Potential Biochemical Indicators Research Articles

Salivary cysteine levels as a potential biochemical indicator of oral cancer risk in tobacco consumers.

Aim: Oral cancer is the leading cause of mortality, with a survival rate of less than 5 years, and is predominantly influenced by tobacco mutagens. Invasive diagnostic methods hinder early detection of oral cancer biomarkers. The present study performed salivary biochemical analysis for early oral cancer screening in tobacco consumers.Materials & methods: Three study groups included healthy controls (n=25), tobacco users (n=25) and oral cancer patients (n=25). Salivary total protein, amylase, TNF-α and amino acid levels were evaluated using enzymatic tests, Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).Results: Compared with healthy controls, salivary total protein and TNF-αlevels were significantly (p=0.04) higher in oral cancer patients. Salivary amylase levels were significantly lower in tobacco smokers (p=0.02) and higher in oral cancer patients (p=0.01). Interestingly, the amino acid cysteine concentration was significantly higher (p=0.02) in tobacco consumers (62.5±10) than in healthy controls (116.1±28).Conclusion: In high-risk populations, such as tobacco users, salivary biochemical analysis can serve as a promising noninvasive diagnostic method for early oral cancer screening. As a salivary biomarker, the amino acid cysteine exhibits potential as a means of detecting the progression of oral cancer in individuals who consume tobacco.

Interleukin-25 as a Potential Biomarker in Lung Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with HBV History in Chinese Patients: A Single Center, Case-control Study.

Background: Interleukin-25 (IL-25) has been proved to play a role in the pathogenesis and metastasis of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the relationship between the level of IL-25 and the metastasis and prognosis of HCC is still not clear. This study aimed to investigate the expression of IL-25 and other potential biochemical indicators among healthy people, HBV-associated HCC patients without lung metastasis and HBV-associated HCC patients with lung metastasis. Methods: From September 2019 to November 2021, 33 HCC patients without lung metastasis, 37 HCC patients with lung metastasis and 29 healthy controls were included in the study. IL-25 and other commonly used biochemical markers were measured to establish predictors of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) after treatment. Results: The serum level of IL-25 was increased in HCC patients than healthy controls (p < 0.001) and HCC patients with lung metastasis had higher IL-25 level than HCC patients without metastasis (p = 0.035). Lung metastasis also indicated higher death rate (p < 0.001) by chi-square test, higher GGT level (p = 0.024) and higher AFP level (p = 0.049) by non-parametric test. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that IL-25 was negatively associated with PFS (p = 0.024). Multivariate Cox-regression analysis indicated IL-25 (p = 0.030) and GGT (p = 0.020) to be independent predictors of poorer PFS, while IL-25 showed no significant association with OS. Conclusion: The level of IL-25 was significantly associated with disease progression and lung metastasis of HBV-associated HCC. The high expression of IL-25 predicted high recurrence rate and death probability of HCC patients after treatment. Therefore, IL-25 may be an effective predictor of prognosis in HCC.

Identification of Potential Predictor of Biochemical Recurrence in Prostate Cancer.

BackgroundProstate cancer is a common malignancy in men. Radical prostatectomy is one of the primary treatment modalities for patients with prostate cancer. However, early identification of biochemical recurrence is a major challenge for post-radical prostatectomy surveillance. There is a lack of reliable predictors of biochemical recurrence. The purpose of this study was to explore potential biochemical recurrence indicators for prostate cancer.Materials and MethodsWe analyzed transcriptomic data of cases with biochemical recurrence in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Then, we performed integrative bioinformatics analyses to establish a biochemical recurrence predictor model of prostate cancer.ResultsThere were 146 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between prostate cancer and normal prostate, including 12 upregulated and 134 downregulated genes. Comprehensive pathway enrichment analyses revealed that these DEGs were associated with multiple cellular metabolic pathways. Subsequently, according to the random assignment principle, 208 patients were assigned to the training cohort and 205 patients to the validation cohort. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that 7 genes were significantly associated with the biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. A model consisting of 5 genes was constructed using LASSO regression and multivariate Cox regression to predict biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Expression of PAH and AOC1 decreased with an increasing incidence of prostate cancer, whereas expression of DDC, LINC01436 and ORM1 increased with increasing incidence of prostate cancer. Kaplan–Meier curves and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves indicated that the 5-gene model had reliable utility in identifying the risk of biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer.ConclusionThis study provides a model for predicting prostate cancer recurrence after surgery, which may be an optional indicator for postoperative follow-up.

