JAK1-STAT1-STAT3, a key pathway promoting proliferation and preventing premature differentiation of myoblasts

Skeletal muscle stem cell-derived myoblasts are mainly responsible for postnatal muscle growth and injury-induced muscle regeneration. However, the cellular signaling pathways controlling the proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts are not fully understood. We demonstrate that Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) is required for myoblast proliferation and that it also functions as a checkpoint to prevent myoblasts from premature differentiation. Deliberate knockdown of JAK1 in both primary and immortalized myoblasts induces precocious myogenic differentiation with a concomitant reduction in cell proliferation. This is caused, in part, by an accelerated induction of MyoD, myocyte enhancer-binding factor 2 (MEF2), p21Cip1, and p27Kip1, a faster down-regulation of Id1, and an increase in MEF2-dependent gene transcription. Downstream of JAK1, of all the signal transducer and activator of transcriptions (STATs) present in myoblasts, we find that only STAT1 knockdown promotes myogenic differentiation in both primary and immortalized myoblasts. Leukemia inhibitory factor stimulates myoblast proliferation and represses differentiation via JAK1-STAT1-STAT3. Thus, JAK1-STAT1-STAT3 constitutes a signaling pathway that promotes myoblast proliferation and prevents premature myoblast differentiation.

Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase in human intractable epilepsy

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) such as ERK1 [p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)] and ERK2 (p42 MAPK) are activated in the central nervous system under physiological and pathological conditions such as ischemia and epilepsy. Our aim is to investigate ERK1, ERK2, and phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) (Thr202/Tyr 204) expression in the temporal lobe of patients with intractable epilepsy (IE) and to explore its possible role of ERK in it. Tissue samples from temporal neocortices of 40 patients who had surgery for IE were used to detect ERK1, ERK2, and p-ERK (Thr 202/Tyr 204) expression through immunohistochemistry and western blot. We compared these tissues against 17 histological normal temporal lobes from head-trauma patients. ERK1, ERK2, and p-ERK in IE were significantly higher than those in the controls. They were mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of neurons and glial cells. There was also increased detection of p-ERK in the gliotic cortex of IE compared with the non-gliotic cortex. These findings were consistently observed in western blot and immunohistochemistry techniques. ERK expression in patients with IE was significantly increased compared with the controls. This suggested a probable role of ERK in the pathogenesis of IE.

Site-Directed Mutagenesis of Aeromonas hydrophila Enoyl Coenzyme A Hydratase Enhancing 3-Hydroxyhexanoate Fractions of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)

The aim of this study is to enhance 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx) fractions of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), abbreviated as PHBHHx, through site-directed mutagenesis of Aeromonas hydrophila enoyl Coenzyme A hydratase (PhaJ(Ah)). Two amino acids (Leu-65 and Val-130) were selected as a substitutional site based on the structural information of PhaJ(Ah). The purified proteins from the wild-type enzyme and mutants were used to determine hydratase activities. Hydratase activities of four single-mutation enzymes were similar to those of the wild type PhaJ(Ah), while hydratase activities of two double-mutation enzymes were much lower. In addition, the mutated phaJ (Ah) was individually co-transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3) together with pFH21, which carried the PHA synthase (PhaC(Ah)) gene from A. hydrophila. The recombinant E. coli harboring plasmid pETJ1 (L65A), pETJ2 (L65V) or plasmid pETJ3 (V130A) synthesized the enhanced 3HHx fractions of PHBHHx from dodecanoate, indicating that Leu-65 and Val-130 of PhaJ(Ah) play an important role in determining the acyl chain length substrate specificity. The mutated PhaJ(Ah) (L65A, L65V, or V130A) provided higher 3HHx precursors for PHA synthase, resulting in the enhanced 3HHx fractions of PHBHHx. It is possible to change the acyl chain length substrate specificity of PhaJ through site-directed mutagenesis and produce PHBHHx with a wider range of alterable monomer composition.

