Targeting Mitochondria in Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), one of the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases, is often preceded by insulin resistance (IR), which underlies the inability of tissues to respond to insulin and leads to disturbed metabolic homeostasis. Mitochondria, as a central player in the cellular energy metabolism, are involved in the mechanisms of IR and T2D. Mitochondrial function is affected by insulin resistance in different tissues, among which skeletal muscle and liver have the highest impact on whole-body glucose homeostasis. This review focuses on human studies that assess mitochondrial function in liver, muscle and blood cells in the context of T2D. Furthermore, different interventions targeting mitochondria in IR and T2D are listed, with a selection of studies using respirometry as a measure of mitochondrial function, for better data comparison. Altogether, mitochondrial respiratory capacity appears to be a metabolic indicator since it decreases as the disease progresses but increases after lifestyle (exercise) and pharmacological interventions, together with the improvement in metabolic health. Finally, novel therapeutics developed to target mitochondria have potential for a more integrative therapeutic approach, treating both causative and secondary defects of diabetes.     

Mispredicting and misremembering: Patients with renal failure overestimate improvements in quality of life after a kidney transplant.

Objective: People tend to overestimate the impact that future events will have on their quality of life. In the case of a medical treatment like kidney transplant, this should result in biased predictions--overestimates of how much the transplant will benefit quality of life. The authors surveyed kidney transplant patients, both before and after transplant, to test whether they would overestimate the benefits of a successful transplant for their quality of life. Design: The authors interviewed 307 patients on a waiting list for cadaveric renal or renal-pancreatic transplant, and 195 patients one year after a successful transplant. A sub sample of patients were interviewed both before and after transplant. Main Outcome Measures: The survey included measures of quality of life, both in terms of an overall estimate (0-100), and across sub domains, including health, employment, and travel. Results: Cross-sectional results suggested that overall quality of life improved after transplant, but the predictions of pretransplant patients overestimated the magnitude of the improvement (p     

Effects of some technological processes on glucosinolate contents in cruciferous vegetables

Effects of blanching, boiling and freezing of selected cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, white and green cauliflower, broccoli, and curly cale) on their glucosinolate (GLS) contents were determined. It was found that blanching and cooking of the vegetables led to considerable (P < 0.05) losses of total GLS, from 2.7 to 30.0% and from 35.3 to 72.4%, respectively. No systematic changes in total GLS were found in the vegetables that were blanched and frozen for 48 h. In addition, the highest concentration of cancer-protective compounds, such as aliphatic and indole GLS, were found in Brussels sprouts (sinigrin and glucobrassicin) and in broccoli (glucoraphanin).     

Adsorption,Electrokinetic and Stabilizing Properties of the Guar Gum/Surfactant/Alumina System

The adsorption of non‐ionic polysaccharide guar gum (GG) in the presence of surfactants (anionic SDS, non‐ionic TX‐100, cationic CTAB and their equimolar mixtures) from their NaCl solutions onto an alumina surface (Al₂O₃) was studied spectrophotometrically. This study is important in light of the many disagreements concerning the structure and behaviour of mixtures containing polymers and surfactants at the surface of an adsorbent. The presence of surfactant caused an increase in the GG adsorption in all studied systems as a consequence of the formation of complexes. Among the single surfactants the highest increase in the GG adsorption was observed in the presence of CTAB. However, the usage of mixtures of the surfactants caused a much more effective increase in the GG adsorption on the alumina surface because of the synergistic effect of the surfactants. In order to get some information on the structure of the electrical double layer (edl), the surface charge density of alumina was determined and zeta potential measurements were conducted. The obtained data showed that the adsorption of GG or GG/surfactant complexes on the metal oxide surface strongly influences a diffused part of the edl, whereas a compact part of the edl is not affected. The colloidal stability of the alumina suspensions was measured in the presence and absence of GG and surfactants. It was found that GG and the mixtures of GG and surfactants can improve the stability of the suspensions.     

