Fluids trapped as inclusions within minerals can be billions of years old and preserve a record of the fluid chemistry and environment at the time of mineralization. Aqueous fluids that have had a similar residence time at mineral interfaces and in fractures (fracture fluids) have not been previously identified. Expulsion of fracture fluids from basement systems with low connectivity occurs through deformation and fracturing of the brittle crust. The fractal nature of this process must, at some scale, preserve pockets of interconnected fluid from the earliest crustal history. In one such system, 2.8 kilometres below the surface in a South African gold mine, extant chemoautotrophic microbes have been identified in fluids isolated from the photosphere on timescales of tens of millions of years. Deep fracture fluids with similar chemistry have been found in a mine in the Timmins, Ontario, area of the Canadian Precambrian Shield. Here we show that excesses of (124)Xe, (126)Xe and (128)Xe in the Timmins mine fluids can be linked to xenon isotope changes in the ancient atmosphere and used to calculate a minimum mean residence time for this fluid of about 1.5 billion years. Further evidence of an ancient fluid system is found in (129)Xe excesses that, owing to the absence of any identifiable mantle input, are probably sourced in sediments and extracted by fluid migration processes operating during or shortly after mineralization at around 2.64 billion years ago. We also provide closed-system radiogenic noble-gas ((4)He, (21)Ne, (40)Ar, (136)Xe) residence times. Together, the different noble gases show that ancient pockets of water can survive the crustal fracturing process and remain in the crust for billions of years.

Aims/hypothesis. The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 augments islet cell mass in vivo by increasing proliferation and decreasing apoptosis of the beta cells. However, the signalling pathways that mediate these effects are mostly unknown. Using a clonal rat pancreatic beta cell line (INS-1), we examined the role of protein kinase B in mediating beta-cell growth and survival stimulated by glucagon-like peptide-1. Methods. Immunoblot analysis was used to detect active (phospho-) and total protein kinase B. Proliferation was assessed using 3 H-thymidine incorporation, while apoptosis was quantitated using 4′-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining and APO percentage apoptosis assay. Kinase-dead and wild-type protein kinase B was introduced into cells using adenoviral vectors. Results. Glucagon-like peptide-1 rapidly activated protein kinase B in INS-1 cells (by 2.7±0.7-fold, p<0.05). This effect was completely abrogated by inhibition, with wortmannin, of the upstream activator of protein kinase B, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase. Glucagon-like peptide-1 also stimulated INS-1 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (by 1.8±0.5-fold at 10 −7 mol/l, p<0.01), and inhibited staurosporine-induced apoptosis (by 69±12%, p<0.05). Both of these effects were also prevented by wortmannin treatment. Ablation of protein kinase B by adenovirus-mediated overexpression of the kinase-dead form of protein kinase Bα prevented protein kinase B phosphorylation and completely abrogated both cellular proliferation (p<0.05) and protection from drug-induced cellular death (p<0.01) induced by glucagon-like peptide-1. Conclusions/interpretation. These results identify protein kinase B as an essential mediator linking the glucagon-like peptide-1 signal to the intracellular machinery that modulates beta-cell growth and survival. [Diabetologia (2004) 47:478-487]

Aims/hypothesis: The gut hormone glucagonlike peptide-1 (GLP-1) decreases beta cell apoptosis in a protein kinase B (PKB)-dependent fashion, and increases islet cell mass and function in vivo. In contrast, cytokines induce beta cell apoptosis, leading to decreased islet mass and type 1 diabetes. In the present study we used rat INS-1E beta cells and primary rat islet cells to examine the potential role of PKB as a mediator of the effect of GLP-1 on cytokine-induced apoptosis. Methods: Cell viability was determined by MTTassay, and apoptosis and necrosis by Hoechst 33342-propidium iodide staining. Immunoblot analysis was used to detect changes in protein expression, including active (phosphorylated) and total PKB, phosphorylated and total glycogen synthase kinase-3β, activated caspase-3 and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Reactive oxygen species were determined by 1,7-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) analysis, and mutant forms of PKB were introduced into cells using adenoviral vectors. Results: Incubation of INS-1E cells with cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α and interferon-γ; 10-50 ng/ml) for 18 h significantly decreased cell viability (by 44%, p<0.001), cell proliferation (by 80%, p<0.001), and activation of PKB (by 67%, p<0.001). Pre-treatment with exendin-4 (10 −7 mol/l), a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist, partially protected the cells against cytokine-induced toxicity (p<0.01) in association with a reduction in cytokine-induced inhibition of PKB phosphorylation (p<0.05). Exendin-4 pre-treatment did not change cell proliferation. Cytokine treatment increased apoptosis (by 156%, p<0.05) and necrosis (from undetectable to 2.6% of cells). These increases were both reduced by pre-treatment with exendin-4 (p<0.05-0.01). Furthermore, cytokine-induced apoptosis and necrosis were significantly increased in cells infected with kinase-dead PKB (p<0.05), and the protective effect of exendin-4 on both parameters was fully abolished in these cells. Similar changes were observed in primary islet cells. In parallel with these changes, exendin-4 decreased the cytokine-induced activation of caspase-3 (by 46%, p<0.05), and decreased levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (by 71%, p<0.05) and reactive oxygen species (by 27%, p< 0.05). Conclusions/interpretation: The results of our study indicate that GLP-1 plays a protective role against cytokineinduced apoptosis and necrosis in beta cells through a PKB-dependent signalling pathway.

