Induction of cross-reactive, mucosal anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses in rheumatoid arthritis patients after 3rd dose of COVID-19 vaccination.

Systemic vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 elicited high titers of specific antibodies in the blood and in the oral cavity. Preexisting autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and biological treatments, like B cell depletion, are known to exhibit higher risk of severe COVID-19 manifestation and increased frequency of breakthrough infections after vaccination. We hypothesized that such increased risk is associated with an aberrant induction of secreted antibodies in the oral cavity. Here we evaluated the levels of secreted antibodies in the oral cavity against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein during the course of vaccination in RA patients with or without B cell depletion. We found that total salivary IgG levels were correlated with number of B cells in the blood. Anti-Spike IgG responses 7 days after second vaccination were induced in the oral cavity of all healthy individuals, while only 6 out 23 RA patients exhibited anti-Spike IgG in their saliva regardless of B cell depleting therapy. Importantly, both salivary and serologic anti-Spike IgG and IgA responses towards WT and omicron Spike variants were efficiently induced by third vaccination in RA patients with or without B cell depletion to the levels that were similar to healthy individuals. Altogether, these data advocate for the necessity of three dose vaccination for RA patients to mount anti-Spike antibody responses at the mucosal surfaces and annotate the reduction of secreted salivary IgG by B cell depletion.

Erythropoietin decreases cytotoxicity and nitric oxide formation induced by inflammatory stimuli in rat oligodendrocytes.

In the present study, we investigated whether erythropoietin (Epo) has a protective effect against cytotoxicity induced by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma ) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in primary rat oligodendrocyte cultures. The possible modulatory effect of erythropoietin on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression and nitrite production were also analyzed. Erythropoietin exerted a significant protective effect against IFN-gamma and LPS-induced oligodendrocyte injury as determined by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Treatment with erythropoietin inhibited the expression of iNOS mRNA and nitrite production resulting from proinflammatory stimulation by IFN-gamma and LPS. These results suggest that erythropoietin has protective effects against inflammatory oligodendrocyte injury in vitro and may play a protective role in neurological disorders characterized by oligodendrocyte death, such as multiple sclerosis.

Effect of melatonin on brain oxidative damage induced by traumatic brain injury in immature rats.

Progressive compromise of antioxidant defenses and free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation, which is one of the major mechanisms of secondary traumatic brain injury (TBI), has also been reported in pediatric head trauma. In the present study, we aimed to demonstrate the effect of melatonin, which is a potent free radical scavenger, on brain oxidative damage in 7-day-old rat pups subjected to contusion injury. Whereas TBI significantly increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, there was no compensatory increase in the antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) 24 hours after TBI in 7-day-old rats. Melatonin administered as a single dose of 5 mg/kg prevented the increase in TBARS levels in both non-traumatized and traumatized brain hemispheres. In conclusion, melatonin protects against oxidative damage induced by TBI in the immature brain.

Effects of acute footshock stress on antioxidant enzyme activities in the adolescent rat brain.

In a previous study we demonstrated that acute footshock stress increased glutathione peroxidase activity in the prefrontal cortex and striatum of adult male rats. Adolescents may respond differently to stress as life stressors may be greater than at other ages. The present study examined the effects of the acute footshock stress on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme activities and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels in adolescent male and female rat brains. We demonstrated that acute footshock stress increased SOD activity in the prefrontal cortex, and increased GPx activity in the hippocampus in female rats. In males, acute footshock stress increased GPx activity in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Footshock stress did not change TBARS levels. These results indicate a strong role of gender in the response of adolescent subjects to various aspects of stress.

Effects of melatonin on oxidative stress and spatial memory impairment induced by acute ethanol treatment in rats.

Melatonin has recently been suggested as an antioxidant that may protect neurons from oxidative stress. Acute ethanol administration produces both lipid peroxidation as an indicator of oxidative stress in the brain and impairs water-maze performance in spatial learning and memory tasks. The present study investigated the effect of melatonin against ethanol-induced oxidative stress and spatial memory impairment. The Morris water maze was used to evaluate the cognitive functions of rats. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), which are the indicators of lipid peroxidation, and the activities of antioxidative enzymes (glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) were measured in the rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex which form interconnected neural circuits for spatial memory. Acute administration of ethanol significantly increased TBARS levels in the hippocampus. Combined melatonin-ethanol treatment caused a significant increase in glutathione peroxidase activities and a significant decrease of TBARS in the rat hippocampus. In the prefrontal cortex, there was only a significant decrease of TBARS levels in the combined melatonin-ethanol receiving group as compared to the ethanol-treated group. Melatonin did not affect the impairment of spatial memory due to acute ethanol exposure, but melatonin alone had a positive effect on water maze performances. Our study demonstrated that melatonin decreased ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation and increased glutathione peroxidase activity in the rat hippocampus.

