Neuropeptide substance P alters stem cell fate to aid wound healing and promote epidermal stratification through asymmetric stem cell divisions.

Loss of sensory innervation delays wound healing and administration of the neuropeptide substance P improves re-epithelialization. Keratinocyte hyperproliferation post-wounding may result from symmetric stem cell (SC) self-renewal, asymmetric SC self-renewal, committed progenitor divisions, or a combination of these. However, the effects of sensory denervation and of neuropeptides on SC proliferation are not known. Here we show that early after wounding both asymmetric and symmetric SC self-renewal increase, without significant committed progenitor (CP) activation. Decreased sensory innervation is associated with a decrease in both SC and CP proliferation. Based on previous work showing that substance P is decreased in capsaicin-treated mice and improves wound healing in normal skin, we examined the effects of substance P on SC and CP proliferation during wound healing. Substance P restored asymmetric SC proliferation in skin with decreased sensory innervation, both at baseline and following wounding. Epidermis with decreased sensory innervation was severely thinned. Consistent with this, substance P-induced asymmetric SC proliferation resulted in increased stratification in skin with both normal and decreased innervation. Lapatinib prevented the substance P-induced increase in asymmetric SC divisions in murine epidermis, as well as the increase in epidermal stratification, suggesting that asymmetric SC divisions are required for epidermal stratification.

The neuroprotective effect of quercetin nanoparticles in the therapy of neuronal damage stimulated by acrolein.

A gradual loss of neuronal function or structure causes neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Neurological damage might cause cell death. Acrolein is a high-risk air and water contaminant that causes neurodegenerative disorders. Quercetin has several strategies for treating neurodegenerative disorders but has limited bioavailability inside the body. One of the hypotheses offered to improve quercetin's bioavailability is to convert it into quercetin nanoparticles. This study aims to comprehend the immunohistochemical devastation that might arise in the cerebellum because of acrolein treatment. Furthermore, the protective and ameliorative roles of quercetin nanoparticles against oxidative stress and neurotoxicity induced in mice by acrolein were assessed. Ninety male albino rats weighing 120 to 200 g were used in the present investigation. The animals were split up into the following six groups: the control group, the acrolein-treated group: animals were given acrolein (3 mg/kg) for 30 days, quercetin nanoparticles treated group: animals were given quercetin nanoparticles (30 mg/kg) for 30 days. The administration of acrolein was found to be connected to immunohistochemical abnormalities in the cerebellum. Marked differences were observed in Bax, Bcl-2, TNF-α, and GFAP expressions in the cerebellum. Treatment of rats with quercetin nanoparticles either before or after treatment with acrolein has been found to preserve the cerebellum tissues from the toxic impacts and oxidative stress induced by acrolein. This may open the door to more nanomedicine studies and a new avenue for employing nanoparticles as a therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative illnesses.

Non-histological assessment of liver fibrosis in HCV infection.

This study found a correlation between some serum markers [AST/ALT ratio, level of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), level of viraemia and HCV serotype] and severity of liver fibrosis in HCV-infected patients. The study included 72 human cases referred to the Early Cancer Detection Unit, for liver biopsy assessment. The severity of liver fibrosis was staged using the METAVIR scoring system into 4 stages. The level of viraemia did not differ significantly in the different stages of liver fibrosis. Also, the type of HCV had no effect on the severity of liver fibrosis. However, the transaminases ratio differed significantly in the different fibrosis stages (P < 0.01). This serum test has a relatively high sensitivity and specificity (92.6% and 94.3%, respectively) in diagnosing severe fibrosis and cirrhosis. The level of MMP9 was, however, inversely correlated with the fibrosis stages and was found to have an 88.9% sensitivity and an 88.6% specificity when diagnosing severe fibrosis and cirrhosis. Although, the sensitivity of these serum markers did not reach 100%, yet their use can reduce the number of liver biopsies when diagnosing and treating HCV-infected patients.

DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction in the patients of chronic HCV and hepatocellular carcinomas.

Four hundred blue Fulgen-stained nuclei were measured from each lesion by using DNA image cytometry. The histopathological and cytopathological observations revealed that (52 cases, 69.3%) had a variable degrees of chronic hepatitis, (12cases 16 %) were emerging into cirrhosis, while (11 cases 14.7%) represented different grades of HCC. Most of the cases with minimal or mild chronic hepatitis were female, while most of male had moderate or severe chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and HCC. DNA image analysis data gave the support of to the histological observations. All of chronic hepatitis C and cirrhotic cases showed normal diploid and/or tetraploid histograms, although increasing S-phase fraction s' values of the highly diseased chronic hepatitis and cirrhotic cases. Hepatocellular carcinomas and one cirrhotic case only revealed aneuploidy (diploid and tetraploid), while one case of poorly differentiated HCC revealed multiploid histogram. So, histopathological severity in cases of progressive chronic hepatitis seems to be associated with the age and sex of Egyptian society. Also, demonstrates the potential usefulness of image cytometry for the evaluation of the different histopathological problems.