Mitochondrial implications in human pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction and associated cardiac remodelling

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is an obstetric complication characterised by placental insufficiency and secondary cardiovascular remodelling that can lead to cardiomyopathy in adulthood. Despite its aetiology and potential therapeutics are poorly understood, bioenergetic deficits have been demonstrated in adverse foetal and cardiac development. We aimed to evaluate the role of mitochondria in human pregnancies with IUGR. In a single‐site, cross‐sectional and observational study, we included placenta and maternal peripheral and neonatal cord blood mononuclear cells (PBMC and CBMC) from 14 IUGR and 22 control pregnancies. The following mitochondrial measurements were assessed: enzymatic activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) complexes I, II, IV, I + III and II + III, oxygen consumption (cell and complex I‐stimulated respiration), mitochondrial content (citrate synthase [CS] activity and mitochondrial DNA copy number), total ATP levels and lipid peroxidation. Sirtuin3 expression was evaluated as a potential regulator of bioenergetic imbalance. Intrauterine growth restriction placental tissue showed a significant decrease of MRC CI enzymatic activity (P < 0.05) and CI‐stimulated oxygen consumption (P < 0.05) accompanied by a significant increase of Sirtuin3/β‐actin protein levels (P < 0.05). Maternal PBMC and neonatal CBMC from IUGR patients presented a not significant decrease in oxygen consumption (cell and CI‐stimulated respiration) and MRC enzymatic activities (CII and CIV). Moreover, CS activity was significantly reduced in IUGR new‐borns (P < 0.05). Total ATP levels and lipid peroxidation were preserved in all the studied tissues. Altered mitochondrial function of IUGR is especially present at placental and neonatal level, conveying potential targets to modulate obstetric outcome through dietary interventions aimed to regulate Sirtuin3 function.     

E‐cadherin expression is associated with somatostatin analogue response in acromegaly

Acromegaly is a rare disease resulting from hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF1) typically caused by pituitary adenomas, which is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Somatostatin analogues (SSAs) represent the primary medical therapy for acromegaly and are currently used as first‐line treatment or as second‐line therapy after unsuccessful pituitary surgery. However, a considerable proportion of patients do not adequately respond to SSAs treatment, and therefore, there is an urgent need to identify biomarkers predictors of response to SSAs. The aim of this study was to examine E‐cadherin expression by immunohistochemistry in fifty‐five GH‐producing pituitary tumours and determine the potential association with response to SSAs as well as other clinical and histopathological features. Acromegaly patients with tumours expressing low E‐cadherin levels exhibit a worse response to SSAs. E‐cadherin levels are associated with GH‐producing tumour histological subtypes. Our results indicate that the immunohistochemical detection of E‐cadherin might be useful in categorizing acromegaly patients based on the response to SSAs.     

Adaptation of the toxic freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to salinity is achieved by the selection of spontaneous mutants

The cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa causes most of the harmful toxic blooms in freshwater ecosystems. Some strains of M. aeruginosa tolerate low‐medium levels of salinity, and because salinization of freshwater aquatic systems is increasing worldwide it is relevant to know what adaptive mechanisms allow tolerance to salinity. The mechanisms involved in the adaptation of M. aeruginosa to salinity (acclimation vs. genetic adaptation) were tested by a fluctuation analysis design, and then the maximum capacity of adaptation to salinity was studied by a ratchet protocol experiment. Whereas a dose of 10 g NaCl L^?1 completely inhibited the growth of M. aeruginosa, salinity‐resistant genetic variants, capable of tolerating up to 14 g NaCl L^?1, were isolated in the fluctuation analysis experiment. The salinity‐resistant cells arose by spontaneous mutations at a rate of 7.3 × 10^?7 mutants per cell division. We observed with the ratchet protocol that three independent culture populations of M. aeruginosa were able to adapt to up to 15.1 g L^?1 of NaCl, suggesting that successive mutation‐selection processes can enhance the highest salinity level to which M. aeruginosa cells can initially adapt. We propose that increasing salinity in water reservoirs could lead to the selection of salinity‐resistant mutants of M. aeruginosa.     

