Biochemistry (Moscow), Supplement Series B: Biomedical Chemistry最新文献

The effect of kisspeptin preparation on the expression of the genes of hormonal regulation of sexual behavior in Danio rerio fish was studied after the effect of social isolation. For this, fish were placed in individual containers for 48 h to model the conditions of social isolation, after which kisspeptin was administered, and they were again placed in the conditions of social isolation for 1 day. It was established that changes in the expression of the crh, grh, gnrhr1, and oxt genes occurred in the fish brain after social isolation upon administration of kisspeptin peptide. It is interesting that the expression of these genes changed both under isolation conditions and during subsequent effect of kisspeptin, which indicates possible mechanisms of regulating stress and behavioral responses through hormonal systems.

In the present study, the authors developed a protocol for determining the total antioxidant activity of tears. For this purpose, a chemiluminescent model of free-radical oxidation of luminol initiated in the presence of hemoglobin and hydrogen peroxide was used. This approach allows for controlling the kinetics of inhibition of luminol oxidation by tears. Total antioxidant activity was evaluated by the induction period, which showed the delay time of the initiation of luminol oxidation. The calibration curve for tear fluid was linear within the range from 0.5 to 7 μL (r² = 0.972). The advantages of the developed protocol are high sensitivity, reproducibility, and rapidity of the assay. This makes our protocol suitable for determining the total antioxidant activity of tears.Keywords: total antioxidant activity, tear fluid, antioxidants, chemiluminescence

Genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors (GEBs) are extensively utilized for investigating intracellular signaling processes. Nevertheless, the potential impact of these sensors on intracellular signaling pathways and overall cellular functionality is frequently overlooked, which may lead to inaccuracies in experimental results. In this study, the authors examined the effects of a widely used fluorescent biosensor, which binds to phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-signaling pathway in an immortalized multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) line. To achieve this, two immortalized MSC lines with distinct levels of biosensor expression were generated. The introduction of the biosensor led to a reduction in the adipogenic potential of these cell lines compared to the parental line. This effect was attributed to the inhibition of the PI3K signaling pathway, which is activated by insulin—a critical regulator of adipogenic differentiation. The biosensor to PIP3 interfered with the recruitment of downstream effectors, namely PDK and Akt. This was evidenced by diminished levels of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) following insulin stimulation in the transduced cell lines relative to the parental line, with the cell line exhibiting higher biosensor expression showing lower p-Akt levels than the line with lower expression. In contrast, the levels of phosphorylated ERK, a marker of another insulin-dependent signaling pathway, remained consistent across all cell lines, indicating that the biosensor selectively inhibited the PIP3-dependent pathway. This case emphasizes the necessity of a careful and cautious approach when employing GEBs in biological research. Prior to their use, it is imperative to verify that these biosensors do not disrupt intracellular signaling cascades or alter cellular behavior.

Novel organotin(IV) complexes based on losartan have been synthesized and characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn NMR, IR, ESI-MS and elemental analysis. The antiproliferative activity of the complexes was assessed in vitro against human cancer cells, while their cytotoxic effects were examined on primary rat skin fibroblasts. The compounds exhibited strong activity, significantly inducing apoptosis. Additionally, they effectively suppressed the spasmogenic effect induced by angiotensin II in isolated rat portal veins.

Rare pathogenic variants in genes whose protein products form the structure of the extracellular matrix, regulate smooth muscle cell function, or belong to the TGFβ/SMAD signaling pathway are detected in 20–30% of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) cases. In addition to the structural changes, epigenetic events associated with these genes may influence the risk of aortic aneurysm. This review summarizes the published study results on the functional significance of epigenetic modifications in the genes of Mendelian forms of TAA. Most TAA genes are characterized by overlapping localization with genomic noncoding regulatory elements (including genes of microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, etc.). These genomic regions have not been practically studied in patients with aortic aneurysm, but a number of noncoding RNAs (ACTA2-AS1, TGFB2-AS1, PRKG1-AS1) have been shown to be involved in the regulation of processes pathogenetically significant for aortic aneurysm (proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction) and metabolic pathways (TGFβ/SMAD, Wnt/β-catenin). In the regions of TAA genes, the changes in DNA methylation are also recorded both in the presence of risk factors (structural features of the aorta, blood flow patterns) and in the development of aortic aneurysm. Various epigenetic events may also exert the pathogenic effects of aortic aneurysm-associated genetic variants localized in TAA genes. Thus, despite the fact that the long noncoding RNA and microRNA genes located in the TAA gene region and various epigenetic events (including histone modifications and DNA methylation) have not been sufficiently studied in this aortopathy, the information provided in scientific publications allows us to consider these epigenetic markers as promising regulators of certain pathogenetic processes in the development of an aortic aneurysm.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, the catabolism of which occurs in the human body along three main pathways: kynurenine, serotonin, and indole. At the same time, a significant part of tryptophan metabolites is formed as a result of the enzymatic activity of the intestinal microbiota. Deviations in tryptophan metabolism, manifested in the form of shifts towards the formation of certain metabolites, are characteristic of some pathological conditions, in particular obesity and malignant neoplasms. It is known that the growth of some types of tumors is associated with excess body weight, but the mechanisms of the procarcinogenic effect of obesity remain not fully understood. Obesity is characterized by the development of systemic inflammation and increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, which increase the expression of the key enzyme of the kynurenine pathway and intensify the formation of immunosuppressive and cytotoxic metabolites: kynurenine and quinolinic acid. Increased stimulation of the kynurenine pathway in the body of obese and cancer patients leads to a decrease in tryptophan itself, which is necessary for the proliferation of immunocompetent cells and a normal immune response. Both obese and cancer patients are characterized by increased levels of quinolinic acid and decreased concentrations of indole-3-propionate in the blood serum. Obese patients are often characterized by a decrease in serotonin in the blood serum, while not only an increase in serotonin production has been established for tumor tissues but also an increase in the expression of various types of serotonin receptors. The existing general trends in changes in tryptophan metabolism indicate the presence of intersection points in the pathogenesis of obesity and tumor development. A literature review was conducted using the PubMed database, primarily using literature sources from 2018–2024.

