Biomolecular Concepts[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Clinical spectrum of COVID-19 patients and decreased serum level of miR-146a as a sign of inflammation.
Baldeón Rojas L, Pérez-Galarza J, Alulema V … +9 more , Vicuña-Almeida Y, Salinas-Pinta M, Cañadas Herrera C, Vélez-Paez JL, Borja BR, Prócel Ramírez C, Heredia J, Barahona D, Sempértegui Ontaneda F
Biomol Concepts · 2025 Jan · PMID 41123492 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that inflammation is an important determinant in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Several studies describe cytokines and microRNAs as important regulators of immune and inflammatory respons...
BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that inflammation is an important determinant in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Several studies describe cytokines and microRNAs as important regulators of immune and inflammatory responses in other diseases, regarding them as valuable biomarkers. AIM: Identify a potential relationship between cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8) and microRNAs (miR-146a-5p, miR-155-5p) and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients, focusing on disease severity and mortality risk. METHODS: Serum expression levels of miR-146a, miR-155, IL-6, IL-8, C-reactive protein, ferritin, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, of 25 mild, 73 moderate, and 39 severe COVID-19 patients from Quito-Ecuador, were determined to correlate outcomes with clinical parameters. RESULTS: In all groups, overweight and obesity were the most prevalent comorbidities (75.91%). Serum levels of IL-6 were significantly elevated in patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 (analysis of variance [ANOVA] ≤ 0.000). miR-146a was significantly decreased in moderate and severe COVID-19 patients when compared with mild cases (ANOVA = 0.002). ROC curve analysis showed that selected cut-off values for miR-146a > 3.999 ΔCt for mild vs moderate condition (sensitivity 83.56%, specificity 48%) and miR-146a > 3.999 ΔCt for mild vs severe condition (sensitivity 84.62%, specificity 40%), and IL-6 ≥ 72.25 pg/mL (sensitivity 78.95%, specificity 60.61%) when combined with clinical pretest probability, can be used to predict aggravation and death in COVID-19 patients. Odds ratios (ORs) of miR-146a (OR = 4.322) and IL-6 (OR = 3.198) indicate an increased risk of worsening and death, respectively, when cut-off points were taken into consideration. CONCLUSION: This study shows that elevated inflammatory IL-6 and decreased serum levels of anti-inflammatory miR-146a-5p can be discriminatory markers of COVID-19 severity and mortality.
Bio-based hydrogel patches made of κ-carrageenan enriched with degalactosylated xyloglucan for wound dressing applications.
Muscolino E, Dispenza C
Biomol Concepts · 2025 Jan · PMID 41001749 · Publisher ↗
Hydrogels have become popular for biomedical applications, such as patches and scaffolds for tissue engineering, due to their high-water content, biocompatibility, and tunable physico-chemical and mechanical properties....
Hydrogels have become popular for biomedical applications, such as patches and scaffolds for tissue engineering, due to their high-water content, biocompatibility, and tunable physico-chemical and mechanical properties. For instance, chronic wounds remain one of the major global healthcare burdens and, therefore, demand sophisticated ways of managing dressings for fast wound healing to reduce pain, prevent infection, and accelerate healing. κ-Carrageenan (kC) is a polysaccharide extracted from red seaweeds and has been widely considered a promising wound dressing material owing to its biocompatibility and hemostatic properties. Degalactosylated xyloglucan (dXG), obtained through the partial enzymatic removal of galactose from xyloglucan, has demonstrated biocompatibility, anti-inflammatory activity, and excellent scaffolding potential for cells. Both polymers show temperature-induced sol-to-gel transition; however, none of the two form hydrogels that can be used as wound dressings; dXG is too soft, while kC is too brittle, lacking adhesiveness and interconnected porosity. To address these limitations, this study explores interpenetrating hydrogel networks composed of kC and dXG. The resulting kC/dXG hydrogels demonstrate improved mechanical integrity due to the structural contribution of kC, while dXG imparts enhanced swelling capacity and surface adhesiveness. Together, these features make the kC/dXG hydrogel films promising candidates for bioactive wound dressings, yielding hydrogels with good mechanical stability due to kC and enhanced biological properties attributed to dXG.
