Maternal dietary fat affects milk fatty acid profile and impacts on weight gain and thermogenic capacity of suckling rats.

We aimed to assess the effects of maternal supplementation with the main fat sources used in the human Western diet (olive oil, butter, margarine) on milk FA composition and on plasma FA profile of offspring, and to determine whether it may influence body-weight-gain (BWG) and adiposity of offspring during the suckling period. Wistar rats were supplemented with the different fat sources from day 14 of gestation and throughout lactation. Olive oil-supplemented dams showed the highest proportion of oleic-acid in milk, with no changes in plasma. Their offspring also showed the highest proportion of this FA in plasma, lower BWG during the suckling period, and higher levels of UCP1 in brown adipose tissue (BAT) at weaning. Margarine-supplemented dams showed the highest percentage of PUFA in milk, and a similar tendency was found in plasma of their offspring. Butter-supplemented dams displayed higher proportion of saturated FA (SFA) in milk compared to other fat-supplemented dams, but lower than controls. Control offspring also showed higher proportion of SFA in plasma and greater BWG during the suckling period than fat-supplemented groups. Significant correlations were found between the relative content of some milk FA and BWG of offspring, in particular, oleic-acid levels correlated negatively with BWG and positively with UCP1 levels. These results show that maternal dietary source of fat affects milk FA composition and circulating FA profile, as could be expected, but also BWG and thermogenic capacity of offspring during the suckling period. An effect of oleic-acid stimulating BAT thermogenic capacity of suckling pups is proposed.

A black soybean seed coat extract prevents obesity and glucose intolerance by up-regulating uncoupling proteins and down-regulating inflammatory cytokines in high-fat diet-fed mice.

Black soybean seed coat extract (BE) is a polyphenol-rich food material consisting of 9.2% cyanidin 3-glucoside, 6.2% catechins, 39.8% procyanidins, and others. This study demonstrated that BE ameliorated obesity and glucose intolerance by up-regulating uncoupling proteins (UCPs) and down-regulating inflammatory cytokines in C57BL/6 mice fed a control or high-fat diet containing BE for 14 weeks. BE suppressed fat accumulation in mesenteric adipose tissue, reduced the plasma glucose level, and enhanced insulin sensitivity in the high-fat diet-fed mice. The gene and protein expression levels of UCP-1 in brown adipose tissue and UCP-2 in white adipose tissue were up-regulated by BE. Moreover, the gene expression levels of major inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were remarkably decreased by BE in white adipose tissue. BE is a beneficial food material for the prevention of obesity and diabetes by enhancing energy expenditure and suppressing inflammation.

Ion channel screening plates: design, construction, and maintenance.

Ion channels have provided a diverse set of therapeutic targets across all areas of the pharmaceutical industry. Many companies are pursuing this unique class of targets for areas of unmet medical need such as neuropathic and inflammatory pains. In the past, focused library screening sets had been designed for CNS and kinase targets. Our investigations were aimed at creating a similar dynamic screening set enriched for compounds targeting ion channels to aid screening efforts of this important class of targets. The key advantages of this approach for ion channel targets would be: (1) to identify tool compounds for novel targets and assist in assay validation, (2) to serve as a focused screen for non-384-well adaptable targets, and (3) to jump start a particular program, that is, catch-up to competition for validated, well-known targets.

Ion channel screening.

Ion channels are attractive targets for drug discovery with recent estimates indicating that voltage and ligand-gated channels account for the third and fourth largest gene families represented in company portfolios after the G protein coupled and nuclear hormone receptor families. A historical limitation on ion channel targeted drug discovery in the form of the extremely low throughput nature of the gold standard assay for assessing functional activity, patch clamp electrophysiology in mammalian cells, has been overcome by the implementation of multi-well plate format cell-based screening strategies for ion channels. These have taken advantage of various approaches to monitor ion flux or membrane potential using radioactive, non-radioactive, spectroscopic and fluorescence measurements and have significantly impacted both high-throughput screening and lead optimization efforts. In addition, major advances have been made in the development of automated electrophysiological platforms to increase capacity for cell-based screening using formats aimed at recapitulating the gold standard assay. This review addresses the options available for cell-based screening of ion channels with examples of their utility and presents case studies on the successful implementation of high-throughput screening campaigns for a ligand-gated ion channel using a fluorescent calcium indicator, and a voltage-gated ion channel using a fluorescent membrane potential sensitive dye.

