ)-induced diabetes are comparable to Met, though their exact mechanism actions are still under investigation. Therefore, the current study suggests that PSPE could be a potential health-care food supplement in the management of diabetes.

Experimental and computational framework for a dynamic protein atlas of human cell division.

Essential biological functions, such as mitosis, require tight coordination of hundreds of proteins in space and time. Localization, the timing of interactions and changes in cellular structure are all crucial to ensure the correct assembly, function and regulation of protein complexes1-4. Imaging of live cells can reveal protein distributions and dynamics but experimental and theoretical challenges have prevented the collection of quantitative data, which are necessary for the formulation of a model of mitosis that comprehensively integrates information and enables the analysis of the dynamic interactions between the molecular parts of the mitotic machinery within changing cellular boundaries. Here we generate a canonical model of the morphological changes during the mitotic progression of human cells on the basis of four-dimensional image data. We use this model to integrate dynamic three-dimensional concentration data of many fluorescently knocked-in mitotic proteins, imaged by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy-calibrated microscopy5. The approach taken here to generate a dynamic protein atlas of human cell division is generic; it can be applied to systematically map and mine dynamic protein localization networks that drive cell division in different cell types, and can be conceptually transferred to other cellular functions.

A Case of Chronic Alcoholism and Torsades de Pointes

Torsades de pointes is a form of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia due to prolonged ventricular repolarization represented by a prolonged QT interval on electrocardiogram. Common causes of QT prolongation are usually considered in the clinical setting, such as electrolyte imbalances, medication side effects, congenital syndromes. As recent research has proposed, long-term excessive alcohol use may also be a contributing factor. The effects of alcohol on the heart have been studied extensively, showing that chronic exposure leads to cellular events and structural changes in the heart that may ultimately result in adverse clinical events. This case report presents a patient with a history of chronic alcoholism that experienced torsades de pointes and sudden cardiac death during hospitalization for a severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation. She was given macrolide antibiotics despite a prolonged QTc on electrocardiogram with a history of prior syncopal events. While macrolide antibiotics are known to cause QTc prolongation, chronic alcohol use has also been shown to be associated with QT prolongation. Moreover, QT prolongation may be a predictor of sudden cardiac death in alcoholics. In addition to common medication class side effects, the effects of commonly abused and readily accessible substances such as alcohol, should also be taken into consideration.

Features of cellular structure of the induced sputum and profile of cytokines at sintropiya of bronchial asthma and obesity at young patients.

To estimate changes of cellular structure of the induced sputum at young patients with bronchial asthma at interrelations with BMI and level of cytokines in blood plasma. 164 patients with bronchial asthma were divided into 2 groups taking into BMI: the 1st group included patients with bronchial asthma and BMI from 18 to 25 kg/m2, patients with bronchial asthma and BMI from 30 to 40 kg/m2 entered into the 2nd group. The group of control was made by 40 almost healthy volunteers. Estimated existence of excess weight and defined obesity degree according to recommendations of World Health Organization. Studied the level of control of bronchial asthma, cellular structure of the induced sputum, the IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, TNF-α, INF-γ levels in plasma of peripheral blood. There are presented the results of the research of cellular profile of the induced sputum and profile of cytokines at patients with bronchial asthma depending on BMI and severity of the disease. The received results testify to prevalence of eosinophilic type of an inflammation in the group of patients with BMI less than 25 kg/m2 whereas at patients mainly paucigranulation inflammation decided on obesity. The highest content of the Il-17 was registered at patients with bronchial asthma and obesity as in comparison with indicators of patients with normal BMI, and with almost healthy that, perhaps, is the reason of low effect of steroid therapy at these patients. Endotype assessment before basic antiinflammatory therapy at patients with the first time diagnosed bronchial asthma, will be able to help with selection of the most optimum treatment to each specific patient.