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Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology :... Jan 2021Previous studies reported that hypo- and hyperthermia are associated with several atrial and ventricular electrocardiographical parameters, including corrected QT (QTc)...
BACKGROUND
Previous studies reported that hypo- and hyperthermia are associated with several atrial and ventricular electrocardiographical parameters, including corrected QT (QTc) interval. Enhanced characterization of variations in QTc interval and normothermic body temperature aids in better understanding the underlying mechanism behind drug induced QTc interval effects. The analysis' objective was to investigate associations between body temperature and electrocardiographical parameters in normothermic healthy volunteers.
METHODS
Data from 3023 volunteers collected at our center were retrospectively analyzed. Subjects were considered healthy after review of collected data by a physician, including a normal tympanic body temperature (35.5-37.5°C) and in sinus rhythm. A linear multivariate model with body temperature as a continuous was performed. Another multivariate analysis was performed with only the QT subintervals as independent variables and body temperature as dependent variable.
RESULTS
Mean age was 33.8 ± 17.5 years and mean body temperature was 36.6 ± 0.4°C. Body temperature was independently associated with age (standardized coefficient [SC] = -0.255, P < .001), female gender (SC = +0.209, P < .001), heart rate (SC = +0.231, P < .001), P-wave axis (SC = -0.051, P < .001), J-point elevation in lead V4 (SC = -0.121, P < .001), and QTcF duration (SC = -0.061, P = .002). In contrast, other atrial and atrioventricular (AV) nodal parameters were not independently associated with body temperature. QT subinterval analysis revealed that only QRS duration (SC = -0.121, P < .001) was independently associated with body temperature.
CONCLUSION
Body temperature in normothermic healthy volunteers was associated with heart rate, P-wave axis, J-point amplitude in lead V4, and ventricular conductivity, the latter primarily through prolongation of the QRS duration.
Topics: Adult; Body Temperature; Electrocardiography; Female; Healthy Volunteers; Heart Rate; Humans; Male; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 33179782
DOI: 10.1111/pace.14120 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2021The growth in the number of chronic non-communicable diseases in the second half of the past century and in the first two decades of the new century is largely due to... (Review)
Review
The growth in the number of chronic non-communicable diseases in the second half of the past century and in the first two decades of the new century is largely due to the disruption of the relationship between the human body and its symbiotic microbiota, and not pathogens. The interaction of the human immune system with symbionts is not accompanied by inflammation, but is a physiological norm. This is achieved via microbiota control by the immune system through a complex balance of pro-inflammatory and suppressive responses, and only a disturbance of this balance can trigger pathophysiological mechanisms. This review discusses the establishment of homeostatic relationships during immune system development and intestinal bacterial colonization through the interaction of milk glycans, mucins, and secretory immunoglobulins. In particular, the role of fucose and fucosylated glycans in the mechanism of interactions between host epithelial and immune cells is discussed.
Topics: Age Factors; Animals; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; Cell Wall; Fucose; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Glycosylation; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Immune System; Immunity; Immunoglobulins; Intestinal Mucosa; Microbiota; Polysaccharides
PubMed: 33917768
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083854 -
Chemico-biological Interactions Aug 2022In this Letter to the Editor supportive data were presented to a recent paper published in this journal reporting the involvement of TRP channels in COVID-19 pneumonia...
In this Letter to the Editor supportive data were presented to a recent paper published in this journal reporting the involvement of TRP channels in COVID-19 pneumonia and its role for new therapies. Since gene expression of TRP channels was found in human lung tissues the protein was not being reported so far. TRP channels are supposed to be involved in the pulmonary inflammation and its symptoms such as fever, cough and others. Here, TRPC6 was investigated in tissues of normal human lungs and of SARS-Cov-2 infected lungs in a preliminary study. Tissue was obtained post mortem from anatomical body donations during dissections and during pathological dissections (13 normal, 4 COVID-19 pneumoniae) and processed for immunohistochemistry. In normal lungs TRPC6 was found in the ciliated epithelium, in the wall of larger lung vessels and in the alveolar septa. In COVID-19 pneumonia the distribution of TRPC6 was different. Inflammatory lesions, cellular infiltrates, hyaline membranes and fibrosis were labelled intensively as well as dilated capillaries. These observations are from four patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.The observations do not elucidate the molecular mechanisms but support the view that TRPC6 channels are involved in normal physiology of normal human lungs and in COVID-19 pneumonia. TRPC6 might aggravate SARS-2 induced inflammation and could be a target for inhibiting drugs.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Lung; Pneumonia; SARS-CoV-2; TRPC6 Cation Channel
PubMed: 35598647
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.109982 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2021Mushrooms with enhanced medicinal properties focus on finding such compounds that could modulate the human body's immune systems. Mushrooms have antimicrobial,... (Review)
Review
Mushrooms with enhanced medicinal properties focus on finding such compounds that could modulate the human body's immune systems. Mushrooms have antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiviral, hepatoprotective, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties due to the presence of various bioactive components. β-glucans are the major constituent of the mushroom cell wall and play a significant role in their biological activity. This review described the techniques used in the extraction of the active ingredients from the mushroom. We highlighted the structure of the bioactive polysaccharides present in the mushrooms. Therapeutic applications of different mushrooms were also described. It is interesting to note that mushrooms have the potential sources of many bioactive products that can regulate immunity. Thus, the development of functional medicinal food based on the mushroom is vital for human welfare.
