Integrative Molecular Phenotyping
INTEGRATIVE MOLECULAR
PHENOTYPING
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY

PubMed

Technical and clinical aspects of cortisol as a biochemical marker of chronic stress.

Thu, 21/01/2016 - 14:45
Related Articles Technical and clinical aspects of cortisol as a biochemical marker of chronic stress. BMB Rep. 2015 Apr;48(4):209-16 Authors: Lee do Y, Kim E, Choi MH Abstract Stress is now recognized as a universal premorbid factor associated with many risk factors of various chronic diseases. Acute stress may induce an individual's adaptive response to environmental demands. However, chronic, excessive stress causes cumulative negative impacts on health outcomes through "allostatic load". Thus, monitoring the quantified levels of long-term stress mediators would provide a timely opportunity for prevention or earlier intervention of stress-related chronic illnesses. Although either acute or chronic stress could be quantified through measurement of changes in physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of various metabolic hormones, it is still elusive to interpret whether the changes in circulating levels of stress mediators such as cortisol can reflect the acute, chronic, or diurnal variations. Both serum and salivary cortisol levels reveal acute changes at a single point in time, but the overall long-term systemic cortisol exposure is difficult to evaluate due to circadian variations and its protein-binding capacity. Scalp hair has a fairy predictable growth rate of approximately 1 cm/month, and the most 1 cm segment approximates the last month's cortisol production as the mean value. The analysis of cortisol in hair is a highly promising technique for the retrospective assessment of chronic stress. PMID: 25560699 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Acclimatisation-induced stress influenced host metabolic and gut microbial composition change.

Thu, 21/01/2016 - 14:45
Related Articles Acclimatisation-induced stress influenced host metabolic and gut microbial composition change. Mol Biosyst. 2015 Jan;11(1):297-306 Authors: Yap IK, Kho MT, Lim SH, Ismail NH, Yam WK, Chong CW Abstract Understanding the basal gut bacterial community structure and the host metabolic composition is pivotal for the interpretation of laboratory treatments designed to answer questions pertinent to host-microbe interactions. In this study, we report for the first time the underlying gut microbiota and systemic metabolic composition in BALB/c mice during the acclimatisation period. Our results showed that stress levels were reduced in the first three days of the study when the animals were subjected to repetitive handling daily but the stress levels were increased when handling was carried out at lower frequencies (weekly). We also observed a strong influence of stress on the host metabolism and commensal compositional variability. In addition, temporal biological compartmental variations in the responses were observed. Based on these results, we suggest that consistency in the frequency and duration of laboratory handling is crucial in murine models to minimise the impact of stress levels on the commensal and host metabolism dynamics. Furthermore, caution is advised in consideration of the temporal delay effect when integrating metagenomics and metabonomics data across different biological matrices (i.e. faeces and urine). PMID: 25382376 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

metabolomics; +20 new citations

Wed, 20/01/2016 - 14:05
20 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results: metabolomics These pubmed results were generated on 2016/01/20PubMed comprises more than 24 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

