NAD+-Precursor Supplementation With L-Tryptophan, Nicotinic Acid, and Nicotinamide Does Not Affect Mitochondrial Function or Skeletal Muscle Function in Physically Compromised Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Boosting NAD+ via supplementation with niacin equivalents has been proposed as a potential modality capable of promoting healthy aging and negating age-dependent declines of skeletal muscle mass and function. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the efficacy of NAD+-precursor supplementation (tryptophan, nicotinic acid, and nicotinamide) on skeletal muscle mitochondrial function in physically compromised older adults. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted in 14 (female/male: 4/10) community-dwelling, older adults with impaired physical function [age, 72.9 ± 4.0 years; BMI, 25.2 ± 2.3 kg/m2]. Participants were supplemented with 207.5 mg niacin equivalents/day [intervention (INT)] and a control product (CON) that did not contain niacin equivalents, each for 32 days. The primary outcomes tested were mitochondrial oxidative capacity and exercise efficiency, analyzed by means of paired Student's t-tests. Secondary outcomes, such as NAD+ concentrations, were analyzed accordingly. RESULTS: Following supplementation, skeletal muscle NAD+ concentrations [7.5 ± 1.9 compared with 7.9 ± 1.6 AU, respectively] in INT compared with CON conditions were not significantly different compared to the control condition, whereas skeletal muscle methyl-nicotinamide levels were significantly higher under NAD+-precursor supplementation [INT, 0.098 ± 0.063 compared with CON, 0.025 ± 0.014; P = 0.001], suggesting an increased NAD+ metabolism. Conversely, neither ADP-stimulated [INT, 82.1 ± 19.0 compared with CON, 84.0 ± 19.2; P = 0.716] nor maximally uncoupled mitochondrial respiration [INT, 103.4 ± 30.7 compared with CON, 108.7 ± 33.4; P = 0.495] improved under NAD+-precursor supplementation, nor did net exercise efficiency during the submaximal cycling test [INT, 20.2 ± 2.77 compared with CON, 20.8 ± 2.88; P = 0.342]. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consistent with previous findings on NAD+ efficacy in humans, and we show in community-dwelling, older adults with impaired physical function that NAD+-precursor supplementation through L-tryptophan, nicotinic acid, and nicotinamide does not improve mitochondrial or skeletal muscle function. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03310034.

Dynamic Bayesian sensitivity analysis of a myocardial metabolic model.

Dynamic compartmentalized metabolic models are identified by a large number of parameters, several of which are either non-physical or extremely difficult to measure. Typically, the available data and prior information is insufficient to fully identify the system. Since the models are used to predict the behavior of unobserved quantities, it is important to understand how sensitive the output of the system is to perturbations in the poorly identifiable parameters. Classically, it is the goal of sensitivity analysis to asses how much the output changes as a function of the parameters. In the case of dynamic models, the output is a function of time and therefore its sensitivity is a time dependent function. If the output is a differentiable function of the parameters, the sensitivity at one time instance can be computed from its partial derivatives with respect to the parameters. The time course of these partial derivatives describes how the sensitivity varies in time. When the model is not uniquely identifiable, or if the solution of the parameter identification problem is known only approximately, we may have not one, but a distribution of possible parameter values. This is always the case when the parameter identification problem is solved in a statistical framework. In that setting, the proper way to perform sensitivity analysis is to not rely on the values of the sensitivity functions corresponding to a single model, but to consider the distributed nature of the sensitivity functions, inherited from the distribution of the vector of the model parameters. In this paper we propose a methodology for analyzing the sensitivity of dynamic metabolic models which takes into account the variability of the sensitivity over time and across a sample. More specifically, we draw a representative sample from the posterior density of the vector of model parameters, viewed as a random variable. To interpret the output of this doubly varying sensitivity analysis, we propose visualization modalities particularly effective at displaying simultaneously variations over time and across a sample. We perform an analysis of the sensitivity of the concentrations of lactate and glycogen in cytosol, and of ATP, ADP, NAD(+) and NADH in cytosol and mitochondria, to the parameters identifying a three compartment model for myocardial metabolism during ischemia.

