Open-Source Technology for Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Case Study in a Neonate With Transient Congenital Hyperinsulinism.

BACKGROUND: Use of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) systems has been shown to be a low-pain, safe, and effective method of preventing hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in people with diabetes of various age groups. Evidence on rtCGM use in infants and in patients with conditions other than diabetes remains limited. OBJECTIVE: This case study describes the off-label use of rtCGM and the use of an open-source app for glucose monitoring in a newborn with prolonged hypoglycemia secondary to transient congenital hyperinsulinism during the perinatal period. METHODS: The Dexcom G6 rtCGM system (Dexcom, Inc) was introduced at 39 hours of age. Capillary blood glucose checks were performed regularly. In order to benefit from customizable alert settings and detect hypoglycemic episodes, the open-source rtCGM app xDrip+ was introduced at 9 days of age. RESULTS: Time in range (45-180 mg/dL) for interstitial glucose remained consistently above 90%, whereas time in hypoglycemia (<45 mg/dL) decreased. Mean glucose was maintained above 70 mg/dL at 72 hours of life and thereafter. Daily sensor glucose profiles showed cyclic fluctuations that were less pronounced over time. CONCLUSIONS: While off-label use of medication is both common practice and a necessity in newborn infants, there are few examples of off-label uses of medical devices, rtCGM being a notable exception. Real-time information allowed us to better understand glycemic patterns and to improve the quality of glycemic control accordingly. Severe hypoglycemia was prevented, and measurement of serum levels of insulin and further lab diagnostics were performed much faster, while the patient's individual burden caused by invasive procedures was reduced. Greater customizability of threshold and alert settings would be beneficial for user groups with glycemic instability other than people with diabetes, and for hospitalized newborn infants in particular. Further research in the field of personal and off-label rtCGM use, efficacy studies evaluating the accuracy of low glucose readings, and studies on the differences between algorithms in translating raw sensor data, as well as customization of commercially available rtCGM systems, is needed.

17beta-estradiol attenuates hyperoxia-induced apoptosis in mouse C8-D1A cell line.

In premature infants, oxygen free radicals generated following neonatal resuscitation are associated with subsequent diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Recent studies in brain tissue samples have shown that nonphysiologic oxygen levels play a key role in induction of apoptosis in the developing brain. Estrogen is a well-established agent in neuroprotection and, therefore, is thought to be neuroprotective even in the premature brain. Astrocytes appear to have a critical role in protection and survival of neurons in the brain. As one of the glial cell types, they have a great potential for possible involvement in the mediation of estrogen neuroprotective effects. The aim of our study was to analyze whether astrocytes in cell cultures are damaged by hyperoxia and whether 17beta-estradiol (E2) can protect them against apoptosis. Additionally, we investigated the mechanism of the protection by E2, hypothesizing that it is mediated through extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2). Cells underwent eightfold more apoptosis when cultivated in hyperoxia compared with normoxia. Addition of E2 reduced apoptosis in hyperoxia by more than 50%. Levels of ERK1/2 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 were increased after hyperoxia compared with normoxia. Preincubation with E2 prior to exposure to hyperoxia resulted in decreased levels of ERK1/2 and pERK1/2. Hyperoxia induces apoptosis in C8-D1A cells, and E2 seems to be a protecting factor for astrocytes in hyperoxia. This effect is not mediated through up-regulation of pERK1/2.

Cloning of two individual cDNAS encoding 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase from Gentiana lutea, their tissue-specific expression and physiological effect in transgenic tobacco.

