The aim of the present study was to explore whether hydrogen sulfide (H2S) protects against ischemic heart failure (HF) by inhibiting the necroptosis pathway. Mice were randomized into Sham, myocardial infarction (MI), MI + propargylglycine (PAG) and MI + sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) group, respectively. The MI model was induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. PAG was intraperitoneally administered at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks, and NaHS at a dose of 4mg/kg/day for the same period. At 4 weeks after MI, the following were observed: A significant decrease in the cardiac function, as evidenced by a decline in ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS), an increase in plasma myocardial injury markers, such as creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I (cTNI), an increase in myocardial collagen content in the heart tissues, and a decrease of H2S level in plasma and heart tissues. Furthermore, the expression levels of necroptosis-related markers such as receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1), RIP3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) were upregulated after MI. NaHS treatment increased H2S levels in plasma and heart tissues, preserving the cardiac function by increasing EF and FS, decreasing plasma CK-MB and cTNI and reducing collagen content. Additionally, NaHS treatment significantly downregulated the RIP1/RIP3/MLKL pathway. While, PAG treatment aggravated cardiac function by activated the RIP1/RIP3/MLKL pathway. Overall, the present study concluded that H2S protected against ischemic HF by inhibiting RIP1/RIP3/MLKL-mediated necroptosis which could be a potential target treatment for ischemic HF.
The paper introduces the Special Section on the Hydrology of the Carpathians in this issue. It is the result of an initiative of the Department of Land and Water Resources Management of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management of the TU Vienna and the Institute of Geomatics and Civil Engineering of the University of Sopron to allow young hydrologists in the Carpathian Basin (and from outside) to present their research and re-network on the emerging topics of the hydrology of the Carpathians at the HydroCarpath Conferences since 2012.
Soil water repellency (SWR) reduces the rates of wetting in dry soils and is known to interfere with water movement into as well as within the soils. The objective of this study was to investigate the hydrophysical characteristics of three water-repellent tropical exotic plantation forest soils in wet and dry seasons. The study sites were Eucalyptus grandis (EG), Pinus caribaea (PC), and Casuarina equisetifolia (CE) plantation forest soils located in the up-country intermediate zone (EG and PC), and low-country dry zone (CE). Field experiments were conducted to measure the infiltration rate, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (k), water sorptivity (SW). Laboratory experiments were conducted to measure the potential SWR and water entry value (hwe). All three soils showed higher SWR in the dry season, where CE soils showed the highest. The EG soils showed the highest SWR in the wet season. Although SWR in all soils decreased with increasing depth in the wet season, only CE soils showed a significant decrease in SWR with soil depth in the dry season. Compared with the wet season, the k (–1 cm) was lower and hwe was higher in the dry season. However, SW did not show a significant difference between wet and dry seasons. Initial infiltration rate and k (–1 cm) showed a negative correlation with contact angle in all three soils. Soils showed positive linear correlations between k (–1 cm) and SW, and negative linear correlations between SW and hwe showing that surface water absorption is related to both subsurface unsaturated water flow and surface water entry pressure. It was clear that the water entry into soils and the subsurface water flow were hindered by the SWR. High water entry values in the dry season predict high potentials for intensified surface runoff and topsoil erosion. Future research will be required on the interactions between soil biology and soil properties such as pore structure that would influence water flow into and within soils.
Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a serious complication of diabetes and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is also considered in comprehensive treatment. The evidence supporting the use of HBOT in DFU treatment is controversial. The aim of this work was to introduce a DFU model in ZDF rat by creating a wound on the back of an animal and to investigate the effect of HBOT on the defect by macroscopic evaluation, quantitative histological evaluation of collagen (types I and III), evaluation of angiogenesis and determination of interleukin 6 (IL6) levels in the plasma. The study included 10 rats in the control group (CONT) and 10 in the HBOT group, who underwent HBOT in standard clinical regimen. Histological evaluation was performed on the 18th day after induction of defect. The results show that HBOT did not affect the macroscopic size of the defect nor IL6 plasma levels. A volume fraction of type I collagen was slightly increased by HBOT without reaching statistical significance (1.35±0.49 and 1.94±0.67 %, CONT and HBOT, respectively). In contrast, the collagen type III volume fraction was ~120 % higher in HBOT wounds (1.41±0.81 %) than in CONT ones (0.63±0.37 %; p=0.046). In addition, the ratio of the volume fraction of both collagens in the wound ((I+III)w) to the volume fraction of both collagens in the adjacent healthy skin ((I+III)h) was ~65 % higher in rats subjected to HBOT (8.9±3.07 vs. 5.38±1.86 %, HBOT and CONT, respectively; p=0.028). Vessels density (number per 1 mm2 ) was found to be higher in CONT vs. HBOT (206.5±41.8 and 124±28.2, respectively, p<0.001). Our study suggests that HBOT promotes collagen III formation and decreases the number of newly formed vessels at the early phases of healing., Jiří Růžička, Martina Grajciarová, Lucie Vištejnová, Pavel Klein, Filip Tichánek, Zbyněk Tonar, Jiří Dejmek, Jiří Beneš, Lukáš Bolek, Robert Bajgar, Jitka Kuncová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Chronic wound is a serious medical issue due to its high prevalence and complications; hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is also considered in comprehensive treatment. Clinical trials, including large meta-analyses bring inconsistent results about HBOT efficacy. This review is summarizing the possible effect of HBOT on the healing of chronic wound models at the cellular level. HBOT undoubtedly escalates the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen radicals (ROS and RNS), which underlie both the therapeutic and toxic effects of HBOT on certain tissues. HBOT paradoxically elevates the concentration of Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) 1 by diverting the HIF-1 degradation to pathways that are independent of the oxygen concentration. Elevated HIF-1 stimulates the production of different growth factors, boosting the healing process. HBOT supports synthesis of Heat shock proteins (HSP), which are serving as chaperones of HIF-1. HBOT has antimicrobial effect, increases the effectiveness of some antibiotics, stimulates fibroblasts growth, collagen synthesis and suppresses the activity of proteolytic enzymes like matrix metalloproteinases. All effects of HBOT were investigated on cell cultures and animal models, the limitation of their translation is discussed at the end of this review
Antifreeze proteins are an effective additive for low-temperature preservation of solid organs. Here, we compared static hypothermic preservation with and without antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP), followed by nonfreezing cryopreservation of rat hearts. The heart was surgically extracted and immersed in one of the cardioplegia solutions after cardiac arrest. Control rat hearts (n=6) were immersed in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution whereas AFGP-treated hearts (AFGP group) (n=6) were immersed in UW solution containing 500 μg/ml AFGP. After static hypothermic preservation, a Langendorff apparatus was used to reperfuse the coronary arteries with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit solution. After 30, 60, 90, and 120 min, the heart rate (HR), coronary flow (CF), cardiac contractile force (max dP/dt), and cardiac diastolic force (min dP/dt) were measured. Tissue water content (TWC) and tissue adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in the reperfused preserved hearts were also assessed. All the parameters were compared between the control and AFGP groups. Compared with the control group, the AFGP group had significantly (p<0.05) higher values of the following parameters: HR at 60, 90, and 120 min; CF at all four time points; max dP/dt at 90 min; min dP/dt at 90 and 120 min; and tissue ATP levels at 120 min. TWC did not differ significantly between the groups. The higher HR, CF, max dP/dt, min dP/dt, and tissue ATP levels in the AFGP compared with those in control hearts suggested that AFGP conferred superior hemodynamic and metabolic functions. Thus, AFGP might be a useful additive for the static/nonfreezing hypothermic preservation of hearts.
Hypoxia can cause basement membrane (BM) degradation in tissues. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is involved in various human cancers as well as BM degradation by downregulating type IV collagen (COL4). This study investigated the role of MMP9 in hypoxia-mediated BM degradation in rat bone marrow based on its regulation of collagen type IV alpha 1 chain (COL4A1). Eighty male rats were randomly divided into four groups based on exposure to hypoxic conditions at a simulated altitude of 7,000 m, control (normoxia) and 3, 7, and 10 days of hypoxia exposure. BM degradation in bone marrow was determined by transmission electron microscopy. MMP-9 levels were assessed by western blot and real-time PCR, and COL4A1 levels were assessed by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Microvessels BMs in bone marrow exposed to acute hypoxia were observed by electron microscopy. MMP-9 expression increased, COL4A1 protein expression decreased, and BM degradation occurred in the 10-, 7-, and 3-day hypoxia groups compared with that in the control group (all P<0.05). Hypoxia increased MMP-9 levels, which in turn downregulated COL4A1, thereby increasing BM degradation. MMP-9 upregulation significantly promoted BM degradation and COL4A1 downregulation. Our results suggest that MMP-9 is related to acute hypoxia-induced BM degradation in bone marrow by regulating COL4A1.
