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Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe disease of unknown pathogenesis with a lifetime prevalence of ~10%. Therapy requires prolonged treatment that often fails. We have previously demonstrated that ceramide levels in the blood plasma of patients and in mice with experimental MDD are increased. Neutralization of blood plasma ceramide prevented experimental MDD in mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that blood plasma ceramide accumulated in endothelial cells of the hippocampus, inhibited phospholipase D (PLD) and thereby decreased phosphatidic acid in the hippocampus. Here, we demonstrate that phosphatidic acid binds to and controls the activity of phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTP1B) in the hippocampus and thus determines tyrosine phosphorylation of a variety of cellular proteins including TrkB. Injection of PLD, phosphatidic acid, or inhibition of PTP1B abrogated MDD and normalized cellular tyrosine phosphorylation, including phosphorylation of TrkB and neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Most importantly, these treatments also rapidly normalized behavior of mice with experimental MDD. Since phosphatidic acid binds to and inhibits PTP1B, the lack of phosphatidic acid results in increased activity of PTP1B and thereby in reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of TrkB and other cellular proteins. Thus, our data indicate a novel pathogenetic mechanism of and a rapidly acting targeted treatment for MDD. (Figure presented.).

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pulmonary infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) or Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are of utmost clinical relevance in patients with cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, after trauma and burn, upon ventilation or in immuno-compromised patients. Many P. aeruginosa and S. aureus strains are resistant to many known antibiotics and it is very difficult or often impossible to eradicate the pathogens in patient´s lungs. We have recently shown that the sphingoid base sphingosine very efficiently kills many pathogens, including for instance P. aeruginosa, S. aureus or Acinetobacter baumannii, in vitro. In vivo experiments of our group on cystic fibrosis mice indicated that inhalation of sphingosine prevents or eliminates existing acute or chronic pneumonia with P. aeruginosa or S. aureus in these mice. We also demonstrated that sphingosine is safe to use for inhalation up to high doses, at least in mice. To facilitate development of sphingosine to an anti-bactericidal drug that can be used in humans for inhalation, safety data on non-rodents, larger animals are absolutely required. METHODS: Here, we inhaled mini pigs with increasing doses of sphingosine for 10 days and analyzed the uptake of sphingosine into epithelial cells of bronchi as well as into the trachea and lung and the systemic circulation. Moreover, we measured the generation of ceramide and sphingosine 1-phosphate that potentially mediate inflammation, the influx of leukocytes, epithelial cell death and disruption of the epithelial cell barrier. RESULTS: We demonstrate that inhalation of sphingosine results in increased levels of sphingosine in the luminal membrane of bronchi and the trachea, but not in systemic accumulation. Inhaled sphingosine had no side effects up to very high doses. CONCLUSION: In summary, we demonstrate that inhalation of sphingosine results in an increase of sphingosine concentrations in the luminal plasma membrane of tracheal and bronchial epithelial cells. The inhalation has no systemic or local side effects. CA Gulbins

Previous studies have shown that sphingosine kills a variety of pathogenic bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Sphingosine concentrations are decreased in airway epithelial cells of cystic fibrosis (CF) mice, and this defect has been linked to the infection susceptibility of these mice. Here, we tested whether the genetic overexpression of acid ceramidase rescues cystic fibrosis mice from pulmonary infections with P. aeruginosa., Previous studies have shown that sphingosine kills a variety of pathogenic bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Sphingosine concentrations are decreased in airway epithelial cells of cystic fibrosis (CF) mice, and this defect has been linked to the infection susceptibility of these mice. Here, we tested whether the genetic overexpression of acid ceramidase rescues cystic fibrosis mice from pulmonary infections with P. aeruginosa. We demonstrate that the transgenic overexpression of acid ceramidase in CF mice corresponds to the overexpression of acid ceramidase in bronchial and tracheal epithelial cells and normalizes ceramide and sphingosine levels in bronchial and tracheal epithelial cells. In addition, the expression of β1-integrin, which is ectopically expressed on the luminal surface of airway epithelial cells in cystic fibrosis mice, an alteration that is very important for mediating pulmonary P. aeruginosa infections in cystic fibrosis, is normalized in cystic fibrosis airways upon the overexpression of acid ceramidase. Most importantly, the overexpression of acid ceramidase protects cystic fibrosis mice from pulmonary P. aeruginosa infections. Infection of CF mice or CF mice that inhaled sphingosine with P. aeruginosa or a P. aeruginosa mutant that is resistant to sphingosine indicates that sphingosine and not a metabolite kills P. aeruginosa upon pulmonary infection. These studies further support the use of acid ceramidase and its metabolite sphingosine as potential treatments of cystic fibrosis.

