Homogenization modelling of antibiotic diffusion and adsorption in viral liquid crystals.

Systems of rod-shaped viruses have long been important to the science of living liquid crystals, as their monodispersity and uniform charge make them convenient model systems. Recently, it was shown that, upon the addition of polymers, suspensions of rod-shaped viruses form liquid crystals that are linked with increased tolerance of bacteria against antibiotics. We use homogenization to obtain effective equations describing antibiotic diffusion through these liquid crystals. The analytical results of homogenization are compared with numerical results from an exact microscopic model, showing good agreement and thus allowing us to identify the key parameters behind the process. Our modelling shows that the adsorption plays a key role in increasing antibiotic diffusion time and therefore the presence of nematic rod-shaped viruses may increase antibiotic tolerance through physical mechanisms alone. These results demonstrate the applicability of homogenization as an analytical tool to systems of liquid crystalline viruses, with relatively straightforward extension to more complex problems such as liquid crystalline biofilms, other biological liquid crystals and biological systems with different types of local structural order.

Profiling circulating microRNAs in the serum of pregnant and non-pregnant pigs reveals a plethora of reproductive status-dependent microRNAs.

Circulating, non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed to be powerful pathophysiological indicators of pregnancy in animals and humans. Since their discovery, it is known that miRNAs can take part in numerous biological processes, including cell proliferation and differentiation during early embryonic development and establishment of pregnancy. Our recent studies have indicated that maternal blood can carry miRNAs reported previously at the embryo-maternal interface in pigs. To expand the scope of our research, we tested the hypothesis that miRNAs previously identified in conceptuses, trophoblasts, endometrium and uterine lumen-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) collected before Day 20 of pregnancy can show reproductive status-dependent profiles in the serum of cyclic and pregnant crossbred pigs. Custom-designed TaqMan arrays, multiplex real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and real-time RT-PCR allowed us to identify a number of reproductive status-dependent miRNAs in serum samples collected from pigs during the estrous cycle or pregnancy (Days 16 and 20). We found that serum samples were enriched with miRNAs involved in processes important during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy, e.g. cell sensitivity and viability, angiogenesis, embryonic cell proliferation and differentiation. Further validation revealed different abundance of ssc-miR-143-3p and ssc-miR-125b in pregnant and non-pregnant animals and correlation of ssc-miR-125b levels with litter size. In addition, analyzed serum samples contained both EVs and Argonaute2 proteins, which are known to be involved in miRNA transportation and intercellular communication. In summary, we identified several circulating miRNAs that differ in abundance between cyclic and pregnant animals and could serve as potential indicators of reproductive status in pigs during breeding management.

Influence of surface modification of Ti6Al7Nb alloy on adhesion of poly (lactide-co-glycolide) coating (PLGA).

The paper presents the results of studies on the influence of surface topography and wettability of a Ti6Al7Nb alloy substrate on the adhesion of a PLGA coating. The alloy surface was modified using a mechanical pre-treatment including: grinding, vibration treatment, mechanical polishing, sandblasting and anodic oxidation. The polymer coating was applied to the metal substrate by a dip-coating method. The scope of the research included microscopic observations of the substrate and polymer coating using SEM and acoustic microscopy. In addition, studies on the wettability and topography of the polymer coating and the metal substrate, the thickness of the polymer coating as well as qualitative and quantitative testing of the adhesion of the polymer coating to the substrate were carried out. Coating adhesion tests were conducted for samples in the initial state and after 6 weeks exposure to Ringer's solution. Analysis of the results indicates the influence of the method used to modify the metal substrate on its topography and wettability. These parameters affect the thickness of the obtained polymer coating. Regardless the parameters of the metal substrate, a qualitative analysis of the adhesion of the coating applied to the substrate of the Ti6Al7Nb alloy did not show any delamination for both samples exposed and non-exposed to Ringer's solution. On the other hand, quantitative scratch-test studies showed different adhesion of the polymer coating to the substrate depending on the surface topography obtained by various modification methods. The cytotoxicity test conducted by the indirect method using extracts confirmed that the surface modification does not affect cell growth. The complex methods of surface pre-treatment of the alloy together with the kind of polymer selected for the study allowed to develop well adhered PLGA layers on Ti6Al7Nb intended for short term implants. The lack of delamination of the layer during 6 weeks was proved, what allows for maintaining the protection function of the layer during this period and contribute to improving biocompatibility.

