Cytotoxic effects of oxysterols produced during ozonolysis of cholesterol in murine GT1-7 hypothalamic neurons

Ozone present in the photochemical smog or generated at the inflammatory sites is known to oxidize cholesterol and its 3-acyl esters. The oxidation results in the formation of multiple "ozone-specific" oxysterols, some of which are known to cause abnormalities in the metabolism of cholesterol and exert cytotoxicity. The ozone-specific oxysterols have been shown to favor the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and amyloid fibrils involving pro-oxidant processes. In the present communication, cultured murine GT1-7 hypothalamic neurons were studied in the context of cholesterol metabolism, formation of reactive oxygen species, intracellular Ca2 + levels and cytotoxicity using two most commonly occurring cholesterol ozonolysis products, 3beta- hydroxy-5-oxo-5,6-secocholestan-6-al (ChSeco) and 5beta, 6beta-epoxy-cholesterol (ChEpo). It was found that ChSeco elicited cytotoxicity at lower concentration (IC50 = 21 +/- 2.4 microM) than did ChEpo (IC50 = 43 +/- 3.7 microM). When tested at their IC50 concentrations in GT1-7 cells, both ChSeco and ChEpo resulted in the generation of ROS, the magnitude of which was comparable. N-acetyl-l-cysteine and Trolox attenuated the cytotoxic effects of ChSeco and ChEpo. The intracellular Ca2 + levels were not altered by either ChSeco or ChEpo. Methyl-beta-cyclodextrins, which cause depletion of cellular cholesterol, prevented ChSeco- but not ChEpo-induced cytotoxicity. The cell death caused by ChEpo, but not ChSeco, was prevented by exogenous cholesterol. Although oxidative stress plays a significant role, the results of the present study indicate differences in the pathways of cell death induced by ChSeco and ChEpo in murine GT1-7 hypothalamic neurons.     

Toxic effect of high glucose on cardiomyocytes,H9c2 cells: Induction of oxidative stress and ameliorative effect of trolox

Oxidative stress (OS) has been implicated in a variety of pathological conditions, including diabetes mellitus, characterized by hyperglycemia. In the present study, OS induced by hyperglycemia and the effect of trolox, a vitamin E analog, were studied in cardiomyocytes and H9c2 cells exposed to 15 to 33 mM glucose (HG) for 24 to 72 hours in Dulbecco modified Eagle medium. Cells treated wirh 24 or 33 mM glucose for 24 hours or above showed decreased viability and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content with a concomitant increase in radicals of oxygen species, calcium (Ca²⁺), mitochondrial permeability transition, and oxidative markers, confirming that the cells were under stress. However, upon exposure to 15 mM glucose for 24 hours, H9c2 cells maintained homeostasis and ATP generation. Pretreatment of cells with trolox reduced HG‐induced OS to control levels. Here, we report that the toxic effect of HG is highly regulated and that OS induction can be prevented with Trolox, a potential inhibitor of membrane damage.     

Patterning in Birthweight in India: Analysis of Maternal Recall and Health Card Data

Background

National data on birthweight from birth certificates or medical records are not available in India. The third Indian National Family Health Survey included data on birthweight of children obtained from health cards and maternal recall. This study aims to describe the population that these data represent and compares the birthweight obtained from health cards with maternal recall data in terms of its socioeconomic patterning and as a risk factor for childhood growth failure.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The analytic sample consisted of children aged 0 to 59 months with birthweight data obtained from health cards (n = 3227) and maternal recall (n = 16787). The difference between the card sample and the maternal recall sample in the distribution across household wealth, parental education, caste, religion, gender, and urban residence was compared using multilevel models. We also assessed the ability of birthweight to predict growth failure in infancy and childhood in the two groups. The survey contains birthweight data from a majority of household wealth categories (>5% in every category for recall), both genders, all age groups, all caste groups, all religion groups, and urban and rural dwellers. However, children from the lowest quintile of household wealth were under-represented (4.73% in card and 8.62% in recall samples). Comparison of data across health cards and maternal recall revealed similar social patterning of low birthweight and ability of birthweight to predict growth failure later in life. Children were less likely to be born with low birthweight if they had mothers with over 12 years of education compared to 1–5 years of education with relative risk (RR) of 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52, 1.2) in the card sample and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.59, 0.84) in the recall sample. A 100 gram difference in a child''s birthweight was associated with a decreased likelihood of underweight in both the card (RR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.94, 0.96) and recall (RR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.96, 0.97) samples.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that in the absence of other sources, the data on birthweight in the third Indian National Family Health Survey is valuable for epidemiologic research.     

