Alteration of gene expression profile in Niemann-Pick type C mice correlates with tissue damage and oxidative stress

BACKGROUND

Niemann-Pick type C disease (NPC) is a neurovisceral lipid storage disorder mainly characterized by unesterified cholesterol accumulation in lysosomal/late endosomal compartments, although there is also an important storage for several other kind of lipids. The main tissues affected by the disease are the liver and the cerebellum. Oxidative stress has been described in various NPC cells and tissues, such as liver and cerebellum. Although considerable alterations occur in the liver, the pathological mechanisms involved in hepatocyte damage and death have not been clearly defined. Here, we assessed hepatic tissue integrity, biochemical and oxidative stress parameters of wild-type control (Npc1(+/+); WT) and homozygous-mutant (Npc1(-/-); NPC) mice. In addition, the mRNA abundance of genes encoding proteins associated with oxidative stress, copper metabolism, fibrosis, inflammation and cholesterol metabolism were analyzed in livers and cerebella of WT and NPC mice.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We analyzed various oxidative stress parameters in the liver and hepatic and cerebellum gene expression in 7-week-old NPC1-deficient mice compared with control animals. We found signs of inflammation and fibrosis in NPC livers upon histological examination. These signs were correlated with increased levels of carbonylated proteins, diminished total glutathione content and significantly increased total copper levels in liver tissue. Finally, we analyzed liver and cerebellum gene expression patterns by qPCR and microarray assays. We found a correlation between fibrotic tissue and differential expression of hepatic as well as cerebellar genes associated with oxidative stress, fibrosis and inflammation in NPC mice.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

In NPC mice, liver disease is characterized by an increase in fibrosis and in markers associated with oxidative stress. NPC is also correlated with altered gene expression, mainly of genes involved in oxidative stress and fibrosis. These findings correlate with similar parameters in cerebellum, as has been previously reported in the NPC mice model.

c-Abl modulates AICD dependent cellular responses: transcriptional induction and apoptosis

APP intracellular domain (AICD) has been proposed as a transcriptional inductor that moves to the nucleus with the adaptor protein Fe65 and regulates transcription. The two proteins, APP and Fe65, can be phosphorylated by c-Abl kinase. Neprilysin has been proposed as a target gene for AICD. We found that AICD expression is decreased by treatment with STI-571, a c-Abl inhibitor, suggesting a modulation of AICD transcription by c-Abl kinase. We observed interaction between c-Abl kinase, the AICD fragment and the Fe65 adaptor protein. In addition, STI-571 reduces apoptosis in APPSw, and the apoptotic response induced by Fe65 over-expression was inhibited by with the expression of a kinase dead (KD) c-Abl and enhanced by over-expression of WT-c-Abl. However, in the APPSw cells, the ability of the KD-c-Abl to protect against Fe65 was reduced. Finally, in APPSw clone, we detected higher trans-activation of the pro-apoptotic p73 isoform, TAp73 promoter. Our results show that c-Abl modulates AICD dependent cellular responses, transcriptional induction as well as the apoptotic response, which could participate in the onset and progression of the neurodegenerative pathology, observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Incidence and prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Uruguay: a population-based study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence and prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Republic of Uruguay.

METHODS

The study was performed in Uruguay (3,241,003 inhabitants) during a 2-year period (2002-2003). To ensure complete case ascertainment, multiple sources of information were used, including all the neurologists, other medical specialties, general physicians, neurophysiology laboratories, hospital medical records and death certificates. ALS diagnosis was based on El Escorial criteria. Although all patients with motor neuron disease were enrolled in the follow-up, only probable and definite cases are included in the study.

RESULTS

Between January 1st, 2002, and December 31st, 2003, 89 new patients were diagnosed with probable or definite ALS. The mean annual incidence rate was 1.37 per 100,000 persons. The incidence was higher for men (1.95) than for women (0.84) with a male to female ratio of 2:1. For both, the incidence increased throughout the years showing a peak in the 65-74 age group among men and the 55-64 age group among women. Mean age at onset of ALS disease was 58.7 years. The estimated mean annual incidence for ALS calculated by the capture recapture method was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.13-1.72). On December 31st, 2002, the crude prevalence was 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants.

CONCLUSIONS

ALS incidence is within a narrow range across countries despite the genetic, environmental and socioeconomic differences when similar prospective design, diagnosis criteria and data analyses are applied.

The anti-inflammatory and cholinesterase inhibitor bifunctional compound IBU-PO protects from β-amyloid neurotoxicity by acting on Wnt signaling components

Changes in signal transduction are implicated in neuronal responses to the Alzheimer's amyloid-beta-peptide (Abeta), which include neurotransmitter systems and pathways involved in the maintenance of the nervous system. We report here that a new bifunctional compound IBU-PO, which combines a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) (Ibuprofen) and a cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitor (Octyl-Pyridostigmine), is neuroprotective against Abeta-neurotoxicity, and its activity is associated to Wnt signaling components in rat hippocampal and mouse cortical neurons. IBU-PO (0.01-1 microM) inhibits glycogen-synthase-kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) and stabilizes cytoplasmic beta-catenin reverting the silencing of the Wnt pathway caused by Abeta-toxicity and GSK-3beta overexpression. In addition, IBU-PO enhances, dose-dependently, the non-amyloidogenic amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleavage by increasing secreted APP and decreasing endogenous Abeta1-40 in rat hippocampal neurons.

