Alcohol exposure can reduce adult proliferation and/or neurogenesis, but its impact on the ultimate neurogenic precursors, neural stem cells (NSCs), has been poorly addressed. Accordingly, the impact of voluntary consumption of alcohol on NSCs in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle was examined in this study. The NSC population in adult male C57BL/6J mice was measured after voluntary alcohol exposure in a two-bottle choice task using the neurosphere assay, while the number of NSCs that had proliferated 2 weeks prior to tissue collection was indexed using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) retention. There was a significant decrease in the number of BrdU-retaining cells in alcohol-consuming mice compared with controls, but no difference in the number of neurosphere-forming cells that could be derived from the SVZ of alcohol-consuming mice compared with controls. Additionally, PCNA-labeled cells in the SVZ tended to be lower, but there was no difference in BrdU labeling in the dentate gyrus following alcohol exposure. To determine alcohol's direct impact on NSCs and their progeny, neurospheres derived from naïve mice were treated with alcohol in vitro. Neurosphere formation was reduced by 100 mM alcohol without reducing cell viability. These findings are the first to assess the impact of moderate voluntary alcohol consumption on selective measures of adult NSCs and indicate that such exposure alters NSC proliferation dynamics in vivo and alcohol has direct but dissociable effects on the expansion and viability on NSCs and their progeny in vitro.

Glycolipids are amphipathic molecules which are highly expressed on cell membranes in skin and brain where they mediate several key cellular processes. Neural stem cells are defined as undifferentiated, proliferative, multipotential cells with extensive self-renewal and are responsive to brain injury. Di-rhamnolipid: α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-3-hydroxydecanoyl-3-hydroxydecanoic acid, also referred to as di-rhamnolipid BAC-3, is a glycolipid isolated from the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In the previous studies, di-rhamnolipid enhanced dermal tissue healing and regeneration. The present study provides the first assessment of di-rhamnolipid, and glycolipid biosurfactants in general, on the nervous system. Treatment of neural stem cells isolated from the lateral ventricle of adult mice and cultured in defined media containing growth factors at 0.5 and 1 μg/ml of di-rhamnolipid increased the number of neurospheres (2.7- and 2.8-fold, respectively) compared to controls and this effect remained even after passaging in the absence of di-rhamnolipid. In addition, neural stem cells treated with di-rhamnolipid at 50 and 100 μg/ml in defined media supplemented with fetal calf serum and without growth factors exhibited increased cell viability, indicating an interaction between di-rhamnolipid and serum components in the regulation of neural stem cells and neuroprogenitors. Intracerebroventricular administration of di-rhamnolipid at 300 and 120 ng/day increased the number of neurospheres (1.3- and 1.63-fold, respectively) that could be derived from the anterior lateral ventricles of adult mice. These results indicate that di-rhamnolipid stimulates proliferation of neural stem cells and increases their endogenous pools which may have therapeutic potential in managing neurodegenerative or neuropsychiatric disorders and promoting nervous tissue regeneration following injury.

The risk of suicide in patients with alcoholism increases if alcoholism is related to comorbid depression. Both alcoholism and suicidal behavior are associated with reduced serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) function. Because suicide is enormous public health problem worldwide, to prevent suicide attempts, it is important to find peripheral marker of suicidal behavior. The aim of this study was to assess whether platelet 5-HT concentration is altered in alcoholic patients with or without suicide attempt. Platelet 5-HT concentration was evaluated in 397 male and 108 female ethnically homogenous medication-free patients with alcoholism, subdivided according to smoking status, comorbid depression, and a history of suicide attempt and in 450 male and 139 female healthy control (nonsuicidal) subjects. Suicide attempt was assessed by two measures: according to the score 4 on the item 3 from the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and according to the Structured Clinical Interview regarding suicidal attempt during lifetime. Both male and female patients with alcoholism who were nonsmokers had significantly lower platelet 5-HT concentration than the corresponding healthy subjects. Multifactor analyses of variance revealed the significant effects of alcoholism and smoking, but the lack of significant effects of suicide attempt, sex, or comorbid depression, and no interactions between variables, on platelet 5-HT concentration. Platelet 5-HT concentration did not differ significantly between suicidal patients compared with nonsuicidal patients with alcoholism. Because the results from the present study showed similar platelet 5-HT values between patients with or without a history of suicide attempt, our data did not support the hypothesis that platelet 5-HT concentration might be used as a peripheral marker of the pronounced suicidal behavior in alcoholism.

