Hydrogen sulfide: synthesis and function in the adipose tissue

Apart from nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is the third gaseous mediator in mammals. H2S is synthesized from L-cysteine by cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), or by sequential action of alanine aminotransferase and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase. In the cardiovascular system, H2S is involved in the regulation of vascular tone and blood pressure, inhibits atherogenesis, and protects myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion injury. Recent studies indicate that H2S is synthesized also in the adipose tissue. Hydrogen sulfide produced in periadventitial adipose tissue (tunica adiposa) of the blood vessels induces vasodilation by activating K+ channels in smooth muscle cells. On the other hand, H2S inhibits basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in visceral adipose tissue, and may be involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. H2S production in periadventitial adipose tissue is stimulated by vasoconstrictors and aortic banding-induced hypertension and downregulated by aging. H2S signaling in adipose tissue may be affected by pharmacotherapy. Lipid-soluble statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase inhibitors) increase H2S level in periadventitial adipose tissue and thus augment its anticontractile effect on the blood vessels. This effect of statins results from the depletion of ubiquinone - a component of mitochondrial respiratory chain - and the impairment of mitochondrial H2S oxidation.Adipobiology 2010; 2: 41-50

State-of-the-artery: periadventitial adipose tissue (tunica adiposa)

Traditional view considers that the arterial wall is composed of three concentric tissue coats (tunicae): intima, media, and adventitia. However, large- and medium-sized arteries, where usually atherosclerosis develops, are consistently surrounded by periadventitial adipose tissue (PAAT). Here we update growing information about PAAT, and  conceptualize it as the fourth coat of arterial wall, that is, tunica adiposa (in brief, adiposa, like intima, media, adventitia). Recent evidence has revealed that adipose tissue expresses not only metabolic, but also secretory (endo- and paracrine) phenotype, producing/releasing a large number of signaling proteins collectively termed adipokines. Through paracrine ("vasocrine") way, adiposa-derived mediators may contribute to various arterial functions such as contraction-relaxation, smooth muscle cell growth, inflammation, hemostasis, and innervation, hence to "outside-in" signaling pathway of atherogenesis.Biomedical Reviews 2009; 20: 41-44

Adipose-derived stem cells as a remedy

Adipobiology of stem cells is reaching enthusiastic proportions in today's regenerative medicine. Current interest in the adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) stems from their multilineage differentiation potential, and ease of derivation in larger quantities using less invasive methods, compared with other stem cell types. The possible benefits of ADSC-based therapy may be mediated by both cell proliferation/differentiation and paracrine secretion. Adipose tissue's secretome includes adipokines (growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, neuropeptides, hypothalamic hormones/releasing factors), steroid hormones, free fatty acids, prostaglandins, and endocannabinoids. The present review, focusing on adipose tissue secretory activity, also highlights the possible implication of ADSC in the therapy of various disorders, particularly neurodegenerative diseases, myocardial infarction and stroke as well as gut, liver and skin diseases.Adipobiology 2010; 2: 51-56

Inhibition of Fungi and Gram-Negative Bacteria by Bacteriocin BacTN635 Produced by Lactobacillus plantarum sp. TN635

The aim of this study was to evaluate 54 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains isolated from meat, fermented vegetables and dairy products for their capacity to produce antimicrobial activities against several bacteria and fungi. The strain designed TN635 has been selected for advanced studies. The supernatant culture of this strain inhibits the growth of all tested pathogenic including the four Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella enterica ATCC43972, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 49189, Hafnia sp. and Serratia sp.) and the pathogenic fungus Candida tropicalis R2 CIP203. Based on the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of the strain TN635 (1,540 pb accession no FN252881) and the phylogenetic analysis, we propose the assignment of our new isolate bacterium as Lactobacillus plantarum sp. TN635 strain. Its antimicrobial compound was determined as a proteinaceous substance, stable to heat and to treatment with surfactants and organic solvents. Highest antimicrobial activity was found between pH 3 and 11 with an optimum at pH = 7. The BacTN635 was purified to homogeneity by a four-step protocol involving ammonium sulfate precipitation, centrifugal microconcentrators with a 10-kDa membrane cutoff, gel filtration Sephadex G-25, and C18 reverse-phase HPLC. SDS-PAGE analysis of the purified BacTN635, revealed a single band with an estimated molecular mass of approximately 4 kDa. The maximum bacteriocin production (5,000 AU/ml) was recorded after a 16-h incubation in Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) medium at 30 °C. The mode of action of the partial purified BacTN635 was identified as bactericidal against Listeria ivanovii BUG 496 and as fungistatic against C. tropicalis R2 CIP203

Bioactive Compounds and Health Benefits ofArtemisiaSpecies

Artemisia L. is a genus of small herbs and shrubs found in northern temperate regions. It belongs to the important family Asteraceae, one of the most numerous plant groupings, which comprises about 1000 genera and over 20000 species. Artemisia has a broad spectrum of bioactivity, owing to the presence of several active ingredients or secondary metabolites, which work through various modes of action. It has widespread pharmacological activities and has been used as traditional medicine since ancient times as an anthelmintic, antispasmodic, antirheumatic, and antibacterial agent and for the treatment of malaria, hepatitis, cancer, inflammation, and menstrual-related disorders. This review comprises the updated information about the ethnomedical uses and health benefits of various Artemisia spp. and general information about bioactive compounds and free radicals

Interplay of Sugar, Light and Gibberellins in Expression of Rosa hybrida Vacuolar Invertase 1 Regulation

