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Institute
- Institut für Ernährungswissenschaft (13) (remove)
Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is used for the treatment of a number of ailments. The activity of the toxin that is isolated from bacterial cultures is frequently tested in the mouse lethality assay. Apart from the ethical concerns inherent to this assay, species-specific differences in the affinity for different BoNT serotypes give rise to activity results that differ from the activity in humans. Thus, BoNT/B is more active in mice than in humans. The current study shows that the stimulus-dependent release of a luciferase from a differentiated human neuroblastoma–based reporter cell line (SIMA-hPOMC1-26-Gluc) was inhibited by clostridial and recombinant BoNT/A to the same extent, whereas both clostridial and recombinant BoNT/B inhibited the release to a lesser extent and only at much higher concentrations, reflecting the low activity of BoNT/B in humans. By contrast, the genetically modified BoNT/B-MY, which has increased affinity for human synaptotagmin, and the BoNT/B protein receptor inhibited luciferase release effectively and with an EC50 comparable to recombinant BoNT/A. This was due to an enhanced uptake into the reporter cells of BoNT/B-MY in comparison to the recombinant wild-type toxin. Thus, the SIMA-hPOMC1-26-Gluc cell assay is a versatile tool to determine the activity of different BoNT serotypes providing human-relevant dose-response data.
In order to improve a recently established cell-based assay to assess the potency of botulinum neurotoxin, neuroblastoma-derived SiMa cells and induced pluripotent stem-cells (iPSC) were modified to incorporate the coding sequence of a reporter luciferase into a genetic safe harbor utilizing CRISPR/Cas9. A novel method, the double-control quantitative copy number PCR (dc-qcnPCR), was developed to detect off-target integrations of donor DNA. The donor DNA insertion success rate and targeted insertion success rate were analyzed in clones of each cell type. The dc-qcnPCR reliably quantified the copy number in both cell lines. The probability of incorrect donor DNA integration was significantly increased in SiMa cells in comparison to the iPSCs. This can possibly be explained by the lower bundled relative gene expression of a number of double-strand repair genes (BRCA1, DNA2, EXO1, MCPH1, MRE11, and RAD51) in SiMa clones than in iPSC clones. The dc-qcnPCR offers an efficient and cost-effective method to detect off-target CRISPR/Cas9-induced donor DNA integrations.
Respiratorische Erkrankungen stellen zunehmend eine relevante globale Problematik dar. Die Erweiterung bzw. Modifizierung von Applikationswegen möglicher Arzneimittel für gezielte topische Anwendungen ist dabei von größter Bedeutung. Die Variation eines bekannten Applikationsweges durch unterschiedliche technologische Umsetzungen kann die Vielfalt der Anwendungsmöglichkeiten, aber auch die Patienten-Compliance erhöhen. Die einfache und flexible Verfahrensweise durch schnelle Verfügbarkeit und eine handliche Technologie sind heutzutage wichtige Eigenschaften im Entwicklungsprozess eines Produktes. Eine direkte topische Behandlung von Atemwegserkrankungen am Wirkort in Form einer inhalativen Applikation bietet dabei viele Vorteile gegenüber einer systemischen Therapie. Die medizinische Inhalation von Wirkstoffen über die Lunge ist jedoch eine komplexe Herausforderung. Inhalatoren gehören zu den erklärungsbedürftigen Applikationsformen, die zur Erhöhung der konsequenten Einhaltung der Verordnung so einfach, wie möglich gestaltet werden müssen. Parallel besitzen und nutzen weltweit annähernd 68 Millionen Menschen die Technologie eines inhalativen Applikators zur bewussten Schädigung ihrer Gesundheit in Form einer elektronischen Zigarette. Diese bekannte Anwendung bietet die potentielle Möglichkeit einer verfügbaren, kostengünstigen und qualitätsgeprüften