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The possibility of preparing fission chambers for the experimental determination of subcriticality without time-consuming corrections has been presented. The reactor detectors set consists of monoisotopic chambers. Each chamber is intended for a specific position in the system. Individual weights, rated a priori for all detectors in their positions, allow for quick calculation of whole system subcriticality. The inconveniences related to the spatial effect are minimized. This is achieved by computational simulation of the area method results, for each detector position and all possible fissionable and fissile nuclides. Next, one nuclide is selected, specific for the given position, presenting the smallest difference from the MCNP KCODE precisely estimated kkcode. The case study is made using the model of VENUS-F core.

It has recently been shown that an increased plasma level of the tryptophan catabolite kynurenine is an early indicator for the development of sepsis in major trauma patients. We examined the predictive value of kynurenine pathway activity for ongoing sepsis in patients being admitted to a surgical intensive care unit for different reasons. In addition, we asked whether an accumulation of kynurenines in patients' plasma depends on reduced renal clearance. We conducted a prospective observational study including 100 consecutive patients and monitored laboratory variables, physiological and adverse events, sepsis and outcome. Using tandem mass spectrometry, we quantified the five indoleamines tryptophan, serotonin (5-HT), kynurenine, quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid at baseline and twice a week during the intensive care unit stay. Among the patients enrolled, 50 did not develop sepsis in the intensive care unit (non-septic), 18 patients did not have sepsis at baseline but developed sepsis later on (pre-septic) and 32 patients already fulfilled the criteria of severe sepsis and septic shock at baseline (septic). In general, non-septic critically ill patients showed activation of the kynurenine pathway, but septic shock coincided with an exacerbation of kynurenine pathway activity even in the absence of renal failure. Importantly, plasma concentrations of quinolinic acid (area under the curve 0.832 [95% confidence interval 0.710 to 0.954]) and the Quin/Trp ratio (area under the curve 0.835 [95% confidence interval; 0.719 to 0.952]) showed the best discrimination between non-septic and pre-septic patients at baseline. These findings open new avenues for further investigations on the pathophysiology of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of closed nuclear fuel cycle seems to be the most promising options for the efficient usage of the nuclear energy resources. However, it can be implemented only in fast breeder reactors of the IVth generation, which are characterized by the fast neutron spectrum. The lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) was defined and studied on the level of technical design in order to demonstrate its performance and reliability within the European collaboration on ELSY (European Lead-cooled System) and LEADER (Lead-cooled European Advanced Demonstration Reactor) projects. It has been demonstrated that LFR meets the requirements of the closed nuclear fuel cycle, where plutonium and minor actinides (MA) are recycled for reuse, thereby producing no MA waste. In this study, the most promising option was realized when entire Pu + MA material is fully recycled to produce a new batch of fuel without partitioning. This is the concept of a fuel cycle which asymptotically tends to the adiabatic equilibrium, where the concentrations of plutonium and MA at the beginning of the cycle are restored in the subsequent cycle in the combined process of fuel transmutation and cooling, removal of fission products (FPs), and admixture of depleted uranium. In this way, generation of nuclear waste containing radioactive plutonium and MA can be eliminated. The paper shows methodology applied to the LFR equilibrium fuel cycle assessment, which was developed for the Monte Carlo continuous energy burnup (MCB) code, equipped with enhanced modules for material processing and fuel handling. The numerical analysis of the reactor core concerns multiple recycling and recovery of long-lived nuclides and their influence on safety parameters. The paper also presents a general concept of the novel IVth generation breeder reactor with equilibrium fuel and its future role in the management of MA.

The partitioning and transmutation (P&T) of spent nuclear fuel is an important field of present development of nuclear energy technologies. One of the possible ways to carry out the P&T process is to use the accelerator driven systems (ADS). This technology has been developed within the EURATOM Framework Programmes for several years now. Current research in this field is carried out within the scope of 7th FP project FREYA. Important parts of the project are experiments performed in the GUINEVERE facility devoted to characterising the subcritical core kinetics and development of reactivity monitoring techniques. The present paper considers the effects of control rods use on the core reactivity. In order to carry out the evaluation of the experimental results, it is important to have detailed core characteristics at hand and to take into consideration the differences in the effect of control rods acting separately or together (the so-called shadow effect) on both the reactivity value and the measured neutron flux. Also any core asymmetry should be revealed. This goal was achieved by both MCNP simulations and the experimental results. However, in the case of experimental results, the need for calculating respective correction factors was unavoidable.

