The Effect of High Glucocorticoid Administration and Food Restriction on Rodent Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Function and Protein Metabolism

Glucocorticoids levels are high in catabolic conditions but it is unclear how much of the catabolic effects are due to negative energy balance versus glucocorticoids and whether there are distinct effects on metabolism and functions of specific muscle proteins.We determined whether 14 days of high dose methylprednisolone (MPred, 4 mg/kg/d) Vs food restriction (FR, food intake matched to MPred) in rats had different effects on muscle mitochondrial function and protein fractional synthesis rates (FSR). Lower weight loss (15%) occurred in FR than in MPred (30%) rats, while a 15% increase occurred saline-treated Controls. The per cent muscle loss was significantly greater for MPred than FR. Mitochondrial protein FSR in MPred rats was lower in soleus (51 and 43%, respectively) and plantaris (25 and 55%) than in FR, while similar decline in protein FSR of the mixed, sarcoplasmic, and myosin heavy chain occurred. Mitochondrial enzymatic activity and ATP production were unchanged in soleus while in plantaris cytochrome c oxidase activity was lower in FR than Control, and ATP production rate with pyruvate + malate in MPred plantaris was 28% lower in MPred. Branched-chain amino acid catabolic enzyme activities were higher in both FR and MPred rats indicating enhanced amino acid oxidation capacity.MPred and FR had little impact on mitochondrial function but reduction in muscle protein synthesis occurred in MPred that could be explained on the basis of reduced food intake. A greater decline in proteolysis may explain lesser muscle loss in FR than in MPred rats

Explosive fragmentation of liquid shells

International audienceThe forced radial expansion of a spherical liquid shell by an exothermic chemical reaction is a prototypical configuration for the explosion of cohesive materials in three dimensions. The shell is formed by the capillary pinch off of a thin liquid annular jet surrounding a jet of reactive gaseous mixture at ambient pressure. The encapsulated gas in the resulting liquid bubble is a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in controlled relative proportions, which is ignited by a laser plasma aimed at the centre of the bubble. The strongly exothermic combustion of the mixture induces the expansion of the hot burnt gas, pushing the shell radially outwards in a violently accelerated motion. That motion triggers the instability of the shell, developing thickness modulations ultimately piercing it in a number of places. The capillary retraction of the holes concentrates the liquid constituting the shell into a web of ligaments, whose breakup leads to stable drops. We offer a comprehensive description of the overall process, from the kinematics of the shell initial expansion, to the final drop size distribution as a function of the composition of the gas mixture, the initial shell radius and thickness

Endoscopic factors influencing fecal calprotectin value in crohn's disease

International audienceBackground and Aims: Fecal calprotectin [fcal] is a biomarker of Crohn's disease [CD] endoscopic activity. Identifying the endoscopic situations in which fcal is less reliable remains unexplored. We aimed to determine the endoscopic factors influencing fcal level in CD. Methods: Overall, 53 CD patients consecutively and prospectively underwent colonoscopy, with CD Endoscopic Index of Severity [CDEIS] calculation and stool collection. Fcal was measured using a quantitative immunochromatographic test. Correlation analysis was done with Pearson statistics. Results: Fcal was correlated with CDEIS [0.66, p = 200 mu g/g was highly sensitive [0.86] to detect SU or DU. Conclusions: Fcal is a very reliable biomarker to detect endoscopic ulcerations in CD. We suggest repeating measurement in case of intermediary results [200-400 mu g/g] in daily practice. Fcal level is mostly influenced by the presence of CD lesions [even non-ulcerated], in a depth-related manner and by the affected surface

The variation of faecal calprotectin after 3 months of anti-TNF therapy is a predictor of sustained clinical remission in patients with Crohn's disease

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Faecal calprotectin as surrogate marker of transmural healing assessed using MRI in patients with Crohn's disease

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Macrophages from Crohn's disease patients showed a defect to control adherent-invasive Escherichia coli replication influenced by genetic host factors

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