Two 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) cDNAs have been cloned from a petal library of Gentiana lutea. Both cDNAs carry a putative transit sequence for chloroplast import and differ mainly in their length and the 5'-flanking regions. GlNCED1 was evolutionary closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana NCED6 whereas GlNCED2 showed highest homology to tomato NCED1 and A. thaliana NCED3. The amounts of GlNCED2 transcript were below Northern detection in G. lutea. In contrast, GlNCED1 was specifically expressed at higher levels in developing flowers when petals start appearing. By genetic engineering of tobacco with coding regions of either gene under a constitutive promoter, their function was further analyzed. Although mRNA of both genes was detectable in the corresponding transgenic plants, a physiological effect was only found for GlNCED1 but not for GlNCED2. In germination experiments of GlNCED1 transgenic lines, delayed radicle formation and cotyledon appearance were observed. However, the transformants exhibited no improved tolerance against desiccation stress. In contrast to other plants with over-expressed NCEDs, prolonged delay of seed germination is the only abscisic-acid-related phenotypic effect in the GlNCED1 transgenic lines.

Understanding carotenoid metabolism as a necessity for genetic engineering of crop plants.

As a proof of concept, the qualitative and quantitative engineering of carotenoid formation has been achieved in crop plants. Successful reports in tomato, potato, rice, and canola all describe the enhancement of carotenoid with nutritional value, while in model systems such as tobacco and Arabidopsis the engineering of carotenoid to confer abiotic stress has been described. For all the successful applications there have been many examples of unintended/unpredicted phenotypes and results. Typically this has resided from our lack of understanding of carotenoid formation and its regulation. In the present article, we will review advances in carotenoid formation and its regulation to illustrate how metabolic engineering experiments have shed light on regulatory mechanisms.

Impact and interaction of lipophilic antioxidants in mutants and transgenic plants.

Carotenoids and tocopherols are lipophilic antioxidants with important functions in plants and humans. Due to their nutritional value and putative health benefits, they have become a focus of intensive research. The identification of all genes of the carotenoid and tocopherol biosynthesis has enabled the manipulation of their biosynthetic pathways, aiming for quantitative and qualitative improvement. In plants, carotenoids and tocopherols are of crucial importance because of their protective abilities, which help to keep them alive even under light stress conditions. A wealth of information has accumulated concerning the responses of plants to various environmental stress factors. Here, we summarize some of the recent data concentrating on the impact and possible interaction of lipophilic antioxidants in mutants and transgenic plants with altered status of lipophilic antioxidants.

Expression of xanthophyll biosynthetic genes during light-dependent chloroplast differentiation.

In higher plants, etioplast to chloroplast differentiation is characterized by dramatic ultrastructural changes of the plastid and a concomitant increase in chlorophylls and carotenoids. Whereas the formation and function of carotenes and their oxygenated derivatives, the xanthophylls, have been well studied, little is known about the regulation of the genes involved in xanthophyll biosynthesis. Here, we analyze the expression of three xanthophyll biosynthetic genes (i.e. beta-carotene hydroxylase [bhy], zeaxanthin epoxidase [zep], and violaxanthin de-epoxidase [vde]) during de-etiolation of seedlings of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Samsun) under different light conditions. White-light illumination caused an increase in the amount of all corresponding mRNAs. The expression profiles of bhy and zep not only resembled each other but were also similar to the pattern of a gene encoding a major light-harvesting protein of photosystem II. This finding indicates a coordinated synthesis during formation of the antenna complex. In contrast, the expression pattern of vde was clearly different. Furthermore, the gene expression of bhy was shown to be modulated after illumination with different white-light intensities. The expression of all xanthophyll biosynthetic genes under examination was up-regulated upon exposure to red, blue, and white light. Gene expression of bhy and vde but not of zep was more pronounced under red-light illumination, pointing at an involvement of the phytochrome system. Expression analysis in the presence of the photosynthetic electron transport inhibitors 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl-urea and 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone indicated a redox control of transcription of two of the xanthophyll biosynthetic genes (bhy and zep).

Bansformation of tobacco with a mutated cyanobacterial phytoene desaturase gene confers resistance to bleaching herbicides.

