TY  - JOUR
A1  - Henze, Andrea
A1  - Raila, Jens
A1  - Kempf, Caroline
A1  - Reinke, Petra
A1  - Sefrin, Anett
A1  - Querfeld, Uwe
A1  - Schweigert, Florian J.
T1  - Vitamin A metabolism is changed in donors after living-kidney transplantation an observational study
JF  - Lipids in health and disease
N2  - Background: The kidneys are essential for the metabolism of vitamin A (retinol) and its transport proteins retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and transthyretin. Little is known about changes in serum concentration after living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) as a consequence of unilateral nephrectomy; although an association of these parameters with the risk of cardiovascular diseases and insulin resistance has been suggested. Therefore we analyzed the concentration of retinol, RBP4, apoRBP4 and transthyretin in serum of 20 living-kidney donors and respective recipients at baseline as well as 6 weeks and 6 months after LDKT.
 Results: As a consequence of LDKT, the kidney function of recipients was improved while the kidney function of donors was moderately reduced within 6 weeks after LDKT. With regard to vitamin A metabolism, the recipients revealed higher levels of retinol, RBP4, transthyretin and apoRBP4 before LDKT in comparison to donors. After LDKT, the levels of all four parameters decreased in serum of the recipients, while retinol, RBP4 as well as apoRBP4 serum levels of donors increased and remained increased during the follow-up period of 6 months.
 Conclusion: LDKT is generally regarded as beneficial for allograft recipients and not particularly detrimental for the donors. However, it could be demonstrated in this study that a moderate reduction of kidney function by unilateral nephrectomy, resulted in an imbalance of components of vitamin A metabolism with a significant increase of retinol and RBP4 and apoRBP4 concentration in serum of donors.
KW  - Donors
KW  - glomerular filtration rate
KW  - kidney transplantation
KW  - retinol
KW  - retinol-binding protein 4
KW  - transthyretin
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-511X-10-231
SN  - 1476-511X
VL  - 10
IS  - 23
PB  - BioMed Central
CY  - London
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Müller, Carsten
A1  - Ullmann, Kristina
A1  - Steinberg, Pablo
T1  - The grapevine-shoot extract Vineatrol30 Inhibits the chemically induced malignant transformation of BALB/c-3T3 Cells
JF  - Journal of medicinal food
N2  - Vineatrol (R) 30 (developed and produced jointly by Breko GmbH [Bremen, Germany] and Actichem [Montauban, France]) is a grapevine-shoot extract that contains resveratrol as well as considerable amounts of resveratrol oligomers. In the present study it is shown that Vineatrol30 at a noncytotoxic concentration of 2.3 mu g/mL significantly reduced the number of malignantly transformed foci induced by a sequential treatment of BALB/c-3T3 cells with 3-methylcholanthrene and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate in the so-called BALB/c-3T3 cell transformation assay. At a higher concentration Vineatrol30 drastically decreased the relative plating efficiency of the cells. Furthermore, the results suggest that the resveratrol oligomers present in Vineatrol30, independently from resveratrol itself, were indeed able to inhibit the formation of malignantly transformed BALB/c-3T3 foci.
KW  - BALB/c-3T3 cells
KW  - cell transformation assay
KW  - resveratrol
KW  - resveratrol oligomers
KW  - Vineatrol (R) 30
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2010.0022
SN  - 1096-620X
VL  - 14
IS  - 1-2
SP  - 34
EP  - 39
PB  - Liebert
CY  - New Rochelle
ER  - 
TY  - THES
A1  - Keipert, Susanne
T1  - The effects of mitochondrial uncoupling in skeletal muscle on lifespan, substrate and energy metabolism in mice
Y1  - 2011
CY  - Potsdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Lamy, Elsa
A1  - Rawel, Harshadrai Manilal
A1  - Schweigert, Florian J.
A1  - Capela e Silva, Fernando
A1  - Ferreira, Ana
A1  - Costa, Ana Rodrigues
A1  - Antunes, Celia
A1  - Almeida, Andre Martinho
A1  - Coelho, Ana Varela
A1  - Sales-Baptista, Elvira
T1  - The effect of tannins on mediterranean ruminant ingestive behavior the role of the oral cavity
JF  - Molecules
N2  - Sheep, cattle and goat are domestic ruminants of significant economic interest in the Mediterranean region. Although sharing the same pasture ranges, they ingest different plants and plant parts and, consequently different levels of tannins. This suggests an ability to detect and adapt ingestion according to animal physiological limits of tolerance for plant secondary metabolites. This review will detail the effects of dietary tannins on feeding behavior, and the role of the oral cavity in this process, with focus on such ruminant species. The role of salivary protein profile in tannin perception in the oral cavity, and as a defense mechanism, will be discussed.
