Near-native state imaging by cryo-soft-X-ray tomography reveals remodelling of multiple cellular organelles during HSV-1 infection.

Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) is a large, enveloped DNA virus and its assembly in the cell is a complex multi-step process during which viral particles interact with numerous cellular compartments such as the nucleus and organelles of the secretory pathway. Transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy are commonly used to study HSV-1 infection. However, 2D imaging limits our understanding of the 3D geometric changes to cellular compartments that accompany infection and sample processing can introduce morphological artefacts that complicate interpretation. In this study, we used soft X-ray tomography to observe differences in whole-cell architecture between HSV-1 infected and uninfected cells. To protect the near-native structure of cellular compartments we used a non-disruptive sample preparation technique involving rapid cryopreservation, and a fluorescent reporter virus was used to facilitate correlation of structural changes with the stage of infection in individual cells. We observed viral capsids and assembly intermediates interacting with nuclear and cytoplasmic membranes. Additionally, we observed differences in the morphology of specific organelles between uninfected and infected cells. The local concentration of cytoplasmic vesicles at the juxtanuclear compartment increased and their mean width decreased as infection proceeded, and lipid droplets transiently increased in size. Furthermore, mitochondria in infected cells were elongated and highly branched, suggesting that HSV-1 infection alters the dynamics of mitochondrial fission/fusion. Our results demonstrate that high-resolution 3D images of cellular compartments can be captured in a near-native state using soft X-ray tomography and have revealed that infection causes striking changes to the morphology of intracellular organelles.

Contour, a semi-automated segmentation and quantitation tool for cryo-soft-X-ray tomography.

Cryo-soft-X-ray tomography is being increasingly used in biological research to study the morphology of cellular compartments and how they change in response to different stimuli, such as viral infections. Segmentation of these compartments is limited by time-consuming manual tools or machine learning algorithms that require extensive time and effort to train. Here we describe Contour, a new, easy-to-use, highly automated segmentation tool that enables accelerated segmentation of tomograms to delineate distinct cellular compartments. Using Contour, cellular structures can be segmented based on their projection intensity and geometrical width by applying a threshold range to the image and excluding noise smaller in width than the cellular compartments of interest. This method is less laborious and less prone to errors from human judgement than current tools that require features to be manually traced, and does not require training datasets as would machine-learning driven segmentation. We show that high-contrast compartments such as mitochondria, lipid droplets, and features at the cell surface can be easily segmented with this technique in the context of investigating herpes simplex virus 1 infection. Contour can extract geometric measurements from 3D segmented volumes, providing a new method to quantitate cryo-soft-X-ray tomography data. Contour can be freely downloaded at github.com/kamallouisnahas/Contour.

Cryo-Structured Illumination Microscopic Data Collection from Cryogenically Preserved Cells.

Three-dimensional (3D) structured illumination microscopy (SIM) allows imaging of fluorescently labelled cellular structures at higher resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy. This super-resolution (SR) technique enables visualization of molecular processes in whole cells and has the potential to be used in conjunction with electron microscopy and X-ray tomography to correlate structural and functional information. A SIM microscope for cryogenically preserved samples (cryoSIM) has recently been commissioned at the correlative cryo-imaging beamline B24 at the UK synchrotron. It was designed specifically for 3D imaging of biological samples at cryogenic temperatures in a manner compatible with subsequent imaging of the same samples by X-ray microscopy methods such as cryo-soft X-ray tomography. This video article provides detailed methods and protocols for successful imaging using the cryoSIM. In addition to instructions on the operation of the cryoSIM microscope, recommendations have been included regarding the choice of samples, fluorophores, and parameter settings. The protocol is demonstrated in U2OS cell samples whose mitochondria and tubulin have been fluorescently labelled.

Sample preparation strategies for efficient correlation of 3D SIM and soft X-ray tomography data at cryogenic temperatures.

3D correlative microscopy methods have revolutionized biomedical research, allowing the acquisition of multidimensional information to gain an in-depth understanding of biological systems. With the advent of relevant cryo-preservation methods, correlative imaging of cryogenically preserved samples has led to nanometer resolution imaging (2-50 nm) under harsh imaging regimes such as electron and soft X-ray tomography. These methods have now been combined with conventional and super-resolution fluorescence imaging at cryogenic temperatures to augment information content from a given sample, resulting in the immediate requirement for protocols that facilitate hassle-free, unambiguous cross-correlation between microscopes. We present here sample preparation strategies and a direct comparison of different working fiducialization regimes that facilitate 3D correlation of cryo-structured illumination microscopy and cryo-soft X-ray tomography. Our protocol has been tested at two synchrotron beamlines (B24 at Diamond Light Source in the UK and BL09 Mistral at ALBA in Spain) and has led to the development of a decision aid that facilitates experimental design with the strategic use of markers based on project requirements. This protocol takes between 1.5 h and 3.5 d to complete, depending on the cell populations used (adherent cells may require several days to grow on sample carriers).

