α-CGRP disrupts amylin fibrillization and regulates insulin secretion: implications on diabetes and migraine

Despite being relatively benign and not an indicative signature of toxicity, fibril formation and fibrillar structures continue to be key factors in assessing the structure–function relationship in protein aggregation diseases. The inability to capture molecular cross-talk among key players at the tissue level before fibril formation greatly accounts for the missing link toward the development of an efficacious therapeutic intervention for Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We show that human α-calcitonin gene-related peptide (α-CGRP) remodeled amylin fibrillization. Furthermore, while CGRP and/or amylin monomers reduce the secretion of both mouse Ins1 and Ins2 proteins, CGRP oligomers have a reverse effect on Ins1. Genetically reduced Ins2, the orthologous version of human insulin, has been shown to enhance insulin sensitivity and extend the life-span in old female mice. Beyond the mechanistic insights, our data suggest that CGRP regulates insulin secretion and lowers the risk of T2DM. Our result rationalizes how migraine might be protective against T2DM. We envision the new paradigm of CGRP : amylin interactions as a pivotal aspect for T2DM diagnostics and therapeutics. Maintaining a low level of amylin while increasing the level of CGRP could become a viable approach toward T2DM prevention and treatment.

CGRP concentration is elevated in migraine conditions. The protective effect of migraine against type 2 diabetes is attributed to the ability of CGRP to remodel human amylin aggregation and to suppress the secretion of mouse insulin 2 (the orthologue of human insulin).     

Modulatory Effect of Diosmin and Diosmetin on Metalloproteinase Activity and Inflammatory Mediators in Human Skin Fibroblasts Treated with Lipopolysaccharide

Diosmin is widely used as a venoactive drug in the pharmacological treatment of chronic venous disorders. It exerts a strong protective effect on blood vessels via an increase in the elasticity of vessel walls and reduces the permeability of capillary walls, thereby producing an anti-edematous effect. In this paper, we investigated the effectiveness of diosmin and diosmetin in modulating the level of proinflammatory factors in human skin fibroblasts treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Two variants of the experiments were performed: the flavonoid was added 2 h prior to or 24 h after LPS stimulation. Our study revealed that both flavonoids reduced the levels of IL-6 and Il-1β as well as COX-2 and PGE2 but had no impact on IL-10. However, the addition of the compounds prior to the LPS addition was more effective. Moreover, diosmetin modulated the proinflammatory factors more strongly than diosmin. Our investigations also showed that both flavonoids were potent inhibitors of elastase and collagenase activity, and no differences between the glycoside and aglycone forms were observed.     

Novel C60 Fullerenol-Gentamicin Conjugate–Physicochemical Characterization and Evaluation of Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Properties

This study aimed to develop, characterize, and evaluate antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of novel fullerene derivative composed of C₆₀ fullerenol and standard aminoglycoside antibiotic–gentamicin (C₆₀ fullerenol-gentamicin conjugate). The successful introduction of gentamicin to fullerenol was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy which together with thermogravimetric and spectroscopic analysis revealing the formula of the composition as C₆₀(OH)₁₂(GLYMO)₁₁(Gentamicin)_0.8. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) revealed that conjugate possessed ability to form agglomerates in water (size around 115 nm), while Zeta potential measurements demonstrated that such agglomerates possessed neutral character. In vitro biological assays indicated that obtained C₆₀ fullerenol-gentamicin conjugate possessed the same antibacterial activity as standard gentamicin against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli, which proves that combination of fullerenol with gentamicin does not cause the loss of antibacterial activity of antibiotic. Moreover, cytotoxicity assessment demonstrated that obtained fullerenol-gentamicin derivative did not decrease viability of normal human fibroblasts (model eukaryotic cells) compared to control fibroblasts. Thus, taking into account all of the results, it can be stated that this research presents effective method to fabricate C₆₀ fullerenol-gentamicin conjugate and proves that such derivative possesses desired antibacterial properties without unfavorable cytotoxic effects towards eukaryotic cells in vitro. These promising preliminary results indicate that obtained C₆₀ fullerenol-gentamicin conjugate could have biomedical potential. It may be presumed that obtained fullerenol may be used as an effective carrier for antibiotic, and developed fullerenol-gentamicin conjugate may be apply locally (i.e., at the wound site). Moreover, in future we will evaluate possibility of its applications in inter alia tissue engineering, namely as a component of wound dressings and implantable biomaterials.     

Gold Nanoparticles as Effective ion Traps in Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Cross-Linked by Metal-Ligand Coordination

At this time, the development of advanced elastic dielectric materials for use in organic devices, particularly in organic field-effect transistors, is of considerable interest to the scientific community. In the present work, flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) specimens cross-linked by means of ZnCl₂-bipyridine coordination with an addition of 0.001 wt. %, 0.0025 wt. %, 0.005 wt. %, 0.04 wt. %, 0.2 wt. %, and 0.4 wt. % of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were prepared in order to understand the effect of AuNPs on the electrical properties of the composite materials formed. The broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurements revealed one order of magnitude decrease in loss tangent, compared to the coordinated system, upon an introduction of 0.001 wt. % of AuNPs into the polymeric matrix. An introduction of AuNPs causes damping of conductivity within the low-temperature range investigated. These effects can be explained as a result of trapping the Cl⁻ counter ions by the nanoparticles. The study has shown that even a very low concentration of AuNPs (0.001 wt. %) still brings about effective trapping of Cl⁻ counter anions, therefore improving the dielectric properties of the investigated systems. The modification proposed reveals new perspectives for using AuNPs in polymers cross-linked by metal-ligand coordination systems.     

On the Generalized Strongly Nil-Clean Property of Matrix Rings

Let R be an associative unital ring and not necessarily commutative.We analyze conditions under which every n × n matrix A over R is expressible as a sum A =E1 +…+ Es + N of (commuting) idempotent matrices Ei and a nilpotent matrix N.     

Influence of pyridine-based ligands on photostability of MAPbI3 thin films

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Dimension gap under Sobolev mappings

We prove an essentially sharp estimate in terms of generalized Hausdorff measures for the images of boundaries of Hölder domains under continuous Sobolev mappings, satisfying suitable Orlicz–Sobolev conditions. This estimate marks a dimension gap, which was first observed in [2] for conformal mappings.     

A Sustainable Freeze‐Drying Route to Porous Polysaccharides with Tailored Hierarchical Meso‐ and Macroporosity

Bio‐derived polysaccharide aerogels are of interest for a broad range of applications. To date, these aerogels have been obtained through the time‐ and solvent‐intensive procedure of hydrogel fomation, solvent exchange, and scCO2 drying, which offers little control over meso/macropore distribution. A simpler and more versatile route is developed, using freeze drying to produce highly mesoporous polysaccharide aerogels with various degrees of macroporosity. The hierarchical pore distribution is controlled by addition of different quantities of t‐butanol (TBA) to hydrogels before drying. Through a systematic study an interesting relationship between the mesoporosity and t‐butanol/water phase diagram is found, linking mesoporosity maxima with eutectic points for all polysaccharides studied (pectin, starch, and alginic acid). Moreover, direct gelation of polysaccharides in aqueous TBA offers additional time savings and the potential for solvent reuse. This finding is a doorway to more accessible polysaccharide aerogels for research and industrial scale production, due to the widespread accessibility of the freeze drying technology and the simplicity of the method.

     

Modeling of the Simultaneous Hydrogen Evolution and Cobalt Electrodeposition

A mathematical model of simultaneous cobalt deposition and hydrogen evolution was developed and applied to the electroreduction process of 5 mM Co²⁺ ions investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique at different hydrogen ion concentrations (pH=2, 3, 4). The kinetic parameters of such a complex process were determined, and the validity of the model and its sensitivity to changes in individual parameters were verified. The relative value of the approximate standard deviation (ASD_%) was used to determine the degree of fit of the model to the experimental data. The catalytic effect of cobalt on the hydrogen evolution process was comprehensively confirmed.     

Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from Primula veris L.: Influence of the Extraction Conditions and Purification

Our experiments may help to answer the question of whether cowslip (Primula veris L.) is a rich source of bioactive substances that can be obtained by efficient extraction with potential use as a food additive. A hypothesis assumed that the type of solvent used for plant extraction and the individual morphological parts of Primula veris L. used for the preparation of herbal extracts will have key impacts on the efficiency of the extraction of bioactive compounds, and thus, the health-promoting quality of plant concentrates produced. Most analysis of such polyphenolic compound contents in extracts from Primula veris L. has been performed by using chromatography methods such as ultra-performance reverse-phase liquid chromatography (UPLC−PDA−MS/MS). Experiments demonstrated that the most effective extraction agent for fresh study material was water at 100 °C, whereas for dried material it was 70% ethanol. The richest sources of polyphenolic compounds were found in cowslip primrose flowers and leaves. The aqueous and ethanol extracts from Primula veris L. were characterized by a quantitatively rich profile of polyphenolic substances, and a high antioxidative potential. Selective extraction with the use of mild conditions and neutral solvents is the first step to obtaining preparations from cowslip primrose with a high content of bioactive substances.