Analysis of profibrogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) expression in urine and serum of chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 1-4 patients and their relationship with proteinuria and kidney function.

Purpose: Besides conventional kidney diseases diagnostics, micro RNAs (miRNAs) assessment in urine and serum is considered to be a promising non-invasive method of diagnostics of renal parenchymal diseases and valuable therapeutic target also. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of several miRNAs as a markers of kidney damage.

Methods: Assessment of 45 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients stage 1-4 and 17 healthy control.

Cadmium effects on embryo growth of pea seeds during germination: Investigation of the mechanisms of interference of the heavy metal with protein mobilization-related factors.

This work aims to give more insight into mechanisms of action of cadmium (Cd) on germinating pea seeds (Pisum sativum L. var. douce province), specifically the different ways by which Cd cations may interfere with the principal factors involved during germination process, notably storage proteins mobilization, amino acids freeing and proteolytic activities.

Identification of olive pollen allergens using a fluorescence-based 2D multiplex method.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) pollen is a major health concern in the Mediterranean countries and some olive growing regions in America and Australia. The molecular variability of pollen allergens constitutes a handicap for commercial extract standardization, which is the base of current diagnosis and vaccination procedures.

New insights into pioneer root xylem development: evidence obtained from Populus trichocarpa plants grown under field conditions.

Background And Aims: Effective programmed xylogenesis is critical to the structural framework of the plant root system and its central role in the acquisition and long-distance transport of water and nutrients. The process of xylem differentiation in pioneer roots under field conditions is poorly understood. In this study it is hypothesized that xylogenesis, an example of developmental programmed cell death (PCD), in the roots of woody plants demonstrates a clearly defined sequence of events resulting in cell death.

The plant stigma exudate: a biochemically active extracellular environment for pollen germination?

During sexual reproduction, pollen performance is greatly influenced by the female tissues. The stigma exudate, i.e.

Selection of ectomycorrhizal willow genotype in phytoextraction of heavy metals.

Willow clones are used for the phytoextraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils and are usually mycorrhizal. The receptiveness of willow clones for mycorrhizal inoculum varies specific to genotype; however, it is unknown if this might have a significant impact on their efficiency in phytoextraction of heavy metals. Therefore, a model system with mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal willows of two different genotypes--one with usually stronger natural mycorrhizal colonization (Salix dasyclados), and one with lower natural mycorrhizal colonization (S.

Nervous System of Periplaneta americana Cockroach as a Model in Toxinological Studies: A Short Historical and Actual View.

Nervous system of Periplaneta americana cockroach is used in a wide range of pharmacological studies, including electrophysiological techniques. This paper presents its role as a preparation in the development of toxinological studies in the following electrophysiological methods: double-oil-gap technique on isolated giant axon, patch-clamp on DUM (dorsal unpaired median) neurons, microelectrode technique in situ conditions on axon in connective and DUM neurons in ganglion, and single-fiber oil-gap technique on last abdominal ganglion synapse. At the end the application of cockroach synaptosomal preparation is mentioned.

The perichromatin region of the plant cell nucleus is the area with the strongest co-localisation of snRNA and SR proteins.

The spatial organisation of the splicing system in plant cells containing either reticular (Allium cepa) or chromocentric (Lupinus luteus) nuclei was studied by immunolabelling of SR proteins, snRNA, and the PANA antigen, known markers for interchromatin granule clusters in mammalian cells. Electron microscope results allowed us to determine the distribution of these molecules within the structural domains of the nucleus. Similar to animal cells, in both plant species SR proteins were localised in interchromatin granules, but contrary to animal cells contained very small amounts of snRNA.

Correspondence of ectomycorrhizal diversity and colonisation of willows (Salix spp.) grown in short rotation coppice on arable sites and adjacent natural stands.

Willows (Salix spp.) are mycorrhizal tree species sometimes cultivated as short rotation coppice (SRC) on arable sites for energy purposes; they are also among the earliest plants colonising primary successional sites in natural stands. The objective of this study was to analyse the degree of colonisation and diversity of ectomycorrhizal (EM) communities on willows grown as SRC in arable soils and their adjacent natural or naturalized stands.

Ribosomal RNA of Hyacinthus orientalis L. female gametophyte cells before and after fertilization.

The nucleolar activity of Hyacinthus orientalis L. embryo sac cells was investigated. The distributions of nascent pre-rRNA (ITS1), 26S rRNA and of the 5S rRNA and U3 snoRNA were determined using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Antipyretic activity of N-acetylcysteine.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been used primarily as a mucolytic agent for the treatment of respiratory diseases. It has been recently suggested that NAC also possesses some anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of NAC on fever provoked either by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or a turpentine-induced aseptic abscess in the rats.

Symptoms of behavioural anapyrexia--reverse fever as a defence response of snails to fluke invasion.

The subject of the research was the thermal preferences of Planorbarius corneus individuals infected by larvae of digenetic trematodes. Snails were obtained over two consecutive years, 2009 and 2010, from 10 water bodies located in central Poland. The relationship between the seasons and the occurrence of patent invasions in hosts found in the shore-zone of lakes was observed.

