Assessment of clinical biochemical parameters in Roma minority residing in eastern Slovakia compared with the majority population.

Roma constitute the largest ethnic minority in Europe and the second largest minority in Slovakia. Their health problems originate mainly from their low socioeconomic status, certain cultural aspects and their health-threatening lifestyle as well as the psycho-social burden arising from poverty and frequent migration. Evaluation of glucose, albumin, triacylglycerol (TAG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations did not reveal any clue about the presumed deteriorated health of the Roma population. Higher proportions of subjects with elevated serum total cholesterol were found in Roma women as compared to both control groups of women (p = 0.027, p = 0.006) and in Roma men as compared to the male control group living in standard conditions. Only the low level of HDL-cholesterol gives a glimpse of their deteriorated health. Significantly lower levels of serum HDL-C were reported in Roma men and women compared to the respondents in both control groups with a p value of p < 0.001. Comparing the ratio of LDL-C/HDL-C yielded significant differences between the number of physiological values in Roma men and men from the control group 1 (p = 0.022) in favour of the control group. When comparing the number of people with physiological values of cholesterols and with worsening TAG parameters at the same time, the increased risk of Roma men compared with men from the control group 1 became evident, with a level of significance of p = 0.023. Evaluation of urine samples pointed to significantly higher concentrations of urinary protein in Roma women compared with women in the control group 1 (p = 0.012).

Hydroxybenzoic acids and their derivatives as peroxynitrite scavengers.

A social challenge of the 21(st) century is to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases. A balanced diet rich in polyphenols could contribute to reduce the risk and to the prevention of diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's diseases and cataract(1). Hydroxybenzoic acids (HBA) and their derivatives, which are one of the substances responsible for these beneficial properties, are known mainly due to their antioxidant properties(2). They are effective scavengers of free radicals and reactive nitrogen species, such as peroxynitrite. Peroxynitrite is resulting from the reaction of nitric oxide with superoxide, causes lipid peroxidation and subsequent cellular damage and is responsible for the inactivation of many enzymes, activation of stress signalling pathways, release of proapoptotic factors, as well as cardiovascular dysfunction in septic schock(3). In this study we have tested 2-HBA, 3-HBA, 4-HBA, acetylsalicylic acid, 4-HBA methyl and propyl esters, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA), 2,5-DHBA, 2,4-DHBA, 2,6-DHBA, 3,5-DHBA, 3,4-DHBA, gallic acid and caffeic acid, by UV/VIS spectroscopy. The best ability to scavenge peroxynitrite was observed for gallic acid, 2,4-DHBA, 3,5-DHBA and caffeic acid. Improved comprehension of the complex relationship between the antioxidant properties of substances and their structure is important to understand their proper use in the prevention and treatment of diseases and for the detection of pathological processes. Monitoring and improved understanding of the antioxidant properties of hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives are important due to their frequent use in modern medical nutrition therapies.

Intravenous administration of tetramethylpyrazine reduces intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IIRI) is a life-threatening condition requiring prompt medical intervention. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is a biologically active alkaloid isolated from Ligusticum wallichii. Previously, it was shown that TMP causes vasodilatation and inhibition of platelet aggregation as well as exhibits significant antioxidant effects. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate possible therapeutic effects of TMP in the prevention of IIRI. Wistar rats (n = 80) were randomly divided into eight experimental groups and subjected to a 1 h occlusion of cranial mesenteric artery followed by 0, 1, 12, and 24 h period of reperfusion. Thirty minutes before the IIRI animals received either TMP (30 mg/kg, i.v.) or identical volume of saline. In addition, a control group of 10 animals was not exposed to IIRI. Intestine morphology was evaluated by using histopathological injury index examination (HII), goblet and Paneth cells quantification as well as by applying immunofluorescent methods such as InSitu TUNEL and caspase-3 positivity assessment. Here we showed that preconditioning with TMP prior IIRI decreases the grade of injury. Significant reduction of HII was detected in TMP pretreated groups after 0, 1, and 12 h of reperfusion where injury reduction up to 75% was found. Lower histopathological damage in preconditioned groups was accompanied with increased number of secretory epithelial cells and decreased number of apoptotic cells. These results demonstrate the protective effect of TMP on the small intestine mucosa, suggesting administration of TMP as a molecule for pharmacological intervention against IIRI.

