Nutritional Stress Conditions Research Articles

DNA Methyltransferase1 (DNMT1) Isoform3 methylates mitochondrial genome and modulates its biology

Here we demonstrate localization of the isoform3 of DNA Methyltransferase1 (DNMT1) enzyme to mitochondria, instead of isoform1 as reported earlier. The fused DNMT1-isoform1, reported earlier to localize in mitochondria, surprisingly showed its exclusive presence inside the nucleus after its ectopic expression; and failed to localize in mitochondria. On the other hand, ectopically expressed DNMT1-isoform3 targeted itself to mitochondria and subsequently methylated CpG regions in the mitochondrial genome. In addition, overexpression of DNMT1-isoform3 affected mitochondrial biology and regulated its function. Under different conditions of oxidative and nutritional stress, this isoform was down-regulated, resulting in hypomethylation of mitochondrial genome. Our study reveals how DNMT1-isoform3, instead of isoform1, is responsible for mtDNA methylation, influencing its biology.

Amino acid-insensitive mTORC1 regulation enables nutritional stress resilience in hematopoietic stem cells.

The mTOR pathway is a critical determinant of cell persistence and growth wherein mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) mediates a balance between growth factor stimuli and nutrient availability. Amino acids or glucose facilitates mTORC1 activation by inducing RagA GTPase recruitment of mTORC1 to the lysosomal outer surface, enabling activation of mTOR by the Ras homolog Rheb. Thereby, RagA alters mTORC1-driven growth in times of nutrient abundance or scarcity. Here, we have evaluated differential nutrient-sensing dependence through RagA and mTORC1 in hematopoietic progenitors, which dynamically drive mature cell production, and hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), which provide a quiescent cellular reserve. In nutrient-abundant conditions, RagA-deficient HSC were functionally unimpaired and upregulated mTORC1 via nutrient-insensitive mechanisms. RagA was also dispensable for HSC function under nutritional stress conditions. Similarly, hyperactivation of RagA did not affect HSC function. In contrast, RagA deficiency markedly altered progenitor population function and mature cell output. Therefore, RagA is a molecular mechanism that distinguishes the functional attributes of reactive progenitors from a reserve stem cell pool. The indifference of HSC to nutrient sensing through RagA contributes to their molecular resilience to nutritional stress, a characteristic that is relevant to organismal viability in evolution and in modern HSC transplantation approaches.

The Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase Class III Complex Containing TcVps15 and TcVps34 Participates in Autophagy in Trypanosoma cruzi.

Autophagy is a degradative process by which eukaryotic cells digest their own components to provide aminoacids that may function as energy source under nutritional stress conditions. There is experimental evidence for autophagy in parasitic protists belonging to the family Trypanosomatidae. However, few proteins implicated in this process have been characterized so far in these parasites. Moreover, it has been shown that autophagy is involved in Trypanosoma cruzi differentiation and thus might have a role in pathogenicity. Here, we report the cloning and biochemical characterization of TcVps15. In addition, we demonstrate that TcVps15 interact with the PI3K TcVps34 and that both proteins associate with cellular membranes. Under nutritional stress conditions, TcVps15 and TcVps34 modify their subcellular distribution showing a partial co-localization in autophagosomes with TcAtg8.1 and using an active site TcVps15-mutated version (TcVps15-K219D-HA) we demonstrated that this relocalization depends on the TcVps15 catalytic activity. Overexpression of TcVps15-HA and TcVps15-K219D-HA also leads to increased accumulation of monodansylcadaverine (MDC) in autophagic vacuoles under nutritional stress conditions compared to wild-type cells. In addition, the MDC-specific activity shows to be significantly higher in TcVps15-HA overexpressing cells when compared with TcVps15-K219D-HA. Our results reveal for the first time a role of TcVps15 as a key regulator of TcVps34 enzymatic activity and implicate the TcVps15-Vps34 complex in autophagy in T.cruzi, exposing a new key pathway to explore novel chemotherapeutic targets.

Iron-modulated pseudocyst formation in Tritrichomonas foetus.

