Bogusław Czerny

Background: The tryptophan catabolic pathway may play an important role in maternal–fetal immune tolerance, placental function, and metabolic programming, yet its clinical correlates in uncomplicated term pregnancies are not well defined. This study examined how maternal and umbilical artery blood tryptophan metabolites relate to maternal characteristics in women undergoing cesarean section. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 73 women delivering by cesarean section at a mean gestational age of 38.9 ± 0.96 weeks were enrolled. Maternal venous and umbilical cord arterial blood were collected at delivery, and serum tryptophan (TRP), kynurenine (KYN), kynurenic acid (KYNA), and quinolinic acid (QUIN) were measured using ELISA. Maternal anthropometry, pregnancy complications, antibiotic treatment, and indications for cesarean section were obtained from medical records. Group comparisons used Mann–Whitney U tests, associations were assessed with Spearman’s rank correlations, and selected outcomes were analyzed in multivariable linear regression models. Results: Umbilical concentrations of TRP, KYN, KYNA, and QUIN were higher than the corresponding maternal levels. Maternal TRP was inversely associated with gestational age at delivery and was independently higher in women treated with antibiotics during pregnancy. Cord KYNA correlated positively with pre-pregnancy and pre-delivery BMI, with a stronger association for postpartum BMI, and remained independently associated with pre-delivery BMI in multivariable analysis. Maternal QUIN was higher in women undergoing intrapartum or emergency cesarean section and in those delivered by cesarean section for breech presentation, and both indications were independently associated with higher QUIN in the regression model. No robust associations were observed between TRP, KYN, KYNA, or QUIN and most pregnancy complications, neonatal birth weight, or Apgar scores. Conclusions: Maternal and fetal tryptophan–kynurenine metabolites show distinct, domain-specific relationships with gestational timing, maternal antibiotic exposure during pregnancy, adiposity, and indications or mode of cesarean delivery in term pregnancies. Maternal TRP levels may primarily reflect gestational age and concurrent inflammatory status. Cord blood KYNA may mirror maternal metabolic condition, whereas maternal QUIN appears to be more closely associated with complex obstetric phenotypes than with neonatal status. These exploratory, uncorrected findings suggest that kynurenine pathway metabolites may be associated with selected maternal anthropometric and obstetric factors; none of these associations survived correction for multiple comparisons, and they are strictly hypothesis-generating, requiring confirmation in larger, prospectively designed studies before any biomarker application can be considered. The parallel elevation of the cord KYN/TRP and KYNA/KYN ratios, together with a relative reduction in the QUIN/KYN ratio in the fetal compartment, suggests a metabolic profile characterized by preferential conversion of kynurenine toward the KYNA branch rather than the QUIN branch. This pattern may be consistent with a more neuroprotective metabolic environment in the fetal circulation; however, mechanistic studies are required to confirm this interpretation. The maternal QUIN should be regarded as a marker of obstetric complexity rather than a direct consequence of delivery mode. The study included only women undergoing cesarean delivery; therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to vaginal deliveries.

Background: Metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes are closely related. They are characterized by chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Obesity is the most important risk factor for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose levels, among other conditions. These disorders contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, which can exacerbate other metabolic problems. Methods: Numerous studies indicate that diet and nutrients can have a major impact on preventing and treating these conditions. One such ingredient is lycopene. It is a naturally occurring carotenoid with a unique chemical structure. It exhibits strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties due to its conjugated double bonds and its ability to neutralize reactive oxygen species. Its properties make lycopene indirectly affect many cellular processes. The article presents studies in animal models and humans on the activity of this carotenoid in metabolic problems. Results: The findings suggest that lycopene’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities make it a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Conclusions: This review underscores the potential of lycopene as a beneficial dietary supplement in improving metabolic health and reducing the risk of associated chronic diseases. The conditions described are population diseases, so research into compounds with properties such as lycopene is growing in popularity.

