Natural compounds with proteasome inhibitory activity for cancer prevention and treatment

The proteasome is a multicatalytic protease complex that degrades most endogenous proteins including misfolded or damaged proteins to ensure normal cellular function. The ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway plays an essential role in multiple cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. It has been shown that human cancer cells are more sensitive to proteasome inhibition than normal cells, indicating that a proteasome inhibitor could be used as a novel anticancer drug. Indeed, this idea has been supported by the encouraging results of the clinical trials using the proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib (Velcade, PS-341), a drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Several natural compounds, including the microbial metabolite lactacystin, green tea polyphenols, and traditional medicinal triterpenes, have been shown to be potent proteasome inhibitors. These findings suggest the potential use of natural proteasome inhibitors as not only chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents, but also tumor sensitizers to conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In this review, we will summarize the structures and biological activities of the proteasome and several natural compounds with proteasome inhibitory activity, and will discuss the potential use of these compounds for the prevention and treatment of human cancers.

Tea polyphenols, their biological effects and potential molecular targets

Tea is the most popular beverage in the world, second only to water. Tea contains an infusion of the leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant rich in polyphenolic compounds known as catechins, the most abundant of which is (-)-EGCG. Although tea has been consumed for centuries, it has only recently been studied extensively as a health-promoting beverage that may act to prevent a number of chronic diseases and cancers. The results of several investigations indicate that green tea consumption may be of modest benefit in reducing the plasma concentration of cholesterol and preventing atherosclerosis. Additionally, the cancer-preventive effects of green tea are widely supported by results from epidemiological, cell culture, animal and clinical studies. In vitro cell culture studies show that tea polyphenols potently induce apoptotic cell death and cell cycle arrest in tumor cells but not in their normal cell counterparts. Green tea polyphenols were shown to affect several biological pathways, including growth factor-mediated pathway, the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-dependent pathway, and ubiquitin/proteasome degradation pathways. Various animal studies have revealed that treatment with green tea inhibits tumor incidence and multiplicity in different organ sites such as skin, lung, liver, stomach, mammary gland and colon. Recently, phase I and II clinical trials have been conducted to explore the anticancer effects of green tea in humans. A major challenge of cancer prevention is to integrate new molecular findings into clinical practice. Therefore, identification of more molecular targets and biomarkers for tea polyphenols is essential for improving the design of green tea trials and will greatly assist in a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying its anti-cancer activity.

Utilization pattern and cost of sedation, analgesia and neuromuscular blockade in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit

OBJECTIVES

To study the utilization pattern and the cost of sedatives, analgesics and neuromuscular blocking agents in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

A prospective observational study was conducted in the ICU of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Trinidad and Tobago, for a period of twelve weeks. All patients admitted to the ICU were enrolled. No interventions were done. Data collected included demographics, diagnoses on admission, length of stay in the ICU, status of mechanical ventilation, patient outcome, quantity of sedatives, analgesics and neuromuscular blocking agents used in every patient and their cost.

RESULTS

There were 333 patient-days encountered from 34 patients studied. Midazolam, fentanyl and cisatracurium were the most commonly used sedative, opioid and neuromuscular blocking agents respectively. The total cost of drugs used for sedation, analgesia and neuromuscular blockade was approximately US$ 19,600 per annum. Cost for this treatment alone accounted for more than 50% of the total ICU drug costs. The costs were significantly higher in patients who stayed more than two weeks in the ICU when compared to those who stayed less than two weeks (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights the utilization pattern and financial burden of sedation, analgesia and neuromuscular blockade in the delivery of critical care.

A highly-sensitive plasma von Willebrand factor ristocetin cofactor (VWF:RCo) activity assay by flow cytometry

BACKGROUND

Assays of plasma von Willebrand factor (VWF) ristocetin cofactor activity (VWF:RCo) are essential for the laboratory diagnosis of von Willebrand disease (VWD) and for monitoring therapy. However, current manual or automated VWF:RCo assay methods have relatively poor operating characteristics. Our goal was to develop and validate a simple, accurate, specific and sensitive platelet-based VWF:RCo assay.