Gesundheitsmaßnahme zur Kontrolle, Prävention und Heilung von Atemwegserkrankungen. Sie erzeugt ein Aerosol durch elektrothermische Erwärmung eines sogenannten Liquids, das durch Kapillarkräfte eines Trägermaterials an ein Heizelement gelangt und verdampft. Ihr Bekanntheitsgrad zeigt, dass eine beabsichtigte Wirkung in den Atemwegen eintritt. Diese Wirkung könnte jedoch auch auf potentielle pharmazeutische Einsatzgebiete übertragbar sein. Die Vorteile der pulmonalen Verabreichung sind dabei vielfältig. Im Vergleich zur peroralen Applikation gelangt der Wirkstoff gezielt zum Wirkort. Wenn eine systemische Applikation zu Arzneimittelkonzentrationen unterhalb der therapeutischen Wirksamkeit in der Lunge führt, könnte eine inhalative Darreichung bereits bei niedriger Dosierung die gewünschten höheren Konzentrationen am Wirkort hervorrufen. Aufgrund der großen Resorptionsfläche der Lunge sind eine höhere Bioverfügbarkeit und ein schnellerer Wirkungseintritt infolge des fehlenden First-Pass-Effektes möglich. Es kommt ebenfalls zu minimalen systemischen Nebenwirkungen. Die elektronische Zigarette erzeugt wie die medizinischen Inhalatoren lungengängige Partikel. Die atemzuggesteuerte Technik ermöglicht eine unkomplizierte und intuitive Anwendung. Der prinzipielle Aufbau besteht aus einer elektrisch beheizten Wendel und einem Akku. Die Heizwendel ist von einem sogenannten Liquid in einem Tank umgeben und erzeugt das Aerosol. Das Liquid beinhaltet eine Basismischung bestehend aus Propylenglycol, Glycerin und reinem Wasser in unterschiedlichen prozentualen Anteilen. Es besteht die Annahme, dass das Basisliquid auch mit pharmazeutischen Wirkstoffen für die pulmonale Applikation beladen werden kann. Aufgrund der thermischen Belastung durch die e-Zigarette müssen potentielle Wirkstoffe sowie das Vehikel eine thermische Stabilität aufweisen.
Die potentielle medizinische Anwendung der Technologie einer handelsüblichen e-Zigarette wurde anhand von drei Schwerpunkten an vier Wirkstoffen untersucht. Die drei ätherischen Öle Eucalyptusöl, Minzöl und Nelkenöl wurden aufgrund ihrer leichten Flüchtigkeit und der historischen pharmazeutischen Anwendung anhand von Inhalationen bei Erkältungssymptomen bzw. im zahnmedizinischen Bereich gewählt. Das eingesetzte Cannabinoid Cannabidiol (CBD) hat einen aktuellen Bezug zu dem pharmazeutischen Markt Deutschlands zur Legalisierung von cannabishaltigen Produkten und der medizinischen Forschung zum inhalativen Konsum. Es wurden relevante wirkstoffhaltige Flüssigformulierungen entwickelt und hinsichtlich ihrer Verdampfbarkeit zu Aerosolen bewertet. In den quantitativen und qualitativen chromatographischen Untersuchungen konnten spezifische Verdampfungsprofile der Wirkstoffe erfasst und bewertet werden. Dabei stieg die verdampfte Masse der Leitsubstanzen 1,8-Cineol (Eucalyptusöl), Menthol (Minzöl) und Eugenol (Nelkenöl) zwischen 33,6 µg und 156,2 µg pro Zug proportional zur Konzentration im Liquid im Bereich zwischen 0,5% und 1,5% bei einer Leistung von 20 Watt. Die Freisetzungsrate von Cannabidiol hingegen schien unabhängig von der Konzentration im Liquid im Mittelwert bei 13,3 µg pro Zug zu liegen. Dieses konnte an fünf CBD-haltigen Liquids im Konzentrationsbereich zwischen 31 µg/g und 5120 µg/g Liquid gezeigt werden. Außerdem konnte eine Steigerung der verdampften Massen mit Zunahme der Leistung der e-Zigarette festgestellt werden. Die Interaktion der Liquids bzw. Aerosole mit den Bestandteilen des Speichels sowie weiterer gastrointestinaler Flüssigkeiten wurde über die Anwendung von zugehörigen in vitro Modellen und Einsatz von Enzymaktivitäts-Assays geprüft. In den Untersuchungen wurden Änderungen von Enzymaktivitäten anhand des oralen Schlüsselenzyms α-Amylase sowie von Proteasen ermittelt. Damit sollte exemplarisch ein möglicher Einfluss auf physiologische bzw. metabolische Prozesse im humanen Organismus geprüft werden. Das Bedampfen von biologischen Suspensionen führte bei