Christiane Dalmasso

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals an impaired brain metabolic profile in mice resistant to cerebral malaria infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA.

Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality with an annual death toll exceeding one million. Severe malaria is a complex multisystem disorder, including one or more of the following complications: cerebral malaria, anemia, acidosis, jaundice, respiratory distress, renal insufficiency, coagulation anomalies, and hyperparasitemia. Using a combined in vivo/in vitro metabolic-based approach, we investigated the putative pathogenic effects of Plasmodium berghei ANKA on brain, in a mouse strain developing malaria but resistant to cerebral malaria. The purpose was to determine whether the infection could cause a brain dysfunction distinct from the classic cerebral syndrome. Mice resistant to cerebral malaria were infected with P. berghei ANKA and explored during both the symptomless and the severe stage of the disease by using in vivo brain magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. The infected mice did not present the lesional and metabolic hallmarks of cerebral malaria. However, brain dysfunction caused by anemia, parasite burden, and hepatic damage was evidenced. We report an increase in cerebral blood flow, a process allowing temporary maintenance of oxygen supply to brain despite anemia. Besides, we document metabolic anomalies affecting choline-derived compounds, myo-inositol, glutamine, glycine, and alanine. The choline decrease appears related to parasite proliferation. Glutamine, myo-inositol, glycine, and alanine variations together indicate a hepatic encephalopathy, a finding in agreement with the liver damage detected in mice, which is also a feature of the human disease. These results reveal the vulnerability of brain to malaria infection at the severe stage of the disease even in the absence of cerebral malaria.

In vivo assessment of myocardial blood flow in rat heart using magnetic resonance imaging: effect of anesthesia.

To assess the influence of isoflurane and pentobarbital anesthesia and the carrier gases on myocardial blood flow (MBF) in the rat heart in vivo.

Upregulation of eNOS and unchanged energy metabolism in increased susceptibility of the aging type 2 diabetic GK rat heart to ischemic injury

We investigated the tolerance of the insulin-resistant diabetic heart to ischemic injury in the male Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat, a model of type 2 diabetes. Changes in energy metabolism, nitric oxide (NO) pathway, and cardiac function were assessed in the presence of physiological substrates. Age-matched control Wistar (n = 19) and GK (n = 18) isolated rat hearts were perfused with 0.4 mM palmitate, 3% albumin, 11 mM glucose, 3 U/l insulin, 0.2 mM pyruvate, and 0.8 mM lactate for 24 min before switching to 1.2 mM palmitate (11 rats/group) during 32 min low-flow (0.5 ml·min(-1)·g wet wt(-1)) ischemia. Next, flow was restored with 0.4 mM palmitate buffer for 32 min. A subset of hearts from each group (n = 8 for control and n = 7 for GK groups) were freeze-clamped for determining baseline values after the initial perfusion of 24 min. ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr), and intracellular pH (pH(i)) were followed using (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy with simultaneous measurement of contractile function. The NO pathway was determined by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoform expression and total nitrate concentration (NOx) in hearts. We found that coronary flow was 26% lower (P < 0.05) during baseline conditions and 61% lower (P < 0.05) during reperfusion in GK vs. control rat hearts. Rate pressure product was lower during reperfusion in GK vs. control rat hearts (P < 0.05). ATP, PCr, and pH(i) during ischemia-reperfusion were similar in both groups. Endothelial NOS expression was increased in GK rat hearts during baseline conditions (P < 0.05). NOx was increased during baseline conditions (P < 0.05) and after reperfusion (P < 0.05) in GK rat hearts. We report increased susceptibility of type 2 diabetic GK rat heart to ischemic injury that is not associated with impaired energy metabolism. Reduced coronary flow, upregulation of eNOS expression, and increased total NOx levels confirm NO pathway modifications in this model, presumably related to increased oxidative stress. Modifications in the NO pathway may play a major role in ischemia-reperfusion injury of the type 2 diabetic GK rat heart.

Noninvasive characterization of myocardial blood flow in diabetic, hypertensive, and diabetic-hypertensive rats using spin-labeling MRI.

Objective: Microvascular alterations in the diabetic and hypertensive heart are likely to contribute to heart failure. In this work, myocardial blood flow and left ventricular function were measured in vivo in diabetic, hypertensive, and diabetic–hypertensive rats using MRI methods.

