Non-enzymatic cholesterol biosensor: Electrochemical sensing based on peptide-polylactic acid thin film.

Cholesterol is a fundamental lipid prevalent in eukaryotic cell membranes and circulating in the bloodstream bound to lipoproteins. It serves as a precursor to steroid hormones and is regarded as a biomarker for cardiovascular disease and other metabolic disorders. Numerous cholesterol detection methods predominantly rely on enzymes, which suffer from instability, leading to non-cost-effective biosensors with low sensitivity and poor reusability.

Modulation of adipose-derived stem cell behavior by prostate pathology-associated plasma: insights from in vitro exposure.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are promising in regenerative medicine. Their proliferation, survival and activation are influenced by specific signals within their microenvironment, also known as niche. The stem cell niche is regulated by complex interactions between multiple cell types.

Protective effects of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in UVB-activated microglia.

Neuroinflammation is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders that has been extensively studied in recent years. Microglia, the primary immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), are key players in this physiological process, demonstrating a remarkable adaptability in responding to various stimuli in the eye and the brain. Within the complex network of neuroinflammatory signals, the fatty acid N-ethanolamines, in particular N-arachidonylethanolamine (anandamide, AEA), emerged as crucial regulators of microglial activity under both physiological and pathological states.

Isthmocele and Infertility.

Isthmocele is a gynecological condition characterized by a disruption in the uterine scar, often associated with prior cesarean sections. This anatomical anomaly can be attributed to inadequate or insufficient healing of the uterine wall following a cesarean incision. It appears that isthmocele may impact a woman's quality of life as well as her reproductive capacity.

Measuring Endocannabinoid System Interaction with Biomembranes.

Understanding the correct interaction among the different components of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system is fundamental for a proper assessment of the function of eCBs as signaling molecules. The knowledge of how the membrane environment modulates the intracellular trafficking of the eCB system and its interacting proteins holds a huge potential in unraveling new mechanisms of its modulation. This chapter deals with the application of fluorescence resonance energy transfer technique to measure the binding affinity of eCB proteins to model membranes (i.

Fluorimetric Assay of FAAH Activity.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is the enzyme responsible for the degradation of anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine, AEA) to arachidonic acid (AA) and ethanolamine. The method described here measures FAAH activity through the fluorometric arachidonoyl-7-amino-4-methyl-coumarin amide (AAMCA) substrate, which allows a simple and sensitive assay suitable for high-throughput screening tests. FAAH catalyzes the hydrolysis of AAMCA producing AA and the highly fluorescent compound 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC).

Effects of Rare Phytocannabinoids on the Endocannabinoid System of Human Keratinocytes.

The decriminalization and legalization of has paved the way for investigations into the potential of the use of phytocannabinoids (pCBs) as natural therapeutics for the treatment of human diseases. This growing interest has recently focused on rare (less abundant) pCBs that are non-psychotropic compounds, such as cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), Δ-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). Notably, pCBs can act via the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is involved in the regulation of key pathophysiological processes, and also in the skin.

Cellular Prion Protein Expression in the Brain Tissue from -Infected Striped Dolphins ().

, a zoonotic pathogen of major concern to cetacean health and conservation, is responsible for severe meningo-encephalitic/myelitic lesions in striped dolphins (), often leading to their stranding and death. This study investigated, for the first time, the cellular prion protein (PrP) expression in the brain tissue from -infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins. Seven -infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins, found stranded along the Italian coastline (6) and in the Canary Islands (1), were investigated, along with five -uninfected striped dolphins from the coast of Italy, carrying no brain lesions, which served as negative controls.

Polymorphic variants in Sweet and Umami taste receptor genes and birthweight.

The first thousand days of life from conception have a significant impact on the health status with short, and long-term effects. Among several anthropometric and maternal lifestyle parameters birth weight plays a crucial role on the growth and neurological development of infants. Recent genome wide association studies (GWAS) have demonstrated a robust foetal and maternal genetic background of birth weight, however only a small proportion of the genetic hereditability has been already identified.

Circadian time series proteomics reveals daily dynamics in cartilage physiology.

Objective: Cartilage in joints such as the hip and knee experiences repeated phases of heavy loading and low load recovery during the 24-h day/night cycle. Our previous work has shown 24 h rhythmic changes in gene expression at transcript level between night and day in wild type mouse cartilage which is lost in a circadian clock knock-out mouse model. However, it remains unknown to what extent circadian rhythms also regulate protein level gene expression in this matrix rich tissue.

Immunohistochemical Analysis of DNA Repair- and Drug-Efflux-Associated Molecules in Tumor and Peritumor Areas of Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most commonly occurring primary tumor arising within the central nervous system, is characterized by high invasiveness and poor prognosis. In spite of the improvement in surgical techniques, along with the administration of chemo- and radiation therapy and the incessant investigation in search of prospective therapeutic targets, the local recurrence that frequently occurs within the peritumoral brain tissue makes GBM the most malignant and terminal type of astrocytoma. In the current study, we investigated both GBM and peritumoral tissues obtained from 55 hospitalized patients and the expression of three molecules involved in the onset of resistance/unresponsiveness to chemotherapy: O6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP1), and A2B5.

Catalytic Activity of Alkali Metal Cations for the Chemical Oxygen Reduction Reaction in a Biphasic Liquid System Probed by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy.

Chemical reduction of dioxygen in organic solvents for the production of reactive oxygen species or the concomitant oxidation of organic substrates can be enhanced by the separation of products and educts in biphasic liquid systems. Here, the coupled electron and ion transfer processes is studied as well as reagent fluxes across the liquid|liquid interface for the chemical reduction of dioxygen by decamethylferrocene (DMFc) in a dichloroethane-based organic electrolyte forming an interface with an aqueous electrolyte containing alkali metal ions. This interface is stabilized at the orifice of a pipette, across which a Galvani potential difference is externally applied and precisely adjusted to enforce the transfer of different alkali metal ions from the aqueous to the organic electrolyte.

Author Correction: The endocannabinoid hydrolase FAAH is an allosteric enzyme.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The endocannabinoid hydrolase FAAH is an allosteric enzyme.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a membrane-bound homodimeric enzyme that in vivo controls content and biological activity of N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and other relevant bioactive lipids termed endocannabinoids. Parallel orientation of FAAH monomers likely allows both subunits to simultaneously recruit and cleave substrates. Here, we show full inhibition of human and rat FAAH by means of enzyme inhibitors used at a homodimer:inhibitor stoichiometric ratio of 1:1, implying that occupation of only one of the two active sites of FAAH is enough to fully block catalysis.

Immunohistochemical investigations on Brucella ceti-infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba).

Bacteria of the genus Brucella cause brucellosis, an infectious disease common to humans as well as to terrestrial and aquatic mammals. Since 1994 several cases of Brucella spp. infection have been reported in marine mammals worldwide.

The anti-inflammatory agent bindarit acts as a modulator of fatty acid-binding protein 4 in human monocytic cells.

We investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which bindarit, a small indazolic derivative with prominent anti-inflammatory effects, exerts its immunoregulatory activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated human monocytic cells. We found that bindarit differentially regulates the release of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), enhancing the release of IL-8 and reducing that of MCP-1. These effects specifically required a functional interaction between bindarit and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), a lipid chaperone that couples intracellular lipid mediators to their biological targets and signaling pathways.

Identification of Key Pro-Survival Proteins in Isolated Colonic Goblet Cells of Winnie, a Murine Model of Spontaneous Colitis.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that the goblet cell-derived mucin-2 (Muc2) is a major component of the immune system and that perturbations in Muc2 lead to an ulcerative colitis-like phenotype. The animal model Winnie carries a missense mutation in Muc2 that causes Muc2 misfolding, accumulation in goblet cells, and ER stress. Excessive ER stress is a hallmark of many diseases, including ulcerative colitis, cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

Effect of the Random Defects Generated on the Surface of Pt(111) on the Electro-oxidation of Ethanol: An Electrochemical Study.

In the present work, the Pt(111) surface was disordered by controlling the density of {110}- and {100}-type defects. The cyclic voltammogram (CV) of a disordered surface in acid media consists of three contributions within the hydrogen adsorption/desorption region: one from the well-ordered Pt(111) symmetry and the other two transformed from the {111}-symmetry with contributions of {110}- and {100}-type surface defects. The ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) was studied on these disordered surfaces.

Iron-Dependent Trafficking of 5-Lipoxygenase and Impact on Human Macrophage Activation.

5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) is a non-heme iron-containing dioxygenase expressed in immune cells that catalyzes the two initial steps in the biosynthesis of leukotrienes. It is well known that 5-LOX activation in innate immunity cells is related to different iron-associated pro-inflammatory disorders, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and atherosclerosis. However, the molecular and cellular mechanism(s) underlying the interplay between iron and 5-LOX activation are largely unexplored.

Multifaceted Functional Role of Semaphorins in Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant tumor type affecting the adult central nervous system. Despite advances in therapy, the prognosis for patients with GBM remains poor, with a median survival of about 15 months. To date, few treatment options are available and recent trials based on the molecular targeting of some of the GBM hallmark pathways (e.

Modulation of Endocannabinoid-Binding Receptors in Human Neuroblastoma Cells by Tunicamycin.

Endocannabinoid (eCB)-binding receptors can be modulated by several ligands and membrane environment, yet the effect of glycosylation remains to be assessed. In this study, we used human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells to interrogate whether expression, cellular localization, and activity of eCB-binding receptors may depend on -linked glycosylation. Following treatment with tunicamycin (a specific inhibitor of -linked glycosylation) at the non-cytotoxic dose of 1 µg/mL, mRNA, protein levels and localization of eCB-binding receptors, as well as -acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues, were evaluated in SH-SY5Y cells by means of quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and confocal microscopy, respectively.