Małgorzata Berezińska | Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland (original) (raw)
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Papers by Małgorzata Berezińska
Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society, 2021
In December 2019, a small number of cases of pneumonia of unknown origin were recognized in the c... more In December 2019, a small number of cases of pneumonia of unknown origin were recognized in the city of Wuhan, China. Soon, the disease, whose etiological factor was recognized as a coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, had spread across the world. The resulting CoV-associated diseases were classified by the WHO as COVID-19, and a pandemic was declared in March 2020. By 25 November 2021, there have been nearly 256.8 million of confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world, including 5.17 million deaths. This review focuses on basal characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus - its structure, replication cycle, variants and course of infection. It also briefly characterizes the currently recommended drugs and vaccines. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a group of RNA viruses with a characteristic solar corona image observable on electron micrographs. SARS-CoV-2 possesses high affinity to human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which serves as a cellular entry receptor. Its replication in human cells is acc...
Poultry Science, 2007
The effect of photoperiod on melatonin content and the activity of the melatonin-synthesizing enz... more The effect of photoperiod on melatonin content and the activity of the melatonin-synthesizing enzymes, namely, serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase, were investigated in the pineal gland and retina of turkeys. The birds were adapted to 3 different lighting conditions: 16L:8D (long photoperiod), 12L:12D (regular photoperiod), and 8L:16D (short photoperiod). Pineal, retinal, and plasma melatonin concentrations oscillated with a robust diurnal rhythm, with high values during darkness. The duration of elevated nocturnal melatonin levels in the turkey pineal gland, retina, and plasma changed markedly in response to the length of the dark phase, being longest during the short photoperiod with 16 h of darkness. These photoperiodic variations in melatonin synthesis appear to be driven by AANAT, because changes in the activity of this enzyme were closely correlated with changes in melatonin. By con
![Research paper thumbnail of [Hypocretins: involvement in the regulation of sleep-wakefulness cycle and pathogenesis of narcolepsy]](https://a.academia-assets.com/images/blank-paper.jpg)
](Hypocretins (also called orexins) are two newly discovered neuropeptides originating from the sam... more Hypocretins (also called orexins) are two newly discovered neuropeptides originating from the same precursor, preprohypocretin. The amino-acid sequences of hypocretin are highly conserved among vertebrates. Cells bodies of hypocretin neurons are restricted mainly to the lateral and ventral hypothalamus, while hypocretin fibers project throughout the brain, including several areas implicated in the regulation of the sleep/wakefulness cycle. Hypocretins act on their targets via two specific, membrane-bound, G-protein-coupled receptors, Hcrtr-1 and Hcrtr-2. Among the various physiological actions ascribed to hypocretins, the strongest evidence are for their involvement in the integration and stabilization of arousal networks. Degeneration of hypocretin neurons or genetic mutations that prevent the normal synthesis of hypocretins, or their receptors, cause human and animal narcolepsy, a neurological disorder of excessive sleepiness and abnormalities in REM sleep. Recent data point to an...
Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society, 2021
In December 2019, a small number of cases of pneumonia of unknown origin were recognized in the c... more In December 2019, a small number of cases of pneumonia of unknown origin were recognized in the city of Wuhan, China. Soon, the disease, whose etiological factor was recognized as a coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, had spread across the world. The resulting CoV-associated diseases were classified by the WHO as COVID-19, and a pandemic was declared in March 2020. By 25 November 2021, there have been nearly 256.8 million of confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world, including 5.17 million deaths. This review focuses on basal characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus - its structure, replication cycle, variants and course of infection. It also briefly characterizes the currently recommended drugs and vaccines. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a group of RNA viruses with a characteristic solar corona image observable on electron micrographs. SARS-CoV-2 possesses high affinity to human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which serves as a cellular entry receptor. Its replication in human cells is acc...
Poultry Science, 2007
The effect of photoperiod on melatonin content and the activity of the melatonin-synthesizing enz... more The effect of photoperiod on melatonin content and the activity of the melatonin-synthesizing enzymes, namely, serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase, were investigated in the pineal gland and retina of turkeys. The birds were adapted to 3 different lighting conditions: 16L:8D (long photoperiod), 12L:12D (regular photoperiod), and 8L:16D (short photoperiod). Pineal, retinal, and plasma melatonin concentrations oscillated with a robust diurnal rhythm, with high values during darkness. The duration of elevated nocturnal melatonin levels in the turkey pineal gland, retina, and plasma changed markedly in response to the length of the dark phase, being longest during the short photoperiod with 16 h of darkness. These photoperiodic variations in melatonin synthesis appear to be driven by AANAT, because changes in the activity of this enzyme were closely correlated with changes in melatonin. By con
Hypocretins (also called orexins) are two newly discovered neuropeptides originating from the sam... more Hypocretins (also called orexins) are two newly discovered neuropeptides originating from the same precursor, preprohypocretin. The amino-acid sequences of hypocretin are highly conserved among vertebrates. Cells bodies of hypocretin neurons are restricted mainly to the lateral and ventral hypothalamus, while hypocretin fibers project throughout the brain, including several areas implicated in the regulation of the sleep/wakefulness cycle. Hypocretins act on their targets via two specific, membrane-bound, G-protein-coupled receptors, Hcrtr-1 and Hcrtr-2. Among the various physiological actions ascribed to hypocretins, the strongest evidence are for their involvement in the integration and stabilization of arousal networks. Degeneration of hypocretin neurons or genetic mutations that prevent the normal synthesis of hypocretins, or their receptors, cause human and animal narcolepsy, a neurological disorder of excessive sleepiness and abnormalities in REM sleep. Recent data point to an...