Stress reduction

Objective: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a challenging psychiatric disorder and a complex disease. The associated reduction in serum vitamin D3 (VitD3 ) levels in BD patients and the contribution of zinc (Zn) to the treatment, along with the severe side effects of lithium (Li) treatment, were encouraging to assess the efficacy of different correlated combinations of therapeutic/nutraceutical treatments such as olanzapine (Oln), VitD3, and Zn against Li. Methods: Mania was induced in C57BL/6 mice by administering methylphenidate (MPH) for 14 consecutive days...

The aim of this study was to elucidate the specific mechanism through which 7-difluoromethoxy-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein (DFMG) inhibits angiogenesis in atherosclerosis (AS) plaques, given its previously observed but poorly understood inhibitory effects. In vitro, a model using Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial (HUVEC-12) cells simulated the initial lesion in the atherosclerotic pathological process, specifically oxidative stress injury, by exposing cells to 30 μmol/L LPC. Additionally, an AS mouse model was developed in ApoE knockout mice through a 16-week period of high-fat feeding...

The objective of this research was to develop and validate two immunoassays for oxytocin measurement in human saliva, one using a monoclonal and the other a polyclonal antibody against oxytocin, whose affinity for oxytocin was tested by an antibody mapping epitope analysis. These assays were analytically validated and used to compare oxytocin concentrations with those obtained with a commercial kit before and after the extraction or reduction/alkylation (R/A) treatments to saliva samples. The assays were also used to evaluate changes in salivary oxytocin concentrations following a physical effort and an induced psychological stress, which have previously been described as situations that cause an increase in salivary oxytocin...

Peer mentorship shows promise as a strategy to support veteran mental health. A community-academic partnership involving a veteran-led nonprofit organization and institutions of higher education evaluated a collaboratively developed peer mentor intervention. We assessed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), postdeployment experiences, social functioning, and psychological strengths at baseline, midpoint, and 12-week discharge using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory-2, Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale, and Values in Action Survey...

Acrylamide (ACR) is a common industrial contaminant with endocrine-disrupting toxicity. Numerous studies have indicated that females and diabetics are more sensitive to environmental contaminants. However, it remains unknown whether female diabetics are susceptible to ACR-induced toxicity and its potential mechanisms. Thus, the female ACR-exposure diabetic Balb/c mice model was established to address these issues. Results showed that ACR could induce liver injury in normal mice and cause more serious inflammatory cell infiltration, hepatocyte volume increase, and fusion in diabetic mice liver...

In our comprehensive meta-analysis, we initially collected 177 publications focusing on the impact of melatonin on wheat. After meticulous screening, 40 published studies were selected, encompassing 558 observations for antioxidant enzymes, 312 for reactive oxygen species (ROS), and 92 for soluble biomolecules (soluble sugar and protein). This analysis revealed significant heterogeneity across studies (I2  > 99% for enzymes, ROS, and soluble biomolecules) and notable publication bias, indicating the complexity and variability in the research field...

BACKGROUND: Delirium is a complex condition, stressful for all involved. Although highly prevalent in palliative care settings, it remains underdiagnosed and associated with poor outcomes. Guideline-adherent delirium care may improve its detection, assessment and management. AIM: To inform a future definitive study that tests whether an implementation strategy designed to improve guideline-adherent delirium care in palliative care settings improves patient outcomes (reduced proportion of in-patient days with delirium)...

Exosome-like nanoparticles (ELNs) are novel naturally occurring plant ultrastructures and contain unique bioactive components. However, the potential applications and biological functions of plant ELNs, especially in the context of health promotion and disease prevention, remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to explore the biological activities and functional mechanisms of Actinidia arguta -derived exosome-like nanoparticles (AAELNs). We reported the development of AAELNs, which possess particle sizes of 157...

CONTEXT: Mentorship aids in the transition into the medical education system, which is a demanding and stressful time for learners. The development of new medical schools to offset the physician shortage has posed a challenge in that the inaugural class of students lacks an upperclassman cohort as a resource for advice and mentorship. Mentorship has proven to have positive impacts on three domains: personal and professional development (PPD), stress reduction (SR), and ease of transition (ET) into medical school...

BACKGROUND: In 2018, the World Health Organization published a set of recommendations for further emphasis on the quality of intrapartum care to improve the childbirth experience. This study aimed to determine the effects of the WHO intrapartum care model on the childbirth experience, fear of childbirth, the quality of intrapartum care (primary outcomes), as well as post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, postpartum depression, the duration of childbirth stages, the frequency of vaginal childbirth, Apgar score less than 7, desire for subsequent childbearing, and exclusive breastfeeding in the 4 to 6 weeks postpartum period (secondary outcomes)...