Our previous findings showed that the expression of the Rosa hybrida vacuolar invertase 1 gene (RhVI1) was tightly correlated with the ability of buds to grow out and was under sugar, gibberellin and light control. Here, we aimed to provide an insight into the mechanistic basis of this regulation. In situ hybridization showed that RhVI1 expression was localized in epidermal cells of young leaves of bursting buds. We then isolated a 895 bp fragment of the promoter of RhVI1. In silico analysis identified putative cis-elements involved in the response to sugars, light and gibberellins on its proximal part (595 bp). To carry out functional analysis of the RhVI1 promoter in a homologous system, we developed a direct method for stable transformation of rose cells. 5′ deletions of the proximal promoter fused to the uidA reporter gene were inserted into the rose cell genome to study the cell’s response to exogenous and endogenous stimuli. Deletion analysis revealed that the 468 bp promoter fragment is sufficient to trigger reporter gene activity in response to light, sugars and gibberellins. This region confers sucrose- and fructose-, but not glucose-, responsive activation in the dark. Inversely, the –595 to –468 bp region that carries the sugar-repressive element (SRE) is required to down-regulate the RhVI1 promoter in response to sucrose and fructose in the dark. We also demonstrate that sugar/light and gibberellin/light act synergistically to up-regulate β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity sharply under the control of the 595 bp pRhVI1 region. These results reveal that the 127 bp promoter fragment located between –595 and –468 bp is critical for light and sugar and light and gibberellins to act synergistically

Emerging properties of financial time series in the “Game of Life”

We explore the spatial complexity of Conway’s “Game of Life,” a prototypical cellular automaton by means of a geometrical procedure generating a two-dimensional random walk from a bidimensional lattice with periodical boundaries. The one-dimensional projection of this process is analyzed and it turns out that some of its statistical properties resemble the so-called stylized facts observed in financial time series. The scope and meaning of this result are discussed from the viewpoint of complex systems. In particular, we stress how the supposed peculiarities of financial time series are, often, overrated in their importance

The adipose tissue: a new member of the diffuse neuroendocrine system?

Adipose tissue is a sophisticated module, consisting of adipocytes and non-adipocyte cellular elements including stromal, vascular, nerve and immune cells. There is at present evidence that sharing of ligands and their receptors constitutes a molecular language of the human's body, which is also the case for adipose tissue and hypothalamus-pituitary gland. Historically, Nikolai Kulchitsky's identification of the enterochromaffin cell in 1897 formed the basis for the subsequent delineation of the diffuse neuroendocrine system (DNES) by Friedrich Feyrter in 1938. In DNES paradigm, the secretion of hormones, neuropeptides and neurotrophic factors is executed by cells disseminated throughout the body, for example, Kulchitsky (enterochromaffin) cells, testicular Leydig cells, and hepatic stellate cells. Here we propose that the adipose tissue might be a new member of DNES. Today (dnes, in Bulgarian), adipose tissue is "getting nervous" indeed: (i) synthesizes neuropeptides, neurotrophic factors, neurotransmitters, hypothalamic hormones/releasing factors and their receptors, (ii) like brain expresses endocannabinoids and amyloid precursor protein and, for steroidogenesis, the enzyme aromatase (P450arom), (iii) adipocytes may originate from the neural crest cells, and (iv) adipose-derived stem cells may differentiate into neuronal cells. Further molecular profiling of adipose tissue may provide new biological insights on its neuroendocrine potential. Overall this may frame a novel field of study, neuroadipobiology; its development and clinical application may contribute to the improvement of human's health.Adipobiology 2009; 1: 87-93

Conifers phytochemicals: A valuable forest with therapeutic potential

Conifers have long been recognized for their therapeutic potential in different disorders. Alkaloids, terpenes and polyphenols are the most abundant naturally occurring phytochemicals in these plants. Here, we provide an overview of the phytochemistry and related commercial products obtained from conifers. The pharmacological actions of different phytochemicals present in conifers against bacterial and fungal infections, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are also reviewed. Data obtained from experimental and clinical studies performed to date clearly underline that such compounds exert promising antioxidant effects, being able to inhibit cell damage, cancer growth, inflammation and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, an attempt has been made with the intent to highlight the importance of conifer-derived extracts for pharmacological purposes, with the support of relevant in vitro and in vivo experimental data. In short, this review comprehends the information published to date related to conifers’ phytochemicals and illustrates their potential role as drugs.This research was funded by University of Hradec Kralove (Faculty of Science VT 2019-2021)

Apium plants: Beyond simple food and phytopharmacological applications

Apium plants belong to the Apiaceae family and are included among plants that have been in use in traditional medicine for thousands of years worldwide, including in the Mediterranean, as well as the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. Some highlighted medical benefits include prevention of coronary and vascular diseases. Their phytochemical constituents consist of bergapten, flavonoids, glycosides, furanocoumarins, furocoumarin, limonene, psoralen, xanthotoxin, and selinene. Some of their pharmacological properties include anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, nematocidal, anti-rheumatism, antiasthma, anti-bronchitis, hepatoprotective, appetizer, anticonvulsant, antispasmodic, breast milk inducer, anti-jaundice, antihypertensive, anti-dysmenorrhea, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and spermatogenesis induction. The present review summarizes data on ecology, botany, cultivation, habitat, medicinal use, phytochemical composition, preclinical and clinical pharmacological efficacy of Apium plants and provides future direction on how to take full advantage of Apium plants for the optimal benefit to mankind.N. Martins would like to thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT-Portugal) for the strategic project ref. UID/BIM/04293/2013 and “NORTE2020-Northern Regional Operational Program” (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000012)