The role of lipids in the aetiology and progress of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still unclear High lipid levels could be one of the risk factors for AD, but no association or even protective effects of high cholesterol levels in the development of the AD were also found. The aim of the study was to determine serum levels of total cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) in female patients with AD and in healthy elderly controls. The 50 patients met the diagnostic criteria of probable AD according to the NINDS-ADRDA and DSM-IV criteria. Cognitive impairment was evaluated using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Patients were subdivided into two groups of 19 patients in the middle (MMSE 10-19) and 31 patients in the late (MMSE 0-9) phase ofAD. Psychotic and non-psychotic features, evaluated by means of Neuropsychiatric Inventory, were presented in 13 and 37patients with AD, respectively. Control group consisted of 58 subjects without cognitive impairment (MMSE >27) and with lipid levels within normal range. Serum lipid levels were determined by the enzymatic colour tests and by the enzymatic clearance assay. Significantly lower lipid levels were found in patients with AD, than in controls. Patients in the late phase of AD had significantly lower entire lipid profile than controls and significantly lower cholesterol and LDL-C levels than patients in the middle stage ofAD. There was no difference in lipid levels between patients with and without psychotic features. The significant positive correlations were found between MMSE scores and cholesterol, LDL-C levels and age in all AD patients. The results support the presumption that lipid profile might be connected with the aetiology and progress of AD and showed the association between low serum cholesterol and LDL-C levels and cognitive decline in patients with AD. Further studies are needed to confirm the relationship between lipid levels and cognition, and to validate the lipid profile as a biological marker for the progress of AD.

Cyclic voltammograms (CV) taken to 800 mV at a scan rate 100 mV s−1 were used to quantify electrochemical properties of antioxidants present in 10 fruit tea infusions as well as to deduce antioxidant capacity from the Q600 parameter (charge passed to 600 mV). A pronounced anodic current peak observed at 440 mV in all analysed fruit teas indicated that ortho-dihydroxy-phenol and gallate groups are the major contributors to the antioxidant capacity of investigated teas. Antioxidant composite index (ACI) was determined for each tea employing antioxidant capacity values from previous spectrophotometric determinations as well as the Q600 parameter derived from CV. A ranking of the most potent teas was obtained: the fruit tea containing a large portion of rose hip fruit exhibited the highest ACI and a CV with the most pronounced anodic current peak at 440 mV pointing to the presence of ortho-dihydroxy-phenol and gallate group containing compounds. Strong positive correlation was established between antioxidant capacities deduced from CVs with those previously determined using established spectrophotometric techniques (FRAP, ABTS and DPPH assays).

Background/Aim: The relationship between the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis and the serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system is not clear. The aim of the study was to determine platelet biochemical markers (5-HT concentration and monoamine oxidase B, MAO-B, activity) in hypothyroid patients. Methods: The study included 25 medication-free female hypothyroid patients in postoperative follow-up after total thyroidectomy due to papillary thyroid carcinoma, who had not been treated with synthetic thyroxine (T4) for 4 weeks, and 44 age-matched euthyroid healthy women. The platelet 5-HT concentration, platelet MAO-B activity, total T4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were determined using spectrofluorimetric methods, radioimmunoassay and fluoroimmunoassay, respectively. Results: Hypothyroid patients had significantly higher TSH, significantly lower T4 levels and platelet 5-HT concentrations, and unchanged platelet MAO-B activity than healthy subjects. A positive correlation was found between the 5-HT concentration and platelet MAO-B activity, and between the platelet MAO-B activity and T4 in control subjects. Conclusions: Reduced platelet 5-HT concentrations in hypothyroid patients suggests a complex interaction between the 5-HT system and HPT axis activity, which could be related to the frequent occurrence of depressive symptoms in hypothyroid patients. The determination of platelet 5-HT concentrations should be considered a diagnostic tool for the evaluation of depressive symptoms in hypothyroid patients during the hormone withdrawal procedure.

A polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) is frequently studied for association with antidepressant treatment response, different personality traits, and psychiatric disorders. Baseline platelet serotonin (5-HT) concentration has been proposed to indicate a good or a poor treatment response to antidepressant drugs and to be associated with particular symptoms in psychiatric disorders. The aim of the study was to elucidate the genotype-phenotype relationship between platelet 5-HT concentration and 5-HTTLPR in healthy subjects. The frequency of 5-HTTLPR genotypes and alleles, as well as platelet 5-HT concentration was evaluated in 434 male and 86 female unrelated healthy medication-free Caucasian subjects of Croatian origin. A two-way ANOVA revealed no significant difference in platelet 5-HT concentration subdivided according to the particular 5-HTTLPR genotype, no significant effect of sex, no significant effect of genotype, and no significant interaction between sex and genotype on platelet 5-HT concentration. In addition, one-way ANOVA did not detect significant effects of homozygous S/S genotype, or homozygous L/L genotype on platelet 5-HT concentration. Our results showed a lack of significant association between platelet 5-HT concentration and 5-HTTLPR variants, suggesting that there is no functional relationship between 5-HTTLPR alleles and platelet 5-HT concentration in the large groups of healthy male and female medication-free Caucasian subjects, free of neuro-psychiatric disorders.

Background: Previous investigations of the biologic activities of dirhamnolipid α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1–2)α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-3-hydroxydecanoyl-3–hydroxydecanoic acid have demonstrated that it could be a novel therapeutic agent for wound healing and various immunologic and dermatologic conditions. Objective: The aim of this article is to report the successful treatment of a decubitus ulcer with dirhamnolipid. Methods: The patient was a 90-year-old woman who developed a decubitus ulcer on her right buttock. The patient was initially treated by a standard procedure using pressure reduction, wound management, surgical intervention, and nutrition. The open, full-thickness wound progressed to a size of 10 × 7 cm, with evidence of tissue deterioration. The draining ulcer reached a dimension of 1 × 1.5 × 3 cm. The 0.1% dirhamnolipid ointment was administered at regular intervals, three times daily, by applying a thin layer of ointment directly to the wound area. Photographs were taken at regular 5-day intervals. Results: The standard therapy gave no improvement. Subsequently, therapy with topical dirhamnolipid ointment resulted in a completely healed wound on day 48 of the treatment. Conclusion: This case demonstrates that application of dirhamnolipid resulted in the healing of a chronic decubitus ulcer in an elderly, debilitated patient and might be a useful therapy to improve healing of decubitus ulcers.

Post mortem brain studies indicate that alterations in serotonergic and catecholaminergic systems might be associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of the study was to determine serotonin (5-HT) levels and monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) activity in platelets of psychotic and non-psychotic patients with AD, established according to the NINCDS-ADRDA and DSM-IV-TR criteria. Cognitive impairment and psychotic features were evaluated using Mini Mental Status Examination and Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Platelet 5-HT concentration and MAO-B activity were determined spectrofluorimetrically in 116 (51 male, 65 female) healthy subjects and 70 psychotic (10 male, 60 female) and 151 non-psychotic (32 male, 119 female) patients. Psychotic and non-psychotic female and psychotic male patients had significantly lower platelet 5-HT concentration than corresponding sex matched control subjects. Platelet MAO-B activity was significantly increased in both male and female non-psychotic patients compared to the sex matched controls. Non-psychotic female patients had significantly higher platelet MAO-B activity than psychotic female patients. Our data suggest that platelet MAO-B activity, but not platelet 5-HT concentration, could differentiate between psychotic and non-psychotic subtypes of AD.

Hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis dysfunction has been associated with pathophysiology of major depression. The aim of the study was to determine serum levels of total 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3), total thyroxine (T4) and thyroid-stimulating-hormone (TSH) in patients with major depression and healthy controls. The study included 53 medication-free patients with depression and 49 healthy controls. Exclusion criteria for patients was: other axis-I and axis-II diagnoses, intensive psychotherapy or electroconvulsive therapy, prior clinical and/or laboratory evidence of hypo- or hyperthyroidism, alcohol or nicotine dependence, pregnancy, hormone supplement therapy, somatic illnesses (diabetes, renal or hepatic disorders), infections or autoimmune diseases, recent surgical treatment or significantly changed body weight. For controls: the presence of psychiatric disorders and/or thyroid dysfunctions. The diagnosis of major depression was made using structured clinical interview based on DSM-IV criteria. The results showed significantly lower T3 and TSH levels in patients compared to controls. There was no significant difference in T4 values between patients with depression and control subjects. The results showing altered levels of thyroid hormones in depression indicate that further research on thyroid hormone activity can contribute to the better understanding of the biological basis of depression. Based on the high frequency of the subtle neuroendocrine disorders coexisting with depression, the association of thyroid abnormalities and depression should not be underestimated. Future research should identify different behavioral endophenotypes characteristic for depression, which would greatly facilitate delineating the biological phenomena associated with this psychiatric illness.

Alcoholism has become a serious and global health problem, a chronic disease refractory to treatment, associated with high comorbidity, and frequently with suicidal behavior. Suicide is a major complication of different psychiatric disorders including alcoholism. Suicidal behaviour carries devastating effects on patients and their families, and financial burden on the whole society. The neurobiological basis of alcoholism, or suicidal behavior, involves the altered functions of different neurotransmitter systems including serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). Blood platelets might be used as limited peripheral model for the central 5-HT neurons, since platelets and 5-HT synaptosomes share similarities (in uptake, storage and release of 5-HT, in platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) type B, 5-HT transporters, 5-HT2 and α 2-adrenergic receptors, and binding sites for 3H-imipramine, 3H-paroxetine, and 3H-LSD), and differences are in the synthesis and function of 5-HT. Platelet 5-HT concentration was reported to be decreased or unchanged in alcoholic patients, and reduced platelet 5-HT concentration has been found in suicidal behaviour in different psychiatric disorders. The hypothesis of this study was that alcoholic patients with suicidal behavior will have altered platelet 5-HT concentration when compared to non-suicidal alcoholics. Since we have previously shown that comorbid depression affected platelet 5-HT concentration in female alcoholic patients, alcoholic patients were subdivided into those with and without comorbid depression. Platelet 5-HT concentration was determined fluorimetrically in medication-free 252 male and 62 female ethnically homogenous medication-free subjects with alcoholism (diagnosis made using SCID based on the DSM-IV criteria), subdivided further according to the past history of suicidal attempts into suicidal and non-suicidal patients, and subdivided into those with or without comorbid depression, and these values were compared with platelet 5-HT concentration in corresponding subjects (control healthy subjects and depressed patients). Platelet 5-HT concentration was significantly lower in 252 male and 62 female alcoholic patients than in corresponding 147 male and 140 female control subjects. Sex differences in platelet 5-HT concentration were found, showing significantly lower values in female compared to male (control or alcoholic) subjects. Suicidality did not affect significantly platelet 5-HT concentration within male alcoholics, while female suicidal alcoholics had significantly higher platelet 5-HT concentration than nonsuicidal alcoholic women. Both suicidal male or female alcoholics had significantly lower platelet 5-HT concentrations than corresponding healthy subjects. Suicidal depressed patients had significantly lower platelet 5-HT concentration than the corresponding nonsuicidal depressed patients, or control subjects. The presence of comorbid depression in alcoholic patients did not affect platelet 5-HT concentration in male, but increased these values in female alcoholic patients. Platelet 5-HT concentration was reduced in all alcoholic patients. The presence of suicidal behaviour and/or comorbid depression increased platelet 5-HT concentration which was reduced in female alcoholic patients. In male alcoholic patients neither suicidality nor depression affected significantly platelet 5-HT values. The results from the present study did not confirm the hypothesis of a reduced platelet 5-HT concentration in suicidality across different psychiatric entities, indicating that a search for other valid peripheral biochemical marker(s) of suicidality must be continued for the screening or prediction of the suicidal risk in alcoholic patients.

