Metformin treatment results in distinctive skeletal muscle mitochondrial remodeling in rats with different intrinsic aerobic capacities.

The rationale for the use of metformin as a treatment to slow aging was largely based on data collected from metabolically unhealthy individuals. For healthspan extension metformin will also be used in periods of good health. To understand potential context specificity of metformin treatment on skeletal muscle, we used a rat model (HCR/LCR) with a divide in intrinsic aerobic capacity. Outcomes of metformin treatment differed based on baseline intrinsic mitochondrial function, oxidative capacity of the muscle (gastroc vs soleus), and the mitochondrial population (IMF vs SS). Metformin caused lower ADP-stimulated respiration in LCRs, with less of a change in HCRs. However, a washout of metformin resulted in an unexpected doubling of respiratory capacity in HCRs. These improvements in respiratory capacity were accompanied by mitochondrial remodeling that included increases in protein synthesis and changes in morphology. Our findings raise questions about whether the positive findings of metformin treatment are broadly applicable.

17α-Estradiol alleviates high-fat diet-induced inflammatory and metabolic dysfunction in skeletal muscle of male and female mice.

17α-estradiol (17α-E2) is a naturally occurring nonfeminizing diastereomer of 17ß-estradiol that has life span-extending effects in rodent models. To date, studies of the systemic and tissue-specific benefits of 17α-E2 have largely focused on the liver, brain, and white adipose tissue with far less focus on skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle has an important role in metabolic and age-related disease. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether 17α-E2 treatment has positive, tissue-specific effects on skeletal muscle during a high-fat feeding. We hypothesized that male, but not female, mice, would benefit from 17α-E2 treatment during a high-fat diet (HFD) with changes in the mitochondrial proteome to support lipid oxidation and subsequent reductions in diacylglycerol (DAG) and ceramide content. To test this hypothesis, we used a multiomics approach to determine changes in lipotoxic lipid intermediates, metabolites, and proteins related to metabolic homeostasis. Unexpectedly, we found that 17α-E2 had marked, but different, beneficial effects within each sex. In male mice, we show that 17α-E2 alleviates HFD-induced metabolic detriments of skeletal muscle by reducing the accumulation of diacylglycerol (DAG), and inflammatory cytokine levels, and altered the abundance of most of the proteins related to lipolysis and ß-oxidation. Similar to male mice, 17α-E2 treatment reduced fat mass while protecting muscle mass in female mice but had little muscle inflammatory cytokine levels. Although female mice were resistant to HFD-induced changes in DAGs, 17α-E2 treatment induced the upregulation of six DAG species. In female mice, 17α-E2 treatment changed the relative abundance of proteins involved in lipolysis, ß-oxidation, as well as structural and contractile proteins but to a smaller extent than male mice. These data demonstrate the metabolic benefits of 17α-E2 in skeletal muscle of male and female mice and contribute to the growing literature of the use of 17α-E2 for multi tissue health span benefits.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using a multiomics approach, we show that 17α-E2 alleviates HFD-induced metabolic detriments in skeletal muscle by altering bioactive lipid intermediates, inflammatory cytokines, and the abundance of proteins related to lipolysis and muscle contraction. The positive effects of 17α-E2 in skeletal muscle occur in both sexes but differ in their outcome.

Senolytic treatment does not mitigate oxidative stress-induced muscle atrophy but improves muscle force generation in CuZn superoxide dismutase knockout mice.