Metabolomic biomarkers identify differences in milk produced by Holstein cows and other minor dairy animals.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Metabolomic biomarkers identify differences in milk produced by Holstein cows and other minor dairy animals. J Proteomics. 2016 Jan 9; Authors: Yang Y, Zheng N, Zhao X, Zhang Y, Han R, Yang J, Zhao S, Li S, Guo T, Zang C, Wang J Abstract Several milk metabolites are associated with breeds or species of dairy animals. A better understanding of milk metabolites from different dairy animals would advance their use in evaluating milk traits and detecting milk adulteration. The objective of this study was to characterize the milk metabolite profiles of Chinese Holstein, Jersey, yak, buffalo, goat, camel, and horse and identify any differences using non-targeted metabolomic approaches. Milk samples were tested using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of variance and differences in milk metabolites between Holstein and the other dairy animals were assessed using orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis. Differential metabolites were identified and some metabolites, such as choline and succinic acid, were used to distinguish Holstein milk from that of the other studied animals. Metabolic pathway analysis of different metabolites revealed that glycerophospholipid metabolism as well as valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis were shared in the other ruminant animals (Jersey, buffalo, yak, and goat), and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids was shared in the non-ruminant animals (camel and horse). These results can be useful for gaining a better understanding of the differences in milk synthesis between Holstein and the other dairy animals. PMID: 26779989 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Microbial Small Talk: Volatiles in Fungal-Bacterial Interactions.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Microbial Small Talk: Volatiles in Fungal-Bacterial Interactions. Front Microbiol. 2015;6:1495 Authors: Schmidt R, Etalo DW, de Jager V, Gerards S, Zweers H, de Boer W, Garbeva P Abstract There is increasing evidence that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play an important role in the interactions between fungi and bacteria, two major groups of soil inhabiting microorganisms. Yet, most of the research has been focused on effects of bacterial volatiles on suppression of plant pathogenic fungi whereas little is known about the responses of bacteria to fungal volatiles. In the current study we performed a metabolomics analysis of volatiles emitted by several fungal and oomycetal soil strains under different nutrient conditions and growth stages. The metabolomics analysis of the tested fungal and oomycetal strains revealed different volatile profiles dependent on the age of the strains and nutrient conditions. Furthermore, we screened the phenotypic responses of soil bacterial strains to volatiles emitted by fungi. Two bacteria, Collimonas pratensis Ter291 and Serratia plymuthica PRI-2C, showed significant changes in their motility, in particular to volatiles emitted by Fusarium culmorum. This fungus produced a unique volatile blend, including several terpenes. Four of these terpenes were selected for further tests to investigate if they influence bacterial motility. Indeed, these terpenes induced or reduced swimming and swarming motility of S. plymuthica PRI-2C and swarming motility of C. pratensis Ter291, partly in a concentration-dependent manner. Overall the results of this work revealed that bacteria are able to sense and respond to fungal volatiles giving further evidence to the suggested importance of volatiles as signaling molecules in fungal-bacterial interactions. PMID: 26779150 [PubMed]

Lipoprotein hydrophobic core lipids are partially extruded to surface in smaller HDL: "Herniated" HDL, a common feature in diabetes.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Lipoprotein hydrophobic core lipids are partially extruded to surface in smaller HDL: "Herniated" HDL, a common feature in diabetes. Sci Rep. 2016;6:19249 Authors: Amigó N, Mallol R, Heras M, Martínez-Hervás S, Blanco-Vaca F, Escolà-Gil JC, Plana N, Yanes Ó, Masana L, Correig X Abstract Recent studies have shown that pharmacological increases in HDL cholesterol concentrations do not necessarily translate into clinical benefits for patients, raising concerns about its predictive value for cardiovascular events. Here we hypothesize that the size-modulated lipid distribution within HDL particles is compromised in metabolic disorders that have abnormal HDL particle sizes, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). By using NMR spectroscopy combined with a biochemical volumetric model we determined the size and spatial lipid distribution of HDL subclasses in a cohort of 26 controls and 29 DM2 patients before and after two drug treatments, one with niacin plus laropiprant and another with fenofibrate as an add-on to simvastatin. We further characterized the HDL surface properties using atomic force microscopy and fluorescent probes to show an abnormal lipid distribution within smaller HDL particles, a subclass particularly enriched in the DM2 patients. The reduction in the size, force cholesterol esters and triglycerides to emerge from the HDL core to the surface, making the outer surface of HDL more hydrophobic. Interestingly, pharmacological interventions had no effect on this undesired configuration, which may explain the lack of clinical benefits in DM2 subjects. PMID: 26778677 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Infection and preterm birth.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Infection and preterm birth. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2016 Jan 6; Authors: Nadeau HC, Subramaniam A, Andrews WW Abstract Preterm birth (PTB) remains a primary cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this article is to outline the association between infection and PTB. We performed a search of the PubMed database for relevant scientific work published in English from 1995 to July 2015. Whereas there is substantial evidence regarding infection as a strong risk factor for preterm birth, the role of specific bacterial and viral infections is not totally conclusive. Newer high-dimensional biological technologies such as microbiomics and metabolomics offer hope to identify the causative pathogens. In addition, strategies have been developed to reduce PTB. PMID: 26778525 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Extra- and intracellular distribution of cytokinins in the leaves of monocots and dicots.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Extra- and intracellular distribution of cytokinins in the leaves of monocots and dicots. N Biotechnol. 2016 Jan 8; Authors: Jiskrová E, Novák O, Pospíšilová H, Holubová K, Karády M, Galuszka P, Robert S, Frébort I Abstract The plant hormones cytokinins are a convenient target of genetic manipulations that bring benefits in biotechnological applications. The present work demonstrates the importance of the subcellular compartmentalization of cytokinins on the model dicot plant Arabidopsis thaliana and monocot crop Hordeum vulgare. The method of protoplast and vacuole isolation combined with precise cytokinin analysis and recovery assay of a vacuolar marker protein were used to quantify the contents of individual cytokinin forms in the leaf extracellular space, cell interior and vacuole. The data obtained for wild type plants and in each case a specific mutant line allow comparing the effect of genetic manipulations on the hormone distribution and homeostatic balance of cytokinins in the modified plants. PMID: 26777983 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging of cell cultures for the lipidomic analysis of potential lipid markers in human breast cancer invasion.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging of cell cultures for the lipidomic analysis of potential lipid markers in human breast cancer invasion. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2016 Feb 28;30(4):533-42 Authors: Wang S, Chen X, Luan H, Gao D, Lin S, Cai Z, Liu J, Liu H, Jiang Y Abstract RATIONALE: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Identification of lipid targets that play a role in breast cancer invasion may advance our understanding of the rapid progression of cancer and may lead to the development of new biomarkers for the disease. METHODS: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) was applied for the lipidomic profiling of two poorly invasive and two highly invasive breast cancer cell lines to identify the differentially accumulated lipids related to the invasive phenotype. The four cell lines were individually grown on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass slides, analyzed as cell cultures. The raster width and matrix for detection were optimized to improve detection sensitivity. RESULTS: Optimized MSI measurements were performed directly on the cell culture with 9-aminoacridine as matrix, resulting in 215 endogenous compounds detected in positive ion mode and 267 endogenous compounds in negative ion mode in all the four cell lines, representing the largest group of analytes that have been analyzed from cells by a single MSI study. In highly invasive cell lines, 31 lipids including phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidic acids were found upregulated and eight lipids including sphingomyelin (SM) downregulated in negative ion mode. The products of de novo fatty acid synthesis incorporated into membrane phospholipids, like oleic-acid-containing PG, may be involved in mitochondrial dysfunction and thus affect the invasion of breast cancer cells. The deficiency of SM may be related to the disruption of apoptosis in highly invasive cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: This work uncovered more analytes in cells by MSI than previous reports, providing a better visualization and novel insights to advance our understanding of the relationship between rapid progression of breast cancer and lipid metabolism. The most altered lipids may aid the discovery of diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets of breast cancer. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID: 26777684 [PubMed - in process]

ATM kinase: Much more than a DNA damage responsive protein.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
ATM kinase: Much more than a DNA damage responsive protein. DNA Repair (Amst). 2015 Dec 29; Authors: Guleria A, Chandna S Abstract ATM, mutation of which causes Ataxia telangiectasia, has emerged as a cardinal multifunctional protein kinase during past two decades as evidenced by various studies from around the globe. Further to its well established and predominant role in DNA damage response, ATM has also been understood to help in maintaining overall functional integrity of cells; since its mutation, inactivation or deficiency results in a variety of pathological manifestations besides DNA damage. These include oxidative stress, metabolic syndrome, mitochondrial dysfunction as well as neurodegeneration. Recently, high throughput screening using proteomics, metabolomics and transcriptomic studies revealed several proteins which might be acting as substrates of ATM. Studies that can help in identifying effective regulatory controls within the ATM-mediated pathways/mechanisms can help in developing better therapeutics. In fact, more in-depth understanding of ATM-dependent cellular signals could also help in the treatment of variety of other disease conditions since these pathways seem to control many critical cellular functions. In this review, we have attempted to put together a detailed yet lucid picture of the present-day understanding of ATM's role in various pathophysiological conditions involving DNA damage and beyond. PMID: 26777338 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Quantification of coffee blends for authentication of Asian palm civet coffee (Kopi Luwak) via metabolomics: A proof of concept.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Quantification of coffee blends for authentication of Asian palm civet coffee (Kopi Luwak) via metabolomics: A proof of concept. J Biosci Bioeng. 2016 Jan 5; Authors: Jumhawan U, Putri SP, Yusianto, Bamba T, Fukusaki E Abstract Asian palm civet coffee (Kopi Luwak), an animal-digested coffee with an exotic feature, carries a notorious reputation of being the rarest and most expensive coffee beverage in the world. Considering that illegal mixture of cheap coffee into civet coffee is a growing concern among consumers, we evaluated the use of metabolomics approach and orthogonal projection to latent structures (OPLS) prediction technique to quantify the degree of coffee adulteration. Two prediction sets, consisting of certified and commercial coffee, were made from a blend of civet and regular coffee with eleven mixing percentages. The prediction model exhibited accurate estimation of coffee blend percentage thus, successfully validating the prediction and quantification of the mixing composition of known-unknown samples. This work highlighted proof of concept of metabolomics application to predict degree of coffee adulteration by determining the civet coffee fraction in blends. PMID: 26777237 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Genetic Variability Overrides the Impact of Parental Cell Type and Determines iPSC Differentiation Potential.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Genetic Variability Overrides the Impact of Parental Cell Type and Determines iPSC Differentiation Potential. Stem Cell Reports. 2016 Jan 12; Authors: Kyttälä A, Moraghebi R, Valensisi C, Kettunen J, Andrus C, Pasumarthy KK, Nakanishi M, Nishimura K, Ohtaka M, Weltner J, Van Handel B, Parkkonen O, Sinisalo J, Jalanko A, Hawkins RD, Woods NB, Otonkoski T, Trokovic R Abstract Reports on the retention of somatic cell memory in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have complicated the selection of the optimal cell type for the generation of iPSC biobanks. To address this issue we compared transcriptomic, epigenetic, and differentiation propensities of genetically matched human iPSCs derived from fibroblasts and blood, two tissues of the most practical relevance for biobanking. Our results show that iPSC lines derived from the same donor are highly similar to each other. However, genetic variation imparts a donor-specific expression and methylation profile in reprogrammed cells that leads to variable functional capacities of iPSC lines. Our results suggest that integration-free, bona fide iPSC lines from fibroblasts and blood can be combined in repositories to form biobanks. Due to the impact of genetic variation on iPSC differentiation, biobanks should contain cells from large numbers of donors. PMID: 26777058 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

