Analysis of DRD2 Gene Polymorphism in the Context of Personality Traits in a Group of Athletes

The presented study showed the relationship between dopamine receptor gene polymorphism and personality traits in athletes training in martial arts. Behavioral modulation resulting from a balance of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine to inactivation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dysregulation of various pathways involved in attention and impulse control processes; Methods: The study was conducted among martial arts athletes. The study group included 258 volunteers and 284 controls. The genetic test was performed using the real-time PCR method; psychological tests were performed using standardized TCI questionnaires. All analyses were performed using STATISTICA 13. Results: Interaction between martial arts and DRD2 rs1799732 (manual) G/-(VIC/FAM)-ins/del and RD- Harm avoidance and Reward Dependence scale were demonstrated. In athletes, a lower Reward Dependence scale score was associated with the DRD2 rs1799732 (manual)-/-polymorphism compared to the control group. Conclusions: It seems justified to study not only genetic aspects related to brain transmission dopamine in martial arts athletes. In the studied athletes, the features related to reward addiction and harm avoidance are particularly important in connection with the dopaminergic reward system in the brai

Mitochondrial DNA Variability in Bosnians and Slovenians

Summary Mitochondrial DNA variability in two Slavonic-speaking populations of the northwestern Balkan peninsula, Bosnians (N = 144) and Slovenians (N = 104), was studied by hypervariable segments I and II (HVS I and II) sequencing and restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the mtDNA coding region

Sex Steroids Induce Membrane Stress Responses and Virulence Properties in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Estrogen, a major female sex steroid hormone, has been shown to promote the selection of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the airways of patients with chronic respiratory diseases, including cystic fibrosis. This results in long-term persistence, poorer clinical outcomes, and limited therapeutic options. In this study, we demonstrate that at physiological concentrations, sex steroids, including testosterone and estriol, induce membrane stress responses in P. aeruginosa This is characterized by increased virulence and consequent inflammation and release of proinflammatory outer membrane vesicles promoting in vivo persistence of the bacteria. The steroid-induced P. aeruginosa response correlates with the molecular polarity of the hormones and membrane fluidic properties of the bacteria. This novel mechanism of interaction between sex steroids and P. aeruginosa explicates the reported increased disease severity observed in females with cystic fibrosis and provides evidence for the therapeutic potential of the modulation of sex steroids to achieve better clinical outcomes in patients with hormone-responsive strains.IMPORTANCE Molecular mechanisms by which sex steroids interact with P. aeruginosa to modulate its virulence have yet to be reported. Our work provides the first characterization of a steroid-induced membrane stress mechanism promoting P. aeruginosa virulence, which includes the release of proinflammatory outer membrane vesicles, resulting in inflammation, host tissue damage, and reduced bacterial clearance. We further demonstrate that at nanomolar (physiological) concentrations, male and female sex steroids promote virulence in clinical strains of P. aeruginosa based on their dynamic membrane fluidic properties. This work provides, for the first-time, mechanistic insight to better understand and predict the P. aeruginosa related response to sex steroids and explain the interindividual patient variability observed in respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis that are complicated by gender differences and chronic P. aeruginosa infection

Dental methacrylates may exert genotoxic effects via the oxidative induction of DNA double strand breaks and the inhibition of their repair

Methacrylate monomers used in dentistry have been shown to induce DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), one of the most serious DNA damage. In the present work we show that a model dental adhesive consisting of 45% 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and 55% bisphenol A-diglycidyl dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA) at concentrations up to 0.25 mM Bis-GMA induced oxidative DNA in cultured primary human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) as evaluated by the comet assay and probed with human 8-hydroxyguanine DNA-glycosylase 1. HEMA/Bis-GMA induced DSBs in HGFs as assessed by the neutral comet assay and phosphorylation of the H2AX histone and sodium ascorbate or melatonin (5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine) both at 50 μM reduced the DSBs, they also inhibited apoptosis induced by HEMA/Bis-GMA. The adhesive slowed the kinetics of the repair of DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide in HGFs, while sodium ascorbate or melatonin improved the efficacy of H2O2-induced damage in the presence of the methacrylates. The adhesive induced a rise in the G2/M cell population, accompanied by a reduction in the S cell population and an increase in G0/G1 cell population. Sodium ascorbate or melatonin elevated the S population and reduced the G2/M population. In conclusion, HEMA/Bis-GMA induce DSBs through, at least in part, oxidative mechanisms, and these compounds may interfere with DSBs repair. Vitamin C or melatonin may reduce the detrimental effects induced by methacrylates applied in dentistry

Bacterial Distribution in the Rhizosphere of Wild Barley under Contrasting Microclimates