Oxidative stress is associated with tissue dysfunctions that can lead to reduced health. Prior work has shown that oxidative stress contributes to both muscle atrophy and cellular senescence, which is a hallmark of aging that may drive in muscle atrophy and muscle contractile dysfunction. The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that cellular senescence contributes to muscle atrophy or weakness. To increase potential senescence in skeletal muscle, we used a model of oxidative stress-induced muscle frailty, the CuZn superoxide dismutase knockout (Sod1KO) mouse. We treated 6-month-old wildtype (WT) and Sod1KO mice with either vehicle or a senolytic treatment of combined dasatinib (5 mg/kg) + quercetin (50 mg/kg) (D + Q) for 3 consecutive days every 15 days. We continued treatment for 7 months and sacrificed the mice at 13 months of age. Treatment with D + Q did not preserve muscle mass, reduce NMJ fragmentation, or alter muscle protein synthesis in Sod1KO mice when compared to the vehicle-treated group. However, we observed an improvement in muscle-specific force generation in Sod1KO mice treated with D + Q when compared to Sod1KO-vehicle mice. Overall, these data suggest that reducing cellular senescence via D + Q is not sufficient to mitigate loss of muscle mass in a mouse model of oxidative stress-induced muscle frailty but may mitigate some aspects of oxidative stress-induced muscle dysfunction.

High-fat diet increases electron transfer flavoprotein synthesis and lipid respiration in skeletal muscle during exercise training in female mice.

High-fat diet (HFD) and exercise remodel skeletal muscle mitochondria. The electron transfer flavoproteins (ETF) transfer reducing equivalents from ß-oxidation into the electron transfer system. Exercise may stimulate the synthesis of ETF proteins to increase lipid respiration. We determined mitochondrial remodeling for lipid respiration through ETF in the context of higher mitochondrial abundance/capacity seen in female mice. We hypothesized HFD would be a greater stimulus than exercise to remodel ETF and lipid pathways through increased protein synthesis alongside increased lipid respiration. Female C57BL/6J mice (n = 15 per group) consumed HFD or low-fat diet (LFD) for 4 weeks then remained sedentary (SED) or completed 8 weeks of treadmill training (EX). We determined mitochondrial lipid respiration, RNA abundance, individual protein synthesis, and abundance for ETFα, ETFß, and ETF dehydrogenase (ETFDH). HFD increased absolute and relative lipid respiration (p = 0.018 and p = 0.034) and RNA abundance for ETFα (p = 0.026), ETFß (p = 0.003), and ETFDH (p = 0.0003). HFD increased synthesis for ETFα and ETFDH (p = 0.0007 and p = 0.002). EX increased synthesis of ETFß and ETFDH (p = 0.008 and p = 0.006). Higher synthesis rates of ETF were not always reflected in greater protein abundance. Greater synthesis of ETF during HFD indicates mitochondrial remodeling which may contribute higher mitochondrial lipid respiration through enhanced ETF function.

17α-estradiol Alleviates High-Fat Diet-Induced Inflammatory and Metabolic Dysfunction in Skeletal Muscle of Male and Female Mice.

Skeletal muscle has a central role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. 17α-estradiol (17α-E2), a naturally-occurring non-feminizing diastereomer of 17ß-estradiol that demonstrates efficacy for improving metabolic outcomes in male, but not female, mice. Despite several lines of evidence showing that 17α-E2 treatment improves metabolic parameters in middle-aged obese and old male mice through effects in brain, liver, and white adipose tissue little is known about how 17α-E2 alters skeletal muscle metabolism, and what role this may play in mitigating metabolic declines. Therefore, this study aimed to determine if 17α-E2 treatment improves metabolic outcomes in skeletal muscle from obese male and female mice following chronic high fat diet (HFD) administration. We hypothesized that male, but not female, mice, would benefit from 17α-E2 treatment during HFD. To test this hypothesis, we used a multi-omics approach to determine changes in lipotoxic lipid intermediates, metabolites, and proteins related to metabolic homeostasis. In male mice, we show that 17α-E2 alleviates HFD-induced metabolic detriments of skeletal muscle by reducing the accumulation of diacylglycerol (DAGs) and ceramides, inflammatory cytokine levels, and reduced the abundance of most of the proteins related to lipolysis and beta-oxidation. In contrast to males, 17α-E2 treatment in female mice had little effect on the DAGs and ceramides content, muscle inflammatory cytokine levels, or changes to the relative abundance of proteins involved in beta-oxidation. These data support to the growing evidence that 17α-E2 treatment could be beneficial for overall metabolic health in male mammals.

Water-soluble pristine C60 fullerenes attenuate isometric muscle force reduction in a rat acute inflammatory pain model.

