Gene deficiency in activating Fcγ receptors influences the macrophage phenotypic balance and reduces atherosclerosis in mice

Immunity contributes to arterial inflammation during atherosclerosis. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins induce an autoimmune response characterized by specific antibodies and immune complexes in atherosclerotic patients. We hypothesize that specific Fcγ receptors for IgG constant region participate in atherogenesis by regulating the inflammatory state of lesional macrophages. In vivo we examined the role of activating Fcγ receptors in atherosclerosis progression using bone marrow transplantation from mice deficient in γ-chain (the common signaling subunit of activating Fcγ receptors) to hyperlipidemic mice. Hematopoietic deficiency of Fcγ receptors significantly reduced atherosclerotic lesion size, which was associated with decreased number of macrophages and T lymphocytes, and increased T regulatory cell function. Lesions of Fcγ receptor deficient mice exhibited increased plaque stability, as evidenced by higher collagen and smooth muscle cell content and decreased apoptosis. These effects were independent of changes in serum lipids and antibody response to oxidized low-density lipoproteins. Activating Fcγ receptor deficiency reduced pro-inflammatory gene expression, nuclear factor-κB activity, and M1 macrophages at the lesion site, while increasing anti-inflammatory genes and M2 macrophages. The decreased inflammation in the lesions was mirrored by a reduced number of classical inflammatory monocytes in blood. In vitro, lack of activating Fcγ receptors attenuated foam cell formation, oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory gene expression, and increased M2-associated genes in murine macrophages. Our study demonstrates that activating Fcγ receptors influence the macrophage phenotypic balance in the artery wall of atherosclerotic mice and suggests that modulation of Fcγ receptor-mediated inflammatory responses could effectively suppress atherosclerosis

Amino acid transporters in plants

AbstractAmino acid transporters are essential participants in the resource allocation processes that support plant growth and development. Recent results have identified several new transporters that contribute to a wide array of physiological activities, and detailed molecular analysis has provided fundamental insights into the structure, function and regulation of these integral membrane proteins

An identification procedure for woolly soft-flesh peaches by instrumental assessment

Woolliness in peaches, a negative attribute of sensory texture characterized by the lack of crispness and juiciness, also known as mealiness in other fruits, has been identified fruit-by fruit by instrumental means. The use of a non-supervised clustering data analysis procedure, studying crispness and juiciness, enables four instrumental degrees of texture degradation to be defined, of which woolliness appears to be the last stage. This procedure also provides some information on several experimental factors (ripeness stages, storage time and storage temperature) with regard to the onset of woolliness. It is confirmed through this study that, in Maycrest peaches, woolliness starts to appear after 2 weeks of storage at 5°C. Fruits classified at harvest in 'first' and 'second' ripeness stages are more susceptible to woolliness than those in the third ripeness stage. This clustering procedure may also be effective for studying other species, varieties and quality attributes of fruit

Transition period between vegetation growth and senescence controls interannual variability of C fluxes in a Mediterranean reed wetland

Wetlands are crucial ecosystems modulating climate change due to their great potential to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), emit methane (CH4) and regulate local climate through evapotranspiration (ET). Common reed wetlands are particularly interesting given their high productivity, abundance and highly efficient internal gas-transport mechanism. However, little is known about the interannual behavior and dominant controlling factors of Mediterranean reed wetlands, characterized by seasonal flooding and remarkable weather variability. After 6 years of ecosystem carbon and ET flux measurements by eddy covariance (3 years for CH4 fluxes), this study shows the functional vulnerability of such wetlands to climate variability, switching between carbon (CO2+CH4) sink (660 g CO2-eeq m-2 y -1 , in 2014) and source (360 g CO2-eq m-2 y -1 , in 2016) in short periods of time. According to our analyses, the great interannual variability appeared to mainly depend on the behavior of reed growth dynamics during the transition to senescence period, what is confirmed through the Enhanced Vegetation Index as a proxy of photosynthetic activity. Additionally, a similar behavior of seasonal and daily patterns of carbon fluxes and ET was found compared with other wetlands under different climates

Revisión de la literatura científica de la radio universitaria como instrumento de educación mediática

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo realizar una revisión bibliométrica de la radio universitaria desde una perspectiva educomunicativa, tanto en el ámbito nacional como internacional. Como metodología, se han analizado el contenido de un total de 276 registros del repositorio Web of Science. El análisis de la información se clasificó en cuatro categorías temáticas: primeros estudios científicos de la radio en la universidad; tipologías de los programas radiofónicos en la universidad; países con mayor interés en los estudios sobre la radio universitaria y la radio universitaria y sus programas en las universidades españolas. Tras la revisión de los artículos llegamos a la conclusión de que las publicaciones analizadas plantean el interés de profundizar en la radio como instrumento educomunicativo, con el fin de mejorar la competencia mediática de los universitarios. This research aims to conduct a bibliometric review of university radio from an educommunicative perspective, both nationally and internationally. As a methodology, the contents of a total of 276 records of the Web of Science repository have been analyzed. The information analysis was classified into four thematic categories: first scientific studies of radio in the university; typologies of radio programs in the university; countries with greater interest in studies on university radio and university radio and its programs in Spanish universities. After reviewing the articles we conclude that the analyzed publications raise the interest of deepening in the radio as an educonununicative tool, in order to improve the media competence of university students

Association of VAV2 and VAV3 polymorphisms with cardiovascular risk factors

Hypertension, diabetes and obesity are cardiovascular risk factors closely associated to the development of renal and cardiovascular target organ damage. VAV2 and VAV3, members of the VAV family proto-oncogenes, are guanosine nucleotide exchange factors for the Rho and Rac GTPase family, which is related with cardiovascular homeostasis. We have analyzed the relationship between the presence of VAV2 rs602990 and VAV3 rs7528153 polymorphisms with cardiovascular risk factors and target organ damage (heart, vessels and kidney) in 411 subjects. Our results show that being carrier of the T allele in VAV2 rs602990 polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of obesity, reduced levels of ankle-brachial index and diastolic blood pressure and reduced retinal artery caliber. In addition, being carrier of T allele is associated with increased risk of target organ damage in males. On the other hand, being carrier of the T allele in VAV3 rs7528153 polymorphism is associated with a decreased susceptibility of developing a pathologic state composed by the presence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity or cardiovascular damage, and with an increased risk of developing altered basal glycaemia. This is the first report showing an association between VAV2 and VAV3 polymorphisms with cardiovascular risk factors and target organ damage