Impact of stress on female reproductive health disorders: Possible beneficial effects of shatavari (Asparagus racemosus).

Stress is deeply rooted in the society and women are frequently exposed to psychological, physical and physiological stressors. Psychological stress disturbs reproductive health by inducing generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thereby oxidative stress (OS). The increased OS may affect physiology of ovary, oocyte quality and cause female reproductive health disorders. To overcome stress-mediated reproductive health disorders in women, shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) is frequently recommended in Ayurvedic system of medicine. Although shatavari is one of the major health tonics and most popular rasayana drugs to treat reproductive ailments of women, underlying mechanism of shatavari action at the level of ovary remains poorly understood. Based on the existing studies, we propose that shatavari may improve female reproductive health complications including hormonal imbalance, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), follicular growth and development, oocyte quality and infertility possibly by reducing OS level and increasing antioxidants level in the body. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanism of shatavari actions at the level of ovary and oocyte that directly impacts the reproductive health of women.

Gene editing tools: state-of-the-art and the road ahead for the model and non-model fishes.

Advancements in the DNA sequencing technologies and computational biology have revolutionized genome/transcriptome sequencing of non-model fishes at an affordable cost. This has led to a paradigm shift with regard to our heightened understandings of structure-functional relationships of genes at a global level, from model animals/fishes to non-model large animals/fishes. Whole genome/transcriptome sequencing technologies were supplemented with the series of discoveries in gene editing tools, which are being used to modify genes at pre-determined positions using programmable nucleases to explore their respective in vivo functions. For a long time, targeted gene disruption experiments were mostly restricted to embryonic stem cells, advances in gene editing technologies such as zinc finger nuclease, transcriptional activator-like effector nucleases and CRISPR (clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats)/CRISPR-associated nucleases have facilitated targeted genetic modifications beyond stem cells to a wide range of somatic cell lines across species from laboratory animals to farmed animals/fishes. In this review, we discuss use of different gene editing tools and the strategic implications in fish species for basic and applied biology research.

Novel variants of SERPIN1A gene: Interplay between alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) is one of the major circulating anti-protease whose levels in circulation are raised during excessive amount of proteases, especially neutrophil elastase (NE) released during the course of inflammation. Proteolytic attack of NE on peripheral organs, more exclusively on lung parenchyma has severe consequence that may precipitate pulmonary emphysema. Normally, human body has its own molecular and physiological mechanisms to synthesize and regulate the production of anti-protease like AAT to mitigate the extent of inflammatory damage. AAT coded by serine-protease inhibitor (SERPINA1) is predominantly expressed in hepatocytes and to some extent by macrophages, monocytes, lung tissue etc. The observation that persons with AAT deficiency developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and early-onset of emphysema proposed a role for pathways connecting AAT in pathogenesis. Extensive studies have been done till now to bridge a connection between numerous genetic polymorphisms of SERPINA1 gene and the early onset of COPD. Here in this review, we have comprehensively discussed some of the variants of SERPINA1 gene discovered till date and their association with the exacerbation of obstructive pulmonary disease.

Fusobacterium nucleatum, inflammation, and immunity: the fire within human gut.

Fusobacterium nucleatum is an identified proinflammatory autochthonous bacterium implicated in human colorectal cancer. It is also abundantly found in patients suffering from chronic gut inflammation (inflammatory bowel disease), consequently contributing to the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Majority of the studies have reported that colorectal tumors/colorectal adenocarcinomas are highly enriched with F. nucleatum compared to noninvolved adjacent colonic tissue. During the course of multistep development of colorectal cancer, tumors have evolved many mechanisms to resist the antitumor immune response. One of such favorite ploy is providing access to pathogenic bacteria, especially F. nucleatum in the colorectal tumor microenvironment, wherein both (colorectal tumors and F. nucleatum) exert profound effect on each other, consequently attracting tumor-permissive myeloid-derived suppressor cells, suppressing cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and inhibiting NK cell-mediated cancer cell killing. In this review, we have primarily focused on how this bug modulates the immune response, consequently rendering the antitumor immune cells inactive.