BACKGROUND: Being a scavenger of free radicals, C60 fullerenes can influence on the physiological processes in skeletal muscles, however, the effect of such carbon nanoparticles on muscle contractility under acute muscle inflammation remains unclear. Thus, the aim of the study was to reveal the effect of the C60 fullerene aqueous solution (C60FAS) on the muscle contractile properties under acute inflammatory pain. METHODS: To induce inflammation a 2.5% formalin solution was injected into the rat triceps surae (TS) muscle. High-frequency electrical stimulation has been used to induce tetanic muscle contraction. A linear motor under servo-control with embedded semi-conductor strain gauge resistors was used to measure the muscle tension. RESULTS: In response to formalin administration, the strength of TS muscle contractions in untreated animals was recorded at 23% of control values, whereas the muscle tension in the C60FAS-treated rats reached 48%. Thus, the treated muscle could generate 2-fold more muscle strength than the muscle in untreated rats. CONCLUSIONS: The attenuation of muscle contraction force reduction caused by preliminary injection of C60FAS is presumably associated with a decrease in the concentration of free radicals in the inflamed muscle tissue, which leads to a decrease in the intensity of nociceptive information transmission from the inflamed muscle to the CNS and thereby promotes the improvement of the functional state of the skeletal muscle.

Impaired proteostatic mechanisms other than decreased protein synthesis limit old skeletal muscle recovery after disuse atrophy.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle mass and strength diminish during periods of disuse but recover upon return to weight bearing in healthy adults but are incomplete in old muscle. Efforts to improve muscle recovery in older individuals commonly aim at increasing myofibrillar protein synthesis via mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) stimulation despite evidence demonstrating that old muscle has chronically elevated levels of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity. We hypothesized that protein synthesis is higher in old muscle than adult muscle, which contributes to a proteostatic stress that impairs recovery. METHODS: We unloaded hindlimbs of adult (10-month) and old (28-month) F344BN rats for 14 days to induce atrophy, followed by reloading up to 60 days with deuterium oxide (D2 O) labelling to study muscle regrowth and proteostasis. RESULTS: We found that old muscle has limited recovery of muscle mass during reloading despite having higher translational capacity and myofibrillar protein synthesis (0.029 k/day ± 0.002 vs. 0.039 k/day ± 0.002, P < 0.0001) than adult muscle. We showed that collagen protein synthesis was not different (0.005 k (1/day) ± 0.0005 vs. 0.004 k (1/day) ± 0.0005, P = 0.15) in old compared to adult, but old muscle had higher collagen concentration (4.5 µg/mg ± 1.2 vs. 9.8 µg/mg ± 0.96, P < 0.01), implying that collagen breakdown was slower in old muscle than adult muscle. This finding was supported by old muscle having more insoluble collagen (4.0 ± 1.1 vs. 9.2 ± 0.9, P < 0.01) and an accumulation of advanced glycation end products (1.0 ± 0.06 vs. 1.5 ± 0.08, P < 0.001) than adult muscle during reloading. Limited recovery of muscle mass during reloading is in part due to higher protein degradation (0.017 1/t ± 0.002 vs. 0.028 1/t ± 0.004, P < 0.05) and/or compromised proteostasis as evidenced by accumulation of ubiquitinated insoluble proteins (1.02 ± 0.06 vs. 1.22 ± 0.06, P < 0.05). Last, we showed that synthesis of individual proteins related to protein folding/refolding, protein degradation and neural-related biological processes was higher in old muscle during reloading than adult muscle. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the failure of old muscle to recover after disuse is not due to limitations in the ability to synthesize myofibrillar proteins but because of other impaired proteostatic mechanisms (e.g., protein folding and degradation). These data provide novel information on individual proteins that accumulate in protein aggregates after disuse and certain biological processes such as protein folding and degradation that likely play a role in impaired recovery. Therefore, interventions to enhance regrowth of old muscle after disuse should be directed towards the identified impaired proteostatic mechanisms and not aimed at increasing protein synthesis.

Skeletal and cardiac muscle have different protein turnover responses in a model of right heart failure.