Chloride as a macronutrient increases water‐use efficiency by anatomically driven reduced stomatal conductance and increased mesophyll diffusion to CO2

Chloride (Cl^?) has been recently described as a beneficial macronutrient, playing specific roles in promoting plant growth and water‐use efficiency (WUE). However, it is still unclear how Cl^? could be beneficial, especially in comparison with nitrate (NO₃^?), an essential source of nitrogen that shares with Cl^? similar physical and osmotic properties, as well as common transport mechanisms. In tobacco plants, macronutrient levels of Cl^? specifically reduce stomatal conductance (g_s) without a concomitant reduction in the net photosynthesis rate (A_N). As stomata‐mediated water loss through transpiration is inherent in the need of C₃ plants to capture CO₂, simultaneous increase in photosynthesis and WUE is of great relevance to achieve a sustainable increase in C₃ crop productivity. Our results showed that Cl^?‐mediated stimulation of larger leaf cells leads to a reduction in stomatal density, which in turn reduces g_s and water consumption. Conversely, Cl^? improves mesophyll diffusion conductance to CO₂ (g_m) and photosynthetic performance due to a higher surface area of chloroplasts exposed to the intercellular airspace of mesophyll cells, possibly as a consequence of the stimulation of chloroplast biogenesis. A key finding of this study is the simultaneous improvement of A_N and WUE due to macronutrient Cl^? nutrition. This work identifies relevant and specific functions in which Cl^? participates as a beneficial macronutrient for higher plants, uncovering a sustainable approach to improve crop yield.     

Global patterns in fine root decomposition: climate,chemistry, mycorrhizal association and woodiness

Fine root decomposition constitutes a critical yet poorly understood flux of carbon and nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we present the first large‐scale synthesis of species trait effects on the early stages of fine root decomposition at both global and local scales. Based on decomposition rates for 279 plant species across 105 studies and 176 sites, we found that mycorrhizal association and woodiness are the best categorical traits for predicting rates of fine root decomposition. Consistent positive effects of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and negative effects of lignin concentration emerged on decomposition rates within sites. Similar relationships were present across sites, along with positive effects of temperature and moisture. Calcium was not consistently related to decomposition rate at either scale. While the chemical drivers of fine root decomposition parallel those of leaf decomposition, our results indicate that the best plant functional groups for predicting fine root decomposition differ from those predicting leaf decomposition.     

Effects of restricted nursing on milk production and collection, kid growth and plasma prolactin and growth hormone concentrations in dairy goats

The milk production of dairy goats under various regimes of mother-young contact from day 4 post partum were studied during the first 2 months of lactation, together with the prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) responses to udder stimulation. In the control group, 13 goats and their kids were left in permanent contact and did not undergo milking. In two additional groups, goats were machine milked once a day in the morning (at 0800 h) and kids were allowed 10 hours (from 1000 to 2000 h; 10H group, n = 11) or 5 h (from 1000 to 2000 h; 5H group, n = 11) of mother-young interaction per day. In the last group (MO, n = 10), mothers were permanently separated from their kids on day 4 post partum and milked once a day. Milk production during a 24-h period at 37 days post partum performed by controlled nursing and weighing of the kids (groups with kids) or by two machine milking 12 h apart (milking only group) revealed a higher production in the three groups with some mother-young contact than in the MO group. Total milk collected by milking over the 2 months of the study did not differ between the three groups that underwent milking. Kid weights at 2 months were 3.4 to 4.8 kg. lighter in the groups that underwent milking than in the control group. Hormonal profiles were significantly affected by restricted mother-young contact, with highest pre-stimulation concentrations of PRL and GH in the 5H group. Restricting mother-young contact from the first week postpartum can permit an early collection of milk without major effects on kid growth, when compared with one daily milking in goats totally separated from their young.     

Bioaugmented sulfur-oxidizing denitrification system with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alcaligenes defragrans</Emphasis> B21 for high nitrate containing wastewater treatment

The performance of enriched sludge augmented with the B21 strain of Alcaligenes defragrans was compared with that of enriched sludge, as well as with pure Alcaligenes defragrans B21, in the context of a sulfur-oxidizing denitrification (SOD) process. In synthetic wastewater treatment containing 100–1,000 mg NO₃⁻-N/L, the single strain-seeded system exhibited superior performance, featuring higher efficiency and a shorter startup period, provided nitrate loading rate was less than 0.2 kg NO₃⁻-N/m³ per day. At nitrate loading rate of more than 0.5 kg NO₃⁻-N/m³ per day, the bioaugmented sludge system showed higher resistance to shock loading than two other systems. However, no advantage of the bioaugmented system over the enriched sludge system without B21 strain was observed in overall efficiency of denitrification. Both the bioaugmented sludge and enriched sludge systems obtained stable denitrification performance of more than 80% at nitrate loading rate of up to 2 kg NO₃⁻-N/m³ per day.