Lack of IL-4-induced Th2 response and IgE class switching in mice with disrupted Stat6 gene

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (Stats) are activated by tyrosine phosphorylation in response to cytokines, and are thought to mediate many of their functional responses. Stat6 is activated in response to interleukin (IL)-4 and may contribute to various functions including mitogenesis, T-helper cell differentiation and immunoglobulin isotype switching. To evaluate the role of Stat6, we generated Stat6-null mice (Stat6 -/-) by gene disruption in embryonic stem cells. The mice were viable, indicating the lack of a non-redundant function in normal development. Although naive lymphoid cell development was normal, Stat6 -/- mice were deficient in IL-4-mediated functions including Th2 helper T-cell differentiation, expression of cell surface markers, and immunoglobulin class switching to IgE. In contrast, IL-4-mediated proliferation was only partly affected.

The SCFbeta-TRCP-ubiquitin ligase complex associates specifically with phosphorylated destruction motifs in IkappaBalpha and beta-catenin and stimulates IkappaBalpha ubiquitination in vitro

Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis has a central role in controlling the intracellular levels of several important regulatory molecules such as cyclins, CKIs, p53, and IkappaBalpha. Many diverse proinflammatory signals lead to the specific phosphorylation and subsequent ubiquitin-mediated destruction of the NF-kappaB inhibitor protein IkappaBalpha. Substrate specificity in ubiquitination reactions is, in large part, mediated by the specific association of the E3-ubiquitin ligases with their substrates. One class of E3 ligases is defined by the recently described SCF complexes, the archetype of which was first described in budding yeast and contains Skp1, Cdc53, and the F-box protein Cdc4. These complexes recognize their substrates through modular F-box proteins in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Here we describe a biochemical dissection of a novel mammalian SCF complex, SCFbeta-TRCP, that specifically recognizes a 19-amino-acid destruction motif in IkappaBalpha (residues 21-41) in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. This SCF complex also recognizes a conserved destruction motif in beta-catenin, a protein with levels also regulated by phosphorylation-dependent ubiquitination. Endogenous IkappaBalpha-ubiquitin ligase activity cofractionates with SCFbeta-TRCP. Furthermore, recombinant SCFbeta-TRCP assembled in mammalian cells contains phospho-IkappaBalpha-specific ubiquitin ligase activity. Our results suggest that an SCFbeta-TRCP complex functions in multiple transcriptional programs by activating the NF-kappaB pathway and inhibiting the beta-catenin pathway.

Phosphorylation-dependent ubiquitination of cyclin E by the SCFFbw7 ubiquitin ligase

Cyclin E binds and activates the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk2 and catalyzes the transition from the G1 phase to the S phase of the cell cycle. The amount of cyclin E protein present in the cell is tightly controlled by ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Here we identify the ubiquitin ligase responsible for cyclin E ubiquitination as SCFFbw7 and demonstrate that it is functionally conserved in yeast, flies, and mammals. Fbw7 associates specifically with phosphorylated cyclin E, and SCFFbw7 catalyzes cyclin E ubiquitination in vitro. Depletion of Fbw7 leads to accumulation and stabilization of cyclin E in vivo in human and Drosophila melanogaster cells. Multiple F-box proteins contribute to cyclin E stability in yeast, suggesting an overlap in SCF E3 ligase specificity that allows combinatorial control of cyclin E degradation.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS): an original multisystem adverse drug reaction. Results from the prospective RegiSCAR study

BACKGROUND

Cases of severe drug hypersensitivity, demonstrating a variable spectrum of cutaneous and systemic involvement, are reported under various names, especially drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Case definition and overlap with other severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR) are debated.

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the spectrum of signs and symptoms of DRESS and distribution of causative drugs in a large multicentre series.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

RegiSCAR, a multinational registry of SCAR, prospectively enrolled 201 potential cases from 2003 to mid-2009. Using a standardized scoring system, 117 cases were validated as showing probable or definite DRESS.

