Exploring Functional β-Cell Heterogeneity In Vivo Using PSA-NCAM as a Specific Marker

BACKGROUND:The mass of pancreatic beta-cells varies according to increases in insulin demand. It is hypothesized that functionally heterogeneous beta-cell subpopulations take part in this process. Here we characterized two functionally distinct groups of beta-cells and investigated their physiological relevance in increased insulin demand conditions in rats. METHODS:Two rat beta-cell populations were sorted by FACS according to their PSA-NCAM surface expression, i.e. beta(high) and beta(low)-cells. Insulin release, Ca(2+) movements, ATP and cAMP contents in response to various secretagogues were analyzed. Gene expression profiles and exocytosis machinery were also investigated. In a second part, beta(high) and beta(low)-cell distribution and functionality were investigated in animal models with decreased or increased beta-cell function: the Zucker Diabetic Fatty rat and the 48 h glucose-infused rat. RESULTS:We show that beta-cells are heterogeneous for PSA-NCAM in rat pancreas. Unlike beta(low)-cells, beta(high)-cells express functional beta-cell markers and are highly responsive to various insulin secretagogues. Whereas beta(low)-cells represent the main population in diabetic pancreas, an increase in beta(high)-cells is associated with gain of function that follows sustained glucose overload. CONCLUSION:Our data show that a functional heterogeneity of beta-cells, assessed by PSA-NCAM surface expression, exists in vivo. These findings pinpoint new target populations involved in endocrine pancreas plasticity and in beta-cell defects in type 2 diabetes

A Combination of Nutriments Improves Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Function in Skeletal Muscle of Type 2 Diabetic Goto–Kakizaki Rats

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence indicates that insulin resistance in skeletal muscle may be related to reduce mitochondrial number and oxidation capacity. However, it is not known whether increasing mitochondrial number and function improves insulin resistance. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a combination of nutrients on insulin resistance and mitochondrial biogenesis/function in skeletal muscle of type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We demonstrated that defect of glucose and lipid metabolism is associated with low mitochondrial content and reduced mitochondrial enzyme activity in skeletal muscle of the diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats. The treatment of combination of R-alpha-lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, nicotinamide, and biotin effectively improved glucose tolerance, decreased the basal insulin secretion and the level of circulating free fatty acid (FFA), and prevented the reduction of mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle. The nutrients treatment also significantly increased mRNA levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (Ppar alpha), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta (Ppar delta), and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (Mcpt-1) and activity of mitochondrial complex I and II in skeletal muscle. All of these effects of mitochondrial nutrients are comparable to that of the antidiabetic drug, pioglitazone. In addition, the treatment with nutrients, unlike pioglitazone, did not cause body weight gain. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data suggest that a combination of mitochondrial targeting nutrients may improve skeletal mitochondrial dysfunction and exert hypoglycemic effects, without causing weight gain

Scaling of carbon erosion in Tore Supra

The scaling law for carbon erosion in Tore Supra previously established by Hogan et al. [1] (Phi(C)(C/s) = 5 x 10(20) P-cond (MW), where P-cond is the conducted power) is revisited both from the experimental and the modelling point of view. New developments with the EIRENE code, that allow relating measured CII emission intensities to the total amount of carbon sputtered from the Toroidal Pumped Limiter, are presented. Recent measurements carried out at high input power show a good agreement with the database used to establish the scaling law. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Deuterium inventory in Tore Supra: Coupled carbon–deuterium balance

This paper presents an analysis of the carbon–deuterium circulation and the resulting balance in Tore Supra over the period 2002–2007. Carbon balance combines the estimation of carbon gross erosion from spectroscopy, net erosion and deposition using confocal microscopy, lock-in thermography and SEM, and a measure of the amount of deposits collected in the vacuum chamber. Fuel retention is determined from post-mortem (PM) analyses and gas balance (GB) measurements. Special attention was paid to the deuterium outgassed during the nights and weekends of the experimental campaign (vessel under vacuum, Plasma Facing Components at 120 °C) and during vents (vessel at atmospheric pressure, PFCs at room temperature). It is shown that this outgassing is the main process reconciling the PM and GB estimations of fuel retention, closing the coupled carbon–deuterium balance. In particular, it explains why the deuterium concentration in deposits decreases with increasing depth