• 22 765 33 01
  • office@ifzz.pl
  • ul. Instytucka 3 05-110 Jabłonna, Polska
Employee zone
Facebook-f

Department of Genetic Engineering

Head of the Department

Prof. DSc, eng. Andrzej Herman
🖂 a.herman@ifzz.pl

Researches

PhD, DSc, eng. Anna Antuszewicz, institute professor, 🖂 a.antuszewicz@ifzz.pl
PhD Karolina Wojtulewicz, 🖂 k.wojtulewicz@ifzz.pl
MSc, eng. Maciej Wójcik, 🖂 m.wojcik@ifzz.pl
DVM Monika Tomczyk, 🖂 m.tomczyk@ifzz.pl

Engineering and Technical Staff

MSc Joanna Bochenek, 🖂 j.bochenek@ifzz.pl

Current research topics

  • Bilateral relationships between immune and neuroendocrine systems.
  • The influence of fotoperiod on inflammation and secretory activity of neurohormonal hypothalamus-pituitary-gonandal and hypothalamus-pituitary-somatotropic axes.
  • The role of endogenous anti-inflammation mechanisms in suppressing the inflammation of central nervous system.
  • The influence of adipokines on the secretory activity of blood system.
  • The influence of regulating peptides and bacterial compounds on the physiological processes in the gastrointestinal tract.
 

In the Department in vitro (cell lines, cultivation, tissue explants cultivation) and also in vivo studies on animal models such as striped danio, rat and sheep are carried out.

Main achievements

  • It was revealed that direct action of pro-inflammatory pleiotropic cytokine – interleukin (IL)-1β on gonadotropic pituitary cells can be the one of reasons of reproduction disorders accompanying inflammation (Herman et al., 2013. Dev. Immunol. 926937).
  • In in vitro and in vivo studies it was observed that IL-1β is an important factor responsible for inducing melatonin secretion disturbances in pineal gland during inflammation (Herman et al., 2015. BioMed Res. Int., 526464; Herman et al., 2016. Med. Inflamm. 2589483).
  • The pharmacological suppression of acetylocholinestrase activity leads to decrease in proinflammatory cytokines synthesis in the central nervous system which prevents GnRH and LH secretions from the suppressing influence of inflammation (Herman et al., 2013. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 138: 203-212; Herman
    et al., 2013. Domest. Anim. Endocrinol. 44, 109-114; Herman et al., 2017, BioMed Res. Int. 6823209; Herman et al., 2019. J. Mol. Sci. 20, 4598).
  • In the studies on a sheep model it was observed that acute and chronic inflammation differently affect inflammatory cytokine gene expression and their receptors in sheep pituitary, which partially explains different profile of pituitary hormones secretion in acute and chronic inflammation state (Wojtulewicz et al., 2020. J. Mol. Sci. 21, 6939).
  • It was noted that anandamide supresses induced by inflammation biosynthesis of IL-1β in sheep hypothalamus, which can indicate the possibility of using endocanabinoids and/or their analogues in neuroendocrine disorders of inflammatory basis therapy (Tomczyk et al., 2021. Animals 11, 484).
  • Apelin regulates systhesis of digestion enzymes and maturation of digestive system in rats, however the influence of this hormone on processes in the gastrointestinal tract can be different in young and adult organisms (Antushevich et al., 2013. Physiol. Pharmacol. 64, 423–428; Antushevich et al., 2015. Peptides 65, 1-5).
  • It was revealed that both in young and adult animals apelin is important factor stimulating pancreatic lipase synthesis, therefore the vital role of this peptide in the digestion and fat metabolism regulation can be underlined (Antushevich et al., 2016. J. Physiol. Pharmacol., 67, 403-409; Antushevich et al., 2016. J. Anim. Feed. Sci. 25, 160-166).
  • In the rat model with intravenous injection of silver (AgNPs) and titanium dioxide (TiO2NPs) nanoparticles it was observed that nanoparticles influence parameters of oxidative stress and brain antioxidatnive potential at the same time interfere the activity of renin-angiotensin system (Krawczyńska et al., 2015. Food Chem. Toxicol. 85, 96-105).

Selected publications

  • Herman A., Herman A.P. 2023. Herbal products and their active constituents used alone and in combination with antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Planta Medica 89(02): 168-182, https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1890-5559
  • Herman A., Herman A.P. 2023. Herbal products and their active constituents for diabetic wound healing—preclinical and clinical studies: a systematic review. Pharmaceutics 15(1): 281, https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15010281
  • Matuszewski M., Szarpak L., Pruc M., Pedrycz-Wieczorska A., Kilic M., Rohat Ak., Jankowski L., Bragazzi N.L., Moghadam M.G., Herman A.P., Kubica J., Lewicki S., Cielica M., Chirico F. 2023. Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic biomarker for COVID-19 severity: a single center retrospective data analysis and systematic review with meta-analysis of 187 studies. Disaster and Emergency Medicine Journal 8(4): 198-206, https://doi.org/10.5603/demj.96811
  • Szczepkowska A., Bochenek J., Wójcik M., Tomaszewska-Zaremba D., Antushevich H., Tomczyk M., Herman A.P. 2023. Effect of caffeine on adenosine and ryanodine receptor gene expression in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and choroid plexus in ewes under basal and LPS challenge conditions. Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences 32(1): 17-25, https://doi.org/10.22358/jafs/156762/2022
  • Wojtulewicz K., Tomczyk M., Wójcik M., Bochenek J., Antushevich H., Krawczyńska A., Załęcki M., Herman A.P. 2023. Circadian and seasonal changes in the expression of clock genes in the ovine pars tuberalis. Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences 32(4): 363-371, https://doi.org/10.22358/jafs/169747/2023
  • Wójcik M., Krawczyńska A., Zieba D.A., Antushevich H., Herman A.P. 2023. Influence of leptin on the secretion of growth hormone in ewes under different photoperiodic conditions. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24(9): 8036, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24098036
  • Wójcik M., Zięba D.A., Tomczyk M., Bochenek J., Antushevich H., Krawczyńska A., Herman A.P. 2023. Time-dependent effect of inflammation on the gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and their receptors at the different levels of the somatotropic axis in ewe. Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences 32(4): 400-412, https://doi.org/10.22358/jafs/175380/2023
  • Tomczyk M., Tomaszewska-Zaremba D., Bochenek J., Herman A., Herman A.P. 2021. Anandamide influences interleukin-1β synthesis and IL-1 system gene expressions in the ovine hypothalamus during endo-toxin-induced inflammation. Animals 11(2), 484, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020484
  • Wojtulewicz K., Krawczyńska A., Tomaszewska D., Wójcik M., Herman A.P. 2020. Effect of acute and prolonged inflammation on the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines and their receptors in the anterior pituitary gland of ewes. Int. Journal of Molecular Sciences 21(18), 6939, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21186939
  • Wójcik M., Herman A.P., Zięba D.A., Krawczyńska A. 2020. The impact of photoperiod on the leptin sensitivity and course of inflammation in the anterior pituitary. International Journal of  Molecar Sciences 21(11), 4153, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21114153 
  • Antushevich H. 2020. Fecal microbiota transplantation in disease therapy. Clinica Chimica Acta 503; 90-98, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2019.12.010
  • Herman A., Herman A.P. 2020. Herbal products in postsurgical wound healing – incision, excision and dead space wound models. Planta Medica 86(11),732-748, https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1162-9988
  • Kamaszewski M., Skrobisz M., Wójcik M., Kawalski K., Szczepański A., Bujarski P., Szudrowicz H., Herman A.P., Martynow J. 2020. The role of transcription factors in gonad development and sex differentiation of a teleost model fish-guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Animals 10(12), 2401, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10122401