We have previously shown that the acid sphingomyelinase/ceramide system plays an important role in bacterial and viral infections Pharmacological inhibition of

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Major depressive disorder is one of the most common diseases in western countries. The disease is mainly defined by its psychiatric symptoms. However, the disease has also many symptoms outside the central nervous system, in particular cardiovascular symptoms. Recent studies demonstrated that the acid sphingomyelinase/ceramide system plays an important role in the development of major depressive disorder and functions as a target of antidepressants.; METHODS: Here, we investigated (i) whether ceramide accumulates in endothelial cells in the neurogenetic zone of the hippocampus after glucocorticosterone-mediated stress, (ii) whether ceramide is released into the extracellular space of the hippocampus and (iii) whether extracellular ceramide inhibits neuronal proliferation. Ceramide was determined in endothelial cell culture supernatants or extracellular hippocampus extracts by a kinase assay. Endothelial ceramide in the hippocampus was analyzed by confocal microscopy of brain sections stained with Cy3-labelled anti-ceramide antibodies and FITC-Isolectin B4. Neuronal proliferation was measured by incubation of pheochromocytoma neuronal cells with culture supernatants and extracellular hippocampus extracts.; RESULTS: Treatment of cultured endothelial cells with glucocorticosterone induces a release of ceramide into the supernatant. Likewise, treatment of mice with glucocorticosterone triggers a release of ceramide into the extracellular space of the hippocampus. The release of ceramide is inhibited by concomitant treatment with the antidepressant amitriptyline, which also inhibits the activity of the acid sphingomyelinase. Studies employing confocal microscopy revealed that ceramide is formed and accumulates exclusively in endothelial cells in the hippocampus of stressed mice, a process that was again prevented by co-application of amitriptyline. Ceramide released in the culture supernatant or into the extracellular space of the hippocampus reduced proliferation of neurons in vitro.; CONCLUSION: The data suggest a novel model for the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder, i.e. the release of ceramide-enriched microvesicles from endothelial cells that negatively affect neuronal proliferation in the hippocampus, but may also induce cardiovascular disease and other systemic symptoms of patients with major depressive disorder. 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel. OA gold - CA Gulbins

Tuberculosis is one of the most serious infectious diseases worldwide. The initial pulmonal localization of the pathogens often develops into systemic infection with high lethality. We investigated the role of the mammalian neutral sphingomyelinase (Nsm)/ceramide system in systemic infection of mice and murine macrophages with Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Our results demonstrate that BCG infection of RAW cells, a macrophage cell line, results in rapid activation of Nsm but not of acid sphingomyelinase (Asm). Activation of Nsm is associated with a massive release of superoxide. Genetic knock-down of Nsm in RAW cells prevented superoxide production upon BCG infection. Superoxide suppressed autophagy in BCG-infected macrophages in vitro and in vivo: Knock-down of Nsm or inhibition of superoxide restored autophagy in macrophages and increased killing of intracellular bacteria upon BCG infection. Most importantly, autophagy was also massively increased in Nsm-heterozygous mice, protecting these mice from systemic BCG infections, granuloma development, and chronic infections of liver and spleen. These findings indicate that the Nsm/ceramide system plays a role in protecting mice against systemic tuberculosis by preventing superoxide-mediated inhibition of autophagy.

Aims: Pulmonary infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa are a serious clinical problem and are often lethal. Because many strains of P. aeruginosa are resistant to antibiotics, therapeutic options are limited. Neutrophils play an important role in the host's early acute defense against pulmonary P. aeruginosa. Therefore, it is important to define the mechanisms by which P. aeruginosa interacts with host cells, particularly neutrophils. Results: Here, we report that pyocyanin, a membrane-permeable pigment and toxin released by P. aeruginosa, induces the death of wild-type neutrophils; its interaction with the mitochondrial respiratory chain results in the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the activation of mitochondrial acid sphingomyelinase, the formation of mitochondrial ceramide, and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. A genetic deficiency in acid sphingomyelinase prevents both the activation of this pathway and pyocyanin-induced neutrophil death. This reduced death, on the other hand, is associated with an increase in the release of interleukin-8 from pyocyanin-activated acid sphingomyelinase-deficient neutrophils but not from wild-type cells. Innovation: These studies identified the mechanisms by which pyocyanin induces the release of mitochondrial ROS and by which ROS induce neutrophil death via mitochondrial acid sphingomyelinase. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate a novel mechanism of pyocyanin-induced death of neutrophils and show how this apoptosis balances innate immune reactions. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 22, 1097–1110.

Pulmonary infections of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) occur very early in the disease. The molecular details that cause infection-susceptibility of CF patients to and mediate infection with S. aureus are poorly characterized. Therefore, we aimed to identify the role of α-toxin, a major S. aureus toxin, for pulmonary infection of CF mice. Infection with S. aureus JE2 resulted in severe pneumonia in CF mice, while wildtype mice were almost unaffected. Deficiency of α-toxin in JE2-Δhla reduced the pathogenicity of S. aureus in CF mice. However, CF mice were still more susceptible to the mutant S. aureus strain than wildtype mice. The S. aureus JE2 induced a marked increase of ceramide and a downregulation of sphingosine and acid ceramidase expression in bronchi of CF mice. Deletion of α-toxin reduced these changes after infection of CF mice. Similar changes were observed in wildtype mice, but at much lower levels. Our data indicate that expression of α-toxin is a major factor causing S. aureus infections in CF mice. Wildtype S. aureus induces a marked increase of ceramide and a reduction of sphingosine and acid ceramidase expression in bronchial epithelial cells of wildtype and CF mice, changes that determine infection susceptibility.

Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) infections are among the most common and severe infections, garnering notoriety in an era of increasing resistance to antibiotics. It is therefore important to define molecular mechanisms by which this pathogen attacks host cells. Here, we demonstrate that alpha-toxin, one of the major toxins of S. aureus , induces activation of acid sphingomyelinase and concomitant release of ceramide in endothelial cells treated with the toxin. Activation of acid sphingomyelinase by alpha-toxin is mediated via ADAM10. Infection experiments employing alpha-toxin-deficient S. aureus and the corresponding wild-type strain reveal that activation of acid sphingomyelinase in endothelial cells requires alpha-toxin expression by the pathogen. Activation of acid sphingomyelinase is linked to degradation of tight junctions in endothelial cells in vitro , which is blocked by pharmacological inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase. Most importantly, alpha-toxin induces severe degradation of tight junctions in the lung and causes lung edema in vivo , which is prevented by genetic deficiency of acid sphingomyelinase. These data indicate a novel and important role of the acid sphingomyelinase/ceramide system for the endothelial response to toxins and provide a molecular link between alpha-toxin and the degradation of tight junctions. The data also suggest that inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase may provide a novel treatment option to prevent lung edema caused by S. aureus alpha-toxin.

The impact of nanofillers on the swelling characteristics of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR)–clay nanocomposites was thoroughly investigated. The nanocomposites exhibited a dramatic decrease in the solvent uptake compared to the unfilled HNBR even at very low filler loadings because of the molecular dispersion of the organically modified montmorillonite and sepiolite and strong interaction between the HNBR and clays. The dispersion of the clay layers was verified by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the clay content was found to influence the solvent uptake properties of the HNBR–clay nanocomposites. The diffusion and sorption behavior of chloroform in the HNBR–clay nanocomposites at different loadings was studied by a conventional weight gain method. The diffusion results were analyzed in terms of the simple Fickian model. Finally, Arrhenius and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated from these diffusion data. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative pathogen that causes severe infections in immunocompromised individuals and individuals with cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Here we show that kinase suppressor of Ras-1 (Ksr1)-deficient mice are highly susceptible to pulmonary P. aeruginosa infection accompanied by uncontrolled pulmonary cytokine release, sepsis and death, whereas wild-type mice clear the infection. Ksr1 recruits and assembles inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) and heat shock protein-90 (Hsp90) to enhance iNOS activity and to release NO upon infection. Ksr1 deficiency prevents lung alveolar macrophages and neutrophils from activating iNOS, producing NO and killing bacteria. Restoring NO production restores the bactericidal capability of Ksr1-deficient lung alveolar macrophages and neutrophils and rescues Ksr1-deficient mice from P. aeruginosa infection. Our findings suggest that Ksr1 functions as a previously unknown scaffold that enhances iNOS activity and is therefore crucial for the pulmonary response to P. aeruginosa infections.

