Changes In Cellular Metabolism Research Articles

The intersection of frailty and metabolism.

On average, aging is associated with unfavorable changes in cellular metabolism, which are the processes involved in the storage and expenditure of energy. However, metabolic dysregulation may not occur to the same extent in all older individuals as people age at different rates. Those who are aging rapidly are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes and are said to be "frail." Here, we explore the links between frailty and metabolism, including metabolic contributors and consequences of frailty. We examine how metabolic diseases may modify the degree of frailty in old age and suggest that frailty may predispose toward metabolic disease. Metabolic interventions that can mitigate the degree of frailty in people are reviewed. New treatment strategies developed in animal models that are poised for translation to humans are also considered. We suggest that maintaining a youthful metabolism into older age may be protective against frailty.

Metabolomics analysis of CEF cells infected with avian leukosis virus subgroup J based on UHPLC-QE-MS

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) is a retrovirus that can cause immunosuppression and tumors in chicken. However, relative pathogenesis is still not clear. At present, metabolomics has shown great potential in the screening of tumor metabolic markers, prognostic evaluation, and drug target design. In this study, we utilize an untargeted metabolomics approach based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) to analyze the metabolic changes in chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells infected by ALV-J. We found that ALV-J infection significantly altered a wealth of metabolites compared with control group. Additionally, most of the differentially expressed metabolites belonged to lipid metabolism, purine nucleotide metabolism and amino acid metabolism. Among them, the proportion of lipid metabolites account for the highest proportion (around 31%). Results suggest that these changes may be conductive to the formation of virion, thereby promoting the replication of ALV-J. These data provided metabolic evidence and potential biomarkers for the cellular metabolic changes induced by ALV-J, and provided important insight for further understanding the replication needs and pathogenesis of ALV-J.

Abstract 392: MYB regulates a specific subset of hypoxia-induced genes and exhibits altered genomic occupancy under hypoxia

Abstract Hypoxia, an unavoidable microenvironmental stress, greatly influences the tumor cell behavior and therapeutic outcomes. Under low oxygen condition, tumor cells undergo transcriptional reprogramming, largely mediated through hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), triggering adaptive response pathways. We recently demonstrated a significant role of MYB in hypoxic survival of pancreatic cancer cells by facilitating adaptive changes in cellular metabolism in collaboration with HIF1α. Here, we employed genome-wide deep sequencing approaches to study the impact of hypoxia on transcriptional reprogramming of pancreatic cancer cells and investigate the role of MYB in the hypoxia-dependent processes. A large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in pancreatic cancer cells subjected to hypoxia (1% O2) and associated with multiple adaptive response pathways. Specifically, we found that pathways related to autophagy, cell migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, endocytosis, cytoskeleton reorganization were induced, while those associated with RNA processing, ribosome biogenesis, DNA replication and cell cycle were suppressed. To analyze the role of MYB in these adaptive responses, we compared the relative abundance of transcripts in MYB-overexpressing control and MYB knockout (KO) pancreatic cancer cells when cultured under normoxic or hypoxic conditions. We observed that the transcriptional output of MYB was drastically changed under hypoxia with a vast majority of genes being distinctly altered in response to the loss of MYB expression under normoxia and hypoxia. To examine if it resulted from altered genomic occupancy of MYB under normoxia and hypoxia, we compared MYB ChIP-seq peaks under these conditions. We observed a decrease in overall MYB-bound genomic regions under hypoxia despite the fact that we did not observe a decrease in nuclear MYB expression. More interestingly, the genomic occupancy of MYB shifted substantially from regions proximal to transcription start site to distal intergenic or intronic regions under hypoxia. Studies are currently underway to examine the mechanisms underlying the altered MYB genomic occupancy and its impact on adaptive physiological response of pancreatic cancer cells under hypoxia. Together, our findings bring unprecedented insight into the mechanistic role of MYB in hypoxia adaptation and pancreatic cancer pathobiology. Citation Format: Shashi Anand, Mohammad Aslam Khan, Kunwar Somesh Vikramdeo, Seema Singh, Ajay Pratap Singh. MYB regulates a specific subset of hypoxia-induced genes and exhibits altered genomic occupancy under hypoxia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 392.

