Modulation of neurotrophic signaling pathways by polyphenols

Polyphenols are an important class of phytochemicals, and several lines of evidence have demonstrated their beneficial effects in the context of a number of pathologies including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. In this report, we review the studies on the effects of polyphenols on neuronal survival, growth, proliferation and differentiation, and the signaling pathways involved in these neurotrophic actions. Several polyphenols including flavonoids such as baicalein, daidzein, luteolin, and nobiletin as well as nonflavonoid polyphenols such as auraptene, carnosic acid, curcuminoids, and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives including caffeic acid phentyl ester enhance neuronal survival and promote neurite outgrowth in vitro, a hallmark of neuronal differentiation. Assessment of underlying mechanisms, especially in PC12 neuronal-like cells, reveals that direct agonistic effect on tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk) receptors, the main receptors of neurotrophic factors including nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) explains the action of few polyphenols such as 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. However, several other polyphenolic compounds activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathways. Increased expression of neurotrophic factors in vitro and in vivo is the mechanism of neurotrophic action of flavonoids such as scutellarin, daidzein, genistein, and fisetin, while compounds like apigenin and ferulic acid increase cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation. Finally, the antioxidant activity of polyphenols reflected in the activation of Nrf2 pathway and the consequent upregulation of detoxification enzymes such as heme oxygenase-1 as well as the contribution of these effects to the neurotrophic activity have also been discussed. In conclusion, a better understanding of the neurotrophic effects of polyphenols and the concomitant modulations of signaling pathways is useful for designing more effective agents for management of neurodegenerative diseases

Evaluation of nitrogenous compounds, microbial changes and electrophoresis pattern during fermentation of Mahyaveh, the Iranian traditional fish sauce

Mahyaveh, the Iranian traditional fish sauce is a product with distinct flavor that is produced by fermentation of small and underutilized fish species in the presence of high salt concentration. Fish sauce is mainly used as food flavoring and seasoning in the southern provinces of Iran such as Hormozgan and Fars. In this research, the process of Mahyaveh preparation from the Persian Gulf anchovies was performed in the lab. Fish sauce was prepared by incubating mixtures of anchovies and saturate brine in the pottery containers at 37 C during 54 days of fermentation. The total changes in bacterial count and nitrogenous compounds were investigated in all of six stages of fermentation. The results showed that the total nitrogenous compounds including formaldehyde nitrogen, amino acid and volatile nitrogen increased sharply during the periods of fermentation but trimethylamine contents dramatically reduced in the final stage after increasing moderately in the early stages of fermentation. High Pearson correlation (r=0.8) between total bacterial count and trimethylamine confirmed the existence of relationship between these variables in the process of fish sauce fermentation. The results of SDS-PAGE pattern showed that the number and intensity of protein bands were reduced during fermentation time

Fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth with different direct corono-radicular restoration methods

Endodontically treated teeth are widely considered to be more susceptible to fracture than vital teeth. Obturation procedures and post placement have been a main cause of vertical root fracture. Forty-eight human premolars with standardized weakened roots were endodontically treated and allocated to four experimental groups (n=12). After root canal treatment, in group 1, fiber posts #1 were cemented in root canals using Estelite Core Quick, and the crowns were restored with resin composite. For group 2 and 3, the roots and crowns were restored using a light-cured and self-cured adhesive and resin composites respectively. In group 4, it was used the Panavia F 2.0 resin cement and resin composite for corono-radicular reconstruction. In group 5, the teeth remained untouched. After 24 hours storage and 1000 thermocycles, samples were loaded at a cross head speed of 1 mm per minute. A significant difference was observed in fracture resistance among groups 4 and 5 compared to other groups. Root reconstruction with fiber post and Panavia resin cement, and crown building using light-cured resin composite resulted in increased fracture resistance equal to that of intact teeth

The comparison of acute and delayed psychological effects of motor vehicle accidents in individuals referred to Imam Hossein Hospital of Shahroud in 2004

زمینه و هدف: شکایات سایکولوژیک پس از حوادث نقلیه موتوری شایع بوده و ممکن است جزء پیشگویی کننده‏های قوی برای مشکلات و عوارض پایدار پس از حوادث باشند. این پژوهش به منظور مقایسه اثرات سایکولوزیک کوتاه مدت و دراز مدت ناشی از حوادث وسایل نقلیه موتوری در مصدومین مراجعه کننده به بیمارستان امام حسین(ع) شاهرود در سال 1383 انجام شده است. روش بررسی: در یک بررسی تکرار شونده بر روی 42 فرد مصدوم ناشی از حوادث وسایل نقلیه موتوری مراجعه کننده به بخش اورژانس بیمارستان امام حسین(ع) شاهرود، از طریق نمونه‏گیری غیر تصادفی و بر اساس مشخصات مورد نظر پژوهشگران، پرسشنامه استاندارد SCL-90-R(Symptom Checklist-90-Revised) شامل 90 سؤال در 9 بعد سایکولوژیک جهت ارزشیابی علائم روانی و غربالگری بیماران روانی و همچنین پرسشنامه سلامت عمومی GHQ (General Health Qaestionnaire) استفاده گردید. در این پژوهش میانگین نمره هر بعد در طی 4 مرحله: زمان ورود به اورژانس، یک، سه و شش ماه پس از آن تعیین گردید و با استفاده از آزمون های آماری توصیفی و استنباطی (تی مستقل، آزمون آماری اندازه‏های تکراری، آنالیز واریانس یکطرفه) مورد تجزیه و تحلیل و مقایسه قرار گرفت. یافته ها: بر اساس نتایج حاصل از این پژوهش، میانگین سنی واحدهای مورد پژوهش 5/8±4/24 سال بود. میانگین نمره کسب شده در تمامی ابعاد سایکولوژیک در فاصله زمانی مراجعه به اورژانس تا یکماه پس از آن و فاصله زمانی مراجعه به اورژانس تا سه ماه پس از آن افزایش معنی‏دار داشت (05/0