METABOLOMICS DIFFERENTIAL CORRELATION NETWORK ANALYSIS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
METABOLOMICS DIFFERENTIAL CORRELATION NETWORK ANALYSIS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS. Pac Symp Biocomput. 2016;21:120-31 Authors: Hu T, Zhang W, Fan Z, Sun G, Likhodi S, Randell E, Zhai G Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) significantly compromises the life quality of affected individuals and imposes a substantial economic burden on our society. Unfortunately the pathogenesis of the disease is till poorly understood and no effective medications have been developed. OA is a complex disease that involves both genetic and environmental influences. To elucidate the complex interlinked structure of metabolic processes associated with OA, we developed a differential correlation network approach to detecting the interconnection of metabolite pairs whose relationships are significantly altered due to the diseased process. Through topological analysis of such a differential network, we identified key metabolites that played an important role in governing the connectivity and information flow of the network. Identification of these key metabolites suggests the association of their underlying cellular processes with OA and may help elucidate the pathogenesis of the disease and the development of novel targeted therapies. PMID: 26776179 [PubMed - in process]

Metabolomics reveals novel biomarkers of illegal 5-nitromimidazole treatment in pigs. Further evidence of drug toxicity uncovered.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Metabolomics reveals novel biomarkers of illegal 5-nitromimidazole treatment in pigs. Further evidence of drug toxicity uncovered. Food Chem. 2016 May 15;199:876-84 Authors: Arias M, Chevallier OP, Graham SF, Gasull-Gimenez A, Fodey T, Cooper KM, Crooks SR, Danaher M, Elliott CT Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the potential of a metabolomics platform to distinguish between pigs treated with ronidazole, dimetridazole and metronidazole and non-medicated animals (controls), at two withdrawal periods (day 0 and 5). Livers from each animal were biochemically profiled using UHPLC-QTof-MS in ESI+ mode of acquisition. Several Orthogonal Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis models were generated from the acquired mass spectrometry data. The models classified the two groups control and treated animals. A total of 42 ions of interest explained the variation in ESI+. It was possible to find the identity of 3 of the ions and to positively classify 4 of the ionic features, which can be used as potential biomarkers of illicit 5-nitroimidazole abuse. Further evidence of the toxic mechanisms of 5-nitroimidazole drugs has been revealed, which may be of substantial importance as metronidazole is widely used in human medicine. PMID: 26776047 [PubMed - in process]

