Bursaphelenchus mucronatus (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae) associated with Monochamus galloprovincialis from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia.

Bursaphelenchus mucronatus was detected in association with the pine sawyer beetle (Monochamus galloprovincialis) during the implementation and testing of cross traps with insect attractants as an efficient tool for detection survey for pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia in 2017 and 2018, respectively. This nematode was characterized by morphological, morphometric and molecular features. This is the first report of B. mucronatus in association with a M. galloprovincialis in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Georgia.

The in vitro cytotoxicity of metal-complexes of porphyrin sensitizer intended for photodynamic therapy.

The sulphonated derivatives of porphyrins (e.g. TPPS4) are hydrophilic photosensitizers and have certain advantages like fully known structures and the possibility of synthetic production. The aim of this work was to study in vitro cytotoxicity and to compare the new photosensitizer MgTPPS4 with TPPS4 and its other metal-complexes (ZnTPPS4, PdTPPS4) on human skin melanom and mouse fibroblast cell lines. A photodynamic treatment was induced by light emitting diodes with three different total doses (1, 5 and 10J/cm(2)). For proper analysis and understanding of cell behavior after the administration of sensitizers, a complex battery of in vitro tests including the production of reactive oxygen species, the MTT viability test, a comet assay, a cell cycle and a type of cell death determination were used. We discovered that the most suitable photosensitizer is ZnTPPS4 because it had the biggest lethal influence on melanoma cells and the lowest lethal influence on fibroblast cells. The second most effective photosensitizer seemed to be MgTPPS4. On the basis of our results we can also assume that there is a higher accumulation of photosensitizer in a tumorous cell line. The higher concentration of photosensitizer and light dose resulted in more reactive oxygen species production and found more cells undergoing necrosis.

Quaternized carbon dot-modified graphene oxide for selective cell labelling--controlled nucleus and cytoplasm imaging.

Cationic quaternized carbon dots (QCDs) and anionic graphene oxide sheets (GO) are combined via non-covalent interactions following a self-assembly pathway to form highly biocompatible and fluorescent hybrid materials. These hybrids act as selective probes with controlled labelling of the cell nucleus or cytoplasm depending on the QCD loading.

In vitro cytotoxicity and phototoxicity study of cosmetics colorants.

The aim of the work was early identification of preventable risk factors connected with the consumers usage of products of everyday use, such as cosmetics, toys and children products, and other materials intended for contact with human skin. The risk factor is represented by substances with irritation potential and subsequent possible sensitisation, resulting in negative impact on human physical and psychical health with social and societal consequences. The legislation for cosmetics, chemical substances and other products requires for hazard identification the application of alternative toxicological methods in vitro without the use of animals. For this reason we used a battery of alternative assays in vitro, based on cell cultures. Progressive methods of molecular biology, based on fluorimetry and fluorescence, were employed for identification of early morphological and functional changes on cellular level. Four colorants frequently used in cosmetics (P-WS Caramel, Chlorophyllin, Unicert Red K 7054-J and Unicert Red K 7008-J) were tested on cell line NIH3T3 (mouse fibroblast cell) and 3T3 Balb/c with/without UV irradiation (dose 5 J cm(-2)). Fluorescence methods for the study of cell damage using fluorescence probes offer results for the evaluation of cytotoxicity and cell viability of adherent cells. We detected intracellular production of ROS investigated by molecular probe CM-H(2)DCFDA, which is primarily sensitive to the increased production of hydrogen peroxide or its downstream products. Toxic effects on the cellular level were identified by viability tests using Neutral Red uptake and MTT assay, where the live cells reduce yellow soluble 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) to insoluble formazan crystals. The reaction was investigated on mitochondrial membrane of living cells and the type of cell death was determined using Apoptosis detection kit. Cytotoxicity tests revealed health risks of using Chlorophyllin and Unicert Red K 7054-J.

Phototoxic effect of TPPS4 and MgTPPS4 on DNA fragmentation of HeLa cells.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an alternative method of tumour treatment. It is based on a photochemical reaction of a photosensitizer, irradiation, and O(2) which converts to cytotoxic (1)O(2) and other forms of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The comet assay (also called single-cell gel electrophoresis, SCGE) is a sensitive, simple and quantitative technique for detection of DNA damage. In our study we investigated the phototoxicity of the two porphyrin photosensitizers, TPPS4 and MgTPPS4, on HeLa cells. Three different radiation doses and six different concentrations of the photosensitizers were used. Our results show that the DNA of the cells treated with the TPPS(4) and MgTPPS(4) at the concentrations higher than 5 µM was highly fragmented indicating a strong phototoxic effect resulting in a cell apoptosis. On the base of our results we can hypothesize that even the irradiation dose of 1 J cm(-2) is sufficient enough to provoke the DNA fragmentation.

Photodynamic properties of ZnTPPS(4), ClAlPcS(2) and ALA in human melanoma G361 cells.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been approved as proper and effective kind of treatment for certain types of cancer and non-malignant diseases. We tested photodynamic effects on G361 human melanoma cells sensitized by zinc-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulphonatophenyl) porphyrine (ZnTPPS(4)), chloraluminium phtalocyanine disulfonate (ClAlPcS(2)) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). In particular, we examined the PDT efficiency depending on applied light dose (0.8; 1.7; 3.3; 6.6; 13.2; 26.4Jcm(-2)). The DNA gel electrophoresis, methylthiazol tetrazolium bromide (MTT) viability test, fluorescent microscopy using calcein AM and propidium iodide (PI) staining, and rhodamine 123 mitochondrial membrane potential assay were performed to detect and evaluate the cell death process. We also measured the time course of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and its dependence on sensitizer concentration within continuously irradiated sensitized cells. In conclusion, these results demonstrate most significant phototoxic effect of ClAlPcS(2)-PDT in spite of significantly higher ROS production induced by ZnTPPS(4)-PDT on G361 cells. On the other hand, ALA-PDT has a minimal photoeffect and induces negligible ROS formation in G361 cells at the conditions described below.

