Dietary krill oil increases docosahexaenoic acid and reduces 2-arachidonoylglycerol but not N-acylethanolamine levels in the brain of obese Zucker rats

Evidence suggests that dietary long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), and particularly those belonging to the n-3 family, may influence the brain fatty acid profile and, thereby, the biosynthesis of endocannabinoids in rodents. However, the doses used are usually quite high and not comparable with human intake. Recently, we have shown that relatively low doses of dietary n-3 LCPUFAs (4 weeks), in the form of either fish or krill oil, balanced for EPA and DHA content, and against a control diet with no EPA and DHA and similar contents of oleic, linoleic and α-linolenic acids, lower the concentrations of the endocannabinoids, anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), in the visceral adipose tissue, and of AEA in the liver and heart, of obese Zucker rats. This, in turn, is associated with lower levels of arachidonic acid in membrane phospholipids and with amelioration of some metabolic syndrome parameters. We investigated here whether in Zucker rats, under the same conditions, fish and krill oil are also able to influence LCPUFA and endocannabinoid profiles in brain. Only krill oil was able to increase significantly DHA levels in brain phospholipids, with no changes in arachidonic acid. DHA increase was associated with lower levels of 2-AG in the brain, whereas AEA and its congeners, N-palmitoylethanolamine and N-oleoylethanolamine, were unchanged. We conclude that, despite the strong impact of dietary n-3 fatty acid on endocannabinoid levels previously observed in peripheral tissues, in the brain only 2-AG is affected by dietary krill oil, suggesting that the beneficial effect of the latter on the metabolic syndrome is mostly exerted by modifying peripheral endocannabinoids. Nevertheless, possible effects of dietary krill oil in the brain through modification of 2-AG levels deserve further investigation.     

Prevalence and risk factors for bruises in Chilean bovine carcasses

Records of cattle slaughtered at two Chilean slaughterhouses (SLH1 and SLH2) were used to determine prevalence and risk factors for carcasses with bruises. Bruise prevalence amounted to 12.3% but differed between slaughterhouses (20.8% for SLH1 and 8.6% for SLH2 respectively). Bruise severity grade 1 (mild) was most frequently recorded. The type of the animal, source of animal, the level of fat cover and lairage time were associated with the presence of bruises. Older categories of animals and animals that pass through a market before being moved to the slaughterhouse are more prone to show bruises. The results also indicate that under the reported Chilean circumstances animals that have longer lairage times (over 12 h) have a significantly reduced risk for bruises, except for oxen. Presence of bruises is also significantly associated with increased carcass pH values.     

Generation of a Triadin KnockOut Syndrome Zebrafish Model

Different forms of sudden cardiac death have been described, including a recently identified form of genetic arrhythmogenic disorder, named “Triadin KnockOut Syndrome” (TKOS). TKOS is associated with recessive mutations in the TRDN gene, encoding for TRIADIN, but the pathogenic mechanism underlying the malignant phenotype has yet to be completely defined. Moreover, patients with TKOS are often refractory to conventional treatment, substantiating the need to identify new therapeutic strategies in order to prevent or treat cardiac events. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) heart is highly comparable to the human heart in terms of functions, signal pathways and ion channels, representing a good model to study cardiac disorders. In this work, we generated the first zebrafish model for trdn loss-of-function, by means of trdn morpholino injections, and characterized its phenotype. Although we did not observe any gross cardiac morphological defect between trdn loss-of-function embryos and controls, we found altered cardiac rhythm that was recovered by the administration of arrhythmic drugs. Our model will provide a suitable platform to study the effect of TRDN mutations and to perform drug screening to identify new pharmacological strategies for patients carrying TRDN mutations.     

Synthesis,Molecular Modeling and Biological Evaluation of Metabolically Stable Analogues of the Endogenous Fatty Acid Amide Palmitoylethanolamide

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) belongs to the class of N-acylethanolamine and is an endogenous lipid potentially useful in a wide range of therapeutic areas; products containing PEA are licensed for use in humans as a nutraceutical, a food supplement, or food for medical purposes for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties demonstrating efficacy and tolerability. However, the exogenously administered PEA is rapidly inactivated; in this process, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) plays a key role both in hepatic metabolism and in intracellular degradation. So, the aim of the present study was the design and synthesis of PEA analogues that are more resistant to FAAH-mediated hydrolysis. A small library of PEA analogues was designed and tested by molecular docking and density functional theory calculations to find the more stable analogue. The computational investigation identified RePEA as the best candidate in terms of both synthetic accessibility and metabolic stability to FAAH-mediated hydrolysis. The selected compound was synthesized and assayed ex vivo to monitor FAAH-mediated hydrolysis and to confirm its anti-inflammatory properties. ¹H-NMR spectroscopy performed on membrane samples containing FAAH in integral membrane protein demonstrated that RePEA is not processed by FAAH, in contrast with PEA. Moreover, RePEA retains PEA’s ability to inhibit LPS-induced cytokine release in both murine N9 microglial cells and human PMA-THP-1 cells.     