METHODS

Using green or red fluorochrome-labeled, fixed normal platelets and normal or patient plasma, ristocetin-dependent and VWF-mediated platelet aggregation was detected by flow cytometry. VWF:RCo activity was assayed as the number of double-positive events (green and red) among all green or red events, relative to the calibrator plasma signal (6-150% or IU dL(-1)), and reported as percent or IU dL(-1). We tested plasma samples from normal donors (n = 51) and known VWD patients (type 1, n = 16; type 2, n = 17) based on clinical history, levels of plasma VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF:RCo activity (manual platelet aggregometry/agglutination assay), factor (F) VIII activity and VWF multimer analysis.

RESULTS

For normal donors and type 1 VWD patients, VWF:RCo activity by flow cytometry vs. manual platelet aggregation correlated closely (R2 = 0.74), and VWF:RCo/VWF:Ag ratios did not differ significantly. In contrast, VWF:RCo/VWF:Ag ratios for type 2 VWD subtypes were significantly lower using VWF:RCo by flow cytometry vs. manual platelet aggregation assay (P < 0.01), especially for type 2A VWD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This new flow cytometry-based VWF:RCo assay is simple, accurate, specific and sensitive, particularly for type 2 VWD.

Identification of quantitative trait loci for resistance against Verticillium longisporum in oilseed rape (Brassica napus)

Verticillium longisporum is one of the major pathogens of oilseed rape (Brassica napus; genome AACC, 2n = 38) in Europe. Current European cultivars possess only a low level of resistance against V. longisporum, meaning that heavy infection can cause major yield losses. The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance against V. longisporum as a starting point for marker-assisted breeding of resistant cultivars. Resistance QTL were localized in a segregating oilseed rape population of 163 doubled haploid (DH) lines derived by microspore culture from the F1 of a cross between two B. napus breeding lines, one of which exhibited V. longisporum resistance derived by pedigree selection from a resynthesized B. napus genotype. A genetic map was constructed comprising 165 restriction fragment length polymorphism, 94 amplified fragment length polymorphism and 45 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers covering a total of 1,739 cM on 19 linkage groups. Seedlings of the DH lines and parents were inoculated with V. longisporum isolates in four greenhouse experiments performed in Sweden during autumn 1999. In three of the experiments the DH lines were inoculated with a mixture of five isolates, while in the fourth experiment only one of the isolates was used. The intention was to simulate four different environments with variable disease pressure, while still maintaining uniform conditions in each environment to enable reliable disease scoring. The disease index (DI) was calculated by scoring symptoms on a total of 21 inoculated plants per line in comparison to 21 noninoculated plants per line. Using the composite interval mapping procedure a total of four different chromosome regions could be identified that showed significant QTL for resistance in more than one environment. Two major QTL regions were identified on the C-genome linkage groups N14 and N15, respectively; each of these QTL consistently exhibited significant effects on resistance in multiple environments. The presence of flanking markers for the respective QTL was associated with a significant reduction in DI in the inoculated DH lines.

Risk-adjusted outcome evaluation in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the outcome of a multidisciplinary Intensive Care Unit (ICU) by applying the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) and Paediatric Index of Mortality (PIM)--version-2 scoring systems.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Two-hundred and seventeen patients admitted consecutively to the ICU during a period of one year were included for prospective data collection. Data recorded were demographics, diagnoses at admission, APACHE II score for adults and PIM -2 score for children, the duration of ICU stay and hospital outcome. Predicted mortality and standardized mortality ratios were calculated. Calibration and discriminant function of the systems were done by Hosmer-Lemeshow analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves.

