A Possible Role of Elevated Breast Milk Lactoferrin and the Cytokine IL-17 Levels in Predicting Early Allergy in Infants: A Pilot Study

In this study, we examined the relationship between levels of lactoferrin (LF) and IL-17 in human serum and breast milk and the development of allergy in children. LF and IL-17 levels were determined by ELISA in healthy (n=19) and allergic mothers (n=21) on the 5th day after delivery. Two years later, information on breastfeeding and allergic outcomes was collected by questionnaires from parents of both groups and district child care nurses. Significantly higher concentrations of LF were found in the breast milk of allergic mothers compared to the healthy controls. At 2 years of age, only those three infants became allergic from the atopic group in whose starting breast milk samples a very high LF level (306 μg mg–1 protein) or simultaneously elevated concentrations of LF and IL-17 were measured. These findings indicate that the very early measurement of LF and IL-17 levels in the breast milk of allergic mothers may help to predict the allergy development in their infants

Friedel-Type Oscillations in the Problem of Skin Effect in Degenerate Collisionless Plasma

It is shown that a Friedel type oscillations accompany skin effect in degenerate plasma of a metal. It was learnt earlier that Friedel oscillations take place under charge screening in quantum plasma. However the nature of Friedel oscillations is not in the quantum character of the plasma, but in the features of degenerate Fermi distribution, namely, in its sharp transformation into zero directly just the other side of the Fermi surface. This circumstance leads to the Frieldel-type oscillations under anomalous skin effect.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Cylindrospermopsin inhibits growth and modulates protease activity in the aquatic plants Lemna minor L. and Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Horkel

The toxic effects of cylindrospermopsin (cyanobacterial toxin) on animals have been examined extensively, but little research has focused on their effects on plants. In this study cylindrospermopsin (CYN) caused alterations of growth, soluble protein content and protease enzyme activity were studied on two aquatic plants Lemna minor and Wolffia arrhiza in short-term (5 days) experiments. For the treatments we used CYN containing crude extracts of Aphanizomenon ovalisporum (BGSD-423) and purified CYN as well. The maximal inhibitory effects on fresh weight of L. minor and W. arrhiza caused by crude extract were 60% and 54%, respectively, while the maximum inhibitory effects were 30% and 43% in the case of purified CYN at 20 μg ml−1 CYN content of culture medium. In CYN-treated plants the concentration of soluble protein showed mild increases, especially in W. arrhiza. Protease isoenzyme activity gels showed significant alterations of enzyme activities under the influence of CYN. Several isoenzymes were far more active and new ones appeared in CYN-treated plants. Treatments with cyanobacterial crude extract caused stronger effects than the purified cyanobacterial toxins used in equivalent CYN concentrations

PPAR? nuclear receptor coupled arachidonic acid signaling is involved in differentiation and lipid production of human sebocytes

The transcriptional basis of sebocyte differentiation and lipid-producing mechanisms is mostly unclear. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR?), a lipid activated transcription factor, has been implicated in lipid metabolism of various cell types. Here, we show that PPAR?? is differentially expressed in normal and pathological human sebocytes, and appears to have roles in their differentiation process. These were demonstrated in laser microdissected normal human sebaceous glands (SG) and SZ95 cells (immortalized sebocyte cell line) utilizing RT-qPCR, immunhistochemistry, for lipid analyses quantitative fluorimetry and mass spectrometry based analytical approaches. We have observed that PPAR? and its target genes, ADRP and PGAR, are expressed in and associated with the differentiation levels of sebocytes. Also, PPAR? is present in normal and hyperplastic SG, whereas its expression levels gradually decrease in cases obtained from SG adenoma and SG carcinoma cells, reflecting a maturation-linked expression pattern. Furthermore, in SZ95 sebocytes, natural lipids including arachidonic acid and arachidonic acid derivate keto-metabolites (e.g. 5-KETE, 12-KETE) appear to regulate PPAR? signaling pathways, which in turn modulate phospholipid biosynthesis and induce neutral lipid synthesis. Collectively, our findings highlight the importance of novel endogenous ligand-activated PPAR? signaling in human sebocyte biology and suggest that PPAR? might be a candidate target for the clinical management of SG disorder

The Effects of Temperature, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus on the Encystment of Peridinium cinctum, Stein (Dinophyta)

For avoiding the unfavorable environmental conditions several aquatic microorganisms are capable of forming specialized resistance cells like akinets, hypnospores, statospores, etc. Recognition of the important role of cysts in the life cycles of dinoflagellates increased the need to study their role in the ecology of phytoplanktons, and this, combined with the knowledge of chemical and biological characteristics of the water, may lead to a better understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of dinoflagellates. This paper reports on the effects of temperature, nitrogen, and phosphorus on the percentage of encystment of the dinoflagellate Peridinum cinctum Stein. The phosphorus content of the medium affected encystment only at the highest temperature applied (22 degrees C). Nitrogen content and temperature were the most important factors controlling the encystment