Academic literature on the topic 'Ex vivo oxidation of albumin'

Serum albumin is the most abundant circulating protein in mammals including humans. It has three isoforms according to the redox state of the free cysteine residue at position 34, named as mercaptalbumin (reduced albumin), non-mercaptalbumin-1 and -2 (oxidized albumin), respectively. The serum albumin redox state has long been viewed as a biomarker of systemic oxidative stress, as the redox state shifts to a more oxidized state in response to the severity of the pathological condition in various diseases such as liver diseases and renal failures. However, recent ex vivo studies revealed oxidized albumin per se could aggravate the pathological conditions. Furthermore, the possibility of the serum albumin redox state as a sensitive protein nutrition biomarker has also been demonstrated in a series of animal studies. A paradigm shift is thus ongoing in the research field of the serum albumin. This article provides an updated overview of analytical techniques for serum albumin redox state and its association with human health, focusing on recent findings.

Neuroprotection from oxidative stress is critical during neuronal development and maintenance but also plays a major role in the pathogenesis and potential treatment of various neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Emerging evidence in the murine system suggests neuroprotective effects of blood plasma on the aged or diseased brain. However, little is known about plasma-mediated effects on human neurons. In the present study, we demonstrate the neuroprotective effect mediated by human plasma and the most abundant plasma–protein human serum albumin against oxidative stress in glutamatergic neurons differentiated from human neural crest-derived inferior turbinate stem cells. We observed a strong neuroprotective effect of human plasma and human serum albumin against oxidative stress-induced neuronal death on the single cell level, similar to the one mediated by tumor necrosis factor alpha. Moreover, we detected neuroprotection of plasma and human serum albumin against kainic acid-induced excitatory stress in ex vivo cultured mouse hippocampal tissue slices. The present study provides deeper insights into plasma-mediated neuroprotection ultimately resulting in the development of novel therapies for a variety of neurological and, in particular, neurodegenerative diseases.

Metabonomic characterization of the effects caused by ozone and other stressors on normal human blood was performed. Samples of blood obtained from healthy subjects were treated ex vivo with increasing concentrations of ozone and/or with UV radiation and heat. 1H-NMR analysis of plasma samples after treatments showed the quantitative variation of some metabolites and the formation of new metabolites normally absent. Both the increment of some metabolites like formate, acetoacetate, and acetate and the decrement of pyruvate were of particular interest. Moreover, the oxidation of ascorbic acid and the transformation of uric acid into allantoin after ozonation within the therapeutic concentration range were observed. In the ozonated spectra, 2 unidentified peaks appeared at 2.82 ppm and 8.08 ppm. They are related to the direct antioxidant activity of albumin in the presence of ozone and they could be considered as specific markers of the blood ozonation.

The successful ex vivo expansion of a large numbers of T cells is a prerequisite for adoptive immunotherapy. In this study, we found that cell density had important effects on the process of expansion of T cells in vitro. Resting T cells were activated to expand at high cell density but failed to be activated at low cell density. Activated T cells (ATCs) expanded rapidly at high cell density but underwent apoptosis at low cell density. Our studies indicated that low-cell-density related ATC death is mediated by oxidative stress. Antioxidants N-acetylcysteine, catalase, and albumin suppressed elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in low-density cultures and protected ATCs from apoptosis. The viability of ATCs at low density was preserved by conditioned medium from high-density cultures of ATCs in which the autocrine survival factor was identified as catalase. We also found that costimulatory signal CD28 increases T cell activation at lower cell density, paralleled by an increase in catalase secretion. Our findings highlight the importance of cell density in T cell activation, proliferation, survival and apoptosis and support the importance of maintaining T cells at high density for their successful expansion in vitro.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) cause oxidative damage, which is associated with endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease, but may also contribute to redox signaling. Therefore, their precise detection is important for the evaluation of disease mechanisms. Here, we compared three different methods for the detection of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), a marker of nitro-oxidative stress, in biological samples. Nitrated proteins were generated by incubation with peroxynitrite or 3-morpholino sydnonimine (Sin-1) and subjected to total hydrolysis using pronase, a mixture of different proteases. The 3-NT was then separated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and quantified by electrochemical detection (ECD, CoulArray) and compared to classical methods, namely enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and dot blot analysis using specific 3-NT antibodies. Calibration curves for authentic 3-NT (detection limit 10 nM) and a concentration-response pattern for 3-NT obtained from digested nitrated bovine serum albumin (BSA) were highly linear over a wide 3-NT concentration range. Also, ex vivo nitration of protein from heart, isolated mitochondria, and serum/plasma could be quantified using the HPLC/ECD method and was confirmed by LC-MS/MS. Of note, nitro-oxidative damage of mitochondria results in increased superoxide (O2•–) formation rates (measured by dihydroethidium-based HPLC assay), pointing to a self-amplification mechanism of oxidative stress. Based on our ex vivo data, the CoulArray quantification method for 3-NT seems to have some advantages regarding sensitivity and selectivity. Establishing a reliable automated HPLC assay for the routine quantification of 3-NT in biological samples of cell culture, of animal and human origin seems to be more sophisticated than expected.