RESULTS

The male/female ratio was 0.80; females were borderline significantly younger than males. Next to the ubiquitous exanthema, the main features were eosinophilia (95%), visceral involvement (91%), high fever (90%), atypical lymphocytes (67%), mild mucosal involvement (56%) and lymphadenopathy (54%). The reaction was protracted in all but two patients; two patients died during the acute phase. Drug causality was plausible in 88% of cases. Antiepileptic drugs were involved in 35%, allopurinol in 18%, antimicrobial sulfonamides and dapsone in 12% and other antibiotics in 11%. The median time interval after drug intake was 22 days (interquartile range 17-31) for all drugs with (very) probable causality, with differences between drugs.

CONCLUSION

This prospective observational study supports the hypothesis that DRESS is an original phenotype among SCAR in terms of clinical and biological characteristics, causative drugs, and time relation. The diversity of causative drugs was rather limited, and mortality was lower than that suggested by prior publications.

Molecular cloning of caveolin-3, a novel member of the caveolin gene family expressed predominantly in muscle

Caveolin, a 21-24-kDa integral membrane protein, is a principal component of caveolar membranes in vivo. Caveolin interacts directly with heterotrimeric G-proteins and can functionally regulate their activity. Recently, a second caveolin gene has been identified and termed caveolin-2. Here, we report the molecular cloning and expression of a third member of the caveolin gene gamily, caveolin-3. Caveolin-3 is most closely related to caveolin-1 based on protein sequence homology; caveolin-1 and caveolin-3 are approximately 65% identical and approximately 85% similar. A single stretch of eight amino acids (FED-VIAEP) is identical in caveolin-1, -2, and -3. This conserved region may represent a "caveolin signature sequence" that is characteristic of members of the caveolin gene family. Caveolin-3 mRNA is expressed predominantly in muscle tissue-types (skeletal muscle, diaphragm, and heart) and is selectively induced during the differentiation of skeletal C2C12 myoblasts in culture. In many respects, caveolin-3 is similar to caveolin-1: (i) caveolin-3 migrates in velocity gradients as a high molecular mass complex; (ii) caveolin-3 colocalizes with caveolin-1 by immunofluorescence microscopy and cell fractionation studies; and (iii) a caveolin-3-derived polypeptide functionally suppresses the basal GTPase activity of purified heterotrimeric G-proteins. Identification of a muscle-specific member of the caveolin gene family may have implications for understanding the role of caveolin in different muscle cell types (smooth, cardiac, and skeletal) as previous morphological studies have demonstrated that caveolae are abundant in these cells. Our results also suggest that other as yet unknown caveolin family members are likely to exist and may be expressed in a regulated or tissue-specific fashion.

Expression of caveolin-3 in skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle cells. Caveolin-3 is a component of the sarcolemma and co-fractionates with dystrophin and dystrophin-associated glycoproteins

Caveolae are microdomains of the plasma membrane that have been implicated in signal transduction. Caveolin, a 21-24-kDa integral membrane protein, is a principal component of the caveolae membrane. Recently, we and others have identified a family of caveolin-related proteins; caveolin has been retermed caveolin-1. Caveolin-3 is most closely related to caveolin-1, but caveolin-3 mRNA is expressed only in muscle tissue types. Here, we examine (i) the expression of caveolin-3 protein in muscle tissue types and (ii) its localization within skeletal muscle fibers by immunofluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation. For this purpose, we generated a novel monoclonal antibody (mAb) probe that recognizes the unique N-terminal region of caveolin-3, but not other members of the caveolin gene family. A survey of tissues and muscle cell types by Western blot analysis reveals that the caveolin-3 protein is selectively expressed only in heart and skeletal muscle tissues, cardiac myocytes, and smooth muscle cells. Immunolocalization of caveolin-3 in skeletal muscle fibers demonstrates that caveolin-3 is localized to the sarcolemma (muscle cell plasma membrane) and coincides with the distribution of another muscle-specific plasma membrane marker protein, dystrophin. In addition, caveolin-3 protein expression is dramatically induced during the differentiation of C2C12 skeletal myoblasts in culture. Using differentiated C2C12 skeletal myoblasts as a model system, we observe that caveolin-3 co-fractionates with cytoplasmic signaling molecules (G-proteins and Src-like kinases) and members of the dystrophin complex (dystrophin, alpha-sarcoglycan, and beta-dystroglycan), but is clearly separated from the bulk of cellular proteins. Caveolin-3 co-immunoprecipitates with antibodies directed against dystrophin, suggesting that they are physically associated as a discrete complex. These results are consistent with previous immunoelectron microscopic studies demonstrating that dystrophin is localized to plasma membrane caveolae in smooth muscle cells.

Evidence for calcium-reducing and excito-protective roles for the calcium-binding protein calbindin-D28k in cultured hippocampal neurons

Neuronal systems for calcium homeostasis are crucial for neuronal development and function and may also contribute to selective neuronal vulnerability in adverse conditions such as exposure to excitatory amino acids or anoxia, and in neurodegenerative diseases. Previous work demonstrated the presence and differential distribution of calcium-binding proteins in the CNS. We now report that a subpopulation of neurons in dissociated cell cultures of embryonic rat hippocampus expresses calbindin-D28k (Mr 28,000 calcium-binding protein) immunoreactivity and that these neurons are relatively resistant to neurotoxicity induced by either glutamate or calcium ionophore. Direct comparisons of dynamic aspects of intracellular calcium levels and calbindin-D28k immunoreactivity in the same neurons revealed that calbindin-D28k-positive neurons were better able to reduce free intracellular calcium levels than calbindin-D28k-negative neurons. These findings indicate that the differential expression of calbindin-D28k in hippocampal neurons occurs early in development and may be one determinant of selective neuronal vulnerability to excitotoxic insults.

PRoNTo: pattern recognition for neuroimaging toolbox

In the past years, mass univariate statistical analyses of neuroimaging data have been complemented by the use of multivariate pattern analyses, especially based on machine learning models. While these allow an increased sensitivity for the detection of spatially distributed effects compared to univariate techniques, they lack an established and accessible software framework. The goal of this work was to build a toolbox comprising all the necessary functionalities for multivariate analyses of neuroimaging data, based on machine learning models. The “Pattern Recognition for Neuroimaging Toolbox” (PRoNTo) is open-source, cross-platform, MATLAB-based and SPM compatible, therefore being suitable for both cognitive and clinical neuroscience research. In addition, it is designed to facilitate novel contributions from developers, aiming to improve the interaction between the neuroimaging and machine learning communities. Here, we introduce PRoNTo by presenting examples of possible research questions that can be addressed with the machine learning framework implemented in PRoNTo, and cannot be easily investigated with mass univariate statistical analysis.

Caveolin-mediated regulation of signaling along the p42/44 MAP kinase cascade in vivo. A role for the caveolin-scaffolding domain

The p42/44 mitogen-activated protein (MAP)-kinase cascade is a well-established signal transduction pathway that is initiated at the cell surface and terminates within the nucleus. More specifically, receptor tyrosine kinases can indirectly activate Raf, which in turn leads to activation of MEK and ERK and ultimately phosphorylation of Elk, a nuclear transcription factor. Recent reports have suggested that some members of p42/44 MAP kinase cascade can be sequestered within plasmalemmal caveolae in vivo. For example, morphological studies have directly shown that ERK-1/2 is concentrated in plasma membrane caveolae in vivo using immunoelectron microscopy. In addition, constitutive activation of the p42/44 MAP kinase cascade is sufficient to reversibly down-regulate caveolin-1 mRNA and protein expression. However, the functional relationship between the p42/44 MAP kinase cascade and caveolins remains unknown. Here, we examine the in vivo role of caveolins in regulating signaling along the MAP kinase cascade. We find that co-expression with caveolin 1 dramatically inhibits signaling from EGF-R, Raf, MEK-1 and ERK-2 to the nucleus. Using a variety of caveolin-1 deletion mutants, we mapped this in vivo inhibitory activity to caveolin-1 residues 32-95. Peptides derived from this region of caveolin 1 also inhibit the in vitro kinase activity of purified MEK-1 and ERK-2. Thus, we show here that caveolin-1 expression can inhibit signal transduction from the p42/44 MAP kinase cascade both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together with previous data, our results also suggest that a novel form of reciprocal negative regulation exists between p42/44 MAP kinase activation and caveolin-1 protein expression, i.e. up-regulation of caveolin-1 protein expression down-modulates p42/44 MAP kinase activity (this report) and up-regulation of p42/44 MAP kinase activity down-regulates caveolin-1 mRNA and protein expression.