Iron is an essential element for the survival of trichomonads during host-parasite interaction. The availability of this metal modulates several metabolic pathways of the parasites and regulates the expression of virulence factors such as adhesins and proteolytic enzymes. In this study, we investigated the effect of iron depletion on the morphology and life cycle of Tritrichomonas foetus. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that depletion of iron from the culture medium (named TYM-DIP inducer medium) induces morphological transformation of typical pear-shaped trophozoites into spherical and non-motile pseudocysts. Remarkably, inoculation of pseudocysts into an iron-rich medium (standard TYM medium), or addition of FeSO4 to a TYM-DIP inducer medium reverted the morphological transformation process and typical trophozoites were recovered. These results show that pseudocysts are viable forms of the parasite and highlight the role of iron as a modulator of the parasite phenotype. Although iron is required for the survival of T. foetus, iron depletion does not cause a cellular collapse of pseudocysts, but instead induces phenotypic alterations, probably in order to allow the parasite to survive conditions of nutritional stress. Together, these findings support previous studies that suggest pseudocysts are a resistance form in the life cycle of T. foetus and enable new approaches to understanding the multifactorial role of iron in the cell biology of this protozoan parasite.

Production components of Jatropha under irrigation and nitrogen fertilization in the semiarid region of Ceará

ABSTRACTJatropha curcas L. proves to be a promising species, considering its inclusion in the National Program of Biodiesel Production and Use. However, since it has not been genetically improved, agronomic information is still scarce in the literature, especially under conditions of water and nutritional stress. Thus, this field study aimed to evaluate the effects of irrigation depths (735; 963; 1,191; 1,418 and 1,646 mm) and nitrogen fertilization (0; 25; 50 and 75 kg ha-1) on the production of Jatropha plants. Plants under the highest irrigation depth showed the highest values of number of fruits and productivity of fruits, seeds and albumen. Plants under the irrigation depth of 1,191 mm showed the highest values of mean mass of albumen and the ratios between mass of albumen and mass of seeds and between mass of albumen and mass of fruits. Nitrogen fertilization did not influence the production components of Jatropha.

Trypanosoma cruzi Epimastigotes Are Able to Manage Internal Cholesterol Levels under Nutritional Lipid Stress Conditions.

Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes store high amounts of cholesterol and cholesteryl esters in reservosomes. These unique organelles are responsible for cellular digestion by providing substrates for homeostasis and parasite differentiation. Here we demonstrate that under nutritional lipid stress, epimastigotes preferentially mobilized reservosome lipid stocks, instead of lipid bodies, leading to the consumption of parasite cholesterol reservoirs and production of ergosterol. Starved epimastigotes acquired more LDL-NBD-cholesterol by endocytosis and distributed the exogenous cholesterol to their membranes faster than control parasites. Moreover, the parasites were able to manage internal cholesterol levels, alternating between consumption and accumulation. With normal lipid availability, parasites esterified cholesterol exhibiting an ACAT-like activity that was sensitive to Avasimibe in a dose-dependent manner. This result also implies that exogenous cholesterol has a role in lipid reservoirs in epimastigotes.

In Vitro Anti-Echinococcal and Metabolic Effects of Metformin Involve Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase in Larval Stages of Echinococcus granulosus.

Metformin (Met) is a biguanide anti-hyperglycemic agent, which also exerts antiproliferative effects on cancer cells. This drug inhibits the complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain inducing a fall in the cell energy charge and leading 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. AMPK is a highly conserved heterotrimeric complex that coordinates metabolic and growth pathways in order to maintain energy homeostasis and cell survival, mainly under nutritional stress conditions, in a Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1)-dependent manner. This work describes for the first time, the in vitro anti-echinococcal effect of Met on Echinococcus granulosus larval stages, as well as the molecular characterization of AMPK (Eg-AMPK) in this parasite of clinical importance. The drug exerted a dose-dependent effect on the viability of both larval stages. Based on this, we proceeded with the identification of the genes encoding for the different subunits of Eg-AMPK. We cloned one gene coding for the catalytic subunit (Eg-ampkɑ) and two genes coding for the regulatory subunits (Eg-ampkβ and Eg-ampkγ), all of them constitutively transcribed in E. granulosus protoscoleces and metacestodes. Their deduced amino acid sequences show all the conserved functional domains, including key amino acids involved in catalytic activity and protein-protein interactions. In protoscoleces, the drug induced the activation of AMPK (Eg-AMPKɑ-P176), possibly as a consequence of cellular energy charge depletion evidenced by assays with the fluorescent indicator JC-1. Met also led to carbohydrate starvation, it increased glucogenolysis and homolactic fermentation, and decreased transcription of intermediary metabolism genes. By in toto immunolocalization assays, we detected Eg-AMPKɑ-P176 expression, both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of cells as in the larval tegument, the posterior bladder and the calcareous corpuscles of control and Met-treated protoscoleces. Interestingly, expression of Eg-AMPKɑ was observed in the developmental structures during the de-differentiation process from protoscoleces to microcysts. Therefore, the Eg-AMPK expression during the asexual development of E. granulosus, as well as the in vitro synergic therapeutic effects observed in presence of Met plus albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO), suggest the importance of carrying out chemoprophylactic and clinical efficacy studies combining Met with conventional anti-echinococcal agents to test the potential use of this drug in hydatidosis therapy.