A novel germ line mutation in SOX9 causes familial campomelic dysplasia and sex reversal.

Mutations in the gene SOX9 result in the syndrome of campomelic dysplasia (CD) which includes sex-reversal in 75% of 46,XY affected individuals. These mutations only affect a single allele of SOX9 suggesting a dominant mode of inheritance for this syndrome. Consequently, CD and autosomal sex reversal may result from haploinsufficiency of SOX9. The SOX9 gene maps to the long arm of human chromosome 17 and translocations in this region also result in CD. We report a family in which there were three affected patients, two of whom showed 46,XY sex-reversal. Interestingly, despite all three patients being heterozygous for a familial mutation in SOX9 (Insertion of a cytosine residue at nucleotide position 1096), their gonadal phenotypes varied widely. The proband was found to have 46,XY true hermaphroditism with ambiguous genitalia. The other two sibs were 46,XY and 46,XX, and both had bilateral ovaries with normal female genitalia. The somatic cells in both parents revealed wild-type SOX9 nucleotide sequences. However, mutational analysis of the SOX9 gene in the father's germ cells revealed they were mosaic for mutant and wild-type sequences. This family is particularly informative as it demonstrates that the same SOX9 mutation can produce very different 46,XY gonadal phenotypes. The range of gonadal morphologies observed may be explained by several possible mechanisms such as variable penetrance of the mutation, increased activity of the non-mutant SOX9 allele or stochastic environmental factors. These results also demonstrate that paternal germ cell mosaicism of a mutant SOX9 sequence can result in a CD phenotype amongst his offspring.

Fibrinogen-degrading proteins from Haemonchus contortus used to vaccinate sheep.

Sixteen nonsibling sheep, approximately 12 months old, that were raised in a helminth-free environment, were used for 2 protection studies 6 months apart. Sheep were vaccinated weekly for 5 weeks by IM injection of fibrinogen-degrading proteins derived from the intestinal tract of adult Haemonchus contortus. Ten days after the last vaccination, sheep were given 2,500 infective H contortus larvae by intraruminal injection. Vaccinated sheep produced specific antibodies, and were protected from the worm challenge. Significant differences in mean fecal worm egg counts for 56 days after worm challenge, in mean numbers of H contortus worms, and female fecundity ratios at necropsy were detected in vaccinated sheep, compared with those in control sheep. These data suggest that the fibrinogen-degrading proteins have a protective role in vaccination of sheep against H contortus.

Cloning and sequence comparisons of four distinct cysteine proteases expressed by Haemonchus contortus adult worms.

Three new members of a developmentally regulated cysteine protease gene family of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus have been isolated and characterized. One of the new genes, AC-3, was found to be linked in tandem to the previously characterized AC-2 gene. Nucleotide sequence analyses revealed that the first 90 amino acids of AC-3 are organized into four exons, similar to the situation in AC-2. A cDNA that appears to be a near full-length copy of the AC-3 gene was isolated using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to amplify cDNAs from adult worm poly(A)+ mRNAs. In addition to AC-3, a distinct cysteine protease cDNA, AC-4, was amplified by the same oligonucleotide primers. cDNAs encoding a fifth cysteine protease, AC-5, were isolated from an adult worm cDNA expression library using specific rabbit antisera and by PCR. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences of AC-3, AC-4 and AC-5 reveal that they share 64-77% identity with one another and with the previously reported AC-1 and AC-2 sequences. The amino acids surrounding the active site cysteine are highly conserved, as are the positions of other cysteine residues in the mature protein sequences. The H. contortus proteases are more similar to one another than they are to human cathepsin B (38-44% amino acid identity) or to the Sm31 cysteine protease of Schistosoma mansoni (36-40% identity). Our studies indicate that H. contortus adult worms express mRNAs for several distinct cysteine proteases. The significant primary sequence differences between the proteases suggest that they differ in their substrate specificities and precise physiological functions.