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms underlying the psychological and cardiovascular disease (CVD) benefits of physical activity (PA) are not fully understood. OBJECTIVES: This study tested whether PA: 1) attenuates stress-related neural activity, which is known to potentiate CVD and for its role in anxiety/depression; 2) decreases CVD in part through this neural effect; and 3) has a greater impact on CVD risk among individuals with depression. METHODS: Participants from the Mass General Brigham Biobank who completed a PA survey were studied...

Ubiquitin-specific proteases (UBPs), the largest subfamily of deubiquitinating enzymes, regulate ubiquitin homeostasis and play diverse roles in eukaryotes. Ubp4 is essential for the growth, development, and pathogenicity of various fungal pathogens. However, its functions in the growth, stress responses, and virulence of entomopathogenic fungi remain unclear. In this study, we elucidated the role of the homolog of Ubp4, MrUbp4, in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. Deletion of MrUbp4 led to a notable increase in ubiquitination levels, demonstrating the involvement of MrUbp4 in protein deubiquitination...

An indigenous bacterium Pseudomonas sp. EN-4 had been reported earlier for its ability to co-metabolise 4-bromophenol (4-BP), in presence of phenol (100 mg/L) as co-substrate. The present study was undertaken to validate the efficacy of biotransformation by comparing the toxicity profiles of untreated and EN-4 transformed samples of 4-BP, using both plant and animal model. The toxicity studies in Allium cepa (A. cepa) indicated to lowering of mitotic index (MI) from 12.77% (water) to 3.33% in A. cepa bulbs exposed to 4-BP+phenol, which reflects the cytotoxic nature of these compounds...

Traditional medicine is a frequently utilized method to treat cardiovascular disease and its primary risk factors, including hypertension and dyslipidemia. Aloysia polystachya is a species that is commonly employed to treat various pathological conditions, and it has already been identified as having some cardioprotective effects. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of the essential oil extracted from the leaves of A. polystachya in a rat model that simulates multiple cardiovascular risk factors...

Trichoderma can enhance the metabolism of organophosphate pesticides in plants, but the mechanism is unclear. Here, we performed high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of roots upon Trichoderma asperellum (TM) inoculation and phoxim (P) application in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). A total of 4059 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained, including 2110 up-regulated and 1949 down-regulated DEGs in P vs TM+P. COG and KOG analysis indicated that DEGs were mainly enriched in signal transduction mechanisms...

Exposure to PM2.5 is correlated with cardiac remodeling, of which cardiac hypertrophy is one of the main clinical manifestations. Ferroptosis plays an important role in cardiac hypertrophy. However, the potential mechanism of PM2.5 -induced cardiac hypertrophy through ferroptosis remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy caused by PM2.5 and the intervention role of MitoQ involved in this process. The results showed that PM2.5 could induce cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction in mice...

Iron overload can lead to oxidative stress and intestinal damage and happens frequently during blood transfusions and iron supplementation. However, how iron overload influences intestinal mucosa remains unknown. Here, the aim of current study was to investigate the effects of iron overload on the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs). An iron overload mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 120 mg/kg body weight iron dextran once a fortnight for a duration of 12 weeks, and an iron overload enteroid model was produced by treatment with 3 mM or 10 mM of ferric ammonium citrate for 24 h...

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapeutic drug, while its clinical use is greatly limited by the life-threatening cardiotoxicity. N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) RNA modification participates in varieties of cellular processes. Nonetheless, it remains elusive whether m6 A modification and its methyltransferase METTL3 are involved in the progression of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). METHODS: Mice were administrated with DOX (accumulative dosage of 20 mg/kg) repeatedly to establish a chronic DIC model...

The COVID-19 pandemic was a socionatural disaster that unprecedentedly disrupted the daily lives of individuals, families, and communities. Prior research indicates that Black American men living in rural contexts, particularly in Southern parts of the United States of America, were disproportionately affected by the psychological and economic effects of the pandemic. Despite these disparities, few studies have examined the pandemic's impact on rural Black American men's social networks. This study aimed to explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural Black American men's interpersonal relationships...

Cullin RING E3 ligases (CRL) have emerged as key regulators of disease-modifying pathways and therapeutic targets. Cullin3 (Cul3)-containing CRL (CRL3) has been implicated in regulating hepatic insulin and oxidative stress signaling. However, CRL3 function in liver pathophysiology is poorly defined. Here, we report that hepatocyte Cul3 knockout results in rapid resolution of steatosis in obese mice. However, the remarkable resistance of hepatocyte Cul3 knockout mice to developing steatosis does not lead to overall metabolic improvement but causes systemic metabolic disturbances...