Karakteristik dan Profil Asam Lemak Minyak Ikan dari Kepala dan Tulang Ikan Tuna (Thunnus albacares)

This study was aimed to determine the physical and chemical quality as well as the fatty acid profile of fish oil from the waste of the head and the bones of Thunnus albacares. An experimental method was applied in this research. Observed variables included yield, density, acid number, saponification value, iodine number, TBA value, as well as fatty acid profile. The results showed that the physical characteristics of the oil from the head and bone of the fish, i.e., yield 12,11% and 9.85%, density 0.92 mg/mL, and 0.90 mg/mL, respectively. The chemical characteristics of the oil from head and bones of tuna were acid number 2.10 mg KOH/g and 2.88 mg KOH/g, iodine number 88.80 mg KOH/g and 77.67 mg KOH/g; saponification number 178.80 mg KOH/g and 145.50 mg KOH/g, TBA values 1.80 mg KOH/kg and 1.29 mg KOH/kg, subsequently. Unsaturated fatty acids were found to dominate oil from the head and bones of tuna. Tuna head contained 25 types of fatty acids consisting of 10 types of saturated fatty acids (SFA) 20.8% w/w, seven types of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) 11.92% w/w, eight polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) 35.98% w/w. In comparison, tuna bones contained 26 types of fatty acids consisting of 11 SFA 19.69% w/w, seven MUFA 10.80% w/w, and 8 PUFA 26.21% w/w. Keywords: fatty acid, fish oil, Thunnus albacares, waste of head and bone   ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kualitas fisik maupun kimiawi serta profil asam lemak minyak limbah ikan dari kepala dan tulang ikan tuna (Thunnus albacares). Metode yang digunakan adalah metode eksperimen. Parameter yang diamati yaitu: rendemen, berat jenis minyak, bilangan penyabunan, bilangan iodin, bilangan Tiobarbituric Acid (TBA) serta profil asam lemak. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan karakteristik fisik dari kepala dan tulang ikan berturut-turut adalah: rendemen 12,11 dan 9,85%; berat jenis minyak 0,92 mg/mL dan 0,90 mg/mL. Karakteristik kimia dari kepala dan tulang ikan tuna adalah berturut-turut: bilangan asam 2,10 mg KOH/g dan 2,88 mg KOH/g; bilangan iod 88,80 mg KOH/g dan 77,67 mg KOH/g; bilangan penyabunan 178,80 mg KOH/g dan 145,50 mg KOH/g; nilai TBA 1,80 mg KOH/kg dan 1,29 mg KOH/kg. Asam lemak tidak jenuh mendominasi minyak dari kepala maupun tulang ikan Tuna. Kepala ikan tuna mengandung 25 jenis asam lemak terdiri dari 10 jenis asam lemak jenuh (SFA) 20,8% w/w, 7 jenis lemak tak jenuh tunggal (MUFA) 11,92% w/w, 8 asam lemak tak jenuh jamak (PUFA) 35,98% w/w; sedangkan tulang ikan Tuna mengandung 26 jenis asam lemak terdiri dari 11 SFA 19,69% w/w, 7 MUFA 10,80% w/w, dan 8 PUFA 26,21% w/w. Kata kunci: asam lemak, minyak ikan, Thunnus albacares, limbah tulang dan kepal

Low doses of the novel caspase-inhibitor GS-9450 leads to lower caspase-3 and -8 expression on peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is characterized by increased rates of apoptotic hepatocytes and activated caspases have been shown in HCV-infected patients. GS-9450, a novel caspase-inhibitor has demonstrated hepatoprotective activity in fibrosis/apoptosis animal models. This study evaluated the effects of GS-9450 on peripheral T-cell apoptosis in chronic HCV-infected patients. As sub study of the GS-US-227-0102, a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2a trial evaluating the safety and tolerability of GS-9450, apoptosis of peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells was measured using activated caspase-3, activated caspase-8 and CD95 (Fas). Blood samples were drawn at baseline, day 14 after therapy and at 5 weeks off-treatment follow-up in the first cohort of 10 mg. In contrast to the placebo-treated patients, GS-9450 caused a median of 46% decrease in ALT-values from baseline to day 14 in all treated patients (median of 118–64 U/l) rising again to a median of 140 U/l (19%) at 5 weeks off-treatment follow-up. In GS9450-treated patients, during treatment and follow-up, percentages of activated caspase-3+ and caspase-8 expression tended to decrease, in contrast to placebo-treated patients. Interestingly, compared to healthy controls, higher percentages of caspase-3 and caspase-8 positive CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were demonstrated in HCV-infected patients at baseline. Decreased ALT-values were observed in all HCV-infected patients during treatment with low dose of the caspase-inhibitor GS-9450 accompanied by a lower expression of caspase-3 and -8 on peripheral T-cells. Furthermore, at baseline percentages of activated caspase-3, activated caspase-8 and CD95+ T-cells were higher in chronic HCV-infected patients compared to healthy controls

