Moderate exercise training induces ROS-related adaptations to skeletal muscles.

Aim of the present work was the evaluation of the effects of moderate exercise training on 2 skeletal muscles differing in fibre-type composition, Tibialis Anterior (TA) and Soleus (SOL). Fibre adaptations, including their metabolic shift and mechanisms underlying proliferation and differentiation, oxidative stress markers, antioxidant and cytoprotective molecules, activity of Ca2+-handling molecules were examined. 6 male 2-month-old rats trained on a treadmill for 1 h/day, 3 days/week, for 14 weeks, reaching 30 m/min at the end of training. 6 age-matched sedentary rats served as controls. Rats were sacrificed 24 h after the last training session. Muscle regulatory factors increased in both muscles, activating satellite cell proliferation, which led to moderate hypertrophy in SOL and to moderate hyperplasia in TA, where the upregulation of desmin and TNFR2 expression suggests that myotube formation by proliferating myoblasts is somehow delayed. Changes leading to a more oxidative metabolism together with the upregulation of a number of antioxidant enzymes occurred in TA. HSP70i protein was upregulated in both SOL and TA, while oxidative stress markers increased in SOL alone. The status of ionic channels and pumps was preserved. We suggest that the increase in ROS, known to be associated with exercise, underlies most observed results.

The S-100: a protein family in search of a function.

The S-100 is a group of low molecular weight (10-12 kD) calcium-binding proteins highly conserved among vertebrates. It is present in different tissues as dimers of homologous or different subunits (alpha, beta). In the nervous system, the S-100 exists as a mixture composed of beta beta and alpha beta dimers with the monomer beta represented more often. Its intracellular localisation is mainly restricted to the glial cytoplasmic compartment with a small fraction bound to membranes. In this compartment the S-100 acts as a potent inhibitor of phosphorylation on several substrates including the synaptosomal C-Kinase and Tau, a microtubule-associated protein. The S-100 in particular conditions, after binding with specific membrane sites (Kd = 0.2 microM; Bmax = 4.5 nM), is able to modify the activity of adenylate cyclase, probably via G-proteins. In addition, the Ca2+ homeostasis is also modulated by S-100 via an increase of specific membrane conductance and/or Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. "In vitro" and "in vivo" experiments showed that lower (nM) concentrations of extracellular S-100 beta act on glial and neuronal cells as a growth-differentiating factor. On the other hand, higher concentrations of the protein induce apoptosis of some cells such as the sympathetic-like PC12 line. Finally, data obtained from physiological (development, ageing) or pathological (dementia associated with Down's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease) conditions showed that a relationship could be established between the S-100 levels and some aspects of the statii.

Double effect of ethanol on intracellular Ca2+ levels in undifferentiated PC12 cells.

In PC12, a cellular line derived from a rat pheochromocytoma, ethanol (EtOH) induces a different effect depending on the concentration used. When resting cells are incubated with an alcohol concentration less than or equal to 120 mM, the [Ca2+]i increased with a double phase pattern. If the alcohol concentration was increased over 120-160 mM, EtOH reversed its effect and the [Ca2+]i decreased. This decrease was strongly inhibited if KCl-depolarized cells were used and was completely abolished if the substrate constituted EtOH-chronically treated cells. The Ca2+ increase is the consequence of an activation of L-type voltage-activated channels, while the other voltage-dependent channels (N-type), the receptor-operated channels and the Ca2+ extrusion pump present in these cells are not involved in EtOH action. These findings indicate that EtOH can induce (by different mechanisms) both potentiating and inhibiting effects on [Ca2+]i in PC12 cells in relation to the alcohol dose effectively present in the suspension medium.

Intracellular calcium levels are differentially regulated in T lymphocytes triggered by anti-CD2 and anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies.

