Concentration-dependent effects of effusol and juncusol from Juncus compressus on seedling development of Arabidopsis thaliana

Juncus species are valuable sources of phenanthrene compounds that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Effusol and juncusol are the most investigated compounds reported to have antimicrobial and anticancer effects; however, to date, their effects on higher plants have not been investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of effusol and juncusol on the growth and other biochemical parameters of the dicot model plant Arabidopsis thaliana in a concentration-dependent manner with a focus on polyamine metabolism. Phenanthrene induced toxic effects on plant growth and development, while effusol and juncusol induced higher biomass and maintained antioxidant defence mechanisms associated with reduced polyamine degradation. Taken together, our results suggest that these compounds could be good candidates for new biopesticide or biostimulant plant growth regulators in the future

Risk Factors and Interpretation of Inconclusive Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Diagnosis of Solid Pancreatic Lesions

Background: The inconclusive cytological findings of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) remain a major clinical challenge and often lead to treatment delays. Methods: Patients who had undergone EUS-FNA sampling for solid pancreas lesions between 2014 and 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. The “atypical” and “non-diagnostic” categories of the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology System were considered inconclusive and the “negative for malignancy” category of malignancy was suspected clinically. We determined the frequency and predictors of inconclusive cytological finding. Results: A total of 473 first EUS-FNA samples were included, of which 108 cases (22.83%) were inconclusive. Significant increases in the odds of inconclusive cytological findings were observed for lesions with a benign final diagnosis (OR 11.20; 95% CI 6.56–19.54, p 4 cm (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.08–0.31, p < 0.001) compared to lesions ≤2 cm. Conclusions: The more than two punctures per EUS-FNA sampling with larger-diameter needle (19 G or 22 G) using the slow-pull and standard suction techniques in combination may decrease the probability of inconclusive cytological findings

Hydrogen Sulfide Abrogates Hemoglobin-Lipid Interaction In Atherosclerotic Lesion

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Hydrogen Sulfide Abrogates Hemoglobin-Lipid Interaction in Atherosclerotic Lesion

This is the final version of the article. Available from Hindawi Publishing Corporation via the DOI in this record.The infiltration of red blood cells into atheromatous plaques is implicated in atherogenesis. Inside the lesion, hemoglobin (Hb) is oxidized to ferri-and ferrylHb which exhibit prooxidant and proinflammatory activities. Cystathione gamma-lyase-(CSE-) derived H 2 S has been suggested to possess various antiatherogenic actions. Expression of CSE was upregulated predominantly in macrophages, foam cells, and myofibroblasts of human atherosclerotic lesions derived from carotid artery specimens of patients. A similar pattern was observed in aortic lesions of apolipoprotein E-deficient mice on high-fat diet. We identified several triggers for inducing CSE expression in macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells including heme, ferrylHb, plaque lipids, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β. In the interplay between hemoglobin and atheroma lipids, H 2 S significantly mitigated oxidation of Hb preventing the formation of ferrylHb derivatives, therefore providing a novel function as a heme-redox-intermediate-scavenging antioxidant. By inhibiting Hb-lipid interactions, sulfide lowered oxidized Hb-mediated induction of adhesion molecules in endothelium and disruption of endothelial integrity. Exogenous H 2 S inhibited heme and Hb-mediated lipid oxidation of human atheroma-derived lipid and human complicated lesion. Our study suggests that the CSE/H 2 S system represents an atheroprotective pathway for removing or limiting the formation of oxidized Hb and lipid derivatives in the atherosclerotic plaque.The research group is supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (11003). This work was supported by Hungarian Government Grants (OTKA) K112333 (József Balla), K109843 (Péter Nagy), and K116024 (Viktória Jeney) and Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant PIRG08-GA-2010-277006 (Péter Nagy). Péter Nagy is a János Bolyai Research Scholar of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Viktória Jeney was supported by Zoltán Magyary Fellowship (TÁMOP 4.2.4.A/2-11/1-2012-0001). László Potor was supported by János Apáczai-Csere Fellowship (TÁMOP 4.2.4.A/2-11/1-2012-0001). The project was cofinanced by the European Union and the European Social Fund (ESF) GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00043 IRONHEARTH and EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00006 LIVE LONGER