Selected Cytokines and Metalloproteinases in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a collective term for two diseases: ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). There are many factors, e.g., genetic, environmental and immunological, that increase the likelihood of these diseases. Indicators of IBDs include extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The aim of this review is to present data on the role of selected cytokines and metalloproteinases in IBD. In recent years, more and more transcriptomic studies are emerging. These studies are improving the characterization of the cytokine microenvironment inside inflamed tissue. It is observed that the levels of several cytokines are consistently increased in inflamed tissue in IBD, both in UC and CD. This review shows that MMPs play a major role in the pathology of inflammatory processes, cancer, and IBD. IBD-associated inflammation is associated with increased expression of MMPs and reduced ability of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) to inhibit their action. In IBD patients in tissues that are inflamed, MMPs are produced in excess and TIMP activity is not sufficient to block MMPs. This review is based on our personal selection of the literature that was retrieved by a selective search in PubMed using the terms "Inflammatory bowel disease" and "pathogenesis of Inflammatory bowel diseases" that includes systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical trials. The involvement of the immune system in the pathophysiology of IBD is reviewed in terms of the role of the cytokines and metalloproteinases involved.

The Use of Photodynamic Therapy in the Treatment of Brain Tumors-A Review of the Literature.

The treatment of neoplastic disease of the brain is still a challenge for modern medicine. Therefore, advanced methodologies are needed that can rationally and successfully contribute to the early diagnosis of primary and metastatic tumors growing within the brain. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) seems to be a valuable method of treatment for precancerous and cancerous lesions including brain tumors. The main advantage of PDT is its high efficiency, minimal invasiveness and no serious side effects, compared with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This review was conducted through a comprehensive search of articles, scientific information databases and the websites of organizations dealing with cancer treatment. Key points from clinical trials conducted by other researchers are also discussed. The common databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Scopus, and Elsevier were used. Articles in the English language of reliable credibility were mainly analyzed. The type of publications considered included clinical and preclinical studies, systematic reviews, and case reports. Based on these collected materials, we see that scientists have already demonstrated the potential of PDT application in the field of brain tumors. Therefore, in this review, the treatment of neoplasm of the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the most common tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), have been explored. In addition, an overview of the general principles of PDT, as well as the mechanism of action of the therapy as a therapeutic platform for brain tumors, is described. The research was carried out in June 2022.

Local Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common metabolic diseases. The most serious complication of diabetes is diabetic foot ulcer, which affects several million people around the world each year. In recent years, increasingly modern methods of physical medicine including hyperbaric oxygen therapy have been used often in the complex therapy of this complication. Methods: This study included 45 patients, 24 male (53.3%) and 21 female (46.6%), whose age was between 49 and 83 years (mean age: 66.7 ± 8.8 years) with diabetes lasting for 1.5-18 years, who underwent local hyperbaric oxygen therapy at the pressure of 2.5 ATA (30 exposures for 30 min each) due to diabetic foot ulcers. The progress in wound healing before and after the end of therapy was evaluated by computerized planimetry, and the pain intensity was assessed with the use of a VAS. Results: The analysis of results showed a statistically significant reduction in the wound surface area after the treatment, from 8.54 ± 3.34 cm to 4.23 ± 3.23 cm² (p = 0.000001). In 5 patients (11.1%), the wounds were healed completely. In 25 patients (55.5%), the topical state of the wound surface was significantly decreased by 50% on average. There was also a significant reduction in the perceived pain on the VAS in all examined patients from 4.64 ± 1.68 points before treatment to 1.51 ± 0.92 points after treatment (p = 0.000001). Conclusions: The application of local HBO therapy in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers accelerates the ulcer healing process, as judged in objective planimetric assessment, and reduces the intensity of perceived pain ailments.

People of the 21st century: Where we came from - Who we are - Where we are going.

