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Many scientists and native stakeholders are increasingly pointing to the importance of connection between cultural heritage and tourism, and influence of that connection on the financial results of entrepreneurs in rural tourism. Therefore, the importance of cultural heritage and especially intangible cultural heritage is being discussed. In the continuation, the status of connection between intangible cultural heritage and rural tourism is analyzed. The paper further points to the need for planned and organized, stronger content linking of rural tourism and intangible cultural heritage, that should influence financial results of the entrepreneurs in rural tourism. An example from the Croatia is given which is using intangible cultural heritage (traditional music and dance) in (rural) tourism offering. The link between this connection and financial results of the company is analyzed. The conclusion provides recommendations for better connection of the intangible cultural heritage and the rural tourism, ensuring the better financial results.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of sex and castration of rats on liver and brain fatty acid profile and liver mRNA expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and β-oxidation. Castration significantly increased body weight and liver index and decreased serum triglyceride content in the female rats. The fatty acid composition of the liver tissue was influenced by sex and castration. Male rats had higher content of C16:0, C18:1n7, C18:2n6 and C22:5n3, while female rats had higher content of C18:0, C20:4n6 and C22:6n3. Castration of male rats decreased differences caused by sex for C18:2n6, C20:4n6 and C22:6n3. Values for C16:1n7 were higher in the castrated male rats in comparison with all other groups. Liver phospholipids showed a distribution of fatty acids similar to the total lipids. Brain total lipids and phospholipids were not influenced by sex or castration. Castration increased ∆6D gene expression in both the sexes, while ∆5D and ∆9D increased in females and males respectively. Gonadectomy increased expression of the FASN gene in the females and decreased CPT1 and ACOX1 gene expression in the liver tissue of male rats. The observed results of lipid peroxidation, measured by TBARS, were the lowest in the intact females in comparison with all other groups. In conclusion, sex strongly influences both SFA and PUFA in liver tissue, and castration decreases these differences only for PUFA. Castration also influences the expression of the genes involved in lipid metabolism differently in male and female rats, with an increase in lipogenic genes in female rats and a decrease in key genes for mitochondrial and peroxisomal β-oxidation in male rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the influence of long-term treatment with sucrose and tannic acid in drinking water on the fatty acid profile and lipid peroxidation in rat testes. Male Wistar rats were supplemented with sucrose (30% w/v) or with sucrose and tannic acid (sucrose 30% w/v, tannic acid 0.1% w/v) in drinking water. The treatment with sucrose elevated blood glucose levels in the plasma ( p < .05) and decreased the testis weight ( p < .05) and testis index ( p < .05) of the rats. Sucrose treatment increased monounsaturated fatty acids ( MUFA) and C22:6n3, and decreased n6 fatty acids in testis tissue. Lipid peroxidation was significantly increased after sucrose administration in plasma ( p < .05) and testis tissue ( p < .01). The addition of tannic acid led to the decrease in lipid peroxidation in the plasma ( p < .05) and testis ( p < .05), a further increase in MUFA and decrease in n6 fatty acids. In conclusion, sucrose significantly altered the testis fatty acid profile with an increase in MUFA and C22:6n3, and a decrease in n6 fatty acids. Tannic acid attenuated oxidative stress and hyperglycaemia, but it did not improve pathological changes in the fatty acid composition of the testis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to investigate the influence of the short-term addition of sunflower and linseed oil and castration on fatty acid composition and desaturation indexes in chicken broilers. Forty-eight male Ross 308 chicken broilers were supplemented with 5% of sunflower or linseed oil. The four experimental groups were linseed oil supplementation and castration ( LC), linseed oil without castration ( LN), sunflower oil and castration ( SC) and sunflower oil without castration ( SN). There was no significant influence of castration or oil supplement on live weights, weight gain, feed intake or feed conversion. Castration resulted in an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA), total n3, n6, measured desaturation indexes and a decrease in the saturated fatty acid ( SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid ( MUFA) content of abdominal fat. In breast muscle, castration increased PUFA and 18:3n3 values, while in the liver tissue, castration did not influence the parameters measured. Linseed oil supplementation significantly increased 18:3n3, n3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( LC PUFA), total n3 and decreased total n6, n6/n3 ratio, and 20:4n6 content. Values for 20:4n6 were the highest in SC and the lowest in the LC group. Linseed oil also significantly decreased ∆5 and ∆4 desaturation indexes in the thighs and ∆5 and ∆5, 6 in abdominal fat and the liver. These results suggest that short-term supplementation of basal diet with 5% of linseed oil could significantly increase n3 LC PUFA and decrease n6/n3 ratio content in the edible tissues of chicken broilers, without adverse effects on growth performance. Meanwhile, castration only improved fatty acid profile in abdominal fat, which is not nutritionally important. The interactions observed between basal diet, supplemented oil, sex hormones and other non-nutritional factors must be elucidated in future trials in order to correctly predict the nutritional value of linseed-fed poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newly prepared tetracyclic imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine derivatives were synthesized to study their antiproliferative activity against human cancer cells. Additionally, the structure-activity was studied to confirm the impact of the N atom position in pyridine nuclei as well as the chosen amino side chains on antiproliferative activity. Targeted amino substituted regioisomers were prepared by using uncatalyzed amination from corresponding chloro substituted precursors. The most active compounds 6 a, 8 and 10 showed improved activity in comparison to standard drug etoposide with IC 50 values in a nanomolar range of concentration (0.2-0.9 μM). NMR-based metabolomics is a powerful instrument to elucidate activity mechanism of new chemotherapeutics. Multivariate and univariate statistical analysis of metabolic profiles of non-small cell lung cancer cells before and after exposure to 6 a revealed significant changes in metabolism of essential amino acids, glycerophospholipids and oxidative defense. Insight into the changes of metabolic pathways that are heavily involved in cell proliferation and survival provide valuable guidelines for more detailed analysis of activity metabolism and possible targets of this class of bioactive compounds., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death and permanent disability in the world. Rapid diagnosis and intervention are crucial for reducing its consequences on individuals and societies. Therefore, identifying reliable biomarkers for early detection, prognostics, and therapy can facilitate the early prediction and prevention of stroke. Metabolomics has been shown as a promising tool for biomarker discovery since many post-ischemic metabolites can be found in the plasma or serum of the patient. In this research, we performed a comparative targeted metabolomic analysis of stroke thrombi, stroke patient serums, and healthy control serums in order to determine the alteration in the patients' metabolomes, which might serve as biomarkers for early prediction or stroke prevention. The most statistically altered metabolites characterized in the patient serums compared with the control serums were glutamate and serotonin, followed by phospholipids and triacylglycerols. In stroke thrombi compared with the patients' serums, the most significantly altered metabolites were classified as lipids, with choline-containing phospholipids and sphingomyelins having the highest discriminatory score. The results of this preliminary study could help in understanding the roles of different metabolic changes that occur during thrombosis and cerebral ischemia and possibly suggest new metabolic biomarkers for ischemic stroke.

