Bradykinin and oxidative stress in patients with hereditary angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency

Introduction Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare autosomal dominant disease caused by genetic dysfunction of C1 inhibitor (C1‑INH) due to mutations in the SERPING1 gene. The disorder is mediated mainly by bradykinin. The clinical course of the disease is varied and not related to genetic changes. Objectives We aimed to evaluate redox homeostasis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with HAE due to C1‑INH deficiency (C1‑INH‑HAE) by measuring the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) of PBMCs as well as plasma advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs). We also aimed to assess the effect of bradykinin on ROS levels. Patient s and methods We enrolled 30 adults with C1‑INH‑HAE and 15 healthy individuals. The levels of ROS were measured by flow cytometry, while the plasma levels of AGEs and AOPPs were determined spectrophotometrically by enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays. Result s Basal and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)–induced ROS levels were higher in patients with HAE when compared with controls (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively), indicating abnormalities in redox homeostasis. Plasma AOPP and AGE levels were similar in both groups. Bradykinin reduced basal and H2O2‑induced ROS generation in PBMCs only in patients with HAE (P = 0.03). Conclusions The higher basal and H2O2‑induced ROS levels in patients with C1‑INH‑HAE indicate redox imbalance. However, by reducing basal and H2O2‑induced ROS levels, bradykinin shows antioxidant action in this disorder

Limited oxidative stress favors resistance to skeletal muscle atrophy in hibernating brown bears (Ursus Arctos)

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Yew and juniper pollen season in selected cities of Poland in 2020

The study compares the yew and juniper pollen seasons in Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Lublin, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warsaw, and Wroclaw in 2020. The investigations were conducted using the volumetric method. The yew and juniper season started in all measurement sites between February 2nd (Szczecin) and March 2nd (Lublin). The peak values of seasonal pollen count occurred between February 23rd (in Szczecin) and March 28th. The highest daily pollen count was recorded in Lublin (867 grains/m3) and the lowest pollen count in Bialystok (45 grains/m3). The highest annual totals were recorded in Lublin and Wroclaw. Most days, with a concentration equal to or above 50 grains/m3, causing symptoms in allergic patients were recorded in Lublin and Warsaw

Analysis of mugwort (Artemisia) pollen seasons in selected cities in Poland in 2018

The aim of the present study was to compare the mugwort pollen season in 2018 in Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Drawsko-Pomorskie, Lublin, Olsztyn, Opole, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Zielona Gora. Pollen concentration measurements were made by the volumetric method using Burkard or Lanzoni pollen samplers. The pollen season was considered as the period during which 98% of the total annual pollen count occurred. The Seasonal Pollen Index (SPI) was calculated as the sum of the average daily pollen concentrations throughout the season determined for the individual cities. The mugwort pollen season started earliest in Bialystok (June 21st) and Bydgoszcz (June 25th), while in the other cities its onset occurred in the first 10 days of July. Significant differences were found in season duration (68–110 days), SPI, and peak value. The longest season occurred in Zielona Gora and Bydgoszcz, while the shortest one in Wroclaw. The highest SPI and maximum concentration values were observed in Lublin and Zielona Gora. In most of the cities, the peak value was recorded in the first 10 days of August. The highest risk of allergy in people sensitive to the pollen of this taxon was found in Zielona Gora, Lublin, and Warsaw

Ambrosia pollen season in selected cities in Poland in 2018

Ambrosia causes most pollen allergies in North America. After several Ambrosia species were introduced to Europe, an increase in the incidence of allergy to pollen of these plants has been observed in many countries. The aim of this study was to compare Ambrosia pollen seasons in 2018 in 13 cities located in different regions of Poland: Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Drawsko Pomorskie, Lublin, Olsztyn, Opole, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw and Zielona Gora. The study was conducted by the volumetric method using Burkard or Lanzoni pollen samplers. The pollen season was determined by the 98% method. The earliest pollen season start dates (the end of July) were recorded in Zielona Gora, Bydgoszcz, Opole and Szczecin, while the latest ones in Drawsko Pomorskie and Bialystok. The longest pollen seasons occurred in Opole, Szczecin and Zielona Gora (79 days). The highest average daily concentrations of Ambrosia pollen were recorded in Bialystok (129 P/m3) and Lublin (99 P/m3), while the lowest ones in Drawsko Pomorskie and Szczecin (4 and 10 P/m3, respectively). The annual pollen sum reached the highest value in Opole (567 pollen grains) and Zielona Gora (555 pollen grains). It can be concluded from the pattern of Ambrosia pollen seasons at the monitoring sites studied that pollen of this taxon originates not only from Ambrosia locations in Poland but also from long-distance transport

