Las procianidinas son compuestos bioactivos presentes en frutas y vegetales. Aunque se conocen los efectos beneficiosos de estos compuestos en la homeostasis de la glucosa, su acción en la funcionalidad de la célula β no es clara. La presente tesis doctoral se ha centrado en describir los efectos de las procianidinas en la síntesis y secreción de insulina. Nuestros resultados muestran la capacidad de las procianidinas de modificar la funcionalidad de la célula β aumentando la relación insulina plasmática/mRNA, aunque la efectividad del tratamiento depende de la situación fisiológica. En situaciones no patológicas, las procianidinas afectan la insulinemia modificando la síntesis, secreción y/o degradación de la insulina. En situaciones de resistencia a la insulina, el tratamiento crónico con procianidinas disminuye la síntesis y secreción de insulina gracias a su acción limitando el acúmulo de lípidos. En cambio, en un modelo más dañado (obesidad genética), las procianidinas ejercen efectos similares pero no son capaces de mejorar la hipersinulinemia. En conclusión, las procianidinas, en las dosis ensayadas, pueden utilizarse únicamente como compuestos bioactivos limitando la disfuncionalidad de la célula β en sus estados iniciales. / Les procianidines són compostos bioactius presents en fruites i vegetals. Tot i que es coneixen els efectes beneficiosos d’aquests compostos en l’homeòstasi de la glucosa, la seva acció en la funcionalitat de la cèl•lulaβ no és clara. La present tesi doctoral s’ha centrat en descriureels efectes de les procianidines en la síntesi i secreció d’insulina. Els nostres resultats mostren la capacitat de les procianidines de modificar la funcionalitat de la cèl•lula β augmentant la relació insulina plasmàtica/mRNA, tot i que l’efectivitat del tractamentdepèn de la situaciófisiològica. En situacions no patològiques, les procianidines afecten la insulinèmia modificant la síntesi, secreciói/o degradació d’insulina. En situacions de resistència a la insulina, el tractamentcrònicamb procianidines disminueix la síntesi i secreció d’insulina gràcies a la seva acció limitant l’acumulació de lípids. En canvi, en un model més danyat (obesitat genètica), les procianidines exerceixen efectes similars però no son capaces de millorar la hiperinsulinèmia. En conclusió, les procianidines, en les dosis assajades, podenutilitzar-seúnicament coma compostos bioactiuslimitant la disfuncionalitat de la cèl•lula β en els seus estats inicials. / Procyanidins are bioactive compounds found in fruits and vegetables widely consumed. It has been reported that procyanidins show some beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis, although their effects on β-cell functionality remain unresolved. This doctoral thesis is focus on describing the effects of procyanidins on insulin synthesis and secretion. Our results showed that procyanidins modify β-cell functionality through increasing the plasma insulin/mRNA ratio, although the effectiveness of the treatment depends on the physiological situation. Under non-pathological situation, procyanidins affected insulinaemia by modifying insulin synthesis, secretion and/or degradation activity. Under insulin-resistance situation, chronic procyanidins administration decreased insulin synthesis and secretion, thanks to its lipid-lowering effect. Otherwise in a more damaged model, Zucker fatty rat, procyanidins treatment is not able to reduce insulin plasma levels although they repress insulin expression. In conclusion, procyanidins could be used as bioactive compound to limit β-cell dysfunctions under high-palatable diets, but at the assayed doses, it is not enough to counteract a strong metabolic disruption.

