Toxicity of plant extracts containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids using alternative invertebrate models

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a widespread class of hepatotoxic heterocyclic organic compounds found in approximately 3% of world flora. Some PAs have been shown to have genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. The present study focuses on the toxicity effects of four dry extracts obtained from medicinal plants (Senecio vernalis, Symphytum officinale, Petasites hybridus and Tussilago farfara), on two aquatic organisms, Artemia salina and Daphnia magna, and the correlation with their PAs content. A new GC‑MS method, using a retention time (TR)‑5MS type capillary column was developed. PAs Kovats retention indices, for this type of column were computed for the first time. The lethal dose 50% (LC50) values for the two invertebrate models were correlated (Pearson 's coefficient, >0.9) and the toxicity was PA concentration-dependent, for three of the four extracts. All tested extracts were found to be toxic in both aquatic organism models. The results can be used to develop a GC‑MS validated method for the assay of PAs in medicinal plants with a further potential application in the risk assessment study of PAs toxicity in humans

A Mechanistic and Pathophysiological Approach for Stroke Associated with Drugs of Abuse

Drugs of abuse are associated with stroke, especially in young individuals. The major classes of drugs linked to stroke are cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, morphine, cannabis, and new synthetic cannabinoids, along with androgenic anabolic steroids (AASs). Both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke have been reported due to drug abuse. Several common mechanisms have been identified, such as arrhythmias and cardioembolism, hypoxia, vascular toxicity, vascular spasm and effects on the thrombotic mechanism, as causes for ischemic stroke. For hemorrhagic stroke, acute hypertension, aneurysm formation/rupture and angiitis-like changes have been implicated. In AAS abuse, the effect of blood pressure is rather substance specific, whereas increased erythropoiesis usually leads to thromboembolism. Transient vasospasm, caused by synthetic cannabinoids, could lead to ischemic stroke. Opiates often cause infective endocarditis, resulting in ischemic stroke and hypereosinophilia accompanied by pyogenic arthritis, provoking hemorrhagic stroke. Genetic variants are linked to increased risk for stroke in cocaine abuse. The fact that case reports on cannabis-induced stroke usually refer to the young population is very alarming

Evaluating the European Union (EU) Tobacco Products Directive: Findings from the EUREST-PLUS ITC cohort study among six EU Member States (MS)

Efforts to mitigate the devastation of tobacco-attributable morbidity and mortality in the European Union (EU) consist of its newly adopted Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) along with the first-ever health treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The aim of this Horizon 2020 project entitled European Regulatory Science on Tobacco: Policy Implementation to Reduce Lung Disease (EUREST-PLUS) is to monitor and evaluate the impact of the implementation of the TPD across the EU, within the context of WHO FCTC ratification. The EUREST-PLUS ITC cohort study of adult smokers in six EU MS (Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Spain), uses a pre- vs. post-TPD implementation study design, evaluating the impact of several tobacco control policy provisions, including but not limited to health warning labels, smoke free areas and electronic cigarettes. The study is designed to generate strong inferences about the effectiveness of tobacco control policies, as well as to elucidate the mechanisms and factors by which policy implementation translates to population impact. Findings from EUREST-PLUS have potential global implications for implementation of innovative tobacco control policies and its impact on the prevention of lung diseases

Classification of cancer cell lines using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and statistical analysis

Over the past decade, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time‑of‑flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‑TOF MS) has been established as a valuable platform for microbial identification, and it is also frequently applied in biology and clinical studies to identify new markers expressed in pathological conditions. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential of using this approach for the classification of cancer cell lines as a quantifiable method for the proteomic profiling of cellular organelles. Intact protein extracts isolated from different tumor cell lines (human and murine) were analyzed using MALDI‑TOF MS and the obtained mass lists were processed using principle component analysis (PCA) within Bruker Biotyper® software. Furthermore, reference spectra were created for each cell line and were used for classification. Based on the intact protein profiles, we were able to differentiate and classify six cancer cell lines: two murine melanoma (B16‑F0 and B164A5), one human melanoma (A375), two human breast carcinoma (MCF7 and MDA‑MB‑231) and one human liver carcinoma (HepG2). The cell lines were classified according to cancer type and the species they originated from, as well as by their metastatic potential, offering the possibility to differentiate non‑invasive from invasive cells. The obtained results pave the way for developing a broad‑based strategy for the identification and classification of cancer cell

Classification of cancer cell lines using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and statistical analysis

Over the past decade, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time‑of‑flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‑TOF MS) has been established as a valuable platform for microbial identification, and it is also frequently applied in biology and clinical studies to identify new markers expressed in pathological conditions. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential of using this approach for the classification of cancer cell lines as a quantifiable method for the proteomic profiling of cellular organelles. Intact protein extracts isolated from different tumor cell lines (human and murine) were analyzed using MALDI‑TOF MS and the obtained mass lists were processed using principle component analysis (PCA) within Bruker Biotyper® software. Furthermore, reference spectra were created for each cell line and were used for classification. Based on the intact protein profiles, we were able to differentiate and classify six cancer cell lines: two murine melanoma (B16‑F0 and B164A5), one human melanoma (A375), two human breast carcinoma (MCF7 and MDA‑MB‑231) and one human liver carcinoma (HepG2). The cell lines were classified according to cancer type and the species they originated from, as well as by their metastatic potential, offering the possibility to differentiate non‑invasive from invasive cells. The obtained results pave the way for developing a broad‑based strategy for the identification and classification of cancer cell

Physiological and anthocyanin biosynthesis genes response induced by vanadium stress in mustard genotypes with distinct photosynthetic activity

The present study aimed to elucidate the photosynthetic performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, anthocyanin contents, anthocyanin biosynthetic gene expression, and vanadium uptake in mustard genotypes (purple and green) that differ in photosynthetic capacity under vanadium stress. The results indicated that vanadium significantly reduced photosynthetic activity in both genotypes. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes were increased significantly in response to vanadium in both genotypes, although the purple exhibited higher. The anthocyanin contents were also reduced under vanadium stress. The anthocyanin biosynthetic genes were highly expressed in the purple genotype, notably the genes TT8, F3H, and MYBL2 under vanadium stress. The results indicate that induction of TT8, F3H, and MYBL2 genes was associated with upregulation of the biosynthetic genes required for higher anthocyanin biosynthesis in purple compared with the green mustard. The roots accumulated higher vanadium than shoots in both mustard genotypes. The results indicate that the purple mustard had higher vanadium tolerance