Induction of apoptosis by the low-affinity NGF receptor

Nerve growth factor (NGF) binding to cellular receptors is required for the survival of some neural cells. In contrast to TrkA, the high-affinity NGF receptor that transduces NGF signals for survival and differentiation, the function of the low-affinity NGF receptor, p75NGFR, remains uncertain. Expression of p75NGFR induced neural cell death constitutively when p75NGFR was unbound; binding by NGF or monoclonal antibody, however, inhibited cell death induced by p75NGFR. Thus, expression of p75NGFR may explain the dependence of some neural cells on NGF for survival. These findings also suggest that p75NGFR has some functional similarities to other members of a superfamily of receptors that include tumor necrosis factor receptors, Fas (Apo-1), and CD40.

The membrane-anchored MMP inhibitor RECK is a key regulator of extracellular matrix integrity and angiogenesis

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are essential for proper extracellular matrix remodeling. We previously found that a membrane-anchored glycoprotein, RECK, negatively regulates MMP-9 and inhibits tumor invasion and metastasis. Here we show that RECK regulates two other MMPs, MMP-2 and MT1-MMP, known to be involved in cancer progression, that mice lacking a functional RECK gene die around E10.5 with defects in collagen fibrils, the basal lamina, and vascular development, and that this phenotype is partially suppressed by MMP-2 null mutation. Also, vascular sprouting is dramatically suppressed in tumors derived from RECK-expressing fibrosarcoma cells grown in nude mice. These results support a role for RECK in the regulation of MMP-2 in vivo and implicate RECK downregulation in tumor angiogenesis.

Special topics--Mitigation of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from animal operations: I. A review of enteric methane mitigation options

The goal of this review was to analyze published data related to mitigation of enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminant animals to document the most effective and sustainable strategies. Increasing forage digestibility and digestible forage intake was one of the major recommended CH4 mitigation practices. Although responses vary, CH4 emissions can be reduced when corn silage replaces grass silage in the diet. Feeding legume silages could also lower CH4 emissions compared to grass silage due to their lower fiber concentration. Dietary lipids can be effective in reducing CH4 emissions, but their applicability will depend on effects on feed intake, fiber digestibility, production, and milk composition. Inclusion of concentrate feeds in the diet of ruminants will likely decrease CH4 emission intensity (Ei; CH4 per unit animal product), particularly when inclusion is above 40% of dietary dry matter and rumen function is not impaired. Supplementation of diets containing medium to poor quality forages with small amounts of concentrate feed will typically decrease CH4 Ei. Nitrates show promise as CH4 mitigation agents, but more studies are needed to fully understand their impact on whole-farm greenhouse gas emissions, animal productivity, and animal health. Through their effect on feed efficiency and rumen stoichiometry, ionophores are likely to have a moderate CH4 mitigating effect in ruminants fed high-grain or mixed grain-forage diets. Tannins may also reduce CH4 emissions although in some situations intake and milk production may be compromised. Some direct-fed microbials, such as yeast-based products, might have a moderate CH4-mitigating effect through increasing animal productivity and feed efficiency, but the effect is likely to be inconsistent. Vaccines against rumen archaea may offer mitigation opportunities in the future although the extent of CH4 reduction is likely to be small and adaptation by ruminal microbes and persistence of the effect is unknown. Overall, improving forage quality and the overall efficiency of dietary nutrient use is an effective way of decreasing CH4 Ei. Several feed supplements have a potential to reduce CH4 emission from ruminants although their long-term effect has not been well established and some are toxic or may not be economically feasible.

Revised Recommendations of the Consortium of MS Centers Task Force for a Standardized MRI Protocol and Clinical Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Follow-Up of Multiple Sclerosis

An international group of neurologists and radiologists developed revised guidelines for standardized brain and spinal cord MR imaging for the diagnosis and follow-up of MS. A brain MR imaging with gadolinium is recommended for the diagnosis of MS. A spinal cord MR imaging is recommended if the brain MR imaging is nondiagnostic or if the presenting symptoms are at the level of the spinal cord. A follow-up brain MR imaging with gadolinium is recommended to demonstrate dissemination in time and ongoing clinically silent disease activity while on treatment, to evaluate unexpected clinical worsening, to re-assess the original diagnosis, and as a new baseline before starting or modifying therapy. A routine brain MR imaging should be considered every 6 months to 2 years for all patients with relapsing MS. The brain MR imaging protocol includes 3D T1-weighted, 3D T2-FLAIR, 3D T2-weighted, post-single-dose gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted sequences, and a DWI sequence. The progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy surveillance protocol includes FLAIR and DWI sequences only. The spinal cord MR imaging protocol includes sagittal T1-weighted and proton attenuation, STIR or phase-sensitive inversion recovery, axial T2- or T2*-weighted imaging through suspicious lesions, and, in some cases, postcontrast gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted imaging. The clinical question being addressed should be provided in the requisition for the MR imaging. The radiology report should be descriptive, with results referenced to previous studies. MR imaging studies should be permanently retained and available. The current revision incorporates new clinical information and imaging techniques that have become more available.