Synthesis and Interfacial Activity of Novel Heterogemini Sulfobetaines in Aqueous Solution

Three new heterogemini sulfobetaines and their chloride salts were synthesised. The interfacial activities of the obtained chlorides in aqueous solution were studied by equilibrium and dynamic surface tension measurements. The critical micelle concentration, surface excess concentration, minimum area per surfactant molecule and standard Gibbs energy of adsorption as well as micelle lifetime and diffusion coefficient were determined. The adsorption properties and micelle lifetime of these compounds significantly depend on the length of alkyl chain. The critical micelle concentration decreases with increasing chain length of the compounds considered. The values of the diffusion coefficient of N‐alkyl‐N‐methyl‐N‐(3‐sulfopropyl)‐6‐(N‐alkyl‐N‐methylamino)hexylammonium chloride tend to decrease as the concentration is increased.     

Shewanella sp. O23S as a Driving Agent of a System Utilizing Dissimilatory Arsenate-Reducing Bacteria Responsible for Self-Cleaning of Water Contaminated with Arsenic

The purpose of this study was a detailed characterization of Shewanella sp. O23S, a strain involved in arsenic transformation in ancient gold mine waters contaminated with arsenic and other heavy metals. Physiological analysis of Shewanella sp. O23S showed that it is a facultative anaerobe, capable of growth using arsenate, thiosulfate, nitrate, iron or manganite as a terminal electron acceptor, and lactate or citrate as an electron donor. The strain can grow under anaerobic conditions and utilize arsenate in the respiratory process in a broad range of temperatures (10–37 °C), pH (4–8), salinity (0%–2%), and the presence of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Se, V and Zn). Under reductive conditions this strain can simultaneously use arsenate and thiosulfate as electron acceptors and produce yellow arsenic (III) sulfide (As₂S₃) precipitate. Simulation of As-removal from water containing arsenate (2.5 mM) and thiosulfate (5 mM) showed 82.5% efficiency after 21 days of incubation at room temperature. Based on the obtained results, we have proposed a model of a microbially mediated system for self-cleaning of mine waters contaminated with arsenic, in which Shewanella sp. O23S is the main driving agent.     

The Impact of Zeta Potential and Physicochemical Properties of TiO2‐Based Nanocomposites on Their Biological Activity

The aim of this research was to observe the relationship between zeta potential, morphology, surface area, porosity, chemical composition, and ecotoxicity of nanocomposite powders such as Au/TiO₂, Ag₂O/TiO₂, PdO/TiO₂, Ag/TiO₂/SiO₂, Ag/N(C)TiO₂, and SiO₂/TiO₂ from which Ag₂O/TiO₂, Ag/N(C)/TiO_2, and Ag/TiO₂/SiO₂ were exhibiting good antimicrobial properties. It was observed, that nanomaterials characterized by similar morphology and zeta potential revealed the similar toxic behavior. The samples of higher agglomeration and higher zeta potential, especially Ag/TiO₂/SiO₂ xerogel and TiO₂/SiO₂ aerogel were generally less ecotoxic to water organisms and plants. They were also not genotoxic in concentrations up to 500 and 250 mg/L, respectively.     

Amphiphilic behaviour of poly(glycidol)-based macromonomers and its influence on homo-polymerisation in water and in water/benzene mixture

The properties of amphiphilic polyether macromonomers and their behaviour during homo-polymerisation in water and in water/benzene mixture are reported. Homo-poly(glycidol) macromonomer bearing polymerisable p-vinyl benzyl end groups (PGl55-St) and two block poly(glycidol)-b-poly(glycidyl phenyl ether) macromonomers, containing polymerisable p-vinyl benzyl end groups attached to the hydrophobic (PGl52-b-PGlPhE8-St) or hydrophilic (PGlPhE9-b-PGl54-St) block were used for investigations. DLS measurements showed formation of micelles by all macromonomers, what is the reason for enhanced homo-polymerisation. In water the polymerisation initiated with 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) was fast, while macromonomer conversion was over 90%. Introduction of benzene to the polymerisation system resulted in formation of swollen (less packed) micelles and to a decrease of the local concentration of double bonds in the micelle core. As a result the decrease of reaction rate followed by longer polymerisation time in case of PGl55-St and PGl52-b-PGlPhE8-St was observed. Nevertheless, their conversion remained high and varied from 95 to 10. In contrast for PGlPhE9-b-PGl54-St increase of polymerisation rate, accompanied by slight increase of conversion was observed for homo-polymerisation in water/benzene mixture.