Pelvic radiation with concurrent chemotherapy compared with pelvic and para-aortic radiation for high-risk cervical cancer

BACKGROUND AND METHODS

We compared the effect of radiotherapy to a pelvic and para-aortic field with that of pelvic radiation and concurrent chemotherapy with fluorouracil and cisplatin in women with advanced cervical cancer. Between 1990 and 1997, 403 women with advanced cervical cancer confined to the pelvis (stages IIB through IVA or stage IB or IIa with a tumor diameter of at least 5 cm or involvement of pelvic lymph nodes) were randomly assigned to receive either 45 Gy of radiation to the pelvis and para-aortic lymph nodes or 45 Gy of radiation to the pelvis alone plus two cycles of fluorouracil and cisplatin (days 1 through 5 and days 22 through 26 of radiation). Patients were then to receive one or two applications of low-dose-rate intracavitary radiation, with a third cycle of chemotherapy planned for the second intracavitary procedure in the combined-therapy group.

RESULTS

Of the 403 eligible patients, 193 in each group could be evaluated. The median duration of follow-up was 43 months. Estimated cumulative rates of survival at five years were 73 percent among patients treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy and 58 percent among patients treated with radiotherapy alone (P=0.004). Cumulative rates of disease-free survival at five years were 67 percent among patients in the combined-therapy group and 40 percent among patients in the radiotherapy group (P<0.001). The rates of both distant metastases (P<0.001) and locoregional recurrences (P<0.001) were significantly higher among patients treated with radiotherapy alone. The seriousness of side effects was similar in the two groups, with a higher rate of reversible hematologic effects in the combined-therapy group.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of chemotherapy with fluorouracil and cisplatin to treatment with external-beam and intracavitary radiation significantly improved survival among women with locally advanced cervical cancer.

Signal-dependent nuclear export of a histone deacetylase regulates muscle differentiation

Members of the myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2) family of transcription factors associate with myogenic basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors such as MyoD to activate skeletal myogenesis. MEF2 proteins also interact with the class II histone deacetylases HDAC4 and HDAC5, resulting in repression of MEF2-dependent genes. Execution of the muscle differentiation program requires release of MEF2 from repression by HDACs, which are expressed constitutively in myoblasts and myotubes. Here we show that HDAC5 shuttles from the nucleus to the cytoplasm when myoblasts are triggered to differentiate. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) signalling, which stimulates myogenesis and prevents formation of MEF2-HDAC complexes, also induces nuclear export of HDAC4 and HDAC5 by phosphorylation of these transcriptional repressors. An HDAC5 mutant lacking two CaMK phosphorylation sites is resistant to CaMK-mediated nuclear export and acts as a dominant inhibitor of skeletal myogenesis, whereas a cytoplasmic HDAC5 mutant is unable to block efficiently the muscle differentiation program. Our results highlight a mechanism for transcriptional regulation through signal- and differentiation-dependent nuclear export of a chromatin-remodelling enzyme, and suggest that nucleo-cytoplasmic trafficking of HDACs is involved in the control of cellular differentiation.

Genome of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae strain R6

Streptococcus pneumoniae is among the most significant causes of bacterial disease in humans. Here we report the 2,038,615-bp genomic sequence of the gram-positive bacterium S. pneumoniae R6. Because the R6 strain is avirulent and, more importantly, because it is readily transformed with DNA from homologous species and many heterologous species, it is the principal platform for investigation of the biology of this important pathogen. It is also used as a primary vehicle for genomics-based development of antibiotics for gram-positive bacteria. In our analysis of the genome, we identified a large number of new uncharacterized genes predicted to encode proteins that either reside on the surface of the cell or are secreted. Among those proteins there may be new targets for vaccine and antibiotic development.

Nitriding iron at lower temperatures

The microstructure in the surface layer of a pure iron plate was refined at the nanometer scale by means of a surface mechanical attrition treatment that generates repetitive severe plastic deformation of the surface layer. The subsequent nitriding kinetics of the treated iron with the nanostructured surface layer were greatly enhanced, so that the nitriding temperature could be as low as 300 degrees C, which is much lower than conventional nitriding temperatures (above 500 degrees C). This enhanced processing method demonstrates the technological significance of nanomaterials in improving traditional processing techniques and provides a new approach for selective surface reactions in solids.

