ULTRASTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF GRUNT FIN (GF) CELLS TREATED WITH RED SEA BREAM IRIDOVIRUS (RSIV; family Iridoviridae, genus Megalocytivirus) IN COMBINATIONS WITH INTERFERONS AND SPLENIC SUBSTANCES

The genus Megalocytivirus in the family of Iridoviridae encompasses isolate of red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV). In the present study, grunt fin (GF) cells were treated with red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV) in combinations with interferons (IFNs) and splenic substances. The viral titer in the combination with primary splenic substance was higher than the other combinations of 10-1 and 10-2 diluted splenic substances, and the positive control. The viral titer was not decreased by all combinations with recombinant murine interferon-α (rMuIFN-α), recombinant murine IFN-β (rMuIFN-β), and recombinant feline interferon-ω (rFeIFN-ω). Electron microscopy revealed inclusion body bearing cells (IBCs) and enlarged cells allowing virus propagation within the intracytoplasmic virus assembly site (VAS). Most were enlarged cells. These enlarged cells were divided into three cell types. Cells of Type II, which contained many mature virions within the VAS, were numerous in number in all treated cells. Cells of Type I allowing assembly of few virions and cells of Type III containing many immature viral particles were rather fewer in number. Their percentage was almost the same in all combinations with the splenic substances and IFNs. These results determined in in vitro treatment with IFNs did not prevent viral replication of RSIV, as well as the splenic substances which were derived from the RSIV-infected spleen of red sea bream did not contain any factors to disturb RSIV replication

FINE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF UNPRODUCTIVE AND LOWPRODUCTIVE CELLS RESULTING ON CULTURED RSIV (IN VITRO)

Red seabream iridovirus (RSIV) has been known to induce enlarged cells and inclusion body bearing cells (IBCs) allowing virus particles to propagate within viral assembly site (VAS) in the cell cytoplasm. The aim of this study was to evaluate fine structural analysis of unproductive and low-productive cells resulting on RSIV-infected cultured grunt fin (GF) cells. GF cells were treated with semi purified RSIV, and incubated for 6-14 days post cultured. The cellular enlargement were harvested, processed, and analysis under electron microscopy. Electron microscopy revealed four types of cells that were productive enlarged cells and productive IBCs which were allowing propagation of virus particles within its cytoplasm, and unproductive enlarged cells and IBCs without virus particles. Most of them were unproductive enlarged cells (80,71%-98,20%). Unproductive enlarged cell had a nucleus with enlarged cytoplasm without production of VAS with virus propagation. While, unproductive IBC had an inclusion body that was delimited from the host-cell cytoplasm by a thin membranous boundary, and was developed without virus propagation. On the other hand, lowproductive enlarged cells and IBCs contained a few number of virus particles or tubule-like structures. Therefore, the number of low-productive enlarged cells and IBCs were only a few (about 0%-14% from a total of percent productive enlarged cells and IBCs), these cells were classified into types of productive enlarged cells and IBCs. These results sugested that the unproductive and low-productive enlarged cells and IBCs were the results of RSIV-infected GF cells which failed to produce virus particles due to incapacity of RSIV virus it self and or the ability of GF cells to inhibit virus multiplication within VAS

Blue moon ensemble simulation of aquation free energy profiles applied to mono and bifunctional platinum anticancer drugs

Aquation free energy profiles of neutral cisplatin and cationic monofunctional derivatives, including triaminochloroplatinum(II) and cis-diammine(pyridine)chloroplatinum(II), were computed using state of the art thermodynamic integration, for which temperature and solvent were accounted for explicitly using density functional theory based canonical molecular dynamics (DFT-MD). For all the systems the "inverse-hydration" where the metal center acts as an acceptor of hydrogen bond has been observed. This has motivated to consider the inversely bonded solvent molecule in the definition of the reaction coordinate required to initiate the constrained DFT-MD trajectories. We found that there exists little difference in free enthalpies of activations, such that these platinum-based anticancer drugs are likely to behave the same way in aqueous media. Detailed analysis of the microsolvation structure of the square-planar complexes, along with the key steps of the aquation mechanism are discussed

Unveiling structural disorders in honeycomb layered oxide: Na2Ni2TeO6

Honeycomb layered oxides have garnered tremendous research interest in a wide swath of disciplines owing not only to the myriad physicochemical properties they exhibit, but also their rich crystal structural versatility. Herein, a comprehensive crystallographic study of a sodium-based Na2Ni2TeO6 honeycomb layered oxide has been performed using atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy, elucidating a plethora of atomic arrangement (stacking) disorders in the pristine material. Stacking disorders in the arrangement of honeycomb metal slab layers (stacking faults) occur predominantly perpendicular to the slabs with long-range coherence length and enlisting edge dislocations in some domains. Moreover, the periodic arrangement of the distribution of alkali atoms is altered by the occurrence of stacking faults. The multitude of disorders innate in Na2Ni2TeO6 envisage broad implications in the functionalities of related honeycomb layered oxide materials and hold promise in bolstering renewed interest in their material science.Correction published, see: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2021.10110

