Effects of ranolazine on astrocytes and neurons in primary culture

Ranolazine (Rn) is an antianginal agent used for the treatment of chronic angina pectoris when angina is not adequately controlled by other drugs. Rn also acts in the central nervous system and it has been proposed for the treatment of pain and epileptic disorders. Under the hypothesis that ranolazine could act as a neuroprotective drug, we studied its effects on astrocytes and neurons in primary culture. We incubated rat astrocytes and neurons in primary cultures for 24 hours with Rn (10−7, 10−6 and 10−5 M). Cell viability and proliferation were measured using trypan blue exclusion assay, MTT conversion assay and LDH release assay. Apoptosis was determined by Caspase 3 activity assay. The effects of Rn on proinflammatory mediators IL-β and TNF-α was determined by ELISA technique, and protein expression levels of Smac/Diablo, PPAR-γ, Mn-SOD and Cu/Zn-SOD by western blot technique. In cultured astrocytes, Rn significantly increased cell viability and proliferation at any concentration tested, and decreased LDH leakage, Smac/Diablo expression and Caspase 3 activity indicating less cell death. Rn also increased anti-inflammatory PPAR-γ protein expression and reduced pro-inflammatory proteins IL-1 β and TNFα levels. Furthermore, antioxidant proteins Cu/Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD significantly increased after Rn addition in cultured astrocytes. Conversely, Rn did not exert any effect on cultured neurons. In conclusion, Rn could act as a neuroprotective drug in the central nervous system by promoting astrocyte viability, preventing necrosis and apoptosis, inhibiting inflammatory phenomena and inducing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents

Slow Ca2+ Efflux by Ca2+/H+ Exchange in Cardiac Mitochondria Is Modulated by Ca2+ Re-uptake via MCU, Extra-Mitochondrial pH, and H+ Pumping by FOF1-ATPase

Mitochondrial (m) Ca2+ influx is largely dependent on membrane potential (ΔΨm), whereas mCa2+ efflux occurs primarily via Ca2+ ion exchangers. We probed the kinetics of Ca2+/H+ exchange (CHEm) in guinea pig cardiac muscle mitochondria. We tested if net mCa2+ flux is altered during a matrix inward H+ leak that is dependent on matrix H+ pumping by ATPm hydrolysis at complex V (FOF1-ATPase). We measured [Ca2+]m, extra-mitochondrial (e) [Ca2+]e, ΔΨm, pHm, pHe, NADH, respiration, ADP/ATP ratios, and total [ATP]m in the presence or absence of protonophore dinitrophenol (DNP), mitochondrial uniporter (MCU) blocker Ru360, and complex V blocker oligomycin (OMN). We proposed that net slow influx/efflux of Ca2+ after adding DNP and CaCl2 is dependent on whether the ΔpHm gradient is/is not maintained by reciprocal outward H+ pumping by complex V. We found that adding CaCl2 enhanced DNP-induced increases in respiration and decreases in ΔΨm while [ATP]m decreased, ΔpHm gradient was maintained, and [Ca2+]m continued to increase slowly, indicating net mCa2+ influx via MCU. In contrast, with complex V blocked by OMN, adding DNP and CaCl2 caused larger declines in ΔΨm as well as a slow fall in pHm to near pHe while [Ca2+]m continued to decrease slowly, indicating net mCa2+ efflux in exchange for H+ influx (CHEm) until the ΔpHm gradient was abolished. The kinetics of slow mCa2+ efflux with slow H+ influx via CHEm was also observed at pHe 6.9 vs. 7.6 by the slow fall in pHm until ΔpHm was abolished; if Ca2+ reuptake via the MCU was also blocked, mCa2+ efflux via CHEm became more evident. Of the two components of the proton electrochemical gradient, our results indicate that CHEm activity is driven largely by the ΔpHm chemical gradient with H+ leak, while mCa2+ entry via MCU depends largely on the charge gradient ΔΨm. A fall in ΔΨm with excess mCa2+ loading can occur during cardiac cell stress. Cardiac cell injury due to mCa2+ overload may be reduced by temporarily inhibiting FOF1-ATPase from pumping H+ due to ΔΨm depolarization. This action would prevent additional slow mCa2+ loading via MCU and permit activation of CHEm to mediate efflux of mCa2+.HIGHLIGHTS-We examined how slow mitochondrial (m) Ca2+ efflux via Ca2+/H+ exchange (CHEm) is triggered by matrix acidity after a rapid increase in [Ca2+]m by adding CaCl2 in the presence of dinitrophenol (DNP) to permit H+ influx, and oligomycin (OMN) to block H+ pumping via FOF1-ATP synthase/ase (complex V).-Declines in ΔΨm and pHm after DNP and added CaCl2 were larger when complex V was blocked.-[Ca2+]m slowly increased despite a fall in ΔΨm but maintained pHm when H+ pumping by complex V was permitted.-[Ca2+]m slowly decreased and external [Ca2+]e increased with declines in both ΔΨm and pHm when complex V was blocked.-ATPm hydrolysis supports a falling pHm and redox state and promotes a slow increase in [Ca2+]m.-After rapid Ca2+ influx due to a bolus of CaCl2, slow mCa2+ efflux by CHEm occurs directly if pHe is low

