A lesão de isquemia e reperfusão (IRI) continua a ser um problema clínico e o estresse do retículo endoplasmático (ERS) parece ser um importante mediador desse processo. A presença da heme oxigenase-1 (HO-1) ou do monóxido de carbono (CO), parece proteger da IRI. O objetivo do nosso trabalho foi avaliar a papel da HO-1 e CO na IRI renal. A indução da HO-1 em camundongos promoveu uma proteção na IRI renal, com melhora da função renal, menos inflamação e atenuação do ERS. Ao avaliarmos o papel do CO, verificamos que há também uma proteção, mediada por p38, vias purinérgicas, estabilização de HIF-1a e eritropoietina. Há ainda uma melhora do metabolismo energético celular após o tratamento com CO. Enfim, podemos concluir que, na presença da HO-1 ou do CO, há uma melhora da lesão isquêmica, através de uma maior ativação de vias citoprotetoras, com atenuação do ERS, redução da inflamação e consequente melhora da função renal. / Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a clinical problem and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) seems to be an important mediator of this process. The presence of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) or carbon monoxide (CO) appears to protect from IRI. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of HO-1 and CO in renal IRI. The induction of HO-1 in mice promoted protection in renal IRI with improved renal function, less inflammation and attenuation of ERS. When evaluating the role of CO, we found that there is also a protection mediated by p38, purinergic signaling, HIF-1a stabilization and erythropoietin. There is still an improvement of cellular energy metabolism after treatment with CO. Finally, we conclude that, in the presence of HO-1 or CO, there is an improvement of the ischemic lesion, through greater activation of cytoprotective pathways, with reduced ERS, reducing inflammation and consequent improvement in renal function.

Orientadores: Mônica Barbosa de Melo, Fernando Ferreira Costa / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T00:19:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gil_GislenePereira_M.pdf: 2808239 bytes, checksum: 22a11f67b6d086bf9bab0100ff802ec7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Embora a anemia falciforme (AF) resulte da homozigosidade de uma única mutação, no codon 6 do locus da ?-globina, fenotipicamente, essa doença é muito heterogênea, de modo que diferentes pacientes podem apresentar evoluções clínicas significativamente distintas. As complicações nestes pacientes normalmente são decorrentes de acometimento vascular causado pelo acúmulo de hemácias falcizadas nos vasos sanguíneos. Um dos eventos que vem sendo associados a complicações em diversas doenças é o mecanismo de estresse oxidativo, o qual apresenta- se exacerbado em pacientes com AF. Dentre as fontes de estresse oxidativo nestes pacientes estão os eventos de vaso-oclusão e isquemia reperfusão, os quais são muito frequentes. O estresse oxidativo em níveis elevados pode danificar várias moléculas e posteriormente prejudicar o organismo. Alguns polimorfismos em enzimas envolvidas na via de estresse oxidativo foram associados com doenças vasculares como, hipertensão, doença arterial coronária, doença arterial periférica. Considerando que os pacientes com AF apresentam complicações decorrentes de acometimento vascular, esses polimorfismos podem estar contribuindo para as várias manifestações clínicas e, consequentemente, para a gravidade da doença. Este projeto se propôs a avaliar três polimorfismos em genes envolvidos no mecanismo de estresse oxidativo em pacientes com AF e testar a associação com o grau de gravidade da doença. Os polimorfismos analisados foram o C242T e -930 A/G no gene CYBA e o -413 T/A no gene HMOX-1. Os genótipos foram identificados por meio das técnicas de PCR e sequenciamento direto, e os escores de gravidade foram obtidos através de índices de severidade, em 169 pacientes. O genótipo AA do polimorfismo -930 A/G apresentou-se associado com escores baixos de gravidade, obtidos através do índice pediátrico, nas crianças com anemia falciforme. O genótipo CT do polimorfismo C242T esteve associado com crises álgicas e o genótipo TT do polimorfismo -413 T/A mostrou-se associado a níveis elevados de HbF, através de análises dos dados de todos os pacientes. De acordo com este estudo, sugerimos novos marcadores genéticos, os quais podem estar direta ou indiretamente envolvidos com a gravidade da doença em pacientes com AF na população brasileira. Estudos futuros em grandes coortes necessitam ser realizados para confirmar esses resultados / Abstract: Although sickle cell anemia (SCA) results from the homozygosity for a single mutation at codon 6 of the ?-globin locus, phenotypically this disease is very heterogeneous, so that different patients may have significantly different clinical outcomes. The complications in these patients are usually caused by vascular impairment caused by the accumulation of sickled erythrocytes in the blood vessels. One event that has been associated with complications in several diseases is oxidative stress, which has increased levels in SCA patients. Among the sources of oxidative stress in these patients are the vaso-occlusion and ischemia reperfusion events, which are very common. Oxidative stress at high levels can damage various molecules and subsequently damage the organism. Some polymorphisms of enzymes involved in the oxidative stress pathway have been associated with vascular diseases as: hypertension, coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease. Considering that the complications in SCA patients are due to vascular involvement, these polymorphisms may be contributing to the various clinical manifestations and consequently to the severity of the disease. This project proposes to evaluate three polymorphisms in genes involved in the mechanism of oxidative stress in SCA patients and test the association with the severity of the disease. The analyzed polymorphisms were C242T and -930 A/G in the CYBA gene and the -413 T/A in the HMOX-1 gene. The genotypes were identified through PCR and direct sequencing, and severity scores were obtained by severity indexes in 169 patients. The AA genotype of the -930 A/G polymorphism was associated with low severity scores, obtained from the pediatric index, in children with sickle cell anemia. The CT genotype of the C242T polymorphism was associated with pain crisis and the TT genotype of the -413 T/A polymorphism was associated with high levels of HbF, after analyzing the data from all patients. According to this study, new genetic markers can be suggested, which may be, directly or indirectly, involved with disease severity in patients with SCA in the Brazilian population. Future studies in larger cohorts have to be conducted to confirm these results / Mestrado / Clinica Medica / Mestre em Clinica Medica