Concentration of pollen of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae plants in the air of selected Polish cities in 2020

Various concentrations of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae pollen are detected in the air of many regions of Europe. The highest content of pollen produced by the taxon is reported in southern Europe and in other countries with a warm climate and low precipitation sums. The study was focused on characterization of the Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae pollen season in 11 Polish cities: Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Lublin, Olsztyn, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Zielona Gora in 2020. The volumetric method based on the use of the Lanzoni or Burkard pollen sampler was employed in the study. In 2020, the pollen season in the analyzed plant family began in the second half of June and ended during the first ten days of October. The earliest pollen season onset was recorded in Lublin (June 13th) and Szczecin (June 14th), whereas the latest beginning was noted in Wroclaw (July 5th). The earliest and latest end of the pollen season was recorded in Bialystok (September 6th) and in Olszyn (October 5th), respectively. In terms of length, the season was characterized by the shortest duration in Wroclaw (70 days) and the longest duration in Olsztyn (106 days). In most of the analyzed cities, maximum pollen concentrations were detected in the second half of August, and the highest values were recorded in Zielona Gora and Sosnowiec. Compared to 2019 and 2018, relatively low sums of the annual concentrations of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae pollen grains, i.e. in the range of 35–231, were recorded in Poland in 2020. The highest values of this parameter were reported in Olsztyn (231) and Lublin (230), whereas the lowest value was noted in Bialystok (35). The relatively low maximum concentrations of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae pollen recorded during the study year indicate a low risk of development of allergy symptoms induced by the presence of pollen of this taxon in the air

The impact of data assimilation into the meteorological WRF model on birch pollen modelling

We analyse the impact of ground-based data assimilation to theWeather Research and Forecasting (WRF) meteorological model on parameters relevant for birch pollen emission calculations. Then, we use two different emission databases (BASE – no data assimilation, OBSNUD – data assimilation for the meteorological model) in the chemical transport model and evaluate birch pollen concentrations. Finally, we apply a scaling factor for the emissions (BASE and OBSNUD), based on the ratio between simulated and observed seasonal pollen integral (SPIn) to analyse its impact on birch concentrations over Central Europe. Assimilation of observational data significantly reducesmodel overestimation of air temperature,which is themain parameter responsible for the start of pollen emission and amount of released pollen. The results also show that a relatively small bias in air temperature from the model can lead to significant differences in heating degree days (HDD) value. This may cause the HDD threshold to be attained several days earlier/later than indicated from observational data which has further impact on the start of pollen emission. Even though the bias for air temperature was reduced for OBSNUD, the model indicates a start for the birch pollen season that is too early compared to observations. The start date of the seasonwas improved at two of the 11 stations in Poland. Data assimilation does not have a significant impact on the season's end or SPIn value. The application of the SPIn factor for the emissions results in a much closer birch pollen concentration level to observations even though the factor does not improve the start or end of the pollen season. The post-processing of modelled meteorological fields, such as the application of bias correction, can be considered as a way to further improve the pollen emission modelling

Metabolic reprogramming involving glycolysis in the hibernating brown bear skeletal muscle

Background: In mammals, the hibernating state is characterized by biochemical adjustments, which include metabolic rate depression and a shift in the primary fuel oxidized from carbohydrates to lipids. A number of studies of hibernating species report an upregulation of the levels and/or activity of lipid oxidizing enzymes in muscles during torpor, with a concomitant downregulation for glycolytic enzymes. However, other studies provide contrasting data about the regulation of fuel utilization in skeletal muscles during hibernation. Bears hibernate with only moderate hypothermia but with a drop in metabolic rate down to ~ 25% of basal metabolism. To gain insights into how fuel metabolism is regulated in hibernating bear skeletal muscles, we examined the vastus lateralis proteome and other changes elicited in brown bears during hibernation. Results: We show that bear muscle metabolic reorganization is in line with a suppression of ATP turnover. Regulation of muscle enzyme expression and activity, as well as of circulating metabolite profiles, highlighted a preference for lipid substrates during hibernation, although the data suggested that muscular lipid oxidation levels decreased due to metabolic rate depression. Our data also supported maintenance of muscle glycolysis that could be fuelled from liver gluconeogenesis and mobilization of muscle glycogen stores. During hibernation, our data also suggest that carbohydrate metabolism in bear muscle, as well as protein sparing, could be controlled, in part, by actions of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid. Conclusions: Our work shows that molecular mechanisms in hibernating bear skeletal muscle, which appear consistent with a hypometabolic state, likely contribute to energy and protein savings. Maintenance of glycolysis could help to sustain muscle functionality for situations such as an unexpected exit from hibernation that would require a rapid increase in ATP production for muscle contraction. The molecular data we report here for skeletal muscles of bears hibernating at near normal body temperature represent a signature of muscle preservation despite atrophying conditions