HGF/MET pathway aberrations as diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers in human cancers.

AbstractCancer is a major cause of death worldwide. MET tyrosine kinase receptor [MET, c-MET, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor] pathway activation is associated with the appearance of severa..

Microsporidium infecting Anopheles supepictus (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae

Background: Microsporidia are known to infect a wide variety of animals including mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). In a recent study on the mosquito fauna of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province, at the central western part of Iran, a few larvae of Anopheles superpictus were infected with a microsporidium-resembled microorganism. Current investigation deals with the identification of the responsible microorganism at the genus level. Methods: Fresh infected larvae were collected from the field. After determining the species identity they were dissected to extract their infective contents. Wet preparations were checked for general appearance and the size of the pathogenic microorganism. Fixed preparations were stained with Geimsa and Ryan-Blue modified Trichrome techniques to visualize further morphological characters. The obtained light microscopy data were used in the identification process. Results: The infected larvae were bulged by a whitish material filling the involved segments corresponding to a microsporidium infection. Bottle-shaped semioval spores ranged 4.33±0.19×2.67±0.12 and 4.18±0.43×2.45±0.33 micron in wet and fixed preparations, respectively. They were mostly arranged in globular structures comprised of 8 spores. These data was in favor of a species from the genus Parathelohania in the family Ambliosporidae. Conclusion: This is the first report of a microsporidium infection in An. superpictus. The causative agent is diagnosed as a member of the genus Parathelohania. Further identification down to the species level needs to determine its ultrastructural characteristics and the comparative analysis of ss rRNA sequence data. It is also necessary to understand the detail of the components of the transmission cycle

Dentin bond strength and degree of conversion evaluation of experimental self-etch adhesive systems

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (10-MDP) monomer in one-step self-etch experimental adhesives on dentinal microshear bond strength (μSBS), their degree of conversion and bonded micro structure. Material and Methods: Composite resin cylinders (Clearfil AP-X) were bonded on human sound molar dentinal surfaces by using five experimental one-step self-etching adhesives (1-SEAs) containing 0% (E0), 5% (E5), 10% (E10), 15% (E15), 20% (E20) (by weight) 10-MDP monomer and Clearfil S3 Bond (CS3) as a control. After 24 hours, microshear bond strength was tested. The degree of conversion was also measured using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Interfacial ultrastructure was observed under a scanning electron microscope in all the groups. Results: A higher microshear bond strength was observed with adhesives containing 10% and 15% 10-MDP in comparison to study groups ( P <.05). Clearfil S3 Bond and 10% MDP had a significantly greater degree of conversion than other groups ( P <.05). Conclusions: The amount of functional monomer in 1-SEAs influences both the bonding performance and degree of conversion; 10% 10-MDP showed the best combination of bond strength and degree of conversio

Thermal aggregation of hen egg white lysozyme: effect of polyamines

Protein aggregation is a serious problem for both biotechnology and cell biology. Diseases such as prion misfolding, Alzheimer’s, and other amyloidosis are phenomena for which protein aggregation in our living cells is of considerable relevance. Human lysozyme has been shown to form amyloid fibrils in individuals suffering from nonneuropathic systemic amyloidosis, all of which have point mutations in the lysozyme gene. In this study, we investigated effect of small additives on the thermal aggregation of lysozyme. The main finding of this work is that multiple amine groups, spermine and spermidine, play pivotal roles in preventing the thermal aggregation of lysozyme. Our results showed that effect of spermine is more than spermidine

Effect of polyamines on thermal inactivation of hen egg white lysozyme

     Lysozyme is considered as part of the innate immune system. It has stimulated considerable interest as a natural food preservative. Lysozyme has been shown to be effective in preserving a variety of foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, seafood and wine, for which many Japanese patents have been granted. The relatively high thermal stability of lysozyme also makes it attractive for use in pasteurized and heat-sterilized food products, possibly allowing reduced thermal processes, and therefore, minimized nutritional and sensory quality loss. In this study, we investigated effect of polyamines on the thermal inactivation of lysozyme by kinetics curves. Our results showed that polyamines can decrease the thermal inactivation of lysozyme; the effect of spermine on the thermal inactivation of lysozyme was more than that of the spermidine.