Continuing our research into the anticancer properties of acrylonitriles, we present a study involving the design, synthesis, computational analysis, and biological assessment of novel acrylonitriles derived from methoxy, hydroxy, and N-substituted benzazole. Our aim was to examine how varying the number of methoxy and hydroxy groups, as well as the N-substituents on the benzimidazole core, influences their biological activity. The newly synthesized acrylonitriles exhibited strong and selective antiproliferative effects against the Capan-1 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line, with IC 50 values ranging from 1.2 to 5.3 μM. Consequently, these compounds were further evaluated in three other pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines, while their impact on normal PBMC cells was also investigated to determine selectivity. Among these compounds, the monohydroxy-substituted benzimidazole derivative 27 emerged with the most profound and broad-spectrum anticancer antiproliferative activity being emerged as a promising lead candidate. Moreover, a majority of the acrylonitriles in this series exhibited significant antioxidative activity, surpassing that of the reference molecule BHT, as demonstrated by the FRAP assay (ranging from 3200 to 5235 mmolFe 2+ /mmolC). Computational analysis highlighted the prevalence of electron ionization in conferring antioxidant properties, with computed ionization energies correlating well with observed activities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A recently discovered haplotype- CYP2C:TG -determines the ultrarapid metabolism of several CYP2C19 substrates. The platelet inhibitor clopidogrel requires CYP2C19-mediated activation: the risk of ischemic events is increased in patients with a poor (PM) or intermediate (IM) CYP2C19 metabolizer phenotype (vs. normal, NM; rapid, RM; or ultrarapid, UM). We investigated whether the CYP2C:TG haplotype affected efficacy/bleeding risk in clopidogrel-treated patients. Adults ( n = 283) treated with clopidogrel over 3-6 months were classified by CYP2C19 phenotype based on the CYP2C19*2*17 genotype, and based on the CYP2C19/CYP2C cluster genotype, and regarding carriage of the CYP2:TG haplotype, and were balanced on a number of covariates across the levels of phenotypes/haplotype carriage. Overall, 45 (15.9%) patients experienced ischemic events, and 49 (17.3%) experienced bleedings. By either classification, the incidence of ischemic events was similarly numerically higher in PM/IM patients (21.6%, 21.8%, respectively) than in mutually similar NM, RM, and UM patients (13.2-14.8%), whereas the incidence of bleeding events was numerically lower (13.1% vs. 16.6-20.5%). The incidence of ischemic events was similar in CYP2C:TG carries and non-carries (14.1% vs. 16.1%), whereas the incidence of bleedings appeared mildly lower in the former (14.9% vs. 20.1%). We observed no signal to suggest a major effect of the CYP2C19/CYP2C cluster genotype or CYP2C:TG haplotype on the clinical efficacy/safety of clopidogrel.

This work presents the design, synthesis and biological activity of novel N -substituted benzimidazole carboxamides bearing either a variable number of methoxy and/or hydroxy groups. The targeted carboxamides were designed to investigate the influence of the number of methoxy and/or hydroxy groups, the type of substituent placed on the N atom of the benzimidazole core and the type of substituent placed on the benzimidazole core on biological activity. The most promising derivatives with pronounced antiproliferative activity proved to be N -methyl-substituted derivatives with hydroxyl and methoxy groups at the phenyl ring and cyano groups on the benzimidazole nuclei with selective activity against the MCF-7 cell line (IC 50 = 3.1 μM). In addition, the cyano-substituted derivatives 10 and 11 showed strong antiproliferative activity against the tested cells (IC 50 = 1.2-5.3 μM). Several tested compounds showed significantly improved antioxidative activity in all three methods compared to standard BHT. In addition, the antioxidative activity of 9 , 10 , 32 and 36 in the cells generally confirmed their antioxidant ability demonstrated in vitro. However, their antiproliferative activity was not related to their ability to inhibit oxidative stress nor to their ability to induce it. Compound 8 with two hydroxy and one methoxy group on the phenyl ring showed the strongest antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive strain E. faecalis (MIC = 8 μM).

