Investigation of autofluorescence in zooplankton for use in classification of larval salmon lice.

We present autofluorescence of six zooplankton species, including salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis), for the purpose of classification in marine environments. Using a 410 nm excitation wavelength, we find that all measured zooplankton species exhibit broad cyan fluorescence centered around 510-520 nm. Furthermore, salmon lice show an absence of red fluorescence from undigested chlorophyll, which is measured from the gut of the herbivorous zooplankton species. We show the capability to distinguish noneating species, including salmon lice, from algae-eating species using a dual-band analysis of the fluorescence spectra. This shows the potential of autofluorescence as an important signature in real-time monitoring and classification of salmon lice.

Effect of Diabetes on Circulating Pancreatic Hormones in Pregnant Rats and Their Offspring.

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of diabetic intrauterine environment on circulating insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin levels in pregnant rats, fetuses, and offspring. Diabetes was induced in female Wistar rats by streptozotocin at birth or as adult and the animals were assigned into: control (C); mildly diabetic (MD); and severely diabetic (SD). The rats were mated and distributed into 2 subgroups: euthanasia at day 21 of pregnancy and at day 10 postpartum. Both MD and SD dams showed impaired oral glucose tolerance. SD dams had lower body weight and insulin levels compared to C and MD dams. SD fetuses presented hyperglycemia and reduction of insulin and glucagon levels compared to C and MD fetuses. SD newborns had diminished total pancreatic insulin and plasma somatostatin compared to the other groups. MD dams and fetuses had lower glucagon and somatostatin levels compared to C dams. MD offspring had maintained lower somatostatin levels to neonatal period. Diabetes causes alterations in circulating levels of pancreatic hormones in the mother and offspring.

Aging impairs the recovery in mechanical muscle function following 4 days of disuse.

As aged individuals are frequently exposed to short-term disuse caused by disease or musculoskeletal injury, it is important to understand how short-term disuse and subsequent retraining affect lower limb mechanical muscle function. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to investigate the effect of 4 days of lower limb disuse followed by 7 days of active recovery on mechanical muscle function of the knee extensors in young (24.3±0.9 years, n=11) and old (67.2±1.0 years, n=11) recreationally active healthy males. Slow and moderate dynamic muscle strength were assessed using isokinetic dynamometry (60 and 180° s(-1), respectively) along with isometric muscle strength and rapid muscle force capacity examined as contractile rate of force development (RFD), Impulse, and relative RFD (rRFD) during the initial phase of contraction (100 ms time interval relative to onset of contraction). Prior to disuse, marked age-related differences (p<0.05) were observed in isometric and dynamic muscle strength (~35%) as well as in RFD and Impulse (~39%). Following disuse, young and old individuals experienced comparable decrements (p<0.05) in isometric strength (~9%), slow dynamic strength (~13%), and RFD and Impulse (~19%), whereas old individuals only experienced decrements (p<0.05) in moderate dynamic strength (12%) and rRFD (~17%). Following recovery, all measures of mechanical muscle function were restored in young individuals compared to pre-disuse values, while isometric, slow and moderate dynamic muscle strength remained suppressed (p<0.05) in old individuals (~8%) along with a tendency to suppressed RFD100 (p=0.068). In conclusion, 4 days of lower limb disuse led to marked decrements in knee extensor mechanical muscle function in both young and old individuals, yet with greater decrements observed in moderate dynamic strength and rapid muscle force capacity in old individuals. While 7 days of recovery - including free ambulation, one test session and a single session of strength training - was sufficient to restore mechanical muscle function in young individuals, old individuals appeared to have an impaired ability to fully recover as evidenced by suppressed values of isometric and dynamic muscle strength and rapid muscle force capacity.

Functional characteristics of neonatal rat ß cells with distinct markers.