Different effects of polymorphisms of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta on development of peptic ulcer and gastric cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIM

In Western countries, polymorphism of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes is associated with the development of gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer. The aim of this study was to clarify the association of polymorphisms of interleukin (IL)-1beta and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha with susceptibility to peptic ulcer diseases and gastric cancer in Japan.

METHODS

The IL-1beta-511/-31 and TNF-alpha-308/-857/-863/-1031 genotypes were determined in Helicobacter pylori-positive patients with gastritis only (n = 164), gastric ulcers (n = 110), duodenal ulcers (n = 94), or gastric cancers (n = 105), and in H. pylori-negative controls (n = 172).

RESULTS

Carriage of the alleles TNF-alpha-857 T (odd ratio [OR], 1.826; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.097-3.039), TNF-alpha-863 A (OR, 1.788; 95% CI, 1.079-2.905) and TNF-alpha-1031 C (OR, 1.912; 95% CI, 1.152-3.171) was associated with increased risk for gastric ulcer development. Carriage of the alleles TNF-alpha-857 T (OR, 1.686; 95% CI, 1.003-2.832), TNF-alpha-863 A (OR, 1.863; 95% CI, 1.118-3.107) and TNF-alpha-1031 C (OR 2.074; 95% CI, 1.244-3.457) was also associated with increased risk of gastric cancer development. There was no relationship between the development of H. pylori-related diseases and polymorphisms of IL-1beta-511/-31 and TNF-alpha-308. The simultaneous carriage of three different high-producer alleles of TNF-alpha-857/-863/-1031 significantly increased the risk of gastric ulcer (OR, 6.57; 95% CI, 2.34-18.40) and gastric cancer (OR, 5.20; 95% CI, 1.83-14.78).

CONCLUSIONS

Polymorphisms in TNF-alpha rather than IL-1beta are associated with increased risk for gastric ulcers and gastric cancer in Japan. The simultaneous carriage of more than one high-producer allele of TNF-alpha further increased the risks for gastric ulcer and cancer.

Actions of neuropoietic cytokines and cyclic AMP in regenerative conditioning of rat primary sensory neurons

A conditioning lesion to peripheral axons of primary sensory neurons accelerates regeneration of their central axons in vivo or neurite outgrowth if the neurons are grown in vitro. Previous evidence has implicated neuropoietic cytokines and also cyclic AMP in regenerative conditioning. In experiments reported here, delivery through a lentivirus vector of ciliary neurotrophic factor to the appropriate dorsal root ganglion in rats was sufficient to mimic the conditioning effect of peripheral nerve injury on the regeneration of dorsal spinal nerve root axons. Regeneration in this experimental preparation was also stimulated by intraganglionic injection of dibutyryl cyclic AMP but the effects of ciliary neurotrophic factor and dibutyryl cyclic AMP were not additive. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP injection into the dorsal root ganglion induced mRNAs for two other neuropoietic cytokines, interleukin-6 and leukemia inhibitory factor and increased the accumulation of phosphorylated STAT3 in neuronal nuclei. The in vitro conditioning action of dibutyryl cyclic AMP was partially blocked by a pharmacological inhibitor of Janus kinase 2, a neuropoietic cytokine signaling molecule. We suggest that the beneficial actions of increased cyclic AMP activity on axonal regeneration of primary sensory neurons are mediated, at least in part, through the induction of neuropoietic cytokine synthesis within the dorsal root ganglion.

