Qualitative analysis of acid-base nutrition and its effect on the human body

The purpose of the study to identify the dependence of the psychoemotional state of a person on the acid load in the diet.Цель исследования – выявить зависимость психоэмоционального состояния человека от кислотной нагрузки рациона питания

Qualitative analysis of acid‑base nutrition and its effect on the human body

The purpose of the study to identify the dependence of the psychoemotional state of a person on the acid load in the diet.Цель исследования — выявить зависимость психоэмоционального состояния человека от кислотной нагрузки рациона питания

Особенностью течения тяжелых форм СOVID-19 является высокий уровень воспаления, требующий применения дополнительных диагностических технологий для уточнения вызывающей его причины

Subjects and methods. The retrospective study included 37 patients (n = 37) diagnosed with severe viral pneumonia (SARS-CoV2) who were treated in the intensive care unit of Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University. To assess the significance of PADM as a biomarker of bacterial infection, patients were divided into two groups: the group of patients with viral pneumonia without sepsis (n = 24) and the group of those who developed sepsis and septic shock complicating the course of the new coronavirus infection (n = 13). PADM was assessed as a criterion for the severity of the disease in the groups of deceased (n = 19) and survivors (n = 18). Data were statistically processed in the computer mathematics system R, version 3.6.2, the prognostic significance of PADM was assessed using linear regression.Results. The median PADM in the group without sepsis was higher than the reference value – 1.1 (0.5; 4.3) nmol/L, in patients with sepsis that complicated the course of viral pneumonia – 2.8 (1.1; 5.7) nmol/L (p = 0.0019). Significant differences were revealed between the baseline levels of PADM in patients with different outcomes: in the surviving group, the median was 0.99 (0.5; 3.14) nmol/L, and in the group of deceased – 2.70 (0.94; 5.86 ) nmol/L. In surviving patients, the changes in PADM levels had a linear distribution throughout the entire period of stay in the intensive care unit. In deceased patients, within 20 days before death, PADM tended to grow significantly and reached its maximum by the time of the outcome.Conclusion. The assessment of the PADM blood level can be used to clarify the addition of a bacterial infection in patients with pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus. The study of changes in its level makes it possible to objectify the prediction of the course of COVID-19 – favorable or unfavorable. Data accumulation is required to clarify specific PADM values that predict the outcome in COVID-19 patients. Цель: изучить информационную значимость проадреномедуллина (ПАДМ) у пациентов с новой коронавирусной инфекцией COVID-19.Материалы и методы. В ретроспективное исследование включено 37 пациентов (n = 37) с подтвержденным диагнозом вирусной пневмонии (SARS-CoV2) тяжелого течения, проходивших лечение в отделении реанимации и интенсивной терапии ПСПбГМУ им. акад. И. П. Павлова. Для оценки значимости ПАДМ как биомаркера бактериальной инфекции пациентов разделили на две группы: с вирусной пневмонией без сепсиса (n = 24) и с развитием сепсиса и септического шока, осложнивших течение новой коронавирусной инфекции (n = 13). Оценку ПАДМ как критерия тяжести течения заболевания проводили в группах умерших (n = 19) и выживших (n = 18). Статистическую обработку данных выполняли в системе компьютерной математики R версии 3.6.2, оценку прогностической значимости ПАДМ ‒ с помощью линейной регрессии.Результаты. Медиана ПАДМ в группе без сепсиса была выше референсного значения ‒ 1,1 (0,5; 4,3) нмоль/л, у пациентов с сепсисом, осложнившим течение вирусной пневмонии, ‒ 2,8 (1,1; 5,7) нмоль/л (p = 0,0019). Выявлены значимые различия между исходными уровнями ПАДМ у больных с разным исходом: в группе выживших медиана составила 0,99 (0,5;3,14) нмоль/л, а в группе умерших ‒ 2,70 (0,94; 5,86) нмоль/л. У выживших пациентов динамика показателя имела линейное распределение в течение всего периода пребывания в отделении реанимации и интенсивной терапии. У умерших пациентов в течение 20 сут до летального исхода наблюдалась тенденция к значимому нарастанию показателя, который достигал максимума к моменту исхода.Заключение. Оценку уровня ПАДМ в крови можно использовать для уточнения факта присоединения бактериальной инфекции у пациентов с пневмонией, вызванной вирусом SARS-CoV2. Исследование его концентрации в динамике позволяет объективизировать представление о направленности течения COVID-19 – благоприятном или неблагоприятном. Для уточнения конкретных значений ПАДМ, позволяющих прогнозировать исход у пациентов с COVID-19, требуется накопление данных.

