Chronic oxidative stress plays an important role in depression. The aim of present study was to examine the stress-induced changes in serum corticosterone (CORT) levels, cytosolic protein carbonyl groups, malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO) and total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the prefrontal cortex versus hippocampus of male Wistar rats exposed to acute (2 h of immobilization or cold), chronic (21d of social isolation) stress, and their combination (chronic + acute stress). The subcellular distribution of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and cytosolic cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein expressions were also examined. Depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors were assessed via the forced swim, sucrose preference, and marble burying tests in chronically isolated rats. Although both acute stressors resulted in elevated CORT, increased MDA in the prefrontal cortex and NF-κB activation accompanied by increased NO in the hippocampus were detected only following acute cold stress. Chronic isolation resulted in no change in CORT levels, but disabled appropriate response to novel acute stress and led to depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors. Increased oxidative/nitrosative stress markers, likely by NF-κB nuclear translocation and concomitant COX-2 upregulation, associated with decreased SOD activity and GSH levels, suggested the existence of oxidative stress in the prefrontal cortex. In contrast, hippocampus was less susceptible to oxidative damage showing only increase in protein carbonyl groups and depleted GSH. Taken together, the prefrontal cortex seems to be more sensitive to oxidative stress than the hippocampus following chronic isolation stress, which may be relevant for further research related to stress-induced depressive-like behavior.

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The benefits of walnut (Juglans regia) consumption for metabolic health are known, but the molecular background underlying their putative antioxidant and anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory effects is underexplored. We assessed that walnut supplementation (6 weeks) reverted unfavorable changes of the SIRT1/FoxO3a/MnSOD/catalase axis in the heart induced by fructose-rich diet (FRD). Intriguingly, Nox4 was increased by both FRD and walnut supplementation. FRD increased the cytosolic fraction and decreased the nuclear fraction of the uniquely elucidated ChREBP in the heart. The ChREBP nuclear fraction was decreased in control rats subjected to walnuts. In addition, walnut consumption was associated with a reduction in systolic BP in FRD and a decrease in fatty acid AA/EPA and AA/DHA ratios in plasma. In summary, the protective effect of walnut supplementation was detected in male rats following the fructose-induced decrease in antioxidative/anti-inflammatory capacity of cardiac tissue and increase in plasma predictors of low-grade inflammation. The current results provide a novel insight into the relationship between nutrients, cellular energy homeostasis, and the modulators of inflammatory/immune response in metabolic syndrome, emphasizing the heart and highlighting a track for translation into nutrition and dietary therapeutic approaches against metabolic disease.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the devastating impact of infectious disease outbreaks and the threat of emerging and re-emerging dangerous pathogens, independent of their origin. Natural, accidental, and deliberate disease outbreaks all need systems in place for an effective public health response. The best known international instrument in the field of public health is the WHO International Health Regulations (2005). Although the International Health Regulations are mainly focused on natural disease outbreaks, the actions to take to comply with them also contribute to biosecurity and non-proliferation. This paper examines in case of full implementation of the International Health Regulations, what other actions states should take to comply with international biosecurity instruments, including the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540, to effectively prevent and defend against intentional biological threats. An overview of international instruments from different disciplines regarding biosecurity is presented. Furthermore, this paper clarifies the similarities between the international biosecurity instruments and addresses the additional requirements that instruments stipulate. From a detailed comparison between the instruments it can be concluded that, to adhere to all legally-binding international biosecurity instruments, specific non-proliferation and export control measures are necessary in addition to full implementation of the International Health Regulations. Additionally, an overview of non-legally binding instruments in the field of biosecurity is presented and practical implementation examples are highlighted. Compliance with legally binding instruments can be improved by precise guidance provided by non-legally binding instruments that are clear and attuned to the situation on the ground. To improve understanding of the existing international instruments, this paper aims to provide an overview of the international legal biosecurity framework to biosecurity experts, policymakers, civil servants, and practitioners. It offers possible practical applications for the politico-legal context and accommodates the enhancement of full employment of biosecurity resources for an improved multidisciplinary capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

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