Exercise and ageing impact the kynurenine/tryptophan pathway and acylcarnitine metabolite pools in skeletal muscle of older adults.

Exercise-induced perturbation of skeletal muscle metabolites is a probable mediator of long-term health benefits in older adults. Although specific metabolites have been identified to be impacted by age, physical activity and exercise, the depth of coverage of the muscle metabolome is still limited. Here, we investigated resting and exercise-induced metabolite distribution in muscle from well-phenotyped older adults who were active or sedentary, and a group of active young adults. Percutaneous biopsies of the vastus lateralis were obtained before, immediately after and 3 h following a bout of endurance cycling. Metabolite profile in muscle biopsies was determined by tandem mass spectrometry. Mitochondrial energetics in permeabilized fibre bundles was assessed by high resolution respirometry and fibre type proportion was assessed by immunohistology. We found that metabolites of the kynurenine/tryptophan pathway were impacted by age and activity. Specifically, kynurenine was elevated in muscle from older adults, whereas downstream metabolites of kynurenine (kynurenic acid and NAD+ ) were elevated in muscle from active adults and associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle oxidative capacity. Acylcarnitines, a potential marker of impaired metabolic health, were elevated in muscle from physically active participants. Surprisingly, despite baseline group difference, acute exercise-induced alterations in whole-body substrate utilization, as well as muscle acylcarnitines and ketone bodies, were remarkably similar between groups. Our data identified novel muscle metabolite signatures that associate with the healthy ageing phenotype provoked by physical activity and reveal that the metabolic responsiveness of muscle to acute endurance exercise is retained [NB]:AUTHOR: Please ensure that the appropriate material has been provide for Table S2, as well as for Figures S1 to S7, as also cited in the text with age regardless of activity levels. KEY POINTS: Kynurenine/tryptophan pathway metabolites were impacted by age and physical activity in human muscle, with kynurenine elevated in older muscle, whereas downstream products kynurenic acid and NAD+ were elevated in exercise-trained muscle regardless of age. Acylcarnitines, a marker of impaired metabolic health when heightened in circulation, were elevated in exercise-trained muscle of young and older adults, suggesting that muscle act as a metabolic sink to reduce the circulating acylcarnitines observed with unhealthy ageing. Despite the phenotypic differences, the exercise-induced response of various muscle metabolite pools, including acylcarnitine and ketone bodies, was similar amongst the groups, suggesting that older adults can achieve the metabolic benefits of exercise seen in young counterparts.

Metal-metal multiple bonds in early/late heterobimetallics support unusual trigonal monopyramidal geometries at both Zr and Co.

Reduction of Zr/Co heterobimetallic complexes ICo(MesNP(i)Pr(2))(3)ZrCl (1) and ICo((i)PrNP(i)Pr(2))(3)ZrCl (2) with excess Na/Hg under N(2), followed by subsequent benzene extraction to remove coordinated Na halide salts, leads to neutral two-electron reduced, dinitrogen-bound complexes (THF)Zr(MesNP(i)Pr(2))(3)Co-N(2) (4) and Zr((i)PrNP(i)Pr(2))(3)Co-N(2) (5). Upon halide loss, a THF solvent molecule coordinates to the axial site of the Zr center in 4, while this axial site remains unoccupied in 5. X-ray crystallography reveals short Co-Zr distances in 4 and 5, indicative of metal-metal multiple bonding, and an unprecedented trigonal monopyramidal geometry about the Zr center in 5. Reduction of 4 under an Ar atmosphere (in the absence of N(2)) results in another unusual structure type: an unoccupied axial Co coordination site and a trigonal monopyramidal Co center in (THF)Zr(MesNP(i)Pr(2))(3)Co (6). X-ray crystallography reveals that, in the absence of coordinated N(2), the Co-Zr bond can attain full triple bond character with a Co-Zr distance of 2.14 A, the shortest M-M distance in an early/late heterobimetallic complex reported to date. To further assess the electronic structure and bonding in 4, 5, and 6, calculations were performed on these molecules using DFT and the results of these theoretical investigations will be discussed.

