Nicotine inhibits cardiac apoptosis induced by lipopolysaccharide in rats

AbstractObjectivesApoptosis develops in several heart diseases, but the therapeutic options are limited. It was hypothesized that nicotine, which inhibits apoptosis in several cells, inhibits cardiac apoptosis induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).BackgroundOver-the-counter nicotine produces sustained levels (10 to 25 ng/ml) that may be antiapoptotic. Low levels of LPS induce apoptosis by activating tissue renin-angiotensin to stimulate angiotensin II, type 1 (AT1) receptors in cardiac myocytes.MethodsAdult Sprague Dawley rats were pretreated with nicotine (6 mg/kg/day) or saline for seven to ten days (miniosmotic pumps). The LPS (1 mg/kg) was injected intravenously. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and angiotensinogen messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) were measured in the heart after 0, 4, 8, 16, and 24 h. Cardiac apoptosis was measured by terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining after 24 h. In vitro effects of LPS (10 ng/ml, 24 h) were studied in cardiac myocytes isolated from rats pretreated with nicotine for 7 to 10 days, or after pre-exposing myocytes to nicotine (15 ng/ml) for 1, 4, 16, or 24 h.ResultsNeither nicotine nor LPS affected systolic blood pressure. The LPS increased cardiac apoptosis after 24 h in saline-treated, but not nicotine-treated rats, despite similar increases in cardiac TLR4 and angiotensinogen mRNA over 8 to 16 h. The LPS-induced apoptosis was blocked by pre-exposing myocytes to nicotine for 4 to 24 h (partial inhibition after 1 h). Nicotine did not inhibit apoptosis induced by angiotensin II (100 nM, 24 h).ConclusionsTherapeutic levels of nicotine inhibit LPS-induced cardiac apoptosis. This occurs after LPS increases TLR4 and angiotensinogen mRNA, but proximal to AT1receptor activation. Nicotine may be a novel inhibitor of cardiac apoptosis in conditions associated with circulating LPS (e.g., decompensated heart failure, acute and chronic infections)

AMPK inhibits ULK1-dependent autophagosome formation and lysosomal acidification via distinct mechanisms

Autophagy maintains metabolism in response to starvation but each nutrient is sensed distinctly. Amino acid deficiency suppresses mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (MTORC1) while glucose deficiency promotes AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). MTORC1 and AMPK signalling pathways converge onto the ULK1/2 autophagy initiation complex. Here, we show that amino acid starvation promoted formation of ULK1- and Sequestosome1/p62-positive early autophagosomes. Autophagosome initiation was controlled by MTORC1 sensing glutamine, leucine and arginine levels together. By contrast, glucose starvation promoted AMPK activity, phosphorylation of ULK1 Ser 555 and LC3-II accumulation, but with dynamics consistent with a block in autophagy flux. We studied the flux pathway and found that starvation of amino acid, but not of glucose, activated lysosomal acidification, which occurred independently of autophagy and ULK1. Further to lack of activation, glucose starvation inhibited the ability of amino acid starvation to activate both autophagosome formation and the lysosome. Activation of AMPK and phosphorylation of ULK1 were determined to specifically inhibit autophagosome formation. AMPK activation also was sufficient to prevent lysosome acidification. These results indicate concerted but distinct AMPK-dependent mechanisms to suppress early and late phases of autophagy

Inhibition of the ULK1 protein complex suppresses Staphylococcus-induced autophagy and cell death

Autophagy plays multiple roles in host cells challenged with extracellular pathogens. Here, we aimed to explore whether autophagy inhibition could prevent bacterial infections. We first confirmed widely distinct patterns of autophagy responses in host cells infected with Staphylococcus aureus, as compared with Salmonella. Only infection with Staphylococcus produced strong accumulation of lipidated autophagy-related protein LC3B (LC3B-II). Infection with virulent Staphylococcus strains induced formation of p62-positive aggregates, suggestive of accumulated ubiquitinated targets. During Salmonella infection, bacteria remain enclosed by lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2)-positive lysosomes, whereas virulent Staphylococcus apparently exited from enlarged lysosomes and invaded the cytoplasm. Surprisingly, Staphylococcus appeared to escape from the lysosome without generation of membrane-damage signals as detected by Galectin3 recruitment. In contrast, Salmonella infection produced high levels of lysosomal damage, consistent with a downstream antibacterial xenophagy response. Lastly, we studied the Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 (ULK1) regulatory complex, including the essential subunit autophagy-related protein 13 (ATG13). Infection of cells with either Staphylococcus or Salmonella led to recruitment of ATG13 to sites of cytosolic bacterial cells to promote autophagosome formation. Of note, genetic targeting of ATG13 suppressed autophagy and the ability of Staphylococcus to infect and kill host cells. Two different ULK1 inhibitors also prevented Staphylococcus intracellular replication and host cell death. Interestingly, inhibition of the ULK1 pathway had the opposite effect on Salmonella, sensitizing cells to the infection. Our results suggest that ULK1 inhibitors may offer a potential strategy to impede cellular infection by Staphylococcus aureus

Hawking Radiation of Black Holes in Infrared Modified Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz Gravity

