Plant phenotypic plasticity determines plant adaptation to changing environments and agricultural productivity. Phytohormones are essential plant signalling molecules regulating this plasticity ...through complex signalling networks. Jasmonates (JAs) are key phytohormones regulating many aspects of growth, development and defence responses. An important role of JAs in tolerance to abiotic stresses is also emerging. The expression of JAZ (JASMONATE-ZIM-DOMAIN PROTEIN) genes, encoding for the key repressors in the JA-pathway, is regulated by multiple abiotic stresses, suggesting a role for the JAZ proteins in response to these stresses. The JAZ proteins belong to the TIFY family, well described in many plant species. However, only the role of few tomato JAZ proteins in response to microbial infection has been analysed so far. Here, we identify the members of the tomato TIFY family, and characterize them phylogenetically. In addition, we analyse the transcriptional regulation of several SlJAZ in response to abiotic stresses and hormone treatments both in root and leaves to assess their specific expression in response to stresses. Most SlJAZ are JA-induced and responsive to one or more abiotic stresses, providing clues for functional analysis of JAZ genes in abiotic responses in tomato.
The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effect of the filamentous cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis (S. platensis) on mercury (II) chloride (HgCl(2))-induced oxidative damages ...and histopathological alterations in the testis of Wistar albino rats. The animals were divided into four equal groups, i) control, ii) HgCl(2), iii) S. platensis and iv) combination of HgCl(2)+S. platensis. Oxidative stress, induced by a single dose of HgCl(2) (5 mg/kg, bw; subcutaneously, s.c.), substantially decreased (P<0.01) the activity level of testicular key enzymatic antioxidant biomarkers (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT and glutathione peroxidase, GPx), oxidative stress makers (blood hydroperoxide; testicular reduced glutathione, GSH and malondialdehyde, MDA), and testicular mercury levels. Moreover, HgCl(2) administration resulted in a significant (P<0.01) increase in the number of sperms with abnormal morphology and decrease in epididymal sperm count, motility, plasma testosterone level and testicular cholesterol. Furthermore, HgCl(2) exposure induced histopathological changes to the testis including morphological alterations of the seminiferous tubules, and degeneration and dissociation of spermatogenic cells. Notably, oral pretreatment of animals with Spirulina (300 mg/kg, bw) lowered the extent of the observed HgCl(2)-mediated toxicity, whereby significantly reducing the resulting lipid peroxidation products, mercury accumulation in the testis, histopathological changes of the testes and spermatozoal abnormalities. In parallel, the pretreatment with Spirulina also completely reverted the observed Hg-Cl(2)-induced inhibition in enzymatic activities of antioxidant biomarkers (SOD, CAT and GPx) back to control levels. The pretreatment of rats with S. platensis significantly recovered the observed HgCl(2)-mediated decrease in the weight of accessory sex organs. Taken together, our findings clearly highlight the role of S. platensis as a protective modulator of HgCl(2)-induced testicular injuries and suggest some therapeutic potential in mammals. Further investigation of therapeutic strategies employing Spirulina against heavy metals toxicity in humans is therefore warranted.
Gastric cancer is a multifactorial disease and a leading cause of mortality and the risk factors for this include environmental factors and factors that influence host-pathogen interaction and ...complex interplay between these factors. Gastric adenocarcinomas are of two types, namely intestinal and diffuse type, and
(
) infection has been suspected of being causally linked to the initiation of chronic active gastritis, which leads to adenocarcinoma of the intestinal type. Even though most individuals with
infection do not show any clinical symptoms, long-term infection leads to inflammation of gastric epithelium and approximately 10% of infected patients develop peptic ulcers and 1-3% of patients develop gastric adenocarcinoma. Among the several mechanisms involved in tumorigenesis, CagA and peptidoglycan of
, which enter the infected gastric epithelial cells play an important role by triggering oncogenic pathways. Inflammation induced by
in gastric epithelium, which involves the cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2 pathway and IL-1β, is also an important factor that triggers chronic active gastritis and adenocarcinoma.
infection induced oxidative stress and dysregulated E-cadherin/β-catenin/p120 interactions and function also play a critical role in tumorigenesis. Environmental and dietary factors, in particular salt intake, are known to modify the pathogenesis induced by
. Gastric cancer induced by
appears to involve several mechanisms, making this mode of tumorigenesis a highly complicated process. Nevertheless, there are many events in this tumorigenesis that remain to be clarified and investigated.