A strictly noninvasive MR setup dedicated to longitudinal studies of mechanical performance, bioenergetics, anatomy, and muscle recruitment in contracting mouse skeletal muscle

MR techniques have proven their ability to investigate skeletal muscle function in situ. Their benefit in terms of noninvasiveness is, however, lost in animal research, given that muscle stimulation and force output measurements are usually achieved using invasive surgical procedures, thereby excluding repeated investigations in the same animal. This study describes a new setup allowing strictly noninvasive investigations of mouse gastrocnemius muscle function using 1H‐MRI and 31P‐MR spectroscopy. Its originality is to integrate noninvasive systems for inducing muscle contraction through transcutaneous stimulation and for measuring mechanical performance with a dedicated ergometer. In order to test the setup, muscle function was investigated using a fatiguing stimulation protocol (6 min of repeated isometric contractions at 1.7 Hz). T2‐weighted imaging demonstrated that transcutaneous stimulation mainly activated the gastrocnemius. Moreover, investigations repeated twice with a 7‐day interval between bouts did show a high reproducibility in measurements with regard to changes in isometric force and energy metabolism. In conclusion, this setup enables us for the first time to access mechanical performance, energy metabolism, anatomy, and physiology strictly noninvasively in contracting mouse skeletal muscle. The possibility for implementing longitudinal studies opens up new perspectives in many research areas, including ageing, pharmaceutical research, and gene and cell therapy. Magn Reson Med, 2010.

Energetic metabolism during acute stretch-related atrial fibrillation

Background and methods Perturbations in energetic metabolism and impaired atrial contractility may play an important role in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Besides, atrial stretch is commonly associated with AF. However, the atrial energetics of stretch-related AF are poorly understood. Here, we measured indicators of energy metabolism during acute stretch-related AF. PCr, adenine nucleotides, and derivatives concentrations as well as the activity of the F0F1-ATPase and Na,K-ATPase were obtained after 1 h of stretch and/or AF in isolated rabbit hearts and compared to control hearts without stretch and AF. Results After 1 h of stretch-related AF, the total adenine nucleotides’ pool was significantly lower (42.2 ± 2.6 vs. 63.7 ± 8.3 μmol/g protein in control group, P < 0.05) and the PCr/ATP ratio significantly higher (2.3 ± 0.3 vs. 1.1 ± 0.1 in control group P < 0.05), because of ATP, ADP, and AMP decrease and PCr increase. The sum of high-energy phosphate compounds did not change. There were no significant differences in F0F1-ATPase nor Na,K-ATPase activity between the groups. Conclusions Results show that in this experimental model, acute stretch-related AF induces specific modifications of atrial myocytes energetics that may play a pivotal role in the perpetuation of the arrhythmia.

EFFECTS OF STIMULATION FREQUENCY AND PULSE DURATION ON FATIGUE AND METABOLIC COST DURING A SINGLE BOUT OF NEUROMUSCULAR ELECTRICAL STIMULATION

We have investigated the effects of stimulation frequency and pulse duration on fatigue and energy metabolism in rat gastrocnemius muscle during a single bout of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). Electrical pulses were delivered at 100 Hz (1‐ms pulse duration) and 20 Hz (5‐ms pulse duration) for the high (HF) and low (LF) frequency protocols, respectively. As a standardization procedure, the averaged stimulation intensity, the averaged total charge, the initial peak torque, the duty cycle, the contraction duration and the torque‐time integral were similar in both protocols. Fatigue was assessed using two testing trains delivered at a frequency of 100 Hz and 20 Hz before and after each protocol. Metabolic changes were investigated in vivo using 31P‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P‐MRS) and in vitro in freeze‐clamped muscles. Both LF and HF NMES protocols induced the same decrease in testing trains and metabolic changes. We conclude that, under carefully controlled and comparable conditions, the use of low stimulation frequency and long pulse duration do not minimize the occurrence of muscle fatigue or affect the corresponding stimulation‐induced metabolic changes so that this combination of stimulation parameters would not be adequate in the context of rehabilitation. Muscle Nerve, 2010

Endotoxemia causes a paradoxical intracellular pH recovery in exercising rat skeletal muscle