Cytochrome c release and apoptosis induced by mitochondrial targeting of nuclear orphan receptor TR3

TR3, an immediate-early response gene and an orphan member of the steroid-thyroid hormone-retinoid receptor superfamily of transcription factors, regulates apoptosis through an unknown mechanism. In response to apoptotic stimuli, TR3 translocates from the nucleus to mitochondria to induce cytochrome c release and apoptosis. Mitochondrial targeting of TR3, but not its DNA binding and transactivation, is essential for its proapoptotic effect. Our results reveal a mechanism by which a nuclear transcription factor translocates to mitochondria to initiate apoptosis.

PEBP2/PEA2 represents a family of transcription factors homologous to the products of the Drosophila runt gene and the human AML1 gene

cDNAs representing the alpha subunit of polyomavirus enhancer binding protein 2 (PEBP2; also called PEA2) were isolated. The products of the cDNAs are highly homologous to that of Drosophila segmentation gene runt (run) for an N-proximal 128-amino acid region showing 66% identity. The run homology region encompasses the domain capable of binding to a specific nucleotide sequence motif and of dimerizing with the companion beta subunit. The human AML1 gene related to t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia also had a run homology region. Together with the beta subunit, which increases the affinity of the alpha subunit to DNA without binding to DNA by itself, PEBP2 represents a newly discovered family of transcription factor. The major species of PEBP2 alpha mRNA was expressed in T-cell lines but not in B-cell lines tested. Evidence indicated that PEBP2 functions as a transcriptional activator and is involved in regulation of T-cell-specific gene expression.

Regulation of skeletal myogenesis by association of the MEF2 transcription factor with class II histone deacetylases

Skeletal muscle differentiation is controlled by associations between myogenic basic-helix-loop-helix and MEF2 transcription factors. We show that chromatin associated with muscle genes regulated by these transcription factors becomes acetylated during myogenesis and that class II histone deacetylases (HDACs), which interact with MEF2, specifically suppress myoblast differentiation. These HDACs do not interact directly with MyoD, yet they suppress its myogenic activity through association with MEF2. Elevating the level of MyoD can override the repression imposed by HDACs on muscle genes. HDAC-mediated repression of myogenesis also can be overcome by CaM kinase and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling. These findings reveal central roles for HDACs in chromatin remodeling during myogenesis and as intranuclear targets for signaling pathways controlled by IGF and CaM kinase.

Signal-dependent activation of the MEF2 transcription factor by dissociation from histone deacetylases

Myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2) transcription factors control muscle-specific and growth factor-inducible genes. We show that hypertrophic growth of cardiomyocytes in response to phenylephrine and serum is accompanied by activation of MEF2 through a posttranslational mechanism mediated by calcium, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. CaMK stimulates MEF2 activity by dissociating class II histone deacetylases (HDACs) from the DNA-binding domain. MAPKs, which activate MEF2 by phosphorylation of the transcription activation domain, maximally stimulate MEF2 activity only when repression by HDACs is relieved by CaMK signaling to the DNA-binding domain. These findings identify MEF2 as an endpoint for hypertrophic stimuli in cardiomyocytes and demonstrate that MEF2 mediates synergistic transcriptional responses to the CaMK and MAPK signaling pathways by signal-dependent dissociation from HDACs.

Assessment of the sensitivity and specificity of oligonucleotide (50mer) microarrays

To examine the utility and performance of 50mer oligonucleotide (oligonucleotide probe) microarrays, gene-specific oligonucleotide probes were spotted along with PCR probes onto glass microarrays and the performance of each probe type was evaluated. The specificity of oligonucleotide probes was studied using target RNAs that shared various degrees of sequence similarity. Sensitivity was defined as the ability to detect a 3-fold change in mRNA. No significant difference in sensitivity between oligonucleotide probes and PCR probes was observed and both had a minimum reproducible detection limit of approximately 10 mRNA copies/cell. Specificity studies showed that for a given oligonucleotide probe any 'non-target' transcripts (cDNAs) >75% similar over the 50 base target may show cross-hybridization. Thus non-target sequences which have >75-80% sequence similarity with target sequences (within the oligonucleotide probe 50 base target region) will contribute to the overall signal intensity. In addition, if the 50 base target region is marginally similar, it must not include a stretch of complementary sequence >15 contiguous bases. Therefore, knowledge about the target sequence, as well as its similarity to other mRNAs in the target tissue or RNA sample, is required to design successful oligonucleotide probes for quality microarray results. Together these results validate the utility of oligonucleotide probe (50mer) glass microarrays.

