A Diurnal Rhythm in Brown Adipose Tissue Causes Rapid Clearance and Combustion of Plasma Lipids at Wakening

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Human embryonic and fetal mesenchymal stem cells differentiate toward three different cardiac lineages in contrast to their adult counterparts

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show unexplained differences in differentiation potential. In this study, differentiation of human (h) MSCs derived from embryonic, fetal and adult sources toward cardiomyocytes, endothelial and smooth muscle cells was investigated. Labeled hMSCs derived from embryonic stem cells (hESC-MSCs), fetal umbilical cord, bone marrow, amniotic membrane and adult bone marrow and adipose tissue were co-cultured with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (nrCMCs) or cardiac fibroblasts (nrCFBs) for 10 days, and also cultured under angiogenic conditions. Cardiomyogenesis was assessed by human-specific immunocytological analysis, whole-cell current-clamp recordings, human-specific qRT-PCR and optical mapping. After co-culture with nrCMCs, significantly more hESC-MSCs than fetal hMSCs stained positive for α-actinin, whereas adult hMSCs stained negative. Furthermore, functional cardiomyogenic differentiation, based on action potential recordings, was shown to occur, but not in adult hMSCs. Of all sources, hESC-MSCs expressed most cardiac-specific genes. hESC-MSCs and fetal hMSCs contained significantly higher basal levels of connexin43 than adult hMSCs and co-culture with nrCMCs increased expression. After co-culture with nrCFBs, hESC-MSCs and fetal hMSCs did not express α-actinin and connexin43 expression was decreased. Conduction velocity (CV) in co-cultures of nrCMCs and hESC-MSCs was significantly higher than in co-cultures with fetal or adult hMSCs. In angiogenesis bioassays, only hESC-MSCs and fetal hMSCs were able to form capillary-like structures, which stained for smooth muscle and endothelial cell markers.Human embryonic and fetal MSCs differentiate toward three different cardiac lineages, in contrast to adult MSCs. Cardiomyogenesis is determined by stimuli from the cellular microenvironment, where connexin43 may play an important role.     

Catalytic and electrochemical properties of new manganese(III) compounds of 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)-oxazoline (Hphox or HClphox). Molecular structures of [Mn(Clphox)2(MeOH)2](ClO4) and [Mn(phox)2(MeOH)2][Mn(phox)2(ClO4)2](H2O)2

New manganese(III) complexes of Hphox (2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)-oxazoline) and HClphox (2-(5′-chloro-2′-hydroxyphenyl)-oxazoline) have been synthesised. The X-ray structures of [Mn(phox)₂(MeOH)₂][Mn(phox)₂(ClO₄)₂](H₂O)₂ and [Mn(Clphox)₂(MeOH)₂](ClO₄) show the manganese(III) ions to be octahedrally coordinated with methanol or perchlorate at the axial coordination sites. The cyclic voltammograms of the complexes, with the exception of [Mn(phox)₂(acac)] (Hacac=2,4-pentanedione), show an irreversible reduction wave of manganese(III) to manganese(II). After addition of an excess of 1-methylimidazole (1-Meim), the reduction process shifts towards lower potentials and becomes (quasi-) reversible, indicating that the presence of 1-Meim affects the catalytic efficiency of the complexes. The complexes catalyse the epoxidation of styrene by dihydrogen peroxide. The cumulative turnover numbers towards styrene oxide obtained after 15 min. vary from 16 for [Mn(Clphox)₂(MeOH)₂](ClO₄) to 26 for [Mn(phox)₂(acac)]. Ligand degradation appears to be the limiting factor for obtaining higher turnover numbers.