niedriger Leistung der e-Zigarette (20 Watt) zu keiner bzw. einer leichten Änderung der Enzymaktivität. Die Anwendung einer hohen Leistung (80 Watt) bewirkte tendenziell das Herabsetzen der Enzymaktivitäten. Die Erhöhung der Enzymaktivitäten könnte zu einem enzymatischen Abbau von Schleimstoffen wie Mucinen führen, was wiederum die effektive, mechanische Abwehr gegenüber bakteriellen Infektionen zur Folge hätte. Da eine Anwendung der Applikation insbesondere bei bakteriellen Atemwegserkrankungen denkbar wäre, folgten abschließend Untersuchungen der antibakteriellen Eigenschaften der Liquids bzw. Aerosole in vitro. Es wurden sechs klinisch relevante bakterielle Krankheitserreger ausgewählt, die nach zwei Charakteristika gruppiert werden können. Die drei multiresistenten Bakterien Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae und Methicillin-resistenter Staphylococcus aureus können mithilfe von üblichen Therapien mit Antibiotika nicht abgetötet werden und haben vor allem eine nosokomiale Relevanz. Die zweite Gruppe weist Eigenschaften auf, die vordergründig assoziiert sind mit respiratorischen Erkrankungen. Die Bakterien Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis und Haemophilus influenzae sind repräsentativ beteiligt an Atemwegserkrankungen mit diverser Symptomatik. Die Bakterienarten wurden mit den jeweiligen Liquids behandelt bzw. bedampft und deren grundlegende Dosis-Wirkungsbeziehung charakterisiert. Dabei konnte eine antibakterielle Aktivität der Formulierungen ermittelt werden, die durch Zugabe eines Wirkstoffes die bereits antibakterielle Wirkung der Bestandteile Glycerin und Propylenglycol verstärkte. Die hygroskopischen Eigenschaften dieser Substanzen sind vermutlich für eine Wirkung in aerosolierter Form verantwortlich. Sie entziehen die Feuchtigkeit aus der Luft und haben einen austrocknenden Effekt auf die Bakterien. Das Bedampfen der Bakterienarten Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis und Haemophilus influenzae hatte einen antibakteriellen Effekt, der zeitlich abhängig von der Leistung der e-Zigarette war.
Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchungen führen zu dem Schluss, dass jeder Wirkstoff bzw. jede Substanzklasse individuell zu bewerten ist und somit Inhalator und Formulierung aufeinander abgestimmt werden müssen. Der Einsatz der e-Zigarette als Medizinprodukt zur Applikation von Arzneimitteln setzt stets Prüfungen nach Europäischem Arzneibuch voraus. Durch Modifizierungen könnte eine Dosierung gut kontrollierbar gemacht werden, aber auch die Partikelgrößenverteilung kann insoweit reguliert werden, dass die Wirkstoffe je nach Partikelgröße zu einem geeigneten Applikationsort wie Mund, Rachen oder Bronchien transportiert werden. Der Vergleich mit den Eigenschaften anderer medizinischer Inhalatoren führt zu dem Schluss, dass die Technologie der e-Zigarette durchaus eine gleichartige oder bessere Performance für thermisch stabile Wirkstoffe bieten könnte. Dieses fiktive Medizinprodukt könnte aus einer hersteller-unspezifisch produzierten, wieder aufladbaren Energiequelle mit Universalgewinde zum mehrfachen Gebrauch und einer hersteller- und wirkstoffspezifisch produzierten Einheit aus Verdampfer und Arzneimittel bestehen. Das Arzneimittel, ein medizinisches Liquid (Vehikel und Wirkstoff) kann in dem Tank des Verdampfers mit konstanten, nicht variablen Parametern patientenindividuell produziert werden. Inhalative Anwendungen werden perspektivisch wohl nicht zuletzt aufgrund der aktuellen COVID-19-Pandemie eine zunehmende Rolle spielen. Der Bedarf nach alternativen Therapieoptionen wird weiter ansteigen. Diese Arbeit liefert einen Beitrag zum Einsatz der Technologie der elektronischen Zigarette als electronic nicotin delivery system (ENDS) nach Modifizierung zu einem potentiellen pulmonalen Applikationssystem als electronic drug delivery system (EDDS) von inhalativen, thermisch stabilen Arzneimitteln in Form eines Medizinproduktes.