The value of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in differentiating between early melanomas and histopathologically difficult types of benign human skin lesions.

Early cutaneous melanomas may present a substantial diagnostic challenge. We have already reported that expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) may be useful for differentiating between cutaneous melanomas and naevi. The purpose of this study was to examine the value of COX-2 in a challenging task of differential diagnosis of early melanomas and melanocytic naevi considered by histopathologists as morphologically difficult to unequivocally diagnose as benign lesions.

Different expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in selected nonmelanocytic human cutaneous lesions.

The aim of our study was to elucidate the possible involvement of COX-2 in the development and/or progression of nonmelanocytic skin lesions. To evaluate the usefulness of that enzyme as a potential molecular marker, we examined the intensity and spatial distribution of COX-2 expression in selected types of such tumors using the same immunohistochemical procedure as in our earlier studies of melanocytic cancers. We examined 20 benign epithelial lesions, 11 precancerous lesions, 21 basal cell carcinomas (BCC), 14 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and eight fibromas.

Some aspects of purinergic signaling in the ventricular system of porcine brain.

Background: Numerous signaling pathways function in the brain ventricular system, including the most important - GABAergic, glutaminergic and dopaminergic signaling. Purinergic signalization system - comprising nucleotide receptors, nucleotidases, ATP and adenosine and their degradation products - are also present in the brain. However, the precise role of nucleotide signalling pathway in the ventricular system has been not elucidated so far.

Defence against oxidative stress in two species of land snails (Helix pomatia and Helix aspersa) subjected to estivation.

During summer, land snails are exposed to estivation/arousal cycles that imposes oxidative stress, but they exhibit different patterns of antioxidant defence. To test the ability of two related species, Helix pomatia and Helix aspersa, to modulate their antioxidant defence mechanism during estivation/arousal cycles, we examined activities of catalase and glutathione-related enzymes and concentrations of glutathione and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; as products of lipid peroxidation). In both species, estivation evoked changes in activity of total and selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GPx), but did not affect activity of catalase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione transferase, and had no effect on concentration of glutathione.

mRNA accumulation in the Cajal bodies of the diplotene larch microsporocyte.

In microsporocytes of the European larch, we demonstrated the presence of several mRNAs in spherical nuclear bodies. In the nuclei of microsporocytes, we observed up to 12 bodies, ranging from 0.5 to 6 μm in diameter, during the prophase of the first meiotic division.

Diet affects resting, but not basal metabolic rate of normothermic Siberian hamsters acclimated to winter.

We examined the effect of different dietary supplements on seasonal changes in body mass (m(b)), metabolic rate (MR) and nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) capacity in normothermic Siberian hamsters housed under semi-natural conditions. Once a week standard hamster food was supplemented with either sunflower and flax seeds, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (FA), or mealworms, rich in saturated and monounsaturated FA. We found that neither of these dietary supplements affected the hamsters' normal winter decrease in m(b) and fat content nor their basal MR or NST capacity.

Epigenetic, transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of the tyrosine hydroxylase gene.

The activity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, EC 1.14.16.

Sequencing technologies and genome sequencing.

The high-throughput - next generation sequencing (HT-NGS) technologies are currently the hottest topic in the field of human and animals genomics researches, which can produce over 100 times more data compared to the most sophisticated capillary sequencers based on the Sanger method. With the ongoing developments of high throughput sequencing machines and advancement of modern bioinformatics tools at unprecedented pace, the target goal of sequencing individual genomes of living organism at a cost of $1,000 each is seemed to be realistically feasible in the near future. In the relatively short time frame since 2005, the HT-NGS technologies are revolutionizing the human and animal genome researches by analysis of chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to DNA microarray (ChIP-chip) or sequencing (ChIP-seq), RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), whole genome genotyping, genome wide structural variation, de novo assembling and re-assembling of genome, mutation detection and carrier screening, detection of inherited disorders and complex human diseases, DNA library preparation, paired ends and genomic captures, sequencing of mitochondrial genome and personal genomics.

Heterothermy, and the energetic consequences of huddling in small migrating passerine birds.

The success of migration of small passerine birds depends largely on effective refueling at stopover sites. In our previous studies, we found that hypothermia facilitates accumulation of fuel at the beginning of a stopover. Later we found that blackcaps, Sylvia atricapilla, might further reduce their energy expenditure by huddling while at rest.

Opposite effect of capsaicin and capsazepine on behavioral thermoregulation in insects.

Transient receptor potential channels are implicated in thermosensation both in mammals and insects. The aim of our study was to assess the effect of mammalian vanilloid receptor subtype 1 (TRPV1) agonist (capsaicin) and antagonist (capsazepine) on insect behavioral thermoregulation. We tested behavioral thermoregulation of mealworms larvae intoxicated with capsaicin and capsazepine in two concentrations (10(-7) and 10(-4) M) in a thermal gradient system for 3 days.