Effects of DDT and DDE on placental cholinergic receptors.

The placental cholinergic system; known as an important factor in intracellular metabolic activities, regulation of placental vascular tone, placental development, and neurotransmission; can be affected by persistent organic pesticides, particularly organochlorine pesticides(OCPs), which can influence various epigenetic regulations and molecular pathways. Although OCPs are legally prohibited, trace amounts of the persistent dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane(DDT) are still found in the environment, making prenatal exposure inevitable. In this study, the effects of 2,4'-DDT and 4,4'-DDT; and its breakdown product 4,4'-DDE in the environment on placental cholinergic system were evaluated with regards to cholinergic genes. 40 human placentas were screened, where 42,50% (17 samples) were found to be positive for the tested compounds. Average concentrations were 10.44 µg/kg; 15.07 µg/kg and 189,42 µg/kg for 4,4'-DDE; 2,4'-DDT and 4,4'-DDT respectively. RNA-Seq results revealed 2396 differentially expressed genes in positive samples; while an increase in CHRM1,CHRNA1,CHRNG and CHRNA2 genes at 1.28, 1.49, 1.59 and 0.4 fold change were found(p<0028). The increase for CHRM1 was also confirmed in tissue samples with immunohistochemistry. In vitro assays using HTR8/SVneo cells; revealed an increase in mRNA expression of CHRM1, CHRM3 and CHRN1 in DDT and DDE treated groups; which was also confirmed through western blot assays. An increase in the expression of CHRM1,CHRNA1, CHRNG(p<0001) and CHRNA2(p<0,05) were found from the OCPs exposed and non exposed groups.The present study reveals that intrauterine exposure to DDT affects the placental cholinergic system mainly through increased expression of muscarinic receptors. This increase in receptor expression is expected to enhance the sensitivity of the placental cholinergic system to acetylcholine.

A comparative study of electropolymerization and photopolymerization for the determination of molnupiravir and their application in an electrochemical sensor via computationally designed molecularly imprinted polymers.

A comparative analysis of molecularly imprinted polymers based on different synthesis techniques was performed for the recognition of molnupiravir (MOL). The polymerizations were performed with 3-thienyl boronic acid (3-TBA) as a functional monomer by electropolymerization (EP) and with guanine methacrylate (GuaM) as a functional monomer by photopolymerization (PP). Morphological and electrochemical characterizations of the developed sensors were investigated to verify the constructed sensors. Moreover, quantum chemical calculations were used to evaluate changes on the electrode surface at the molecular and electronic levels. The dynamic linear range of both designed sensors under optimized experimental conditions was found to be 7.5 × 10-12-2.5 × 10-10 M and 7.5 × 10-13-2.5 × 10-11 M for EP and PP, respectively. The effect of various interfering agents on MOL peak current was assessed for the selectivity of the study. In the presence of 100 times more interfering agents, the RSD and recovery values were determined. The RSD values of GuaM/MOL@MIP/GCE and poly(Py-co-3-PBA)/MOL@MIP/GCE sensors were found to be 1.99% and 1.72%, respectively. Furthermore, the recovery values of the MIP-based sensors were 98.18-102.69% and 98.05-103.72%, respectively. In addition, the relative selectivity coefficient (k') of the proposed sensor was evaluated, and it exhibited good selectivity for MOL with respect to the NIP sensor. The prepared sensor was successfully applied to determine MOL in commercial serum samples and capsule form. In conclusion, the developed sensors provided excellent reproducibility, repeatability, high sensitivity, and selectivity against the MOL molecule.

Evaluation of pituitary function and metabolic parameters in patients with traumatic maxillofacial fractures.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to assess the pituitary functions of patients with traumatic maxillofacial fractures and compare the results with healthy controls. METHODS: Thirty patients (mean age, 38.14 ± 14.15 years; twenty-six male, four female) with a traumatic maxillofacial fracture at least 12 months ago (mean 27.5 ± 6.5 months) and thirty healthy controls (mean age, 42.77 ± 11.36 years; twenty-five male, five female) were included. None of the patients were unconscious following head trauma, and none required hospitalization in intensive care. Basal pituitary hormone levels of the patients were evaluated. All patients and controls had a glucagon stimulation test and an ACTH stimulation test to evaluate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the GH-IGF-1 axis. RESULTS: Five of thirty patients (16.6%) had isolated growth hormone (GH) deficiency based on a glucagon stimulation test (GST). The mean peak GH level after GST in patients with hypopituitarism (0.54 ng/ml) was significantly lower than those without hypopituitarism (7.01 ng/ml) and healthy controls (11.70 ng/ml) (P < 0.001). No anterior pituitary hormone deficiency was found in the patients, except for GH. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first to evaluate the presence of hypopituitarism in patients with traumatic maxillofacial fractures. Preliminary findings suggest that hypopituitarism and GH deficiency pose significant risks to these patients, particularly during the chronic phase of their trauma. However, these findings need to be validated in larger scale prospective studies with more patients.