  • Kamaszewski M., Wójcik M., Krawczyńska A., Ostaszewska T. 2020. The influence of diet containing wheat gluten supplemented with dipeptides or amino acids on the morphology of white muscle of yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Animals 10(3), 388, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10030388
  • Herman A.P., Skipor J., Krawczyńska A., Bochenek J., Wojtulewicz K., Pawlina B., Antushevich H., Herman A., Tomaszewska-Zaremba D. 2019. Effect of central injection of neostigmine on the bacterial endotoxin induced suppression of GnRH/LH secretion in ewes during the follicular phase of the estrous cycle. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 20(18), 4598, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20184598
  • Haziak K., Herman A.P., Wojtulewicz K., Pawlina B., Paczesna K., Bochenek J., Tomaszewska-Zaremba D. 2018. Effect of CD14/TLR4 antagonist on GnRH/LH secretion in ewe during central inflammation induced by intracerebroventricular administration of LPS. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 9(1), 52, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-018-0267-8
  • Krawczyńska A., Herman A.P., Antushevich H., Bochenek J., Dziendzikowska K., Gajewska A., Gromadzka-Ostrowska J. 2017. Modifications of Western-type diet regarding protein, fat and sucrose levels as modulators of steroid metabolism and activity in liver. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 165, 331-341, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.07.012
  • Krawczyńska A., Herman A.P., Antushevich H., Bochenek J., Wojtulewicz K., Zięba D.A. 2019. The influence of photoperiod on the action of exogenous leptin on gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines and their receptors in the thoracic perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) in ewes. Mediators of Inflammation 2019, 7129476, https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7129476
  • Antushevich H., Wójcik M. 2018. Review: Apelin in disease. Clinica Chimica Acta 483, 241-248, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2018.05.012
  • Herman A.P., Tomaszewska-Zaremba D., Kowalewska M., Szczepkowska A., Oleszkiewicz M., Krawczyńska A., Wójcik M., Antushevich H., Skipor J. 2018. Neostigmine attenuates proinflammatory cytokine but not in choroid plexus during lipopolysaccharide-inducted systemic inflammation. Mediators of Inflammation 2018, 9150207, https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9150207
  • Wójcik M., Krawczyńska A., Antushevich H., Herman A.P. 2018. Post-receptor inhibitors of the GHR-JAK2-STAT pathway in the growth hormone signal transduction. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 19(7), 1843, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19071843
  • Wojtulewicz K., Tomaszewska-Zaremba D., Herman A.P. 2017. Endotoxin-induced inflammation suppresses the effect of melatonin on the release of LH from the ovine pars tuberalis explants – ex vivo study. Molecules 22(11), 1933, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22111933
  • Herman A.P., Skipor J., Krawczyńska A., Bochenek J., Wojtulewicz K., Antushevich H., Herman A., Paczesna K., Romanowicz K., Tomaszewska-Zaremba D. 2017. Peripheral inhibitor of AChE, neostigmine, prevents the inflammatory dependent suppression of GnRH/LH secretion during the follicular phase of the estrous cycle. BioMed Research International 2017, 6823209, https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/6823209
  • Herman A.P., Wojtulewicz K., Bochenek J., Krawczyńska A., Antushevich H., Pawlina B., Zielińska-Górska M., Herman A., Romanowicz K., Tomaszewska-Zaremba D. 2017. Endotoxin-induced inflammation disturbs melatonin secretion in ewe. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 30(12); 1784-1795, https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.17.0196
  • Antushevich H. 2020. Interplays between inflammasomes and viruses, bacteria (pathogenic and probiotic), yeasts and parasites. Immunology Letters 228, 1-14, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imlet.2020.09.004
  • Herman A., Herman A.P. 2020. Herbal products for treatment of burn wounds. Journal of Burn Care  Research 41(3), 457-465, https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/iraa010
Skip to content