Increased DNA damage in blood cells of rat treated with lead as assessed by comet assay

A growing body of evidence suggests that oxidative stress is the key player in the pathogenesis of lead-induced toxicity. The present study investigated lead induced oxidative DNA damage, if any in rat blood cells by alkaline comet assay. Lead was administered intraperitoneally to rats at doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight for 5 days consecutively. Blood collected on day six from sacrificed lead-treated rats was used to assess the extent of DNA damage by comet assay which entailed measurement of comet length, olive tail moment, tail DNA (%) and tail length. The results showed that treatment with lead significantly increased DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, our data suggests that lead treatment is associated with oxidative stress-induced DNA damage in rat blood cells which could be used as an early bio-marker of lead-toxicity

Inhibition of upper small intestinal mTOR lowers plasma glucose levels by inhibiting glucose production

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (TOR) functions as an energy sensor and contributes to the control of glucose homeostasis. Here, the authors show that mTOR in the upper small intestine regulates hepatic glucose production and is required for the glucose lowering effect of metformin

Keywords: DNA damage Lead toxicity

by comet assa

The Cyclic AMP (cAMP)-cAMP Receptor Protein Signaling System Mediates Resistance of Vibrio cholerae O1 Strains to Multiple Environmental Bacteriophages ▿

Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the epidemic diarrheal disease cholera, interacts with diverse environmental bacteriophages. These interactions promote genetic diversity or cause selective enrichment of phage-resistant bacterial clones. To identify bacterial genes involved in mediating the phage-resistant phenotype, we screened a transposon insertion library of V. cholerae O1 El Tor biotype strain C6706 to identify mutants showing altered susceptibility to a panel of phages isolated from surface waters in Bangladesh. Mutants with insertion in cyaA or crp genes encoding adenylate cyclase or cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP), respectively, were susceptible to a phage designated JSF9 to which the parent strain was completely resistant. Application of the cyaA mutant as an indicator strain in environmental phage monitoring enhanced phage detection, and we identified 3 additional phages to which the parent strain was resistant. Incorporation of the cyaA or crp mutations into other V. cholerae O1 strains caused similar alterations in their phage susceptibility patterns, and the susceptibility correlated with the ability of the bacteria to adsorb these phages. Our results suggest that cAMP-CRP-mediated downregulation of phage adsorption may contribute to a mechanism for the V. cholerae O1 strains to survive predation by multiple environmental phages. Furthermore, the cyaA or crp mutant strains may be used as suitable indicators in monitoring cholera phages in the water

Additional file 1 of A genetic model for central chondrosarcoma evolution correlates with patient outcome

Additional file 1: Supplementary Tables 1-6

Dietary switch to Western diet induces hypothalamic adaptation associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis in rats

International audienceBackground: Early hyperphagia and hypothalamic inflammation encountered after Western diet (WD) are linked to rodent propensity to obesity. Inflammation in several brain structures has been associated with gut dysbiosis. Since gut microbiota is highly sensitive to dietary changes, we hypothesised that immediate gut microbiota adaptation to WD in rats is involved in inflammation-related hypothalamic modifications. Methods: We evaluated short-term impact of WD consumption (2 h, 1, 2 and 4 days) on hypothalamic metabolome and caecal microbiota composition and metabolome. Data integration analyses were performed to uncover potential relationships among these three datasets. Finally, changes in hypothalamic gene expression in absence of gut microbiota were evaluated in germ-free rats fed WD for 2 days. Results: WD quickly and profoundly affected the levels of several hypothalamic metabolites, especially oxidative stress markers. In parallel, WD consumption reduced caecal microbiota diversity, modified its composition towards pro-inflammatory profile and changed caecal metabolome. Data integration identified strong correlations between gut microbiota sub-networks, unidentified caecal metabolites and hypothalamic oxidative stress metabolites. Germ-free rats displayed reduced energy intake and no changes in redox homoeostasis machinery expression or pro-inflammatory cytokines after 2 days of WD, in contrast to conventional rats, which exhibited increased SOD2, GLRX and IL-6 mRNA levels. Conclusion: A potentially pro-inflammatory gut microbiota and an early hypothalamic oxidative stress appear shortly after WD introduction. Tripartite data integration highlighted putative links between gut microbiota sub-networks and hypothalamic oxidative stress. Together with the absence of hypothalamic modifications in germ-free rats, this strongly suggests the involvement of the microbiota-hypothalamus axis in rat adaptation to WD introduction and in energy homoeostasis regulation