Effect of weight loss and exercise on angiogenic factors in the circulation and in adipose tissue in obese subjects

Background:

Vascular growth is a prerequisite for adipose tissue (AT) development and expansion. Some AT cytokines and hormones have effects on vascular development, like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF‐A), angiopoietin (ANG‐1), ANG‐2 and angiopoietin‐like protein‐4 (ANGPTL‐4).

Methods:

In this study, the independent and combined effects of diet‐induced weight loss and exercise on AT gene expression and proteins levels of those angiogenic factors were investigated. Seventy‐nine obese males and females were randomized to: 1. Exercise‐only (EXO; 12‐weeks exercise without diet‐restriction), 2. Hypocaloric diet (DIO; 8‐weeks very low energy diet (VLED) + 4‐weeks weight maintenance diet) and 3. Hypocaloric diet and exercise (DEX; 8‐weeks VLED + 4‐weeks weight maintenance diet combined with exercise throughout the 12 weeks). Blood samples and fat biopsies were taken before and after the intervention.

Results:

Weight loss was 3.5 kg in the EXO group and 12.3 kg in the DIO and DEX groups. VEGF‐A protein was non‐significantly reduced in the weight loss groups. ANG‐1 protein levels were significantly reduced 22‐25% after all three interventions (P < 0.01). The ANG‐1/ANG‐2 ratio was also decreased in all three groups (P < 0.05) by 27‐38%. ANGPTL‐4 was increased in the EXO group (15%, P < 0.05) and 9% (P < 0.05) in the DIO group. VEGF‐A, ANG‐1, and ANGPTL‐4 were all expressed in human AT, but only ANGPTL‐4 was influenced by the interventions.

Conclusions:

Our data show that serum VEGF‐A, ANG‐1, ANG‐2, and ANGPTL‐4 levels are influenced by weight changes, indicating the involvement of these factors in the obese state. Moreover, it was found that weight loss generally was associated with a reduced angiogenic activity in the circulation.     

Multiple sugar binding sites in α-glucosidase

Twenty-five analogs of d-glucose were examined as reversible inhibitors of yeast α-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.20). The K_i values range from 0.38 mM for 6-deoxy-d-glucose (quinovose) to 1.0 M for d-lyxose at pH=6.3 (0.1 M NaCl, 25°). All the monosaccharides and the three disaccharides (maltose, isomaltose and α,α-trehalose) were found to be linear competitive inhibitors with respect to α-p-nitrophenyl glucoside (pNPG) hydrolysis. Multiple inhibition analysis reveals that there are at least three monosaccharide binding sites on the enzyme. One of these can be occupied by glucose [K_i=1.8(±0.1) mM], one by d-galactose [K_i=164(±11) mM] and one by d-mannose [K_i=120(±9) mM]. The pH dependence for glucose binding closely follows that of V/K [pK_a1=5.55(±0.15), pK_a2=6.79(±0.15)], but the binding of mannose does not. Although the glucose subsite can be occupied simultaneously with the mannose or galactose subsites in the enzyme–product complex, no transglucosylation can be detected between pNPG and either mannose or galactose. This suggests that neither of these nonglucose subsites can be occupied in a productive manner in the covalent glucosyl-enzyme intermediate.     

Taurocholate feeding prevents CCl4-induced damage of large cholangiocytes through PI3-kinase-dependent mechanism

Bile acids are cytoprotective in hepatocytes by activating phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K) and its downstream signal AKT. Our aim was to determine whether feeding taurocholate to CCl(4)-treated rats reduces cholangiocyte apoptosis and whether this cytoprotective effect is dependent on PI3-K. Cholangiocyte proliferation, secretion, and apoptosis were determined in cholangiocytes from bile duct ligation (BDL), CCl(4)-treated BDL rats, and CCl(4)-treated taurocholate-fed rats. In vitro, we tested whether CCl(4) induces apoptosis and whether loss of cholangiocyte proliferation and secretion is dependent on PI3-K. The CCl(4)-induced cholangiocyte apoptosis and loss of cholangiocyte proliferation and secretion were reduced in CCl(4)-treated rats fed taurocholate. CCl(4)-induced cholangiocyte apoptosis, loss of cholangiocytes secretion, and proliferation were prevented by preincubation with taurocholate. Taurocholate cytoprotective effects were ablated by wortmannin. Taurocholate prevented, in vitro, CCl(4)-induced decrease of phosphorylated AKT protein expression in cholangiocytes. The cytoprotective effects of taurocholate on CCl(4) effects on cholangiocyte proliferation and secretion were abolished by wortmannin. Taurocholate protects cholangiocytes from CCl(4)-induced apoptosis by a PI3-K-dependent mechanism. Bile acids are important in the prevention of drug-induced ductopenia in cholangiopathies.     

Radiation-induced recombination is dependent on Ku80

We have recently shown that irradiating cells prior to transfection induces recombination, as manifested by increased stable transduction of both plasmid and adenoviral vectors. We hypothesized that Ku proteins, which have previously been shown to be involved in both recombination and the repair of DNA damage after irradiation, would likely be important mediators of radiation-induced recombination. The present work demonstrates that Ku80 is essential for radiation-induced recombination. While human and hamster Ku80 are equally effective at restoring the transfection efficiency and radiation resistance of xrs-5 cells, human Ku80 is much more effective at radiation-induced recombination than hamster Ku80. This difference is not due to differences in Ku80 expression or DNA end-binding activity, but it may be due to structural differences between human and hamster Ku80.     

