Evaluation of the relationship of cytokines concentrations tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein in obese diabetics and obese non-diabetics: A comparative study.

Obesity has been linked to a low-grade inflammatory process in the white adipose tissue. Our study aims to detect the relationship between cytokine levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in obese diabetics, compared to obese non-diabetics, Iraqi individuals. Ninety Iraqi adults, 45 type 2 diabetic and 45 non-diabetic obese, were selected as controls. Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, CRP, homeostatic model assessment for homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), body fat, and body mass index (BMI) were measured. The concentration of TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP were significantly greater in the obese diabetics, compared to the obese non-diabetics. BMI was significantly positively correlated with the concentration of TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP in the two groups. At the same time, HOMA-IR was non-significantly positively associated with them in obese diabetics. In contrast, the correlation was significantly positive between HOMA-IR with TNF-a, IL-6, and CRP in the obese non-diabetics group. Obese diabetics have more inflammation than obese non-diabetics as evidenced by the former's higher levels of TNF-α and IL-6. Obesity-related imbalances disrupt metabolic processes and increase CRP, TNF-, and IL-6 levels. Therefore, IR is promoted by the increase of cytokines.

Apoferritin-templated biosynthesis of manganese nanoparticles and investigation of direct electron transfer of MnNPs-HsAFr at modified glassy carbon electrode.

Manganese nanoparticles (MnNPs) were created within horse spleen apoferritin (HsAFr) cavity nanotemplates. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the particle size to be 6 nm. Intrinsic fluorescence data showed that the mineralization acted as a quencher of the HsAFr fluorescence, and extrinsic fluorescence data revealed that the hydrophobic binding site at the surface of HsAFr was not changed. Finally, the MnNP-HsAFr was immobilized onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes entrapped into chitosan (CS) matrices by through sequential 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide-N-hydroxysuccinimide and glutaraldehyde coupling. The MnNPs-HsAFr immobilized on CNT-CS/GC electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry. This charge transfer coefficient (α) and the exchange current (i0 ) of MnNPs-HsAFr immobilized on modified electrode in 0.1 M phosphate solution (pH 7.5) were found to be 0.57 and 0.48 µA, respectively.

An electrochemical biosensor based on cobalt nanoparticles synthesized in iron storage protein molecules to determine ascorbic acid.

The electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid (AA) was investigated using a cobalt(III)-ferritin immobilized on a self-assembled monolayer modified gold electrode in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.5). The modified electrode showed excellent electrochemical activity for oxidation of AA. The response to AA on the modified electrode was examined using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry techniques. The resulting biosensor showed a linear response to AA in a concentration range from 6.25×10-6 to 2.31×10-5 M with sensitivity of 86,437 µAM-1 and detection limit of 4.65 × 10-6 M based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Electrochemical parameters including the charge transfer coefficient (α) and the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (ks ) for AA were found to be 0.52 and 1.054 Sec-1 , respectively. It has been shown that, using this modified electrode, AA can be determined with high sensitivity, low detection limit, and high selectivity.