Organically modified clay – reinforced hydrogenated nitrile rubber vulcanizate was subjected to accelerated heat aging to estimate its long-term thermo-oxidative stability and its useful lifetime was compared with that of the virgin polymer for the first time. Changes in technical properties such as tensile strength, modulus and elongation at break were studied as a function of time and temperature of aging. The infrared spectroscopic analysis of the degraded products revealed that under aerobic hot aging conditions, hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR) compounds undergo cross-linking reactions that lead to embrittlement and ultimately failure. Incorporation of clay filler, however, resulted in significant improvement of the degradation profile of the nanocomposite at elevated temperatures. Loss of ductility during aging of the nanocomposite was also milder, relative to the unfilled polymer, indicating a restricted degradation by the clay filled rubber, thus prolonging the durability. From the scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies, it was found that nanofillers protected the elastomer from surface rupture that took place on oxidation. Life prediction of both virgin elastomer and the nanocomposite indicated a three-fold increase in the effective service temperature range of the HNBR using 8 parts organically modified nanoclay.

The present work derives a relationship between structure and properties of hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR) in the presence as well as absence of nanofillers. Four different grades of HNBR were selected to examine the influence of polarity, unsaturation, and molecular weight on thermal, mechanical, and dynamic mechanical properties of the elastomers and particularly their nanocomposites. An increase in thermal stability, tensile strength, modulus at 100% elongation as well as storage modulus of the unfilled rubber was observed with increase in polarity (acrylonitrile content). Different nanofillers, such as montmorillonite, sepiolite, and nanosilica were used to improve the above properties of the unfilled rubber. Interestingly, a reverse trend of thermal properties was observed for the nanocomposites with acrylonitrile variation, although mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties exhibited similar trend to those of the unfilled rubber. These properties, however, gradually deteriorated as the level of unsaturation on the polymer backbone was increased. On addition of the nanofillers, it was found that the improvement in thermal and mechanical properties was higher for the elastomer having 5.5% diene content. The results were explained by X-ray Diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray mapping, and swelling studies. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1389-1399, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers.

The potassium channel Kv1.3 has recently been located to the inner mitochondrial membrane of lymphocytes. Here, we show that mouse and human cells that are genetically deficient in either Kv1.3 or transfected with siRNA to suppress Kv1.3-expression resisted apoptosis induced by several stimuli, including Bax over-expression. Retransfection of either Kv1.3 or a mitochondrial-targeted Kv1.3 restored cell death. Bax interacted with and functionally inhibited mitochondrial Kv1.3. Incubation of isolated Kv1.3-positive mitochondria with recombinant Bax, t-Bid, or toxins that bind to and inhibit Kv1.3 successively triggered hyperpolarization, formation of reactive oxygen species, release of cytochrome c , and marked depolarization. Kv1.3-deficient mitochondria were resistant to Bax, t-Bid, and the toxins. Mutation of Bax at K128, which corresponds to a conserved lysine in Kv1.3-inhibiting toxins, abrogated its effects on both Kv1.3 and mitochondria. These findings suggest that Bax mediates cytochrome c release and mitochondrial depolarization in lymphocytes, at least in part, via its interaction with mitochondrial Kv1.3.

The margatoxin-sensitive Kv1.3 is the major potassium channel in the plasma membrane of T lymphocytes. Electron microscopy, patch clamp, and immunological studies identified the potassium channel Kv1.3, thought to be localized exclusively in the cell membrane, in the inner mitochondrial membrane of T lymphocytes. Patch clamp of mitoplasts and mitochondrial membrane potential measurements disclose the functional expression of a mitochondrial margatoxin-sensitive potassium channel. To identify unambiguously the mitochondrial localization of Kv1.3, we employed a genetic model and stably transfected CTLL-2 cells, which are genetically deficient for this channel, with Kv1.3. Mitochondria isolated from Kv1.3-reconstituted CTLL-2 expressed the channel protein and displayed an activity, which was identical to that observed in Jurkat mitochondria, whereas mitochondria of mock-transfected cells lacked a channel with the characteristics of Kv1.3. Our data provide the first molecular identification of a mitochondrial potassium conductance.

A new method for mutation detection is described, which is a technical advancement of the protein truncation test. The new technique is non-radioactive and highly sensitive for detection of virtually all sequence mutations, which lead to a stop signal or to the shift of the translation frame. The method includes four steps: 1) capture of the interesting sequence copies out of the sample by binding to an immobilized complementary sequence, 2) PCR amplification of the gene fragment to be analyzed with primers coding both for amino- and carboxy-terminal tags, 3) in vitro transcription and translation, and 4) analysis of the translation products by Western blot. As an evaluation of the new method, we detected mutated gene copies at a dilution of 1 to 40 compared to the non-mutated gene. Using the method, we were able to detect a mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli tumor suppressor gene (APC) in a stool sample of a colorectal cancer patient. This mutation could not be detected by direct sequencing of the amplified APC gene fragment.