Limitations of correct evaluation of keff in Monte Carlo calculations, claimed in literature, apart from the nuclear data uncertainty, need to be addressed more thoroughly. Respective doubts concern: the proper number of discarded initial cycles, the sufficient number of neutrons in a cycle and the recognition and dealing with the keff bias. Calculations were performed to provide more information on these points with the use of the MCB code, solely for fast cores. We present applied methods and results, such as: calculation results for stability of variance, relation between standard deviation reported by MCNP and this from the dispersion of multiple independent keff values, second order standard deviations obtained from different numbers of grouped results. All obtained results for numbers of discarded initial cycles from 0 to 3000 were analysed leading for interesting conclusions.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Postoperative peritonitis is characterized by a more severe clinical course than other forms of secondary peritonitis. The pathophysiological mechanisms behind this phenomenon are incompletely understood. This study used an innovative model to investigate these mechanisms, combining the models of murine Colon Ascendens Stent Peritonitis (CASP) and Surgically induced Immune Dysfunction (SID). Moreover, the influence of the previously described anti-inflammatory reflex transmitted by the vagal nerve was characterized. SID alone, or 3 days before CASP were performed in female C57BL/6 N mice. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy was performed six days before SID with following CASP. The immune status was assessed by FACS analysis and measurement of cytokines. Local intestinal inflammatory changes were characterized by immunohistochemistry. Mortality was increased in CASP animals previously subjected to SID. Subclinical bacteremia occurred after SID, and an immunosuppressive milieu occurred secondary to SID just before the induction of CASP. Previous SID modified the pattern of intestinal inflammation induced by CASP. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy had no influence on sepsis mortality in our model of postoperative peritonitis. Our results indicate a surgery-induced inflammation of the small intestine and the peritoneal cavity with bacterial translocation, which led to immune dysfunction and consequently to a more severe peritonitis., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Protection against Staphylococcus aureus is determined by the polarization of the anti-bacterial immune effector mechanisms. Virulence factors of S. aureus can modulate these and induce differently polarized immune responses in a single individual. We proposed that this may be due to intrinsic properties of the bacterial proteins. To test this idea, we selected two virulence factors, the serine protease-like protein B (SplB) and the glycerophosphoryl diester phosphodiesterase (GlpQ). In humans naturally exposed to S. aureus , SplB induces a type 2-biased adaptive immune response, whereas GlpQ elicits type 1/type 3 immunity. We injected the recombinant bacterial antigens into the peritoneum of S. aureus -naïve C57BL/6N mice and analyzed the immune response. This was skewed by SplB toward a Th2 profile including specific IgE, whereas GlpQ was weakly immunogenic. To elucidate the influence of adjuvants on the proteins' polarization potential, we studied Montanide ISA 71 VG and Imject™Alum, which promote a Th1 and Th2 response, respectively. Alum strongly increased antibody production to the Th2-polarizing protein SplB, but did not affect the response to GlpQ. Montanide enhanced the antibody production to both S. aureus virulence factors. Montanide also augmented the inflammation in general, whereas Alum had little effect on the cellular immune response. The adjuvants did not override the polarization potential of the S. aureus proteins on the adaptive immune response., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Mrochen, Trübe, Jorde, Domanska, Brandt and Bröker.)

The local anesthetic lidocaine, which has been used extensively during liposuction, has been reported to have cytotoxic effects and therefore would be unsuitable for use in autologous lipotransfer. We evaluated the effect of lidocaine on the distribution, number, and viability of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), preadipocytes, mature adipocytes, and leukocytes in the fatty and fluid portion of the lipoaspirate using antibody staining and flow cytometry analyses. Adipose tissue was harvested from 11 female patients who underwent liposuction. Abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue was infiltrated with tumescent local anesthesia, containing lidocaine on the left and lacking lidocaine on the right side of the abdomen, and harvested subsequently. Lidocaine had no influence on the relative distribution, cell number, or viability of ASCs, preadipocytes, mature adipocytes, or leukocytes in the stromal-vascular fraction. Assessing the fatty and fluid portions of the lipoaspirate, the fatty portions contained significantly more ASCs ( p < 0.05), stem cells expressing the preadipocyte marker Pref-1 ( p < 0.01 w/lidocaine, p < 0.05 w/o lidocaine), and mature adipocytes ( p < 0.05 w/lidocaine, p < 0.01 w/o lidocaine) than the fluid portions. Only the fatty portion should be used for transplantation. This study found no evidence that would contraindicate the use of lidocaine in lipotransfer. Limitations of the study include the small sample size and the inclusion of only female patients.