NAF-1 antagonizes starvation-induced autophagy through AMPK signaling pathway in cardiomyocytes.

NAF-1 (nutrient-deprivation autophagy factor-1), an autophagy-related gene-related (ATG) protein, has been implicated in the autophagic pro-survival response. However, its role in autophagy has not been examined in the cardiomyocytes. In this study, we found that nutritional stress (NS) induced by glucose deprivation strongly induced autophagy in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, which was associated with NAF-1 down-regulation in cardiomyocytes under NS conditions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ectopic expression of NAF-1 was sufficient to inhibit autophagy in cardiomyocytes under glucose deprivation conditions. Moreover, results of the co-immunoprecipitation assay indicate that NAF-1 antagonized autophagy by promoting the interaction between Beclin1 and Bcl-2 in NS-induced cardiomyocytes. Importantly, our results indicate that overexpression of NAF-1 significantly inhibited AMPK activity and protected cardiomyocytes from NS-induced cell death. Taken together, these data show that ectopic expression of NAF-1 antagonizes the degree of autophagy in cardiomyocytes and enhances cell survival during starvation conditions.

Induction of the viable but nonculturable state of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis deficient in (p)ppGpp synthesis

Salmonella enterica enters a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state in adverse environmental conditions. Under nutritional stress, RelA and SpoT proteins synthesize (p)ppGpp, a molecule that controls the expression of genes important for the survival of a cell under those conditions. This study aimed to verify the involvement of (p)ppGpp in the entry of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis PT4 578 cells into the VBNC state by evaluating ΔrelA and ΔrelAΔspoT mutants. The wild-type and mutant strains deficient in (p)ppGpp synthesis were subjected to osmotic, nutritional and cold stress, after which the cells entered a VBNC state at different time periods, concurrent with reductions in cell diameter, volume and length, and conversion from a bacillary to a coccoid form. No difference in the culturability or cell viability of the wild-type and single and double mutants was observed. Expression of the rpoS gene was increased in the double mutant, while both mutant strains presented a reduction in mreB gene expression after 25 days under conditions of nutritional and cold stress. Surprisingly, (p)ppGpp was not necessary for induction of the VBNC state in Salmonella PT4 578 cells, but may be associated with regulation of genes that control septum formation during cell division, maintaining the bacillary cell morphology (mreB) and stress response (rpoS). Our findings contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of resistance and survival of Salmonella under adverse conditions.

Profiling of small RNA cargo of extracellular vesicles shed by Trypanosoma cruzi reveals a specific extracellular signature

Over the last years, an expanding family of small regulatory RNAs (e.g. microRNAs, siRNAs and piRNAs) was recognized as key players in novel forms of post-transcriptional gene regulation in most eukaryotes. However, the machinery associated with Ago/Dicer-dependent small RNA biogenesis was thought to be either entirely lost or extensively simplified in some unicellular organisms including Trypanosoma cruzi, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Leishmania major and Plasmodium falciparum. Although the biogenesis of small RNAs from non-coding RNAs represent a minor fraction of the normal small RNA transcriptome in eukaryotic cells, they represent the unique small RNA pathways in Trypanosoma cruzi which produce different populations of small RNAs derived from tRNAs, rRNAs, sn/snoRNAs and mRNAs. These small RNAs are secreted included in extracellular vesicles and transferred to other parasites and susceptible mammalian cells. This process represents a novel form of cross-kingdom transfer of genetic material suggesting that secreted vesicles could represent new relevant pieces in life cycle transitions, infectivity and cell-to-cell communication. Here, we provide for the first time a detailed analysis of the small RNA cargo of extracellular vesicles from T. cruzi epimastigotes under nutritional stress conditions compared to the respective intracellular compartment using deep sequencing. Compared with the intracellular compartment, shed extracellular vesicles showed a specific extracellular signature conformed by distinctive patterns of small RNAs derived from rRNA, tRNA, sno/snRNAs and protein coding sequences which evidenced specific secretory small RNA processing pathways.