Structure of nanofillers and their subsequent interaction with a polymer is very important in determining thermal stability of polymer nanocomposite. In this paper, we tried to correlate structure of various 0, 1 and 2 dimensional nanofillers with the thermal stability of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) nanocomposites. Organically modified and unmodified layered silicates such as montmorillonite (Cloisite Na+, Cloisite 30B and Cloisite 15A), rod-like fibrous filler (sepiolite) and spherical nanoparticles (nanosilica) were chosen for this purpose. A significant improvement in thermal stability (obtained by thermogravimeric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry) was observed for silica-filled nanocomposites. However, the activation energy of the nanocomposites calculated by different kinetic methods (both non-isothermal and isothermal methods) was found to be significantly high for sepiolite, 30B and silica-filled nanocomposites. The results were explained with the help of structure of the nanofillers, their interaction with the elastomer and the subsequent dispersion, as measured by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. From these analyses it was concluded that organically modified montmorillonite, sepiolite and nanosilica increase the thermal stability of the nanocomposite to a great extent due to the interaction of the reactive groups on the surface of these fillers with the polymer and high thermal stability of these inorganic fillers. Finally, degradation mechanism of HNBR in presence of the nanofillers at severe operating temperatures was investigated with the help of FTIR spectroscopy.

Members of the Bcl-2 family play key roles as proapoptotic (e.g., Bax) and antiapoptotic (e.g., Bcl-x(L)) regulators of programmed cell death. We previously identified the mitochondrial potassium channel Kv1.3 as a novel target of Bax. Incubating Kv1.3-positive isolated mitochondria with Bax triggered apoptotic events, whereas Kv1.3-deficient mitochondria were resistant to this stimulus. Mutation of Bax at lysine 128 (BaxK128E) abrogated its effects on Kv1.3 and the induction of apoptotic changes in mitochondria. These data indicate a toxin-like action of Bax on Kv1.3 to trigger at least some of the mitochondrial changes typical for apoptosis. To gain insight into the mechanism of Bax-Kv1.3 interaction, we mutated Glu158 of Bcl-x(L) (corresponding to K128 in Bax) to lysine. This substitution turned Bcl-x(L) proapoptotic. Transfection of double knockout (Bax(-/-)/Bak(-/-)) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (DKO MEFs) with either wild-type Bax, BaxK128E, or Bcl-x(L)E158K showed that apoptosis induced by various stimuli was defective in DKO MEFs and BaxK128E-transfected cells, but was recovered upon transfection with Bcl-xLE158K or wild-type Bax. Both wild-type Bax and BaxK128E can form similar ion-conducting pores upon incorporation into planar lipid bilayers. Our results point to a physiologically relevant interaction of Bax with Kv1.3 and further indicate a crucial role of a distinct lysine in determining the proapoptotic character of Bcl2-family proteins.

Poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) hydrogels are prepared in the presence of temperature sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM) microgels. The microgel particles are incorporated into the macroscopic hydrogel; however, the presence of the particles leads to a slower gelation process and the gel point is shifted to longer reaction times. Elastic properties of the hydrogel become temperature sensitive indicating a partial interpenetration of the PNiPAM microgels by the PAAm network. The hydrogel formation was performed at two temperatures where the PNiPAM microgels were either strongly or weakly swollen. Subsequent temperature changes lead to a change in microgel size and thereby influence the properties of the macroscopic gel. Static light scattering revealed enhanced long range heterogeneities that are temperature dependent in contrast to pure PAAm gels.

A new method for mutation detection is described, which is a technical advancement of the protein truncation test. The new technique is non-radioactive and highly sensitive for detection of virtually all sequence mutations, which lead to a stop signal or to the shift of the translation frame. The method includes four steps: 1) capture of the interesting sequence copies out of the sample by binding to an immobilized complementary sequence, 2) PCR amplification of the gene fragment to be analyzed with primers coding both for amino- and carboxy-terminal tags, 3) in vitro transcription and translation, and 4) analysis of the translation products by Western blot. As an evaluation of the new method, we detected mutated gene copies at a dilution of 1 to 40 compared to the non-mutated gene. Using the method, we were able to detect a mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli tumor suppressor gene (APC) in a stool sample of a colorectal cancer patient. This mutation could not be detected by direct sequencing of the amplified APC gene fragment.