Neonatal ß cells are considered developmentally immature and hence less glucose responsive. To study the acquisition of mature glucose responsiveness, we compared glucose-regulated redox state, insulin synthesis, and secretion of ß cells purified from neonatal or 10-week-old rats with their transcriptomes and proteomes measured by oligonucleotide and LC-MS/MS profiling. Lower glucose responsiveness of neonatal ß cells was explained by two distinct properties: higher activity at low glucose and lower activity at high glucose. Basal hyperactivity was associated with higher NAD(P)H, a higher fraction of neonatal ß cells actively incorporating (3)H-tyrosine, and persistently increased insulin secretion below 5 mM glucose. Neonatal ß cells lacked the steep glucose-responsive NAD(P)H rise between 5 and 10 mM glucose characteristic for adult ß cells and accumulated less NAD(P)H at high glucose. They had twofold lower expression of malate/aspartate-NADH shuttle and most glycolytic enzymes. Genome-wide profiling situated neonatal ß cells at a developmental crossroad: they showed advanced endocrine differentiation when specifically analyzed for their mRNA/protein level of classical neuroendocrine markers. On the other hand, discrete neonatal ß cell subpopulations still expressed mRNAs/proteins typical for developing/proliferating tissues. One example, delta-like 1 homolog (DLK1) was used to investigate whether neonatal ß cells with basal hyperactivity corresponded to a more immature subset with high DLK1, but no association was found. In conclusion, the current study supports the importance of glycolytic NADH-shuttling in stimulus function coupling, presents basal hyperactivity as novel property of neonatal ß cells, and provides potential markers to recognize intercellular developmental differences in the endocrine pancreas.

Programming of glucose-insulin homoeostasis: long-term consequences of pre-natal versus early post-natal nutrition insults. Evidence from a sheep model.

AIM: Exposure to adverse intra-uterine conditions can predispose for metabolic disorders later in life. By using a sheep model, we studied (i) how programming of glucose-insulin homoeostasis during late gestation is manifested later in life depending on the early post-natal dietary exposure and (ii) whether dietary alteration in obese individuals can prevent adverse outcomes of early life programming. METHODS: During late gestation, twin-pregnant sheep were fed 100% (NORM) or 50% (LOW) of energy and protein requirements. After birth, offspring were exposed to a moderate (CONV) or high-carbohydrate-high-fat (HCHF) diet until around puberty. Offspring remaining thereafter (exclusively females) were fed a moderate diet until young adulthood. RESULTS: LOW lambs had increased insulin secretory responses during intravenous glucose tolerance tests indicative of reduced insulin sensitivity. HCHF lambs were hypertriglyceridaemic, 75% had mild pancreatic collagen infiltration, and their acute insulin secretory response and insulin clearance during intravenous glucose and insulin tolerance tests, respectively, were reduced. However, NORM-HCHF in contrast to LOW-HCHF lambs had normal glucose tolerance, indicating that later health outcomes are highly influenced by pre-natal nutrition. Dietary alteration normalized glucose-insulin homoeostasis in adult HCHF females, whereas late-gestation undernutrition (LOW) permanently depressed insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSION: Maintenance of glucose tolerance in sheep exposed to pre-natal undernutrition relied on pancreatic hypersecretion of insulin to compensate for reduced insulin sensitivity. A mismatching high-fat diet in early post-natal life interfered with this pancreatic hypersecretion resulting in reduced glucose tolerance. Early post-natal, but not late pre-natal, impacts on glucose-insulin homoeostasis could be reversed by dietary correction later in life.

Growth arrest specific protein (GAS) 6: a role in the regulation of proliferation and functional capacity of the perinatal rat beta cell.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Maternal low-protein (LP) diet during gestation results in a reduced beta cell mass in the offspring at birth and this may hamper the ability to adapt to high-energy food and sedentary lifestyle later in life. To investigate the biology behind the LP-offspring phenotype, this study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes in the pancreas and their potential role in the fetal programming. METHODS: Wistar rats were given either an LP diet or normal-chow (NC) diet during gestation and differentially expressed genes in the offspring around the time of birth were identified using RNA microarray and quantitative PCR. The role of a differentially expressed gene, growth arrest specific protein 6 (GAS6), was evaluated in vitro using neonatal rat islets. RESULTS: The mRNA level of Gas6, known to be mitogenic in other tissues, was reduced in LP offspring. The mRNA content of Mafa was increased in LP offspring suggesting an early maturation of beta cells. When applied in vitro, GAS6 increased proliferation of neonatal pancreatic beta cells, while reducing glucose-stimulated insulin secretion without changing the total insulin content of the islets. In addition, GAS6 decreased the mRNA content of Mafa. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: We propose a role for GAS6 in the regulation of pancreatic beta cells in the critical period around the time of birth. Our results support the hypothesis that the reduced beta cell mass seen in LP offspring is caused by a change in the intra-uterine environment that favours premature maturation of the beta cells.

Theoretical description of adiabatic laser alignment and mixed-field orientation: the need for a non-adiabatic model.

We present a theoretical study of recent laser-alignment and mixed-field-orientation experiments of asymmetric top molecules. In these experiments, pendular states were created using linearly polarized strong ac electric fields from pulsed lasers in combination with weak electrostatic fields. We compare the outcome of our calculations with experimental results obtained for the prototypical large molecule benzonitrile (C(7)H(5)N) [J. L. Hansen et al., Phys. Rev. A, 2011, 83, 023406.] and explore the directional properties of the molecular ensemble for several field configurations, i.e., for various field strengths and angles between ac and dc fields. For perpendicular fields one obtains pure alignment, which is well reproduced by the simulations. For tilted fields, we show that a fully adiabatic description of the process does not reproduce the experimentally observed orientation, and it is mandatory to use a diabatic model for population transfer between rotational states. We develop such a model and compare its outcome to the experimental data confirming the importance of non-adiabatic processes in the field-dressed molecular dynamics.

Probing the crossover in CO desorption from single crystal to nanoparticulate Ru model catalysts.

Using model catalysts, we demonstrate that CO desorption from Ru surfaces can be switched from that typical of single crystal surfaces to one more characteristic of supported nanoparticles. First, the CO desorption behaviour from Ru nanoparticles supported on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite was studied. Both mass-selected and thermally evaporated nanoparticles were deposited. TPD spectra from the mass-selected nanoparticles exhibit a desorption peak located around 410 K with a broad shoulder extending from around 480 K to 600 K, while spectra obtained from thermally evaporated nanoparticles exhibit a single broad feature from ∼350 K to ∼450 K. A room temperature deposited 50 Šthick Ru film displays a characteristic nanoparticle-like spectrum with a broad desorption feature at ∼420 K and a shoulder extending from ∼450 K to ∼600 K. Subsequent annealing of this film at 900 K produced a polycrystalline morphology of flat Ru(001) terraces separated by monatomic steps. The CO desorption spectrum from this surface resembles that obtained on single crystal Ru(001) with two large desorption features located at 390 K and 450 K due to molecular desorption from terrace sites, and a much smaller peak at ∼530 K due to desorption of dissociatively adsorbed CO at step sites. In a second experiment, ion sputtering was used to create surface defects on a Ru(0 1 54) single crystal surface. A gradual shift away from the desorption spectrum typical of a Ru(001) surface towards one resembling desorption from supported Ru nanoparticles was observed with increasing sputter time.

Milk quality as affected by feeding regimens in a country with climatic variation.

To investigate the influence of climatic conditions and season on milk composition, bulk tank milk was sampled on 5 occasions during a period of 15 mo from 20 Swedish dairy farms. These farms included 5 organic and 5 conventional farms in central Sweden and 7 traditional conventional farms and 3 conventional farms growing maize for silage in southern Sweden. Feed data and milk yield were recorded and milk was analyzed for content of fatty acids, carotenoids, and tocopherol. Differences between milk from the 2 regions and between summer and winter seasons were shown. Milk from central Sweden differed from milk from southern Sweden in that it had a higher content of carotenoids, tocopherol, short-chain fatty acids (C4-C14), C18:0, and C18:3 n-3 and a lower content of C16. Summer milk samples had a lower fat content and contained higher amounts of C18:1 cis-9 and conjugated linoleic acid cis-9,trans-11, and lower amounts of C4 to C16 compared with winter milk. Differences between farm types from central Sweden were lower content of conjugated linoleic acid cis-9,trans-11 and higher content of C18:3 n-3 in organic milk compared with conventional milk. In southern Sweden the use of maize silage caused lower milk content of carotenoids and C18:3 n-3 when compared with traditional feeding. Differences in milk composition could be related to climatic differences because legumes are more dominating in the leys of central Sweden and maize growing is limited to southern Sweden.

