No abstract

The dysfunction of oligodendrocytes (OLs) is regarded as one of the major causes of inefficient remyelination in multiple sclerosis, resulting gradually in disease progression. Oligodendrocytes are derived from oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), which populate the adult central nervous system, but their physiological capability to myelin synthesis is limited. The low intake of essential lipids for sphingomyelin synthesis in the human diet may account for increased demyelination and the reduced efficiency of the remyelination process. In our study on lipid profiling in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis brain, we revealed that during acute inflammation, nervonic acid synthesis is silenced, which is the effect of shifting the lipid metabolism pathway of common substrates into proinflammatory arachidonic acid production. In the experiments on the human model of maturating oligodendrocyte precursor cells (hOPCs) in vitro, we demonstrated that fish oil mixture (FOM) affected the function of hOPCs, resulting in the improved synthesis of myelin basic protein, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, and proteolipid protein, as well as sphingomyelin. Additionally, FOM reduces proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and enhances fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) synthesis by hOPCs was also demonstrated. Based on these observations, we propose that the intake of FOM rich in the nervonic acid ester may improve OL function, affecting OPC maturation and limiting inflammation.

Forty-eight compounds have been identi¼ed in the essential oil from Nigella sativa (black cumin) seeds, 14 of which are volatiles that have never been isolated from black cumin before. This is the ¼rst time to show two monoterpenoids: cis-and trans-4-methoxythujane, occur naturally in plants, speci¼cally in the essential oil from N. sativa seeds in 0.3% and 4%, respectively. The structures of the 4-methoxythujanes were established by both spectroscopic and chemical methods.SEED ESSENTIAL OIL OF NIGELLA SATIVA L. 127 tr, trace (<0.05%); RI exp , experimental retention index given for CP-Sil5 column; RI lit , literature retention index given for CP-Sil5 column. 18 * New compounds for essential oil of N. sativa. 130 A. WAJS ET AL. 5 32.1 (d) 1 . 1 8 ( dd, 1H, J = 3.8/8.5 Hz) 32.8 (d ) 1 . 0 0 ( dd, 1H, J = 3.8/7.9 Hz) 34.4 (d) 1 . 0 6 ( dd, 1H, J = 3.5/8.2 Hz) 33.6 (d) 1 . 0 4 ( dd, 1H, J = 3.7/7.9 Hz) 6 12.1 (t) 0 . 1 5 ( dd, 1H endo , J = 3.8 Hz J gem = 4.9 Hz) 11.7 (t) 0 . 3 3 ( dd, 1H exo , J gem = 5.0 Hz, J = 7.9 Hz) 13.2 (t) 0 . 2 2 ( dd, 1H endo , J = 3.5 Hz, J gem = 5.1 Hz) 11.1 (t) 0 . 3 2 ( dd, 1H exo , J gem = 5.0 Hz, J = 7.9 Hz) 0.38 (dd, 1H exo , J gem = 4.9 Hz, J = 8.5 Hz) 0.64 (dd, 1H endo , J = 3.8 Hz, J gem = 5.0 Hz) 0.40 (dd, 1H exo , J gem = 5.1 Hz, J = 8.2 Hz) 0.64 (dd, 1H endo , J = 3.7 Hz, J gem = 5.0 Hz) 7 30.8 (d) 1 . 5 2 ( sp, 1H, J = 6.8 Hz) 29.9 (d ) Scheme 1. Synthesis of cis-and trans-4-methoxythujanes from sabinene and from appropriate thujan-4-ols

Precise age determination of unidentified bodies and human remains is one of the essential tasks of forensic science. The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of using the enantiomeric composition of aspartic acid racemization in root and crown dentin for dental age estimation using a Polish population sample. Coronal and root dentin from four teeth groups from the mandible were studied using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. The results demonstrated a very high correlation between the chronological age and enantiomeric composition in both of the dentin samples. Individual linear equations of root dentin with correlation coefficients between 0.96 and 0.98 and a standard estimation error of ±2.95–4.84 years validated the application of aspartic acid racemization as a significant practical contribution to everyday forensic medical practice. Discrepancies in methodological aspects and modifications that simplify the protocol are presented.