As of late, epidemiological studies have highlighted a strong association of dairy intake with lower disease risk, and similarly with an increased amount of odd-chain fatty acids (OCFA). While the OCFA also demonstrate inverse associations with disease incidence, the direct dietary sources and mode of action of the OCFA remain poorly understood.
The overall aim of this thesis was to determine the impact of two main fractions of dairy, milk fat and milk protein, on OCFA levels and their influence on health outcomes under high-fat (HF) diet conditions. Both fractions represent viable sources of OCFA, as milk fats contain a significant amount of OCFA and milk proteins are high in branched chain amino acids (BCAA), namely valine (Val) and isoleucine (Ile), which can produce propionyl-CoA (Pr-CoA), a precursor for endogenous OCFA synthesis, while leucine (Leu) does not. Additionally, this project sought to clarify the specific metabolic effects of the OCFA heptadecanoic acid (C17:0).
Both short-term and long-term feeding studies were performed using male C57BL/6JRj mice fed HF diets supplemented with milk fat or C17:0, as well as milk protein or individual BCAA (Val; Leu) to determine their influences on OCFA and metabolic health. Short-term feeding revealed that both milk fractions induce OCFA in vivo, and the increases elicited by milk protein could be, in part, explained by Val intake. In vitro studies using primary hepatocytes further showed an induction of OCFA after Val treatment via de novo lipogenesis and increased α-oxidation. In the long-term studies, both milk fat and milk protein increased hepatic and circulating OCFA levels; however, only milk protein elicited protective effects on adiposity and hepatic fat accumulation—likely mediated by the anti-obesogenic effects of an increased Leu intake. In contrast, Val feeding did not increase OCFA levels nor improve obesity, but rather resulted in glucotoxicity-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle mediated by its metabolite 3-hydroxyisobutyrate (3-HIB). Finally, while OCFA levels correlated with improved health outcomes, C17:0 produced negligible effects in preventing HF-diet induced health impairments.
The results presented herein demonstrate that the beneficial health outcomes associated with dairy intake are likely mediated through the effects of milk protein, while OCFA levels are likely a mere association and do not play a significant causal role in metabolic health under HF conditions. Furthermore, the highly divergent metabolic effects of the two BCAA, Leu and Val, unraveled herein highlight the importance of protein quality.
The intake of high-fat diets (HFDs) containing large amounts of saturated long-chain fatty acids leads to obesity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance. The trace element selenium, as a crucial part of antioxidative selenoproteins, can protect against the development of diet-induced insulin resistance in white adipose tissue (WAT) by increasing glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) and insulin receptor (IR) expression. Whether selenite (Se) can attenuate insulin resistance in established lipotoxic and obese conditions is unclear. We confirm that GPX3 mRNA expression in adipose tissue correlates with BMI in humans. Cultivating 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes in palmitate-containing medium followed by Se treatment attenuates insulin resistance with enhanced GPx3 and IR expression and adipocyte differentiation. However, feeding obese mice a selenium-enriched high-fat diet (SRHFD) only resulted in a modest increase in overall selenoprotein gene expression in WAT in mice with unaltered body weight development, glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance. While Se supplementation improved adipocyte morphology, it did not alter WAT insulin sensitivity. However, mice fed a SRHFD exhibited increased insulin content in the pancreas. Overall, while selenite protects against palmitate-induced insulin resistance in vitro, obesity impedes the effect of selenite on insulin action and adipose tissue metabolism in vivo.
Diabetes is hallmarked by high blood glucose levels, which cause progressive generalised vascular damage, leading to microvascular and macrovascular complications. Diabetes-related complications cause severe and prolonged morbidity and are a major cause of mortality among people with diabetes. Despite increasing attention to risk factors of type 2 diabetes, existing evidence is scarce or inconclusive regarding vascular complications and research investigating both micro- and macrovascular complications is lacking. This thesis aims to contribute to current knowledge by identifying risk factors – mainly related to lifestyle – of vascular complications, addressing methodological limitations of previous literature and providing comparative data between micro- and macrovascular complications.
