Chronic hypoxia increases insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse soleus muscle

People living at high altitude appear to have lower blood glucose levels and decreased incidence of diabetes. Faster glucose uptake and increased insulin sensitivity are likely explanations for these findings: skeletal muscle is the largest glucose sink in the body, and its adaptation to the hypoxia of altitude may influence glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity. This study tested the hypothesis that chronic normobaric hypoxia increases insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in soleus muscles and decreases plasma glucose levels. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were kept in normoxia [fraction of inspired O? = 21% (Control)] or normobaric hypoxia [fraction of inspired O? = 10% (Hypoxia)] for 4 wk. Then blood glucose and insulin levels, in vitro muscle glucose uptake, and indexes of insulin signaling were measured. Chronic hypoxia lowered blood glucose and plasma insulin [glucose: 14.3 ± 0.65 mM in Control vs. 9.9 ± 0.83 mM in Hypoxia (P < 0.001); insulin: 1.2 ± 0.2 ng/ml in Control vs. 0.7 ± 0.1 ng/ml in Hypoxia (P < 0.05)] and increased insulin sensitivity determined by homeostatic model assessment 2 [21.5 ± 3.8 in Control vs. 39.3 ± 5.7 in Hypoxia (P < 0.03)]. There was no significant difference in basal glucose uptake in vitro in soleus muscle (1.59 ± 0.24 and 1.71 ± 0.15 μmol·g?1·h?1 in Control and Hypoxia, respectively). However, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was 30% higher in the soleus after 4 wk of hypoxia than Control (6.24 ± 0.23 vs. 4.87 ± 0.37 μmol·g?1·h?1, P < 0.02). Muscle glycogen content was not significantly different between the two groups. Levels of glucose transporters 4 and 1, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, glycogen synthase kinase 3, protein kinase B/Akt, and AMP-activated protein kinase were not affected by chronic hypoxia. Akt phosphorylation following insulin stimulation in soleus muscle was significantly (25%) higher in Hypoxia than Control (P < 0.05). Neither glycogen synthase kinase 3 nor AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation changed after 4 wk of hypoxia. These results demonstrate that the adaptation of skeletal muscles to chronic hypoxia includes increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake.     

Improved method for making nondenaturing composite gradient gels for the electrophoretic separation of lipoproteins

Nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis continues to be used widely for resolution and characterization of lipoprotein subclasses. Methods for making such gels in the laboratory have been published, but occasionally samples do not display uniform mobilities for all lanes in a laboratory-made gel. To help overcome this limitation, we recommend a modification     

The involvement of thaumatin-like proteins in plant food cross-reactivity: a multicenter study using a specific protein microarray

Cross-reactivity of plant foods is an important phenomenon in allergy, with geographical variations with respect to the number and prevalence of the allergens involved in this process, whose complexity requires detailed studies. We have addressed the role of thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) in cross-reactivity between fruit and pollen allergies. A representative panel of 16 purified TLPs was printed onto an allergen microarray. The proteins selected belonged to the sources most frequently associated with peach allergy in representative regions of Spain. Sera from two groups of well characterized patients, one with allergy to Rosaceae fruit (FAG) and another against pollens but tolerant to food-plant allergens (PAG), were obtained from seven geographical areas with different environmental pollen profiles. Cross-reactivity between members of this family was demonstrated by inhibition assays. Only 6 out of 16 purified TLPs showed noticeable allergenic activity in the studied populations. Pru p 2.0201, the peach TLP (41%), chestnut TLP (24%) and plane pollen TLP (22%) proved to be allergens of probable relevance to fruit allergy, being mainly associated with pollen sensitization, and strongly linked to specific geographical areas such as Barcelona, Bilbao, the Canary Islands and Madrid. The patients exhibited >50% positive response to Pru p 2.0201 and to chestnut TLP in these specific areas. Therefore, their recognition patterns were associated with the geographical area, suggesting a role for pollen in the sensitization of these allergens. Finally, the co-sensitizations of patients considering pairs of TLP allergens were analyzed by using the co-sensitization graph associated with an allergen microarray immunoassay. Our data indicate that TLPs are significant allergens in plant food allergy and should be considered when diagnosing and treating pollen-food allergy.     

Seminal traits, suitability for semen preservation and fertility in the native Portuguese horse breeds Puro Sangue Lusitano and Sorraia: Implications for stallion classification and assisted reproduction