Discriminating between Coherent and Incoherent Light with Planar Metamaterials.

Planar metamaterials represent a powerful paradigm of optical engineering, which enables one to control the flow of light across structured material interfaces in the absence of high-order diffraction modes. We report on a discovery that planar metamaterials of a certain type, formed by nanopatterned metal films, respond differently to spatially coherent and incoherent light, enabling robust speckle-free discrimination between different degrees of light coherence. The effect has no direct analogue in natural optical materials and may find applications in nanoscale metadevices enhancing imaging, vision, detection, communication, and metrology.

Percolation limited emission intensity from upconverting NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanocrystals - a single nanocrystal optical study.

Upconverting nanocrystals (UCNC) have recently been subjected to intensive investigation due to their interesting optical properties and high potential for practical applications. Despite the level of attention paid to these materials, very low quantum yield is still an important issue. In order to break through this limitation, understanding of the emission intensity limitation is crucial. In this paper, we investigate the influence of percolation phenomena on the limitation of the emission intensity from NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanocrystals. We propose a numerical model and support this experimentally at the single nanocrystal level, explaining the influence of Yb3+ concentration on the optical properties of UCNC. Moreover, based on the experimental and numerical results, we explain the existence of the optimal Yb3+ concentration in the core architecture often reported in the literature. All the measurements have been performed using a custom-built wide-field fluorescence microscope to analyze the emission from hundreds of single nanocrystals and thus make analysis independent of UCNC concentration.

Expression of alpha and beta adrenergic receptors in the pig uterus during inflammation.

Under physiological conditions, noradrenaline (NA) and adrenergic receptors (ARs) are implicated in the function of the uterus. The role of NA and the expression of ARs in the inflamed uterus is not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of inflammation on the levels of α1 (A, B, D)-, α2 (A, B, C)- and ß (1, 2, 3)-ARs mRNA and protein expression and the localization of these receptors in the porcine uterus. On Day 3 of the estrous cycle (Day 0 of the study), 50 ml of either saline (group SAL) or E. coli suspension (109 colony-forming units/ml, group E. coli) were injected into each uterine horn. In the control pigs (group CON), only laparotomy was performed. Eight days later, α1D-ARs mRNA (P < 0.001) and protein (P < 0.05) levels and α2A-ARs protein level (P < 0.05) were increased in the inflamed endometrium, while the α2C-ARs protein level (P < 0.001) was lowered, as compared to the SAL and CON groups. In the inflamed endometrium, ß2-ARs mRNA (P < 0.01) and protein (CON: P < 0.01, SAL: P < 0.001) expression was lower than in the other two groups, and ß1-ARs mRNA (P < 0.001) and protein (P < 0.01) expression was higher compared to the SAL group. After bacterial treatment, α2A- (P < 0.001) and α2B (P < 0.05) -ARs protein levels and ß2-ARs mRNA (CON: P < 0.01, SAL: P < 0.05) and protein (CON: P < 0.01, SAL: P < 0.05) expression in myometrium were found to be increased compared to both groups. In turn, in myometrium following E. coli infusion, the α2C-ARs protein level was lower (P < 0.01) than in the CON group. All studied receptors were present in the luminal and glandular epithelium, blood vessels and myometrial muscular cells of the gilt uteri in the E. coli, SAL and CON groups. The data show that inflammation changes the ARs expression in porcine uterus, suggesting their importance in the course/consequences of uterine inflammation. Those affected ARs may constitute a therapeutic target in an inflamed uterus.

Signs of embryo-maternal communication: miRNAs in the maternal serum of pregnant pigs.