Robustness of NMR-based metabolomics to generate comparable data sets for olive oil cultivar classification. An inter-laboratory study on Apulian olive oils.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Robustness of NMR-based metabolomics to generate comparable data sets for olive oil cultivar classification. An inter-laboratory study on Apulian olive oils. Food Chem. 2016 May 15;199:675-83 Authors: Piccinonna S, Ragone R, Stocchero M, Del Coco L, De Pascali SA, Schena FP, Fanizzi FP Abstract Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is emerging as a powerful technique in olive oil fingerprinting, but its analytical robustness has to be proved. Here, we report a comparative study between two laboratories on olive oil (1)H NMR fingerprinting, aiming to demonstrate the robustness of NMR-based metabolomics in generating comparable data sets for cultivar classification. Sample preparation and data acquisition were performed independently in two laboratories, equipped with different resolution spectrometers (400 and 500MHz), using two identical sets of mono-varietal olive oils. Partial Least Squares (PLS)-based techniques were applied to compare the data sets produced by the two laboratories. Despite differences in spectrum baseline, and in intensity and shape of peaks, the amount of shared information was significant (almost 70%) and related to cultivar (same metabolites discriminated between cultivars). In conclusion, regardless of the variability due to operator and machine, the data sets from the two participating units were comparable for the purpose of classification. PMID: 26776024 [PubMed - in process]

Spatio-temporal distribution and natural variation of metabolites in citrus fruits.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Spatio-temporal distribution and natural variation of metabolites in citrus fruits. Food Chem. 2016 May 15;199:8-17 Authors: Wang S, Tu H, Wan J, Chen W, Liu X, Luo J, Xu J, Zhang H Abstract To study the natural variation and spatio-temporal accumulation of citrus metabolites, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based metabolome analysis was performed on four fruit tissues (flavedo, albedo, segment membrane and juice sacs) and different Citrus species (lemon, pummelo and grapefruit, sweet orange and mandarin). Using a non-targeted metabolomics approach, more than 2000 metabolite signals were detected, from which more than 54 metabolites, including amino acids, flavonoids and limonoids, were identified/annotated. Differential accumulation patterns of both primary metabolites and secondary metabolites in various tissues and species were revealed by our study. Further investigation indicated that flavedo accumulates more flavonoids while juice sacs contain more amino acids. Besides this, cluster analysis based on the levels of metabolites detected in 47 individual Citrus accessions clearly grouped them into four distinct clusters: pummelos and grapefruits, lemons, sweet oranges and mandarins, while the cluster of pummelos and grapefruits lay distinctly apart from the other three species. PMID: 26775938 [PubMed - in process]

Metabolomic study of corticosterone-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Metabolomic study of corticosterone-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Mol Biosyst. 2016 Jan 18; Authors: Zhang H, Zheng H, Zhao G, Tang C, Lu S, Cheng B, Wu F, Wei J, Liang Y, Ruan J, Song H, Su Z Abstract Glucocorticoids (GCs) have been proved to be an important pathogenic factor of some neuropsychiatric disorders. Usually, a classical injury model based on corticosterone-induced cytotoxicity of differentiated rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells was used to stimulate the state of GC damage of hippocampal neurons and investigate its potential mechanisms involved. However, up to now, the mechanism of corticosterone-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells was still looking forward to further elucidation. In this work, the metabolomic study of the biochemical changes caused by corticosterone-induced cytotoxicity in differentiated PC12 cells with different corticosterone concentrations was performed for the first time, using the ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF MS). Partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) indicated that metabolic profiles of different corticosterone treatment groups deviated from the control group. A total of fifteen metabolites were characterized as potential biomarkers involved in corticosterone-induced cytotoxicity, which were corresponding to the dysfunctions of five pathways including glycerophospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, oxidation of fatty acids, glycerolipid metabolism and sterol lipid metabolism. This study indicated that the rapid and holistic cell metabolomics approach might be a powerful tool to further study the pathogenesis mechanism of corticosterone-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells. PMID: 26775910 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Brown adipose tissue harbors a distinct sub-population of regulatory T cells.