Nanotechnology is one of the most recent technologies. It is uncertain whether the production of small-size nanoparticles (NPs) can be achieved through a simple, straightforward, and medicinally ...active phytochemical route. The present study aimed to develop an easy and justifiable method for the synthesis of Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au bimetallic NPs (BNPs) by using
(HH) extract, and then to investigate the effects of Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au BNPs as antimicrobial and phytotoxic agents. Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au BNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, EDX, and SEM analysis. XRD analysis conferring to the face of face-centered cubic crystal structure with an average size of 13.3, 10.72, and 8.34 nm of Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs, respectively. SEM showed that Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs had spherical morphologies, with calculated nano measurements of 40, 30, and 20 nm, respectively. The EDX analysis confirmed the composition of elemental Ag signal of the HH-AgNPs with 22.75%, Au signal of the HH-AuNPs with 48.08%, Ag signal with 12%, and Au signal with 38.26% of the Ag/Au BNPs. The Ag/Au BNPs showed an excellent antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive
,
,
,
,
,
,
, and Gram-negative
,
, and
bacterial strains, as well as against three fungal strains (
,
, and
) compared to HH extract, HH-AgNPs, and HH-AuNPs. However, further investigations are recommended to be able to minimize potential risks of application.
To investigate the response of nutritional supplement (LNS-PLW) on appetite score, energy intake, insulin and glucose levels in preeclamptic women.
Sixty under-weight preeclamptic primigravida were ...divided into two groups randomly and provided LNS-PLW/Placebo in the fasted state. Blood samples were collected at fasting state, after 30mins of supplementation, "ad libitum buffet" breakfast and lunch for glucose and insulin levels.
Total energy intake was higher significantly in the LNS-PLW group, although during breakfast it was significantly reduced. The insulin and glucose concentration was significantly increased after 30min of supplementation in the LNS-PLW group.
Intake of the LNS-PLW by pre-eclamptic women had short-term suppression on subsequent meal but improved total energy intake during trial.
Although giant fennel is recognized as a "superfood" rich in phytochemicals with antioxidant activity, research into the antibacterial properties of its fruits has been relatively limited, compared ...to studies involving the root and aerial parts of the plant. In this study, seven solvents-acetone, methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform, water, and hexane-were used to extract the chemical constituents of the fruit of giant fennel (Ferula communis), a species of flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae. Specific attributes of these extracts were investigated using in silico simulations and in vitro bioassays. High-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) identified 15 compounds in giant fennel extract, with p-coumaric acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, sinapic acid, and syringic acid being dominant. Among the solvents tested, ethanol demonstrated superior antioxidant activity and phenolic and flavonoid contents. F. communis extracts showed advanced inhibition of gram-negative pathogens (Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis) and variable antifungal activity against tested strains. Molecular docking simulations assessed the antioxidative, antibacterial, and antifungal properties of F. communis, facilitating innovative therapeutic development through predicted compound-protein interactions. In conclusion, the results validate the ethnomedicinal use and potential of F. communis. This highlights its significance in natural product research and ethnopharmacology.
This study investigated the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of essential oil extracted from
Lam. (EOA). Hydrodistillation was employed to extract EOA. Gas chromatography ...with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses (GC-MS) were used to determine the phytochemical composition of EOA. Antioxidant potential was examined in vitro by use of three tests: 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrilhidrazil (DPPH), ferric reducing activity power (FRAP) and total antioxidant capacity assay (TAC). Agar diffusion and microdilution bioassays were used to assess antimicrobial activity. GC/MS and GC-FID detected 34 constituents in the studied EOA. The major component was Camphor (24.97%) followed by Borneol (13.20%), 1,8 Cineol (10.88%), and Artemisia alcohol (10.20%). EOA exhibited significant antioxidant activity as measured by DPPH and FRAP assays, with IC
and EC
values of 0.034 ± 0.004 and 0.118 ± 0.008 mg/mL, respectively. EOA exhibited total antioxidant capacity of 7.299 ± 1.774 mg EAA/g. EOA exhibited potent antibacterial activity as judged by the low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against selected clinically-important pathogenic bacteria. MIC values of 6.568 ± 1.033, 5.971 ± 1.033, 7.164 ± 0.0 and 5.375 ± 0.0 μg/mL were observed against
,
,
97 and
57, respectively. EOA displayed significant antifungal activity against four strains of fungi:
,
,
and
with values of 21.50 ± 0.43, 5.31 ± 0.10, 21.50 ± 0.46 and 5.30 ± 0.036 μg/mL, respectively. The results of the current study highlight the importance of EOA as an alternative source of natural antioxidant and antibacterial drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant microbes and free radicals implicated in the inflammatory responses accompanying microbial infection.
