• Martin Peters posted an update 1 month, 2 weeks ago

    Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) have been known to modulate inflammatory responses by targeting signal transduction pathways and influencing cellular redox balance through the generation of oxidants and antioxidants. Here, we studied the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-oxidative effect of ELF-EMF in THP-1 cells, particularly with respect to antioxidant enzymes, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), regulated transcriptionally through nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation. Lomerizine inhibitor Cells treated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were exposed to a 50 Hz, 1 mT extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields for 1 h, 6 h and, 24 h. Our results indicate that ELF-EMF induced HO-1 mRNA and protein expression in LPS-treated THP-1 cells, with peak expression at 6 h, accompanied with a concomitant migration to the nucleus of a truncated HO-1 protein form. The immunostaining analysis further verified a nuclear enrichment of HO-1. Moreover, ELF-EMF inhibited the protein expressions of the sirtuin1 (SIRT1) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) pathways, confirming their anti-inflammatory/antioxidative role. Pretreatment with LY294002 (Akt inhibitor) and PD980559 (ERK inhibitor) inhibited LPS-induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation and HO-1 protein expression in ELF-EMF-exposed cells. Taken together, our results suggest that short ELF-EMF exposure exerts a protective role in THP-1 cells treated with an inflammatory/oxidative insult such as LPS, via the regulation of Nrf-2/HO-1 and SIRT1 /NF-kB pathways associated with intracellular glutathione (GSH) accumulation.Protein phosphorylation can induce signal transduction to change sperm motility patterns during sperm capacitation. However, changes in the phosphorylation of sperm proteins in mice are still incompletely understood. Here, capacitation-related phosphorylation in mouse sperms were firstly investigated by label-free quantitative (LFQ) phosphoproteomics coupled with bioinformatics analysis using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) methods such as canonical pathway, upstream regulator, and network analysis. Among 1632 phosphopeptides identified at serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues, 1050 novel phosphosites, corresponding to 402 proteins, were reported. Gene heatmaps for IPA canonical pathways showed a novel role for GSK-3 in GP6 signaling pathways associated with capacitation for 60 min. At the same time, the reduction of the abundant isoform-specific GSK-3α expression was shown by western blot (WB) while the LFQ pY of this isoform slightly decreased and then increased. The combined results from WB and LFQ methods explain the less inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3α during capacitation and also support the predicted increases in its activity. In addition, pAKAP4 increased at the Y156 site but decreased at the Y811 site in a capacitated state, even though IPA network analysis and WB analysis for overall pAKAP revealed upregulated trends. The potential roles of GSK-3 and AKAP4 in fertility are discussed.Intimate interactions between thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and thymocytes (T) have been repeatedly reported as essential for performing intrathymic T-cell education. Nevertheless, it has been described that animals exhibiting defects in these interactions were capable of a proper positive and negative T-cell selection. In the current review, we first examined distinct types of TECs and their possible role in the immune surveillance. However, EphB-deficient thymi that exhibit profound thymic epithelial (TE) alterations do not exhibit important immunological defects. Eph and their ligands, the ephrins, are implicated in cell attachment/detachment and govern, therefore, TEC-T interactions. On this basis, we hypothesized that a few normal TE areas could be enough for a proper phenotypical and functional maturation of T lymphocytes. Then, we evaluated in vivo how many TECs would be necessary for supporting a normal T-cell differentiation, concluding that a significantly low number of TEC are still capable of supporting normal T lymphocyte maturation, whereas with fewer numbers, T-cell maturation is not possible.The ENA ATPases (from exitus natru the exit of sodium) belonging to the P-type ATPases are structurally very similar to the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA); they exchange Na+ for H+ and, therefore, are also known as Na+-ATPases. ENA ATPases are required in alkaline milieu, as in the case for Aspergillus, where other transporters cannot mediate an uphill Na+ efflux. They are also important for salt tolerance, as described for Arabidopsis. During their life cycles, protozoan parasites might encounter a high pH environment, thus allowing consideration of ENA ATPases as possible targets for controlling certain severe parasitic diseases, such as Chagas’ Disease. Phylogenetic analysis has now shown that, besides the types IIA, IIB, IIC, and IID P-type ATPases, there exists a 5th subgroup of ATPases classified as ATP4-type ATPases, found in Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii. In malaria, for example, some drugs targeting PfATP4 destroy Na+ homeostasis; these drugs, which include spiroindolones, are now in clinical trials. The ENA P-type (IID P-type ATPase) and ATP4-type ATPases have no structural homologue in mammalian cells, appearing only in fungi, plants, and protozoan parasites, e.g., Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania sp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Plasmodium falciparum. This exclusivity makes Na+-ATPase a potential candidate for the biologically-based design of new therapeutic interventions; for this reason, Na+-ATPases deserves more attention.The jabuticaba is a native Brazilian fruit that has aroused worldwide interest in terms of its nutritional composition and biological activity. However, research on the profile of volatile compounds (VOCs) emitted by these fruits is rare. This study presents the first identification of VOCs from four jabuticaba species. The aim of the study was to characterize the aromatic profile of the following species ‘Sabará’ (Plinia jaboticaba), ‘Escarlate’ (Plinia phitrantha × Plinia cauliflora), ‘Otto Andersen’ (Plinia cauliflora), and ‘Esalq’ (Plinia phitrantha). The analysis was performed by headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Multivariate analysis techniques applying the partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and heatmap were used to compare the results. Fruit quality parameters were determined in terms of fresh mass (g), skin color, soluble solids, and titratable acidity. A total of 117 VOCs was identified including terpenoids, esters, alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, ketones, and carboxylic acids, with 36 VOCs common to all four species.