Introdução: as gorduras interesterificadas, ricas em ácidos graxos saturados, vêm sendo utilizadas pela indústria alimentícia em substituição aos ácidos graxos trans. Os principais ácidos graxos saturados empregados no processo de interesterificação são o palmítico e o esteárico, os quais podem, respectivamente, apresentar efeitos deletérios ou serem neutros, do ponto de vista cardiovascular e metabólico. A quantidade de ácido esteárico na dieta é menor em comparação ao palmítico, e não está elucidada a implicação de seu alto consumo. O propósito deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito das gorduras interesterificadas contendo ácido palmítico ou ácido esteárico sobre as principais vias de sinalização envolvidas no metabolismo do tecido hepático e adiposo. Métodos: camundongos machos LDLr-KO foram alimentados durante 16 semanas com dieta hiperlipídica (40% de energia em forma de gordura) contendo maior concentração de poli-insaturados (POLI), palmítico (PALM), palmítico interesterificado (PALM INTER), esteárico (ESTEAR) ou esteárico interesterificado (ESTEAR INTER). Determinaram-se a composição corporal, conteúdo de gordura no fígado, concentração plasmática de colesterol, triglicérides, glicose e insulina. A expressão de genes envolvidos no metabolismo lipídico e vias inflamatórias no tecido adiposo visceral e hepático foi determinada por RT-qPCR. Além disso, a síntese de proteínas e proteínas fosforiladas foi medida por Imunnoblotting. O infiltrado de células inflamatórias no tecido hepático e histologia do tecido adiposo, bem como o conteúdo de colágeno do fígado, foram determinados por coloração com eosina e hematoxilina e Sirius Red, respectivamente. Resultados: o processo de interesterificação não alterou parâmetros bioquímicos plasmáticos e as quantidades de CT e TG no tecido hepático. No entanto, ambas as gorduras interesterificadas induziram maior conteúdo de colágeno no fígado e fosforilação de JNK. Adicionalmente, o grupo ESTEAR INTER desenvolveu NASH, associada a maior infiltrado de neutrófilos. Por outro lado, PALM INTER induziu maior expansão do tecido adiposo, juntamente com hipertrofia de adipócitos, condições associadas à ativação da via de sinalização \"upstream\" do NFkB, observada para a fosforilação de IKK, o que contribuiu para maior teor de TNFalfa. Conclusão: as gorduras interesterificadas enriquecidas com ácido palmítico induziram fibrose hepática, bem como a expansão do tecido adiposo, com hipertrofia dos adipócitos; e as gorduras contendo ácido esteárico induziram NASH em camundongos LDLr-KO / Background: interesterified fats, rich in saturated fatty acids, have been used by the food industry as a substitute for trans fatty acids. The main saturated fatty acids used in the interesterification process are palmitic and stearic, which may, respectively, have deleterious effects or be cardiovascular and metabolic neutral. Objetive: to evaluate the effect of interesterified fats containing palmitic or stearic acids on signaling pathways involved in the hepatic and adipose tissue lipid metabolism. Methods: Weaning male LDLr-KO mice were fed a high-fat diet (40% energy as fat) containing polyunsaturated (PUFA), palmitic (PALM), palmitic interesterified (PALM INTER), stearic (STEAR) or stearic interesterified (STEAR INTER) fats for 16 weeks. Body composition, liver fat content, total plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and insulin concentrations were determined. Gene expression involved in lipid metabolism and inflammation process in liver and white adipose tissue was determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Furthermore, amount of proteins and activated proteins were measured by Western blot. Hepatic and adipose tissue inflammatory cells infiltration as well as liver collagen content were determined by eosin and hematoxylin and Sirius Red staining, respectively. Results: Interesterified process did not alter plasma biochemical parameters and amounts of TC and TG in hepatic tissue. However, both interesterified fats brought on a higher liver collagen content and JNK phosphorylation. Additionally, STEAR INTER group developed NASH associated with a higher neutrophil infiltration. On the other hand, PALM INTER induced a higher adipose tissue expansion together with the enlargement of adipocytes, conditions associated with the activation of upstream NFkB signaling pathway as observed for IKK phosphorylation, contributing to higher TNFalpha protein content. Conclusions: Interesterified fats containing stearic acid induced NASH and enriched with palmitic acid trigger on steatosis with fibrosis as well as hypertrophy and inflammatory signaling activation in the adipose tissue in LDLr-KO mice