The impact of exercise on mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.
Abrego-Guandique DM, Aguilera Rojas NM, Chiari A … +3 more , Luciani F, Cione E, Cannataro R
Biomol Concepts · 2025 Jan · PMID 40459444 · Publisher ↗
The interaction between exercise and mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle is fundamental to human physiology, with important implications for health and athletic performance. While exercise is known to stimulate m...
The interaction between exercise and mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle is fundamental to human physiology, with important implications for health and athletic performance. While exercise is known to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis, the effectiveness of varying-intensity exercise remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of physical activity on mitochondrial biogenesis pathways in skeletal muscle and identify key biomolecular markers in healthy individuals. Among these, PGC-1α emerged as the most consistently reported marker. The meta-analysis showed a significant increase in PGC-1α expression following endurance exercise, with a pooled effect size of Hedge's = 1.17 (95% confidence interval: 0.14-2.19, = 84.5%), indicating a large effect with substantial heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses revealed that both interval and continuous endurance training produced large effects (Hedge's = 1.29 and 1.01, respectively), with no significant difference between modalities ( > 0.05). These findings confirm that exercise induces significant molecular and structural mitochondrial adaptations, with responses influenced by exercise type, intensity, and duration. This underscores exercise as a potent stimulus for mitochondrial biogenesis, supporting its role in promoting metabolic health and physical performance.
Quest for space: Tenacity of DNA, Protein, and Lipid macromolecules in intracellular crowded environment.
Phogat P, Bansal A, Nain N … +3 more , Khan S, Saso L, Kukreti S
Biomol Concepts · 2025 Jan · PMID 40022308 · Publisher ↗
The biochemical processes in the cellular milieu involving biomacromolecular interaction usually occur in crowded and heterogeneous environments, impacting their structure, stability, and reactivity. The crowded environm...
The biochemical processes in the cellular milieu involving biomacromolecular interaction usually occur in crowded and heterogeneous environments, impacting their structure, stability, and reactivity. The crowded environment is typically ignored for experimental investigations since the studies get complex due to intracellular biophysical interactions between nucleic acids, proteins, cellular membranes, and various cations/anions present in the cell. Thus, being a ubiquitous property of all cells, studying those biophysical aspects affecting biochemical processes under realistically crowded conditions is of prime importance. Crowders or crowding agents are usually exploited to mimic the in vivo conditions on interacting with such genomic species, revealing structural and functional changes resulting from excluded volume and soft interactions. In the last few years, studies including crowders of varied sizes have gained attention concerning the consequences of crowding agents on biomolecular structural transitions and stability. This review comprehensively summarizes macromolecular crowding, emphasizing the biophysical effects and contribution of soft interactions in the heterogeneous cellular environment.
Anti-arthritic potential of crude sulfated polysaccharide from marine macroalgae (Turner) C. Agardh: Regulation of cytokine cascade.
Ramamoorthi L, Jeyabalan S, Sankar S … +5 more , Begum MY, Duraipandian C, Sekar M, Wong LS, Subramaniyan V
Biomol Concepts · 2025 Jan · PMID 39846213 · Publisher ↗
Seaweeds have been utilized as food, fodder, fertilizer, and medicine since ancient times; nevertheless, they have received only a little attention. In the current work, we extracted the sulfated polysaccharide from a ma...