Effect of AOB, a fermented-grain food supplement, on oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic rats.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Antioxidant Biofactor (AOB) is a mixture of commercially available fermented grain foods and has strong antioxidant activity. This study investigated the effect of AOB supplementation of standard rat food on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats with type 2 diabetes. Blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, plasma free fatty acid, triacylglycerol and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were significantly higher in OLETF rats than in non-diabetic control Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats at 29 weeks. AOB (6.5% of diet) was given to rats during 29-33 weeks of diabetic phase in OLETF rats. OLETF rats with AOB supplementation showed decreased blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, triacyglycerol, low density lipoprotein, cholesterol and PAI-1. Mitochondrial ROS production was significantly increased in heart, aorta, liver and renal artery of OLETF rats. Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is known to regulate ROS production. We found aortic UCP2 protein expression increased in OLETF rats, and AOB returned UCP2 expression to normal. Aortic endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) was also increased in OLETF rats more than in LETO rats at 33 weeks. In contrast, phosphorylated vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein, an index of the NO-cGMP pathway, was significantly diminished. AOB increased eNOS proteins in LETO and OLETF rats. In conclusion, AOB significantly improved the NO-cGMP pathway via normalizing ROS generation in OLETF rats. The data suggest that dietary supplementation with AOB contributes to nutritional strategies for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Roles of norepinephrine, free Fatty acids, thyroid status, and skeletal muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression in sympathomimetic-induced thermogenesis.

Thyroid hormone (TH) plays a fundamental role in thermoregulation, yet the molecular mediators of its effects are not fully defined. Recently, skeletal muscle (SKM) uncoupling protein (UCP) 3 was shown to be an important mediator of the thermogenic effects of the widely abused sympathomimetic agents 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; Ecstasy) and methamphetamine. Expression of UCP3 is regulated by TH. Activation of UCP3 is indirectly regulated by norepinephrine (NE) and is dependent upon the availability of free fatty acids (FFAs). We hypothesized that UCP3 may be a molecular link between TH and hyperthermia, requiring increased levels of both NE and FFAs to accomplish the thermogenic effect. Here, we demonstrate that MDMA (40 mg/kg s.c.) significantly increases plasma FFA levels 30 min after treatment. Pharmacologically increasing NE levels through the inhibition of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase with +/-2,3-dichloro-alpha-methylbenzylamine potentiated the hyperthermic effects of a 20 mg/kg dose of MDMA. Using Western blots and regression analysis, we further illustrated that chronic hyperthyroidism in rats potentiates the hyperthermic effects of MDMA and increases levels of SKM UCP3 protein in a linear fashion according to levels of circulating plasma TH. Conversely, chronic hypothyroidism results in a hypothermic response to MDMA that is directly proportionate to decreased UCP3 expression. Acute TH supplementation did not change the skeletal muscle UCP3 expression levels or temperature responses to MDMA. These findings suggest that, although MDMA-induced hyperthermia appears to result from increased NE and FFA levels, susceptibility is ultimately determined by TH regulation of UCP3-dependent thermogenesis.

Leptin antagonist reveals an uncoupling between leptin receptor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling and metabolic responses with central leptin resistance.

Leptin-resistant rats have reduced leptin receptors and signaling and are refractory to exogenous leptin. However, it is unclear how leptin-mediated hypothalamic signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling relates to the loss of physiological responsiveness. We hypothesized that if leptin resistance is associated with leptin receptors that are no longer functionally coupled to leptin responses, then a leptin antagonist should be less effective in leptin-resistant compared with leptin-responsive rats. Hypothalamic leptin resistance was induced in lean rats with a recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector encoding leptin by intracerebroventricular injection. Following development of leptin resistance, at day 153, these rats and control rats were infused centrally either with vehicle or a rat leptin antagonist for 14 days. Food intake, body weight, adiposity, and uncoupling protein 1 expression increased with antagonist infusion in controls but elevated only marginally in leptin-resistant rats. Basal hypothalamic STAT3 signaling remained unchanged with antagonist infusion in control rats despite the pronounced orexigenic response in these animals. STAT3 phosphorylation in rats pretreated with rAAV-leptin to induce leptin resistance was elevated 2-fold. Paradoxically, in these leptin-resistant rats, the antagonist fully reversed the 2-fold elevated phosphorylated STAT3, but it evoked minimal physiological responses. These data reveal an uncoupling between leptin receptor activation and metabolic responses with central leptin resistance.

Responses of spinach leaf mitochondria to low N availability.