Functional analysis of the class II hydrophobin gene HFB2-6 from the biocontrol agent Trichoderma asperellum ACCC30536

A class II hydrophobin gene, HFB2-6, was cloned from Trichoderma asperellum ACCC30536 and its biocontrol function was studied. According to our previous transcriptome data, six of the eight class II hydrophobin genes were obviously differential expression in four inducing conditions, especially the gene HFB2-6. Moreover, HFB2-6 proven to be differentially transcribed under eight different treatments. HFB2-6 transcripts were up-regulated under 1% Alternaria alternata cell wall and 5% A. alternata fermentation liquid treatments, and by nutritional stress conditions, suggesting that HFB2-6 plays roles in interactions with both biotic and abiotic environmental conditions. HFB2-6 expression was down-regulated under 1% poplar leaf powder culture conditions, but its expression was up-regulated under 1% poplar root powder, indicating that HFB2-6 has a function in root colonization. Furthermore, the recombinant hydrophobin rHFB2-6 was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21-HFB2-6 and purified from the recombinant strain. Genes related to both the jasmonic acid and salicylic acid signal transduction pathways were up-regulated by interaction with renatured rHFB2-6. The ORCA3 (octadecanoid-derivative responsive Catharanthus AP2-domain) gene of the poplar jasmonic acid signal transduction pathway showed a peak expression of 4.48 times at 2h, and the peak expression of PR1 (pathogenesis-related protein gene) in the salicylic acid signal transduction pathway was 4.58 times at 72h. Two genes, MP (monopteros) and GH3.17 (auxin original response gene), in the auxin signal transduction pathway were also up-regulated after induction with rHFB2-6, indicating that rHFB2-6 can promote poplar growth and confer broad-spectrum resistance to pathogens.

The Physiological Response of Lulo Plants (Solanum quitoense var. septentrionale) to Soil and Foliar Applications of Nutrients

The effects of nutrient deficiency on shoot length and physiological behavior of lulo plants grown under greenhouse conditions were evaluated. Four-month-old lulo (Solanum quitoense var. septentrionale) seedlings were transplanted into 2-L plastic pots containing peat as substrate. Treatments were established after the plants acclimatized for 14 days: (1) Control, without any type of fertilization, (2) fertilizer application to soil (with macro- and micronutrients), and (3) fertilizer application to soil plus foliar sprays containing nitrogen at a concentration of 125, 250, and 500 ppm N from urea. Lulo plants grown without any fertilizer were shorter and had lower plant height, dry mass, leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD readings), and Fv/Fm ratio than plants grown with fertilizer. Also, our results revealed that the lack of nutrients caused a greater amount of biomass in roots. Foliar sprays of urea did not have any positive effect on the evaluated variables. These results indicate that a poor nutritional status can be limiting the foliar uptake, causing a lack of response of lulo plants to foliar applications of N as a tool under nutritional stress conditions.

Combining urban wastewater treatment with biohydrogen production – An integrated microalgae-based approach

The aim of the present work was the simultaneous treatment of urban wastewater using microalgae and the energetic valorization of the obtained biomass. Chlorella vulgaris (Cv), Scenedesmus obliquus (Sc) and a naturally occurring algal Consortium C (ConsC) were grown in an urban wastewater. The nutrient removals were quite high and the treated water fits the legislation (PT Dec-Lei 236/98) in what concerns the parameters analysed (N, P, COD). After nutrient depletion the microalgae remained two more weeks in the photobioreactor (PBR) under nutritional stress conditions, to induce sugar accumulation (22–43%). The stressed biomass was converted into biohydrogen (bioH2), a clean energy carrier, through dark fermentation by a strain of the bacteria Enterobacter aerogenes. The fermentation kinetics were monitored and fitted to a modified Gompertz model. The highest bioH2 production yield was obtained for S. obliquus (56.8mL H2/gVS) which was very similar when using the same algae grown in synthetic media.

Targeted disruption of the SUCNR1 metabolic receptor leads to dichotomous effects on obesity.