Total organic carbon (TOC) quantification based on trace elements

Wiele pierwiastków śladowych wykazuje związki z materią organiczną TOC. Zależności te pozwalają na wykorzystanie pomiarów składu chemicznego do modelowania zawartości TOC. Celem przedstawionej pracy była ocena możliwości szacowania ilości materii organicznej na podstawie zawartości pierwiastków śladowych takich jak: Ni, Cu, Mo, U, V, Zn, Cr, Sr, Pb i Co dla głębokomorskich łupków sylurskich. Przebadano związki korelacyjne pomiędzy poszczególnymi pierwiastkami i zawartością materii organicznej. Następnie utworzono modele pozwalające na wyliczenie ilości materii organicznej na podstawie zawartości pierwiastków, dla których zaobserwowano znaczące związki z TOC. Wykorzystano zarówno bardziej dokładne badania składu chemicznego wykonane metodą spektrometrii masowej ICP-MS, jak i pomiary o niższej wykrywalności wykonane przenośnym spektrometrem fluorescencji rentgenowskiej EDXRF. Stwierdzono zależności pomiędzy zawartością pierwiastków śladowych a ilością materii organicznej TOC dla pierwiastków takich jak: V, Cu, U, Ni, Mo, Cr (metoda ICP-MS) oraz V, Cu, Cr i Ni (metoda XRF). Za pomocą metody regresji wielorakiej skonstruowano modele o współczynnikach determinacji R2 od 0,84 do 0,92 (dla metody ICP-MS) i od 0,75 do 0,78 (dla metody XRF) umożliwiające szacowanie ilości materii organicznej na podstawie zawartości pierwiastków śladowych. Uzyskane modele matematyczne pozwalają na wyliczanie zawartości materii organicznej TOC dla głębokomorskich, bogatych w materię organiczną łupków sylurskich na bazie pomiarów pierwiastków śladowych wykonanych metodą spektrometrii masowej ICP-MS oraz metodą fluorescencji rentgenowskiej XRF. Szczególnie istotna jest możliwość wykorzystania pomiarów przeprowadzonych przenośnym spektrometrem fluorescencji rentgenowskiej. Badania te są szybkie, mogą być prowadzone na próbkach okruchowych w trakcie trwania wiercenia. Modele oparte na wynikach XRF pozwalają więc w szybki sposób modelować zawartość TOC jeszcze w trakcie wiercenia.Many trace elements are associated with organic matter. The total organic carbon (TOC) content can be thus calculated basing on the chemical composition measurements. The aim of the presented paper was to evaluate the possibility of estimating the organic matter amount on the basis of trace elements such as: Ni, Cu, Mo, U, V, Zn, Cr, Sr, Pb and Co, for Silurian black shales. Correlations between individual elements and total organic carbon were analysed. Next, mathematical models allowing to calculate the amount of organic matter based on the content of elements significantly related to TOC were constructed. Both more accurate chemical composition analyses (ICP-MS mass spectrometry method) and measurements of lower detectability performed with portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer EDXRF were used. The relationships between the content of trace elements and the total organic carbon content TOC were found for such elements as: V, Cu, U, Ni, Mo, Cr (ICP-MS) and V, Cu , Cr and Ni (XRF). Mathematical models allowing for TOC quantification based on trace elements, characterized by determination coefficients R2 from 0.84 to 0.92 (for ICP MS method) and from 0.75 to 0.78 (for XRF method) were obtained with the use of the multiple regression method. The mathematical models allow to calculate the content of organic matter TOC for Silurian black shales on the basis of trace element data obtained by both mass spectrometry ICP-MS and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry EDXRF. The possibility of using measurements made with a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer is particularly important. Such measurements are fast and can be carried out on cuttings during the drilling process. Models based on XRF results therefore allow for quick modelling of the TOC content during the drilling process