Clonal proliferation of Langerhans cells in Langerhans cell histiocytosis

X-chromosome-inactivation assays can be used to assess clonality. We used such an assay at the human androgen-receptor gene locus in three female patients with histologically proven Langerhans cell histiocytosis. All patients were heterozygous for this locus. Cells bearing the Langerhans cell phenotype were purified from involved tissue after fluorescence-activated cell sorting with monoclonal antibodies against the CD1a complex. After HhaI digestion of DNA, these CD1a positive cells demonstrated a non-random X-chromosome-inactivation pattern, whereas CD1a negative cells in the same tissue showed a random pattern. Our data suggest that Langerhans cell histiocytosis represents a clonal proliferation of cells bearing the Langerhans cell phenotype.

Protective effect of Hibiscus anthocyanins against tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced hepatic toxicity in rats

Hibiscus anthocyanins (HAs), a group of natural pigments occurring in the dried flowers of Hibiscus sabdariffa L., which is a local soft drink material and medical herb, were studied for antioxidant bioactivity. The preliminary study showed that HAs were able to quench the free radicals of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. This antioxidant bioactivitiy was further evaluated using the model of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced cytotoxicity in rat primary hepatocytes and hepatotoxicity in rats. The results demonstrated that HAs, at the concentrations of 0.10 and 0.20 mg/ml, significantly decreased the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase and the formation of malondialdehyde induced by a 30-min treatment of t-BHP (1.5 mM). The in vivo investigation showed that the oral pretreatment of HAs (100 and 200 mg/kg) for 5 days before a single dose of t-BHP (0.2 mmol/kg, ip) significantly lowered the serum levels of hepatic enzyme markers (alanine and aspartate aminotransferase) and reduced oxidative liver damage. The histopathological evaluation of the liver revealed that Hibiscus pigments reduced the incidence of liver lesions including inflammatory, leucocyte infiltration, and necrosis induced by t-BHP in rats. Based on the results described above, we speculate that Hibiscus pigments may play a role in the prevention of oxidative damage in living systems.

Protein conjugates of synthetic saccharides elicit higher levels of serum IgG lipopolysaccharide antibodies in mice than do those of the O-specific polysaccharide from Shigella dysenteriae type 1

Our development of vaccines to prevent shigellosis is based on the hypothesis that a critical (protective) level of serum IgG to the O-specific polysaccharide (O-SP) domain of Shigella lipopolysaccharide (LPS) confers immunity. The O-SP is a hapten and must be conjugated to a protein to induce serum antibodies. The O-SP of Shigella dysenteriae type 1 (approximately 27 tetrasaccharide repeat units), prepared by acid hydrolysis of the LPS, was bound to human serum albumin (HSA) by multiple point attachment (O-SP-HSA): The molar ratio of HSA to O-SP was 1.0. Synthetic saccharides, composed of one or multiples of the O-SP tetrasaccharide, equipped with a spacer at their reducing end, were bound to HSA by a single point attachment: The average molar ratios of the saccharides to HSA ranged from 4 to 24. Serum IgG anti-LPS, elicited in mice by O-SP-HSA or synthetic tetra-, octa-, dodeca-, and hexadecasaccharide fragments, was measured by ELISA. Outbred 6-week-old female mice were injected s.c. three times at biweekly intervals with 2.5 micrograms of saccharide as a conjugate and were bled 7 days after the second and third injections. Excepting the tetramer, conjugates of the octamer, dodecamer and hexadecamer elicited IgG LPS antibodies after the second injection, a statistically significant rise (booster) after the third injection, and higher levels than those vaccinated with O-SP-HSA (P = 0.0001). The highest geometric mean levels of IgG anti-LPS were elicited by the hexadecamer with 9 chains or 9 moles of saccharide/HSA (15.5 ELISA units) followed by the octamer with 20 chains (11.1 ELISA units) and the dodecamer with 10 chains (9.52 ELISA units). Clinical evaluation of these synthetic saccharides bound to a medically useful carrier is planned.

Hypothesis for vaccine development: protective immunity to enteric diseases caused by nontyphoidal salmonellae and shigellae may be conferred by serum IgG antibodies to the O-specific polysaccharide of their lipopolysaccharides

Immunoprophylaxis for bacterial enteric diseases is hindered because the protective immune mechanism(s) against nontyphoidal salmonellae or shigellae in humans are not established. On the basis of the similarities between the clinical signs, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and pathology of as well as protective immunity to salmonellae and shigellae, we propose that serum IgG antibodies to the O-specific polysaccharide (O-SP) of their lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) will confer protective immunity to these two pathogens. Critical to this notion is that (1) the virulence of these two pathogens requires full expression of their LPS; (2) active or passive immunization with serum IgG O-SP antibodies confers protection of mice against Salmonella typhimurium (there are no comparable data for humans); and (3) in humans, convalescence from shigellosis confers type (O-SP) -specific protective immunity, and indirect evidence shows a correlation between the level of serum LPS antibodies and resistance to shigellosis. We designed conjugate vaccines to elicit high levels of long-lived serum IgG O-SP antibodies to nontyphoidal salmonellae and shigellae to test this hypothesis.

Further studies on the immunogenicity of Haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal type 6A polysaccharide-protein conjugates

Conjugates were prepared by carbodiimide-mediated coupling of adipic acid hydrazide derivatives of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Escherichia coli K100, and pneumococcal 6A (Pn6A) polysaccharides with tetanus toxoid (TT), as an example of a "useful" carrier, and horseshoe crab hemocyanin (HCH), as an example of a "nonsense" carrier. These conjugates were injected into NIH mice, and their serum antibody responses to the polysaccharides and proteins were characterized. As originally reported, Hib conjugates increased the immunogenicity of the capsular polysaccharide and elicited greater than the estimated protective levels of anti-Hib antibodies in most recipients after one injection and in all after the third injection (Schneerson et al., J. Exp. Med. 152:361-376, 1980). Both Hib conjugates induced similar anti-Hib responses. The K100-HCH conjugate was more immunogenic than the K100-TT conjugate and elicited anti-Hib responses similar to the Hib conjugates after the third injection. Simultaneous injection of the K100 and the Hib conjugates did not enhance the anti-Hib response. The Pn6A-TT conjugate induced low levels of anti-Hib antibodies; when injected simultaneously with the Hib conjugates, the anti-Hib response was enhanced, as all mice responded after the first injection and with higher levels of anti-Hib than observed with the Hib conjugates alone (P < 0.05). The Pn6A conjugates were not as immunogenic as the Hib conjugates. Pn6A-TT was more effective than was Pn6A-HCH; it elicited anti-Pn6A (>100 ng of antibody nitrogen per ml) in 6 of 10 mice after the third injection. The addition of the Hib-HCH conjugate to the Pn6A-TT conjugate increased the anti-Pn6A response with a higher geometric mean antibody titer, and 9 of 10 mice responded after the third injection. A preparation of diphtheria toxoid, TT, and pertussis vaccine increased the anti-Hib antibody levels after the first injection only in mice receiving Hib-TT, but not in mice receiving Hib-HCH, suggesting that additional carrier protein (TT) enhanced the anti-polysaccharide response. Simultaneous injection of Hib and Pn6A conjugates with the same or different carriers resulted in an enhanced serum antibody response to each polysaccharide. The anti-tetanus toxin response reached protective levels (>0.01 U/ml) in most mice after the first injection and in all mice after the second and third injections of TT conjugates. A progressive increase in the anti-HCH response with each additional injection was noted in animals receiving HCH conjugates. Animals receiving the diphtheria toxoid-TT-pertussis vaccine preparation responded with a greater increase in anti-carrier antibody than those receiving the conjugates alone. This method of synthesis provided conjugates capable of inducing protective levels of antibodies to both the polysaccharides and carrier proteins.

Crocetin protects against oxidative damage in rat primary hepatocytes

Crocetin is a major component in the fruit of Gardenia jaminoides Ellis, a Chinese herbal medicine. Its protective action and mechanism against oxidative damage were investigated and mechanism against oxidative damage were investigated. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated enzymatically in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase (X/XO 5 microM/0.01 u/ml) system and non-enzymatically in the paraquat (PQ 5 mM) system. Both systems increased leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in rat primary hepatocytes, but the hepatotoxicity was significantly suppressed on pretreatment with crocetin (10, 20 microM). Crocetin decreased formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index of lipid peroxidation induced by ROS. The oxyradical generation by X/XO or PQ caused DNA damage evaluated with unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in rat primary hepatocytes. The addition of crocetin decreased genotoxicity evaluated with UDS in both systems. The data showed that crocetin also inhibited the formation of superoxide anion in the X/XO system and bleached the free radical 1, 1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The protective action of crocetin operated via quenching of the superoxide anion and/or free radical.

Berberine induces apoptosis through a mitochondria/caspases pathway in human hepatoma cells

Berberine, a main component of Coptidis Rhizoma, is a plant alkaloid with a long history of medicinal use in Chinese medicine. Berberine has indicated significant antimicrobial activity against a variety of organisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi. The mechanism by which berberine initiates apoptosis remains poorly understood. In the present study, we demonstrated that berberine exhibited significant cytotoxicity in hepatoma HepG2 cells but is ineffective in Chang liver cells. Herein we investigated cytotoxicity mechanism of berberine in HepG2 cells. The results showed that HepG2 cells underwent internucleosomal DNA fragmentation after 24-h treatment with berberine (50 microM). Moreover, berberine induced the activation of caspase-8 and -3, and caused the cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and the cytochrome c release, whereas the expression of Bid and anti-apoptosis factor Bcl-XL were decreased markedly. The loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta psim) at 24 h and activation of Fas at 12 h were also seen in the berberine-treated HepG2 cells. These findings supported the fact that the inhibitors of caspases, DEVD-FMK, IETD-FMK and VAD-FMK, prevented apoptosis and restored the expression of Bcl-XL, Bcl-2 and Bid. These results indicated that the potential of anti-hepatoma activity of berberine may be mediated through a caspases-mitochondria-dependent pathway.

Protective effects of dried flower extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. against oxidative stress in rat primary hepatocytes

Dried flower extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa L., a local soft drink material and medical herb, was found to possess antioxidant activity in the present study. In the preliminary studies, antioxidant potential of three fractions of the ethanol crude extract (HS-C: chloroform-soluble fraction; HS-E: ethyl acetate soluble fraction; HS-R: residual fraction) obtained from the dried flowers of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. were evaluated by their capacity of quenching 1,1 -diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and inhibiting xanthine oxidase (XO) activity. HS-E showed the greatest capacity of scavenging free radical (EC50=0.017mg/ml), and HS-C showed the strongest inhibitory effect on XO activity (EC5o=0.742 mg/ml). Furthermore, antioxidant bioactivities of these crude extracts were investigated using a model of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced oxidative damage in rat primary hepatocytes. All fractions were found to inhibit significantly the unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) induced by t-BHP at a concentration of 0.20 mg/ml. HS-C and HS-E also decreased the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) induced by t-BHP (1.5 mM) considerably at a concentration of 0.10 and 0.20 mg/ml in the rat primary hepatocyte cultures. These results indicated that the dried flower extracts (HS-C and HS-E) of H. sabdariffa L. protect rat hepatocytes from t-BHP-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity by different mechanisms.

