The role of C5a-C5aR1 axis in bone pathophysiology: A mini-review.

Bone remodeling is a physiological, dynamic process that mainly depends on the functions of 2 cell types: osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Emerging evidence suggests that complement system is crucially involved in the regulation of functions of these cells, especially during inflammatory states. In this context, complement component 5a (C5a), a powerful pro-inflammatory anaphylatoxin that binds the receptor C5aR1, is known to regulate osteoclast formation and osteoblast inflammatory responses, and has thus been proposed as potential therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory bone diseases.

Circulatory Neutrophils Exhibit Enhanced Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation in Early Puerperium: NETs at the Nexus of Thrombosis and Immunity.

Pregnancy is associated with elevated maternal levels of cell-free DNA of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) origin, as circulatory neutrophils exhibit increased spontaneous NET formation, mainly driven by G-CSF and finely modulated by sex hormones. The postpartum period, on the other hand, involves physiological alterations consistent with the need for protection against infections and fatal haemorrhage. Our findings indicate that all relevant serum markers of neutrophil degranulation and NET release are substantially augmented postpartum.

G-CSF Infusion for Stem Cell Mobilization Transiently Increases Serum Cell-Free DNA and Protease Concentrations.

G-CSF for stem cell mobilization increases circulating levels of myeloid cells at different stages of maturation. Polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) are also mobilized in high numbers. It was previously reported that G-CSF primes PMNs toward the release of neutrophils extracellular traps (NETs).

Placental Protein 13 (Galectin-13) Polarizes Neutrophils Toward an Immune Regulatory Phenotype.

Termed as galectin-13, placental protein 13 (PP13) is exclusively expressed in the placenta of anthropoid primates. Research on PP13 in normal and pathologic pregnancies show alteration of PP13 concentrations in pregnancy affected by preeclampsia or gestational diabetes. Galectins are also described as potent immunomodulators, and PP13 regulates T cell function in the placenta.

Scented Candles as an Unrecognized Factor that Increases the Risk of Bladder Cancer; Is There Enough Evidence to Raise a Red Flag?

The causes of bladder cancer are not yet fully uncovered, however the research has identified a number of factors that may increase the risk of developing this cancer. The chemical carcinogenesis of bladder cancer due to chronic exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons has been well-established. The identification of this correlation led to an improvement of safety measures in chemical industry and a gradual decrease of bladder cancer cases among workers.

Computational Methodologies for the and Quantification of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are a neutrophil defensive mechanism where chromatin is expelled together with antimicrobial proteins in response to a number of stimuli. Even though beneficial in many cases, their dysfunction has been implicated in many diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. Accurate quantification of NETs is of utmost importance for correctly studying their role in various diseases, especially when considering them as therapeutic targets.

Feto-Maternal Microchimerism: The Pre-eclampsia Conundrum.

Feto-maternal microchimerism (FMM) involves bidirectional cross-placental trafficking during pregnancy, leading to a micro-chimeric state that can persist for decades. In this manner a pregnant woman will harbor cells from her mother, as well as, cells from her child. Historically, eclampsia, a severe disorder of pregnancy provided the basis for FMM following the detection of trophoblast cells in the lungs of deceased women.

Reconstructive urology and tissue engineering: Converging developmental paths.

Reconstructive urology is a complex and demanding branch of modern urology. Complicated cases, necessity of microsurgical approach, and constant exposure to urine make urinary reconstruction especially difficult. With impaired healing, excessive scarring, and recurring fibrosis, functional results are still not satisfying.

Constructing artificial urinary conduits: current capabilities and future potential.

Introduction: Intestinal segments are currently used in reconstructive urology to create urinary diversion after cystectomy. Ileal conduit (IC) is the dominant type of urinary diversion. Nevertheless, IC is not an ideal solution as the procedure still requires entero-enterostomy to restore the bowel continuity.

Excessive Neutrophil Activity in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Could It Contribute to the Development of Preeclampsia?