Potentials to differentiate milk composition by different feeding strategies.

To investigate the effect of the dietary intake of the cow on milk composition, bulk-tank milk was collected on 5 occasions from conventional (n = 15) and organic (n = 10) farms in Denmark and on 4 occasions from low-input nonorganic farms in the United Kingdom, along with management and production parameters. Production of milk based on feeding a high intake of cereals, pasture, and grass silage resulted in milk with a high concentration of alpha-linolenic acid (9.4 +/- 0.2 mg/kg of fatty acids), polyunsaturated fatty acids (3.66 +/- 0.07 mg/kg of fatty acids), and natural stereoisomer of alpha-tocopherol (RRR-alpha-tocopherol, 18.6 +/- 0.5 mg/kg of milk fat). A milk production system using a high proportion of maize silage, by-products, and commercial concentrate mix was associated with milk with high concentrations of linoleic acid (LA; 19.7 +/- 0.4 g/kg of fatty acids), monounsaturated fatty acids (27.5 +/- 0.3 mg/kg of fatty acids), and a high ratio between LA and alpha-linolenic acid (4.7 +/- 0.2). Comparing these 2 production systems with a very extensive nonorganic milk production system relying on pasture as almost the sole feed (95 +/- 4% dry matter intake), it was found that the concentrations of conjugated LA (cis-9,trans-11; 17.5 +/- 0.7 g/kg of fatty acids), trans-11-vaccenic acid (37 +/- 2 g/kg of fatty acids), and monounsaturated fatty acids (30.4 +/- 0.6 g/kg of fatty acids) were higher in the extensively produced milk together with the concentration of antioxidants; total alpha-tocopherol (32.0 +/- 0.8 mg/kg of milk fat), RRR-alpha-tocopherol (30.2 +/- 0.8 mg/kg of milk fat), and beta-carotene (9.3 +/- 0.5 mg/kg of milk fat) compared with the organic and conventional milk. Moreover, the concentration of LA (9.2 +/- 0.7 g/kg of fatty acids) in milk from the extensive milk production system was found to approach the recommended unity ratio between n-6 and n-3, although extensive milk production also resulted in a lower daily milk yield.

Reduced TGF-beta1 expression and its target genes in human insulinomas.

Aiming to identify signalling pathways relevant for ss-cell growth we performed an explorative micro-array analysis comparing the gene expression profiles of three human insulinomas and one normal pancreatic islet preparation. This revealed an insulinoma-associated down-regulation of the transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1) and its target genes. Comparative quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) including an expanded sample number of both insulinomas (n=9) and pancreatic islet preparations (n=4) confirmed the decreased TGF-beta1 expression and its target molecules (TGFBI, NNMT, RPN2) in insulinomas. Similarly, TGF-beta1 immunofluorescence analysis revealed reduced expression in insulinomas when compared to pancreatic islets. In contrast, TGFBR2 (transforming growth factor beta receptor II) was found up-regulated. However, the consistent down-regulation of the TGF-beta1 targets TGFBI (transforming growth factor, beta-induced), NNMT (nicotinamide N-methyltransferase), RPN2 (ribophorin II) indicates that the parallel up-regulation of TGFBR2 does not compensate for the only marginal TGF-beta1 expression levels in insulinomas. TGFBR2 expression was confirmed at the protein level in insulinomas. SMAD2/3 protein expression was found at higher levels in human pancreatic islets when compared with insulinomas by dual colour confocal microscopy. TGF-beta1 signalling is known to be involved in cell replication and is abrogated in ductal pancreatic tumours. The down-regulation of TGF-beta1 expression and its target molecules in insulinomas is a new aspect of this cytokine. Our data underline parallels in endocrine and exocrine pancreatic tumour development, which may implicate common progenitor cells.

