Amniotic fluid metabolic fingerprinting indicated metabolites which may play a role in the pathogenesis of foetal Down syndrome - a preliminary report.

Objectives: Down syndrome is the most common human chromosomal aberration. It is commonly known that it is a genetic- based disease, but still, pathomechanisms which lead to observed disorders have not been explained. The objective of this study was to determine the metabolic fingerprinting of the amniotic fluid women carrying foetuses with Down syndrome (DS).

Atorvastatin impairs liver mitochondrial function in obese Göttingen Minipigs but heart and skeletal muscle are not affected.

Statins lower the risk of cardiovascular events but have been associated with mitochondrial functional changes in a tissue-dependent manner. We investigated tissue-specific modifications of mitochondrial function in liver, heart and skeletal muscle mediated by chronic statin therapy in a Göttingen Minipig model. We hypothesized that statins enhance the mitochondrial function in heart but impair skeletal muscle and liver mitochondria.

The role of gut microbiota (GM) and GM-related metabolites in diabetes and obesity. A review of analytical methods used to measure GM-related metabolites in fecal samples with a focus on metabolites' derivatization step.

Disruption of gut microbiota (GM) composition is increasingly related to the pathogenesis of various metabolic diseases. Additionally, GM is responsible for the production and transformation of metabolites involved in the development of metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The current state of knowledge regarding the composition of GM and GM-related metabolites in relation to the progress and development of obesity and T2DM is presented in this review.

Prenatal circulating microRNA signatures of foetal Down syndrome.

The altered expression pattern of miRNAs might potentially reflect anomalies related to foetal chromosomal aberrations. The aim of the study was to determine the expression level of miRNAs in plasma of pregnant women with foetal Down syndrome (DS). Out of 198 amniocentesis performed at 15-18 weeks of gestation, within a group of 12 patients with foetal DS and 12 patients with uncomplicated pregnancies, who delivered healthy newborns at term, we examined the expression level of 800 miRNAs using the NanoString technology.

Untargeted metabolomics: an overview of its usefulness and future potential in prenatal diagnosis.

Metabolomics opens up new avenues for biomarker discovery in different branches of medicine, including perinatology. Chromosomal aberration, preterm delivery (PTD), congenital heart defects, spina bifida, chorioamnionitis, and low birth weight are the main perinatal pathologies. Investigations using untargeted metabolomics have found the candidate metabolites for diagnostic biomarkers.

Maternal plasma metabolic fingerprint indicative for fetal Down syndrome.

Objective: The objective of the study was to perform maternal plasma metabolic fingerprinting to evaluate differences in plasma metabolites between healthy and Down syndrome (DS) pregnancies and to indicate novel non-invasive markers for DS prenatal diagnostics.

Methods: This was a case-control study of pregnancies between 15th and 18th gestational week. LC-MS-based metabolic fingerprinting of plasma samples was performed.

Evaluation of Bisphenol A influence on endocannabinoid system in pregnant women.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical widely used in the industry, which may potentially evoke negative effects on human health, especially on reproductive processes and fetal development. BPA has been reported to act on estrogen, estrogen-related, androgen, thyroid hormone, pregnane X, peroxisome proliferation-activated, and aryl hydrocarbon receptors. However, other potential mechanisms of BPA action on pregnancy cannot be excluded.

An exploratory LC-MS-based metabolomics study reveals differences in aqueous humor composition between diabetic and non-diabetic patients with cataract.

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Epidemiological studies revealed up to a fivefold increased prevalence of cataracts in diabetic subjects. Metabolomics is nowadays frequently implemented to understand pathophysiological processes responsible for disease occurrence and progression.

Serum Metabolic Fingerprinting Identified Putatively Annotated Sphinganine Isomer as a Biomarker of Wolfram Syndrome.

Wolfram syndrome (WFS) is an example of a rare neurodegenerative disease with coexisting endocrine symptoms including diabetes mellitus as the first clinical symptom. Treatment of WFS is still only symptomatic and associated with poor prognosis. Potential markers of disease progression that could be useful for possible intervention trials are not available.

Vitamin D2 Stability During the Refrigerated Storage of Ultraviolet B-Treated Cultivated Culinary-Medicinal Mushrooms.

The effects of ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation on the synthesis of vitamin D2 and its stability during refrigerated storage was determined in fresh cultivated culinary-medicinal mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Lentinus edodes) after harvest. The irradiated mushrooms were stored at 4°C for up to 10 days. The concentrations of vitamin D2 and ergosterol were determined using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Development of LC-QTOF-MS method for human lung tissue fingerprinting. A preliminary application to nonsmall cell lung cancer.

The major histologic subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) include adenocarcinoma (ADC), squamous cell lung carcinoma (SCC), and large-cell carcinoma (LCC). Clinical trials of targeted agents and newer chemotherapy agents yielded differences in outcomes according to histologic subgroups providing a rationale for histology-based treatment in NSCLC. Currently, NSCLC subtyping is performed based on histopathological examinations and immunohistochemistry.

Study on vitamin D₂ stability in dried mushrooms during drying and storage.

The main objective of this work was to determine the stability of vitamin D2 in dried mushrooms Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinula edodes during storage, as well as to examine the possibility of inducing vitamin D2 production in dried mushrooms by UVB irradiation. After 1.5 year storage of dried mushrooms, the level of vitamin D2 in button mushrooms was found to be 6.