Endovascular hypothermia improves post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction by increasing mitochondrial biogenesis in a pig model of cardiac arrest

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of endovascular hypothermia on mitochondrial biogenesis in a pig model of prolonged cardiac arrest (CA). Ventricular fibrillation was electrically induced, and animals were left untreated for 10 min; then after 6min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillation was attempted. 25 animals that were successfully resuscitated were randomized into three groups: Sham group (SG, 5, no CA), normal temperature group (NTG, 5 for 12 h observation and 5 for 24 h observation), and endovascular hypothermia group (EHG, 5 for 12 h observation and 5 for 24 h observation). The core temperatures (T_c) in the EHG were maintained at 34 ± 0.5 °C for 6 h by an endovascular hypothermia device (Coolgard 3000), then actively increased at the speed of 0.5 °C per hour during the next 6 h to achieve a normal body temperature, while T_c were maintained at 37.5 ± 0.5 °C in the NTG. Cardiac and mitochondrial functions, the quantification of myocardial mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), nuclear respiratory factor (NRF)-1, and NRF-2 were examined. Results showed that myocardial and mitochondrial injury and dysfunction increased significantly at 12 h and 24 h after CA. Endovascular hypothermia offered a method to rapidly achieve the target temperature and provide stable target temperature management (TTM). Cardiac outcomes were improved and myocardial injuries were alleviated with endovascular hypothermia. Compared with NTG, endovascular hypothermia significantly increased mitochondrial activity and biogenesis by amplifying mitochondrial biogenesis factors’ expressions, including PGC-1α, NRF-1, and NRF-2. In conclusions, endovascular hypothermia after CA alleviated myocardial and mitochondrial dysfunction, and was associated with increasing mitochondrial biogenesis.     

Ascorbic acid prolongs the viability and stability of isolated perfused lungs: A mechanistic study using 31P and hyperpolarized 13C nuclear magnetic resonance

Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) has recently shown promise as a means of more accurately gauging the health of lung grafts and improving graft performance post-transplant. However, reperfusion of ischemic lung promotes the depletion of high-energy compounds and a progressive loss of normal mitochondrial function, and it remains unclear how and to what extent the EVLP approach contributes to this metabolic decline. Although ascorbate has been used to mitigate the effects of ischemia–reperfusion injury, the nature of its effects during EVLP are also not clear. To address these uncertainties, this study monitored the energy status of lungs during EVLP and after the administration of ascorbate using ³¹P and hyperpolarized ¹³C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). Our experiments demonstrated that the oxidative phosphorylation capacity and pyruvate dehydrogenase flux of lungs decline during ex vivo perfusion. The addition of ascorbate to the perfusate prolonged lung viability by 80% and increased the hyperpolarized ¹³C bicarbonate signal by a factor of 2.7. The effect of ascorbate is apparently due not to its antioxidant quality but rather to its ability to energize cellular respiration given that it increased the lung’s energy charge significantly, whereas other antioxidants (glutathione and α-lipoic acid) did not alter energy metabolism. During ascorbate administration, inhibition of mitochondrial complex I with rotenone depressed energy charge and shifted the metabolic state of the lung toward glycolysis; reenergizing the electron transport chain with TMPD (N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine) recovered metabolic activity. This indicates that ascorbate slows the decline of the ex vivo perfused lung’s mitochondrial activity through an independent interaction with the electron transport chain complexes.     

Continuous bioprocessing: The real thing this time?: 10th Annual bioProcessUK Conference,December 3–4, 2013, London,UK

The Annual bioProcessUK Conference has acted as the key networking event for bioprocess scientists and engineers in the UK for the past 10 years. The following article is a report from the sessions that focused on continuous bioprocessing during the 10^th Annual bioProcessUK Conference (London, December 2013). These sessions were organized by the ‘EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Emergent Macromolecular Therapies’ hosted at University College London. A plenary lecture and workshop provided a forum for participants to debate topical issues in roundtable discussions with industry and academic experts from institutions such as Genzyme, Janssen, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Merck, GE Healthcare and University College London. The aim of these particular sessions was to understand better the challenges and opportunities for continuous bioprocessing in the bioprocessing sector.     

Cardiac Restricted Overexpression of Membrane Type-1 Matrix Metalloproteinase Causes Adverse Myocardial Remodeling following Myocardial Infarction

The membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a unique member of the MMP family, but induction patterns and consequences of MT1-MMP overexpression (MT1-MMPexp), in a left ventricular (LV) remodeling process such as myocardial infarction (MI), have not been explored. MT1-MMP promoter activity (murine luciferase reporter) increased 20-fold at 3 days and 50-fold at 14 days post-MI. MI was then induced in mice with cardiac restricted MT1-MMPexp (n = 58) and wild type (WT, n = 60). Post-MI survival was reduced (67% versus 46%, p < 0.05), and LV ejection fraction was lower in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp mice compared with WT (41 ± 2 versus 32 ± 2%,p < 0.05). In the post-MI MT1-MMPexp mice, LV myocardial MMP activity, as assessed by radiotracer uptake, and MT1-MMP-specific proteolytic activity using a specific fluorogenic assay were both increased by 2-fold. LV collagen content was increased by nearly 2-fold in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp compared with WT. Using a validated fluorogenic construct, it was discovered that MT1-MMP proteolytically processed the pro-fibrotic molecule, latency-associated transforming growth factor-1 binding protein (LTBP-1), and MT1-MMP-specific LTBP-1 proteolytic activity was increased by 4-fold in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp group. Early and persistent MT1-MMP promoter activity occurred post-MI, and increased myocardial MT1-MMP levels resulted in poor survival, worsening of LV function, and significant fibrosis. A molecular mechanism for the adverse LV matrix remodeling with MT1-MMP induction is increased processing of pro-fibrotic signaling molecules. Thus, a proteolytically diverse portfolio exists for MT1-MMP within the myocardium and likely plays a mechanistic role in adverse LV remodeling.     

生长抑素可预防链佐霉素诱发的大鼠胰岛 B 细胞分泌功能的损伤

本工作通过测定大鼠血清、胰腺灌流液以及肤腺组织中胰岛素含量,观察生长抑素(SS)对链佐霉素(STZ)诱发的实验性糖尿病的作用。结果如下:皮下注射生理盐水后10min,再向腹腔注射链佐霉素(35mg/kg),24h 后大鼠血清胰岛素浓度明显降低。胰腺组织匀浆中的胰岛素含量也明显减少。如若在注射链佐霉素前10min 皮下注射生长抑素,则可有效地防止上述两项指标的改变,(NS STZ)和(SS STZ)两组之间具有显著差异。单独注射生长抑素,24h 后血清胰岛素及胰腺组织中胰岛素含量与正常对照无明显差异。用分离的大鼠胰腺作体外灌流,观察到:NS STZ 组大鼠灌流胰腺对19.7mmol/L 的高浓度葡萄糖刺激无胰岛素释放反应,而 SS STZ 组大鼠的胰腺对高浓度葡萄糖有反应性,刺激后出现胰岛素分泌峰。上述结果表明,SS(30μg/kg)预防性注射可以防止 STZ 引起的胰岛 B 细胞分泌功能的障碍。     

Force frequency relation in the myocardium of rainbow trout

Summary Isolated heart ventricular preparations from rainbow trout were electrically stimulated to contraction. Following a temporary change in stimulation rate from 0.2 Hz to a higher value, the force fell to a minimum after which it increased and levelled off. Upon the return to 0.2 Hz a further transient increase in force appeared. The latter two responses were stimulated by an increased extracellular K⁺, which is known to inactivate the Na⁺ channel. The initial negative inotropic effect, in contrast to the two subsequent positive effects, was associated with a parallel decrease in amplitude of the action potential measured in 15 mM K⁺, used as an index of the Ca²⁺ influx. One micromolar (1 M) ryanodine did not affect either the negative or the positive responses due to an increase in stimulation rate, but depressed the force developed after prolonged periods of rest. Ten micromolar (10 M) adrenaline strongly inhibited the positive effects of an elevation of frequency. An elevation of extracellular Na⁺ from 141 to 166 mM had a similar effect. In conclusion, the positive effects occurring in 15 mM K⁺ do not seem to depend on the initial Na⁺ current. They may nevertheless depend on changes of the cellular Na⁺ balance as suggested by the effects of adrenaline, K⁺ and Na⁺. The functional role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum is unclear.     