KW  - polyphenols
KW  - diet selection
KW  - ruminants
KW  - salivary proteins
KW  - tannin-protein interaction
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules16042766
SN  - 1420-3049
VL  - 16
IS  - 4
SP  - 2766
EP  - 2784
PB  - MDPI
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Barcelo-Coblijn, Gwendolyn
A1  - Laura Martin, Maria
A1  - de Almeida, Rodrigo F. M.
A1  - Antonia Noguera-Salva, Maria
A1  - Marcilla-Etxenike, Amaia
A1  - Guardiola-Serrano, Francisca
A1  - Lueth, Anja
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Halver, John E.
A1  - Escriba, Pablo V.
T1  - Sphingomyelin and sphingomyelin synthase (SMS) in the malignant transformation of glioma cells and in 2-hydroxyoleic acid therapy
JF  - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
N2  - The mechanism of action of 2-hydroxyoleic acid (2OHOA), a potent antitumor compound, has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we show that human cancer cells have markedly lower levels of sphingomyelin (SM) than nontumor (MRC-5) cells. In this context, 2OHOA treatment strongly augments SM mass (4.6-fold), restoring the levels found in MRC-5 cells, while a loss of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine is observed (57 and 30%, respectively). The increased SM mass was due to a rapid and highly specific activation of SM synthases (SMS). This effect appeared to be specific against cancer cells as it did not affect nontumor MRC-5 cells. Therefore, low SM levels are associated with the tumorigenic transformation that produces cancer cells. SM accumulation occurred at the plasma membrane and caused an increase in membrane global order and lipid raft packing in model membranes. These modifications would account for the observed alteration by 2OHOA in the localization of proteins involved in cell apoptosis (Fas receptor) or differentiation (Ras). Importantly, SMS inhibition by D609 diminished 2OHOA effect on cell cycle. Therefore, we propose that the regulation of SMS activity in tumor cells is a critical upstream event in 2OHOA antitumor mechanism, which also explains its specificity for cancer cells, its potency, and the lack of undesired side effects. Finally, the specific activation of SMS explains the ability of this compound to trigger cell cycle arrest, cell differentiation, and autophagy or apoptosis in cancer cells.
KW  - anticancer
KW  - membrane-lipid therapy
KW  - lung cancer
KW  - membrane lipids
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1115484108
SN  - 0027-8424
VL  - 108
IS  - 49
SP  - 19569
EP  - 19574
PB  - National Acad. of Sciences
CY  - Washington
ER  - 
TY  - CHAP
A1  - Geschka, Sandra
A1  - Kretschmer, A.
A1  - Sharkovska, J.
A1  - Evgenov, O. V.
A1  - Lawrenz, Bettina
A1  - Stasch, Johannes-Peter
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - Soluble guanylate cyclase stimulation prevents fibrotic tissue Remodelling and improves survival in salt-sensitive dahl rats
T2  - Journal of vascular research
Y1  - 2011
SN  - 1018-1172
VL  - 48
IS  - 4
SP  - 171
EP  - 171
PB  - Karger
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Geschka, Sandra
A1  - Kretschmer, Axel
A1  - Sharkovska, Yuliya
A1  - Evgenov, Oleg V.
A1  - Lawrenz, Bettina
A1  - Hucke, Andreas
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
A1  - Stasch, Johannes-Peter
T1  - Soluble guanylate cyclase stimulation prevents fibrotic tissue remodeling and improves survival in salt-sensitive dahl rats
JF  - PLoS one
N2  - Background: A direct pharmacological stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is an emerging therapeutic approach to the management of various cardiovascular disorders associated with endothelial dysfunction. Novel sGC stimulators, including riociguat (BAY 63-2521), have a dual mode of action: They sensitize sGC to endogenously produced nitric oxide (NO) and also directly stimulate sGC independently of NO. Little is known about their effects on tissue remodeling and degeneration and survival in experimental malignant hypertension.
