Fresh Slices Research Articles

Distinguishing lacto-fermented and fresh carrot slice images using the Multilayer Perceptron neural network and other machine learning algorithms from the groups of Functions, Meta, Trees, Lazy, Bayes and Rules

Distinguishing lacto-fermented and fresh carrot slice images using the Multilayer Perceptron neural network and other machine learning algorithms from the groups of Functions, Meta, Trees, Lazy, Bayes and Rules

Phase I/II trial of encorafenib, cetuximab, and nivolumab in patients with microsatellite stable (MSS), BRAFV600E metastatic colorectal cancer.

3598 Background: Treatment with encorafenib (E) and cetuximab (C) offers response and survival benefit for patients (pts) with MSS, BRAFV600E metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). BRAF + EGFR inhibition induced a transient MSI-H phenotype in preclinical models of MSS, BRAFV600E CRC and may prime these tumors for response to immunotherapy with anti-PD-1 antibodies like nivolumab (N). Methods: In this single-arm, single-institution, phase I/II clinical trial, pts with treatment-refractory MSS, BRAFV600E metastatic CRC were eligible. No prior BRAF, MEK, or ERK inhibitors, anti-EGFR antibody, or immunotherapy was permitted. Pts received E (300 mg PO daily), C (500 mg/m2 IV q14 days), and N (480 mg IV q28 days). The primary endpoints were best overall response (RECIST 1.1) and safety/tolerability (CTCAE v5). A Simon two-stage design (H0: p≤.22; Ha: p≥.45, where p = percentage of pts with radiographic response) was employed using a one-sided α =.05 and β =.20. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated via Kaplan-Meier. To measure ex vivo treatment responses with an E-slice assay (EMPIRI), 300 µm fresh tissue slices from core biopsies were generated and cultured in serum-free media with E, C, and N. Longitudinal changes in viability were measured at days 4, 8, and 12 and compared to baseline viability in each tissue. Ex vivo “response” was defined if < 1X baseline tumor cell viability. Results: With a data cutoff of 2/8/2022, all pts are enrolled: 26 evaluable for toxicity and 23 for response. Median age is 60 years (range, 32-85), and 16 (62%) are female. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events (AE) have occurred in 5/26 (19%) patients: colitis, maculopapular rash, leukocytosis, and myositis/myocarditis (all N = 1); asymptomatic elevated amylase/lipase (N = 2). Overall response rate is 48% (95% CI, 27-69), and disease control rate is 96% (95% CI, 78-100). Median PFS is 7.4 months (95% CI, 5.6-NA). For the 11 pts with responses, median duration of response is 7.7 months (95% CI, 4.5-NA). Median OS is 15.1 months (95% CI, 7.7-NA). E-slices showed concordance between pts with radiographic responses and reduction in cell viability, and between non-responders and increase in cell viability. Final results will be presented. Conclusions: E + C + N appears to be effective and well-tolerated for pts with MSS, BRAFV600E metastatic CRC. Ex vivo analysis of pretreatment tissue predicted eventual clinical response in matched patients. A follow-up randomized phase II trial (SWOG 2107) to evaluate encorafenib/cetuximab with or without nivolumab in pts with MSS, BRAFV600E metastatic CRC will activate in 2022. Clinical trial information: NCT04017650.

Quality forming patterns in the cupcake enriched with pumpkin slices

This paper reports a study into the effect of different quantities and shapes of fresh pumpkin slices on the technological properties of the cupcake. A comparative analysis of the technological properties of the cupcake with the addition of different quantities and shapes of pumpkin slices has been carried out. A change in the technological properties of the cupcake depending on the volume of pumpkin slices has been established. The use of fresh pumpkin slices reliably improves shrinkage during baking, humidity, and acidity of the cupcake. The volume of the cupcake is significantly reduced in this case. Porosity is significantly impaired when adding 30‒50 % of slices. The slice shape does not significantly affect the technological parameters of the cupcake. Social research was conducted; the main priorities for buyers of flour confectionery products were established. It is proved that the greatest importance when choosing food by consumers is given to the physical appearance of the finished product. Based on the research, it was found that in the technology of cupcake production, it is optimal to add 5‒25 % of fresh pumpkin slices of different shapes by weight of the dough. Applying this volume of slices makes it possible to bake a cupcake with a porosity of 9 points, a shrinkage at baking of 6.9–8.5 %, humidity of 6.9–12.8 %, a volume of 176–203 cm3, the acidity of 1.5–1.7 degrees. In addition, it is possible to use 30‒35 % of pumpkin slices. The porosity of a cupcake with such a formulation is at the level of 6.5–8.0 points. The cupcake quality meets the requirements set out by DSTU 4505:2005 and ISO 22000:2018. The difference from the conventional technique of utilizing non-traditional raw materials is the use of different quantities and shapes of fresh pumpkin slices. The use of pumpkin slices makes it possible to reduce the volume of dough in the finished product. The devised recommendations could be used by low-productivity grain processing enterprises when making flour confectionery products