Chinese patients with hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs): a protocol for a hospital-based cohort study

IntroductionHereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are uncommon but not rare neurodegenerative diseases. More than 100 pathogenic genes and loci related to spastic paraplegia symptoms have been reported. HSPs have the same...

Physiological and biochemical properties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different mulching and water management systems in the semi-arid region of Punjab, Pakistan

In order to meet the dietary requirements of the rising human population with diminishing water resources, there is the need to adopt techniques that optimize crop yield under reduced water conditions. Therefore, a greenhouse experiment was carried out to determine the effect of mulching and reduced irrigation on wheat production. The experiment included four mulching treatments (un-mulched, black plastic sheet mulch, wheat straw mulch and cotton sticks mulch) and two watering regimes (normal watering and partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRI) technique that involves alternate watering to only one side of root zone only) arranged in a completely randomized design. Wheat growth (leaf area index, plant height), water related parameters (leaf relative water contents (RWC), leaf turgor potential and physiological (chlorophyll contents, stomatal oscillation and photosynthetic rate) parameters and biochemical indicators were significantly higher with mulching than un-mulched for both irrigation levels. However, among the mulching treatments, the use of black plastic mulch gave the best results. Among the mulch treatments, RWC increased by 4.29%, 7.50% and 10.73% with black plastic mulch compared to wheat straw mulch, cotton stick mulch and control treatment, respectively. Between the two irrigation levels, higher wheat growth, physiological and water related parameters were found with full irrigation. Whereas leaf osmotic potential, quality traits and antioxidant enzymatic activities were higher with PRI. This study shows that, particularly with black plastic film, mulching combined with partial root zone drying can be effectively used in conserving soil water, thus increasing crop water use, photosynthetic rate, and yield.

Study on the Expression Differences and the Correlation with H2BE Gene of Th Related Cytokines in SSDHS and LDSDS TCM-Syndromes of CHB Patients.

Although our previous studies revealed that H2BE exhibited significantly differential expression between two CHB TCM-syndromes: Spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome, SSDHS and liver-depression spleen-deficiency syndrome, LDSDS, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Recent studies showed that dynamic expression fluctuation of Th related cytokines in CHB TCM-syndromes, and furthermore, their expression levels were largely regulated by H2BE. This study aims to detect the expression level differences of Th related cytokines between these two TCM-syndromes and further investigate the underlying regulatory mechanisms. The expression levels of the four Th related cytokines and H2BE were analyzed and the protein-protein interaction networks between H2BE and the four cytokines were constructed. Our results suggested that almost all the cytokines were significantly upregulated compared with the healthy group (P < 0.05). Interestingly, among the four cytokines, only IL-4 and INF-γ showed statistical significance between these two syndromes. The protein-protein interaction networks demonstrated that H2BE was indirectly associated with IL-4 and IL-10, and H2BE may regulate the expression levels of cytokines through GATA3. Taken together, our results indicated that IL-4 and INF-γ are two representative cytokines that may serve as two potential biochemical indicators of SSDHS and LDSDS in CHB patients; except what has been reported, our study found that one possible way for H2BE to regulate the expression of cytokines is to interact with GATA3 directly or indirectly.

Variation in Seed Metabolites between Two Indica Rice Accessions Differing in Seed Longevity.