 Methods and Results: Mortality, hemodynamics and biomarkers of tissue remodeling and degeneration were assessed in Dahl salt-sensitive rats maintained on a high salt diet and treated with riociguat (3 or 10 mg/kg/d) for 14 weeks. Riociguat markedly attenuated systemic hypertension, improved systolic heart function and increased survival from 33% to 85%. Histological examination of the heart and kidneys revealed that riociguat significantly ameliorated fibrotic tissue remodeling and degeneration. Correspondingly, mRNA expression of the pro-fibrotic biomarkers osteopontin (OPN), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the myocardium and the renal cortex was attenuated by riociguat. In addition, riociguat reduced plasma and urinary levels of OPN, TIMP-1, and PAI-1.
 Conclusions: Stimulation of sGC by riociguat markedly improves survival and attenuates systemic hypertension and systolic dysfunction, as well as fibrotic tissue remodeling in the myocardium and the renal cortex in a rodent model of pressure and volume overload. These findings suggest a therapeutic potential of sGC stimulators in diseases associated with impaired cardiovascular and renal functions.
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021853
SN  - 1932-6203
VL  - 6
IS  - 7
PB  - PLoS
CY  - San Fransisco
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Carlsohn, Anja
A1  - Scharhag-Rosenberger, Friederike
A1  - Cassel, Michael
A1  - Mayer, Frank
T1  - Resting metabolic rate in elite rowers and canoeists difference between indirect calorimetry and prediction
JF  - Annals of nutrition & metabolism : journal of nutrition, metabolic diseases and dietetics ; an official journal of International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS)
N2  - Background: Athletes may differ in their resting metabolic rate (RMR) from the general population. However, to estimate the RMR in athletes, prediction equations that have not been validated in athletes are often used. The purpose of this study was therefore to verify the applicability of commonly used RMR predictions for use in athletes. Methods: The RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry in 17 highly trained rowers and canoeists of the German national teams (BMI 24 +/- 2 kg/m(2), fat-free mass 69 +/- 15 kg). In addition, the RMR was predicted using Cunningham (CUN) and Harris-Benedict (HB) equations. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was calculated to test for differences between predicted and measured RMR (alpha = 0.05). The root mean square percentage error (RMSPE) was calculated and the Bland-Altman procedure was used to quantify the bias for each prediction. Results: Prediction equations significantly underestimated the RMR in males (p < 0.001). The RMSPE was calculated to be 18.4% (CUN) and 20.9% (HB) in the entire group. The bias was 133 kcal/24 h for CUN and 202 kcal/24 h for HB. Conclusions: Predictions significantly underestimate the RMR in male heavyweight endurance athletes but not in females. In athletes with a high fat-free mass, prediction equations might therefore not be applicable to estimate energy requirements. Instead, measurement of the resting energy expenditure or specific prediction equations might be needed for the individual heavyweight athlete.
KW  - Energy requirement
KW  - Calorimetry
KW  - Fat-free mass
KW  - Nutritional counseling
KW  - Athletes
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1159/000330119
SN  - 0250-6807
VL  - 58
IS  - 3
SP  - 239
EP  - 244
PB  - Karger
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Sharkovska, Yuliya
A1  - Kalk, Philipp
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Relle, Katharina
A1  - Pfab, Thiemo
A1  - Alter, Markus L.
A1  - Fischer, Yvan
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - Renoprotective effects of combined endothelin-converting enzyme/neutral endopeptidase inhibitor SLV338 in acute and chronic experimental renal damage
JF  - Clinical laboratory : the peer reviewed journal for clinical laboratories and laboratories related to blood transfusion
N2  - Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) as well as chronic renal failure are associated with a huge mortality/morbidity. However, so far no drugs have been approved for the treatment of acute kidney failure and only a few for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We analysed the effect of SLV 338, a neutral endopeptidase (NEP)/endothelin converting enzyme (ECE)-inhibitor in animal models of acute kidney failure as well as chronic renal failure.
 Methods: Acute renal failure was induced in male Wistar rats by uninephrectomy and clamping of the remaining kidney for 55 minutes. SLV338 (total dose: 4.9 mg/kg) or vehicle was continuously infused for 2 hours (starting 20 minutes prior to clamping). Sham operated animals served as controls. Plasma creatinine was measured at baseline and day 2 and 8 after renal ischemia-reperfusion.
 Hypertensive renal damage was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by nitric oxide deficiency using L-NAME (50 mg/kg per day, added to drinking water for 4 weeks). One group was treated over the same time period with SLV338 (30 mg/kg per day, mixed with food). Systolic blood pressure was monitored weekly. At study end, urine and blood samples were collected and kidneys were harvested.
 Results: Acute renal ischemia-reperfusion caused a 5-fold plasma creatinine elevation (day 2), which was significantly attenuated by more than 50 % in animals treated with SLV338 (p < 0.05). Renal failure was accompanied by a 67 % mortality in vehicle-treated rats, but only 20 % after SLV338 treatment (p = 0.03 compared to sham controls).
 Chronic L-NAME administration caused hypertension, urinary albumin excretion, glomerulosclerosis, renal arterial remodelling, and renal interstitial fibrosis. Treatment with SLV338 did not significantly affect blood pressure, but abolished renal tissue damage (interstitial fibrosis, glomerulosclerosis, renal arterial remodelling (p < 0.05 versus L-NAME group in each case).
 Conclusions: The dual ECE/NEP inhibitor SLV338 preserves kidney function and reduces mortality in severe acute ischemic renal failure. Moreover, combined ECE/NEP inhibition prevents hypertensive renal tissue damage in a blood pressure independent manner in L-NAME-treated rats.
KW  - Renal failure
KW  - endothelin-converting enzyme
KW  - neutral endopeptidase
Y1  - 2011
SN  - 1433-6510
VL  - 57
IS  - 7-8
SP  - 507
EP  - 515
PB  - Clin Lab Publ., Verl. Klinisches Labor
CY  - Heidelberg
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
A1  - Heiden, Susi
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Arafat, Ayman M.
A1  - Rahnenführer, Jan
A1  - Alter, Markus L.
A1  - Kalk, Philipp
A1  - Ziegler, Dieter
A1  - Fischer, Yvan
A1  - Pfab, Thiemo
T1  - Renal effects of the novel selective adenosine A(1) receptor blocker SLV329 in experimental liver cirrhosis in rats
JF  - PLoS one
N2  - Liver cirrhosis is often complicated by an impaired renal excretion of water and sodium. Diuretics tend to further deteriorate renal function. It is unknown whether chronic selective adenosine A(1) receptor blockade, via inhibition of the hepatorenal reflex and the tubuloglomerular feedback, might exert diuretic and natriuretic effects without a reduction of the glomerular filtration rate. In healthy animals intravenous treatment with the novel A(1) receptor antagonist SLV329 resulted in a strong dose-dependent diuretic (up to 3.4-fold) and natriuretic (up to 13.5-fold) effect without affecting creatinine clearance. Male Wistar rats with thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis received SLV329, vehicle or furosemide for 12 weeks. The creatinine clearance of cirrhotic animals decreased significantly (-36.5%, p < 0.05), especially in those receiving furosemide (-41.9%, p < 0.01). SLV329 was able to prevent this decline of creatinine clearance. Mortality was significantly lower in cirrhotic animals treated with SLV329 in comparison to animals treated with furosemide (17% vs. 54%, p < 0.05). SLV329 did not relevantly influence the degree of liver fibrosis, kidney histology or expression of hepatic or renal adenosine receptors. In conclusion, chronic treatment with SLV329 prevented the decrease of creatinine clearance in a rat model of liver cirrhosis. Further studies will have to establish whether adenosine A(1) receptor antagonists are clinically beneficial at different stages of liver cirrhosis.
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017891
SN  - 1932-6203
VL  - 6
IS  - 3
PB  - PLoS
CY  - San Fransisco
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Rohner, Fabian
A1  - Frey, Simone K.
A1  - Mothes, Ralf
A1  - Hurtienne, Andrea
A1  - Hartong, Simone
A1  - Bosso, Patrice Emery
A1  - Bui, Mai
A1  - Schweigert, Florian J.
A1  - Northrop-Clewes, Christine
T1  - Quantification of vitamin A in palm oil using a fast and simple portable device  method validation and comparison to high-performance liquid chromatography
JF  - International journal for vitamin and nutrition research
N2  - Vitamin A deficiency continues to be a global public health problem. Fortification of oil with vitamin A is considered a cost-effective, feasible strategy to prevent this problem but quality control poses a challenge to program implementation. To overcome this, we have validated a newly developed device that quantitatively measures the content of retinyl palmitate in refined palm oil, is simple to use, and yields immediate results.
