Anti-Nociceptive Effects of Sphingomyelinase and Methyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin in the Icilin-Induced Mouse Pain Model

The thermo- and pain-sensitive Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 and 8 (TRPM3 and TRPM8) ion channels are functionally associated in the lipid rafts of the plasma membrane. We have already described that cholesterol and sphingomyelin depletion, or inhibition of sphingolipid biosynthesis decreased the TRPM8 but not the TRPM3 channel opening on cultured sensory neurons. We aimed to test the effects of lipid raft disruptors on channel activation on TRPM3- and TRPM8-expressing HEK293T cells in vitro, as well as their potential analgesic actions in TRPM3 and TRPM8 channel activation involving acute pain models in mice. CHO cell viability was examined after lipid raft disruptor treatments and their effects on channel activation on channel expressing HEK293T cells by measurement of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration were monitored. The effects of treatments were investigated in Pregnenolone-Sulphate-CIM-0216-evoked and icilin-induced acute nocifensive pain models in mice. Cholesterol depletion decreased CHO cell viability. Sphingomyelinase and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin reduced the duration of icilin-evoked nocifensive behavior, while lipid raft disruptors did not inhibit the activity of recombinant TRPM3 and TRPM8. We conclude that depletion of sphingomyelin or cholesterol from rafts can modulate the function of native TRPM8 receptors. Furthermore, sphingolipid cleavage provided superiority over cholesterol depletion, and this method can open novel possibilities in the management of different pain conditions.

Lipid raft disruption as an opportunity for peripheral analgesia

Chronic pain conditions are unmet medical needs, since the available drugs, opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs and adjuvant analgesics do not provide satisfactory therapeutic effect in a great proportion of patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find novel targets and novel therapeutic approaches that differ from classical pharmacological receptor antagonism. Most ion channels and receptors involved in pain sensation and processing such as Transient Receptor Potential ion channels, opioid receptors, P2X purinoreceptors and neurokinin 1 receptor are located in the lipid raft regions of the plasma membrane. Targeting the membrane lipid composition and structure by sphingolipid or cholesterol depletion might open future perspectives for the therapy of chronic inflammatory, neuropathic or cancer pain, most importantly acting at the periphery.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes identify nuanced dietary changes from the Bronze and Iron Ages on the Great Hungarian Plain

The Great Hungarian Plain (GHP) served as a geographic funnel for population mobility throughout prehistory. Genomic and isotopic research demonstrates non-linear genetic turnover and technological shifts between the Copper and Iron Ages of the GHP, which influenced the dietary strategies of numerous cultures that intermixed and overlapped through time. Given the complexities of these prehistoric cultural and demographic processes, this study aims to identify and elucidate diachronic and culture-specific dietary signatures. We report on stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from 74 individuals from nineteen sites in the GHP dating to a ~ 3000-year time span between the Early Bronze and Early Iron Ages. The samples broadly indicate a terrestrial C₃ diet with nuanced differences amongst populations and through time, suggesting exogenous influences that manifested in subsistence strategies. Slightly elevated δ¹⁵N values for Bronze Age samples imply higher reliance on protein than in the Iron Age. Interestingly, the Füzesabony have carbon values typical of C₄ vegetation indicating millet consumption, or that of a grain with comparable δ¹³C ratios, which corroborates evidence from outside the GHP for its early cultivation during the Middle Bronze Age. Finally, our results also suggest locally diverse subsistence economies for GHP Scythians.

Newly Diagnosed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia During Symptomatic COVID-19: Two Cases

Patients suffering from malignant diseases have a high risk of developing severe or critical forms of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is characterized by dysregulated adaptive and innate immune responses, because both T and B cells, the function of phagocytes and the activity of the complement system may be affected. Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection also influences the immunological functions mainly via causing the depletion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. We present the cases of two patients, whose de novo CLL were observed during severe COVID-19 pneumonia. A 43-year-old man with IDDM (Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) was sent to hospital in February 2021. He had a bilateral severe COVID-19 pneumonia. There was a suspected sign of malignancy on a thoracic vertebra in his chest CT, and haematological consultation was requested. In parallel, a 53-year-old man was hospitalized in March of 2021 because of severe COVID-19 pneumonia. CLL was suspected based on his haematology test results (WBC: 123 G/L, lymphocytes: 91%, haemoglobin: 107 g/L). Flow cytometric analysis revealed CLL in both cases. Based on the result of the molecular genetic tests, the first patient had a good prognosis in Rai 0 stage, while the other patient suffered from Rai I stage with a worse prognosis. Both patients recovered from bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia without the need for intensive care unit treatment. The follow-up of these CLL patients that manifested during symptomatic COVID-19 disease further enriched our knowledge on such clinical conditions where the immune system is dysfunctional due to different simultaneous causes.

An integrative skeletal and paleogenomic analysis of stature variation suggests relatively reduced health for early European farmers

Human culture, biology, and health were shaped dramatically by the onset of agriculture ∼12,000 y B.P. This shift is hypothesized to have resulted in increased individual fitness and population growth as evidenced by archaeological and population genomic data alongside a decline in physiological health as inferred from skeletal remains. Here, we consider osteological and ancient DNA data from the same prehistoric individuals to study human stature variation as a proxy for health across a transition to agriculture. Specifically, we compared “predicted” genetic contributions to height from paleogenomic data and “achieved” adult osteological height estimated from long bone measurements for 167 individuals across Europe spanning the Upper Paleolithic to Iron Age (∼38,000 to 2,400 B.P.). We found that individuals from the Neolithic were shorter than expected (given their individual polygenic height scores) by an average of −3.82 cm relative to individuals from the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic (P = 0.040) and −2.21 cm shorter relative to post-Neolithic individuals (P = 0.068), with osteological vs. expected stature steadily increasing across the Copper (+1.95 cm relative to the Neolithic), Bronze (+2.70 cm), and Iron (+3.27 cm) Ages. These results were attenuated when we additionally accounted for genome-wide genetic ancestry variation: for example, with Neolithic individuals −2.82 cm shorter than expected on average relative to pre-Neolithic individuals (P = 0.120). We also incorporated observations of paleopathological indicators of nonspecific stress that can persist from childhood to adulthood in skeletal remains into our model. Overall, our work highlights the potential of integrating disparate datasets to explore proxies of health in prehistory.

A minimally destructive protocol for DNA extraction from ancient teeth

Ancient DNA sampling methods-although optimized for efficient DNA extraction-are destructive, relying on drilling or cutting and powdering (parts of) bones and teeth. As the field of ancient DNA has grown, so have concerns about the impact of destructive sampling of the skeletal remains from which ancient DNA is obtained. Due to a particularly high concentration of endogenous DNA, the cementum of tooth roots is often targeted for ancient DNA sampling, but destructive sampling methods of the cementum often result in the loss of at least one entire root. Here, we present a minimally destructive method for extracting ancient DNA from dental cementum present on the surface of tooth roots. This method does not require destructive drilling or grinding, and, following extraction, the tooth remains safe to handle and suitable for most morphological studies, as well as other biochemical studies, such as radiocarbon dating. We extracted and sequenced ancient DNA from 30 teeth (and nine corresponding petrous bones) using this minimally destructive extraction method in addition to a typical tooth sampling method. We find that the minimally destructive method can provide ancient DNA that is of comparable quality to extracts produced from teeth that have undergone destructive sampling processes. Further, we find that a rigorous cleaning of the tooth surface combining diluted bleach and UV light irradiation seems sufficient to minimize external contaminants usually removed through the physical removal of a superficial layer when sampling through regular powdering methods.

A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation

Subduction zones are pivotal for the recycling of Earth’s outer layer into its interior. However, the conditions under which new subduction zones initiate are enigmatic. Here, we constructed a transdisciplinary database featuring detailed analysis of more than a dozen documented subduction zone initiation events from the last hundred million years. Our initial findings reveal that horizontally forced subduction zone initiation is dominant over the last 100 Ma, and that most initiation events are proximal to pre-existing subduction zones. The SZI Database is expandable to facilitate access to the most current understanding of subduction zone initiation as research progresses, providing a community platform that establishes a common language to sharpen discussion across the Earth Science community.

Despite numerous advances in our understanding of subduction since the theory of plate tectonics was established, the mechanisms of subduction zone initiation remain highly controversial. Here, the authors present a transdisciplinary and expandable community database of subduction zone initiation events in the last 100 Ma, which establishes a clear direction for future research.

Central and peripheral vagal mechanisms involved in gastric protection against ethanol injury

Activation of medullary thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), at a dose subthreshold to increase gastric acid secretion, protects the gastric mucosa against ethanol injury through vagal cholinergic pathways in urethane-anaesthetized rats. Peripheral mediators involve the efferent function of capsaicin-sensitive splanchnic afferents leading to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)- and nitric oxide (NO)-dependent gastric vasodilatory mechanisms. In addition, gastric prostaglandins participate in gastric protection through mechanisms independent of the stimulation of gastric mucosal blood flow and mucus secretion. Medullary TRH has physiological relevance in the vagal-dependent adaptive gastric protection induced by mild (acid or ethanol), followed by strong, irritants. Additional neuropeptides, namely peptide YY (PYY), somatostatin analogues, CGRP and adrenomedullin, also act in the brainstem to induce a vagal-dependent gastric protection against ethanol through interactions with their specific receptors in the medulla. Central PYY and adrenomedullin act through vagal cholinergic prostaglandins and NO pathways, while somatostatin analogue acts through vagal non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic vasoactive intestinal peptide and NO mechanisms. Although their biological relevance is still to be established, these peptides provide additional tools to investigate the multiple vagal-dependent mechanisms which increase the resistance of the gastric mucosa to injury.