Double-Edge Effects of Leucine on Cancer Cells.

Leucine is an essential amino acid that cannot be produced endogenously in the human body and therefore needs to be obtained from dietary sources. Leucine plays a pivotal role in stimulating muscle protein synthesis, along with isoleucine and valine, as the group of branched-chain amino acids, making them one of the most popular dietary supplements for athletes and gym-goers. The individual effects of leucine, however, have not been fully clarified, as most of the studies so far have focused on the grouped effects of branched-chain amino acids.

The effectiveness of cognitive functional therapy on patients with chronic neck pain: A systematic literature review.

Objective: Recently, psychological, and behavioral interventions such as cognitive functional therapy (CFT) has gained significant attention in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. We aimed to compare interventions with a CFT component in adults (>18 years old) suffering from chronic neck pain (CNP) or chronic whiplash associated disorders (>3 months) with another intervention or no intervention, in pain, disability, kinesiophobia, or any other reported outcome measure.

Results: One case-study and three randomized controlled trials met the eligibility criteria.

Atomic force microscopy reveals the influence of substrate collagen concentration and TGF-β on lung fibroblast mechanics.

Understanding how extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness and biochemical factors such as TGF-β affect cell behaviour is critical for elucidating mechanisms underlying several pathologic conditions such as tissue fibrosis and cancer metastasis. This study investigates the effects of varying collagen substrate concentration and consequently varying stiffness conditions along with TGF-β treatment on the morphology, nanomechanical properties, and gene expression of normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLF). Our results reveal that increased substrate stiffness leads to more elongated cell morphology, decreased cellular stiffness, and significant alterations in gene expression related to cytoskeletal organization and myofibroblast activation genes.

Sonification of Deproteinized Bovine Bone Functionalized with Genistein Enhances Bone Repair in Peri-Implant Bone Defects in Ovariectomized Rats.

Estrogen deficiency is one of several contributing factors to catabolic changes in bone surrounding dental implants, impairing bone repair in defects requiring bone regeneration. Functionalizing bone substitutes is an alternative approach among various strategies to address this challenge. In this study, the aim was to evaluate the effect of functionalizing deproteinized bovine bone (Bio-Oss, BO) with genistein via sonication on peri-implant bone defects in ovariectomized rats.

Triple-Action Therapy: Combining Machine Learning, Docking, and Dynamics to Combat BRCA1-Mutated Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer dominates women's mortality, and among other factors, mutations in the BRCA1 gene are significant risk factors. Several approaches are followed to treat the BRCA1 affected cancer patients. However, specific BRCA1 inhibitors are not available till date due to its structural complexity.

Comprehensive analysis of electrochemical biosensors for early ovarian cancer detection.

Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality among women worldwide. However, early detection can significantly reduce mortality rates and mitigate subsequent complications related to both economic burden and mental well-being. Despite the development in the field of medical diagnosis, the death rates due to ovarian cancer have sharply increased.

Multimodal beneficial effects of BNN27, a nerve growth factor synthetic mimetic, in the 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is an incurable and debilitating progressive, neurodegenerative disorder which is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Neuropathologically, AD is characterized by the accumulation of Aβ amyloid plaques in the microenvironment of brain cells and neurovascular walls, chronic neuroinflammation, resulting in neuronal and synaptic loss, myelin and axonal failure, as well as significant reduction in adult hippocampal neurogenesis. The hippocampal formation is particularly vulnerable to this degenerative process, due to early dysfunction of the cholinergic circuit.

Single-cell transcriptomics: a new frontier in plant biotechnology research.

Single-cell transcriptomic techniques have ushered in a new era in plant biology, enabling detailed analysis of gene expression at the resolution of individual cells. This review delves into the transformative impact of these technologies on our understanding of plant development and their far-reaching implications for plant biotechnology. We present a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in single-cell transcriptomics, emphasizing their application in elucidating complex cellular processes and developmental pathways in plants.

Investigating the Matrix of Factor V Leiden (G1691A), Factor II Prothrombin (G2021A), MTHFR C677T and A1298G Polymorphisms in Greek Population: A Preliminary Study.

Background: Thrombophilia, characterized by an increased risk of thrombosis, can result from genetic polymorphisms in clotting factors. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of factor V Leiden (G1691A), factor II prothrombin (G20210A), and MTHFR (C677T and A1298C) polymorphisms in a Greek population, evaluating not only their association with thrombophilia, but also broader health implications.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving one hundred apparently healthy adults from Thessaloniki, Greece.

Effects of heat stress on global DNA methylation and blood parameters of two strains of laying hens.