We present the design, synthesis, computational analysis, and biological assessment of several acrylonitrile derived imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines, which were evaluated for their anticancer and antioxidant properties. Our aim was to explore how the number of hydroxy groups and the nature of nitrogen substituents influence their biological activity. The prepared derivatives exhibited robust and selective antiproliferative effects against several pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells, most markedly targeting Capan-1 cells (IC 50 1.2-5.3 μM), while their selectivity was probed relative to normal PBMC cells. Notably, compound 55, featuring dihydroxy and bromo substituents, emerged as a promising lead molecule. It displayed the most prominent antiproliferative activity without any adverse impact on the viability of normal cells. Furthermore, the majority of studied derivatives also exhibited significant antioxidative activity within the FRAP assay, even surpassing the reference molecule BHT. Computational analysis rationalized the results by highlighting the dominance of the electron ionization for the antioxidant features with the trend in the computed ionization energies well matching the observed activities. Still, in trihydroxy derivatives, their ability to release hydrogen atoms and form a stable O-H⋯O • ⋯H-O fragment upon the H • abstraction prevails, promoting them as excellent antioxidants in DPPH • assays as well., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests. Marijana Hranjec, Robert Vianello reports financial support was provided by Croatian Science Foundation. Marijana Hranjec, Robert Vianello reports a relationship with Croatian Science Foundation that includes: funding grants. - If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Fatty acids (FAs) are of utmost importance in the peripartal period for the development of the central nervous and immune systems of the newborn. The transport of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) through the placenta is considered to be minimal in ruminants. Nevertheless, the cow's FAs are the main source of FAs for the calf during gestation. This research aimed to investigate the influence of low-dose eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during late gestation on the FA metabolism of cows and their calves. A total of 20 Charolais cows during the last month of their gestation were included in the feeding trial and were divided into a control group (CON) and an experimental group (EPA + DHA). The latter received a supplement in the amount of 100 g/day (9.1 and 7.8 g/cow/day of EPA and DHA, respectively). Supplementation of low-dose EPA and DHA alters colostrum and milk fatty acid composition through the elevation of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) without affecting milk fat and protein concentrations and oxidative status. Plasma composition in cows was significantly altered, while the same effect was not detected in calf plasma. No significant change in mRNA expression was detected for the genes fatty acid synthase (FASN) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha (ACACA).

Herein we present the design and the synthesis of novel substituted coumarin-benzimidazole/benzothiazole hybrids bearing a cyclic amidino group on the benzazole core as biologically active agents. All prepared compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral and antioxidative activity as well as for their in vitro antiproliferative activity against a panel of several human cancer cell lines. Coumarin-benzimidazole hybrid 10 (EC 50 9.0-43.8 μM) displayed the most promising broad spectrum antiviral activity, while two other coumarin-benzimidazole hybrids 13 and 14 showed the highest antioxidative capacity in the ABTS assay, superior to the reference standard BHT (IC 50 0.17 and 0.11 mM, respectively). Computational analysis supported these results and demonstrated that these hybrids benefit from the high C-H hydrogen atom releasing tendency of the cationic amidine unit, and the pronounced ease with which they can liberate an electron, promoted by the electron-donating diethylamine group on the coumarin core. The coumarin ring substitution at position 7 with a N , N -diethylamino group also caused a significant enhancement of the antiproliferative activity, with the most active compounds being derivatives with a 2-imidazolinyl amidine group 13 (IC 50 0.3-1.9 μM) and benzothiazole derivative with a hexacyclic amidine group 18 (IC 50 1.3-2.0 μM)., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

In this study, new 7-chloro-4-aminoquinoline-benzimidazole compounds were synthesized and characterized by NMR, MS, and elemental analysis. These novel hybrids differ in the type of linker and in the substituent on the benzimidazole moiety. Their antiproliferative activities were evaluated on one non-tumor (MDCK1) and seven selected tumor (CaCo-2, MCF-7, CCRF-CEM, Hut78, THP-1, and Raji) cell lines by MTT test and flow cytometry analysis. The compounds with different types of linkers and an unsubstituted benzimidazole ring, 5d , 8d , and 12d, showed strong cytotoxic activity (the GI 50 ranged from 0.4 to 8 µM) and effectively suppressed the cell cycle progression in the leukemia and lymphoma cells. After 24 h of treatment, compounds 5d and 12d induced the disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential as well as apoptosis in HuT78 cells. The drug-like properties and bioavailability of the compounds were calculated using the Swiss ADME web tool, and a molecular docking study was performed on tyrosine-protein kinase c-Src (PDB: 3G6H). Compound 12d showed good solubility and permeability and bound to c-Src with an energy of -119.99 kcal/mol, forming hydrogen bonds with Glu310 and Asp404 in the active site and other residues with van der Waals interactions. The results suggest that compound 12d could be a leading compound in the further design of effective antitumor drugs.