 Linearity of analysis rand from 2.5-30 mg retinol equivalents (RE)/kg of palm oil, with 2.5 mg RE/kg being the determination limit; inter- and intra-assay precision ranged from 1.4-7.1 To. Comparison with a high-performance Liquid chromatography method showed high agreement between the methods (R-2 = 0.92; Limits of Agreement: -1.24 mg to 2.53 mg RE/kg), and further comparisons illustrate that the new device is useful in low resource settings. This device offers a field- and user-friendly solution to quantifying the vitamin A content in refined palm oil.
KW  - Vitamin A
KW  - retinyl palmitate
KW  - fortification
KW  - monitoring
KW  - rapid test kit
KW  - palm oil
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000081
SN  - 0300-9831
VL  - 81
IS  - 5
SP  - 335
EP  - 342
PB  - Hogrefe
CY  - Bern
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Müller, Kerstin E.
A1  - Altenkamp, Rainer
A1  - Raila, Jens
A1  - Schmidt, Daniel
A1  - Dietrich, Robert
A1  - Hurtienne, Andrea
A1  - Wink, Michael
A1  - Krone, Oliver
A1  - Brunnberg, Leo
A1  - Schweigert, Florian J.
T1  - Plasma concentration of alpha-tocopherol in different free-ranging birds of prey
JF  - European journal of wildlife research
N2  - In this study, we investigated the alpha-tocopherol plasma concentrations in healthy free-ranging nestlings of the white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) (n=32), osprey (Pandion haliaetus) (n=39), northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) (n=25), common buzzard (Buteo buteo) (n=31), and honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) (n=18) as well as of free-ranging adults of the white-tailed sea eagle (n=10), osprey (n=31), and northern goshawk (n=45). alpha-Tocopherol plasma concentrations were determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. alpha-Tocopherol plasma concentrations in nestlings of osprey, white-tailed sea eagle, and northern goshawk did not differ significantly amongst the species, but the common buzzard and honey buzzard nestlings had significantly lower alpha-tocopherol plasma concentrations than nestlings of the other species (both P<0.001). Adult male ospreys and white-tailed sea eagles had significantly higher alpha-tocopherol concentrations compared to adult females (both P<0.005). Adult ospreys and northern goshawks had significantly higher alpha-tocopherol plasma concentrations compared to their nestlings (both P<0.001). In adult female northern goshawks, plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol increased significantly before egg laying (P<0.001). These results demonstrate alpha-tocopherol plasma concentrations in birds of prey to be species specific and influenced by age and reproductive status.
KW  - alpha-Tocopherol
KW  - Birds of prey
KW  - Plasma concentration
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-011-0516-z
SN  - 1612-4642
VL  - 57
IS  - 5
SP  - 1043
EP  - 1049
PB  - Springer
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Henkel, Janin
A1  - Gärtner, Daniela
A1  - Dorn, Christoph
A1  - Hellerbrand, Claus
A1  - Schanze, Nancy
A1  - Elz, Sheila R.
A1  - Püschel, Gerhard Paul
T1  - Oncostatin M produced in Kupffer cells in response to PGE(2) possible contributor to hepatic insulin resistance and steatosis
JF  - Laboratory investigation : the basic and translational pathology research journal ; an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology
N2  - Hepatic insulin resistance is a major contributor to hyperglycemia in metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes. It is caused in part by the low-grade inflammation that accompanies both diseases, leading to elevated local and circulating levels of cytokines and cyclooxygenase (COX) products such as prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)). In a recent study, PGE(2) produced in Kupffer cells attenuated insulin-dependent glucose utilization by interrupting the intracellular signal chain downstream of the insulin receptor in hepatocytes. In addition to directly affecting insulin signaling in hepatocytes, PGE(2) in the liver might affect insulin resistance by modulating cytokine production in non-parenchymal cells. In accordance with this hypothesis, PGE(2) stimulated oncostatin M (OSM) production by Kupffer cells. OSM in turn attenuated insulin-dependent Akt activation and, as a downstream target, glucokinase induction in hepatocytes, most likely by inducing suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3). In addition, it inhibited the expression of key enzymes of hepatic lipid metabolism. COX-2 and OSM mRNA were induced early in the course of the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in mice. Thus, induction of OSM production in Kupffer cells by an autocrine PGE(2)-dependent feed-forward loop may be an additional, thus far unrecognized, mechanism contributing to hepatic insulin resistance and the development of NASH.