The disease malaria afflicts more than a billion people and kills almost one to three million of them every year. Of the four species of Plasmodium affecting man viz., P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae, Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest as it causes cerebral malaria. The situation has become worse with the continuous emergence of drug resistance in the parasite. Therefore, improving existing drugs and deciphering new pathways for drug development are the need of the hour. The discovery of the type II fatty acid biosynthesis pathway in Plasmodium falciparum (Surolia and Surolia, 2001) has opened up new avenues for the development of new antimalarials as this pathway is entirely different from the human host in which type I pathway exists. Although many biochemical pathways such as the purine, pyrimidine and carbohydrate metabolic pathways, and the phospholipid, folate and heme biosynthetic pathways operate in the malaria parasite and are being investigated for their amenability as antimalarial therapeutic targets, no antimalarial of commercial use based on the direct use of these biochemical pathways as targets has emerged so far. This is due to the fact that the structure and function of the targets of these drugs overlaps with that of the human host. A description of such pathways forms the Chapter 1 of the thesis. This is followed by a description of the discovery and the importance of fatty acid biosynthesis pathway and the available literature on the various enzymes that are targets of potential antimalarials. Three isoforms are known for condensing enzymes - FabH which functions in initiation, and FabB and FabF which function in elongation. These isoforms differ in their biochemical properties and have unique roles to play in deciding the membrane composition of any organism. This aspect is also discussed in this chapter. Cloning and expression of -ketoacyl-ACP synthase, FabB/F from Plasmodium falciparum is described in Chapter 2. PfFabB/F is coded by the nuclear genome and is targeted to the apicoplast. The gene is coded by the locus MAL6P1.165 and the putative amino acid sequence of the protein exists in PlasmoDB. All apicoplast targeted proteins have a characteristic bipartite leader sequence consisting of a signal and a transit peptide sequence (Waller et al., 1998). Since the mature protein start site was not known and none of the software packages could predict the site, I aligned the PfFabB/F sequence with the sequences of other -ketoacyl-ACP synthases. On the basis of similarity with E. coli synthases and the mature protein start site of plant synthases, I cloned the first construct of PfFabB/F. The sequence was amplified by PCR and ligated in pET as well as pGEX vector. Expression in various hosts under different temperature and induction conditions could not solubilize the protein in significant quantities and most of the protein was found in inclusion bodies. Next I expressed the sequence with five more amino acids towards the N-terminal and expressed it as an N- terminal NusA fusion. The protein was purified by single step Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Along with the full length protein (108 kDa), a truncated version of the protein was also obtained. The identity of the protein was confirmed by western blotting using anti-His antibody and anti-FabB/F antibody. In Chapter 3, the substrate specificity of PfFabB/F has been elucidated. PfFabB/F condenses malonyl-ACP with a range of acyl-ACPs. In vivo, acyl carrier protein (ACP) shuttles the acyl substrates between various enzymes of the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway. Enzymes of the pathway other than synthases can accept substrate analogs like acyl-CoA and acyl-NAC’s also in vitro. Acyl-ACPs are not very stable species and thus are not commercially available. Therefore, they have to be synthesized. Since malonyl-ACP could not be synthesized by chemical means, enzymatic synthesis of acyl-ACPs was done. Acyl-ACP synthetase (Aas) or holo-ACP synthase (ACPS) can be used for enzymatic synthesis. Aas is specific only for longer chain substrates; therefore, I decided to use holo-ACP synthase, an enzyme responsible for converting apo-ACP to holo-ACP in the presence of CoA in vivo (Lambalot and Walsch, 1995). When acyl-CoAs are supplied in place of CoA, acyl-ACP is produced. Malonyl-ACP and acyl-ACPs (C4-C16:1) were thus synthesized using holo-ACP synthase from E. coli. The reaction went to almost 95% completion, indicating broad substrate specificity of this enzyme. Bacterial or plant acyl-ACPs of different chain lengths can be resolved by Conformation Sensitive PAGE (Heath and Rock, 1995, Post- Beittenmiller et al., 1991). However, Pfacyl-ACPs synthesized using ACPS did not show any significant shift on CS-PAGE. Therefore I resorted to MALDI-TOF (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption and Ionization- Time Of Flight) for monitoring the PfFabB/F condensation reactions. PfFabB/F condensed C4-C12-ACPs with malonyl-ACP to their corresponding -ketoacyl-ACP products, with C6, C8 and C10-ACPs being most readily elongated. C14-ACP was very sluggishly elongated, and C16 and C16:1-ACPs were not elongated at all. The condensation reaction was also followed by autoradiography using14C labeled malonyl-ACP, exploiting the clear mobility shift between malonyl-ACP and the other acyl-ACPs. The inhibitory effect of cerulenin, a known inhibitor of condensing enzymes was also checked. PfFabB/F also exhibited malonyl decarboxylase activity resulting in the production of acetyl-ACP in the absence of any significant condensation activity. All the enzymes of fatty acid synthesis pathway required to complete a cycle were assembled together for the in vitro reconstitution of Plasmodium fatty acid synthesis cycle which is described in Chapter 4. Earlier studies of Surolia & Surolia have shown that C12 and C14 fatty acids are the major constituents of Plasmodium lipids. One of my objectives was to determine the maximum length of the acyl ACP product that is synthesized when all the functionally active enzymes of fatty acid synthesis