To address this overall aim, three specific objectives were set. The first was to investigate the effects of diabetes complication burden and lifestyle-related risk factors on the incidence of (further) complications. Studies suggest that diabetes complications are interrelated. However, they have been studied mainly independently of individuals’ complication burden. A five-state time-to-event model was constructed to examine the longitudinal patterns of micro- (kidney disease, neuropathy and retinopathy) and macrovascular complications (myocardial infarction and stroke) and their association with the occurrence of subsequent complications. Applying the same model, the effect of modifiable lifestyle factors, assessed alone and in combination with complication load, on the incidence of diabetes complications was studied. The selected lifestyle factors were body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, smoking status, physical activity, and intake of coffee, red meat, whole grains, and alcohol. Analyses were conducted in a cohort of 1199 participants with incident type 2 diabetes from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam, who were free of vascular complications at diabetes diagnosis. During a median follow-up time of 11.6 years, 96 cases of macrovascular complications (myocardial infarction and stroke) and 383 microvascular complications (kidney disease, neuropathy and retinopathy) were identified. In multivariable-adjusted models, the occurrence of a microvascular complication was associated with a higher incidence of further micro- (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.90; 95% Confidence interval [CI] 0.90, 3.98) and macrovascular complications (HR 4.72; 95% CI 1.25, 17.68), compared with persons without a complication burden. In addition, participants who developed a macrovascular event had a twofold higher risk of future microvascular complications (HR 2.26; 95% CI 1.05, 4.86). The models were adjusted for age, sex, state duration, education, lifestyle, glucose-lowering medication, and pre-existing conditions of hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Smoking was positively associated with macrovascular disease, while an inverse association was observed with higher coffee intake. Whole grain and alcohol intake were inversely associated with microvascular complications, and a U-shaped association was observed for red meat intake. BMI and waist circumference were positively associated with microvascular events. The associations between lifestyle factors and incidence of complications were not modified by concurrent complication burden, except for red meat intake and smoking status, where the associations were attenuated among individuals with a previous complication.
The second objective was to perform an in-depth investigation of the association between BMI and BMI change and risk of micro- and macrovascular complications. There is an ongoing debate on the association between obesity and risk of macrovascular and microvascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes, with studies suggesting a protective effect among people with overweight or obesity. These findings, however, might be limited due to suboptimal control for smoking, pre-existing chronic disease, or short-follow-up. After additional exclusion of persons with cancer history at diabetes onset, the associations between pre-diagnosis BMI and relative annual change between pre- and post-diagnosis BMI and incidence of complications were evaluated in multivariable-adjusted Cox models. The analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking status and duration, physical activity, alcohol consumption, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and family history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Among 1083 EPIC-Potsdam participants, 85 macrovascular and 347 microvascular complications were identified during a median follow-up period of 10.8 years. Higher pre-diagnosis BMI was associated with an increased risk of total microvascular complications (HR per 5 kg/m2 1.21; 95% CI 1.07, 1.36), kidney disease (HR 1.39; 95% CI 1.21, 1.60) and neuropathy (HR 1.12; 95% CI 0.96, 1.31); but no association was observed for macrovascular complications (HR 1.05; 95% CI 0.81, 1.36). Effect modification was not evident by sex, smoking status, or age groups. In analyses according to BMI change categories, BMI loss of more than 1% indicated a decreased risk of total microvascular complications (HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.47, 0.80), kidney disease (HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.40, 0.81) and neuropathy (HR 0.73; 95% CI 0.52, 1.03), compared with participants with a stable BMI. No clear association was observed for macrovascular complications (HR 1.04; 95% CI 0.62, 1.74). The impact of BMI gain on diabetes-related vascular disease was less evident. Associations were consistent across strata of age, sex, pre-diagnosis BMI, or medication but appeared stronger among never-smokers than current or former smokers.
The last objective was to evaluate whether individuals with a high-risk profile for diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) also have a greater risk of complications. Within the EPIC-Potsdam study, two accurate prognostic tools were developed, the German Diabetes Risk Score (GDRS) and the CVD Risk Score (CVDRS), which predict the 5-year type 2 diabetes risk and 10-year CVD risk, respectively. Both scores provide a non-clinical and clinical version. Components of the risk scores include age, sex, waist circumference, prevalence of hypertension, family history of diabetes or CVD, lifestyle factors, and clinical factors (only in clinical versions). The association of the risk scores with diabetes complications and their discriminatory performance for complications were assessed. In crude Cox models, both versions of GDRS and CVDRS were positively associated with macrovascular complications and total microvascular complications, kidney disease and neuropathy. Higher GDRS was also associated with an elevated risk of retinopathy. The discrimination of the scores (clinical and non-clinical) was poor for all complications, with the C-index ranging from 0.58 to 0.66 for macrovascular complications and from 0.60 to 0.62 for microvascular complications.