Platelet serotonin (5-HT) can be used as a limited, peripheral model for the central 5-HT synaptosomes. Altered platelet 5-HT concentrations have been associated with psychiatric disorders like depression and schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was to compare platelet 5-HT concentrations during long, medium and short period of natural daylight exposure in a large number of medication-free male and female schizophrenic and depressed patients and sex-matched healthy controls. Platelet 5-HT concentration was determined spectrofluorimetrically in 240 (97 female, 143 male) schizophrenic and 258 (153 female, 105 male) nonpsychotic, nonsuicidal depressed medication-free patients and 328 (149 women, 179 men) healthy subjects during periods with short (<12), long (>12) and medium (average 12) hours of the natural daylight. Platelet 5-HT concentration was significantly lower in women compared to men in all groups. Healthy male subjects had significantly higher (p=0.011) platelet 5-HT concentrations during long compared to medium period. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in platelet 5-HT concentration between different periods in healthy women. The significant increase in platelet 5-HT values were found in female (p=0.01) and male (p=0.029) depressed patients during long compared to short period. There were no significant associations between platelet 5-HT concentrations and different periods in both male and female schizophrenic patients. The results indicate the sex-related differences in the serotonergic system. The alterations of platelet 5-HT concentrations, observed across period with different durations of daylight exposure, point to a direct or indirect effect of light on peripheral 5-HT system that could be related to different sensitivity of the pineal gland to light and/or melatonin influence on 5-HT metabolism.

The aim of this study was to investigate the properties of di-rhamnolipid [alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-3-hydroxydecanoyl-3-hydroxydecanoic acid, also referred to as di-rhamnolipid BAC-3] relating to the process of cutaneous wound healing. Di-rhamnolipid was prepared in a eucerin ointment and applied topically on full-thickness burn wounds in normal Sprague-Dawley rats covering 5% of the total body surface area. The rate of wound closure was measured over the period of 45 days. The collagen content was evaluated microscopically, by performing densitometric analysis on Verhoeff's stained histopathological slides of wound biopsies taken at the end of 45th day of di-rhamnolipid treatment. Di-rhamnolipid toxicity was assessed with the subcutaneous multi-dose study in Swiss-Webster mice. The treatment of full-thickness-burn wounds with topical 0.1% di-rhamnolipid accelerated the closure of wounds on day 21 of the treatment by 32% compared to the control (p < 0.05). On day 35, the wounds closed in all animals-treated with 0.1% di-rhamnolipid ointment while some rats in the control group had open wounds on days 35 and even 45. Histologic comparisons have shown that di-rhamnolipid significantly decreased collagen content in burn wounds (47.5%, p < 0.05) as compared to the vehicle-treated (control) wounds. Di-rhamnolipid was well-tolerated. The results of this study raise the possibility of potential efficacy of di-rhamnolipid in accelerating normal wound healing and perhaps in overcoming defects associated with healing failure in chronic wounds.