Cell Swelling Activates the K+ Conductance and Inhibits the Cl? Conductance of the Basolateral Membrane of Cells from a Leaky Epithelium

Necturus gallbladder epithelial cells bathed in 10 mM HCO₃/1% CO₂ display sizable basolateral membrane conductances for Cl⁻ (G_Cl ^b) and K ⁺ (G_K ^b). Lowering the osmolality of the apical bathing solution hyperpolarized both apical and basolateral membranes and increased the K ⁺/Cl⁻ selectivity of the basolateral membrane. Hyperosmotic solutions had the opposite effects. Intracellular free-calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) increased transiently during hyposmotic swelling (peak at ∼30 s, return to baseline within ∼90 s), but chelation of cell Ca²⁺ did not prevent the membrane hyperpolarization elicited by the hyposmotic solution. Cable analysis experiments showed that the electrical resistance of the basolateral membrane decreased during hyposmotic swelling and increased during hyperosmotic shrinkage, whereas the apical membrane resistance was unchanged in hyposmotic solution and decreased in hyperosmotic solution. We assessed changes in cell volume in the epithelium by measuring changes in the intracellular concentration of an impermeant cation (tetramethylammonium), and in isolated polarized cells measuring changes in intracellular calcein fluorescence, and observed that these epithelial cells do not undergo measurable volume regulation over 10–12 min after osmotic swelling. Depolarization of the basolateral membrane voltage (V_cs) produced a significant increase in the change in V_cs elicited by lowering basolateral solution [Cl⁻], whereas hyperpolarization of V_cs had the opposite effect. These results suggest that: (a) Hyposmotic swelling increases G_K ^b and decreases G _Cl ^b. These two effects appear to be linked, i.e., the increase in G _K ^b produces membrane hyperpolarization, which in turn reduces G _Cl ^b. ( b) Hyperosmotic shrinkage has the opposite effects on G_K ^b and G _Cl ^b. ( c) Cell swelling causes a transient increase in [Ca²⁺]_i, but this response may not be necessary for the increase in G_K ^b during cell swelling.     

Requirement of Ca2+ for aflatoxin production: inhibitory effect of Ca2+ channel blockers on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999

Aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 was inhibited when Ca2+ channel blockers, i.e., verapamil and diltiazem (> 1 mmol 1(-1)), were included in the culture medium. Inhibition was not accompanied by growth inhibition, nor was the [14C]-glucose uptake by the organism altered. However, both the compounds inhibited [14C]-acetate incorporation into aflatoxin B1 in a dose-dependent manner and decreased sporulation of the organism. Even though a nutritional role for Ca2+ has not been demonstrated unequivocally in fungi, the present study suggests the importance of Ca2+ in the production of these secondary metabolites.     

Responses of mosquitoes and German cockroaches to ultrasound emitted from a random ultrasonic generating device

The repellency of ultrasound to females of two species of mosquitoes, Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say and Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae), and male and female German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea: Blattellidae), was evaluated under laboratory conditions using a random ultrasonic device developed at Kansas State University. This device produces ultrasound in the 20–100 kHz frequency range and random sound patterns at any frequency range. Under the particular settings described in the paper, this ultrasonic device produced sound pressure levels from 91 to 101, 91 to 102, and 90 to 100 dB at the top, bottom, and side panels of the test chamber, respectively (0 dB = 20 micropascals). Sound pressure levels recorded at the center of the top, bottom, and side panels were higher than those recorded at the panel edges. Ultrasound from the random ultrasonic device failed to repel mosquitoes and German cockroaches at the different frequency ranges evaluated. Our results confirm previous findings with commercial devices producing constant sound patterns that ultrasound in general is not a promising tool for repelling mosquitoes and cockroaches.