KW  - cyclooxygenase
KW  - cytokine
KW  - hepatic steatosis
KW  - NASH
KW  - suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)
KW  - type II diabetes (T2DM)
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1038/labinvest.2011.47
SN  - 0023-6837
VL  - 91
IS  - 7
SP  - 1107
EP  - 1117
PB  - Nature Publ. Group
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
A1  - Schlemm, Ludwig
A1  - Haumann, Hannah
A1  - Li, Jian
A1  - Rahnenführer, Jan
A1  - Guthmann, Florian
A1  - Bamberg, Christian
A1  - Kalk, Philipp
A1  - Pfab, Thiemo
A1  - Chen, You-Peng
T1  - Offspring sex determines the impact of the maternal ACE I/D polymorphism on maternal glycaemic control during the last weeks of pregnancy
JF  - Journal of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system
N2  - Hypothesis/Introduction: We recently demonstrated that fetal sex may affect maternal glycaemic control in genetically prone mothers. We tested the hypothesis that fetal sex/fetal Y/X chromosomes might affect maternal glycaemic control during pregnancy depending on the maternal angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) I/D polymorphism.
 Material and methods: One thousand, three hundred and thirty-two Caucasian women without pre-existing diabetes and pre-existing hypertension with singleton pregnancies delivering consecutively at the Charite obstetrics department were genotyped. Glycaemic control was analysed by measuring total glycated haemoglobin at birth. Correction for confounding factors and multiple testing was done.
 Results: Maternal ACE I/D polymorphism showed significant interaction with fetal sex concerning maternal total glycated haemoglobin. Total glycated haemoglobin in DD mothers delivering boys was 6.42 +/- 0.70% vs. 6.21 +/- 0.66% in DD mother delivering girls (p < 0.005), whereas the II carrying mothers showed the opposite effect. II mothers delivering a girl had a higher (p = 0.044) total glycated haemoglobin at birth (6.40 +/- 0.80%) compared to II mothers delivering boys (6.21 +/- 0.81%). There was no interaction of the ACE I/D polymorphism and fetal sex with respect to new onset proteinuria, new onset edema and pregnancy-induced hypertension.
 Conclusions: Maternal glycaemic control during the last weeks of pregnancy seems to be influenced by an interaction of the ACE I/D genotyp and fetal sex.
KW  - ACE I/D polymorphism
KW  - pregnancy
KW  - fetal sex
KW  - pregnancy induced diabetes
KW  - total glycated hemoglobin
KW  - glycemic control during pregnancy
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1177/1470320310387843
SN  - 1470-3203
VL  - 12
IS  - 3
SP  - 254
EP  - 261
PB  - Sage Publ.
CY  - London
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Wengenmayer, Christina
A1  - Krikov, Maxim
A1  - Mueller, Susanne
A1  - Lucht, Kristin
A1  - Villringer, Arno
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
A1  - Unger, Thomas
A1  - Thoene-Reineke, Christa
T1  - Novel therapy approach in primary stroke prevention simultaneous inhibition of endothelin converting enzyme and neutral endopeptidase in spontaneously hypertensive, stroke-prone rats improves survival
JF  - Neurological research : a journal of progress in neurosurgery and neurosciences
N2  - Objectives: Stroke, frequently a consequence of hypertension, is one of the leading causes of death and neurological disabilities worldwide. In the ischemic brain, levels of endothelin-1, one of the most potent vasoconstrictors, are raised. Anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of endothelin antagonists after stroke have been described in literature. Based on these findings, we investigated the protective effect of the endothelin converting enzyme/neutral endopeptidase blocker, SLV 338, in salt-loaded, stroke-prone, spontaneously hypertensive rats.
 Methods: Male, 8-week-old spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats were put on a high salt diet and treated with either 30 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg SLV 338 or vehicle for 27 weeks. Blood pressure, neurological outcome, body weight, and mortality were investigated throughout treatment. In weeks 1 and 9, animals were housed in metabolic cages for collection of urinary and blood samples and assessment of salt water and food intake. In weeks 22 and 27, additional blood samples were taken. At the end of the study, all brains were analyzed using magnetic resonance imaging.
 Results: SLV 338 was well tolerated in all animals. Neurological outcome and infarct size were similar in all groups. Albuminuria was considerably delayed and the incidence of stroke significantly lowered in treated animals. In spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats, treatment with SLV 338 significantly (P=0.01) improved survival in comparison to the vehicle treated group in a blood pressure-independent manner.
