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International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2022Mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) disorders are a complex group of diseases whose diagnosis requires a multidisciplinary approach in which the biochemical... (Review)
Review
Mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) disorders are a complex group of diseases whose diagnosis requires a multidisciplinary approach in which the biochemical investigations play an important role. Initial investigations include metabolite analysis in both blood and urine and the measurement of lactate, pyruvate and amino acid levels, as well as urine organic acids. Recently, hormone-like cytokines, such as fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21), have also been used as a means of assessing evidence of MRC dysfunction, although work is still required to confirm their diagnostic utility and reliability. The assessment of evidence of oxidative stress may also be an important parameter to consider in the diagnosis of MRC function in view of its association with mitochondrial dysfunction. At present, due to the lack of reliable biomarkers available for assessing evidence of MRC dysfunction, the spectrophotometric determination of MRC enzyme activities in skeletal muscle or tissue from the disease-presenting organ is considered the 'Gold Standard' biochemical method to provide evidence of MRC dysfunction. The purpose of this review is to outline a number of biochemical methods that may provide diagnostic evidence of MRC dysfunction in patients.
Topics: Electron Transport; Humans; Mitochondrial Diseases; Mitochondrial Membranes; Pyruvic Acid; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 35806492
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137487 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Mar 2022Background and Objectives: Due to the nutritional and behavioral patterns of children, their teeth can be a good indicator of heavy metal uptake from over the years. To...
Background and Objectives: Due to the nutritional and behavioral patterns of children, their teeth can be a good indicator of heavy metal uptake from over the years. To determine the amount of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb accumulated in the body, primary teeth of children in Zanjan, Iran, were examined with a polarography device. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from dentistry clinics of Zanjan, Iran, and were prepared for acid digestion, and then were analyzed by a polarography device for determining the concentration of lead, copper, zinc, and cadmium. Results: Data were analyzed by a t-independent test to compare different groups (p < 0.05). Based on the results obtained from this study, the mean concentrations of zinc, lead, copper, and cadmium were 245, 7.66, 5.33, and 0.0879 µg/g, respectively, which shows that the amount of each of the four elements was more than the amounts that have been reported for different countries. The results showed no significant difference between age, tooth type, and jaw groups. Conclusions: We conclude that primary teeth are an important biological indicator to evaluate the concentration of heavy elements in the human body. The high concentrations of these elements in the primary teeth analyzed in this study could be attributed to the high concentrations of these elements in the environment of Zanjan.
Topics: Cadmium; Child; Dentistry; Humans; Metals, Heavy; Polarography; Zinc
PubMed: 35334624
DOI: 10.3390/medicina58030448 -
NeuroImage Feb 2022Resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) provides a view of human brain organization based on correlation patterns of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals recorded...
Resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) provides a view of human brain organization based on correlation patterns of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals recorded across the whole brain. The neural basis of resting-state BOLD fluctuations and their correlation remains poorly understood. We simultaneously recorded oxygen level, spikes, and local field potential (LFP) at multiple sites in awake, resting monkeys. Following a spike, the average local oxygen and LFP voltage responses each resemble a task-driven BOLD response, with LFP preceding oxygen by 0.5 s. Between sites, features of the long-range correlation patterns of oxygen, LFP, and spikes are similar to features seen in rsfMRI. Most of the variance shared between sites lies in the infraslow frequency band (0.01-0.1 Hz) and in the infraslow envelope of higher-frequency bands (e.g. gamma LFP). While gamma LFP and infraslow LFP are both strong correlates of local oxygen, infraslow LFP explains significantly more of the variance shared between correlated oxygen signals than any other electrophysiological signal. Together these findings are consistent with a causal relationship between infraslow LFP and long-range oxygen correlations in the resting state.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Brain Mapping; Electrophysiological Phenomena; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Oxygen; Primates; Rest
PubMed: 34923136
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118728 -
Frontiers in Nutrition 2021Fatty acid overload, either of the saturated palmitic acid (PA) or the unsaturated oleic acid (OA), causes triglyceride accumulation into specialized organelles termed...