Successful survival of large volume engineered tissues depends on the development of a vasculature to support the metabolic demands of donor tissue in vivo. Pancreatic islet transplantation is a cell therapy procedure to treat Type 1 diabetes that can potentially benefit from such a vascularization strategy. The treatment is limited as the majority of transplanted islets (60%) fail to engraft due to insufficient revascularization in the host(1, 2). Modular tissue engineering is a means of designing large volume functional tissues using micron sized tissues with an intrinsic vascularization. In this thesis, we explored the potential of endothelialized modules to drive vascularization in vivo and promote islet engraftment. Human endothelial cells (EC) covered modules were transplanted in the omental pouch of athymic rats and human EC formed vessels near implanted modules until 7 days when host macrophages were depleted. Rat endothelial cells covered modules were similarly transplanted in the omental pouch of allogeneic rats with and without immunosuppressants. When the drugs were administered, endothelialized modules significantly increased the vessel density. Moreover, donor GFP labelled EC formed vessels that integrated with the host vasculature and were perfusable until 60 days; this key result demonstrate for the first time that unmodified primary endothelial cells form stable vessels in an allograft model. Transplantation of islets in such endothelialized modules significantly improved the vessel density around transplanted islets. Donor endothelial cells formed vessels near transplanted islets in allogeneic immunesuppressed recipients. Meanwhile, there was an increase in islet viability with transplantation of endothelialized modules in syngeneic recipients but this difference was not significant. In summary, endothelialized modules were effective in promoting stable vascularization and improving transplanted islet vascularisation. Future work should promote faster maturity of donor vessels and modulate the host immune and inflammatory responses to significantly improve transplanted islet engraftment.

Successful survival of large volume engineered tissues depends on the development of a vasculature to support the metabolic demands of donor tissue in vivo. Pancreatic islet transplantation is a cell therapy procedure to treat Type 1 diabetes that can potentially benefit from such a vascularization strategy. The treatment is limited as the majority of transplanted islets (60%) fail to engraft due to insufficient revascularization in the host(1, 2). Modular tissue engineering is a means of designing large volume functional tissues using micron sized tissues with an intrinsic vascularization. In this thesis, we explored the potential of endothelialized modules to drive vascularization in vivo and promote islet engraftment. Human endothelial cells (EC) covered modules were transplanted in the omental pouch of athymic rats and human EC formed vessels near implanted modules until 7 days when host macrophages were depleted. Rat endothelial cells covered modules were similarly transplanted in the omental pouch of allogeneic rats with and without immunosuppressants. When the drugs were administered, endothelialized modules significantly increased the vessel density. Moreover, donor GFP labelled EC formed vessels that integrated with the host vasculature and were perfusable until 60 days; this key result demonstrate for the first time that unmodified primary endothelial cells form stable vessels in an allograft model. Transplantation of islets in such endothelialized modules significantly improved the vessel density around transplanted islets. Donor endothelial cells formed vessels near transplanted islets in allogeneic immunesuppressed recipients. Meanwhile, there was an increase in islet viability with transplantation of endothelialized modules in syngeneic recipients but this difference was not significant. In summary, endothelialized modules were effective in promoting stable vascularization and improving transplanted islet vascularisation. Future work should promote faster maturity of donor vessels and modulate the host immune and inflammatory responses to significantly improve transplanted islet engraftment.

No description available.