Divergence in the metabolome between natural aging and Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and debilitating neurodegenerative disorder and one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Although amyloid plaques and fibrillary tangles are hallmarks of AD, research suggests that pathology associated with AD often begins 20 or more years before symptoms appear. Therefore, it is essential to identify early-stage biomarkers in those at risk for AD and age-related cognitive decline (ARCD) in order to develop preventative treatments. Here, we used an untargeted metabolomics analysis to define system-level alterations following cognitive decline in aged and APP/PS1 (AD) mice. At 6, 12, and 24 months of age, both control (Ctrl) and AD mice were tested in a 3-shock contextual fear conditioning (CFC) paradigm to assess memory decline. AD mice exhibited memory deficits across age and these memory deficits were also seen in naturally aged mice. Prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HPC), and spleen were then collected and analyzed for metabolomic alterations. A number of significant pathways were altered between Ctrl and AD mice and naturally aged mice. By identifying systems-level alterations following ARCD and AD, these data could provide insights into disease mechanisms and advance the development of biomarker panels.

Author Correction: Divergence in the metabolome between natural aging and Alzheimer's disease.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Older adults with sarcopenia have distinct skeletal muscle phosphodiester, phosphocreatine, and phospholipid profiles.

The loss of skeletal muscle mass and function with age (sarcopenia) is a critical healthcare challenge for older adults. 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31 P-MRS) is a powerful tool used to evaluate phosphorus metabolite levels in muscle. Here, we sought to determine which phosphorus metabolites were linked with reduced muscle mass and function in older adults. This investigation was conducted across two separate studies. Resting phosphorus metabolites in skeletal muscle were examined by 31 P-MRS. In the first study, fifty-five older adults with obesity were enrolled and we found that resting phosphocreatine (PCr) was positively associated with muscle volume and knee extensor peak power, while a phosphodiester peak (PDE2) was negatively related to these variables. In the second study, we examined well-phenotyped older adults that were classified as nonsarcopenic or sarcopenic based on sex-specific criteria described by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. PCr content was lower in muscle from older adults with sarcopenia compared to controls, while PDE2 was elevated. Percutaneous biopsy specimens of the vastus lateralis were obtained for metabolomic and lipidomic analyses. Lower PCr was related to higher muscle creatine. PDE2 was associated with glycerol-phosphoethanolamine levels, a putative marker of phospholipid membrane damage. Lipidomic analyses revealed that the major phospholipids, (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylglycerol) were elevated in sarcopenic muscle and were inversely related to muscle volume and peak power. These data suggest phosphorus metabolites and phospholipids are associated with the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function in older adults.

CRISPR-engineered human brown-like adipocytes prevent diet-induced obesity and ameliorate metabolic syndrome in mice.

Brown and brown-like beige/brite adipocytes dissipate energy and have been proposed as therapeutic targets to combat metabolic disorders. However, the therapeutic effects of cell-based therapy in humans remain unclear. Here, we created human brown-like (HUMBLE) cells by engineering human white preadipocytes using CRISPR-Cas9-SAM-gRNA to activate endogenous uncoupling protein 1 expression. Obese mice that received HUMBLE cell transplants showed a sustained improvement in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, as well as increased energy expenditure. Mechanistically, increased arginine/nitric oxide (NO) metabolism in HUMBLE adipocytes promoted the production of NO that was carried by S-nitrosothiols and nitrite in red blood cells to activate endogenous brown fat and improved glucose homeostasis in recipient animals. Together, these data demonstrate the utility of using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to engineer human white adipocytes to display brown fat-like phenotypes and may open up cell-based therapeutic opportunities to combat obesity and diabetes.

Multielectron redox activity facilitated by metal-metal interactions in early/late heterobimetallics: Co/Zr complexes supported by phosphinoamide ligands.

