Lipids and Antiplatelet Therapy: Important Considerations and Future Perspectives

Lipids play an essential role in platelet functions. It is known that polyunsaturated fatty acids play a role in increasing platelet reactivity and that the prothrombotic phenotype plays a crucial role in the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events. The ongoing increase in cardiovascular diseases’ incidence emphasizes the importance of research linking lipids and platelet function. In particular, the rebound phenomenon that accompanies discontinuation of clopidogrel in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy has been associated with changes in the lipid profile. Our many years of research underline the importance of reduced HDL values for the risk of such a rebound effect and the occurrence of thromboembolic events. Lipids are otherwise a heterogeneous group of molecules, and their signaling molecules are not deposited but formed “on-demand” in the cell. On the other hand, exosomes transmit lipid signals between cells, and the profile of such changes can be monitored by lipidomics. Changes in the lipid profile are organ-specific and may indicate new drug action targets.     

Targeting Mitochondria in Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), one of the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases, is often preceded by insulin resistance (IR), which underlies the inability of tissues to respond to insulin and leads to disturbed metabolic homeostasis. Mitochondria, as a central player in the cellular energy metabolism, are involved in the mechanisms of IR and T2D. Mitochondrial function is affected by insulin resistance in different tissues, among which skeletal muscle and liver have the highest impact on whole-body glucose homeostasis. This review focuses on human studies that assess mitochondrial function in liver, muscle and blood cells in the context of T2D. Furthermore, different interventions targeting mitochondria in IR and T2D are listed, with a selection of studies using respirometry as a measure of mitochondrial function, for better data comparison. Altogether, mitochondrial respiratory capacity appears to be a metabolic indicator since it decreases as the disease progresses but increases after lifestyle (exercise) and pharmacological interventions, together with the improvement in metabolic health. Finally, novel therapeutics developed to target mitochondria have potential for a more integrative therapeutic approach, treating both causative and secondary defects of diabetes.     

Guest editorial for EMMSAD’2020 special section

Software and Systems Modeling -     

Situation and perspectives of waste biomass application as energy source in Serbia

The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province in the Republic of Serbia. It is located in the northern part of the country, in the Pannonia plain. Vojvodina is an energy-deficient province. The average yearly quantity of the cellulose wastes in Vojvodina amounts to about 9 millions tons barely in the agriculture, and the same potential on the level of Serbia is estimated to almost 13 million tons. Only minor part of straw is utilized, and almost two-thirds are incinerated on fields owing to the problems during plowing under. The large sector in Serbia utilizes only about 15% of straw, while the individual one utilizes about 50% of straw and 20% of cornstalks. Environment pollutions, abandonment of the utilization of at least of one-third of the yield and extermination of the natural resources, primarily of humus, represent very adverse results of such procedures. Main problems with respect to the profitable usage of straw and other post-harvest residues are high expenses of their collection (collecting, balling or some other manner of compression), transportation from production- to the usage cites, as well as their handling and storaging. The agricultural production in Serbia should be based on the system of farms. For the efficient farming, it is obvious to organize life of producer and of his family immediately close to the production capacities. For the agriculture development, it is obvious to create a system of premiums, efficient crediting and the elaborated tax system that could create a basis for the certitude of work, confidence and constant growth of production, together with the mentioned and other measures. As the result of the activities oriented to substitution of the classical energents with energy obtained from biomass, farm that is in a higher degree energetically independent should be created. In such case, farms should apply the basic principles of the cleaner manufacturing, as an integral part of the concept of the sustainable development.     

Cleaner bioprocesses for promoting zero-emission biofuels production in Vojvodina

In this study, the policy, market conditions and food security of biomass energy sources are assessed for supplying the future needs of Vojvodina. The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province in Serbia, containing about 27% of its total population according to the 2002 Census. It is located in the northern part of the country, in the Pannonia plain, in southeastern Europe. Vojvodina is an energy-deficient province. The incentives to invest human and financial resources in the research and development of cleaner bioprocesses are high, considering the benefits which might be achieved in terms of environment protection and manufacturing costs. In the near and medium tenu, the development of bioprocesses for waste recycling and resource recovery might be one of the most viable options, considering much research work has already been done. In Vojvodina, there are technological solutions that biofuels produced in a closed cycle, so that the quantity of waste reduced to a minimum. These solutions include the stillage (remainder after distillation) used for fattening cattle, and cattle excrement to produce biogas and manure as fertilizer. The energy required for the production of bioethanol is obtained combustion lignocelullose residual waste from the production of basic raw materials starch, or biogas. Ash from the burned biomass returned to soil as a source of minerals for plants and replacement of mineral fertilizer. Such a closed cycle is economical for small farms in Vojvodina.     

Biomass energy in Vojvodina: Market conditions,environment and food security

In this study, the policy, market conditions and food security of biomass energy sources are assessed for supplying the future needs of Vojvodina. The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province in Serbia, containing about 27% of its total population according to the 2002 Census. It is located in the northern part of the country, in the Pannonia plain, in southeastern Europe.Vojvodina is an energy-deficient province. Vojvodina also has a large potential for renewable energy, especially energy from biomass (biodiesel and bio-ethanol). The lack of knowledge about renewable energy technologies by most policy-makers, potential consumers, and energy firm managers has played against renewable energy developments. The environmental impacts of programs that encourage biofuel production, farmland land requirements and the impacts on food production are also discussed, considering the life cycle analysis (LCA) as a tool.It is concluded that the rise in the use of biofuels is inevitable and that international cooperation, regulations and certification mechanisms must be established regarding the use of land, the mitigation of environmental and social impacts caused by biofuel production. It is also mandatory to establish appropriate working conditions and decent remuneration for workers of the biofuels production chain.     

Hippocampal and Reticulo-Thalamic Parvalbumin Interneurons and Synaptic Re-Organization during Sleep Disorders in the Rat Models of Parkinson’s Disease Neuropathology

We investigated the alterations of hippocampal and reticulo-thalamic (RT) GABAergic parvalbumin (PV) interneurons and their synaptic re-organizations underlying the prodromal local sleep disorders in the distinct rat models of Parkinson’s disease (PD). We demonstrated for the first time that REM sleep is a predisposing state for the high-voltage sleep spindles (HVS) induction in all experimental models of PD, particularly during hippocampal REM sleep in the hemiparkinsonian models. There were the opposite underlying alterations of the hippocampal and RT GABAergic PV+ interneurons along with the distinct MAP2 and PSD-95 expressions. Whereas the PD cholinopathy enhanced the number of PV+ interneurons and suppressed the MAP2/PSD-95 expression, the hemiparkinsonism with PD cholinopathy reduced the number of PV+ interneurons and enhanced the MAP2/PSD-95 expression in the hippocampus. Whereas the PD cholinopathy did not alter PV+ interneurons but partially enhanced MAP2 and suppressed PSD-95 expression remotely in the RT, the hemiparkinsonism with PD cholinopathy reduced the PV+ interneurons, enhanced MAP2, and did not change PSD-95 expression remotely in the RT. Our study demonstrates for the first time an important regulatory role of the hippocampal and RT GABAergic PV+ interneurons and the synaptic protein dynamic alterations in the distinct rat models of PD neuropathology.     

Glycerolipids as selective thrombin inhibitors from the fungus Stereum hirsutum

A dry extract of Stereum hirsutum exhibited a significant inhibitory activity on thrombin (34%). A bioassay oriented fractionation of the extract of Stereum hirsutum has led to the isolation of two active fractions. On the basis of spectroscopic data, chemical reactions, and GC-MS analysis, complex mixtures of diacylglycerophospholipids (DAGPs) and diacylglycerols (DGs) have been isolated and identified. Docking studies suggest that some isolated compounds could bind to the thrombin active site in a similar manner as previously reported phosphonate thrombin inhibitors.     

Biodiesel production by ultrasound-assisted transesterification: State of the art and the perspectives

In the present paper state-of-the art and perspectives of ultrasound-assisted (UA) biodiesel production from different oil-bearing materials using acid, base and enzyme catalysts are critically discussed. The ultrasound action in biodiesel production is primarily based on the emulsification of the immiscible liquid reactants by microturbulence generated by radial motion of cavitation bubbles and the physical changes on the surface texture of the solid catalysts generating new active surface area. The importance of ultrasound characteristics and other process variables for the biodiesel yield and the reaction rate is focused on. UA transesterification is compared with other techniques for biodiesel production. Several different developing methods reducing the biodiesel production costs such as the optimization of process factors, the development of the process kinetic models, the use of phase transfer catalysts, the application of the continuous process, the design of novel types of ultrasonic reactors and the in situ ultrasound application in transesterification of oily feedstocks are also discussed.