The Pancreas Can Take the Cold: Lower Waitlist Times Through Importation.

BACKGROUND: Our center has used a strategy of pancreas importation owing to long regional waitlist times. Here we assess the clinical outcomes and financial considerations of this strategy. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study of patients who received a pancreas transplant at Montefiore Medical Center (MMC) from 2014 to 2017 (n = 28). Clinical parameters, including hemoglobin A1c and complications, were analyzed. The cohort was compared with United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Region 9 with the use of the UNOS/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database. Cost analysis of length of stay (LOS), standard acquisition (SAC) fees, and transportation was performed with the use of internal financial data. RESULTS: Pancreas importation resulted in significantly shorter simultaneous pancreas kidney transplant waitlist times compared with Region 9: 518 days vs 1001 days (P = .038). In addition, postoperative complications and 1-year HbA1c did not differ between groups: local 6.30% vs import 6.17% (P = .87). Patients receiving local pancreata stayed an average of 9.2 days compared with 11 days for the import group (P = .36). As such, pancreas importation was associated with higher mean charges ($445,968) compared with local pancreas recipients ($325,470). CONCLUSIONS: Long waitlist times in Region 9 have encouraged our center's adoption of pancreas importation to address the needs of our patient population. This practice has resulted in a reduction of waitlist times by an average of 483 days. Understandably, centers have long been wary of importation owing to perceived risk in clinical outcomes. In our single-center experience, we have demonstrated equivalent postoperative glucose control and graft survival. Importantly, there does appear to be increased costs associated with importation, which are mainly driven by LOS. Curiously, importation from regions with lower SAC fees has the potential to offset costs related to transportation expenses. Notwithstanding these findings, pancreas importation does have the potential to lessen the financial societal burden through reduction in waitlist times.

Concomitance of IgA nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy in a kidney allograft: case report and review of the literature.

Whereas diabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), IgA nephropathy is the most common glomerulonephritis in the world. We report a case of a kidney transplant recipient whose native renal disease was presumptive diabetic nephropathy. Five years after transplantation, the patient developed proteinuria, hematuria, and allograft dysfunction. Transplant biopsy revealed IgA nephropathy superimposed on diabetic nephropathy.

Platelet serotonin content and uptake in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Platelet serotonin (5-HT) content and uptake were studied in male SHR and WKY at various ages. Blood was withdrawn from the carotid artery under anesthesia and 5-HT levels determined from platelet rich plasma (PRP) using a HPLC technique coupled with an electrochemical detection method. Platelet 5-HT uptake was studied by incubating PRP at 37 degrees C for 10 sec with increasing concentrations of 3H-5HT. Lineweaver- Burk plots of 3H-5HT uptake were linear suggesting simple Michaelis- Menten uptake kinetics. The SHR had more platelets than age-matched controls and consequently a higher blood circulating pool of 5-HT. Nevertheless, the 5-HT platelet levels were similar to those of their age-matched rats. The 5 week-old SHR and WKY had greater numbers of platelets and higher 5-HT platelet levels than the older rats of both strains. The affinity constants (Km) and the maximal velocities (Vmax) of platelet 5-HT uptake did not differ significantly between the 12 week- and the 6 month-old SHR and WKY. These data suggest that the SHR do not show the same impairment in platelet 5-HT metabolism as observed in essential hypertension in man.

Chemical, experimental, and clinical studies on endogenous ouabain-like substance in hypertension.

A heat-stable, low molecular weight, anionic substance(s) capable of inhibiting 3H-ouabain binding and Na+-K+-ATPase activity could be extracted from human urine and plasma. The level of the inhibitor was elevated in 40%-50% of essential hypertensives, compared to controls, and also in some of the offspring of hypertensive parents. Higher levels of the inhibitor were measured in patients treated with beta-blocking agents than in those treated with diuretics. The inhibitor extracted from plasma also appeared capable of (1) inhibiting the uptake of serotonin in human platelets, an Na+-dependent mechanism, and (2) inducing an increase in blood pressure when injected intracerebroventricularly. From these various data, we propose that the increase in the endogenous inhibitor may play a role in essential hypertension and may modulate, at least partially, some of the various cell functions that depend on a transmembrane Na+ gradient, including cellular excitability.