are put together (Kapoor et. al, 2001, Sharma et al., 2003, Karmodiya and Surolia, 2006). Condensing enzymes have a deterministic role in the fatty acid composition as they catalyze the only irreversible step in fatty acid biosynthesis. By analyzing products of the elongation cycle by mass spectrometry it was apparent that C14-ACP is the longest species formed. As already mentioned, PfFabB/F readily elongates C12-ACP but C14-ACP is weakly elongated. Thus the end product of the Plasmodium FAB pathway is influenced by the substrate specificity of PfFabB/F. This confirms the role of PfFabB/F as a decisive enzyme in determining the length of fatty acids synthesized. The inhibition of the cycle by cerulenin and triclosan is also described in this chapter. Chapter 5 describes the ability of the PffabB/F gene to complement for the mutation of condensing enzymes in CY244 cells (fabBtsfabF-, Yasuno et al., 2004). CY244 cells were transformed with pBAD alone or PfFabB/F cloned in pBAD vector (pBADPffabB/F) and the growth was monitored at non-permissive temperature. The product of PfFabB/F could rescue the growth of mutant cells at high temperature but only in the presence of oleic acid. FabB and FabF are the isoforms of condensing enzymes involved in elongation of the fatty acid synthesis cycle but they have a unique role to play (Garwin et al., 1980). FabB is responsible for unsaturated fatty acid synthesis, and fabB-mutants require oleic acid supplementation for growth. FabF is utilized in temperature regulation of membrane fluidity and E. coli FabF elevates the level of C18:1 or cis-vaccenic acid at lower growth temperature but FabF-mutants have no growth phenotype (Ulrich et al., 1983). Rescue of CY244 cells in the presence of oleic acid supplementation indicated that the PffabB/F gene behaves like FabF and not FabB. Analysis of the fatty acid composition of membrane lipids of CY244 cells transformed with pBAD vector or pBADPffabB/F by GC-MS demonstrated no elevated levels of cis-vaccenic acid in transformed cells. This observation is in agreement with the in vitro determined substrate specificity data which shows that PfFabB/F does not elongate C16:1ACP. The thesis ends with a summary of the findings in Chapter 6 in the context of FabB and FabF enzymes known from other sources. 2, 4, 4’-Trichloro-2’hydroxydiphenylether, commonly known as triclosan, has been used as a topical antibacterial agent for decades. I determined its efficacy in treating acute systemic bacterial infection in mouse model. Triclosan, as compared to other well known antibiotics, could extend the survival time of mice by 48 hours. This work is described in Appendix I. (Sharma et al., 2003)

The thesis deals with X-ray crystallographic analysis of two enzymes involved in the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, known as Fatty Acid Synthase or FAS, of the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in order to understand their functions at the atomic level and to provide structural basis for the rational design of antimalarial compounds. Targeting highly specific and well-characterized biochemical pathways to develop effective therapeutic agents has the advantage of designing new drugs or modifying the existing ones based on the details of the known features of the processes. Knowledge of the three-dimensional structures of the molecules involved in the reactions will enhance the capabilities of this procedure. The recently identified fatty acid biosynthesis pathway in Plasmodium falciparum is undoubtedly an attractive target for drug development as it differs from that in humans. In the malarial parasite, each reaction of the pathway is catalyzed by a specific enzyme whereas in humans, the synthesis is carried out by a single multidomain enzyme. Essentially each step in the FAS of P. falciparum can be a potential target to prevent the growth of the parasite as the fatty acids are essential for the formation of the cell membrane which is vital for its survival. All the reactions of this pathway have been well-characterized. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of structural information of the proteins involved in performing various functions in this pathway. When this work was initiated, crystal structures of none of these proteins were reported. The current work on the plasmodial FAS proteins has been undertaken with a view to obtain precise structural details of their reaction and inhibition mechanisms. The introductory chapter of the thesis includes a discussion on malaria, the fatty acid biosynthesis in various organisms and an overview of the structural features of the enzymes involved in the pathway that have been characterized from other organisms.The second chapter includes the tools of X-ray crystallography that were used for structural studies of the present work. It also discusses the other computational and biophysical methods used to further characterize the enzymes under study. FabI, the enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase, that regulates the third step in FAS has been crystallized as a binary complex with its cofactor NADH and as a ternary complex with NAD+and triclosan. The crystal structures of the binary and the ternary complexes have been determined at 2.5 and 2.2 ˚A, respectively. The mode of binding of the cofactor and the inhibitor triclosan to the enzyme with details of the interactions between them could be