Adrenarche in the rat

Normal pubertal development in humans involves two distinct processes: maturation of adrenal androgen secretion (adrenarche) and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (gonadarche). One factor thought to contribute to the adrenarche in man is increased adrenal 17-hydroxylase (CYP17) activity. In the rat, there is evidence for adrenal involvement in the initiation of puberty, but the adrenal glands of this species are generally thought to express CYP17 only very poorly at best. To further examine the nature of postnatal adrenal development in rat, plasma samples and adrenal tissues were taken from animals aged 2-90 days, circulating adrenal steroids assayed, and adrenal zones assessed quantitatively. A relative increase in zona reticularis, and peaks of circulating cortisol, androstenedione, and 17-OH-progesterone were observed around postnatal days 16-20, clearly before the development of the gonads, which begins at 30-35 days. Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR confirmed a peak in mRNA coding for CYP17 in adrenal tissue from rats of similar age. The results suggest that the rat adrenal has the capacity to secrete steroids arising from 17-hydroxylation, and that this may contribute to a process similar to human adrenarche.

Combination of MIG (CXCL9) chemokine gene therapy with low-dose cisplatin improves therapeutic efficacy against murine carcinoma

MIG (monokine induced by interferon-gamma) is a CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL9) that can potently inhibit angiogenesis, and displays thymus-dependent antitumor effects. The effectiveness of a treatment combining gene therapy with plasmid-borne MIG (pORF-MIG) and low-dose cisplatin chemotherapy was determined using colon carcinoma (CT26) and Lewis lung carcinoma (LL/2c) murine models. The program was carried out via intramuscular delivery of pORF-MIG at 100 mug/mouse twice a week for 4 weeks, and/or intraperitoneal delivery of cisplatin at 0.6 mg/kg/mouse every 3 days for 48 days. Tumor volume and survival time were evaluated after treatment. CD31 immunohistochemical staining in tumor tissues and alginate capsule models in vivo was used to evaluate angiogenesis. Induction of apoptosis and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity were also assessed. The combination of pORF-MIG and low-dose cisplatin produced significant antitumor activity, with complete tumor regression in 4/10 of CT26 colon carcinomas and 3/10 of LL/2c lung carcinomas, low vascularity, in alginate capsules, apparently degraded tumor microvessel density, and increased induction of apoptotic and CTL activities compared with either treatment alone. This study suggests that the combination of pORF-MIG plus cisplatin augments the inhibition of angiogenesis and the induction of apoptosis or CTL activity, all of which enhance antitumor activity. These findings may prove useful in further explorations of the application of combinatorial approaches to the treatment of solid tumors.

Ifenprodil treatment is associated with a down-regulation of brain aquaporin 4 following cardiac arrest in rats

OBJECTIVES

Ifenprodil, a NMDA receptor polyamine site antagonist, reduces experimental cardiac arrest (CA)-elicited brain edema, which is associated with an up-regulation of aquaporin 4 (AQP4), a brain water-selective channel. However, the interacting roles of NMDA receptors and AQP4 in CA-elicited brain edema are unknown. The objective of this study was to test our hypothesis that ifenprodil treatment is associated with a down-regulation of brain AQP4.

METHODS

Twenty-five rats were assigned to normal controls (group 1, n = 6) or subjected to eight minutes of asphyxial CA treated with placebo (group 2, n = 9) or ifenprodil (group 3, n = 10). Ifenprodil at 10 mg/kg or normal saline of equal volume was given intraperitoneally, 5 minutes before CA. The density of AQP4 protein and actin bands was scanned and expressed as the ratios of the optical density of AQP4 relative to that of actin. The ANOVA analysis was used to compare the group differences.

RESULTS

The ratios of the optical density of AQP4 to that of actin were 0.88 +/- 0.06 in group 1, 1.11 +/- 0.08 in group 2 (p < 0.05 vs. group 1), and 0.78 +/- 0.04 in group 3 (p < 0.01 vs. group 2; NS vs. group 1).

CONCLUSION

Ifenprodil given before CA is associated with a downregulation of brain AQP4 in rats.

