Purging the HIV-1 reservoir through the disruption of the PD-1 pathway

International audiencen.

CHEMICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME SWEET POTATO VARIETIES

This investigation was carried out to evaluate the chemical characteristics of new eight sweet potato varieties namely, CEMSA 74-228, SANTO AMARA, NC 1525 and KEMB 37 (creamy flesh) and JAPON TRESMESINO, LO 323, TAINUNG 64 and BEAUREGARD (yellow flesh ), and study their suitability for processing. The obtained re-sults reveal that SANTO AMARA and KEMB37 varieties were the best ones having the highest content of chemical constituents compared with those of the other studied creamy flesh sweet pota-to varieties. Moreover, 140 days from planting was the best harvesting time that achieved the highest chemical characteristics. All selected creamy sweet potato varieties had adequate miner-als contents especially, KEMB 37 followed by NC 1525 and CEMSA 74-228 then SANTO AMARA varieties that could be considered good sources of minerals for human nutrition. Yellow flesh sweet potatoes have been recognized as valuable sources of carbohydrates, protein, dietary fibers and could be considered as good sources of both vitamin C and total carotenoids. Moreover, TAINUNG 64 and LO 323 were found to be good sources of β-carotene (pro- vitamin A). The more suitable har-vesting time for yellow sweet potato varieties, which recorded the highest levels of essential ele-ments, was 140 days from planting. On the other hand, TAINUNG 64 variety could be considered the best one compared to the other examined vari-ties. The most suitable varieties that having good quality attributes for processing were SANTO AMARA and KEMB 37 as creamy flesh and TAINUNG 64 and BEAUREGARD as yellow flesh sweet potato varieties. Moreover, these va-rieties could be successfully used in the produc-tion of new and untraditional sweet potato prod-ucts

Effect of Protocol of Care on Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Chest Tube Post Cardiothoracic Surgery

Cardiothoracic surgery is a surgical specialty, which deals with the diagnosis and management of surgical conditions of the heart, lungs and esophagus (1) .Chest tube (CT) is an invasive procedure which inserted post cardiothoracic surgery to facilitate lung expansion and allowing  the drainage of fluids from the chest cavity. Aim: this study aimed to evaluate the effect of protocol of care on clinical outcomes of patients with chest tube post cardiothoracic surgery. Materials and method a quasi-experimental research design was conducted at Cardiothoracic Surgery Department at Tanta University hospital. A purposive sample of 80 adult patients with chest tube based on statistical power analysis were selected and divided into two equal group 40 patients in each group as follows: Group 1: (Study group): consist of 40 adult patients were received protocol of care implemented by the researcher. Group 2: (Control group): consists of 40 adult patients who were received routine nursing care by hospital nursing staff. Three Tools were used to collect the data .Tool (I) Biosocio-demographic characteristics. Tool (II) Chest tube assessment, Tool (III) Pain assessment. Results:- The mean duration of ICU stay in control group (6.77) was higher than in the study group (4.97) days, more than half (52.6%)of the patients in the control group at the 7th day of the study had elevated body temperature comparing to none  in the study group, nearly two third (62.5%) of patients has  a positive culture swab in the control group at the  7th day of the study group ,compared to about  third(35%) of patients in the study group. More than half of patients (52.5%) in the control group had a severe pain during removal of chest tube compared to small percentage (5.0%) in the study group. Conclusions and recommendations:-Protocol of nursing care which was composed of deep breathing and coughing   exercises, sterile technique during chest tube dressing, and cold application, are recommended for all cardiothoracic surgical patients with chest tube. Keywords: Protocol of Care, Clinical Outcomes, Cardiothorathic Surger

Characterization of the TRBP domain required for Dicer interaction and function in RNA interference

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dicer, Ago2 and TRBP are the minimum components of the human RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). While Dicer and Ago2 are RNases, TRBP is the double-stranded RNA binding protein (dsRBP) that loads small interfering RNA into the RISC. TRBP binds directly to Dicer through its C-terminal domain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We show that the TRBP binding site in Dicer is a 165 amino acid (aa) region located between the ATPase and the helicase domains. The binding site in TRBP is a 69 aa domain, called C4, located at the C-terminal end of TRBP. The TRBP1 and TRBP2 isoforms, but not TRBPs lacking the C4 site (TRBPsΔC4), co-immunoprecipitated with Dicer. The C4 domain is therefore necessary to bind Dicer, irrespective of the presence of RNA. Immunofluorescence shows that while full-length TRBPs colocalize with Dicer, TRBPsΔC4 do not. <it>tarbp2</it>^-/-cells, which do not express TRBP, do not support RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by short hairpin or micro RNAs against EGFP. Both TRBPs, but not TRBPsΔC4, were able to rescue RNAi function. In human cells with low RNAi activity, addition of TRBP1 or 2, but not TRBPsΔC4, rescued RNAi function.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The mapping of the interaction sites between TRBP and Dicer show unique domains that are required for their binding. Since TRBPsΔC4 do not interact or colocalize with Dicer, we suggest that TRBP and Dicer, both dsRBPs, do not interact through bound dsRNA. TRBPs, but not TRBPsΔC4, rescue RNAi activity in RNAi-compromised cells, indicating that the binding of Dicer to TRBP is critical for RNAi function.</p

