Postȩpy Higieny i Medycyny Doświadczalnej

A stigma is currently defined as a discrediting mark, biological or social, that sets a person off from others and disrupts interactions with them. People who differ from social norms in some respect are often negatively labeled. A number of medical conditions are recognized at present as stigmatizing their sufferers and certain skin diseases are among them. The article aimed to analyze the current understanding about stigmatization among dermatological patients, especially those with psoriasis. We performed our search on PubMed up to November 2016 and utilized combinations of key phrases containing such words as stigmatization, skin, dermatology, names of various skin conditions (psoriasis, vitiligo, acne, etc...

3-Bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) is an halogenated analogue of pyruvic acid known for over four decades as an alkylating agent reacting with thiol groups of many proteins. It enters animal cells like a lactate: via monocarboxylic acid transporters. Increasing interest in this compound, in recent times, is mainly due to hopes associated with its anticancer action. It is based on the impairment of energy metabolism of tumor cells by inhibiting enzymes in the glycolysis pathway (hexokinase II, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase) and the oxidative phosphorylation (succinate dehydrogenase)...

Sumoylation is one of the post-translational modifications of proteins, responsible for the regulation of many cellular processes, such as DNA replication and repair, transcription, signal transduction and nuclear transport. During sumoylation, SUMO proteins are covalently attached to the ε-amino group of lysine in target proteins via an enzymatic cascade that requires the sequential action of E1, E2 and E3 enzymes. An important aspect of sumoylation is its reversibility, which involves SUMO-specific proteases called SENPs...

According to recent reports, bacterial chromosomes exhibit a hierarchical organization. The number of proteins that bind DNA are responsible for local and global organization of the DNA ensuring proper chromosome compaction. Advanced molecular biology techniques combined with high-throughput DNA sequencing methods allow a precise analysis of bacterial chromosome structures on a local and global scale. Methods such as in vivo footprinting and ChIP-seq allow to map binding sites of analyzed proteins in certain chromosomal regions or along the whole chromosome while analysis of the spatial interactions on global scale could be performed by 3C techniques...

There is a variety of mechanisms(s) factor(s) that may influence stem cell therapies for heart regeneration. Among the best candidates for stem cell source are: mesenchymal stem cells (also those isolated from adipose tissue), cardiac cell progenitors (CPC) and descendants of iPSC cells. iPSC/s can be potentially beneficial although their pluripotent induction has been still in question due to: low propagation efficacy, danger of genomic integration/instability, biological risk of current vector system teratoma formation etc...

In the search for explanations of diabetes pathomechanisms, especially the development of its vascular complications (micro- and macrovascular ), although current, good metabolic control of diabetes, attention was drawn to the role of epigenetic inheritance associated with epigenetic modifications of histone proteins and DNA in hyperglycemia conditions. This study showed the significant role of DNA methylation and histone epigenetic modifications (a different nature and a different degree) in the transmission of information that is not connected with gene inheritance but concerns the persistent changes induced by hyperglycemia...

The effect of whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) addition on growth of standard yoghurt cultures and Bifidobacterium adolescentis during co-fermentation and its viability during storage at 4ºC in yoghurts has been evaluated. WPH was obtained with the use of serine protease from Y. lipolytica yeast. Stirred probiotic yoghurts were prepared by using whole milk standardized to 16% of dry matter with the addition of either whey protein concentrate, skim milk powder (SMP), WPH-SMP (ratio 1:1), WPH. The hydrolysate increased the yoghurt culture counts at the initial stage of fermentation and significantly inhibited the decrease in population viability throughout the storage at 4ºC in comparison to the control...

Dendritic cells (DCs), as a link between innate and adaptive immunity, play a pivotal role in maintaining homeostasis of the immune system. The DC population is characterized by heterogeneity; it consists of many subpopulations which, despite their phenotypic and localization differences, play an essential function - they are professional antigen presenting cells. Due to their role, DCs can be utilized in a new cancer treatment strategy. Their main purpose is to generate an anticancer response leading to the elimination of cancer cells...

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute a family of transmembrane proteins that mediate many cellular processes. GPR120/FFAR4, a receptor from this family that is activated by fatty acids, has received considerable attention recently. This paper presents a literature review concerning the role of GPR120 and its mechanism of action in animal and human studies as well as the potential use of GPR120 for the treatment of chronic diseases. Two electronic databases - Medline and Google Scholar - were searched for available studies addressing the review topic that were written in English and published from 2000 to June 2017...

This paper presents the history of sanitary-epidemiological services in the context of the health, economic and socio-political situation in Poland in the years 1944-2014, with a critical analysis of legal restraints, efficiency and achievements. Polish Sanitary Services, established in 1919, as a state service, have preserved for more than 95 years (also during World War II and the occupation) the continuity of its structures and essential objectives to enable their implementation in the field of public health protection...

