Dielectrophoretic characterization of peroxidized retinal pigment epithelial cells as a model of age-related macular degeneration.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prevalent ocular pathology affecting mostly the elderly population. AMD is characterized by a progressive retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell degeneration, mainly caused by an impaired antioxidative defense. One of the AMD therapeutic procedures involves injecting healthy RPE cells into the subretinal space, necessitating pure, healthy RPE cell suspensions.

L-Arginine-Dependent Nitric Oxide Production in the Blood of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot, Five-Year Prospective Study.

: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major cardiovascular risk factor. Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the many molecules that regulate vascular tone, and red blood cells (RBCs) are known to play an important role in adjusting cardiac function through NO export from RBCs. Our study prospectively investigated the L-arginine (L-arg)-nitric oxide (NO) metabolic pathway in the erythrocytes and plasma of subjects with T2DM.

Early differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells is reflected in their dielectrophoretic behavior.

The therapeutic use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) becomes more and more important due to their potential for cell replacement procedures as well as due to their immunomodulatory properties. However, protocols for MSCs differentiation can be lengthy and may result in incomplete or asynchronous differentiation. To ensure homogeneous populations for therapeutic purposes, it is crucial to develop protocols for separation of the different cell types after differentiation.

OpenDEP: An Open-Source Platform for Dielectrophoresis Spectra Acquisition and Analysis.

Dielectrophoretic (DEP) cell separation, which utilizes electric fields to selectively manipulate and separate cells based on their electrical properties, has emerged as a cutting-edge label-free technique. DEP separation techniques rely on differences in the electrical and morphological properties of cells, which can be obtained by a thorough analysis of DEP spectra. This article presents a novel platform, named OpenDEP, for acquiring and processing DEP spectra of suspended cells.

Changes in the packing of bilayer lipids triggered by electroporation: real-time measurements on cells in suspension.

Electropermeabilization of the cell membrane is a technique used to facilitate penetration of impermeant molecules into cells. Although there are studies regarding the mechanism of processes occurring after electropermeabilization, the relationship between electropermeabilization and associated phenomena (e.g.

Influence of surfactant-tailored Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles on ROS production and DNA damage induced in murine fibroblast cells.

The present study concerns the in vitro oxidative stress responses of non-malignant murine cells exposed to surfactant-tailored ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) with distinct morphologies and different levels of manganese doping. Two series of Mn-doped ZnO NPs were obtained by coprecipitation synthesis method, in the presence of either polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMTP). The samples were investigated by powder X-ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Fourier-Transform Infrared and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopic methods, and N adsorption-desorption analysis.

An experimental system for real-time fluorescence recordings of cell membrane changes induced by electroporation.

The electroporation of cells is nowadays used for a large variety of purposes, from basic research to cancer therapy and food processing. Understanding molecular mechanisms of the main processes involved in electroporation is thus of significant interest. In the present work, we propose an experimental system to record in real time the evolution of any cell parameter which can be evaluated by fluorescence (before, during and after application of the electroporation pulses to cells in suspension).

Oxidative stress in androgenetic alopecia.

Unlabelled: Androgenetic alopecia is not considered a life threatening disease but can have serious impacts on the patient's psychosocial life. Genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors are considered responsible for the presence of androgenetic alopecia. Recent literature reports have proved the presence of inflammation and also of oxidative stress at the level of dermal papilla cells of patients with androgenetic alopecia We have considered of interest to measure the oxidative stress parameters in the blood of patients with androgenetic alopecia 27 patients with androgenetic alopecia and 25 age-matched controls were enrolled in the study.

Impact of chronic administration of anabolic androgenic steroids and taurine on blood pressure in rats.

Supraphysiological administration of anabolic androgenic steroids has been linked to increased blood pressure. The widely distributed amino acid taurine seems to be an effective depressor agent in drug-induced hypertension. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of chronic high dose administration of nandrolone decanoate (DECA) and taurine on blood pressure in rats and to verify the potentially involved mechanisms.

Clozapine and risperidone influence on cortisol and estradiol levels in male patients with schizophrenia.

Estrogens role in schizophrenia patients is a subject, which has gained an increased attention from the medical community. Estrogens have been shown to inhibit dopamine actions, improve neuronal regeneration, and overall, have a protective role in the pathology of schizophrenia. The adjunctive estrogen therapy for men is currently under debate.