As a result of our previous research focussed on benzimidazoles, herein we present design, synthesis, QSAR analysis and biological activity of novel N-substituted benzimidazole derived carboxamides. Carboxamides were designed to study the influence of the number of methoxy groups, the type of the substituent placed at the benzimidazole core on biological activity. Pronounced antioxidative activity displayed unsubstituted 28 (IC 50  ≈ 3.78 mM, 538.81 mmolFe 2+ /mmolC) and dimethoxy substituted derivative 34 (IC 50  ≈ 5.68 mM, 618.10 mmolFe 2+ /mmolC). Trimethoxy substituted 43 and unsubstituted compound 40 with isobutyl side chain at N atom showed strong activity against HCT116 (IC 50  ≈ 0.6 µM, both) and H 460 cells (IC 50  ≈ 2.5 µM; 0.4 µM), being less cytotoxic towards non-tumour cell. Antioxidative activity in cell generally confirmed relatively modest antioxidant capacity obtained in DPPH/FRAP assays of derivatives 34 and 40 . The 3D-QSAR models were generated to explore molecular properties that have the highest influence on antioxidative activity.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is chronic, autoimmune joint inflammation characterized by irreversible joint destruction. Besides increased resorption, destruction is a result of decreased bone formation, due to suppressed differentiation and function of the mesenchymal lineage-derived osteoblasts in inflammatory milieu. In this study, we analyzed the cellular composition of synovial tissue from 11 RA and 10 control patients harvested during planned surgeries in order to characterize resident synovial progenitor populations. Synovial cells were released by collagenase, and labeled for flow cytometry by two antibody panels: 1. CD3-FITC, CD14-PE, 7-AAD, CD11b-PECy7, CD235a-APC, CD19-APCeF780; and 2. 7-AAD, CD105-PECy7, CD45/CD31/CD235a-APC, and CD200-APCeF780. The proportions of lymphocytes (CD3 + , CD19 + ) and myeloid (CD11b + , CD14 + ) cells were higher in synovial tissue from the patients with RA than in the controls. Among non-hematopoietic (CD45 - CD31 - CD235a - ) cells, there was a decrease in the proportion of CD200 + CD105 - and increase in the proportion of CD200 - CD105 + cells in synovial tissue from the patients with RA in comparison to the control patients. The proportions of both populations were associated with inflammatory activity and could discriminate between the RA and the controls.

Scope: Exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) from early-life is associated with a testicular metabolic signature link to abnormal sperm parameters up to two generations after exposure in mice. Hereby, this study describes a testicular lipid signature associate with "inherited metabolic memory" of exposure to HFD, persisting up to two generations in mice., Methods and Results: Diet-challenged mice (n = 36) are randomly fed after weaning with standard chow (CTRL); HFD for 200 days or transient HFD (HFD t ) (60 days of HFD + 140 days of standard chow). Subsequent generations (36 mice per generation) are fed with chow diet. Mice are euthanized 200 days post-weaning. Glucose homeostasis, serum hormones, testicular bioenergetics, and antioxidant enzyme activity are evaluated. Testicular lipid-related metabolites and fatty acids are characterized by 1 H-NMR and GC-MS. Sons of HFD display impaired choline metabolism, mitochondrial activity, and antioxidant defenses, while grandsons show a shift in testicular ω3/ω6 ratio towards a pro-inflammatory environment. Grandsons of HFDt raise 3-hydroxybutyrate levels with possible implications to testicular insulin resistance. Sperm counts decrease in grandsons of HFD-exposed mice, regardless of the duration of exposure., Conclusion: HFD-induced "inherited metabolic memory" alters testicular fatty acid metabolism with consequences to sperm parameters up to two generations., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The objective of this study was to examine the benefits of different n6/n3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios on the lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress in the adipose tissue of rats fed a high-fructose diet. Male and female rats were divided into four groups: a control group (CON) (n6/n3 ratio ~7), a high-fructose group (HF) (n6/n3 ratio ~7), an N6-HF group (n6/n3 ratio ~50), and the DHA-HF group (n6/n3 ratio ~1, with the addition of docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acid). The CON group received plain water and the HF group received 15% fructose in their drinking water. Fructose induced an increase in the content of serum triglycerides, serum cholesterol, and HOMA-IR index. Among the fatty acids, elevated proportions of C18:1n9 and C16:1n7, as well as an increase in total monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), were found in the adipose tissue of the HF group. Fructose treatment also changed oxidative parameters, including a marked increase in the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Meanwhile, DHA supplementation caused a significant decrease in the serum MDA concentration in comparison with the HF group. In addition, DHA/EPA supplementation attenuated oxidative stress by increasing NRF 2 gene expression. Fructose treatment also significantly decreased the adiponectin level, while DHA supplementation ameliorated it. The changes observed in this trial, including the decrease in the content of DHA and EPA, the decreased EPA/ARA ratio, and the increase in the expression of inflammatory genes, are characteristics of the low-grade inflammation caused by fructose treatment. These changes in the rat adipose tissue could be prevented by dietary intervention consisting of DHA supplementation and a low n6/n3 ratio.