Antigen and/or mitogen-driven T-cell activation is mediated by a rise in intracellular free Ca2+, as second messenger. A regulatory key role for this process is represented by membrane-associated [Ca2+/Mg2+] ATP-ase that is mainly devoted to extrusion of intracellular ion excess. In the present study we have investigated the kinetics of CA2+ fluxes in both resting and already activated (Jurkat T-cell line) T lymphocytes after CD3 and CD2 (T11(2) and T11(3)) triggering and focused our attention on plasma membrane [Ca2+/Mg2+] ATP-ase activity. In both resting T cells and Jurkat cell line, the CD2 stimulation was able to determine a rise in intracellular free Ca2+ higher than that observed after CD3 triggering. In addition, this calcium signal was independent of negative feedback control exerted by [Ca2+/Mg2+] ATP-ase, as well as of IP3 generation. Thus the CD2 molecular system may, together with cell-adhesion properties, act as an amplifier of Ca2+ signals that, if delivered in the context of other molecular systems, such as CD3 or MHC class II antigens, are essentially devoted to the polyclonal co-stimulatory recruitment of a larger cellular repertoire.

Alteration of membrane transductive mechanisms induced by ethanol in human lymphocyte cultures.

Ethanol, in millimolar concentrations, significantly modifies different transductive systems in human lymphocyte cultures. In particular, the presence of alcohol in the medium more than doubles the [Ca2+]i (from 70-90 to 200-250 nM), increasing Ca2+ fluxes from outside, and inhibits the active transport carried out by the calcium pump. The Ca2+ release from intracellular stores is not involved because 10 mM EGTA in the medium completely abolished the rise of [Ca2+]i. Since IP3 levels and cAMP concentrations are also involved in ethanol events (although with opposite effects), it seems that the alcohol may have a specific target on cell membranes (G-proteins) which influence many transductive pathways.

Sarcopenia is more than a muscular deficit.

Sarcopenia is a complex process that appears in aged muscle associated with a decrease in mass, strength, and velocity of contraction. This process is the result of many molecular, cellular and functional alterations. It has been suggested that sarcopenia may be triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS) that have accumulated throughout one's lifetime. We found a significant increase in oxidation of DNA and lipids in the elderly muscle, more evident in males, and a reduction in catalase and glutathione transferase activities. Experiments on Ca2+ transport showed an abnormal functional response of aged muscle after exposure to caffeine, which increases the opening of Ca2+ channels, as well a reduced activity of the Ca2+ pump in elderly males. From these results we concluded that oxidative stress play an important role in muscle aging and that oxidative damage is much more evident in elderly males, suggesting a gender difference may be related to hormonal factors. The progression of sarcopenia is directly related to a significant reduction of the regenerative potential of muscle normally due to a type of adult stem cells, known as satellite cells, which lie outside the sarcolemma and remain quiescent until external stimuli trigger as growth factors (IGF-1 or mIGF-1) their re-entry into the cell cycle. One possibility is that the anti oxidative capacity of satellite cells could also be altered and this, in turn, determines the decrease of their regenerative capacity. Data concerning this hypothesis are discussed

Nerve growth factor inhibits apoptosis induced by S-100 binding in neuronal PC12 cells.

When grown for seven days in a medium containing nerve growth factor (100 ng/ml), 10% horse serum and 5% fetal bovine serum PC12 cells stopped dividing, extended neurites and assumed a neuronal phenotype. Withdrawal of nerve growth factor from these cells resulted in loss of neurites and apoptotic changes in many cells. The apoptotic changes were exacerbated if the cells were also exposed to 1-2 microM S-100, a calcium binding protein purified from bovine brain. After exposure to S-100, the PC12 cells underwent characteristic apoptotic changes. Within 2 in neurites retracted, the cell body shrunk and submembranous accumulation of condensed cytoplasmic material was observed. DNA ladders were present after 24-48 h and 60% of the cells became hypodiploid after 72 h. S-100 induced apoptosis by binding to specific sites (Kd = 189 nM) on PC12 cells and this caused a rise in [Ca2+]i due to a transmembrane capacitative flux followed by the depletion of internal stores. This increase was reversed if 5 microM nifedipine, a specific L-type Ca2+ channel inhibitor, was added to the medium after S-100 and completely abolished if the cells were pretreated with 5 microM thapsigargin, an inhibitor of endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase. The presence of nerve growth factor in the culture medium completely blocked the apoptotic changes induced by S-100, probably due to interaction of nerve growth factor and S-100 at the same binding sites. These data indicate that nerve growth factor not only prevents apoptosis during cell development, but also apoptosis induced by endogenous substances such as S-100.

Rapid desensitization of PC12 cells stimulated with high concentrations of extracellular S100.