Fatty acid overload, either of the saturated palmitic acid (PA) or the unsaturated oleic acid (OA), causes triglyceride accumulation into specialized organelles termed lipid droplets (LD). However, only PA overload leads to liver damage mediated by mitochondrial dysfunction. Whether these divergent outcomes stem from differential effects of PA and OA on LD and mitochondria joint dynamics remains to be uncovered. Here, we contrast how both fatty acids impact the morphology and interaction between both organelles and mitochondrial bioenergetics in HepG2 cells. Using confocal microscopy, we showed that short-term (2-24 h) OA overload promotes more and bigger LD accumulation than PA. Oxygen polarography indicated that both treatments stimulated mitochondrial respiration; however, OA favored an overall build-up of the mitochondrial potential, and PA evoked mitochondrial fragmentation, concomitant with an ATP-oriented metabolism. Even though PA-induced a lesser increase in LD-mitochondria proximity than OA, those LD associated with highly active mitochondria suggest that they interact mainly to fuel fatty acid oxidation and ATP synthesis (that is, metabolically "active" LD). On the contrary, OA overload seemingly stimulated LD-mitochondria interaction mainly for LD growth (thus metabolically "passive" LDs). In sum, these differences point out that OA readily accumulates in LD, likely reducing their toxicity, while PA preferably stimulates mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, which may contribute to liver damage progression.
PubMed: 34869541
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.775382 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2021The effect of weightlessness on gametogenesis and the functional state of female germ cells are still poorly understood. We studied the ovaries of , the full development...
The effect of weightlessness on gametogenesis and the functional state of female germ cells are still poorly understood. We studied the ovaries of , the full development cycle of which (from zygote to sexually mature adults) passed under simulated microgravity by a random positioning machine. The rate of cellular respiration was studied by polarography as a parameter reflecting the functional state of mitochondria. The content of cytoskeletal proteins and histones was determined using Western blotting. The relative content of mRNA was determined using qRT-PCR. The results obtained indicated an increase in the rate of cellular respiration under simulated microgravity conditions during the full cycle of gametogenesis in due to complex I of the respiratory chain. In addition, an increase in the contents of actin cytoskeleton components was observed against the background of an increase in the mRNA content of the cytoskeleton's encoding genes. Moreover, we observed an increase in the relative content of histone H3 acetylated at Lys9 and Lys27, which may explain the increase in the expression of cytoskeletal genes. In conclusion, the formation of an adaptive pattern of functioning of the ovaries that developed under simulated microgravity includes structural and functional changes and epigenetic regulation.
Topics: Animals; Cell Respiration; Cytoskeleton; Drosophila melanogaster; Electron Transport Complex I; Female; Histones; Oogenesis; Ovary; Ovum; Transcriptome; Weightlessness Simulation
PubMed: 34502148
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179234 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2021Olivacine and ellipticine are model anticancer drugs acting as topoisomerase II inhibitors. Here, we present investigations performed on four olivacine derivatives in...
Olivacine and ellipticine are model anticancer drugs acting as topoisomerase II inhibitors. Here, we present investigations performed on four olivacine derivatives in light of their antitumor activity. The aim of this study was to identify the best antitumor compound among the four tested olivacine derivatives. The study was performed using CCRF/CEM and MCF-7 cell lines. Comet assay, polarography, inhibition of topoisomerase II activity, histone acetylation, and molecular docking studies were performed. Each tested compound displayed interaction with DNA and topoisomerase II, but did not cause histone acetylation. Compound (9-methoxy-5,6-dimethyl-1-({[1-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)butan-2-yl]amino}methyl)-6-pyrido[4,3-]carbazole) was found to be the best candidate as an anticancer drug because it had the highest affinity for topoisomerase II and caused the least genotoxic damage in cells.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; DNA; DNA Topoisomerases, Type II; Ellipticines; Humans; Molecular Docking Simulation; Neoplasms; Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; Tumor Cells, Cultured
PubMed: 34445198
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168492 -
International Journal of Analytical... 2021This review article represents the collection and discussion of various analytical methods available in the literature for the determination of allopurinol (ALLP) in... (Review)
Review
This review article represents the collection and discussion of various analytical methods available in the literature for the determination of allopurinol (ALLP) in pharmaceutical and biological samples consisting of HPLC, UV-visible method, near-IR spectroscopy, spectrofluorometry, capillary electrophoresis, polarography, voltammetry, and hyphenated techniques such as LC-MS, LC-MS/MS, UPLC-MS/MS, and GC-MS. The anticipated review provides details about the comparative utilization of various analytical techniques for the determination of ALLP. The present review article can be effectively explored to conduct future analytical investigation for the estimation of ALLP.