Dietary clenbuterol modifies the expression of genes involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism and growth in the liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The current study aimed to evaluate whether clenbuterol, a β2-adrenergic agonist, supplementation in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diets can influence growth and blood parameters. Besides, assessment of adipogenic genes as fatty acid synthase (FAS) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) which is a key enzyme in the regulation of the flux of fatty acids in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue as well as muscle growth-regulating genes as myostatin (MYO) in muscle and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in liver. The fish were allocated into three equal groups; control group that fed basal diet only and the other two groups fed a basal diet containing clenbuterol at two doses 5 ppm and 10 ppm/kg diet for 30 consecutive days. Results revealed that clenbuterol supplementation significantly increased body weight, decreased liver, spleen and abdominal fat weights, and decreased total circulatory cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. Moreover, clenbuterol inhibits lipogenesis by downregulation of FAS gene expression by dose and time-dependent manner in the liver while enhanced lipolysis in both the liver and in the adipose tissue. Moreover, lipolysis was reduced in muscle by dose 10 ppm on day 30. Furthermore, clenbuterol presented higher gene expression of MYO and IGF-1 in muscle and liver respectively by dose 5 ppm at day 15 on the other hand, these findings were reversed by day 30 compared with control. In conclusion, clenbuterol efficacy was apparent in a dose and time response pattern to boost growth and reduce fat deposition rates, indicating for the first time that clenbuterol has a profitable growth impact on Nile tilapia

Quantification of Epstein-Barr virus DNA load, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, transforming growth factor-β1 and stem cell factor in plasma of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common epithelial neoplasm among the Chinese populations in Southern China and South East Asia. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is known to be an important etiologic agent of NPC and the viral gene products are frequently detected in NPC tissues along with elevated antibody titres to the viral proteins (VCA and EA) in a majority of patients. Elevated plasma EBV DNA load is regarded as an important marker for the presence of the disease and for the monitoring of disease progression. However, other serum/plasma parameters such as the levels of certain interleukins and growth factors have also been implicated in NPC. The objectives of the present study are, 1) to investigate the correlations between plasma EBV DNA load and the levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, TGF-β1 and SCF (steel factor) and 2) to relate these parameters to the stages of NPC and the effect of treatment. METHODS: A total of 78 untreated NPC patients were enrolled in this study. Of these, 51 were followed-up after treatment. The remaining patients had irregular or were lost to follow-up. Plasma EBV DNA was quantified using real-time quantitative PCR. The levels of plasma interleukins and growth factors were quantified using ELISA. RESULTS: A significant decrease in EBV DNA load was detected in plasma of untreated NPC patients (1669 ± 637 copies/mL; n = 51) following treatment (57 ± 37 copies/mL, p < 0.05); n = 51). Plasma EBV DNA load was shown to be a good prognosticator for disease progression and clinical outcome in five of the follow-up patients. A significant difference in IL-6 levels was noted between the untreated patients (164 ± 37 pg/mL; n = 51) and following treatment (58 ± 16 pg/mL, p < 0.05; n = 51). Positive correlations between EBV DNA load and IL-10 (r(49) = 0.535, p < 0.01), between IL6 and IL-10 (r(49) = 0.474, p < 0.01) and between TGF and SCF (r(49) = 0.464, p < 0.01) were observed in patients following treatment. None of the parameters tested including IgA-VCA were associated with tumour stages. CONCLUSION: We conclude that among the parameters investigated, EBV DNA load and IL-6 levels were promising markers for the presence of NPC and for the assessment of treatment outcome

Diosgenin alleviates D-galactose-induced oxidative stress in rats’ brain and liver targeting aging and apoptotic marker genes

The theory of aging is primarily concerned with oxidative stress caused by an imbalance in reactive oxygen species generation and cellular antioxidants. To alleviate the oxidative stress, we investigated the protective effect of diosgenin (DSG) for D-galactose (D-gal) using 20 and 40 mg of DSG/kg/day/orally for 42 days. The findings showed that D-gal caused brain and liver oxidative injuries by upregulating aging and oxidative markers. To counteract the oxidative stress caused by D-gal, DSG upregulated glutathione peroxidase-1, superoxide dismutase-1, and glutathione S-transferase-α. DSG also diminished the expression of p53, p21, Bcl-2-associated X protein, caspase-3, and mammalian target of rapamycin in brain and liver, as well as the build-up of β-galactosidase. DSG, in a dose-dependent manner, decreased the oxidative aging effects of D-gal in brain and liver tissues through targeting of aging and apoptotic marker genes. Finally, it should be noted that consuming DSG supplements is a suggesting natural preventative agent that may counteract aging and preserve health through improvement of body antioxidant status and control aging associated inflammation and cellular apoptosis