Transcriptional profiling of type 1 diabetes genes on chromosome 21 in a rat beta-cell line and human pancreatic islets.

We recently finemapped a type 1 diabetes (T1D)-linked region on chromosome 21, indicating that one or more T1D-linked genes exist in this region with 33 annotated genes. In the current study, we have taken a novel approach using transcriptional profiling in predicting and prioritizing the most likely candidate genes influencing beta-cell function in this region. Two array-based approaches were used, a rat insulinoma cell line (INS-1alphabeta) overexpressing pancreatic duodenum homeobox 1 (pdx-1) and treated with interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) as well as human pancreatic islets stimulated with a mixture of cytokines. Several candidate genes with likely functional significance in T1D were identified. Genes showing differential expression in the two approaches were highly similar, supporting the role of these specific gene products in cytokine-induced beta-cell damage. These were genes involved in cytokine signaling, oxidative phosphorylation, defense responses and apoptosis. The analyses, furthermore, revealed several transcription factor binding sites shared by the differentially expressed genes and by genes demonstrating highly similar expression profiles with these genes. Comparable findings in the rat beta-cell line and human islets support the validity of the methods used and support this as a valuable approach for gene mapping and identification of genes with potential functional significance in T1D, within a region of linkage.

Oxidative stability of milk influenced by fatty acids, antioxidants, and copper derived from feed.

Differences in the oxidative stability of milk from cows fed grass-clover silage or hay were examined in relation to fatty acid composition and contents of antioxidants and copper in the milk. The oxidation processes were induced by exposing the milk to fluorescent light. Protein oxidation was measured as an accumulation of dityrosine, whereas lipid oxidation was measured as an accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides as the primary oxidation product, and as the secondary oxidation products, pentanal, hexanal, and heptanal. No differences were found in the protein oxidation of the 2 types of milk measured as accumulation of dityrosine, but there was an increased accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides and hexanal in milk from cows fed grass-clover silage, compared with milk from cows fed hay. The higher degree of lipid oxidation in milk from cows fed grass-clover silage could not be explained from the concentration of alpha-tocopherol, carotenoids, uric acid, and copper in the milk. However, it was thought to be highly influenced by the significantly higher concentration of linolenic acid present in milk from cows fed grass-clover silage. A larger part of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene was transferred from the feed to the milk when cows were fed grass-clover silage than when cows were fed hay as roughage. The significantly higher concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk from cows fed grass-clover silage may be important for the better transfer of alpha-tocopherol from the feed to the milk. Other circumstances, as the different conditions in the rumen may also play a role, due to the different types of roughages and their digestibility, or be related to the mechanisms during milk production for the higher yielding cows fed grass-clover silage.

Impact of milking frequencies on the level of free fatty acids in milk, fat globule size, and fatty acid composition.

The aim of the present study was to study the effect of milking cows 4 times daily on free fatty acids (FFA) in the milk compared with milking twice daily. An experiment was performed during 2 wk in which half udders in 11 cows were milked 2 or 4 times daily. Milk yield was measured, and milk was analyzed for fat content, FFA, fatty acid composition, fat globule size, and activity of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Concentration of FFA was greater (1.49 mEq/100 g of fat) in milk from half udders milked 4 times daily than in milk from the half udders milked twice daily (1.14 mEq/100 g of fat). Further, it was noted that milk from the half udder milked 4 times daily contained milk fat globules with larger average diameters. Increased milking frequency increased milk yield by 9% compared with the udder half milked twice daily, but fat content and fat yield were not affected. The results are of importance for further understanding the mechanisms behind the increased content of FFA that is frequently observed in automatic milking systems.

Comparison of descriptive sensory analysis and chemical analysis for oxidative changes in milk.