Circulating miRNAs were proposed to be indicators of normal or complicated pregnancies. Based on this knowledge and our recent transcriptomic approach showing expression of miRNAs in the porcine endometrium, conceptuses and uterine extracellular vesicles during pregnancy, we have hypothesized that signs of ongoing local embryo-maternal crosstalk involving miRNAs can be detected in the circulation of pregnant gilts as early as a few days after maternal recognition of pregnancy. By applying several molecular biology techniques that differ in dynamic range and precision in maternal serum of Day 16 pregnant pigs, we were able to show for the first time increased levels of several miRNAs, previously reported to be expressed in either conceptuses and extracellular vesicles (miR-26a and miR-125b) or pregnant endometrium (miR-23b). Our results clearly showed that real-time RT-PCR and digital PCR are the most reliable methods, being able to detect small-fold changes of low-abundant circulating miRNAs. Further validation in a separate group of gilts confirmed an increase in miR-23b and miR-125b levels. In silico analyses identified pregnancy-related biological processes and pathways affected by these miRNAs. Target prediction analysis revealed hundreds of porcine transcripts with conserved sites for these miRNAs, which were classified into signaling pathways relevant to pregnancy. We conclude that a unique set of miRNAs can already be observed in the circulation of pigs during the first weeks of pregnancy, as a result of the initiation of embryo-maternal communication.

Lifting degeneracy in nematic liquid crystal viscosities with a single optical measurement.

The viscosity of complex, anisotropic fluids, such as liquid crystals or their colloidal suspensions, is characterized by a number of coefficients. Methods to measure them are, typically, sensitive only to their particular combinations, hence unable to determine them individually. Using an Ericksen-Leslie model and propagation of light through aligned layers of such materials, we show theoretically and verify experimentally how this degeneracy can be lifted by exploiting both the amplitude and frequency of the voltage applied to the cell as control parameters.

MMP2, MMP9 and TIMP2 polymorphisms affect sperm parameters but not fertility in Polish males.

Proper function of the blood-testis barrier is pivotal to spermatogenesis. Synchronised action of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and their inhibitors (TIMP) is mandatory to maintain dynamic balance of the barrier. Therefore, the association of functional genetic variants of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-2 and male infertility was studied. A total of 416 infertile males and 421 healthy subjects were genotyped for 7 SNPs within MMP2, MMP9 and TIMP2 genes, along with the assessment of semen parameters (concentration, motility and morphology of spermatozoa). No association was observed between the studied genotypes and male infertility. However, higher sperm concentration was associated with TIMP2 rs8080623 C and rs2277698 T variants among infertile men, and with MMP9 rs17576 A minor allele in controls (p < .05). TIMP2 rs9900972 T and rs2277698 T allele were associated with higher percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa among controls. MMP2 rs2285053 TT homozygous infertile patients presented higher percentage of spermatozoa displaying nonprogressive motility. Haplotype analysis revealed strong linkage disequilibrium between the studied loci (5 of 8 possible TIMP2 haplotypes, and 3 of 4 possible MMP2 and MMP9 were found). None of the haplotypes showed association with infertility. This study results suggest an association between MMP9 and TIMP2 SNPs with sperm parameters, but not infertility.

The association between socioeconomic status and health-related quality of life among Polish postmenopausal women from urban and rural communities.

In recent years, more scholarly attention has been paid to a growing range of geographic characteristics as antecedents of inequalities in women's health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in health-related quality of life between rural and urban Polish postmenopausal women. Using a data set from a reproductive health preventive screening of 660 postmenopausal women aged 48-60 years, inhabitants of Wielkopolska and Lublin provinces, the association of place of residence, socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors with health-related quality of life (the SF-36 instrument) was evaluated using ANCOVA models and multiple logistic regression analysis with backward elimination steps. A consistent rural-to-urban gradient was found in all indices of physical health functioning and well-being but not in vitality, social functioning, emotional role and mental health scales with women in large cities being likely to enjoy the highest and those in villages the lowest quality of life. The rural-urban disparities in health-related quality of life were mediated by women's socioeconomic status. The likelihood of worse physical and mental functioning and well-being was 2-3 times greater for the low socioeconomic status rural women than their counterparts from more affluent urban areas. The educational attainment and employment status were the most powerful independent risk factors for health-related quality of life in both rural and urban women. Better understanding of the role of socioeconomic status that acts as a mediator in the association between area of residence and health-related quality of life may be useful in developing public health policies on health inequalities among women at midlife.

