The Role of T-Lymphocytes Autophagy in Severe Atopic Asthma Pathogenesis

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.The apoptosis suppression in T-lymphocyte has been implicated with asthma pathogenesis. It was proposed that resistance to apoptosis in T-lymphocytes in asthmatic patients could be due to increased autophagy rate in these cells. While being a vital cellular waste disposal mechanism, autophagy was shown to be involved in asthma pathogenesis. However, the role of autophagy in severe atopic asthma (SAA) is not well understood. To further explore this, we investigated T-lymphocytes autophagy in SAA patients and healthy controls by utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunoblotting analyses. We found an increased number of autophagic T-lymphocytes in the patients with SAA versus healthy controls. Dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in T-lymphocytes of healthy donors revealed an activation of the autophagy in these cells, although SAA T-lymphocytes were not responsive. Presence of autophagolysosomes in SAA T-lymphocytes correlated with high expression levels of membrane protein LC3-II. These data suggest that autophagy may play an important role in the pathogenesis of SAA, facilitate T-lymphocytes activation and survival, and ultimately increase the level of airway inflammation in patients with this disease

Influence of the programmed cell death of lymphocytes on the immunity of patients with atopic bronchial asthma

Background: Fairly recent data highlight the role of programmed cell death and autoimmunity, as potentially important factors in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive airway diseases. The purpose of our research was to determine the influence of apoptotic factors on the immunity of patients with atopic bronchial asthma according to the degree of severity.Method: The study was performed on the peripheral blood of patients with atopic bronchial asthma with different severity. The Immunological aspects were determined with ELISA, the fluorimetric method and the method of precipitation with polyethylene glycol. And the quantification of the parameters of the programmed cell death was performed by the method of flow cytometry and electron microscopy method.Results: The data obtained from morphological and biochemical parameters show the deregulation of Programmed Death of lymphocytes of patients with atopic bronchial asthma but individual for each group of patients. This dysfunction might induce the secretion of autoantibodies against DNA. This could explain the accumulation of circulating immune complex with average size considered as the most pathogenic in patients with bronchial asthma especially in the patients of serious severity. It should be noted that Patients with bronchial asthma of mild and severe severity had different way and did not have the same degree of deficiency of the immune system.Conclusion: These data suggested that apoptotic factor of lymphocytes may play an important role in controlling immunity of patients with atopic bronchial asthma. © 2014 VODOUNON et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Forage yield and quality of a dense thorny and thornless "jurema-preta" stand

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a produção e qualidade da forragem de jurema-preta (Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poiret) com e sem acúleos, em plantio adensado, submetida ao corte anual dos ramos finos, em Patos, PB. Utilizou-se delineamento em blocos casualizados, com dois tratamentos (plantas sem acúleos e plantas com acúleos), com dez repetições de duas parcelas lineares subdivididas no tempo. A produção e composição química da forragem de ramos finos e o diâmetro basal das plantas foram medidos durante cinco anos. A poda diminuiu (p < 0,05) o incremento anual do diâmetro basal e a produção de forragem. A produção anual de matéria seca atingiu 4.108 e 5.833 kg ha-1, respectivamente, em plantas sem e com acúleos, de qualidade forrageira semelhante (p > 0,05) para os dois fenótipos. Este volumoso – valores médios mínimos para FDN e FDA: 56±1,1% e 43±1,1%, respectivamente – mostrou-se pobre em P e K. Seu teor médio de proteína bruta acima de 9,9±0,5% superou o mínimo necessário para a manutenção animal. Os dois genótipos toleraram a poda dos ramos e contribuíram com uma quantidade significativa de volumoso para a manutenção de ruminantes na estação seca.The objective of this work was to compare forage production and quality of thorny and thornless "jurema-preta" (Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poiret) in a dense planted stand, subjected to annual pruning of fine branches, in Patos, PB, Brazil. The experiment consisted of two treatments (thornless and thorny "jurema-preta") in a complete randomized block design, with ten replicates of two linear plots subdivided in time. Forage mass and chemical composition of fine branches and the basal diameter of plants were measured during five years. Pruning decreased (p < 0.05) increments in basal diameter and forage production. Annual dry matter yields reached 4,108 and 5,833 kg ha-1, respectively, for thornless and thorny plants, and forage quality was similar (p > 0.05) for both genotypes. This roughage fodder (minimum NDF and ADF averages were 56±1.1% and 43±1.0%, respectively) had low P and K concentrations. Its average crude protein content was greater than 9.9±0.5%, which exceeds the minimum necessary for animal maintenance. Both "jurema-preta" genotypes tolerated pruning of fine branches and contributed with a significant amount of roughage fodder for animal maintenance in the dry season

