Purification of swine carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme III and measurement of its levels in tissues and plasma

The changes in the levels of carbonic anhydrase isozyme III (CA-III) in swine plasma and urine have not been previously determined or reported. CA-III is relatively specific to skeletal muscles, and should therefore be a useful diagnostic marker for muscle diseases. We isolated CA-III from swine muscle tissues and determined CA-III levels in the plasma and urine from both healthy and diseased pigs. The levels of CA-III in the tissues of female swine (age, 3 months) and plasma of young swine (age, 1-5 months) and adult female pigs (age, 2-3 years) were determined using the ELISA system for swine CA-III. The mean (± SD) levels of CA-III in the skeletal muscles were 3.8 ± 3.2 mg/g (wet tissue), and in the plasma, 230 ± 193 ng/ml at 1 month, 189 ± 208 ng/ml at 2 months, 141 ± 148 ng/ml at 3 months, 78 ± 142 ng/ml at 4 months and 53 ± 99 ng/ml at 5 months. The mean level of CA-III in the plasma samples from 2- to 3-year-old pigs was 18 ± 60 ng/ml. CA-III in the plasma samples was found to decrease from 1 month until 3 years of age (p < 0.01). We performed far-western blotting to clarify the cause of the observed decrease in CA-III in plasma. Our results demonstrated that CA-III is bound to the transferrin and albumin. In addition, we determined that the levels of CA-III in plasma and urine samples were higher in diseased swine compared with the healthy pigs.

Detection and therapeutic implications of c-Met mutations in small cell lung cancer and neuroendocrine tumors

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the mutation status of c-Met in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and neuroendocrine tumors (NET), for which relatively limited therapeutic targets have been explored.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

c-Met was re-sequenced using cell lines and clinical samples. For in vitro studies, DNA constructs containing a juxtamembrane domain (JMD) and tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) were generated. Detected mutations were introduced into the construct and effects on c-Met phosphorylation and interaction with tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs BMS777607 and SU11274 were assessed.

RESULTS

97 specimens were analyzed: 13 SCLC and 2 pulmonary carcinoid cell lines, 46 SCLC and 36 NET clinical specimens. Mutations were only detected in the JMD. No mutations were detected in the TKD. Found mutations consisted of the previously reported R988C and T1010I mutations. One novel JMD mutation, P996S, was detected in a SCLC specimen. The mutation rate in SCLC cell lines was 25% (31% including a derivative cell line), and 6.5% in clinical specimens. The mutation rate in NET was 8.3%. In vitro, there were no differences between wild type, R988C or T1010I mutants regarding c-Met phosphorylation at Y1003, located in the JMD, and at Y1234/1235, located in the TKD. BMS777607 and SU11274 were shown to inhibit phosphorylation of c-Met in wild type and R988C and T1010I mutants in a similar fashion.

CONCLUSIONS

In SCLC and neuroendocrine tumors MET mutations are relatively rare. Detected mutations were located in the juxtamembrane domain and were of no functional relevance as they did not influence c-Met phosphorylation, regardless of TKI treatment.

Density fluctuation measurements using beam emission spectroscopy on Heliotron J

This paper describes the measurement of the density fluctuation using beam emission spectroscopy in Heliotron J, having the non-symmetrical helical-magnetic-axis configuration. In order to optimize the sightlines, the numerical calculations are carried out to estimate the spatial resolution and the observation location. When a tangential neutral beam is used as diagnostic one, suitable sightlines from the newly installed diagnostic port are selected whose spatial resolution Δρ is less than ± 0.07 over the entire plasma region. Modification of the interference filter and the detection systems enables us to measure the radial profile of the density fluctuation. Each of the three coherent modes due to the fast-ion-driven magnetohydrodynamic instabilities has different radial structure of the density fluctuation.

Inhibition of ASK1-p38 pathway prevents neural cell death following optic nerve injury

Optic nerve injury (ONI) induces retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and optic nerve atrophy that lead to visual loss. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is an evolutionarily conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinase and has an important role in stress-induced RGC apoptosis. In this study, we found that ONI-induced p38 activation and RGC loss were suppressed in ASK1-deficient mice. Sequential in vivo retinal imaging revealed that post-ONI treatment with a p38 inhibitor into the eyeball was effective for RGC protection. ONI-induced monocyte chemotactic protein-1 production in RGCs and microglial accumulation around RGCs were suppressed in ASK1-deficient mice. In addition, the productions of tumor necrosis factor and inducible nitric oxide synthase in microglia were decreased when the ASK1-p38 pathway was blocked. These results suggest that ASK1 activation in both neural and glial cells is involved in neural cell death, and that pharmacological interruption of ASK1-p38 pathways could be beneficial in the treatment of ONI.

Updated overall survival results from a randomized phase III trial comparing gefitinib with carboplatin-paclitaxel for chemo-naïve non-small cell lung cancer with sensitive EGFR gene mutations (NEJ002)

BACKGROUND

NEJ002 study, comparing gefitinib with carboplatin (CBDCA) and paclitaxel (PTX; Taxol) as the first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, previously reported superiority of gefitinib over CBDCA/PTX on progression-free survival (PFS). Subsequent analysis was carried out mainly regarding overall survival (OS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For all 228 patients in NEJ002, survival data were updated in December, 2010. Detailed information regarding subsequent chemotherapy after the protocol treatment was also assessed retrospectively and the impact of some key drugs on OS was evaluated.

RESULTS

The median survival time (MST) was 27.7 months for the gefitinib group, and was 26.6 months for the CBDCA/PTX group (HR, 0.887; P=0.483). The OS of patients who received platinum throughout their treatment (n=186) was not statistically different from that of patients who never received platinum (n=40). The MST of patients treated with gefitinib, platinum, and pemetrexed (PEM) or docetaxel (DOC, Taxotere; n=76) was around 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS

No significant difference in OS was observed between gefitinib and CBDCA/PTX in the NEJ002 study, probably due to a high crossover use of gefitinib in the CBDCA/PTX group. Considering the many benefits and the risk of missing an opportunity to use the most effective agent for EGFR-mutated NSCLC, the first-line gefitinib is strongly recommended.

Spin-filter tunnel junction with matched fermi surfaces

Efficient injection of spin-polarized current into a semiconductor is a basic prerequisite for building semiconductor-based spintronic devices. Here, we use inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy to show that the efficiency of spin-filter-type spin injectors is limited by spin scattering of the tunneling electrons. By matching the Fermi-surface shapes of the current injection source and target electrode material, spin injection efficiency can be significantly increased in epitaxial ferromagnetic insulator tunnel junctions. Our results demonstrate that not only structural but also Fermi-surface matching is important to suppress scattering processes in spintronic devices.

Liver hypertrophy: a review of adaptive (adverse and non-adverse) changes--conclusions from the 3rd International ESTP Expert Workshop

Preclinical toxicity studies have demonstrated that exposure of laboratory animals to liver enzyme inducers during preclinical safety assessment results in a signature of toxicological changes characterized by an increase in liver weight, hepatocellular hypertrophy, cell proliferation, and, frequently in long-term (life-time) studies, hepatocarcinogenesis. Recent advances over the last decade have revealed that for many xenobiotics, these changes may be induced through a common mechanism of action involving activation of the nuclear hormone receptors CAR, PXR, or PPARα. The generation of genetically engineered mice that express altered versions of these nuclear hormone receptors, together with other avenues of investigation, have now demonstrated that sensitivity to many of these effects is rodent-specific. These data are consistent with the available epidemiological and empirical human evidence and lend support to the scientific opinion that these changes have little relevance to man. The ESTP therefore convened an international panel of experts to debate the evidence in order to more clearly define for toxicologic pathologists what is considered adverse in the context of hepatocellular hypertrophy. The results of this workshop concluded that hepatomegaly as a consequence of hepatocellular hypertrophy without histologic or clinical pathology alterations indicative of liver toxicity was considered an adaptive and a non-adverse reaction. This conclusion should normally be reached by an integrative weight of evidence approach.

CLIPR-59 regulates TNF-α-induced apoptosis by controlling ubiquitination of RIP1

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) has important roles in several immunological events by regulating apoptosis and transcriptional activation of cytokine genes. Intracellular signaling mediated by TNF-receptor-type 1 (TNFR1) is constituted by two sequential protein complexes: Complex-I containing the receptor and Complex-II-containing Caspase-8. Protein modifications, particularly ubiquitination, are associated with the regulation of the formation of these complexes. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. Here, we identified CLIP-170-related 59 kDa protein (CLIPR-59) as a novel adaptor protein for TNFR1. Experimental reduction of CLIPR-59 levels prevented induction of apoptosis and activation of caspases in the context of TNF-α signaling. CLIPR-59 binds TNFR1 but dissociates in response to TNF-α stimulation. However, CLIPR-59 is also involved in and needed for the formation of Complex-II. Moreover, CLIPR-59 regulates TNF-α-induced ubiquitination of receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIP1) by its association with CYLD, a de-ubiquitinating enzyme. These findings suggest that CLIPR-59 modulates ubiquitination of RIP1, resulting in the formation of Complex-II and thus promoting Caspase-8 activation to induce apoptosis by TNF-α.