1,721,012 research outputs found

    Morphological and functional modifications of rat liver peroxisomal subpopulations during cold exposure

    No full text
    A report is made (during cold exposure) of: a) the morphometric-stereologic analysis both on the whole rat liver peroxisomal population, and on 2 peroxisomal subpopulations having a diameter greater than 0.5 microns, and less than 0.5 microns, called Pe (Peroxisomes) and sPe (small Peroxisomes), respectively; b) the uricase and palmitoyl-coenzyme A oxidase activity assay on 2 classes of rat liver peroxisomes, sedimenting at 10,000 g and 27,000 g and containing Pe and sPe, respectively. The peroxisomal volume and number densities increase during cold exposure, reaching a maximum (+67% and +130%, respectively, P less than 0.05) at 10 days. These modifications are accompanied by an appreciable reduction of the average peroxisome volume (from 0.27 +/- 0.05 microns 3 to 0.19 +/- 0.02 microns 3) due to a major percentage increase of sPe during cold exposure. At a qualitative level, the formation of "clusters" and a stricter association between mitochondria and peroxisomes is also observed. Cold exposure increases the oxidative capacity of the whole peroxisomal compartment; in the Pe fraction the palmitoyl-CoA oxidase and uricase specific activity ratio is constant (about 0.1), during cold exposure, but in the sPe fraction this ratio increases significantly (from 0.05 to 0.09). The results indicate that the peroxisomal population is influenced during cold exposure, with the formation of a new peroxisomal population which is on average smaller and more specialized for the beta-oxidative activity. The possible involvement of peroxisomes in thermoregulatory thermogenesis during cold exposure is also discussed

    Changes in the hepatic mitochondrial respiratory system in the transition from weaning to adulthood in rats.

    No full text
    In the present study we investigated the changes in the hepatic mitochondrial respiratory system in the transition from weaning to adulthood in the rat. We conceptually divided the system into blocks of reactions that produced or consumed mitochondrial membrane potential and then measured the kinetic responses of these blocks of reactions to changes in this potential in isolated liver mitochondria from 25- and 60-day-old rats using succinate as substrate. Moreover, we considered the mitochondrial membrane potential producers to be divided into blocks of reactions that reduced or oxidized ubiquinone-2 (Q-2) and then measured the kinetic responses of these two blocks to changes in Q-2 redox state as well as the flux control coefficients and the cytochrome content. We found that adult rats exhibited significantly higher state 3 respiratory rates with increased kinetic response of the substrate oxidation pathway to the mitochondrial membrane potential, slightly decreased activity of the phosphorylating system, increased kinetic responses of both Q-2 reducers and oxidizers to Q-2 redox state, and increased cytochrome content. Our results indicate that important changes in the hepatic mitochondrial respiratory system occur in the transition from weaning to adulthood in rats

    Alteration in hepatic mitochondrial compartment of cold acclimated rats. Association with enhanced triiodothyronine serum levels. A morphometric/stereologic study by electron microscopy

    No full text
    In cold-exposed rats, the circulating levels of free and total T3 rapidly increase and reach higher values after 2 h, 70% and 80%, respectively. These values remain constant during cold exposure and return to normal values after few hours of re-exposure to room temperature. A remarkable modification of the mitochondrial compartment in rat hepatic cells is associated with these hormonal variations. The morphometric stereologic analysis shows that after 10 days of cold exposure the number of mitochondria per nucleus is nearly doubled (from 1,912 to 3,414), the total volume of the mitochondrial compartment per nucleus increases by about 40% (from 21% to 29%), and the mitochondrial membrane surfaces per nucleus increase too (from 7,233 square microns to 11,597 square microns for the outer membranes; from 31,572 square microns to 42,603 square microns for the inner membranes + cristae). The mean mitochondrial volume decreases by about 25%. This probably indicates, the formation of new organelles by division of pre-existing mitochondria. On re-exposure to room temperature, there is a return to normal values. The present data suggest the existence of a physiological long-term mechanism for the regulation of cellular thermogenesis during cold exposure (increase in number of mitochondria per cell), associated with enhanced levels of T3

    Effects of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) on rat liver peroxisomal compartment during cold exposure

    No full text
    In this study, by enzymatic assays and morphometric-stereologic analyses, we show that the remodelling of the rat liver peroxisomal compartment, occurring during cold exposure, is largely influenced by the thyroid state of the animal. The research was performed both on the whole rat liver peroxisomal population and on 2 peroxisomal subpopulations: one having a diameter greater than 0.5 microns, sedimenting at 10,000 g and called Pe (Peroxisomes); and the other having a diameter less than 0.5 microns, sedimenting at 27,000 g and called sPe (small Peroxisomes). The increase in the peroxisome number and in the peroxisome volume densities, elicited by cold exposure, is greatly reduced in hypothyroid cold-exposed animals (-63% and -40% respectively, P less than 0.01), while triiodothyronine (T3) administration to these rats restores the values observed in normal cold-exposed animals. The "clusters" and the strict association between mitochondria and peroxisomes, more frequently found in cold-exposed rats, are rarely observed in hypothyroid cold-exposed animals. At peroxisomal enzymic level, the thyroid hormone inhibits, during cold exposure, the uricase activity (-29% in Pe and -40% in sPe), and stimulates the palmitoyl-coenzyme A oxidase activity (+44% in Pe and +88% in sPe). The results also demonstrate that T3 exerts all these effects by acting principally on sPe

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

    Full text link
    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Variations on the Author

    Full text link
    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
    corecore