Effects of exogenous deoxyribonuclease I in collagen antibody-induced arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a high concentration of extracellular DNA (ecDNA). This could be a consequence of the inflammation, but the ecDNA could also be involved in the unknown etiopathogenesis of RA. Clearance of ecDNA is hypothesized to prevent the development of RA.

Extracellular DNA and Markers of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Saliva from Patients with Periodontitis-A Case-Control Study.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease. We have previously shown that salivary DNA is higher in patients with periodontitis. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Mitochondrial DNA variability and Covid-19 in the Slovak population.

Recent studies have shown that mitochondria are involved in the pathogenesis of Covid-19. Mitochondria play a role in production of reactive oxygen species and induction of an innate immune response, both important during infections. Common variability of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can affect oxidative phosphorylation and the risk or lethality of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases and sepsis.

Neutrophil extracellular traps formation and clearance is enhanced in fever and attenuated in hypothermia.

Fever and hypothermia represent two opposite strategies for fighting systemic inflammation. Fever results in immune activation; hypothermia is associated with energy conservation. Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) remains a significant cause of mortality worldwide.

Mitochondria-induced formation of neutrophil extracellular traps is enhanced in the elderly via Toll-like receptor 9.

Neutrophil extracellular traps are potent antimicrobial weapons; however, their formation during sterile inflammation is detrimental, and the mechanism of induction is still unclear. Since advanced age is the primary clinical risk factor for poor outcomes in inflammatory diseases, we hypothesized that sterile stimuli, represented by mitochondria, would induce neutrophil extracellular trap formation in an age-dependent manner. Therefore, we analyzed induction of neutrophil extracellular traps in patients grouped according to age or immune status and observed that neutrophils from elderly patients responded to the presence of mitochondria with enhanced neutrophil extracellular trap formation.

Sex differences in long-term effects of collagen-induced arthritis in middle-aged mice.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with high prevalence among middle-aged women. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is the most widely used animal model of RA, however, sex differences and long-term effects of CIA in mice are poorly described in the literature. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the long-term effects of CIA on the joints of middle-aged mice of both sexes and to describe potential sex differences.

Cognitive impairment and biomarkers of gut microbial translocation in testicular germ cell tumor survivors.

Background: Survivors of testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) may suffer from late cognitive impairment. We hypothesized that disruption of intestinal barrier during chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy may be a contributing factor of cognitive dysfunction within the gut-blood-brain axis.

Methods: GCT survivors (N = 142) from National Cancer Institute of Slovakia completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Cognitive Function questionnaires during their annual follow-up visit at 9-year median (range 4-32).

Neutrophil extracellular traps in urinary tract infection.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common types of bacterial infection in children. UTI treatment is aimed to prevent complications including hypertension, proteinuria, and progression to chronic kidney disease. Activated neutrophils release chromatin-based structures associated with antimicrobial proteins called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).

Investigation of the Presence of DNA in Human Blood Plasma Small Extracellular Vesicles.

Extracellular DNA (ecDNA) is DNA outside of cells, which is a result of various mechanisms. EcDNA is believed to be a cause of various pathogeneses as well as their potential biomarker. EcDNA is believed to also be part of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) from cell cultures.

Severe gestational diabetes mellitus in lean dams is associated with low IL-1α levels and affects the growth of the juvenile mouse offspring.

We investigated how maternal gestational diabetes (GDM) impacts the metabolic status of offspring. GDM was induced in CD1 mice consuming a fast-food diet (FFD) by repeated low-dose streptozotocin injections before mating. Offspring of normoglycemic standard chow or the FFD consuming dams served as controls.

Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mood disorders that can lead to impaired quality of life. Current treatment of anxiety disorders has various adverse effects, safety concerns, or restricted efficacy; therefore, novel therapeutic targets need to be studied. Sex steroid hormones (SSHs) play a crucial role in the formation of brain structures, including regions of the limbic system and prefrontal cortex during perinatal development.

On the Origin of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in COVID-19.

