An integrated approach to estimate how much urban afforestation can contribute to move towards carbon neutrality.

Urban afforestation is considered a promising nature-climate solution that may contribute to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, since it can increase C-storage and C-sequestration, whilst providing further multiple ecosystem services for citizens. However, the quantification of the CO2 sequestration capacity that may be provided by an urban forest as well as the capacity to impact the city-level C-balance and offset anthropogenic emissions is a complex issue. Methodological approaches, quantity and quality of information contained in urban tree database, and the level of detail of the planned urban forest can strongly influence the estimation of C-sequestration potential offered by urban forests. In this work, an integrated framework based on emission inventory, tree species/morphology and ecosystem modelling has been proposed for the city of Prato, Italy, a representative medium size European city to: i) evaluate the current C-sequestration capacity of urban trees; ii) upscale such capacity with different afforestation scenarios, iii) compare the sink capacity offered by ecosystems with current and projected anthropogenic emissions. Results indicated that the green areas within the Municipality of Prato can sequester 33.1 ktCO2 yr-1 under actual conditions and 51.0 ktCO2 yr-1 under the afforestation scenario which maximize the CO2 sequestration capacity, offsetting the 7.1 % and 11 % of the total emissions (465.8 ktCO2 yr-1), respectively. This study proves that, in the various afforestation scenarios tested, the contribution of urban afforestation to the municipality carbon balance is negligible and that carbon neutrality can only be reached by the substantial decarbonization of emission sectors.

Primary role of sarcoplasmic reticulum in phasic contractile activation of cardiac myocytes with shunted myolemma.

Homogeneous populations of single myocytes showing good preservation of ultrastructure were obtained by enzymatic digestion of rabbit and rat hearts, and maintained in a relaxed state in the presence of free Ca2+ concentrations less than 10(-7) M. Ultrastructural details such as a cytoskeleton of 100-A filaments connected to the sarcolemma at the Z lines were demonstrated especially well in these preparations. In spite of seemingly normal structure, electron probe analysis of cryosections reveals similar concentrations of electrolytes in the medium and in the cytoplasm, indicating the presence of electrochemical shunting across the external membrane. The dissociated myocytes display Ca uptake and phasic contractions that are apparently dependent on mitochondrial respiration, but are not affected by mitochondrial uncouplers when ATP and phosphocreatine are added. The uptake is augmented by oxalate and, based on identification of calcium oxalate crystals by electron microscopy and electron probe analysis, is localized to the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). An advantageous feature of the dissociated myocytes is that they are suitable for experiments using large numbers of cells in suspension. Thereby, velocities of calcium transport were measured directly by isotopic tracer and filtration methods. It was then found that the lowest CA2+ concentrations (5 x 10(-7) M for the rabbit and 1 x 10(-7) M for the rat) sustaining Ca transport also induce phasic contractile activity in all myocytes, even though the external membrane is electrochemically shunted. A stepwise rise in the Ca2+ concentration of up to one order of magnitude, increases transport velocities in parallel with the rates of phasic contractions. Both these parameters are affected by Mg2+, temperature, cyclic-AMP, and methylxanthines, even though the Ca2+ concentration is maintained constant in the medium. Therefore, Ca transport by SR is a requirement and a rate limiting factor for the occurrence of phasic contractile activation in dissociated cardiac cells retaining an electrochemically shunted external membrane. It is suggested that transient Ca release required for phasic contractile activation is due to equilibrium oscillations across the SR membrane. The sequential pattern of sarcomere activation is consistent with a self propagating mechanism of calcium release. SR in dissociated skeletal muscle cells sustains a greater Ca transport activity than in dissociated heart cells. However, the heart cells display a much higher phasic contractile activity, indicating that cardiac SR has a greater tendency to release accumulated calcium. If free Ca2+ in the medium is raised above 10(-6) M, both cardiac and skeletal myocytes undergo contractures and degenerative phenomena, accompanied by Ca, Mg, and phosphate accumulation in cardiac mitochondria.

Relaxation of rat vascular muscle by peripheral benzodiazepine modulators.