[Subjective body experience and therapy of somatoform disorders]. / Sub"ektivnyi telesnyi opyt i terapiia pri somatoformnykh rasstroistvakh.

The article addresses the problem of subjective body experience in patients with somatoform mental disorders. Perspectives of multi-axial model of subjective body experience and methodical approaches to its descriptions are discussed. Different variants of body experience organization are described. Clinical peculiarities of somatoform mental disorders were closely connected with the complicated structure of body experience. Main processes involving body experience are those of self-identification structuring: determination of the borders of subjectivity, relations with objects, representation of self-ego. An analysis of structure of subjective body experience enabled to work out differentiated psychotherapeutic approaches to complex rehabilitation of patients with somatoform mental disorders.

[Subjective body experience in hypochondria and somatoform disorders]. / K voprosu o sub"ektivnom telesnom opyte pri ipokhondrii i somatoformnykh rasstroistvakh.

Limitations and difficulties of clinical characteristics of mental disorders, manifesting in symptoms of body sphere, are described. The conceptions of body and subjective body experience, assuming that body sensations are involved in self-identification and self-ego formation and connected with cognitive, social and cultural aspects of subjective experience, are discussed. To evaluate phenomenological, biographical, psychodynamic, cognitive and socio-cultural context of body sensations appearance in somatoform mental disorders, the multi-axial model of subjective body experience description is suggested.

[Surface relief of peripheral blood erythrocytes in patient with schizophrenia (scanning electron microscopy data)]. / Osobennosti poverkhnostnogo rel'efa éritritsitov perifericheskoi krovi u bol'nykh shizofreniei (po dannym skaniruiushchei élektronnoi mikroskopii).

Surface relief and configuration of peripheral blood erythrocytes were studied under a scanning electron microscope in 42 patients with paranoid schizophrenia during the active phase and remission. Control group consisted of 30 mentally and somatically healthy donors. The count of functionally intact biconcave discocytes was appreciably (p < 0.001) decreased and the incidence of transitory, prehemolytical, and degenerative forms of erythrocytes increased in the patients. Morphological restructuring of the erythrocyte population was universal in the patients with different duration of the schizophrenic process.

Antioxidant enzyme levels in intestinal and renal tissues after a 60-minute exercise in untrained mice.

The present study was designed to determine the effects of exercise on the antioxidant enzymatic system and lipid peroxidation in small intestine and kidney, during the post-exercise period in untrained mice. Two days after the last adaptation running exercise, animals were ran on the treadmill for 60 min at 18 m/min. 5 degrees slope. After the acute exercise the animals were killed by cervical dislocation, immediately (0 h), 3 hours (3 h) and 24 hours (24 h) after the exercise. Control animals were killed without running exercise. Their proximal small intestinal and renal tissues were quickly removed. Changes in the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), as an index of lipid peroxidation, in intestine and kidney were studied in mice after the running exercise and in unexercised control group. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined in these tissues. Tissue SOD, GPx activities and TBARS level were not increase by the exercise in kidney. Intestinal SOD activity decreased after exercise (0 h and 3 h respectively, p<0.05, p<0.01) and retumed to control levels. Intestinal GPx activity increased after exercise (0 h, p<0.05) and returned to control levels. There was no significant difference among groups in intestinal tissue TBARS levels. These findings could suggest that submaximal exercise may not cause oxidative stress in proximal small intestinal tissue and kidney.

Methamphetamine causes depletion of glutathione and an increase in oxidized glutathione in the rat striatum and prefrontal cortex.

The administration of methamphetamine to experimental animals results in damage to dopaminergic neurons. The hypothesis that methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity is mediated by reactive oxygen species was evaluated. It was found that acute administration of methamphetamine (5 and 15 mg kg(-1)) resulted in production of oxidative stress as demonstrated by decreased glutathione and increased oxidized glutathione levels in the rat striatum and prefrontal cortex. These changes in glutathione and oxidized glutathione levels were dose-dependent in striatum but not in prefrontal cortex. In conclusion, the results of present study provide further evidence in support of the notion that oxidative stress may play an important role in the methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity.

The effects of single dose of methamphetamine on lipid peroxidation levels in the rat striatum and prefrontal cortex.

The administration of methamphetamine to experimental animals results in damage to dopaminergic neurons. In the present study, we demonstrated that a single dose (15 mg/kg) of methamphetamine results in production of oxidative stress as demonstrated by increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels in the rat striatum and prefrontal cortex. In conclusion, the results of present study provide further evidence in support of the notion that oxidative stress may play an important role in the methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity.

The effect of moderate swimming exercise on antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation levels in children.