Analytical validation of quantitative immunohistochemical assays of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte biomarkers

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), especially T-cells, have both prognostic and therapeutic applications. The presence of CD8+ effector T-cells and the ratio of CD8+ cells to FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells have been used as biomarkers of disease prognosis to predict response to various immunotherapies. Blocking the interaction between inhibitory receptors on T-cells and their ligands with therapeutic antibodies including atezolizumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab and tremelimumab increases the immune response against cancer cells and has shown significant improvement in clinical benefits and survival in several different tumor types. The improved clinical outcome is presumed to be associated with a higher tumor infiltration; therefore, it is thought that more accurate methods for measuring the amount of TIL could assist prognosis and predict treatment response. We have developed and validated quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays for CD3, CD8 and FOXP3 for immunophenotyping T-lymphocytes in tumor tissue. Various types of formalin fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues were immunolabeled with anti-CD3, anti-CD8 and anti-FOXP3 antibodies using an IHC autostainer. The tumor area of stained tissues, including the invasive margin of the tumor, was scored by a pathologist (visual scoring) and by computer-based quantitative image analysis. Two image analysis scores were obtained for the staining of each biomarker: the percent positive cells in the tumor area and positive cells/mm² tumor area. Comparison of visual vs. image analysis scoring methods using regression analysis showed high correlation and indicated that quantitative image analysis can be used to score the number of positive cells in IHC stained slides. To demonstrate that the IHC assays produce consistent results in normal daily testing, we evaluated the specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility of the IHC assays using both visual and image analysis scoring methods. We found that CD3, CD8 and FOXP3 IHC assays met the fit-for-purpose analytical acceptance validation criteria and that they can be used to support clinical studies.     

Evolution of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene in anurans: regions of variability and their phylogenetic implications

Fifteen restriction sites were mapped to the 28S ribosomal RNA gene of individuals representing 54 species of frogs, two species of salamanders, a caecilian, and a lungfish. Eight of these sites were present in all species examined, and two were found in all but one species. Alignment of these conserved restriction sites revealed, among anuran 28S rRNA genes, five regions of major length variation that correspond to four of 12 previously identified divergent domains of this gene. One of the divergent domains (DD8) consists of two regions of length variation separated by a short segment that is conserved at least throughout tetrapods. Most of the insertions, deletions, and restriction-site variations identified in the 28S gene will require sequence-level analysis for a detailed reconstruction of their history. However, an insertion in DD9 that is coextensive with frogs in the suborder Neobatrachia, a BstEII site that is limited to representatives of two leptodactylid subfamilies, and a deletion in DD10 that is found only in three ranoid genera are probably synapomorphies.      

Molecular and therapeutic characterization of anti-ectodysplasin A receptor (EDAR) agonist monoclonal antibodies

The TNF family ligand ectodysplasin A (EDA) and its receptor EDAR are required for proper development of skin appendages such as hair, teeth, and eccrine sweat glands. Loss of function mutations in the Eda gene cause X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED), a condition that can be ameliorated in mice and dogs by timely administration of recombinant EDA. In this study, several agonist anti-EDAR monoclonal antibodies were generated that cross-react with the extracellular domains of human, dog, rat, mouse, and chicken EDAR. Their half-life in adult mice was about 11 days. They induced tail hair and sweat gland formation when administered to newborn EDA-deficient Tabby mice, with an EC(50) of 0.1 to 0.7 mg/kg. Divalency was necessary and sufficient for this therapeutic activity. Only some antibodies were also agonists in an in vitro surrogate activity assay based on the activation of the apoptotic Fas pathway. Activity in this assay correlated with small dissociation constants. When administered in utero in mice or at birth in dogs, agonist antibodies reverted several ectodermal dysplasia features, including tooth morphology. These antibodies are therefore predicted to efficiently trigger EDAR signaling in many vertebrate species and will be particularly suited for long term treatments.     

Multi-timescale dynamics study of FKBP12 along the rapamycin-mTOR binding coordinate

Drugs can affect function in proteins by modulating their flexibility. Despite this possibility, there are very few studies on how drug binding affects the dynamics of target macromolecules. FKBP12 (FK506 binding protein 12) is a prolyl cis-trans isomerase and a drug target. The immunosuppressant drug rapamycin exerts its therapeutic effect by serving as an adaptor molecule between FKBP12 and the cell proliferation regulator mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin). To understand the role of dynamics in rapamycin-based immunosuppression and to gain insight into the role of dynamics in the assembly of supramolecular complexes, we used ¹⁵N, ¹³C, and ²H NMR spin relaxation to characterize FKBP12 along the binding coordinate that leads to cell cycle arrest. We show that sequential addition of rapamycin and mTOR leads to incremental rigidification of the FKBP12 backbone on the picosecond-nanosecond timescale. Both binding events lead to perturbation of main-chain and side-chain dynamics at sites distal to the binding interfaces, suggesting tight coupling interactions dispersed throughout the FKBP12-rapamycin interface. Binding of the first molecule, rapamycin, quenches microsecond-millisecond motions of the FKBP12 80's loop. This loop provides much of the surface buried at the protein-protein interface of the ternary complex, leading us to assert that preorganization upon rapamycin binding facilitates binding of the second molecule, mTOR. Widespread microsecond-millisecond motions of the backbone persist in the drug-bound enzyme, and we provide evidence that these slow motions represent coupled dynamics of the enzyme and isomerization of the bound drug. Finally, the pattern of microsecond-millisecond dynamics reported here in the rapamycin complex is dramatically different from the pattern in the complex with the structurally related drug FK506. This raises the important question of how two complexes that are highly isomorphic based on high-resolution static models have such different flexibilities in solution.