We study the Hawking radiation of the spherically symmetric, asymptotically flat black holes in the infrared modified Horava-Lifshitz gravity by applying the methods of covariant anomaly cancellation and effective action, as well as the approach of Damour-Ruffini-Sannan's. These black holes behave as the usual Schwarzschild ones of the general relativity when the radial distance is very large. We also extend the method of covariant anomaly cancellation to derive the Hawking temperature of the spherically symmetric, asymptotically AdS black holes that represent the analogues of the Schwarzschild AdS ones.Comment: no figures, 16 pages,accepted by EPJ

Evidence for SU(3) symmetry breaking from hyperon production

We examine the SU(3) symmetry breaking in hyperon semileptonic decays (HSD) by considering two typical sets of quark contributions to the spin content of the octet baryons: Set-1 with SU(3) flavor symmetry and Set-2 with SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking in HSD. The quark distributions of the octet baryons are calculated with a successful statistical model. Using an approximate relation between the quark fragmentation functions and the quark distributions, we predict polarizations of the octet baryons produced in $e^+e^-$ annihilation and semi-inclusive deeply lepton-nucleon scattering in order to reveal the SU(3) symmetry breaking effect on the spin structure of the octet baryons. We find that the SU(3) symmetry breaking significantly affects the hyperon polarization. The available experimental data on the $\Lambda$ polarization seem to favor the theoretical predictions with SU(3) symmetry breaking. We conclude that there is a possibility to get a collateral evidence for SU(3) symmetry breaking from hyperon production. The theoretical errors for our predictions are discussed.Comment: 3 tables, 14 figure

Tracking echovirus eleven outbreaks in Guangdong, China

In April 2019, a suspect cluster of enterovirus cases was reported in a neonatology department in Guangdong, China, resulting in five deaths. We aimed to investigate the pathogen profiles in fatal cases, the circulation and transmission pattern of the viruses by combining metatranscriptomic, phylogenetic, and epidemiological analyses. Metatranscriptomic sequencing was used to characterize the enteroviruses. Clinical and environmental surveillance in the local population was performed to understand the prevalence and genetic diversity of the viruses in the local population. The possible source(s), evolution, transmission, and recombination of the viruses were investigated by incorporating genomes from the current outbreak, from local retrospective surveillance, and from public databases. Metatranscriptomic analysis identified Echovirus 11 (E11) in three fatal cases. Seroprevalence of neutralization antibody to E11 was 35 to 44 per cent in 3–15 age groups of general population, and the viruses were associated with various clinical symptoms. From the viral phylogeny, nosocomial transmissions were identified and all E11 2019 outbreak strains were closely related with E11 strains circulating in local population 2017–19. Frequent recombination occurred among the 2019 Guangdong E11 outbreak strains and various genotypes in enterovirus B species. This study provides an example of combining advanced genetic technology and epidemiological surveillance in pathogen diagnosis, source(s), and transmission tracing during an infectious disease outbreak. The result highlights the hidden E11 circulation and the risk of viral transmission and infection in the young age population in China. Frequent recombination between Guangdong-like strains and other enterovirus genotypes also implies the prevalence of these emerging E11 strains

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters

Measurement of isolated photon production in pp and PbPb collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 2.76 TeV

Isolated photon production is measured in proton-proton and lead-lead collisions at nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energies of 2.76 TeV in the pseudorapidity range |eta|<1.44 and transverse energies ET between 20 and 80 GeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The measured ET spectra are found to be in good agreement with next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions. The ratio of PbPb to pp isolated photon ET-differential yields, scaled by the number of incoherent nucleon-nucleon collisions, is consistent with unity for all PbPb reaction centralities.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters

Search for a W ' boson decaying to a muon and a neutrino in pp collisions at √s =7 TeV

This is the Pre-Print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2011 ElsevierA new heavy gauge boson, W', decaying to a muon and a neutrino, is searched for in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass of 7 TeV. The data, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns. No significant excess of events above the standard model expectation is found in the transverse mass distribution of the muon-neutrino system. Masses below 1.40 TeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level for a sequential standard-model-like W'. The W' mass lower limit increases to 1.58 TeV when the present analysis is combined with the CMS result for the electron channel.This work is supported by the FMSR (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MES (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); Academy of Sciences and NICPB (Estonia); Academy of Finland, ME, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF and WCU (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLP-FAI (Mexico); PAEC (Pakistan); SCSR (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan); MST and MAE (Russia); MSTD (Serbia); MICINN and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); STFC (United Kingdom); DOE and NSF (USA)

Observation of a new Xi(b) baryon

The first observation of a new b baryon via its strong decay into Xi(b)^- pi^+ (plus charge conjugates) is reported. The measurement uses a data sample of pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.3 inverse femtobarns. The known Xi(b)^- baryon is reconstructed via the decay chain Xi(b)^- to J/psi Xi^- to mu^+ mu^- Lambda^0 pi^-, with Lambda^0 to p pi^-. A peak is observed in the distribution of the difference between the mass of the Xi(b)^- pi^+ system and the sum of the masses of the Xi(b)^- and pi^+, with a significance exceeding five standard deviations. The mass difference of the peak is 14.84 +/- 0.74 (stat.) +/- 0.28 (syst.) MeV. The new state most likely corresponds to the J^P=3/2^+ companion of the Xi(b).Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letter