Muscle regeneration is regulated through interaction between muscle and immune cells. Studies showed that treatment with supra-physiological doses of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) abolished inflammatory signaling and impaired muscle recovery. The present study examines the effects of pharmacologically-relevant NSAID treatment on muscle regeneration. C57BL/6 mice were injected in the tibialis anterior (TA) with either PBS or cardiotoxin (CTX). CTX-injected mice received ibuprofen (CTX-IBU) or were untreated (CTX-PLAC). After 2 days, Il-1β and Il-6 expression was upregulated in the TA of CTX-IBU and CTX-PL vs. PBS. However, Cox-2 expression and macrophage infiltration were higher in CTX-PL vs. PBS, but not in CTX-IBU. At the same time, anabolic markers were higher in CTX-IBU vs. PBS, but not in CTX-PL. Nevertheless, ibuprofen did not affect muscle mass or muscle fiber regeneration. In conclusion, mild ibuprofen doses did not worsen muscle regeneration. There were even signs of a transient improvement in anabolic signaling and attenuation of inflammatory signaling., Sebastiaan Dalle, Chiel Poffé, Charlotte Hiroux, Frank Suhr, Louise Deldicque, Katrien Koppo., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The sex determination cascades in insects are diversified at the top of the cascade, where different primary molecular signals are employed, while at the bottom of the cascades, particularly the doublesex genes, are highly conserved. Here, we identified the doublesex ortholog (Btau-dsx) of Bactrocera tau, a pumpkin fruit fly, and found that Btau-dsx is composed of six exons and five introns with an additional short "m" exon located in the second intron. Btau-dsx is different from its orthologs in most dipteran insects: Its pre-mRNA is sex-specifically spliced to yield three (two male and one female) instead of two transcript variants. The two deduced proteins produced by the male-specific transcripts are a functional (Btau-DSXM1) and a truncated (Btau-DSXM2) protein, while the female-specific transcript produces the functional Btau-DSXF protein. These three proteins contain all conserved domains except Btau-DSXM2 which has no OD2 domain. The female-specific transcript is detected in both fertilized and unfertilized eggs and in both somatic and germ cells of the adult females, while the male-specific transcript is detected only in fertilized eggs and in the abdominal tissues and testes of adult males. The presence of the Btau-dsxM1 transcript in fertilized eggs at the early syncytium stage suggests that in XY embryos, the Y-linked M factor gene may function quite soon after fertilization to alter the splicing pattern of Btau-dsx pre-mRNA from the female-specific to the male-specific mode. Injection of Btau-dsxF dsRNA into recently emerging females can reduce the expression of vitellogenin (Btau-Vg) and causes some defects in the ovaries, indicating that Btau-dsxF works upstream of Btau-Vg., Thanaset Thongsaiklaing, Hataichanok Passara, Mingkwan Nipitwathanaphon, Lertluk Ngersiri., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Macrocentrus cingulum is an important polyembryonic endoparasitic wasp that attacks larvae of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) and the European corn borer, O. nubilalis (Hübner). Parasitoids use antennae as the main sensory organ to recognize herbivore-induced plant volatiles as host searching cues. The antennal olfaction proteins, odorant receptors (ORs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs) are involved in olfactory signal transduction pathway as a sensory neuron response. In the present study, we constructed a cDNA library from the male and female antennae for identifying the olfaction-related genes in M. cingulum. For that, we sequenced 3160 unique gene sequences and annotated them with gene ontology (GO), cluster of orthologous groups of proteins (COG), and KEGG ontology (KO). Through the homology search, we identified 9 odorant receptors (ORs), 3 ionotropic receptors (IRs) and 1 odorant binding protein (OBP) genes from the cDNA library sequences. Additionally, the expression patterns of these ORs and IRs in different tissues (antennae, heads, thoraxes, abdomens, and legs) were demonstrated by RT-PCR. The qualitative gene expression analyses showed that most of the OR genes were more highly expressed in female than male antennae; whereas IRs, unlike ORs, were more expressed in various male than females tissues. We are the first to report ORs and IRs in M. cingulum, which should help in deciphering the molecular basis of olfaction system in this wasp., Tofael Ahmed, Tian-Tao Zhang, Zhen-Ying Wang, Kang-Lai He, Shu-Xiong Bai., and Obsahuje bibliografii