In conclusion, this work illustrates that the risk of complication development among individuals with type 2 diabetes is related to the existing complication load, and attention should be given to regular monitoring for future complications. It underlines the importance of weight management and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviours, including high intake of whole grains, moderation in red meat and alcohol consumption and avoidance of smoking to prevent major diabetes-associated complications, regardless of complication burden. Risk scores predictive for type 2 diabetes and CVD were related to elevated risks of complications. By optimising several lifestyle and clinical factors, the risk score can be improved and may assist in lowering complication risk.
Background
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has a severe impact on all aspects of patient care. Among the numerous biomarkers of potential validity for diagnostic and clinical management of COVID-19 are biomarkers at the interface of iron metabolism and inflammation.
Methods
The follow-up study included 54 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 with a moderate and severe/critical form of the disease. Iron deficiency specific biomarkers such as iron, ferritin, transferrin receptor, hepcidin, and zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) as well as relevant markers of inflammation were evaluated twice: in the first five days when the patient was admitted to the hospital and during five to 15 days; and their validity to diagnose iron deficiency was further assessed. The regression and Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analyses were performed to evaluate the prognosis and determine the probability for predicting the severity of the disease in the first five days of COVID-19.
Results
Based on hemoglobin values, anemia was observed in 21 of 54 patients. Of all iron deficiency anemia-related markers, only ZnPP was significantly elevated (P<0.001) in the anemic group. When patients were grouped according to the severity of disease, slight differences in hemoglobin or other anemia-related parameters could be observed. However, the levels of ZnPP were significantly increased in the severely ill group of patients. The ratio of ZnPP to lymphocyte count (ZnPP/L) had a discrimination power stronger than the neutrophil to lymphocyte count ratio (N/L) to determine disease severity. Additionally, only two markers were independently associated with the severity of COVID-19 in logistic regression analysis; D-dimer (OR (5.606)(95% CI 1.019–30.867)) and ZnPP/L ratio (OR (74.313) (95% CI 1.081–5108.103)).
Conclusions
For the first time ZnPP in COVID-19 patients were reported in this study. Among all iron-related markers tested, ZnPP was the only one that was associated with anemia as based on hemoglobin. The increase in ZnPP might indicate that the underlying cause of anemia in COVID-19 patients is not only due to the inflammation but also of nutritional origin. Additionally, the ZnPP/L ratio might be a valid prognostic marker for the severity of COVID-19.
Objective
Insulin regulates mitochondrial function, thereby propagating an efficient metabolism. Conversely, diabetes and insulin resistance are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction with a decreased expression of the mitochondrial chaperone HSP60. The aim of this investigation was to determine the effect of a reduced HSP60 expression on the development of obesity and insulin resistance.
Methods
Control and heterozygous whole-body HSP60 knockout (Hsp60+/−) mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD, 60% calories from fat) for 16 weeks and subjected to extensive metabolic phenotyping. To understand the effect of HSP60 on white adipose tissue, microarray analysis of gonadal WAT was performed, ex vivo experiments were performed, and a lentiviral knockdown of HSP60 in 3T3-L1 cells was conducted to gain detailed insights into the effect of reduced HSP60 levels on adipocyte homeostasis.
Results
Male Hsp60+/− mice exhibited lower body weight with lower fat mass. These mice exhibited improved insulin sensitivity compared to control, as assessed by Matsuda Index and HOMA-IR. Accordingly, insulin levels were significantly reduced in Hsp60+/− mice in a glucose tolerance test. However, Hsp60+/− mice exhibited an altered adipose tissue metabolism with elevated insulin-independent glucose uptake, adipocyte hyperplasia in the presence of mitochondrial dysfunction, altered autophagy, and local insulin resistance.
