Selective (α)-l-Rhamnosylation and Neuroprotective Activity Exploration of Cardiotonic Steroids.

This work describes the studies on the direct C3-glycosylation of the C19-hydroxylated cardiotonic steroids strophanthidol, anhydro-ouabagenin, and ouabagenin using a strategy based on in situ protection of the C5 and C19 hydroxyl groups with boronic acids. While this strategy resulted in a successful one-pot C3-selective glycosylation of strophanthidol and anhydro-ouabegenin, it failed to provide ouabain from ouabagenin. The neuroprotective activity of the synthetic and natural glycosides against LPS-induced neuroinflammation was explored in neonatal mouse primary glia cells. Co-administration of natural and synthetic C3-glycosides at 200 nM concentrations resulted in the significant reduction of the LPS-induced neuroinflammatory markers IL-6, IL-1, TNFα, and IKBKE, with the anhydro-ouabagenin-3-(α)-l-rhamnoside (anhydro-ouabain) showing the most significant effect. At the same time, unglycosylated anhydro-ouabagenin enhanced rather than suppressed LPS-induced neuroinflammation.

Prenatal benzene exposure in mice alters offspring hypothalamic development predisposing to metabolic disease in later life.

Maternal exposure to environmental contaminants during pregnancy poses a significant threat to a developing fetus, as these substances can easily cross the placenta and disrupt the neurodevelopment of offspring. Specifically, the hypothalamus is essential in the regulation of metabolism, notably during critical windows of development. An abnormal hormonal and inflammatory milieu during development can trigger persistent changes in the function of hypothalamic circuits, leading to long-lasting effects on the body's energy homeostasis and metabolism. We recently demonstrated that gestational exposure to clinically relevant levels of benzene induces severe metabolic dysregulation in the offspring. Given the central role of the hypothalamus in metabolic control, we hypothesized that prenatal exposure to benzene impacts hypothalamic development, contributing to the adverse metabolic effects in the offspring. C57BL/6JB dams were exposed to benzene at 50 ppm in the inhalation chambers exclusively during pregnancy (from E0.5 to E19). Transcriptomic analysis of the exposed offspring at postnatal day 21 (P21) revealed hypothalamic changes in genes related to metabolic regulation, inflammation, and neurodevelopment exclusively in males. Moreover, the hypothalamus of prenatally benzene-exposed male offspring displayed alterations in orexigenic and anorexigenic projections, impairments in leptin signaling, and increased microgliosis. Additional exposure to benzene during lactation did not promote further microgliosis or astrogliosis in the offspring, while the high-fat diet (HFD) challenge in adulthood exacerbated glucose metabolism and hypothalamic inflammation in benzene-exposed offspring of both sexes. These findings reveal the persistent adverse effects of prenatal benzene exposure on hypothalamic circuits and neuroinflammation, predisposing the offspring to long-lasting metabolic health conditions.

Efficient SABRE-SHEATH Hyperpolarization of Potent Branched-Chain-Amino-Acid Metabolic Probe [1-13C]ketoisocaproate.

Efficient 13C hyperpolarization of ketoisocaproate is demonstrated in natural isotopic abundance and [1-13C]enriched forms via SABRE-SHEATH (Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange in SHield Enables Alignment Transfer to Heteronuclei). Parahydrogen, as the source of nuclear spin order, and ketoisocaproate undergo simultaneous chemical exchange with an Ir-IMes-based hexacoordinate complex in CD3OD. SABRE-SHEATH enables spontaneous polarization transfer from parahydrogen-derived hydrides to the 13C nucleus of transiently bound ketoisocaproate. 13C polarization values of up to 18% are achieved at the 1-13C site in 1 min in the liquid state at 30 mM substrate concentration. The efficient polarization build-up becomes possible due to favorable relaxation dynamics. Specifically, the exponential build-up time constant (14.3 ± 0.6 s) is substantially lower than the corresponding polarization decay time constant (22.8 ± 1.2 s) at the optimum polarization transfer field (0.4 microtesla) and temperature (10 °C). The experiments with natural abundance ketoisocaproate revealed polarization level on the 13C-2 site of less than 1%-i.e., one order of magnitude lower than that of the 1-13C site-which is only partially due to more-efficient relaxation dynamics in sub-microtesla fields. We rationalize the overall much lower 13C-2 polarization efficiency in part by less favorable catalyst-binding dynamics of the C-2 site. Pilot SABRE experiments at pH 4.0 (acidified sample) versus pH 6.1 (unaltered sodium [1-13C]ketoisocaproate) reveal substantial modulation of SABRE-SHEATH processes by pH, warranting future systematic pH titration studies of ketoisocaproate, as well as other structurally similar ketocarboxylate motifs including pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate, with the overarching goal of maximizing 13C polarization levels in these potent molecular probes. Finally, we also report on the pilot post-mortem use of HP [1-13C]ketoisocaproate in a euthanized mouse, demonstrating that SABRE-hyperpolarized 13C contrast agents hold promise for future metabolic studies.

Growth hormone receptor (GHR) in AgRP neurons regulates thermogenesis in a sex-specific manner.

Evidence for hypothalamic regulation of energy homeostasis and thermoregulation in brown adipose tissue (BAT) during aging has been well recognized, yet the central molecular mediators involved in this process are poorly understood. The arcuate hypothalamus, orexigenic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons control nutrient intake, energy homeostasis, and BAT thermogenesis. To determine the roles of growth hormone receptor (GHR) signaling in the AgRP neurons, we used mice with the AgRP-specific GHR deletion (AgRPΔGHR). We found that female AgRPΔGHR mice were resistant to temperature adaptation, and their body core temperature remained significantly lower when held at 10 °C, 22 °C, or 30 °C, compared to control mice. Low body core temperature in female AgRPΔGHR mice has been associated with significant reductions in Ucp1 and Pgc1α expression in the BAT. Further, neuronal activity in AgRP in response to cold exposure was blunted in AgRPΔGHR female mice, while the number of Fos+ AgRP neurons was increased in female controls exposed to cold. Global transcriptome from BAT identified increased the expression of genes related to immune responses and chemokine activity and decreased the expression of genes involved in triglyceride synthesis and metabolic pathways in AgRPΔGHR female mice. Importantly, these were the same genes that are downregulated by thermoneutrality in control mice but not in the AgRPΔGHR animals. Collectively, these data demonstrate a novel sex-specific role for GHR signaling in AgRP neurons in thermal regulation, which might be particularly relevant during aging.

Prenatal benzene exposure alters offspring hypothalamic development predisposing to metabolic disease in later life.

The hypothalamus is essential in the regulation of metabolism, notably during critical windows of development. An abnormal hormonal and inflammatory milieu during development can trigger persistent changes in the function of hypothalamic circuits, leading to long-lasting effects on the body’s energy homeostasis and metabolism. We recently demonstrated that gestational exposure to benzene at smoking levels induces severe metabolic dysregulation in the offspring. Given the central role of the hypothalamus in metabolic control, we hypothesized that prenatal exposure to benzene impacts hypothalamic development, contributing to the adverse metabolic effects in the offspring. C57BL/6JB dams were exposed to benzene in the inhalation chambers exclusively during pregnancy (from E0.5 to E19). The transcriptome analysis of the offspring hypothalamus at postnatal day 21 (P21) revealed changes in genes related to metabolic regulation, inflammation, and neurodevelopment exclusively in benzene-exposed male offspring. Moreover, the hypothalamus of prenatally benzene-exposed male offspring displayed alterations in orexigenic and anorexigenic projections, impairments in leptin signaling, and increased microgliosis. Additional exposure to benzene during lactation did not promote further microgliosis or astrogliosis in the offspring, while the high-fat diet (HFD) challenge in adulthood exacerbated glucose metabolism and hypothalamic inflammation in benzene-exposed offspring of both sexes. These findings reveal the persistent impact of prenatal benzene exposure on hypothalamic circuits and neuroinflammation, predisposing the offspring to long-lasting metabolic health conditions.

What Is Karyotype Coding and Why Is Genomic Topology Important for Cancer and Evolution?

While the importance of chromosomal/nuclear variations vs. gene mutations in diseases is becoming more appreciated, less is known about its genomic basis. Traditionally, chromosomes are considered the carriers of genes, and genes define bio-inheritance. In recent years, the gene-centric concept has been challenged by the surprising data of various sequencing projects. The genome system theory has been introduced to offer an alternative framework. One of the key concepts of the genome system theory is karyotype or chromosomal coding: chromosome sets function as gene organizers, and the genomic topologies provide a context for regulating gene expression and function. In other words, the interaction of individual genes, defined by genomic topology, is part of the full informational system. The genes define the "parts inheritance," while the karyotype and genomic topology (the physical relationship of genes within a three-dimensional nucleus) plus the gene content defines "system inheritance." In this mini-review, the concept of karyotype or chromosomal coding will be briefly discussed, including: 1) the rationale for searching for new genomic inheritance, 2) chromosomal or karyotype coding (hypothesis, model, and its predictions), and 3) the significance and evidence of chromosomal coding (maintaining and changing the system inheritance-defined bio-systems). This mini-review aims to provide a new conceptual framework for appreciating the genome organization-based information package and its ultimate importance for future genomic and evolutionary studies.