Inhibitory effect of Hibiscus protocatechuic acid on tumor promotion in mouse skin

Hibiscus protocatechuic acid (PCA), a phenolic acid isolated from Hibiscus sabdariffa L., was evaluated for its ability to inhibit the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced promotion in skin tumors of female CD-1 mice. Topical application of PCA (5, 10 or 20 micromol) 5 min prior to TPA (15 nmol) treatment twice weekly for 20 weeks to mice which were initiated with benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) inhibited the incidence of tumors in mice to 81.3, 62.5 and 56.3%, respectively, while all mice in the TPA-treated group developed tumors. The average number of tumors in mice pretreated with PCA was 2-4 and that of mice treated only with TPA was 6.6. The protection effects of PCA were also presented by its significant suppression on the TPA-induced hyperplasia in the skin and edema of mouse ears by 65 and 73% at doses of 10 and 20 micromol, respectively. When it was applied to the dorsal surface of CD-1 mice before TPA application, PCA (5, 10 or 20 micromol) inhibited the induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity by 5 nmol TPA and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity by 6.5 nmol TPA. The same doses of PCA also reduced the formation of hydrogen peroxide in the mouse skin to an inhibition of 61, 84 and 89%, respectively, when compared with that of the TPA-treated group. These results indicate that PCA possesses potential as a cancer chemopreventive agent against tumor promotion.

Synthesis, characterization, and clinical evaluation of conjugate vaccines composed of the O-specific polysaccharides of Shigella dysenteriae type 1, Shigella flexneri type 2a, and Shigella sonnei (Plesiomonas shigelloides) bound to bacterial toxoids

The theoretic basis for developing conjugate vaccines, to induce immunoglobulin G (IgG) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibodies for the prevention of shigellosis, has been described (J. B. Robbins, C.-Y. Chu, and R. Schneerson, Clin. Infect. Dis. 15:346-361, 1992). The O-specific polysaccharides (O-SPs) of Shigella dysenteriae type 1, S. flexneri type 2a, and S. sonnei were covalently bound to carrier proteins. Alone, the O-SPs were not immunogenic in mice. Conjugates of these O-SPs, injected into young outbred mice subcutaneously as saline solutions containing 2.5 micrograms of saccharide, elicited serum IgG and IgM antibodies with booster responses; adsorption onto alum enhanced their immunogenicity. Injection of 25 micrograms of these conjugates into adult volunteers elicited mild local reactions only. Each conjugate induced a significant rise of the geometric mean serum IgG, IgM, and IgA LPS antibody levels. A second injection 6 weeks later did not elicit booster responses, and adsorption of the conjugates onto alum did not enhance their immunogenicity. Conjugate-induced levels of IgA, but not IgG or IgM, declined to preimmunization levels at day 56. The levels of postimmunization antibodies of the three immunoglobulin classes were similar to or higher than those of recruits in the Israel Defense Force following shigellosis caused by S. flexneri type 2a or S. sonnei. These data provide the basis for evaluating these conjugates to prevent shigellosis.

Photosynthetic and photorespiratory characteristics of flaveria species

The genus Flaveria shows evidence of evolution in the mechanism of photosynthesis as its 21 species include C(3), C(3)-C(4), C(4)-like, and C(4) plants. In this study, several physiological and biochemical parameters of photosynthesis and photorespiration were measured in 18 Flaveria species representing all the photosynthetic types. The 10 species classified as C(3)-C(4) intermediates showed an inverse continuum in level of photorespiration and development of the C(4) syndrome. This ranges from F. sonorensis with relatively high apparent photorespiration and lacking C(4) photosynthesis to F. Among the intermediates, the photosynthetic CO(2) compensation points at 30 degrees C and 1150 micromoles quanta per square meter per second varied from 9 to 29 microbars. The values for the three C(4)-like species varied from 3 to 6 microbars, similar to those measured for the C(4) species. The activities of the photorespiratory enzymes glycolate oxidase, hydroxypyruvate reductase, and serine hydroxymethyltransferase decreased progressively from C(3) to C(3)-C(4) to C(4)-like and C(4) species. On the other hand, most intermediates had higher levels of phosphenolpyruvate carboxylase and NADP-malic enzyme than C(3) species, but generally lower activities compared to C(4)-like and C(4) species. The levels of these C(4) enzymes are correlated with the degree of C(4) photosynthesis, based on the initial products of photosynthesis. Another indication of development of the C(4) syndrome in C(3)-C(4)Flaveria species was their intermediate chlorophyll a/b ratios. The chlorophyll a/b ratios of the various Flaveria species are highly correlated with the degree of C(4) photosynthesis suggesting that the photochemical machinery is progressively altered during evolution in order to meet the specific energy requirements for operating the C(4) pathway. In the progression from C(3) to C(4) species in Flaveria, the CO(2) compensation point decreased more rapidly than did the decrease in O(2) inhibition of photosynthesis or the increase in the degree of C(4) photosynthesis. These results suggest that the reduction in photorespiration during evolution occurred initially by refixation of photorespired CO(2) and prior to substantive reduction in O(2) inhibition and development of the C(4) syndrome. However, further reduction in O(2) inhibition in some intermediates and C(4)-like species is considered primarily due to the development of the C(4) syndrome. Thus, the evolution of C(3)-C(4) intermediate photosynthesis likely occurred in response to environmental conditions which limit the intercellular CO(2) concentration first via refixation of photorespired CO(2), followed by development of the C(4) syndrome.