Dark Matter Candidates: A Ten-Point Test

An extraordinarily rich zoo of non-baryonic Dark Matter candidates has been proposed over the last three decades. Here we present a 10-point test that a new particle has to pass, in order to be considered a viable DM candidate: I.) Does it match the appropriate relic density? II.) Is it {\it cold}? III.) Is it neutral? IV.) Is it consistent with BBN? V.) Does it leave stellar evolution unchanged? VI.) Is it compatible with constraints on self-interactions? VII.) Is it consistent with {\it direct} DM searches? VIII.) Is it compatible with gamma-ray constraints? IX.) Is it compatible with other astrophysical bounds? X.) Can it be probed experimentally?Comment: 29 pages, 12 figure

Influence of handaxe size and shape on cutting efficiency: a large-scale experiment and morphometric analysis

Handaxes represent one of the most temporally enduring and geographically widespread of Palaeolithic artifacts and thus comprised a key technological strategy of many hominin populations. Archaeologically observable variation in the size (i.e., mass) and shape properties of handaxes has been frequently noted. It is logical to ask whether some of this variability may have had functional implications. Here, we report the results of a large-scale (n = 500 handaxes) experiment designed to examine the influence of variation in handaxe size and shape on cutting efficiency rates during a laboratory task. We used a comprehensive dataset of morphometric (size-adjusted) shape variables and statistical methods (including multivariate methods) to address this issue. Our first set of analyses focused on handaxe mass/size variability. This analysis demonstrated that, at a broad-scale level of variation, handaxe mass may have been free to vary independently of functional (cutting) efficiency. Our analysis also, however, identified that there will be a task-specific threshold in terms of functional effectiveness at the lower end of handaxe mass variation. This implies that hominins may have targeted design forms to meet minimal (task-specific) thresholds, and may also have managed handaxe reduction and discard in respect to such factors. Our second set of analyses focused on handaxe shape variability. This analysis also indicated that considerable variation in handaxe shape may occur independently of any strong effect on cutting efficiency. We discuss how these results have several implications for considerations of handaxe variation in the archaeological record. At a general level, our results demonstrate that variability within and between handaxe assemblages in terms of their size and shape properties will not necessarily have had immediate or strong impact on their effectiveness when used for cutting, and that such variability may have been related to factors other than functional issues

The Role of T-Lymphocytes Autophagy in Severe Atopic Asthma Pathogenesis

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.The apoptosis suppression in T-lymphocyte has been implicated with asthma pathogenesis. It was proposed that resistance to apoptosis in T-lymphocytes in asthmatic patients could be due to increased autophagy rate in these cells. While being a vital cellular waste disposal mechanism, autophagy was shown to be involved in asthma pathogenesis. However, the role of autophagy in severe atopic asthma (SAA) is not well understood. To further explore this, we investigated T-lymphocytes autophagy in SAA patients and healthy controls by utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunoblotting analyses. We found an increased number of autophagic T-lymphocytes in the patients with SAA versus healthy controls. Dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in T-lymphocytes of healthy donors revealed an activation of the autophagy in these cells, although SAA T-lymphocytes were not responsive. Presence of autophagolysosomes in SAA T-lymphocytes correlated with high expression levels of membrane protein LC3-II. These data suggest that autophagy may play an important role in the pathogenesis of SAA, facilitate T-lymphocytes activation and survival, and ultimately increase the level of airway inflammation in patients with this disease

The Role of T-Lymphocytes Autophagy in Severe Atopic Asthma Pathogenesis

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.The apoptosis suppression in T-lymphocyte has been implicated with asthma pathogenesis. It was proposed that resistance to apoptosis in T-lymphocytes in asthmatic patients could be due to increased autophagy rate in these cells. While being a vital cellular waste disposal mechanism, autophagy was shown to be involved in asthma pathogenesis. However, the role of autophagy in severe atopic asthma (SAA) is not well understood. To further explore this, we investigated T-lymphocytes autophagy in SAA patients and healthy controls by utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunoblotting analyses. We found an increased number of autophagic T-lymphocytes in the patients with SAA versus healthy controls. Dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in T-lymphocytes of healthy donors revealed an activation of the autophagy in these cells, although SAA T-lymphocytes were not responsive. Presence of autophagolysosomes in SAA T-lymphocytes correlated with high expression levels of membrane protein LC3-II. These data suggest that autophagy may play an important role in the pathogenesis of SAA, facilitate T-lymphocytes activation and survival, and ultimately increase the level of airway inflammation in patients with this disease

