Display omitted
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) comprises a broad set of functional peptides and receptors that play a role in cardiovascular homeostasis and contribute to cardiovascular ...pathologies. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is the most potent peptide hormone produced by the RAS due to its high abundance and its strong and pleiotropic impact on the cardiovascular system. Formation of Ang II takes place in the bloodstream and additionally in tissues in the so-called local RAS. Of the two Ang II receptors (AT1 and AT2) that Ang II binds to, AT1 is the most expressed throughout the mammalian body. AT1 expression is not restricted to cells of the cardiovascular system but in fact AT1 protein is found in nearly all organs, hence, Ang II takes part in several modulatory physiological processes one of which is erythropoiesis. In this review, we present multiple evidence supporting that Ang II modulates physiological and pathological erythropoiesis processes trough the AT1 receptor. Cumulative evidence indicates that Ang II by three distinct mechanisms influences erythropoiesis: 1) stimulation of renal erythropoietin synthesis; 2) direct action on bone marrow precursor cells; and 3) modulation of sympathetic nerve activity to the bone marrow. The text highlights clinical and preclinical evidence focusing on mechanistic studies using rodent models.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Agronomic biofortification of crops with selenium (Se) is an important strategy to minimize hidden hunger and increase nutrient intake in poor populations. Selenium is an element that has several ...physiological and biochemical characteristics, such as the mitigation of different types of abiotic stress. Selenoproteins act as powerful antioxidants in plant metabolism through the glutathione peroxidase (GSH) pathway, and provide an increased activity for enzymatic (SOD, CAT, and APX) and non-enzymatic (ascorbic acid, flavonoids, and tocopherols) compounds that act in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging system and cell detoxification. Selenium helps to inhibit the damage caused by climate changes such as drought, salinity, heavy metals, and extreme temperature. Also, Se regulates antenna complex of photosynthesis, protecting chlorophylls by raising photosynthetic pigments. However, Se concentrations in soils vary widely in the earth's crust. Soil Se availability regulates the uptake, transport, accumulation, and speciation in plants. Foliar Se application at the concentration 50 g ha−1 applied as sodium selenate increases the antioxidant, photosynthetic metabolism, and yield of several crops. Foliar Se application is a strategy to minimize soil adsorption and root accumulation. However, the limit between the beneficial and toxic effects of Se requires research to establish an optimal dose for each plant species under different edaphoclimatic conditions. In this review, we present the compilation of several studies on agronomic biofortification of plants with Se to ensure food production and food security to mitigate hidden hunger and improve the health of the population.
•Se application at low concentration enhance chlorophyll and photosynthesis in plants.•Se activate the antioxidant metabolism in plants to combat ROS production.•Non-enzymatic compounds such ascorbic acid, flavonoids, and tocopherols are increased by Se application.•Se decrease damage caused by abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperature.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Display omitted
Cyclodextrins (CDs) are oligosaccharides that self-assemble in aqueous solutions to form transient clusters, nanoparticles and small microparticles. The critical aggregation ...concentration (cac) of the natural αCD, βCD and γCD in pure aqueous solutions was estimated to be 25, 8 and 9 mg/ml, respectively. The cac of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD), that consists of mixture of isomers, was estimated to be significantly higher or 118 mg/ml. Addition of chaotropic agents (i.e. that disrupts non-covalent bonds such as hydrogen bonds) to the aqueous media increases the cac. Formation of drug/CD complexes can increase or decrease the cac. Due to the transient nature of the CD clusters and nanoparticles they can be difficult to detect and their presence is frequently ignored. However, they have profound effect on the physiochemical properties of CDs and their pharmaceutical applications. For example, the values of stability constants of drug/CD complexes can be both concentration dependent and method dependent. Like in the case of micelles water-soluble polymers can enhance the solubilizing effect of CDs. Also, formation of drug/CD complex nanoparticles appears to increase the ability of CDs to enhance drug delivery through some mucosal membranes.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Hormesis is a favorable response to low level exposures to substance or to adverse conditions. This phenomenon has become a target to achieve greater crop productivity. This review aimed to address ...the physiological mechanisms for the induction of hormesis in plants. Some herbicides present a hormetic dose response. Among them, those with active ingredients glyphosate, 2,4-D and paraquat. The application of glyphosate as a hormesis promoter is therefore showing promess . Glyphosate has prominent role in shikimic acid pathway, decreasing lignin synthesis resulting in improved growth and productivity of several crops. Further studies are still needed to estimate optimal doses for other herbicides of crops or agricultural interest. Biostimulants are also important, since they promote effects on secondary metabolic pathways and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). When ROS are produced, hydrogen peroxide act as a signaling molecule that promote cell walls malleability allowing inward water transport causing cell expansion. . Plants'ability to overcome several abiotic stress conditions is desirable to avoid losses in crop productivity and economic losses. This review compiles information on how hormesis in plants can be used to achieve new production levels.
