The Age-Sensitive Efficacy of Calorie Restriction on Mitochondrial Biogenesis and mtDNA Damage in Rat Liver

Calorie restriction (CR) is the most efficacious treatment to delay the onset of age-related changes such as mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the sensitivity of mitochondrial markers to CR and the age-related boundaries of CR efficacy are not fully elucidated. We used liver samples from ad libitum-fed (AL) rats divided in: 18-month-old (AL-18), 28-month-old (AL-28), and 32-month-old (AL-32) groups, and from CR-treated (CR) 28-month-old (CR-28) and 32-month-old (CR-32) counterparts to assay the effect of CR on several mitochondrial markers. The age-related decreases in citrate synthase activity, in TFAM, MFN2, and DRP1 protein amounts and in the mtDNA content in the AL-28 group were prevented in CR-28 counterparts. Accordingly, CR reduced oxidative mtDNA damage assessed through the incidence of oxidized purines at specific mtDNA regions in CR-28 animals. These findings support the anti-aging effect of CR up to 28 months. Conversely, the protein amounts of LonP1, Cyt c, OGG1, and APE1 and the 4.8 Kb mtDNA deletion content were not affected in CR-28 rats. The absence of significant differences between the AL-32 values and the CR-32 counterparts suggests an age-related boundary of CR efficacy at this age. However, this only partially curtails the CR benefits in counteracting the generalized aging decline and the related mitochondrial involvement.     

Pectic Galactan Polysaccharide-Based Gene Delivery System for Targeting Neuroinflammation

Treating neuroinflammation-related injuries and disorders through manipulation of neuroinflammation functions is being heralded as a new therapeutic strategy. In this study, a novel pectic galactan (PG) polysaccharide based gene therapy approach is developed for targeting reactive gliosis in neuroinflammation. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a cell protein with a high affinity to β-galactoside sugars and is highly expressed in reactive gliosis. Since PG carries galactans, it can target reactive gliosis via specific carbohydrate interaction between galactan and Gal-3 on the cell membrane, and therefore can be utilized as a carrier for delivering genes to these cells. The carrier is synthesized by modifying quaternary ammonium groups on the PG. The resulting quaternized PG (QPG) is found to form complexes with plasmid DNA with a mean diameter of 100 nm and have the characteristics required for targeted gene therapy. The complexes efficiently condense large amounts of plasmid per particle and successfully bind to Gal-3. The in vivo study shows that the complexes are biocompatible and safe for administration and can selectively transfect reactive glial cells of an induced cortical lesion. The results confirm that this PG-based delivery system is a promising platform for targeting Gal-3 overexpressing neuroinflammation cells for treating neuroinflammation-related injuries and neurodegenerative diseases.     

Editorial

Journal of Computer Virology and Hacking Techniques -     

Single chamber Solid Oxide Fuel Cells selective electrodes: A real chance with brownmillerite-based nanocomposites

In this contribution brownmillerite-based nanocomposite cathode for Single-Chamber Solid Oxide Fuel Cells is developed. These cells can be very attractive especially for small and cheap devices because of the absence of seals. The efficiency of SC-SOFCs is strictly connected to the selectivity of anode and cathode, the bottleneck for this technology. The development of a cathode inert in fuel oxidation is particularly challenging. Our strategy is to start from a catalytically un-active support (CFA = Ca₂FeAl_0.95Mg_0.05O₅) and induce the formation of iron oxide based nanoparticles, expected to activate oxygen. Symmetric (CFA + FeO_x/CGO/CFA + FeO_x) and complete cells (CFA + FeO_x/CGO/Ni-CGO) are studied in air and methane/oxygen 2:1 mixture. The Area Specific Resistance of CFA + FeO_x is less than 1/3 that of CFA. The high selectivity allows to reach an efficiency of 25%; power still needs to be increased but we demonstrated the possibility to develop selective low cost electrodes. The effect of air, methane/oxygen exposure and the heat treatments were carefully investigated.     

From hospital to municipal cogeneration systems: an Italian case study

A mixed integer linear programming model combined with a more traditional design by scenarios is proposed to optimize facilities size and operation mode of a municipal energy system involving significant civil centres and a hospital. Moving from the need of a new heat and power station for the local hospital due to the construction of new pavilions, the opportunity of involving other centres in the neighbourhood in a distributed cogeneration system is analysed, increasing system complexity step by step. Smaller cogeneration units tailored to hospital needs are rewarding ventures with relatively low risks but, in a country whose traditional power generation systems heavily rely on fossil fuels and where energy policy and market conditions can make it profitable to sell surplus power, district heating systems foster the installation of larger cogenerators and lead thereby to higher profits and to better performance as for primary energy savings and greenhouse gases emission reduction. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Absorption and distribution of arachidonate in rats receiving lysophospholipids by oral route

Absorption and distribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids was investigated in rats receiving lysophospholipids per os (30 mg kg-1). Lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) increased [3H]arachidonate absorption and its incorporation into mucosal phosphatidylcholine. Transport of [3H]arachidonate by the phospholipid fraction of lymph lipoproteins and the level of [3H]arachidonate in plasma and liver lipids was also increased by lyso PC. Lysophosphatidylserine also increased [3H]arachidonate absorption but channeled the fatty acids into the aminophospholipid fraction of mucosal phospholipids, thus decreasing its efflux in lymph lipoproteins. As a consequence, lysophosphatidylserine caused [3H]arachidonate accumulation in mucosa. As similar results were obtained with [14C]linoleate, the data suggest that the addition of an appropriate lysophospholipid to the diet may direct absorption and distribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids.     

Total Energy Shaping Control of Mechanical Systems: Simplifying the Matching Equations Via Coordinate Changes

Total energy shaping is a controller design methodology that achieves (asymptotic) stabilization of mechanical systems endowing the closed-loop system with a Lagrangian or Hamiltonian structure with a desired energy function - that qualifies as Lyapunov function for the desired equilibrium. The success of the method relies on the possibility of solving two PDEs which identify the kinetic and potential energy functions that can be assigned to the closed loop. Particularly troublesome is the partial differential equation (PDE) associated to the kinetic energy which is nonlinear and inhomogeneous and the solution, that defines the desired inertia matrix, must be positive-definite. In this note, we prove that we can eliminate or simplify the forcing term in this PDE by modifying the target dynamics and introducing a change of coordinates in the original system. Furthermore, it is shown that, in the particular case of transformation to the Lagrangian coordinates, the possibility of simplifying the PDEs is determined by the interaction between the Coriolis and centrifugal forces and the actuation structure. The examples of pendulum on a cart and Furuta's pendulum are used to illustrate the results.