Geographic distribution, virologic and clinical characteristics of hepatitis B virus genotypes in China

The significance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes for the heterogeneity of chronic HBV infection and severity of liver disease is not well understood. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution and virologic characteristics of HBV genotypes in China and possible association with the diversity of liver disease. The study includes 1096 chronic HBV carriers from nine provinces in China. We collected clinical and laboratory data and analysed the HBV strains in sera by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and nucleotide sequencing techniques. The most common HBV genotypes were B (41%) and C (53%), while genotypes A and D were also found. A North-South divide was identified in genotype B and C distribution - genotype C was predominant in northern China, while genotype B was more prevalent in southern provinces. Patients with genotype B were younger than those with genotype C, and had a lower prevalence of HBeAg - 65%vs 72%, respectively (P = 0.03). However, the severity of liver disease did not differ significantly between patients infected with genotype B or C - neither when comparing liver function tests (1024 patients), nor hepatic inflammation and fibrosis (264 patients). Amongst 47 patients with genotype D (by PCR-RFLP), 37 (79%) were infected with a new subtype (designated Dc), having a recombination fragment from genotype C precore/core region. This is the first large-scale HBV genotype study from China and convincing documentation of the North-to-South gradient of genotypes C vs B in this country. HBV DNA recombination over the surface and precore/core genes increases the diversity of HBV strains and may have diagnostic and clinical implications.

Ethiopia: between Sub-Saharan Africa and western Eurasia

Ethiopia is central to population genetic studies investigating the out of Africa expansion of modern humans, as shown by Y chromosome and mtDNA studies. To address the level of genetic differentiation within Ethiopia, and its relationship to Sub-Saharan Africa and Eurasia, we studied an 8 kb segment of the X-chromosome from 72 chromosomes from the Amhara, Oromo and Ethiopian Jews, and compared these results with 804 chromosomes from Middle Eastern, African, Asian and European populations, and 22 newly typed Saharawi. Within Ethiopia the two largest ethnic groups, the Amhara and Oromo, were not found to be statistically distinct, based on an exact test of haplotype frequencies. The Ethiopian Jews appear as an admixed population, possibly of Jewish origin, though the data remain equivocal. There is evidence of a close relationship between Ethiopian and Yemenite Jews, likely a result of indirect gene flow. Within an African and Eurasian context, the distribution of alleles of a variable T(n) repeat, and the spread of haplotypes containing Africa-specific alleles, provide evidence of a genetic continuity from Sub-Saharan Africa to the Near East, and furthermore suggest that a bottleneck occurred in Ethiopia associated with an out of Africa expansion. Ethiopian genetic heterogeneity, as evidenced by principal component analysis of haplotype frequencies, most likely resulted from periods of subsequent admixture. While these results are from the analysis of one locus, we feel that in association with data from other marker systems they add a complementary perspective on the history of Ethiopia.

Intestinal metaplasia with a high salt diet induces epithelial proliferation and alters cell composition in the gastric mucosa of mice

Intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa is an important component in the pathway to adenocarcinoma. The mechanisms that induce the progression from intestinal metaplasia to cancer have not been elucidated. High dietary salt has been known as one of the risk factors for gastric cancer development in humans. Therefore, we investigated the role of high salt diet on gastric epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation, using our mouse model that ectopically expressed Cdx2 homeodomain transcription factor and induced an intestinal metaplastic phenotype in the gastric epithelia. Sixty Cdx2 transgenic and sixty age-matched wild-type littermates were studied. Fifty-percent Cdx2 transgenic and wild type mice were administered a high-salt diet and the other fifty-percent was fed a standard diet starting at 12 weeks after birth. At 10, 20 and 40 weeks after initiation of the diets, histopathological changes were determined by Hemotoxylin and Eosin, alcian blue, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Cell types and cell kinetics were assessed by immunohistochemistry. At 52 weeks, significant alterations in pathology were observed in the Cdx2 transgenic mice fed a high-salt diet, including elongation of gastric pits, reduction of the glandular zone in the gastric corpus, and deepening of glands in the antrum. In the Cdx2 transgenic mice fed a high salt diet, the parietal and chief cells were significantly decreased in the gastric corpus. A significant increase in cell proliferation and apoptosis in the corpus and antrum were observed in Cdx2 transgenic mice fed a high-salt diet as compared to wild-type littermates. Taken together, these data implicate that intestinal metaplasia in concert with a high-salt diet induces epithelial proliferation, apoptosis, and alters cellular types in the gastric mucosa of mice. Alteration in the composition of the gastric epithelium may play a role in influencing the microenvironment to engender susceptibility to carcinogens.

