Genetic Insights Into Epidermolysis Bullosa: Identification of Novel Variants in Tunisian Patients.

Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is a group of genetic skin disorders characterized by extreme skin fragility and blistering. In North African countries, including Tunisia, complex genetic and phenotypic diversity is entangled with a scarcity of scientific research on EB. This lack of knowledge presents a distinct challenge in terms of diagnostic accuracy and patient care.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios as mortality predictors in acute Aluminum phosphide (grain pills) poisoning: clinical insights and risk assessment.

Background: Aluminum phosphides (AlP) is a solid fumigant pesticide known for its high toxicity and mortality. Diagnosis of AlP is based on the history and clinical examination. The literature on the early prediction of adverse outcomes following AlP exposure is limited.

Is Tunisia ready for precision medicine? Challenges of medical genomics within a LMIC healthcare system.

As one of the key tools on the precision medicine workbench, high-throughput genetic testing has enormous promise for improving healthcare outcomes. Tunisia has made tremendous progress in acquiring and implementing the technology in the clinical context. However, current utilization does not ensure the whole range of benefits that high-throughput genomic testing provides which impedes the country's ability to move forward into the new era of precision medicine.

Comparative impact of replacing fish meal with azolla on growth, water quality, and physiology of red tilapia fingerlings at varying salinities.

A 210-day experiment to assess the efficacy of substituting azolla plant powder at levels of 0, 20, 40, and 60% for fish meal on red tilapia fingerlings (RTF, initial weight of 18.23 ± 0.12 g) performance under salinity levels of 5, 18, and 28ppt.

Anticancer Properties of Different Varieties of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Leaf Extracts in Human Tumor Cells: a Comparative Study.

Plant polyphenols are nutraceutical components with relevant biological effects on human health. They act against development of several diseases including cancer. In this study, the methanolic extracts of four date palm Phoenix dactylifera leaves (Deglet Noor (DN), Barhee (B), Khalas (KS) and Khunezi (KZ)) collected from south Tunisia were preliminary analyzed for their effects against U87 (human glioblastoma) and MDA-MB-231 (human breast cancer) cell line development.

Could the serum glucose/potassium ratio offer an early reliable predictor of life-threatening events in acute methylxanthine intoxication?

Methylxanthines are widely used to manage pulmonary disorders, particularly in developing countries. Methylxanthines are unsafe due to their narrow therapeutic index and associated morbidity and mortality. The current study aimed to investigate the role of glucose/potassium ratio as a substantially useful early predictor of life-threatening events (LTEs) in the form of cardiovascular and neurological complications among methylxanthine users.

Magnesium Supplementation Alleviates the Toxic Effects of Silica Nanoparticles on the Kidneys, Liver, and Adrenal Glands in Rats.

Concerns regarding the possible hazards to human health have been raised by the growing usage of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) in a variety of applications, including industrial, agricultural, and medical applications. This in vivo subchronic study was conducted to assess the following: (1) the toxicity of orally administered SiNPs on the liver, kidneys, and adrenal glands; (2) the relationship between SiNPs exposure and oxidative stress; and (3) the role of magnesium in mitigating these toxic effects. A total of 24 Sprague Dawley male adult rats were divided equally into four groups, as follows: control group, magnesium (Mg) group (50 mg/kg/d), SiNPs group (100 mg/kg/d), and SiNPs+ Mg group.

The First Snake Venom KTS/Disintegrins-Integrin Interactions Using Bioinformatics Approaches.

Snake venom contains a number of active molecules that have been shown to possess high anti-tumor activities; disintegrins are an excellent example among these. Their ability to interact and bind with integrins suggests that they could be very valuable molecules for the development of new cancer therapeutic approaches. However, in the absence of a clear Lysine-Threonine-Serine (KTS) Disintegrins Integrin interaction model, the exact compound features behind it are still unknown.

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Unlikely to Bind to Integrins the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) Motif of the Receptor Binding Domain: Evidence From Structural Analysis and Microscale Accelerated Molecular Dynamics.

The Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 virus harbors a sequence of Arg-Gly-Asp tripeptide named RGD motif, which has also been identified in extracellular matrix proteins that bind integrins as well as other disintegrins and viruses. Accordingly, integrins have been proposed as host receptors for SARS-CoV-2. However, given that the microenvironment of the RGD motif imposes a structural hindrance to the protein-protein association, the validity of this hypothesis is still uncertain.

DisintegrinDB: The first integrated database resource of disintegrins from snake venoms.

Nowadays, a large number of databases have been developed gathering different types of therapeutic peptides including antimicrobial, antiviral and scorpion toxins peptides facilitating the searching for these molecules and their structural characteristics and pharmacology. Disintegrins, a family of small non-enzymatic and cysteine-rich proteins found in the snake venom may have a potential role in terms of novel therapeutic leads for cancer treatment. Despite their therapeutic effect, no database dedicated to disintegrins is available yet.

Reconstruction of orbital floor fractures with Polypropylen mesh.