RESULTS

In adults, the mean APACHE II score was 14.3 +/- 8.3; in survivors, it was 8.7 +/- 5.9 (SD) when compared to 21.2 +/- 5.9 (SD) in non-survivors (p < 0.0001). The predicted mortality in adults by APACHE II was 16.5%, the observed mortality being 19.8%. The predicted mortality by the PIM-2 in children was 34.8% with the observed mortality rate being 30%. The overall mean duration of stay was 5.2 +/- 7.5 days. The goodness-of-fit for APACHE II and PIM-2 systems were fair (HL chi-square, p = 0.71, 0.69, respectively). The area under the ROC curve was 0.88 for APACHE II and 0.62 for PIM-2.

CONCLUSION

Evaluation of risk-adjusted outcome in multidisciplinary ICUs is challenging because of the need to apply more than one prognostic scoring system.

Soil nitrogen dynamics in irrigated maize systems as impacted on by nitrogen and stubble management

The soil nitrogen (N) dynamics of an irrigated maize system in which stubble retention and stubble burned treatments were superimposed over treatments of varying N fertiliser rate were studied. The field site was near Whitton, New South Wales, Australia, and the work described here is part a life cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from maize project. The objective of this part of the work was to quantify the fate of fertiliser N applied at the site. Field measurements of denitrification, mineral N content and recovery of 15N-labelled urea from microplots with and without ammonium thiosulfate were complimented with laboratory studies of denitrification and nitrous oxide (N2O) flux. Significantly (P < 0.05) more fertiliser N was recovered in the grain from the stubble incorporated treatment than the stubble burned treatment and there was greater recovery of fertiliser N in the soil at the end of the experiment in the stubble burned treatment. This may indicate that fertiliser N applied to the stubble burned system may be more exposed to soil-N transformations. The reason for the difference in uptake and soil residual is not clear but may be related to soil structure differences leading to less plant accessibility of N in the burned treatment. This difference may lead to more nitrous oxide emission from soil in the stubble burned treatments. Short-term (1 h) static chamber measurements in the field found a strong N-rate dependence of N2O emission rate for fertiliser rates between 0 and 300 kg N/ha. Inclusion of ammonium thiosulfate in the fertiliser formulation did not appear to have a significant impact on fertiliser N recovery.

Emissions of the indirect greenhouse gases NH3 and NOx from Australian beef cattle feedlots

Emissions of indirect greenhouse gases, notably the nitrogen gases ammonia (NH3) and the odd oxides of nitrogen (NOx), play important roles in the greenhouse story. Feedlots are intense, but poorly quantified, sources of atmospheric NH3 and although production of NOx is to be expected in feedlots, rates of NOx emission are virtually unknown. In the atmosphere, these gases are involved in several transformations, but eventually return to the earth in gaseous or liquid form and can then undergo further transformations involving the formation and emission of the direct greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). The IPCC Phase II guidelines estimate that indirect N2O emissions due to atmospheric deposition of N compounds formed from NH3 and NOx could be ~14% of the direct emissions from agricultural soils or from animal production systems. IPCC recommends that these indirect emissions be accounted for in making inventory estimates of N2O emission. This paper is a preliminary report of emissions of NH3 and NOx from two Australian feedlots determined with micrometeorological techniques. Emissions of nitrogen gases from both feedlots were dominated by emissions of NH3. The average NH3 emission rate over both feedlots in winter was 46 g N/animal.day, while that of NOx was less than 1% of that rate at 0.36 g N/animal.day. It was apparent that NH3 release was governed by the wetness of the surface. Rates of emission from the feedlot with the wetter surface were almost three times those from the other. The IPCC default emission factor for the combined emission of NH3 and NOx from livestock is 0.2 kg N/kg N excreted, but in our work, the emission factor was 0.59 kg N/kg N excreted. Potential emissions of N2O due to NH3 and NOx deposition were estimated to be of the same magnitude as the direct N2O emissions, the sum of direct and potential indirect amounting to ~3 g N2O-N/animal.day. If applied nationally, this would represent a contribution of N2O from Australian feedlots of 533Gg CO2-e or 2.2% of all Australian N2O emissions.

