Characterization of Brown Adipose Tissue in a Diabetic Mouse Model with Spiral Volumetric Optoacoustic Tomography

PURPOSE Diabetes is associated with a deterioration of the microvasculature in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and with a decrease in its metabolic activity. Multispectral optoacoustic tomography has been recently proposed as a new tool capable of differentiating healthy and diabetic BAT by observing hemoglobin gradients and microvasculature density in cross-sectional (2D) views. We report on the use of spiral volumetric optoacoustic tomography (SVOT) for an improved characterization of BAT. PROCEDURES A streptozotocin-induced diabetes model and control mice were scanned with SVOT. Volumetric oxygen saturation (sO) as well as total blood volume (TBV) in the subcutaneous interscapular BAT (iBAT) was quantified. Segmentation further enabled separating feeding and draining vessels from the BAT anatomical structure. RESULTS Scanning revealed a 46 % decrease in TBV and a 25 % decrease in sO in the diabetic iBAT with respect to the healthy control. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that SVOT may serve as an effective tool for studying the effects of diabetes on BAT. The volumetric optoacoustic imaging probe used for the SVOT scans can be operated in a handheld mode, thus potentially providing a clinical translation route for BAT-related studies with this imaging technology

Molecular events associated with halophytic growth in Lycopersicon pennellii.

We have studied the effects of exogenous salt on whole plant and suspension culture cells of the halophytic tomato Lycopersicon pennellii. Under low salt conditions (2.9 dS/M) plants showed enhanced (halophytic) growth (107% of control). At moderate (7.5 dS/M) and high (18.5 dS/M) salt levels, salt stress reduced growth to about 78% and 40% of control respectively. Salt-induced changes in root mRNAs were analyzed via two-dimensional PAGE of cell free translation (CFT) products. We have identified 14 proteins whose levels were enhanced by exogenous salt. One of these proteins was unique to low salt induced halophytic growth. This system allowed for discrimination between proteins up-regulated at all salt levels and those up-regulated only during salt stress induced growth reduction. Ten proteins were identified whose levels were reduced by exogenous salt. Once again, one could identify a subset of proteins whose levels were reduced only under salt stressed conditions. Proteins identified in this study are candidates for roles in growth maintaining stress adaptive metabolism in L.pennellii. These data underscore the complexity of the genetic control of salt metabolism in higher plants. The effects of exogenous salt on protein synthesis and accumulation were studied in suspension cultures of L.pennellii. Two salt levels were applied to the cells. Under low salt conditions (LS, 10 mM), L.pennellii cells showed enhanced (halophytic) growth. Under high salt conditions (HS, 50 mM), the cells showed reduced (salt-stressed) growth. Changes in proteins with time were analyzed by a combination of cell free translation, in vivo labeling and total accumulated protein. In vivo labeling studies showed that the pattern of steady state protein synthesis was disrupted shortly after addition of salt. High salt induced greater disruption in the pattern. Over time, the steady state levels of most proteins shifted back towards those of the unstressed-control. However, the level of several proteins remained altered. Analysis of proteins whose levels increased with exogenous salt showed differences in the response patterns that may allow for discrimination between proteins involved in growth maintaining and stress shock responses

The “Contribution” of Maimonides to the Cairo Genizah

Sin resume

Evolution and escalation of aviation terrorism : from bargaining chip fashion to total destruction orientation

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