For a better understanding of germination after seed storage, metabolite profiling was conducted using hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry. After moisture content (MC) equilibration, seeds of “WAS170” (short-lived) and “IR65483” (long-lived) were stored at 10.9% MC and 45 °C. Samples for metabolite analysis were taken after 0 and 20 days of storage. Among 288 metabolites, two flavonoids (kaempferide and quercetin-3-arabinoside), one amino acid (S-sulfocysteine) and one sugar (D-glucose) increased in “IR65483” seeds after storage but were not detected in “WAS170” seeds. Based on the genome sequence database, we identified clear allelic differences with non-synonymous mutations on the six flavonol synthase genes regulating the accumulation of kaempferol- and quercetin-metabolites. On the other hand, two metabolites (thiamine monophosphate and harmaline) increased in short-lived seeds after storage; these metabolites could be potential biochemical indicators of seed deterioration.

Impact of treated wastewater and salicylic acid on physiological performance, malformation and yield of two mango cultivars

Abstract Limitation of fresh water for agriculture irrigation is a worldwide problem, especially in countries located in the arid region like Egypt. This work demonstrates the impact of treated wastewater on two mango cultivars, cv. “Keitt” and cv. “Ewais”. Treated wastewater contains comparatively more contaminant than fresh water, therefore salicylic acid (SA) was added to the treated wastewater to study their combined impact on mango cultivars. Observation indicated that both cultivars positively responded to treated wastewater and/or SA in a similar manner regarding growth, yield and fruit quality parameters. Obtained data revealed that treated wastewater and/or SA promoted vegetative growth and exhibited inhibitory role on the occurrence of malformation and fruitlet abscission. Studied biochemical features related to lipid peroxidation and oxidative system were differently affected. Cultivar “Keitt” had higher activity of catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. as compared to cv. “Ewais”. In the resistant cv. “Keitt” the constitutive level of lipid peroxidation was lower, but the activity of enzymatic antioxidants and non-enzymatic antioxidants was higher than the susceptible cultivar “Ewais”. Similarly, Nitrogen metabolism enzymes and photosynthetic performance were inherently higher in cv. “Keitt”. The comparative analysis between the two mango cultivars, based on malformation percentage analysis, indicated that cv. “Keitt” can be categorized into the tolerant group (1–10%), whereas cv. “Ewais” into susceptible ones (20–40%). Our results suggested that cv. “Keitt” possess better protection mechanisms against oxidative damage as compared to the relatively susceptible cultivar “Ewais”. It is based on maintaining higher inherited and increased activity of the antioxidant system. Our work underlines the relation between malformation tolerance and antioxidant defence system. In this work, we suggest the performance of antioxidant defence system as a potential biochemical indicator for screening mango genotypes for malformation behaviour.

Serum IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and their ratio: Potential biochemical growth maturity indicators

BackgroundDetermination of skeletal maturation and remaining growth potential is an essential part of treatment planning in orthodontics. The aim of our study was to determine the relationship between IGF-1 levels, IGFBP-3 levels with CVM staging to track the pre pubertal and pubertal growth spurts in female patients in North Indian population.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on ninety female subjects in the age group of 8-20 years. Blood samples were collected and centrifuged and serum samples were then analysed by Human IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits, specific for IGF-1 and IGFBP-3, respectively. CVM staging on lateral cephalometric radiograph was determined for all patients. Analysis of variance test followed by a post hoc test was used to compare mean IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 corresponding to six stages of cervical vertebrae maturation stages. Linear Pearson’s correlations were performed to determine the trends of IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and its ratio relating to CVM stage. The kappa statistic was used to measure inter and intra examiner reliability. P value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.ResultsMean serum IGF-1 levels were found to be highest (403.3 ± 12.3 ng/ml) at CVMI3 stage of CVMI. The post-hoc test revealed a significant difference in IGF-1 levels between all stages of CVMI, thereby indicating a specific range of IGF-1 levels for a specific skeletal stage. Mean serum IGFBP-3 levels were found to be highest (5186.8 ± 1384.2 ng/ml) at CVMI4 stage of CVMI. The mean serum IGFBP-3 levels at CVMI4 were found to be significantly higher than the levels at all other CVMI stages except CVMI3 stage.ConclusionsIGF-1 and IGFBP-3 can serve as a potential biochemical indicator for assessment of skeletal maturity.