We compared the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of two propolis extracts: one obtained with nonaqueous polyethylene glycol, PEG 400 (PgEP), and the other obtained with ethanol (EEP) . We analyzed the total phenolic content (TPC) and the concentrations of ten markers of propolis antioxidant activity with HPLC-UV: caffeic acid, p -coumaric acid, trans -ferulic acid, trans -cinnamic acid, kaempferol, apigenin, pinocembrin, chrysin, CAPE, and galangin. Antioxidant activity was tested using DPPH and FRAP assay, and antimicrobial activity was assessed through minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) determination. Maceration gave the yield of propolis of 25.2 ± 0.08% in EEP, and 21.5 ± 0.24% in PgEP. All ten markers of antioxidant activity were found in both extracts, with all marker concentrations, except kaempferol, higher in EEP. There was no significant difference between the TPC and antioxidant activity of the PgEP and the EEP extract; TPC of PgEP was 16.78 ± 0.23 mg/mL, while EEP had TPC of 15.92 ± 0.78 mg/mL. Both extracts had antimicrobial activity against most investigated pathogens and Staphylococcus aureus , Acinetobacter baumannii , and Escherichia coli biofilms. EEP was more effective against all tested susceptible pathogens, except E. coli , possibly due to higher content of kaempferol in PgEP relative to other polyphenols. Nonaqueous PEG 400 could be used for propolis extraction. It gives extracts with comparable concentrations of antioxidants and has a good antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. It is a safe excipient, convenient for pediatric and veterinary formulations.

Background: Benzazole and coumarin derivatives are one of the most privileged heterocyclic substructures in the medicinal chemistry with well-known biological features, which include a wide range of versatile biological activities as well as excellent spectroscopic characteristics thus offering their potential application in many research fields., Objective: The prepared iminocoumarins were synthesized to evaluate their antioxidative potential by using ABTS and FRAP assays and in vitro antiproliferative activity., Methods: A series of coumarin derivatives containing a 2-benzazole motif were synthesized and evaluated for their antioxidative capacity and antiproliferative activity. Their molecular structure incorporates a push-pull functionality: an electron donor donating group at the 7-position with an electron-withdrawing group, such as benzimidazole, benzothiazole and imidazopyridine fragment at the 3-position., Results: The iminocoumarins bearing different substituents on 7-position were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity on tree cancer cells with only 4 compounds showing the antiproliferative activity. The most active derivative was N,N-diethylamino substituted benzimidazole derivative 4d and imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine analogue 6b, both also displayed selective activity toward CEM with submicromolar inhibitory concentration (0.059 μM; 0.17 ± 0.09, respectively). The inhibitory effect of 4d and 6b derivatives on the cell-cycle progression of HeLa cells was studied. A flow cytometric analysis of the HeLa cells indicated an appreciable cell-cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner. Antioxidant properties were studied by ABTS and FRAP assays and obtained results revealed that the most promising antioxidant has proven to be compound 3b while other compounds, in general, showed moderate to very low antioxidative capacity in both assays., Conclusion: Unsubstituted benzimidazole derivatives bearing hydroxyl group on iminocoumarin nuclei exhibited the most prominent antioxidant potential in ABTS assay (3b; 40.5 ± 0.01). The most significant and selective antiproliferative activity was displayed by compounds 4d and 6b (0.059 μM; 0.17 ± 0.09, respectively), which were chosen as lead compounds for further optimization and rational design to obtain more active and selective antiproliferative agents., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Childhood obesity is a serious concern associated with ill health later in life. Emerging data suggest that obesity has long-term adverse effects upon male sexual and reproductive health, but few studies have addressed this issue. We hypothesized that exposure to high-fat diet during early life alters testicular lipid content and metabolism, leading to permanent damage to sperm parameters. After weaning ( day 21 after birth), 36 male mice were randomly divided into three groups and fed with a different diet regimen for 200 days: a standard chow diet (CTRL), a high-fat diet (HFD) (carbohydrate: 35.7%, protein: 20.5%, and fat: 36.0%), and a high-fat diet for 60 days, then replaced by standard chow (HFD t ). Biometric and metabolic data were monitored. Animals were then euthanized, and tissues were collected. Epididymal sperm parameters and endocrine parameters were evaluated. Testicular metabolites were extracted and characterized by 1H-NMR and GC-MS. Testicular mitochondrial and antioxidant activity were evaluated. Our results show that mice fed with a high-fat diet, even if only until early adulthood, had lower sperm viability and motility, and higher incidence of head and tail defects. Although diet reversion with weight loss during adulthood prevents the progression of metabolic syndrome, testicular content in fatty acids is irreversibly affected. Excessive fat intake promoted an overaccumulation of proinflammatory n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the testis, which is strongly correlated with negative effects upon sperm quality. Therefore, the adoption of high-fat diets during early life correlates with irreversible changes in testicular lipid content and metabolism, which are related to permanent damage to sperm quality later in life.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as a cluster of interrelated factors that significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the connection between MetS and its diagnostic criteria with the severity and outcome of stroke after recanalization therapy. Methods: Ninety four patients with acute ischemic stroke were included in the study. Patients were categorized into two groups: with ( n  = 47) or without MetS ( n  = 47). We analyzed their demographic data, medical history, individual criteria for MetS, anthropometric characteristics, stroke severity (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS], neuroimaging criteria, laboratory), recanalization treatment method (thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy), recanalization rate, and in-hospital complications rate. Late outcome (in 12 months follow-up) was measured by modified Rankin scale, followed by functional evaluation of plegic hand, walking assessment, self-care ability, physical therapy days, and major adverse cardiovascular events. MetS was determined, in case the participant had three of the five criteria using National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines. A probability value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 92.6% of all patients had hypertension and 63.8% were obese. Despite the fact that there were no statistically significant differences in stroke severity and/or recanalization rate between two groups, MetS patients had to use devices more, while performing hand functions ( P  = 0.027). Nonassisted walking was proved to be more frequent among patients without MetS ( P  = 0.020). MetS patients proved less ability for self-care (44.4% vs. 75%, P  = 0.031) and spent more days in physical therapy (median 30.0 vs. 16.5, P  = 0.043). Conclusion: MetS in poststroke patients is related with poorer recovery of hand function, walking abilities, and more days spent in physical therapy.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of high-fat (HF) and cafeteria diet (CAF) diets and sex on the metabolism of important fatty acids in the liver and perirenal fat tissue. Dietary treatments induced changes in the fatty acid profile in comparison to the untreated group, but the characteristic differences between treated groups were also observable. The HF diet induced an increase in the content of C16:1 n -7 and C18:1 n -7 in the liver phospholipids (PL) and triglycerides (TG) and perirenal fat tissue compared to the control and CAF diet. The CAF diet induced a more drastic decrease in both n -3 and n -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including depletion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The CAF diet also increased the content of n -6 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA n -6) in the liver and decreased it in the perirenal fat. Sex also had a significant influence on the fatty acid profile, but the variables with the highest differences between the CAF and HF treatments were identical in the male and female rats. In this study, we have established that two dietary models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) led to characteristic changes in the hepatic and perirenal fat fatty acid profile, in contrast to the control diet and in comparison with each other. These differences could play an important role in the interpretation of the experimental results of nutritional studies.