The sedative component of anesthesia is mediated by GABA(A) receptors in an endogenous sleep pathway

We investigated the role of regionally discrete GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors in the sedative response to pharmacological agents that act on GABA(A) receptors (muscimol, propofol and pentobarbital; 'GABAergic agents') and to ketamine, a general anesthetic that does not affect GABA(A) receptors. Behavioral studies in rats showed that the sedative response to centrally administered GABAergic agents was attenuated by the GABA(A) receptor antagonist gabazine (systemically administered). The sedative response to ketamine, by contrast, was unaffected by gabazine. Using c-Fos as a marker of neuronal activation, we identified a possible role for the tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN): when gabazine was microinjected directly into the TMN, it attenuated the sedative response to GABAergic agents. Furthermore, the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol produced a dose-dependent sedation when it was administered into the TMN. We conclude that the TMN is a discrete neural locus that has a key role in the sedative response to GABAergic anesthetics.

Egr-1, a master switch coordinating upregulation of divergent gene families underlying ischemic stress

Activation of the zinc-finger transcription factor early growth response (Egr)-1, initially linked to developmental processes, is shown here to function as a master switch activated by ischemia to trigger expression of pivotal regulators of inflammation, coagulation and vascular hyperpermeability. Chemokine, adhesion receptor, procoagulant and permeability-related genes are coordinately upregulated by rapid ischemia-mediated activation of Egr-1. Deletion of the gene encoding Egr-1 strikingly diminished expression of these mediators of vascular injury in a murine model of lung ischemia/reperfusion, and enhanced animal survival and organ function. Rapid activation of Egr-1 in response to oxygen deprivation primes the vasculature for dysfunction manifest during reperfusion. These studies define a central and unifying role for Egr-1 activation in the pathogenesis of ischemic tissue damage.

Serum cholesterol concentration and coronary heart disease in population with low cholesterol concentrations

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relation between serum cholesterol concentration and mortality (from coronary heart disease and from other causes) below the range of cholesterol values generally seen in Western populations.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study based on 8-13 years of follow up of subjects in a population with low cholesterol concentrations.

SETTING

Urban Shanghai, China.

SUBJECTS

9021 Chinese men and women aged 35-64 at baseline.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Death from coronary heart disease and other causes.

RESULTS

The average serum cholesterol concentration was 4.2 mmol/l at baseline examination, and only 43 (7%) of the deaths that occurred during 8-13 years of follow up were attributed to coronary heart disease. There was a strongly positive, and apparently independent, relation between serum cholesterol concentration and death from coronary heart disease (z = 3.47, p less than 0.001), and within the range of usual serum cholesterol concentration studied (3.8-4.7 mmol/l) there was no evidence of any threshold. After appropriate adjustment for the regression dilution bias, a 4 (SD 1)% difference in usual cholesterol concentration was associated with a 21 (SD 6)% (95% confidence interval 9% to 35%) difference in mortality from coronary heart disease. There was no significant relation between serum cholesterol concentration and death from stroke or all types of cancer. The 79 deaths due to liver cancer or other chronic liver disease were inversely related to cholesterol concentration at baseline.

CONCLUSION

Blood cholesterol concentration was directly related to mortality from coronary heart disease even in those with what was, by Western standards, a "low" cholesterol concentration. There was no good evidence of an adverse effect of cholesterol on other causes of death.

Association of low levels of mannan-binding protein with a common defect of opsonisation

Failure to opsonise bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is a defect found in 5-7% of the general population. In this study, the presence of the defect was linked with low levels of mannan-binding protein (MBP), a calcium-dependent serum lectin. Purified MBP corrected the defect in a dose-dependent way in an in-vitro assay measuring the deposition of complement moieties on a mannan-coated surface. There was a highly significant correlation between the serum MBP level and the generation of C3b opsonins in a population of healthy blood donors. The median MBP level of ten children previously shown to have the functional opsonic defect was 4.9 micrograms/l (range 2.5-35.0 micrograms/l) compared with 143 micrograms/l (range 2.5-880 micrograms/l) for a paediatric control group.

Melanopsin in cells of origin of the retinohypothalamic tract

All known eukaryotic organisms exhibit physiological and behavioral rhythms termed circadian rhythms that cycle with a near-24-hour period; in mammals, light is the most potent stimulus for entraining endogenous rhythms to the daily light cycle. Photic information is transmitted via the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus, where circadian rhythms are generated, but the retinal photopigment that mediates circadian entrainment has remained elusive. Here we show that most retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that project to the SCN express the photopigment melanopsin.

Alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells completely free from noble metal catalysts

In recent decades, fuel cell technology has been undergoing revolutionary developments, with fundamental progress being the replacement of electrolyte solutions with polymer electrolytes, making the device more compact in size and higher in power density. Nowadays, acidic polymer electrolytes, typically Nafion, are widely used. Despite great success, fuel cells based on acidic polyelectrolyte still depend heavily on noble metal catalysts, predominantly platinum (Pt), thus increasing the cost and hampering the widespread application of fuel cells. Here, we report a type of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) employing a hydroxide ion-conductive polymer, quaternary ammonium polysulphone, as alkaline electrolyte and nonprecious metals, chromium-decorated nickel and silver, as the catalyst for the negative and positive electrodes, respectively. In addition to the development of a high-performance alkaline polymer electrolyte particularly suitable for fuel cells, key progress has been achieved in catalyst tailoring: The surface electronic structure of nickel has been tuned to suppress selectively the surface oxidative passivation with retained activity toward hydrogen oxidation. This report of a H2–O2 PEFC completely free from noble metal catalysts in both the positive and negative electrodes represents an important advancement in the research and development of fuel cells.

Deafness and imbalance associated with inactivation of the secretory Na-K-2Cl co-transporter

Deafness can result from a variety of gene defects. Some genes involved in the physiology of hearing encode membrane transporters that regulate the ionic composition of the fluid bathing the inner ear. The endolymph is an extracellular fluid with an atypical composition that resembles the intracellular milieu, high in K+ and low in Na+. Recent studies have emphasized the prominent role of K+ channels in endolymph secretion and mechanical transduction. Coupled electroneutral transport of Na+, K+ and Cl- is mediated by two isoforms of the Na-K-2Cl co-transporter: the absorptive isoform BSC1 (also called NKCC2, encoded by Slc12a1 in mouse) that is exclusively expressed in kidney; and BSC2/NKCC1 (encoded by Slc12a2 in mouse), the secretory isoform which has a wider pattern of expression including epithelia, muscle cells, neurons and red blood cells. These co-transporters share 57% homology at the amino acid level and are pharmacologically inhibited by loop diuretics. There is functional and histochemical evidence for the presence of the secretory isoform of the Na-K-2Cl co-transporter in gerbil, rat and rabbit inner ear. We disrupted mouse Slc12a2 and report here that Slc12a2-/- mice are deaf and exhibit classic shaker/waltzer behaviour, indicative of inner-ear defects. We localized the co-transporter to key secreting epithelia of the mouse inner ear and show that absence of functional co-transporter leads to structural damages in the inner ear consistent with a decrease in endolymph secretion.

The histone acetylase PCAF is a nuclear receptor coactivator

Whereas the histone acetylase PCAF has been suggested to be part of a coactivator complex mediating transcriptional activation by the nuclear hormone receptors, the physical and functional interactions between nuclear receptors and PCAF have remained unclear. Our efforts to clarify these relationships have revealed two novel properties of nuclear receptors. First, we demonstrate that the RXR/RAR heterodimer directly recruits PCAF from mammalian cell extracts in a ligand-dependent manner and that increased expression of PCAF leads to enhanced retinoid-responsive transcription. Second, we demonstrate that, in vitro, PCAF directly associates with the DNA-binding domain of nuclear receptors, independently of p300/CBP binding, therefore defining a novel cofactor interaction surface. Furthermore, our results show that dissociation of corepressors enables ligand-dependent PCAF binding to the receptors. This observation illuminates how a ligand-dependent receptor function can be propagated to regions outside the ligand-binding domain itself. On the basis of these observations, we suggest that PCAF may play a more central role in nuclear receptor function than previously anticipated.

LincRNA-ROR induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and contributes to breast cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis

LncRNAs have critical roles in various biological processes ranging from embryonic development to human diseases, including cancer progression, although their detailed mechanistic functions remain illusive. The lncRNA linc-ROR has been shown to contribute to the maintenance of induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells. In this study, we discovered that linc-ROR was upregulated in breast tumor samples, and ectopic overexpression of linc-ROR in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells induced an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program. Moreover, we showed that linc-ROR enhanced breast cancer cell migration and invasion, which was accompanied by generation of stem cell properties. Contrarily, silencing of linc-ROR repressed breast tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, our data revealed that linc-ROR was associated with miRNPs and functioned as a competing endogenous RNA to mi-205. Specifically, linc-ROR prevented the degradation of mir-205 target genes, including the EMT inducer ZEB2. Thus our results indicate that linc-ROR functions as an important regulator of EMT and can promote breast cancer progression and metastasis through regulation of miRNAs. Potentially, the findings of this study implicate the relevance of linc-ROR as a possible therapeutic target for aggressive and metastatic breast cancers.