English

The present study was aimed to compare differential responses of growth, chlorophyll content, lipid peroxidation and accumulation of compatible solutes in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars: Fleur 11 (salt-tolerant), Mbiah and PC 79-79 (moderately-tolerant) and Vanda (salt-sensitive) at the vegetative growth stage, under greenhouse conditions, in the presence of 0, 50, 100 or 200 mM NaCl. The root dry weight (RDW) and shoot dry weight (SDW) of cv. Vanda decreased significantly (p< 0.05) in salt-treated plants than those of cvs. Fleur 11, Mbiah and PC 79-79. The SDW reduction was notably noted at 100 mM NaCl in cvs. Mbiah and PC 79-79, while cv. Fleur 11 showed significantly (P<0.05) decrease in salt-treated plants only at 200 mM NaCl but had higher SDW accumulation than others. The leaf chlorophyll content increased in cvs. Fleur 11 and PC 79-79 and decreased in cv. Vanda with increasing NaCl levels. Proline (PRO) and glycine betaine (GB) contents significantly (p<0.05) increase, for all cultivars, in the stressed plants with the highest quantity in Fleur 11 and the lowest in Vanda. Malondialdehyde levels increased under salt stress in the leaves of cv. Vanda but decreased in cvsMbiah, PC 79-79 and Fleur 11 at 100 and 200 mM, respectively. Total phenolic content increased significantly (p < 0.05) at 200 mM NaCl in the leaves of cv. Vanda than others, while cv. Fleur 11 showed the lowest increase. The salt-tolerant cv. Fleur 11 exhibits a better protection mechanism against oxidative damage caused by salt stress maintaining a higher accumulation of PRO and GB than others. Higher PRO and GB accumulation in the leaves may be regarded as potential biochemical indicator for earlier selection of salt tolerant peanut and targets for improvement through transgenic approaches. Keywords: Arachis hypogaea, glycine betaine, growth, lipid peroxidation, proline, salt stress African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol 13(50) 4577-4585

Malondialdehyde content as a potential biochemical indicator of tolerant Cenchrus ciliaris L. genotypes under heat stress treatment

AbstractBuffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) is an important forage grass in arid and semiarid regions. As part of a genetic improvement programme, four genotypes [Biloela (Bl), Americana (Am), Texas (Tx) and Sexual (Sx)] were categorized by tolerance to heat stress in a greenhouse experiment. At 30 d after sowing, half of the plants (control plants) were transferred to growth chambers (28°C day per night), and the other half (pre‐treated plants, Prt) were exposed to heat stress treatment (0, 24, 48 and 72 h; 45°C day per night). Malondialdehyde (MDA) content, an indicator of oxidative damage, was determined from foliar samples. During heat stress, Sx showed the earliest increase in MDA (at 24 h) followed by Tx (48 h) and Am and Bl (72 h). Results were compared with heat‐stress tolerance evaluated as morphological traits at the end of recuperation (60 d after sowing). Fresh weight and aerial plant height were lowest in the Prt‐Sx genotype and highest in Am and Bl genotypes; Tx showed intermediate tolerance. Results suggest that tolerance to heat stress in C. ciliaris genotypes could be related to the capacity for regulating the oxidative damage increase. Foliar MDA content might therefore be used in a genetic improvement programme of C. ciliaris as a potential biochemical indicator for a rapid, simple and low‐cost identification of heat‐stress tolerant genotypes.