The Emerging Role of Tetrazines in Drug-Activation Chemistries

Traditionally, prodrug activation has been limited to enzymatic triggers or gross physiological aberrations, such as pH, that offer low selectivity and control over dosage. In recent years, the field of prodrug activation chemistry has been transformed by the use of bioorthogonal reactions that can be carried out under biological conditions at sub-millimolar concentrations, with the tetrazine-mediated inverse electron demand Diels–Alder reaction amongst the most recognised. Their high reaction rates, chemoselectivity and excellent biocompatibility make tetrazines ideal small molecules for activating prodrugs. Recently the tetrazine moiety has been used as a prodrug for a pyridazine thus broadening the scope of prodrug systems. This article discusses the concept of using tetrazines as small-molecule activators for prodrugs, and provides an overview of tetrazine-based prodrug systems, with a particular focus on the recently reported prodrug–prodrug activation strategy.     

Use of native species and biodegradable chelating agents in the phytoremediation of abandoned mining areas

BACKGROUND: The application of phytostabilization and assisted phytoextraction to the remediation of abandoned mining areas can be a valuable method to reclaim these areas without modifying soil and landscape characteristics. An in situ application of a continuous phytoextraction technique was carried out in the area of Campo Pisano (Sardinia, Italy), followed by a laboratory assisted phytoextraction test using the biodegradable chelating agents methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA) and iminodissuccinic acid (IDSA). The plants used were Scrophularia canina subsp. bicolor, Cistus salviifolius and Teucrium flavum subsp. glaucum. RESULTS: The plant that accumulated more Pb was T. glaucum (353 mg kg^?1) while C. salviifolius demonstrated better ability to accumulate Zn (1560 mg kg^?1). S. bicolor showed a better tolerance to metals but accumulated 119 mg kg^?1 of Pb. Accumulation of metals immediately after chelant application was up to 300 mg kg^?1 of Pb and 3000 mg kg^?1 of Zn which did not further increase during the assisted phytoextraction experiment. CONCLUSION: The plant that demonstrated to be most suitable for phytoremediation application was S. bicolor due to its higher biomass production and tolerance to metals. The low cation exchange capacity and the high concentration of Ca and Mg in soil determined a low chelant effectiveness. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Association between socioeconomic status and metabolic syndrome in women: Testing the reserve capacity model.

Objective: Low socioeconomic status (SES) environments may impede the development of a bank of resources, labeled reserve capacity, and may also be stressful, thereby depleting available reserves. In consequence, lower SES persons may experience more negative emotions, leading to adverse health consequences. The authors tested the reserve capacity model in relation to the metabolic syndrome. Design: There were 401 initially healthy women who followed longitudinally for 12 years. Self-reported characteristics, stressors, and cardiovascular risk factors were measured repeatedly. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate hypothesized relationships. Main Outcome Measure: Metabolic syndrome factor. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis verified reserve capacity as the aggregate of optimism, self-esteem, and social support, and negative emotion as the aggregate of depressive symptoms, anger, and tension. Structural equation modeling showed two pathways to the metabolic syndrome factor, (χ2(59) = 111.729, p ldf = 1.894; CFI = .956; RMSEA = .047): direct from low SES to the metabolic syndrome factor (B = -0.19, t = -3.24, p = .001); and indirect, from low SES to low reserve capacity to high negative emotions to the metabolic syndrome factor (B = -0.024, t = -2.05, p = .04). Conclusion: Low SES may increase risk for metabolic syndrome, in part, through reserve capacity and negative emotions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Surface acidity of novel mesostructured silicas with framework aluminum obtained by SBA-16 related synthesis

A novel SBA-16-related synthesis of mesostructured silica containing framework aluminum is reported here. This material was successfully synthesized using aluminum sulphate and the pH-adjusting method. The structural and porosity properties of this novel material were studied by X-ray diffraction and N₂ adsorption at 77 K. The Al insertion was determined by ²⁷Al-MAS-NMR and the acidity was monitored by infrared spectroscopy of CO adsorption at 100 K.     

Induction Motor Identification by a Microcomputer-Based Structure

The paper deals with the parameter estimation of an induction motor performed through a microcomputer-based data acquisition system and recursive identification algorithms (RLS and RGLS) implemented by means of a general purpose computer. The microcomputer-based data acquisition system is essentially made by connecting the Z80 CPU with its peripherals and auxiliary memories through a bus standard. The motor is represented by a classical fifth-order model linearized around a usual working point; an approximate third-order model, obtained via balanced realization, is in good correlation with the original one according to the identification aims and to the measurement set efficiency. An original CAD procedure is utilized to determine the electrical parameters.