Lipid-membrán iskola a Szegedi Biológiai Központban = Lipid-membrane school at the Biological Research Center

Tisztelegve az elhúnyt Farkas Tibor akadémikus emlékének, a Lipid-Membán Iskola a Szegedi Biológiai Központban minden tekintetben végrehajtotta a pályázatban tervezett feladatait, teljesítette misszióját. Képes volt a meglévő tudás valamint eszközállomány összefogására, koncentrált és hatékony kihasználására. A közös munka eredményeképpen számos, stratégiailag igen jelentős fejlesztés vált lehetővé. Nagy számú új, eredeti tudományos eredmény (köztük több review, ill. könyv) publikációjára került ill. kerül még sor a program lezárását követően. Törekvéseink fénypontját jelzik az egymolekula követésére alkalmas mikroszkópiás laboratórium (nanotechnológiai alapú membrán kutatóhely, SzBK) ill. az első hazai lipidomikai vertikum (SzTE, SzBK ) teljes kiépítése. Kiemelendő, hogy a program célkitűzésének megfelelően a kutatásba számos hallgatót vontunk be. Szakdolgozatok ill. PhD disszertációk születtek a pályázat támogatásával. Aktivitásunk egyértelmű nemzetközi elismeréseképpen 2006-ban Magyarországon kerül megrendezésre a Nemzetközi Lipidtudományi Konferencia (ICBL) kollégáink rendezésében, Vígh László elnökletével. A Lipid-Membrán Iskola szegedi résztvevői az alap- és alkalmazott lipid és membrán kutatási eredményeik, valamint a kiépült együttműködéseik alapján sikeresen részévé váltak a Dél-Alföldi Neurobiológiai Tudásközpontnak. | Saluting to the memory of late Tibor Farkas, the Lipid-Membrane School in the Szeged Biological Research Center successfully accomplished its major goals and fulfilled its mission. The school became capable for bringing together the preexisting knowledges and resources, by effectively concentrate and exploit them. As a result of the common and complementary efforts, several highly important and ambicious projects have been implemented. As a result of these, high number of new, original publications, reviews indicated the success. Amongst of our most remarkable achievements, we should mention the foundation of the nanotech based single molecule microscopy technique, allowing the real-time monitoring of most various lipid-membrane events (BRC). We are also proud, that the first Hungarian lipidomics lab can start soon its operation (SzTE, BRC). Several students participated in our activity: prepared diploma work and PhD thesis. Best highlighting our successful activity, our colleaques will organize the next International Congress of Lipid Sciences (ICBL), chaired by Laszlo Vigh. Based on their basic and applied research related activities and cooperation, most of the participants of the peresently terminated Szeged Lipid-Membrane School have joined successfully the Szeged Neurobiological Knowledge Center

Neuroprotective Effect of Developmental Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplement against Excitotoxic Brain Damage in Infant Rats

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) composition of neural membranes is a key factor for brain development, in chemical communication of neurons and probably also their survival in response to injury. Viability of cholinergic neurons was tested during brain development following dietary supplementation of fish oil LC-PUFAs (docosahexaenoic acid [DHA], eicosapentaenoic acid, arachidonic acid) in the food of mother rats. Excitotoxic injury was introduced by N-methyl-D,L-aspartate (NMDA) injection into the cholinergic nucleus basalis magnocellularis of 14-day-old rats. The degree of loss of cholinergic cell bodies, and the extend of axonal and dendritic disintegration were measured following immunocytochemical staining of cell bodies and dendrites for choline acetyltransferase and p75 low-affinity neurotrophin receptor and by histochemical staining of acetylcholinesterase-positive fibres in the parietal neocortex. The impact of different feeding regimens on fatty acid composition of neural membrane phospholipids was also assayed at 12 days of age. Supplementation of LC-PUFAs resulted in a resistance against NMDA-induced excitotoxic degeneration of cholinergic neurones in the infant rats. More cholinergic cells survived, the dendritic involution of surviving neurons in the penumbra region decreased, and the degeneration of axons at the superficial layers of parietal neocortex also attenuated after supplementing LC-PUFAs. A marked increment in DHA content in all types of phospholipids was obtained in the forebrain neuronal membrane fraction of supplemented rats. It is concluded that fish oil LC-PUFAs, first of all DHA, is responsible for the neuroprotective action on developing cholinergic neurons against glutamate cytotoxicity.

Perinatal Polyunstaurated Fatty Acids Supplementation Causes Alterations in Fuel Homeostasis in Adult Male Rats but does not Offer Resistance Against STZ-induced Diabetes

Maternal factors can have major imprinting effects on homeostatic mechanisms in the developing fetus and newborn. Here we studied whether supplemented perinatal polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) influence energy balance and fuel homeostasis later in life. Between day 10 after conception and day 10 after delivery, female rats were subjected to chow enriched with 10% fish-oil (FO-rich). Fish oil contains high concentrations of n-3 biosynthesis endpoint products, which may have caused the increased membrane phospholipid incorporation (particularly derived from the long-chain 20+:n-3 PUFAs) in 10-day old pup brains. Adult male off spring of FO-rich fed rats had reduced body weight (-20%) at 3 months, and had lower levels of plasma leptin (-54%), insulin (-41%), triglycerides (-65%), and lactate (-46%) than controls. All differences between groups were lost 48 h after streptozotocin (STZ) treatment. At 4.5 months of age, body weights of FO-rich were still lower (-6%) than controls, but were associated with increased food intake, and increased insulin sensitivity (following intraperitoneal injection) to lower blood glucose levels relative to controls. We concluded that perinatal FO supplementation has lasting effects on body weight homeostasis and fuel metabolism in male off spring, but does not off er resistance against STZ-induced diabetes

Dietary fatty acids alter blood pressure, behavior and brain membrane composition of hypertensive rats

The beneficial effect of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on developing hypertension has been repeatedly demonstrated. However. related changes in brain membrane composition and its cognitive correlates have remained unclear. Our study aimed at a comprehensive analysis of behavior and cerebral fatty acid concentration in hypertension after long-term PUFA-rich dietary treatment. Hypertensive and normotensive rats were provided a placebo, or one of two PUFA-enriched diets with a reduced (n-6)/(n-3) ratio for 75 weeks. Exploratory behavior and spatial learning capacity were tested. Systolic blood pressure (BP) was repeatedly measured. Finally, brain fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography. Hypertensive rats exhibited more active exploration but impaired spatial learning compared to normotensives. Both diets reduced BP, increased PUFA and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) concentration, and reduced saturated fatty acid content in brain. The level of cerebral PUFAs and MUFAs was lower in hypertensive than in normotensive rats. Furthermore, BP positively, while spatial learning negatively correlated with cerebral (n-6)/(n-3) PUFA ratio. We concluded that regular n-3 PUFA consumption could prevent the development of hypertension, but reached only a very delicate improvement in spatial learning. Furthermore. we consider a potential role of metabolically generated MUFAs in the beneficial effects of PUFA supplementation. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved