Blood CDC42 overexpression is associated with an increased risk of acute exacerbation, inflammation and disease severity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

It has been previously reported that cell division control 42 (CDC42) protein can regulate macrophage recruitment, T cell-associated inflammation and lung injury. However, its role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remain poorly understood. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the possible association among CDC42 expression, the risk of acute exacerbation and disease features in patients with COPD. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum samples were collected from 60 patients with acute exacerbation COPD (AE-COPD), 60 patients with stable COPD (S-COPD) and 60 healthy control (HCs) individuals. The mRNA expression levels of CDC42 in PBMCs were then measured using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17 were measured using ELISA. The results showed that the expression of CDC42 was dysregulated among patients with AE-COPD and S-COPD compared with that in HCs. Specifically, the expression level of CDC42 was the highest in patients with AE-COPD, followed by those with S-COPD and the lowest in HCs (P<0.001). Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that CDC42 expression was associated with an increased risk of acute exacerbation in COPD with an area under curve of 0.690 (95% confidence interval=0.595-0.785). CDC42 was found to be positively associated with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease staging in patients with AE-COPD (P<0.01) and S-COPD (P<0.05). Additionally, CDC42 expression associated positively with the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17 in patients with AE-COPD (all P<0.05). However, this association was weaker in patients with S-COPD and became negligible in HCs. In conclusion, data from the present study suggest that CDC42 is associated with an increased risk of acute exacerbation, inflammation and disease severity in patients with COPD, implicating its application as a potential biomarker for COPD.

MicroRNA-126 enhances the biological function of endothelial progenitor cells under oxidative stress via PI3K/Akt/GSK3β and ERK1/2 signaling pathways

Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) transplantation is a safe and effective method to treat acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, oxidative stress leads to the death of a large number of EPCs in the early stage of transplantation, severely weakening the therapeutic effect. Previous studies demonstrated that microRNAs regulate the biological function of EPCs. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of microRNA on the biological function of EPCs under oxidative stress. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR was performed to detect the expression of miR-126, miR-508-5p, miR-150, and miR-16 in EPCs from rats, among which miR-126 showed a relatively higher expression. Treatment with H₂O₂ decreased miR-126 expression in EPCs in a dose-dependent manner. EPCs were further transfected with miR-126 mimics or inhibitors, followed by H₂O₂ treatment. Overexpression of miR-126 enhanced the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of H₂O₂-treated EPCs. MiR-126 overexpression also inhibited reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels and enhanced superoxide dismutase levels, as well as increased angiopoietin (Ang)1 expression and decreased Ang2 expression in H₂O₂-treated EPCs. Moreover, miR-126 participated in the regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling in EPCs, where both pathways were activated after miR-126 overexpression in H₂O₂-treated EPCs. Overall, we showed that miR-126 promoted the biological function of EPCs under H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress by activating the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β and ERK1/2 signaling pathway, which may serve as a new therapeutic approach to treat AMI.

ERK1/2-PPARγ pathway is involved in Chlamydia pneumonia-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell apoptosis through increased LOX-1 expression

Chlamydia pneumonia (C.pn) is a common respiratory pathogen that is involved in human cardiovascular diseases and promotes the development of atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic animal models. C.pn reportedly up-regulated lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) in endothelial cells. Recently, the anti-atherosclerotic activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) has been documented. In the present study, we investigated the effect of C.pn on LOX-1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and identified the involvement of the PPARγ signaling pathway therein. The results showed that C.pn increased the expression of LOX-1 in HUVECs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. C.pn-induced up-regulation of LOX-1 was mediated by ERK1/2, whereas p38 MAPK and JNK had no effect on this process. C.pn induced apoptosis, inhibited cell proliferation, and decreased the expression PPARγ in HUVECs. Additionally, LOX-1 activity and cell injury caused by C.pn through activation of ERK1/2 was completely inhibited by rosiglitazone, a PPARγ agonist. In conclusion, we inferred that activation of PPARγ in HUVECs suppressed C.pn-induced LOX-1 expression and cell damage by inhibiting ERK1/2 signaling.

Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 predicts elevated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) susceptibility and acute exacerbation risk, and correlates with higher disease severity, inflammation, and lower miR-193a in COPD patients

This study aimed to explore the value of long non-coding RNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (lnc-NEAT1) in predicting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) susceptibility and acute exacerbation risk, and to investigate the correlation of lnc-NEAT1 with disease severity, inflammation level, and miR-193a in COPD patients. 90 AECOPD patients, 90 stable COPD patients and 90 healthy controls were consecutively recruited. Severity of airflow obstruction in COPD patients was defined by GOLD guidelines. Plasma samples were collected from all participants, then lnc-NEAT1 and miR-193a expressions were measured by qPCR, and TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 were measured by ELISA. Lnc-NEAT1 expression was elevated in AECOPD patients and stable COPD patients compared to healthy controls, as well as in AECOPD patients compared to stable COPD patients; moreover, ROC curves showed that lnc-NEAT1 predicted increased COPD susceptibility and acute exacerbation risk of COPD. Also, lnc-NEAT1 expression positively correlated with GOLD stage and levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17 in both AECOPD and stable COPD patients. Furthermore, lnc-NEAT1 expression negatively correlated with miR-193a expression, and miR-193a could predict decreased COPD susceptibility and acute exacerbation risk, and negatively correlated with GOLD stage and levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17 in both AECOPD and stable COPD patients. lnc-NEAT1 predicts elevated COPD susceptibility and increased acute exacerbation risk, and positively correlates with disease severity as well as inflammation, but negatively associates with miR-193a in COPD patients.

Qiliqiangxin Protects against Renal Injury in Rat with Cardiorenal Syndrome Type I through Regulating the Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Signaling

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a frequently encountered clinical condition when the dysfunction of either the heart or kidneys amplifies the failure progression of the other organ. CRS remains a major global health problem. Qiliqiangxin (QLQX) is a traditional Chinese herbs medication, which can improve cardiac function, urine volume, and subjective symptoms in patients with chronic heart failure. In the present study, we aim to investigate the role of QLQX in the treatment of CRS type I and the possible mechanism through establishment of a rat model of myocardial infarction. Rats in CRS-Q group were orally treated with QLQX daily for 2 weeks or 4 weeks, while in sham group and CRS-C group were treated with saline at the same time. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis showed that QLQX significantly reduced the levels of angiotensin II (AngII), brain natriuretic peptides (BNP), creatinine (CRE), cystatin C (CysC), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, microalbuminuria (MAU), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in plasma induced by myocardial infarction. Western blot analysis showed that QLQX significantly reduced the expressions of AngII, non-phagocytic cell oxidase (NOX)2, and B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)2 associated X protein (Bax), and increased the expressions of Bcl2 and Angiotensin II Type 1 receptor (ATR) in the kidney as compared with the CRS-C group. Fluorescence microscopy showed that the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly reduced in the kidney as compared with the CRS-C group. We also examined the apoptosis level in kidney by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and the result showed that QLQX significantly reduced the apoptosis level in kidney induced by myocardial infarction. Taken together, we suggest that QLQX may be a potentially effective drug for the treatment of CRS by regulating inflammatory/oxidative stress signaling.

Short-term effects of ambient air pollution on pediatric outpatient visits for respiratory diseases in Yichang city, China

