Immune-to-brain signaling and central prostaglandin E2 synthesis in fasted rats with altered lipopolysaccharide-induced fever

Acute starvation attenuates the fever response to pathogens in several mammalian species. The underlying mechanisms responsible for this effect are not fully understood but may involve a compromised immune and/or thermoregulatory function, both of which are prerequisites for fever generation. In the present study, we addressed whether the impaired innate immune response contributes to the reported attenuation of the fever response in fasted rats during LPS-induced inflammation. Animals fasted for 48 h exhibited a significant and progressive hypothermia prior to drug treatment. An intraperitoneal injection of LPS (100 microg/kg) resulted in a significantly attenuated fever in the fasted animals compared with the fed counterparts. This attenuation was accompanied by the diminution in the concentration of some [TNF and IL-1 receptor antagonist (RA)] but not all (IL-1beta and IL-6) of the plasma cytokines normally elevated in association with the fever response. Nevertheless, fasting had no effect on the LPS-induced inflammatory responses at the level of the brain, as assessed by mRNA expressions of inhibitory factor(I)-kappaB, suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS3), IL-1beta, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and microsomal PGE synthase (mPGES)-1 in the hypothalamus, as well as by PGE2 elevations in the cerebrospinal fluid. In contrast, fasting significantly attenuated the fever response to central PGE2 injection. These results show that fasting does not alter the febrigenic signaling from the periphery to the brain important for central PGE2 synthesis but does affect thermoregulatory mechanisms downstream of and/or independent of central PGE2 action.     

Mining the global diversity for bioenergy traits of barley straw: genomewide association study under varying plant water status

Cereal straws constitute a considerable source of biomass that can be used for bioenergy applications. Its composition is crucial for the energy value in biological or thermochemical conversion processes. Therefore, this study aimed at (i) exploring the global diversity in the composition of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) straw; (ii) testing the effect of drought on straw composition; (iii) correlating compositional traits with energy value; and (iv) identifying loci associated with straw composition through genomewide association study (GWAS). A population of 179 barley accessions was grown in control and drought conditions, and straw was analyzed for thioglycolic acid lignin (TGAL), total phenolics (TP), carbon, crude protein (CP), C/N ratio, and ash. Substantial variability was observed in all traits. Moreover, drought treatment affected all traits leading to significant decreases in carbon, CP, ash, TGAL and TP concentrations, and a significant increase in C/N ratio. In vitro incubations in rumen fluid were used to estimate the energy value in biological energy conversion, while calorimetry was used to estimate the energy yield in thermochemical energy conversion. Thioglycolic acid lignin was singled out as the most influential trait determining energy value, as it was negatively correlated with the digestibility of organic matter and metabolizable energy in in vitro incubations, but positively correlated with gross energy measured by calorimetry. The GWAS yielded four loci significantly associated with TGAL irrespective of plant water status, which explained between 22.5% and 38.7% of the phenotypic variation. In addition, three loci significantly affected the response of TGAL to plant water status, and explained between 11.2% and 16.6% of the phenotypic variation. These loci contained plausible candidate genes that could be associated with lignin biosynthesis based on their annotations. In conclusion, this study illustrated great potential for the molecular breeding of barley varieties with enhanced straw quality for bioenergy applications.     

Effects of black tea consumption on plasma catechins and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease

We previously demonstrated that black tea consumption reverses endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. To investigate potential mechanisms of this effect, we examined plasma catechins and systemic markers of oxidation, inflammation, and antioxidant protection from 66 subjects enrolled in that study. We collected samples at baseline, 2 h after 450 ml of black tea (acute), after 4 weeks of 900 ml of black tea per day (chronic), and after acute and chronic consumption of water. Total catechins increased 33% after acute tea (P < 0.05) and 29% after chronic tea (P < 0.05). Of individual catechins, plasma epicatechin gallate (ECG) concentration significantly increased with acute tea consumption, and plasma epicatechin (EC) increased with chronic tea consumption. Tea consumption did not improve plasma antioxidant capacity and did not reduce urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, or urinary 8-isoprostane levels. Changes in catechin levels did not correlate with changes in endothelial function, plasma markers of oxidative stress, or C-reactive protein. In contrast, endothelial function at baseline correlated with dietary flavonoid intake (beta = 0.32, P = 0.02) and with baseline plasma EC concentration after adjusting for confounding variables (beta = 0.39, P = 0.03). These findings suggest that the benefits of black tea consumption on endothelial function may not be attributable to tea catechins or a systemic antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effect. Chronic dietary flavonoid status appears to relate to endothelial function, possibly suggesting that other flavonoids or polyphenolic components of tea favorably influence vascular health and risk for cardiovascular disease.     

Endothelial thrombomodulin induces Ca2+ signals and nitric oxide synthesis through epidermal growth factor receptor kinase and calmodulin kinase II

Endothelial membrane-bound thrombomodulin is a high affinity receptor for thrombin to inhibit coagulation. We previously demonstrated that the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex restrains cell proliferation mediated through protease-activated receptor (PAR)-1. We have now tested the hypothesis that thrombomodulin transduces a signal to activate the endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (NOS3) and to modulate G protein-coupled receptor signaling. Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were stimulated with thrombin or a mutant of thrombin that binds to thrombomodulin and has no catalytic activity on PAR-1. Thrombin and its mutant dose dependently activated NO release at cell surface. Pretreatment with anti-thrombomodulin antibody suppressed NO response to the mutant and to low thrombin concentration and reduced by half response to high concentration. Thrombin receptor-activating peptide that only activates PAR-1 and high thrombin concentration induced marked biphasic Ca2+ signals with rapid phosphorylation of PLC(beta3) and NOS3 at both serine 1177 and threonine 495. The mutant thrombin evoked a Ca2+ spark and progressive phosphorylation of Src family kinases at tyrosine 416 and NOS3 only at threonine 495. It activated rapid phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-dependent NO synthesis and phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor and calmodulin kinase II. Complete epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition only partly reduced the activation of phospholipase Cgamma1 and NOS3. Prestimulation of thrombomodulin did not affect NO release but reduced Ca2+ responses to thrombin and histamine, suggesting cross-talks between thrombomodulin and G protein-coupled receptors. This is the first demonstration of an outside-in signal mediated by the cell surface thrombomodulin receptor to activate NOS3 through tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway. This signaling may contribute to thrombomodulin function in thrombosis, inflammation, and atherosclerosis.     