clearly obtained from these structures. Each subunit of the tetrameric FabI has the classical Rossmann fold. We carried out a thorough analysis of this structure and compared it with the FabI structures from various sources, four microbial (Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Helicobacter pylori) and one plant (Brassica napus), and arrived at a number of significant conclusions: Though the tertiary and the quaternary structures of the enzymes from different sources are similar, the substrate binding loop shows significant changes. The position and nature of the loop are strongly correlated to the affinity of triclosan to the enzyme. Small to major changes in the structure of the enzyme occur to enhance ligand binding. Water molecules play an important role in enzyme-ligand interactions. The crystal structure has also confirmed our previous prediction based on modeling studies of the enzyme that the introduction of bulkier groups at carbon 4’ of triclosan is likely to improve its efficacy as an inhibitor of FabI of P. falciparum. It has also provided the structural basis for its preference to bind to the coenzyme NADH but not to NADPH which was also predicted by our modeling studies. Chapters 3 and 4 discuss the structure solution and a comparative analysis of the crystal structures of FabIs from various sources. The crystal structure of FabZ, the β-hydroxyacyl acyl carrier protein dehydratase of P. falciparum, has been determined at a resolution of 2.4 ˚A. Each subunit of FabZ has a hotdog fold with one long central α-helix surrounded by a six-stranded antiparallel β-sheet. FabZ has been found to exist as a homodimer in the crystals of the present study in contrast to the hexameric form which is a trimer of dimers crystallized in a different condition, reported while we completed the structure of the dimeric form. In the dimeric form, the architecture of the catalytic site has been drastically altered with two catalytic histidine residues moving away from the catalytic site caused by two cis to trans peptide flips compared to the hexameric form. These alterations not only prevent the formation of a hexamer but also distort the active site geometry resulting in a dimeric form of FabZ that is incapable of substrate-binding. The dimeric state and an altered catalytic site architecture make the dimeric FabZ presented in the thesis distinctly different from the FabZ structures described so far. This is the first observation and report of the existence of an inactive form of the enzyme and its unique structural features. Further analysis using dynamic light scattering and size exclusion chromatographic studies have shown that a pH-related conformational switching occurs between the inactive dimers and active hexamers of FabZ in P. falciparum. These findings open alternate and entirely new strategies to design inhibitors to make FabZ inactive. FabZ crystals show polymorphism with varying length of its longest cell axis. We could collect X-ray diffraction data for three of these forms. An analysis of these forms revealed that three flexible loops of the structure including those containing the peptide flips compete for the space between two symmetry-related molecules. In the form with the longest cell axis, the loops have the highest stability resulting in a better diffraction from the crystal. We also performed docking studies with two previously characterized inhibitors of FabZ. The docking showed that the inhibitors bind strongly at the active site each one making a number of different interactions with the catalytic residues. Observations from our docking studies are in excellent agreement with and strongly supported by chemical modification and fluorimetric analysis of the wild type enzyme and its mutants. Chapters 5 and 6 explain in detail about the structure solution of dimeric form of PfFabZ, the pH induced conformational flipping of two cis-trans peptide flips that lead to different oligomeric states, and the structural basis for these oligomeric shifts. The mechanism of action of PfFabZ inhibitors NAS-21 and NAS-91 are also discussed in detail. Intrigued by the hot dog fold of the Fab enzyme, we have analyzed and compared proteins having this fold in their structures. It has been observed that the fold is often associated with fatty acids. However, the sequences, the quaternary structures, substrate specificities and the reactions that the proteins catalyze are quite diverse. The consensus sequence motifs lining the interface of quaternary association and at active site clearly indicated that the information for different modes of quaternary associations is embedded in the sequences itself. The diversity in function and quaternary association of hot dog fold proteins and their structure-function relationships are discussed in chapter 7. Malaria affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide causing about two million deaths every year. In spite of the commendable success of the available antimalarials, it has not been possible to contain the disease completely as the protozoan has become resistant to a majority of frontline drugs. The structural studies presented here should enhance the current biochemical knowledge to develop selective and more potent inhibitors of the pathway and contribute to the ongoing efforts to fight the disease.