Methane emissions from feedlot cattle in Australia and Canada

Raising beef cattle in open feedlots is a well established practice in Canada and is gaining acceptance in Australia because it results in more consistent meat quality. These facilities are regional ‘hot spots’ of methane (CH4) emissions, resulting from the high stocking density and the large amount of fermentation occurring in the rumen (enteric CH4). Our objective was to compare CH4 emissions from a typical feedlot in Australia (Queensland) and in Canada (Alberta) and also to compare these against modelled emissions. Methane concentration and wind data were monitored over a portion of each feedlot and a dispersion model was used to calculate CH4 emissions during a summer period. The average CH4 emission was 166 ± 90 and 214 ± 61 g/animal.day for the feedlot in Queensland and in Alberta, respectively. The lower CH4 emission at the Queensland feedlot was attributed to the lighter weight of the cattle, and consequently their lower intake, and supplementation of the diet with lipids. The lipid effect on CH4 emissions is also speculated to cause some models to overestimate the measured CH4 emissions. A lower CH4 emission also occurred during daylight hours at the Queensland feedlot and was attributed in part to heat stress as defined by the temperature–humidity index.

Tamoxifen-inducible Cre-recombination in articular chondrocytes of adult Col2a1-CreER(T2) transgenic mice

OBJECTIVE

To determine the specificity and efficiency of the tamoxifen (TM)-induced Cre-recombination in articular chondrocytes of adult Col2a1-CreER(T2) transgenic mice.

METHODS

Col2a1-CreER(T2) transgenic mice were bred with Rosa26 reporter mice. Two-week-old Col2a1-CreER(T2);R26R mice were administered TM for 5 days and were sacrificed 1 and 6 months after TM induction. X-Gal staining was performed.

RESULTS

Efficient Cre-recombination is achieved in adult articular chondrocytes 1 and 6 months after TM induction.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate that the Col2a1-CreER(T2) transgenic mouse model is a valuable tool to target genes specifically expressed in articular chondrocytes in a temporally controlled manner in adult mice.

A highly-sensitive plasma von Willebrand factor ristocetin cofactor (VWF:RCo) activity assay by flow cytometry

BACKGROUND

Assays of plasma von Willebrand factor (VWF) ristocetin cofactor activity (VWF:RCo) are essential for the laboratory diagnosis of von Willebrand disease (VWD) and for monitoring therapy. However, current manual or automated VWF:RCo assay methods have relatively poor operating characteristics. Our goal was to develop and validate a simple, accurate, specific and sensitive platelet-based VWF:RCo assay.

METHODS

Using green or red fluorochrome-labeled, fixed normal platelets and normal or patient plasma, ristocetin-dependent and VWF-mediated platelet aggregation was detected by flow cytometry. VWF:RCo activity was assayed as the number of double-positive events (green and red) among all green or red events, relative to the calibrator plasma signal (6-150% or IU dL(-1)), and reported as percent or IU dL(-1). We tested plasma samples from normal donors (n = 51) and known VWD patients (type 1, n = 16; type 2, n = 17) based on clinical history, levels of plasma VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF:RCo activity (manual platelet aggregometry/agglutination assay), factor (F) VIII activity and VWF multimer analysis.

RESULTS

For normal donors and type 1 VWD patients, VWF:RCo activity by flow cytometry vs. manual platelet aggregation correlated closely (R2 = 0.74), and VWF:RCo/VWF:Ag ratios did not differ significantly. In contrast, VWF:RCo/VWF:Ag ratios for type 2 VWD subtypes were significantly lower using VWF:RCo by flow cytometry vs. manual platelet aggregation assay (P < 0.01), especially for type 2A VWD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This new flow cytometry-based VWF:RCo assay is simple, accurate, specific and sensitive, particularly for type 2 VWD.

An evaluation of the intensive care unit resources and utilization in Trinidad

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate resources and utilization of Intensive Care Units in Trinidad and Tobago.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This was a prospective observational study to evaluate Intensive Care Units (ICU) of three public and two private hospitals in Trinidad with respect to their infrastructure, process of care and patient outcome. Structure of ICUs was assessed by interviews and personal observations. A Cost Block Model was used to determine the expenditure for ICUs. The process of ICU was assessed by Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28). For outcome evaluation, two prognostic scoring systems namely Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) and Paediatric Index of Mortality-2 (PIM-2) were used

RESULTS

The total number of ICU beds was 27. The overall bed occupancy was 66.2%. One hundred and eighteen patients consecutively admitted to ICU during a two-month period were enrolled for process and outcome evaluation. The overall median age of patients was 44 years [Interquartile range (IQR) 25, 59]. The mean cost per patient in the public hospitals was TT $64,746 compared to $77,000 in a private hospital. The average total daily TISS per patient was 27.01 +/- 5.4 (SD). The median length of stay was five days (IQR 2, 9). The overall predicted mortality was 32.9%, the observed mortality was 29.7% and thus the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 0.9.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall bed availability in ICUs with respect to Trinidad and Tobago's population and case-mix is low compared to developed countries, although the process of ICU care is comparable. Outcome of patients was good in terms of risk-adjusted mortality. The study highlights the need to further increase bed-strength and optimize the resource utilization of ICUs in Trinidad and Tobago.

Increasing risk for negative ozone impacts on vegetation in northern Sweden

Trends were found for increasing surface ozone concentrations during April-September in northern Sweden over the period 1990-2006 as well as for an earlier onset of vegetation growing season. The highest ozone concentrations in northern Sweden occurred in April and the ozone concentrations in April showed a strong increasing trend. A model simulation of ozone flux for Norway spruce indicated that the provisional ozone flux based critical level for forests in Europe is exceeded in northern Sweden. Future climate change would have counteracting effects on the stomatal conductance and needle ozone uptake, mediated on the one hand by direct effect of increasing air temperatures and on the other through increasing water vapour pressure difference between the needles and air. Thus, there is a substantial and increasing risk for negative impacts of ozone on vegetation in northern Sweden, related mainly to increasing ozone concentrations and an earlier onset of the growing season.

Development of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) genetic maps using microsatellite and AFLP markers and a pseudo-testcross strategy

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) are two of the four most important pond-cultured fish species inhabiting the major river basins of China. In the present study, genetic maps of silver carp and bighead carp were constructed using microsatellite and AFLP markers and a two-way pseudo-testcross strategy. To create the maps, 60 individuals were obtained from a cross of a single bighead carp (female) and a single silver carp (male). The silver carp map consisted of 271 markers (48 microsatellites and 223 AFLPs) that were assembled into 27 linkage groups, of which 22 contained at least four markers. The total length of the silver carp map was 952.2 cM, covering 82.8% of the estimated genome size. The bighead carp map consisted of 153 markers (27 microsatellites and 126 AFLPs) which were organized into 30 linkage groups, of which 19 contained at least four markers. The total length of the bighead carp map was 852.0 cM, covering 70.5% of the estimated genome size. Eighteen microsatellite markers were common to both maps. These maps will contribute to discovery of genes and genetic regions controlling traits in the two species of carp.

Localization of arabinogalactan proteins in anther, pollen, and pollen tube of Nicotiana tabacum L

Western blot analysis indicated the presence of two epitopes recognized by the anti-arabinogalactan protein antibodies JIM13 and LM2 and the absence of the JIM4 epitope in mature tobacco anthers. Immunoenzyme localization of arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) with JIM13 showed that AGPs accumulate mainly at the early stages of anther development. AGP content and distribution were also investigated at the ultrastructural level in pollen tubes grown in vivo and in vitro. Abundant AGPs were present in the transmitting tissue of styles, and the AGP content of the extracellular matrix changed during pollen tube growth. In pollen tubes, immunogold particles were mainly distributed in the cell wall and cytoplasm, especially around the peripheral region of the generative-cell wall. beta-D-Glucosyl Yariv reagent, which specifically binds to AGPs, caused slow growth of pollen tubes and reduced immunogold labeling of AGPs with JIM13 in vitro. These data suggest that AGPs participate in male gametogenesis and pollen tube growth and may be important surface molecules in generative and sperm cells.