Seaweeds have been utilized as food, fodder, fertilizer, and medicine since ancient times; nevertheless, they have received only a little attention. In the current work, we extracted the sulfated polysaccharide from a marine source and investigated its anti-arthritic potential . The isolated and freeze-dried polysaccharide was tested for acute oral toxicity based on OECD 423. This step was followed by investigations on clinical signs and gross pathological alterations seen. A complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis was used to test the activity in female Sprague-Dawley rats, which were divided into five groups: (1) normal control, (2) arthritic control, (3) methotrexate treatment (0.1 mg/kg), (4) crude sulfated polysaccharide (CSP) (5 mg/kg), and (5) CSP (10 mg/kg). CSP was from the marine brown algae from the Gulf of Mannar. The body weight, paw volume, and biochemical markers (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, urea, and C-reactive protein levels) were also measured for each group coupled with histopathological and immunohistochemistry studies. The acute toxicity investigation indicated that the lethal dose of 50% (LD) of the polysaccharide was more than 2,000 mg/kg. In addition, animals from the methotrexate and CSP (5 mg/kg, p.o.) groups had a substantial reduction in paw volume compared to other treatment groups. Methotrexate and CSP treatment dramatically decreased the levels of the investigated marker enzymes. Histopathology revealed that low-dose CSP (5 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly reduced the severity of synovitis, panniculitis, liver necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, and cortical and paracortical necrotic foci in node, compared to the high dose (10 mg/kg, p.o.). Immunohistochemical studies revealed that CSP (5 mg/kg) significantly inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-2, and CD4 cells. Overall, it can be concluded that a low-dose CSP (5 mg/kg) is an efficient anti-arthritic agent that confers its effects via the cytokine pathway.
Exploring cardiovascular implications in systemic lupus erythematosus: A holistic analysis of complications, diagnostic criteria, and therapeutic modalities, encompassing pharmacological and adjuvant approaches.
Dawi J, Affa S, Misakyan Y … +7 more , Fardeheb S, Kades S, Kiriaki A, Mohan AS, Norris B, Yoon S, Venketaraman V
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 39603656 · Full text
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) poses a diagnostic challenge due to its heterogeneity. This study examines the cardiac complications of SLE comprehensively, covering pericarditis, myocarditis, pleural effusion, valvul...
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) poses a diagnostic challenge due to its heterogeneity. This study examines the cardiac complications of SLE comprehensively, covering pericarditis, myocarditis, pleural effusion, valvular disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiac arrhythmias. Nearly one-third of SLE-related deaths are attributed to cardiovascular diseases, necessitating a deeper understanding of cardiac pathophysiology. The impact of SLE on the cardiovascular system manifests in various ways, including recurrent and resistant pericarditis, severe myocarditis, and pleural effusion. Valvular diseases, atherosclerosis, and cardiac arrhythmias are prevalent, with immune complex deposition playing a role in atherosclerosis. Diagnostic criteria involve clinical features, laboratory findings, and autoantibodies, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary diagnostic approach. The review explores pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities for managing cardiac manifestations in SLE. Recommendations include NSAIDs, colchicine, and proton pump inhibitors for acute pericarditis, while selective immunosuppressive therapy is emerging for myocarditis. Valvular diseases require individualized treatment approaches, and careful corticosteroid management is crucial to avoid increased cardiovascular events. Anti-malarial therapy, particularly hydroxychloroquine, shows promise in mitigating cardiovascular risk factors. Non-pharmacological modifications, such as diet, exercise, and smoke cessation, significantly contribute to cardiovascular health in SLE patients. Adjuvant therapies involving glutathione and glutathione peroxidase focus on redox balance, offering potential interventions. This integrated approach combines diagnostic insights with diverse treatment modalities, providing a holistic strategy for managing cardiac complications in SLE. Ongoing research is essential to refine these strategies and optimize individualized treatment plans for improved patient outcomes.
Toxicity of bisphenol A and -nitrophenol on tomato plants: Morpho-physiological, ionomic profile, and antioxidants/defense-related gene expression studies.
Abdelmoneim MS, Hafez EE, Dawood MFA … +2 more , Hammad SF, Ghazy MA
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38924751 · Publisher ↗
Bisphenol A (BPA) and -nitrophenol (PNP) are emerging contaminants of soils due to their wide presence in agricultural and industrial products. Thus, the present study aimed to integrate morpho-physiological, ionic homeo...