The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has made an invaluable contribution to the field of regenerative medicine, paving way for identifying the true potential of human embryonic ...stem cells (ESCs). Since the controversy around ethicality of ESCs continue to be debated, iPSCs have been used to circumvent the process around destruction of the human embryo. The use of iPSCs have transformed biological research, wherein increasing number of studies are documenting nuclear reprogramming strategies to make them beneficial models for drug screening as well as disease modelling. The flexibility around the use of iPSCs include compatibility to non-invasive harvesting, and ability to source from patients with rare diseases. iPSCs have been widely used in cardiac disease modelling, studying inherited arrhythmias, neural disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, liver disease, and spinal cord injury. Extensive research around identifying factors that are involved in maintaining the identity of ESCs during induction of pluripotency in somatic cells is undertaken. The focus of the current review is to detail all the clinical translation research around iPSCs and the strength of its ever-growing potential in the clinical space.
Bone formation is regulated by numerous factors, such as transcription factors, cytokines, and extracellular matrix molecules. Human hormone nuclear receptors (hHNR) are a family of ligand‐regulated ...transcription factors that are activated by steroid hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, and various lipid‐soluble signals, including retinoic acid, oxysterols, and thyroid hormone. We found that an hHNR called NR4A1 was the most highly expressed after human MSC differentiation into osteoblasts by whole‐genome microarray. NR4A1 knockout decreased the osteoblastic differentiation of hMSCs in terms of ALPL expression and key marker gene expression. Whole‐genome microarray analysis further confirmed the decrease in key pathways when we knocked down NR4A1. Further studies with small molecule activators identified a novel molecule called Elesclomol (STA‐4783), which could activate and enhance osteoblast differentiation. Elesclomol activation of hMSCs also induced the gene expression of NR4A1 and rescued the phenotype of NR4A1 KD. In addition, Elesclomol activated the TGF‐ß pathway by regulating key marker genes. In conclusion, we first identified the role of NR4A1 in osteoblast differentiation and that Elesclomol is a positive regulator of NR4A1 through activation of the TGF‐ß signalling pathway.
Significance statement
This paper investigates the role of the human hormone nuclear receptor (hHNR) NR4A1 in osteoblast differentiation and the effect of the small molecule activator Elesclomol (STA‐4783) on NR4A1 activation. This study found that NR4A1 plays a crucial role in osteoblast differentiation, with knockdown decreasing ALPL expression and key marker gene expression. This study further identified Elesclomol as a positive regulator of NR4A1 through the activation of the TGF‐ß signalling pathway. The temporal expression of NR4A1 during osteoblast differentiation was also studied, showing sporadic expression. This study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of osteoblast differentiation and potential therapeutic targets for bone‐related diseases.
Unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) leads to variable metabolic effects. Oxidative stress (OS) of adipose tissue (AT) and mitochondrial energy homeostasis is little investigated. This work ...studied the effects of UCMS on OS and the antioxidant/redox status in AT and mitochondrial energy homeostasis in rats. Twenty‐four male Wistar rats (180–220 g) were divided into two equal groups; the normal control (NC) group and the UCMS group which were exposed to various stresses for 28 days. An indirect calorimetry machine was used to measure volumes of respiratory gases (VO2& VCO2), total energy expenditure (TEE), and food intake (FI). The AT depots were collected, weighed, and used for measuring activities and gene expression of key antioxidant enzymes (GPx1, SOD, CAT, GR, GCL, and GS), OS marker levels including superoxide anion (SA), peroxynitrite radical (PON), nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lipid peroxides (LPO), t‐protein carbonyl content (PCC), and reduced/oxidized glutathione levels (GSH, GSSG). Additionally, AT mitochondrial fractions were used to determine the activities of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycle enzymes (CS, α‐KGDH, ICDH, SDH, MDH), respiratory chain complexes I–III, II–III, IV, the nicotinamide coenzymes NAD+, NADH, and ATP/ADP levels. Compared with the NC group, the UCMS group showed very significantly increased OS marker levels, lowered antioxidant enzyme activities and gene expression, as well as lowered TCA cycle and respiratory chain activity and NAD+, NADH, and ATP levels (p < .001 for all comparisons). Besides, the UCMS group had lowered TEE and insignificant FI and weight gain. In conclusion, AT of the UCMS‐subjected rats showed a state of disturbed redox balance linked to disrupted energy homeostasis producing augmentation of AT.
Significance statement
Adipose tissue (AT) during periods of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) may encounter some oxidative metabolic change. This work studied oxidative stress of AT and mitochondrial energy homeostasis in rats exposed to UCMS. This study detected profound oxidative stress (OS) in AT of UCMS‐subjected rats, leading to redox imbalance. Besides, the presence of a reduction of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycle and respiratory chain activities consequently marked reduction in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, thus indicating mitochondrial metabolic exhaustion and disruption of energy homeostasis. These findings can impact the TEE and be associated parallelly with both TEE and food intake (FI), resulting in insignificant weight changes. Future research investigating the role of antioxidants as a prophylactic or curative treatment during UCMS is suggested.
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