The current culture emphasizes effectiveness and happiness. In this article, we discuss whether it is possible to function optimally in the professional sphere without existential reflection. As we argue, the need for a meaning of life and giving sense to our activity is fundamental. Universal human needs, optimal functioning models, and developmental patterns throughout life support our perspective. The challenges and problems of midlife transition have a common denominator - personalized awareness of life's finiteness and fear of death. During midlife, people need philosophical reflection on values basic for the meaning of life. Referring to Søren Kierkegaard, culture promotes fixation on the aesthetic stage, while personality development leads to the ethical and religious stage. It means profound transformation, striving for internal integration, and stabilizing the person's functioning on higher values. Kierkegaard's philosophical anthropology and existential psychology promote the pattern of conscious, intentional life, and personal growth.

The role of photodynamic therapy in breast cancer - A review of in vitro research.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women and the incidence of occurrence is increasing. Currently, there are many methods of detecting and treating breast cancer. Some treatments have a number of side effects. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive method of treatment which uses monochromatic light of low to medium energy to excite previously applied photosensitizers (PS) for ROS production. The purpose of this article is to present a general overview of the use of PDT in in vitro studies of various cancer cell lines. A literature search for articles corresponding to the topic of this review was performed using the PubMed and Scopus databases using the following keywords: 'photodynamic therapy', 'breast cancer', and 'photosensitizer(s).' Much of the reviewed literature is based on evaluations of the cytotoxic potential of various PSs, particularly against the MCF-7 cell line, and enhancement of PDT potential with nanotechnology. Research on photodynamic effects in vitro may be helpful in the pre-clinical search for optimal methods for in vivo clinical treatment.

The Effect of Painting Beauty on Eye Movements.

The current study aimed to determine relationships between oculomotor behavior and aesthetical evaluation of paintings. We hypothesized that paintings evaluated as beautiful compared to nonbeautiful would be associated with different oculomotor behavior in terms of fixation duration, viewing time, and temporal and spatial distribution of attention. To verify these hypotheses, we examined forty participants that looked at and evaluated 140 figurative paintings while their eye movements were recorded. To analyze data, we used divergence point analysis (DPA) and recurrence quantification analysis (RQA). The results of the DPA suggested that fixation durations longer than 229 ms are sensitive to the effect of aesthetical evaluation. We also found that the effect of aesthetical evaluation was significant in the time window between 2.3 s and 19.8 s of viewing a painting. The results of the RQA suggested that the participants viewed paintings evaluated as beautiful in a more structured manner compared to those evaluated as nonbeautiful, which suggests higher involvement of top-down processes while facing beautiful artwork. We discuss and refer these results to the literature on cognitive processes related to aesthetical evaluation of paintings.

Types of Inner Dialogues and Functions of Self-Talk: Comparisons and Implications.

Intrapersonal communication occurs in several modes including inner dialogue and self-talk. The Dialogical Self Theory (Hermans, 1996) postulates a polyphonic self that is comprised of a multiplicity of inner voices. Internal dialogical activity implies an exchange of thoughts or ideas between at least two so-called "I-positions" representing specific points of view. Among the functions served by self-talk are self-criticism, self-reinforcement, self-management, and social assessment (Brinthaupt et al., 2009). This paper explores the relationships among different types of internal dialogues and self-talk functions. Participants included college students from Poland (n = 181) and the United States (n = 119) who completed two multidimensional measures of inner dialogue and self-talk. Results indicated moderately strong relationships between inner dialogue types and self-talk functions, suggesting that there is a significant overlap between the two modes of communication. We discuss several implications of these findings for exploring similarities and differences among varieties of intrapersonal communication.

Clinical Trials and Basic Research in Photodynamic Diagnostics and Therapies from the Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy in Poland.

The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the development of photodiagnostic and photodynamic therapy (PDD and PDT) techniques in Poland. The paper discusses the principles of PDD, including fluorescent techniques in determining precancerous conditions and cancers of the skin, digestive tract, bladder and respiratory tract. Methods of PDT of cancer will be discussed and the current state of knowledge as well as future trends in the development of photodynamic techniques will be presented, including the possibility of using photodynamic antimicrobial therapy. Research pioneers in photodynamic medicine such as Thomas Dougherty are an inspiration for the development of methods of PDD and PDT in our Clinic. The Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy in Bytom, Poland, promotes the propagation of PDD and PDT through the training of clinicians and raising awareness among students in training and the general public. Physicians at the Center are engaged in photomedical research aimed at clinical implementation and exploration of new avenues in photomedicine while optimizing existing modalities. The Center promotes dissemination of clinical results from a wide range of topics in PDD and PDT and serving as representative authorities of photodynamic medicine in Poland and Europe.

