“
“Females
live longer than males. We have shown that the higher levels of estrogens in females protect them against aging, by up-regulating OICR-9429 mw the expression of antioxidant, longevity-related genes, such as that of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD). Both estradiol and genistein (the most abundant phytoestrogen in soybeans) share chemical properties which confer antioxidant features to these compounds. However, the low concentration of estrogens and phytoestrogens make it unlikely that they exhibit significant antioxidant capacity in the organism. Physiological concentrations of estrogens and nutritionally relevant concentrations of genistein activate the MAP kinase pathway. These, in turn, activate the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) signaling pathway. Activation of NF-kappa B by estrogens subsequently activates the expression of Mn-SOD and GPx, but genistein is check details only capable of activating Mn-SOD expression. This could be due to the fact that genistein binds preferably to estrogen receptor beta. The antioxidant protection is reflected in the lower peroxide levels found in cells treated with estrogens or phytoestrogens when compared with controls. The challenge for the future is to find molecules that have
the beneficial effects of estradiol, but without its feminizing effects. Phytoestrogens or phytoestrogen-related molecules may be good candidates to meet this challenge.”
“In order to examine the role of Lacerta agilis in the transmission cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, lizards were captured in three different VX-770 mouse localities in Slovakia, Poland, and Romania. Skin biopsy specimens from collar scales and ticks feeding on the lizards at the time of capture were collected. In total, 87 individuals (I I in Slovakia, 48 in Poland, 28 in Romania) of L. agilis were captured. Altogether, 245 (74, 74, 97) larvae and 191 (78, 113, 0) nymphs were removed from captured lizards. Borrelial infection was detected by PCR amplifying a fragment of the 5S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer and genotyping by restriction
fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). When examining the presence of borreliae in biopsy specimens, striking differences between separate populations were observed. Whilst none of the biopsy specimens from L. agilis from Poland were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l., 45% of the sand lizards from Slovakia and 57% from Romania were positive. B. lusitaniae was confirmed in all positive biopsy specimens. The prevalence of borreliae in ticks that had fed on lizards was 6% in Poland, 21% in Slovakia, and 13% in Romania. While B. lusitaniae was the only genospecies in ticks from Slovakia (except for 2 larvae infected with B. afzelii) and Romania, it represented 64% and B. valaisiana 27% of the borrelia infections in ticks from lizards captured in Poland. The highest probability of ticks to get infected expressed as specific infectivity of lizards was recorded in Slovakia (0.
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