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist reduces mortality from endotoxin shock.

About five out of 1,000 patients admitted to hospital develop bacterial sepsis leading to shock, the mortality rate for which is high despite antibiotic therapy. The infection results in hypotension and poor tissue perfusion, and eventually leads to the failure of several organ systems. Bacterial endotoxin is thought to be the direct cause of shock in Gram-negative sepsis, because it can cause shock in animals, and antibodies against endotoxin prevent Gram-negative shock in animals and in humans. But, the symptoms of septic shock are the result of the actions of host cytokines induced by the endotoxin. The cytokine interleukin-1 has been implicated as an important mediator of septic shock because it can induce tachycardia and hypotension and act synergistically with tumour necrosis factor to cause tissue damage and death. We now report that a specific interleukin-1 receptor antagonist reduces the lethality of endotoxin-induced shock in rabbits, indicating that interleukin-1 does indeed play an important part in endotoxin shock.

Molecular cloning and primary sequence of a cysteine protease expressed by Haemonchus contortus adult worms.

We have cloned cDNAs encoding a 35-kilodalton cysteine protease that is a major component of protective extracts isolated from blood-feeding Haemonchus contortus adult worms. Near full-length cDNAs for the protease were isolated by immunoscreening an adult worm cDNA expression library with a rabbit antiserum prepared against the protein eluted from preparative SDS gels and by rescreening the library with oligonucleotide probes. The protein predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the cDNAs and of a genomic DNA clone comprises 342 amino acids and contains an N-terminal signal sequence, 16 cysteine residues and four potential N-linked glycosylation sites. The enzyme appears to be glycosylated in vivo. The H. contortus protease, called AC-1, displays an overall 42% sequence identity with the human lysosomal thiol protease cathepsin B. The similarities between cathepsin B and AC-1 are localized primarily to regions of cathepsin B that comprise the mature, active form of the enzyme. A stretch of six amino acids that includes the active site cysteine of cathepsin B is conserved, and is present in the same relative location in AC-1, suggesting that this region comprises the active site of the H. contortus enzyme.

Plasma levels, heart rate, and blood pressure after intravenous, oral, and aerosol administration of reproterol in man.

Three healthy volunteers received single doses of reproterol (D 1959) by means of intravenous infusion, oral and aerosol application, respectively. Administrations were separated by at least 1 week. Plasma levels were measured by means of high performance liquid chromatography. After infusion, plasma levels showed a steep decline, indicative for a rapid distribution. Even though relatively large amounts of drug were given (up to 540 micrograms), this phenomenon caused reproterol levels to drop to values near or below the limit of reliable quantitation (1 ng ml-1) within 60 to 90 min. After oral administration of one or two tablets (containing 20 mg reproterol HCl per tablet), a very short lag time could be observed, indicating fast absorption. After one tablet, plasma level maxima (of plateau-type) were 5-6 ng ml-1 and 2-3 ng ml-1 in two subjects, respectively. After two tablets, plateau level maxima around 18 ng ml-1 and 9 ng ml-1 were found, respectively. After inhalation of a metered aerosol (two puffs of 500 micrograms each) the drug appeared in plasma within minutes, albeit at very low levels, and usually remained detectable at the sub-nanogram level during the time of the experiment (2 h). Due to the very low levels and to some oscillations in the plasma concentration-time curves, a detailed pharmacokinetic assessment could not be carried out. Effects on heart rate and blood pressure were negligible. Only during the infusion of high doses (540 micrograms) was there an increase in heart rate of about 50 to 120 beats min-1. Other side-effects were also negligible.

Myocardial infarction survival: how important are patients' attitudes and adherence behaviors?