Effect of selected dimethylaminochalcones on some mitochondrial activities.

Chalcones and their synthetic cyclic analogues have been shown to possess a full scale of biological activities in a variety of experimental systems. They were assessed to be mostly effective in defense against free radicals in the organism, but several compounds exhibited cytotoxic pro-oxidant activities. The respiratory response and antioxidant status in mitochondria were investigated upon addition of 4'-dimethylaminochalcone (1a) and its cyclic analogues, (E)-2-(4'-((CH3)2 N)-benzylidene)-1-indanone (1b), -1-tetralone (1c), and -1-benzosuberone (1d). Selected structures were able to change the respiratory response of mitochondria and showed an ability to modify mitochondrial metabolic and redox efficiency, though they did not indicate redox reactivity towards glutathione in adduct-free incubations. The results of the study indicate that -chalcone and -tetralone derivatives cause suppression of reactive oxygen species affecting mitochondrial respiration by mild uncoupling. In addition, (E)-2-(4'-((CH3)2 N)-indanone (1b), and to a greater extent, -benzosuberone (1d), showed pro-oxidant effects, which partially explain their cytotoxicity.

Comparison of the effects of selected chalcones, dihydrochalcones and some cyclic flavonoids on mitochondrial outer membrane determined by fluorescence spectroscopy.

The effect on mitochondrial outer membrane of 4-hydroxychalcone (1), the cyclic chalcone analogues E-2-(4'-hydroxybenzylidene)-1-indanone (2a) and E-2-(4'-hydroxybenzylidene)-1-tetralone (2b), the dihydrochalcones phloretin (3a) and phloridzin (3b), the flavanones naringenin (4a) and naringin (4b), and the flavonol quercetin (5) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. Excitation and emission fluorescence spectra of each flavonoid and synthetic analogue were recorded in respiration medium containing 1 mM succinate. Initial interaction of the compounds with the outer mitochondrial membrane was investigated by recording their fluorescence polarization in the presence of rat liver mitochondria. Most of the compounds displayed an elevated fluorescence polarization on mixing with mitochondria at the zero time point. During the investigated 20 min period the initial fluorescence polarization values remained constant (1, 2a), or a gradual depression of the measured polarization values could be observed (2b, 3a, 4b, 5). In the case of naringenin (4a), however, similar to the previously investigated seven-membered cyclic chalcone analogue E-2-(4 -methoxybenzylidene)-1-benzosuberone, a slight, continuous increase of fluorescence polarization could be detected during the 20 min experiment. Phloridzin (3b) showed an increased fluorescence polarization in first 10 min, which was slightly depressed by the 20 min time point.

Comparison of effect of selected synthetic chalcone analogues on mitochondrial outer membrane determined by fluorescence spectroscopy.

Effect on mitochondrial outer membrane of six selected synthetic cyclic chalcone analogues, E-2-arylmethylene-1-tetralones (2) and E-2-arylmethylene-1-benzosuberones (3), were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. The selected compounds represent derivatives with different degree of cytotoxicity against murine and human cancer lines. Excitation and emission fluorescence spectra of the cyclic chalcone analogues 2 and 3 were recorded in respiration medium containing 1 mM succinate. It was found that the ring size as well as the nature and location of the aromatic substituents have significant effect on fluorescence of the compounds. Interaction of subtoxic concentration of compounds 2 and 3 with the outer mitochondrial membrane was investigated by recording their fluorescence polarization in the presence of rat liver mitochondria. The most cytotoxic E-2-(4'-methoxybenzylidene)-1-benzosuberone (3b) was found to display a continuous increase of fluorescence polarization signal in the presence of mitochondria--a different pattern of interaction with the mitochondrial outer membrane from that observed for rest of the investigated compounds.