Activation of PKC-ε counteracts maturation and apoptosis of HL-60 myeloid leukemic cells in response to TNF family members

Protein kinase C (PKC)-ε, a component of the serine/threo-nine PKC family, has been shown to influence the survival and differentiation pathways of normal hematopoietic cells. Here, we have modulated the activity of PKC-ε with specific small molecule activator or inhibitor peptides. PKC-ε inhibitor and activator peptides showed modest effects on HL-60 maturation when added alone, but PKC-ε activator peptide significantly counteracted the pro-maturative activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α towards the monocytic/macrophagic lineage, as evaluated in terms of CD14 surface expression and morphological analyses. Moreover, while PKC-ε inhibitor peptide showed a reproducible increase of TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis, PKC-ε activator peptide potently counteracted the pro-apoptotic activity of TRAIL. Taken together, the anti-maturative and anti-apoptotic activities of PKC-ε envision a potentially important proleukemic role of this PKC family member

Evaluation of Soilless Media Sensors for Managing Winter-time Greenhouse Strawberry Production using a CapMat System

It is important for a greenhouse strawberry grower to know that their capillary mat (CapMat™) fertigation system is working correctly and that plants are receiving the correct amounts of water and fertilizer. Pots with soilless mix are not expected to hold more than 70% water on a volumetric basis. Pots with less than 40% water content continuously are not supplied enough water and nutrients to the plants. Typically, pots located near the manifold distribution system get a little more water than those at the other locations, but water use will really vary according to the factors listed above as well as environmental parameters, but should not vary more than 20%. Fertigation is based on the drip tape distribution system, the media density of individual pots, and the spatial energy distribution within the greenhouse. To understand how these factors interact, pot moisture, media temperature, and electrical conductivity were spot checked with a relatively new commercial sensor and also monitored continuously along with greenhouse temperature, humidity, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) using a data logger system. We found that the variance in pot medium moisture and fertilizer was as expected as were fluctuations in air and mix temperatures. Calibrated commercial electrical conductivity and soil moisture sensors for measuring pot moisture and/or electric conductivity were reliable. Having this data may be a key to determining why plants in the UNL greenhouse produced more marketable fruit than plants in the commercial house

TRAIL, OPG, and TWEAK in kidney disease: biomarkers or therapeutic targets?

Ligands and receptors of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily regulate immune responses and homeostatic functions with potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Kidney disease represents a global public health problem, whose prevalence is rising worldwide, due to the aging of the population and the increasing prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and immune disorders. In addition, chronic kidney disease is an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, which further increases kidney-related morbidity and mortality. Recently, it has been shown that some TNF superfamily members are actively implicated in renal pathophysiology. These members include TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), its decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG), and TNF-like weaker inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK). All of them have shown the ability to activate crucial pathways involved in kidney disease development and progression (e.g. canonical and non-canonical pathways of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B), as well as the ability to regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, necrosis, inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis with double-edged effects depending on the type and stage of kidney injury. Here we will review the actions of TRAIL, OPG, and TWEAK on diabetic and non-diabetic kidney disease, in order to provide insights into their full clinical potential as biomarkers and/or therapeutic options against kidney disease

Disinfection of Ocular Cells and Tissues by Atmospheric-Pressure Cold Plasma

Background: Low temperature plasmas have been proposed in medicine as agents for tissue disinfection and have received increasing attention due to the frequency of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. This study explored whether atmospheric-pressure cold plasma (APCP) generated by a new portable device that ionizes a flow of helium gas can inactivate ocular pathogens without causing significant tissue damage. Methodology and Principal Findings: We tested the APCP effects on cultured Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Herpes simplex virus-1, ocular cells (conjunctival fibroblasts and keratocytes) and ex-vivo corneas. Exposure to APCP for 0.5 to 5 minutes significantly reduced microbial viability (colony-forming units) but not human cell viability (MTT assay, FACS and Tunel analysis) or the number of HSV-1 plaque-forming units. Increased levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in exposed microorganisms and cells were found using a FACS-activated 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate probe. Immunoassays demonstrated no induction of thymine dimers in cell cultures and corneal tissues. A transient increased expression of 8-OHdG, genes and proteins related to oxidative stress (OGG1, GPX, NFE2L2) was determined in ocular cells and corneas by HPLC, qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Conclusions: A short application of APCP appears to be an efficient and rapid ocular disinfectant for bacteria and fungi without significant damage on ocular cells and tissues, although the treatment of conjunctival fibroblasts and keratocytes caused a time-restricted generation of intracellular ROS and oxidative stress-related responses