•Hormesis provides the first quantification of biological plasticity.•Application of some herbicides at low concentrations present a hormetic response.•Glyphosate, 2,4-D and Paraquat present a hormetic dose response.•Glyphosate has prominent role in shikimic acid pathway resulting in improved growth and productivity of several crops.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastea: Trypanosomatidae) infects all tissues of its hosts, which along with humans, include hundreds of mammalian species in the Americas. The epidemiology of T. cruzi has ...been changing in that currently the majority of the cases and/or outbreaks of Chagas disease occur by the ingestion of comestibles contaminated by T. cruzi metacyclic forms. These cases/outbreaks occur in distinct regional scenarios, mainly in the Amazon biome and are related to the local interaction mode of humans with their surroundings, as well as with the overall local ecological peculiarities. As trypanosomiasis caused by T. cruzi is primarily a zoonosis, understanding the variables that influences its transmission in the wild as well as the role played by the extant fauna in the maintenance of the parasite, is critical in establishing control measures. Here, we present the results of our studies of T. cruzi infection of free ranging wild mammalian fauna in the five biomes of Brazil, a country of continental dimensions. From 1992 up to 2017, we examined a total of 6587 free-ranging non-volant wild mammal specimens. Our studies found that 17% of mammals were seropositive and 8% of all animals displayed positive hemocultures indicative of high parasitemia and, consequently, of infectivity potential. We observed that opossums, mainly Philander spp. and Didelphis spp., the coati Nasua nasua, the capuchin monkey Sapajus libidinosus and the golden lion tamarin Leontopithecus rosalia, were mammal taxa that demonstrated higher rates of positive hemocultures. Additionally, Didelphis spp. demonstrated to be a competent bioaccumulator of TcI diversity. Chiroptera were distinguished for hosting the greatest diversity of species and genotypes of Trypanosoma spp. Additionally the observation of the higher host range of some Trypanosoma spp., shows the need to reassess the ecology of representatives of the taxon. Altogether, our results showed that each locality, may display distinct enzootiological and epidemiological scenarios that must be taken into account when it comes to establishing control and/or clarification campaigns of the local population.
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The production of cucumber under combined salinity and heat stress is a crucial challenge facing many countries particularly in arid environments. This challenge could be controlled through exogenous ...foliar application of some bio-stimulants or anti-stressors. This study was carried out to investigate the management and improving cucumber production under combined salinity and heat stress. Nano-selenium (nano-Se, 25 mg L-1), silicon (Si, 200 mg L−1) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 20 mmol L−1) were foliar applied on cucumber plants as anti-stress compounds. The results revealed that studied anti-stressors improved growth and productivity of cucumber grown in saline soil regardless the kind of anti-stressor under heat stress. The foliar application of nano-Se (25 mg L−1) clearly improved cucumber growth parameters (plant height and leaf area) compared to other anti-stressor and control. Foliar Si application showed the greatest impact on enzymatic antioxidant capacities among the other anti-stressor treatments. This applied rate of Si also showed the greatest increase in marketable fruit yield and yield quality (fruit firmness and total soluble solids) compared to untreated plants. These increases could be due to increasing nutrient uptake particularly N, P, K, and Mg, as well as Se (by 40.2% and 43%) in leaves and Si (by 11.2% and 22.1% in fruits) in both seasons, respectively. The potential role of Si in mitigating soil salinity under heat stress could be referred to high Si content found in leaf which regulates water losses via transpiration as well as high nutrient uptake of other nutrients (N, P, K, Mg and Se). The distinguished high K+ content found in cucumber leaves might help stressed plants to tolerate studied stresses by regulating the osmotic balance and controlling stomatal opening, which support cultivated plants to adapt to soil salinity under heat stress. Further studies are needed to be carried out concerning the different response of cultivated plants to combined stresses.
•Foliar Si and Se application alleviate stress and increase cucumber yield.•Si increases photosynthetic parameters and chlorophyll content in cucumber plants.•Foliar Se application promotes biostimulant effect increasing cucumber plant biomass.•Both Se and Si foliar application boost plant growth and yield of cucumber under salinity and heat stress.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The development of bioprocesses capable of producing large numbers of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) in a robust and safe manner is critical for the application of these cells in ...biotechnological and medical applications. Scalable expansion of hiPSC is often performed using polystyrene microcarriers, which have to be removed from the cell suspension using a separation step that causes loss of viable cells. In this study, application of novel xeno‐free dissolvable microcarriers (DM) for an efficient and integrated expansion and harvesting of hiPSC is demonstrated. After an initial screening under static conditions, hiPSC culture using DM is performed in dynamic culture, using spinner‐flasks. A maximum 4.0 ± 0.8‐fold expansion is achieved after 5 days of culture. These results are validated with a second cell line and the culture is successfully adapted to fully xeno‐free conditions. Afterwards, cell recovery is made within the spinner flask, being obtained a 92 ± 4% harvesting yield, which is significantly higher than the one obtained for the conventional filtration‐based method (45 ± 3%). Importantly, the expanded and harvested hiPSC maintain their pluripotency and multilineage differentiation potential. The results here described represent a significant improvement of the downstream processing after microcarrier‐based hiPSC expansion, leading to a more cost‐effective and efficient bioprocess.