Positional cloning of a gene for Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, a disorder of cytoplasmic organelles

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is an often-fatal autosomal recessive disease in which albinism, bleeding, and lysosomal storage result from defects of diverse cytoplasmic organelles: melanosomes, platelet dense bodies, and lysosomes. HPS is the most common single-gene disorder in Puerto Rico, with an incidence of 1 in 1,800. We have identified the HPS gene by positional cloning, and found homozygous frameshifts in this gene in Puerto Rican, Swiss, Irish and Japanese HPS patients. The HPS polypeptide is a novel transmembrane protein that is likely to be a component of multiple cytoplasmic organelles and that is apparently crucial for their normal development and function. The different clinical phenotypes associated with the different HPS frameshifts we observed suggests that differentially truncated HPS polypeptides may have somewhat different consequences for subcellular function.

Polarization-Insensitive Metalenses at Visible Wavelengths

In this Letter, we demonstrate highly efficient, polarization-insensitive planar lenses (metalenses) at red, green, and blue wavelengths (λ = 660, 532, and 405 nm). Metalenses with numerical apertures (NA) of 0.85 and 0.6 and corresponding efficiencies as high as 60% and 90% are achieved. These metalenses are less than 600 nm-thick and can focus incident light down to diffraction-limited spots as small as ∼0.64λ and provide high-resolution imaging. In addition, the focal spots are very symmetric with high Strehl ratios. The single step lithography and compatibility with large-scale fabrication processes make metalenses highly promising for widespread applications in imaging and spectroscopy.

CD8 positive T cells influence antigen-specific immune responses through the expression of chemokines

The potential roles of CD8(+) T-cell-induced chemokines in the expansion of immune responses were examined using DNA immunogen constructs as model antigens. We coimmunized cDNA expression cassettes encoding the alpha-chemokines IL-8 and SDF-1alpha and the beta-chemokines MIP-1alpha, RANTES, and MCP-1 along with DNA immunogens and analyzed the resulting antigen-specific immune responses. In a manner more similar to the traditional immune modulatory role of CD4(+) T cells via the expression of Th1 or Th2 cytokines, CD8(+) T cells appeared to play an important role in immune expansion and effector function by producing chemokines. For instance, IL-8 was a strong inducer of CD4(+) T cells, indicated by strong T helper proliferative responses as well as an enhancement of antibody responses. MIP-1alpha had a dramatic effect on antibody responses and modulated the shift of immune responses to a Th2-type response. RANTES coimmunization enhanced the levels of antigen-specific Th1 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. Among the chemokines examined, MCP-1 was the most potent activator of CD8(+) CTL activity. The enhanced CTL results are supported by the increased expression of Th1 cytokines IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha and the reduction of IgG1/IgG2a ratio. Our results support that CD8(+) T cells may expand both humoral and cellular responses in vivo through the elaboration of specific chemokines at the peripheral site of infection during the effector stage of the immune response.

Mechanism and significance of increased glutathione level in human hepatocellular carcinoma and liver regeneration

Increased glutathione (GSH) level occurs early during liver regeneration and in many drug and/or radiation-resistant tumors. Whether GSH level is elevated in liver cancer is unknown. GSH levels and expression of GSH synthetic enzymes were measured in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and normal liver. GSH levels doubled in HCC. The mRNA levels of g-glutamylcysteine synthetase heavy subunit (GCS-HS) and GSH synthetase (GS) doubled, whereas the expression of GCS light subunit was unchanged. Nuclear run-on assay showed that the rate of gene transcription doubled for both GCS-HS and GS. In HCC, there is increased binding to anti-oxidant response, AP-1 and NF-kB, three cis-acting elements in the 5'-flanking region of the human GCS-HS important for its transcriptional regulation. The role of GSH in cell growth was examined by using HepG2 cells. Cell GSH level was varied by treating cells with cystine (0 to 0.2 mM) with or without GSH ester or buthionine sulfoximine. Cell GSH level correlated directly with growth rate. Finally, preventing the increase in GSH after two-thirds partial hepatectomy blunted liver regeneration. Thus, GSH level is increased during liver growth as a result of up-regulation of GCS-HS and GS. This increase, in turn, facilitates growth.

