Red and near infrared light-stimulated angiogenesis mediated via Ca influx, VEGF production and NO synthesis in endothelial cells in macrophage or malignant environments.

Irradiation with red or near-infrared (NIR) light in low level light therapy (LLLT) is found to stimulate cellular processes and bioenergetics, resulting in enhanced wound healing, pain control, neurodegenerative diseases treatment, etc. During light irradiation of tissues and organs, different cells are affected, though the connection between photostimulation of cells and their environmental conditions remains poorly understood. In this report, red/NIR light-stimulated angiogenesis is investigated using endothelial cells in vitro, with a focus on the capillary-like structure (CLS) formation and the respective biochemical processes in cells under conditions proximate to a healthy or malignant environment, which strongly defines angiogenesis.

The influence of probiotic diet and chondroitin sulfate administration on Ptgs2, Tgfb1 and Col2a1 expression in rat knee cartilage during monoiodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common worldwide disease induced by a wide range of biochemical processes, mainly inflammation and degradation of collagen. The aim of this study, was to describe the effect of a multistrain probiotic (PB) and chondroitin sulfate (CS), administered separately or in combination, on the expression of Ptgs2, Tgfb1 and Col2a1 during monoiodoacetate-induced OA in male rats.

Methods: OA was induced in male rats by injecting monoiodoacetate in right hind knee.

Structure-Activity Relationships of Photoswitchable Diarylethene-Based β-Hairpin Peptides as Membranolytic Antimicrobial and Anticancer Agents.

Five series (28 structures) of photoswitchable β-hairpin peptides were synthesized based on the cyclic scaffold of the natural antibiotic gramicidin S. Cell-type selectivity was compared for all activated (diarylethene "ring-open") and deactivated ("ring-closed") forms in terms of antibacterial activity (MIC against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis), anticancer activity (IC against HeLa cell line), and hemolytic cytotoxicity (HC against human erythrocytes). Correlations between the conformational plasticity of the peptides, their hydrophobicity, and their bioactivity were also analyzed.

Sex-based differences in phagocyte metabolic profile in rats with monosodium glutamate-induced obesity.

The important component of obesity pathogenesis is inflammatory activation of innate immune cells within adipose tissue and in other body locations. Both the course of obesity and innate immune reactivity are characterized by sex-associated differences. The aim of the work was a comparative investigation of metabolic profiles of phagocytes from different locations in male and female rats with MSG-induced obesity.

Direct Photocontrol of Peptidomimetics: An Alternative to Oxygen-Dependent Photodynamic Cancer Therapy.

Conventional photodynamic treatment strategies are based on the principle of activating molecular oxygen in situ by light, mediated by a photosensitizer, which leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species and thereby causes cell death. A diarylethene-derived peptidomimetic is presented that is suitable for photodynamic cancer therapy without any involvement of oxygen. This light-sensitive molecule is not a mediator but is itself the cytotoxic agent.