Platelet serotonin in essential hypertension and in mental depression.

The similarity between the metabolic pathways of serotonin in platelets and serotoninergic nerve endings has often been emphasized. The turnover of serotonin was therefore investigated in two diseases: hypertension (as central serotoninergic neurones appear to modulate central sympathetic nervous activity) and depression (as a central 5-HT-deficiency and a low 3H-imipramine binding on platelets have been described in patients with endogenous depression). Mean platelet 5-HT level was significantly lower in essential hypertensives than in controls. A reduction in platelet 5-HT level was also observed in depression and was more marked in women than in men. Serotonin level was only weakly related to the severity of the diseases. In some hypertensive patients, administration of ketanserin resulted in a reduction of blood pressure without affecting 5-HT level. In depressive patients, maprotiline and chlorimipramine acted differently on 5-HT level but both improved the clinical symptoms.

Reduced platelet serotonin in depression.

Platelet serotonin levels were measured in several psychiatric disorders to determine whether they distinguish among major depressive disorder (one or more depressive episodes and no manic episodes), dysthymic disorder (depressive neurosis), and schizophrenic and paranoid disorders. Serotonin levels in 141 subjects were determined using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Serotonin (5HT) levels in control subjects were significantly lower in males than in females. A marked reduction in 5HT levels, as compared to controls, was found in male and female patients with major depressive disorder, but not in dysthymic disorder. A slight but significant reduction in serotonin levels was found in female schizophrenic patients. The reduction in serotonin levels found in major depressive disorder could not be attributed to chronic antidepressant treatment. Liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection used in the present study permits a large-scale investigation.

Decreased uptake of 3H-serotonin and endogenous content of serotonin in blood platelets in hypertensive patients.

The uptake and content of serotonin in blood platelets were studied in patients with essential hypertension and in five families in which at least one member was hypertensive. Blood was obtained from male and female normotensive volunteers and hypertensive patients who were free of medication. Lineweaver-Burk plots of 3H-serotonin uptake from both control subjects and hypertensive patients were linear, which suggested simple Michaelis-Menten uptake kinetics. The maximal uptake velocity (Vmax) in hypertensive patients was significantly lower than in control subjects (control = 41.7 +/- 3.3 pmol/min/10(8) platelets, n = 17; hypertensive = 26.6 +/- 3.0 pmol/min/10(8) platelets, n = 16; p less than 0.005). The affinity constant (Km) was slightly but significantly lower in hypertensive patients (control = 0.70 +/- 0.08 microM; hypertensive = 0.46 +/- 0.08 microM; p less than 0.05). The serotonin content in blood platelets determined by high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection was significantly lower in hypertensive patients (control = 165.0 +/- 12.9 nmol/10(11) platelets, n = 29; hypertensive = 105.9 +/- 10.4 nmol/10(11) platelets, n = 27; p less than 0.001). In the five families investigated, the lowered serotonin content was observed in some normotensive members. The reduced number of carriers of serotonin uptake and the slight decrease in the affinity constant observed in platelets of patients with essential hypertension suggest that serotonin metabolism is altered in essential hypertension and that blood platelets may be a useful model in studying the serotonergic modifications at the molecular level.

Reduced Vmax of 3H-serotonin uptake but unchanged 3H-imipramine binding in the platelets of untreated hypertensive subjects.

The uptake of 3H-serotonin, endogenous serotonin content and 3H-imipramine binding were measured in platelets of subjects with essential hypertension and matched control volunteers. The uptake of 3H-serotonin and endogenous serotonin levels in platelets were significantly reduced while 3H-imipramine binding did not differ in the two experimental groups. These results provide further evidence that the uptake site for serotonin and the binding site for 3H-imipramine although associated, may be modified independently.

Clinical and biochemical approach of a circulating Na+-pump inhibitor.