We present a new efficient green synthetic protocol for introduction of substituents to the C-6 position of 2-arylbenzothiazole nuclei. Newly synthesized compounds were designed to study the influence of the hydroxy and methoxy groups on the 2-arylbenzothiazole scaffold, as well as the influence of the type of substituents placed on the C-6 position of benzothiazole moiety on biological activity, including antibacterial, antitumor and antioxidant activity. Modest activity was observed against the tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains for only amidino derivatives 5d and 6d. The tested compounds exhibited moderate to strong antiproliferative activity towards the tumor cell lines tested. The SAR study revealed that the introduction of substituents into the benzene ring of the benzothiazole nuclei is essential for antiproliferative activity, while introduction of the hydroxy group into the 2-aryl moiety of the 2-arybenzothiazole scaffold significantly improved selectivity against tumor cell lines. The observed results revealed several novel 6-substituted-2-arylbenzothiazole compounds, 5b, 5c, 5f and 6f, with strong and selective antiproliferative activity towards HeLa cells in micro and submicromolar concentrations, with the most selective compounds being 6-ammonium-2-(2-hydroxy/methoxyphenyl)benzothiazoles 5f and 6f. The compound 5f bearing the hydroxy group on the 2-arylbenzothiazole core showed the most promising antioxidative activity evaluated by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP in vitro assays. The presence of the amino protonated group attached at the benzothiazole moiety was essential for the antiproliferative and antioxidant activity observed, exerted through a change in the levels of the reactive oxygen species-modulated HIF-1 protein., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim was to explore the influence of experimental diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) and potential protective/deleterious effects of different dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios on renal phospholipid composition and pathological changes caused by DM1. Male Wistar rats were injected with 55 mg/kg streptozotocin or citrate buffer (control group). Control (C) and diabetic groups (STZ) were fed with n-6/n-3 ratio of ≈ 7, STZ + N6 with n-6/n-3 ratio ≈ 60 and STZ + DHA with n-6/n-3 ratio of ≈ 1 containing 16% EPA and 19% DHA. Tissues were harvested 30 days after DM1 induction. Blood and kidneys were collected and analysed for phospholipid fatty acid composition, pathohystological changes, ectopic lipid accumulation and expression of VEGF, NF-kB and special AT-rich sequence-binding protein-1 (SATB1). Pathological changes were studied also by using transmission electron microscopy, after immunostaining for VEGF. Substantial changes in renal phospholipid fatty acid composition resulted from DM1 and dietary PUFA manipulation. Extensive vacuolization of distal tubular cells (DTCs) was found in DM1, but it was attenuated in the STZ + DHA group, in which the highest renal NF-kB expression was observed. The ectopic lipid accumulation was observed in proximal tubular cells (PTCs) of all diabetic animals, but it was worsened in the STZ + N6 group. In DM1, we found disturbance of VEGF-transporting vesicular PTCs system, which was substantially worsened in STZ + DHA and STZ + N6. Results have shown that the early phase of DN is characterized with extent damage and vacuolization of DTCs, which could be attenuated by DHA/EPA supplementation. We concluded that dietary fatty acid composition can strongly influence the outcomes of DN.

We present the synthesis of a range of benzimidazole/benzothiazole-2-carboxamides with a variable number of methoxy and hydroxy groups, substituted with nitro, amino, or amino protonated moieties, which were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity in vitro and the antioxidant capacity. Antiproliferative features were tested on three human cancer cells, while the antioxidative activity was measured using 1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Trimethoxy substituted benzimidazole-2-carboxamide 8 showed the most promising antiproliferative activity (IC 50 = 0.6-2.0 µM), while trihydroxy substituted benzothiazole-2-carboxamide 29 was identified as the most promising antioxidant, being significantly more potent than the reference butylated hydroxytoluene BHT in both assays. Moreover, the latter also displays antioxidative activity in tumor cells. The measured antioxidative capacities were rationalized through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, showing that 29 owes its activity to the formation of two [O•∙∙∙H-O] hydrogen bonds in the formed radical. Systems 8 and 29 were both chosen as lead compounds for further optimization of the benzazole-2-carboxamide scaffold in order to develop more efficient antioxidants and/or systems with the antiproliferative activity.