Multispectral Chiral Imaging with a Metalens

The vast majority of biologically active compounds, ranging from amino acids to essential nutrients such as glucose, possess intrinsic handedness. This in turn gives rise to chiral optical properties that provide a basis for detecting and quantifying enantio-specific concentrations of these molecules. However, traditional chiroptical spectroscopy and imaging techniques require cascading of multiple optical components in sophisticated setups. Here, we present a planar lens with an engineered dispersive response, which simultaneously forms two images with opposite helicity of an object within the same field-of-view. In this way, chiroptical properties can be probed across the visible spectrum using only the lens and a camera without the addition of polarizers or dispersive optical devices. We map the circular dichroism of the exoskeleton of a chiral beetle, Chrysina gloriosa, which is known to exhibit high reflectivity of left-circularly polarized light, with high spatial resolution limited by the numerical aperture of the planar lens. Our results demonstrate the potential of metasurfaces in realizing a compact and multifunctional device with unprecedented imaging capabilities.

Phytoestrogens: adverse effects on reproduction in California quail

Phytoestrogens, largely formononetin and genistein, are produced in the leaves of stunted desert annuals in a dry year. When ingested by California quail, these compounds apparently inhibit reproduction and prevent the production of young that will not have adequate food. In a wet year, forbs grow vigorously and phytoestrogenic substances are largely absent. Quail then breed prolifically and the abundant seed crop carries the enlarged population through the winter.

Induction of the chemokines interleukin-8 and IP-10 by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 tat in astrocytes

A finding commonly observed in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients is invasion of the brain by activated T cells and infected macrophages, eventually leading to the development of neurological disorders and HIV-1-associated dementia. The recruitment of T cells and macrophages into the brain is likely the result of chemokine expression. Indeed, earlier studies revealed that levels of different chemokines were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of HIV-1-infected patients whereas possible triggers and cellular sources for chemokine expression in the brain remain widely undefined. As previous studies indicated that HIV-1 Tat, the retroviral transactivator, is capable of inducing a variety of cellular genes, we investigated its capacity to induce production of chemokines in astrocytes. Herein, we demonstrate that HIV-1 Tat(72aa) is a potent inducer of MCP-1, interleukin-8 (IL-8), and IP-10 expression in astrocytes. Levels of induced IP-10 protein were sufficiently high to induce chemotaxis of peripheral blood lymphocytes. In addition, Tat(72aa) induced IL-8 expression in astrocytes. IL-8 mRNA induction was seen less then 1 h after Tat(72aa) stimulation, and levels remained elevated for up to 24 h, leading to IL-8 protein production. Tat(72aa)-mediated MCP-1 and IL-8 mRNA induction was susceptible to inhibition by the MEK1/2 inhibitor UO126 but was only modestly decreased by the inclusion of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor SB202190. In contrast, Tat-mediated IP-10 mRNA induction was suppressed by SB202190 but not by the MEK1/2 inhibitor UO126. These findings indicate that MAPKs play a major role in Tat(72aa)-mediated chemokine induction in astrocytes.

T cells cooperate with passive antibody to modify Cryptococcus neoformans infection in mice

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated fungus that is a major cause of meningitis in patients with AIDS. In immunocompetent mice, administration of IgG1 mAb protects against cryptococcal infection, whereas administration of IgG3 is not protective and can accelerate the infection. In beige mice with impaired natural killer cell function, the effects of IgG1 and IgG3 are similar to those observed in immunocompetent mice, suggesting that natural killer cells are not crucial for antibody-mediated modulation of cryptococcal infection. In mice lacking CD4+ T cells, IgG1 is not protective and IgG3 accelerates infection, indicating that CD4+ T cells are required for antibody-mediated protection. In mice lacking CD8+ T cells, both IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies prolong survival, indicating that acceleration of the disease process by IgG3 involves CD8+ T cells. Both IgG1-mediated protection and IgG3-mediated acceleration of infection require interferon gamma. These results reveal a functional dependence of passively administered antibody on cellular immunity in cryptococcal infection in mice and have implications for antibody-based therapies in humans in the setting of CD4+ lymphopenia.

Dialysis in neonates with inborn errors of metabolism

BACKGROUND

Certain inborn errors of metabolism become manifest during the neonatal period by acute accumulation of neurotoxic metabolites leading to coma and death or irreversible neurological damage. Outcome critically depends on the immediate elimination of the accumulated neurotoxins. Recent technological progress provides improved tools to optimize the efficacy of neonatal dialysis.