There are many interactions between species (including bacteria) in the environment. One of them is predation, which always leads to the death of a prey. Described in this review Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus (Deltaproteobacteria) and Micavibrio aeruginosavorus (Alfaproteobacteria) are uniflagellate, rod shaped and curved obligate predators of Gram-negative bacteria. Both species belong to the group of BALOs (Bdellovibrio and like organisms). B. bacteriovorus use periplasmic predatory strategy and M. aeruginosavorus are epibiotic hunters...

Stigmatization is the assignment of negative perceptions to an individual because of a perceived difference from the population at large. Skin conditions are frequently the reason of social rejection with a consequent negative influence on the personal and social life of patients. The aim of the current study was to review the available instruments that can be successfully utilized to measure the stigmatization level among dermatological patients. We performed our search on PubMed up to November 2016 and utilized combinations of key phrases containing such words as stigmatization, skin, dermatology, names of various skin conditions (psoriasis, vitiligo, acne, etc...

INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity are metabolic disorders whose major hallmark is insulin resistance. Impaired mitochondrial activity, such as reduced ratio of energy production to respiration, has been implicated in the development of insulin resistance. Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are proton carriers, expressed in the mitochondrial inner membrane, that uncouple oxygen consumption by the respiratory chain from ATP synthesis. AIM: The aim of the study was to determine transcriptional levels of UCP1 and UCP2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with metabolic disorders: T2DM, obesity and from healthy individuals...

The purpose of this review is to present the current knowledge regarding the hierarchy of stem cells originating from the oral cavity, which could have a potential value when applied to regenerative stomatology. It must be particularly emphasized that the heterogenous nature of its biology and function within oral compartment may predispose them to different types of applications. Stem cells can be perceived as immature, primitive and unspecialized types of cells with the ability to proliferate, self-renew and differentiate into specialized progeny according to the compartmental signaling...

Toll-like receptors (TLR), especially TLR3, 7 and 9, play an important role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In our study blood was collected from 16 patients with SLE and from 8 healthy volunteers. Concentrations of IL-6, IL-10 and sIL-2R were measured by ELISA in mononuclear cell culture supernatant after 24 hours of stimulation by agonists and antagonists of TLR3 and 9 (for TLR3-poli I/C, resveratrol and for TLR9-ODN2006, IRS 945). Stimulation of TLR9 by ODN2006 led to an increase of IL-6 concentration in cell culture supernatants from the cells of healthy volunteers compared with unstimulated cells from controls...

BACKGROUND: Complex mechanisms of responsible for originating and maintaining of atrial fibrillation (AF) are involved in pathophysiology of this arrhythmia. Inflammation substantially contribute to arrhythmic remodelling of atrial tissue.The aim of the present study is to assess an applicability of ferritin and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as biomarkers of atrial fibrillation and their usefulness in evaluation of efficacy of cryoablation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 40 patients who underwent first AF cryoablation procedure...

Mammals milk, in addition to nutrients, contains many biologically active substances including immunoglobulins, growth factors, cytokines, acute phase proteins, and antimicrobial and antiviral proteins. Thanks to its unique composition, for hundreds of years it is used in post-natal care, treatment of wounds, as well as to fight bacterial and viral infections. The discovery of stem cells and HAMLET complex in breast milk resulted in increased interest in human breast milk as a natural medicine. Milk therapy is devoid of side effects, and breast milk banks may serve as a potential source of milk as a drug substance...

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a worldwide problem and hepatitis, which is its natural unfavourable course, is still a challenge for hepatologist. At present, standards of treatment are changing from combined therapy with interferon alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin to new antiviral drugs. The current classification divides interferon induced thyroid diseases (IITD) into two groups: autoimmune (Hashimoto disease, Graves disease, positive antithyroid autoantibodies in euthyroid patients) and non-autoimmune (destructive thyroiditis, non-autoimmune hypothyroidism)...

Vanadium is a transition metal that has a unique and beneficial effect on both humans and animals. For many years, studies have suggested that vanadium is an essential trace element. Its biological properties are of interest due to its therapeutic potential, including in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Vanadium deficiencies can lead to a range of pathologies. However, excessive concentration of this metal can cause irreversible damage to various tissues and organs. Vanadium toxicity mainly manifests in gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, and weight reduction...

Recently, the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis has attracted broader attention. Basal autophagy serves to maintain cell homeostasis, while the upregulation of this process is an element of stress response that enables the cell to survive under adverse conditions. Autophagy may also determine the fate of the cell through its interactions with cell death pathways. The protein networks that control the initiation and the execution phase of these two processes are highly interconnected. Several scenarios for the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis exist...