Background: Animal model studies revealed that the application of 1-methyltryptophan (1-MT), a tryptophan (TRP) analog, surprisingly increased plasma levels of the TRP metabolite, kynurenic acid (KYNA). Under inflammatory conditions, KYNA has been shown to mediate various immunomodulatory effects. Therefore, the present study aims to confirm and clarify the effects of 1-MT on TRP metabolism in mice as well as in humans. Methods: Splenocytes from Balb/C or indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase knockout ( IDO1 -/- ) mice or whole human blood were stimulated with 1-MT for 6, 24, or 36 h. C57BL/6 mice received 1-MT in drinking water for 5 days. Cell-free supernatants and plasma were analyzed for TRP and its metabolites by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Results: 1-MT treatment induced an increase in TRP and its metabolite, KYNA in Balb/C, IDO -/- mice, and in human blood. Concurrently, the intermediate metabolite kynurenine (KYN), as well as the KYN/TRP ratio, were reduced after 1-MT treatment. The effects of 1-MT on TRP metabolites were similar after the in vivo application of 1-MT to C57BL/6 mice. Conclusions: The data indicate that 1-MT induced an increase of KYNA ex vivo and in vivo confirming previously described results. Furthermore, the results of IDO -/- mice indicate that this effect seems not to be mediated by IDO1. Due to the proven immunomodulatory properties of KYNA, a shift toward this branch of the kynurenine pathway (KP) may be one potential mode of action by 1-MT and should be considered for further applications., (Copyright © 2020 Wirthgen, Leonard, Scharf and Domanska.)

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) are the key enzymes of tryptophan (TRP) metabolism in the kynurenine pathway (KP). Both enzymes function as indicators of immunosuppression and poor survival in cancer patients. Direct or indirect targeting of either of these substances seems thus reasonable to improve therapy options for patients. In this study, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) as well as head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) were examined because of their different mechanisms of spontaneous and treatment-induced immune escape. Effects on gene expression and protein levels were examined. Accompanying assessment of TRP metabolites from treated GBM cell culture supernatants was conducted. Our results show a heterogeneous and inversely correlated expression profile of TRP-metabolizing genes among GBM and HNSCC cells, with low, but inducible IDO1 expression upon IFNγ treatment. TDO2 expression was higher in GBM cells, while genes encoding kynurenine aminotransferases were mainly confined to HNSCC cells. These data indicate that the KP is active in both entities, with however different enzymes involved in TRP catabolism. Upon treatment with Temozolomide, the standard of care for GBM patients, IDO1 was upregulated. Comparable, although less pronounced effects were seen in HNSCC upon Cetuximab and conventional drugs (i.e., 5-fluorouracil, Gemcitabine). Here, IDO1 and additional genes of the KP ( KYAT1, KYAT2 , and KMO ) were induced. Vice versa, the novel yet experimental cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor Dinaciclib suppressed KP in both entities. Our comprehensive data imply inhibition of the TRP catabolism by Dinaciclib, while conventional chemotherapeutics tend to activate this pathway. These data point to limitations of conventional therapy and highlight the potential of targeted therapies to interfere with the cells' metabolism more than anticipated., (Copyright © 2020 Riess, Schneider, Kehnscherper, Gesche, Irmscher, Shokraie, Classen, Wirthgen, Domanska, Zimpfer, Strüder, Junghanss and Maletzki.)

Currently, it is controversially discussed whether a relationship between obesity and cognition exists. We here analyzed a mouse model of obesity (leptin-deficient mice) to study the effects of obesity on the morphology of the hippocampus (a brain structure involved in mechanisms related to learning and memory) and on behavior. Mice aged 4 to 6 months were analyzed. At this age, the obese mice have nearly double the body weight as controls, but display smaller brains (brain volume is about 10% smaller) as control animals of the same age. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis, a process that is linked to learning and memory, might be disturbed in the obese mice and contribute to the smaller brain volume. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis was examined using specific markers for cell proliferation (phosphohistone H3), neuronal differentiation (doublecortin), and apoptosis (caspase 3). The number of phosphohistone H3 and doublecortin-positive cells was markedly reduced in leptin-deficient mice, but not the number of apoptotic cells, indicating that adult hippocampal neurogenesis on the level of cell proliferation was affected. In addition, dendritic spine densities of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal area CA1 were analyzed using Golgi impregnation. However, no significant change in dendritic spine densities was noted in the obese mice. Moreover, the performance of the mice was analyzed in the open field as well as in the Morris water maze. In the open field test, obese mice showed reduced locomotor activity, but in the Morris water maze they showed similar performance compared with control animals., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests:The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2019.)