Bisphenol A (BPA) and -nitrophenol (PNP) are emerging contaminants of soils due to their wide presence in agricultural and industrial products. Thus, the present study aimed to integrate morpho-physiological, ionic homeostasis, and defense- and antioxidant-related genes in the response of tomato plants to BPA or PNP stress, an area of research that has been scarcely studied. In this work, increasing the levels of BPA and PNP in the soil intensified their drastic effects on the biomass and photosynthetic pigments of tomato plants. Moreover, BPA and PNP induced osmotic stress on tomato plants by reducing soluble sugars and soluble proteins relative to control. The soil contamination with BPA and PNP treatments caused a decline in the levels of macro- and micro-elements in the foliar tissues of tomatoes while simultaneously increasing the contents of non-essential micronutrients. The Fourier transform infrared analysis of the active components in tomato leaves revealed that BPA influenced the presence of certain functional groups, resulting in the absence of some functional groups, while on PNP treatment, there was a shift observed in certain functional groups compared to the control. At the molecular level, BPA and PNP induced an increase in the gene expression of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase, with the exception of POD gene expression under BPA stress. The expression of the thaumatin-like protein gene increased at the highest level of PNP and a moderate level of BPA without any significant effect of both pollutants on the expression of the tubulin (TUB) gene. The comprehensive analysis of biochemical responses in tomato plants subjected to BPA and PNP stress illustrates valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying tolerance to these pollutants.
A comprehensive review of the interaction between COVID-19 spike proteins with mammalian small and major heat shock proteins.
Navhaya LT, Blessing DM, Yamkela M … +2 more , Godlo S, Makhoba XH
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38872399 · Publisher ↗
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel disease that had devastating effects on human lives and the country's economies worldwide. This disease shows similar parasitic traits, requiring the host's biomolecules for...
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel disease that had devastating effects on human lives and the country's economies worldwide. This disease shows similar parasitic traits, requiring the host's biomolecules for its survival and propagation. Spike glycoproteins severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 spike protein) located on the surface of the COVID-19 virus serve as a potential hotspot for antiviral drug development based on their structure. COVID-19 virus calls into action the chaperonin system that assists the attacker, hence favoring infection. To investigate the interaction that occurs between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human molecular chaperons (HSPA8 and sHSP27), a series of steps were carried out which included sequence attainment and analysis, followed by multiple sequence alignment, homology modeling, and protein-protein docking which we performed using Cluspro to predict the interactions between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human molecular chaperones of interest. Our findings depicted that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein consists of three distinct chains, chains A, B, and C, which interact forming hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic interactions with both human HSPA8 and HSP27 with -828.3 and -827.9 kcal/mol as binding energies for human HSPA8 and -1166.7 and -1165.9 kcal/mol for HSP27.
Biochemical dynamics during postharvest: Highlighting the interplay of stress during storage and maturation of fresh produce.
Lagarda-Clark EA, Goulet C, Duarte-Sierra A
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38587059 · Publisher ↗
The lifecycle of fresh produce involves a sequence of biochemical events during their ontology, and these events are particularly significant for climacteric fruits. A high demand during ripening is observed in these pla...
The lifecycle of fresh produce involves a sequence of biochemical events during their ontology, and these events are particularly significant for climacteric fruits. A high demand during ripening is observed in these plant products, which is reflected in a high rate of respiration and ethylene production. Increased respiratory demand triggers the activation of secondary pathways such as alternate oxidase, which do not experience critical increases in energy consumption in non-climacteric fruit. In addition, biochemical events produced by external factors lead to compensatory responses in fresh produce to counteract the oxidative stress caused by the former. The dynamics of these responses are accompanied by signaling, where reactive oxygen species play a pivotal role in fresh product cell perception. This review aims to describe the protection mechanisms of fresh produce against environmental challenges and how controlled doses of abiotic stressors can be used to improve quality and prolong their shelf-life through the interaction of stress and defense mechanisms.
Seeing beyond the blot: A critical look at assumptions and raw data interpretation in Western blotting.
DeNies MS, Liu AP, Schnell S
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38557557 · Publisher ↗
Rapid advancements in technology refine our understanding of intricate biological processes, but a crucial emphasis remains on understanding the assumptions and sources of uncertainty underlying biological measurements....