The influence of 5-aminolevulinic photodynamic therapy on colon cancer cell interleukin secretion in hypoxia-like condition in vitro.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) becomes a method of personalized cancer treatment, based on the individual determination of cancer biomarkers. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of PDT with δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA-PDT) used in sub-lethal dose on the interleukins secretion (IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10) by the residual colon cancer cells (CCC) under hypoxia-like conditions (addition of cobalt chloride- CoCl2). CCC: SW480 and SW620 cells were incubated with ALA, CoCl2 and irradiated with red light. The cells viability was detected using MTT assay, LDH and apoptosis tests. Determination of interleukins was carried out using the Bio- Plex Assay Pro™ kit on the Bio- Plex Suspension Array System. After ALA-PDT we found no change in the IL-6 level secreted by SW480 cells, but decrease of IL-6, IL-10 secretion by SW620 cells, an increase in the IL-8 secreted by both cells lines. The levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 secreted by more aggressive SW620 cells were higher than released by SW480 cells. We concluded, that PDT not only effectively destroy malignant tissue, but also used in sub-lethal dose can develops its anticancer activity through the reduction of IL-6 and IL-10 secretion. On the other hand, we reveal an unfavorable PDT effect, connected with increase of IL-8 secretion by both treated colon cancer cell lines, which implicates the use of adjuvant immunotherapy against IL-8, as a part of individualized colon cancer therapy.

Positive Orientation-a Common Base for Hedonistic and Eudemonistic Happiness?

Positive orientation (PO) is proposed as a common base for hedonistic and eudemonistic senses of happiness. PO involves a tendency to formulate positive judgments concerning the self, one's personal life, and the future. Previously, PO had been investigated in the context of the hedonistic approach to well-being. In this article, we tested a broader understanding of PO, which is conceptualized, here, as a latent factor underlying variables that exemplify hedonistic and eudemonistic view on happiness. Using two samples (N = 159 and N = 200), we tested three models of PO extended to include various measures of meaning of life. The extended models fitted the data well. Results suggest that PO can be a general factor that is the basis for integrating two aspects of well-being: searching for positivity and pleasure, as well as striving for meaning.

Effect of alloferon 1 on central nervous system in rats.

Alloferon 1 is an insect-derived peptide with potent antimicrobial and antitumor activity. It was isolated from blood of an experimentally infected insect, the blow fly Callifora vicina. Synthetic alloferon 1 reveals a capacity to stimulate activity of NK cells and synthesis IFN in animal and human models. Moreover, it was demonstrated antiviral and antitumor activity of alloferon 1 in mice. There are no data on influence of alloferon 1 on central nervous system. The aim of present study was to determine an effect of alloferon 1 on rats' central nervous system by some behavioral tests: open field test, hole test, score of rats irritability, and determination of memory consolidation in the water maze test. Moreover, a probable antinociceptive effect of alloferon 1 in rats was determined by a tail immersion test and hot plate test. Experiments were performed on female Wistar rats. Seven days before experiments, rats were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine and polyethylene cannulas were implanted into the right lateral brain ventricle (i.c.v.). On the day of experiment, alloferon 1 dissolved in a volume of 5 µL of saline was injected directly i.c.v. through implanted cannulas at doses of 5-100 nmol. It was found that alloferon 1 had slight effect on locomotor and exploratory activity, induced some decrease of rat irritability and a weak impairment of rats memory (only at the low dose of 5 nmol). On the other hand, the higher dose of this peptide exerts significant antinociceptive effect. Obtained results indicate that alloferon 1 do not exert any evidently toxic effect on central nervous system in rats. Therefore, alloferon 1 may be good new drug with antitumor and antinociceptive activity.