The Puro Sangue Lusitano (PSL) is the major national breed of horse in Portugal, but no studies exist on its seminal characteristics, or on the possibility of conserving semen for future use. The aim of this study was to evaluate semen parameters, fertility and the aptness to semen preservation in Lusitano Stallions. In order to compare characteristics defined by a single or by multiple semen collections per stallion 152 ejaculates obtained from 152 Lusitano stallions presented at an annual breeding soundness examination as well as data related to 371 ejaculates obtained from 9 PSL were analyzed. These latter samples were also evaluated in terms of their possible use in assisted reproduction and were compared with 113 ejaculates obtained from 4 Sorraia horses, a rare and endangered Portuguese breed. The percentage of motile spermatozoa (PMS) was assessed after collection (AC), after semen dilution (AD) and at 24h of cool-storage. Mean values obtained for sperm motility and morphology and semen pH observed after semen collection differ significantly (P<0.05) between single collection/multiple stallions and multiple collections/limited stallions, and no age related effects were detected. Overall, Lusitano semen quality was comparable to that of related breeds, while Sorraia stallions had very poor semen quality. The response to cool-storage of diluted semen samples differed among stallions and breeds, and the best results for progressive motile sperm cells at 24h were in a range of 35-53% for PSL stallions and were lower for Sorraia stallions. Fertility rates obtained with artificial insemination (AI) averaged at 85% for PSL. With the exception of PMS AC, sperm vitality and semen pH no other seminal trait seemed to influence fertility rates in the Lusitano breed.     

DNA adducts derived from administration of acrylamide and glycidamide to mice and rats

Acrylamide (AA) is an important industrial chemical that is neurotoxic, mutagenic to somatic and germ cells, and carcinogenic in chronic rodent bioassays. Recent findings of AA in many common starchy foods have sparked renewed interest in determining toxic mechanisms and in understanding the cancer, neurotoxicity, and reproductive risks from typical human exposures. Dosing mice and rats with AA (50 mg/kg) led to presence of glycidamide (GA) in serum and tissues. Furthermore, GA-derived DNA adducts of adenine and guanine were formed in all tissues examined, including both target tissues identified in rodent carcinogenicity bioassays and in non-target tissues. Dosing rats and mice with an equimolar amount of GA typically produced higher levels of DNA adducts than observed with AA. Kinetics of DNA adduct formation and accumulation were measured following oral administration of a single dose of AA (50 mg/kg) or from repeat dosing (1 mg/kg/day), respectively. The formation of these DNA adducts is consistent with previously reported mutagenicity of AA and GA in vitro, which involved reaction of GA with adenine and guanine bases. These results provide strong support for a genotoxic mechanism of AA carcinogenicity in rodents. The kinetic/biomarker approaches described here may represent a meaningful way to extrapolate cancer risks to actual human exposures from food, which are much lower.     

Evolutionary structure of Plasmodium falciparum major variant surface antigen genes in South America: Implications for epidemic transmission and surveillance

Strong founder effects resulting from human migration out of Africa have led to geographic variation in single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and microsatellites (MS) of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. This is particularly striking in South America where two major founder populations of P. falciparum have been identified that are presumed to have arisen from the transatlantic slave trade. Given the importance of the major variant surface antigen of the blood stages of P. falciparum as both a virulence factor and target of immunity, we decided to investigate the population genetics of the genes encoding “Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1” (PfEMP1) among several countries in South America, in order to evaluate the transmission patterns of malaria in this continent. Deep sequencing of the DBLα domain of var genes from 128 P. falciparum isolates from five locations in South America was completed using a 454 high throughput sequencing protocol. Striking geographic variation in var DBLα sequences, similar to that seen for SNPs and MS markers, was observed. Colombia and French Guiana had distinct var DBLα sequences, whereas Peru and Venezuela showed an admixture. The importance of such geographic variation to herd immunity and malaria vaccination is discussed.     

Differences in protein expression among five species of stream stonefly (Plecoptera) along a latitudinal gradient in Japan

Proteome variation among natural populations along an environmental gradient may provide insights into how the biological functions of species are related to their local adaptation. We investigated protein expression in five stream stonefly species from four geographic regions along a latitudinal gradient in Japan with varying climatic conditions. The extracted proteins were separated by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and identified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization of time‐of‐flight (MALDI TOF/TOF), yielding 446 proteins. Low interspecies variation in the proteome profiles was observed among five species within geographical regions, presumably due to the co‐occurring species sharing the environments. However, large spatial variations in protein expression were found among four geographic regions, suggesting strong regulation of protein expression in heterogeneous environments, where the spatial variations were positively correlated with water temperature. We identified 21 unique proteins expressed specifically in a geographical region and six common proteins expressed throughout all regions. In warmer regions, metabolic proteins were upregulated, whereas proteins related to cold stress, the photoperiod, and mating were downregulated. Oxygen‐related and energy‐production proteins were upregulated in colder regions with higher altitudes. Thus, our proteomic approach is useful for identifying and understanding important biological functions related to local adaptations by populations of stoneflies.     

Synthesis, antimalarial activity, structure-activity relationship analysis of thieno-[3,2-b]benzothiazine S,S-dioxide analogs

An improved procedure for the synthesis of 3-amino-9-arylsubstituted-thieno[3,2-b]benzothiazine S,S-dioxide 2-decarboxylated is reported. Thieno-[3,2-b]benzothiazine S,S-dioxide derivatives were investigated for their abilities to inhibit beta-hematin formation, hemoglobin hydrolysis and in vivo for their efficacy in rodent Plasmodium berghei. Compounds 5j-o were the most promising as inhibitors of hemoglobin hydrolysis, however, the compounds are not as efficient as chloroquine. A structure-activity relationship (SAR) study was carried out in this series. Our results allow us to determine the minimal structural requirements to produce the biological response.