Rosuvastatin as a Supplemental Treatment for the Clinical Symptoms of Nephropathia Epidemica: A Pilot Clinical Study.

Nephropathis epidemica (NE), a mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), is an acute zoonotic disease endemic in the Republic of Tatarstan. This study aimed to assess the impact of rosuvastatin on the clinical and laboratory results of NE. A total of 61 NE patients and 30 controls were included in this study; 22 NE patients and 7 controls received a daily dose of rosuvastatin (10 mg) for ten consecutive days. Serum samples were collected on days 1, 5, and 10 after admission to the hospital. These samples were analyzed to determine the levels of lipids, cytokines, and kidney toxicity markers. Our findings indicate that rosuvastatin reduced the duration of the second wave of fever and alleviated back pain and headache symptoms. Additionally, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) serum levels were significantly decreased on days 5 and 10 upon rosuvastatin treatment. Furthermore, rosuvastatin decreased the levels of cytokines in the serum, particularly proinflammatory cytokines IL-1ß and IL-8. NE patients had significantly altered levels of the kidney toxicity markers albumin and osteopontin. The data from our study provide evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of rosuvastatin in NE cases.

Improving Culture Conditions, Proliferation, and Migration of Porcine Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Spinal Cord Contusion Injury Model in vitro.

Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) are promising for cell therapy in spinal cord injury (SCI). The pig is one of the most approximate models of many human diseases, including SCI. In our study, we selected the optimal conditions for the culture of porcine AD-MSCs and developed an in vitro SCI model based on the culture of cells in injured spinal cord extracts (SCE) 3 days and 6 weeks after SCI. We show that Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) with 20% serum content, supplemented with a combination of 5 mM L-ascorbate-2-phosphate and nonessential amino acids, stimulated a typical fibroblast-like morphology and high proliferation of porcine AD-MSCs. SCE caused a higher proliferation of porcine AD-MSCs compared with extracts from an intact spinal cord. The optimal proliferating effect was achieved using rostral 3 days SCE, and proliferation was lower in caudal and central SCE. Porcine AD-MSCs migration to the 3 days and 6 weeks SCE was higher than to an intact one and preferred the rostral SCE, avoiding central and caudal SCE. We also studied 13 cytokines contained in SCE but did not observe any definite relationship between some analyte concentrations and a change in the behavior of AD-MSCs.

Glycemic and Insulinemic Responses of Vegetables and Beans Powders Supplemented Chapattis in Healthy Humans: A Randomized, Crossover Trial.

Vegetables and beans are nutrient-dense foods with innate potential to mediate diabetes in a variety of cultures. The present study aims at evaluating vegetables and beans for assessing their glycemic index and response in raising glucose levels in human model. Powdered formulations of vegetables and beans were designed to modulate glycemic response of carbohydrate-rich staples. A randomized, crossover trial was conducted in healthy young adults (n = 24) who were challenged with vegetable powder-supplemented chapatti (VPSC), bean powder-supplemented chapatti (BPSC) and all-purpose wheat flour chapatti (APFC) to evaluate their postprandial glucose (PPG) and postprandial insulin (PPI) responses. In comparison with APFC, feeding VPSC and BPSC to healthy volunteers anticipated significant reduction in PPG (44% reduction in incremental area under the curve (AUC) for VPSC and 46% reduction in incremental AUC for BPSC, p = 0.005). Likewise, significant reduction in PPI levels was observed for VPSC (59%, p = 0.012) and BPSC (47%, p = 0.002) compared to APFC-treated group. The study concludes wheat flour enrichment with vegetables and beans powder as a viable approach to develop cost effective and culturally acceptable low glycemic foods bearing acceptable sensory attributes.

Cytokine Profile of Patients with Allergic Rhinitis Caused by Pollen, Mite, and Microbial Allergen Sensitization.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is especially prevalent among the population of large cities. Immunologically, the airway epithelium is a region where the population of allergen-presenting cells concentrates. These cells actively express a group of receptors of the innate immune system. A specific cytokine profile is its representation. The study was aimed at evaluating the cytokine profile in patients with seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. The cytokine profile of nasal secretion and blood serum of 44 patients with AR was studied. 24 of them had seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR), and 20 patients suffered from perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR). The patients' age ranged from 4 to 60 years. It was determined in our study that the activation of the GM-CSF production retained in patients with PAR sensitized to mite allergen components (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus). There was a higher production profile of TNF-α and TSLP in nasal secretion in the patients with perennial allergic rhinitis and additional high sensitization to SEs. Sensitization to mold fungal allergen components significantly increases in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. They demonstrated high level of sensitization to the Aspergillus fumigatus component m3. Thus, along with other clinical trials, the study performed would clarify some aspects of molecular pathogenesis of human allergic rhinitis.

Selaginella bryopteris Aqueous Extract Improves Stability and Function of Cryopreserved Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

The effective long-term cryopreservation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is an essential prerequisite step and represents a critical approach for their sustained supply in basic research, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering applications. Therefore, attempts have been made in the present investigation to formulate a freezing solution consisting of a combination of Selaginella bryopteris water-soluble extract with and without dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) for the efficient long-term storage of human umbilical cord blood- (hUCB-) derived MSCs. The cryopreservation experiment using the formulated freezing solution was further performed with hUCB MSCs in a controlled rate freezer. A significant increase in postthaw cell viability and cell attachment of MSCs was achieved with freezing medium containing Selaginella bryopteris water extract along with 10% Me2SO as compared to the freezing medium containing Me2SO (10% v/v) alone. Furthermore, the decreasing apoptotic events and reactive oxygen species production along with increasing expression of heat shock proteins also confirmed the beneficial effect of Selaginella bryopteris water extract. The beneficial effect of Selaginella bryopteris water extract was validated by its ability to render postpreservation high cell viability. In conclusion, the formulated freezing solution has been demonstrated to be effective for the standardization of cryopreservation protocol for hMSCs.

Protective Effect of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) against Prostate Cancer: From In Vitro Data to Algerian Patients.

Green tea (GT) has been studied for its effects as antioxidant and cancer-preventive agent. Epidemiological studies showed that GT consumption decreases the risk for prostate cancer (PC). To investigate whether erythrocyte oxidative stress (OS) is associated with PC and whether daily consumption of GT improves the oxidative phenotype, we performed a study in a group of Algerian PC patients, preceded by an in vitro study to characterize composition and antioxidant/antiproliferative activities of the GT used. This contained a high content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, demonstrating in vitro antioxidant activity and significant antiproliferative effect on human prostate cancer PC-3 cell line. Seventy PC patients and 120 age-matched healthy subjects participated in the study, with glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and catalase activity evaluated before and after GT consumption. The results showed a reduced GSH and catalase activity and a high level of MDA in erythrocytes from PC patients. The consumption of 2-3 cups per day of GT during 6 months significantly increased GSH concentration and catalase activity and decreased MDA concentration. In conclusion, GT significantly decreased OS in Algerian PC patients. Regular consumption of GT for a long period may prevent men from developing PC or at least delay its progression.

In the name of science: don't tamper with the deceptive truth...

Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) is one of the most controversial, most ambivalent and most important figures in the history of modern science. The debate surrounding him with respect to nuclear weapons and National Socialism appears unending. Even though Heisenberg's uncertainty principle of the quantum system and his involvement in the Nazi atomic bomb project have been thoroughly discussed in various journals over the past decades, no communication has ever been published at a holistic level of his greatest Nobel-prize winning achievement in theoretical physics. In order to fill up this hole, this piece explicitly communicates the Heisenberg's paradox at all levels of science.