ALA-mediated photodynamic effect on apoptosis induction and secretion of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and of monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1) by colon cancer cells in normoxia and in hypoxia-like conditions in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) reveals immune modulatory effect. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) mediated photodynamic effect on secretory activity (MIF, MCP-1) of colon cancer cells in vitro both in normoxia and in hypoxia-like conditions. METHODS: Two colon cancer cell lines differing in malignancy potential: SW480 (lower grade) and SW620 (higher grade) were used. MCP-1 and MIF concentrations in supernatants of cells cultures after pretreatment with ALA at concentrations of 500, 1000 and 1500µM and irradiation with incoherent light (λ=600-720nm) at fluences of 10, 30 and 60J/cm(2), using Bio-Plex ProTM Assay kit and Bio-Plex Suspension Array System apparatus, were measured. RESULTS: The SW620 cells were more susceptible to ALA-mediated phototoxic effect than SW480 one, however this effect may be partly abolished in hypoxia-like condition. In the case of SW480 cell line, no influence of hypoxia-like conditions on cell susceptibility to ALA-mediated photodynamic effect was found. The MIF concentration increased, contrary to MCP-1 one which decreased after ALA-mediated photodynamic action in both cell lines. No difference between cytokines concentration in supernatant from cells cultures in normoxia or hypoxia-like conditions was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Detected reduction in MCP-1 secretion appears to be advantage because of tumor's growth limiting but an increase in the secretion of MIF, which is responsible for stimulation of tumor cells proliferation, is an unfavorable effect. These results may be explained by the fact that the used cancer cell lines differ from each other in cancer stage.

Coping style and quality of life in elderly patients with vision disturbances.

Purpose. This study aims at evaluating coping style and quality of life in patients with glaucoma and cataract. Methods. The participants were patients (N = 237, 130F; mean age: M = 67,8; SD = 9,5) with low vision caused by cataract (N = 188) and glaucoma (N = 49) who answered the Quality of Life Questionnaire (QOLQ) by Schalock and Keith. The participants were divided by means of cluster analysis (k-means) according to coping styles measured by CISS (Endler and Parker) into three groups: (1) high mobilization for coping, (2) task-oriented coping, and (3) low mobilization for coping. Results. In all the group, a general quality of life was moderately lowered; however, in task-oriented group it was relatively high. Moreover, task-oriented group had significantly lower level of anxiety (STAI), hopelessness (HS), and loneliness (UCLA LS-R) and higher level of self-esteem (SES) in comparison to the patients from high mobilization and low mobilization for coping. Conclusions. In an old age, adaptive coping with vision disturbances does not necessarily mean flexibility in combining all coping styles, but rather task-oriented coping and an ability to use social support. Extreme mobilization for coping seems not adaptive similarly like low mobilization for coping because it violates balance between environmental requirements and personal resources.

The structure of prosocial behavior: a comment on Richaud, Mesurado, and Cortada (2013).

The question of how many factors are required to explain prosocial behavior in adolescents was examined. Richaud, Mesurado, and Cortada (2013) have tested two alternative models of prosocial behaviors. In this Comment we (1) discuss the theoretical basis for prosocial behavior models in adolescents and (2) propose possible alternative models as suggestions for further studies.

Do university students really have difficulty in duration judgments? Comment on Okazaki and Matsuda (2008, 2010).

Reinterpretation suggests that low performance of the participants studied by Okazaki and Matsuda (2008, 2010) may have been caused by using a procedure which overloads the cognitive capacities of undergraduate students. The questions asked participants about their reasoning could have led to cognitive overload because they performed two tasks: judgment of movement duration and paying attention to what kind of knowledge should be used (alpha or beta). Some interpretations are offered referring to possible effects of training procedures for applying both kinds of knowledge.

On measuring time metaphors.

Referring to the 2005 article by Wittmann and Lehnhoff, the problem of using time metaphors for measuring awareness of time is posed. Starting from clarification of meaning, the Metaphors Slowness scale which was not homogeneous, an alternative interpretation of the result was proposed, given that metaphors refer to two separate aspects of time speed, an ongoing passage of time, and ex post reflection on passage of time that has already passed. The former refers to the judgment of an ongoing passage of time, and the latter to the judgment of passage of past time from a particular point in the past till now. Time perception is multifaceted and perhaps ambiguous. This particular aspect of time perception is covered by a notion of a "dialectical time", when opposite aspects of time are combined, e.g., pleasant and unpleasant ones.