Pierre Maurois

Brain protection by rapeseed oil in magnesium-deficient mice

Diets given for 30 days with various mono-(MUFA) and poly-(PUFA) unsaturated fatty acid contents were evaluated for brain protection in magnesium-deficient mice: a commercial and three synthetic diets (n-6PUFA, n-3PUFA and MUFA-based chows enriched with 5% corn/sunflower oils 1:3, with 5% rapeseed oil and with 5% high oleic acid sunflower oil/sunflower oil 7:3, respectively). Unlike magnesium deprivation, they induced significant differences in brain and erythrocyte membrane phospholipid fatty acid compositions. n-3PUFA but not other diets protected magnesium-deficient mice against hyperactivity and moderately towards maximal electroshock- and NMDA-induced seizures. This diet also inhibited audiogenic seizures by 50%, preventing animal deaths. Because, like n-6PUFA diet, matched control MUFA diet failed to induce brain protections, alpha-linolenate (ALA) rather than reduced n-6 PUFA diet content is concluded to cause n-3PUFA neuroprotection. Present in vivo data also corroborate literature in vitro inhibition of T type calcium channels by n-3 PUFA, adding basis to ALA supplementation in human anti-epileptic/neuroprotective strategies.

Adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity in Plasmodium chabaudi and Plasmodium vinckei rodent malaria

Adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity (LPL) falls dramatically during experimental infection of mice by Plasmodium chabaudi. The decrease in this activity accounts for the seric accumulation of triacyl-glyceride-rich lipoproteins (chylomicrons mainly and Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL) partly). This loss of tissue LPL enzyme activity is moreover enhanced, in capillary vessels, by a simultaneous decrease in the activatory power of serum towards the enzyme. This phenomenon is mainly related to the presence of Very Low Density Lipoproteins. In the mouse VLDL apoprotein composition is supposed to be modified. On the contrary, in fatal infection of mice by P. vinckei the adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity is normal or even increased.

Alterations of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase activity during Plasmodium chabaudi rodent malaria

In non fatal and synchronous P. chabaudi rodent malaria, we observed at the stage of parasitaemia peak, an alteration (50 % decrease) in LCAT activity. This decrease could be related partly to hepatic dysfunction, and mainly to circulating inhibitors released into blood from parasitized red blood cells at each end of a schizogonic cycle. This decrease in LCAT activity, at this step of the infection, accounts for part of the dyslipoproteinemia previously observed (i.e., increase in cholesterol and phospholipids into VLDL-LDL and decrease in the EC series and delayed conversion of Tg-rich lipoproteins into LDL-HDL. At a prepatent step of infection and after the parasitaemia peak, the alterations observed in LCAT activity, (respectively, increase and then decrease), would be related to similar changes in levels of cholesterol of HDL associated to complex changes in triacylglyceride transport and metabolism.

Brain anticonvulsant protection of mice given chronic carbamazepine under various fatty acid and magnesium diet conditions.

The anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer drug carbamazepine (CBZ) was evaluated for anti-seizure activity after drug pretreatment of young weaning mice given various oil-based diets. These diets had various mono-(MUFA) and poly-(PUFA) unsaturated fatty acid contents, were associated or not with magnesium deprivation, and were given over the entire experimental period (34 days). The diets included a commercial and three purified synthetic diets (n-6 PUFA, n-3 PUFA and MUFA-based chows containing 5% corn/sunflower oils 1:3, 5% rapeseed oil and 5% high oleic acid sunflower oil/sunflower oil 7:3, respectively). A 10-days CBZ treatment (50 mg/kg/day fragmented in two daily intraperitoneal injections of 25 mg/kg) was given 20 days after initiating diet administration and evaluations of mice was performed 4 days after arrest of CBZ in various seizure tests. In these conditions, CBZ pretreatment still exhibited anticonvulsant protection especially in magnesium-deficient animals. Ethosuximide (ESM)-like profiles under MUFA and n-3 PUFA diets and unusual GABA(A)ergic profile under n-6 PUFA diet in magnesium-deficiency dependent audiogenic seizures (MDDAS) test as well as protection against NMDA-induced seizures in all lipid (n-3 PUFA>MUFA and n-6 PUFA) diet conditions were observed in CBZ-pretreated mice. By highlighting ESM-like and anti-NMDA mechanisms previously induced by an n-3 PUFA diet, present CBZ anticonvulsant properties suggest brain protective targets common to CBZ and n-3 PUFAs.

Practical Interest of Circulating Total and Ionized Magnesium Concentration Evaluation in Experimental and Clinical Magnesium Disorders

Magnesium (Mg) is essentially an intracellular ion, which makes it difficult to evaluate Mg status. Both circulating total (MgT) and ionized Mg2+ (MgI) are used in clinical practice but their respective interest is still debated. In the present review, we list various s tudies comparing MgT and MgI in either Mg imbalances or Mg status dysregulations. In simple Mg imbalances (either therapeutic Mg overload or Mg defi ciency), the evaluation of MgT appears a better marker than MgI because it seems that a subtle physiological homeostatic compensatory reaction modifies the proportion of MgI, the most biologically active fraction of blood Mg, in order to reduce the effects of Mg imbalance. In contrast, in Mg dysregulations (either Mg pathological overload or Mg depletion) both fractions may vary independently, depending mainly on the renal status and on the equilibrium between MgI and Mg complexed with proteins and anions. The choice of the more appropriate marker is discussed.

Complexes immunoglobulines-lipoproteines dans l'infection par Plasmodium chabaudi

Abstract Immunoglobulin-lipoprotein complexes have been investigated in the course of P. chabaudi acute infection of Swiss mice. Serum ultracentrifugation in a sucrose density gradient was used to demonstrate the presence of immunoglobulins in the enriched lipoprotein fraction of density lower than 1100. The levels of lipoprotein-bound immunoglobulins (Ig-Lp) were measured using the rate-nephelometric Immuno-Chemistry-System. IgM-Lp and IgG-Lp were significantly increased at day 9 and reached a peak at day 13 post-infection. From day 13 to day 16 they dramatically decreased. This kinetic effect was similar to that of non-specific circulating immune complexes detected by the [125I]Clq binding assay. A radioimmuno-precipitation-PEG-assay (RIPEGAssay) with [125I]Lp revealed the highest Lp precipitation with day 13 post-infection mouse sera compared to controls. Similar results were recorded when control sera were 8 times as concentrated in order to obtain Ig levels identical in both control and experimental sera. Part of the lipoprotein-bound immunoglobulins were demonstrated to be anti-Lp antibodies by the way of the RIPEGAssay using F(ab′)2 fragments from infected mouse sera. Moreover, the [125I]Clq bound to the Ig-Lp complexes isolated from day 13 mouse sera. The present data suggest that the alteration of lipid metabolism which characterizes malaria infection could lead to the complexation of lipoproteins to immunoglobulins.