PREVENTIVE ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION EFFECT ON REDOX STATUS IN RAT MODEL OF MAFLD

Background. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Antioxidant trace elements as cofactors of antioxidant enzymes and metalloproteins are involved in this process. Zinc being an important antioxidant may have a positive effect on the treatment of liver pathology. The study aimed to assess the effect of preventive zinc supplementation on MAFLD in rats. Materials and Methods. A total of 26 three-month-old female Wistar rats were used in the present study. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, some redox status markers, such as ceruloplasmin, oxidized tryptophan, dithyrosines, total thiols, carbonyls, TBARS, and uric acid were evaluated. Oxidative stress biomarkers were studied spectrophotometrically. Results. MAFLD was accompanied by hyperuricemia and a decrease in serum dityrosines. The addition of Zn to the diet prevented the development of steatosis, decreased the level of oxidized tryptophan in the liver, and paradoxically caused hyperuricemia in the MAFLD model used. Zn supplementation had a positive effect on the prevention of MAFLD, had a little effect on redox status of animals but caused paradoxical hyperuricemia. Future studies are needed to establish the mechanisms of the Zn effect at the cellular level

Safety and immunogenicity of rAd26 and rAd5 vector-based heterologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in healthy adolescents: an open-label, non-randomized, multicenter, phase 1/2, dose-escalation study

To protect young individuals against SARS-CoV-2 infection, we conducted an open-label, prospective, non-randomised dose-escalation Phase 1/2 clinical trial to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the prime-boost “Sputnik V” vaccine administered at 1/10 and 1/5 doses to adolescents aged 12–17 years. The study began with the vaccination of the older cohort (15-to-17-year-old participants) with the lower (1/10) dose of vaccine and then expanded to the whole group (12-to-17-year-old participants). Next, 1/5 dose was used according to the same scheme. Both doses were well tolerated by all age groups. No serious or severe adverse events were detected. Most of the solicited adverse reactions were mild. No significant differences in total frequencies of adverse events were registered between low and high doses in age-pooled groups (69.6% versus 66.7%). In contrast, the 1/5 dose induced significantly higher humoral and T cell-mediated immune responses than the 1/10 dose. The 1/5 vaccine dose elicited higher antigen-binding (both S and RBD-specific) as well as virus-neutralising antibody titres at the maximum of response (day 42), also resulting in a statistically significant difference at a distanced timepoint (day 180) compared to the 1/10 vaccine dose. Higher dose resulted in increased cross-neutralization of Delta and Omicron variants.;Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04954092, LP-007632

Cadmium and atherosclerosis: A review of toxicological mechanisms and a meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies

Cadmium has been proposed to be the one of the factors of atherosclerosis development, although the existing data are still controversial. The primary objective of the present study is the review and the meta-analysis of studies demonstrating the association between Cd exposure and atherosclerosis as well as review of the potential mechanisms of such association. We performed a systematic search in the PubMed-Medline database using the MeSH terms cadmium, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, mortality and humans up through December 20, 2017. Elevated urinary Cd levels were associated with increased mortality for cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.07-1.67) as well as elevated blood Cd levels (HR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.24-2.56). Analysis restricted to never smokers showed similar, though more imprecise, results. Consistently, we also observed an association between Cd exposure markers (blood and urine) and coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. Moreover, Cd exposure was associated with atherogenic changes in lipid profile. High Cd exposure was associated with higher TC levels (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.10-2.01), higher LDL-C levels (OR = 1.31, 95% CI 0.99-1.73) and lower HDL-C levels (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.09-3.55). The mechanisms of atherogenic effect of cadmium may involve oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, enhanced lipid synthesis, up-regulation of adhesion molecules, prostanoid dysbalance, as well as altered glycosaminoglycan synthesis

Phyllobacterium zundukense sp. nov., a novel species of rhizobia isolated from root nodules of the legume species Oxytropis triphylla (Pall.) Pers.

