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Amino acids are known to play a key role in gene expression regulation, and in mammalian cells, amino acid signaling is mainly mediated via two pathways, the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway and the amino acid responsive (AAR) pathway. It is vital for cells to have a system to sense amino acid levels, in order to control protein and amino acid synthesis and catabolism. Amino acid transporters are crucial in these pathways, due to both their sensing and transport functions. In this large‐scale study, an immortalized mouse hypothalamic cell line (N25/2) was used to study the gene expression changes following 1, 2, 3, 5 or 16 h of amino acid starvation. We focused on genes encoding solute carriers (SLCs) and putative SLCs, more specifically on amino acid transporters. The microarray contained 28 270 genes and 86.2% of the genes were expressed in the cell line. At 5 h of starvation, 1001 genes were upregulated and 848 genes were downregulated, and among these, 47 genes from the SLC superfamily or atypical SLCs were found. Of these, 15 were genes encoding amino acid transporters and 32 were genes encoding other SLCs or atypical SLCs. Increased expression was detected for genes encoding amino acid transporters from system A, ASC, L, N, T, xc‐, and y+. Using GO annotations, genes involved in amino acid transport and amino acid transmembrane transporter activity were found to be most upregulated at 3 h and 5 h of starvation.

Objective:To determine the prevalence of microalbuminuria and its association with hypertension and other diabetic complications among Type-2 diabetic patients attending at Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi.Methods:1280 Type-2 diabetes patients who visited the outpatient department of Aga Khan University Hospital from September 2014 to August 2016 were included in the study. Microalbuminuria was diagnosed if spot urinary microalbumin excretion was confirmed to be more than 20mg/l. Hypertension was diagnosed if BP >140/90 or already on antihypertensive medications. Other demographic, clinical and laboratory data were also recorded.Results:Microalbuminuria was diagnosed in 404(31.56%) patients and among these albuminuric patients 335(82.9%) had hypertension. They were also dyslipidemic, having raised triglyceride levels, lower HDL levels, with more prevalence of background diabetic retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy. They also showed higher HbA1C levels and longer duration of diabetes.Conclusion:The prevalence of the microalbuminuria in our patients with Type-2 diabetes is 31.56% and is not only an early sign of diabetic nephropathy but also a host of other diabetic complications and should be dealt early with strict control of their hyperglycemia and hypertension to help prevent the future complications.

Fucoidans are sulfated, complex, fucose-rich polymers found in brown seaweeds. Fucoidans have been shown to have multiple bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory effects, and are known to inhibit inflammatory processes via a number of pathways such as selectin blockade and enzyme inhibition, and have demonstrated inhibition of inflammatory pathologies in vivo. In this current investigation, fucoidan extracts from Undaria pinnatifida, Fucus vesiculosus, Macrocystis pyrifera, Ascophyllum nodosum, and Laminaria japonica were assessed for modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in a human macrophage line (THP-1). Fucoidan extracts exhibited no signs of cytotoxicity in THP-1 cells after incubation of 48 h. Additionally, all fucoidan extracts reduced cytokine production in LPS stimulated PBMCs and human THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Notably, the 5–30 kDa subfraction from Macrocystis pyrifera was a highly effective inhibitor at lower concentrations. Fucoidan extracts from all species had significant anti-inflammatory effects, but the lowest molecular weight subfractions had maximal effects at low concentrations. These observations on various fucoidan extracts offer insight into strategies that improve their efficacy against inflammation-related pathology. Further studies should be conducted to elucidate the mechanism of action of these extracts.

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