A number of metabolites have signaling properties by acting through G-protein-coupled receptors. Succinate, a Krebs cycle intermediate, increases after dysregulated energy metabolism and can bind to its cognate receptor succinate receptor 1 (Sucnr1, or GPR91) to activate downstream signaling pathways. We show that Sucnr1 is highly expressed in the white adipose tissue (WAT) compartment of mice and regulates adipose mass and glucose homeostasis. Sucnr1(-/-) mice were generated, and weight gain was monitored under basal and nutritional stress (high-fat diet [HFD]) conditions. On chow diet, Sucnr1(-/-) mice had increased energy expenditure, were lean with a smaller WAT compartment, and had improved glucose buffering. Lipolysis measurements revealed that Sucnr1(-/-) mice were released from succinate-induced inhibition of lipolysis, demonstrating a function of Sucnr1 in adipose tissue. Sucnr1 deletion also protected mice from obesity on HFD, but only during the initial period; at later stages, body weight of HFD-fed Sucnr1(-/-) mice was almost comparable with wild-type (WT) mice, but WAT content was greater. Also, these mice became progressively hyperglycemic and failed to secrete insulin, although pancreas architecture was similar to WT mice. These findings suggest that Sucnr1 is a sensor for dietary energy and raise the interesting possibility that protocols to modulate Sucnr1 might have therapeutic utility in the setting of obesity.

Perturbation of Hypothalamic MicroRNA Expression Patterns in Male Rats After Metabolic Distress: Impact of Obesity and Conditions of Negative Energy Balance

The hypothalamus plays a crucial role in body weight homeostasis through an intricate network of neuronal circuits that are under the precise regulation of peripheral hormones and central transmitters. Although deregulated function of such circuits might be a major contributing factor in obesity, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the hypothalamic control of energy balance remain partially unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as key regulators of different biological processes, including insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. However, the roles of miRNA pathways in the control of metabolism have been mostly addressed in peripheral tissues, whereas the potential deregulation of miRNA expression in the hypothalamus in conditions of metabolic distress remains as yet unexplored. In this work, we used high-throughput screening to define to what extent the hypothalamic profiles of miRNA expression are perturbed in two extreme conditions of nutritional stress in male rats, namely chronic caloric restriction and high-fat diet-induced obesity. Our analyses allowed the identification of sets of miRNAs, including let-7a, mir-9*, mir-30e, mir-132, mir-145, mir-200a, and mir-218, whose expression patterns in the hypothalamus were jointly altered by caloric restriction and/or a high-fat diet. The predicted targets of these miRNAs include several elements of key inflammatory and metabolic pathways, including insulin and leptin. Our study is the first to disclose the impact of nutritional challenges on the hypothalamic miRNA expression profiles. These data will help to characterize the molecular miRNA signature of the hypothalamus in extreme metabolic conditions and pave the way for targeted mechanistic analyses of the involvement of deregulated central miRNAs pathways in the pathogenesis of obesity and related disorders.

Genetic responses of traits relationship to components of nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency in maize

This study had three objectives: i) to observe maize inbred lines response to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) acquisition as well as their utilization efficiencies and traits of root morphology in contrasting levels of these nutrients, ii) to study the relationship between root morphology and nutrient use efficiencies for both nutrients, and iii) to identify contrasting parents with components N and P use efficiency for an inheritance study. We evaluated 15 inbred lines in two experiments conducted in contrasting conditions of N and P. We evaluated the shoot, root traits and nutritional efficiencies and observed the genetic variability for most traits. Selection can be practiced for most of these traits in specific environments. Under conditions of nutritional stress, average and heritability estimates were of lesser magnitude. In this study, the shoot and root morphology traits were shown to be associated with the acquisition efficiency of both N and P in all of the environments that were evaluated.

Linking plant nutritional status to plant-microbe interactions.

Plants have developed a wide-range of adaptations to overcome nutrient limitation, including changes to the quantity and composition of carbon-containing compounds released by roots. Root-associated bacteria are largely influenced by these compounds which can be perceived as signals or substrates. Here, we evaluate the effect of root exudates collected from maize plants grown under nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), iron (Fe) and potassium (K) deficiencies on the transcriptome of the plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42. The largest shifts in gene expression patterns were observed in cells exposed to exudates from N-, followed by P-deficient plants. Exudates from N-deprived maize triggered a general stress response in FZB42 in the exponential growth phase, which was evidenced by the suppression of numerous genes involved in protein synthesis. Exudates from P-deficient plants induced bacterial genes involved in chemotaxis and motility whilst exudates released by Fe and K deficient plants did not cause dramatic changes in the bacterial transcriptome during exponential growth phase. Global transcriptional changes in bacteria elicited by nutrient deficient maize exudates were significantly correlated with concentrations of the amino acids aspartate, valine and glutamate in root exudates suggesting that transcriptional profiling of FZB42 associated with metabolomics of N, P, Fe and K-deficient maize root exudates is a powerful approach to better understand plant-microbe interactions under conditions of nutritional stress.

