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Kefir grains offer numerous health benefits, including boosting the immune system, alleviating digestive issues, and enhancing antimicrobial activity. They are rich in beneficial probiotic bacteria that promote gut health and support a balanced intestinal microbiota. “Beta-lactoglobulin (β-lg), a well-known milk protein,” is used to create nanofibril structures that can serve as scaffolds. In this study, nanofibrils loaded with kefir were prepared using the self-assembly method and were incorporated during the initial stages of cheese preparation to modulate the structural properties. To confirm the integration of kefir grains and β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) nanofibrils, nutritional analysis, color analysis, in vitro release with PBS buffer, pH, and Acidity were analyzed. FT-IR spectroscopy and loading efficiency results (82%) confirm the incorporation of kefir grains into the nanofibrils, enhancing the bioavailability and health benefits. From the results, it is evident that higher loading efficiency occurs at lower concentrations (2%) of kefir grains, while at higher concentrations (3%), the kefir grains tend to form aggregates due to the bundling effect. Additionally, β-lg nanofibrils served as an effective scaffold material, supporting a novel strategy for developing functional dairy products with added gut health benefits.

Pyroptosis is a lytic and pro-inflammatory regulated cell death pathway mediated by pores formed by the oligomerization of gasdermin proteins on cellular membranes. Different pro-inflammatory molecules such as interleukin-18 are released from these pores, promoting inflammation. Pyroptotic cell death has been implicated in many pathological conditions, including cancer and liver diseases. Bile acids are amphipathic cholesterol-derived molecules, regulating many biological processes due to their unique structures and functions. Increasing data has recently shown that bile acids have additional novel functions besides their classical role as a lipid solubilizer in dietary lipid digestion. In the present review, primary and secondary bile acids that have been shown to be involved either in the activation or in the inhibition of pyroptotic cell death in diverse cell types and contexts, thereby modulating inflammation, were covered. Besides, their mechanisms of action in pro-inflammatory cell death and subsequent inflammation were detailed. These studies together point out that different bile acids might influence pyroptotic events in varied ways (either positively or negatively) depending on different parameters such as the type of bile acid, via distinct downstream players and molecular processes. A more complete understanding of bile acid-induced changes in pyroptotic events in different disease conditions is needed.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis, frequent metastasis, and therapy resistance. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling are key drivers of HCC progression. Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5), a Wnt/β-catenin signaling antagonist, has been implicated in various cancers, but its role in HCC remains unclear. This study explores the regulatory interactions between SFRP5, EMT, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in HCC. Bioinformatics analysis, patient-derived tissue samples, and in vitro experiments revealed significant downregulation of SFRP5 due to promoter hypermethylation. Methylation-specific PCR confirmed extensive SFRP5 methylation, while treatment with 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidinerestored SFRP5 expression, suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling and EMT. Functional assays demonstrated that SFRP5 overexpression inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration, and colony formation while promoting apoptosis. Western blot and immunofluorescence confirmed that SFRP5 restoration suppressed β-catenin and its targets (MYC, Cyclin D1, Survivin), increased E-cadherin, and decreased mesenchymal markers (Vimentin, Fibronectin, Twist). In vivo xenograft models showed that SFRP5 overexpression reduced tumor growth and EMT marker expression. These findings highlight SFRP5 as a tumor suppressor in HCC, where epigenetic silencing promotes tumor progression via Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation. Targeting SFRP5 methylation may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC.

This study aims to examine the relationship between the subcarinal angle (SCA) and the risk and severity of parenchymal involvement in COVID-19 positive patients. This retrospective study involved 2006 patients, categorized into a study group of 1003 COVID-19 positive patients with parenchymal involvement and a control group of 1003 patients with COVID-19-like symptoms but without parenchymal involvement. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to establish cut-off values for SCA and age that predict disease progression and severity. The study and control groups had mean ages of 51.80 and 45.76 years, respectively. Males had a higher frequency of parenchymal involvement (p = 0.003). ROC analysis identified SCA cut-offs of 34.5°–35.5° for the right SCA, 39.5°–40.5° for the left SCA, and 74.5°–75.5° for the total SCA. Age cut-offs were set at 47 years for increased risk and 54 years for greater severity of involvement. SCA values above 36° for the right, 42° for the left, and 77° for the total significantly increased the Tomographic Severity Score (TSS), indicating more severe disease. The TSS was higher in males and positively correlated with age and SCA, suggesting that both factors are important in predicting the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia. SCA is a key predictor of the severity and extent of COVID-19 pneumonia. Measuring SCA alongside age can enhance early risk assessment, disease management, and the implementation of timely and effective interventions, potentially reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.