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease whereby the insulin-producing β-cells of the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system, possibly related to an inappropriate immune reaction to dietary antigens and/or microbes in the gut. We previously observed a deficit in gut-resident CD163+ M2 anti-inflammatory macrophages in BioBreeding diabetes-prone (BBdp) rats. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme of the CD163 pathway and through the breakdown of toxic heme releases potent antioxidants. We hypothesized that the treatment of animals with cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP), an inducer of HO-1 expression, would inhibit development of T1D through modulation of the CD163/HO-1 pathway and increase M2 macrophages. HO-1 expression was significantly increased in the pancreas and gut. T1D incidence was inhibited in CoPP-treated rats and these animals showed an unexpected increase in cells expressing CD68 (an M1 pro-inflammatory macrophage marker) in the pancreas and gut. CoPP induced the expression of cathelicidin anti-microbial peptide (CAMP) in the jejunum, which co-localized with CD163+ (M2) macrophages. KLF4, an M2 macrophage-specific transcription factor, was significantly upregulated in the pancreas and jejunum of CoPP-treated animals and co-localized with CD68 and HO-1 in the pancreas. We conclude that HO-1 induction prevented T1D through modulation of the gut immune system and potential recruitment of a unique population of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages in the gut and pancreas

A novel caffeine-degrading bacterium, Pseudomonas putida CBB5 was isolated from the soil by an enrichment procedure using caffeine as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. CBB5 grew not only on caffeine, theobromine, paraxanthine, and 7-methylxanthine as sole carbon and nitrogen sources, but also on theophylline and 3-methylxanthine. Analyses of metabolites in spent media, resting cell suspensions, and crude cell extracts confirmed that CBB5 degraded caffeine via N-demethylation to theobromine (major metabolite) and paraxanthine (minor metabolite). These dimethylxanthines were further N-demethylated to xanthine via 7-methylxanthine. A previously unreported pathway for N-demethylation of theophylline to 1- and 3-methylxanthines, followed by further N-demethylation to xanthine, was also discovered in CBB5. A 240 kDa, Fe2+-dependent N-demethylase (Ndm) was purified from CBB5 by traditional chromatographic techniques. Ndm was composed of NdmA (40 kDa) and NdmB (35 kDa), which could not be resolved further. Ndm was active only in the presence of a partially purified protein which exhibited cytochrome c reductase activity (Ccr). Ccr transfered reducing equivalents from NAD(P)H to Ndm, which catalyzed an oxygen-dependent N-demethylation of methylxanthines to xanthine, formaldehyde and water. Ndm displayed N-demethylation activity toward all substrates in the caffeine and theophylline metabolic pathways. Ndm was deduced to be a Rieske [2Fe-2S]-domain-containing non-heme iron oxygenase base on its distinct absorption spectrum and significant identity of NdmA and NdmB sequences of other Rieske non-heme iron proteins. The ndmA- and ndmB- gene sequences were determined and cloned individually into the pET32a expression vector as C-terminal His-tagged proteins. Both NdmA-His and NdmB-His proteins were purified using a Ni-NTA column. NdmA-His, in conjunction with Ccr, was capable of N-demethylating caffeine, theophylline, paraxanthine, and 1-methylxanthine to theobromine, 3-methylxanthine, 7-methylxanthine, and xanthine, respectively, suggesting that NdmA-His is a specific N-1-demethylase. Similarly, NdmB-His was determined to be a specific N-3-demethylase, as it was capable of N-demethylating caffeine, theophylline, theobromine, and 3-methylxanthine to paraxanthine, 1-methylxanthine, 7-methylxanthine, and xanthine, respectively. N-demethylation activity of 7-methylxanthine to xanthine (putative NdmC) co-eluted with the partially purified Ccr fraction. This is the first report of multiple, highly positional-specific, Rieske, non-heme iron N-demethylase enzymes for bacterial metabolism of purine alkaloids.

