JIAO HU, JIALU MO, XIANGLIN CHENG^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.8, pp. 1689-1701, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.029409

Abstract Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases worldwide with a high prevalence and unknown pathogenesis. Further, its control is challenging. It is generally accepted that an imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory properties of the central nervous system (CNS) leads to a large number of abnormally synchronized neuronal discharges in the brain. Transient receptor potential vanilloid protein type 1 (TRPV1) is a non-selective cation channel that contributes to the regulation of the nervous system and influences the excitability of the nervous system. This includes the release of neurotransmitters, action potential generation due to alterations in ion channels, synaptic… More >

YAN ZHENG^1,2, SIHUI MA^3,4,*, KATSUHIKO SUZUKI⁴, HISANORI KATO³, HUIJUAN JIA^3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.8, pp. 1897-1906, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027632

Abstract Mental disorders such as depression and anxiety inflict significant burdens on individuals and society. Commonly prescribed treatments often involve cognitive therapy and medications. However, for patients resistant to these conventional methods, alternative therapies like the Ketogenic Diet (KD) offer a promising avenue. KD and its key metabolite, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), have been hypothesized to alleviate mental disorders through anti-inflammatory actions, a crucial pathway in the pathophysiology of depression. This mini-review examines 15 clinical trials exploring the influence of KD and BHB on inflammation and their potential roles in managing mental disorders. Both human and animal studies were scrutinized to elucidate possible… More >

UMAPATHY PRAKASH¹, SUBRAMANIAM RAJESH BHARATHIDEVI^1,*, RAMYA R. NADIG², RAJIV RAMAN², GIRISH SHIV RAO², MUNA BHENDE²

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.7, pp. 1473-1482, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027804

Abstract Zinc alpha 2 glycoprotein (ZAG) is a 41 KDa secretory soluble glycoprotein found in different body fluids like the serum, saliva, sweat, breast milk, and urine. It is also found in tissues like the testis, epididymis, kidney, spleen, liver, lungs, heart, and brain. ZAG is an adipokine with multiple roles, including lipid mobilization, modulating glucose metabolisms, improving insulin sensitivity, inhibiting tumor proliferation through RNAse activity, and suppressing inflammation. Low levels of zinc and ZAG are linked to metabolic syndrome and are also reported as potential biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy. Interestingly zinc has been found to regulate the binding of ZAG… More >

RYAN STARK^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.6, pp. 1191-1198, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027838

Abstract Protein-mediated interactions are the fundamental mechanism through which cells regulate health and disease. These interactions require physical contact between proteins and their respective targets of interest. These targets include not only other proteins but also nucleic acids and other important molecules as well. These proteins are often involved in multibody complexes that work dynamically to regulate cellular health and function. Various techniques have been adapted to study these important interactions, such as affinity-based assays, mass spectrometry, and fluorescent detection. The application of these techniques has led to a greater understanding of how protein interactions are responsible for both the instigation… More >

FERDINANDO CALABRIA¹, ANTONIO BAGNATO¹, GIULIANA GUADAGNINO², MARIA TOTEDA¹, ANTONIO LANZILLOTTA¹, STEFANIA CARDEI¹, ROSANNA TAVOLARO¹, MARIO LEPORACE^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.2, pp. 117-124, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.027705

Abstract We observed several patients presenting 2-[¹⁸F]FDG uptake in the reactive axillary lymph node at PET/CT imaging, ipsilateral to the site of the COVID-19 vaccine injection. Analog finding was documented at [¹⁸F]Choline PET/CT. The aim of our study was to describe this source of false positive cases. All patients examined by PET/CT were included in the study. Data concerning patient anamnesis, laterality, and time interval from recent COVID-19 vaccination were recorded. SUVmax was measured in all lymph nodes expressing tracer uptake after vaccination. Among 712 PET/CT scans with 2-[¹⁸F]FDG, 104 were submitted to vaccination; 89/104 patients (85%) presented axillary and/or deltoid… More >