Neutrophils are among the first immune cells recruited during the critical early phase of infection; yet their reaction to Candida albicans morphotypes is not fully defined. Here, we aimed to investigate early neutrophil responses to C. albicans morphotypes compared to bacteria. Freshly isolated human neutrophils were incubated with heat-killed C. albicans, live C. albicans, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus as bacterial comparisons for 30 min, 1 h, and 4 h. Afterward, neutrophil activation was assessed via gene expression of neutrophil elastase (ELANE) and myeloperoxidase (MPO), CD66b/CD11b surface marker expression, microbicidal activity, and cytokine release, including IL-22, IL-17A, IL-1ɑ, IL-1β, TNF-ɑ, and IL-6. Neutrophil response pathways were significantly more activated by hyphal C. albicans than HK C. albicans, E.coli, and S. aureus, including the highest MPO and ELANE expression within the first 4 h, compared to heat-killed C. albicans and bacteria. CD66b expression significantly upregulated at 1 h in response to hyphal C. albicans. Neutrophils exhibited a 68% candidacidal effect at 1 h. IL-22 peaked at 1 h and remained elevated; heat-killed C. albicans induced IL-22 and IL-17A at 4 h. Neutrophils show stronger early responses against C. albicans morphotypes compared to E. coli and S. aureus, particularly within 1 h.

This study is intended to expound the effect of clarithromycin combined with oxymetazoline hydrochloride (OZH) spray in acute exacerbations of chronic rhinosinusitis (AECRS). Patients with AECRS were retrospectively collected and divided into a control group and an observation group. The control group received clarithromycin, and the observation group received OZH spray in addition to clarithromycin. Symptom resolution time, nasal mucociliary transmission velocity, nasal endoscopy score, olfactory function, serum inflammatory factor levels, incidence of adverse reactions, and 6-month recurrence were recorded. After treatment, the observation group showed shorter resolution times for headache, runny nose, nasal congestion, and nasal mucosal edema; higher nasal mucociliary transport rate (MTR) and clearance (MCC); lower Lund-Kennedy score; more Grades I cases; fewer Grades III cases; lower levels of serum IL-6, TNF-α, hs-CRP, IL-8, and IL-1β; and lower recurrence rate than the control group (p < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the two groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Clarithromycin combined with OZH spray is more effective in patients with AECRS, which can shorten symptom resolution time, increase nasal MTR, improve olfactory function, reduce inflammation and recurrence rates, and have a high degree of safety.

To investigate the diagnostic value of the lncRNA TP53TG1 in sepsis and its ability to predict clinical outcomes, 121 sepsis patients and 115 healthy controls were enrolled. RT-qPCR measured TP53TG1 expression, and the ROC curve assessed its diagnostic value. Pearson correlation analyzed correlations between TP53TG1 and inflammatory factors, APACHE II score, and SOFA score. Cox regression assessed the risk factors for 28-day mortality, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis evaluated the effect of TP53TG1 levels on mortality in patients. TP53TG1 was downregulated in patients, with 79.34% sensitivity and 80.00% specificity for differentiating patients from healthy controls. The TP53TG1 level was negatively correlated with PCT, CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, WBC, Scr, AST, PT, lactate, the APACHE II score, and the SOFA score, but positively correlated with ALB. Additionally, TP53TG1 and the SOFA score were identified as risk factors influencing the 28-day survival of patients, and a decrease in TP53TG1 expression was significantly associated with reduced survival rates. This study showed that TP53TG1 can serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis and is closely associated with disease severity and inflammatory responses.