Right heart failure (RHF) is a common and deadly disease in aged populations. Extra-cardiac outcomes of RHF such as skeletal muscle atrophy contribute to morbidity and mortality. Despite the significance of maintaining right ventricular (RV) and muscle function, the mechanisms of RHF and muscle atrophy are unclear. Metformin (MET) improves cardiac and muscle function through the regulation of metabolism and the cellular stress response. However, whether MET is a viable therapeutic for RHF and muscle atrophy is not yet known. We used deuterium oxide labeling to measure individual protein turnover in the RV as well as subcellular skeletal muscle proteostasis in aged male mice subjected to 4 weeks of hypobaric hypoxia (HH)-induced RHF. Mice exposed to HH had elevated RV mass and impaired RV systolic function, neither of which was prevented by MET. HH resulted in a higher content of glycolytic, cardiac, and antioxidant proteins in the RV, most of which were inhibited by MET. The synthesis of these key RV proteins was generally unchanged by MET, suggesting MET accelerated protein breakdown. HH resulted in a loss of skeletal muscle mass due to inhibited protein synthesis alongside myofibrillar protein breakdown. MET did not impact HH-induced muscle protein turnover and did not prevent muscle wasting. Together, we show tissue-dependent responses to HH-induced RHF where the RV undergoes hypertrophic remodeling with higher expression of metabolic and stress response proteins. Skeletal muscle undergoes loss of protein mass and atrophy, primarily due to myofibrillar protein breakdown. MET did not prevent HH-induced RV dysfunction or muscle wasting, suggesting that the identification of other therapies to attenuate RHF and concomitant muscle atrophy is warranted.

Kinetic proteomics identifies targeted changes in liver metabolism and the ribo-interactome by dietary sulfur amino acid restriction.

Dietary sulfur amino acid restriction (SAAR) protects against diet-induced obesity, extends healthspan, and coincides with an overall reduction in hepatic protein synthesis. To explore the underpinnings of SAAR-induced slowed growth and its impact on liver metabolism and proteostasis, we resolved changes in hepatic mRNA and protein abundances and compared synthesis rates of individual liver proteins. To achieve this, adult male mice were provided deuterium-labeled drinking water while freely consuming either a regular-fat or high-fat diet that was SAA restricted. Livers from these mice and their respective dietary controls were used to conduct transcriptomic, proteomic, and kinetic proteomic analyses. We found that remodeling of the transcriptome by SAAR was largely agnostic to dietary fat content. Shared signatures included activation of the integrated stress response alongside alterations in metabolic processes impacting lipids, fatty acids, and amino acids. Changes to the proteome correlated poorly with the transcriptome, and yet, functional clustering of kinetic proteomic changes in the liver during SAAR revealed that the management of fatty acids and amino acids were altered to support central metabolism and redox balance. Dietary SAAR also strongly influenced the synthesis rates of ribosomal proteins and ribosome-interacting proteins regardless of dietary fat. Taken together, dietary SAAR alters the transcriptome and proteome in the liver to safely manage increased fatty acid flux and energy use and couples this with targeted changes in the ribo-interactome to support proteostasis and slowed growth.

Skeletal Muscle Nuclei in Mice are not Post-mitotic.

The skeletal muscle research field generally accepts that nuclei in skeletal muscle fibers (ie, myonuclei) are post-mitotic and unable to proliferate. Because our deuterium oxide (D2O) labeling studies showed DNA synthesis in skeletal muscle tissue, we hypothesized that resident myonuclei can replicate in vivo. To test this hypothesis, we used a mouse model that temporally labeled myonuclei with GFP followed by D2O labeling during normal cage activity, functional overload, and with satellite cell ablation. During normal cage activity, we observed deuterium enrichment into myonuclear DNA in 7 out of 7 plantaris (PLA), 6 out of 6 tibialis anterior (TA), 5 out of 7 gastrocnemius (GAST), and 7 out of 7 quadriceps (QUAD). The average fractional synthesis rates (FSR) of DNA in myonuclei were: 0.0202 ± 0.0093 in PLA, 0.0239 ± 0.0040 in TA, 0.0076 ± 0. 0058 in GAST, and 0.0138 ± 0.0039 in QUAD, while there was no replication in myonuclei from EDL. These FSR values were largely reproduced in the overload and satellite cell ablation conditions, although there were higher synthesis rates in the overloaded PLA muscle. We further provided evidence that myonuclear replication is through endoreplication, which results in polyploidy. These novel findings contradict the dogma that skeletal muscle nuclei are post-mitotic and open potential avenues to harness the intrinsic replicative ability of myonuclei for muscle maintenance and growth.