The development of bioprocesses capable of producing large numbers of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) in a robust and safe manner is critical for the application of these cells in biotechnological and medical applications. Scalable expansion of hiPSC is often performed using polystyrene microcarriers, which have to be removed from the cell suspension using a separation step that causes loss of viable cells. In this study, application of novel xeno‐free dissolvable microcarriers (DM) for an efficient and integrated expansion and harvesting of hiPSC is demonstrated.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Angiotensin-(1-12), measured by a self-developed, polyclonal antibody-based radioimmunoassay, has been suggested to act as an alternative precursor of angiotensin II. A more reliable detection method ...would be liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
We set up the quantification of human and murine angiotensin-(1-12) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and then used this method to measure angiotensin-(1-12) in human and mouse blood samples, as well as in mouse brain and kidney. We also verified ex vivo angiotensin-(1-12) generation and metabolism in human blood samples incubated at 37 °C.
Stabilization of blood in guanidine hydrochloride was chosen for sample collection since this allowed full recovery of spiked angiotensin-(1-12). Angiotensin-(1-12) was undetectable in human blood samples when incubating nonstabilized plasma at 37 °C, while angiotensin-(1-12) added to nonstabilized human plasma disappeared within 10 minutes. Stabilized human blood samples contained angiotensin II, while angiotensin-(1-12) was undetectable. Blood, hearts, and kidneys, but not brains, of wild-type mice and rats contained detectable levels of angiotensin II, while angiotensin-(1-12) was undetectable. In renin knockout mice, all angiotensins, including angiotensin-(1-12), were undetectable at all sites, despite a 50% rise in angiotensinogen. Angiotensin-(1-12) metabolism in human blood plasma was not affected by renin inhibition. Yet, blockade of angiotensin-converting enzyme and aminopeptidase A, but not of chymase, neutral endopeptidase, or prolyl oligopeptidase, prolonged the half-life of angiotensin-(1-12), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition prevented the formation of angiotensin II.
We were unable to detect intact angiotensin-(1-12) in humans or mice, either in blood or tissue, suggesting that this metabolite is an unlikely source of endogenous angiotensins.
The growing skeleton undergoes well-described and predictable normal developmental changes, which may be misinterpreted a as pathologic condition at imaging. Primary and secondary ossification ...centers (SOCs), which form the diaphysis and the epiphysis of long bones, respectively, are formed by endochondral and intramembranous ossification processes. During skeletal maturation, the SOCs may appear irregular and fragmented, which should not be confused with fractures, osteochondritis dissecans, and osteochondrosis. These normal irregularities are generally symmetric with a smooth, round, and sclerotic appearance, which are aspects that help in the differentiation. The metaphysis, epiphysis, and growth plates or physes are common sites of injuries and normal variants in the pediatric skeleton. The metaphysis contains the newly formed bone from endochondral ossification and is highly vascularized. It is predisposed to easy spread of infections and bone tumors. The physis is the weakest structure of the immature skeleton. Injuries to this location may disrupt endochondral ossification and lead to growth disturbances. Pathologic conditions of the epiphyses may extend into the articular surface and lead to articular damage. At MRI, small and localized foci of bone marrow changes within the epiphysis and metaphysis are also a common finding. These can be related to residual red marrow (especially in the metaphysis of long bones and hindfoot), focal periphyseal edema (associated with the process of physeal closure), and ultimately to a normal ossification process. The authors review the imaging appearance of normal skeletal maturation and discuss common maturation disorders on the basis of developmental stage and location.
RSNA, 2022.
Phytate or phytic acid (PA), is a phosphorus (P) containing compound generated by the stepwise phosphorylation of myo-inositol. It forms complexes with some nutrient cations, such as Ca, Fe and Zn, ...compromising their absorption and thus acting as an anti-nutrient in the digestive tract of humans and monogastric animals. Conversely, PAs are an important form of P storage in seeds, making up to 90% of total seed P. Phytates also play a role in germination and are related to the synthesis of abscisic acid and gibberellins, the hormones involved in seed germination. Decreasing PA content in plants is desirable for human dietary. Therefore, low phytic acid (lpa) mutants might present some negative pleiotropic effects, which could impair germination and seed viability. In the present study, we review current knowledge of the genes encoding enzymes that function in different stages of PA synthesis, from the first phosphorylation of myo-inositol to PA transport into seed reserve tissues, and the application of this knowledge to reduce PA concentrations in edible crops to enhance human diet. Finally, phylogenetic data for PA concentrations in different plant families and distributed across several countries under different environmental conditions are compiled. The results of the present study help explain the importance of PA accumulation in different plant families and the distribution of PA accumulation in different foods.
•Phytic acid is a compound generated by the stepwise phosphorylation of myo-inositol.•Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient in the digestive tract of humans and monogastric animals.•Phytates also play a role in seed germination regulating abscisic acid and gibberellins.•This study shows the importance of phytates in different foods and relation to human and animal health.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
PDF