 Discussion: Our data in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats demonstrate that combined endothelin converting enzyme/neutral endopeptidase inhibition could offer a new therapeutic approach for primary stroke prevention and improvement of mortality. The mechanism seems to be blood pressure-independent.
KW  - Endothelin
KW  - Hypertension
KW  - Natriuretic peptides
KW  - Stroke
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1179/016164111X12881719352534
SN  - 0161-6412
VL  - 33
IS  - 2
SP  - 201
EP  - 207
PB  - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
CY  - Leeds
ER  - 
TY  - THES
A1  - Behrens, Maik
T1  - Molekularbiologie menschlicher Bittergeschmacksrezeptoren
Y1  - 2011
CY  - Potsdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Epp, Laura Saskia
A1  - Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen Rosemarie
A1  - Trauth, Martin H.
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Molecular profiling of diatom assemblages in tropical lake sediments using taxon-specific PCR and Denaturing High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (PCR-DHPLC)
JF  - Molecular ecology resources
N2  - Here we present a protocol to genetically detect diatoms in sediments of the Kenyan tropical Lake Naivasha, based on taxon-specific PCR amplification of short fragments (approximately 100 bp) of the small subunit ribosomal (SSU) gene and subsequent separation of species-specific PCR products by PCR-based denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). An evaluation of amplicons differing in primer specificity to diatoms and length of the fragments amplified demonstrated that the number of different diatom sequence types detected after cloning of the PCR products critically depended on the specificity of the primers to diatoms and the length of the amplified fragments whereby shorter fragments yielded more species of diatoms. The DHPLC was able to discriminate between very short amplicons based on the sequence difference, even if the fragments were of identical length and if the amplicons differed only in a small number of nucleotides. Generally, the method identified the dominant sequence types from mixed amplifications. A comparison with microscopic analysis of the sediment samples revealed that the sequence types identified in the molecular assessment corresponded well with the most dominant species. In summary, the PCR-based DHPLC protocol offers a fast, reliable and cost-efficient possibility to study DNA from sediments and other environmental samples with unknown organismic content, even for very short DNA fragments.
KW  - diatoms
KW  - environmental DNA
KW  - lake sediments
KW  - PCR-DHPLC
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2011.03022.x
SN  - 1755-098X
VL  - 11
IS  - 5
SP  - 842
EP  - 853
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schweigert, Florian J.
A1  - Reimann, J.
T1  - Micronutrients and their Relevance for the Eye - Function of Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
JF  - Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde
N2  - Micronutrients play an important role in function and health maintenance for the eye. Especially lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids perform remarkable functions: lutein together with zeaxanthin forms the macular pigment, these carotenoids filter out the damaging blue light component from the sunlight as well as the ultraviolet light which leads to improved contrast sensitivity and less problems with screen glare. Furthermore, the macular pigment has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The omega-3 fatty acids also possess anti-inflammatory effects and, when converted into neuroprotectin, they protect against oxidative induced apoptosis in the retina. They are also responsible for the fluidity and supply to the photoreceptor membrane. These properties are important for the prevention and treatment of degenerative eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration. However, older people are often not sufficiently supplied of micronutrients in their diet. Because the supply of nutrients can hardly be achieved by dietary change, the additional intake in the form of food supplements is useful in this age group. Scientific studies have shown the positive effects of supplementation with micronutrients such as lutein/zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA and EPA). Currently available nutritional products are based in part on the ingredients of the ARED study (Age Related Eye Disease Study). According to more recent studies formulations containing lutein and omega-3 fatty acids in physiologically meaningful doses without additional beta-carotene should be preferred. 10 to 20 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin represent a safe daily dose Regarding to the context above, beta-carotene in high doses plays a minor role to the eye and is especially critical for the health of smokers. This paper summarises the functions of the presented micronutrients in the eye and can assist ophthalmologists in advising their patients.
KW  - AMD
KW  - lutein
KW  - omega-3 fatty acids
KW  - macular pigment density
KW  - micronutrients
KW  - dosage recommendation
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0029-1245527
SN  - 0023-2165
VL  - 228
IS  - 6
SP  - 537
EP  - 543
PB  - Thieme
CY  - Stuttgart
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Li, Jian
A1  - Wang, Zi-Neng
A1  - Schlemm, Ludwig
A1  - Pfab, Thiemo
A1  - Xiao, Xiao-Min
A1  - Chen, You-Peng
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - Low birth weight and elevated head-to-abdominal circumference ratio are associated with elevated fetal glycated serum protein concentrations
JF  - Journal of hypertension
N2  - Objective To analyze the association between low birth weight, head-to-abdominal circumference ratio, and insulin resistance in early life.