Islet transplantation is a more physiological way to treat type 1 diabetes. However, shortage of donor tissue and chronic administration of immune suppressive drugs has limited the widespread application of this therapy for all patients with type 1 diabetes, particularly children suffering from this disease. Xenogeneic islet transplantation particularly neonatal porcine islets (NPI) holds promise for clinical transplantation because of the potentially unlimited supply of islets. New evidence suggests that monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for immune cell surface molecules could be employed in the prevention of islet graft rejection as well as induction of immunological tolerance to the transplanted grafts without the need for continuous administration of harmful immune suppressive drugs. It was shown by our group that short-term administrations of a combination of anti-LFA-1 and anti-CD154 mAbs which targets both adhesion and costimulatory pathways of T cell activation, is highly effective in preventing NPI xenograft rejection. In this thesis, we determined whether short-term administration of a combination of anti-LFA-1 and anti-CD154 mAbs could induce tolerance to NPI xenografts. Our data show that this combination of mAbs can induce dominant, species and tissue specific tolerance to NPI xenografts which is mediated by regulatory T cells in non-autoimmune prone B6 mice. We also found that T cell subsets such as CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as antigen presenting cells (APC) play an important role in the induction and maintenance of tolerance to NPI xenografts. In addition we found that PD-1/PDL interaction is important for induction and maintenance of tolerance to NPI xenografts. Finally, we found that this combined mAb therapy was effective in preventing NPI xenografts rejection in autoimmune prone NOD mice when it was combined with anti-CD4 mAb. It is may hope that the research presented in this thesis will provide insight into the nature of the immune responses to xenogeneic islet transplantation in humans and aid in the development of effective, tolerance inducing therapies, so that patients with T1DM will once again know a life free from their disease. / Experimental Surgery

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Orientador: José Roberto Bosqueiro / Banca: Margarida Júri Saeki / Banca: Débora Cristina Damasceno / Resumo: O aumento da secreção de insulina estimulada por glicose é um mecanismo adaptativo observado nas ilhotas pancreáticas de animais resistentes à insulina. Estudos relatam que os ácidos graxos livres estimulam a secreção de insulina através da ativação do GPR40. Diante destes fatos, investigamos a secreção de insulina, a expressão de proteínas da via do GPR40 nas células ß e a participação dos lipídios na resistência à insulina induzida por dexametasona, através do tratamento com o redutor de lipídios bezafibrato. Os grupos receberam gavagem uma vez ao dia durante 28 dias: Controle (CTL) e DEXA com goma arábica 5% (1 ml/kg, peso corpóreo); BEZA e BEZA-DEXA com bezafibrato (300 mg/kg, p.c.). Nos últimos 5 dias de tratamento os grupos receberam injeções intraperitoniais: CTL e BEZA de solução salina (1 ml/kg, p.c.); DEXA e BEZA-DEXA de dexametasona (Decadron® 1,0 mg/kg, p.c). A secreção de insulina estimulada por glicose aumentou nos grupos BEZA e DEXA. BEZA-DEXA exibiu diminuição dos níveis de ácidos graxos livres, triglicérides e de insulina, mas não houve elevação dos níveis de glicose no sangue. Além disso, houve melhora na resistência à insulina e restauração do padrão de secreção de insulina, em comparação ao grupo DEXA. Nas ilhotas dos animais BEZA-DEXA a expressão das proteínas GPR40, PLCß1 e PKCδ foi significativamente maior em relação aos valores obtidos em DEXA. Esta via permaneceu inalterada nas ilhotas de DEXA e BEZA. Em conclusão, o tratamento com bezafibrato melhorou a função das células ß e impediu a indução de resistência à insulina pelo tratamento com dexametasona, mas os mecanismos não são conhecidos. O aumento na secreção de insulina em DEXA aparentemente não está relacionado com a ativação do GPR40. Contrariando a literatura, apesar da redução na secreção de insulina, as ilhotas dos animais BEZA-DEXA apresentaram ativação da via do GPR40 / Abstract: Increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is an adaptive mechanism exhibited by pancreatic islets from insulin resistant animal. Studies report that the free fatty acids stimulate the insulin secretion via GPR40. As such, we investigate the expression of GPR40 in ß-cells and the involvement of lipids in dexamethasone-induced IR, by lipid-lowering therapy with bezafibrate. Groups received once daily gavage for 28 days: Control (CTL) and DEXA with gum Arabic 5% (1.0 mg/kg, body weight); BEZA and BEZA-DEXA with bezafibrate (300 mg/kg, b.w.). In the last 5 days of the treatment groups received intraperitoneal injections: CTL and BEZA of saline (1.0 mg/kg, b.w.); DEXA and BEZA-DEXA of dexamethasone (Decadron® 1.0 mg/kg, b.w.). The glucose-stimulated insulin secretion increased in the DEXA and BEZA groups. BEZA-DEXA shows decrease in fatty acids, triglycerides and insulin levels, but not raised blood glucose levels. In addition, there was improved in insulin resistance and restoration the insulin secretory pattern, when compared to DEXA group. In BEZA-DEXA islets, GPR40, PLCß1 and PKCδ protein content was significantly higher than DEXA. This pathway remained unchanged in DEXA and BEZA islets. In conclusion, bezafibrate treatment improved ß-cell function and prevented dexamethasone-induced IR, but the mechanisms are not known. Augmented insulin secretion in DEXA appears to be unrelated to the activation of the GPR40. Contrary to the literature, despite the reduction in insulin secretion, BEZA-DEXA islets showed activation of the GPR40 pathway / Mestre