Conclusions
We discovered that the reduction of HSP60 in mice predominantly affects adipose tissue homeostasis, leading to beneficial alterations in body weight, body composition, and adipocyte morphology, albeit exhibiting local insulin resistance.
Wheat alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitors remain a subject of interest considering the latest findings showing their implication in wheat-related non-celiac sensitivity (NCWS). Understanding their functions in such a disorder is still unclear and for further study, the need for pure ATI molecules is one of the limiting problems. In this work, a simplified approach based on the successive fractionation of ATI extracts by reverse phase and ion exchange chromatography was developed. ATIs were first extracted from wheat flour using a combination of Tris buffer and chloroform/methanol methods. The separation of the extracts on a C18 column generated two main fractions of interest F1 and F2. The response surface methodology with the Doehlert design allowed optimizing the operating parameters of the strong anion exchange chromatography. Finally, the seven major wheat ATIs namely P01083, P17314, P16850, P01085, P16851, P16159, and P83207 were recovered with purity levels (according to the targeted LC-MS/MS analysis) of 98.2 ± 0.7; 98.1 ± 0.8; 97.9 ± 0.5; 95.1 ± 0.8; 98.3 ± 0.4; 96.9 ± 0.5, and 96.2 ± 0.4%, respectively. MALDI-TOF-MS analysis revealed single peaks in each of the pure fractions and the mass analysis yielded deviations of 0.4, 1.9, 0.1, 0.2, 0.2, 0.9, and 0.1% between the theoretical and the determined masses of P01083, P17314, P16850, P01085, P16851, P16159, and P83207, respectively. Overall, the study allowed establishing an efficient purification process of the most important wheat ATIs. This paves the way for further in-depth investigation of the ATIs to gain more knowledge related to their involvement in NCWS disease and to allow the absolute quantification in wheat samples.
Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a stress-induced cytokine secreted into the circulation by a number of tissues under different pathological conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer or mitochondrial dysfunction, among others. While GDF15 signaling through its recently identified hindbrain-specific receptor GDNF family receptor alpha-like (GFRAL) has been proposed to be involved in the metabolic stress response, its endocrine role under chronic stress conditions is still poorly understood. Mitochondrial dysfunction is characterized by the impairment of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), leading to inefficient functioning of mitochondria and consequently, to mitochondrial stress. Importantly, mitochondrial dysfunction is among the pathologies to most robustly induce GDF15 as a cytokine in the circulation.
The overall aim of this thesis was to elucidate the role of the GDF15-GFRAL pathway under mitochondrial stress conditions. For this purpose, a mouse model of skeletal muscle-specific mitochondrial stress achieved by ectopic expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), the HSA-Ucp1-transgenic (TG) mouse, was employed. As a consequence of mitochondrial stress, TG mice display a metabolic remodeling consisting of a lean phenotype, an improved glucose metabolism, an increased metabolic flexibility and a metabolic activation of white adipose tissue.
Making use of TG mice crossed with whole body Gdf15-knockout (GdKO) and Gfral-knockout (GfKO) mouse models, this thesis demonstrates that skeletal muscle mitochondrial stress induces the integrated stress response (ISR) and GDF15 in skeletal muscle, which is released into the circulation as a myokine (muscle-induced cytokine) in a circadian manner. Further, this work identifies GDF15-GFRAL signaling to be responsible for the systemic metabolic remodeling elicited by mitochondrial stress in TG mice. Moreover, this study reveals a daytime-restricted anorexia induced by the GDF15-GFRAL axis under muscle mitochondrial stress, which is, mechanistically, mediated through the induction of hypothalamic corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). Finally, this work elucidates a so far unknown physiological outcome of the GDF15-GFRAL pathway: the induction of anxiety-like behavior.
In conclusion, this study uncovers a muscle-brain crosstalk under skeletal muscle mitochondrial stress conditions through the induction of GDF15 as a myokine that signals through the hindbrain-specific GFRAL receptor to elicit a stress response leading to metabolic remodeling and modulation of ingestive- and anxiety-like behavior.
Countries processing raw coffee beans are burdened with low economical incomes to fight the serious environmental problems caused by the by-products and wastewater that is generated during the wet-coffee processing. The aim of this work was to develop alternative methods of improving the waste by-product quality and thus making the process economically more attractive with valorization options that can be brought to the coffee producers.