In this study, we discovered that flavonoids belonging to the subclasses: (flavanone, flavone, and flavonol) display differential effects on the synthesis of collagen in human dermal fibroblasts. At 80 μg/ml flavonoids quercetin-3,3′,4′, 5,7-pentahydroxyflavone, 3-methyl quercetin, and 7-hydroxyflavone significantly decreased the total protein concentration which was a direct consequence of their cytotoxic effect, while naringenin exhibited no effect on total collagen and total protein concentration. Quercetin-3,3′4′,7-tetramethyl ether, 4′-hydroxyflavanone, flavanone, and fisetin significantly decreased collagen concentration while morin, rutin, and chrysin increased collagen concentration without changing the overall protein concentration. The initial screening performed in this study enables the identification of compounds that exert significant effects on fibroblast function and show potential as starting material for pharmaceutical preparations targeted against various disorders centered around disturbed collagen metabolism.

Određene su koncentracije fenolnih antioksidansa, te antioksidacijske aktivnosti triju razlicitih berba crnih vina Plavac mali (Grgic) i bijelih vina Posip (Grgic) i Žlahtina (Grskovic). Sva tri kultivara (Vitis vinifera L.) trenutacno se primjenjuju u vinogradima duž dalmatinske obale. Dva razlicita testa, spektrofotometrijski Folin-Ciocalteauov test te redoks derivirana potenciometrijska titracija s elektrogeneriranim klorom, upotrijebljena su za kvantifikaciju fenolnih antioksidansa, a vrijednosti izražene u ekvivalentima galne kiseline. Slijedovi vina poredanih prema sve vecoj koncentraciji fenola, određeni ovim dvjema metodama, usporedivi su. Od svih ispitanih vina, Plavac mali berbe 2003 imao je najvecu koncentraciju fenola (5 g/L). Kao sto se i ocekivalo, zbog manjka antocijana i drugih pigmenata prisutnih u crnim vinima, svih sest bijelih vina imalo je otprilike deset puta manju koncentraciju fenola (prosjecna koncentracija između 190-380 mg/L) od crnih vina. Ovo istraživanje fenola iz vina pokazuje ucinkovitost brzih i pouzdanih analitickih metoda, kao sto su spektrofotometrija i derivirana potenciometrijska titracija, u kvantifikaciji fenola iz vina. Razlicite mogucnosti uklanjanja slobodnih radikala za isti set vina određene su prema Brand-Williamsovu testu. Rezultati su pokazali prosjecno osam puta vecu ucinkovitost crnih vina pri uklanjanju slobodnih radikala od bijelih vina. Isto tako, manja ucinkovitost primjecena je u sortama bijelih vina starijih berbi (2001 i 2002), dok je antioksidacijska aktivnost starijega crnog vina (Plavac mali 2001) nesto veca zbog nastajanja kondenziranih tanina.

The concentrations of phenolic antioxidants and antioxidant activities were determined for three different vintages of red varietal Plavac mali wines (Grgich), white varietal Posip wines (Grgich) and white varietal Žlahtina wines (Grskovic). All three mentioned cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) are well exploited in vineyards along the Croatian coast. Two different tests, the spectrophotometric Folin-Ciocalteau test and redox derivative potentiometric titration with electrogenerated chlorine, were used to quantify phenolic antioxidants and express them in gallic acid equivalents. The sequence of wines obtained by the two methods, ranked according to the increasing phenolic content, was comparable. Among all the tested wines, Plavac mali 2003 vintage showed the highest phenol content of  5 g/L. As expected, due to lack of anthocyanins and other pigments present in red wines, all six white wines showed approximately ten times smaller phenolic levels in comparison to the red wines, averaging between 190-380 mg/L. This study demonstrates the utilization of quick and reliable analytical techniques, spectrophotometry and derivative potentiometric titration, in quantification of wine phenolics. The change in free radical scavenging ability of the same set of wines was evaluated according to the Brand-Williams assay. The results showed, on the average, eight times greater free radical scavenging ability of red wines. Also, a slight decrease was observed in the free radical scavenging ability of the older vintage white wines, while the antioxidant activities of the older vintage red wines (Plavac mali) were slightly greater, due to formation of condensed tannins with time.