Mechanisms of Lung Injury Induced by SARS-CoV-2 Infection

The lung is the major target organ of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which causes COVID-19. Here, we outline the multistep mechanisms of lung epithelial and endothelial injury induced by SARS-CoV-2: direct viral infection, chemokine/cytokine-mediated damage, and immune cell-mediated lung injury. Finally, we discuss the recent progress in terms of antiviral therapeutics as well as the development of anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory therapeutic approaches. This review also provides a systematic overview of the models for studying SARS-CoV-2 infection and discusses how an understanding of mechanisms of lung injury will help identify potential targets for future drug development to mitigate lung injury.

Interleukin 9 alterations linked to alzheimer disease in african americans

OBJECTIVE

Compared to older Caucasians, older African Americans have higher risks of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) and lower cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau biomarker levels. It is not known whether tau-related differences begin earlier in life or whether race modifies other AD-related biomarkers such as inflammatory proteins.

METHODS

We performed multiplex cytokine analysis in a healthy middle-aged cohort with family history of AD (n = 68) and an older cohort (n = 125) with normal cognition (NC), mild cognitive impairment, or AD dementia. After determining baseline interleukin (IL)-9 level and AD-associated IL-9 change to differ according to race, we performed immunohistochemical analysis for proteins mechanistically linked to IL-9 in brains of African Americans and Caucasians (n = 38), and analyzed postmortem IL-9-related gene expression profiles in the publicly available Mount Sinai cohort (26 African Americans and 180 Caucasians).

RESULTS

Compared to Caucasians with NC, African Americans with NC had lower CSF tau, p-Tau181 , and IL-9 levels in both living cohorts. Conversely, AD was only correlated with increased CSF IL-9 levels in African Americans but not Caucasians. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed perivascular, neuronal, and glial cells immunoreactive to IL-9, and quantitative analysis in independent US cohorts showed AD to correlate with molecular changes (upstream differentiation marker and downstream effector cell marker) of IL-9 upregulation only in African Americans but not Caucasians.

INTERPRETATION

Baseline and AD-associated IL-9 differences between African Americans and Caucasians point to distinct molecular phenotypes for AD according to ancestry. Genetic and nongenetic factors need to be considered in future AD research involving unique populations. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:407-418.

Determination of oxidative stress markers and their importance in early diagnosis of uremia-related complications

The existence of oxidative stress and the higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases in association with uremia is well proved. The uremic status of serum copper, ceruloplasmin (CP), protein thiols, malonyldialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) levels was studied. The study was carried out on 51 chronic renal failure (CRF) patients who were not on hemodialysis therapy and on 42 healthy controls. Serum urea, creatinine, and MDA levels were found to be significantly increased (P < 0.001), and total protein, albumin, protein thiols, and copper levels were found to be significantly decreased in CRF patients compared to normal controls (P < 0.001). Ceruloplasmin levels were decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and there was no significant change in serum GST levels in CRF patients compared to normal controls. In conclusion, the significant increase in levels of MDA, and the decrease in levels of protein thiols, CP, and copper in uremia patients when compared to controls, reconfirms the presence of stress in this patient population. In view of the changes in other markers of oxidative stress, this absence of any significant change in the activity of GST in uremia patients compared to controls, warrants further study.

Learning and memory-enhancing effect of Bacopa monniera in neonatal rats

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the learning and memory-enhancing effect of Bacopa monniera in neonatal rats.

BACKGROUND

Learning is an acquisition and storage of information as a consequence of experience. Memory is a relatively permanent storage form of the learned information. In the process of 'learning', activation of neurons occurs in specific areas or specific memory systems of the brain concerned with the processing of the specific modality of sensory information. Rasayana plants are said to prevent ageing, re-establish youth, strengthen life, brain power and prevent diseases. Bacopa monniera (BM) is shown to be very useful in improving learning and memory.

METHODS

In the present study neonatal rat pups (10 days old) were given different doses of BM extract orally for different periods of time. These rats were then subjected to spatial learning (T- Maze) and passive avoidance tests along with the age matched normal and gum acacia control rats. The data were compared with those of control rats.

RESULTS

The results showed improvement in spatial learning performance and enhanced memory retention in neonatal rats treated with extract of BM.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that treatment with BM extract during growth spurt period of neonatal rats enhances learning and memory (Tab. 3, Fig. 3, Ref. 45). Full Text in free PDF www.bmj.sk.

Protein thiol oxidation and lipid peroxidation in patients with uraemia

BACKGROUND

Patients with uraemia are exposed to increased oxidative stress. In this study, a series of oxidative stress markers were measured in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and patients with CRF on haemodialysis (HD) compared to normal controls to establish whether there is enhanced oxidative stress on HD therapy in uraemic subjects.

METHODS

Protein thiol oxidation, lipid hydroperoxides, albumin and uric acid concentrations were estimated in patients receiving HD and patients with CRF and compared with those in healthy controls.

RESULTS

There was a significant decrease in the level of protein thiols in CRF (p = 0.0001) and HD patients (p = 0.0001) compared with that in controls. Lipid hydroperoxides were significantly higher in CRF (p = 0.026) and HD patients (p = 0.003) than in controls. However, there was no significant difference in protein thiols and lipid hydroperoxides between CRF and HD patients. Serum protein thiols correlated negatively with lipid hydroperoxides and positively with serum albumin.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that both CRF and HD patients have increased plasma protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation. However, HD therapy per se did not contribute to oxidative stress already present in uraemia. Owing to the variability in lipid peroxidation products as markers of oxidative stress and the vital role played by thiol antioxidants in the biological system, it is suggested that protein thiol oxidation may be a better marker of oxidative stress.