Cell column chromatography: a new research tool to quantify cerebral cell volume changes following chemically-induced anoxia/re-oxygenation

OBJECTIVE

The roles of individual types of cerebral cells in contributing to brain edema are undefined. The objective of this study was to determine the role of cerebral cell-column chromatography in quantifying cell volumes of individual cerebral cell lines, under chemically-induced anoxia/re-oxygenation (A/R).

METHODS

Cerebral endothelial cells (4 experiments) or type II astrocytes (4 experiments) were cultured to confluence on microcarrier beads. A chromatographic cell-column of 1.5 cm height was filled with non-treated cell-covered beads. The column was perfused at 1 ml/min with a balanced perfusate for one hour (Baseline). The perfusate was then switched to that containing 5 mM thioglycolic acid for one hour (Anoxia). Then the column was perfused with the normal perfusate for another two hours (Re-oxygenation). The total free space in the column, reversely reflecting cell volumes, was determined by averaged transit time (TTa) of a non-permeable flow tracer blue dextran. Decreased TTa means that cells swell, and vice versa.

RESULTS

TTa in endothelial cell columns increased with a peak at 60 minutes of re-oxygenation. TTa in astrocyte columns decreased with a nadir at 30 minutes of re-oxygenation.

CONCLUSION

Cell column chromatography can be used to determine the cerebral cell volume changes following chemically-induced anoxia/re-oxygenation.

Mechanism for Aldosterone Potentiation of Angiotensin II–Stimulated Rat Arterial Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation

After earlier studies in which secretion of aldosterone was demonstrated to be important in rat arterial smooth muscle cell (RASMC) proliferation in vitro, the presence of both 11beta-hydroxylase (CYP11B1) and aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene transcription were shown in these cells by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In proliferation studies, tritiated thymidine incorporation into RASMC and RASMC cell number were both significantly increased by angiotensin II (Ang II) (10(-7) mol/L) compared with controls (P<0.01), but this effect was inhibited by the 3beta-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase inhibitor trilostane (10(-6) mol/L and 10(-5) mol/L, P<0.05). Aldosterone alone added to RASMC did not significantly change tritiated thymidine incorporation when compared with controls, but the Ang II-induced increase was significantly enhanced by aldosterone at 10(-10) mol/L and 10(-8) mol/L (P<0.05). Neither corticosterone nor 18-hydroxydeoxycorticosterone had any such potentiating effect. RT-PCR analysis and real-time quantitative RT-PCR revealed an increase of Ang II type-1 (AT1) receptor mRNA in RASMC treated by aldosterone (10(-8) mol/L) compared with untreated controls, and this was correlated with a small but significant increase in AT1 receptor protein (P<0.05), as assessed by immunoblotting analysis. These data confirm that steroid production by RASMC is critical in the response to Ang II, and the data support the view that aldosterone specifically is required for the full proliferative response to Ang II in RASMC. One way it may act is by modulating the expression and functions of the AT1 receptor.

Matrix metalloproteinases are not involved in early brain edema formation after cardiac arrest in rats

INTRODUCTION

Resuscitation from cardiac arrest (CA) often results in a poor neurological outcome possibly due to an incomplete understanding of the pathophysiology of brain injury following CA-induced global cerebral ischemia. Brain edema is an important manifestation after CA and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contribute to brain edema formation following focal cerebral ischemia. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of an MMP inhibitor, GM6001, in CA-elicited brain edema.