This study aimed to determine the global levels of DNA methylation and alterations in hematological and electrolytic parameters of two strains of laying hens subjected to heat stress and thermal comfort in climatic chambers. The experiment was conducted in two climate chambers with 192 laying hens of two strains: Dekalb White and Dekalb Brown. After the seven-day adaptation period, each climate chamber was programmed to a thermal condition for 28 consecutive days: Comfort (THI = 73.

TGF-β1 promoter functional gene polymorphism -509 C/T in the maternal susceptibility to recurrent pregnancy loss in South Indian women.

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) is an anti-inflammatory pleiotropic cytokine that regulates implantation and adhesion of trophoblasts to the extracellular matrix. It regulates the balance of Th1/Th2 cytokines and the generation of anti-inflammatory peripheral regulatory T cells (FOXP3 + Tregs), which is necessary for a healthy pregnancy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) affecting TGF-β1 production/function may predispose to pregnancy loss.

Catalytic mechanism underlying the regiospecificity of coumarin-substrate transmembrane prenyltransferases in Apiaceae.

Plant membrane-bound prenyltransferases (PTs) catalyze the transfer of prenyl groups to acceptor substrates, phenols, using prenyl diphosphates as the donor substrate. The presence of prenyl residues in the reaction products, prenylated phenols, is key to the expression of a variety of physiological activities. Plant PTs generally exhibit high specificities for both substrate recognition and prenylation sites, while the molecular mechanism involved in these enzymatic properties is largely unknown.

Disruption of the pkac2 gene in Pleurotus ostreatus alters cell wall structures and enables mycelial dispersion in liquid culture.

In this study, we developed a mycelial dispersion strain by disrupting the pkac2 gene in the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus. pkac2 is a catalytic subunit gene of protein kinase A, which regulates several transcription factors related to cell wall synthesis. Liquid cultures of the Δpkac2 strains showed very high mycelial dispersibility and were visibly different from the wild-type (WT) strain.

Exosome-mediated Transfer of lncRNA in Liver Associated Diseases; Uncovered Truths.

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles with a diameter ranging from 40 to 160 nm. They are produced by hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and Kupffer cells in liver tissue. The secretion of exosomes might vary in quantity and composition in reaction to multiple triggers and various stages of disease.

Tissue adhesive hyaluronan-quercetin (Ag)@halloysite-fungal carboxymethyl chitosan nanocomposite hydrogels for wound dressing applications.

This study investigates nanocomposite hydrogels reinforced with hyaluronan-quercetin‑silver nanoparticles intercalated halloysite clay (HAQ-Hal-Ag) for potential application as wound dressings. HAQ-Hal-Ag (at 1, 3, and 5 wt%) was incorporated into a fungal carboxymethyl chitosan (FC)/polyacrylamide (PAM) network (FC-PAM) using methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) as the crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as the initiator. Various physicochemical analyses were performed to characterize the resulting hydrogels.

Cyclodextrin complexation as a fruitful strategy for improving the performance of nebivolol delivery from solid lipid nanoparticles.

Oral bioavailability of nebivolol (NEB), a highly-selective β1-adrenergic receptor antagonist specially used in hypertension treatment, is limited by its low aqueous solubility. In this work we investigated the possibility of developing a new effective oral formulation of NEB by exploiting a combined strategy based on NEB complexation with hydroxypropyl-βCyclodextrin (HPβCD) and complex incorporation into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). Solubility studies enabled to choose Imwitor 491 and 988 as solid lipids for SLN preparation.

Antitumor effect of bromo-naphthoquinone associated with tannic acid in triple negative breast cancer cells.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive type of tumor that tends to recur in women. It is characterized by the absence of hormonal receptors, making it challenging to diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we investigated the anti-tumor effects of a pro-oxidant naphthoquinone derivative called bromo-naphthoquinone (BrNQ) isolated and combined with the antioxidant tannic acid (TA) in order to improve treatment.

Cytotoxic properties of hydroalcoholic extract on androgen unresponsive prostate cancer cells.

Androgen independent phase in prostate cancer (PCa) commonly limits the therapeutic efficacy. through its main active compound, α-thujone, appears to be an option, considering its anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and pro-apoptotic effects on hepatocellular carcinoma. However, studies on PCa are limited.

Successful hormonal and chemical induction of prostate cancer in a rat model: practical guidelines.

Prostate cancer is a very common cancer in men, affecting approximately 1.40 million men worldwide in 2020. To improve the quality of life and survival of both animals and humans, effective therapeutic approaches have been developed and evaluated using animal models.