Background: All plants in nature harbor a diverse community of rhizosphere bacteria which can affect the plant growth. Our samples are isolated from the rhizosphere of wild barley Hordeum spontaneum at the Evolution Canyon (‘EC’), Israel. The bacteria which have been living in close relationship with the plant root under the stressful conditions over millennia are likely to have developed strategies to alleviate plant stress. Methodology/Principal Findings: We studied distribution of culturable bacteria in the rhizosphere of H. spontaneum and characterized the bacterial 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCd) production, biofilm production, phosphorus solubilization and halophilic behavior. We have shown that the H. spontaneum rhizosphere at the stressful South Facing Slope (SFS) harbors significantly higher population of ACCd producing biofilm forming phosphorus solubilizing osmotic stress tolerant bacteria. Conclusions/Significance: The long-lived natural laboratory ‘EC ’ facilitates the generation of theoretical testable and predictable models of biodiversity and genome evolution on the area of plant microbe interactions. It is likely that the bacteria isolated at the stressful SFS offer new opportunities for the biotechnological applications in our agro-ecologica

Antihypertensive Treatment Differentially Affects Vascular Sphingolipid Biology in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

We have previously shown that essential hypertension in humans and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), is associated with increased levels of ceramide and marked alterations in sphingolipid biology. Pharmacological elevation of ceramide in isolated carotid arteries of SHR leads to vasoconstriction via a calcium-independent phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase-1 and thromboxane synthase-dependent release of thromboxane A2. This phenomenon is almost absent in vessels from normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. Here we investigated whether lowering of blood pressure can reverse elevated ceramide levels and reduce ceramide-mediated contractions in SHR. Methods and Findings For this purpose SHR were treated for 4 weeks with the angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist losartan or the vasodilator hydralazine. Both drugs decreased blood pressure equally (SBP untreated SHR: 191±7 mmHg, losartan: 125±5 mmHg and hydralazine: 113±14 mmHg). The blood pressure lowering was associated with a 20–25% reduction in vascular ceramide levels and improved endothelial function of isolated carotid arteries in both groups. Interestingly, losartan, but not hydralazine treatment, markedly reduced sphingomyelinase-induced contractions. While both drugs lowered cyclooxygenase-1 expression, only losartan and not hydralazine, reduced the endothelial expression of calcium-independent phospholipase A2. The latter finding may explain the effect of losartan treatment on sphingomyelinase-induced vascular contraction. Conclusion In summary, this study corroborates the importance of sphingolipid biology in blood pressure control and specifically shows that blood pressure lowering reduces vascular ceramide levels in SHR and that losartan treatment, but not blood pressure lowering per se, reduces ceramide-mediated arterial contractions

Effect of Cavtratin, a Caveolin-1 Scaffolding Domain Peptide, on Oligodendroglial Signaling Cascades

Caveolin and caveolin containing rafts are involved in the signaling of growth factors in various cell types. Previous reports of our lab indicated a co-localization of caveolin and the high affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor tyrosine kinase A (TrkA). Mutual effects have been observed among which a caveolin-1 knock-down resulted in an impairment of the NGF signaling cascade rather than in an increase of activity as expected from other growth factor reports. On the other hand, an over-expression of caveolin-1 impaired the NGF stimulated activity of p42/44 mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK). In this study, we used a caveolin-1 scaffolding domain (CSD) peptide (cavtratin) of which an inhibitory effect on growth factor receptors was reported. Our data showed that cavtratin suppresses the NGF-induced phosphorylation of TrkA as well as the activation of MAPK in porcine oligodendrocytes significantly

Stosowanie Konstytucji RP z 1997 roku - doświadczenia i perspektywy : międzynarodowa konferencja naukowa

Sprawozdanie z Międzynarodowej Konferencji Naukowej, która odbyła się w Krakowie w dniach 24-27 września 2006Prowadzone w latach 2002-2005 przez kilkudziesięciu specjalistów z całej Polski, pod kierownictwem prof. dr hab. Kazimierza Działochy, badania nad stosowaniem Konstytucji RP z 1997 r. przyniosły nie tylko bogaty dorobek liczący dziesięć tomów studiów i raport końcowy, ale znalazły swój finał w pracach Międzynarodowej Konferencji Naukowej, która odbyła się w Krakowie w dniach 24-27 września 2006 r. Konferencja zorganizowana została przez Polskie Towarzystwo Prawa Konstytucyjnego, Katedrę Prawa Ustrojowego Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego oraz Katedrę Prawa Konstytucyjnego Krakowskiej Szkoły Wyższej im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego. Wybitne osobistości ze świata nauki i praktyki politycznej - zwłaszcza współtwórcy Konstytucji - oraz osoby zajmujące najwyższe stanowiska państwowe, które stosowały ją bezpośrednio, tworzyły Komitet Honorowy Konferencji pod przewodnictwem pana Prezydenta Aleksandra Kwaśniewskiego