Stability of hepatitis E virus at high hydrostatic pressure processing

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of acute and chronic hepatitis in humans. The zoonotic HEV genotype 3 is the main genotype in Europe. The foodborne transmission via consumption of meat and meat products prepared from infected pigs or wild boars is considered the major transmission route of this genotype. High hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP) is a technique, which can be used for inactivation of pathogens in food. Here, preparations of a cell culture-adapted HEV genotype 3 strain in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were subjected to HPP and the remaining infectivity was titrated in cell culture by counting fluorescent foci of replicating virus. A gradual decrease in infectivity was found by application of 100 to 600 MPa for 2 min. At 20 °C, infectivity reduction of 0.5 log10 at 200 MPa and 1 log10 at 400 MPa were observed. Slightly higher infectivity reduction of 1 log10 at 200 MPa and 2 log10 at 400 MPa were found by application of the pressure at 4 °C. At both temperatures, the virus was nearly completely inactivated (>3.5 log10 infectivity decrease) at 600 MPa; however, low amounts of remaining infectious virus were observed in one of three replicates in both cases. Transmission electron microscopy showed disassembled and distorted particles in the preparations treated with 600 MPa. Time-course experiments at 400 MPa showed a continuous decline of infectivity from 30 s to 10 min, leading to a 2 log10 infectivity decrease at 20 °C and to a 2.5 log10 infectivity decrease at 4 °C for a 10 min pressure application each. Predictive models for inactivation of HEV by HPP were generated on the basis of the generated data. The results show that HPP treatment can reduce HEV infectivity, which is mainly dependent on pressure height and duration of the HPP treatment. Compared to other viruses, HEV appears to be relatively stable against HPP and high pressure/long time combinations have to be applied for significant reduction of infectivity

Phage vB_YenS_P400, a Novel Virulent Siphovirus of Yersinia enterocolitica Isolated from Deer

Phage vB_YenS_P400 isolated from deer, is a virulent siphovirus of Y. enterocolitica, whose circularly permutated genome (46,585 bp) is not substantially related to any other phage deposited in public nucleotide databases. vB_YenS_P400 showed a very narrow host range and exclusively lysed two Y. enterocolitica B4/O:3 strains. Moreover, lytic activity by this phage was only discernible at room temperature. Together with the finding that vB_YenS_P400 revealed a long latent period (90 to 100 min) and low burst size (five to ten), it is not suitable for applications but provides insight into the diversity of Yersinia phages

Inhibiting connexin channels protects against cryopreservation-induced cell death in human blood vessels

Objectives: Cryopreserved blood vessels are being increasingly employed in vascular reconstruction procedures but freezing/thawing is associated with significant cell death that may lead to graft failure. Vascular cells express connexin proteins that form gap junction channels and hemichannels. Gap junction channels directly connect the cytoplasm of adjacent cells and may facilitate the passage of cell death messengers leading to bystander cell death. Two hemichannels form a gap junction channel but these channels are also present as free non-connected hemichannels. Hemichannels are normally closed but may open under stressful conditions and thereby promote cell death. We here investigated whether blocking gap junctions and hemichannels could prevent cell death after cryopreservation. Materials and methods: Inclusion of Gap27, a connexin channel inhibitory peptide, during cryopreservation and thawing of human saphenous veins and femoral arteries was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assays and histological examination. Results: We report that Gap27 significantly reduces cell death in human femoral arteries and saphenous veins when present during cryopreservation/thawing. In particular, smooth muscle cell death was reduced by 73% in arteries and 71% in veins, while endothelial cell death was reduced by 32% in arteries and 51% in veins. Conclusions: We conclude that inhibiting connexin channels during cryopreservation strongly promotes vascular cell viability

Abnormal fibrillin-1 expression and chronic oxidative stress mediate endothelial mesenchymal transition in a murine model of systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder characterized by oxidative stress, impaired vascular function, and attenuated angiogenesis. The tight-skin (Tsk−/+) mouse is a model of SSc that displays many of the cellular features of the clinical disease. We tested the hypotheses that abnormal fibrillin-1 expression and chronic phospholipid oxidation occur in Tsk−/+ mice and, furthermore, that these factors precipitate a prooxidant state, collagen-related protein expression, apoptosis, and mesenchymal transition in endothelial cells cultured on Tsk−/+ extracellular matrix. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were seeded on microfibrils isolated from skin of C57BL/6J (control) and Tsk−/+ mice in the presence or absence of chronic pretreatment with the apolipoprotein Apo A-I mimetic D-4F (1 mg·kg−1·day−1 ip for 6 to 8 wk). Nitric oxide-to-superoxide anion ratio was assessed 12 h after culture, and cell proliferation, apoptosis, and phenotype were studied 72 h after culture. Tsk−/+ mice demonstrated abnormal “big fibrillin” expression (405 kDa) by Western blot analysis compared with control. Endothelial cells cultured on microfibrils prepared from Tsk−/+ mice demonstrated reduced proliferation, a prooxidant state (reduced nitric oxide-to-superoxide anion ratio), increased apoptosis, and collagen-related protein expression associated with mesenchymal transition. Chronic D-4F pretreatment of Tsk−/+ mice attenuated many of these adverse effects. The findings demonstrate that abnormal fibrillin-1 expression and chronic oxidative stress mediate endothelial mesenchymal transition in Tsk−/+ mice. This mesenchymal transition may contribute to the reduction in angiogenesis that is known to occur in this model of SSc