Positive attitudes toward and adherence to prescribed medical regimens among patients recovering from initial episodes of myocardial infarction (MI) intuitively have been viewed as beneficial. A cohort of 157 post-MI patients who participated in a cardiac rehabilitation program was tested for compliance with the Health Adherence Scale and Miller Attitude Scale during hospitalization and again six months later. This study reports on follow-up conducted two to five years after initial MI to determine whether patients' attitudes and adherence behaviors had a significant effect on subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and overall mortality after controlling for known risk factors. The data were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model. Neither positive patient attitudes nor adherence behaviors were associated with a reduced risk of a morbid or fatal event. However, this study found, as have many others, that the known risk factors of alcoholism, widowhood, cigarette smoking, and diabetes were significantly associated with repeat episodes of MI, while the only risk factor associated with mortality was repeat MI. The study suggests that the benefits of positive attitudes and adherence behaviors are outweighed by the influence of existing cardiovascular risk factors. Thus, the prevention of these risk factors remains the primary determinant in the reduction of MI.

Effect of head removal on leaf senescence of sunflower.

Greenhouse and field studies examined the effect of flower or seedhead removal on leaf senescence and associated changes in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants. At intervals during seed development, selected leaves (leaves 6 through 8 from the top in the greenhouse and leaf 7 from the top in the field) were harvested and analyzed for chlorophyll, specific leaf weight, N, P, soluble protein, and electrophoretic gel profiles of soluble polypeptides. In both the greenhouse and the field, the leaves of headless plants retained or accumulated more N, P, soluble protein, and dry weight than leaves of plants with heads. Obviously, head removal affected the partitioning of these metabolites during seed development. None of the treatments resulted in the formation of new polypeptides (electrophoretic gel profiles). Comparisons of the rates and extent of loss of chlorophyll, soluble protein, and polypeptide bands (especially ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase) from the leaves of headed and deheaded plants showed that head removal delayed the rate of development of leaf senescence for the greenhouse-grown but had much less effect on field-grown plants. These findings illustrate the variability in different parameters commonly associated with the leaf senescence processes of headed and deheaded sunflower plants grown under different environments.

Isolation of a thermostable enzyme variant by cloning and selection in a thermophile.

We developed a method for rapidly generating thermostable enzyme variants. Our strategy is to introduce the gene coding for a given enzyme from a mesophilic organism into a thermophile, Bacillus stearothermophilus. Variants that retain the enzymatic activity at the higher growth temperatures of the thermophile are then selected. This strategy was applied to kanamycin nucleotidyltransferase, which confers resistance to the antibiotic kanamycin. B. stearothermophilus carrying the wild-type enzyme is resistant to the antibiotic at 47 degrees C but not at 55 degrees C and above. Variants that were kanamycin resistant at 63 degrees C were obtained by selection of spontaneous mutants, by passage of a shuttle plasmid through the Escherichia coli mutD5 mutator strain and introduction into B. stearothermophilus by transformation, and by growing the thermophile in a chemostat. The kanamycin nucleotidyltransferases purified from these variants were all more resistant to irreversible thermal inactivation than is the wild-type enzyme, and all have the same single amino acid replacement, aspartate to tyrosine at position 80. Mutants that are even more heat stable were derived from the first variant by selecting for kanamycin resistance at 70 degrees C, and these carry the additional change of threonine to lysine at position 130. This strategy is applicable to other enzymatic activities that are selectable in thermophiles or that can be screened for by plate assays.

Effect of foliar applications of urea on accelerated senescence of maize induced by ear removal.