We studied the influence of dietary n6/n3 ratio and docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids supplementation on fatty acid profile, lipid peroxidation and NFκ/p50 expression in diabetes type 2. Treatments consisted of three dietary n6/n3 ratios: 6 (Control), 50 (high n6) and 1 (DHA and EPA supplemented). Half of the rats in each of the dietary treatments were made diabetic using the fructose/low-streptozotocin model. The Control and high n6 diets decreased EPA/ARA (arachidonic acid) ratios in the plasma and in the hepatic tissue suggesting proinflammatory fatty acid profile. The high n6 diet additionally increased the 4-HNE and NFκ/p50 expression in the hepatic tissue. These changes were the consequence of a decrease in the plasma content of DHA and EPA and an increase in the content of arachidonic acid in the liver neutral lipids. The supplementation with the DHA and EPA attenuated the change in EPA/ARA ratios, which imply the importance of the n6/n3 ratio in diabetes type 2., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) represents an effective procedure for treating carotid artery disease. The acute in-stent thrombosis is an extremely rare complication of CAS especially when it occurs postprocedurally during the first 24 hours. Improper antiplatelet therapy or poor response to antiplatelet medications is known to be associated with a higher risk of in-stent thrombosis during early postprocedural period following a successful intervention., Material and Methods: A patient who experienced acute carotid in-stent thrombosis in early postprocedural period is described. He had been taking dual antiplatelet therapy for 2 weeks before undergoing a successful CAS. Moreover, pharmacogenetics studies showed the patient to be a clopidogrel ultrarapid metabolizer, which theoretically confers hyperresponsivity to medication. Alongside the report itself, a brief literature review of relevant sources pertinent to the case has been conducted., Results: According to the available literature, this is the first case report describing an ultrarapid clopidogrel metabolizer who underwent an uneventful CAS but experienced acute carotid in-stent thrombosis in early postprocedural period. A rescue procedure included an endovascular intervention consisting of thrombectomy and local alteplase application, followed by postprocedural administration of intravenous eptifibatide. At discharge, patient's dual antiplatelet therapy included ticagrelor instead of clopidogrel., Conclusion: Acute carotid in-stent thrombosis is a highly unexpected complication of CAS and can occur despite ultrarapid clopidogrel metabolism trait.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of different dietary n6/n3 ratios and DHA/EPA addition on the testis histology, antioxidative status and lipogenesis of streptozotocin-treated rats. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). The rats were divided into five groups: CON (n6/n3 ratio, 7), CON-DM1 (STZ; n6/n3 ratio, 7), N3-DM1 (STZ; n6/n3 ratio, 1), N6-DM1 (STZ; n6/n3 ratio, 60) and DHA-DM1 (STZ; n6/n3 ratio, 1; added DHA/EPA). Antioxidative status was improved in the DHA-DM1 group. Seminiferous tubule diameter, testicular pathohistological scoring and total lipid content were improved in the N6-DM1 group compared to the other streptozotocin-treated groups. Streptozotocin treatment induced changes in testis fatty acid profile depending on n6/n3 ratio. The fatty acid profile of N6-DM1 group was characterised by similar or increased values for n6 fatty acids compared to the CON group, while the DHA-DM1 group had the lowest content of n6 fatty acids. The content of n3 fatty acids was increased in the N3-DM1 and DHA-DM1 groups. These results suggest that a n6/n3 ratio could significantly influence testicular antioxidative status, histology and lipogenesis and that these effects vary depending on the supplemented fatty acid., (© 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

We prepared a range of N-arylbenzamides with a variable number of methoxy and hydroxy groups, bearing either amino or amino-protonated moieties, and used DPPH and FRAP assays to evaluate their antioxidant capacity. Most of the systems exhibit improved antioxidative properties relative to the reference BHT molecule in both assays. Combining results from both sets of experiments, the most promising antioxidative potential was displayed by the trihydroxy derivative 26, which we propose as a lead compound for a further optimization of the benzamide scaffold. Computational analysis helped in interpreting the observed trends and demonstrated that protonated systems are better antioxidants than their neutral counterparts, while underlying the positive influence of the electron-donating methoxy group on the antioxidant properties, thus confirming the experiments. It also revealed that the introduction of the hydroxy groups shifts the reactivity from both amide and amine groups toward this moiety and additionally enhances antioxidative features. This is particularly evident in 26H •+ , which owes its pronounced reactivity to the stabilizing [O • ···H-O] hydrogen bonding between the created phenoxyl radical and the two neighboring hydroxy groups. We demonstrated that its antioxidative activities are more favorable than those for analogous trihydroxy derivatives without the N-phenyl group or without the amide moiety, which strongly justifies the employed strategy in utilizing bisphenylamides in designing potent antioxidants.