Study of cytotoxic effect of photodynamically and sonodynamically activated sensitizers in vitro.

High resolution imaging of biological structures and their changes induced by different agents such as drugs are commonly performed by confocal and electron microscopy. The past decade has witnessed an emersion of the atomic force microscopy (AFM) from solid-state physics into cell biology and even medical applications. For these reasons, we used this relatively new microscopic technique to study the morphology of cell lines. We imaged the cells by atomic force microscopy before and after the photodynamic therapy (PDT) using the photosensitizer ClAlPcS(2). We also compared the impact of the photosensitizer in combination with silymarin antioxidant on cancer and non-cancer cell lines by measuring the kinetic production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). PDT was induced by LED source with total irradiation dose of 15 J cm(-2) and SDT was induced by therapeutic ultrasound with frequency of 1 MHz, intensity 2 W cm(-2) and time of exposition 10 min. The results show ROS kinetic production within the cells during PDT, sonodynamic therapy (SDT) and modification of morphological features investigated by AFM. The combination of a sensitizer and the specific light source can lead to the loss of surface rigidity and eventually to dramatic changes of the cell shape, which we can study by AFM.

Production of reactive oxygen species after photodynamic therapy by porphyrin sensitizers.

The objectives of this study was to investigate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after photodynamic therapy (PDT) in vitro. We examined second generation sensitizers, porphyrines (TPPS4, ZnTPPS4 and PdTPPS4) and compared their effectivity on ROS generation in G361 cell line. Used porphyrines are very efficient water-soluble aromatic dyes with potential to use in photomedicine and have a high propensity to accumulate in the membranes of intracellular organelles like lysosomes and mitochondria. Interaction between the triplet excited state of the sensitizer and molecular oxygen leads to produce singlet oxygen and other ROS to induce cell death. Production of ROS was verificated by molecular probe CM-H2DCFDA and viability of cells was determined by MTT assay. Our results demonstrated that ZnTPPS4 induces the highest ROS production in cell line compared to TPPS4 and PdTPPS4 at each used concentration and light dose. These results consist with a fact that photodynamic effect depends on sensitizer type, its concentration and light dose.

Photodynamic effect on melanoma cells investigated by atomic force microscopy.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a modern experimental method for imaging of conducting or non-conducting samples. New trends in the application of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) give us the ability to scan live cells directly in their ingenuous surroundings or in air. Our apparatus was replenished with an inverse optical microscope, so we could observe the position of the scanning tip in every individual cell. The aim of the presented study is to picture the cell surface in air. A dry scanner in non-contact or tapping mode was used in the biological application of AFM. In our work the cell line G361 was used as a biological sample. We imaged the cell line before and after induction of a photodynamic effect (PDE) by irradiation of ZnTPPS4-loaded cells with a light dose of 15 J/cm(2). Individual cells before PDE induction had a smooth surface without protrusion on the entire surface. Cells after PDE induction did not have a smooth surface but their surface was rough with protrusion and in some places cleaved.

Comparison of sensitizers by detecting reactive oxygen species after photodynamic reaction in vitro.

The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has a crucial effect on the result of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Because of this fact, we examined the ROS formation by means of three porphyrin sensitizers (TPPS(4), ZnTPPS(4) and PdTPPS(4)) and compared their effectivity for induction of cell death in the G361 (human melanoma) cell line. The porphyrins used are very efficient water-soluble aromatic dyes with a potential application in photomedicine and have a high tendency to accumulate in the membranes of intracellular organelles such as lysosomes and mitochondria. Interaction between the triplet excited state of the sensitizer and molecular oxygen leads to the production singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species to induce cell death. Production of ROS was investigated by molecular probe CM-H(2)DCFDA. Our results demonstrated that ZnTPPS(4) induces the highest ROS production in the cell line compared to TPPS(4) and PdTPPS(4) at concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 microM and light dose of 1 J cm(-2). We also observed a consequence between ROS production and cell survival. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that photodynamic effect depends on sensitizer type, its concentration and light dose.

In vitro study of reactive oxygen species production during photodynamic therapy in ultrasound-pretreated cancer cells.

Several recent studies bring evidence of cell death enhancement in photodynamic compound loaded cells by ultrasonic treatment. There are a number of hypotheses suggesting the mechanism of the harmful ultrasonic effect. One of them considers a process in the activation of photosensitizers by ultrasonic energy. Because the basis of the photodynamic damaging effect on cells consists in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), we focused our study on whether the ultrasound can increase ROS production within cancer cells. Particularly, we studied ROS formation in ultrasound pretreated breast adenocarcinoma cells during photodynamic therapy in the presence of chloroaluminum phthalocyanine disulfonate (ClAlPcS2). Production of ROS was investigated by the molecular probe CM-H2DCFDA. Our results show that ClAlPcS2 induces higher ROS production in the ultrasound pretreated cell lines at a concentration of 100 microM and light intensity of 2 mW/cm2. We also observed a dependence of ROS production on photosensitizer concentration and light dose. These results demonstrate that the photodynamic effect on breast cancer cells can be enhanced by ultrasound pretreatment.