C-Fos expression is a molecular predictor of progression and survival in epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Members of the Fos protein family dimerise with Jun proteins to form the AP-1 transcription factor complex. They have a central function in proliferation and differentiation of normal tissue as well as in oncogenic transformation and tumour progression. We analysed the expression of c-Fos, FosB, Fra-1 and Fra-2 to investigate the function of Fos transcription factors in ovarian cancer. A total of 101 patients were included in the study. Expression of Fos proteins was determined by western blot analysis, quantified by densitometry and verified by immunohistochemistry. Reduced c-Fos expression was independently associated with unfavourable progression-free survival (20.6, 31.6 and 51.2 months for patients with low, moderate and high c-Fos expression; P=0.003) as well as overall survival (23.8, 46.0 and 55.5 months for low, moderate and high c-Fos levels; P=0.003). No correlations were observed for FosB, Fra-1 and Fra-2. We conclude that loss of c-Fos expression is associated with tumour progression in ovarian carcinoma and that c-Fos may be a prognostic factor. These results are in contrast to the classic concept of c-Fos as an oncogene, but are supported by the recently discovered tumour-suppressing and proapoptotic function of c-Fos in various cancer types

Cellular Model of Warburg Effect Identifies Tumor Promoting Function of UCP2 in Breast Cancer and Its Suppression by Genipin

The Warburg Effect is characterized by an irreversible injury to mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and an increased rate of aerobic glycolysis. In this study, we utilized a breast epithelial cell line lacking mitochondrial DNA (rho0) that exhibits the Warburg Effect associated with breast cancer. We developed a MitoExpress array for rapid analysis of all known nuclear genes encoding the mitochondrial proteome. The gene-expression pattern was compared among a normal breast epithelial cell line, its rho0 derivative, breast cancer cell lines and primary breast tumors. Among several genes, our study revealed that over-expression of mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2 in rho0 breast epithelial cells reflects gene expression changes in breast cancer cell lines and in primary breast tumors. Furthermore, over-expression of UCP2 was also found in leukemia, ovarian, bladder, esophagus, testicular, colorectal, kidney, pancreatic, lung and prostate tumors. Ectopic expression of UCP2 in MCF7 breast cancer cells led to a decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased tumorigenic properties as measured by cell migration, in vitro invasion and anchorage independent growth. Consistent with in vitro studies, we demonstrate that UCP2 over-expression leads to development of tumors in vivo in an orthotopic model of breast cancer. Genipin, a plant derived small molecule, suppressed the UCP2 led tumorigenic properties, which were mediated by decreased reactive oxygen species and down-regulation of UCP2. However, UCP1, 3, 4 and 5 gene expression was unaffected. UCP2 transcription was controlled by SMAD4. Together, these studies suggest a tumor-promoting function of UCP2 in breast cancer. In summary, our studies demonstrate that i) the Warburg Effect is mediated by UCP2; ii) UCP2 is over-expressed in breast and many other cancers; iii) UCP2 promotes tumorigenic properties in vitro and in vivo and iv) genipin suppresses the tumor promoting function of UCP2

Long-term modification of cortical synapses improves sensory perception

Synapses and receptive fields of the cerebral cortex are plastic. However, changes to specific inputs must be coordinated within neural networks to ensure that excitability and feature selectivity are appropriately configured for perception of the sensory environment. Long-lasting enhancements and decrements to rat primary auditory cortical excitatory synaptic strength were induced by pairing acoustic stimuli with activation of the nucleus basalis neuromodulatory system. Here we report that these synaptic modifications were approximately balanced across individual receptive fields, conserving mean excitation while reducing overall response variability. Decreased response variability should increase detection and recognition of near-threshold or previously imperceptible stimuli, as we found in behaving animals. Thus, modification of cortical inputs leads to wide-scale synaptic changes, which are related to improved sensory perception and enhanced behavioral performance

The informative value of proadrenomedullin in patients with severe COVID-19

Subjects and methods. The retrospective study included 37 patients (n = 37) diagnosed with severe viral pneumonia (SARS-CoV2) who were treated in the intensive care unit of Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University. To assess the significance of PADM as a biomarker of bacterial infection, patients were divided into two groups: the group of patients with viral pneumonia without sepsis (n = 24) and the group of those who developed sepsis and septic shock complicating the course of the new coronavirus infection (n = 13). PADM was assessed as a criterion for the severity of the disease in the groups of deceased (n = 19) and survivors (n = 18). Data were statistically processed in the computer mathematics system R, version 3.6.2, the prognostic significance of PADM was assessed using linear regression.Results. The median PADM in the group without sepsis was higher than the reference value – 1.1 (0.5; 4.3) nmol/L, in patients with sepsis that complicated the course of viral pneumonia – 2.8 (1.1; 5.7) nmol/L (p = 0.0019). Significant differences were revealed between the baseline levels of PADM in patients with different outcomes: in the surviving group, the median was 0.99 (0.5; 3.14) nmol/L, and in the group of deceased – 2.70 (0.94; 5.86 ) nmol/L. In surviving patients, the changes in PADM levels had a linear distribution throughout the entire period of stay in the intensive care unit. In deceased patients, within 20 days before death, PADM tended to grow significantly and reached its maximum by the time of the outcome.Conclusion. The assessment of the PADM blood level can be used to clarify the addition of a bacterial infection in patients with pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus. The study of changes in its level makes it possible to objectify the prediction of the course of COVID-19 – favorable or unfavorable. Data accumulation is required to clarify specific PADM values that predict the outcome in COVID-19 patients