Cellular and molecular biology最新文献

Vaspin plays a regulatory role in lipid and glucose metabolism and is a therapeutic adipokine against impaired glucose intolerance in obese individuals. We aimed to investigate serum vaspin levels in patients with FMS and whether there was any relationship between vaspin levels and metabolic and clinical parameters in fibromyalgia. A total of 64 female patients who applied to an outpatient clinic due to widespread pain lasting more than three months were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: 32 in the fibromyalgia group and 32 in the healthy controls. The socio-demographic characteristics of the patients were evaluated with the standard evaluation form. Age, weight, height, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, presence of menopause were recorded. Pain intensity was evaluated with visual analogue scale (VAS). The Fibromyalgia Impact Scale (FIS) was utilized to measure quality of life and functional status. Metabolic syndrome components were significantly different in the fibromyalgia group compared to the control group (p <0.05). While 22 patients (68.8%) in the fibromyalgia group met the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, three patients (9.4%) in the control group met these criteria. In the fibromyalgia intra-group correlation, vaspin was significantly positively correlated with BMI and waist circumference (p<0.05). In the control group, vaspin indicated a statistically significant positive correlation with BMI. This study elaborated that waist circumference, insulin, and insulin resistance were significantly higher in the fibromyalgia patients compared to the healthy control group. This was confirmed by the finding that significantly more patients met the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. Additionally, vaspin was considerably higher in fibromyalgia patients and thus it was positively correlated with BMI and waist circumference.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant threats to human life and health. Numerous studies have shown that men are more vulnerable to this infection, and recent evidence suggests that the presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in male reproductive tissues may particularly predispose them to viral infection. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the potential impact of COVID-19 infection on male fertility. This study investigates the relationship between COVID-19 and the expression of inflammatory proteins, particularly mast cells and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), in the testicular tissue of azoospermic men undergoing testicular sperm extraction (TESE). The study included 41 TESE candidates who were referred to the Besat Infertility Treatment Center in Kurdistan, Iran. Demographic information, such as age, was recorded for each participant. The subjects were divided into two groups: 20 non-infected and 21 infected with COVID-19. Testicular tissue samples were fixed in formalin and prepared for microscopic examination using toluidine blue staining and immunohistochemistry to assess the distribution and number of mast cells and COX-2 positive cells. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 27. The results showed that COX-2 gene expression and the number of mast cells were significantly higher in individuals infected with COVID-19 compared to the non-infected group. This increase in gene expression and mast cell count indicates elevated inflammation in the testicular tissue of COVID-19-infected individuals, which could lead to reduced fertility. This study aligns with previous research highlighting the role of inflammation in testicular tissue damage and decreased fertility.

Cancer has substantial economic ramifications for healthcare systems. PIM kinases, specifically PIM-1, are commonly upregulated in different types of cancers, thereby promoting cancer development. PIM-1 inhibitors have garnered interest for their potential efficacy in cancer therapy. This study used computational methods to screen a library of 7,600 natural compounds targeting the PIM-1 active site. Five top candidates-ZINC00388658, ZINC00316459, ZINC00197401, ZINC00001673, and ZINC00316479-were selected for subsequent interaction studies, which involved molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and free energy calculation using the MMPBSA method. These compounds interacted with key PIM-1 residues and had multiple common binding site interactions with the co-crystallized ligand 6YN, which was used as a control. Furthermore, the selected compounds exhibited favorable drug-like properties and stable docked complexes during a 200-ns molecular dynamics simulation, followed by MMPBSA analysis. Among the candidates, ZINC00388658 had the most favorable binding energy profile, indicating exceptional stability and intense interaction with PIM 1. This makes ZINC00388658 the most promising candidate for further development as a PIM-1 inhibitor. These findings suggest that ZINC00388658 and other promising compounds hold significant potential for developing new cancer therapies that target PIM-1.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequent type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Despite a thorough understanding of its biology, etiology, and epidemiology, an estimated 1.8 million new cases are diagnosed each year, and 900000 people die as a result of malignancy. The current study aims to investigate the expression pattern of S100A4 and S100A14 proteins in CRC tissue specimens and a panel of cell lines. Furthermore, to explore the metastatic potential of the aforementioned proteins in relation to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and their possible association with the clinical features of CRC. The present study involved 80 patients diagnosed with CRC. Upon identification of the sociodemographic and clinicopathological features of the participants, immunohistochemical studies were conducted to measure the expression pattern of the S100 proteins in CRC tissues. In addition to qPCR and western blot studies, a series of in vitro experiments were conducted in a panel of CRC cell lines to assess the effects of S100 protein expression in cell migration, invasion, and proliferation. The number of CRC patients with high S100A4 expression levels was considerably higher than those with low expression (p < 0.0001). S100A4 is positively correlated with TNM staging, nodal metastasis, distant metastasis, and perineural invasion and was statistically significant (p = 0.02, 0.01, 0.0001, and 0.02, respectively). In vitro studies demonstrated that S100A14 knockdown induced EMT and resulted in a substantial increase in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HT29 cells. Moreover, S100A4 knockdown substantially inhibited migration, invasion, and proliferation in LoVo cells.  The findings collectively suggest that both S100A4 and S100A14 play a pivotal role in colorectal cancer progression. Overexpression of S100A4 consistently with S100A14 downregulation is associated with the activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which in turn enhances cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