METHODS

We report our experience with continuous venovenous haemodialysis (CVVHD) in six neonates with hyperammonaemic coma due to urea-cycle disorders or propionic acidaemia and in one child with leucine accumulation due to maple-syrup urine disease (MSUD), in comparison with five patients managed by peritoneal dialysis (PD) (2 hyperammonaemia, 3 MSUD). Application of a new extracorporeal device specifically designed for use in small children permitted the establishment of stable blood circuits utilizing small-sized catheters, and the tight control of balanced dialysate flows over wide flow ranges.

RESULTS

Plasma ammonia or leucine levels were reduced by 50% within 7.1 +/- 4.1 h by CVVHD and within 17.9 +/- 12.4 h by PD (P<0.05). Also, total dialysis time was shorter with CVVHD (25 +/- 21 h) than with PD (73 +/- 35 h, P<0.02). A comparison of the CVVHD results with published literature confirmed superior metabolite removal compared to PD, and suggested comparable efficacy as achieved with continuous haemofiltration techniques. Apart from accidental pericardial tamponade during catheter insertion in one case, no major complications were noted with CVVHD. In three of the five PD patients, dialysis was compromised by mechanical complications. None of the MSUD patients but four children with urea-cycle disorders died, two during the acute period and two later during the first year of life, with signs of severe mental delay. Of the eight children presenting with hyperammonaemic coma, the four with the most rapid dialytic ammonia removal rate (50% reduction in < 7 h) survived with no or moderate mental retardation, whereas slower toxin removal was always associated with a lethal outcome. Simulation studies showed that the efficacy of neonatal CVVHD is limited mainly by blood-flow restrictions.

CONCLUSIONS

While CVVHD is the potentially most efficacious dialytic technique for treating acute metabolic crises in neonates, utmost care must be taken to provide an adequately sized vascular access.

Factors affecting the quality of life in patients with epilepsy in Seoul, South Korea

OBJECTIVES

The level of, and factors affecting the quality of life (QOL) in patients with epilepsy may be different in Korea where social prejudice toward them is still pronounced. However, these issues have not yet been addressed properly.

METHODS

We consecutively identified 154 epilepsy patients who visited the outpatient clinic at the Seoul National University Hospital. An interview was performed by two research nurses with the use of a standardized questionnaire, which included data pertaining to seizure characteristics, symptoms of depression/anxiety, social support, family life/social life satisfaction, and the activities of daily living (ADLs). The QOL was assessed with the use of QOL in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31).

RESULTS

Factors affecting the QOL were: age (P<0.01), education in years (P<0.01), employment status (P<0.05), employment type (P<0.05), current economic status (P<0.05), seizure frequency (P<0.01), the number of antiepileptic drugs (P<0.01), family life/social life dissatisfaction (P<0.01, respectively), social support (P<0.01), the symptoms of anxiety and depression (P<0.01, respectively) and ADL dysfunction (P<0.01). In multiple regression analysis, the symptom of anxiety was the most important factor in explaining lower QOL in patients with epilepsy, while depression (P<0.01), social life dissatisfaction (P<0.01), ADL dysfunction (P<0.05) and seizure frequency (P<0.05) were also significant factors.

CONCLUSION

Psycho-social factors outweighed the physical factors in determining QOL in Korean epilepsy patients. Recognition of these factors will lead health professionals to develop different strategies to improve the QOL of these patients.

Mutation analysis of patients with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome: a frameshift hot spot in the HPS gene and apparent locus heterogeneity

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder in which oculocutaneous albinism, bleeding, and lysosomal ceroid storage result from defects of multiple cytoplasmic organelles-melanosomes, platelet-dense granules, and lysosomes. As reported elsewhere, we mapped the human HPS gene to chromosome segment 10q23, positionally cloned the gene, and identified three pathologic mutations of the gene, in patients from Puerto Rico, Japan, and Europe. Here, we describe mutation analysis of 44 unrelated Puerto Rican and 24 unrelated non-Puerto Rican HPS patients. A 16-bp frameshift duplication, the result of an apparent founder effect, is nearly ubiquitous among Puerto Rican patients. A frameshift at codon 322 may be the most frequent HPS mutation in Europeans. We also describe six novel HPS mutations: a 5' splice-junction mutation of IVS5, three frameshifts, a nonsense mutation, and a one-codon in-frame deletion. These mutations define an apparent frameshift hot spot at codons 321-322. Overall, however, we detected mutations in the HPS gene in only about half of non-Puerto Rican patients, and we present evidence that suggests locus heterogeneity for HPS.