Undifferentiated PC12 cells undergo apoptosis, via a calcium-induced calcium release mechanism, when the calcium-binding protein purified from bovine brain (native S100) is present in micromolar concentration in the medium. This process begins when S100 binds to specific membrane binding sites and involves up to 50% of the cell population. In the experiments reported here, we demonstrate that, by utilizing [3H]S100, the S100 protein can be displaced from its binding sites only during the first 10 min of incubation. This fact is due to an internalization mechanism, having a time-course with a plateau after 10-20 min of incubation. The native form of S100 is a mixture of two different S100 isoforms: S100A1 (20%) and S100B (80%). Using confocal microscopy and monoclonal antibodies, we demonstrated that only one of these isoforms, S100A1, was autoexpressed in more than 50% of the PC12 cells analysed. After cell incubation with 2 microM native S100, S100B also appears in PC12 cells, with a maximum presence after 10 min of incubation. This fact seems to indicate that this isoform, at least, is effectively translocated when stimulated with external native S100. From the data reported, it is possible to hypothesize that, in PC12 cells, a possible homeostatic mechanism is present that can counteract the effect of a continuously applied lethal stimulus (stimuli) on cell viability.

Circadian oscillations of DNA synthesis in rat brain.

The possibility that the synthesis of brain DNA undergoes a circadian fluctuation was examined in male adult Wistar rats, kept under natural lighting conditions or born and raised under artificial lighting conditions. Groups of rats were taken every 4 h during the 24 h, injected subcutaneously with [methyl-3H]thymidine and killed 4 h later. By cosinor analysis, the DNA specific activity of cerebral hemispheres and brainstem was found to show a significant 24 h rhythm with the peak at the beginning of the dark period (waking period). By contrast, in kidney, the peak of the circadian rhythm of DNA specific activity occurred during the light period (sleep period), in agreement with literature data. On the other hand, in 4-week-old rats, born and raised in artificial lighting conditions, brain DNA specific activity followed a 12 h rhythm, in agreement with the lack of a significant diurnal oscillation of the sleep--waking structure. It is concluded that brain DNA synthesis undergoes a circadian fluctuation in association with the circadian rhythm of waking.

Paradoxical sleep deprivation of the mother enhances DNA synthesis in fetal rat brain: autoradiographic and biochemical evidence.

Pregnant rats were deprived of paradoxical sleep for 3 days starting on the 18th gestational day. The condition of PS-D was imposed by confinement on a small platform surrounded by water or by daily injections of clomipramine. Four hours before the killing rats received a s.c. injection of [3H]-thymidine. The amount of radioactive DNA determined by autoradiography in several regions of fetal brain was found to be markedly increased under both experimental conditions in comparison with the control fetal brain. Considerably more limited effects were observed in kidney. Comparable changes of lower magnitude were obtained by comparing the specific radioactivity of DNA samples purified by chlorophorm extraction and digestion with RNase and proteinase K. The results fully confirm our previous data obtained under similar experimental conditions but based on the analysis of an acid-washed DNA fraction.

Effect of paradoxical sleep deprivation on dna synthesis in fetal rat brain.

We have investigated the effect of PS-D induced in gestating rats by treatment with clomipramine or with the platform technique on the process of DNA synthesis taking place in fetal organs. This parameter was taken as a biochemical index of ongoing cellular proliferation. In brain and, to a minor extent, in liver and kidney the rate of fetal DNA synthesis was markedly increased in both experimental groups. The effect was more prominent in the clomipramine group. PS-D treatment of gestating rats, notably by the platform technique, left long-lasting effects in the offspring with regard to organ weight and DNA concentration as well as to learning capacity. It is concluded that the occurrence of PS in gestating rats may exert a significant influence on fetal development.

NGF induces activation of phospholipase C (membrane bound) in PC12 cells.

The aim of this work is to examine if the membrane-bound Phospholipase C system is correlated with the differentiative action of Nerve Growth Factor in PC12 cells. We found that the activity of membrane-bound Phospholipase C system increased with the presence of Nerve Growth Factor at two different phases. The early phase occurs during the first minutes after the formation of Nerve Growth Factor-receptor complex and it is completed within one hour. The later phase starts two hours after Nerve Growth Factor introduction and lasts for at least a total of 48 hours. The inositol-triphosphate levels measured in intact cells by radioimmunoassay show the same pattern of activation. We think that this dual response to Nerve Growth Factor could be due to either a double separated activation of the same enzyme or the presence of two different forms of membrane-bound Phospholipase C.