Abstract 1274: Investigating PLOD2 as a therapeutic target to overcome metastasis in radiorecurrent prostate cancer

Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer in males, with 1 in 8 men developing the disease in their lifetime. For PCa, a common treatment strategy is external beam radiation therapy to the prostate. However, when cancer recurs (radiorecurrent PCa), it often behaves aggressively by invading into surrounding organs or spreading distantly. Radiorecurrent PCa metastasis is therefore a significant cause of morbidity and mortality that must be overcome to improve survival of advanced PCa patients. Proteomic analysis revealed the procollagen enzyme Lysyl Hydroxylase 2 (PLOD2) to be upregulated in our radiorecurrent, and highly aggressive, conventionally fractionated DU145 (DU145-CF) PCa cell line. Given its established function as a mediator of invasion in various other cancers, we sought to characterize the role of PLOD2 in the aggressive phenotype of our radiorecurrent PCa cells. Bioinformatic analysis of clinical data revealed PLOD2 genomic amplification to be significantly associated with biochemical recurrence in PCa patients. Upon further examination in vitro, it was revealed that PLOD2 knockdown significantly reduces matrigel invasion and migration in our radiorecurrent DU145-CF cell line, in addition to numerous other PCa cell lines, including primary cells we derived directly from PCa patients. Using the in vivo chick Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) model, we confirmed that PLOD2 knockdown significantly reduces the ability of DU145-CF cells to extravasate from the CAM vasculature into the surrounding stroma, a critical step of the metastatic cascade. To explore mechanisms of metastatic cellular reprogramming downstream of PLOD2, RNA sequencing of DU145-CF cells was conducted; a total of 681 genes were discovered to be dysregulated by PLOD2 knockdown, with their functional analysis suggesting changes in cellular metabolism and respiration. Finally, since PLOD2 is known to be regulated by hypoxia-induced protein HIF1α, we explored whether PLOD2 expression could be inhibited by the HIF1α inhibitor, PX-478. Treatment with PX-478 reduced both HIF1α and PLOD2 protein expression, and significantly reduced invasion, migration, and in vivo extravasation in DU145-CF cells, thereby indicating its potential as a pharmacological inhibitor of HIF1α-associated PLOD2 in radiorecurrent PCa. Together, our results demonstrate for the first time the role of PLOD2 in radiorecurrent PCa invasiveness, and point towards its potential as a therapeutic target to reduce metastasis and improve survival outcomes in PCa patients. Citation Format: Gavin Frame, Hon Leong, Roni Haas, Xiaoyong Huang, Jessica Wright, Paul C. Boutros, Thomas Kislinger, Stanley K. Liu. Investigating PLOD2 as a therapeutic target to overcome metastasis in radiorecurrent prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 1274.

Screening by Q Exactive liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry identified Choline, 25-hydroxyvitamin D2, and SM(d18:0/16:1(9Z) (OH)) as biomarkers for high-grade serous ovarian cancer