N-acetyltaurine and Acetylcarnitine Production for the Mitochondrial Acetyl-CoA Regulation in Skeletal Muscles during Endurance Exercises

During endurance exercises, a large amount of mitochondrial acetyl-CoA is produced in skeletal muscles from lipids, and the excess acetyl-CoA suppresses the metabolic flux from glycolysis to the TCA cycle. This study evaluated the hypothesis that taurine and carnitine act as a buffer of the acetyl moiety of mitochondrial acetyl-CoA derived from the short- and long-chain fatty acids of skeletal muscles during endurance exercises. In human subjects, the serum concentrations of acetylated forms of taurine (NAT) and carnitine (ACT), which are the metabolites of acetyl-CoA buffering, significantly increased after a full marathon. In the culture medium of primary human skeletal muscle cells, NAT and ACT concentrations significantly increased when they were cultured with taurine and acetate or with carnitine and palmitic acid, respectively. The increase in the mitochondrial acetyl-CoA/free CoA ratio induced by acetate and palmitic acid was suppressed by taurine and carnitine, respectively. Elevations of NAT and ACT in the blood of humans during endurance exercises might serve the buffering of the acetyl-moiety in mitochondria by taurine and carnitine, respectively. The results suggest that blood levels of NAT and ACT indicate energy production status from fatty acids in the skeletal muscles of humans undergoing endurance exercise

Taurine supplementation enhances endurance capacity by delaying blood glucose decline during prolonged exercise in rats

Taurine enhances physical performance; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study examined the effect of taurine on the overtime dynamics of blood glucose concentration (BGC) during endurance exercise in rats. Male F344 rats were subjected to transient treadmill exercise until exhaustion following 3 weeks of taurine supplementation or non-supplementation (TAU and CON groups). Every 10 min during exercise, BGC was measured in blood collected through cannulation of the jugular vein. Gluconeogenesis-, lipolysis-, and fatty acid oxidation-related factors in the plasma, liver, and skeletal muscles were also analyzed after 120-min run. Exercise time to exhaustion was significantly longer with taurine supplementation. BGC in the two groups significantly increased by 40 min and gradually and significantly decreased toward the respective exhaustion point. The decline in BGC from the peak at 40 min was significantly slower in the TAU group. The time when the once-increased BGC regressed to the 0-time level was significantly and positively correlated with exercise time until exhaustion. At the 120-min point, where the difference in BGC between the two groups was most significant, plasma free fatty acid concentration and acetyl-carnitine and N-acetyltaurine concentrations in skeletal muscle were significantly higher in the TAU group, whereas glycogen and glucogenic amino acid concentrations and G6Pase activity in the liver were not different between the two groups. Taurine supplementation enhances endurance capacity by delaying the decrease in BGC toward exhaustion through increases of lipolysis in adipose tissues and fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscles during endurance exercise

Mixed alkali-ion transport and storage in atomic-disordered honeycomb layered NaKNi2TeO6

Honeycomb layered oxides constitute an emerging class of materials that show interesting physicochemical and electrochemical properties. However, the development of these materials is still limited. Here, we report the combined use of alkali atoms (Na and K) to produce a mixed-alkali honeycomb layered oxide material, namely, NaKNi2TeO6. Via transmission electron microscopy measurements, we reveal the local atomic structural disorders characterised by aperiodic stacking and incoherency in the alternating arrangement of Na and K atoms. We also investigate the possibility of mixed electrochemical transport and storage of Na+ and K+ ions in NaKNi2TeO6. In particular, we report an average discharge cell voltage of about 4 V and a specific capacity of around 80 mAh g–1 at low specific currents (i.e., < 10 mA g–1) when a NaKNi2TeO6-based positive electrode is combined with a room-temperature NaK liquid alloy negative electrode using an ionic liquid-based electrolyte solution. These results represent a step towards the use of tailored cathode active materials for “dendrite-free” electrochemical energy storage systems exploiting room-temperature liquid alkali metal alloy materials

骨格筋糖代謝ならびにアミノ酸代謝関連の遺伝子発現に及ぼすタウリン投与の影響

骨格筋の糖代謝ならびにセリン・グリシン・スレオニンのアミノ酸代謝の遺伝子発現に及ぼすタウリン投与の影響を明らかにすることを目的とした。ラットへ2週間タウリンを経口投与し、腓腹筋内側頭白色部の遺伝子発現をDNAマイクロアレイ法にて網羅的に解析を行った。その結果、タウリン投与によって、骨格筋の糖代謝ならびにセリン・グリシン・スレオニンのアミノ酸代謝には影響を及ぼさなかった。タウリン投与のエネルギー代謝への影響は骨格筋よりむしろ肝臓など他の臓器への作用が関連する可能性が示唆された