Department of Physiological Sciences

Amino acid starvation sensitizes resistant breast cancer to doxorubicin-induced cell death

Thomas, Mark; Davis, Tanja Andrea; Nell, Theo; Sishi, Balindiwe J. N. (Jennifer Nonkosazana); Engelbrecht, Anna-Mart (Frontiers Media, 2020)

Many clinical trials are beginning to assess the effectiveness of compounds known to regulate autophagy in patients receiving anti-cancer chemotherapy. However, autophagy inhibition, through exogenous inhibitors, or ...

The trace aminergic system : a gender-sensitive therapeutic target for IBS?

Pretorius, Lesha; Smith, Carine (BioMed Central, 2020-09-28)

Due to a lack of specific or sensitive biomarkers, drug discovery advances have been limited for individuals suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While current therapies provide symptomatic relief, inflammation ...

Covid-19 : the rollercoaster of fibrin(ogen), D-dimer, Von Willebrand Factor, P-selectin and their interactions with endothelial cells, platelets and erythrocytes

Grobler, Corlia; Maphumulo, Siphosethu C.; Grobbelaar, L. Mireille; Bredenkamp, Jhade C.; Laubscher, Gert J.; Lourens, Petrus J.; Steenkamp, Janami; Kell, Douglas B.; Pretorius, Etheresia (MDPI, 2020-07-21)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2), also known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced infection, is strongly associated with various coagulopathies that may result in either bleeding and ...

Prevalence of amyloid blood clots in COVID-19 plasma

Pretorius, Etheresia; Venter, Chantelle; Laubscher, Gert J.; Lourens, Petrus J.; Steenkamp, Janami; Kell, Douglas B. (medRxiv, 2020)

The rapid detection of COVID-19 uses genotypic testing for the presence of SARS-Cov-2 virus in nasopharyngeal swabs, but it can have a poor sensitivity. A rapid, host-based physiological test that indicated whether the ...

Comparison of pathological clotting using haematological, functional and morphological investigations in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients with deep vein thrombosis

Jackson, Brandon S.; Goncalves, Julien Nunes; Pretorius, Etheresia (BioMed Central, 2020-06-22)

Background: Patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are more prone to systemic inflammation and pathological clotting, and many may develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as a result of this dysregulat ...

Decreased efficacy of doxorubicin corresponds with modifications in lipid metabolism markers and fatty acid profiles in breast tumors from obese vs. lean mice

Mentoor, Ilze; Nell, Theo A.; Emjedi, Zaakiyah; Van Jaarsveld, Paul J.; De Jager, Louis; Engelbrecht, Anna-Mart (Frontiers Media, 2018-03-17)

Breast cancer cells modulate lipid and fatty acid metabolism to sustain proliferation. The role of adipocytes in cancer treatment efficacy remains, however, to be fully elucidated. We investigated whether diet-induced ...

Coordinated autophagy modulation overcomes glioblastoma chemoresistance through disruption of mitochondrial bioenergetics

Kriel, Jurgen; Muller-Nedebock, Kristian; Maarman, Gerald; Mbizana, Siyasanga; Ojuka, Edward; Klumperman, Bert; Loos, Ben (Nature Research, 2018-07-09)

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is known to be one of the most malignant and aggressive forms of brain cancer due to its resistance to chemotherapy. Recently, GBM was found to not only utilise both oxidative phosphorylation ...

Correlative Light-Electron Microscopy detects lipopolysaccharide and its association with fibrin fibres in Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

De Waal, Greta M.; Engelbrecht, Lize; Davis, Tanja Andrea; De Villiers, Willem J. S.; Kell, Douglas B.; Pretorius, Etheresia (Nature Research, 2018-11-14)

Many chronic diseases, including those classified as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, or autoimmune, are characterized by persistent inflammation. The origin of this inflammation is mostly unclear, but it is typically ...

In utero exposure to maternal chronic inflammation transfers a pro-inflammatory profile to generation F2 via sex-specific mechanisms

Adams, Rozanne Charlene McChary; Smith, Carine (Frontiers Media, 2020)

Generational transfer of maladaptations in offspring have been reported to persist for multiple generations in conditions of chronic inflammation, metabolic and psychological stress. Thus, the current study aimed to expand ...

The effects of bacterial inflammagens from Porphyromonas gingivalis on blood clotting

Massimo, Nunes (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03)

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Abnormal blood coagulation, systemic inflammation and microbial dysbiosis are shared pathological characteristics of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, defective clotting processes ...

Influence of maternal inflammation on immune modulation

Adams, Rozanne Charlene McChary (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03)

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Perturbations within intrauterine microenvironment, due to maternal stressors such as chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction and psychological stress, can result in lifelong detrimental consequences ...

The role of DHEA in the aetiology of modern chronic disease

Powrie, Yigael Samuel Louis (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-04)

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an androgenic steroid predominantly viewed as the main precursor to androgen and estrogen hormones in the human body. DHEA exists as a sulphated ester known as DHEAS, which ...

Manipulation of macrophage phagocytosis - development of an endogenous delivery system

Visser, Johan Georg (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03)

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The need to administer more potent antimicrobial drugs is supported by the ever-increasing incidence of multidrug resistance. Given the (necessary) higher toxicity of these drugs, administration into host ...

Interleukin-6 Induces myogenic differentiation via JAK2-STAT3 signaling in mouse C2C12 myoblast cell line and primary human myoblasts

Steyn, Paul J.; Dzobo, Kevin; Smith, Robert I.; Myburgh, Kathryn H. (MDPI, 2019-10-24)

Postnatal muscle growth and exercise- or injury-induced regeneration are facilitated by myoblasts. Myoblasts respond to a variety of proteins such as cytokines that activate various signaling cascades. Cytokines belonging ...

Chemoresistance in a breast cancer animal model: the role of obesity and inflammation

Mentoor, Ilze (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-12)

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: Globally an increase in obesity incidence represent a major health concern amongst a rising incidence of impaired treatment outcomes of breast cancer patients. Adipose tissue and/or adipocytes, ...

The potential of LPS-binding protein to reverse amyloid formation in plasma fibrin of individuals with Alzheimer-type dementia

Pretorius, Etheresia; Bester, Janette; Page, Martin J.; Kell, Douglas B. (Frontiers Media, 2018-08-22)

Many studies indicate that there is a (mainly dormant) microbial component in the progressive development of Alzheimer-type dementias (ADs); and that in the case of Gram-negative organisms, a chief culprit might be the ...