Effects of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor modulating drugs, Ro 5-4864 and PK 11195, on tension induced by K+ and the calcium agonist SDZ 202 791 (S isomer), were studied in rat caudal arteries. A significant reduction of tonic phase tension occurred with 30 nM PK 11195 or 3 microM Ro 5-4864, but decreases of the initial (first 3 min), phasic contraction were detected only at the highest concentrations of Ro 5-4864 and PK 11195. Protoporphyrin IX, the putative endogenous ligand of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, (at 10-100 nM) markedly increased the effectiveness of Ro 5-4864 and PK 11195 in reducing phasic contraction. Intracellular calcium localization and distribution in fura-2 loaded single vascular cells were quantitated using a high sensitivity, two-stage microchannel plate, photon-counting (PMI-VIM) camera. Peripheral benzodiazepines reduced intracellular calcium release from centrally located calcium pools, and this decrease of calcium release was potentiated by protoporphyrin IX. The decrease in intracellular calcium activity, which was more pronounced in the central regions where sarcoplasmic reticular elements are numerous, was probably the major mechanism of these vasodilator properties. Measurements of soluble guanylate cyclase activity also supported the intracellular Ca2+ release mechanism. Under conditions where protoporphyrin IX did not significantly stimulate guanylate cyclase, Ro 5-4864 alone or more effectively in combination with protoporphyrin IX stimulated cGMP production and caused relaxation. Guanylate cyclase forms a possible target for these benzodiazepine modulators, a hypothesis that merits further investigation.

Food intake in free-feeding and energy-deprived lean rats is mediated by the neuropeptide Y5 receptor.

The new neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y5 receptor antagonist CGP 71683A displayed high affinity for the cloned rat NPY Y5 subtype, but > 1, 000-fold lower affinity for the cloned rat NPY Y1, Y2, and Y4 subtypes. In LMTK cells transfected with the human NPY Y5 receptor, CGP 71683A was without intrinsic activity and antagonized NPY-induced Ca2+ transients. CGP 71683A was given intraperitoneally (dose range 1-100 mg/kg) to a series of animal models of high hypothalamic NPY levels. In lean satiated rats CGP 71683A significantly antagonized the increase in food intake induced by intracerebroventricular injection of NPY. In 24-h fasted and streptozotocin diabetic rats CGP 71683A dose-dependently inhibited food intake. During the dark phase, CGP 71683A dose-dependently inhibited food intake in free-feeding lean rats without affecting the normal pattern of food intake or inducing taste aversion. In free-feeding lean rats, intraperitoneal administration of CGP 71683A for 28 d inhibited food intake dose-dependently with a maximum reduction observed on days 3 and 4. Despite the return of food intake to control levels, body weight and the peripheral fat mass remained significantly reduced. The data demonstrate that the NPY Y5 receptor subtype plays a role in NPY-induced food intake, but also suggest that, with chronic blockade, counterregulatory mechanisms are induced to restore appetite.

Pharmacotherapy of obesity: targets and perspectives.

The search for anti-obesity agents has become one of the most exciting areas in drug discovery. Subsequent to an enormous increase in the number of possible molecular targets, the focus has shifted from target identification to target validation. Because important biological functions such as the regulation of energy intake and expenditure are controlled by complex systems, an improved understanding of pathophysiology is a prerequisite for the selection of successful development candidates for the treatment of obesity. Although most of the information on the regulation of energy balance has been obtained from rodents, various monogenic forms of human obesity provide clinical proof of concept for some of these mechanisms. However, it is still not known which are the most promising clinical approaches to lowering body weight and subsequently reducing morbidity and mortality.

Effect of thapsigargin on cardiac muscle cells.