Topics: Agaricales; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Biological Products; Humans; Immunotherapy
PubMed: 33806285
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051359 -
Platelets Dec 2023Thrombus formation is highly dependent upon the physico-chemical environment in which it is triggered. Our ability to understand how thrombus formation is initiated,... (Review)
Review
Thrombus formation is highly dependent upon the physico-chemical environment in which it is triggered. Our ability to understand how thrombus formation is initiated, regulated, and resolved in the human body is dependent upon our ability to replicate the mechanical and biological properties of the arterial wall. Current thrombosis models principally use reductionist approaches to model the complex biochemical and cellular milieu present in the arterial wall, and so researcher have favored the use of models. The field of vascular tissue engineering has developed a range of techniques for culturing artificial human arteries for use as vascular grafts. These techniques therefore provide a basis for developing more sophisticated 3D replicas of the arterial wall that can be used in thrombosis models. In this review, we consider how tissue engineering approaches can be used to generate 3D models of the arterial wall that improve upon current and approaches. We consider the current benefits and limitations of reported 3D tissue engineered models and consider what additional evidence is required to validate them as alternatives to current models.
Topics: Humans; Arteries; Thrombosis; Tissue Engineering; Blood Vessel Prosthesis
PubMed: 36550074
DOI: 10.1080/09537104.2022.2153823 -
The Journal of Biological Chemistry Oct 2020Fungi inhabit extraordinarily diverse ecological niches, including the human body. Invasive fungal infections have a devastating impact on human health worldwide,... (Review)
Review
Fungi inhabit extraordinarily diverse ecological niches, including the human body. Invasive fungal infections have a devastating impact on human health worldwide, killing ∼1.5 million individuals annually. The majority of these deaths are attributable to species of , and Treating fungal infections is challenging, in part due to the emergence of resistance to our limited arsenal of antifungal agents, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic options. Whereas conventional antifungal strategies target proteins or cellular components essential for fungal growth, an attractive alternative strategy involves targeting proteins that regulate fungal virulence or antifungal drug resistance, such as regulators of fungal stress responses. Stress response networks enable fungi to adapt, grow, and cause disease in humans and include regulators that are highly conserved across eukaryotes as well as those that are fungal-specific. This review highlights recent developments in elucidating crystal structures of fungal stress response regulators and emphasizes how this knowledge can guide the design of fungal-selective inhibitors. We focus on the progress that has been made with highly conserved regulators, including the molecular chaperone Hsp90, the protein phosphatase calcineurin, and the small GTPase Ras1, as well as with divergent stress response regulators, including the cell wall kinase Yck2 and trehalose synthases. Exploring structures of these important fungal stress regulators will accelerate the design of selective antifungals that can be deployed to combat life-threatening fungal diseases.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Binding Sites; Calcineurin; Candida; Drug Design; Fungal Proteins; HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; Humans; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Mycoses
PubMed: 32796038
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.REV120.013731 -
Toxins Aug 2022Mycotoxin contaminations in the feed and food chain are common. Either directly or indirectly, mycotoxins enter the human body through the consumption of food of plant...
Mycotoxin contaminations in the feed and food chain are common. Either directly or indirectly, mycotoxins enter the human body through the consumption of food of plant and animal origin. Bacteria with a high mycotoxin elimination capability can reduce mycotoxin contamination in feed and food. Four Gram-positive endospore-forming bacteria ( AMK10/1, AMK9/1, AMK10/2, and AMK9/2) were isolated from fermented forages and tested for their deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and zearalenone (ZEA) elimination potentials. Notably, the contribution of bacterial cell wall fractions to the observed outstanding ZEA elimination rates was demonstrated; however, the ZEA elimination differed considerably within the tested group of Gram-positive bacteria. It is worth noting that the purified cell wall of AMK9/1, AMK10/2 and AMK10/1 were highly efficient in eliminating ZEA and the teichoic acid fractions of AMK10/1, and AMK10/2 could also be successfully used in ZEA binding. The ZEA elimination capacity of viable AMK9/2 cells was outstanding (40%). Meanwhile, AMK9/2 and AMK9/1 cells produced significant esterase activities, and ZEA elimination of the cell wall fractions of that species did not correlate with esterase activity. DON and AFB1 binding capabilities of the tested bacterial cells and their cell wall fractions were low, except for AMK10/1, where the observed high 64% AFB1 elimination could be linked to the surface layer (S-layer) fraction of the cell wall.
Topics: Aflatoxin B1; Esterases; Firmicutes; Food Contamination; Mycotoxins; Trichothecenes; Zearalenone
PubMed: 36136529
DOI: 10.3390/toxins14090591 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2018The environment shapes our experience of space in constant interaction with the body. Architectonic interiors amplify the perception of space through the bodily senses;...
The environment shapes our experience of space in constant interaction with the body. Architectonic interiors amplify the perception of space through the bodily senses; an effect also known as embodiment. The interaction of the bodily senses with the space surrounding the body can be tested experimentally through the manipulation of multisensory stimulation and measured via a range of behaviors related to bodily self-consciousness. Many studies have used Virtual Reality to show that visuotactile conflicts mediated via a virtual body or avatar can disrupt the unified subjective experience of the body and self. In the full-body illusion paradigm, participants feel as if the avatar was their body (ownership, self-identification) and they shift their center of awareness toward the position of the avatar (self-location). However, the influence of non-bodily spatial cues around the body on embodiment remains unclear, and data about the impact of architectonic space on human perception and self-conscious states are sparse. We placed participants into a Virtual Reality arena, where large and narrow virtual interiors were displayed with and without an avatar. We then applied synchronous or asynchronous visuotactile strokes to the back of the participants and avatar, or, to the front wall of the void interiors. During conditions of illusory self-identification with the avatar, participants reported sensations of containment, drift, and touch with the architectonic environment. The absence of the avatar suppressed such feelings, yet, in the large space, we found an effect of continuity between the physical and the virtual interior depending on the full-body illusion. We discuss subjective feelings evoked by architecture and compare the full-body illusion in augmented interiors to architectonic embodiment. A relevant outcome of this study is the potential to dissociate the egocentric, first-person view from the physical point of view through augmented architectonic space.
PubMed: 29755378
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00375 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023In the modern world we are constantly bombarded by environmental and natural stimuli that can result in oxidative stress. Antioxidant molecules and enzymes help the...
In the modern world we are constantly bombarded by environmental and natural stimuli that can result in oxidative stress. Antioxidant molecules and enzymes help the human body scavenge reactive oxygen species and prevent oxidative damage. Most organisms possess intrinsic antioxidant activity, but also benefit from the consumption of antioxidants from their diet. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach are a well-researched rich source of dietary antioxidant molecules. However, plant cell walls are difficult to digest for many individuals and the bio-accessibility of nutrients and antioxidants from these sources can be limited by the degree of digestion and assimilation. Through a specific enzymatic process, Solarplast contains organic spinach protoplasts without the cell wall, which may facilitate higher yield and efficacy of beneficial antioxidant molecules. In this study, analytical techniques coupled to in vitro bioassays were used to determine the potential antioxidant activity of Solarplast and determine its antioxidant enzymatic capabilities. Solarplast demonstrated superior antioxidant activity when compared to frozen spinach leaves in TOC, FRAP and TEAC antioxidant assays. Several antioxidant enzymes were also increased in Solarplast, when compared to frozen spinach. As a functional readout, Solarplast attenuated hydrogen peroxide-, ethanol- and acetaminophen-induced increases in oxidative stress and cytotoxicity in both intestinal (HT-29) and liver (HepG2) cell lines. These findings suggest that Solarplast may represent a non-GMO, plant-based food supplement to help reduce oxidative stress in the human body.
PubMed: 37514292
DOI: 10.3390/plants12142678 -
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.... Dec 2017Asymmetry is a common occurrence in bilaterian animals, particularly human beings. Through examination of patients and their photographs during rhinoplasty, we noted...
BACKGROUND
Asymmetry is a common occurrence in bilaterian animals, particularly human beings. Through examination of patients and their photographs during rhinoplasty, we noted wider left-sided nasal and facial features in most patients. This observation led us to hypothesize that this might be consistent to the whole body.
METHODS
We conducted a study in 3 parts to test the question above. First, we analyzed operating notes of 50 rhinoplasty patients to determine the wider side of the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the nose. Second, we analyzed the width of the face and chest wall in 31 patients to discern any correlation between facial and bodily asymmetry. Third, computerized tomographic scans of the thorax and body of 48 patients were studied to measure the width of the hemithorax and hemipelvic bone.
RESULTS
(1) Upper vault width was wider on left side (78%). Left middle vault width was wider (88%). The lower lateral cartilage, lateral crura convexity was more prominent on left side (48%), and a wider scroll area was found and trimmed in 21 (left) and 0 (right) cases. The alar base was wider on left side (56%). (2) In the body and face analysis, 64.5% had a wider left-sided face and body. (3) In the computed tomographic scan analysis, same-sided thorax and pelvis asymmetry was seen (85.35%), 33 and 7 of which were left- and right-sided, respectively.
CONCLUSION
We observed generalized asymmetry of the face and body with left-sided predominance.
PubMed: 29632770
DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000001590