The discovery of hydrogen-rich waters preserved below the Earth's surface in Precambrian rocks worldwide expands our understanding of the habitability of the terrestrial subsurface. Many deep microbial ecosystems in these waters survive by coupling hydrogen oxidation to sulfate reduction. Hydrogen originates from water–rock reactions including serpentinization and radiolytic decomposition of water induced by decay of radioactive elements in the host rocks. The origin of dissolved sulfate, however, remains unknown. Here we report, from anoxic saline fracture waters ∼2.4 km below surface in the Canadian Shield, a sulfur mass-independent fractionation signal in dissolved sulfate. We demonstrate that this sulfate most likely originates from oxidation of sulfide minerals in the Archaean host rocks through the action of dissolved oxidants (for example, HO· and H2O2) themselves derived from radiolysis of water, thereby providing a coherent long-term mechanism capable of supplying both an essential electron donor (H2) and a complementary acceptor (sulfate) for the deep biosphere.

Hashimoto encephalopathy (HE) presents as an encephalopathy without central nervous system infection or tumor. HE is associated with autoimmune thyroiditis and is thus considered to be an autoimmune disorder. The prevalence of HE is low, but death and status epilepticus have been reported. HE manifests with a wide range of symptoms that include behavioral changes and confusion. Elevated thyroid antibodies are present in the majority of cases and are required for the diagnosis of HE. Normal brain MRI findings are found in the majority of patients diagnosed with HE. The most consistent CSF abnormality noted in HE patients is the presence of elevated protein. Most HE patients respond well to steroid therapy. Clinical improvements are also observed with IV immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis. In conclusion, it is now generally accepted that the diagnosis of HE must include encephalopathy characterized by cognitive impairment associated with psychiatric features, such as hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. Autoimmune encephalitis and prion disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis due to the similarity of the clinical features of these conditions to those of HE.

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In this research, we have covalently functionalized graphene oxide (GO) with hydrophilic and biocompatible Pluronic F38 (F38), Tween 80 (T80) and maltodextrin (MD) for loading and delivery of a poorly water soluble antioxidant and anticancer drug, ellagic acid (EA). The functionalized GO showed a good aqueous solubility and biocompatibility. This is the first time that the EA was loaded onto GO-F38, GO-T80 and GO-MD through π-π interactions, yielding a loading capacity of 1 g, 1.22 g and 1.14 g of EA per gram of GO-F38, GO-T80, and GO-MD respectively. Their capabilities to kill human breast carcinoma cells (MCF7) and human colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT29) were then investigated. The release of EA from these nanocarriers was studied in water (neutral pH) and buffer solutions of pH 4 and 10 at 37 ° C. The GO-F38, GO-T80 and GO-MD released ˜ 36-38% drug within 3 days at pH 10. The cytotoxicity of EA loaded onto the functionalized GO was higher than that of free EA dissolved in DMSO. The DPPH assay was used to study the antioxidant activity, and the very similar antioxidant activities were obtained for three EA-loaded nanocarriers and the free EA, indicating that loading of EA onto the functionalized GO did not hamper its antioxidant activity. Therefore, all three functionalized GOs are suitable nanocarriers for drug delivery because of their non-toxicity and high drug loading capacity.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) increases beta-cell function and growth through protein kinase A- and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K)/protein kinase B, respectively. GLP-1 acts via a G protein-coupled receptor, and PI3-Kgamma is known to be activated by G(betagamma.) Therefore, the role of PI3-Kgamma in the chronic effects of GLP-1 on the beta-cell was investigated using PI3-Kgamma knockout (KO) mice treated with the GLP-1 receptor agonist, exendin-4 (Ex4; 1 nmol/kg sc every 24 h for 14 d). In vivo, glucose and insulin responses were similar in PBS- and Ex4-treated KO and wild-type (WT) mice. However, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was markedly impaired in islets from PBS-KO mice (P < 0.05), and this was partially normalized by chronic Ex4 treatment (P < 0.05). In contrast, insulin content was increased in PBS-KO islets, and this was paradoxically decreased by Ex4 treatment, compared with the stimulatory effect of Ex4 on WT islets (P < 0.05-0.01). Transfection of INS-1E beta-cells with small interfering RNA for PI3-Kgamma similarly decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (P < 0.01) and increased insulin content. Basal values for beta-cell mass, islet number and proliferation, glucose transporter 2, glucokinase, and insulin receptor substrate-2 were increased in PBS-KO mice (P < 0.05-0.001) and, although they were increased by Ex4 treatment of WT animals (P < 0.05), they were decreased in Ex4-KO mice (P < 0.05-0.01). These findings indicate that PI3-Kgamma deficiency impairs insulin secretion, resulting in compensatory islet growth to maintain normoglycemia. Chronic Ex4 treatment normalizes the secretory defect, thereby relieving the pressure for expansion of beta-cell mass. These studies reveal a new role for PI3-Kgamma as a positive regulator of insulin secretion, and reinforce the importance of GLP-1 for the maintenance of normal beta-cell function.