The effect of thapsigargin on the activity of various enzymes involved in the Ca(2+)-homeostasis of cardiac muscle and on the contractile activity of isolated cardiomyocytes was investigated. Thapsigargin was found to be a potent and specific inhibitor of the Ca(2+)-pump of striated muscle SR (IC50 in the low nanomolar range). A strong reduction of the Vmax of the Ca(2+)-pump was observed while the Km (Ca2+) was only slightly affected. Reduction of the Vmax was caused by the inability of the ATPase to form the Ca(2+)-dependent acylphosphate intermediate. Thapsigargin did not change the passive permeability characteristics nor the function of the Ca(2+)-release channels of the cisternal compartments of the SR. In addition, no significant effects of thapsigargin on other ATPases, such as the Ca(2+)-ATPase and the Na+/K(+)-ATPase of the plasma membrane as well as the actomyosin ATPase could be detected. The contractile activity of paced adult rat cardiomyocytes was completely abolished by 300 nM thapsigargin. At lower concentrations the drug prolonged considerably the contraction-relaxation cycle, in particular the relaxation phase. The intracellular Ca(2+)-transients elicited by electrical stimulation (as measured by the changes in Fluo-3 fluorescence) decreased in parallel and the time needed to lower free Ca2+ down to the resting level increased. In conclusion, the results indicate that selective inhibition of the Ca(2+)-pump of the SR by thapsigargin accounts for the functional degeneration of myocytes treated with the drug.

Total synthesis and functional properties of the membrane-intrinsic protein phospholamban.

The membrane-intrinsic protein phospholamban (PLN), the regulatory protein of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase, was chemically synthesized. The synthesis was accomplished by double couplings and efficient capping procedures, thus eliminating hydrophobic failure sequences. The crude peptide was purified by high-performance liquid chromatographic ion exchange and gel permeation chromatography in chloroform-methanol mixtures. Ion spray mass spectroscopy showed that the product had the correct molecular mass. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis runs produced the typical monomer-pentamer structural pattern. A predominantly helical CD spectrum was obtained in 0.075% C12E8 (67.9% helix, 1.8% beta, 12.2% turn, 18.1% random coil). Synthetic PLN was phosphorylated in detergent solutions by protein kinase A with a stoichiometry close to 1:1 (Pi to PLN monomer). Reconstitution of the isolated skeletal muscle SR Ca2+ ATPase in phosphatidylcholine membranes in the presence of PLN using the freezing and thawing technique yielded a preparation with lower Ca(2+)-dependent ATPase activity. The inhibition was mainly due to a decrease in the affinity (Km(Ca)) of the ATPase for Ca2+ and was partially reversed by PLN phosphorylation with protein kinase A. By contrast, addition of PLN to diluted intact SR vesicles uncoupled the Ca(2+)-transport reaction, suggesting an ionophoric effect of PLN. Because this effect was observed at very high PLN-to-SR vesicle ratios and was not influenced by PLN phosphorylation, its biological function is doubtful.

Involvement of electrostatic phenomena in phospholamban-induced stimulation of Ca uptake into cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The activity of the Ca-pumping ATPase of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is controlled by the phosphorylation of the intrinsic regulatory protein phospholamban (PLB), which affects both the apparent Km(Ca) and the Vmax of the transport process. We have investigated the correlation between phosphorylation of PLB and the surface potential of the SR membrane. This latter influences the local concentration of relevant ionic species near biological membranes and thus modulates the activity of ion pumps and channels. The partitioning of the anionic probe 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS-) into the SR membrane was found to be dependent on the phosphorylation level of PLB. Changes of the surface membrane potential up to 7 mV could be obtained by phosphorylation. The increase in the apparent affinity of the Ca pump for Ca2+ induced by PLB phosphorylation was clearly reduced at high ionic strength, i.e. under conditions known to reduce the surface membrane potential and all processes dependent on it. The results show that electrostatic phenomena can account, in good part, for the modulation of the Ca pump by PLB in cardiac SR.

Regulation of ob gene mRNA levels in cultured adipocytes.

mRNA levels of the ob gene product, leptin, were investigated by quantitative competitive RT-PCR in a mouse cell line (3T3-L1) which can be induced to differentiate into adipocytes. During conversion to fat cells, the level of leptin mRNA increased several-fold and in parallel to that for typical adipocyte markers like lipoprotein lipase, adipsin and glycerophosphate dehydrogenase. Leptin transcription, however, did not correlate with the size of the adipocytes measured as total triglycerides. On the other hand, mRNA levels for leptin in fully differentiated adipocytes were increased 2-3 fold by insulin. In contrast, free fatty acids exerted a concentration-dependent inhibition of leptin transcription while the corticosteroid dexamethasone and an elevation of intracellular cAMP displayed only marginal inhibitory effects on leptin mRNA levels.