To assess the effect of dative M-->M interactions on redox properties in early/late heterobimetallic complexes, a series of Co/Zr complexes supported by phosphinoamide ligands have been synthesized and characterized. Treatment of the Zr metalloligands (Ph(2)PN(i)Pr)(3)ZrCl (1), ((i)Pr(2)PNMes)(3)ZrCl (2), and ((i)Pr(2)PN(i)Pr)(3)ZrCl (3) with CoI(2) leads to reduction from Co(II) to Co(I) and isolation of the heterobimetallic complexes ICo(Ph(2)PN(i)Pr)(3)ZrCl (4), ICo((i)Pr(2)PNMes)(3)ZrCl (5), and ICo((i)Pr(2)PN(i)Pr)(3)ZrCl (6), respectively. Interestingly, treatment of CoI(2) with the phosphinoamine Ph(2)PNH(i)Pr in the absence of a bound Zr center leads to the disubstituted Co(II) complex (Ph(2)PNH(i)Pr)(2)CoI(2) (7). The tris(phosphinoamine) Co(I) complex (Ph(2)PNH(i)Pr)(3)CoI (8) can only be generated in the presence of an added reductant such as Zn(0), indicating that the reduction of Co(II) to Co(I) only occurs in the presence of Zr in the formation of complexes 4-6. Structural characterization of 4-6 reveals a Zr-Co interaction, with interatomic distances of 2.7315(5) A, 2.6280(5) A, and 2.6309(5) A, respectively. This distance appears to decrease as the phosphine donors on Co become more electron-releasing, strengthening the dative Co-->Zr interaction. Cyclic voltammetry of 4-6 shows that all three compounds can be further reduced by two electrons at relatively mild reduction potentials (-1.65 V to -2.07 V vs Fc/Fc(+)). The potentials at which these reductions occur in each of these complexes are largely governed by the extent to which electron-density is donated to Zr, as well as the electron-donating ability of the phosphine substituents. Moreover, cyclic voltammetry of complex 8 reveals that in the absence of Zr, the Co center is significantly more electron rich, and thus more difficult to reduce. Chemical reduction of 5 leads to the isolation of the two-electron reduced dinitrogen complex [N(2)Co((i)Pr(2)PNMes)(3)ZrX][Na(THF)(5)] (9). X-ray crystallography of 9 reveals that two-electron reduction is accompanied by a significant contraction of the Co-Zr interatomic distance from 2.6280(5) A to 2.4112(3) A. These heterobimetallic complexes have been studied computationally using density functional theory to examine the nature of the metal-metal interactions in these species.

Integrated Metabolomics Assessment of Human Dried Blood Spots and Urine Strips.

(1) Background: Interest in the application of metabolomics toward clinical diagnostics development and population health monitoring has grown significantly in recent years. In spite of several advances in analytical and computational tools, obtaining a sufficient number of samples from patients remains an obstacle. The dried blood spot (DBS) and dried urine strip (DUS) methodologies are a minimally invasive sample collection method allowing for the relative simplicity of sample collection and minimal cost. (2) Methods: In the current report, we compared results of targeted metabolomics analyses of four types of human blood sample collection methods (with and without DBS) and two types of urine sample collection (DUS and urine) across several parameters including the metabolite coverage of each matrix and the sample stability for DBS/DUS using commercially available Whatman 903TM paper. The DBS/DUS metabolomics protocols were further applied to examine the temporal metabolite level fluctuations within hours and days of sample collection. (3) Results: Several hundred polar metabolites were monitored using DBS/DUS. Temporal analysis of the polar metabolites at various times of the day and across days identified several species that fluctuate as a function of day and time. In addition, a subset of metabolites were identified to be significantly altered across hours within a day and within successive days of the week. (4) Conclusion: A comprehensive DBS/DUS metabolomics protocol was developed for human blood and urine analyses. The described methodology demonstrates the potential for enabling patients to contribute to the expanding bioanalytical demands of precision medicine and population health studies.