Background and Purpose- The contribution of neuroinflammation and, in particular, the infiltration of the brain by lymphocytes is increasingly recognized as a substantial pathophysiological mechanism after stroke. The interaction of lymphocytes with endothelial cells and platelets, termed thromboinflammation, fosters microvascular dysfunction and secondary infarct growth. Siponimod is an S1PR (sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor) modulator, which blocks the egress of lymphocytes from lymphoid organs and has demonstrated beneficial effects in multiple sclerosis treatment. We investigated the effect of treatment with siponimod on stroke outcome in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia. Methods- Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced in middle-aged wild-type mice. Animals were either treated with siponimod (3 mg/kg; intraperitoneal) or vehicle for 6 days. Stroke outcome was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (spleen volume: prestroke, day 3, and day 7; infarct volume: days 1, 3, and 7) and behavioral tests (prestroke, day 2, and day 6). Immune cells of the peripheral blood and brain-infiltrating cells ipsilateral and contralateral were analyzed by VETScan and by flow cytometry. Results- Siponimod significantly induced lymphopenia on day 7 after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion and reduced T-lymphocyte accumulation in the central nervous system. No effect was detected for lesion size. Conclusions- For siponimod administered at 3 mg/kg in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model, our findings do not provide preclinical evidence for the use of S1PR1/5 modulators as neuroprotectant in stroke therapy.

An enhanced indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) activity is associated with an increased mortality risk in sepsis patients. Thus, the preventive inhibition of IDO1 activity may be a promising strategy to attenuate the severity of septic shock. 1-methyltryptophan (1-MT) is currently in the interest of research due to its potential inhibitory effects on IDO1 and immunomodulatory properties. The present study aims to investigate the protective and immunomodulatory effects of 1-methyltryptophan against endotoxin-induced shock in a porcine in vivo model. Effects of 1-MT were determined on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tryptophan (TRP) degradation, immune response and sickness behaviour. 1-MT increased TRP and its metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA) in plasma and tissues, suppressed the LPS-induced maturation of neutrophils and increased inactivity of the animals. 1-MT did not inhibit the LPS-induced degradation of TRP to kynurenine (KYN)-a marker for IDO1 activity-although the increase in KYNA indicates that degradation to one branch of the KYN pathway is facilitated. In conclusion, our findings provide no evidence for IDO1 inhibition but reveal the side effects of 1-MT that may result from the proven interference of KYNA and 1-MT with aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling. These effects should be considered for therapeutic applications of 1-MT.

Increased activity of the tryptophan-metabolizing enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is associated with immunological and neurological disorders, and inhibition of its enzyme activity could be a therapeutic approach for treatment of these disorders. The aim of the present study was to establish a large animal model to study the accumulation of the potential IDO inhibitor 1-methyltryptophan (1-MT) in blood and different organs of domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica). Because 1-MT has not been previously evaluated in pigs, the pharmacokinetics of a single subcutaneous 1-MT application was investigated. Based on this kinetic study, a profile for repeated 1-MT applications over a period of five days was simulated and tested. The results show that a single administration of 1-MT increases its concentrations in blood, with the maximum concentration being obtained at 12 h. Repeated daily injections of 1‑MT generated increasing plasma concentrations followed by a steady-state after two days. Twelve hours after the final application, accumulation of 1-MT was observed in the brain and other organs, with a substantial variability among various tissues. The concentrations of 1-MT measured in plasma and tissues were similar to, or even higher, than those of tryptophan. Our data indicate that repeated subcutaneous injections of 1-MT provide a suitable model for accumulation of 1-MT in plasma and tissues of domestic pigs. These findings provide a basis for further research on the immunoregulatory functions of IDO in a large animal model.

