ApoB100-LDL Acts as a Metabolic Signal from Liver to Peripheral Fat Causing Inhibition of Lipolysis in Adipocytes

International audienceBACKGROUND: Free fatty acids released from adipose tissue affect the synthesis of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins and glucose metabolism in the liver. Whether there also exists a reciprocal metabolic arm affecting energy metabolism in white adipose tissue is unknown. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We investigated the effects of apoB-containing lipoproteins on catecholamine-induced lipolysis in adipocytes from subcutaneous fat cells of obese but otherwise healthy men, fat pads from mice with plasma lipoproteins containing high or intermediate levels of apoB100 or no apoB100, primary cultured adipocytes, and 3T3-L1 cells. In subcutaneous fat cells, the rate of lipolysis was inversely related to plasma apoB levels. In human primary adipocytes, LDL inhibited lipolysis in a concentration-dependent fashion. In contrast, VLDL had no effect. Lipolysis was increased in fat pads from mice lacking plasma apoB100, reduced in apoB100-only mice, and intermediate in wild-type mice. Mice lacking apoB100 also had higher oxygen consumption and lipid oxidation. In 3T3-L1 cells, apoB100-containing lipoproteins inhibited lipolysis in a dose-dependent fashion, but lipoproteins containing apoB48 had no effect. ApoB100-LDL mediated inhibition of lipolysis was abolished in fat pads of mice deficient in the LDL receptor (Ldlr(-/-)Apob(100/100)). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the binding of apoB100-LDL to adipocytes via the LDL receptor inhibits intracellular noradrenaline-induced lipolysis in adipocytes. Thus, apoB100-LDL is a novel signaling molecule from the liver to peripheral fat deposits that may be an important link between atherogenic dyslipidemias and facets of the metabolic syndrome

Evaluation of Environmental and Economic Performance of Crop Production in Relation to Crop Rotation, Catch Crops, and Tillage

Crop production constitutes a significant portion of the EU’s agricultural output and influences land use decisions. Various elements within the crop production system can significantly impact its outcomes. This paper aims to evaluate the environmental and economic performance of crop rotation, catch crops, and different tillage practices in Latvia by analyzing data from case studies, field trials, and field monitoring to identify the potential for improvement towards a more sustainable utilization of agricultural land. Environmental performance was evaluated by focusing on nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), as it is likely to play a significant role in assessing the environmental suitability of crop production according to the Platform on Sustainable Finance. For economic performance, gross margins were calculated. Crop rotation in Latvia tends to be monotonous, with wheat and oilseed rape dominating over 60% of the cultivated area due to their profitability. The findings of this study indicate that achieving a minimum NUE of 70% is challenging. Crop rotations including oilseed rape, particularly the common wheat–oilseed rape rotation, have an average NUE below the threshold, while proper use of catch crops may increase NUE by 7–9%. The three-year field trials on commercial farms yielded divergent findings about the impact of various tillage practices on NUE and gross margin. However, the field trials conducted on the farm practicing reduced tillage for over ten years show higher NUE compared to ploughing. The advantage of reduced tillage was supported by the obtained results indicating lower costs of agrotechnical operations, including less diesel consumption

Effect of pharmaceutical interventions targeting thromboxane receptors and thromboxane synthase in cardiovascular and renal diseases

The present review focuses on the roles of thromboxane A2 (TxA2) in arterial thrombosis, atherogenesis, vascular stent-related ischemic events and renal proteinuria. Particular emphasis is laid on therapeutic interventions targeting the TxA2 (TP) receptors and TxA2 synthase (TS), including dual TP-receptor antagonists and TS inhibitors. Their significant inhibitory efficacies on arterial thrombogenesis, atherogenesis, restenosis after stent placement, vasoconstriction and proteinuria indicate novel and improved treatments for cardiovascular and selected renal diseases. New therapeutic interventions of the TxA2 pathway may also be beneficial for patients with poor biological antiplatelet drug response, for example, to aspirin and/or clopidogrel. These new TP/TS agents offer novel improved treatments to efficiently and simultaneously interfere with thrombogenesis and atherogenesis, and to enlarge the existing panel of platelet inhibitors for efficient prophylaxis and treatment of arterial thrombosis and renal proteinuria. </jats:p

Linked Open Data for Environmental Protection in Smart Regions – from INSPIRE Data to Semantic WEB Data

This paper introduces with the specific objectives and initial results of the recently started project SmartOpenData - “Linked Open Data for Environmental Protection in Smart Regions” (SmOD project) that is supported by Seventh Framework ENV.2013.6.5-3: Exploiting the European Open Data Strategy to Mobilize the Use of Environmental Data and Information. The main concept of this project is based on idea to create real Linked Open Data (SmOD) infrastructure (also software tools and data sets) fed by freely available public data sources for biodiversity, environment protection and research in European rural territories, protected areas and national parks that satisfy the requirements of four (almost all possible) groups of target users of this product: public authorities, companies (also small and medium enterprises (SMEs), researchers and citizens. It is very important, that The SmOD project will focus also on how this initiative can be linked with the INSPIRE directive regulation, GEOSS Data-CORE, Copernicus (former GMES), completed environmental data related European scale Geographic Information System (GIS) projects (like Habitats project) and external third parties, as well as how it can impact economic and sustainability progress in European environmental protection and research. Five pilot project developments (for agro forestry management, environmental research and biodiversity, water monitoring, forest sustainability and environmental data re-use) will focus on metadata harmonization, semantic context how to reach spatial data fusion, as well how to visualize and publish the information in accordance of requirements of target users of that products

Arylsulfonamidothiazoles as a New Class of Potential Antidiabetic Drugs. Discovery of Potent and Selective Inhibitors of the 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1

Novel antidiabetic arylsulfonamidothiazoles are presented that exert action through selective inhibition of the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) enzyme, thereby attenuating hepatic gluconeogenesis. The diethylamide derivative 2a was shown to potently inhibit human 11β-HSD1 (IC50 = 52 nM), whereas the N-methylpiperazinamide analogue 2b only inhibited murine 11β-HSD1 (IC50 = 96 nM). Both compounds showed >200-fold selectivity over human and murine 11β-HSD2. 2b was subsequently shown to reduce glucose levels in diabetic KKAy mice, substantiating the 11β-HSD1 enzyme as a target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes