Hypersensitivity to man-made electromagnetic fields (EHS) correlates with immune responsivity to oxidative stress: a case report.

There is increasing evidence that exposure to weak electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by modern telecommunications or household appliances has physiological consequences, including reports of electromagnetic field hypersensitivity (EHS) leading to adverse health effects. Although symptoms can be serious, no underlying mechanism for EHS is known and there is no general cure or effective therapy. Here, we present the case study of a self-reported EHS patient whose symptoms include severe headaches, generalized fatigue, cardiac arrhythmia, attention and memory deficit, and generalized systemic pain within minutes of exposure to telecommunications (Wifi, cellular phones), high tension lines and electronic devices.

Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant Activity, and Acute Toxicity Evaluation of Extract Used in Traditional Medicine.

Medicinal plants such as are increasingly used for their purgative virtues to treat stomach aches, fever, and jaundice. This study aims to screen the phytochemical compounds and to assess the antioxidant activity and the acute oral toxicity of leaves. The plant was harvested, dried, pulverized, and preserved.

Molecular and cellular biology of PCSK9: impact on glucose homeostasis.

Proprotein convertase substilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors (PCSK9i) revolutionised the lipid-lowering therapy. However, a risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is evoked under PCSK9i therapy. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge on the link of PCSK9 with T2DM.

Cholesterol metabolism and Cx43, Cx46, and Cx50 gap junction protein expression and localization in normal and diabetic and obese ob/ob and db/db mouse testes.

Decreased fertility and birth rates arise from metabolic disorders. This study assesses cholesterol metabolism and Cx46, Cx50, and Cx43 expression in interstitium- and seminiferous tubule-enriched fractions of leptin-deficient ( ob/ob) and leptin receptor-deficient ( db/db) mice, two type 2 diabetes and obesity models associated with infertility. Testosterone levels decreased and glucose and free and esterified cholesterol (FC and EC) levels increased in serum, whereas FC and EC levels decreased in the interstitium, in ob/ob and db/db mice.

Distinctive actions of connexin 46 and connexin 50 in anterior pituitary folliculostellate cells.

Folliculostellate cell gap junctions establish a network for the transmission of information within the anterior pituitary. Connexins make up gap junction channels. Changes in connexin (Cx) turnover modify gap junction-mediated intercellular communication.

The hide and seek of Plasmodium vivax in West Africa: report from a large-scale study in Beninese asymptomatic subjects.

Background: Plasmodium vivax is considered to be absent from western Africa, where the prevalence of Duffy-negative red blood cell phenotype proves to be high. Several studies have, however, detected P. vivax infection cases in this part of Africa, raising the question of what is the actual prevalence of P.

Complementary expression and phosphorylation of Cx46 and Cx50 during development and following gene deletion in mouse and in normal and orchitic mink testes.

Gap junction-mediated communication helps synchronize interconnected Sertoli cell activities. Besides, coordination of germ cell and Sertoli cell activities depends on gap junction-mediated Sertoli cell-germ cell communication. This report assesses mechanisms underlying the regulation of connexin 46 (Cx46) and Cx50 in mouse testis and those accompanying a "natural" seasonal and a pathological arrest of spermatogenesis, resulting from autoimmune orchitis (AIO) in mink.

Antibiotic resistance and genotype of beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in nosocomial infections in Cotonou, Benin.

Background: Beta lactams are the most commonly used group of antimicrobials worldwide. The presence of extended-spectrum lactamases (ESBL) affects significantly the treatment of infections due to multidrug resistant strains of gram-negative bacilli. The aim of this study was to characterize the beta-lactamase resistance genes in Escherichia coli isolated from nosocomial infections in Cotonou, Benin.

The ears of the African elephant: unexpected high seroprevalence of Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae in healthy populations in Western Africa.

Background: Malaria Is A Life-Threatening Pathology In Africa. Plasmodium Falciparum And Plasmodium Vivax Attract The Most Focus Because Of Their High Prevalence And Mortality. Knowledge About The Prevalence Of The Cryptic Pathogens Plasmodium Ovale And Plasmodium Malariae Is Limited.

Is a Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA)-based assay a valid tool for detecting risky malaria blood donations in Africa?

Background: Malaria is a leading cause of mortality in southern Benin. The main causative agent, Plasmodium falciparum, poses a threat on critical transfusions in pregnant women and children. This study's objective was to compare the performance of different malaria screening methods in blood donors in southern Benin, a malaria-endemic country.

Myosin IIB deficiency in embryonic fibroblasts affects regulators and core members of the par polarity complex.

Wild-type (WT) and myosin heavy chain IIB null [MHCIIB (-/-)] embryonic fibroblasts were used as an experimental model to assess the role of the isoform B of myosin II (MII) in the regulation of the cell shape and intrinsic polarity. Genetic ablation of MHCIIB causes a persistent albeit, unstable protrusive activity in embryonic fibroblasts (Lo et al. in Nonmuscle myosin IIB is involved in the guidance of fibroblast migration.

CX43 expression, phosphorylation, and distribution in the normal and autoimmune orchitic testis with a look at gap junctions joining germ cell to germ cell.

Spermatogenesis requires connexin 43 (Cx43).This study examines normal gene transcription, translation, and phosphorylation of Cx43 to define its role on germ cell growth and Sertoli cell's differentiation, and identifies abnormalities arising from spontaneous autoimmune orchitis (AIO) in mink, a seasonal breeder and a natural model for autoimmunity. Northern blot analysis detected 2.

Cortactin/tyrosine-phosphorylated cortactin interaction with connexin 43 in mouse seminiferous tubules.

Deletion of the cortactin gene leads to male infertility. Considering that cortactin is an actin filament (F-actin)-binding protein associated with intercellular junctions, we measured changes in the expression and distribution of cortactin and tyrosine phosphorylated cortactin (P-cortactin) in the seminiferous epithelium of developing and adult mice to address the physiological significance of cortactin to germ cell differentiation. Cortactin was expressed in neonatal and developing Sertoli cells.

A revised and improved method for the isolation of seminiferous tubule-enriched fractions that preserves the phosphorylated and glycosylated forms of proteins.

An improved technique to generate high yields of relatively pure seminiferous tubule-enriched fractions from mouse testis by manual isolation is described. Our laboratory had previously developed an isolation method based on mild enzymatic digestion to separate individual constituents of each compartment of the testis, namely, the interstitial tissue and the seminiferous tubules. Although the method had the advantage of allowing the production of seminiferous tubule-enriched fractions in large amounts, we show here that this approach does not allow optimal preservation of the integrity of the proteins in the samples, in particular of the phosphorylated and/or glycosylated forms of the proteins.

Defects in the regulatory clearance mechanisms favor the breakdown of self-tolerance during spontaneous autoimmune orchitis.

We identified aberrations leading to spontaneous autoimmune orchitis (AIO) in mink, a seasonal breeder and natural model for autoimmunity. This study provides evidence favoring the view that a malfunction of the clearance mechanisms for apoptotic cell debris arising from imbalances in phagocyte receptors or cytokines acting on Sertoli cells constitutes a major factor leading to breakdown of self-tolerance during spontaneous AIO. Serum anti-sperm antibody titers measured by ELISA reflected spermatogenic activity without causing immune inflammatory responses.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced anterior pituitary folliculostellate TtT/GF cell uncoupling is mediated by connexin 43 dephosphorylation.

The anterior pituitary folliculostellate (FS) cells are key elements of the paracrine control of the pituitary function. These cells are the source and the target of growth factors and cytokines, and are connected to other pituitary cells via Cx43-mediated gap junctions. Here, we show that acute treatment of the FS TtT/GF cell line with TNF-alpha caused a transient cell uncoupling that was accompanied by the dephosphorylation of Cx43 in Ser368.

The predominance of one of the SR-BI isoforms is associated with increased esterified cholesterol levels not apoptosis in mink testis.

Scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) contributes to HDL-mediated cellular cholesterol efflux and is a phagocytosis-inducing phospholipid phosphatidylserine receptor in rat Sertoli cells, whereas the spliced variant of the SR-B gene, SR-BII, is implicated in the efflux of free cholesterol in macrophages. This study aimed to assess whether spontaneous autoimmune orchitis (AIO), which causes impaired clearance of apoptotic germ cells and spermatogenic arrest, involves SR-BI, SR-BII, and/or cholesterol. The levels measured during development and the annual reproductive cycle in normal mink were compared with those in mink with spontaneous AIO.