The present study aimed to examine the impact of Ricinus communis and valacyclovir (VACV) on the progression of skin lesions and pain responses in mice infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Mice were infected with HSV-1 and treated with R. communis (8, 16, or 48 mg/kg) or VACV (8, 25, or 90 mg/kg) twice daily on days 2-8 post-infection. Skin lesion development and pain-associated reactions were assessed 27 days after infection. HSV-1 infection results in zosteriform skin lesions and increased pain-related scores. Both  R. communis and  VACV demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in skin lesions and pain-related ratings. The investigation also assessed the impact of the timing of  R. communis and VACV administration on skin lesions and pain responses and found that lesion scores were significantly reduced when  R. communis treatment was initiated on day 2 post-infection. Additionally, the inhibitory effects of  R. communis and VACV on HSV-1 dissemination in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were studied. They showed a significant reduction in HSV-1 DNA replication number after the administration of both drugs. This study aimed to investigate the impact of  R. communis and VACV on the expressed mRNA levels of pain-associated factors in the spinal cord of HSV-1-infected mice. The findings of this study demonstrated that  R. communis therapy exhibited an inhibitory effect on pain-related factors. Overall, these findings suggest  R. communis may have the potential to serve as a therapeutic agent for managing skin damage and pain-related responses caused by HSV-1.

Iron fortification compounds are of special interest to treat iron deficiency anemia, however, the dose-response effects of these fortificants on liver and renal functions have not been extensively reported in human subjects. The present study determines the effects of prebiotics and iron fortificants on liver function tests (LFTs) and renal function tests (RFTs) among women of reproductive age (WRA). A double-blind randomized controlled trial was performed for the duration of 90 days. A total of 75 iron-deficient women were selected and randomly divided into 5 groups (4 treatment groups and 1 control group). For this purpose, four different types of fortified wheat flour were prepared using two iron fortificants (NaFeEDTA and FeSO4) and two prebiotics (Inulin and Galacto oligosaccharides) were given to four treatment groups, while control groups were only given iron-fortified flour without the addition of prebiotics. Blood samples were collected every month to evaluate Liver Function Tests, including Alanine Transaminase (ALT), Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin and Renal Function Tests, including serum urea and creatinine. Our results found that prebiotic and iron-fortified diets increased ALT, AST and total bilirubin levels among WRA. For AST, ALP and total bilirubin, our results found the highest increase in the treatment groups treated with prebiotics and iron fortificants at 963 mg/kg GOS + 15 ppm FeSO4. Moreover, the highest values of ALT and serum creatine were seen in groups treated with 963 mg/kg Inulin + 20 ppm NaFeEDTA, while maximum value for serum urea could be seen in the group given 963 mg/kg GOS + 30 ppm FeSO4. The study concluded that prebiotic and iron-fortified diets increased ALT, AST and total bilirubin levels among WRA.

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of progressive drought stress (100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of field capacity) on photosynthetic light reactions of tomato plants. The imposed drought caused a gradual reduction in leaf RWC leading to a decline in pigment concentration and growth indices.  Significant alteration in the OJIP fluorescence transient curves and the formation of specific fluorescence bands (L, K, J, H, and G) gradually increased as drought severity increased. Phenomenological energy fluxes per excited cross-section (ABS/CS, TRo/CS, DIo/CS, ETo/CS and RC/CS) decreased with intensifying drought. As drought stress progressed, JIP-test parameters including The efficiencies of light reactions [φPo/(1- φPo )], the efficiencies of redox reactions [(ψo/(1-ψo)] and the efficiency of PSI to reduce the last electron acceptors [δRo/(1-δRo)] were significantly attenuated. The quantum yields for primary photochemistry (φPo), electron transfer from QA to QB (yO), electron transport (φEo), and reduction of end electron acceptors at the PSI acceptor side (φRo) were negatively affected by drought stress. These results indicate that drought progression leads to structural and functional damage in PSII, characterized by a decrease in active reaction centers, reduced energy absorption and trapping, diminished energetic connectivity within PSII, and inhibition of the oxygen-evolving complex. Additionally, reduced plastoquinone pool size, over-reduction of plastoquinone, and impaired redox state downstream of QB were observed at the donor side of PSII.  The quantum yield and efficiency of PSI to reduce electron acceptors were reduced by drought progression. Our results showed that the transcript levels of PetE and PetF genes, encoding the key electron careers plastocyanin and ferredoxin, were significantly downregulated in response to an increase in drought severity, contributing to reduced PSI efficiency. The Transcript levels of PetE and PetF were reduced by 79% and 66% under 25% field capacity treatment, respectively. These results highlight critical points within the photosynthetic apparatus that are highly sensitive to drought, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms of drought-induced damage in tomato plants.