Regulatory T cells in malignant pleural effusions subsequent to lung carcinoma and their impact on the course of the disease.

Tumors exert suppressive effects on the host immune system and tumor progression can be linked to functional impairments of immune cells. Regulatory T cells (Treg) are a subpopulation of T lymphocytes and play a key role in suppressing immune responses against autoimmune diseases and cancer. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of Treg in malignant and benign pleural effusions and to evaluate the relationship between Treg frequency and disease advance. Pleural effusions from 76 patients were subjected to a routine laboratory diagnosis and analyzed by conventional cytology. Biological materials were divided into three groups: malignant pleural effusions with malignant cells, effusions from patients with malignancy but without malignant cells, and non-malignant pleural effusions. The frequency of Treg in malignant pleural effusions was significantly higher compared to non-malignant effusions. In general, the increase in Treg frequency was correlated with a decrease in the percentage of lymphocytes and an increase in T CD4+ and T CD4+ CD25+ cells. The highest percentage of Treg was observed among patients with the most advanced clinical stage of lung cancer in terms of size and location of a primary tumor, T4. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a statistically significant trend towards an adverse outcome for patients representing higher Treg counts. Overall, our results support the extraordinary potential of Treg control in future anticancer therapy.

Differences in fairness and trust between lean and corpulent men.

BACKGROUND: Employment disparities are known to exist between lean and corpulent people, for example, corpulent people are less likely to be hired and get lower wages. The reasons for these disparities between weight groups are not completely understood. We hypothesize (i) that economic decision making differs between lean and corpulent subjects, (ii) that these differences are influenced by peoples' blood glucose concentrations and (iii) by the body weight of their opponents. METHODS: A total of 20 lean and 20 corpulent men were examined, who performed a large set of economic games (ultimatum game, trust game and risk game) under euglycemic and hypoglycemic conditions induced by the glucose clamp technique. RESULTS: In the ultimatum game, lean men made less fair decisions and offered 16% less money than corpulent men during euglycemia (P=0.042). During hypoglycemia, study participants of both weight groups accepted smaller amounts of money than during euglycemia (P=0.031), indicating that a lack of energy makes subjects to behave more like a Homo Economicus. In the trust game, lean men allocated twice as much money to lean than to corpulent trustees during hypoglycemia (P<0.001). Risk-seeking behavior did not differ between lean and corpulent men. CONCLUSION: Our data show that economic decision making is affected by both, the body weight of the participants and the body weight of their opponents, and that blood glucose concentrations should be taken into consideration when analyzing economic decision making. When relating these results to the working environment, the weight bias in economic decision making may be also relevant for employment disparities.

Clinical and serological associations of autoantibodies to the Ku70/Ku80 heterodimer determined by a novel chemiluminescent immunoassay.

BACKGROUND: Autoantibodies targeting Ku, an abundant nuclear protein with DNA helicase activity, have been reported in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Little is known about the clinical associations of anti-Ku antibodies, especially when novel diagnostic technologies are used. The objective of the present study was to analyse the prevalence of anti-Ku antibodies in different medical conditions using a novel chemiluminescent immunoassay. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Serum samples from adult patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, n=305), systemic sclerosis (SSc, n=70) and autoimmune myositis patients (AIM, n=109) were the primary focus of the study. Results were compared with disease controls (rheumatoid arthritis, RA, n=30; infectious diseases, n=17) and healthy individuals (n=167). In addition, samples submitted for routine autoantibody testing from patients referred to a rheumatology clinic (n=1078) were studied. All samples were tested for anti-Ku antibodies by QUANTA Flash Ku chemiluminescent immunoassay (research use only, Inova Diagnostics, San Diego, USA) using full length recombinant human Ku. SLE patient samples were also tested for other autoantibodies. Clinical data of anti-Ku antibody positive patients (high titres) were obtained by retrospective chart review. RESULTS AND FINDINGS: In the disease cohorts, 30/305 (9.8%) SLE, 3/70 (4.3%) systemic sclerosis and 4/109 (3.7%) autoimmune myositis (AIM) patients were positive, respectively. The four positive AIM patients had an overlap myositis syndrome that included two patients with SLE. The three systemic sclerosis (SSc) positive samples had diagnoses of SSc/SLE overlap, diffuse cutaneous SSc, and early edematous phase SSc. In the control cohorts, 2/170 (1.2%) healthy individuals (all low titre), 0/30 (0.0%) (RA) and 0/17 (0.0%) infectious disease patients were positive. The area under the curve values were: 0.75 for SLE vs. controls, 0.68 for SSc vs. controls and 0.37 for AIM vs. CONTROLS: In the rheumatology clinic referral cohort, 12/1078 (1.1%) were positive for anti-Ku antibodies, nine showing low and three high titres. The diagnoses of the three high positive anti-Ku positive patients were: probable SLE, mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and ANA positive RA. CONCLUSION: Anti-Ku antibodies detected by chemiluminescent immunoassay are most prevalent in SLE. When found in AIM and SSc, they were associated with overlap syndrome and early SSc.

Thermal optical non-linearity of nematic mesophase enhanced by gold nanoparticles--an experimental and numerical investigation.

In this work the mechanisms leading to the enhancement of optical nonlinearity of nematic liquid crystalline material through localized heating by doping the liquid crystals (LCs) with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are investigated. We present some experimental and theoretical results on the effect of voltage and nanoparticle concentration on the nonlinear response of GNP-LC suspensions. The optical nonlinearity of these systems is characterized by diffraction measurements and the second order nonlinear refractive index, n2, is used to compare systems with different configurations and operating conditions. A theoretical model based on heat diffusion that takes into account the intensity and finite size of the incident beam, the nanoparticle concentration dependent absorbance of GNP doped LC systems and the presence of bounding substrates is developed and validated. We use the model to discuss the possibilities of further enhancing the optical nonlinearity.

Development and use of microsatellite markers to study diversity, reproduction and population genetic structure of the cereal pathogen Ramularia collo-cygni.

Ramularia collo-cygni (Rcc) is a major pathogen of barley that causes economically serious yield losses. Disease epidemics during the growing season are mainly propagated by asexual air-borne spores of Rcc, but it is thought that Rcc undergoes sexual reproduction during its life cycle and may also disperse by means of sexual ascospores. To obtain population genetic information from which to infer the extent of sexual reproduction and local genotype dispersal in Rcc, and by implication the pathogen's ability to adapt to fungicides and resistant cultivars, we developed ten polymorphic microsatellite markers, for which primers are presented. We used these markers to analyse the population genetic structure of this cereal pathogen in two geographically distant populations from the Czech Republic (n=30) and the United Kingdom (n=60) that had been sampled in a spatially explicit manner. Genetic diversity at the microsatellite loci was substantial, Ht=0.392 and Ht=0.411 in the Czech and UK populations respectively, and the populations were moderately differentiated at these loci (Θ=0.111, P<0.01). In both populations the multilocus genotypic diversity was very high (one clonal pair per population, resulting in >96% unique genotypes in each of the populations) and there was a lack of linkage disequilibrium among loci, strongly suggesting that sexual reproduction is an important component of the life cycle of Rcc. In an analysis of spatial genetic structure, kinship coefficients in all distance classes were very low (-0.0533 to 0.0142 in the Czech and -0.0268 to 0.0042 in the Scottish population) and non-significant (P>0.05) indicating lack of subpopulation structuring at the field scale and implying extensive dissemination of spores. These results suggest that Rcc possesses a high evolutionary potential for developing resistance to fungicides and overcoming host resistance genes, and argue for the development of an integrated disease management system that does not rely solely on fungicide applications.