No description available.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Diet fatty acids (FA) are fundamental to the phospholipids structure and function of cell membranes, in which long chain polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) increase its fluidity, while the trans FA (TFA) to make it more rigid. Also, the barrier function and hydration are highly dependent on the skin composition and structure, as well as the organization of lipids in the cell matrix. In recent years, the ozone layer depletion has increased human exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), inducing deleterious effects on skin homeostasis. Moreover, lifestyle habits and eating patterns, especially in Western countries, has shown an increasing consumption of processed foods rich in AGT, whose cutaneous consequences do not present scientific validation. Whereas the skin health is partially related to the lipids that compose it, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of supplementation of different oils or fat in distinctlife periods of rodents on oxidative damage acute and chronic exposure to UVR-induced. Male Swiss mice weanling were supplemented daily (3g/kg, po) with soybean oil (C-SO; rich in n-6 PUFA), fish oil (FO; rich in n-3 PUFA) or hydrogenated vegetable fat (HVF; rich in TFA) until 90 days old and the dorsal skin was acutely exposed to UVR. The FO supplementation showed n-3 PUFA incorporation in mice skin, while the groups supplemented with soybean oil and HVF showed incorporation of n-6 PUFA and TFA, respectively. Such skin incorporations exerted influences on the development of UVR -induced oxidative damage in the mice skin and HVF group showed the highest protein carbonylation (PC) levels and lipid peroxidation, accompanied by larger skin thickening (edema), lower catalase (CAT) activity and cell survival. While soybean oil was associated with a partial prevention of damage observed in HVF group, FO supplementation prevented cutaneous oxidative damage UVR-induced. Sequentially, second and third experimental protocols were developed with the first and second generations offsprings born adult rats under daily supplementation of the same oils used in experiment 1 (SO, FO and HVF) and at 90 days old, each experimental group were exposed to UVR 3x/ week for 12 weeks. Animals first generation offspring (experiment 2) FO supplemented treated showed higher incorporation of n-3 FA and lower n-6/n-3 ratio in the dorsal skin, while the HVF group showed greater incorporation of TFA. Biochemical analyzes showed higher PC levels, per se, and smaller functionality of mitochondrial enzymes and decrease of some antioxidant defenses ((reduced glutathione (GSH) and vitamin C (VIT C)) in the dorsal skin HVF supplemented group. After UVR exposure, the same experimental group showed higher wrinkles scores, increased reactive species (RS) generation and PC levels, which were accompanied by decrease in GSH and VIT C skin levels. In contrast, FO group showed lower wrinkles scores and skin thickening after UVR exposure, besides lower PC levels and increased of the functionality of mitochondrial enzymes. Additionally, we observed a positive correlation between the RS generation-UVR induced and skin thickness, wrinkles and PC levels, while a negative correlation between the RS generation-UVR induced and functionality of mitochondrial enzymes, and between PC levels and GSH, SOD and VIT C.Animals of the second generation offspring (experiment 3) supplemented with FO showed higher n-3 FA incorporation and lower n-6/n-3 ratio in the dorsal skin, while TFA were incorporated only in HVF group. The latter experimental group showed biochemical changes per se: high RS generation, lower functionality of mitochondrial enzymes and increased Na+K+-ATPase activity. UVR exposure increased skin wrinkling andRS generation, besides reduced functionality of mitochondrial enzymes and GSH levels in HFV group. FO groupUVR exposure showed reduced skin thickness and PC levels, besides increase CAT activity and the preservation of Na+K+-ATPase activity. Whereas the n-3 PUFA compete with n-6 PUFA for desaturases and elongases activities, which originate from long chain n-3 or n-6 PUFA, respectively, which are incorporated into the cell membranesphospholipids.Such incorporation allows the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity over them, originating active metabolites of the series 3 (prostaglandins (PG) and thromboxanes (TX)) or series 2 (PG and TX series 2), respectively. Series 3 metabolites are less pro-inflammatory than those of series 2, which may partly explain our findings. Moreover, to date, no study has shown the metabolites generation of AGT, even their influence on inflammation and pro-oxidant in cell membranes. How TFA have been reported to inhibit the desaturases activity, we suggest that the presence of AGT in the membranes may be inhibiting the n-3 PUFA incorporation and, thus, reduce the metabolites generation, which are known to be beneficial. Taken together, the data presented in this thesis suggest that healthy eating habits that include reduced intake of foods rich in AGT and the inclusion of n-3 PUFA, accompanied by care front sun exposure can contribute to the prevention of skin diseases and skin diseases associated with UV exposure. / Os ácidos graxos (AG) provenientes da dieta são fundamentais para a estrutura e função dos fosfolipídeos das membranas celulares, nas quais os AG poliinsaturados (AGPI) de cadeia longa aumentam a sua fluidez, enquanto os AG trans (AGT) a tornam mais rígida. Nos últimos anos, a diminuição da camada de ozônio tem aumentado a exposição humana à radiação ultravioleta (RUV), causando consequências deletérias sobre a homeostase cutânea. Por outro lado, os hábitos de vida e os padrões alimentares, especialmente em países ocidentais, tem apresentado um consumo crescente de alimentos processados ricos em AGT, cujas consequências cutâneas ainda não apresentam validação científica. Considerando que a saúde da pele está parcialmente relacionada aos lipídios que a compõem, este estudo foi desenvolvido para avaliar a influência da suplementação de diferentes óleos ou gordura em diferentes períodos da vida de roedores sobre os danos oxidativos induzidos pela exposição aguda e crônica à RUV. Camundongos Swiss machos recém desmamados foram diariamente suplementados (3g/kg; p.o.) com óleo de soja (rico em AGPI n-6) (grupo controle), óleo de peixe (rico em AGPI n-3) ou gordura vegetal hidrogenada (GVH; rica em AGT) até 90 dias de idade, quando a pele da região dorsal foi agudamente exposta à RUV. A suplementação com óleo de peixe foi relacionada à incorporação de AGPI n-3 no tecido cutâneo dos camundongos, enquanto os grupos suplementados com óleo de soja e GVH apresentaram incorporação de AGPI n-6 e AGT, respectivamente. Tais incorporações exerceram influências sobre o desenvolvimento de danos oxidativos induzidos pela RUV na pele dos camundongos, de modo que o grupo GVH mostrou maiores níveis de peroxidação lipídica e carbonilação protéica, acompanhados de maior espessamento da pele (edema), menor atividade da catalase (CAT) e viabilidade celular. Enquanto o óleo de soja foi associado a uma prevenção parcial dos danos observados no grupo GVH, a suplementação com óleo de peixe preveniu os danos oxidativos cutâneos. Sequencialmente, o segundo e terceiro protocolos experimentais foram desenvolvidos com a 1ª e a 2ª gerações de ratas adultas nascidas sob a suplementação diária dos mesmos óleos utilizados no experimento 1 (óleo de soja, óleo de peixe e GVH) e, aos 90 dias de idade, parte de cada grupo experimental foi exposto à RUV 3x/ semana, durante 12 semanas. Animais de 1ª geração (experimento 2) tratados com óleo de peixe apresentaram maior incorporação de n-3 FA e menor razão n-6/n-3 na pele dorsal, enquanto o grupo GVH mostrou maior incorporação de AGT. Análises bioquímicas mostraram um aumento dos níveis de proteína carbonil (PC), per se, menor funcionalidade das enzimas mitocondriais e diminuição de algumas defesas antioxidantes (glutationa reduzida (GSH) e vitamina C (VIT C)) na pele dorsal do grupo suplementado com GVH. Após exposição à RUV, este mesmo grupo experimental apresentou maior escore de rugas, maior geração de espécies reativas (ER) e níveis de PC, os quais foram acompanhados de uma diminuição dos níveis de GSH e de VIT C na pele dorsal. Contrariamente, o grupo óleo de peixe mostrou menor escore de rugas e espessamento da pele após exposição à RUV, além de apresentar menores níveis de PC e maior funcionalidade das enzimas mitocondriais. Adicionalmente, observou-se uma correlação positiva entre a geração de ER induzida pela RUV e a espessura da pele, rugas e PC, enquanto uma correlação negativa entre a geração de ER induzidas pela RUV e a funcionalidade das enzimas mitocondriais, e entre os níveis de PC e GSH, SOD e VIT C. Animais de 2ª geração (experimento 3) tratados com óleo de peixe apresentaram maior incorporação AG n-3 e menor razão n-6/n-3 na pele dorsal, enquanto que os AGT foram incorporados apenas no grupo GVH. Este último grupo experimental apresentou alterações bioquímicas per se: maior geração de ER, menor funcionalidade das enzimas mitocondriais e maior atividade da Na+K+ATPase. A exposição do grupo GVH à RUV aumentou a rugosidade da pele, aumentou a geração de ER e reduziu a funcionalidade das enzimas mitocondriais, além de diminuir os níveis de GSH. No grupo óleo de peixe, a exposição à RUV foi associada à menor espessura da pele e à redução dos níveis de PC, além do aumento da atividade da CAT e da preservação da atividade da Na+K+ATPase. Os AGPI n-3 competem com AGPI n-6 pela atividade das elongases e dessaturases, as quais originam AGPI de cadeia longa n-3 ou n-6, respectivamente, que são incorporados aos fosfolipídeos das membranas celulares. Tal incorporação permite a atividade da ciclooxigenase-2 (COX-2) sobre os mesmos, originando metabólitos ativos da série 3 (prostaglandinas (PG) e tromboxanos (TX) da série 3) ou da série 6 (PG e TX da série 2), respectivamente. Os metabólitos da série 3 são menos pró-inflamatórios que aqueles da série 2, o que pode em parte explicar nossos achados. Além disto, até o momento, nenhum estudo mostrou a geração de metabólitos de AGT, nem mesmo sua influência sobre o processo inflamatório e pró-oxidante nas membranas celulares. Como os AGT têm sido descritos por inibir a atividade das dessaturases, nós sugerimos que a presença de AGT nas membranas pode estar inibindo a incorporação de AGPI n-3 e, dessa maneira, reduzir a geração de seus metabólitos, os quais são reconhecidamente benéficos. Tomados em conjunto, os dados apresentados nesta tese sugerem que hábitos alimentares saudáveis, que inclui uma ingesta reduzida de alimentos ricos em AGT e a inclusão de AGPI n-3, acompanhado de cuidados frente à exposição solar, podem contribuir para a prevenção de afecções cutâneas e doenças de pele associadas à exposição UV.