In resting skeletal muscle, endotoxemia causes disturbances in energy metabolism that could potentially disturb intracellular pH (pHi) during muscular activity. We tested this hypothesis using in situ 31P‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy in contracting rat gastrocnemius muscle. Endotoxemia was induced by injecting rats intraperitoneally at t0 and t0 + 24 h with Klebsiella pneumoniae endotoxin (lipopolysaccharides at 3 mg/kg) or saline vehicle. Muscle function was investigated strictly noninvasively at t0 + 48 h through a transcutaneous electrical stimulation protocol consisting of 5.7 minutes of repeated isometric contraction at 3.3 HZ, and force production was measured with an ergometer. At rest, endotoxin treatment did not affect pHi and adenosine triphosphate concentration, but significantly reduced phosphocreatine and glycogen contents. Endotoxemia produced both a reduction of isometric force production and a marked linear recovery (0.08 ± 0.01 pH unit/min) of pHi during the second part of the stimulation period. This recovery was not due to any phenomenon of fiber inactivation linked to development of muscle fatigue, and was not associated with any change in intracellular proton buffering, net proton efflux from the cell, or proton turnovers through creatine kinase reaction and oxidative phosphorylation. This paradoxical pHi recovery in exercising rat skeletal muscle under endotoxemia is likely due to slowing of glycolytic flux following the reduction in intramuscular glycogen content. These findings may be useful in the follow‐up of septic patients and in the assessment of therapies. Muscle Nerve, 2007

Twenty-four-hour hypothermic preservation of rat liver with Euro-Collins and UW solutions. A comparative evaluation by 31P NMR spectroscopy, biochemical assays, and light microscopy.

A comparative study of 24 hr preservation at 4 degrees C of excised rat livers with Euro-Collins and hydroxyethyl starch-free University of Wisconsin (UWm) solutions has been conducted based on the assessment of (1) the cellular energy status determined by 31P NMR spectroscopy and (2) cellular injury estimated from the loss of purine compounds (inosine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid) during cold ischemia and reperfusion measured by HPLC, the leakage of intracellular enzymes, and the modifications of parenchyma established by light microscopy. Recovery of nucleosides di- and triphosphate was greater in the UWm group (80 +/- 6% vs. 58 +/- 6%) while inorganic phosphate formation was comparatively reduced. During hypothermic storage, the UWm groups generated a higher amount of inosine and hypoxanthine (in relation to the presence of adenosine in the protective solution) while no xanthine or uric acid was detected due to the inhibitory effect of allopurinol. Conversely, large quantities of xanthine and uric acid were found in the reperfusate of the EC group, pinpointing the cytotoxic role of oxygen-derived free radicals in the generation of cellular damage, as also illustrated by a higher aspartate aminotransferase leakage in the EC group (devoid of allopurinol and glutathione. Light microscopy indicated no histological alterations in the UWm group and mild alterations in the EC group that showed ballooning of hepatocytes (no lactobionate and raffinose in EC) and an alternation of clarifications and eosinophilic condensations. This study clearly confirms and illustrates the overall superiority of UWm solution in liver transplant preservation.

Effect of isoproterenol on myocardial perfusion, function, energy metabolism and nitric oxide pathway in the rat heart – a longitudinal MR study

The chronic administration of the β‐adrenoreceptor agonist isoproterenol (IsoP) is used in animals to study the mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy and failure associated with a sustained increase in circulating catecholamines. Time‐dependent changes in myocardial blood flow (MBF), morphological and functional parameters were assessed in rats in vivo using multimodal cardiac MRI. Energy metabolism, oxidative stress and the nitric oxide (NO) pathway were evaluated in isolated perfused rat hearts following 7 days of treatment. Male Wistar rats were infused for 7 days with IsoP or vehicle using osmotic pumps. Cine‐MRI and arterial spin labeling were used to determine left ventricular morphology, function and MBF at days 1, 2 and 7 after pump implantation. Isolated hearts were then perfused, and high‐energy phosphate compounds and intracellular pH were followed using 31P MRS with simultaneous measurement of contractile function. Total creatine and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography. The NO pathway was evaluated by NO synthase isoform expression and total nitrate concentration (NOx). In IsoP‐treated rats, left ventricular mass was increased at day 1 and maintained. Wall thickness was increased with a peak at day 2 and a tendency to return to baseline values at day 7. MBF was markedly increased at day 1 and returned to normal values between days 1 and 2. The rate–pressure product and phosphocreatine/adenosine triphosphate ratio in perfused hearts were reduced. MDA, endothelial NO synthase expression and NOx were increased. Sustained high cardiac function and normal MBF after 24 h of IsoP infusion indicate imbalance between functional demand and blood flow, leading to morphological changes. After 1 week, cardiac hypertrophy and decreased function were associated with impaired phosphocreatine, increased oxidative stress and up‐regulation of the NO pathway. These results provide supplemental information on the evolution of the different contributing factors leading to morphological and functional changes in this model of cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Copyright