The Role of T-Lymphocytes Autophagy in Severe Atopic Asthma Pathogenesis

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.The apoptosis suppression in T-lymphocyte has been implicated with asthma pathogenesis. It was proposed that resistance to apoptosis in T-lymphocytes in asthmatic patients could be due to increased autophagy rate in these cells. While being a vital cellular waste disposal mechanism, autophagy was shown to be involved in asthma pathogenesis. However, the role of autophagy in severe atopic asthma (SAA) is not well understood. To further explore this, we investigated T-lymphocytes autophagy in SAA patients and healthy controls by utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunoblotting analyses. We found an increased number of autophagic T-lymphocytes in the patients with SAA versus healthy controls. Dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in T-lymphocytes of healthy donors revealed an activation of the autophagy in these cells, although SAA T-lymphocytes were not responsive. Presence of autophagolysosomes in SAA T-lymphocytes correlated with high expression levels of membrane protein LC3-II. These data suggest that autophagy may play an important role in the pathogenesis of SAA, facilitate T-lymphocytes activation and survival, and ultimately increase the level of airway inflammation in patients with this disease

Tactical and Technical Aspects of Minimally Invasive Left Internal Mammary Artery – Left Anterior Descending Artery Bypass and Hybrid Coronary Revascularization on Its Basis

Reducing surgical trauma is one of the obvious ways of reducing perioperative risks and improving surgical techniques, which is also very positively perceived by patients. Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) is one of the ways of minimizing surgical trauma during coronary revascularization.Objectives: to note the tactical and technical aspects of the minimally invasive left internal mammary artery-left anterior descending artery bypass (mini-LIMA-LAD) and HCR, which allow benefiting from these techniques of myocardial revascularization over the traditional ones.Materials and methods: Between 2011 and 2019, 39 mini-LIMA-LAD operations were performed at the SI “V. T. Zaycev IGUS NAMSU”. The average age of patients was 60.6±8.2 years, 5 (13 %) of patients were female. In nine patients mini-LIMA-LAD was the first (in eight) or second (in one) stage of the planned HCR.Results and discussion: There were no perioperative deaths, myocardial infarctions or conversions. At a median follow-up time of 49.5 [Q1; Q3: 34.3; 70.6] months one patient died 13 months after surgery. Four patients had angina recurrences at different times. The article discusses the tactical and technical aspects of mini-LIMA-LAD and HCR, which allow benefiting from these techniques of myocardial revascularization over the traditional ones.Conclusions: Mini-LIMA-LAD and HCR on its basis are a low-traumatic alternative to traditional coronary bypass through sternotomy with acceptable early and long-term results. They have a much better cosmetic effect, especially for women, but are more demanding in surgical technique and tissue handling. The strategy of coronary revascularization described, unlike other less traumatic techniques, does not require expensive additional equipment and can be performed by regular mean

Influence of the programmed cell death of lymphocytes on the immunity of patients with atopic bronchial asthma

Background: Fairly recent data highlight the role of programmed cell death and autoimmunity, as potentially important factors in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive airway diseases. The purpose of our research was to determine the influence of apoptotic factors on the immunity of patients with atopic bronchial asthma according to the degree of severity.Method: The study was performed on the peripheral blood of patients with atopic bronchial asthma with different severity. The Immunological aspects were determined with ELISA, the fluorimetric method and the method of precipitation with polyethylene glycol. And the quantification of the parameters of the programmed cell death was performed by the method of flow cytometry and electron microscopy method.Results: The data obtained from morphological and biochemical parameters show the deregulation of Programmed Death of lymphocytes of patients with atopic bronchial asthma but individual for each group of patients. This dysfunction might induce the secretion of autoantibodies against DNA. This could explain the accumulation of circulating immune complex with average size considered as the most pathogenic in patients with bronchial asthma especially in the patients of serious severity. It should be noted that Patients with bronchial asthma of mild and severe severity had different way and did not have the same degree of deficiency of the immune system.Conclusion: These data suggested that apoptotic factor of lymphocytes may play an important role in controlling immunity of patients with atopic bronchial asthma. © 2014 VODOUNON et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd