Publications by authors named "Sunilkumar"

Article Synopsis
  • Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a significant cause of blindness in older adults, but the initial molecular changes that lead to vision loss are not well understood.
  • Research using sodium iodate (NaIO) on mice showed increased levels of the stress response protein REDD1 in the retina, which correlates with heightened oxidative stress and inflammation when NaIO is administered.
  • Mice without REDD1 experienced less damage, including reduced oxidative stress and preserved retinal structure, suggesting that REDD1 plays a crucial role in developing retinal issues associated with dry AMD.
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  • Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major cause of kidney failure, and this study focuses on the stress response protein REDD1's role in podocytes during diabetes.
  • Researchers found that deleting REDD1 specifically in podocytes reduced kidney damage in diabetic mice, shown by lower levels of albuminuria and preserved kidney structure.
  • The study highlights that REDD1 is crucial for the effects of diabetes on certain kidney proteins and suggests that targeting REDD1 could lead to new treatments for DN.
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The stress response protein regulated in development and DNA damage response 1 (REDD1) has emerged as a key player in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Diabetes upregulates REDD1 in a variety of insulin-sensitive tissues, where the protein acts to inhibit signal transduction downstream of the insulin receptor. REDD1 functions as a cytosolic redox sensor that suppresses Akt/mTORC1 signaling to reduce energy expenditure in response to cellular stress.

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  • Activation of NF-κB in heart cells (cardiomyocytes) is linked to heart function issues in diabetes, primarily through the production of inflammatory proteins.
  • The protein REDD1 is crucial for increasing these inflammatory proteins in diabetic hearts, as its absence leads to decreased NF-κB signaling and reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
  • In diabetic mice, REDD1 influences heart function by affecting GSK3β activity, with its presence linked to serious cardiac dysfunction, whereas REDD1 deficiency appears to protect against diabetes-related heart problems.
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  • This study investigates how diabetes triggers the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a key player in retinal complications associated with diabetes.
  • Researchers found that both NLRP3 and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels increased in diabetic mice and cultured Müller cells under hyperglycemic conditions, with the stress response protein REDD1 being essential for this increase.
  • The findings suggest that REDD1 influences GSK3β activity, which is crucial for NLRP3 inflammasome activation and IL-1β production in Müller glial cells during diabetes, potentially affecting visual function in diabetic mice.
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Natural products have been a long-standing source for exploring health-beneficial components from time immemorial. Modern science has had a renewed interest in natural-products-based drug discovery. The quest for new potential secondary metabolites or exploring enhanced activities for existing molecules remains a pertinent topic for research.

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Drought and heat frequently co-occur during crop growth leading to devastating yield loss. The knowledge of the genetic loci governing component traits of yield under combined drought and heat stress is essential for enhancing the climate resilience. The present study employed a mapping population of 180 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between GW322 and KAUZ to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) governing the component traits of yield under heat and combined stress conditions.

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We recently reported that cranberry proanthocyanidins (C-PACs) inhibit esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) by 83% through reversing reflux-induced bacterial, inflammatory and immune-implicated proteins and genes as well as reducing esophageal bile acids, which drive EAC progression. This study investigated whether C-PACs' mitigation of bile reflux-induced transporter dysregulation mechanistically contributes to EAC prevention. RNA was isolated from water-, C-PAC- and reflux-exposed rat esophagi with and without C-PAC treatment.

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Vision enables both image-forming perception, driven by a contrast-based pathway, and unconscious non-image-forming circadian photoentrainment, driven by an irradiance-based pathway. Although two distinct photoreceptor populations are specialized for each visual task, image-forming photoreceptors can additionally contribute to photoentrainment of the circadian clock in different species. However, it is unknown how the image-forming photoreceptor pathway can functionally implement the segregation of irradiance signals required for circadian photoentrainment from contrast signals required for image perception.

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Wheat crop is subjected to various biotic and abiotic stresses, which affect crop productivity and yield. Among various abiotic stresses, drought stress is a major problem considering the current global climate change scenario. A high-yielding wheat variety, HD3086, has been released for commercial cultivation under timely sown irrigated conditions for the North Western Plain Zone (NWPZ) and North Eastern Plain Zone NEPZ of India.

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Article Synopsis
  • Inflammation plays a significant role in the development and progression of diabetic retinal complications, with REDD1 being a key protein involved in this process.
  • REDD1 promotes the activation of NF-κB, a transcription factor linked to inflammation, by affecting the phosphorylation of GSK3β, particularly under hyperglycemic conditions.
  • Inhibiting GSK3β in diabetic models can reduce NF-κB activity and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues for managing diabetic retinal inflammation.
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Biofortification is gaining importance globally to improve human nutrition through enhancing the micronutrient content, such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc, in staple food crops. The present study aims to identify the chromosomal regions governing the grain iron concentration (GFeC), grain zinc concentration (GZnC), and thousand kernel weight (TKW) using recombinant inbred lines (RILs) in wheat, developed from a cross between HD3086 and HI1500. The experiment was conducted in four different production conditions at Delhi , control, drought, heat, and combined heat and drought stress and at Indore under drought stress.