In vitro inhibition effect of some coumarin compounds on purified human serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1)

Human serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1; EC 3.1.8.1) is a high-density lipoprotein associated, calcium-dependent enzyme that hydrolyses aromatic esters, organophosphates and lactones and can protect the low-density lipoprotein against oxidation. In this study, in vitro effect of some hydroxy and dihydroxy ionic coumarin derivatives (1–20) on purified PON1 activity was investigated. Among these compounds, derivatives 11–20 are water soluble. In investigated compounds, compounds 6 and 13 were found the most active (IC₅₀?=?35 and 34?µM) for PON1, respectively. The present study has demonstrated that PON1 activity is very highly sensitive to studied coumarin derivatives.     

In vitro inhibition effects on erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase I and II and structure-activity relationships of cumarylthiazole derivatives

Coumarin and heterocyclic compounds incorporating urea have clinical applications as antiepileptics, diuretics, and antiglaucoma agents due to their carbonic anhydrase inhibitory properties. We investigated inhibition of carbonic anhydrase I and II with a series of coumarylthiazole derivatives containing urea/thiourea groups. All the investigated compounds exhibited inhibitory activity on both hCA I and hCA II, with 1-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-(4-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)thiazol-2-yl)urea being the strongest inhibitor. Structure–activity relationship study showed that most of urea derivatives were more inhibiting for hCA I and hCA II than thiourea derivatives. The electron-withdrawing groups at the phenyl ring increased the inhibitory activity compared to electron-donating groups.     

Introduction of novel thermostable α-amylases from genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anoxybacillus</Emphasis> and proposing to group the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillaceae</Emphasis> related α-amylases under five individual GH13 subfamilies

Among the thermophilic Bacillaceae family members, α-amylase production of 15 bacilli from genus Anoxybacillus was investigated, some of which are biotechnologically important. These Anoxybacillus α-amylase genes displayed?≥?91.0% sequence similarities to Anoxybacillus enzymes (ASKA, ADTA and GSX-BL), but relatively lower similarities to Geobacillus (≤?69.4% to GTA, Gt-amyII), and Bacillus aquimaris (≤?61.3% to BaqA) amylases, all formerly proposed only in a Glycoside Hydrolase 13 (GH13) subfamily. The phylogenetic analyses of 63 bacilli-originated protein sequences among 93 α-amylases revealed the overall relationships within Bacillaceae amylolytic enzymes. All bacilli α-amylases formed 5 clades different from 15 predefined GH13 subfamilies. Their phylogenetic findings, taxonomic relationships, temperature requirements, and comparisonal structural analyses (including their CSR-I-VII regions, 12 sugar- and 4 calcium-binding sites, presence or absence of the complete catalytic machinery, and their currently unassigned status in a valid GH13 subfamiliy) revealed that these five GH13 α-amylase clades related to familly share some common characteristics, but also display differentiative features from each other and the preclassified ones. Based on these findings, we proposed to divide Bacillaceae related GH13 subfamilies into 5 individual groups: the novel a2 subfamily clustered around α-amylase B2M1-A (Anoxybacillus sp.), the a1, a3 and a4 subfamilies (including the representatives E184aa-A (Anoxybacillus sp.), ATA (Anoxybacillus tepidamans), and BaqA,) all of which were composed from the division of the previously grouped single subfamily around α-amylase BaqA, and the undefinite subfamily formerly defined as xy including Bacillus megaterium NL3.     

Nicotine potentiates the neurogenic contractile response of rabbit bladder tissue via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: nitric oxide and prostaglandins have no role in this process

Nicotine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) agonist, has a role in modulation of the neurotransmitter release following nerve stimulation in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. The aim of this study was to determine whether electrical field stimulation (EFS)-evoked contractions are altered in rabbit bladder in the presence of nicotine and, if an alteration occurs, to investigate the effects of nitric oxide and prostaglandins on nicotine-induced alternation in isolated rabbit bladder. EFS-evoked contractile responses from rabbit bladder obtained were recorded with isometric force displacement transducers. Nicotine was added to preparations at various concentrations. The effects of hexamethonium, cadmium (Cd(2+)), indomethacin and N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) were tested on the EFS-evoked contractions in the presence of nicotine. Nicotine led to a dose-dependent increase in the amplitude of the EFS-evoked contractile responses. Cd(2+) and hexamethonium inhibited the nicotine-induced increase in EFS-evoked responses, whereas indomethacin and L-NAME had no effect. In conclusion, nicotine increased the EFS-evoked contractile responses possibly by facilitating release of neurotransmitters from nerve terminals by a mechanism dependent on the influx of Ca(2+) from voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (VGCCs) via activation of nAChRs in isolated rabbit bladder. Nitric oxide and prostaglandins do not have a physiological role in the regulation of neurotransmitter release.