A pilot study of diabetes effects on radiation attenuation characteristics of tibia and femur of rats.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of diabetes on radiation attenuation parameters of the femur and tibia of rats using Monte Carlo Simulations. First, control and diabetic rats were identified and tibias and femurs were removed. Then, the elemental ratios of the bones obtained were calculated using EDS (Energy Dissipative X-ray Spectroscopy). Therefore, radiation permeability properties of control and diabetic bones were simulated by using the content ratios in the bones in MCNP6 (Monte Carlo N-Particle) and PHITS (Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System) 3.22 and Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter (SRIM) simulation codes. Attenuation coefficient results were compared with the NIST database via XCOM. Although differences in absorption coefficients are observed at low energies, these differences disappear as the energy increases.

L-Carnitine improves mechanical responses of cardiomyocytes and restores Ca2+ homeostasis during aging.

L-Carnitine (ß-hydroxy-γ-trimethylaminobutyric acid, LC) is a crucial molecule for the mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids. It facilitates the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondrial matrix. The reduction in LC levels during the aging process has been linked to numerous cardiovascular disorders, including contractility dysfunction, and disrupted intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of long-term (7 months) LC administration on cardiomyocyte contraction and intracellular Ca2+ transients ([Ca2+]i) in aging rats. Male albino Wistar rats were randomly assigned to either the control or LC-treated groups. LC (50 mg/kg body weight/day) was dissolved in distilled water and orally administered for a period of 7 months. The control group received distilled water alone. Subsequently, ventricular single cardiomyocytes were isolated, and the contractility and Ca2+ transients were recorded in aging (18 months) rats. This study demonstrates, for the first time, a novel inotropic effect of long-term LC treatment on rat ventricular cardiomyocyte contraction. LC increased cardiomyocyte cell shortening and resting sarcomere length. Furthermore, LC supplementation led to a reduction in resting [Ca2+]i level and an increase in the amplitude of [Ca2+]i transients, indicative of enhanced contraction. Consistent with these results, decay time of Ca2+ transients also decreased significantly in the LC-treated group. The long-term administration of LC may help restore the Ca2+ homeostasis altered during aging and could be used as a cardioprotective medication in cases where myocyte contractility is diminished.

Pharmacological blockade of angiotensin II receptor restores diabetes-associated reduction of store operated Ca2+ entry in adult cardiomyocytes.

The store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) represents an important route for generating cellular Ca2+ signals that are implicated in physiological and various pathological scenarios that include diabetic cardiomyopathy (DM-CMP) which is well known to have Ca2+ dysregulation among other salient features. In this study, we investigated the role of SOCE in Ca2+ handling of cardiomyocytes obtained from adult male Wistar rats that were made diabetic by intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (STZ 50 mg/kg). We also included another group of rats with diabetes induced by STZ administration but received an angiotensin II receptor blocker - losartan. In whole cell recordings with isolated cardiomyocytes, the SOCE-representative whole-cell current ICRAC was found to be significantly reduced for the diabetic group compared to the control group and chronic losartan treatment could restore ICRAC to a level comparable to the control group. However, in contrast to the observed reduction in ICRAC, Orai1 and Orai3 proteins were found to be significantly upregulated in diabetic condition whereas no significant change in the expression levels of Stim1, Stim2 and Orai2 was observed. Also, losartan treatment did not affect the expression pattern of these key proteins for SOCE in diabetic group. The observed imbalance between the functional read out of SOCE (peak ICRAC size) and expression levels of the underlying proteins was puzzling but could be, among other possibilities, due to impairment of interaction between Stim and Orai proteins. We argue that the observed changes in SOCE with diabetes could be a contributing factor for the Ca2+ dyshomeostasis associated with diabetic cardiomyopathies and blockade of angiotensin II receptor may potentially restore normal SOCE in diabetic cardiomyocytes.