Evaluation of nutritional and physical stress conditions during vegetative growth on conidial production and germination inOphiocordyceps sinensis

The influence of nutritional and physical stress on sporulation, conidial germination and vegetative biomass of Ophiocordyceps sinensis, one of the most important medicinal fungi in China and now globally, was evaluated using a two-stage culture method. All the treatments, except nutrient deprivation, enhanced conidial production and vegetative biomass to some extent. However, conidia produced under stress showed decreased germination in comparison with those continuously cultured on the enriched potato dextrose agar (PDA; as the control). Among 10 treatments tested, the physical stress of frozen-shock produced the largest number of conidia, 7.5 times higher than that of the control, followed by heat-shock treatment. These results demonstrate that the fungus has strong physiological adaptations to environmental stress that may have evolved because it is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. This report will be relevant to the study of the pathogenicity and artificial cultivation of this endangered fungus.

Metacaspases, Autophagins and Metallocarboxypeptidases: Potential New Targets for Chemotherapy of the Trypanosomiases

During the last decade, de novo drug discovery approaches have come into focus due to the increased number of parasite pathogen genomes sequenced and the subsequent availability of genome-scale functional datasets. In order to prioritize target proteins, these approaches consider traits commonly thought to be desirable in a drug target, including essentiality, druggability (whether drug-like molecules are likely to interact with the target), assayability, importance in lifecycle stages of the pathogen relevant to human health, and specificity (i.e. the target is absent from, or substantially different in, the host). Proteases from protozoan parasites have become popular drug targets since these enzymes accomplish both housekeeping tasks common to many eukaryotes as well as functions highly specific to the parasite life style. Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasitic flagellate, agent of Chagas Disease, contains several cysteine, serine, threonine and metallo proteinases. This review will deal with peculiar families described in this parasite. Among them, two eukaryote homologues of the carboxypeptidases Taq are promising targets due to their particular phylogenetic distribution. Also absent in metazoans, metacaspases are essential peptidases playing important roles in cell growth, death and differentiation of trypanosomatids. Finally, autophagins are involved in the regulation of a conserved degradative pathway, the autophagy pathway, and result important for parasite survival under nutritional stress conditions and differentiation. Although so far there are no specific inhibitors for these families, the increasing knowledge of their biochemical properties, including substrate specificity, crystal structure, and biological functions, is an essential step towards the development of inhibitors.

In vitro transdentinal effect of low-level laser therapy

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used for the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity. However, the specific LLL dose and the response mechanisms of these cells to transdentinal irradiation have not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, this study evaluated the transdentinal effects of different LLL doses on stressed odontoblast-like pulp cells MDPC-23 seeded onto the pulpal side of dentin discs obtained from human third molars. The discs were placed in devices simulating in vitro pulp chambers and the whole set was placed in 24-well plates containing plain culture medium (DMEM). After 24 h incubation, the culture medium was replaced by fresh DMEM supplemented with either 5% (simulating a nutritional stress condition) or 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The cells were irradiated with doses of 15 and 25 J cm−2 every 24 h, totaling three applications over three consecutive days. The cells in the control groups were removed from the incubator for the same times as used in their respective experimental groups for irradiation, though without activating the laser source (sham irradiation). After 72 h of the last active or sham irradiation, the cells were evaluated with respect to succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) enzyme production (MTT assay), total protein (TP) expression, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) synthesis, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for collagen type 1 (Col-I) and ALP, and morphology (SEM). For both tests, significantly higher values were obtained for the 25 J cm−2 dose. Regarding SDH production, supplementation of the culture medium with 5% FBS provided better results. For TP and ALP expression, the 25 J cm−2 presented higher values, especially for the 5% FBS concentration (Mann–Whitney p < 0.05). Under the tested conditions, near infrared laser irradiation at 25 J cm−2 caused transdentinal biostimulation of odontoblast-like MDPC-23 cells.