Oxidation in 3 types of bovine milk with different fatty acid profiles obtained through manipulation of feed was evaluated by analytical methods quantifying the content of potential antioxidants, the tendency of formation of free radicals, and the accumulation of primary and secondary oxidation products. The milk samples were evaluated in parallel by descriptive sensory analysis by a trained panel, and the correlation between the chemical analysis and the descriptive sensory analysis was evaluated. The fatty acid composition of the 3 types of milk was found to influence the oxidative and lipolytic changes occurring in the milk during chill storage for 4 d. Sensory analysis and chemical analysis showed high correlation between the typical descriptors for oxidation such as cardboard, metallic taste, and boiled milk and specific chemical markers for oxidation such as hexanal. Notably, primary oxidation products (i.e., lipid hydroperoxides) and even the tendency of formation of radicals as measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy were also highly correlated to the sensory descriptors for oxidation. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy should accordingly be further explored as a routine method for detection of early events in lipid oxidation in milk to predict shelf-life.

Expression, biosynthesis and release of preadipocyte factor-1/ delta-like protein/fetal antigen-1 in pancreatic beta-cells: possible physiological implications.

Preadipocyte factor-1 (Pref-1)/delta-like protein/fetal antigen-1 (FA1) is a member of the epidermal growth factor-like family. It is widely expressed in embryonic tissues, whereas in adults it is confined to the adrenal gland, the anterior pituitary, the endocrine pancreas, the testis and the ovaries. We have previously cloned Pref-1 from neonatal rat islets stimulated by GH. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the biosynthesis and release of Pref-1/FA1 in beta-cells and to determine if Pref-1/FA1 is mediating the mitogenic effect of GH in insulin-producing cells. First we studied the biosynthesis and processing of Pref-1 to the soluble form, FA1, in pancreatic islets and insulinoma cells transfected with Pref-1 cDNA. We measured the release of FA1 by ELISA and the possible effect of FA1 in GH-stimulated beta-cell proliferation by incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) in insulin-positive islet cells. We found that Pref-1 was synthesized in normal islets and in RINm5F insulinoma cells and released into the medium in two forms, of which one corresponded to FA1. Both the expression of the mRNA for Pref-1 and the release of the soluble form(s) were stimulated by GH and prolactin (PRL). Whereas 2 h exposure to high glucose or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine stimulated insulin release, only a small change was seen in FA1 release, suggesting that the FA1 is released by a different pathway than insulin. However, long-term exposure (48 h) to high glucose increased FA1 secretion, indicating that FA1 is regulated by glucose. Neither FA1 nor conditioned medium from GH-stimulated islets depleted for GH was able to increase beta-cell replication and overexpression of Pref-1 resulted in attenuated proliferation of the RINm5F cells. By immunocytochemistry of GH-stimulated islet cells no correlation between high Pref-1 expression and BrdU incorporation was observed and there was an inverse relationship between the levels of insulin and Pref-1. These results indicate that Pref-1/FA1 is not mediating the mitogenic effect of GH and PRL. Therefore the function of Pref-1 in the beta-cell remains unknown.

Sensory and chemical assessment of pork supplemented with iron and vitamin E.

Pork muscle samples (M. longissimus dorsi and M. psoas major) were obtained from pigs given one of four dietary treatments, (1) control diet, (2) supplemental iron (7g iron (II) sulphate/kg feed), (3) supplemental vitamin E (200 mg dl-α-tocopheryl acetate/kg of feed) and (4) supplemental vitamin E+supplemental iron. Vitamin C was supplemented to all dietary treatments to facilitate iron uptake. Vitamin E and iron tissue levels were determined for each treatment. Warmed-over flavour (WOF) was evaluated by a trained sensory panel (n=8) for the four treatments which were cooked and refrigerated at 4 °C for up to 5 days. Thawing loss, driploss and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were also determined. Vitamin E muscle tissue levels were greatest in the Iron/vitamin E-treated group followed by the vitamin E group, control and iron treated groups, respectively for M. longissimus dorsi. Whereas, for M. psoas major vitamin E tissue levels were in order of magnitude, vitamin E>iron/vitamin E>iron>control group. Iron tissue levels were in the order vitamin E>iron/vitamin E>control>iron for M. longissimus dorsi and iron>vitamin E>control>iron/vitamin E for M. psoas major. Thus, vitamin E and vitamin C promoted non-supplemental iron absorption in the vitamin E-treated group for M. longissimus dorsi and to a lesser extent for M. psoas major. M. psoas major was more susceptible to warmed-over flavour development than M. longissimus dorsi for all treatments as determined by sensory profiling, due to higher tissue iron levels. From sensory profiling, WOF development in M. longissimus dorsi and M. psoas major was highest in the iron-supplemented groups followed by the control and vitamin E-supplemented groups.