The global aging population has experienced rapid growth in recent decades, leading to an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders, particularly depression, among older adults. Depression in the geriatric population is often compounded by chronic physical conditions and various psychosocial factors, significantly impacting their quality of life. The main question raised in this review is as follows: how can personalized medicine and age-appropriate therapeutic approaches improve the management of geriatric depression? This paper explores the epidemiology of geriatric depression, highlighting the influence of gender, race, and socioeconomic status on its prevalence. The classification and diagnosis of geriatric depressive disorders, based on ICD-11 and DSM-5 criteria, reveal the complexity of managing these conditions in older adults. Personalized medicine (PM) emerges as a promising approach, focusing on tailoring treatments to the individual’s genetic, clinical, and environmental characteristics. However, the application of PM in this demographic faces challenges, particularly in the context of pharmaceutical forms. The need for age-appropriate drug delivery systems is critical, given the prevalence of polypharmacy and issues such as dysphagia among the older patients. This study emphasizes the importance of developing patient-centric formulations to enhance the effectiveness of personalized therapy in geriatric patients.

The global aging population has experienced rapid growth in recent decades, leading to an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders, particularly depression, among older adults. Depression in the elderly is often compounded by chronic physical conditions and various psychosocial factors, significantly impacting their quality of life. This paper explores the epidemiology of geriatric depression, highlighting the influence of gender, race, and socio-economic status on its prevalence. The classification and diagnosis of geriatric depressive disorders, based on ICD-11 and DSM-5 criteria, reveal the complexity of managing these conditions in older adults. Personalized Medicine (PM) emerges as a promising approach, focusing on tailoring treatments to the individual’s genetic, clinical, and environmental characteristics. However, the application of PM in this demographic faces challenges, particularly in the context of pharmaceutical forms. The need for age-appropriate drug delivery systems is critical, given the prevalence of polypharmacy and issues such as dysphagia among the elderly. This study emphasizes the importance of developing patient-centric formulations to enhance the effectiveness of personalized therapy in geriatric patients.

Metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes are closely related. They are characterized by chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Obesity is the most important risk factor for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose levels, among other conditions. These disorders contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, which can exacerbate other metabolic disorders. Numerous studies indicate that diet and nutrients can have a major impact on preventing and treating these conditions. One such ingredient is lycopene. It exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and can affect metabolic processes in the body. According to the research presented, lycopene supplementation may have significant potential in the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

For centuries, mushrooms have been used as a component of skincare formulations. Environmental stresses and a modern lifestyle expose the skin to accelerated aging. To slow down this process, natural anti-aging skincare ingredients are being sought. In this review, 52 scientific publications about the effects of chemical compounds extracted from the fruiting bodies of macrofungi on skin cells were selected. The effects of extracts from nine species that are tested for anti-aging effects have been described. According to available literature data, macrofungi contain many polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, polysaccharide peptides, free amino acids, sterols, proteins, glycosides, triterpenes, alkaloids, which can have an anti-aging effect on the skin by acting as antioxidants, photoprotective, skin whitening, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and stabilizing collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid levels in the skin.

(1) Background: stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1/CXCL12), hepatocyte and vascular-endothelial growth factors (HGF and VEGF) have been shown to facilitate cell motility, proliferation and promote local tumor progression and metastatic spread. Recent research shows the important role of these cytokines in gastric cancer (GC) progression. (2) Methods: 21 gastric cancer patients and 19 healthy controls were included in the study. SDF-1, HGF and VEGF levels were evaluated in sera by ELISA. Patients and control sera were used to stimulate CRL-1739 GC cell line, and chemotaxis, adhesion and proliferation potential were assessed. (3) Results: Concentrations of SDF-1, HGF and VEGF were significantly higher in patients than in controls. Chemotaxis and adhesion assays revealed a significant response of GC cells to patients’ serum. Furthermore, significant relationships were seen between chemotactic/adhesion response and tumor stage. Serum from intestinal early GC patients produced significantly stronger chemotactic response when compared to patients with metastatic spread. In turn, serum from patients with distal metastases significantly increased the adhesion of GC cells when compared to sera from the patients with no distal metastases. We also observed that HGF strongly stimulated the proliferation of CRL-1739 cells. (4) Conclusions: We observed that the sera from GC patients, but also SDF-1, HGF and VEGF used alone, have a strong pro-metastatic effect on CRL-1739 cells. We also demonstrated that the concentration of these cytokines is specifically elevated in the sera of patients in an early stage of malignancy. Our results indicate that SDF-1, HGF and VEGF are very important molecules involved in gastric cancer progression.