Wpływ oligomerów procyanidolowych na aktywność antykoagulacyjną osocza

Background. Procyanidolic oligomers (PO) inhibit the degradation of subendothelial connective tissue by collagenase and elastase neutralization. Their efficacy in postphlebitic syndrome and venous insufficiency may suggest an additional systemic action mediated by endothelium. Therefore, the plasma anticoagulant response and the tissue plasma pathway inhibitor (TFPI) release induced by PO was assessed. Material and methods. Twenty-six patients, both surgical and medical, aged 29–86 years, who required antithrombotic prophylaxis for at least 5 days, were included in the study. The patients with higher thrombotic risk received either unfractionated heparin (UFH; 5000 IU bid, s.c., n = 8) or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH; 2850 IU AXa/0.3 mL o.d, s.c., n = 8). The patients with lower thrombotic risk received PO (150 mg bid, p.o., n = 10). In the control group there were age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers, to whom a placebo was administered. Blood samples were drawn before, on the 1, 4, 8 h, as well as on the days 2, 5 after administration of the study medication. Results. The TFPI concentration did not change significantly from the baseline value at any time, either in patients or in controls. Anti-Xa activity increased at 1 h until day 5 after administration of each study medication. Anti-IIa activity increased at 1 hour and remained elevated until day 5 under UFH and LMWH treatment, but only until day 2 in the PO group. The area under the curve of both anti-Xa and anti-IIa activity was similar in all three study groups but significantly larger as compared to the controls. Conclusions. Procyanidolic oligomers, like heparin and LMWH, induce anticoagulant response in plasma, but do not release TFPI into the blood.Wstęp. Oligomery procyanidolowe (PO) hamują degradację podśródbłonkowej tkanki łącznej poprzez neutralizację kolagenazy i elastazy. Skuteczność PO w zespole pozakrzepowym i niewydolności żylnej może sugerować ich dodatkowe działanie układowe, w którym pośredniczy śródbłonek. Było to przesłanką do oceny odpowiedzi antykoagulacyjnej osocza wywoływanej przez PO i uwalniania inhibitora drogi zewnątrzpochodnej (TFPI). Materiał i metody. Do badania włączono 26 chorych z oddziałów chirurgicznego i internistycznego w wieku 29–86 lat, u których konieczne było zastosowanie profilaktycznej terapii przeciwzakrzepowej przez co najmniej 5 dni. Chorzy z dużym ryzykiem zakrzepowym otrzymywali albo heparynę niefrakcjonowaną (UFH; 5000 jm. dwa razy dziennie podskórnie, n = 8), albo heparynę drobnocząsteczkową (LMWH; 2850 jm. AXa/0,3 ml raz dziennie podskórnie, n = 8). Pacjenci, u których ryzyko zakrzepowe było małe, otrzymywali PO (150 mg dwa razy dziennie doustnie, n = 10). Grupę kontrolną stanowili zdrowi ochotnicy zaklasyfikowani według wieku i płci, otrzymujący placebo. Krew do badań pobierano przed podaniem leku oraz w 1., 4. i 8. godzinie oraz w 2. i 5. dniu od podania leku. Wyniki. Stężenie TFPI nie zmieniało się w porównaniu z wartością wyjściową zarówno w grupach badanych, jak i kontrolnej. Aktywność anty-Xa zwiększała się od 1. godziny do 5. dnia po podaniu każdego leku. Aktywność anty-IIa była zwiększona od 1. godziny do 5. dnia po podaniu UFH i LMWH, ale tylko do 2. dnia po PO. Całkowita aktywność anty-Xa i anty-IIa, oceniana jako wielkość pola pod krzywą w badanym czasie, była podobna we wszystkich grupach badanych, ale znacząco wyższa w porównaniu z grupą kontrolną. Wnioski. Oligomery procyanidolowe, podobnie jak heparyna niefrakcjonowana i drobnocząsteczkowa, wywołują odpowiedź antykoagulacyjną w osoczu, ale nie powodują uwalniania TFPI do krwi

Long-term spatiotemporal stability and dynamic changes in the haemoparasite community of spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus) in four montane wadis in the St. Katherine Protectorate, Sinai, Egypt