Phospholamban of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum consists of two functionally distinct proteolipids.

Phosphorylation of phospholamban by either a cAMP-dependent or a calmodulin-dependent kinase stimulates the Ca2+ transporting activity of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes. It has now been found that phospholamban consists of 2 distinct proteins; one is the specific substrate for the cAMP-dependent phosphorylation, and the other for the calmodulin-dependent kinase. In spite of functional diversity, the 2 polypeptides share a number of properties. Among them, the proteolipid character, Mr, resistance to trypsinization, and subunit composition.

Properties of the human long and short isoforms of the uncoupling protein-3 expressed in yeast cells.

Two splice variants of the human uncoupling protein-3 (UCP3L and UCP3S) are highly expressed in skeletal muscle. The properties of UCP3L and S have been compared to those of UCP1 in a heterologous yeast expression system under the control of the galactose promoter. Both UCP3 isoforms were found to strongly impair the coupling efficiency of respiring cells thus resulting in increased thermogenesis. The uncoupling properties of both UCP3L and S could be clearly demonstrated also in isolated yeast mitochondria both in terms of coupled respiration and in the capacity to polarize the inner membrane in conditions of limited substrate availability. Contrary to what was observed with mitochondria containing UCP1, millimolar GDP and ATP had little if any effect on the uncoupling activity of UCP3. A very marked uncoupling of whole cells and isolated mitochondria was observed at very low expression levels of UCP3S indicating that the short isoform is more active than the long one.

Recombinant human uncoupling protein-3 increases thermogenesis in yeast cells.

The long form of human uncoupling protein-3 (hUCP3L) is highly homologous to thermogenin (UCPI), the uncoupling protein of brown fat mitochondria, but is expressed predominantly in skeletal muscle. Its putative role is to regulate the coupling efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation and thus thermogenesis in skeletal muscle, a major thermogenic tissue in higher mammals. To study the functional relevance of hUCP3L, the protein was expressed in yeast cells under the control of the galactose promoter. Expression of hUCP3L induced a series of phenotype changes in the yeast cells. The cellular growth and the mitochondrial membrane potential were both diminished. The portion of cellular respiration coupled to oxidative phosphorylation decreased from 57% to 11% (P<0.001) and the cellular heat production, as measured by direct microcalorimetry, was increased by 33.3 +/- 3.2% (P<0.001) after induction of UCP3L. These observations demonstrate for the first time the intrinsic thermogenic properties of hUCP3L in intact cells.

Effect of cyclopiazonic acid, an inhibitor of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase, on the frequency-dependence of the contraction-relaxation cycle of the guinea-pig isolated atrium.

