A key role of the mitochondrial citrate carrier (SLC25A1) in TNFα- and IFNγ-triggered inflammation

The chronic induction of inflammation underlies multiple pathological conditions, including metabolic, autoimmune disorders and cancer. The mitochondrial citrate carrier (CIC), encoded by the SLC25A1 gene, promotes the export of citrate from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm, a process that profoundly influences energy balance in the cells. We have previously shown that SLC25A1 is a target gene for lipopolysaccharide signaling and promotes the production of inflammatory mediators. We now demonstrate that SLC25A1 is induced at the transcriptional level by two key pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interferon-γ (IFNγ), and such induction involves the activity of the nuclear factor kappa B and STAT1 transcription factors. By studying the down-stream events following SLC25A1 activation during signals that mimic inflammation, we demonstrate that CIC is required for regulating the levels of nitric oxide and of prostaglandins by TNFα or IFNγ. Importantly, we show that the citrate exported from mitochondria via CIC and its downstream metabolic intermediate, acetyl-coenzyme A, are necessary for TNFα or IFNγ to induce nitric oxide and prostaglandin production. These findings provide the first line of evidence that the citrate export pathway, via CIC, is central for cytokine-induced inflammatory signals and shed new light on the relationship between energy metabolism and inflammation

Glutamine Synthetase Desensitizes Differentiated Adipocytes to Proinflammatory Stimuli by Raising Intracellular Glutamine Levels

The role of glutamine synthetase (GS), a key glutamine-producing enzyme, is unclear during adipocyte differentiation. We assess here whether GS expression influences the adipocytic response to a proinflammatory challenge at different differentiation stages. GS is expressed at late stages of differentiation and desensitizes mature cells to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by increasing intracellular glutamine levels. LPS-activated mature adipocytes are unable to produce inflammatory mediators; their sensitivity to LPS is rescued in conditions of GS inhibition, in which intracellular glutamine levels decrease. The ability of adipocytes at different differentiation days to respond to LPS negatively correlates to GS expression and intracellular glutamine levels. Modulation of intracellular glutamine levels by GS expression represents an endogenous mechanism by which mature adipocytes control the inflammatory response

Impact of Chitosan-Based Foliar Application on the Phytochemical Content and the Antioxidant Activity in Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Inflorescences

In the present study, the phytochemical content and the antioxidant activity in the inflorescences of the monoecious hemp cultivar Codimono grown in southern Italy were assessed, and their elicitation was induced by foliar spray application of 50 mg/L and 250 mg/L of chitosan (CHT) at three different molecular weights (low, CHT L; medium, CHT M; high CHT H). The analysis of the phytochemical profile confirmed that cannabinoids were the most abundant class (54.2%), followed by flavonoids (40.3%), tocopherols (2.2%), phenolic acids (1.9%), and carotenoids (1.4%). Cannabinoids were represented almost exclusively by cannabidiol, whereas cannabigerol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol were detected at very low levels (the latter was below the legal limit of 0.3%). The most abundant flavonoids were orientin and vitexin, whereas tocopherols were mainly represented by α-tocopherol. The antioxidant activity was found to be positively correlated with flavonoids and tocopherols. Statistical analysis revealed that the CHT treatments significantly affected the phytochemical content and the antioxidant activity of hemp inflorescences. Notably, a significant increase in the total phenolic content (from +36% to +69%), the α-tocopherol (from +45% to +75%) and β+γ-tocopherol (from +35% to +82%) contents, and the ABTS radical scavenging activity (from +12% to +28%) was induced by all the CHT treatments. In addition, treatments with CHT 50 solutions induced an increase in the total flavonoid content (from +12% to +27%), as well as in the vitexin (from +17% to +20%) and orientin (from +20% to +30%) contents. Treatment with CHT 50 L almost always resulted in the greatest increases. Overall, our findings indicated that CHT could be used as a low-cost and environmentally safe elicitor to improve the health benefits and the economic value of hemp inflorescences, thus promoting their employment in the food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic supply chains

Long-term outcome of COVID-19 patients treated with helmet noninvasive ventilation vs. high-flow nasal oxygen: a randomized trial

Background: Long-term outcomes of patients treated with helmet noninvasive ventilation (NIV) are unknown: safety concerns regarding the risk of patient self-inflicted lung injury and delayed intubation exist when NIV is applied in hypoxemic patients. We assessed the 6-month outcome of patients who received helmet NIV or high-flow nasal oxygen for COVID-19 hypoxemic respiratory failure. Methods: In this prespecified analysis of a randomized trial of helmet NIV versus high-flow nasal oxygen (HENIVOT), clinical status, physical performance (6-min-walking-test and 30-s chair stand test), respiratory function and quality of life (EuroQoL five dimensions five levels questionnaire, EuroQoL VAS, SF36 and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the DSM) were evaluated 6 months after the enrollment. Results: Among 80 patients who were alive, 71 (89%) completed the follow-up: 35 had received helmet NIV, 36 high-flow oxygen. There was no inter-group difference in any item concerning vital signs (N = 4), physical performance (N = 18), respiratory function (N = 27), quality of life (N = 21) and laboratory tests (N = 15). Arthralgia was significantly lower in the helmet group (16% vs. 55%, p = 0.002). Fifty-two percent of patients in helmet group vs. 63% of patients in high-flow group had diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide < 80% of predicted (p = 0.44); 13% vs. 22% had forced vital capacity < 80% of predicted (p = 0.51). Both groups reported similar degree of pain (p = 0.81) and anxiety (p = 0.81) at the EQ-5D-5L test; the EQ-VAS score was similar in the two groups (p = 0.27). Compared to patients who successfully avoided invasive mechanical ventilation (54/71, 76%), intubated patients (17/71, 24%) had significantly worse pulmonary function (median diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide 66% [Interquartile range: 47–77] of predicted vs. 80% [71–88], p = 0.005) and decreased quality of life (EQ-VAS: 70 [53–70] vs. 80 [70–83], p = 0.01). Conclusions: In patients with COVID-19 hypoxemic respiratory failure, treatment with helmet NIV or high-flow oxygen yielded similar quality of life and functional outcome at 6 months. The need for invasive mechanical ventilation was associated with worse outcomes. These data indicate that helmet NIV, as applied in the HENIVOT trial, can be safely used in hypoxemic patients. Trial registration Registered on clinicaltrials.gov NCT04502576 on August 6, 202

The synergetic effects of surface texturing and MoDDP additive applied to ball-on-disk friction subject to both flooded and starved lubrication conditions

This paper reports a novel work on the synergetic effects of microscale surface texturing and lubricant friction modifier additive of molybdenum dialkyldithiophosphate (MoDDP) subject to both flooded and starved lubrication conditions. The experiments were performed on reciprocating ball-on-disk friction in GTL8 base oil with and without MoDDP. In the flooded lubrication condition, the test results demonstrated that the presence of the MoDDP additive contributed to lower friction coefficients, and also more pronounced effect of surface textures on friction than in the case of the bare base oil. In the starved lubrication experiments, textured and texture-free surfaces in the oils with and without MoDDP additive were tested until an abrupt rising of friction coefficient was detected. The results showed that the magnitude of friction coefficient before terminating each test was the almost same for various tests, while the endurance time in different test conditions was significantly different. The textured surface exhibited longer endurance time than the texture-free surface, especially when the MoDDP additive was used. The mechanism of the synergetic effects of surface textures and MoDDP additive has been discussed based on the experimental observations in the following sections. This study provides a new idea for the application of surface texture in boundary lubrication when lubricant additive is contained in the lubricating oils