Considering the relatively high frequency of genetic disorders associated with negative pregnancy outcomes, in this research, adverse pregnancy outcomes in amniocentesis patients were compared between two groups with normal and abnormal maternal serum analytes. This retrospective cohort study was conducted on singleton pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis and had fetuses with normal chromosomes at the perinatology clinic in Rasht. Eligible patients were divided into two groups of 307 people with normal and abnormal maternal serum analytes based on laboratory screening results. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups. In a total of 614 pregnant women, adverse pregnancy outcomes were observed in 24% of the abnormal analyte group and 15% of cases in the normal analyte group. The association between adverse pregnancy outcomes and both normal and abnormal analytes was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). the most common adverse pregnancy outcome was hypertensive disorders, which was more prevalent in the abnormal analyte group (10.7%). The presence of abnormal levels of free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (free β-hCG) and inhibin-A factors were found to be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Specifically, for each unit increase in inhibin-A level, the likelihood of experiencing an adverse pregnancy outcome was reported to be 1.83 times higher (OR=1.83, P=0.028). Similarly, the presence of abnormal free β-hCG values was associated with a 3.12 times higher chance of adverse pregnancy outcomes (OR=3.115, P=0.03). The utilization of serum analytes for first and second-trimester screening can be beneficial in the prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus-Oman (TYLCV-OM),  a variant of the Tomato yellow leaf curl virus-Iran (TYLCV-IR) strain, was identified in 2005 as the cause of tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD) in Oman and is  associated with a betasatellite namely as Tomato leaf curl betasatellite (ToLCB). Surveys were carried out from three diverse Governorates of Oman to investigate the correlation between the betasatellite and the virus. The visual assessment and scoring of infected tomato plants in the field revealed that the association of betasatellite with the disease was highest in Sharqia at 77%, followed by Dakhlia at41% and lowest in Batinah at30% . Ten isolates from three distinct regions of Oman were analyzed: two from Al Batinah, two from A'Dakhliah, and six from A'Sharquiah. All TYLCV-OM isolates were identified as variants of the 2005 isolates Al Batinah. However, a new recombinant form of TYLCV-OM, which could impact its virulence or spread, was identified in the Al Batinah region. Mutations observed in the Al Batinah isolates of TYLCV-OM coincided with recombination events involving ToLCOMV. Examination of the intergenic regions (IRs) of TYLCV-OM and ToLCOMV indicated that recombination occurred within the IR. Specifically, TYLCV-OM acquired a segment spanning coordinates 1 to 132 nt from ToLCOMV, which may influence its genetic diversity. The implications of these findings for the evolutionary dynamics of the begomovirus complex associated with yellow leaf curl disease are discussed. Inoculation of infectious construct of TYLCV-OM alone or with ToLCB resulted in severe leaf curl symptoms but leaf yellowing was more pronounced in the presence of ToLCB. Real-time quantitative data showed that TYLCV-OM was accumulated to higher level in the presence of betasatellite.

HIV-2 infection although less virulent compared to HIV-1 is endemic in many parts of West Africa. In Burkina Faso, few data exist on HIV-2 genotypic resistance. The objective of this study was to assess HIV-2 genotypic resistance and viral load in adult patients infected with HIV-2 in Burkina Faso. This was a cross-sectional study that ran from February 2017 to March 2019. This study included 91 HIV-infected adult patients on ARV treatment. HIV and hepatitis B and C status were confirmed by serological tests. HIV-2 viral load and HIV-2 clusters were determined by in-house tests. The mean age was 58.99 ±8.66 years. Of the patients, 12.1% were HIV-1, 73.6% were HIV-2 and 14.3% were co-infected with HIV-1/HIV-2. Only 15% had a high viral load (more than 1000 copies/mL). Groups A and B were detected in this study with the majority being group A (23.75%). HIV-2 subtype CRF01_AB was found in 3.75% of HIV-2 patients. Of the 34 HIV-2 patients whose subtypes were determined, only 7 had reverse transcriptase and 3 had protease resistance mutations. The M184V mutation was the most detected. This study revealed recent data on the status of HIV-2 genotypic resistance in Burkina Faso. Although few HIV-2 infected patients on ARV treatment have developed resistance, it is important to establish a surveillance system for HIV-2 genotypic resistance.