Senolytic treatment reduces cell senescence and necroptosis in Sod1 knockout mice that is associated with reduced inflammation and hepatocellular carcinoma.

The goal of this study was to test the role cellular senescence plays in the increased inflammation, chronic liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma seen in mice null for Cu/Zn-Superoxide dismutase (Sod1KO). To inhibit senescence, wildtype (WT) and Sod1KO mice were given the senolytics, dasatinib, and quercetin (D + Q) at 6 months of age when the Sod1KO mice begin exhibiting signs of accelerated aging. Seven months of D + Q treatment reduced the expression of p16 in the livers of Sod1KO mice to WT levels and the expression of several senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors (IL-6, IL-1ß, CXCL-1, and GDF-15). D + Q treatment also reduced markers of inflammation in livers of the Sod1KO mice, for example, cytokines, chemokines, macrophage levels, and Kupffer cell clusters. D + Q treatment had no effect on various markers of liver fibrosis in the Sod1KO mice but reduced the expression of genes involved in liver cancer and dramatically reduced the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Surprisingly, D + Q also reduced markers of necroptosis (phosphorylated and oligomerized MLKL) in the Sod1KO mice to WT levels. We also found that inhibiting necroptosis in the Sod1KO mice with necrostatin-1s reduced the markers of cellular senescence (p16, p21, and p53). Our study suggests that an interaction occurs between cellular senescence and necroptosis in the liver of Sod1KO mice. We propose that these two cell fates interact through a positive feedback loop resulting in a cycle amplifying both cellular senescence and necroptosis leading to inflammaging and age-associated pathology in the Sod1KO mice.

New Life of an Old Drug: Caffeine as a Modulator of Antibacterial Activity of Commonly Used Antibiotics.

With the rapid and continuous emergence of antimicrobial resistance, bacterial infections became a significant global healthcare concern. One of the proposed strategies to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens is to use additional compounds, such as natural biologically active substances, as adjuvants for existing antibiotics. In this study, we investigated the potential of caffeine, the widely consumed alkaloid, to modulate the antibacterial effects of antibiotics commonly used in clinical practice. We used disc diffusion assay to evaluate the effects of caffeine on 40 antibiotics in two Staphylococcus aureus strains (methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive). Based on the results of this step, we selected five antibiotics for which the greatest caffeine-induced improvements in antibacterial activity were observed, and further analyzed their interactions with caffeine using a checkerboard approach. Caffeine at concentrations of 250 µg/mL or higher halved the MIC values of ticarcillin, cefepime, gentamycin, azithromycin, and novobiocin for all gram-negative species investigated (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii). At the highest caffeine concentrations tested (up to 16 mg/mL), decreases in MIC values were 8- to 16-fold. The obtained results prove that caffeine modulates the activity of structurally diverse antibiotics, with the most promising synergistic effects observed for cefepime and azithromycin toward gram-negative pathogens.

An In Vivo Stable Isotope Labeling Method to Investigate Individual Matrix Protein Synthesis, Ribosomal Biogenesis, and Cellular Proliferation in Murine Articular Cartilage.