1. The relevance of a functional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane system to the contraction-relaxation cycle and to the force-frequency relationship of guinea-pig atrial tissue was investigated. Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) was used to inhibit selectively the activity of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase. IC50 values of 0.2 microM or 1.0 microM were measured in guinea-pig isolated SR membranes in the absence or presence of millimolar ATP, respectively. CPA (0.3-30 microM) did not inhibit the activity of the sarcolemmal Na(+)-Ca(2+)-exchanger as measured in isolated cardiac cell membrane preparations. 2. In guinea-pig isolated left atrium paced at 2.5 Hz (30 degrees C), CPA (1-100 microM) produced a concentration-dependent reduction in developed tension and a fall in the maximum rate of tension increase (+dT/dtmax) and decrease (-dT/dtmax). The twitch duration was markedly increased due to a prolongation of the time to peak tension, and in particular, the relaxation phase. 3. The contraction-relaxation cycle of the left atrium showed a marked dependence on the frequency of stimulation. The developed tension and +dT/dtmax showed a progressive increase from 0.5 Hz, reaching peak values at a stimulation rate of 1.5-2.5 Hz, the positive staircase phenomenon. Higher frequencies of stimulation caused a fall in these parameters. Resting tension was unaffected. The time-course of the contraction-relaxation cycle was also frequency-dependent, with both time to peak tension and relaxation time showing a progressive fall from 2.0-3.5 Hz. 4. The addition of CPA (30 microM) caused marked alterations in the frequency-dependence of the contraction-relaxation cycle. The frequency-dependence of developed tension, + dr/dtmax and dT/dt max was shifted downwards, particularly at higher frequencies, and the frequency at which peak values of+ dT/dtmax and - dT/dtmax were reached was shifted leftwards. The resting tension of the tissues in the presence of 30 micro M CPA was increased markedly at frequencies greater than 2 Hz. The time-course of the contraction-relaxation cycle was markedly prolonged between 1.0 and 3.5 Hz, due to an effect on both time to peak tension and relaxation time.5. In conclusion, these results show that CPA is a highly selective inhibitor of the cardiac SR Ca2+-ATPase, without effect on the sarcolemmal Na+-Ca2+-exchanger, and suggest that a functional SR Ca2+-ATPase is necessary for the normal contraction-relaxation cycle of guinea-pig cardiac tissue.Additionally, the results suggest an increasing dependence of tension development on SR Ca2+-ATPase with increasing frequency, which may reflect either a frequency-dependent activation of this enzyme or the diminished contribution of the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger. These results also provide novel support for the mechanism of the depressed force-frequency relation found in cardiac tissue of heart failure patients, in which there is a reduced expression of Ca2+-ATPase.

Inhibition of constitutive endothelial NO-synthase activity by tannin and quercetin.

The effect of natural polyphenols on three isoforms of NO-synthase was investigated. Among the compounds tested, tannin was the most potent, inhibiting endothelial constitutive NO synthase (eNOS) with an IC50 of 2.2 microM. Other NOS isoforms (i.e. neuronal constitutive NOS and smooth muscle inducible NOS) were also inhibited but at much higher concentrations (selectivity ratio of approx. 20-30). Quercetin was also an effective but less potent inhibitor of eNOS (IC50 = 220 microM). The kinetics of tannin inhibition were investigated to gather information on the mechanism of action. Tannin did not interfere with the interaction of the enzyme with the co-substrates L-arginine and NADPH nor with the cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin. The inhibition level was also independent of free Ca2+ concentration as well as of the presence of high exogenous calmodulin concentrations.

Structural dependency of the inhibitory action of benzodiazepines and related compounds on the mitochondrial Na+-Ca2+ exchanger.

Na+-induced Ca2+-release from guinea-pig heart mitochondria is inhibited by benzodiazepines such as clonazepam (compound II, IC50: 12 microM). The capacity of various related compounds to inhibit the rapid Ca2+-efflux induced by 20 mM Na+ was examined. The potency of inhibition was found to depend on several factors, such as a 2'-halogen substitution and the presence of a secondary amido group. Very effective inhibitors were identified among the triazolo derivatives of benzodiazepines or obtained by replacing the diazepine ring by an oxazepine or a thiazepine. Some of these favourable structural modifications were compounded in the benzothiazepine 7-chloro-3,5-dihydro-5-phenyl-1H-4,1-benzothiazepine-2-on (compound XVI), which proved to be about 20 times more potent than the related compounds clonazepam and diltiazem. Compound XVI, which has an IC50 in the submicromolar range, is the most potent selective inhibitor of the mitochondrial exchanger so far reported. The structural requirements found for the inhibition of the mitochondrial Na+-Ca2+ exchanger were quite distinct from those described for the binding of benzodiazepines to their central-type and peripheral-type sites.

Stereospecific action of diltiazem on the mitochondrial Na-Ca exchange system and on sarcolemmal Ca-channels.