Steroid hormones, prostanoids, and angiogenic systems during rescue of the corpus luteum in pigs.

In order to characterize the transition of the corpora lutea (CL) from acquisition of luteolytic sensitivity to rescue of luteal function: i) the expression of 38 factors associated with steroids, prostanoids, and angiogenic systems and ii) concentrations of the main hormones responsible for maintenance of CL function in cyclic and pregnant pigs were examined. Additionally, the effect of prostaglandin (PG) E2 and F2 α on luteal function during the estrous cycle and pregnancy was evaluated in vitro. Significantly up-regulated gene expression was revealed in CL collected on day 14 of the estrous cycle (CYP19A1, ESR2, PTGS2, HIF1A, and EDN1) and on days 12-14 of pregnancy (SCARB1, PGRMC1, STAR, HSD3B1, NR5A1, PTGFR, PTGER4, and VEGFA). Elevated concentrations of estradiol-17ß and PGE2 occurred in CL on days 12 and 14 of pregnancy respectively, while an increased intraluteal PGF2 α content was noted on day 14 of the estrous cycle. Both PGs increased the synthesis of progesterone by cultured luteal slices obtained on day 14 of pregnancy, in contrast to the action of PGF2 α on the corresponding day of the estrous cycle. PGE2 stimulated cAMP production via PTGER2 and PTGER4, while PGF2 α elevated the content of CREB in cultured luteal slices from CL of pregnant pigs. In silico analysis showed that infiltration of lymphocytes and apoptosis of microvascular endothelium were activated in CL on day 12 of the estrous cycle vs pregnancy. Summarizing, an abundance of E2 and PGE2 during pregnancy regulates specific pathways responsible for steroidogenesis, the prostanoid signaling system and angiogenesis during rescue from luteolysis in porcine CL.

The contribution of PCR testing to influenza and pertussis notifications in Australia.

Influenza and pertussis are the two most common vaccine-preventable infections notified in Australia. We assessed the role of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis in influenza and pertussis cases notified to the Australian National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). There were a total of 2 10 786 notified influenza cases (2001-2013) and 2 55 866 notified pertussis cases (1991-2013). After 1 January 2007, the majority of influenza and pertussis notifications were PCR-based (80·5% and 59·6%, respectively). Before 31 December 2006, PCR-based notifications were limited (29·1% and 11·7%, respectively). By 2013, PCR-based notifications had largely replaced all other diagnostic methods, with the exception of serology-based notifications in pertussis cases in adults aged ⩾ 25 years.

Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns in the Course of Lung Cancer--A Review.

More than 20 years ago, the 'danger theory' was proposed which explains why potent immune responses with no microbial components are elicited against tissue transplants, injuries, tumours and autoimmune diseases. It states that the immune system can distinguish between dangerous and innocuous endogenous signals. In response to trauma or other types of tissue and cell damage, certain molecules that function inside the cell are released or secreted from damaged or dying cells. Such mechanisms initiate an immune response in the absence of infection. These immunostimulatory molecules were named damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). In this article, we will review the available data on the influence of select DAMPs on lung cancer cells and tumour microenvironments. We will also summarize the current information regarding the interactions between lung cancer-associated DAMPs and their toll-like receptors.

Expression of factors associated with apoptosis in the porcine corpus luteum throughout the luteal phase of the estrous cycle and early pregnancy: their possible involvement in acquisition of luteolytic sensitivity.