Scope: We investigated the interaction between streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes and dietary n6/n3 ratio, and its influence on lipogenesis., Methods and Results: The animals were treated with STZ and fed with different dietary n6/n3 ratios: 1, 7, and 60, or supplemented with DHA/EPA. Gene expression was assessed by RT-PCR and protein expression by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Fatty acid profile was determined by GC-MS. Pancreas and liver histology were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. STZ-induced characteristic changes in all STZ treated groups, including: increased blood glucose, decreased body mass, increased lipid peroxidation and CD36 expression, decreased 16:1n7 and 18:1n7, increases in 20:3n6, decreases in phospholipid (PL) content of 20:4n6, as well as decreases in the expression of SREBP1c, Δ-9-desaturase (Δ9D), and Δ-5-desaturase (Δ5D). Additionally, other changes occurred that were dependent on the n6/n3 ratio. Among the diabetic groups, the lower n6/n3 ratio caused higher lipid peroxidation and CD36 expression, a greater decrease in 20:4n6 and decreased Δ6-desaturase (Δ6D) expression, while the higher n6/n3 ratio caused increased partitioning of 20:4n6 into hepatic neutral lipids (NL), a decrease in 20:5n3 content, and increased β-oxidation., Conclusion: Presented data suggest that the n6/n3 ratio could significantly influence lipogenesis, lipid peroxidation, and β-oxidation in STZ-induced diabetes, which could have clinical significance., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Four series of new hybrid molecules with 7-chloroquinoline and arylamidine moieties joined through the rigid -O- (groups I (2a-g) and II (5a-g)) or flexible -NH-CH 2 -CH 2 -O- (groups III (8a-g) and IV (10a-g)) linker were synthesized, and their DNA/RNA binding properties and cytotoxic activity were tested, against several human cancer lines. The compounds and their interaction with DNA and RNA were studied by UV-Vis and CD spectroscopy. The obtained results showed that the binding affinity of the investigated compounds increases proportionally with the increase of the length and number of groups able to form hydrogen bonds with ds-polynucleotides. Improvement of binding was additionally achieved by reduction of the structural rigidity of the investigated compounds, new hybrid compounds preferentially bind to ctDNA. For most of them the DNA/RNA grooves are dominant binding sites, except for the compounds from group II for which intercalation in polyA-polyU was the dominant binding mode. The antiproliferative effects were tested by the MTT test on normal (MDCK1), carcinoma (HeLa and CaCo2) and leukemia cell lines (Raji and K462). The GI 50 values for all investigated compounds ranged from 5 to more than 100 × 10 -6  mol dm -3 . Carcinoma cells were more resistant to the investigated compounds than leukemia cells. The most effective compounds against leukemia cell lines were from group IV (10a-g), with GI 50 values ranging from of 5 and 35 × 10 -6  mol dm -3 . The cell cycle arrest was investigated by flow cytometry and the obtained results indicate that the selected compounds, 2d, 2e, 8a, 10d, 10e, and 10f, induce changes in the cell cycle of treated cells, but the cycle phase distribution varies between them. A significant decrease in the number of cells in S phase (p < 0.001) was observed in all treated cells, but only 10d and 10f induce cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, dominantly., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

We investigated the influence of high sucrose intake, administered in drinking water, on the lipid profile of the brain and on the expression of SREBP1c and Δ-desaturase genes. Adult male rats received 30% sucrose solution for 20 weeks (Sucrose group), or plain water (Control group). After the 20th week of sucrose treatment, the Sucrose group showed permanent hyperglycemia. Sucrose treatment also increased the amount of total lipids and fatty acids in the brain. The brain fatty acid profile of total lipids as well as phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and cardiolipin of the Sucrose group was extensively changed. The most interesting change was a significant decrease in n6 fatty acids, including the important arachidonic acid, whereas the content of oleic and docosahexaenoic acid remained unchanged. RT-qPCR revealed an increase in Δ-5-desaturase and SREBP1c gene expression. In conclusion, high sucrose intake via drinking water extensively changes rat brain fatty acid profile by decreasing n6 fatty acids, including arachidonic acid. In contrast, the content of docosahexaenoic acid remains constant in the brain total lipids as well as in phospholipids. Changes in the brain fatty acid profile reflect changes in the lipid metabolism of the rat lipogenic tissues and concentrations in the circulation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A series of pyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazoles has been designed, and novel examples are synthesized and evaluated for their potential antiproliferative activity against four human tumour cell lines-cervical (HeLa), colorectal (SW620), breast (MCF-7) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2). In addition, their antioxidative potency has been evaluated by in vitro spectrophotometric assays. Preliminary structure-activity relationships among the synthesized compounds are discussed. Evaluation of their antioxidative capacity has shown that two compounds (25 and 26) possess promising reducing characteristics and free radical scavenging activity. Selective antiproliferative effect in the single-digit micromolar range was observed for compound 25 on MCF-7 [Formula: see text] and HeLa [Formula: see text] cell lines, comparable to the standards 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. The combination of the radical scavenging activity and antiproliferative activity of compound 25 positions this compound as a potential lead candidate for further optimization.

We studied the influence of sucrose in drinking water on liver histology, fatty acid profile and lipogenic genes expression in rats maintained on high-fiber. The experimental groups were: control group (water) and sucrose group (sucrose solution in drinking water, 30% w/v). Liver histology of sucrose treated rats revealed steatosis and increased number of αSMA immunoreactive cells without the signs of fibrosis. Sucrose treatment increased de novo lipogenesis, lipid peroxidation and MUFA content and decreased PUFA content, C18:2n6 and C20:4n6 content in total phospholipids and phosphatidylethanolamine and C18:2n6 content in cardiolipin. RT-qPCR revealed increase in Δ-9-desaturase and SREBP1c gene expression and decrease in the Δ-5-desaturase and elongase 5 expression. Treatment with sucrose extensively changes fatty acid composition of hepatic lipid and phospholipid classes including cardiolipin, increases oxidative stress and causes pathological changes in liver in rats maintained on high-fiber diet., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)