Low N availability induces carbohydrate accumulation in leaf cells, which often causes suppression of photosynthesis. Under low N supply, excess carbohydrates would be preferentially respired by the non-phosphorylating pathways, such as the alternative oxidase (AOX) and uncoupling protein (UCP), which would suppress the excessive increase in the ratio of C to N (C/N ratio). In leaves, however, responses of these pathways to the low N stress are still unknown. We examined the mitochondrial respiratory pathways in spinach leaves grown at three different N availabilities to clarify whether the respiratory pathways change depending on the N availabilities. With the decrease in N availability, leaf respiratory rates per leaf area decreased, but the rates on the leaf N basis were comparable. Using fumarase activities of whole leaf extracts and isolated mitochondria, we estimated mitochondrial protein contents per leaf N. The contents increased with the decrease in the N availability, that is, at the low N availability, N was preferentially invested into mitochondria. On the mitochondrial protein basis, capacities of cytochrome pathway (CP) and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) were comparable regardless of the N availabilities, whereas both AOX capacity and the amounts of AOX protein increased with the decrease in the N availability. Some enzymes of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, especially NAD-dependent malic enzyme (NAD-ME), showed higher capacities under lower N. On the other hand, amounts of UCP did not differ amongst the N availabilities. These results indicated that, under low N stress, AOX will be preferentially up-regulated and will efficiently consume excess carbohydrates, which leads to suppressing the rise in the C/N ratio to a moderate level.

Hyperpolarization-activated cation channels are expressed in rat hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and immortalized GnRH neurons.

OBJECTIVES: The current research was conducted to determine whether hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN1-4) channels are expressed in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the female rat hypothalamus and immortalized GnRH neurons (GT1-7 cells). METHODS: Double-label fluorescence immunohistochemistry was used to colocalize HCN1-4 channels and GnRH in GnRH neurons in the female rat hypothalamus. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunocytochemistry were used to analyze HCN channel gene expression in GT1-7 cells. RESULTS: Double-label fluorescence immunohistochemistry showed that 43% of hypothalamic GnRH neurons immunostained for HCN2 and 90% of GnRH neurons immunostained for HCN3. RT-PCR and Western blot showed expression of all four HCN channel subunits in GT1-7 cells. Double-label immunocytochemistry showed cytoplasmic immunostaining of HCN2 and HCN3 in GT1-7 cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates for the first time that HCN channels are expressed in GnRH neurons in the rat hypothalamus and GT1-7 cells. Our research supports the hypothesis that HCN channels may be involved in electrical bursting activity and pulsatile GnRH secretion in endogenous GnRH neurons and GT1-7 cells.

Comparative study of membrane potential-sensitive fluorescent probes and their use in ion channel screening assays.

In this study, the authors compared and evaluated 4 membrane potential probes in the same cellular assay: the oxonol dye DiBAC(4)(3), the FLIPR membrane potential (FMP) dye (Molecular Devices), and 2 novel fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) dye systems from PanVera [CC2-DMPE/DiSBAC(2)(3)] and Axiom [DiSBAC(1)(3)/DiSBAC(1)(5)]. The kinetic parameters of each membrane probe were investigated in RBL-2H3 cells expressing an endogenous inward rectifier potassium channel (IRK1). The FMP dye presented the highest signal over background ratio whereas the FRET dyes from PanVera gave the fastest response. The determination of IC(50) values for 8 different channel modulators indicated a good correlation between the 4 membrane probe systems. The compound-dye interaction was evaluated in the presence of compounds at 10 muM and clearly indicated no effect on the FMP or the PanVera donor dye, whereas some major interference with the oxonol probes was observed. Using a cell permeabilization assay in the presence of gramicidin, the authors concluded that the FRET dyes from PanVera and the FMP dye are unable to measure the gramicidin-induced cell membrane hyperpolarizations. The 4 dye systems were investigated under high-throughput screening (HTS) conditions, and their respective Z' parameter was determined. The characteristics of each dye system and its potential use in HTS assays is discussed.

The cell wall of the pathogenic bacterium Rhodococcus equi contains two channel-forming proteins with different properties.

We have identified in organic solvent extracts of whole cells of the gram-positive pathogen Rhodococcus equi two channel-forming proteins with different and complementary properties. The isolated proteins were able to increase the specific conductance of artificial lipid bilayer membranes made from phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylserine mixtures by the formation of channels able to be permeated by ions. The channel-forming protein PorA(Req) (R. equi pore A) is characterized by the formation of cation-selective channels, which are voltage gated. PorA(Req) has a single-channel conductance of 4 nS in 1 M KCl and shows high permeability for positively charged solutes because of the presence of negative point charges. According to the results of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), the protein has an apparent molecular mass of about 67 kDa. The analysis (using the effect of negative charges on channel conductance) of the concentration dependence of the single-channel conductance suggested that the diameter of the cell wall channel is about 2.0 nm. The second channel (formed by PorB(Req) [R. equi pore B]) shows a preferred movement of anions through the channel and is not voltage gated. This channel shows a single-channel conductance of 300 pS in 1 M KCl and is characterized by the presence of positive point charges in or near the channel mouth. Based on SDS-PAGE, the apparent molecular mass of the channel-forming protein is about 11 kDa. Channel-forming properties of the investigated cell wall porins were compared with those of others isolated from mycolic acid-containing actinomycetes. We present here the first report of a fully characterized anion-selective cell wall channel from a member of the order Actinomycetales.