Field grown maize (Zea mays L. cv B73 x Mo17) plants, with and without ears, were sprayed with urea solutions to determine whether foliar application of N could prevent or delay the accelerated loss of reduced N from the leaf and leaf senescence induced by ear removal. Urea sprays were applied at 7, 14, and 21 days after anthesis in three separate and equal applications that provided a total of 67 kilograms N per hectare or 1 gram N per plant. Treatments were arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial in a randomized complete block with five replicates. Appropriate plant and leaf samplings and assays were made.In response to spray treatments, net increases of reduced N were detected in the whole shoot and plant parts, especially the stalk of the earless plants and grain of the eared plants. There was no effect of urea spray treatment on the normal loss of N from the leaves or rate of senescence of the eared plants or on the accelerated loss of N from the leaves or rate of senescence induced by ear removal. Grain and stover yields were unaffected by the spray treatment.Apparently the plants were unable to utilize the urea N applied to the vegetation (primarily leaves) after anthesis to enhance or extend the accumulation of dry weight by either eared or earless plants.

Effect of nodulation on assimilate remobilization in soybean.

The objectives of this work were to determine the effect of nodulation on dry matter, reduced-N, and phosphorus accumulation and partitioning in above-ground vegetative parts and pods of field-grown soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Harosoy).From comparison of nodulated and nonnodulated isolines, it was estimated that nodulated plants attained 81 and 71% of total-plant (above ground) N from uptake of soil N in 1981 and 1982, respectively. These data, along with visibly greener leaves of nodulated plants, led us to assume that nonnodulated plants were under a moderate N stress relative to nodulated plants. Nonnodulated plants accumulated less total-plant N and partitioned less dry matter and N to the pods, compared with nodulated plants. This occurred even though net photosynthesis, as estimated by rate and amount of dry matter accumulation, was the same for both nonnodulated and nodulated plants. Rate of dry matter and reduced-N accumulation in pods was less for nonnodulated than for nodulated plants while duration of podfill was similar for both isolines. From these data we concluded that moderate N stress affected partitioning of photosynthate rather than net photosynthesis, and that N played a role in translocation of photosynthate to the pods. Total plants (above-ground portion) and pods of both nodulated and nonnodulated plants accumulated similar amounts of phosphorus, which indicated that phosphorus and N accumulation were independent.Remobilization of nitrogen and phosphorus from vegetation to pods preceded dry matter remobilization. It appeared that either more nitrogen accumulation prior to podfill, or continued nitrogen assimilation during podfill would increase nitrogen and dry matter partitioning to pods, but that increasing photosynthesis without concomitantly increasing nitrogen input may not necessarily result in enhanced seed production.

In vitro reconstitution of nitrate reductase activity of the Neurospora crassa mutant nit-1: specific incorporation of molybdopterin.

The reduced, metal-free pterin of the molybdenum cofactor has been termed molybdopterin. Oxidation of any molybdopterin-containing protein in the presence or absence of iodine yields oxidized molybdopterin derivatives termed Form A and Form B, respectively. Application of these procedures to whole cells and cell extracts has demonstrated the presence of molybdopterin in wild-type Neurospora crassa, and its absence in the cofactor-deficient mutant nit-1. In order to demonstrate that the reconstitution of nitrate reductase activity in nit-1 extracts results from the incorporation of molybdopterin into the apoprotein, active molybdopterin, free of contaminating amino acids or peptides, was isolated from chicken liver sulfite oxidase and used in the reconstitution system. The results show that, during reconstitution, exogenous molybdopterin is specifically incorporated into the nitrate reductase protein, confirming the role of molybdopterin as the organic moiety of the molybdenum cofactor.

Acetaldehyde Oxime, A Product Formed during the In Vivo Nitrate Reductase Assay of Soybean Leaves.

