Type I Diabetes Mellitus Suppresses Experimental Skin Carcinogenesis.

This study explores the previously uncharted territory of the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on diabetic skin, compared to its well-documented impact on normal skin, particularly focusing on carcinogenesis and aging. Employing hairless SKH-hr2, Type 1 and 2 diabetic, and nondiabetic male mice, the research subjected these to UV radiation thrice weekly for eight months. The investigation included comprehensive assessments of photoaging and photocarcinogenesis in diabetic versus normal skin, measuring factors such as hydration, trans-epidermal water loss, elasticity, skin thickness, melanin, sebum content, stratum corneum exfoliation and body weight, alongside photo documentation. Additionally, oxidative stress and the presence of hydrophilic antioxidants (uric acid and glutathione) in the stratum corneum were evaluated. Histopathological examination post-sacrifice provided insights into the morphological changes. Findings reveal that under UV exposure, Type 1 diabetic skin showed heightened dehydration, thinning, and signs of accelerated aging. Remarkably, Type 1 diabetic mice did not develop squamous cell carcinoma or pigmented nevi, contrary to normal and Type 2 diabetic skin. This unexpected resistance to UV-induced skin cancers in Type 1 diabetic skin prompts a crucial need for further research to uncover the underlying mechanisms providing this resistance.

A Survey in Hawaii for Parasitoids of Citrus Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), for Introduction into Greece.

Whitefly species of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) and A. woglumi Ashby (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) are serious pests of citrus and other important fruit crops. The problem of citrus has initiated the successful introduction of several natural enemies for biocontrol programs in Hawaii and many other countries. Here, we summarized the history of infestation and biocontrol efforts of the two whiteflies in Hawaii for possible parasitoid importation into Greece. Two Platygasteridae (Amitus hesperidum Silvestri, A. spiniferus (Brethes), and three Aphelinidae (Encarsia clypealis (Silvestri), E. smithi (Silvestri), E. perplexa Huang, and Polaszek) were released in Hawaii for biocontrol of the citrus whiteflies during the period 1974-1999. The aphelinid Cales noacki Howard, purposely released for Aleurothrixus flococcus (Maskell) in 1982, was also reported to attack other whiteflies, including Aleurocanthus species, on citrus. An additional aphelinid parasitoid, Encarsia nipponica Silvestri, native to Japan and China, was accidentally introduced and found to attack both citrus whiteflies on the islands. Since the colonization of introduced parasitoids in infested fields on four Hawaiian Islands, no survey has been conducted to evaluate their potential impact. We conducted two short surveys during September-November 2022 on the islands of Kauai, Hawaii, and Oahu to introduce the dominant parasitoids to Greece for the biocontrol of A. spiniferus. Results showed that the infestation level was very low on Kauai, Hawaii, and Oahu Islands, with a mean infestation level range of 1.4-3.1 on Hawaii and Oahu Islands, mostly on pummelo and sweet orange, with no detection on the island of Kauai. The dominant parasitoid was characterized as Encarsia perplexa, using molecular analysis. Its parasitism rates ranged from 0 to 28% on the island of Hawaii and 11 to 65% on the island of Oahu. Emerged parasitoids have been reared in Greece for evaluation. This was the first field survey of Hawaii since the introduction and release of citrus whitefly natural enemies.

A novel sensitive analytical method for the simultaneous analysis of vancomycin and teicoplanin in human urine via single high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array and mass spectrometry in series.

Analysis of vancomycin and teicoplanin in biological fluids is vital since they are used in the treatment of hospital infections. For the determination of both glycopeptides in urine, a sensitive and accurate analytical method using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array and mass spectrometry was developed and validated. This research work is the first attempt to develop a chromatographic method for the determination of two glycopeptides with structural similarities. Moreover, the used non-invasive sampling method is an advantage of this research effort, especially when the blood sampling is difficult. Urine was treated with acetonitrile and 5% trichloroacetic acid, followed by solid-phase extraction. The chromatographic separation was established at a C18 column (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 µm), using a gradient method and an electrospray ionization source in a positive mode. The linearity of the method was R2 ≥ 0.9900. The precision was estimated with a maximum coefficient of variation below 15%, while the accuracy ranged from 64 to 121%. The limit of detection and quantification of both glycopeptides ranged from 0.076 up to 0.33 mg/L and 0.33 up to 2.1 mg/L, respectively, showing the same sensitivity as the triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, which is the most frequently used method.

Genetically driven antioxidant capacity in a Caucasian Southeastern European population.

Previous studies have underlined the function of specific xenobiotic metabolizing phase-I or phase-II enzymes and endogenous antioxidant-related enzymes in the reduction and/or progression of oxidative stress and consequently the incidence of several diseases. In the present study, 10 polymorphic variants (rs4880, rs1799895, rs660339, rs1050450, rs1001179, rs28665122, rs1695, rs1138272, rs1051740 and rs2234922) were investigated in 1132 individuals of a Caucasian Southeastern European population. The frequency distribution of alleles and genotypes was compared to data of European (Northern, Central, Northwestern and Southwestern) and Global populations, extracted from the ensembl genome browser. The allele frequencies in the case of rs1051740 were similar to the frequencies noted in the global population. The majority of the present study allelic polymorphisms showed similar frequency distribution to those of the European or the Global populations (0.88≤OR≤1.14). The rs1051740 polymorphism demonstrated similar to the Global population frequencies (OR=1.09). In conclusion, observed distributions of the polymorphisms studied in the Southeastern population demonstrate a positive impact (rs4880, rs1799895, rs660339, rs28665122) and a negative impact (rs1050450, rs1138272, rs109179, rs1695) against oxidative stress when compared to other population groups.