Flux assays in high throughput screening of ion channels in drug discovery.

Ion channels have been identified as therapeutic targets in various disorders, such as cardiovascular disease, neurological disease, and cystic fibrosis. Flux assays to detect functional ionic flux through ion channels are becoming increasingly popular as tools for screening compounds. In an optimized flux assay, modulation of ion channel activity may produce readily detectable changes in radiolabeled or nonradiolabeled ionic flux. Technologies based on flux assays are currently available in a fully automated high throughput format for efficient screening. This application offers sensitive, precise, and reproducible measurements giving accurate drug rank orders matching those of patch clamp data. Conveniently, the flux assay is amenable to adaptation for different ion channels, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and chloride channels, by using suitable tracer ions. The nonradiolabeled rubidium-based flux assay coupled with the ion channel reader (ICR) technology has become very successful in ion channel activity analysis and is emerging as a popular technique in modern drug discovery.

Molecular identification of a hyperpolarization-activated channel in sea urchin sperm.

Sea urchin eggs attract sperm through chemotactic peptides, which evoke complex changes in membrane voltage and in the concentrations of cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP and Ca2+ ions The intracellular signalling pathways and their cellular targets are largely unknown. We have now cloned, from sea urchin testis, the complementary DNA encoding a channel polypeptide, SPIH. Functional expression of SPIH gives rise to weakly K+-selective hyperpolarization-activated channels, whose activity is enhanced by the direct action of cAMP. Thus, SPIH is under the dual control of voltage and cAMP. The SPIH channel, which is confined to the sperm flagellum, may be involved in the control of flagellar beating. SPIH currents exhibit all the hallmarks of hyperpolarization-activated currents (Ih), which participate in the rhythmic firing of central neurons, control pacemaking in the heart, and curtail saturation by bright light in retinal photoreceptors. Because of their sequence and functional properties, Ih channels form a class of their own within the superfamily of voltage-gated and cyclic-nucleotide-gated channels.

The lobster nerve sodium channel: solubilization and purification of the tetrodotoxin receptor protein.

Solubilization and purification of the tetrodotoxin (TTX) binding protein of the lobster walking-leg nerve Na+ channel were carried out utilizing [3H]tetrodotoxin [( 3H]tetrodotoxin) as a marker. The nerve membrane was solubilized with Lubrol-PX and the Na+ channel protein was purified with diethylaminoethyl Bio-Gel A, Bio-Gel hydroxylapatite powder and two Sepharose 6B columns. Care was taken to keep the temperature of the Na+ channel preparation as close to 1 degrees C as possible and to use solutions (pH 7.5) that contain Na channel protectors, i.e., egg phosphatidylcholine/Lubrol-PX mixture, TTX, EDTA, EGTA, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, pepstatin A, iodoacetamide, antipain, phosphoramidon, soybean trypsin inhibitor, leupeptin and bacitracin. From an initial specific binding of 20.1 pmol of [3H]TTX/mg protein for the solubilized membrane, the binding increased to 1241 pmol/mg protein for the most active fraction of the last Sepharose 6B column. The [3H]TTX specific binding of the Sepharose 6B fractions correlated with a large peptide of Mr 260,000 (240-280K), although other peptides were also present in lesser amounts.

Cloning of a probable potassium channel gene from mouse brain.

Potassium channels comprise a diverse class of ion channels important for neuronal excitability and plasticity. The recent cloning of the Shaker locus from Drosophila melanogaster has provided a starting point for molecular studies of potassium channels. Predicted Shaker proteins appear to be integral membrane proteins and have a sequence similar to the sequence of the S4 segment of the vertebrate sodium channel, where the S4 segment has been proposed to be the voltage sensor. Expression studies in frog oocytes confirm that Shaker encodes a component of a potassium channel (the A channel) that conducts a fast transient potassium current. Here we report the isolation of complementary DNA clones from the mouse brain, the nucleotide sequences of which predict a protein remarkably similar to the Shaker protein. The strong conservation of the predicted protein sequence in flies and mammals suggests that these mouse clones encode a potassium channel component and that the conserved amino acids may be essential to some aspect of potassium channel function.