Induction of apoptosis by hibiscus protocatechuic acid in human leukemia cells via reduction of retinoblastoma (RB) phosphorylation and Bcl-2 expression

Hibiscus protocatechuic acid (PCA), a phenolic compound isolated from the dried flower of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Malvaceae), demonstrated antioxidant and antitumor promotion effects in our previous study. In the present study, Hibiscus PCA was found to inhibit the survival of human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The study revealed that HL-60 cells underwent internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis after a 9-hr treatment with Hibiscus PCA (2 mM). Flow cytometric analysis of the DNA content of cells treated with PCA for 12 hr showed that the cells were distributed mainly in the hypodiploid phase (apoptotic peak, 46.7%), less in the G(1) (34.2%) and S phase (14.0%), and few in the G(2)/M phase (5.1%). Moreover, PCA treatment caused an increase in the level of hypophosphorylated retinoblastoma (RB; 180% of control at the 6-hr time point) and, on the contrary, a decline in hyperphosphorylated RB. A rapid loss of RB was observed when the treatment period was extended. Further studies showed that Hibiscus PCA application reduced Bcl-2 protein expression to 47%, and increased Bax protein expression to 181% after 1.5 hr as compared with time 0. Overexpression of Bcl-2 in HL-60 cells delayed the occurrence of Hibiscus PCA-induced apoptosis. These data suggest that Hibiscus PCA is an apoptosis inducer in human leukemia cells, and that RB phosphorylation and Bcl-2 protein may play a crucial role in the early stage.

Sequencing of TNFAIP3 and association of variants with multiple autoimmune diseases

The TNFAIP3 locus at 6q23, encoding A20, has been associated with multiple autoimmune diseases (AIDs). In this study, we sequence the coding portions of the gene to identify contributing causal polymorphisms that may explain some of the observed associations. A collection of 123 individuals from the Multiple Autoimmune Disease Genetics Consortium (MADGC) collection, each with multiple AIDs (mean=2.2 confirmed diagnoses), and 397 unrelated healthy controls were used for initial sequencing. A total of 32 polymorphisms were identified in the sequencing experiments, including 16 novel and 11 coding variants. Association testing in the entire MADGC collection (1,008 Caucasians with one or more AIDs and 770 unaffected family controls) revealed association of a novel intronic insertion-deletion polymorphism with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (odds ratio (OR)=2.48, P=0.041). Genotyping of the most common coding polymorphism, rs2230926, in the MADGC collection and additional control individuals revealed a significant association with Sjögren's syndrome (OR=3.38, P=0.038), Crohn's disease (OR=2.25, P=0.041), psoriasis (OR=0.037, P=0.036) and RA (OR=1.9, P=0.025). Finally, haplotype and additional testing of polymorphisms revealed that cases were enriched for 5' and 3' untranslated region variants (one-sided P-value=0.04), but not specifically for common (>2% minor allele frequency), rare, exonic, intronic, non-synonymous or synonymous variants.