Modifications of Ca2+ transport induced by glutathione in sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes of frog skeletal muscle.

The Ca2+ transport across the membrane of vesicles purified from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of frog skeletal muscle is modified by raising the concentration of the reduced form of glutathione (GSH). Passive release of Ca2+ is inhibited through the direct action of GSH on ryanodine receptors while active uptake is increased by a dose-dependent stimulation of Ca2+ pumps (Ca2+ -ATPase). These effects are physiological since the concentrations of GSH utilised (0.01-10.0 mM) are compatible with the in vivo concentration of this antioxidant. They are independent of the external Ca2+ concentration and are specific for the reduced form of glutathione, since the disulphide form (GSSG) or other GSH-derivatives do not induce these effects.

Ethanol-induced CD3 and CD2 hyporesponsiveness of peripheral blood T lymphocytes.

The functional relevance of a direct ethanol effect on the membrane structure of T lymphocytes and accessory cells (APC), as well as on signal transduction systems was studied in ten normal subjects. Ethanol incubation (80 mM for 24h) of highly purified T cells increased the number of CD4+/CD45RA+ lymphocytes. In contrast, ethanol exposure induced a drop in CD14+/LFA-3+ APC values. These changes were accompanied by faulty T-cell proliferation in response to anti-CD3 and anti-CD2 mAb and inhibition of CD3- and CD2-mediated rises in intracellular calcium and, to a lesser extent, inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate levels. These data clearly indicate that a membrane-specific ethanol interaction both modifies surface glycoproteic and/or glycolipidic structures and alters transmembrane transduction of the activation signals.

Circadian rhythms of DNA content in brain and kidney: effects of environmental stimulation.

Male adult Wistar rats kept under natural lighting show circadian rhythms of DNA content and DNA synthesis in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and kidney. In the cerebral cortex the acrophases of the 2 rhythms almost coincide during the dark period. On the other hand, in kidney, the acrophase of DNA synthesis is phase-advanced by about 14 h with respect to the acrophase of DNA content, which occurs in the dark span, as in the cerebral cortex. Comparable results were obtained in 5 week-old rats raised under artificial lighting conditions (LD 7:19) and exposed for a few days to sensory and social stimulation (an enriched sensory environment). At variance with the latter data, the circadian changes of DNA content and synthesis flattened out and were not statistically significant in the cerebral cortex of 5 week-old rats kept for a few days under conditions of sensory and social deprivation (an impoverished sensory environment). A similar effect occurred in kidney with regard to the rhythm of DNA content, while the circadian rhythm of DNA synthesis remained statistically significant but was phase-delayed by about 6h with respect to the corresponding rhythm occurring in the enriched environment. In sensory impoverished rats, MESOR values of kidney wet weight and DNA specific activity were significantly higher than in sensory enriched rats, while MESOR values of DNA content were significantly lower. The data demonstrate the striking dependence of the circadian variations of DNA content and synthesis on the nature of environmental stimulation.

Functional aspects of calcium transport in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles derived from frog skeletal muscle treated with saponin.

To study the physiological aspects of the excitation-contraction cycle, saponin (10-100 micrograms ml-1) was used as a skinning agent on muscle and sarcotubular vesicles derived from fast muscles (sartorius and tibialis anterior) of Rana esculenta. The vesicles showed similar Ca2+-ATPase activity and similar protein profiles carried out by SDS-PAGE. Calcium transport in untreated vesicles and those treated with different concentrations of saponin seemed to have the same quantitative and qualitative parameters if the saponin was used in a range between 10 and 50 micrograms ml-1. Our results confirm that saponin may be considered to be a valid skinning agent for the external membranes of fast skeletal muscles.

IL-4 is able to reverse the CD2-mediated negative apoptotic signal to CD4-CD8- alpha beta and/or gamma delta T lymphocytes.