Preservation effects evaluated using innovative models developed by machine learning on cucumber flesh

The objective of this study was to compare the slice image features of cucumbers preserved in different ways and fresh cucumbers. The models for discrimination of spontaneous lacto-fermented, pickled using a vinegar solution and fresh cucumber slices were built based on selected textures extracted from digital images converted to color channels L, a, b, R, G, B, U, V, X, Y, Z. The average accuracies were high of up to 98% for the Random Forest and Logistic classifiers for a model built based on textures selected from a set including textures from all color channels. The discrimination accuracies for individual samples were equal to 100% for fresh cucumber (Bayes Net, Logistic and IBk classifiers), 98% for vinegar-pickled cucumber (Random Forest, Logistic), 97% for lacto-fermented cucumber (Random Forest). The values of TP Rate, Precision, PRC Area, ROC Area and F-Measure were the highest for fresh cucumber and were equal to 1.000.

Hot air‐assisted instant controlled pressure drop drying impact on the Maillard reaction‐related physicochemical properties of apple slices

This research investigated the instant controlled pressure drop-assisted hot air drying (DIC) impact on Maillard reaction related components of apple slices, with freeze drying (FD) and hot air drying (AD) as control. DIC apple slices were significantly (*p<0.05) differentiated from FD and AD apple slices by marked browning, high levels of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and fluorescence intermediary compounds (FIC). DIC processing reduced fructose by 18.95%-45.68% and glucose by approximately 50%. While, the free amino acid reduction was 80.7%-95.1% and the reduction of hydrolysable amino acid was 15.1%-65.9% in DIC drying. In multivariate analysis, the DIC apple slices were significantly (*p<0.05) differentiated from fresh, FD, and AD apple slices by three principal components that explained 46.7%, 12.9% and 10.5% variances, respectively. And DIC apple slices were characterized by the FIC, 5-HMF, total free amino acid, and CIE a*, b* values.

Consecutive treatments of cold plasma and intense pulsed light for microbial decontamination of fresh cabbage slices in plastic containers

Consecutive treatment with intense pulsed light (IPL) and cold plasma (CP) was evaluated as an intervention technology to decontaminate cabbage slices in plastic containers. Salmonella inactivation efficacy increased as the treatment time and voltage of IPL and CP treatments increased. The rotation of the container during IPL treatment as well as the selected sequence of treatment, CP treatment followed by IPL treatment (CP-IPL), were beneficial in inactivating Salmonella. Under the determined conditions (CP: 24.5 kV, 2 min; IPL: 1.5 kV, 2 min), the inactivation levels of Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus spores using CP-IPL treatment were 3.1, 2.9, 3.2 log CFU/g, and 2.1 log spores/g, respectively. The efficacy of Salmonella inactivation in cabbage slices using CP-IPL treatment was maintained during storage at 4 °C and 10 °C. CP-IPL treatment did not alter the color and lipid peroxidation of cabbage slices. At identical treatment times, CP-IPL treatment alleviated the antioxidant activity decrease and the damage to the cabbage cell membrane compared with CP treatment alone, while resulting in a higher microbial inactivation efficacy. This study demonstrates that CP-IPL treatment has the potential to effectively increase the microbiological safety of cabbage slices in plastic containers with minimal impact on their quality.