METHODS

Eighteen rats were subjected to normothermic (37.5 +/- 0.5 degrees C) CA induced by eight minutes of asphyxiation and assigned to a CA-control group (CA), an alcohol-placebo group (CA + ETOH), or a GM6001-treated group (CA + GM6001). GM6001 in 100% alcohol or a vehicle was given i.v. before CA to achieve a whole blood concentration of 10 microM. Animals were resuscitated with CPR, ventilation and epinephrine. Brain edema was determined by brain wet-to-dry weight ratio at one hour after resuscitation.

FINDINGS

Brain wet-to-dry weight ratio was 4.86 +/- 0.09 in CA, 4.76 +/- 0.12 in CA + ETOH (p = 0.30 vs. CA), and 4.72 +/- 0.03 in CA + GM6001 (p = 0.17 vs. CA and 0.42 vs. CA + ETOH).

INTERPRETATION

MMPs are not involved in brain edema formation one hour following CA.

Polymorphism of interleukin-1beta affects the eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori by triple therapy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Polymorphism in interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) is associated with intragastric pH levels in Helicobacter pylori-positive subjects. Intragastric pH levels affect the activity of antibiotics against H. pylori in the stomach. The aim of this study was to investigate whether IL-1beta polymorphism is associated with eradication rates of H. pylori by triple therapy with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), amoxicillin, and clarithromycin.

METHODS

Three hundred thirty-six patients infected with H. pylori completed treatment with omeprazole, 20 mg, or lansoprazole, 30 mg twice daily; clarithromycin, 200 mg 3 times daily; and amoxicillin, 500 mg 3 times daily, for 1 week. IL-1beta-511 and CYP2C19 genotypes of patients and sensitivity of H. pylori to clarithromycin and amoxicillin were determined.

RESULTS

Logistic regression analysis showed that the IL-1beta-511 polymorphism, as well as CYP2C19 genotype of patients and clarithromycin-resistance of H. pylori, was associated with successful eradication. Eradication rates for H. pylori were 77.3% (75 of 97; 95% confidence interval, 67.5-84.6), 89.6% (147 of 164; 95% confidence interval, 83.9-93.1), and 94.7% (95% confidence interval, 86.9-98.5) in patients with the C/C, C/T, and T/T genotypes of IL-1beta-511, respectively (P = 0.0014).

CONCLUSIONS

IL-1beta-511 polymorphism is one of the determinants of successful eradication of H. pylori using triple therapy with a PPI, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin, together with CYP2C19 genotype and bacterial resistance to clarithromycin.

High-dose rabeprazole/amoxicillin therapy as the second-line regimen after failure to eradicate H. pylori by triple therapy with the usual doses of a proton pump inhibitor, clarithromycin and amoxicillin

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Some patients are refractory to the usual triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori, consisting of a proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin and clarithromycin, so there needs to be an alternative strategy for retreatment after failure to eradicate the infection.

METHODOLOGY

The study group comprised 17 H. pylori-positive patients who had failed to clear H. pylori infection after 1 week of treatment with usual doses of proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin and clarithromycin. The sensitivity of H. pylori to clarithromycin and amoxicillin, and the CYP2C19 genotype status of each patient were determined and treatment with rabeprazole (10 mg qid) and amoxicillin (500 mg qid) for 2 weeks was started.

RESULTS

Eleven patients were infected with a clarithromycin-resistant strain of H. pylori. Twelve patients had the homozygous extensive metabolizer genotype, 5 had the heterozygous extensive metabolizer genotype and there were none with the poor metabolizer genotype of CYP2C19. All patients were successfully cleared of their H. pylori infection without any adverse effects, irrespective of CYP2C19 genotype status (100%, 95% confidence interval: 76-100%).

CONCLUSIONS

High-dose dual therapy with rabeprazole (10 mg qid) and amoxicillin (500 mg qid) for 2 weeks appears useful treatment strategy after failure of eradication of H. pylori by the usual triple proton pump inhibitor/amoxicillin/clarithromycin therapy.