Effect of tramiprosate in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease: exploratory analyses of the MRI sub-group of the Alphase study

OBJECTIVES

The efficacy, safety and disease-modification of tramiprosate (homotaurine)were investigated in a recently completed large-scale Phase III clinical study in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), the Alphase study. Disease-modification was assessed using longitudinal volumetric MRI (vMRI) measurements of the hippocampus in a subgroup of patients. The present study describes the vMRI, cognitive and clinical results obtained in this subgroup.

DESIGN

Multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study in a subset of the 1052 patients of the Alphase study.

SETTING

51 vMRI investigative sites in the United States and Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 508 patients underwent vMRI scanning. Of these, 312 provided scan pairs for assessing hippocampus volume changes and were included in the analyses.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomized to receive Placebo BID (n = 109), tramiprosate 100 mg BID (n = 103), or tramiprosate 150 mg BID (n = 100) for 78 weeks.

MEASUREMENTS

Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) and Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum-of-boxes CDR-SB assessments were conducted at Baseline and at Weeks 13, 26, 39, 52, 65 and 78. Exploratory analyses were performed using similar First and Final mixed-effects repeated-measures models that were used for the analysis of the entire patient dataset.

RESULTS

Psychometric score results showed numerical trends in favour of tramiprosate that did not reach statistical significance. While there were no statistically significant group differences in hippocampus volume using the First modeling approach, a significant dose-response reduction in hippocampus volume change was found in the Final models. Moreover, there was a marginally significant overall treatment main effect and a significant slope difference in favour of tramiprosate according to the Final model analysis of the ADAS-cog scores. ADAS-cog scores analyzed according to this model also revealed differences in favor of the tramiprosate 150 mg group at weeks 26 and 52, with marginally significant differences at Weeks 13 and 39. Slope analyses of ADAS-cog score changes showed significant differences in favor of the 150 mg BID group, and when both active groups were combined, in comparison to the placebo group. No between-group differences with respect to changes to each visit in the CDR-SB were observed with either modeling approach. Although there was a similar dose-response relationship observed in the hippocampus volume and ADAS-cog Final model analyses, the overall changes in psychometric scores and hippocampus volume were not significantly correlated.

CONCLUSION

Exploratory analysis of the vMRI subgroup suggests that tramiprosate slows hippocampal atrophy, and reveals some evidence of a beneficial effect on cognition. The clinical validity of the vMRI biomarker is discussed.

Cytokine molecular adjuvants modulate immune responses induced by DNA vaccine constructs for HIV-1 and SIV

DNA or nucleic acid immunization has been shown to induce both antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune responses in vivo. Moreover, immune responses induced by DNA immunization can be enhanced and modulated by the use of molecular adjuvants. To further engineer the immune response in vivo, we investigated the induction and regulation of immune responses from the codelivery of Thl cytokines (interleukin-2 [IL-2] and IL-12), Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) genes along with a DNA vaccine construct encoding for simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) gag/pol proteins. We observed that coinjection with IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and GM-CSF resulted in increased levels of antigen-specific antibodies. In addition, we found that coinjection with cytokine genes drove the immune responses toward a more Thl or Th2 phenotype. We also observed that coadministration of IL-2, IL-12, and GM-CSF genes resulted in a dramatic enhancement of Th proliferation responses. Moreover, coimmunization with IL-12 genes resulted in a dramatic enhancement of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. These results support the potential utility of molecular adjuvants in DNA vaccine regimens.

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion induces MMP-2 but not MMP-9 expression in the microglia and vascular endothelium of white matter

White matter lesions are closely associated with cognitive impairment and motor dysfunction in the aged. To explore the pathophysiology of these lesions, the authors examined the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 in the white matter in a rat model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. After bilateral clipping of the common carotid arteries, myelin staining revealed demyelinating changes in the optic tract and the corpus callosum on day 7. Zymographic analyses indicated an increase in the level of MMP-2, but not MMP-9, after the hypoperfusion. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed the presence (most abundantly on day 3) of MMP-2-expressing activated microglia in the optic tract and corpus callosum. In contrast, the capillary endothelial cells expressed MMP-2 later. IgM-immunoreactive glial cells were absent in the sham-operated animals, but were present in the hypoperfused animals by day 3, reflecting the disrupted blood-brain barrier. These findings suggest that the main sources of the elevated MMP-2 were the microglia and the endothelium, and that these cells may contribute to the remodeling of the white matter myelin and microvascular beds in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.