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) has a high death rate and poor prognosis. The main causes of poor prognosis are asymptomatic early disease, no effective screening method at present, and advanced disease. Changes in cellular metabolism are characteristic of cancer, and plasma metabolome analysis can be used to identify biomarkers. In this study, we used Q Exactive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS, QE) to compare the differentiation between plasma samples (22 HGSOC samples and 22 normal samples). In total, we detected 124 metabolites, and an orthogonal partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model was useful to distinguish HGSOC patients from healthy controls. Choline, 25-hydroxyvitamin D2, and sphingomyelin (d18:0/16:1(9Z) (OH))/SM(d18:0/16:1(9Z) (OH)) showed significantly differential plasma levels in HGSOC patients under the conditions of variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1, p < 0.05 using Student's t-test, and fold change (FC) ≥ 1.5 or ≤ 0.667. Metabolic pathway analysis can provide valuable information to enhance the understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of HGSOC. In conclusion, the Q Exactive LC/MS/MS method validation-based plasma metabolomics approach may have potential as a convenient screening method for HGSOC and may be a method to monitor tumor recurrence in patients with HGSOC after surgery SignificanceHigh-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) has a high death rate and poor prognosis. The main causes of poor prognosis are asymptomatic early disease, no effective screening method at present, and advanced disease. Changes in cellular metabolism are characteristic of cancer, and plasma metabolome analysis can be used to identify biomarkers. In this study, we used Q Exactive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS, QE) to compare the differentiation between plasma samples (20 HGSOC samples and 20 normal samples). In total, we detected 124 metabolites, and an orthogonal partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model was useful to distinguish HGSOC patients from healthy controls. Choline, 25-hydroxyvitamin D2, and sphingomyelin (d18:0/16:1(9Z) (OH))/SM(d18:0/16:1(9Z) (OH)) showed significantly differential plasma levels in HGSOC patients under the conditions of variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1, p < 0.05 using Student's t-test, and fold change (FC) ≥ 1.5 or ≤ 0.667. Metabolic pathway analysis can provide valuable information to enhance the understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of HGSOC. In conclusion, the Q Exactive LC/MS/MS method validation-based plasma metabolomics approach may have potential as a convenient screening method for HGSOC and may be a method to monitor tumor recurrence in patients with HGSOC after surgery.

Thermally annealed large-scale gold nanostructure platform for long-term and label-free electrochemical monitoring of cellular metabolism

In recent developments, an electrochemical method has emerged as a promising tool that enables real-time and non-destructive monitoring of cell viability and functionality in vitro. However, the restricted cell cultivation area and poor adhesion properties of the gold nanostructure film impede its potential as a new analytical tool for cellular research. In this study, we present an advanced platform designed for prolonged cell growth, differentiation, and drug screening, while providing electrochemical detection capability. The thermal annealing process, implemented after gold nanostructure deposition, was found to induce structural reformation on the indium tin oxide (ITO) film through Ostwald ripening and coalescence, leading to increased surface coverage and reduced height. The resulting optimized platform, referred to as the thermally annealed large-scale gold nanostructure (TLGN), offers an expanded cell culture area (about 227 mm2) with sustained resistance to gold film detachment, a critical challenge observed in previously reported electrodes, lasting up to 4 weeks under exposure to cell culture medium. Using TLGN, redox signals were successfully detected from a substantial number of human cervical cancer cells (470,000 cells) at days in vitro 5, a cell count that is 10.35 times higher compared to our previous gold nanostructure electrode. The cells were continuously monitored for up to 4 days under treatment with the anticancer drug (CB-839). Furthermore, the TLGN platform demonstrated its effectiveness in electrochemically monitoring the osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells over a differentiation period of 28 days, based on observed changes in cellular metabolism. In summary, the TLGN platform proves invaluable not only for assessing drug accumulation and potential cytotoxicity at the cellular level but also for real-time monitoring of mitochondrial dynamics during cellular differentiation.

Exploring the Role of Surface and Mitochondrial ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channels in Cancer: From Cellular Functions to Therapeutic Potentials.

ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels are found in plasma membranes and mitochondria. These channels are a type of ion channel that is regulated by the intracellular concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and other nucleotides. In cell membranes, they play a crucial role in linking metabolic activity to electrical activity, especially in tissues like the heart and pancreas. In mitochondria, KATP channels are involved in protecting cells against ischemic damage and regulating mitochondrial function. This review delves into the role of KATP channels in cancer biology, underscoring their critical function. Notably responsive to changes in cellular metabolism, KATP channels link metabolic states to electrical activity, a feature that becomes particularly significant in cancer cells. These cells, characterized by uncontrolled growth, necessitate unique metabolic and signaling pathways, differing fundamentally from normal cells. Our review explores the intricate roles of KATP channels in influencing the metabolic and ionic balance within cancerous cells, detailing their structural and operational mechanisms. We highlight the channels' impact on cancer cell survival, proliferation, and the potential of KATP channels as therapeutic targets in oncology. This includes the challenges in targeting these channels due to their widespread presence in various tissues and the need for personalized treatment strategies. By integrating molecular biology, physiology, and pharmacology perspectives, the review aims to enhance the understanding of cancer as a complex metabolic disease and to open new research and treatment avenues by focusing on KATP channels. This comprehensive approach provides valuable insights into the potential of KATP channels in developing innovative cancer treatments.

Assessing cell viability with dynamic optical coherence microscopy.

Assessing cell viability is important in many fields of research. Current optical methods to assess cell viability typically involve fluorescent dyes, which are often less reliable and have poor permeability in primary tissues. Dynamic optical coherence microscopy (dOCM) is an emerging tool that provides label-free contrast reflecting changes in cellular metabolism. In this work, we compare the live contrast obtained from dOCM to viability dyes, and for the first time to our knowledge, demonstrate that dOCM can distinguish live cells from dead cells in murine syngeneic tumors. We further demonstrate a strong correlation between dOCM live contrast and optical redox ratio by metabolic imaging in primary mouse liver tissue. The dOCM technique opens a new avenue to apply label-free imaging to assess the effects of immuno-oncology agents, targeted therapies, chemotherapy, and cell therapies using live tumor tissues.

Real-Time Exposure to 3D-Printing Emissions Elicits Metabolic and Pro-Inflammatory Responses in Human Airway Epithelial Cells.

Three-dimensional (3D) printer usage in household and school settings has raised health concerns regarding chemical and particle emission exposures during operation. Although the composition of 3D printer emissions varies depending on printer settings and materials, little is known about the impact that emissions from different filament types may have on respiratory health and underlying cellular mechanisms. In this study, we used an in vitro exposure chamber system to deliver emissions from two popular 3D-printing filament types, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA), directly to human small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) cultured in an air-liquid interface during 3D printer operation. Using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and an optical particle sizer (OPS), we monitored 3D printer particulate matter (PM) emissions in terms of their particle size distribution, concentrations, and calculated deposited doses. Elemental composition of ABS and PLA emissions was assessed using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Finally, we compared the effects of emission exposure on cell viability, inflammation, and metabolism in SAEC. Our results reveal that, although ABS filaments emitted a higher total concentration of particles and PLA filaments emitted a higher concentration of smaller particles, SAEC were exposed to similar deposited doses of particles for each filament type. Conversely, ABS and PLA emissions had distinct elemental compositions, which were likely responsible for differential effects on SAEC viability, oxidative stress, release of inflammatory mediators, and changes in cellular metabolism. Specifically, while ABS- and PLA-emitted particles both reduced cellular viability and total glutathione levels in SAEC, ABS emissions had a significantly greater effect on glutathione relative to PLA emissions. Additionally, pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, MMP-9, and RANTES were significantly increased due to ABS emissions exposure. While IL-6 and IL-8 were stimulated in both exposure scenarios, VEGF was exclusively increased due to PLA emissions exposures. Notably, ABS emissions induced metabolic perturbation on amino acids and energy metabolism, as well as redox-regulated pathways including arginine, methionine, cysteine, and vitamin B3 metabolism, whereas PLA emissions exposures caused fatty acid and carnitine dysregulation. Taken together, these results advance our mechanistic understanding of 3D-printer-emissions-induced respiratory toxicity and highlight the role that filament emission properties may play in mediating different respiratory outcomes.

Асбест әсерінен туындаған өкпе аурулары жасушалық механизмдеріндегі митохондрияның рөлі

Mitochondria are one of the main sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and therefore they are actively involved in the regulation of cellular redox processes and ROS signalling. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in bioenergy metabolism and the pathogenesis of many lung diseases. The processes of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and their cellular functions are specific to different cells and tissues and can be heterogeneous even within a single cell due to the existence of subpopulations of mitochondria with distinct functional and structural properties. Mitochondrial function can change in response to changes in cellular metabolism. Damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) causes mitochondrial dysfunction, including disruption of the electron transport chain and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, damaged mtDNA also acts as a damage-associated molecular pattern that triggers inflammatory and immune responses. Asbestos causes various lung diseases, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of which are not fully understood. Asbestos fibers can induce the production of mitochondrial ROS in lung epithelial cells and macrophages. This review article examines the molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial functioning when exposed to asbestos, as well as the formation and damage of mtDNA, reactive oxygen species, the effect of asbestos on ultrastructural changes in lung tissue mitochondria, and the role of microRNA in the functional activity of mitochondria.

The role of cardiolipin and cytochrome c in mitochondrial metabolism of cancer cells determined by Raman imaging: in vitro study on the brain glioblastoma U-87 MG cell line.

In this paper, we present Raman imaging as a non-invasive approach for studying changes in mitochondrial metabolism caused by cardiolipin-cytochrome c interactions. We investigated the effect of mitochondrial dysregulation on cardiolipin (CL) and cytochrome c (Cyt c) interactions for a brain cancer cell line (U-87 MG). Mitochondrial metabolism was monitored by checking the intensities of the Raman bands at 750 cm-1, 1126 cm-1, 1310 cm-1, 1337 cm-1, 1444 cm-1 and 1584 cm-1. The presented results indicate that under pathological conditions, the content and redox status of Cyt c in mitochondria can be used as a Raman marker to characterize changes in cellular metabolism. This work provides evidence that cardiolipin-cytochrome c interactions are crucial for mitochondrial energy homeostasis by controlling the redox status of Cyt c in the electron transport chain, switching from disabling Cyt c reduction and enabling peroxidase activity. This paper provides experimental support for the hypothesis of how cardiolipin-cytochrome c interactions regulate electron transfer in the respiratory chain, apoptosis and mROS production in mitochondria.

Unfolded Protein Response Signaling in Hepatic Stem Cell Activation in Liver Fibrosis.

Frequent exposure to various external and internal adverse forces (stresses) disrupts cell protein homeostasis through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) capacity saturation. This process leads to the unfolded protein response (UPR), which aims to re-establish/maintain optimal cellular equilibrium. This complex mechanism is involved in the pathogenesis of various disorders, such as metabolic syndrome, fibrotic diseases, neurodegeneration, and cancer, by altering cellular metabolic changes integral to activating the hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The development of hepatic fibrosis is one of the consequences of UPR activation. Therefore, novel therapies that target the UPR pathway effectively and specifically are being studied. This article covers the involvement of the UPR signaling pathway in cellular damage in liver fibrosis. Investigating the pathogenic pathways related to the ER/UPR stress axis that contribute to liver fibrosis can help to guide future drug therapy approaches.

[Combination of shikonin and gefitinib reverses drug resistance in human non-small cell lung cancer and its mechanism].

The occurrence and development of tumors are associated with the cell energy metabolism. Inhibiting energy metabolism of lung cancer cells is an important strategy to overcome drug resistance. Based on the cellular energy metabolism pathway, this study observed the effect of combination of shikonin(SKN) and gefitinib(GFB) on the drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer and explored the underlying mechanism. The human non-small cell lung cancer line HCC827/GR resistant to gefitinib was used as the cell model in vitro. The CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were employed to investigate the cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. The high performance liquid chromatography was employed to measure the intracellular accumulation of GFB. A Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer was used to detect the changes of cellular energy metabolism. Western blot was employed to determine the expression of the proteins involved in the drug resistance. The tumor-bearing nude mouse model was used to verify the efficacy of SKN+GFB in overcoming drug resistance in vivo. The results showed that SKN+GFB significantly reduced the IC_(50) of GFB on HCC827/GR cells, with the combination index of 0.628, indicating that the combination of the two drugs had a synergistic effect and promoted cell apoptosis. SKN increased the intracellular accumulation of GFB. SKN+GFB lowered the oxygen consumption rate(OCR) and glycolytic proton efflux rate(GlycoPER) in cell energy metabolism, and down-regulated the overexpression of PKM2, p-EGFR, P-gp, and HIF-1α in drug resistance. The results of reversing drug resistance test in vivo showed that GFB or SKN alone had no significant antitumor effect, while the combination at different doses induced the apoptosis of the tumor tissue and inhibited the expression of PKM2 and P-gp, demonstrating a significant antitumor effect. Moreover, the tumor inhibition rate in the high-dose combination group reached 64.01%. In summary, SKN+GFB may interfere with the energy metabolism to limit the function of HCC827/GR cells, thus reversing the GFB resistance in non-small cell lung cancer.

Deficits in mitochondrial function and glucose metabolism seen in sporadic and familial Alzheimer’s disease derived Astrocytes are ameliorated by increasing hexokinase 1

AbstractBackgroundAstrocytes have multiple roles including providing neurons with metabolic substrates and maintaining neurotransmitters at neuronal synapses. Astrocyte glucose metabolism plays a key role in learning and memory with astrocytic glycogen a key substrate supporting memory encoding. The homeostatic role the astrocyte provides for neurons leads to metabolic demands, meaning that abnormalities in the function of astrocyte mitochondria and glycolysis could affect this relationship. Changes to cellular metabolism are seen early in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Understanding cellular metabolism changes in AD astrocytes could be exploited as a new biomarker or synergistic therapeutic agent when combined with anti‐amyloid treatments in AD.MethodsIn this project, we characterised mitochondrial and glycolytic dysfunction in astrocytes derived from patients with sporadic (n = 6) and familial (PSEN1, n = 3) AD, and associated controls (n = 9). Astrocytes were derived using direct reprogramming technology. Astrocyte metabolic outputs; ATP, and extracellular lactate levels were measured using luminescent and fluorescent protocols. Mitochondrial respiration and glycolytic function were measured using a Seahorse XF Analyzer. Hexokinase deficits identified where corrected by transfecting astrocytes with an adenovirus viral vector containing the hexokinase 1 gene.ResultsIn sAD astrocytes a 20% reduction (p = 0.05) and in fAD a 48% (p&lt;0.01) reduction in total cellular ATP was seen. A 44% reduction (p&lt;0.05), and 80% reduction in Mitochondrial spare capacity was seen in sAD and fAD respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) where increased in both AD astrocyte types (p = 0.05). Mitochondrial complex I and II was significantly increased in sAD (p&lt;0.05) but not in fAD. Astrocyte glycolytic reserve and extracellular lactate was significantly reduced when compared to controls in both sAD and fAD (p&lt;0.05). We identified that astrocytes had a deficit in the glycolytic pathway enzyme hexokinase, and that correcting this deficit restored total cellular ATP levels, extracellular lactate and reduced ROS in sAD but not fAD astrocytes.ConclusionAD astrocytes have abnormalities in functional capacity of mitochondria and the process of glycolysis. These deficits are likely to impede metabolic support for neurons. These functional deficits can be improved by correcting hexokinase deficits. This suggests that hexokinase 1 deficiency could potentially be exploited as a new therapeutic target for AD.

The role of myelin in neurodegeneration: implications for drug targets and neuroprotection strategies.

Myelination of axons in the central nervous system offers numerous advantages, including decreased energy expenditure for signal transmission and enhanced signal speed. The myelin sheaths surrounding an axon consist of a multi-layered membrane that is formed by oligodendrocytes, while specific glycoproteins and lipids play various roles in this formation process. As beneficial as myelin can be, its dysregulation and degeneration can prove detrimental. Inflammation, oxidative stress, and changes in cellular metabolism and the extracellular matrix can lead to demyelination of these axons. These factors are hallmark characteristics of certain demyelinating diseases including multiple sclerosis. The effects of demyelination are also implicated in primary degeneration in diseases such as glaucoma and Alzheimer's disease, as well as in processes of secondary degeneration. This reveals a relationship between myelin and secondary processes ofneurodegeneration, including resultant degeneration following traumatic injury and transsynaptic degeneration. The role of myelin in primary and secondary degeneration is also of interest in the exploration of strategies and targets for remyelination, including the use of anti-inflammatory molecules or nanoparticles to deliver drugs. Although the use of these methods in animal models of diseases have shown to be effective in promoting remyelination, very few clinical trials in patients have met primary end points. This may be due to shortcomings or considerations that are not met while designing a clinical trial that targets remyelination. Potential solutions include diversifying disease targets and requiring concomitant interventions to promote rehabilitation.

Autofluorescence imaging of endogenous metabolic cofactors in response to cytokine stimulation of classically activated macrophages.

Macrophages are one of the most prevalent subsets of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment and perform a range of functions depending on the cytokines and chemokines released by surrounding cells and tissues. Recent research has revealed that macrophages can exhibit a spectrum of phenotypes, making them highly plastic due to their ability to alter their physiology in response to environmental cues. Recent advances in examining heterogeneous macrophage populations include optical metabolic imaging, such as fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), and multiphoton microscopy. However, the method of detection for these systems is reliant upon the coenzymes NAD(P)H and FAD, which can be affected by factors other than cytoplasmic metabolic changes. In this study, we seek to validate these optical measures of metabolism by comparing optical results to more standard methods of evaluating cellular metabolism, such as extracellular flux assays and the presence of metabolic intermediates. Here, we used autofluorescence imaging of endogenous metabolic co-factors via multiphoton microscopy and FLIM in conjunction with oxygen consumption rate and extracellular acidification rate through Seahorse extracellular flux assays to detect changes in cellular metabolism in quiescent and classically activated macrophages in response to cytokine stimulation. Based on our Seahorse XFP flux analysis, M0 and M1 macrophages exhibit comparable trends in oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). Autofluorescence imaging of M0 and M1 macrophages was not only able to show acute changes in the optical redox ratio from pre-differentiation (0 hours) to 72 hours post-cytokine differentiation (M0: 0.320 to 0.258 and M1: 0.316 to 0.386), mean NADH lifetime (M0: 1.272 ns to 1.379 ns and M1: 1.265 ns to 1.206 ns), and A1/A2 ratio (M0: 3.452 to ~ 4 and M1: 3.537 to 4.529) but could also detect heterogeneity within each macrophage population. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that autofluorescence metabolic imaging could be a reliable technique for longitudinal tracking of immune cell metabolism during activation post-cytokine stimulation.

Hypoxia induced deregulation of sphingolipids in colon cancer is a prognostic marker for patient outcome

Sphingolipids are important for the physicochemical properties of cellular membranes and deregulated in tumors. In human colon cancer tissue ceramide synthase (CerS) 4 and CerS5 are reduced which correlates with a reduced survival probability of late-stage colon cancer patients. Both enzymes are reduced after hypoxia in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) cells (HCT-116, SW620) but not in non-metastatic CRC cells (SW480, Caco-2). Downregulation of CerS4 or CerS5 in advanced CRC cells enhanced tumor formation in nude mice and organoid growth in vitro. This was accompanied by an enhanced proliferation rate and metabolic changes leading to a shift towards the Warburg effect. In contrast, CerS4 or CerS5 depletion in Caco-2 cells reduced tumor growth in vivo. Lipidomic and proteomic analysis of membrane fractions revealed significant changes in tumor-promoting cellular pathways and cellular transporters. This study identifies CerS4 and CerS5 as prognostic markers for advanced colon cancer patients and provides a comprehensive overview about the associated cellular metabolic changes. We propose that the expression level of CerS4 and CerS5 in colon tumors could serve as a basis for decision-making for personalized treatment of advanced colon cancer patients.Trial registration: The study was accredited by the study board of the Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft (Registration No: St-D203, 2017/06/30, retrospectively registered).

Non-chemical signalling between mitochondria.

A wide variety of studies have reported some form of non-chemical or non-aqueous communication between physically isolated organisms, eliciting changes in cellular proliferation, morphology, and/or metabolism. The sources and mechanisms of such signalling pathways are still unknown, but have been postulated to involve vibration, volatile transmission, or light through the phenomenon of ultraweak photon emission. Here, we report non-chemical communication between isolated mitochondria from MCF7 (cancer) and MCF10A (non-cancer) cell lines. We found that mitochondria in one cuvette stressed by an electron transport chain inhibitor, antimycin, alters the respiration of mitochondria in an adjacent, but chemically and physically separate cuvette, significantly decreasing the rate of oxygen consumption compared to a control (p = <0.0001 in MCF7 and MCF10A mitochondria). Moreover, the changes in O2-consumption were dependent on the origin of mitochondria (cancer vs. non-cancer) as well as the presence of "ambient" light. Our results support the existence of non-chemical signalling between isolated mitochondria. The experimental design suggests that the non-chemical communication is light-based, although further work is needed to fully elucidate its nature.

Chimeric JAK2 Kinases Trigger Non-uniform Changes of Cellular Metabolism in BCR-ABL1-like Childhood ALL.

Chimeric JAK2 Kinases Trigger Non-uniform Changes of Cellular Metabolism in BCR-ABL1-like Childhood ALL.

Two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy of NADH metabolism in HIV-1 infected cells and tissues.

Rapid detection of microbial-induced cellular changes during the course of an infection is critical to understanding pathogenesis and immunological homeostasis. In the last two decades, fluorescence imaging has received significant attention for its ability to help characterize microbial induced cellular and tissue changes in in vitro and in vivo settings. However, most of these methods rely on the covalent conjugation of large exogenous probes and detection methods based on intensity-based imaging. Here, we report a quantitative, intrinsic, label-free, and minimally invasive method based on two-photon fluorescence lifetime (FLT) imaging microscopy (2p-FLIM) for imaging 1,4-dihydro-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) metabolism of virally infected cells and tissue sections. To better understand virally induced cellular and tissue changes in metabolism we have used 2p-FLIM to study differences in NADH intensity and fluorescence lifetimes in HIV-1 infected cells and tissues. Differences in NADH fluorescence lifetimes are associated with cellular changes in metabolism and changes in cellular metabolism are associated with HIV-1 infection. NADH is a critical co-enzyme and redox regulator and an essential biomarker in the metabolic processes. Label-free 2p-FLIM application and detection of NADH fluorescence using viral infection systems are in their infancy. In this study, the application of the 2p-FLIM assay and quantitative analyses of HIV-1 infected cells and tissue sections reveal increased fluorescence lifetime and higher enzyme-bound NADH fraction suggesting oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) compared to uninfected cells and tissues. 2p-FLIM measurements improve signal to background, fluorescence specificity, provide spatial and temporal resolution of intracellular structures, and thus, are suitable for quantitative studies of cellular functions and tissue morphology. Furthermore, 2p-FLIM allows distinguishing free and bound populations of NADH by their different fluorescence lifetimes within single infected cells. Accordingly, NADH fluorescence measurements of individual single cells should provide necessary insight into the heterogeneity of metabolic activity of infected cells. Implementing 2p-FLIM to viral infection systems measuring NADH fluorescence at the single or subcellular level within a tissue can provide visual evidence, localization, and information in a real-time diagnostic or therapeutic metabolic workflow.