Despite ongoing vaccination COVID-19 is a global healthcare problem because of the lack of an effective targeted therapy. In severe COVID-19 manifesting as acute respiratory distress syndrome, uncontrolled innate immune system activation results in cytokine deregulation, damage-associated molecular patterns release upon tissue damage and high occurrence of thrombotic events. These pathomechanisms are linked to neutrophil function and dysfunction, particularly increased formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).

Extracellular DNA Correlates with Intestinal Inflammation in Chemically Induced Colitis in Mice.

Circulating extracellular DNA (ecDNA) is known to worsen the outcome of many diseases. ecDNA released from neutrophils during infection or inflammation is present in the form of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). It has been shown that higher ecDNA concentration occurs in a number of inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The Role of HSF1 Protein in Malignant Transformation.

Background: The heat shock transcription factor, HSF1, is the main regulator of the proteotoxic stress response that orchestrates the adaptation of cells to stress conditions such as elevated temperature, oxidative stress, and proteotoxic stress. As such, HSF1 regulates a large number of stress response-related genes, primarily those encoding heat shock proteins (HSPs). HSPs are molecular chaperones involved in the acquisition of native protein conformations and the prevention of protein degradation, and they also contribute to the removal of denatured proteins via the proteasome.

Regulation of AGR2 expression via 3'UTR shortening.

One recently discussed general mechanism affecting gene expression is 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) length. Events such as shortening, translocation or loss of 3'UTRs are observed within oncogenes and are proposed to associate with increased expression. Thus, increased efforts are being made to understand constitutive and differential transcript 3'end formation.

Sulforaphane-induced apoptosis involves the type 1 IP3 receptor.

In this study we show that anti-tumor effect of sulforaphane (SFN) is partially realized through the type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R1). This effect was verified in vitro on three different stable cell lines and also in vivo on the model of nude mice with developed tumors. Early response (6 hours) of A2780 ovarian carcinoma cells to SFN treatment involves generation of mitochondrial ROS and increased transcription of NRF2 and its downstream regulated genes including heme oxygenase 1, NAD(P)H:quinine oxidoreductase 1, and KLF9.

Cancer-associated S100P protein binds and inactivates p53, permits therapy-induced senescence and supports chemoresistance.

S100P belongs to the S100 family of calcium-binding proteins regulating diverse cellular processes. Certain S100 family members (S100A4 and S100B) are associated with cancer and used as biomarkers of metastatic phenotype. Also S100P is abnormally expressed in tumors and implicated in migration-invasion, survival, and response to therapy.

Enriching the drinking water of rats with extracts of Salvia officinalis and Thymus vulgaris increases their resistance to oxidative stress.

Nature is an attractive source of therapeutic compounds. In comparison to the artificial drugs, natural compounds cause less adverse side effects and are suitable for current molecularly oriented approaches to drug development and their mutual combining. Medicinal plants represent one of the most available remedy against various diseases.

Sulforaphane reduces molecular response to hypoxia in ovarian tumor cells independently of their resistance to chemotherapy.

One of the recently emerging anticancer strategies is the use of natural dietary compounds, such as sulforaphane, a cancer-chemopreventive isothiocyanate found in broccoli. Based on the growing evidence, sulforaphane acts through molecular mechanisms that interfere with multiple oncogenic pathways in diverse tumor cell types. Herein, we investigated the anticancer effects of bioavailable concentrations of sulforaphane in ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780 and its two derivatives, adriamycin-resistant A2780/ADR and cisplatin-resistant A2780/CP cell lines.

The role of reactive oxygen species in the genotoxicity of surface-modified magnetite nanoparticles.

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been proposed as the underlying mechanism involved in the genotoxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles. The data published to date are, however, inconsistent, and the mechanism underlying ROS formation has not been completely elucidated. Here, we investigated the capacity of several surface-modified magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) to generate ROS in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells and HEL 12469 human embryonic lung fibroblasts.

Capsaicin induces apoptosis in PC12 cells through ER stress.

Capsaicin, the pungent agent in chili peppers, has been shown to act as a tumor-suppressor in cancer. In our previous study, capsaicin was shown to induce apoptosis in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12 cells). Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the potential mechanism by which capsaicin induces apoptosis.