Age-Associated Variation in Sensory Perception of Iron in Drinking Water and the Potential for Overexposure in the Human Population

Humans interact with their environment through the five senses, but little is known about population variability in the ability to assess contaminants. Sensory thresholds and biochemical indicators of metallic flavor perception in humans were evaluated for ferrous (Fe(2+)) iron in drinking water; subjects aged 19-84 years participated. Metallic flavor thresholds for individuals and subpopulations based on age were determined. Oral lipid oxidation and oral pH were measured in saliva as potential biochemical indicators. Individual thresholds were 0.007-14.14 mg/L Fe(2+) and the overall population threshold was 0.17 mg/L Fe(2+) in reagent water. Average thresholds for individuals younger and older than 50 years of age (grouped by the daily recommended nutritional guidelines for iron intake) were significantly different (p = 0.013); the population thresholds for each group were 0.045 mg/L Fe(2+) and 0.498 mg/L Fe(2+), respectively. Many subjects >50 and a few subjects <50 years were insensitive to metallic flavor. There was no correlation between age, oral lipid oxidation, and oral pH. Standardized olfactory assessment found poor sensitivity for Fe(2+) corresponded with conditions of mild, moderate, and total anosmia. The findings demonstrate an age-dependent sensitivity to iron indicating as people age they are less sensitive to metallic perception.

Acetylcholinesterase: a potential biochemical indicator for biomonitoring of fertilizer industry effluent toxicity in freshwater teleost, Channa striatus

Monitoring of acetylcholinesterase (EC: 3.1.1.7, AChE) activity has been widely used in aquatic and terrestrial systems as an indicator of pollutant exposure. The reports regarding impact of fertilizer industry effluent on the level of AChE activity are very scanty. In this paper, an attempt has been made to investigate the in vitro impact of fertilizer industry effluent upon the levels of AChE activity and protein content in different tissues of non-target aquatic fish, Channa striatus (Bloch). The fish when exposed to three sublethal concentrations (3.5, 4.7, and 7.0%; v/v) of fertilizer industry effluent for short (96 h) and long (15 days) durations registered sharp reduction in the levels of AChE activity (15-75%) and protein (10-71%) in different fish organs. The highest effluent concentration treatment for short or long duration, the fish brain and gills registered significant (P < 0.001) inhibition (64-75%) in the activity of AChE whereas other organs such as muscles, liver, and heart exhibited slightly lower inhibition (40-59%) in enzyme activity. However, kidney of C. striatus was the only organ where very less effect (14-18%) of the effluent was observed on the activity of AChE when the fish were exposed to all the three concentrations of the effluent for both treatment durations. This effluent also induced alterations in the level of protein in different fish organs; in kidney the effect was pronounced only at higher concentrations at both treatment durations. The most affected organs were muscle and gills where in 60-71% reduction in the protein content was recorded due to highest effluent concentration treatment at short or long durations. The results of present study indicated that the fertilizer industry effluents might significantly influence the neurotransmission system and protein turnover in the non-target organisms after exposure even at very low concentrations. Further, the data suggested that the fish AChE could be used as a potential biochemical marker for fertilizer industry effluent pollution in aquatic systems.

Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity increased in patients with coronary artery ectasia

Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity, an enzyme responsible for the extracellular catabolism of antioxidant glutathione, may directly take part in atherogenesis and evolve as a potential biochemical risk indicator of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. An important characteristic of coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is the fact that in 85% of the cases, atherosclerotic coronary disease accompanies it. The relation between CAE and serum GGT activity has not been studied so far. Hence, we decided to investigate the serum GGT level in patients with CAE. We measured serum GGT activity in 88 consecutive patients (48 males) with isolated CAE and 86 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 84 controls. CAE was defined as being without any stenotic lesions with a visual assessment of the coronary arteries showing a luminal dilatation 1.5-fold or more of the adjacent normal coronary segments. Four subgroups were created in accordance with the CAE extension in coronary arteries. There were no statistically significant differences in serum GGT activity among CAE and CAD groups. Serum GGT activity was found significantly increased in patients in both CAE and CAD groups, compared with those in control group (P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). According to the CAE severity, there were no statistically significant differences in CAE among these subgroups. We have shown for the first time that patients with CAE have higher serum GGT activity compared with controls with normal coronary angiograms. Hence, serum GGT activity can be used as a follow-up marker in patients with CAE.