The benzothiazepine diltiazem is a potent Ca-channel blocker, which also inhibits the Na-dependent Ca-efflux from heart mitochondria. In this study, the action of the 4 stereoisomers of diltiazem has been investigated using guinea-pig heart and liver mitochondria. The rate of the Na-dependent Ca-efflux from liver mitochondria has been found to be 10 times smaller than in heart mitochondria. Otherwise, the exchange systems from the two tissues have been found to be pharmacologically indistinguishable. Both the (+)-optical isomers of the cis- and trans-forms of diltiazem inhibit Na-Ca exchange activity with comparable potency (IC50 of 10-20 microM), while the (-)-optical isomers are ineffective (IC50 greater than 200 microM). Radioligand binding experiments have revealed that only one stereoisomer of diltiazem, the (+)-cis form, interacts with high affinity with the Ca-channel receptors of guinea-pig heart sarcolemma preparations (KD = 120 nM). The results have shown that the Ca-channel of plasma membranes and the mitochondrial Na-Ca exchanger have different stereospecific requirements for the binding of diltiazem.

Cross-linking agents induce rapid calcium release from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The passive permeability of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles to Ca2+ ions is drastically increased upon addition of the oxidizing agent cupric phenanthroline. The permeability change, which occurs very rapidly, is partially reversed by reducing agents and cannot be explained by a direct effect of cupric phenanthroline on the lipid moiety of the membranes. The rapid efflux phenomenon is due to protein cross-linking induced by the cupric phenanthroline catalyzed oxidation of SH groups to disulfide bridges. Similar effects are also induced by cross-linking sarcoplasmic reticulum proteins with dithiodipropionic acid disuccinimido ester. The rapid Ca2+ efflux is inhibited by micromolar concentrations of lanthanum and by labeling the Ca2+-ATPase with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. These observations suggest that Ca2+ channels are formed by chemical modification of the ATPase. The Ca2+ permeability rate of sarcoplasmic reticulum obtained after cross-linking is compatible with the requirements of Ca2+ release in vivo. The possibility that Ca2+-ATPase oligomers might mediate the release process is discussed.

Rapid kinetic analysis of the calcium-release channels of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum: the effect of inhibitors.

During excitation of skeletal muscle fibers, Ca ions stored in the cisternal compartments of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) are released to the cytosol within milliseconds. In this study, the kinetics of the fast release of Ca were analyzed by means of a newly developed rapid filtration apparatus. Isolated SR vesicles of cisternal origin were preloaded with 1 mM 45CaCl2, and Ca efflux was studied (between 20 and 1000 ms) after dilution into media of various composition. The effect of extravesicular Ca on the gating of the Ca-release channels and its susceptibility to the influence of drugs were thoroughly investigated. In the presence of 1 mM MgCl2 and 3 mM ATP, highest rates of Ca release were observed at a free Ca concentration between 1 and 50 microM. In the lower micromolar Ca range, compounds such as neomycin and FLA 365 inhibited the release monophasically and with an IC50 of 0.37 and 3.4 microM, respectively. At Ca concentrations between 10 and 50 microM, the inhibitors could not block Ca release effectively. Close analysis of the dose-response curves revealed a biphasic pattern, indicative of the presence of two substrates of the Ca-release channel, displaying high- and low-affinity binding sites for the inhibitors. Interestingly, neomycin (or ruthenium red) and FLA 365 at low concentrations acted synergistically and blocked release completely. The results indicate the existence of various open substates of the Ca channels that can be distinguished pharmacologically. Effective blockade of rapid Ca release requires inhibition of all substates coexisting under a given condition.

Reversal of phospholamban-induced inhibition of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase by tannin.

The plant phenol tannin stimulated severalfold the Ca(2+)-dependent ATPase and Ca(2+)-uptake activities of dog cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) with an EC50 value of 0.6 microM. The stimulation was due to a marked increase in the apparent affinity of the cardiac SR ATPase for Ca2+ ions while the Vmax was not affected. No stimulation of skeletal muscle SR preparations could be observed. The characteristics of stimulation were similar to those observed after phosphorylation of the regulatory protein phospholamban (PLN) by protein kinase A. The ability of protein kinase A to phosphorylate PLN was prevented by tannin with an IC50 of 3 microM. Phosphorylation of troponin I, another physiological substrate of protein kinase A, was resistant to tannin inhibition. The data show that submicromolar concentrations of tannin prevent PLN phosphorylation by interacting with the cytosolic portion of PLN. The specific binding of tannin reverses the inhibition that PLN exerts on cardiac SR ATPase.