Aim: Various materials for reconstruction of bone defects in orbital floor fractures have been developed and clinically applied. The aim of this study is to evaluate the contribution of using the Polypropylene mesh as a reconstructive material for orbital floor mean-size defects.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical charts of 40 patients who underwent post traumatic orbital floor reconstructive surgery.

RK, the first scorpion peptide with dual disintegrin activity on αβ and αβ integrins.

Scorpion peptides are well known for their pharmaceutical potential on different targets. These include mainly the ion channels which were found to be highly expressed in many diseases, including cancer, auto-immune pathologies and Alzheimer. So far, however, the disintegrin activity had only been characterized for snake venom molecules.

Helix aspersa maxima mucus exhibits antimelanogenic and antitumoral effects against melanoma cells.

Snail secretion is currently revolutionizing the world of cosmetics and human skin care. The efficacy of snail secretion in wounds healing has been proven both in vitro and by clinical studies. However, the potential anti-tumor effect of snail secretion was poorly investigated.

RK1, the first very short peptide from Buthus occitanus tunetanus inhibits tumor cell migration, proliferation and angiogenesis.

Scorpion toxins have been the subject of many studies which explore their pharmacological potential toward diverse molecular targets, known to monitor key mechanisms in cancer such as proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. The few peptides from scorpion venom that have an anti-tumor effect are generally cytotoxic. Herein, we present the first description of a short 14 amino acid peptide (called RK1), purified from the venom of Buthus occitanus tunetanus, with the particular capabilities, among different other scorpion peptides, to inhibit cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of U87 (Glioblastoma) and IGR39 (Melanoma).

A New Protein Extract Inhibitor from Hypobranchial Purple Gland of Hexaplex trunculus, a Mediterranean Mollusk, Impairs the Motility of Human Glioblastoma U87 and the HeLa Cell Line of Cervical Carcinoma Cells.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of hypobranchial gland protein extracts (HGPEs) of Hexaplex trunculus on the viability, cell adhesion, and migration of human U87 glioblastoma cells and the HeLa cell line obtained from epithelial cervical carcinoma cells. Analysis of the HGPE on polyacrylamide gel (12%) shows a variety of proteins whose molecular weights vary between 12 and 1OO kDa. Chromatographic analysis shows 16 peaks obtained at various retention times.

Hyalomma dromedarii (Acari: Ixodidae) Salivary Gland Extract Inhibits Angiogenesis and Exhibits In Vitro Antitumor Effects.

Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are blood-sucking ectoparasites characterized by the extended period of their attachment to their host. To access their bloodmeal, ticks secrete saliva containing a range of molecules that target the host's inflammation, immune system, and hemostatic components. Some of these molecules reportedly possess antiangiogenic and antitumor properties.

Expression, purification and functionality of bioactive recombinant human vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF in E. coli.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is associated with tumour growth and metastasis. Because VEGF is the major player in both angiogenesis and vascular permeability and the most explored factor in angio-inhibitory therapies, many expression procedures have been developed to produce functional VEGF in convenient yield. In this study, recombinant human VEGF was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli (BL21)-DE3 cells and large scale production was performed by fermentation.

TRAIL receptor gene editing unveils TRAIL-R1 as a master player of apoptosis induced by TRAIL and ER stress.

TRAIL induces selective tumor cell death through TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2. Despite the fact that these receptors share high structural homologies, induction of apoptosis upon ER stress, cell autonomous motility and invasion have solely been described to occur through TRAIL-R2. Using the TALEN gene-editing approach, we show that TRAIL-R1 can also induce apoptosis during unresolved unfolded protein response (UPR).

Evaluation of anti-diabetic and anti-tumoral activities of bioactive compounds from Phoenix dactylifera L's leaf: In vitro and in vivo approach.

Among various chronic disorders, cancer and diabetes mellitus are the most common disorders. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of hydroalcoholic extract of Phoenix dactylifera L. leaves (HEPdL) in animal models of type II diabetes in vitro/in vivo and in a human melanoma-derived cell line (IGR-39).

CC5 and CC8, two homologous disintegrins from Cerastes cerastes venom, inhibit in vitro and ex vivo angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis constitutes a fundamental step in tumor progression. Thus, targeting tumour angiogenesis has been identified to be promising in cancer treatment. In this work, CC5 and CC8, two highly homologous disintegrins isolated from the venom Cerastes cerastes viper from the south of Tunisia, were assessed for their anti-angiogenic effect by testing their ability to interfere with viability, adhesion, migration and angiogenesis of Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells, HMEC-1 and HBMEC.

C3 Polymorphism Influences Circulating Levels of C3, ASP and Lipids in Schizophrenic Patients.

Excessive activation of complement is associated with many diseases including schizophrenia. Investigation of C3 polymorphisms, circulating C3, cleavage product ASP/C3adesArg, and lipid metabolism. Cross-sectional analysis.

Paraoxonase 1 activity and lipid profile in schizophrenic patients.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the variations of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity and lipid profile in patients with schizophrenia and the association of this activity with the sociodemographic, clinical and therapeutical characteristics of this population.

Patients And Methods: Our cross-sectional study included 140 schizophrenic patients and 119 control subjects aged respectively 37.3±10.