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Introduction: Wheat is grown and consumed worldwide, making it an important staple food crop for both its calorific and nutritional content. In places where wheat is used as a staple food, suboptimal micronutrient content levels, especially of grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), can lead to malnutrition. Grain nutrient content is influenced by abiotic stresses, such as drought and heat stress.

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COVID-19 pandemic has affected TB case detection and continuity of care globally. Kerala, the southern Indian state has experienced a reduction in TB notification during second and third quarter of 2020. Through (1) causal analysis (2) meticulous planning and establishment of systems (3) locally customised guidelines (4) better management of resources (5) integration with other programs and (6) good partnership with private sector, Kerala was able to catch up the TB notification and ensure that TB services remain intact even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Introduction: The 5- factor frailty index (mFI-5) has reliably predicted outcomes after vascular surgeries. The purpose of this study was to determine the performance of this index in aortic endovascular surgery ( endovascular aneurysm repair [EVAR]) MATERIALS AND METHODS: The American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database (NSQIP) was retrospectively analyzed for patients undergoing nonruptured EVAR between 2015 and 2019. Outcomes were assessed using bivariate analysis (Mann Whitney U test, chi-squared test, and t-test) and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

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Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inflammation are hallmarks of myocardial impairment. Here, we investigated the role of the stress response protein regulated in development and DNA damage 1 (REDD1) as a molecular link between ER stress and inflammation in cardiomyocytes. In mice fed a high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS, 42% kcal fat, 34% sucrose by weight) diet for 12 wk, REDD1 expression in the heart was increased in coordination with markers of ER stress and inflammation.

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There is a significant yield reduction in the wheat crop as a result of different biotic and abiotic stresses, and changing climate, among them moisture deficit stress and leaf rust are the major ones affecting wheat worldwide. HD3086 is a high-yielding wheat variety that has been released for commercial cultivation under timely sown irrigated conditions in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Variety HD3086 provides a good, stable yield, and it is the choice of millions of farmers in India.

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Wheat is the staple food crop of global importance for its grain nutrient quality. Grain iron and zinc content of the wheat grain is an important quantitatively inherited trait that is influenced by the environmental factors such as drought and heat stress. Phenotypic evaluation of 295 advanced breeding lines from the wheat stress breeding program of IARI was carried out under timely sown irrigated (IR), restricted irrigated, and late-sown conditions at New Delhi during the cropping season of 2020-21, and grain iron (GFeC) and zinc (GZnC) contents were estimated from both control and treatments.

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Article Synopsis
  • Inflammation in the retina is worsened by diabetes, and the study investigates the role of a stress response protein called REDD1 in this process.
  • Increased levels of REDD1 were found in the retinas of diabetic mice, and it was essential for the expression of inflammatory cytokines.
  • Deleting REDD1 in human retinal cells inhibited these cytokines by affecting the NF-κB signaling pathway, demonstrating that REDD1 is a key player in diabetic retinal inflammation.
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Purpose: Neuroglial dysfunction occurs early in the progression of diabetic retinopathy. In response to diabetes or hypoxia, Müller glia secrete cytokines and growth factors that contribute to disease progression. This study was designed to examine common signaling pathways activated in Müller glia by both type 1 and pre-/type 2 diabetes.

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The fungal symbiosis with the plant root system is importantly recognized as a plant growth promoting fungi (PGPFs), as well as elicitor of plant defence against different biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Thus PGPFs are playing as a key trouper in enhancing agricultural quality and increased crop production and paving a way towards a sustainable agriculture. Due to increased demand of food production, the over and unscientific usage of chemical fertilizers has led to the contamination of soil by organic and inorganic wastes impacting on soil quality, crops quality effecting on export business of agricultural products.

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  • REDD1, a stress response protein, is linked to visual deficits in diabetes, with increased levels observed in the retinas of diabetic mice, despite no changes in its mRNA or ribosome association.
  • Oral antioxidants were found to lower oxidative stress and REDD1 protein levels, indicating a potential therapeutic pathway for managing retinal issues in diabetes.
  • The study uncovered that high glucose conditions led to oxidative stress, enhancing REDD1 expression and stability through disulfide bond formation, impacting its degradation and highlighting a complex regulatory mechanism involving redox status.
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Background: The dengue is a vector borne viral infection in humans. Bite of mosquito infected with a dengue virus transmits the disease. The neutrophils support more to the innate immune response by switching to infected tissues and triggering immunomodulatory mechanisms including the release of proteases and host defence peptides.

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  • Chronic hyperglycemia leads to diabetic kidney disease by causing glomerular injury, with the protein REDD1 playing a key role in this process.
  • A study showed that wild-type mice with diabetes displayed increased REDD1 expression and renal damage, while diabetic mice lacking REDD1 had better kidney health and less injury.
  • In human kidney cells, hyperglycemia raised REDD1 levels, leading to oxidative stress and cell death, but deleting REDD1 or inhibiting GSK3β improved cell survival and reduced damage.
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Tamarixetin, a flavonoid derived from Quercetin, was shown to possess anti-cancer properties in various types of cancer. However, the mechanism of action of this compound is not well understood. Observations from reverse docking and network pharmacology analysis, were validated by cell based studies to analyse the chemotherapeutic potential and elucidate the molecular mechanism of action of Tamarixetin in breast cancer.

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