Rapid advancements in technology refine our understanding of intricate biological processes, but a crucial emphasis remains on understanding the assumptions and sources of uncertainty underlying biological measurements. This is particularly critical in cell signaling research, where a quantitative understanding of the fundamental mechanisms governing these transient events is essential for drug development, given their importance in both homeostatic and pathogenic processes. Western blotting, a technique developed decades ago, remains an indispensable tool for investigating cell signaling, protein expression, and protein-protein interactions. While improvements in statistical analysis and methodology reporting have undoubtedly enhanced data quality, understanding the underlying assumptions and limitations of visual inspection in Western blotting can provide valuable additional information for evaluating experimental conclusions. Using the example of agonist-induced receptor post-translational modification, we highlight the theoretical and experimental assumptions associated with Western blotting and demonstrate how raw blot data can offer clues to experimental variability that may not be fully captured by statistical analyses and reported methodologies. This article is not intended as a comprehensive technical review of Western blotting. Instead, we leverage an illustrative example to demonstrate how assumptions about experimental design and data normalization can be revealed within raw data and subsequently influence data interpretation.
Senescent adipocytes and type 2 diabetes - current knowledge and perspective concepts.
Kruczkowska W, Gałęziewska J, Kciuk M … +7 more , Gielecińska A, Płuciennik E, Pasieka Z, Zhao LY, Yu YJ, Kołat D, Kałuzińska-Kołat Ż
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38530804 · Publisher ↗
Among civilization diseases, the number of individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is expected to increase to more than a billion in less than 20 years, which is associated with, e.g., populational aging, poor...
Among civilization diseases, the number of individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is expected to increase to more than a billion in less than 20 years, which is associated with, e.g., populational aging, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, genetic predispositions, and immunological factors. T2DM affects many organs and is characterized by insulin resistance, high glucose levels, and adipocyte dysfunction, which are related to senescence. Although this type of cellular aging has beneficial biological functions, it can also act unfavorable since senescent adipocytes resist apoptosis, enhance cytokine secretion, downregulate cell identity genes, and acquire the senescence-associated secretory phenotype that renders a more oxidative environment. Opposing T2DM is possible via a wide variety of senotherapies, including senolytics and senomorphics; nevertheless, further research is advised to expand therapeutic possibilities and benefits. Consequences that ought to be deeply researched include secretory phenotype, chronic inflammation, increasing insulin resistance, as well as impairment of adipogenesis and functioning of adipocyte cells. Herein, despite reviewing T2DM and fat tissue senescence, we summarized the latest adipocyte-related anti-diabetes solutions and suggested further research directions.
Withaferin A alters the expression of microRNAs 146a-5p and 34a-5p and associated hub genes in MDA-MB-231 cells.
Shuaib M, Chaudhri S, Kumar S
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38525814 · Publisher ↗
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly metastatic subtype of breast cancer. Due to the absence of obvious therapeutic targets, microRNAs (miRNAs) provide possible hope to treat TNBC. Withaferin A (WA), a steroi...
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly metastatic subtype of breast cancer. Due to the absence of obvious therapeutic targets, microRNAs (miRNAs) provide possible hope to treat TNBC. Withaferin A (WA), a steroidal lactone, possesses potential anticancer activity with lesser side effects. The present study identifies hub genes (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) from the list of predicted targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) in WA-treated MDA-MB-231 cells using protein-protein interaction network analysis. , , and hub genes were predicted as targets of miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p, respectively. The study found the lower expression of miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p in MDA-MB-231 cells, and further, it was observed that WA treatment effectively restored the lost expression of miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p in MDA-MB-231 cells. An anti-correlation expression pattern was found among the miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p and the respective target hub genes in WA-treated TNBC cells. In conclusion, WA might exert anti-cancer effect in TNBC cells by inducing miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p expressions and decreasing CCND1, CDK6, and TARF6 target hub genes in TNBC cells.
Diurnal and circadian regulation of opsin-like transcripts in the eyeless cnidarian .
Santillo S, De Petrocellis L, Musio C
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38502542 · Publisher ↗
Opsins play a key role in the ability to sense light both in image-forming vision and in non-visual photoreception (NVP). These modalities, in most animal phyla, share the photoreceptor protein: an opsin-based protein bi...
