The effect of vaginal probiotic therapy on the outcome of papillomavirus infection

Aim. To study the effect of vaginal probiotic therapy on the outcome of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.Materials and methods. The study included HPV-infected patients: 29 patients with normal vaginal flora and 146 patients with a deficiency of vaginal lactobacilli, of which 117 patients received vaginal probiotic therapy. In samples obtained before and after the therapy, the effect of the probiotic on the change in the ratio of living, apoptotic, and necrotic vaginal epithelial cells after preliminary exposure to oxidative stress was studied.Results. It was found that probiotics reduce the number of infected epithelial cells that survived the oxidative damage and shift the balance of cell death forms towards apoptosis. Vaginal probiotic therapy in patients with a deficiency of lactobacilli increased the frequency of HPV elimination by 2.5 times and reduced the likelihood of treatment failure from 1.5 to 4 times, depending on the viral load. The probiotic therapy made the structure of HPV outcomes in Lactobacillus-deficient patients similar to that in patients with normal vaginal flora.Conclusion. Vaginal probiotic therapy improves outcomes of HPV infection in patients with a deficiency of lactobacilli by reducing the number of survived infected cells and shifting the cell death pattern towards apoptosis.

Differences in Neuronal Numbers, Morphology and Developmental Apoptosis in Mice Nigra Provide Evidence of Ontogenic Origin of Vulnerability to Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) prevalence varies by ethnicity. In an earlier study we replicated the reduced vulnerability to PD in an admixed population, using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-susceptible C57BL/6J, MPTP-resistant CD-1 and their F1 crossbreds. In the present study we investigated if the differences have a developmental origin. Substantia nigra was evaluated atpostnatal days 2 (P2), P6, P10, P14, P18, and P22. C57BL/6J mice had smaller nigra and fewer dopaminergic neurons than the CD-1 and crossbreds at P2, which persisted through development. A significant increase in numbers and nigral volume was observed across strains till P14. A drastic decline thereafter was specific to C57BL/6J. CD-1 and crossbreds retained their numbers from P14 to stabilize with supernumerary neurons at adulthood. The neuronal size increased gradually to attain adult morphology at P10 in the resistant strains, vis-à-vis at P22 in C57BL/6J. Accordingly, in comparison to C57BL/6J, the nigra of CD-1 and reciprocal crossbreds possessed cyto-morphological features of resilience, since birth. The considerably lesser dopaminergic neuronal loss in the CD-1 and crossbreds seen at P2, P14 and thereafter was complemented by attenuated developmental cell death. The differences in programmed cell death were confirmed by reduced TUNEL labelling, AIF and caspase-3 expression. GDNF expression aligned with the cell death pattern at P2 and P14 in both nigra and striatum. Earlier maturity of nigra and its neurons appear to be better features that reflect as MPTP-resistance at adulthood. Thus variable MPTP-vulnerability in mice and also differential susceptibility to PD in humans may arise early during nigral development.

Differences in neuronal numbers, morphology and developmental apoptosis in mice nigra provide experimental evidence of ontogenic origin of vulnerability to Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson disease (PD) prevalence varies by ethnicity. In an earlier study we replicated the reduced vulnerability to PD in an admixed population, using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-susceptible C57BL/6J, MPTP-resistant CD-1 and their F1 crossbreds. In the present study we investigated if the differences have a developmental origin. Substantia nigra was evaluated at postnatal days 2 (P2), P6, P10, P14, P18, and P22. C57BL/6J mice had smaller nigra and fewer dopaminergic neurons than the CD-1 and crossbreds at P2, which persisted through development. A significant increase in numbers and nigral volume was observed across strains till P14. A drastic decline thereafter was specific to C57BL/6J. CD-1 and crossbreds retained their numbers from P14 to stabilize with supernumerary neurons at adulthood. The neuronal size increased gradually to attain adult morphology at P10 in the resistant strains, vis-à-vis at P22 in C57BL/6J. Accordingly, in comparison to C57BL/6J, the nigra of CD-1 and reciprocal crossbreds possessed cyto-morphological features of resilience, since birth. The considerably lesser dopaminergic neuronal loss in the CD-1 and crossbreds seen at P2, P14 and thereafter was complemented by attenuated developmental cell death. The differences in programmed cell death were confirmed by reduced TUNEL labelling, AIF and caspase-3 expression. GDNF expression aligned with the cell death pattern at P2 and P14 in both nigra and striatum. Earlier maturity of nigra and its neurons appear to be better features that reflect as MPTP-resistance at adulthood. Thus variable MPTP-vulnerability in mice and also differential susceptibility to PD in humans may arise early during nigral development.

Investigation of Antiproliferative, Apoptotic and Antioxidant Effects of Oleuropein and Vitamin D on Breast Cancer Cell Lines (MCF-7)

Breast cancer is the most common female death in women. Different studies are being done for treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative, apoptotic and antioxidant effects of oleuropein and vitamin D both individually and in combination. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death pattern with genetic regulation that requires energy, allowing cells to be safely removed from the environment after performing their specified biological task. The olive tree has important biological properties and is rich in phenolic substances. These phenolic substances are mainly oleuropein. Oleuropein has many pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, antiinflammatory, antiageing. Vitamin D is a hormone the kidneys produce that controls blood calcium concentration and impacts the immune system.

Cell death pattern of a varicose vein organ culture model

The study aimed to investigate the viability of a varicose vein (VV) organ culture model by assessing cell death pattern. To assess pattern of cell death with time, VV organ cultures were incubated for up to 14 days with regular medium changed. To assess viability, cell death of VV organ cultures treated with sodium azide and their untreated counterparts was assayed. Increased cell death was measured in VV organ cultures from day 0 to 2. Cell death decreased gradually after day 2 and plateaued from day 8 to 14. VV organ cultures treated with sodium azide demonstrated significantly more cell death in tissue ( P = 0.001). Cell death measured in cultures treated with sodium azide continued to increase until day 7. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the viability of a VV organ culture model with most cell death occurred within the first two days and then declined to a relatively low level.

Distribution of starch, lipid and nuclei in xylem and phloem of Tectona grandis Linn.

Context: Reserve materials among different plant tissues vary species to species. The distribution pattern of such materials and cell death pattern in Tectona grandis Linn. are still obscure. Objectives: To study the localization of starch, lipid and nuclei in the phloem, cambium and xylem tissue of T. grandis. Materials and Methods: Blocks containing phloem, cambium and outermost xylem of the stem of 12 years old teak tree collected. Different staining methods used to visualize starch, lipid and nuclei within different cells under light microscope. Results: Starch in parenchyma cells is more abundant in outer xylem than phloem and cambium. Lipids droplets are uniformly distributed in outermost xylem. Phloem parenchyma content few mass of lipids but, limited in cambium. There are many dead cells visualized in both phloem and xylem with characteristic patterns. The results clarify the levels of starch, lipid in tissue of T. grandis and showed distinguished variation among the cell contents. Conclusion: The physiology of plant cells related to transport of nutrients and cell death also illustrated in the report. This would be helpful for further study to improve quality wood through tree breeding program. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbs.v19i0.12997 J. bio-sci. 19: 29-35, 2011