Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a diverse group of membrane-bound structures secreted in physiological and pathological conditions by prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Their role in cell-to-cell communications has been discussed for more than two decades. More attention is paid to assess the impact of EVs in cancer. Numerous papers showed EVs as tumorigenesis regulators, by transferring their cargo molecules (miRNA, DNA, protein, cytokines, receptors, etc.) among cancer cells and cells in the tumor microenvironment. During platelet activation or apoptosis, platelet extracellular vesicles (PEVs) are formed. PEVs present a highly heterogeneous EVs population and are the most abundant EVs group in the circulatory system. The reason for the PEVs heterogeneity are their maternal activators, which is reflected on PEVs size and cargo. As PLTs role in cancer development is well-known, and PEVs are the most numerous EVs in blood, their feasible impact on cancer growth is strongly discussed. PEVs crosstalk could promote proliferation, change tumor microenvironment, favor metastasis formation. In many cases these functions were linked to the transfer into recipient cells specific cargo molecules from PEVs. The article reviews the PEVs biogenesis, cargo molecules, and their impact on the cancer progression.

Assuring a high level of animal welfare is a critical aspect of contemporary animal husbandry. Equine athletes begin their careers at a very young age when they are still developing and they are both physically and mentally immature. Lack of scientific knowledge of the stress related to horse racing impedes the development of optimal training programs to attain equilibrium between the best sport results and optimal welfare. This study aimed to determine the influence of the intensity and type of physical activity on peripheral blood cortisol concentration. Thirty untrained Arabians, 9 endurance and 21 race horses were enrolled in this longitudinal study. Blood samples were analysed every 3-weeks in 4 training sessions and 2 races in racing horses and monthly after 2 training sessions and 1 competition in endurance horses. Cortisol concentration was measured at rest and 30 min. after physical effort. Racing horses were divided into two groups of the best and the worst performers. Cortisol concentration increased significantly after training and competition, however both in racing and endurance horses the increase was more intensive after competition. In the racing horses, cortisol concentration tended to gradually increase after the subsequent trainings during the racing season, however the starting gate did not appear to exert any impact on cortisol concentration. The best performing race horses appeared to have a lesser increase in cortisol concentration after the race than the worst performing horses, however the cortisol concentration after the race was not significantly different between these two groups of horses. This study suggests that an optimal training program can induce a stress response which is likely not to have any harmful impact on an athlete's welfare. The more intense effort associated with competition events, both in race and endurance horses, results in a greater stress response, indicating that these kinds of events should be limited to assure animal welfare. Finally, better performance horses adapt more readily to physical activity as they experience less increase of serum cortisol concentration after the race.

In horse racing the most acceptable way to objectively evaluate adaptation to increased exertion is to measure lactate blood concentration. However, this may be stressful for the horse, therefore, a simple, noninvasive procedure to monitor race progress is desirable. Forty Thoroughbreds attended race training, with blood samples collected at rest, immediately after, and 30 min after exercise. The lactate concentration was determined 60 s after blood collection using an Accusport^®. Thermal imaging of the neck and trunk areas was performed following international veterinary standards from a distance of approximately 2 m from the horse using the same protocol as the blood sampling. The Spearman rank correlation coefficients (ρ) between the changes in the blood lactate concentration and surface temperature measures were found for the regions of interest. The highest positive correlation coefficients were found in the musculus trapezius pars thoracica region for the maximal temperature (T Max; ρ = 0.83; p < 0.0001), the minimal temperature (T Min; ρ = 0.83; p < 0.0001), and the average temperature (T Aver; ρ = 0.85; p < 0.0001) 30 min after the exercise. The results showed that infrared thermography may supplement blood measurements to evaluate adaptation to increased workload during race training, however, more research and references values are needed.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is the major acute phase protein in horses. Its concentration increases in various pathologies but also in response to prolonged, strenuous effort. The purpose of this study was to establish whether routine race and endurance training produces changes in the SAA level in Arabian horses. Additionally, the differences between SAA response in experienced endurance horses and endurance horses that were beginning their career were investigated.

Graphene (GN) and its derivatives (rGOs) show anticancer properties in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells in vitro and in tumors in vivo. We compared the anti-tumor effects of rGOs with different oxygen contents with those of GN, and determined the characteristics of rGOs useful in anti-glioblastoma therapy using the U87 glioblastoma line. GN/ExF, rGO/Term, rGO/ATS, and rGO/TUD were structurally analysed via transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, and AFM. Zeta potential, oxygen content, and electrical resistance were determined. We analyzed the viability, metabolic activity, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell cycle. Caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathways were investigated by analyzing gene expression. rGO/TUD induced the greatest decrease in the metabolic activity of U87 cells. rGO/Term induced the highest level of apoptosis compared with that induced by GN/ExF. rGO/ATS induced a greater decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential than GN/ExF. No significant changes were observed in the cytometric study of the cell cycle. The effectiveness of these graphene derivatives was related to the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups and electron clouds. Their cytotoxicity mechanism may involve electron clouds, which are smaller in rGOs, decreasing their cytotoxic effect. Overall, cytotoxic activity involved depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential and the induction of apoptosis in U87 glioblastoma cells.

Physical activity has an influence on a variety of processes in an athlete’s organism including the immune system. Unfortunately, there is a lack of studies regarding racehorse immune cells, especially when the horse model is compared to human exercise physiology. The aim of the study was to determine changes in immune cell proliferation, lymphocyte populations, and monocyte functionality in trained and untrained racehorses after exercise. In this study, field data were collected. The cells from 28 racehorses (14 untrained and 14 well-trained) were collected before and after exercise (800 m at a speed of about 800 m/min) and cultured for 4 days. The expression of CD4, CD8, FoxP₃, CD14, MHCII, and CD5 in PBMC, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, as well as cell proliferation, were evaluated by flow cytometry. In addition, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, INF-γ, and TNF-α concentrations were evaluated by ELISA. The creation of an anti-inflammatory environment in well-trained horses was confirmed. In contrast, a pro-inflammatory reaction occurred in untrained horses after training. In conclusion, an anti-inflammatory state occurs in well-trained racehorses, which is an adaptational reaction to an increased workload during training.