Anti-oxLDL autoantibodies and their correlation with lipid profile and nutritional status in adolescents

To investigate whether levels of autoantibodies to oxidized LDL (anti-oxLDL) in the plasma of adolescents correlates with their anthropometric measurements and lipid profiles. The study enrolled 150 adolescents aged between 10 and 15 years, recruited from the obesity clinic at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (SP) and from public schools in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. Anthropometric measurements such as body mass index and waist and arm circumferences were used to classify the adolescents as having healthy weight, overweight or obesity. Colorimetric enzymatic methods were used for biochemical lipid profile analysis and ELISA was used to determine anti-oxLDL autoantibody levels. Analysis of anthropometric variables indicated that the obese group's profile was abnormal compared to the healthy weight and overweight groups (p < 0.01), indicating cardiovascular risk. Analysis of the lipid profiles demonstrated statistically significant differences in concentrations of total cholesterol (p = 0.011), HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.001) and LDL-cholesterol (p < 0.042) between the healthy weight group and the obese group. Analysis of plasma anti-oxLDL autoantibodies demonstrated that the overweight (p = 0.012) and obese groups (p < 0.001) had higher values than the healthy weight group. There were also correlations between anti-oxLDL autoantibody levels and anthropometric variables. In adolescents the presence of anti-oxLDL autoantibodies and metabolic changes to the lipid profile vary in proportion with anthropometric parameters, which makes anti-oxLDL concentration a potential biochemical indicator of risk of metabolic syndrome.

Detecting different levels of drought stress in apple trees ( Malus domestica Borkh.) with selected biochemical and physiological parameters

Rational irrigation scheduling based on sensing drought stress directly in plants is becoming more important due to increasing worldwide scarcity of fresh water supplies. In order to evaluate a set of potential biochemical and physiological stress indicators and select the best drought stress markers in apple trees, two experiments with potted trees and an experiment with intensive orchard grown apple trees ‘Elstar’ and ‘Jonagold Wilmuta’ were conducted in early summer in tree following years. Biochemical parameters: ascorbic acid, glutathione, tocopherols, chlorophylls, carotenoids, free amino acids, soluble carbohydrates, and physiological parameters already known as stress indicators in apple trees: predawn and midday leaf water potential, net photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance ( g s), transpiration (Tr) and intercellular CO 2 concentration (Ci) were measured in leaves of apple trees subjected to different intensities of slowly progressing drought or no drought. Our study pointed out zeaxanthin and glutathione as the best drought stress markers in apple trees. Ascorbate and sorbitol appeared to be reliable indicators of moderate drought only. Responses of other tested biochemical parameters were not consistent enough to prove their role as drought stress markers in apple trees. Relative air humidity should be taken in consideration when physiological parameters g s, Pn, Tr and Ci are used as drought stress markers in apple trees. Our study revealed that in situations where low relative air humidity affects g s and with g s connected physiological parameters, biochemical markers may be better tool for determination of drought stress intensities in apple trees.

Physiological and biochemical changes with special reference to mangiferin and oxidative enzymes level in malformation resistant and susceptible cultivars of mango ( Mangifera indica L.)

Changes in biophysical attributes, mangiferin and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), catalase and peroxidase activities in malformation resistant mango cultivar Elaichi were studied at various stages of flower development and compared with susceptible cvs. Amrapali, Beauty Mc-lin and Dashehari. Accumulation of mangiferin was maximum (96.0 and 108.0 mg g −1 FW) in Elaichi prior to flower bud differentiation (September) and at full bloom (February), while these were minimum (59.0 and 74.0 mg g −1 FW) in susceptible cv. Beauty Mc-lin. Mangiferin promoted vegetative growth and exhibited inhibitory role on the occurrence of malformation. It was also found that the resistant cultivar had highest activity of PPO as compared to susceptible ones. There was no significant difference in the enzymes catalase and peroxidase activity at early stage of flower differentiation but at flower bud burst stage the catalase activity was enhanced significantly in cv. Elaichi (25.28 unit min −1 g −1 FW) in comparison to Amrapali (16.20 unit min −1 g −1 FW), Beauty Mc-lin (18.39 unit min −1 g −1 FW) and Dashehari (17.50 unit min −1 g −1 FW). The resistant cultivar had high leaf temperature (30.30 °C) and diffusion resistance (476.14 m mol m −2 s −1) during the flowering but the rate of transpiration and relative humidity (RH) were high in susceptible cultivars. Results of the present study clearly indicate that level of mangiferin could be considered as a potential biochemical indicator for screening mango genotypes to malformation.