The studies on the acquisition of luteolytic sensitivity have been focused mainly on molecular changes induced in the luteal tissue after treatment with exogenous PGF2α or on physiological changes occurring during the estrous cycle. The comparison of changes leading to the acquisition of luteolytic sensitivity after Day 12 of the estrous cycle and corresponding days of pregnancy has not been investigated in the pig. The present study was undertaken to evaluate (1) apoptosis measured as the proportions of early apoptotic, late apoptotic, and viable cells; (2) expression of factors involved in the extrinsic (TNFA/TNFα, TNFRSF1A/TNFR1, TNFRSF1B/TNFR2, FAS/Fas, and FASLG/FasL) and intrinsic (CASP3/Casp3, TP53/p-53, BAX/Bax, and BCL2/Bcl-2) apoptotic pathways, with two components of the activating protein-1 complex, i.e., FOS/Fos and JUN/Jun and IFNG/IFNγ; and (3) concentrations of luteal and blood plasma progesterone (P4) throughout the luteal phase of the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. Corpora lutea (CL) were collected postmortem on Days 8, 10, 12, and 14 of the estrous cycle and the corresponding days of pregnancy. The luteal tissue was subjected to RNA and/or protein isolation and disaggregation of CL cells followed by flow cytometry analysis aimed to determine apoptotic changes. Luteal and blood plasma P4 concentrations decreased on Day 14 of the estrous cycle versus pregnancy (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). A significant increase in the number of early apoptotic cells and a decrease in the number of viable cells were observed on Day 14 of the estrous cycle (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). Increase (P < 0.05) of TNFA messenger RNA (mRNA) level coincided with that of IFNG on Day 12 of the estrous cycle but not on the corresponding day of pregnancy. The content of FAS mRNA and protein increased on Day 14 of the estrous cycle versus pregnancy (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of CASP3, BCL-2 and BAX was unchanged in cyclic and pregnant CL, while level of TP53 increased (P < 0.05) on Day 12 of the estrous cycle versus Day 8. The level of FOS and JUN mRNA increased (P < 0.05) on Day 14 of the estrous cycle versus the remaining days. The level of FOS and JUN mRNA was significantly higher (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively) on Day 14 of the estrous cycle than that on the corresponding day of pregnancy. In summary, the simultaneous increase of TNFA and IFNG transcript in cyclic CL suggests the crucial role of both cytokines in sensitization of porcine CL to further luteolytic action of PGF2α. The upregulated expression of FAS, FOS, and JUN mRNA in the late luteal phase in cyclic CL can indicate their involvement in structural luteolysis. The increased viability of luteal cells and elevated P4 concentrations in pregnant CL confirm the protective role of luteal P4 against apoptosis.

Reflex syncope, anxiety level, and family history of cardiovascular disease in young women: case-control study.

AIMS: Anxiety is an emotion, which stimulates sympathetic nervous outflow potentially facilitating vasovagal reflex syncope (VVS) but reports on anxiety levels in patients with VVS are sparse. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied anxiety levels in young women (21-40 years) referred for unexplained transient loss of consciousness (TLOC), and age-matched female controls with or without past history of TLOC (≈probable VVS). Referred patients underwent head-up tilt (HUT) according to current ESC Guidelines. State and Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire evaluated anxiety levels plus a questionnaire explored risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Sixty-five of 91 women were diagnosed with VVS on HUT. Among 549 controls, 223 (40.6%) reported at least one episode of TLOC. State-anxiety level in patients with VVS undergoing HUT (42.4 ± 9.3) was higher compared with both controls with (38.3 ± 10.2; P < 0.01) and without past TLOC history (35.9 ± 9.8; P < 0.001). Trait anxiety in patients with VVS (42.7 ± 8.4), and controls with TLOC history (42.4 ± 8.4) was higher compared with controls without TLOC history (39.7 ± 8.5; P < 0.01). In the logistic regression using controls without TLOC as reference, both VVS diagnosis and past history of TLOC were associated with family history of CVD [odds ratio (OR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-4.4; P = 0.007, and 2.3, 1.4-3.6; P = 0.001, respectively], and this association was independent of anxiety level. CONCLUSIONS: Trait anxiety and family history of CVD are increased in both young women with VVS and controls with history of TLOC. However, the height of anxiety level does not explain CVD heredity and other mechanisms may link syncope with CVD.