Introdução: as gorduras interesterificadas, ricas em ácidos graxos saturados, vêm sendo utilizadas pela indústria alimentícia em substituição aos ácidos graxos trans. Os principais ácidos graxos saturados empregados no processo de interesterificação são o palmítico e o esteárico, os quais podem, respectivamente, apresentar efeitos deletérios ou serem neutros, do ponto de vista cardiovascular e metabólico. A quantidade de ácido esteárico na dieta é menor em comparação ao palmítico, e não está elucidada a implicação de seu alto consumo. O propósito deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito das gorduras interesterificadas contendo ácido palmítico ou ácido esteárico sobre as principais vias de sinalização envolvidas no metabolismo do tecido hepático e adiposo. Métodos: camundongos machos LDLr-KO foram alimentados durante 16 semanas com dieta hiperlipídica (40% de energia em forma de gordura) contendo maior concentração de poli-insaturados (POLI), palmítico (PALM), palmítico interesterificado (PALM INTER), esteárico (ESTEAR) ou esteárico interesterificado (ESTEAR INTER). Determinaram-se a composição corporal, conteúdo de gordura no fígado, concentração plasmática de colesterol, triglicérides, glicose e insulina. A expressão de genes envolvidos no metabolismo lipídico e vias inflamatórias no tecido adiposo visceral e hepático foi determinada por RT-qPCR. Além disso, a síntese de proteínas e proteínas fosforiladas foi medida por Imunnoblotting. O infiltrado de células inflamatórias no tecido hepático e histologia do tecido adiposo, bem como o conteúdo de colágeno do fígado, foram determinados por coloração com eosina e hematoxilina e Sirius Red, respectivamente. Resultados: o processo de interesterificação não alterou parâmetros bioquímicos plasmáticos e as quantidades de CT e TG no tecido hepático. No entanto, ambas as gorduras interesterificadas induziram maior conteúdo de colágeno no fígado e fosforilação de JNK. Adicionalmente, o grupo ESTEAR INTER desenvolveu NASH, associada a maior infiltrado de neutrófilos. Por outro lado, PALM INTER induziu maior expansão do tecido adiposo, juntamente com hipertrofia de adipócitos, condições associadas à ativação da via de sinalização \"upstream\" do NFkB, observada para a fosforilação de IKK, o que contribuiu para maior teor de TNFalfa. Conclusão: as gorduras interesterificadas enriquecidas com ácido palmítico induziram fibrose hepática, bem como a expansão do tecido adiposo, com hipertrofia dos adipócitos; e as gorduras contendo ácido esteárico induziram NASH em camundongos LDLr-KO / Background: interesterified fats, rich in saturated fatty acids, have been used by the food industry as a substitute for trans fatty acids. The main saturated fatty acids used in the interesterification process are palmitic and stearic, which may, respectively, have deleterious effects or be cardiovascular and metabolic neutral. Objetive: to evaluate the effect of interesterified fats containing palmitic or stearic acids on signaling pathways involved in the hepatic and adipose tissue lipid metabolism. Methods: Weaning male LDLr-KO mice were fed a high-fat diet (40% energy as fat) containing polyunsaturated (PUFA), palmitic (PALM), palmitic interesterified (PALM INTER), stearic (STEAR) or stearic interesterified (STEAR INTER) fats for 16 weeks. Body composition, liver fat content, total plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and insulin concentrations were determined. Gene expression involved in lipid metabolism and inflammation process in liver and white adipose tissue was determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Furthermore, amount of proteins and activated proteins were measured by Western blot. Hepatic and adipose tissue inflammatory cells infiltration as well as liver collagen content were determined by eosin and hematoxylin and Sirius Red staining, respectively. Results: Interesterified process did not alter plasma biochemical parameters and amounts of TC and TG in hepatic tissue. However, both interesterified fats brought on a higher liver collagen content and JNK phosphorylation. Additionally, STEAR INTER group developed NASH associated with a higher neutrophil infiltration. On the other hand, PALM INTER induced a higher adipose tissue expansion together with the enlargement of adipocytes, conditions associated with the activation of upstream NFkB signaling pathway as observed for IKK phosphorylation, contributing to higher TNFalpha protein content. Conclusions: Interesterified fats containing stearic acid induced NASH and enriched with palmitic acid trigger on steatosis with fibrosis as well as hypertrophy and inflammatory signaling activation in the adipose tissue in LDLr-KO mice

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T14:38:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_debora_cristina_nichelle_lopes.pdf: 1786515 bytes, checksum: d80cc96f59e6d05a91186e55422d1bfe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-22 / A trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing soybean oil by linseed oil on performance, carcass traits, physicochemical characteristics, sensory properties of meat and plasma biochemical profile of poultry. A total of 448 one day old male birds (Cobb 500) where randomly allotted to 4 treatments and 8 replications in a completely randomized assay for 35 days. The following treatments were tested: T1 = 100% soybean oil (SO) as the main dietary energy source; T2 = 50% SO and 50% linseed oil (LO); T3 = 25% SO and 75% LO; and T4 = 100% LO. Performance of birds was not affected (P>0.05) when LO replaced SO in the diets during the whole experimental period. Additionally, no significant difference (P>0.05) was observed in carcass traits of birds fed diets containing LO. Moreover, plasma biochemical profile was not affected (P>0.05) as the level of LO increased in the diets. Omega-3 fatty acids (n3-PUFA) increased in the meat, omega-6 fatty acids (n6-PUFA) and meat n6:n3 decreased as the dietary level of LO was increased. Reduction of drumstick fat was observed increasing levels of LO in the diet (P<0,05). No significant differences (P>0.05) were observed for dry matter, protein, fat and cholesterol in the meat. Also, no significant differences (P>0.05) were found for physicochemical characteristics and sensory