Targeting chondrocyte dynamics is a strategy for slowing osteoarthritis progression during aging. We describe a stable-isotope method using in vivo deuterium oxide labeling and mass spectrometry to measure protein concentration, protein half-life, cell proliferation, and ribosomal biogenesis in a single sample of murine articular cartilage. We hypothesized that a 60-d labeling period would capture age-related declines in cartilage matrix protein content, protein synthesis rates, and cellular proliferation. Knee cartilage was harvested to the subchondral bone from 25- to 90-wk-old female C57BL/6J mice treated with deuterium oxide for 15, 30, 45, and 60 d. We measured protein concentration and half-lives using targeted high resolution accurate mass spectrometry and d2ome data processing software. Deuterium enrichment was quantified in isolated DNA and RNA to measure cell proliferation and ribosomal biogenesis, respectively. Most collagen isoforms were less abundant in aged animals, with negligible collagen synthesis at either age. In contrast, age altered the concentration and half-lives of many proteoglycans and other matrix proteins, including several with greater concentration and half-lives in older mice such as proteoglycan 4, clusterin, and fibronectin-1. Cellular proteins were less abundant in older animals, consistent with reduced cellularity. Nevertheless, deuterium was maximally incorporated into 60% of DNA and RNA by 15 d of labeling in both age groups, suggesting the presence of two large pools of either rapidly (<15 d) or slowly (>60 d) proliferating cells. Our findings indicate that age-associated changes in cartilage matrix protein content and synthesis occur without detectable changes in the relative number of proliferating cells.

Determining the contributions of protein synthesis and breakdown to muscle atrophy requires non-steady-state equations.

BACKGROUND: Ageing and cachexia cause a loss of muscle mass over time, indicating that protein breakdown exceeds protein synthesis. Deuterium oxide (D2 O) is used for studies of protein turnover because of the advantages of long-term labelling, but these methods introduce considerations that have been largely overlooked when studying conditions of protein gain or loss. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the importance of accounting for a change in protein mass, a non-steady state, during D2 O labelling studies while also exploring the contribution of protein synthesis and breakdown to denervation-induced muscle atrophy. METHODS: Adult (6 months) male C57BL/6 mice (n = 14) were labelled with D2 O for a total of 7 days following unilateral sciatic nerve transection to induce denervation of hindlimb muscles. The contralateral sham limb and nonsurgical mice (n = 5) were used as two different controls to account for potential crossover effects of denervation. We calculated gastrocnemius myofibrillar and collagen protein synthesis and breakdown assuming steady-state or using non-steady-state modelling. We measured RNA synthesis rates to further understand ribosomal turnover during atrophy. RESULTS: Gastrocnemius mass was less in denervated muscle (137 ± 9 mg) compared with sham (174 ± 15 mg; P < 0.0001) or nonsurgical control (162 ± 5 mg; P < 0.0001). With steady-state calculations, fractional synthesis and breakdown rates (FSR and FBR) were lower in the denervated muscle (1.49 ± 0.06%/day) compared with sham (1.81 ± 0.09%/day; P < 0.0001) or nonsurgical control (2.27 ± 0.04%/day; P < 0.0001). When adjusting for change in protein mass, FSR was 4.21 ± 0.19%/day in denervated limb, whereas FBR was 4.09 ± 0.22%/day. When considering change in protein mass (ksyn ), myofibrillar synthesis was lower in denervated limb (2.44 ± 0.14 mg/day) compared with sham (3.43 ± 0.22 mg/day; P < 0.0001) and non-surgical control (3.74 ± 0.12 mg/day; P < 0.0001), whereas rate of protein breakdown (kdeg, 1/t) was greater in denervated limb (0.050 ± 0.003) compared with sham (0.019 ± 0.001; P < 0.0001) and nonsurgical control (0.023 ± 0.000; P < 0.0001). Muscle collagen breakdown was completely inhibited during denervation. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.83, P < 0.001) between RNA and myofibrillar protein synthesis in sham but not denervated muscle. CONCLUSIONS: We show conflicting results between steady- and non-steady-state calculations on myofibrillar protein synthesis and breakdown during periods of muscle loss. We also found that collagen accumulation was largely from a decrease in collagen breakdown. Comparison between sham and non-surgical control demonstrated a crossover effect of denervation on myofibrillar protein synthesis and ribosomal biogenesis, which impacts study design for unilateral atrophy studies. These considerations are important because not accounting for them can mislead therapeutic attempts to maintain muscle mass.