Gangliosides are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids located on the cell surface of all animal cell types. They play a role as receptor molecules, share in cell-to-cell interaction and protect the cell against harmful environmental factors by increasing of rigidity of cell surface. This diploma thesis studies an influence of experimental cholestasis on hepatic ganglioside composition. Cholestasis was induced by bile duct ligation in Wistar rats. A significant increase of total lipid bound sialic acid and b-series gangliosides (GD1b, GT1b, event. GD3) was found in cholestatic liver when compared with controls. These results found in obstructive cholestasis correspond with the results Majer et al. Biomed. Chromatogr., 21, 446-450 (2007), described in 17α− ethinylestradiol induced cholestasis, but the increase of b-series gangliosides was milder in our study. As a second point, an effect of modulated heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1) activity was investigated in cholestatis induced bile duct ligation (HO-1 activator- hemine, HO-1 inhibitor- Sn-mesoporphyrin). An increase of a total lipid sialic acid was found in Sn-mesoporphyrin treated animals, but a decrease of some a- and b- series gangliosides was observed. In group with activated HO-1 total sialic acid increased, but the composition of gangliosides...

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major public health concern, which contributes to serious hospital complications, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and even death. Renal ischemia- reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a leading cause of AKI.IRI combines major cell stress, significant burst of free radicals, and strong inflammatory responses leading to extensive cell injury, necrosis, and late interstitial fibrosis. Moreover, IRI- induced AKI releases pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6) that induce a systemic inflammatory response, resulting in pro-inflammatory cells recruitment and remote organ damage. AKI is associated with poor outcomes, particularly when extrarenal complications or distant organ injuries occur.The stress-responsive enzyme, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mediates protection against renal IRI and may be preventively induced using hemin prior to renal insult. This HO-1 induction pathway called hemin preconditioning is largely known in the literature to be effective.We first confirmed that hemin-induced HO-1 improved renal outcomes after IRI (i.e. fewer renal damage, renal inflammation and oxidative stress). We then demonstrated that this protective pathway mitigated AKI-induced ALI, a major extrarenal complication after renal IRI, through modulation of systemic and lung inflammation.Afterwards, we focused on the specific contribution of myeloid HO-1 to renal IRI, which remains poorly characterized. We therefore investigated the contribution of myeloid HO-1 to renal IRI using mice with myeloid-restricted deletion of HO-1 (HO-1M-KO). We observed that myeloid HO-1 appeared to be a critical regulator of the earliest phases of IRI (i.e. higher plasma creatinine, tubular damage, and renal inflammation/oxidative stress in HO-1M-KO mice).As a link between the severity of renal injury and the risk maladaptive repair leading to CKD has been established, we thereby decided to focus on tubular repair and fibrosis deposition upon IRI. We identified that myeloid HO-1 prevented maladaptive repair and subsequent CKD through modulation of cell-cycle and autophagy regulatory proteins.We then showed that hemin-mediated protection requires specific expression of HO-1 within myeloid cells. We therefore identified CD11b+ F4/80lo macrophages as the main protective myeloid source of HO-1 upon renal IRI. Interestingly, we observed this myeloid cell sub- population in the kidney and spleen, suggesting that protective effects might be provided by both tissue-resident and infiltrating/circulating HO-1+ myeloid cells.Based on its promising cytoprotective effects when giving preemptively, we investigated the use of hemin-induced myeloid HO-1 as a strategy to mitigate established AKI. However, due to its chemical structure and oxidative properties, hemin worsened IRI-induced AKI. We thereby identified that hemin had a dual effect on renal IRI, protective or deleterious, depending on the timing of its administration.Altogether, this work suggests that myeloid HO-1 plays a critical role in the modulation of IRI- induced AKI by improving short- and long-term functional outcomes after renal IRI. We conclude that hemin-induced myeloid HO-1 pathway might be an efficient preventive strategy in many renal IRI situations with predictable AKI such as renal transplantation or partial nephrectomy. / Doctorat en Sciences médicales (Médecine) / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Utilization of cyanide as a nutritional nitrogen source in P. fluorescens NCIMB 11764 was shown to involve a novel metabolic mechanism involving nonenzymatic neutralization outside of cells prior to further enzymatic oxidation within. Several cyanide degrading enzymes were produced by NCIMB 11764 in response to growth or exposure to cyanide, but only one of these cyanide, oxygenase (CNO), was shown to be physiologically required for assimilation of cyanide as a growth substrate.

Gangliosides are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids located on the cell surface of all animal cell types. They play a role as receptor molecules, share in cell-to-cell interaction and protect the cell against harmful environmental factors by increasing of rigidity of cell surface. This diploma thesis studies an influence of experimental cholestasis on hepatic ganglioside composition. Cholestasis was induced by bile duct ligation in Wistar rats. A significant increase of total lipid bound sialic acid and b-series gangliosides (GD1b, GT1b, event. GD3) was found in cholestatic liver when compared with controls. These results found in obstructive cholestasis correspond with the results Majer et al. Biomed. Chromatogr., 21, 446-450 (2007), described in 17ethinylestradiol induced cholestasis, but the increase of b- series gangliosides was milder in our study. As a second point, an effect of modulated heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1) activity was investigated in cholestatic rats (HO-1 activator- hemine, HO- 1 inhibitor- Sn- mesoporphyrin). An increase of a total lipid sialic acid was found in Sn-mesoporphyrin treated animals but without significant changes in gangliosides composition. Lipid sialic acid and gangliosides were not changed in animals with hemine activated HO-1. Expression of mRNA of key...

This thesis is focused on the study of glycosphingolipids in the rat liver in different types of cholestasis and the effect of oxidative stress on changes in the composition and localization of gangliosides. First, it was necessary to optimize the immunochemical detection of glycosphingolipids. GM1 ganglioside was selected as a representative of a large glycolipid family. We found that minimum water content in the fixing solution was a key condition for fixation of histological sections. Optimized method of GM1 detection was subsequently used in in vivo experiments. We have demonstrated that estrogen-induced cholestasis characterized by high concentrations of bile acids and increased oxidative stress caused changes in the synthesis and distribution of liver gangliosides. HMOX induction is associated with a reduction in oxidative stress level and accompanied by normalization in GSL content. In experiments with obstructive cholestasis, we found that changes in the distribution and synthesis of gangliosides were not strictly specific to a particular type of cholestasis. We assume that it represents a general mechanism of hepatoprotection. We also confirmed the important role of bilirubin, product of HMOX reaction, in protection of hepatocytes against oxidative damage caused by high concentrations of...

Chloroplasts of many species of hornworts (Anthocerotae) have a structure that resembles the pyrenoid of green algae but whether these two structures are homologous has not been determined. We utilized immunogold labelling on thin sections to determine the distribution of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), the major protein of algal pyrenoids, in sixteen hornwort species with and without pyrenoids. Several species (Phaeoceros laevis, Anthoceros punctatus, A. formosae, A. laminiferus, Folioceros fuciformis, Folioceros sp., Dendroceros tubercularis, D. japonicus, D. validus, Notothylas orbicularis, N. temperata, and Spaerosporoceros adscendens) have uniplastidic (or primarily uniplastidic) cells with large prominent multiple pyrenoids. In all of these species, the labelling is found exclusively in the pyrenoid and, with the exception of the Folioceros, Dendroceros, and Notothylas species, the labelling is randomly distributed throughout the pyrenoid. In the exceptional species, the pyrenoids have prominent pyrenoglobuli or other inclusions that are unlabelled. In Megaceros flagellaris and M. longispirus, the cells are multiplastidic (with the exception of the apical cell and some epidermal cells) and the chloroplasts lack pyrenoids. Anthoceros fusiformis and Phaeoceros coriaceus have primarily uniplastidic cells but the chloroplasts lack pyrenoids; only an area of stroma in the center of the plastid devoid of starch, reminiscent of a pyrenoid, is found. In all of the species lacking pyrenoids, RuBisCo is found throughout the stroma, including the stromal spaces made by the so-called channel thylakoids. No preferential accumulation of RuBisCo is found in the pyrenoid-like region in A. fusiformis and P. coriaceus. These data indicate that 1) the hornwort pyrenoid is homologous to algal pyrenoids in the presence of RuBisCo; 2) that at least some of the RuBisCo in the pyrenoid must represent an active form of the enzyme; and 3) that, in the absence of pyrenoids, the RuBisCo is distributed throughout the stroma, as in higher plants.