Opsins play a key role in the ability to sense light both in image-forming vision and in non-visual photoreception (NVP). These modalities, in most animal phyla, share the photoreceptor protein: an opsin-based protein binding a light-sensitive chromophore by a lysine (Lys) residue. So far, visual and non-visual opsins have been discovered throughout the Metazoa phyla, including the photoresponsive , an eyeless cnidarian considered the evolutionary sister species to bilaterians. To verify whether light influences and modulates opsin gene expression in , we utilized four expression sequence tags, similar to two classic opsins (SW rhodopsin and SW blue-sensitive opsin) and two non-visual opsins (melanopsin and peropsin), in investigating the expression patterns during both diurnal and circadian time, by means of a quantitative RT-PCR. The expression levels of all four genes fluctuated along the light hours of diurnal cycle with respect to the darkness one and, in constant dark condition of the circadian cycle, they increased. The monophasic behavior in the L12:D12 cycle turned into a triphasic expression profile during the continuous darkness condition. Consequently, while the diurnal opsin-like expression revealed a close dependence on light hours, the highest transcript levels were found in darkness, leading us to novel hypothesis that in , an "internal" biological rhythm autonomously supplies the opsins expression during the circadian time. In conclusion, in , both diurnal and circadian rhythms apparently regulate the expression of the so-called visual and non-visual opsins, as already demonstrated in higher invertebrate and vertebrate species. Our data confirm that is a suitable model for studying ancestral precursor of both visual and NVP, providing useful hints on the evolution of visual and photosensory systems.
A novel approach for protein secondary structure prediction using encoder-decoder with attention mechanism model.
Sonsare PM, Gunavathi C
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38478635 · Publisher ↗
Computational biology faces many challenges like protein secondary structure prediction (PSS), prediction of solvent accessibility, etc. In this work, we addressed PSS prediction. PSS is based on sequence-structure mappi...
Computational biology faces many challenges like protein secondary structure prediction (PSS), prediction of solvent accessibility, etc. In this work, we addressed PSS prediction. PSS is based on sequence-structure mapping and interaction among amino acid residues. We proposed an encoder-decoder with an attention mechanism model, which considers the mapping of sequence structure and interaction among residues. The attention mechanism is used to select prominent features from amino acid residues. The proposed model is trained on CB513 and CullPDB open datasets using the Nvidia DGX system. We have tested our proposed method for and accuracy, segment of overlap, and Mathew correlation coefficient. We achieved 70.63 and 78.93% and accuracy, respectively, on the CullPDB dataset whereas 79.8 and 77.13% and accuracy on the CB513 dataset. We observed improvement in SOV up to 80.29 and 91.3% on CullPDB and CB513 datasets. We achieved the results using our proposed model in very few epochs, which is better than the state-of-the-art methods.
β-Amyloid peptide modulates peripheral immune responses and neuroinflammation in rats.
Adhikary K, Mohanty S, Bandyopadhyay B … +3 more , Maiti R, Bhattacharya K, Karak P
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38451915 · Publisher ↗
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by immune system dysregulation, impacting both central and peripheral immune responses. The study aimed to investigate the mechanism behind the neurotoxic effects of β-amyloid (A...
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by immune system dysregulation, impacting both central and peripheral immune responses. The study aimed to investigate the mechanism behind the neurotoxic effects of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide in the rat brain including the study of neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and alterations in peripheral immune responses (PIR). The neuroinflammation brought on by Aβ and is unknown to influence PIR. Animal models were prepared, after 28 days, control, sham, and treated rats were anaesthetized and inflammatory markers of hippocampus and serum levels (reactive oxygen species, nitrite, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β), and some markers of PIR (splenic mononuclear cells or MNC, cytotoxicity and phagocytic index of the white blood cells leukocyte adhesion inhibition index or LAI), as well as polymorphonuclear cells of the spleen, were assessed. In addition to changes in peripheral immune responses, the present study found that AD rats had higher blood levels of inflammatory markers. Based on the study, the immune system irregularities observed in AD rats in the peripheral regions might be connected to neuroinflammation, which is facilitated by a compromised blood-brain barrier. Hence, it is viable to propose that the neuroinflammatory condition in rats with Aβ-induced AD could modify immune responses in the peripheral areas with significantly higher levels of inflammatory cytokines markers in the hippocampal tissue in Aβ-injected AD rats.
