Gray level co-occurrence matrix algorithm as pattern recognition biosensor for oxidopamine-induced changes in lymphocyte chromatin architecture.

We demonstrate that a proapoptotic chemical agent, oxidopamine, induces dose dependent changes in chromatin textural patterns which can be quantified using the Gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) method. Peripheral blood (heparin-pretreated) samples were treated with oxidopamine (6-OHDA, 6-hydroxydopamine) to achieve effective concentrations of 100, 200 and 300µM. The samples were smeared on microscope slides and fixated in methanol. The smears were stained using a modification of Feulgen method for DNA visualization. For each stained smear, a sample of 30 lymphocyte chromatin structures were visualized and analyzed. This way, textural parameters for a total of 120 nuclei micrographs were calculated. For each chromatin structure, five different GLCM features were calculated: angular second moment, GLCM entropy, inverse difference moment, GLCM correlation, and GLCM variance. Oxidopamine induced the rise of the values of GLCM entropy and variance, and the reduction of angular second moment, correlation, and inverse difference moment. The trends for GLCM parameter changes were found to be highly significant (p<0.001). These results indicate that GLCM mathematical algorithm might be successfully used in detection and evaluation of discrete early apoptotic structural changes in Feulgen-stained chromatin of peripheral blood lymphocytes that are not detectable using conventional microscopy/cell biology techniques.

Association between walking, dysphoric mood and anxiety in late pregnancy: A cross-sectional study.

Relationship between physical activity and mental disorders in late pregnancy is unclear. In this work, we demonstrate that there is a significant association between the time spent on walking and symptoms of depression and anxiety in antenatal period. The cross-sectional study was done on a sample of 200 healthy women in 9th month of physiological pregnancy at Health center Kraljevo, Serbia during 2015. Each participant was given a questionnaire consisting of general questions regarding physical activity, pregnancy, and other parameters. Also, each participant completed a Beck depression inventory (BDI) and Zung anxiety scale (ZAS). There was a statistically significant negative correlation (p<0.05) between the BDI score and the daily time spent on walking. There was also a strong positive connection between the daily time spent on walking and level of anxiety (p<0.01). To our knowledge this is the first study to jointly test the relationship between scores of Beck depression inventory and Zung anxiety scale, and time spent on walking as physical activity in antenatal period. The results represent the basis for further research in the field of gynecological psychology, psychiatry and behavioral physiology.

Age-related reduction of chromatin fractal dimension in toluidine blue - stained hepatocytes.

In this study, we proposed a hypothesis that chromatin of mouse hepatocytes exhibits age-related reduction of fractal dimension. This hypothesis was based on previously published works demonstrating that complexity of biological systems such as tissues, decreases during the process of physiological aging. Liver tissue was obtained from 24 male mice divided into 3 age groups: 10-days-old (young, juvenile), 210-days-old (adult) and 390-days-old. The tissue was stained using a modification of toluidine blue (nucleic acid - specific) staining method. A total of 480 chromatin structures (20 for each animal) were analyzed. For each structure, the values of fractal dimension, lacunarity, textural angular second moment and inverse difference moment were calculated using ImageJ software and its plugins. The results indicated the age-related reduction in fractal dimension and increase in lacunarity (p<0.01). Fractal dimension is a potentially good indicator of age associated changes in chromatin structure. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that fractal complexity of hepatocyte chromatin decreases during the process of physiological aging. Fractal analysis as a method could be useful in detection of small age-related changes in chromatin distribution not otherwise visible with naked eye on conventional tissue micrographs.