High density culture of hybridoma cells using a perfusion culture vessel with an external centrifuge

The influence of centrifugal force on the growth of cells was examined by exposing the cells of the mouse-human hybridoma X87 line to centrifugal force (100–500 G) for ten minutes twice a day and comparing the static culture with that of unexposed cells. In this experiment, both cell proliferation and specific antibody productivity were independent of the centrifugal effect, and gave the same results as in the case of no exposure to centrifugal force. High density cultivation of the mouse-human hybridoma X87 line was obtained by a perfusion system where the cells were separated from the culture medium by continuous centrifugation. In the serum-free culture, the maximum viable cell density exceeded 10⁷ cells/ml, and monoclonal antibody was stably produced for 37 days. The results in this culture were equivalent to those obtained by intermittent centrifugal cell separation from the culture medium, and separation by gravitational settlement.     

High density microcarrier culture with a new device which allows oxygenation and perfusion of microcarrier cultures

A novel system useful for aeration and cell retention in continuous perfused microcarrier cultures is described. The system is based on a vibrating cage that separates cells and microcarriers from the oxygenation chamber and allows gas bubble free oxygen transfer. In the cultivation of monkey kidney cells (VERO) on gelatin coated microcarriers, using different concentrations (5, 10 and 15 g Cytodex 3/liter) cell densities up to 10⁷ cells per ml were obtained. The described system is scaleable.     

Tetrahydropapaveroline and salsolinol alter45Ca2+ efflux within perfused hippocampus of unrestrained rats

The kinetics of⁴⁵Ca²⁺ efflux were examined at circumscribed sites in the perfused hippocampus of the freely moving rat with either one of two tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) products, tetrahydropapaveroline (THP) or salsolinol. Guide tubes for unilateral push-pull perfusion were implanted stereotaxically to rest just above sites within the dorsal hippocampus. Upon recovery from surgery, a tissue site in the hippocampus was prelabeled with 1.0 l of⁴⁵Ca²⁺ (2.0 Ci) injected through the indwelling guide tube. After 16–20 hr had elapsed, successive push-pull perfusions of the site were carried out with an artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), at 5.0 min intervals and at a rate of 20 l/min, in order to obtain a control washout curve of declining radioactivity. On the fifth of a series of 5.0 min perfusions, either THP or salsolinol was added to the perfusion medium in a concentration of 10 or 100 ng/l. Then the hippocampal site was perfused again with control CSF for the collection of an additional three samples. Although THP in both of the test concentrations generally augmented the efflux of⁴⁵Ca²⁺, the temporal course and magnitude of the enhancement depended on the anatomical site of the perfusion. In the more rostral hippocampal planes of AP 3.0 and AP 4.0, THP caused a delayed efflux of the cation, after the perfusion of THP had been discontinued, in nearly half of the loci reactive to the TIQ. Similarly, salsolinol enhanced significantly the efflux of⁴⁵Ca²⁺ in a concentration-dependent manner during the interval of its perfusion within the hippocampal plane of AP 3.0. These results suggest that both THP and salsolinol can affect differentially the kinetics of⁴⁵Ca²⁺ efflux and that these differences are contingent on the circumscribed anatomical site of push-pull perfusion. It is envisaged that a part of the neurochemical effects of the two TIQs when acting centrally are mediated by membrane mechanisms involving Ca²⁺ transport, metabolism or other cellular activity of the cation.     

High cell density perfusion culture of hybridoma cells recycling high molecular weight components

We have developed a high cell density and high product concentration culture system recycling high molecular weight components. The production of monoclonal antibodies in high concentration was performed by this culture system with mouse human hybridoma H2 and V6 cells in serum-free defined media.The concentration of IgG after 48 days culture of H2 cells in ITES-eRDF reached 2 mg/ml and the purity of IgG in culture fluid was 61%. In addition, high molecular weight components in serum-free media, such as transferrin or BSA, could be reduced to 5% of the original concentration.