Modulatory Effects of Caffeine and Pentoxifylline on Aromatic Antibiotics: A Role for Hetero-Complex Formation.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major healthcare threat globally. Xanthines, including caffeine and pentoxifylline, are attractive candidates for drug repurposing, given their well-established safety and pharmacological profiles. This study aimed to analyze potential interactions between xanthines and aromatic antibiotics (i.e., tetracycline and ciprofloxacin), and their impact on antibiotic antibacterial activity. UV-vis spectroscopy, statistical-thermodynamical modeling, and isothermal titration calorimetry were used to quantitatively evaluate xanthine-antibiotic interactions. The antibacterial profiles of xanthines, and xanthine-antibiotic mixtures, towards important human pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterobacter cloacae were examined. Caffeine and pentoxifylline directly interact with ciprofloxacin and tetracycline, with neighborhood association constant values of 15.8-45.6 M-1 and enthalpy change values up to -4 kJ·M-1. Caffeine, used in mixtures with tested antibiotics, enhanced their antibacterial activity in most pathogens tested. However, antagonistic effects of caffeine were also observed, but only with ciprofloxacin toward Gram-positive pathogens. Xanthines interact with aromatic antibiotics at the molecular and in vitro antibacterial activity level. Given considerable exposure to caffeine and pentoxifylline, these interactions might be relevant for the effectiveness of antibacterial pharmacotherapy, and may help to identify optimal treatment regimens in the era of multidrug resistance.

C60 Fullerene Reduces 3-Nitropropionic Acid-Induced Oxidative Stress Disorders and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Rats by Modulation of p53, Bcl-2 and Nrf2 Targeted Proteins.

C60 fullerene as a potent free radical scavenger and antioxidant could be a beneficial means for neurodegenerative disease prevention or cure. The aim of the study was to define the effects of C60 administration on mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress disorders in a 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA)-induced rat model of Huntington's disease. Animals received 3-NPA (30 mg/kg i.p.) once a day for 3 consecutive days. C60 was applied at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg of body weight, i.p. daily over 5 days before (C60 pre-treatment) and after 3-NPA exposure (C60 post-treatment). Oxidative stress biomarkers, the activity of respiratory chain enzymes, the level of antioxidant defense, and pro- and antiapoptotic markers were analyzed in the brain and skeletal muscle mitochondria. The nuclear and cytosol Nrf2 protein expression, protein level of MnSOD, γ-glutamate-cysteine ligase (γ-GCLC), and glutathione-S-transferase (GSTP) as Nrf2 targets were evaluated. Our results indicated that C60 can prevent 3-NPA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction through the restoring of mitochondrial complexes' enzyme activity, ROS scavenging, modulating of pro/antioxidant balance and GSH/GSSG ratio, as well as inhibition of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis through the limitation of p53 mitochondrial translocation and increase in Bcl-2 protein expression. C60 improved mitochondrial protection by strengthening the endogenous glutathione system via glutathione biosynthesis by up-regulating Nrf2 nuclear accumulation as well as GCLC and GSTP protein level.

Tumor burden negatively impacts protein turnover as a proteostatic process in noncancerous liver, heart, and muscle, but not brain.