We analyzed the putative association between abdominal obesity (measured in waist circumference) and gray matter volume (Study of Health in Pomerania: SHIP-2, N=758) adjusted for age and gender by applying volumetric analysis and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) with VBM8 to brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. We sought replication in a second, independent population sample (SHIP-TREND, N=1586). In a combined analysis (SHIP-2 and SHIP-TREND) we investigated the impact of hypertension, type II diabetes and blood lipids on the association between waist circumference and gray matter. Volumetric analysis revealed a significant inverse association between waist circumference and gray matter volume. VBM in SHIP-2 indicated distinct inverse associations in the following structures for both hemispheres: frontal lobe, temporal lobes, pre- and postcentral gyrus, supplementary motor area, supramarginal gyrus, insula, cingulate gyrus, caudate nucleus, olfactory sulcus, para-/hippocampus, gyrus rectus, amygdala, globus pallidus, putamen, cerebellum, fusiform and lingual gyrus, (pre-) cuneus and thalamus. These areas were replicated in SHIP-TREND. More than 76% of the voxels with significant gray matter volume reduction in SHIP-2 were also distinct in TREND. These brain areas are involved in cognition, attention to interoceptive signals as satiety or reward and control food intake. Due to our cross-sectional design we cannot clarify the causal direction of the association. However, previous studies described an association between subjects with higher waist circumference and future cognitive decline suggesting a progressive brain alteration in obese subjects. Pathomechanisms may involve chronic inflammation, increased oxidative stress or cellular autophagy associated with obesity., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a rate-limiting enzyme for the degradation of tryptophan (Trp) along the kynurenine (Kyn) pathway, and its increased activation is associated with immunologic disorders. Because the specific role of IDO activation is not yet completely clear, the aim of the present study was to establish a pig model of IDO activation for further research. The activation of IDO in pigs was induced experimentally by LPS stimulation in vivo and ex vivo. IDO activation was characterized by measuring Trp, Trp metabolites and IDO protein expression in blood, liver, lung, muscle and different brain areas. The results show that the in vivo LPS administration induced increased plasma concentrations of TNF-α and IL-10, a depletion of Trp and an increase of Kyn, indicating an elevated enzymatic activity of IDO. This was supported by an LPS-induced IDO protein expression in blood, liver and lung. The ex vivo LPS stimulation also resulted in increased TNF-α concentrations and an IDO activation, characterized by an increase of Trp metabolites and IDO protein expression. In conclusion, our data emphasize that the LPS stimulation is a suitable model for IDO activation in the domestic pig, which provides a basis for further research on immunoregulatory IDO functions.

Background/aim: Induction of tryptophan catabolism is mediated by inflammatory mechanisms including up-regulation of the immunoregulatory enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). This leads to the formation of mediators collectively referred to as kynurenines. Kynurenines are involved in various diseases such as renal failure, sepsis and cancer. We aimed to investigate whether systemic levels of kynurenines are induced in primary cervical cancer (PCC)., Patients and Methods: Tryptophan, serotonin, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, quinolinic acid and estimated IDO activity were determined using tandem mass spectrometry for serum samples of 20 PCC patients (mean age: 45.1±11.3 years, FIGO-stage: 1b1-2b) prior to radical abdominal surgery. Data were compared to those from 40 healthy controls. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses were performed., Results: Mean tryptophan (22.7±15.1 vs. 18.9±3.5 μM; p=0.27) and kynurenine levels (2.25±0.7 vs. 2.59±0.25 μM; p=0.1) were unchanged in PCC patients when compared to controls. Estimated IDO activity (kynurenine level × 100/tryptophan: 11.8±4.5 vs. 14.1±2.4; p=0.04) and mean levels of kynurenic acid (0.25±0.06 vs. 0.55±0.23 μM; p<0.0001) were significantly lower in PCC patients compared to controls, while mean levels of quinolinic acid (0.35±0.07 vs. 0.24±0.09 μM, p<0.0001) were significantly higher. The ratio of quinolinic acid to kynurenic acid (Q/K) differed significantly between patients with and those without cancer (p<0.0001). When this index was >0.95, the sensitivity and specificity for identification of PCC patients were 100% and 90%, respectively (AUC=0.981, 95% CI=0.907-0.999; positive likelihood ratio +10.0)., Conclusion: PCC is associated with increased systemic levels of quinolinic acid and reduced levels of kynurenic acid. In our study population, the Q/K allowed identification of PCC patients with a high level of accuracy. The prognostic power and relevance of this novel proposed index remains to be elucidated in further larger prospective studies.