A gene therapy for cancer based on the angiogenesis inhibitor, vasostatin

The growth and persistence of solid tumors and their metastasis are angiogenesis-dependent. Vasostatin, the N-terminal domain of calreticulin inclusive of amino acids 1-180, is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor. To investigate whether intramuscular administration of vasostatin gene has the antitumor activity in mouse tumor models, we constructed a plasmid DNA encoding vasostatin and a control vector. Production and secretion of vasostatin protein by COS cells transfected with the plasmid DNA encoding vasostatin (pSecTag2B-vaso) were confirmed by Western blot analysis and ELISA. Conditioned medium from vasostatin-transfected COS cells apparently inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and mouse endothelial cell (SVEC4-10) proliferation, compared with conditioned medium from the COS cells transfected with control vector or non-transfected cells. Treatment with pSecTag2B-vaso twice weekly for 4 weeks resulted in the inhibition of tumor growth and the prolongation of the survival of tumor-bearing mice. The sustained high level of vasostatin protein in serum could be identified in ELISA. Angiogenesis was apparently inhibited in tumor by immunohistochemical analysis. Angiogenesis was also inhibited in the chicken embryo CAM assay and mouse corneal micropocket assay. The increased apoptotic cells were found within the tumor tissues from the mice treated with plasmid DNA encoding vasostatin. Taken together, the data in the present study indicate that the cancer gene therapy by the intramuscular delivery of plasmid DNA encoding vasostatin, is effective in the inhibition of the systemic angiogenesis and tumor growth in murine models. The present findings also provide further evidence of the anti-tumor effects of the vasostatin, and may be of importance for the further exploration of the application of this molecule in the treatment of cancer.

Interleukin 1beta polymorphisms increase risk of hypochlorhydria and atrophic gastritis and reduce risk of duodenal ulcer recurrence in Japan

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) polymorphisms are associated with increased risk of gastric cancer in whites. This study aimed to examine effects of these polymorphisms on gastric acid secretion, atrophic gastritis, and risk of peptic ulcer in Japan.

METHODS

We determined IL-1B-511/-31 and IL-1RN genotypes and measured gastric juice pH, serum pepsinogen (PG) I and II levels, and gastritis and atrophy scores in Helicobacter pylori-positive patients with gastritis only, gastric ulcers, or duodenal ulcers (DUs), and H. pylori-negative controls.

RESULTS

In the H. pylori-positive group, subjects with the proinflammatory IL-1B-511 T/T genotype had the highest atrophy and gastritis scores, the highest median gastric juice pH, and the lowest median serum PG I/PG II ratios. Although gastric juice pH significantly increased and serum PG I and PG I/PG II ratios significantly decreased in the IL-1B-511 T/T genotype group with age, no such age-dependent changes were observed in the C/C genotype group. Changes in the C/T genotype group were intermediate. In the H. pylori-negative group, the IL-1 loci had no effect on any of the physiologic or morphologic parameters. Carriage of IL-1RN allele 2 significantly protected against DU disease while the IL-1B-511 T/T genotype significantly protected against DU recurrence in patients older than 60 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Proinflammatory IL-1beta polymorphisms are associated with hypochlorhydria and atrophic gastritis in Japan. The effects are dependent on H. pylori infection and become more significant with advancing age. This may explain the high incidence of gastric cancer in Japan and also the age-dependent decrease in DU recurrence in infected subjects.

[Scanning electronic microscopic observation of vascular corrosion casts of closed diffuse brain injuries in rats]

The brain vascular corrosion casts of closed diffuse brain injuries were studied by SEM in rats. The contraction and spasm of perforating arteriole and sphincter-muscle of capillaries in brain stems were observed. The capillaries are about 2-5 microns in diameter, while the normal 10-15 microns. The mechanism of the contraction and its effects were discussed.