Gram-negative strains Tri-36, Tri-38, Tri-48T and Tri-53 were isolated from root nodules of the relict legume Oxytropis triphylla (Pall.) Pers. originating from Zunduk Cape (Baikal Lake region, Russia). 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the novel isolates were phylogenetically closest to the type strains Phyllobacterium sophorae LMG 27899(T), Phyllobacterium brassicacearum LMG 22836(T), Phyllobacterium endophyticum LMG 26470(T) and Phyllobacterium bourgognense LMG 22837(T) while similarity levels between the isolates and the most closely related strain P. endophyticum LMG 26470(T) were 98.899.5 %. The recA and glnII genes of the isolates showed highest sequence similarities with P. sophorae LMG 27899(T) (95.4 and 89.5 %, respectively) and P. brassicacearum LMG 22836(T) (91.4 and 85.1 %, respectively). Comparative analysis of phenotypic properties between the novel isolates and the closest reference strains P. sophorae LMG 27899(T), P. brassicacearum LMG 22836(T) and P. endophyticum LMG 26470(T) was performed using a microassay system. Average nucleotide identities between the whole genome sequences of the isolates Tri-38 and Tri-48(T) and P. sophorae LMG 27899(T), P. brassicacearum LMG 22836(T) and P. endophyticum LMG 26470(T) ranged from 79.23% for P. endophyticum LMG 26470(T) to 85.74% for P. sophorae LMG 27899(T). The common nodABC genes required for legume nodulation were absent from strains Tri-38 and Tri-48(T), although some other symbiotic nod and fix genes were detected. On the basis of genotypic and phenotypic analysis, a novel species, Phyllobacterium zundukense sp. nov. (type strain Tri-48(T) = LMG 30371(T) = RCAM 03910(T)), is proposed

Bosea caraganae sp. nov. a new species of slow-growing bacteria isolated from root nodules of the relict species Caragana jubata (Pall.) Poir. originating from Mongolia

Two Gram-stain-negative strains, RCAM04680(T) and RCAM04685, were isolated from root nodules of the relict legume Caragana jubata (Pall.) Poir. originating from the south-western shore of Lake Khuvsgul (Mongolia). The 16S rRNA gene (rrs) sequencing data showed that these novel isolates belong to the genus Bosea and are phylogenetically closest to the type strains Bosea lathyri LMG 26379(T), Bosea vaviloviae LMG 28367(T), Bosea massiliensis LMG 26221(T) and Bosea lupini LMG 26383(T) (the rrs-similarity levels were 98.7-98.8 %). The recA gene of strain RCAM04680(T) showed the highest sequence similarity to the type strain B. lupini LMG 26383(T) (95.4 %), while its atpD gene was closest to that of B. lathyri LMG 26379(T) (94.4 %). The ITS, dnaK and gyrB sequences of this isolate were most similar to the B. vaviloviae LMG 28367(T) (86.8% for ITS, 90.4% for the other genes). The most abundant fatty acid was C-18:1 omega 7c (40.8 %). The whole genomes of strains RCAM04680(T) and RCAM04685 were identical (100% average nucleotide identity). The highest average nucleotide identity value (82.8 %) was found between the genome of strain RCAM04680(T) and B. vaviloviae LMG 28367(T). The common nodABC genes required for legume nodulation were absent in both strains; however, some other symbiotic nol, nod, nif and fix genes were detected. Based on the genetic study, as well as analyses of the whole-cell fatty acid compositions and phenotypic properties, a new species, Bosea caraganae sp. nov. (type strain RCAM04680(T) (=LMG 31125(T)), is proposed

Suspension cell cultures of Panax vietnamensis as a biotechnological source of ginsenosides: growth, cytology, and ginsenoside profile assessment

IntroductionPanax vietnamensis is a valuable medicinal plant and a source of a broad spectrum of biologically active ginsenosides of different structural groups. Overexploitation and low adaptability to planation cultivation have made this species vulnerable to human pressure and prompted the development of cell cultivation in vitro as a sustainable alternative to harvesting wild plants for their bioactive components. Despite high interest in biotechnological production, little is known about the main factors affecting cell growth and ginsenoside biosynthesis of this species under in vitro conditions. In this study, the potential of cell cultures of P. vietnamensis as a biotechnological source of ginsenosides was was assessed.MethodsSix suspension cell lines that were developed from different sections of a single rhizome through a multi-step culture optimization process and maintained for over 3 years on media with different mineral salt base and varying contents of auxins and cytokinins. These cell lines were evaluated for productivity parameters and cytological characteristics. Ginsenoside profiles were assessed using a combination of the reversed-phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–Orbitrap–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–Orbitrap–MS/MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography–time of flight–mass spectrometry (UPLC–TOF–MS).ResultsAll lines demonstrated good growth with a specific growth rate of 0.1–0.2 day−1, economic coefficient of 0.31–0.70, productivity on dry weight (DW) of 0.30–0.83 gDW (L·day)−1, and maximum biomass accumulation varying from 10 to 22 gDW L−1. Ginsenosides of the protopanaxadiol (Rb1, Rb2/Rb3, malonyl-Rb1, and malonyl-Rb2/Rb3), oleanolic acid (R0 and chikusetsusaponin IV), and ocotillol (vinaginsenoside R1) groups and their isomers were identified in cell biomass extracts. Chikusetsusaponin IV was identified in P. vietnamensis cell culture for the first time.DiscussionThese results suggest that suspension cell cultures of Vietnamese ginseng have a high potential for the biotechnological production of biomass containing ginsenosides, particularly of the oleanolic acid and ocotillol groups