Routine laboratory procedures, such as handling or transporting animals or carrying out injections on animals, are stressful for animals but are necessary in many pre-clinical studies. Here, the authors show that multiple injections of the non-toxic vehicle cyclodextrin moderately increased plasma corticosterone concentrations in female BALB/c mice. Additionally, male BALB/c mice that had received a single intraperitoneal injection of harmless saline had an increased glucocorticoid response to a second saline injection. The authors found that female mice that had been exposed to an acute psychological stress session had a decreased glucocorticoid response to a second homotypic stressor. In contrast, multiple psychological stress sessions led to increased glucocorticoid release in female mice. Acute injection(s) of saline in male mice and of cyclodextrin in female mice led to transient lymphocytopenia. Further analysis showed that repeated stress-induced lymphocytopenia is glucocorticoid-dependent. The authors conclude that laboratory stress can affect physiological parameters in mice, potentially altering study results.

It is increasingly recognized that psychological stress influences inflammatory responses and mood. Here, we investigated whether psychological stress (combined acoustic and restraint stress) activates the tryptophan (Trp) catabolizing enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1(IDO1) and thereby alters the immune homeostasis and behavior in mice. We measured IDO1 mRNA expression and plasma levels of Trp catabolites after a single 2-h stress session and in repeatedly stressed (4.5-days stress, 2-h twice a day) naïve BALB/c mice. A role of cytokines in acute stress-induced IDO1 activation was studied after IFNgamma and TNFalpha blockade and in IDO1(-/-) mice. RU486 and 1-Methyl-L-tryptophan (1-MT) were used to study role of glucocorticoids and IDO1 on Trp depletion in altering the immune and behavioral response in repeatedly stressed animals. Clinical relevance was addressed by analyzing IDO1 activity in patients expecting abdominal surgery. Acute stress increased the IDO1 mRNA expression in brain, lung, spleen and Peyer's patches (max. 14.1+/-4.9-fold in brain 6-h after stress) and resulted in a transient depletion of Trp (-25.2+/-6.6%) and serotonin (-27.3+/-4.6%) from the plasma measured 6-h after stress while kynurenine levels increased 6-h later (11.2+/-9.3%). IDO1 mRNA up-regulation was blocked by anti-TNFalpha and anti-IFNgamma treatment. Continuous IDO1 blockade by 1-MT but not RU486 treatment normalized the anti-bacterial defense and attenuated increased IL-10 inducibility in splenocytes after repeated stress as it reduced the loss of body weight and behavioral alterations. Moreover, kynurenic acid which remained increased in 1-MT treated repeatedly stressed mice was identified to reduce the TNFalpha inducibility of splenocytes in vitro and in vivo. Thus, psychological stress stimulates cytokine-driven IDO1 activation and Trp depletion which seems to have a central role for developing stress-induced immunosuppression and behavioral alteration. Since patients showed Trp catabolism already prior to surgery, IDO is also a possible target enzyme for humans modulating immune homeostasis and mood.

Background: Laboratory routine procedures such as handling, injection, gavage or transportation are stressful events which may influence physiological parameters of laboratory animals and may interfere with the interpretation of the experimental results. Here, we investigated if female BALB/c mice derived from in-house breeding and BALB/c mice from a vendor which were shipped during their juvenile life differ in their HPA axis activity and stress responsiveness in adulthood., Results: We show that already transferring the home cage to another room is a stressful event which causes an increased HPA axis activation for at least 24 hours as well as a loss of circulating lymphocytes which normalizes during a few days after transportation. However and important for the interpretation of experimental data, commercially available strain-, age- and gender-matched animals that were shipped over-night showed elevated glucocorticoid levels for up to three weeks after shipment, indicating a heightened HPA axis activation and they gained less body weight during adolescence. Four weeks after shipment, these vendor-derived mice showed increased corticosterone levels at 45-min after intraperitoneal ACTH challenge but, unexpectedly, no acute stress-induced glucocorticoid release. Surprisingly, activation of monoaminergic pathways were identified to inhibit the central nervous HPA axis activation in the vendor-derived, shipped animals since depletion of monoamines by reserpine treatment could restore the stress-induced HPA axis response during acute stress., Conclusions: In-house bred and vendor-derived BALB/c mice show a different stress-induced HPA axis response in adulthood which seems to be associated with different central monoaminergic pathway activity. The stress of shipment itself and/or differences in raising conditions, therefore, can cause the development of different stress response phenotypes which needs to be taken into account when interpreting experimental data.