abstract: Human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), also known as amylin, is a 37-residue intrinsically disordered hormone involved in glucose regulation and gastric emptying. The aggregation of hIAPP into amyloid fibrils is believed to play a causal role in type 2 diabetes. To date, not much is known about the monomeric state of hIAPP or how it undergoes an irreversible transformation from disordered peptide to insoluble aggregate. IAPP contains a highly conserved disulfide bond that restricts hIAPP(1-8) into a short ring-like structure: N_loop. Removal or chemical reduction of N_loop not only prevents cell response upon binding to the CGRP receptor, but also alters the mass per length distribution of hIAPP fibers and the kinetics of fibril formation. The mechanism by which N_loop affects hIAPP aggregation is not yet understood, but is important for rationalizing kinetics and developing potential inhibitors. By measuring end-to-end contact formation rates, Vaiana et al. showed that N_loop induces collapsed states in IAPP monomers, implying attractive interactions between N_loop and other regions of the disordered polypeptide chain . We show that in addition to being involved in intra-protein interactions, the N_loop is involved in inter-protein interactions, which lead to the formation of extremely long and stable β-turn fibers. These non-amyloid fibers are present in the 10 μM concentration range, under the same solution conditions in which hIAPP forms amyloid fibers. We discuss the effect of peptide cyclization on both intra- and inter-protein interactions, and its possible implications for aggregation. Our findings indicate a potential role of N_loop-N_loop interactions in hIAPP aggregation, which has not previously been explored. Though our findings suggest that N_loop plays an important role in the pathway of amyloid formation, other naturally occurring IAPP variants that contain this structural feature are incapable of forming amyloids. For example, hIAPP readily forms amyloid fibrils in vitro, whereas the rat variant (rIAPP), differing by six amino acids, does not. In addition to being highly soluble, rIAPP is an effective inhibitor of hIAPP fibril formation . Both of these properties have been attributed to rIAPP's three proline residues: A25P, S28P and S29P. Single proline mutants of hIAPP have also been shown to kinetically inhibit hIAPP fibril formation. Because of their intrinsic dihedral angle preferences, prolines are expected to affect conformational ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins. The specific effect of proline substitutions on IAPP structure and dynamics has not yet been explored, as the detection of such properties is experimentally challenging due to the low molecular weight, fast reconfiguration times, and very low solubility of IAPP peptides. High-resolution techniques able to measure tertiary contact formations are needed to address this issue. We employ a nanosecond laser spectroscopy technique to measure end-to-end contact formation rates in IAPP mutants. We explore the proline substitutions in IAPP and quantify their effects in terms of intrinsic chain stiffness. We find that the three proline mutations found in rIAPP increase chain stiffness. Interestingly, we also find that residue R18 plays an important role in rIAPP's unique chain stiffness and, together with the proline residues, is a determinant for its non-amyloidogenic properties. We discuss the implications of our findings on the role of prolines in IDPs. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Physics 2013

We established that acute adrenergic receptor stimulation in β-cells suppresses oxidative metabolism. This effect provides the basis for understanding how CAs reduce cell proliferation. Furthermore, the effects of acute CA on Min6 cells were distinguished from chronic CA culture using proteomics. Together, the RNAseq, qPCR and proteomic studies support a role for adrenergic receptor signaling in the regulation of proliferaton in β-cells. This work describes the genetic and proteomic profile underlying chronic adrenergic signaling and identifies CA independent suppression of β-cell growth and metabolism. Through the use of multiple models and comparative bioinformatics, we refined the list of molecular dysfunctions associated with the IUGR pathology to a set of specific and testable adrenergic targets.