Differential characteristics of cytotoxic T lymphocytes restricted by the protective HLA alleles B*27 and B*57 in HIV-1 infection

Objective: HLA-B*27 and B*57 are associated with relatively slow progression to AIDS. Mechanisms held responsible for this protective effect include the immunodominance and high magnitude, breadth, and affinity of the cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) response restricted by these HLA molecules, as well as superior maintenance of CTL responses during HIV-1 disease progression. Design: We examined CTL responses from HIV-1–infected individuals restricted through protective and nonprotective HLA alleles within the same host, thereby excluding any effects of slow or rapid progression on the CTL response. Results: We found that neither immunodominance, nor high magnitude and breadth, nor affinity of the CTL response are general mechanisms of protection against disease progression. HLA-B*57-restricted CTL responses were of exceptionally high affinity and dominated the HLA-A*02-restricted CTL response in individuals coexpressing these HLA alleles. In contrast, HLA-B*27-restricted CTL responses were not of particularly high affinity and did not dominate the response in individuals coexpressing HLA-B*27 and HLA-A*02. Instead, in individuals expressing HLA-B*27, the CTL response restricted by nonprotective HLA alleles was significantly higher and broader, and of higher affinity than in individuals expressing these alleles without HLA-B*27. Although HLA-B*27 and B*57 are thought to target the most conserved parts of HIV, during disease progression, CTL responses restricted by HLA-B*27 and B*57 were lost at least as fast as CTL responses restricted by HLA-A*02. Conclusions: Our data show that many of the mechanisms of CTL that are generally held responsible for slowing down HIV-1 disease progression hold for HLA-B*57 but do not hold for HLA-B*27

Quantification of T-cell dynamics during latent cytomegalovirus infection in humans.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has a major impact on the T-cell pool, which is thought to be associated with ageing of the immune system. The effect on the T-cell pool has been interpreted as an effect of CMV on non-CMV specific T-cells. However, it remains unclear whether the effect of CMV could simply be explained by the presence of large, immunodominant, CMV-specific memory CD8(+) T-cell populations. These have been suggested to establish through gradual accumulation of long-lived cells. However, little is known about their maintenance. We investigated the effect of CMV infection on T-cell dynamics in healthy older adults, and aimed to unravel the mechanisms of maintenance of large numbers of CMV-specific CD8(+) T-cells. We studied the expression of senescence, proliferation, and apoptosis markers and quantified the in vivo dynamics of CMV-specific and other memory T-cell populations using in vivo deuterium labelling. Increased expression of late-stage differentiation markers by CD8(+) T-cells of CMV+ versus CMV- individuals was not solely explained by the presence of large, immunodominant CMV-specific CD8(+) T-cell populations. The lifespans of circulating CMV-specific CD8(+) T-cells did not differ significantly from those of bulk memory CD8(+) T-cells, and the lifespans of bulk memory CD8(+) T-cells did not differ significantly between CMV- and CMV+ individuals. Memory CD4(+) T-cells of CMV+ individuals showed increased expression of late-stage differentiation markers and decreased Ki-67 expression. Overall, the expression of senescence markers on T-cell populations correlated positively with their expected in vivo lifespan. Together, this work suggests that i) large, immunodominant CMV-specific CD8(+) T-cell populations do not explain the phenotypical differences between CMV+ and CMV- individuals, ii) CMV infection hardly affects the dynamics of the T-cell pool, and iii) large numbers of CMV-specific CD8(+) T-cells are not due to longer lifespans of these cells

Sequencing of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) genome provides insights into vertebrate evolution

Lampreys are representatives of an ancient vertebrate lineage that diverged from our own ∼500 million years ago. By virtue of this deeply shared ancestry, the sea lamprey (P. marinus) genome is uniquely poised to provide insight into the ancestry of vertebrate genomes and the underlying principles of vertebrate biology. Here, we present the first lamprey whole-genome sequence and assembly. We note challenges faced owing to its high content of repetitive elements and GC bases, as well as the absence of broad-scale sequence information from closely related species. Analyses of the assembly indicate that two whole-genome duplications likely occurred before the divergence of ancestral lamprey and gnathostome lineages. Moreover, the results help define key evolutionary events within vertebrate lineages, including the origin of myelin-associated proteins and the development of appendages. The lamprey genome provides an important resource for reconstructing vertebrate origins and the evolutionary events that have shaped the genomes of extant organisms