Cancer survivors are more susceptible to pathologies such as hypertension, liver disease, depression, and coronary artery disease when compared with individuals who have never been diagnosed with cancer. Therefore, it is important to understand how tumor burden negatively impacts nontumor-bearing tissues that may impact future disease susceptibility. We hypothesized that the energetic costs of a tumor would compromise proteostatic maintenance in other tissues. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if tumor burden changes protein synthesis and proliferation rates in heart, brain, and liver. One million Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, sham) were injected into the hind flank of female mice at ∼4.5 mo of age, and the tumor developed for 3 wk. Rates of proliferation and protein synthesis were measured in heart, brain, liver, and tumor tissue. Compared with sham, rates of protein synthesis (structural/nuclear, cytosolic, mitochondrial, and collagen) relative to proliferation were lower in the heart and liver of LLC mice, but higher in the brain of LLC mice. In the tumor tissue, the ratio of protein synthesis to DNA synthesis was approximately 1.0 showing that protein synthesis in the tumor was used for proliferation with little proteostatic maintenance. We further provide evidence that the differences in tissue responses may be due to energetic stress. We concluded that the decrease in proteostatic maintenance in liver, heart, and muscle might contribute to the increased risk of disease in cancer survivors.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We present data showing that simultaneously measuring protein synthesis and cell proliferation can help in the understanding of protein turnover as a proteostatic process in response to tumor burden. In some tissues, like hepatic, cardiac, and skeletal muscle, there was a decrease in the protein to DNA synthesis ratio indicating less proteostatic maintenance. In contrast, the brain maintained or even increased this protein to DNA synthesis ratio indicating more proteostatic maintenance.

Polymeric Nanocarriers: A Transformation in Doxorubicin Therapies.

Doxorubicin, a member of the anthracycline family, is a common anticancer agent often used as a first line treatment for the wide spectrum of cancers. Doxorubicin-based chemotherapy, although effective, is associated with serious side effects, such as irreversible cardiotoxicity or nephrotoxicity. Those often life-threatening adverse risks, responsible for the elongation of the patients' recuperation period and increasing medical expenses, have prompted the need for creating novel and safer drug delivery systems. Among many proposed concepts, polymeric nanocarriers are shown to be a promising approach, allowing for controlled and selective drug delivery, simultaneously enhancing its activity towards cancerous cells and reducing toxic effects on healthy tissues. This article is a chronological examination of the history of the work progress on polymeric nanostructures, designed as efficient doxorubicin nanocarriers, with the emphasis on the main achievements of 2010-2020. Numerous publications have been reviewed to provide an essential summation of the nanopolymer types and their essential properties, mechanisms towards efficient drug delivery, as well as active targeting stimuli-responsive strategies that are currently utilized in the doxorubicin transportation field.

Fatigue-induced Fos immunoreactivity within the lumbar cord and amygdala decreases after С60 fullerene pretreatment.

The fundamental aspects related to the mechanisms of action of C60 fullerene nanoparticles on the level of the central nervous system in different experimental conditions are still unclear. Electrophysiological investigation and immunohistochemical techniques of c-fos expression were combined to determine which neural elements within the lumbar segments and in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) are activated under skeletal muscle fatigue development with prior application of C60 fullerenes (dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide and in distilled water, FDS). After high-frequency electrical stimulation of the triceps surae muscle, the main fatigue-related increases in the c-Fos expression level were registered ipsilaterally within lamina 1 and 5 of the lumbar segments and within the contralateral capsular part of the CeA. C60 fullerene pretreatment in animals with subsequent electrical stimulation induced a distinct (2-4 times) decrease in the level of Fos immunoreactivity in the observed structures in comparison with only fatigue-induced rats. It can be supposed that FDS, as antioxidant compound, can decrease the concentration of free radicals in fatigued tissue and reduce the transmission intensity of nociceptive information from muscles to the spinal cord and amygdala, thereby changing the level of c-Fos expression within the lumbar segments and CeA.

The Impact of Surface Functionalization on the Biophysical Properties of Silver Nanoparticles.

Among metal-based nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are particularly appealing because of their stability, functionality, and documented antimicrobial properties. AgNPs also offer the possibility of different surface modifications. In this work, we functionalized AgNPs with thiobarbituric acid or 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid residues to improve the nanoparticles' biological activities. Subsequently, we assessed the physicochemical properties of newly synthesized AgNPs using a wide range of biophysical methodologies, including UV/vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force and scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering and isothermal titration calorimetry. Next, we examined the effect of nanoparticles functionalization on AgNPs mutagenicity and toxicity. Our study revealed that AgNPs' surface modification affects nanoparticles aggregation, and also impacts nanoparticles' interaction with model acridine mutagen ICR-191. AgNPs coated with MUA showed the most interesting interactions with tested ICR-191, slightly modulating its toxicity properties by decreasing the viability in treated cells.