Glicose e oxigênio desempenham um importante papel na regulação do metabolismo celular. Dada a importância de ambos no metabolismo - o primeiro como fonte de carbono preferencial da maior parte das células, e o segundo como aceptor final de elétrons na cadeia respiratória, em diversos organismos desenvolveram-se métodos adequados para detectar sua presença de modo a ajustar o metabolismo em função de sua disponibilidade. Neste trabalho foi realizado o estudo da expressão, no nível transcricional, dos genes envolvidos nas vias metabólicas primárias e genes envolvidos em morte celular, em células humanas, com o intuito de determinar as alterações no metabolismo energético em resposta a condições de hipóxia e anóxia, por meio da técnica de microarrays de cDNA. Utilizamos, inicialmente, células normais de fibroblasto humano ASl98 e células de fibroblasto humano MRC-5 imortalizadas por transfecção por SV40, e por fim células provenientes de ilhotas pancreáticas humanas, para a elaboração de um protocolo de cultura celular em que as mesmas crescessem aderidas a microcarregadores Cytodex I. Numa segunda etapa, células de ilhotas pancreáticas humanas foram cultivadas em suspensão, aderidas aos microcarregadores, num biorreator, sendo então realizada a análise do perfil transcricional dos genes escolhidos, frente às condições de baixa tensão de oxigênio. É apresentada a análise da expressão gênica de aproximadamente 160 genes na qual foram verificados um comportamento de indução daqueles envolvidos no metabolismo de lipídios e alguns na morte celular e um comportamento inicial de indução, e posterior inibição, do metabolismo primário como um todo. Em vista dos dados obtidos é de interesse ressaltar que essas células deveriam ser mantidas em saturações de oxigênio acima de 5% para evitar o efeito deletério observado na baixa concentração de oxigênio sobre a viabilidade celular, em termos da indução de alguns genes envolvidos na morte celular e da repressão geral dos relacionados ao metabolismo energético. Também foi verificado que, em saturações de oxigênio de até 10%, as células adotaram um padrão transcricional que indicou uma resposta ao estresse por falta de oxigênio, este por sua vez reflete-se na viabilidade celular, característica crucial para o sucesso do transplante clínico de ilhotas. / Glucose and oxygen have important roles on the regulation of cellular metabolism. Due to their importance in metabolism, the former as the preferential carbon source and the later as the final electron acceptor of the respiratory chain, many organisms have developed suitable processes to detect their presence in order to adjust the cellular metabolism to their availability. In this work, we have studied, in human cells and at the transcriptional level, the expression of genes involved in primary metabolism pathways and some of those related to cell death, aiming to resolve alterations in the energetic metabolism as a response to hypoxic and anoxic conditions, by means of cDNA microarrays. We initially used AS198 human fibroblastic normal cells and MRC-5 human fibroblastic cells immortalized by SV40, and later on cells from human pancreatic islets, to develop a cell culture protocol in which they would grow on the surface of Cytodex 1 microcarriers. As a second step, cells from human pancreatic islets were cultured on microcarriers in suspension inside a bioreactor. This culture was then used to carry out the transcriptional profile analysis of selected genes in response to low levels of oxygen. This work presents the analysis of gene expression of approximately 160 genes that can be divided into two distinct groups. The first group, the expression of which is induced, comprises genes involved in lipid metabolism and some of those related to cell death. The expression of the second group, consisting of diverse genes of the primary metabolism, suffers an initial induction followed by repression. Given the data acquired it is interesting to note that the human pancreatic islets should be maintained under at least 5% dissolved oxygen to avoid the deleterious effects on cell viability observed at lower oxygen concentrations, resulting in the induction of some genes involved in cell death and the repression of those related to energetic metabolism. It was also verified that, under oxygen saturation of at least 10%, these cells adopted a transcriptional profile that indicated a response to the stress created by the lack of oxygen, which would in turn reflect on cell viability, a crucial characteristic for success in clinical islet transplantation.