Activation of immature thymocytes or transformed T lymphocytes via T-cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 signalling can induce programmed cell death (apoptosis). Recent data indicate that anti-CD3/TCR monoclonal antibodies (mAb) also trigger apoptosis in activated (but not resting) mature peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Here we report that triggering of resting CD4-CD8-TCR alpha beta+ and/or TCR gamma delta+ via the alternative CD2-dependent activation pathway is able to induce programmed cell death. A pair of mitogenic anti-CD2 mAb provoked a dramatic rise in [Ca2+]i that was almost entirely sustained by extracellular fluxes, and the inhibition of membrane [Ca2+/Mg2+] ATPase. The resulting endonuclease activation was able to induce DNA fragmentation, as revealed by propidium iodide staining and gel electrophoresis. Induction of apoptosis was prevented by the presence of interleukin-4 (IL-4) as well as by endonuclease inactivation with 100 microM ZnCl2, but enhanced by the contemporary block of protein kinase C. Thus it seems that in resting T lymphocytes the strong calcium signal delivered by the alternative CD2 activation pathway may act as a negative apoptotic signal in both alpha beta and gamma delta T cells with low (non-major histocompatibility complex restricted) antigenic affinity, so limiting the extension of polyclonal T-cell growth.

Salicylates inhibit adhesion and transmigration of T lymphocytes by preventing integrin activation induced by contact with endothelial cells.

The inhibition of cyclooxygenase does not fully account for the spectrum of activities of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. It is evident, indeed, that regulation of inflammatory cell function may contribute in explaining some of the effects of these drugs. Tissue recruitment of T cells plays a key role in the development of chronic inflammation. Therefore, the effects of salicylates on T-cell adhesion to and migration through endothelial cell monolayers on collagen were analyzed in an in vitro static system. Aspirin and sodium salicylate reduced the ability of unstimulated T cells to adhere to and transmigrate through cytokine-activated endothelium. Although salicylates did not modify the expression of integrins on T cells, they blunted the increased adherence induced by the anti-beta2 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) KIM127 and prevented the appearance of an activation-dependent epitope of the CD11/CD18 complex, recognized by the MoAb 24, induced by contact with endothelial cells. Salicylates also induced an increase of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and activation of protein kinase C (PKC) in T cells, but not cell proliferation and interleukin (IL)-2 synthesis. The reduction of T-cell adhesiveness appears to be dependent on the increase in[Ca2+]i levels, as it could be reversed by blocking Ca2+ influx, but not by inhibiting PKC. Moreover, ionomycin at concentrations giving an increase in [Ca2+]i similar to that triggered by aspirin, strictly reproduced the T-cell phenotypic and functional changes induced by salicylates. Aspirin reduced T-cell adhesion and migration also ex vivo after infusion to healthy volunteers. These data suggest that the antiinflammatory activity of salicylates may be due, at least in part, to an interference with the integrin-mediated binding of resting T lymphocytes to activated endothelium with consequent reduction of a specific T-cell recruitment into inflammatory sites.

Sodium nitroprusside, a NO donor, modifies Ca2+ transport and mechanical properties in frog skeletal muscle.

Recently it has been hypothesized that, in skeletal muscle, NO produced directly by high-frequency stimulation could produce contraction through reactions with thiol groups on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). However, a possible cGMP-mediated relaxing effect, similar to that seen in smooth muscle, has also been demonstrated. We used purified SR preparations and single fibres from frog fast muscles incubated with different concentrations of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in this study. The results obtained from a long low-frequency stimulation, together with those from a study on Ca2+ transport regulation, showed that the presence of NO precursor induced: an acceleration of the onset of fatigue in single fibres; a decreased vesicular Ca2+ content due to increased Ca2+ release; a shift to open status in SR Ca2+ channels; an increase in SR Ca2+ pump activity. The data presented in this paper seem to indicate that the increased NO in the muscle fibres can influence muscle activity in different ways, perhaps depending on the metabolic status of the muscle and target (filaments, sarcolemma, SR) with which the NO (or its derivatives) acts.

PTH induces modification of transductive events in otosclerotic bone cell cultures.

We studied the effect of PTH (10-100 nM) on transductive mechanisms (adenylate cyclase activity, Ca2+ metabolism, IP3 levels) in cell cultures derived from normal and otosclerotic human bone fragments. The cultured cells were osteoblast-like but with calcitonin-receptors still present and with PTH receptors coupled with the adenylate cyclase system. The results showed that PTH activated adenylate cyclase and increased the intracellular Ca2+ levels with qualitative and quantitative differences between the two cellular populations. In particular, otosclerotic cells responded less to hormone stimulation, which is in accord with the current hypothesis of a desensitization of the receptor/enzyme complex associated with the pathological status.