ALFREDO FRANCO-OBREGÓN^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.2, pp. 239-244, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.025357

Abstract An organism’s survival depends on its ability to adapt to stress. Mitochondria are the cellular integrators of environmental stressors that ultimately translate their responses at the organismal level, and are thus central to the process whereby organisms adapt to their respective environments. Mitochondria produce molecular energy via oxidative phosphorylation that then allows cells to biosynthetically respond and adapt to changes in their environment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are by-products of oxidative phosphorylation that can be either beneficial or damaging, depending on the context; ROS are hence both the conveyors of environmental stress as well as cellular “adaptogens”. Mitohormesis refers to… More >

ALPASLAN OZTURK^1,*, MEHMET KARA²

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.12, pp. 2625-2635, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.023124

Abstract In this study, our aim was to examine the diagnostic and prognostic significance of lymphocyte/C-reactive protein ratio (LCR), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and D-dimer parameters in COVID-19 infection. The LCR, NLR, neutrophil count, mean platelet volume (MPV), C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimer parameters were evaluated retrospectively. This was a retrospective cohort study with 1000 COVID-19 positive and 1000 healthy control groups, all over the age of 18 years. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) values were calculated for each parameter found to be statistically significant in the univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Herein, 127 (12.7%) of the COVID-19⁺… More >

SONIA MORETTI, FLAVIA MANCINI, ALESSANDRA BORSETTI^*

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.12, pp. 2695-2699, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.022257

Abstract Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies are efficacious for the achievement of sustained virologic response (SVR) in almost all treated hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. However, the impacts of HCV eradication on immune function and chronic immune activation in the long-term remain controversial and limited, especially in patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Indeed, although restoration of many immune responses clearly can be observed, several features of immune perturbations persist over time after HCV clearance. Understanding the degree and reasons of the partial recovery of the immune system in chronic HCV/HIV co-infection after HCV elimination is pivotal to avoid disease progression… More >

LARISSA DANIELE BOBERMIN^1,*, LARA SCOPEL MEDEIROS², FERNANDA WEBER², GIANCARLO TOMAZZONI DE OLIVEIRA², LUCÉLIA SANTI^3,4,5, WALTER ORLANDO BEYS-DA-SILVA^3,4,5, CARLOS-ALBERTO GONÇALVES^1,2,6, ANDRÉ QUINCOZES-SANTOS^1,2,6

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.12, pp. 2517-2523, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.021566

Abstract Glial cells are crucial for maintaining central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis. They actively participate in immune responses, as well as form functional barriers, such as blood-brain barrier (BBB), which restrict the entry of pathogens and inflammatory mediators into the CNS. In general, viral infections during the gestational period can alter the embryonic and fetal environment, and the related inflammatory response may affect neurodevelopment and lead to behavioral dysfunction during later stage of life, as highlighted by our group for Zika virus infection. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces a cytokine storm and, during pregnancy, may be related to a… More >

Robabeh Faghani Baladehi^1,2, Mohammad Yousef Memar¹, Abolfazl Jafari Sales³, Ahad Bazmani^1,4, Javid Sadri Nahand^1,5,6, Parisa Shiri Aghbash^2,7, Hossein Bannazadeh Baghi^1,2,7,*

Oncologie, Vol.24, No.2, pp. 227-245, 2022, DOI:10.32604/oncologie.2022.020648

Abstract The ability of host cells to activate apoptosis is perhaps the most potent weapon for helping cells eliminate viruses. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) activate several pathways, enabling the infected cells to avoid extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways. The incapacity of prostatic epithelial cells to induce apoptosis leads to the invasive development of prostate cancer. For the pathogenesis of prostate cancer, several risk factors have been reported; for example, some viruses and infectious diseases have been proposed as causative agents for their relation to prostate diseases. According to several studies, high-risk human papillomaviruses cause malignancy by interfering with the apoptotic and inflammatory… More >