 Method and results Glycated serum proteins (GSPs) were quantified at delivery in 612 Chinese mother/child pairs serving as a surrogate of maternal and fetal glycemia. Differential ultrasound examination of the fetal's body (head circumference, biparietal diameter, pectoral diameter, abdominal circumference, and femur length) was done in average 1 week prior to delivery. Multivariable regression analysis considering gestational age at delivery, the child's sex, maternal BMI, maternal age at delivery, maternal body weight, and pregnancyinduced hypertension revealed that fetal GSP was inversely associated with birth weight (R(2) = 0.416; P < 0.001). Fetal GSP was furthermore positively associated with the head-to-abdominal circumference ratio, whereas the maternal GSP was negatively correlated with the offspring's head-to-abdominal circumference ratio (R(2) = 0.285; P = 0.010 and R(2) = 0.261; P = 0.020, respectively). The increased head-to-abdominal circumference ratio in newborns with higher fetal GSP is mainly due to a reduced abdominal circumference rather than reduced growth of the brain.
 Conclusion The disproportional intrauterine growth is in line with the concept of so-called brain sparing, a mechanism maintaining the intrauterine growth of the brain at the expense of trunk growth. Our data suggest that the low birth weight phenotype, linked to cardiovascular diseases like hypertension in later life, might be a phenotype of disproportional intrauterine growth retardation and early life insulin resistance.
KW  - disproportional intrauterine growth retardation
KW  - insulin resistance
KW  - low birth weight
KW  - ultrasound
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0b013e328349a2e6
SN  - 0263-6352
VL  - 29
IS  - 9
SP  - 1712
EP  - 1718
PB  - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
CY  - Philadelphia
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Melcher, Ralph
A1  - Hartmann, Elena
A1  - Zopf, Waltraud
A1  - Herterich, Sabine
A1  - Wilke, Philipp
A1  - Mueller, Ludwig
A1  - Rosler, Eduard
A1  - Kudlich, Theodor
A1  - Al-Taie, Oliver
A1  - Rosenwald, Andreas
A1  - Katzenberger, Tiemo
A1  - Scholtka, Bettina
A1  - Seibold, Stefan
A1  - Rogoll, Dorothee
A1  - Scheppach, Wolfgang
A1  - Scheurlen, Michael
A1  - Luehrs, Hardi
T1  - LOH and copy neutral LOH (cnLOH) act as alternative mechanism in sporadic colorectal cancers with chromosomal and microsatellite instability
JF  - Carcinogenesis : a comprehensive survey
N2  - Background and aims. Tumor suppressor genes are often located in frequently deleted chromosomal regions of colorectal cancers (CRCs). In contrast to microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors, only few loss of heterozygosity (LOH) studies were performed in microsatellite instable (MSI) tumors, because MSI carcinomas are generally considered to be chromosomally stable and classical LOH studies are not feasible due to MSI. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array technique enables LOH studies also in MSI CRC. The aim of our study was to analyse tissue from MSI and MSS CRC for the existence of (frequently) deleted chromosomal regions and tumor suppressor genes located therein. Methods and results. We analyzed tissues from 32 sporadic CRCs and their corresponding normal mucosa (16 MSS and 16 MSI tumors) by means of 50K SNP array analysis. MSS tumors displayed chromosomal instability that resulted in multiple deleted (LOH) and amplified regions and led to the identification of MTUS1 (8p22) as a candidate tumor suppressor gene in this region. Although the MSI tumors were chromosomally stable, we found several copy neutral LOHs (cnLOH) in the MSI tumors; these appear to be instrumental in the inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene hMLH1 and a gene located in chromosomal region 6pter-p22. Discussion. Our results suggest that in addition to classical LOH, cnLOH is an important mutational event in relation to the carcinogenesis of MSS and MSI tumors, causing the inactivation of a tumor suppressor gene without copy number alteration of the respective region; this is crucial for the development of MSI tumors and for some chromosomal regions in MSS tumors.
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgr011
SN  - 0143-3334
VL  - 32
IS  - 4
SP  - 636
EP  - 642
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Oxford
ER  -