Increased survival by feeding tetradecylthioacetic acid during a natural outbreak of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation in S0 Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

We have previously documented increased survival by feeding tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) during a natural outbreak of infectious pancreatic necrosis in post-smolt S1 Atlantic salmon. The aim of the present study was to test the effects of dietary TTA in S0 smolt at a location where fish often experience natural outbreaks of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) during their first spring at sea. The experimental groups were fed a diet supplemented with 0.25% TTA for a 6-week period prior to a natural outbreak of HSMI in May 2007. Relative percent survival for the groups fed TTA was 45% compared with control diets, reducing mortality from 4.7% to 2.5%. Expression of genes related to lipid oxidation was higher in cardiac ventricles from salmon fed TTA compared with controls. In addition, salmon fed TTA had periodically reduced levels of plasma urea, and increased cardiosomatic index and growth. Reduced mortality and increased growth after administration of TTA may be related to a combination of anti-inflammatory effects, and an altered metabolic balance with better protein conservation because of increased lipid degradation.     

mRNA expression of GnRH variants and receptors in the brain,pituitary and ovaries of pejerrey (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Odontesthes bonariensis</Emphasis>) in relation to the reproductive status

The present study examined the differential mRNA expression levels of three forms of GnRH (sGnRH, pjGnRH and cGnRH-II) and two forms of GnRH receptor (pjGnRH-R I and pjGnRH-R II) in the brain, pituitary, and ovaries of pejerrey in relation to the reproductive status. The analysis revealed the presence of significant amounts of mRNA of the three GnRH forms while the ovaries showed only two (sGnRH and pjGnRH). The GnRH receptor II was found ubiquitously in the brain, pituitary, and ovaries while the form I was detected only in the brain. The levels of pjGnRH mRNA in the brain and pjGnRH-R II in the pituitary gland varied in correlation with the ovarian condition. However, brain sGnRH and pjGnRH-R I mRNA levels reached a maximum during early stages of ovarian development. In contrast, the brain levels of cGnRH-II mRNA showed no variation. The present study also shows a good correlation of ovarian sGnRH and pjGnRH-R II mRNA levels with the reproductive condition, suggesting that these molecules are may be involved in the regulation of pejerrey ovarian function.     

神经肽Y系统在硬骨鱼类摄食调控中的作用的研究进展

对硬骨鱼摄食调节机制的研究可以为鱼类养殖中优化饲料配方和养殖方式提供重要的科学指导。在众多参与摄食调节的内分泌因子中,神经肽Y(neuropeptide Y,NPY)家族多肽由于同时参与脑和胃肠道对食欲的调节,备受研究者关注。哺乳动物中存在3种类型的NPY家族多肽,其中NPY是脑中的促摄食因子,而肽YY(peptide YY,PYY)和胰多肽(pancreatic polypeptide,PP)是胃肠道中的抑摄食因子。这3种多肽与其共同的受体——NPY家族受体结合发挥其生理作用。NPY家族多肽和受体被共同称为NPY系统。硬骨鱼经历了第3次基因组复制,其NPY系统的组成更为复杂。目前对于硬骨鱼NPY系统在摄食调节中具体作用的研究还很不完善,尤其是对NPY家族受体的研究尚处于起步阶段。本文论述了硬骨鱼中NPY系统的组成、受体与配体的结合能力以及NPY家族多肽和受体在摄食调节中的作用,以期为该领域未来的研究提供参考。     

The 3/4- and 3/6-Subfamily Variants of α-Conotoxins GI and MI Exhibit Potent Inhibitory Activity against Muscular Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

α-Conotoxins GI and MI belong to the 3/5 subfamily of α-conotoxins and potently inhibit muscular nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). To date, no 3/4- or 3/6-subfamily α-conotoxins have been reported to inhibit muscular nAChRs. In the present study, a series of new 3/4-, 3/6-, and 3/7-subfamily GI and MI variants were synthesized and functionally characterized by modifications of loop2. The results show that the 3/4-subfamily GI variant GI[∆8G]-II and the 3/6-subfamily variants GI[+13A], GI[+13R], and GI[+13K] displayed potent inhibition of muscular nAChRs expressed in Xenopus oocytes, with an IC₅₀ of 45.4–73.4 nM, similar to or slightly lower than that of wild-type GI (42.0 nM). The toxicity of these GI variants in mice appeared to be about a half to a quarter of that of wild-type GI. At the same time, the 3/7-subfamily GI variants showed significantly lower in vitro potency and toxicity. On the other hand, similar to the 3/6-subfamily GI variants, the 3/6-subfamily MI variants MI[+14R] and MI[+14K] were also active after the addition of a basic amino acid, Arg or Lys, in loop2, but the activity was not maintained for the 3/4-subfamily MI variant MI[∆9G]. Interestingly, the disulfide bond connectivity “C1–C4, C2–C3” in the 3/4-subfamily variant GI[∆8G]-II was significantly more potent than the “C1–C3, C2–C4” connectivity found in wild-type GI and MI, suggesting that disulfide bond connectivity is easily affected in the rigid 3/4-subfamily α-conotoxins and that the disulfide bonds significantly impact the variants’ function. This work is the first to demonstrate that 3/4- and 3/6-subfamily α-conotoxins potently inhibit muscular nAChRs, expanding our knowledge of α-conotoxins and providing new motifs for their further modifications.     

Activation of TGR5 reduces high glucose-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by inhibiting CaN/NFAT3 signaling

AIM: To investigate the role of G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1(GPBR1; also known as TGR5) activation in high glucose-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and calcineurin (CaN)/nuclear factor of activated T-cells 3 (NFAT3) signaling.METHODS: Primarily cultured mouse cardiomyocytes were used in the study. The cell surface areas of the cardiomyocytes were measured by an image analysis system. The cell protein content was detected by BCA method. The expression of TGR5, CaN and NFAT3 at mRNA and protein levels was determined by RT-PCR and Western blot.RESULTS: The mouse cardiomyocytes were successfully cultured. High glucose significantly induced the increases in the cell surface area, the cell protein content and the expression of CaN and NFAT3 (P<0.05) in the cardiomyocytes. TGR5 activation or a CaN antagonist cyclosporin A inhibited high glucose-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the expression of CaN and NFAT3 (P<0.05). These effects of TGR5 activation were abolished by TGR5 gene interference (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: TGR5 activation reduces high glucose-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by inhibiting CaN/NFAT3 signaling.     

Lyophilization Serves as an Effective Strategy for Drug Development of the α9α10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Antagonist α-Conotoxin GeXIVA[1,2]

α-Conotoxin GeXIVA[1,2] is a highly potent and selective antagonist of the α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtype. It has the advantages of strong efficacy, no tolerance, and no effect on motor function, which has been expected help patients with neuropathic pain. However, drug development for clinical use is severely limited owing to its instability. Lyophilization is applied as the most preferred method to solve this problem. The prepared lyophilized powder is characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Molecular simulation is also used to explore the internal distribution and forces formed in the system. The analgesic effect on paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain following single and 14-day repeated administrations are evaluated by the von Frey test and the tail-flick test. Trehalose combined with mannitol in a ratio of 1:1 is employed as the excipients in the determined formulation, where trehalose acts as the stabilizer and mannitol acts as the bulking agent, according to the results of DSC, PXRD, and FTIR. Both GeXIVA[1,2] (API) and GeXIVA[1,2] lyophilized powder (formulation) could produce stable analgesic effect. These results indicated that GeXIVA[1,2] lyophilized powder could improve the stability and provide an effective strategy to push it into clinical use as a new analgesic drug.