SCH 503034, a mechanism-based inhibitor of hepatitis C virus NS3 protease, suppresses polyprotein maturation and enhances the antiviral activity of alpha interferon in replicon cells

Cleavage of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polyprotein by the viral NS3 protease releases functional viral proteins essential for viral replication. Recent studies by Foy and coworkers strongly suggest that NS3-mediated cleavage of host factors may abrogate cellular response to alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) (E. Foy, K. Li, R. Sumpter, Jr., Y.-M. Loo, C. L. Johnson, C. Wang, P. M. Fish, M. Yoneyama, T. Fujita, S. M. Lemon, and M. Gale, Jr., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102:2986-2991, 2005, and E. Foy, K. Li, C. Wang, R. Sumpter, Jr., M. Ikeda, S. M. Lemon, and M. Gale, Jr., Science 300:1145-1148, 2003). Blockage of NS3 protease activity therefore is expected to inhibit HCV replication by both direct suppression of viral protein production as well as by restoring host responsiveness to IFN. Using structure-assisted design, a ketoamide inhibitor, SCH 503034, was generated which demonstrated potent (overall inhibition constant, 14 nM) time-dependent inhibition of the NS3 protease in cell-free enzyme assays as well as robust in vitro activity in the HCV replicon system, as monitored by immunofluorescence and real-time PCR analysis. Continuous exposure of replicon-bearing cell lines to six times the 90% effective concentration of SCH 503034 for 15 days resulted in a greater than 4-log reduction in replicon RNA. The combination of SCH 503034 with IFN was more effective in suppressing replicon synthesis than either compound alone, supporting the suggestion of Foy and coworkers that combinations of IFN with protease inhibitors would lead to enhanced therapeutic efficacy.

Intrathecal MK-801 and local nerve anesthesia synergistically reduce nociceptive behaviors in rats with experimental peripheral mononeuropathy

The hyperalgesia and spontaneous pain that occur following peripheral nerve injury may be related to abnormal peripheral input or altered central activity, or both. The present experiments investigated these possibilities by examining the effects of MK-801 (a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate, NMDA, receptor antagonist) and bupivacaine (a local anesthetic agent) on thermal hyperalgesia and spontaneous nociceptive behaviors in rats with painful peripheral mononeuropathy. Peripheral mononeuropathy was produced by loosely ligating the rat's common sciatic nerve, a procedure which causes chronic constrictive injury (CCI) of the ligated nerve. The resulting hyperalgesia to radiant heat and spontaneous nociceptive behaviors was assessed by using a foot-withdrawal test and a spontaneous pain behavior rating method, respectively. CCI rats receiving 4 daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) MK-801 injections (0.03, 0.1, 0.3 mg/kg) beginning 15 min prior to nerve ligation exhibited less hyperalgesia (i.e., longer foot-withdrawal latencies) on days 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 after nerve ligation as compared to those receiving saline injections. Thermal hyperalgesia also was reduced when a single MK-801 injection was given intrathecally (i.t.) onto the spinal cord lumbar segments on Day 3 after nerve ligation. This effect of postinjury MK-801 treatment was dose-dependent (2.5-20 nmol) and lasted for at least 48 h after injection. Moreover, i.t. injection of MK-801 (10 nmol) reliably lowered spontaneous pain behavior rating scores in CCI rats compared to those in the saline group. The spinal site of MK-801 action is situated within the caudal (probably lumbar) spinal cord, since i.t. injection of MK-801 (10 nmol) onto the spinal cord thoracic segments did not affect thermal hyperalgesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Recombinant rat CBF-C, the third subunit of CBF/NFY, allows formation of a protein-DNA complex with CBF-A and CBF-B and with yeast HAP2 and HAP3

The CCAAT binding factor CBF is a heteromeric transcription factor, which binds to functional CCAAT motifs in many eukaryotic promoters. cDNAs for the A and B subunits of CBF (CBF-A and CBF-B) and for their yeast homologues HAP3 and HAP2 have been previously isolated, but the purified recombinant CBF-A and CBF-B together are unable to bind to CCAAT motifs in DNA. Here we report the isolation of a cDNA coding for rat CBF-C, demonstrate that recombinant CBF-C is required together with CBF-A and CBF-B to form a CBF-DNA complex, and show that CBF-C is present in this protein-DNA complex together with the other two subunits. We further show that CBF-C allows formation of a complex between the purified recombinant yeast HAP2 and HAP3 polypeptides and a CCAAT-containing DNA and is present in this complex, implying the existence of a CBF-C homologue in yeast. We show that CBF-A and CBF-C interact with each other to form a CBF-A-CBF-C complex and that CBF-B does not interact with CBF-A or CBF-C individually but that it associates with the CBF-A-CBF-C complex. Our results indicate that CBF is a unique evolutionarily conserved DNA binding protein.