Chronic oxytocin-driven alternative splicing of Crfr2α induces anxiety

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) has generated considerable interest as potential treatment for psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and autism spectrum disorders. However, the behavioral and molecular consequences associated with chronic OXT treatment and chronic receptor (OXTR) activation have scarcely been studied, despite the potential therapeutic long-term use of intranasal OXT. Here, we reveal that chronic OXT treatment over two weeks increased anxiety-like behavior in rats, with higher sensitivity in females, contrasting the well-known anxiolytic effect of acute OXT. The increase in anxiety was transient and waned 5 days after the infusion has ended. The behavioral effects of chronic OXT were paralleled by activation of an intracellular signaling pathway, which ultimately led to alternative splicing of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 2α (Crfr2α), an important modulator of anxiety. In detail, chronic OXT shifted the splicing ratio from the anxiolytic membrane-bound (mCRFR2α) form of CRFR2α towards the soluble CRFR2α (sCRFR2α) form. Experimental induction of alternative splicing mimicked the anxiogenic effects of chronic OXT, while sCRFR2α-knock down reduced anxiety-related behavior of male rats. Furthermore, chronic OXT treatment triggered the release of sCRFR2α into the cerebrospinal fluid with sCRFR2α levels positively correlating with anxiety-like behavior. In summary, we revealed that the shifted splicing ratio towards expression of the anxiogenic sCRFR2α underlies the adverse effects of chronic OXT treatment on anxiety.

IL1R1+ cancer-associated fibroblasts drive tumor development and immunosuppression in colorectal cancer

Fibroblasts have a considerable functional and molecular heterogeneity and can play various roles in the tumor microenvironment. Here we identify a pro-tumorigenic IL1R1⁺, IL-1-high-signaling subtype of fibroblasts, using multiple colorectal cancer (CRC) patient single cell sequencing datasets. This subtype of fibroblasts is linked to T cell and macrophage suppression and leads to increased cancer cell growth in 3D co-culture assays. Furthermore, both a fibroblast-specific IL1R1 knockout and IL-1 receptor antagonist Anakinra administration reduce tumor growth in vivo. This is accompanied by reduced intratumoral Th17 cell infiltration. Accordingly, CRC patients who present with IL1R1-expressing cancer-associated-fibroblasts (CAFs), also display elevated levels of immune exhaustion markers, as well as an increased Th17 score and an overall worse survival. Altogether, this study underlines the therapeutic value of targeting IL1R1-expressing CAFs in the context of CRC.

The Relationship Between the Quality of Health Services and Tuberculosis Patients' Satisfaction at The Palu City Health Center

Introduction: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that is still a global concern, and most sufferers are of productive age. Factors for treatment failure are usually related to treatment supervision and the quality of health services. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the quality of health services and the level of satisfaction of tuberculosis patients at the Palu City Health Center. Methods: This research is quantitative research with cross sectional study conducted on 116 respondents. The instrument used in this research is a questionnaire. The analysis in this study used the Chi-Square and Multiple logistic regression. Results: The results of the analysis showed that availability (p<0.001), respect and caring (p<0.001), safety (p<0.001), timeliness (p<0.001) and tangible (p<0.001) were associated with tuberculosis patient satisfaction. The multivariate analysis found that timeliness (p=0.002; OR=17.692) was the most dominant factor in influencing patient satisfaction. Conclusions: Availability, respect and caring, safety, timeliness, and tangibles are related to the satisfaction of tuberculosis patients. Timeliness service is the most dominant factor influencing the satisfaction of tuberculosis. Palu City Health Center are expected to continue to make efforts to improve health services by health workers in the TB program to increase comfort and improve patient health.

Metastatic colorectal carcinoma-associated fibroblasts have immunosuppressive properties related to increased IGFBP2 expression

Fibroblasts are the most abundant stromal constituents of the tumour microenvironment in primary as well as metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Their supportive effect on tumour cells is well established. There is growing evidence that stromal fibroblasts also modulate the immune microenvironment in tumours. Here, we demonstrate a difference in fibroblast-mediated immune modulation between primary CRC and peritoneal metastasis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were isolated from primary cancer and from peritoneal metastases (MAFs) from a total of 17 patients. The ectoenzyme CD38 was consistently expressed on the surface of all MAFs, while it was absent from CAFs. Furthermore, MAFs secreted higher levels of IGFBP2, CXCL2, CXCL6, CXCL12, PDGF-AA, FGFb, and IL-6. This was associated with a decreased activation of macrophages and a suppression of CD25 expression and proliferation of co-cultivated T-cells. Downregulation of IGFBP2 abolished these immunosuppressive effects of MAFs. Taken together, these results show that MAFs contribute to an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment in CRC metastases by modulating the phenotype of immune cells through an IGFBP2-dependent mechanism.

Interaction of activated Ras with Raf-1 alone may be sufficient for transformation of rat2 cells

v-H-ras effector mutants have been assessed for transforming activity and for the ability of the encoded proteins to interact with Raf-1-, B-Raf-, byr2-, ralGDS-, and CDC25-encoded proteins in the yeast two-hybrid system. Transformation was assessed in rat2 cells as well as in a mutant cell line, rv68BUR, that affords a more sensitive transformation assay. Selected mutant Ras proteins were also examined for their ability to interact with an amino-terminal fragment of Raf-1 in vitro. Finally, possible cooperation between different v-H-ras effector mutants and between effector mutants and overexpressed Raf-1 was assessed. Ras transforming activity was shown to correlate best with the ability of the encoded protein to interact with Raf-1. No evidence for cooperation between v-H-ras effector mutants was found. Signaling through the Raf1-MEK-mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade may be the only effector pathway contributing to RAS transformation in these cells.

ras effector loop mutations that dissociate p120GAP and neurofibromin interactions

ras proteins are positively regulated by nucleotide exchange factors and negatively regulated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Two GAPs have been found in mammalian cells, p120GAP and neurofibromin, the product of the type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1) gene. A library of substitutions in the effector loop region of ras in an Escherichia coli plasmid expression system was screened for c-Ha-ras species with altered GAP interactions. Several substitutions preferentially disrupted the interaction of ras with p120GAP as compared with the interaction with the recombinant GAP-related domain of neurofibromin (NF1-GRD). The most extreme example, Tyr32His, encoded a ras species that was unaffected by p120GAP but was stimulated normally by NF1-GRD. Tyr32His was weakly transforming in Rat2 cells. Tyr32His ras was primarily GDP-bound in quiescent Rat2 cells, although it rapidly associated with GTP after treatment of cells with epidermal growth factor. These results show that the NF1 product has less stringent requirements than p120GAP for ras effector domain structure and that negative regulation of ras can be achieved in rat fibroblasts by the product of NF1.

RAS signalling is abnormal in a c-raf1 MEK1 double mutant

A mutant rat cell clone that suppresses the transformation defects of RAS effector loop substitutions is heterozygous for mutations in c-raf1 and MEK1. The mutant cells can be transformed by many otherwise defective RAS effector mutants, including RAS genes with the effector regions of distantly related GTPases, even though the encoded RAS proteins do not interact with either the mutant or wild-type RAF in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. While the significance of the c-raf1 mutation is unclear, the MEK1 mutation increases MEK1 activity and leads to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase. The mutant MEK1 is coupled to the epidermal growth factor pathway but exhibits decreased physical interaction with RAF. When overexpressed, the MEK1 mutation is transforming and causes hyperphosphorylation of RAF. Signalling from RAS to MEK1 may be mediated by something other than RAF alone, but signalling through MEK1 is probably sufficient for RAS transformation.