Inhibition of the activity of semipurified renal Na+, K+-ATPase and of 3H-Ouabain binding to erythrocytes was used to titrate the level of a plasmatic endogenous inhibitor of the Na+, K+-pump. The inhibition effect of plasma extracts was specific and unrelated to vanadate, calcium and products of proteolysis. Similar results were obtained with the two procedures. An endogenous pump inhibitor could be detected in 28 plasmas of the 42 normotensives investigated so far. In 18 out of 21 normotensives born of hypertensive parent(s) the level was found to be higher than that observed in normotensive controls devoid of hypertensive heredity. 13 untreated essential hypertensives out of 21 also exhibited higher levels of the sodium-potassium pump inhibitor. Plasma levels of the inhibitor appear stable during several months in male subjects. No clear relationship could be established either in normotensives or hypertensives between the pump inhibitor level, the urinary output of Na+, and blood pressure. Neither could any relationship be established between the inhibitor and the intraerythrocytic Na+ concentration. The accuracy of the methodology allows a large scale clinical investigation. It can also be used in the purification of the substance, and preliminary results precised that its molecular weight was inferior to 1 000 daltons and that it was anionic. Purified fractions were obtained after gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography, and high pressure liquid chromatography. Preliminary results suggest that the purified fraction may interfere with the mechanisms of hypertension. They inhibited the Na+-dependent serotonin uptake by human platelets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Circulating digitalis-like compounds in essential hypertension.

Inhibitors of the Na+ pump have been proposed as participating in sodium excretion, extracellular fluid regulation, and in the rise of blood pressure. The presence of digitalis-like compounds in human plasma has been investigated by comparing the effects of plasma extracts to those of ouabain in 4 tests. - competition with ouabain for binding to the Na+ pump, - inhibition of Na+ and K+ dependent hydrolysis - inhibition of serotonin uptake by human platelets - central hypertensive effect Plasma fractions exhibited digitalis-like properties in the 4 tests. The effects of plasma extracts of 42 normotensive subjects (21 with family history of hypertension) and 38 patients with essential hypertension (15 with antihypertensive treatment) and 9 patients with chronic renal failure were compared. Plasma from Forty per cent of untreated hypertensive patients and normotensives with hypertensive heredity had a high inhibition level. Inhibition was enhanced in beta-blocker treated patients and decreased in those on diuretics. No digitalis-like activity was observed in uremic plasma. These observations strongly suggest the presence of digitalis-like compound(s) in human plasma and point to its possible association with hypertension.

Plasma endogenous sodium pump inhibitor in essential hypertension.

The presence of circulating Na+ pump inhibitors was investigated in hypertensive subjects using inhibition of ouabain binding to the pump and of Na+, K+-ATPase activity as tests. Plasma extracts from nearly half the normotensive subjects who were offspring of hypertensive parents as well as the essential hypertensive subjects were potent inhibitors. Three fractions, extracted from plasma, exhibited ouabain-like properties concerning competition for binding, inhibition of the Na+, K+-ATPase and of Na+-dependent serotonin uptake by platelets. When injected intracerebroventricularly, one of these fractions also induces a rise in blood pressure, as does ouabain. These results demonstrate the presence in some plasma of digitalis-like substances.

Amphetamine inhibits the electrically evoked release of [3H]dopamine from slices of the rabbit caudate.

The effects of d-amphetamine on the spontaneous and electrically evoked release of [3H]dopamine in slices of the rabbit caudate nucleus were investigated. At a concentration of 0.1 microM amphetamine did not modify the spontaneous outflow of radioactivity, but significantly inhibited the release of [3H]dopamine elicited by electrical stimulation. At a 10-fold higher concentration (1 microM) amphetamine enhanced the spontaneous outflow of radioactivity and also inhibited the stimulation-evoked release of [3H]dopamine. The inhibition by amphetamine of electrically evoked release of [3H]dopamine was also observed under conditions in which monoamine oxidase was inhibited by pargyline. At concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5 microM amphetamine there was no inhibition of neuronal uptake and retention of [3H]dopamine in slices of the rabbit caudate. In the presence of 100 microM l-3-iodotyrosine, the inhibition by amphetamine of [3H]dopamine release was still obtained. The dopamine receptor antagonists, haloperidol and sulpiride, were not able to antagonize the inhibition by amphetamine of the electrically evoked release of [3H] dopamine at concentrations which effectively blocked apomorphine-induced inhibition of stimulation-evoked release of the labeled neurotransmitter. Exposure to serotonin in the presence of an inhibitor of neuronal uptake did not modify the spontaneous outflow of radioactivity or the electrically evoked release of [3H] dopamine. Nomifensine, an inhibitor of neuronal uptake of dopamine prevented the release of [3H]dopamine induced by exposure to 10 microM amphetamine and antagonized the inhibitory effects of lower concentrations of amphetamine on the electrically evoked release of [3H]dopamine. Tyramine and amfonelic acid in low concentrations enhanced the spontaneous outflow of radioactivity and, similarly to amphetamine, inhibited the electrically evoked release of [3H]dopamine. Exposure to bretylium (1 and 10 microM) inhibited the release of [3H]dopamine elicited by electrical stimulation. In the presence of bretylium, the inhibition by amphetamine of the stimulation-evoked release of [3H]dopamine was still present. In contrast to its inhibitory action on the release of [3H]dopamine, exposure to amphetamine (0.1-1.0 microM) enhanced in a concentration-dependent manner the electrically evoked release of [3H]norepinephrine from the rabbit hypothalamus. These results indicate that the inhibition by amphetamine of the electrically evoked release of [3H]dopamine does not involve the activation of presynaptic inhibitory dopamine autoreceptors possibly located on dopaminergic nerve terminals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Reduction of platelet serotonin in major depression (endogenous depression)]. / Diminution de la sérotonine plaquettaire dans la dépression majeure (dépression endogène).