The type of processing influences not only the constitution of green coffee but also of by-products and wastewater. Therefore, coffee bean samples as well as by-products and wastewater collected at different production steps of were analyzed. Results show that the composition of wastewater is dependent on how much and how often the wastewater is recycled in the processing. Considering the coffee beans, results indicate that the proteins might be affected during processing and a positive effect of the fermentation on the solubility and accessibility of proteins seems to be probable. The steps of coffee processing influence the different constituents of green coffee beans which, during roasting, give rise to aroma compounds and express the characteristics of roasted coffee beans. Knowing that this group of compounds is involved in the Maillard reaction during roasting, this possibility could be utilized for the coffee producers to improve the quality of green coffee beans and finally the coffee cup quality.
The valorization of coffee wastes through modification to activated carbon has been considered as a low-cost option creating an adsorbent with prospective to compete with commercial carbons. Activation protocol using spent coffee and parchment was developed and prepared to assess their adsorption capacity for organic compounds. Spent coffee grounds and parchment proved to have similar adsorption efficiency to commercial activated carbon.
The results of this study document a significant information originating from the processing of the de-pulped to green coffee beans. Furthermore, it showed that coffee parchment and spent coffee grounds can be valorized as low-cost option to produce activated carbons. Further work needs to be directed to the optimization of the activation methods to improve the quality of the materials produced and the viability of applying such experiments in-situ to bring the coffee producer further valorization opportunities with environmental perspectives.
Coffee producers would profit in establishing appropriate simple technologies to improve green coffee quality, re-use coffee by-products, and wastewater valorization.
The protein fraction, important for coffee cup quality, is modified during post-harvest treatment prior to roasting. Proteins may interact with phenolic compounds, which constitute the major metabolites of coffee, where the processing affects these interactions. This allows the hypothesis that the proteins are denatured and modified via enzymatic and/or redox activation steps. The present study was initiated to encompass changes in the protein fraction. The investigations were limited to major storage protein of green coffee beans. Fourteen Coffea arabica samples from various processing methods and countries were used. Different extraction protocols were compared to maintain the status quo of the protein modification. The extracts contained about 4–8 µg of chlorogenic acid derivatives per mg of extracted protein. High-resolution chromatography with multiple reaction monitoring was used to detect lysine modifications in the coffee protein. Marker peptides were allocated for the storage protein of the coffee beans. Among these, the modified peptides K.FFLANGPQQGGK.E and R.LGGK.T of the α-chain and R.ITTVNSQK.I and K.VFDDEVK.Q of β-chain were detected. Results showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) of modified peptides from wet processed green beans as compared to the dry ones. The present study contributes to a better understanding of the influence of the different processing methods on protein quality and its role in the scope of coffee cup quality and aroma. View Full-Text
Mammalian arachidonic acid lipoxygenases (ALOXs) have been implicated in cell differentiation and in the pathogenesis of inflammation. The mouse genome involves seven functional Alox genes and the encoded enzymes share a high degree of amino acid conservation with their human orthologs. There are, however, functional differences between mouse and human ALOX orthologs. Human ALOX15B oxygenates arachidonic acid exclusively to its 15-hydroperoxy derivative (15S-HpETE), whereas 8S-HpETE is dominantly formed by mouse Alox15b. The structural basis for this functional difference has been explored and in vitro mutagenesis humanized the reaction specificity of the mouse enzyme. To explore whether this mutagenesis strategy may also humanize the reaction specificity of mouse Alox15b in vivo, we created Alox15b knock-in mice expressing the arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenating Tyr603Asp+His604Val double mutant instead of the 8-lipoxygenating wildtype enzyme. These mice are fertile, display slightly modified plasma oxylipidomes and develop normally up to an age of 24 weeks. At later developmental stages, male Alox15b-KI mice gain significantly less body weight than outbred wildtype controls, but this effect was not observed for female individuals. To explore the possible reasons for the observed gender-specific growth arrest, we determined the basic hematological parameters and found that aged male Alox15b-KI mice exhibited significantly attenuated red blood cell parameters (erythrocyte counts, hematocrit, hemoglobin). Here again, these differences were not observed in female individuals. These data suggest that humanization of the reaction specificity of mouse Alox15b impairs the functionality of the hematopoietic system in males, which is paralleled by a premature growth arrest.