Strenuous exercise is characterized by increased oxygen consumption and the disturbance between intracellular pro-oxidant and antioxidant homeostasis. Although there are several studies related to an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity in adults doing exercise, the effect of regular exercise on antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation levels has not been examined in children. In our study, the effects of a four week regular swimming exercise on antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) activities in erythrocytes and plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, were investigated in previously untrained healthy children. We found that superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was increased significantly following a four week swimming course (from 581.1 +/- 146.2 to 791.1 +/- 221.9 U/gHb, P < 0.01). Conversly, plasma TBARS levels were decreased from 1.1 +/- 0.4 to 0.9 +/- 0.3 nmol/ml (P < 0.05). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity appeared to increase following swimming course, albeit not statistically significant (from 45.5 +/- 16.5 to 50.3 +/- 14.8 U/gHb). According to these findings, regular swimming exercise has beneficial effects on antioxidant defence in healthy children.

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme levels of intestinal renal and muscle tissues after a 60 minutes exercise in trained mice.

To investigate the effect of blood perfusion difference on oxidant status, mice were trained by a 7-week running program. Two days after the last training session, mice were exercised for 60 minutes at the same training intensity. Changes in the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), as an index of lipid peroxidation, in intestine, kidney and muscle, were studied in trained mice immediately (0 h), 3 h and 24 h after the running exercise and in unexercised control group. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and xanthine oxidase (XO) were determined in these tissues. Tissue SOD activities were unaffected by the exercise. Muscle GPx activity increased after exercise (0 h and 3 h group, P < 0.01) and returned to control levels at 24 h, but there was not any significant difference in intestinal and renal tissues. Renal tissue XO activity could not be determined. There was not any significant difference among groups in intestinal tissue XO activity. The activity of XO was decreased only in skeletal muscle at 0 h (P < 0.05). TBARS levels of exercised groups were higher than control in muscle (P < 0.01). Intestinal TBARS levels decreased at 0 h (P < 0.05), than reached to control level. Renal TBARS levels of 0 h and 24 h group was higher than control (P < 0.01, P < 0.01 respectively). The results show that a long distance running exercise may cause lipid peroxidation damage in skeletal muscle and kidney.

Surface architectonics of peripheral blood erythrocytes in patients with mental diseases.

Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated altered surface topography of peripheral erythrocytes in patients with nonpsychotic mental diseases, nonmetabolic mental retardation, and paranoid schizophrenia. Maximum decrease in the number of biconcave diskocytes and accumulation of transitional, prehemolytic, and degenerative forms of erythrocytes were found in schizophrenia.

Methamphetamine causes lipid peroxidation and an increase in superoxide dismutase activity in the rat striatum.

The administration of methamphetamine to experimental animals results in damage to nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. In the present study, we demonstrated that both the acute repeated and the chronic administration of methamphetamine causes an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, which are indicators of lipid peroxidation, and superoxide dismutase activity in the rat striatum. The results of present study strengthen the notion that reactive oxygen species may play an important role in the methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity.

A comparison of the blood lipid profiles of professional sportspersons and controls.

Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and HDL-C/TC levels are important in determining the risk of coronary heart disease. The serum lipids and lipoprotein levels of regularly training sportspersons and non-sporting controls were determined and compared with each other to investigate the effects of exercise and sex on these factors. HDL-C levels of male and female training groups were higher than those of corresponding non-sporting groups (respectively P < 0.01, P < 0.001). The sportswomen's HDL-C levels were higher (P < 0.05); and TC, TG, and LDL-C levels were lower. (P < 0.001) than those of sportsmen's levels. The non-sporting women's TC and TG levels were lower than those of non-sporting men's levels (P < 0.001). HDL-C/TC ratio of active females was higher than that of control females (P < 0.01). The corresponding difference in males was also significant. We conclude that physical activity and sex have effects on risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity in chronic haemodialysis patients treated with recombinant human erythropoietin.

In anaemia of chronic renal failure, the most important factor in the shortened erythrocyte survival may be lipid peroxidation of the cell membrane. Defective antioxidant activity may increase this damage. Although recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) can effectively correct anaemia in chronic haemodialysis patients, its actions on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity are not clear. These actions were investigated in 13 patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis. Antioxidant activity, including red blood cell superoxide dismutase and total glutathione peroxidase levels and the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde, were measured before and 3 months after initiation of r-HuEPO treatment, using heparinized venous whole blood for cell and plasma determinations. Age-matched healthy volunteers were controls. Significantly higher levels of superoxide dismutase and total glutathione peroxidase were found in the patients than in the controls (p < 0.01). Plasma malondialdehyde levels were not affected by r-HuEPO. The results are explained by erythropoiesis and cellular haemoglobin synthesis due to r-HuEPO, followed by increase of circulating young red cells. The membranes of these young cells contain more antioxidant enzymes than the others. Despite r-HuEPO treatment, plasma malondialdehyde levels in haemodialysis patients may be higher than normal because of the uraemic milieu and the chronic haemodialysis.