—Today, abdominal hernias of various localizations are diagnosed in approximately 7% of the world’s population. Approximately 20 million hernioplasty operations are performed annually, 85% of which use surgical mesh. The implant itself often becomes the cause of the development of postoperative complications in the form of adhesions, granulomas, fistulas, seromas, abscesses, etc. The study involved surgical meshes with a nanocoating applied using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. The aims of the study were the development of a technology for applying a nanocoating to impart antibacterial properties to surgical endoprosthetic meshes and improve their biocompatible properties using the atomic layer deposition method. During the work, a nanocoating was applied to the surface of the polypropylene meshes using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method to impart antibacterial properties to the implant. As a result of applying the nanofilm, nano-sized roughness was formed on the surface, which prevented the adhesion of microorganisms. At the same time, the main characteristics of the grids themselves did not change. By means of cyclic reactions, using trimethylaluminum, titanium tetrachloride, and vanadium trichloroxide, the first samples of meshes were obtained, which were introduced into the bodies of experimental animals. Complex coating (Al₂O₃ + TiO₂/V₂O₅) demonstrated good integration into the surrounding tissue with minimal inflammatory response. The developed method for obtaining nanocoatings to improve the bactericidal properties of surgical endoprosthesis mesh is simple in industrial implementation, compared to PACVD or CVD, and covers large areas simultaneously, therefore reducing material costs for production and increasing economic efficiency.

The use of supercritical fluids for the extraction of biologically active substances is an extremely urgent task. Extraction in a supercritical fluid environment at temperatures up to 323 K and pressures of 16–20 MPa allows preserving the value of the extracted substances. This article discusses equipment and experimental studies of the process of supercritical fluid extraction of biologically active substances from various plant materials: aralia, ginseng, Tribulus terrestris, and a collection of multiphytoadaptogen. A comparative analysis of the efficiency of supercritical and traditional liquid extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus was carried out. High performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the content of active substances in the obtained extracts. It has been established that the yield of active substances during supercritical fluid extraction is higher than during traditional extraction methods. In addition, the use of ultrasound during supercritical extraction allows increasing the yield of aralosides from aralia.

The noninvasive sampling materials and methods have garnered great interest among researchers. Saliva is considered the most popular material, and glucose is one of the most commonly used biochemical parameters. This article provides a comparison between the biosensor and autoanalyzer methods for saliva glucose measurement and identifies its potential as a point-of-care testing tool. The experiments were performed using salivary samples from twenty-six adults collected using saliva collection tubes. The swabs were soaked in saliva for 1 min and then centrifuged for 10 min at 1500 g. Glucose concentrations were determined using two methods: one based on an autoanalyzer using chemiluminescence assay and the other based on a biosensor using glucose oxidase enzyme-based amperometric method. A statistically significant correlation was found between the two methods (r = 0.802; p < 0.001). The most remarkable result from the data is that there were no significant differences in saliva glucose measurements between the two methods. This paper presents an innovative biosensor method that can be readily used in practice for rapid results, low cost, and specificity compared to the frequently used autoanalyzer method.

A total of 104 (77 women and 27 men) practically healthy residents of the city of Apatity, Murmansk oblast, aged 21–55 years were examined. The following indicators were studied in venous blood: the ratio and count of leukocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes; the lymphocyte count with the phenotypes CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD71+, and CD95+ determined by the indirect immunoperoxidase reaction using monoclonal antibodies; the content of cytokines IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α and immunoglobulin E; the level of secretory immunoglobulin IgA; and the content of C-reactive protein determined by the enzyme immunoassay. It was found that 31.73% of permanent residents of the city of Apatity, Murmansk oblast, had elevated levels of sIgA in their blood. People with increased sIgA concentrations in venous blood had higher counts of leukocytes, predominantly segmented neutrophilic granulocytes, increased concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10), reagins, small circulating immune complexes (IgG), and acute phase protein (CRP).