Search

In cells derived from several types of cancer, a transcriptional program drives high consumption of glutamine (Gln), which is used for anaplerosis, leading to a metabolic addiction for the amino acid. Low or absent expression of Glutamine Synthetase (GS), the only enzyme that catalyzes de novo Gln synthesis, has been considered a marker of Gln-addicted cancers. In this study, two human cell lines derived from brain tumors with oligodendroglioma features, HOG and Hs683, have been shown to be GS-negative. Viability of both lines depends from extracellular Gln with EC 50 of 0.175 ± 0.056 mM (Hs683) and 0.086 ± 0.043 mM (HOG), thus suggesting that small amounts of extracellular Gln are sufficient for OD cell growth. Gln starvation does not significantly affect the cell content of anaplerotic substrates, which, consistently, are not able to rescue cell growth, but causes hindrance of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and protein synthesis attenuation, which is mitigated by transient GS expression. Gln transport inhibitors cause partial depletion of intracellular Gln and cell growth inhibition, but do not lower cell viability. Therefore, GS-negative human oligodendroglioma cells are Gln-auxotrophic but do not use the amino acid for anaplerosis and, hence, are not Gln addicted, exhibiting only limited Gln requirements for survival and growth., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In this study, the involvement of 5-HT2A receptors on mesenteric ischemia-reperfusion injury was examined in mice. Intestinal ischemia produced by 45 min occlusion of superior mesenteric artery was followed by 24h reperfusion (I/R). The 5-HT2A selective antagonist, ketanserin (0.5 mgkg(-1)) or the 5-HT2A agonist DOI (0.25 mgkg(-1)) was intravenously administered before ischemia and 8h after the beginning of reperfusion. The effects were compared with those obtained in sham operated animals (S). Ketanserin prevented the upper gastrointestinal transit delay induced by I/R (P<0.01), protected intestine from leukocyte recruitment as indicated by jejunal myeloperoxidase activity (P<0.05) and reverted Evans Blue extravasation elicited by I/R in lung, colon and jejunum (P<0.05). On the other hand, 5-HT2A activation by DOI mimicked the effects of I/R in S mice prolonging small intestine transit (P<0.05) and enhancing neutrophil accumulation in jejunal tissues (P<0.05). Furthermore, the reduction of ADP-induced platelet aggregation in plasma of I/R mice was prevented by ketanserin treatment. All together, these findings support the critical involvement of 5-HT2A receptor subtype in mediating the damage induced by mesenteric I/R in mice.

Nitric oxide (NO) involvement in intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury has been widely suggested but its protective or detrimental role remains still question of debate. Here, we examine the impact of supplementation or inhibition of NO availability on intestinal dysmotility and inflammation caused by mesenteric I/R in mice. Ischemia 45min and reperfusion 24h were performed by superior mesenteric artery occlusion in female Swiss mice. Saline-treated sham-operated (S) or normal mice without surgery (N) served as controls. Drugs were subcutaneously injected 0, 4, 8, and 18 h after ischemia. Upper gastrointestinal transit (GIT, estimated through black marker gavage), intestinal myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), intestinal malondialdehyde levels (MDA), Evans blue extravasation (EB), intestinal histological damage, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were considered. In I/R mice, GIT was significantly delayed compared to S and N groups; MPO activity and EB extravasation enhanced, whereas MDA levels did not change. Compared to N and S groups, in I/R mice selective iNOS inhibitor P-BIT significantly prevented motor, MPO and EB changes; putative iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine significantly counteracted GIT delay but not neutrophil recruitment and the increase in vascular permeability; NOS inhibitor l-NAME and NO precursor l-arginine were scarcely or no effective. Furthermore, in S mice aminoguanidine caused a significant increase of MPO activity reverted by H(1) histamine receptor antagonist pre-treatment. Unlike P-BIT, aminoguanidine and l-NAME injection increased MAP. These findings confirm a detrimental role for iNOS-derived NO overproduction during reperfusion. Aminoguanidine-associated neutrophil recruitment suggests that this drug could act through mechanisms additional to iNOS inhibition involving both eNOS blockade, as indicated by its hemodynamic effects, and indirect activation of H(1) histamine receptors.