γ-Glutamyltransferase is a promising biomarker for cardiovascular risk

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in a variety of clinical settings of atherogenesis, and mediates many pathways linked to atherosclerosis and inflammation. gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT), an enzyme responsible for the extracellular catabolism of antioxidant glutathione, may directly take part in atherogenesis and evolve as a potential biochemical risk indicator of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Classically, GGT has been thought of as a diagnostic tool for hepatobiliary disorders and alcohol abuse. More recently, growing body of data points out that serum GGT levels can aid detection of individuals at high risk for subsequent cardiovascular events, and thus have an application in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Although several investigations have shown that some drugs are effective in decreasing both serum lipids and GGT, and concomitantly the incidence of subsequent cardiovascular events; large-scale randomized trials are required to explore this impact directly. Based on current experimental and epidemiological studies, we postulate here that GGT present in the serum, even within its laboratory reference intervals regarded as physiologically normal, is a promising biomarker for cardiovascular risk.

Changes in Activities of MMP in Alcohol and Thermally Oxidized Sunflower Oil-Induced Liver Damage: NAC Antioxidant Therapy

Liver fibrosis is the result of imbalance between extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and breakdown. Ethanol-induced increase in redox state is a sign of major change in hepatic metabolism and this inhibits tricarboxylic acid cycle activity and, fatty acid oxidation and increases fatty acid uptake, thus predisposing fatty liver. Fibrotic changes induced by alcohol are provoked by diets rich in PUFA. Heating of oils rich in PUFA produces toxic volatile and nonvolatile compounds, which aggravate liver damage. Hepatotoxicity was induced in male Wistar rats by administering alcohol (20%) and thermally oxidized sunflower oil (Δ PUFA) (15%). When N-acetyl cyteine (NAC) (150 mg/kg body weight), an ROS scavenger, was administered, there was a reversal of liver damage, which was demonstrated biochemically. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), being potential biochemical indicators of fibroproliferation, were estimated in the present study, which were found to be altered in alcohol, Δ PUFA, and alcohol + Δ PUFA. The altered activities of MMPs in these groups were effectively modulated by treatment with NAC. Thus, in this study, NAC was found to modulate the effect of alcohol and Δ PUFA-induced liver damage.

Elevated tumor necrosis factor alpha of blood mononuclear cells in patients with congestive heart failure

To study the changes of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), we determined the TNF-α concentrations of plasma and culture supernatant of PBMCs in 113 patients with various heart diseases. The results showed that plasma levels of TNF-α were significantly higher in CHF patients ( n=50, 13.36±6.09 pg/ml) and in cachetic CHF patients ( n=26, 19.20±10.42 pg/ml) than in the controls ( n=37, 6.73±3.91 ng/ml). The supernatant levels of TNF-α in cultured PBMC (PBMC-TNF-α) were also significantly elevated in CHF patients (5.77±2.11 ng/ml), and even higher in cachetic CHF patients (7.01±5.11 ng/ml), as compared with the controls (2.27±2.24 ng/ml). There was a significant correlation between levels of PBMC-TNF-α and severity of heart failure ( r=0.48, P<0.01). But no correlation between PBMC-TNF-α and plasma TNF-α was observed. These results demonstrate that the expression of TNF-α in PBMC is increased in patients with CHF, especially in patients with CHF accompanied by cachexia, suggesting that PBMC-TNF-α may be a potential biochemical indicator to evaluate the patients with CHF.