Background: Long-term field studies of parasite communities are rare but provide a powerful insight into the ecological processes shaping host-parasite interactions. The aim of our study was to monitor long-term trends in the haemoparasite communities of spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus) and to identify the principal factors responsible for changes over a 12 year period. Methods: To this end we sampled four semi-isolated populations of mice (n= 835) in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 in four dry montane valleys (wadis) located in the Sinai Massif, Egypt. Results: Overall 76.2 % of spiny mice carried at least one of the five haemoparasite genera (Babesia, Bartonella, Haemobartonella, Hepatozoon, Trypanosoma) recorded in the study. Prevalence of haemoparasites varied significantly between the sites with the highest overall prevalence in Wadi Tlah and the lowest in W. El Arbaein, and this changed significantly with time. In the first two surveys there was little change in prevalence, but by 2008, when the first signs of a deepening drought in the region had become apparent, prevalence began to drift downwards, and by 2012 prevalence had fallen to the lowest values recorded from all four sites over the entire 12-year period. The overall mean species richness was 1.2 ± 0.03, which peaked in 2004 and then dropped by more than 50 % by 2012. Species richness was highest among mice from Wadi Tlah and peaked in age class 2 mice (young adults). Site was the most significant factor affecting the prevalence of individual parasite species, with Trypanosoma acomys and Hepatozoon sp. occurring mainly in two wadis (W. Tlah & W. Gharaba). In four of the five genera recorded in the study we observed a significant drop in prevalence or/and abundance since 2004, the exception being Hepatozoon sp. Conclusions: During the 12-year-long period of study in the Sinai, we observed dynamic changes and possibly even cycles of prevalence and abundance of infections which differed depending on parasite species. Although the exact reasons cannot be identified at this time, we hypothesize that the effects of a 15-year-long scarcity of rainfall in the local environment and a fall in host densities over the period of study may have been responsible for a drop in transmission rates, possibly by a negative impact on vector survival

Elevated Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DPP-IV) Activity in Plasma from Patients with Various Lysosomal Diseases

Increased activity of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) was reported earlier in patients with different types of mucopolysaccharidoses. DPP-IV (also known as CD26 lymphocyte T surface antigen) is a transmembrane protein showing protease activity. This enzyme displays various functions in the organism and plays an important role in multiple processes like glucose metabolism, nociception, cell-adhesion, psychoneuroendocrine regulation, immune response and cardiovascular adaptation. In order to evaluate DPP-IV in lysosomal storage diseases (LSD), we examined its activity in plasma samples from 307 patients affected with 24 different LSDs and in 75 control persons. Our results revealed elevated DPP-IV activity especially in individuals affected with mucolipidosis II/III, alpha-mannosidosis, and mucopolysaccharidoses types III, II, and I (p < 0.05). In other LSDs the DPP-IV activity was still significantly increased, but to a lesser extent. In patients with Gaucher disease, ceroid lipofuscinosis type 1 (CLN1), Niemann–Pick disease type C and A, Krabbe and Pompe diseases, gangliosidosis GM2 and metachromatic leukodystrophy discreet or no changes in DPP-IV activity were observed. DPP-IV may serve as a first-tier diagnostic procedure or additional biochemical analysis in recognizing patients with some LSDs. DPP-IV may become an object of basic research for a better understanding of LSDs

Boron Cluster Modification with Antiviral, Anticancer, and Modulation of Purinergic Receptors' Activities Based on the Nucleoside Structure

Nucleoside analogs have been in clinical use for several decades and have become cornerstones of treatment for patients with cancer or viral infections [1,2]. This is complemented with nucleoside antibiotics, a large family of microbial natural products and synthetic derivatives derived from nucleosides and nucleotides [3]. The approval of several new nucleoside drugs over the past decade demonstrates that this class of compounds still possesses strong potential [1,2]. The potential of nucleosides in chemotherapy is enhanced by development of new chemistries for nucleoside modification, better understanding of molecular mechanisms of nucleoside drugs’ actions [4], and pro‐drug technology [5,6]. One of the new developments in the medicinal chemistry of nucleosides is nucleoside derivatives comprising a boron component [7]. The boron part can contain a single boron atom [8] or several boron atoms in the form of a boron cluster (Figure 1.2.1) [9–11]

From Alpha to Delta—Genetic Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 (hCoV-19) in Southern Poland

In Poland, the first case of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in March 2020. Since then, many circulating virus lineages fueled rapid pandemic waves which inflicted a severe burden on the Polish healthcare system. Some of these lineages were associated with increased transmissibility and immune escape. Mutations in the viral spike protein, which is responsible for host cell recognition and serves as the primary target for neutralizing antibodies, are of particular importance. We investigated the molecular epidemiology of the SARS-CoV-2 clades circulating in Southern Poland from February 2021 to August 2021. The 921 whole-genome sequences were used for variant identification, spike mutation, and phylogenetic analyses. The Pango B.1.1.7 was the dominant variant (n = 730, 89.68%) from March 2021 to July 2021. In July 2021, the B.1.1.7 was displaced by the B.1.617.2 lineage with 66.66% in July 2021 and 92.3% in August 2021 frequencies, respectively. Moreover, our results were compared with the sequencing available on the GISAID platform for other regions of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The analysis showed that the dominant variant in the analyzed period was B.1.1.7 in all countries and Southern Poland (Silesia). Interestingly, B.1.1.7 was replaced by B.1.617.2 earlier in Southern Poland than in the rest of the country. Moreover, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, AY lineages were predominant at that time, contrary to the Silesia region