Expression of SMAD signal transduction molecules in the pancreas.

Members of the TGF-beta superfamily of cytokines have been implicated in pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis and in regulation and differentiation of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine cells. Different TGF-beta members signal through phosphorylation of different signal transduction proteins, which eventually form oligomers with SMAD 4 and translocate to the nucleus. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed that SMADs 1, 2 and 4 are expressed in pancreatic islets. Immunostaining revealed that SMAD 1 and 4 predominantly were expressed by islet insulin and glucagon cells. Since SMAD 1 is known to transduce signals from receptors binding bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) these results indicate a previously unknown role of BMP-like ligands in islet function.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS-3) protects beta -cells against interleukin-1beta - and interferon-gamma -mediated toxicity.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS-3) is a negative feedback regulator of IFN-gamma signaling, shown up-regulated in mouse bone marrow cells by the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and IFN-gamma. IL-1beta and IFN-gamma alone, or potentiated by TNF-alpha, are cytotoxic to the insulin producing pancreatic beta-cells and beta-cell lines in vitro and suggested to contribute to the specific beta-cell destruction in Type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Using a doxycycline-inducible SOCS-3 expression system in the rat beta-cell line INS-1, we demonstrate that the toxic effect of both IL-1beta or IFN-gamma at concentrations that reduced the viability by 50% over 3 days, was fully preventable when SOCS-3 expression was turned on in the cells. At cytokine concentrations or combinations more toxic to the cells, SOCS-3 overexpression yielded a partial protection. Whereas SOCS-3-mediated inhibition of IFN-gamma signaling is described in other cell systems, SOCS-3 mediated inhibition of IL-1beta signaling has not previously been described. In addition we show that SOCS-3 prevention of IL-1beta-induced toxicity is accompanied by inhibited transcription of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) by 80%, resulting in 60% decreased formation of the toxic nitric oxide (NO). Analysis of isolated native rat islets exposed to IL-1beta revealed a naturally occurring but delayed up-regulated SOCS-3 transcription. Influencing SOCS-3 expression thus represents an approach for affecting cytokine-induced signal transduction at a proximal step in the signal cascade, potentially useful in future therapies aimed at reducing the destructive potential of beta-cell cytotoxic cytokines in T1DM, as well as other cytokine-dependent diseases.

Cellular model for induction of drip loss in meat.

Drip loss from porcine muscle (M. longissimus dorsi) contained high concentrations of K(+) ( approximately 135 mM) and organic osmolytes, for example, taurine ( approximately 15 mM), as well as significant amounts of protein ( approximately 125 mg.mL(-1)). Thus, the drip reflects release of intramuscular components. To simulate events taking place at the time of slaughter and leading to release of osmolytes and subsequent formation of drip loss, C2C12 myotubes were exposed to anoxia and reduction in pH (from 7.4 to 6.0). Anoxia and acidification increased the cellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) at a rate of 22-32 nM.min(-)(1). The anoxia-induced increase in [Ca(2+)](i) was mainly due to influx via sarcolemmal Na(+) channels. As mammalian cells swell and release lysophospholipids during anoxia, C2C12 cells and primary porcine muscle cells were exposed to either hypotonic shock or lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and the release of taurine was followed. The swelling-induced taurine efflux was blocked in the presence of the anion channel blocker (DIDS), the 5-lipooxygenase inhibitors (ETH 615-139 and NDGA) but unaffected by the presence of vitamin E. In contrast, the LPC-induced taurine release was unaffected by DIDS but abolished by antioxidants (butylated hydroxytoluene and vitamin E). Thus, stress-induced taurine release from muscles may precede by two different mechanisms, one being 5-lipooxygenase dependent and the other involving generation of reactive oxygen species. A model for the cellular events, preceding formation of drip in meat, is presented.