Serum serotonin (5-HT) levels were measured in several patients with psychiatric disorders using high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. A marked reduction in 5-HT levels was found in male and female patients with major depressive disorder, as compared to controls, but not in dysthymic disorder. These modifications may constitute biochemical changes suggestive of major depressive disorders; they could not be attributed to chronic antidepressant treatment.

[3H]Imipramine is accumulated but not released from slices of the rabbit caudate and hypothalamus.

Slices of rabbit caudate and hypothalamus take up and accumulate [3H]imipramine. In superfused slices of both structures electrical stimulation or exposure to tyramine failed to release recently taken up [3H]imipramine. Depolarization by exposure to 30--60 mM-potassium caused only a small release of [3H]imipramine that was not concentration-dependent. The release of [3H]imipramine by high potassium was independent of the presence of calcium ions in the superfusion medium. These results contrasted with those obtained for the release of [3H]dopamine from the caudate and [3H]noradrenaline from the hypothalamus, where tyramine, electrical stimulation, and high potassium caused a significant release of the labeled neurotransmitters. The release of [3H]dopamine from the caudate and [3H]noradrenaline from the hypothalamus elicited by electrical stimulation or high potassium was entirely calcium-dependent. It is concluded that [3H]imipramine is taken up into the two brain regions and is accumulated in a nonvesicular site from which it is not released by calcium-dependent depolarizing stimuli.

Inhibition by apomorphine of the potassium-evoked release of [3H]-gamma-aminobutyric acid from the rat substantia nigra in vitro.

1 The spontaneous and potassium-evoked release of tritium from the rat substantia nigra prelabelled with [(3)H]-gamma-aminobutyric acid [(3)H]-GABA were assessed in vitro under conditions of superfusion.2 Kainic acid lesions performed in the right caudate nucleus resulted in a 70% reduction in the ability of the homolateral nigral cells to take up and retain [(3)H]-GABA when compared with the unlesioned side. The potassium-evoked release of [(3)H]-GABA remained proportional to the radioactivity retained in the tissue suggesting that the nigral GABA neurones that survived kainic acid treatment were still functional.3 The spontaneous outflow of [(3)H]-GABA was significantly increased by exposure to different concentrations of exogenous GABA (10 to 1000 muM) when amino-oxyacetic acid was present in the incubation medium.4 Apomorphine in concentrations ranging from 1 to 30 muM inhibited the calcium-dependent release of [(3)H]-GABA induced by 1 min exposure to 30 mM K(+). These concentrations of apomorphine did not affect the spontaneous outflow of radioactivity. In vivo administration of haloperidol 0.2 mg/kg antagonized the in vitro inhibition by apomorphine of the K(+)-evoked release of [(3)H]-GABA.5 The results obtained with apomorphine and haloperidol suggest the presence of presynaptic dopamine-like inhibitory receptors in gabaergic nerve terminals.6 Dopamine in concentrations ranging up to 300 muM did not modify either the spontaneous or the K(+)-evoked release of [(3)H]-GABA from the substantia nigra. These concentrations of dopamine effectively displaced [(3)H]-dopamine recently taken up into the substantia nigra.7 Our results do not support the view that dendritic release of dopamine from the substantia nigra might be involved in the physiological modulation of the spontaneous or the stimulation-evoked release of GABA.