Regulation of unbalanced redox homeostasis induced by the expression of wild-type HIV-1 viral protein R (NL4-3Vpr) in fission yeast.

The wild-type viral protein R (Vpr) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 exerts multiple effects on cellular activities during infection, including the induction of cell cycle G2 arrest and the death of human cells and cells of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In this study, wild-type Vpr (NL4-3Vpr) integrated as a single copy gene in S. pombe chromosome was used to investigate the molecular impact of Vpr on cellular oxidative stress. NL4-3Vpr triggered an atypical response in early (14-h), and a wellregulated oxidative stress response in late (35-h) log-phase cultures. Specifically, NL4-3Vpr expression induced oxidative stress in the 14-h cultures leading, to decreased levels of superoxide anion (O(2)(·-)), hydroxyl radical (·OH) and glutathione (GSH), and significantly decreased activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutathione S-transferase. In the 35-h cultures, elevated levels of O(2)(·-) and peroxides were accompanied by increased activities of most antioxidant enzymes, suggesting that the Vpr-induced unbalanced redox state of the cells might contribute to the adverse effects in HIV-infected patients.

The Occurrence of Anxiety, Depression, and Distress among Professionals Working in Emergency Care.

Maintaining mental health is essential for professions with higher stress levels and challenging environments, including emergency specializations. In this study, the occurrence of distress, anxiety, and depression among a group of ambulance and hospital emergency care professionals was assessed (n = 202). A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive online survey was conducted, including the internationally validated Beck depression inventory (BDI), the perceived stress scale (PSS-14), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics, the χ2-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Dunn-Bonferroni test, logistic regression (LR), Cramer coefficient (Cramer's V), Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rs). Based on the results, female professionals are more likely to have depressive symptoms (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3-5.1), perceived stress (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.2-4.1), and anxiety (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.0-4.1) than male professionals. Perceived stress levels decreased proportionally with increasing years spent working in healthcare (OR = 7.4, 95% CI = 7.1-8.3). Extended work shifts of 12 or 24 h increase the risk of perceived stress and anxiety in emergency care workers (p = 0.02). Customized stress management interventions are needed to mitigate the amplified mental strain associated with gender, working years, and longer shifts in the emergency care sector to sustain their mental health and well-being.

Stress and Anxiety among High School Adolescents: Correlations between Physiological and Psychological Indicators in a Longitudinal Follow-Up Study.

Mental and psychological disorders are serious health problems worldwide. Anxiety among high school students can affect school performance, relationships, and family life. OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to understand the anxiety levels and associated factors among high school students and compare the results of psychological tests measuring anxiety with the cortisol levels obtained from biological sampling. METHOD: In our longitudinal follow-up study, we involved 125 individuals in May 2019. Validated measurement tools were used during questionnaire data collection, including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Clear Communication Scale, Multiple Social Perceived Support Scale, and related HBSC questions. As objective data, we collected hair samples for cortisol level measurement. RESULTS: At the end of the school year, the anxiety levels measured by psychological tests were significantly higher (p = 0.001) compared to the anxiety levels at the beginning of the next school year. Anxiety levels were higher among girls and were influenced by the type of school and parental expectations. Both state anxiety and trait anxiety showed a strong correlation with psychosomatic symptoms (p < 0.001) and anxiety arising from school expectations (p < 0.05). The changes in cortisol levels did not follow the changes in psychological tests. Cortisol level increased (p = 0.01) in the second sample.

Adrenal, Gonadal and Peripherally Steroid Changes in Response to Extreme Physical Stress for Characterizing Load Capacity in Athletes.

Athletes are often exposed to extreme physical stress during training or competitions. The consequent activation of the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal (HPA) axis results in intensified steroid hormone production in the adrenal cortex. We determined the impact of an acute extreme physical stress on adrenal and gonadal steroidogenesis in healthy male professional athletes (n = 40). The subjects underwent an extreme physical load test until total voluntary fatigue between 14:00 and 18:00 when the hormone levels are relatively stable. Blood was taken before the start (baseline), at the peak load (peak), and 30 min following completion of the exercise (recovery). The vital parameters, lactate levels, and blood levels of the 14 steroid hormones were recorded. The multivariate statistical analysis of the results revealed that all monitored hormone levels increased upon stress. Significant changes in steroid concentrations were detected at peak versus baseline, peak versus recovery, and at baseline versus recovery. The mineralocorticoid (including aldosterone and corticosterone), glucocorticoid (11-deoxycortisol and cortisol), and androgen (androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) pathways, as well as gonadal testosterone synthesis are activated simultaneously under extreme physical load. The profiling of adrenal and gonadal steroid biosynthesis in athletes may help the characterization of their loading capacity.

Oxidative stress induced by HIV-1 F34IVpr in Schizosaccharomyces pombe is one of its multiple functions.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral protein R (Vpr) exerts multiple effects on viral and host cellular activities during infection, including induction of cell cycle G(2) arrest and cell death in both human and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells. In this study, a mutant derivative of Vpr (F34IVpr), which causes transient G2 arrest with little or no effect of cell killing, was used to study the molecular impact of Vpr on cellular oxidative stress responses in S. pombe. We demonstrated here that F34IVpr triggers low level of complex and atypical oxidative stress responses in comparison with its parental strain SP223 in early (14-h) and late (35-h) log phase cultures. Specifically, F34IVpr production in S. pombe causes significantly elevated levels of reactive oxygen species such as superoxide and peroxides; meanwhile, it also induces decreased levels of glutathione, hydroxyl radical concentrations and specific enzyme activities such as those of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutases, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutathione transferase. These observations may provide functional insights into the significance of Vpr-induced oxidative stress as part of the multifaceted functions of Vpr, and contribute to the development of future new strategies aimed to reduce the adverse Vpr-mediated effects in HIV-infected patients.