PubMed: 34194505
DOI: 10.1155/2021/5558651 -
Chinese Medicine Jun 2021Musk, the dried secretion from the musk sac gland which is located between the navel and genitals of mature male musk deer, is utilized as oriental medicine in east... (Review)
Review
Musk, the dried secretion from the musk sac gland which is located between the navel and genitals of mature male musk deer, is utilized as oriental medicine in east Asia. It has been utilized to treat conditions such as stroke, coma, neurasthenia, convulsions, and heart diseases in China since ancient times. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of musk in zoology, chemical composition, pharmacology, clinical applications, and quality control according to the up-to-date literature. Studies found that musk mainly contains macrocyclic ketones, pyridine, steroids, fatty acids, amino acids, peptides, and proteins, whilst the main active ingredient is muscone. Modern pharmacological studies have proven that musk possesses potent anti-inflammatory effects, neuroprotective effects, anti-cancer effects, antioxidant effects, etc. Moreover, muscone, the main active ingredient, possesses anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antioxidant, and other pharmacological effects. In the quality control of musk, muscone is usually the main detection indicator, and the common analytical method is GC, and researchers have established novel and convenient methods such as HPLC-RI, RP-UPLC-ELSD, and Single-Sweep Polarography. In addition, quality evaluation methods based on steroids and the bioactivity of musk have been established. As for the identification of musk, due to various objective factors such as the availability of synthetic Muscone, it is not sufficient to rely on muscone alone as an identification index. To date, some novel technologies have also been introduced into the identification of musk, such as the electronic nose and DNA barcoding technology. In future research, more in vivo experiments and clinical studies are encouraged to fully explain the pharmacological effects and toxicity of musk, and more comprehensive methods are needed to evaluate and control the quality of musk.
PubMed: 34147113
DOI: 10.1186/s13020-021-00457-8 -
Journal of Analytical Methods in... 2021[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2020/3646712.].
Erratum to "A Novel Method for Extraction of Galegine by Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) Technique Reinforced with Graphene Oxide and Its Evaluation Using Polarography".
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2020/3646712.].
PubMed: 33628574
DOI: 10.1155/2021/3548023 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2020The role of the Earth's gravitational and magnetic fields in the evolution and maintenance of normal processes of various animal species remains unclear. The aim of this...
The role of the Earth's gravitational and magnetic fields in the evolution and maintenance of normal processes of various animal species remains unclear. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of simulated microgravity and hypomagnetic conditions for 1, 3, and 6 h on the sperm motility of the fruit fly . In addition to the usual diet, the groups were administered oral essential phospholipids at a dosage of 500 mg/kg in medium. The speed of the sperm tails was determined by video recording and analysis of the obtained video files, protein content by western blotting, and cell respiration by polarography. The results indicated an increase in the speed of movement of the sperm tails after 6 h in simulated microgravity. The levels of proteins that form the axoneme of the sperm tail did not change, but cellular respiration was altered. A similar effect occurred with the administration of essential phospholipids. These results may be due to a change in the level of phosphorylation of motor proteins. Exposure to hypomagnetic conditions led to a decrease in motility after 6 h against a background of a decrease in the rate of cellular respiration due to complex I of the respiratory chain. This effect was not observed in the flies that received essential phospholipids. However, after 1 h under hypomagnetic conditions, the rate of cellular respiration also increased due to complex I, including that in the sperm of flies receiving essential phospholipids.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Cell Respiration; Drosophila Proteins; Drosophila melanogaster; Magnetic Fields; Male; Phospholipids; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa; Weightlessness; Weightlessness Simulation
PubMed: 32825268
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21175985