The availability of genetically modified mice requires the development of methods to assess heart function and metabolism in the intact beating organ. With the use of radioactive substrates and ex vivo perfusion of the mouse heart in the working mode, previous studies have documented glucose and fatty acid oxidation pathways. This study was aimed at characterizing the metabolism of other potentially important exogenous carbohydrate sources, namely, lactate and pyruvate. This was achieved by using 13C-labeling methods. The mouse heart perfusion setup and buffer composition were optimized to reproduce conditions close to the in vivo milieu in terms of workload, cardiac functions, and substrate-hormone supply to the heart (11 mM glucose, 0.8 nM insulin, 50 μM carnitine, 1.5 mM lactate, 0.2 mM pyruvate, 5 nM epinephrine, 0.7 mM oleate, and 3% albumin). The use of three differentially 13C-labeled carbohydrates and a 13C-labeled long-chain fatty acid allowed the quantitative assessment of the metabolic origin and fate of tissue pyruvate as well as the relative contribution of substrates feeding acetyl-CoA (pyruvate and fatty acids) and oxaloacetate (pyruvate) for mitochondrial citrate synthesis. Beyond concurring with the notion that the mouse heart preferentially uses fatty acids for energy production (63.5 ± 3.9%) and regulates its fuel selection according to the Randle cycle, our study reports for the first time in the mouse heart the following findings. First, exogenous lactate is the major carbohydrate contributing to pyruvate formation (42.0 ± 2.3%). Second, lactate and pyruvate are constantly being taken up and released by the heart, supporting the concept of compartmentation of lactate and glucose metabolism. Finally, mitochondrial anaplerotic pyruvate carboxylation and citrate efflux represent 4.9 ± 1.8 and 0.8 ± 0.1%, respectively, of the citric acid cycle flux and are modulated by substrate supply. The described 13C-labeling strategy combined with an experimental setup that enables continuous monitoring of physiological parameters offers a unique model to clarify the link between metabolic alterations, cardiac dysfunction, and disease development.

This study tested the hypothesis that shock wave therapy (SW) enhances mitochondrial uptake into the lung epithelial and parenchymal cells to attenuate lung injury from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS was induced in rats through continuous inhalation of 100% oxygen for 48 h, while SW entailed application 0.15 mJ/mm2for 200 impulses at 6 Hz per left/right lung field. In vitro and ex vivo studies showed that SW enhances mitochondrial uptake into lung epithelial and parenchyma cells (allp<0.001). Flow cytometry demonstrated that albumin levels and numbers of inflammatory cells (Ly6G+/CD14+/CD68+/CD11b/c+) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were the highest in untreated ARDS, were progressively reduced across SW, Mito, and SW + Mito (allp<0.0001), and were the lowest in sham controls. The same profile was also seen for fibrosis/collagen deposition, levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress (NOX-1/NOX-2/oxidized protein), inflammation (MMP-9/TNF-α/NF-κB/IL-1β/ICAM-1), apoptosis (cleaved caspase 3/PARP), fibrosis (Smad3/TGF-β), mitochondrial damage (cytosolic cytochrome c) (allp<0.0001), and DNA damage (γ-H2AX+), and numbers of parenchymal inflammatory cells (CD11+/CD14+/CD40L+/F4/80+) (p<0.0001). These results suggest that SW-assisted Mito therapy effectively protects the lung parenchyma from ARDS-induced injury.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by acute and repetitive vaso-occlusive crises (VOC). These crises have been hypothesized to occur when blood flow is reduced following obstruction of sickle-shaped red blood cells in the vasculature. However, it is now well established that inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial activation and pro-coagulation in sickle cell disease patients also contribute to the formation of heterocellular aggregates that can lead to VOC (Vercellotti and Belcher, 2014). Transgenic SCD mice recapitulate the pathology of human disease in response to stimuli such as heme injection and hypoxia/reoxygenation. SCD SS Townes mice, which express human α and sickle γAβS globins, AA Townes mice expressing normal human α and normal γAβA globins and heterozygous AS mice which express only one allele of the γAβS sickle gene were used. To characterize vaso-occlusion in these mice and evaluate the efficacy of different pharmacological mechanisms, we modified the skinfold vaso-occlusion model (Kalambur et al, 2004) using fluorescent intravital microscopy to visualize blood flow occlusion following hemin injection or hypoxia/reoxygenation challenge. Dorsal skinfold chambers were implanted and24 hours post-surgery mice were injected with FITC-dextran for visualization of flowing blood vessels. Skinfold bearing mice were then subjected to hemin treatment (16 μmoles/kg) or hypoxia (7%; 1 hour)/reoxygenation (1 hour) followed by the injection of Alexa fluor 647-labeled albumin to allow quantification of occluded vessels through dual fluorescent image analysis. Following hemin injection, SS mice showed significant ~30% vaso-occlusion in comparison to AA mice with ~8%, whereas the AS mice showed an intermediate phenotype with ~20% vaso-occlusion. Hypoxia/reoxygenation challenge also resulted in significant vaso-occlusion for SS mice (~25%) whereas only 5% was observed in AA mice. Interestingly, AS mice also showed a significant amount of vaso-occlusion (~25%) similar to SS mice when challenged with hypoxia/reoxygenation. Although no sickling can be observed in an ex vivo sickling assay using AS red blood cells, an intermediate amount of free Hemoglobin (Hb) can be detected in the plasma of these mice and rolling can be observed. This suggests that these vaso-occlusive models relate more on the inflammatory and endothelial activation state and are independent of the sickling potential of the red blood cell. We then used our model with hypoxia/reoxygenation challenge to evaluate the effects of dimethyl fumarate (DMF, 15 mpk BID), an anti-P-Selectin antibody (150ug/mouse) and the covalent hemoglobin oxygen affinity modulator GBT-440 (300 mpk). As anti-inflammatory agents, DMF and Anti-P-Selectin significantly reduced vaso-occlusion in SS mice by ~60% compared to the vehicle treated mice, but GBT-440 did not inhibit vaso-occlusion at a dose where a significant reduction in p50 was observed. In conclusion, our data have shown that obstruction of blood flow in the skinfold vaso-occlusion model in SCD Townes mice reflects the vascular inflammatory state of the disease and is independent of the ex vivo capacity of red blood cell to sickle. Disclosures Sturtevant: Sanofi: Employment. Macias-Garcia:Sanofi: Employment. Krishnamoorthy:Sanofi: Employment. van der Flier:Sanofi: Employment. Hicks:Sanofi: Employment. Demers:Sanofi: Employment.