Carotenoids are constituents of the photosynthetic apparatus and essential for plant survival because of their involvement in protection of chlorophylls against photooxidation. Certain classes of herbicides are interfering with carotenoid biosynthesis leading to pigment destruction and a bleached plant phenotype. One important target site for bleaching herbicides is the enzyme phytoene desaturase catalysing the desaturation of phytoene in zeta-carotene. This enzymatic reaction can be inhibited by norflurazon or fluridone. We have transformed tobacco with a mutated cyanobacterial phytoene desaturase gene (pds) derived from the Synechococcus PCC 7942 mutant NFZ4. Characterization of the resulting transformants revealed an up to 58 fold higher norflurazon resistance in comparison to wild type controls. The tolerance for fluridone was also increased 3 fold in the transgenics. Furthermore, the transformed tobacco maintained a higher level of D1 protein of photosystem II indicating a lower susceptibility to photooxidative damage in the presence of norflurazon. In contrast, the genetic manipulation did not confer herbicide resistance against zeta-carotene desaturase inhibitors.

Expression of a bacterial carotene hydroxylase gene (crtZ) enhances UV tolerance in tobacco.

Carotenoids are essential components of the photosynthetic apparatus involved in plant photoprotection. To investigate the protective role of zeaxanthin under high light and UV stress we have increased the capacity for its biosynthesis in tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun) by transformation with a heterologous carotenoid gene encoding beta-carotene hydroxylase (crtZ) from Erwinia uredovora under constitutive promoter control. This enzyme is responsible for the conversion of beta-carotene into zeaxanthin. Although the total pigment content of the transgenics was similar to control plants, the transformants synthesized zeaxanthin more rapidly and in larger quantities than controls upon transfer to high-intensity white light. Low-light-adapted tobacco plants were shown to be susceptible to UV exposure and therefore chosen for comparative analysis of wild-type and transgenics. Overall effects of UV irradiation were studied by measuring bioproductivity and pigment content. The UV exposed transformed plants maintained a higher biomass and a greater amount of photosynthetic pigments than controls. For revelation of direct effects, photosynthesis, pigment composition and chlorophyll fluorescence were examined immediately after UV treatment. Low-light-adapted plants of the crtZ transgenics showed less reduction in photosynthetic oxygen evolution and had higher chlorophyll fluorescence levels in comparison to control plants. After 1 h of high-light pre-illumination and subsequent UV exposure a greater amount of xanthophyll cycle pigments was retained in the transformants. In addition, the transgenic plants suffered less lipid peroxidation than the wild-type after treatment with the singlet-oxygen generator rose bengal. Our results indicate that an enhancement of zeaxanthin formation in the presence of a functional xanthophyll cycle contributes to UV stress protection and prevention of UV damage.

Evaluation of transgenic tomato plants expressing an additional phytoene synthase in a fruit-specific manner.

Phytoene synthase from the bacterium Erwinia uredovora (crtB) has been overexpressed in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Ailsa Craig). Fruit-specific expression was achieved by using the tomato polygalacturonase promoter, and the CRTB protein was targeted to the chromoplast by the tomato phytoene synthase-1 transit sequence. Total fruit carotenoids of primary transformants (T(0)) were 2-4-fold higher than the controls, whereas phytoene, lycopene, beta-carotene, and lutein levels were increased 2.4-, 1.8-, and 2.2-fold, respectively. The biosynthetically related isoprenoids, tocopherols plastoquinone and ubiquinone, were unaffected by changes in carotenoid levels. The progeny (T(1) and T(2) generations) inherited both the transgene and phenotype. Determination of enzyme activity and Western blot analysis revealed that the CRTB protein was plastid-located and catalytically active, with 5-10-fold elevations in total phytoene synthase activity. Metabolic control analysis suggests that the presence of an additional phytoene synthase reduces the regulatory effect of this step over the carotenoid pathway. The activities of other enzymes in the pathway (isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase, geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, and incorporation of isopentenyl diphosphate into phytoene) were not significantly altered by the presence of the bacterial phytoene synthase.