Gestational diabetes mellitus is a transient form of glucose intolerance occurring during pregnancy. Pregnancies affected by gestational diabetes mellitus are at risk for the development of preeclampsia, a severe life threatening condition, associated with significant feto-maternal morbidity and mortality. It is a risk factor for long-term health in women and their offspring.

Metabolomics of colistin methanesulfonate treated Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Over the past 5 years, there has been a renewed interest in finding new compounds with anti-TB action. Colistin methanesulfonate or polymyxin E, is a possible anti-TB drug candidate, which may in future be used either alone or in combination to the current 6 month "directly observed treatment short-course" (DOTS) regimen. However its mechanism of action has to date not yet been fully explored, and only described from a histological and genomics perspective.

Elucidating the antimicrobial mechanisms of colistin sulfate on Mycobacterium tuberculosis using metabolomics.

Considering the disadvantageous of first line anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs, including poor patient adherence, drug side effects, the long treatment duration and rapidly increasing microbe resistance, alternative treatment strategies are needed. Colistin sulfate (CS), a polymyxin antibiotic considered a last-resort antibiotics for treating multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter, has antimicrobial activity towards mycobacteria, and could serve as a possible anti-TB drug. Using GCxGC-TOFMS metabolomics, we compared the metabolic profiles of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) cultured in the presence and absence of CS, to elucidate the mechanisms by which this drug may exert its antimicrobial effects.

Markers of neutrophil extracellular traps predict adverse outcome in community-acquired pneumonia: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are a hallmark of the immune response in inflammatory diseases. However, the role of NETs in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is unknown. This study aims to characterise the impact of NETs on clinical outcomes in pneumonia.

Concise Review: Tissue Engineering of Urinary Bladder; We Still Have a Long Way to Go?

Regenerative medicine is a new branch of medicine based on tissue engineering technology. This rapidly developing field of science offers revolutionary treatment strategy aimed at urinary bladder regeneration. Despite many promising announcements of experimental urinary bladder reconstruction, there has been a lack in commercialization of therapies based on current investigations.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Is Associated with Altered Neutrophil Activity.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a unique form of glucose intolerance, in that it is transient and solely occurs in pregnancy. Pregnancies with GDM are at high risk of developing preeclampsia (PE), a leading cause of fetal and maternal morbidity or mortality. Since PE is associated with excessive activation of circulatory neutrophils and occurrence of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in affected placentae, we examined these features in cases with GDM, as this could be a feature linking the two conditions.

Neutrophil migration into the placenta: Good, bad or deadly?

Almost 2 decades have passed since the discovery that pregnancy is associated with a basal inflammatory state involving neutrophil activation, and that this is more overt in cases with preeclampsia, than in instances with sepsis. This pivotal observation paved the way for our report, made almost a decade ago, describing the first involvement of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in a non-infectious human pathology, namely preeclampsia, where an abundance of these structures were detected directly in the placental intervillous space. Despite these remarkable findings, there remains a paucity of interest among reproductive biologists in further exploring the role or involvement of neutrophils in pregnancy and related pathologies.

New Amniotic Membrane Based Biocomposite for Future Application in Reconstructive Urology.

Objective: Due to the capacity of the amniotic membrane (Am) to support re-epithelisation and inhibit scar formation, Am has a potential to become a considerable asset for reconstructive urology i.e., reconstruction of ureters and urethrae.

The antimicrobial effect of colistin methanesulfonate on Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro.

Polymyxins have previously been described to have activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), but further research was abandoned due to systemic toxicity concerns to achieve the required MIC. Colistin methanesulfonate (CMS), a polymyxin, is well tolerated when inhaled directly into the lungs, resulting in high local concentrations. We report here for the first time, MIC and MBC data for CMS determined by the microtiter Alamar Blue assay (MABA).

Immunohistochemical localization of caffeine in young Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (tea) leaves.

The anatomical localization of caffeine within young Camellia sinensis leaves was investigated using immunohistochemical methods and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Preliminary fixation experiments were conducted with young C. sinensis leaves to determine which fixation procedure retained caffeine the best as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis.