Hypermethylation of Fads2 and altered hepatic fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism in mice with hyperhomocysteinemia

Alterations in lipid metabolism may play a role in the vascular pathology associated with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). Homocysteine is linked to lipid metabolism through the methionine cycle and the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) by phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) methyltransferase, which is responsible for the synthesis of 20-40% of liver PC. The goal of the present study was to determine if the reduced methylation capacity in HHcy is associated with alterations in liver phospholipid and fatty acid metabolism. Mice heterozygous for disruption of cystathionine beta-synthase (Cbs+/-) fed a diet to induce HHcy (HH diet) had higher (p<0.001) plasma total homocysteine (30.8+/-4.4 microM, mean+/-S.E.) than C57BL/6 mice (Cbs+/+) fed the HH diet (7.0+/-1.1 microM) or Cbs+/+ mice fed a control diet (2.3+/-0.3 microM). Mild and moderate HHcy was accompanied by lower adenosylmethionine/adenosylhomocysteine ratios (p<0.05), higher PE (p<0.05) and PE/PC ratios (p<0.01), lower PE methyltransferase activity (p<0.001), and higher linoleic acid (p<0.05) and lower arachidonic acid (p<0.05) in PE. Mice with moderate HHcy also had higher linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid (p<0.05) and lower arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (p<0.05) in liver PC. The first step in the desaturation and elongation of linoleic acid and linolenic acid to arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, respectively, is catalyzed by Delta6-desaturase (encoded by Fads2). We found hypermethylation of the Fads2 promoter (p<0.01), lower Fads2 mRNA (p<0.05), and lower Delta6-desaturase activity (p<0.001) in liver from mice with HHcy. These findings suggest that methylation silencing of liver Fads2 expression and changes in liver fatty acids may contribute to the pathology of HHcy.     

In-gel activity staining of oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide kinase by blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) kinase (NADK, E.C. 2.7.1.23) plays an instrumental role in cellular metabolism. Here we report on a blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic technique that allows the facile detection of this enzyme. The product, oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP(+)), formed following the reaction of NADK with NAD(+) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate was detected with the aid of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or NADP(+)-isocitrate dehydrogenase, iodonitrotetrazolium chloride, and phenazine methosulfate. The bands at the respective activity sites were excised and subjected to native and denaturing two-dimensional electrophoresis for the determination of protein levels. Hence this novel electrophoretic method allows the easy detection of NADK, a critical enzyme involved in pyridine homeostasis. Furthermore, this technique allowed the monitoring of the activity and expression of this kinase in various biological systems.     

Time‐lapse microscopy of oxidative stress demonstrates metabolic sensitivity of retinal pericytes under high glucose condition

Hyperglycemia affects retinal vascular cell function, promotes the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy and ultimately causes vision loss. Oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) in excess, is a key biomarker for diabetic retinopathy. Using time‐lapse fluorescence microscopy, ROS dynamics was monitored and the metabolic resistivity of retinal endothelial cells (REC) and pericytes (RPC) was compared under metabolic stress conditions including high glucose (HG). In the presence of a mitochondrial stressor, REC exhibited a significant increase in the rate of ROS production compared with RPC. Thus, under normal glucose (NG), REC may utilize oxidative metabolism as the bioenergetic source, while RPC metabolic activity is independent of mitochondrial respiration. In HG condition, the rate of ROS production in RPC was significantly higher, whereas this rate remained unchanged in REC. Thus, under HG condition RPC may preferentially utilize oxidative metabolism, which results in increased rate of ROS production. In contrast, REC use glycolysis as their major bioenergetic source for ATP production, and consequently HG minimally affects their ROS levels. These observations are consistent with our previous studies where we showed HG condition has minimal effect on apoptosis of REC, but results in increased rate of apoptosis in RPC. Collectively, our results suggest that REC and RPC exhibit different metabolic activity preferences under different glucose conditions. Thus, protection of RPC from oxidative stress may provide an early point of intervention in development and progression of diabetic retinopathy.      

An ATP and Oxalate Generating Variant Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Counters Aluminum Toxicity in Pseudomonas fluorescens

Although the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is essential in almost all aerobic organisms, its precise modulation and integration in global cellular metabolism is not fully understood. Here, we report on an alternative TCA cycle uniquely aimed at generating ATP and oxalate, two metabolites critical for the survival of Pseudomonas fluorescens. The upregulation of isocitrate lyase (ICL) and acylating glyoxylate dehydrogenase (AGODH) led to the enhanced synthesis of oxalate, a dicarboxylic acid involved in the immobilization of aluminum (Al). The increased activity of succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS) and oxalate CoA-transferase (OCT) in the Al-stressed cells afforded an effective route to ATP synthesis from oxalyl-CoA via substrate level phosphorylation. This modified TCA cycle with diminished efficacy in NADH production and decreased CO₂-evolving capacity, orchestrates the synthesis of oxalate, NADPH, and ATP, ingredients pivotal to the survival of P. fluorescens in an Al environment. The channeling of succinyl-CoA towards ATP formation may be an important function of the TCA cycle during anaerobiosis, Fe starvation and O₂-limited conditions.     