Synergistic effects of essential oils and phenolic extracts on antimicrobial activities using blends of , , and .
Benamar-Aissa B, Gourine N, Ouinten M … +1 more , Yousfi M
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38353049 · Publisher ↗
This study explores the synergistic antibacterial effects of essential oils (EOs) and phenolic extracts from three plants against foodborne pathogenic bacteria. The present work aimed to investigate the synergistic effec...
This study explores the synergistic antibacterial effects of essential oils (EOs) and phenolic extracts from three plants against foodborne pathogenic bacteria. The present work aimed to investigate the synergistic effects of the binary and the ternary combinations of extracts using different blend proportions of the following plant extracts: (AC), (AHA), and (CA). The antimicrobial activities of EOs and phenolic extracts were determined and evaluated against five strains. For the EOs, the results of the DIZ showed the existence of synergism for different combinations of binary blends, such as AC/AHA or AHA/CA against , and AC/CA against . In addition, ternary blends of AC:AHA:CA at a ratio of 1/6:2/3:1/6 exhibited a synergy effect, as measured by the CI, against . On the other hand, for the phenolic extracts, synergistic effects were noticed for binary blends of AC/CA at different ratios against , and strains. Similarly, ternary blends of phenolic extracts presented synergy against , , strains, and even . In this case, the blending ratios were crucial determining factors for maximizing the synergy effect. The study established that the proportion of a single drug could play an essential role in determining the bioefficacy of a drug combination treatment. Therefore, the results showed the importance of studying the modulation of antibacterial activities based on the proportions of extracts in the mixture and finding the range of proportions (as determined by SLMD) that have a synergistic/additive/antagonistic effect with no or low side effects, which can be used in a food preservation system.
Digital methylation-specific PCR: New applications for liquid biopsy.
Cardoso GC, Ganzella FAO, Miniskiskosky G … +2 more , da Cunha RS, Ramos EAS
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38345545 · Publisher ↗
Epigenetic analysis is a fundamental part of understanding pathophysiological processes with potential applications in diagnosis, prognosis, and assessment of disease susceptibility. Epigenetic changes have been widely s...
Epigenetic analysis is a fundamental part of understanding pathophysiological processes with potential applications in diagnosis, prognosis, and assessment of disease susceptibility. Epigenetic changes have been widely studied in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but currently, there is no molecular marker used to improve the treatment of patients. Furthermore, this progressive disease is a risk factor for the development of more severe COVID-19. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP-PCR) plays an important role in the analysis of DNA methylation profiles, and it is one of the most widely used techniques. In this context, the combination of MSP-PCR with emerging PCR technologies, such as digital PCR (dPCR), results in more accurate analyses of the DNA methylation profile of the genes under study. In this study, we propose the application of the MSP-dPCR technique to evaluate the methylation profile of the gene from saliva samples and lung tissue biopsies of patients with COPD and COVID-19. MSP-dPCR generated a measurable prediction of gene methylation rate, with the potential application of this combined technology for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. It has also proven to be a powerful tool for liquid biopsy applications.
Antitumor activity of 5-hydroxy-3',4',6,7-tetramethoxyflavone in glioblastoma cell lines and its antagonism with radiotherapy.
Papapetrou P, Dimitriadis K, Galani V … +8 more , Zoi V, Giannakopoulou M, Papathanasopoulou VA, Sioka C, Tsekeris P, Kyritsis AP, Lazari D, Alexiou GA
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38345457 · Publisher ↗
5-Hydroxy-3',4',6,7-tetramethoxyflavone (TMF) is a plant-origin flavone known for its anti-cancer properties. In the present study, the cytotoxic effect of TMF was evaluated in the U87MG and T98G glioblastoma (GBM) cell...