Unhealthy eating behaviour in adolescents

In recent years, eating disorders (Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa) have increased and are appearing at increasingly younger ages. They affect predominantly adolescent females 12 to 25 years of age. The objective of this study of adolescents is to detect and discuss unhealthy eating behaviour, defined by either of two factors: (1) following a slimming diet not advised or supervised by any person trained in health care; or (2) eating very large quantities at irregular times, not related to anxiety or stress. A transversal study has been undertaken of 630 school children of 14-18 years of age (average: 15.9 years) in Cádiz (Andalucia, Spain), using an anonymous self-reporting questionnaire to collect data on personal and educational situation, on eating habits, on nutritive intake and knowledge of nutrition, and on dieting and physical exercise. The study has considered averages, ratios, statistical significance (chi2) and, as a measure of risk, the Disequality Ratio of Prevalence (DRP). Anomalous eating behaviour was detected in 46.3% (292), with females predominant by a ratio of 2:1. Comparing groups with anomalous and with normal eating habits, significant differences were detected in respect of: perception of body image (p < 0.001), frequency of weighing oneself (p < 0.05), periods of abstinence from eating (DRP 1.66; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.66-2.37), provocation of vomiting (DRP 2.02; 95% CI: 1.13-3.65), use of laxatives (DRP 4.25: 95% CI: 1.08-9.63), and the exclusion of certain meals and types of food, mainly bread and cereals, fats and sugars. Conclusions are drawn on the substantial scale of unhealthy eating behaviour among adolescents in Cadiz. More adequate education on personal health and related social issues should be provided.

Clinical profile of 128 subjects operated for primary hyperparathyroidism

From 1960 to 1990, one hundred twenty eight (128) subjects with primary hyperparathyroidism were operated in the University Hospital. The medical records were reviewed. Serum and urine chemistries were done by conventional methods, serum PTH was done by RIA's (N-, C-, and midregion) and intact by IRMA and 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol by a non equilibrium receptor assay from calf thymus and preceded by double Sep-Pak chromatography. The distal third of the radius (nondominant arm) was used to evaluate radial bone density (RBD), using single photon absorptiometry (Norland) and the lumbar bone density (LBD) was measured by dual energy X Ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The RBD was done in 41 females and 15 males and the LBD in 12 females and 4 males. The series comprised 95 females, age range from 15 to 79 years, and 33 males, age range from 14 to 69 years. Prominent clinical features included nephrolithiasis in 72 subjects (56%), osteitis fibrosa cystica in 2, isolated familial hyperparathyroidism in 4 subjects in one family, 7 subjects with MEN-1 in 3 families, and 4 subjects with MEN-2 in one family. Only 7 subjects were asymptomatic. Serum calcium was elevated in all, serum alkaline phosphatase was elevated in 24% and urinary hydroxiproline was increased in 48%. Serum phosphorus was low in 92%. PTH assay was either elevated or inappropriately normal for the serum calcium in all patients tested. Serum 1,25 D was elevated in 57%. The PTH level was positively correlated with the serum calcium (r = 0.70), but had no significant correlation with the serum phosphorus and the 1,25 D. The RBD expressed as the standard deviation from that of the mean for age and sex matched controls was > or = 2 SD below the mean in 39% of females and in 40% of males. In contrast to the RBD none of the subjects tested had a LBD > or = 2 SD below the age and sex adjusted mean. 103 subjects had adenomas, 20 primary hyperplasia, 2 carcinomas and in 3 surgical exploration was unsuccessful. As to the outcome of Surgery, 117 (93%) were cured. Thus, in this series, successful surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism is the rule. Primary hyperparathroidism is rarely asymptomatic and appendicular bone disease and nephrolithiasis are commonly seen.

The kinetics of D3-3H metabolism in tropical sprue

The metabolism of vitamin D3-3H was studied in a small group of controls and subjects with tropical sprue after the oral or intravenous administration of 8 to 10 microCi of D3-3H. The biological half life of D3-3H upon the administration of the isotope by the intravenous route was normal in 2 controls, very low in a subject with tropical sprue who had steatorrhea, and decreased in a subject with tropical sprue who did not present steatorrhea. After the administration of the isotope by the oral route, the biological half life was 35 hours in the control and no radioactivity could be detected in the plasma of the subject with tropical sprue who had steatorrhea. Twenty four hours after the intravenous dose the percentage of radioactivity in the plasma as HCC-3H was two times higher in the tropical sprue subjects than in the controls. When the dose was given orally the net absorption was 50.5% in the subject with tropical sprue and steatorrhea and 86.8% in the subject with tropical sprue who was partially treated. These results showed rapid clearance of the D3-3H in the subject with tropical sprue and steatorrhea indicating depletion of vitamin D stores in the tissues and decrease in the net absorption of the dose when given orally. The presence of a higher percentage of the dose in the plasma as HCC-3H after the intravenous and oral administrations in the tropical sprue subjects when compared to controls indicates that the diseased state does not alter vitamin D3 metabolism.

[Individualization of the dosage of oral theophylline with regular increase method and serum level control in 55 asthmatic children (author's transl)]

Authors have adjusted oral theophylline requirements in 55 asthmatic children, whose ages ranged from 19 months to 14 years, following a preconceived plan. The procedure is practical and useful. It's easily understood by parents and realizable in an ambulatory way. The average necessities of oral theophylline in children under nine years in their group have been lower than those signaled by other authors. This and the fact that oral requirements of theophylline in two pair of univitelin twins were identical, make the authors think that it is necessary probably to modificate protocols previously proposed for the different groups of population.