Effect of tannic acid-grafted chitosan coating on the quality of fresh pork slices during cold storage

Tannic acid (TA)-chitosan (CH) conjugate (TA-g-CH) was prepared using a free radical grafting procedure to increase the antimicrobial and antioxidant performance of CH. The effect of TA-g-CH coating on the quality of fresh pork during 15 days of refrigerated storage was investigated. The pork samples were analyzed regularly for microbiological (total viable counts (TVC), Pseudomonas spp. and lactic acid bacteria (LAB)), physicochemical (pH, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), protein oxidation and color) and sensory attributes. The results showed that both TA + CH and TA-g-CH coatings dramatically extended the shelf-life of pork slices by suppressing microbial proliferation and delaying lipid and protein oxidation. Specifically, the TA-g-CH coating exhibited the best performance on pork preservation, which can delay the quality deterioration of fresh meat by 3–6 days during cold storage. The study suggests that the TA-g-CH edible coating has considerable prospects for maintaining the storage quality of fresh meat.

Physico-Chemical and Sensory Quality of Oven-Dried and Dehydrator-Dried Apples of the Starkrimson, Golden Delicious and Florina Cultivars

Apple fruits are high in phenolic compounds, sugar and dietary fiber content and are rich in malic acid and vitamins, with a significant impact on the organoleptic quality and its health-promoting properties. They can be turned out in value-added product such as apple chips due to the low cost of raw material. The aim of the study was to obtain apple chips, fat-free, healthy, traditionally dried and without added sugar, which can be easily obtained and capitalized economically, as well as the evaluation of their physico-chemical and sensory qualities. The apple chips were produced from three apple cultivars (‘Starkrimson’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Florina’) by drying the apple fruits in an oven and a dehydrator at 65 °C. To inactivate the browning enzymes, the apple slices were immersed in a solution of lemon salt (4%) for 7 min before drying. Apple chips were sensory-evaluated and relevant parameters were analyzed at defined intervals during storage at room temperature up to 21 days. The water activity (aw) values of apple chip samples dried in the oven ranged from 0.544 to 0.650, while for the samples dried in the dehydrator, aw values were between 0.374 and 0.426. During the storage, the pH of apple chips varied very little, while titratable acidity increased for all samples. Compared with fresh apple slices, it was observed that the total soluble solids (TSS) content of all dried apple chip samples decreased. Color parameters and browning and whitening indexes differed depending on the apple cultivars and dryer type used.

Drying kinetics, performance, and quality assessment for banana slices using heat pump–assisted drying system (HPADS)

AbstractIn the present work, fresh banana slices were dehydrated at various drying air temperatures (35, 40, and 45°C) using novel heat pump–assisted drying system (HPADS) operating in a close loop. Drying air temperature significantly influences the drying time; as the drying temperature increases, drying time is reduced linearly. Increase in slice thickness of the sample increases drying time. Verma et al.'s model was considered to select the best fit model and describe the actual data. Effective moisture diffusivity varied from 1.05 × 10−10 to 1.56 × 10−10 m2/s at temperatures 35 and 45°C, respectively. Arrhenius equation was used to correlate the dependency of moisture diffusivity with temperature and activation energy found to be 42.58 kJ/mol. Water activity (Aw) varied from 0.750 to 0.577 at temperatures 35 and 45°C, respectively. Hence, for Aw &lt; 0.6 at 45°C drying temperature, micro‐organisms can no longer extract water for their growth, and enzymes become inactive. Specific moisture removal ratio and coefficient of performance of system were found to be 0.230 kg/kWh and 3.168, correspondingly, at maximum temperature (45°C). Therefore, a developed novel HPADS is recommended for small farmers and cottage industries.Practical ApplicationsIt is more reliable to dry agricultural products with high moisture content inside the novel heat pump assisted drying system. The developed drying system is recommended for small farmers or cottage industries. This study will be constructive for further research work on such drying systems.

Drying of lotus rhizome slices: Influence of drying conditions on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, rheology, functional, and physicochemical characteristics of lotus rhizome powder