5-Hydroxy-3',4',6,7-tetramethoxyflavone (TMF) is a plant-origin flavone known for its anti-cancer properties. In the present study, the cytotoxic effect of TMF was evaluated in the U87MG and T98G glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines. The effect of TMF on cell viability was assessed with trypan blue exclusion assay and crystal violet staining. In addition, flow cytometry was performed to examine its effect on the different phases of the cell cycle, and scratch wound assay assessed the migratory capacity of the treated cells. Furthermore, the effect of radiotherapy was also evaluated with a combination of TMF and radiation. In both cell lines, TMF treatment resulted in G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, reduced cell viability, and reduced cell migratory capacity. In contrast, there was an antagonistic property of TMF treatment with radiotherapy. These results demonstrated the antineoplastic effect of TMF in GBM cells , but the antagonistic effect with radiotherapy indicated that TMF should be further evaluated for its possible antitumor role post-radiotherapy.
Polycystic ovary syndrome and its management: In view of oxidative stress.
Bhattacharya K, Dey R, Sen D … +11 more , Paul N, Basak AK, Purkait MP, Shukla N, Chaudhuri GR, Bhattacharya A, Maiti R, Adhikary K, Chatterjee P, Karak P, Syamal AK
Biomol Concepts · 2024 Jan · PMID 38242137 · Publisher ↗
In the past two decades, oxidative stress (OS) has drawn a lot of interest due to the revelation that individuals with many persistent disorders including diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), cardiovascular, and...
In the past two decades, oxidative stress (OS) has drawn a lot of interest due to the revelation that individuals with many persistent disorders including diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), cardiovascular, and other disorders often have aberrant oxidation statuses. OS has a close interplay with PCOS features such as insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, and chronic inflammation; there is a belief that OS might contribute to the development of PCOS. PCOS is currently recognized as not only one of the most prevalent endocrine disorders but also a significant contributor to female infertility, affecting a considerable proportion of women globally. Therefore, the understanding of the relationship between OS and PCOS is crucial to the development of therapeutic and preventive strategies for PCOS. Moreover, the mechanistic study of intracellular reactive oxygen species/ reactive nitrogen species formation and its possible interaction with women's reproductive health is required, which includes complex enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. Apart from that, our current review includes possible regulation of the pathogenesis of OS. A change in lifestyle, including physical activity, various supplements that boost antioxidant levels, particularly vitamins, and the usage of medicinal herbs, is thought to be the best way to combat this occurrence of OS and improve the pathophysiologic conditions associated with PCOS.
Mitigation of the hyperglycemic effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes albino rats using biosynthesized copper oxide nanoparticles.
Hussein AS, Hashem AH, Salem SS
Biomol Concepts · 2023 Jan · PMID 38230658 · Publisher ↗
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder described by compromised insulin synthesis or resistance to insulin inside the human body. Diabetes is a persistent metabolic condition defined by elevated amounts of glucose in...
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder described by compromised insulin synthesis or resistance to insulin inside the human body. Diabetes is a persistent metabolic condition defined by elevated amounts of glucose in the bloodstream, resulting in a range of potential consequences. The main purpose of this study was to find out how biosynthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) affect the blood sugar levels of diabetic albino rats induced by streptozotocin (STZ). In the current study, CuONPs were successfully biosynthesized using using an eco-friendly method. Characterization results revealed that biosynthesized CuONPs appeared at 376 nm with a spherical shape with sizes ranging from 4 to 47.8 nm. Furthermore, results illustrated that administration of 0.5 and 5 mg/kg CuONP in diabetic rats showed a significant decrease in blood glucose levels accompanied by elevated insulin levels when compared to the diabetic control group; however, administration of 0.5 mg/kg is the best choice for diabetic management. Furthermore, it was found that the group treated with CuONPs exhibited a noteworthy elevation in the HDL-C level, along with a depletion in triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and VLDL-cholesterol levels compared to the diabetic control group. This study found that administration of CuONPs reduced hyperglycemia and improved pancreatic function as well as dyslipidemia in diabetic rats exposed to STZ, suggesting their potential as a promising therapeutic agent for diabetes treatment.
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