Recurrent pregnancy loss in a subject with heterozygote factor V Leiden mutation; a case report

Recurrent pregnancy loss is usually defined as the loss of two or more consecutive pregnancies before 20 weeks of gestation, which occurs in approximately 5% of reproductive-aged women. It has been suggested that women with thrombophilia have an increased risk of pregnancy loss and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. Thrombophilia is an important predisposition to blood clot formation and is considered as a significant risk factor for recurrent pregnancy loss. The inherited predisposition to thrombophilia is most often associated with factor V Leiden mutation, prothrombin G20210A mutation, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and A1298C gene variants. The net effect is an increased cleavage of prothrombin to thrombin and excessive blood coagulation. Key Words: Recurrent pregnancy loss, Hereditary thrombophilia, Factor V Leiden mutation     

The tricarboxylic acid cycle, an ancient metabolic network with a novel twist

The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is an essential metabolic network in all oxidative organisms and provides precursors for anabolic processes and reducing factors (NADH and FADH(2)) that drive the generation of energy. Here, we show that this metabolic network is also an integral part of the oxidative defence machinery in living organisms and alpha-ketoglutarate (KG) is a key participant in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Its utilization as an anti-oxidant can effectively diminish ROS and curtail the formation of NADH, a situation that further impedes the release of ROS via oxidative phosphorylation. Thus, the increased production of KG mediated by NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-ICDH) and its decreased utilization via the TCA cycle confer a unique strategy to modulate the cellular redox environment. Activities of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH), NAD-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-ICDH), and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) were sharply diminished in the cellular systems exposed to conditions conducive to oxidative stress. These findings uncover an intricate link between TCA cycle and ROS homeostasis and may help explain the ineffective TCA cycle that characterizes various pathological conditions and ageing.     

Role of 5-HT3 Receptor on Food Intake in Fed and Fasted Mice

Background

Many studies have shown that 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor subtypes are involved in the regulation of feeding behavior. However, the relative contribution of 5-HT₃ receptor remains unclear. The present study was aimed to investigate the role of 5-HT₃ receptor in control of feeding behavior in fed and fasted mice.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Food intake and expression of c-Fos, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and 5-HT in the brain were examined after acute treatment with 5-HT₃ receptor agonist SR-57227 alone or in combination with 5-HT₃ receptor antagonist ondansetron. Food intake was significantly inhibited within 3 h after acute treatment with SR 57227 in fasted mice but not fed mice, and this inhibition was blocked by ondansetron. Immunohistochemical study revealed that fasting-induced c-Fos expression was further enhanced by SR 57227 in the brainstem and the hypothalamus, and this enhancement was also blocked by ondansetron. Furthermore, the fasting-induced downregulation of POMC expression in the hypothalamus and the TH expression in the brain stem was blocked by SR 57227 in the fasted mice, and this effect of SR 57227 was also antagonized by ondansetron.

Conclusion/Significance

Taken together, our findings suggest that the effect of SR 57227 on the control of feeding behavior in fasted mice may be, at least partially, related to the c-Fos expression in hypothalamus and brain stem, as well as POMC system in the hypothalamus and the TH system in the brain stem.     

The effect of N-Acetyl cysteine on the expression of Fxr (Nr1h4), LXRα (Nr1h3) and Sirt1 genes,oxidative stress,and apoptosis in the liver of rats exposed to different doses of cadmium

Molecular Biology Reports - The aim of this study was to consider the expression of farnesoid X receptor (Fxr), liver X receptor (LXRα) and sirtuin 1 (Sirt1), oxidative stress, inflammation,...     

Interactive functions of microRNAs in the miR-23a-27a-24-2 cluster and the potential for targeted therapy in cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs about 19–22 nucleotides in length. Growing evidence has reported the significant role of miRNAs in various cancer-associated biological processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, metabolism, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. However, most studies focus on the targets of some individual miRNAs; the interactive and global functions of diverse miRNAs are still unclear and the phenomenon of the gathering of miRNAs in clusters has always been ignored. On the other hand, the fact that a single miRNA may regulate many genes and that numerous mRNAs are regulated by the same miRNA also makes it imperative to further study the cooperating characteristics of miRNAs in cancer. MiR-23a-27a-24-2 is located in the human chromosome 9q22, forming three mature miRNAs: miR-23a, miR27a, and miR-24, which are expressed abnormally in many malignant tumors. This review aims to summarize the interactive functions of miRNAs in miR-23a-27a-24-2 clusters in cancer from the perspectives of the regulation network, tumor microenvironment, and targeted therapy.