Transcriptional activity of tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with coronary slow flow

BACKGROUND: Coronary slow flow (CSF), an angiographic phenomenon that is characterized by a delayed&nbsp;coronary blood flow&nbsp;in the absence of obstructive coronary artery stenosis, is known as a disorder of the coronary microcirculation. Inflammation has an important role in the vascular hemostasis and endothelial dysfunction especially regarding monocyte adhesion and infiltration. Pro-inflammatory cytokines released by inflammatory cells result in endothelial cell dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases. It has been demonstrated that&nbsp;tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-&alpha;)&nbsp;mainly influences the vascular homeostasis and endothelial dysfunction. In the present enquiry the transcriptional activity of TNF-&alpha; gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with CSF was compared with healthy controls in order to further survey the role of TNF-&alpha; in pathophysiology of CSF. METHODS: The study was carried out on 30 patients with CSF and 30 matched healthy controls. To analysis gene expression of TNF-&alpha;, total mRNA was isolated from PBMCs. The quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to compare the transcriptional activity of TNF-&alpha; gene between patients with CSF and controls. RESULTS: The mean &plusmn; standard error of mean of fold in CSF patients and controls were 0.20 &plusmn; 0.04 and 1.38 &plusmn; 0.27, respectively. The mRNA mean expressions of TNF-&alpha; (fold) were different in tested groups, which indicated a significant decrease in TNF-&alpha; in patients with CSF group (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Expression of TNF-&alpha; was decreased in patients with CSF. Changes in TNF-&alpha; expression suggest a potential role for altered immune function in the pathophysiology of CSF.&nbsp;</p

Antioxidative and antimicrobial edible chitosan films blended with stem, leaf and seed extracts of Pistacia terebinthus for active food packaging

WOS: 000423406900004Methanol extracts of stem, leaf, and seed obtained from Pistacia terebinthus which are rich in phenolic compounds were used for the first time to produce chitosan-based antioxidative and antimicrobial films. All the produced films were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, DSC, SEM, contact angle measurements, and UV-Vis spectroscopy and mechanically. As was expected, incorporation of the plant extracts into chitosan films enhanced the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities effectively. Also, the elasticity of chitosan-seed and chitosan-stem films was improved. The eco-friendly nature of the produced blend films was determined through soil and water degradation analyses. All these findings lead to the conclusion that the produced blend films with Pistacia terebinthus extracts can be applied as alternative food packaging material

Identification of inulin-responsive bacteria in the gut microbiota via multi-modal activity-based sorting

Prebiotics are defined as non-digestible dietary components that promote the growth of beneficial gut microorganisms. In many cases, however, this capability is not systematically evaluated. Here, we develop a methodology for determining prebiotic-responsive bacteria using the popular dietary supplement inulin. We first identify microbes with a capacity to bind inulin using mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized with inulin. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of sorted cells revealed that the ability to bind inulin was widespread in the microbiota. We further evaluate which taxa are metabolically stimulated by inulin and find that diverse taxa from the phyla Firmicutes and Actinobacteria respond to inulin, and several isolates of these taxa can degrade inulin. Incubation with another prebiotic, xylooligosaccharides (XOS), in contrast, shows a more robust bifidogenic effect. Interestingly, the Coriobacteriia Eggerthella lenta and Gordonibacter urolithinfaciens are indirectly stimulated by the inulin degradation process, expanding our knowledge of inulin-responsive bacteria.</p