Tue, 19/01/2016 - 13:06
Related Articles Brown adipose tissue harbors a distinct sub-population of regulatory T cells. PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0118534 Authors: Medrikova D, Sijmonsma TP, Sowodniok K, Richards DM, Delacher M, Sticht C, Gretz N, Schafmeier T, Feuerer M, Herzig S Abstract Regulatory T (Treg) cells are critical determinants of both immune responses and metabolic control. Here we show that systemic ablation of Treg cells compromised the adaptation of whole-body energy expenditure to cold exposure, correlating with impairment in thermogenic marker gene expression and massive invasion of pro-inflammatory macrophages in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Indeed, BAT harbored a unique sub-set of Treg cells characterized by a unique gene signature. As these Treg cells respond to BAT activation upon cold exposure, this study defines a BAT-specific Treg sub-set with direct implications for the regulation of energy homeostasis in response to environmental stress. PMID: 25714366 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Metabolic alteration in obese diabetes rats upon treatment with Centella asiatica extract.

Mon, 18/01/2016 - 12:51
Metabolic alteration in obese diabetes rats upon treatment with Centella asiatica extract. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Jan 13; Authors: Maulidiani, Abas F, Khatib A, Perumal V, Suppaiah V, Ismail A, Hamid M, Shaari K, Lajis NH Abstract ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: 'Pegaga' is a traditional Malay remedy for a wide range of complaints. Among the'pegaga', Centella asiatica has been used as a remedy for diabetes mellitus. Thus, we decided to validate this claim by evaluating the in vivo antidiabetic property of C. asiatica (CA) on T2DM rat model using the holistic (1)H NMR-based metabolomics approach. METHOD: In this study, an obese diabetic (mimic of T2DM condition) animal model was developed using Sprague-Dawley rats fed with a high-fat diet and induced into diabetic condition by the treatment of a low dose of streptozotocin (STZ). The effect of C. asiatica extract on the experimental animals was followed based on the changes observed in the urinary and serum metabolites, measured by (1)H NMR of urine and blood samples collected over the test period. RESULTS: A long-term treatment of obese diabetic rats with CAextract could reverse the glucose and lipid levels, as well as the tricarboxylic acid cycle and amino acid metabolic disorders, back towards normal states. Biochemical analysis also showed an increase of insulin production in diabetic rats upon treatment of CA extract. CONCLUSION: This study has provided evidence that clearly supported the traditional use of CA as a remedy for diabetes. NMR-based metabolomics was successfully applied to show that CA produced both anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic effects on a rat model. In addition to increasing the insulin secretion, the CA extract also ameliorates the metabolic pathways affected in the induced diabectic rats. This study further revealed the potential usage of CA extract in managing diabetes mellitus and the results of this work may contribute towards the further understanding of the underlying molecular mechanism of this herbal remedy. PMID: 26775274 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Deletion or Inhibition of the Oxygen Sensor PHD1 Protects against Ischemic Stroke via Reprogramming of Neuronal Metabolism.

Mon, 18/01/2016 - 12:51
Deletion or Inhibition of the Oxygen Sensor PHD1 Protects against Ischemic Stroke via Reprogramming of Neuronal Metabolism. Cell Metab. 2016 Jan 6; Authors: Quaegebeur A, Segura I, Schmieder R, Verdegem D, Decimo I, Bifari F, Dresselaers T, Eelen G, Ghosh D, Davidson SM, Schoors S, Broekaert D, Cruys B, Govaerts K, De Legher C, Bouché A, Schoonjans L, Ramer MS, Hung G, Bossaert G, Cleveland DW, Himmelreich U, Voets T, Lemmens R, Bennett CF, Robberecht W, De Bock K, Dewerchin M, Ghesquière B, Fendt SM, Carmeliet P Abstract The oxygen-sensing prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins (PHDs) regulate cellular metabolism, but their role in neuronal metabolism during stroke is unknown. Here we report that PHD1 deficiency provides neuroprotection in a murine model of permanent brain ischemia. This was not due to an increased collateral vessel network. Instead, PHD1(-/-) neurons were protected against oxygen-nutrient deprivation by reprogramming glucose metabolism. Indeed, PHD1(-/-) neurons enhanced glucose flux through the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway by diverting glucose away from glycolysis. As a result, PHD1(-/-) neurons increased their redox buffering capacity to scavenge oxygen radicals in ischemia. Intracerebroventricular injection of PHD1-antisense oligonucleotides reduced the cerebral infarct size and neurological deficits following stroke. These data identify PHD1 as a regulator of neuronal metabolism and a potential therapeutic target in ischemic stroke. PMID: 26774962 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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