Using a combination of transcriptional profiling and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA, www.ingenuity.com) we investigated acute and chronic psychological stress induced alterations of hepatic gene expression of BALB/c mice. Already after a 2-h single stress session, up-regulation of several LPS and glucocorticoid-sensitive immune response genes and markers related to oxidative stress and apoptotic processes were observed. Support for the existence of oxidative stress was gained by measuring increased protein carbonylation, but no alterations of immune responsiveness or cell death were measured in mice after acute stress compared to the control group. When animals were repeatedly stressed during 4.5-days, we found reduced transcription of antigen presentation molecules, altered mRNA levels of immune cell signaling mediators and persisting high expression of apoptosis-related genes. These alterations were associated with a measurable immune suppression characterized by a reduced ability to clear experimental Salmonella typhimurium infection from the liver and a heightened hepatocyte apoptosis. Moreover, genes associated with anti-oxidative functions and regenerative processes were induced in the hepatic tissue of chronically stressed mice. These findings indicate that modulation of the immune response and of apoptosis-related genes is initiated already during a single acute stress exposure. However, immune suppression will only manifest in repeatedly stressed mice which additionally show induction of protective and liver regenerative genes to prevent further hepatocyte damage.

Stress is a powerful modulator of neuroendocrine, behavioral, and immunological functions. After 4.5-d repeated combined acoustic and restraint stress as a murine model of chronic psychological stress, severe metabolic dysregulations became detectable in female BALB/c mice. Stress-induced alterations of metabolic processes that were found in a hepatic mRNA expression profiling were verified by in vivo analyses. Repeatedly stressed mice developed a hypermetabolic syndrome with the severe loss of lean body mass, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, increased amino acid turnover, and acidosis. This was associated with hypercortisolism, hyperleptinemia, insulin resistance, and hypothyroidism. In contrast, after a single acute stress exposure, changes in expression of metabolic genes were much less pronounced and predominantly confined to gluconeogenesis, probably indicating that metabolic disturbances might be initiated already early but will only manifest in repeatedly stressed mice. Thus, in our murine model, repeated stress caused severe metabolic dysregulations, leading to a drastic reduction of the individual's energy reserves. Under such circumstances stress may further reduce the ability to cope with new stressors such as infection or cancer.

Most studies on the biogenesis of mitochondrial proteins have been carried out using fungal mitochondria as a model system. In particular, baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, combines several experimental advantages, allowing both genetic and biochemical approaches and thus a combination of investigations in vivo and in vitro. However, the red bread mold Neurospora crassa has also been an important research tool. Isolated mitochondria can be used from both organisms for import experiments in a reconstituted system, using radiolabeled precursor proteins synthesized in reticulocyte lysate or purified preproteins. Assays are available for studies on the import pathways and localization of mitochondrial proteins and for the characterization of the components of the protein import machinery.

Oxa1 is the mitochondrial representative of a family of related proteins that mediate the insertion of substrate proteins into the membranes of bacteria, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. Several studies have demonstrated that the bacterial homologue YidC participates both in the direct uptake of proteins from the bacterial cytosol, and in the uptake of nascent proteins from the Sec translocase. Studies on the biogenesis of membrane proteins in mitochondria established that Oxa1 has the capability to receive substrates at the inner surface of the inner membrane. In this study, we asked if Oxa1 may similarly cooperate with a protein translocase within the membrane. Since Oxa1 is involved in its own biogenesis, we used the precursor of Oxa1 as a model protein and investigated its import pathway. We found that immediately after import into mitochondria, Oxa1 initially accumulates at Tim23 that forms the inner membrane protein translocase. Cleavage of the Oxa1 presequence is dependent on mtHsp70, a heat shock protein of the mitochondrial matrix. However, mutant mtHsp70 showing a defect in the release of bound substrate proteins does not interfere with subsequent membrane insertion, indicating that membrane insertion of the mature protein is essentially mtHsp70-independent. We conclude that Oxa1 has the ability to accept preproteins within the membrane.

A Monte Carlo study of the Feynman-method with a simple code simulating the multiplication chain, confined to pertinent time-dependent phenomena has been done. The significance of its key parameters (detector efficiency and dead time, k-source and spallation neutrons multiplicities, required number of fissions etc.) has been discussed. It has been demonstrated that this method can be insensitive to properties of the zones surrounding the core, whereas is strongly affected by the detector dead time. In turn, the influence of harmonics in the neutron field and of the dispersion of spallation neutrons has proven much less pronounced.