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.

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.

Prevention of pre-eclampsia after infertility treatment: Preconceptional minimalisation of risk factors.

Although an increased risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnancies conceived after infertility treatment has been reported, it remains unknown whether preconceptional minimalisation of known risk factors would help in preventing pre-eclamsia. Obesity and preconceptional blood pressure are discussed as major risks for the development of pre-eclampsia and low doses of aspirins, folic acid, statins and metformin are discussed as potential preventive treatments to decrease the risk of pre-eclampsia. In the present review we discuss whether present-day reproductive medicine could progress towards complication-free pregnancy.

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.

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.

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.

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).