AbstractFresh lotus rhizome has a limited harvesting duration and is prone to browning leading to fast decomposition. Lotus rhizome powder (LRP) can be an innovative substitute to unravel this difficulty, valorize the product and improve its export potential. Microwave blanched lotus rhizome (LR) slices revealed the logarithmic model as the best drying model of fresh LR slices. Water activity (Aw) portrayed strong dependence on drying time; color parameters, a* increased, while L* and b* decreased with slice thickness. Water and oil absorption capacity (WAC and OAC) of lotus rhizome powder (LRP) changed from 4.95 to 1.68 g/g and 2.99 to 0.52 g/g, respectively, with a sharp increase in OAC of samples dried at 80°C. Storage modulus (G′) was higher than loss modulus (G″). Samples of 3 mm thickness dried at 50, 60 and, 70°C had the lowest flow behavior index (n) of 0.2219. Fourier transform infrared spectra of LRP displayed regions of polyphenols with slight deviations for different drying temperatures. It was concluded that 3 mm thick slices dried at 60–80°C required lesser time and possessed better WAC, OAC, and color values.Practical ApplicationsRecently, vegetable powders have driven the attention of food process engineers due to their stability and wide nutritional gamut. Thus, it is attempted to develop and characterize the Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn) rhizome powder which will not only make it readily available but will find its practical utilization as an ingredient in food formulations. Lotus rhizome powder is a unique blend of nutrients and bioactive components; therefore, it is important to understand its properties, drying behavior, and engineer the powder development with maximum functionality. Primarily, the lotus rhizome being a perishable vegetable, can be improved for shelf‐life stability and safety. Secondarily, the lotus rhizome powder can be incorporated as the functional ingredient, in flavoring, food, and pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, it is of prime significance to add value to this aquatic vegetable to make it an ideal food resource in the future.

Electron Tomographic Methods for Studying Organelles of the Murine Chemical Synapse.

Electron tomography of the chemical synapse provides important architectural information regarding the organization of synaptic organelles including synaptic vesicles, Nissl bodies, and early endosomes. Here, we describe methods for the preparation of select murine brain regions for high-pressure freezing, freeze substitution, and EM tomographic analysis of synaptic structures. The method uses fresh brain slices prepared using a vibratome and biopsy punches to collect specific brain regions of interest suitable for subsequent preservation and EM tomographic imaging.

Biophoton Radiations Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide in Mouse Liver Slices and Hepatocyte Nuclei in Relation to the Biophysical Action Mechanism of Reactive Oxygen Species

Background: Although a large number of studies have confirmed that the different levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cytoplasm and nucleus have effects on cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, the exact mechanism of ROS action is unclear. An important reason is that the production and degradation time of ROS in cells is very short, and therefore it’s difficult to understand the mechanism of action based on the traditional molecular action process through the ROS diffusion and target binding. Methods: The fresh liver tissue slices were prepared and the nuclei of hepatocytes were separated from Kunming mice according to the reported method. Liver tissue slices and hepatocyte nuclei were perfused with extracellular or intracellular fluids containing different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and real-time imaging monitoring of biophotonic emission was carried out using an ultra-weak biophoton imaging system. Results: The results showed that the continuous perfusion with different concentrations of H2O2 (300, 400 and 500 μM, respectively) resulted in significant increase of biophotonic emissions, presenting a concentration-dependent effect in liver tissue slices and achieving the maximum effect at 400 μM, while the significant enhancement was found after 500 μM treatment on the hepatocyte nuclei. Conclusion: This study suggests that ROS generated in cells may achieve its physiological and pathological effects via biophotonic emissions, which provides a new quantum biological mechanism of ROS, while the detailed clarification requires further research.

Tumor-endogenous PD-1 promotes cell proliferation and predicts poor survival in non-small cell lung cancer.

BackgroundImmunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment strategy in malignant tumors. Inhibitors and neutralizing antibodies targeted PD-1 or PD-L1 show improved clinical outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Previous studies concluded that PD-1 was mainly expressed on activated T cells, B cells and other immune cells. Recently, two studies suggested that PD-1 could be detected in the tumor cells of melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Tumor-endogenous PD-1 in NSCLCs has not been reported at present. Thus, we intended to explore the expression and prognostic relevance of tumor-endogenous PD-1 in NSCLCs.MethodsWe detected the PD-1 expression in fresh tumor samples and tumor slices by flow cytometer and immunohistochemical analysis respectively. Overall survival (OS) and dis-ease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier survival curve. We explored the PD-1 expression in lung cancer cell lines and investigated its effect on cell proliferation.ResultsFlow cytometry showed that tumor cells with endogenous PD-1 constituted 2.08%, 2.42%, 1.79%, and 1.21% in 4 clinical NSCLC samples respectively. Thirty-four patients (34%) in the cohort were positive for tumor-endogenous PD-1 in IHC analysis. Patients with tumor-endogenous PD-1 had significantly worse 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Multivariate analysis identified tumor-endogenous PD-1 as an independent risk factor (HR =3.807, 95% CI: 2.031–7.135, P<0.05). PD-1 could be observed in 4 kinds of lung cancer cell lines (A549, H1975, H1299 and HCC827). PD-1 overexpression could enhance proliferation and clone formation of these cell lines.ConclusionsPD-1 was endogenously expressed on the tumor cells of NSCLCs, and it could serve as an independent prognostic risk factor. The molecular mechanism of inferior survival of tumor-endogenous PD-1 may attribute to its role in promoting cell proliferation and clone formation. Our results demonstrated the non-immune role of PD-1 in tumor microenvironment and may provide new thinking for the therapy of NSCLCs.

Color, microstructure, physicochemical, textural and sensory properties with the retention of secondary metabolites in convective-, microwave- and freeze-dried carrot (Daucus carota) slices

Purpose This work was undertaken to evaluate the impact of different drying methods (convective, microwave and freeze drying) on color, selected secondary metabolites (total phenolic substances, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene and antioxidant capacity), texture (hardness), sensory properties and microstructure of carrot slices.Design/methodology/approachConvective drying at three different temperatures (55, 65 and 75 °C), microwave drying at two different power levels (100 and 200 W) and freeze drying were applied.FindingsSignificant differences were found among fresh and dried-carrot slices. Convective-dried carrots showed better quality characteristics in comparison with microwave-dried carrots. The convective-dried carrots at 65 °C exhibited the highest retention of bioactive compounds and best color among all convective drying conditions. The microwave-dried carrot slices at lower power (100 W) showed higher quality characteristics compared to the dried carrots at 200 W. The freeze-dried carrots exhibited the highest retention of secondary metabolites, sensory properties and best color among all drying methods.Originality/value The results from this study are significant for the processing of dried carrots by optimizing the conditions to obtain a high-quality product. Overall, freeze drying is a promising application as shown in the present study by its capability to better retention carrot quality underlying color, sensory, texture, microstructure and secondary metabolites.

Cell Physiology in Tissue Slices Studying Beta Cells in the Islets of Langerhans

Isolated endocrine cells have enabled the development of numerous methods to assess basic cellular architecture and define a significant part of the molecular machinery involved in cellular processes, such as excitability or the exocytotic release of hormones following cytosolic calcium increase. These efforts have generated consensus models explaining the activation or general operation of a particular cell type. The use of fresh tissue slices can go even further and uncover a series of emergent properties never explained orpredicted by consensus models. In this paper, we present a selection of our most important experimental findings in the beta cells of pancreatic tissue slices.

Retention of freshness and isothiocyanates in fresh-cut radish (Raphanus sativus var. Longipinnatus) through glucose dip treatment.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-021-05276-1.

Design of microwave hot-airflow vibrating drying equipment for initial drying and enzymatic inactivation of fresh fruits and vegetables

We developed and optimized microwave hot-airflow vibrating drying (MHAVD) equipment to improve drying efficiency and control the quality of dried agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables. Through three-dimensional modeling and finite element analysis, we simulated and demonstrated microwave source distribution modes and field intensity uniformity. We proposed two flow diversion modes, parallel deflection mode and V-shaped deflection mode, for the hot air distribution system, and we used finite element modeling to analyze them and determine the most optimal modes for use with the dryer. The microwave field strength that achieved the greatest uniformity on the surface of the material tray was used with feeding ports at X = 60 mm, Y = 80 mm, and H = 70 mm. The V-shaped deflector reduced the difference in the wind speeds on the material from 1.1 m/s to 0.36 m/s, thereby significantly increasing the uniformity, although no significant improvement in the local uniformity was noted when the parallel deflector was used. We used fresh balsam pear slices as a representative raw material to measure temperature distribution variations, moisture states, and distribution variations, and we also measured the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzymatic activity of the material during the primary drying with MHAVD. The results showed that balsam pear slices could be uniformly and efficiently dried in an environment below 70 °C, and the dry basis moisture content can be reduced from 15.82 to 12.35 in 12 minutes. The NMR/MRI results indicate that mainly free water in the balsam pear slices was decreased in the MHAVD process, with good moisture reduction uniformity. The PPO enzymatic activity decreased from 15.92 U/g to 0 U/g after drying. MHAVD provides a feasible method of enzyme killing, which also has the function of pre-drying for fruits and vegetables. Highlights A microwave hot-airflow vibrating drying experimental apparatus was designed Hot-air and vibrated can improve the uniformity of microwave drying There is a perfect correlation between moisture content and signal amplitude Free water can transform into immobilized water and combined water Microwave pretreatment can inactivate PPO enzyme

Dried yacon with high fructooligosaccharide content

AbstractThe convective drying of yacon was investigated (40–70°C). Pulsed vacuum osmotic dehydration (PVOD) (sorbitol 38 °Brix, 35°C, 681 mmHg in the first 10 min) as pretreatment was tested. Drying behavior, energy consumption, diffusivity, fructooligosaccharide (FOS) retention, shrinkage, water activity, shrinkage, and color were measured. Fick's model was adequate for drying kinetics adjustment, mainly for untreated samples with shrinkage consideration. PVOD pretreated dried yacon was a less shrunken product in a shorter drying time with up to 60% FOS retention. Nevertheless, the best tested condition for FOS retention (88%) was the convective drying at 60°C without PVOD application.Practical ApplicationsThe yacon is a seasonal plant that presents high concentrations of functional compounds. Like most vegetables, its shelf life is short and storage difficult. Therefore, improved techniques for conservation are required. The present paper evaluates the effects of drying temperature on the production of fresh and osmodehydrated yacon slices during convective drying. This study could offer an interesting response to the changes promoted by these processes, relating to the modifications to the physicochemical properties of osmodehydrated yacon.

CONSUMER PREFERENCE STUDY ON COMBINED ULTRASOUND AND SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE TREATED FRESHCUT KIWIFRUITS COATED WITH CHITOSAN USING THE FUZZY LOGIC APPROACH

Fresh cut kiwi fruits are gaining popularity among consumers due to increased nutrition, health, and convenience. In this study ultrasound treated fresh cut kiwifruit slices were coated with different concentrations (0.6, 0.8, and 1%) of chitosan. Sensory evaluation was conducted in linguistic terms for the kiwifruit slices with a panel of 15 well-trained judges to understand the consumer preference. The linguistic approach was analysed and decoded using the fuzzy logic modeling approach to find the best sample and quality attribute responsible for consumer preference. The slices with the highest defuzzified scores were obtained for the 1% chitosan-coated sample. Ranking of kiwifruit slices was based on defuzzified scores was S1&gt;S2&gt;S3&gt;S4, while ranking of the quality attributes was smell&gt;taste&gt;color&gt;texture. Therefore, the fuzzy logic modeling could be a practical approach for finding the consumer preference of fresh cut kiwifruits, thus increasing product marketability.

Selective mitochondrial antioxidant MitoTEMPO reduces renal dysfunction and systemic inflammation in experimental sepsis in rats

BackgroundExcess mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) in sepsis is associated with organ failure, in part by generating inflammation through the NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. We determined the impact of a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant (MitoTEMPO) on mitochondrial dysfunction in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells, peritoneal immune cell function ex vivo, and organ dysfunction in a rat model of sepsis. MethodsThe effects of MitoTEMPO were assessed ex vivo using adenosine triphosphate and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat peritoneal immune cells and fresh rat kidney slices exposed to serum from septic rats. We assessed mROS production and phagocytotic capacity (flow cytometry), mitochondrial functionality (multiphoton imaging, respirometry), and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in cell culture. The effect of MitoTEMPO on organ dysfunction was evaluated in a rat model of faecal peritonitis. ResultsMitoTEMPO decreased septic serum-induced mROS (P<0.001) and maintained normal reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide redox state (P=0.02) and mitochondrial membrane potential (P<0.001) in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells ex vivo. In lipopolysaccharide-stimulated peritoneal immune cells, MitoTEMPO abrogated the increase in mROS (P=0.006) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (P=0.03) without affecting non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption or the phagocytotic-induced respiratory burst (P>0.05). In vivo, compared with untreated septic animals, MitoTEMPO reduced systemic IL-1β (P=0.01), reduced renal oxidative stress as determined by urine isoprostane levels (P=0.04), and ameliorated renal dysfunction (reduced serum urea (P<0.001) and creatinine (P=0.05). ConclusionsReduction of mROS by a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant reduced IL-1β, and protected mitochondrial, cellular, and organ functionality after septic insults.