Evolution of nitrogen oxides (NO((x)), primarily as nitric oxide) from soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) leaves during purged in vivo nitrate reductase assays had been reported; however, these reports were based on a method that had been used for determination of NO((x)) in air. This method also detects other N compounds. Preliminary work led us to doubt that the evolved N was nitric oxide. Studies were undertaken to identify the N compound evolved from the in vivo assay that had been reported as NO((x)). Material for identification was obtained by cryogenic trapping and fractional distillation, and by chemical trapping procedures. Mass spectrometry, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and (15)N-labeled nitrate were used to identify the compounds evolved and to determine whether these compounds were derived from nitrate. Acetaldehyde oxime was identified as the predominant N compound evolved and this compound is readily detected by the method for NO((x)) determination. Substantial quantities of acetaldehyde oxime (16.2 micromoles per gram fresh weight per hour) were evolved during the in vivo assay. Small amounts of nitrous oxide (0.63 micrograms N per gram fresh weight per hour) were evolved, but this compound is not detected as NO((x)). Acetaldehyde oxime and nitrous oxide were both produced as a result of nitrate ((15)NO(3) (-)) reduction during the assay.

Effects of Pod Removal on Metabolism and Senescence of Nodulating and Nonnodulating Soybean Isolines: II. Enzymes and Chlorophyll.

The objectives of this work were to determine the effect of sink strength (presence or absence of pods) and nitrogen source (nodulating versus nonnodulating plants) on enzymic activities, chlorophyll concentration, and senescence of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Harosoy) isolines. A 2-year (1981-1982) field study was conducted.For both nodulated and nonnodulated plants, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase) activity of upper-canopy leaves was decreased by pod removal in both years, while chlorophyll concentration was decreased in 1981 only. Nonnodulated plants had lower RuBPCase activity in 1981 and lower chlorophyll concentration in both years compared with nodulated plants. In both years, and for all treatments, RuBPCase activity and chlorophyll began to decline at about the same time, but the rate of decline was less for depodded than for podded plants. Leaves in the middle and lower parts of the canopy had similar RuBPCase activity and chlorophyll concentration trends as upper-canopy leaves for all treatments.Profiles of nitrate reductase activity (NRA) were similar for all treatments in both 1981 and 1982. Acetylene reduction profiles were similar for nodulated-podded and nodulated-depodded plants. The peak and decline in NRA profiles preceded the peak and decline in acetylene reduction profiles. The rate of decline in acetylene reduction activity was less for depodded plants, especially in 1982, but activities reached zero by the final sampling time. Thus, nodule senescence was not prevented by pod removal.Based on seasonal profiles of RuBPCase activity, chlorophyll, NRA, and acetylene reduction activity, the initiation of senescence appeared to occur at the same approximate time for all treatments and, thus, did not depend on the presence or absence of pods or nodules. The hypothesis that nodules act as a nitrogen source and carbohydrate sink to delay senescence in the absence of pods was not correct.

Effects of pod removal on metabolism and senescence of nodulating and nonnodulating soybean isolines: I. Metabolic constituents.

Field studies were conducted in 1981 and 1982 to ascertain the effects of pod removal on senescence of nodulating and nonnodulating isolines of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Harosoy) plants. Specifically, the test hypothesis was that nodules act as a nitrogen source and a carbohydrate sink which would in turn prevent or delay senescence in the absence of pods. Senescence was judged by changes in metabolite levels, in dry matter accumulation, and by visual observation.For both nodulated and nonnodulated plants, pod removal had no effect on the magnitude or rate of dry matter and reduced-N accumulation by whole plants. Phosphorus accumulation was significantly less in both nodulated- and nonnodulated-depodded plants, compared with respective control plants with pods. These data suggested a role for pods in phosphorus uptake. Accumulation of dry matter, reduced N, and phosphorus ceased at approximately the same time for all treatments.Pod removal did affect partitioning of plant constitments, with leaves and stems of depodded plants serving as a major alternate sink for accumulation of dry matter, reduced N, phosphorus, and nonstructural carbohydrates (primarily starch). While depodded plants eventually lost a significant amount of leaves, leaf drop was delayed relative to plants with pods; and depodded plants still retained some green leaves at 2 weeks past grain maturity of control (podded) plants.The results indicated that senescence patterns of soybean plants were the same for nodulated and nonnodulated plants, and that pods did not control the initiation of senescence, but rather altered the partitioning of plant constituents and the visual manifestations of senescence.