Questa tesi descrive lo stato delle conoscenze degli effetti tossici da micotossine su animali d allevamento, ed alcuni esperimenti condotti per valutare gli effetti indotti da esposizione cronica da micotossine sui ruminanti. Uno studio è stato condotto su 15 aziende specializzate in sistemi di produzione intensiva di carni bovine, situate nel Nord Italia (province di Verona e Mantova), con l'obiettivo di individuare i rischi d esposizione a contaminazione da micotossine. Alcuni metodi di laboratorio sono stati sviluppati: un metodo per la determinazione di ocratossina A (OTA) accumulata in tessuti e organi; Un metodo per valutare gli effetti delle fumonisine sulla biosintesi delle basi sfingoidi sfingosina (So) e sfinganina (Sa); Un metodo per rilevare l addotto AFB1-albumina. La razione totale mescolata (TMR) è risultata positiva alla AF e FB. Tra i singoli alimenti, il mais e la semola glutinata di mais sono stati i principali responsabili della contaminazione del TMR. Il livello di contaminazione è positivamente correlato al contenuto di umidità di mais. Il metodo per la determinazione dell OTA nei tessuti ed organi ha mostrato un buon recupero medio. L'analisi del rapporto Sa/So nel sangue non ha mostrato alcun effetto negativo delle fumonisine sulla biosintesi lipidica. L'addotto AFB1-albumina è risultato positivo per il 18% dei campioni totali di sangue.
The thesis describes the state of knowledge about toxic effects of mycotoxins on farm animals, and some experiments conducted to assess effects induced by chronic exposure to mycotoxins on ruminants. A field study for was carried out on 15 farms specialised for intensive beef production system, located in Northern Italy (provinces of Verona and Mantova), with the aim to identify risks of exposure to mycotoxins contamination. Some laboratory methods were performed: a method for the detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) concentration in tissues and organs; a method for evaluating the effects of fumonisin on biosynthesis of the two sphingoid bases sfingosine (So) and sphinganine (Sa); a method to detect the AFB1-albumin adduct. Total mixed rations (TMR) resulted positive for AF and FB contamination. Among single feedstuffs, corn and corn gluten feed were the main responsible for TMR contamination. Level of contamination was positively related to corn moisture content. The method for the determination of OTA in tissue and organ showed a good mean recovery. The analysis of ration Sa/So in blood did not show any negative effect by fumonisin on the lipidic biosynthesis. The AFB1-albumin adduct was positive on 18% of total blood samples.

Lung diseases, cancers, and trauma can result in injury to the connective tissue lining the lung, i.e., the pleura. Pleural injuries lead to pneumothoraxes or pleural effusions, i.e., air or fluid leaking out of the lung respectively, and potential lung collapse - an immediately life threatening condition. While several bioengineered soft tissue sealants exist on the market, there is only one sealant FDA-approved for use in pulmonary surgery. In addition, very limited techniques are presented in the literature for characterizing the burst properties of hydrogel tissue sealants. For my thesis, I proposed to develop a protocol for characterizing the burst properties of hydrogel sealants using a novel burst pressure test chamber. I further proposed a novel combination of oxidation and methacrylation reactions of alginate for tissue sealant applications, with a particular focus on developing a pulmonary sealant. The proposed research objectives are: 1) To develop protocol for testing hydrogel sealants for soft tissue applications; 2) To verify alginate as a potential for tissue sealant applications; and 3) To optimize an alginate hydrogel sealant and perform ex vivo analysis for a pleural sealant application. Alginate materials with varying degrees of oxidation and methacrylation were synthesized and characterized. Oscillatory rheometry was used to characterize material properties such as viscosity, hydrogel gelation kinetics, and complex moduli. Burst pressure measurements properties and failure mechanisms, i.e. delamination or material failure, were collected for a liquid and dry-state application. Preliminary ex vivo mouse lung model testing demonstrated that methacrylated alginate hydrogels are able to withstand physiological pressures associated with breathing, and failure occurs within the hydrogel for adhesive alginate-based tissue sealants.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
This work was aimed at evaluating the effect of the exposure to stressing ammonia and oxygen levels in vivo as well as the effect of the treatment with erva-mate extract (Ilex paraguariensis) post mortem on the lipid stability of fillets of dourado (Salminus brasiliensis). The influence of different levels of ammonia and oxygen on the proximate composition, fatty acid composition and lipid peroxidation of dourado fillets, as well as on the stability of these fillets during the frozen storage (12 months at -7±1oC) was evaluated. The effect of erva-mate extract on lipid and colour changes of raw fillets of dourado during the frozen storage and on the sensory characteristics and lipid oxidation of cooked dourado fillets during chilled storage was also evaluated. The exposure of dourado during 15 days at high ammonia concentration (0.1 mg/L) affected the composition of fillets, while the exposure to high oxygen (> 6.0 mg/L) increased the value of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) measured immediately after slaughtering. However, the in vivo exposure to stressing ammonia and oxygen levels for 12 hours, did not change TBARS formation during the frozen storage. A 12-hours exposure to high ammonia increased the susceptibility of fillets to lipid oxidation during the frozen storage (higher conjugated dienes and peroxides values). On the other hand, the exposure to low oxygen concentration (4.5 mg/L) did not increase the lipid oxidation of fillets. The aqueous 10% (w/v) erva-mate extract had an antioxidant capacity equivalent to 25.8 mg trolox/mL extract in the DPPH radical scavenging assay. The treatment of dourado fillets with this extract (fillets dipped in the extract for 1 min) reduced the colour changes during frozen storage (lower changes in luminosity and hue values) and the fillets treated with erva-mate extract had lower increase of free fatty acids, conjugated dienes and TBARS values during the frozen storage (12 meses at - 7±1oC). The treatment of dourado fillets with aqueous crude 10 or 20% erva-mate extract did not modify the taste, but caused important changes in the colour (decrease of luminosity and increase in the yellowness) of cooked dourado fillets. Since crude erva-mate extract changed the colour, it was decided to purify the extract in order to eliminate chlorophyll and other pigments. Liquid-liquid partition yielded a clear upper phase with antioxidant activity in the DPPH radical scavenging assay (1.2 vs. 0.7 mg trolox equivalents/ml extract, upper phase vs. lower phase). The purified erva-mate extract reduced peroxides, but had no significant effect on the content of TBARS of cooked dourado fillets during chilled storage (6 dias at 7±1oC). No effect of ammonia or oxygen was observed on the fatty acid composition. Similarly, there was no effect of the frozen storage or of the treatment with erva-mate extract. The results indicate that the exposure to high ammonia levels increased the susceptibility of fillets to lipid oxidation during the frozen storage. In addition, ervamate had antioxidant activity in frozen fillets and some protective effect against lipid oxidation of cooked dourado fillets under chilling storage. This demonstrates the possible use of erva-mate to extend the shelf-life of fish fillets.
Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos da exposição in vivo a concentrações estressantes de amônia e oxigênio na água e do tratamento com extrato de erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) post mortem sobre a estabilidade lipídica de filés de dourado (Salminus brasiliensis). Foi avaliada a influência de diferentes níveis de amônia e oxigênio sobre a composição centesimal, composição de ácidos graxos e a peroxidação lipídica de filés de dourado, assim como a estabilidade desses filés durante o armazenamento congelado (12 meses a -7±1oC). Avaliou-se também o efeito do extrato de erva-mate sobre alterações lipídicas e de cor de filés crus de dourado durante o armazenamento congelado e sobre as características sensoriais e a oxidação lipídica de filés cozidos de dourado durante o armazenamento refrigerado. A exposição do dourado durante 15 dias a alta concentração de amônia (0,1 mg/L) afetou a composição dos filés e a exposição a alto oxigênio (>6,0 mg/L) aumentou os valores de substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) medidos logo após o abate. No entanto, a exposição in vivo a níveis estressantes de amônia e oxigênio por 12 horas, não afetou a formação de TBARS durante o armazenamento congelado. A exposição durante 12 horas à alta amônia aumentou à susceptibilidade dos filés a oxidação lipídica durante o armazenamento congelado (maiores valores de dienos conjugados e peróxidos). Por outro lado, a exposição à baixa concentração de oxigênio (4.5 mg/L) não aumentou a taxa de oxidação lipídica dos filés. O extrato aquoso de erva-mate 10% (p/v) apresentou uma capacidade antioxidante equivalente a 25,8 mg trolox/ml extrato no ensaio de remoção do radical DPPH. O tratamento dos filés com este extrato (filés mergulhados por 1 min no extrato) reduziu as alterações de cor durante o armazenamento congelado (menor alteração de luminosidade e ângulo de matiz) e os filés tratados com o extrato de erva-mate apresentaram menor aumento nos valores de ácidos graxos livres, dienos conjugados e TBARS durante o congelamento (12 meses a -7±1oC). O tratamento dos filés de dourado com extrato bruto de erva-mate (10 e 20%) não alterou o sabor, mas provocou importantes alterações de cor (redução na luminosidade e aumento na tendência ao amarelo) dos filés cozidos de dourado. Como o extrato bruto alterou a cor, decidiu-se purificar o extrato de erva-mate para eliminar a clorofila e outros pigmentos através de partição líquido-líquido, obtendo-se uma fase superior límpida com atividade antioxidante no ensaio de remoção do radical DPPH (1,2 vs. 0,7 mg equivalentes de trolox/ml extrato, fase superior vs. fase inferior). O extrato purificado de erva-mate reduziu o valor de peróxidos, sem efeito significativo no conteúdo de TBARS de filés cozidos de dourado durante a armazenagem refrigerada (6 dias a 7±1oC). Não foi observado efeito da amônia ou do oxigênio sobre a composição de ácidos graxos, da mesma maneira que não houve influência do armazenamento congelado ou do tratamento com extrato de erva-mate. Os resultados indicam que a exposição a altos teores de amônia aumentou à susceptibilidade dos filés a oxidação lipídica durante o armazenamento congelado e a erva-mate apresentou atividade antioxidante nos filés congelados e certa proteção contra a oxidação de filés de dourado cozidos e armazenados sob refrigeração. Isto demonstra o possível uso da erva-mate para estender a vida útil de filés de pescados.

abstract: Cancer is a major public health challenge and the second leading cause of death in the United States. Large amount of effort has been made to achieve sensitive and specific detection of cancer, and to predict the course of cancer. Glycans are promising avenues toward the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer, because aberrant glycosylation is a prevalent hallmark of diverse types of cancer. A bottom-up “glycan node analysis” approach was employed as a useful tool, which captures most essential glycan features from blood plasma or serum (P/S) specimens and quantifies them as single analytical signals, to a lung cancer set from the Women Epidemiology Lung Cancer (WELCA) study. In addition, developments were performed to simplify a relatively cumbersome step involved in sample preparation of glycan node analysis. Furthermore, as a biomarker discovery research, one crucial concern of the glycan node analysis is to ensure that the specimen integrity has not been compromised for the employed P/S samples. A simple P/S integrity quality assurance assay was applied to the same sample set from WELCA study, which also afford the opportunity to evaluate the effects of different collection sites on sample integrity in a multisite clinical trial. Here, 208 samples from lung cancer patients and 207 age-matched controls enrolled in the WELCA study were analyzed by glycan node analysis. Glycan features, quantified as single analytical signals, including 2-linked mannose, α2‐6 sialylation, β1‐4 branching, β1‐6 branching, 4-linked GlcNAc, and outer-arm fucosylation, exhibited abilities to distinguish lung cancer cases from controls and predict survival in patients. To circumvent the laborious preparation steps for permethylation of glycan node analysis, a spin column-free (SCF) glycan permethylation procedure was developed, applicable to both intact glycan analysis or glycan node analysis, with improved or comparable permethylation efficiency relative to some widely-used spin column-based procedures. Biospecimen integrity of the same set of plasma samples from WELCA study was evaluated by a simple intact protein assay (ΔS-Cysteinylated-Albumin), which quantifies cumulative exposure of P/S to thawed conditions (-30 °C). Notable differences were observed between different groups of samples with various initial handling/storage conditions, as well as among the different collection sites.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Biochemistry 2019

abstract: Exposure of blood plasma/serum (P/S) to thawed conditions, greater than -30°C, can produce biomolecular changes that misleadingly impact measurements of clinical markers within archived samples. Reported here is a low sample-volume, dilute-and-shoot, intact protein mass spectrometric assay of albumin proteoforms called “ΔS-Cys-Albumin” that quantifies cumulative exposure of archived P/S samples to thawed conditions. The assay uses the fact that S-cysteinylation (oxidation) of albumin in P/S increases to a maximum value when exposed to temperatures greater than -30°C. The multi-reaction rate law that governs this albumin S-cysteinylation formation in P/S was determined and was shown to predict the rate of formation of S-cysteinylated albumin in P/S samples—a step that enables back-calculation of the time at which unknown P/S specimens have been exposed to room temperature. To emphasize the capability of this assay, a blind challenge demonstrated the ability of ΔS-Cys-Albumin to detect exposure of individual and grouped P/S samples to unfavorable storage conditions. The assay was also capable of detecting an anomaly in a case study of nominally pristine serum samples collected under NIH-sponsorship, demonstrating that empirical evidence is required to guarantee accurate knowledge of archived P/S biospecimen storage history. The ex vivo glycation of human serum albumin was also investigated showing that P/S samples stored above their freezing point leads to significant increases in glycated albumin. These increases were found to occur within hours at room temperature, and within days at -20 °C. These increases continued over a period of 1-2 weeks at room temperature and over 200 days at -20 °C, ultimately resulting in a doubling of glycated albumin in both healthy and diabetic patients. It was also shown that samples stored at lower surface area-to-volume ratios or incubated under a nitrogen atmosphere experienced less rapid glucose adduction of albumin—suggesting a role for oxidative glycation in the ex vivo glycation of albumin.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Biochemistry 2018

While replacement of dietary saturated fat with unsaturated fat has been advocated to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) could increase low density lipoprotein (LDL) susceptibility to oxidation, potentially contributing to the pathology of atherosclerosis. To assess in vivo lipid peroxidation and susceptibility, of LDL surface and core lipids to ex vivo oxidation, in women consuming increased amounts of specific unsaturated fatty acids, 15 postmenopausal women took daily supplements of sunflower oil providing 12.3 g/day of oleate, safflower oil providing 10.5 g/day of linoleate, and fish oil providing 2.0 g/day of eicosapentaenoate (EPA) and 1.4 g/day of docosahexaenoate (DHA) during a crossover trial. Plasma F₂-isoprostanes (F₂-isoP), malondialdehyde (MDA), and thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TEARS) were measured to assess lipid peroxidation in vivo. Ex vivo oxidation of LDL was monitored by measuring the formation of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxides (PCOOH) and cholesteryl linoleate hydroperoxides (CE18:200H) during coppermediated oxidation. Plasma free F₂-isoP and MDA concentrations were lower after EPA/DHA supplementation than after oleate (P = 0.001, F₂-isoP and 0.02, MDA) and linoleate supplementation (P = 0.04 for both F₂-isoP and MDA). However, plasma TBARS concentrations were higher after EPA/DHA than after oleate (P = 0.001) and linoleate supplementation (P = 0.0004). During LDL oxidation, the lag phase for PCOOH formation was shorter in EPA/DHA- than oleate- (P = 0.0001) and linoleate-enriched LDL (P = 0.002), while the lag phase for CE18:200H was shorter in EPA/DHA- than oleate- (P = 0.01) but not linoleate-enriched LDL. The maximal rate of PCOOH formation was lower in EPA/ DHA- than linoleate- (P = 0.007) but not oleate-enriched LDL, while the maximal rate of CE18:200H formation was lower in EPA/DHA- than oleate- (P = 0.03) and linoleate-enriched LDL (P [less than or equal to] 0.0001). The maximal concentrations of PCOOH and CE18:200H were lower in EPA/DHA- than oleate- (P [less than or equal to] 0.05) and linoleate-enriched LDL (P [less than or equal to] 0.01). Oleate-enrichment generally decreased the oxidative susceptibility of LDL surface and core lipids, while EPA/DHA-enrichment did not increase LDL oxidative susceptibility compared to linoleate-enrichment. This study emphasizes the need for more than one relevant assay of in vivo lipid peroxidation.
Graduation date: 2000

Bien que le changement dans le choix des substrats énergétiques des acides gras (AGs) vers les glucides soit considéré comme bénéfique pour le cœur insuffisant, il n’est pas clair à savoir pourquoi les patients atteints de désordres de la β-oxydation (β-OX) des AGs à chaîne longue (AGCLs) développent des troubles du rythme et des cardiomyopathies. De plus, le traitement actuel ne permet pas de prévenir l’apparition du phénotype clinique chez tous les patients, spécifiquement en condition de jeûne ou de stress. Ainsi, plusieurs modèles de souris déficientes pour des enzymes impliquées dans l’oxydation des acides gras ont été développés de manière à améliorer les connaissances de la maladie ainsi que les traitements offerts aux patients. À cet égard, cette étude vise à évaluer le phénotype métabolique et fonctionnel des cœurs de souris déficientes pour le récepteur activé de la prolifération des peroxysomes-α (PPARα), un facteur de transcription des gènes impliqués notamment dans la β-OX des AGs, et pour la déshydrogénase des acyl-CoA à très longue chaîne (very-long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, VLCAD), le déficit de l’oxydation des AGCLs le plus commun chez l’humain. L’approche expérimentale utilisée comprend plusieurs techniques dont (i) la perfusion ex vivo de cœur de souris au travail combinée à l’utilisation de substrats marqués au carbone 13 (13C) et à l’analyse par chromatographie gazeuse-spectrométrie de masse (GCMS), (ii) l’analyse de l’expression génique par qPCR et (iii) l’analyse de l’activité électrique du cœur in vivo par télémétrie. De manière inattendue, les résultats de cette étude menée chez la souris ont permis de mettre en évidence que des déficits pour des protéines impliquées dans l’oxydation des AGCLs sont associés à des altérations du métabolisme (i) des glucides, (ii) des AGs polyinsaturés (AGPIs), et (iii) mitochondrial, incluant l’anaplérose, en plus d’être liés à des désordres de la fonction électrique du cœur, à savoir une prolongation du segment QTc. Pris dans leur ensemble, les résultats de cette thèse pourraient servir à l’élaboration de nouvelles interventions métaboliques destinées à améliorer les traitements possibles et donc, la qualité de vie des patients atteints de désordres héréditaires de la β-OX des AGCLs.
While a shift from fatty acids to carbohydrate is considered beneficial for the failing heart, it is unclear why patients with fatty acid oxidation disorders present clinical manifestations such as cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia and conduction defects. Unfortunately, the current nutritional treatment for these patients is limited in its ability to prevent these symptoms, especially under fasting and stress conditions. Many mouse models of fatty acid oxidation deficiency have been developed to improve the knowledge of the disease and the treatment of these patients. In this regard, this study aims to characterize the metabolic and functional phenotype of hearts from mice that are deficient for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, a transcription factor for gene involved in fatty acid oxidation, and very long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, the most common inherited long chain fatty acid oxidation disorder in human, under various conditions. In this study, numerous approaches have been used, which includes validated experimental paradigms, namely, (i) ex vivo heart perfusion in the working mode with concomitant evaluation of myocardial contractility and metabolic fluxes, employing 13C-labeled substrates combined with mass isotopomer analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, (ii) gene expression analysis by qPCR and (iii) electrocardiogram monitoring in vivo by telemetry. Unexpectedly, results from the present thesis demonstrate that fatty acid oxidation disorders cause alterations in metabolism of (i) carbohydrates (ii) polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 type, specifically docosahaexanoic acid, and (iii) mitochondria including anaplerosis, in addition to lead to functional abnormalities, namely a prolongation of the QT interval. Altogether, results from this thesis could contribute to new metabolic therapy development to improve the quality of life of the patients with inherited long chain fatty acid oxidation disorder.