properties of meat. Replacing SO by LO in the diet might be carried out with no effect on performance, carcass traits and biochemical profile of poultry. Dietary LO enriched poultry meat with C18:3n3, C20:3n3 e C20:5n3 and reduced n6:n3 ratio without any negative effects on chemical composition and physicochemical characteristics and sensory properties of meat. / O presente estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos da substituição do óleo de soja pelo óleo de linhaça sobre o desempenho produtivo, características de carcaça, características químicas, instrumentais, sensoriais e perfil de ácidos graxos da carne além do perfil bioquímico sérico de frangos de corte. Utilizou-se 448 frangos da linhagem Cobb 500, machos, de um dia de idade, distribuídos em 4 tratamentos, com 8 repetições, em um delineamento completamente casualizado, por um período de 35 dias. Os tratamentos utilizados foram: T1 = 100% de óleo de soja (OS) como principal fonte energética; T2 = 50% de OS e 50% de óleo de linhaça (OL); T3 = 25% de OS e 75% de OL; e T4 = 100% de OL. A substituição do OS pelo OL na dieta não afetou (P>0,05) o desempenho produtivo dos frangos durante todo o período experimental. Também não foram observadas diferenças significativas (P>0,05) sobre as características de carcaça das aves que receberam OL na dieta. Da mesma forma, os níveis plasmáticos dos frangos não diferiram significativamente (P>0,05) com o aumento de óleo de linhaça na dieta. O aumento do OL na dieta promoveu o incremento de ácidos graxos da família ômega-3 (3n-AGPI), a redução de ácidos graxos da família ômega-6 (6n-AGPI) e da relação 6n-AGPI:3n-AGPI na carne. Houve redução no teor de gordura da sobrecoxa com o aumento de OL na dieta (P<0,05). Não foram observadas diferenças significativas (P>0,05) no percentual de matéria seca, proteína, gordura e colesterol na carne. Também não foram observadas diferenças significativas (P>0,05) sobre as características físicoquímicas e sensoriais da carne. A substituição do OS pelo OL na dieta de frangos de corte pode ser realizada sem afetar o desempenho produtivo, características de carcaça e perfil bioquímico. O OL na dieta de frangos de corte promoveu o enriquecimento da carne com C18:3n3, C20:3n3 e C20:5n3 e a redução na relação 6n- AGPI:3n-AGPI, sem afetar a composição química e as características físicoquímicas e sensoriais da carne.

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biophysics and Physical Chemistry Candidate: Ivana Turňová Supervisor of Diploma Thesis: Mgr. Monika Kuchařová, Ph.D. Consultant: prof. MUDr. Zdeněk Zadák, CSc. Title of Diploma Thesis: Determination of fatty acids in human tissues The fatty acids are non-negligible component of lipids as one of the basic nutrients. This thesis in its theoretical part presents above all the group of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which are important structural units of the cell membranes, they are also the precursors to several significant biologically active substances. In the human organism PUFA participate in many physiological and pathological processes this way, where they cause the large spectrum of actions. Onwards the thesis describes the gas chromatography method that is used in chemical analysis of lipids for the fatty acid determination as the gold standard. Experimentally, the fatty acid representation was determined in the blood, muscle, heart, liver and kidney among 26 cadavers divided into two groups according to the presence/absence of inflammatory process at the time of death. The data obtained were statistically analysed. The results were descriptively evaluated and there were indicated possible explanations of differences...

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biophysics and Physical Chemistry Author of Diploma Thesis: Bc. Barbora Kuříková Supervisor of Diploma Thesis: Mgr. Monika Kuchařová, Ph.D. Consultant: prof. MUDr. Zdeněk Zadák, CSc. Title of Diploma Thesis: Determination of the fatty acids spectrum in patients undergoing treatment with taxanes The diploma thesis deals with the determination of fatty acids spectrum in erythrocytes in patients treated with taxanes. The theoretical part describes general features of fatty acids, their synthesis and degradation. Then it is focused on the topic of breast cancer, taxane treatment and negative side effects associated with taxane treatment, especially polyneuropathy. The gas chromatography, which is commonly used in practice, is also described in this part. The experimental part is divided into three parts. The first part describes working process, chromatographic analysis and evaluation of this analysis. In the second part there is comparing of spectrum of fatty acids of patients without and with polyneroupathy. And in the last part there is a comparing of spectrum of fatty acids of patients before taxane treatment, closely after treatment and about month after the treatment. Results of the experimental part are evaluated at the end...

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biophysics and Physical Chemistry Candidate: Alena Čunátová Supervisor of Diploma Thesis: Mgr. Monika Kuchařová, Ph.D. Title of Diploma Thesis: The fluctuation of fatty acids levels in the tissues of suddenly deceased persons and comparison with values in pathological states Fatty acids and their metabolites are significantly involved in many physiological and pathological processes. This thesis monitors the levels of selected fatty acids in human tissues and the effect of long-term disease on their stores. In addition to the general characteristics, the theoretical part focuses on the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids and their importance in the human body. It also deals with the effects of eicosanoids and other fatty acid metabolites. Methods used in fatty acid bioanalysis are also described. In the experimental part, the proportion of fatty acids in seven tissue types was compared between two groups of donors. One of them included 8 relatively young, healthy, suddenly deceased individuals. The second group included 12 elderly polymorbid patients. The obtained tissue samples were adjusted using extraction and derivatization techniques. Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection was used for analysis. The measured...