Previous studies have suggested that short-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with pediatric hospital admissions and emergency room visits for certain respiratory diseases; however, there is limited evidence on the association between short-term air pollution exposure and pediatric outpatient visits. Our aim was to quantitatively assess the short-term effects of ambient air pollution on pediatric outpatient visits for respiratory diseases. We conducted a time-series study in Yichang city, China between Jan 1, 2014 and Dec 31, 2015. Daily counts of pediatric respiratory outpatient visits were collected from 3 large hospitals, and then linked with air pollution data from 5 air quality monitoring stations by date. We used generalized additive Poisson models to conduct linear and nonlinear exposure-response analyses between air pollutant exposures and pediatric respiratory outpatient visits, adjusting for seasonality, day of week, public holiday, temperature, and relative humidity. Each interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM_2.5 (lag 0), PM₁₀ (lag 0), NO₂ (lag 0), CO (lag 0), and O₃ (lag 4) concentrations was significantly associated with a 1.91% (95% CI: 0.60%, 3.23%), 2.46% (1.09%, 3.85%), 1.88% (0.49%, 3.29%), 2.00% (0.43%, 3.59%), and 1.91% (0.45%, 3.39%) increase of pediatric respiratory outpatient visits, respectively. Similarly, the nonlinear exposure-response analyses showed monotonic increases of pediatric respiratory outpatient visits by increasing air pollutant exposures, though the associations for NO₂ and CO attenuated at higher concentrations. These associations were unlikely modified by season. We did not observe significant association for SO₂ exposure. Our results suggest that short-term exposures to PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, CO, and O₃ may account for increased risk of pediatric outpatient visits for respiratory diseases, and emphasize the needs for reduction of air pollutant exposures for children.

High-throughput screening identifies small molecules that enhance the pharmacological effects of oligonucleotides

The therapeutic use of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides has been constrained by the limited ability of these membrane-impermeable molecules to reach their intracellular sites of action. We sought to address this problem using small organic molecules to enhance the effects of oligonucleotides by modulating their intracellular trafficking and release from endosomes. A high-throughput screen of multiple small molecule libraries yielded several hits that markedly potentiated the actions of splice switching oligonucleotides in cell culture. These compounds also enhanced the effects of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides. The hit compounds preferentially caused release of fluorescent oligonucleotides from late endosomes rather than other intracellular compartments. Studies in a transgenic mouse model indicated that these compounds could enhance the in vivo effects of a splice-switching oligonucleotide without causing significant toxicity. These observations suggest that selected small molecule enhancers may eventually be of value in oligonucleotide-based therapeutics.

TBX6 null variants and a common hypomorphic allele in congenital scoliosis

BACKGROUND

Congenital scoliosis is a common type of vertebral malformation. Genetic susceptibility has been implicated in congenital scoliosis.

METHODS

We evaluated 161 Han Chinese persons with sporadic congenital scoliosis, 166 Han Chinese controls, and 2 pedigrees, family members of which had a 16p11.2 deletion, using comparative genomic hybridization, quantitative polymerase-chain-reaction analysis, and DNA sequencing. We carried out tests of replication using an additional series of 76 Han Chinese persons with congenital scoliosis and a multicenter series of 42 persons with 16p11.2 deletions.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 17 heterozygous TBX6 null mutations in the 161 persons with sporadic congenital scoliosis (11%); we did not observe any null mutations in TBX6 in 166 controls (P<3.8×10(-6)). These null alleles include copy-number variants (12 instances of a 16p11.2 deletion affecting TBX6) and single-nucleotide variants (1 nonsense and 4 frame-shift mutations). However, the discordant intrafamilial phenotypes of 16p11.2 deletion carriers suggest that heterozygous TBX6 null mutation is insufficient to cause congenital scoliosis. We went on to identify a common TBX6 haplotype as the second risk allele in all 17 carriers of TBX6 null mutations (P<1.1×10(-6)). Replication studies involving additional persons with congenital scoliosis who carried a deletion affecting TBX6 confirmed this compound inheritance model. In vitro functional assays suggested that the risk haplotype is a hypomorphic allele. Hemivertebrae are characteristic of TBX6-associated congenital scoliosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Compound inheritance of a rare null mutation and a hypomorphic allele of TBX6 accounted for up to 11% of congenital scoliosis cases in the series that we analyzed. (Funded by the National Basic Research Program of China and others.).

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC): advance in genomics and molecular genetics

Esophageal cancer is aggressive and has poor prognosis. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is histologically the most prevalent type of esophageal cancer and ranked as the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In recent years, cancer has been widely regarded as genetic disease, as well as epigenetic abnormalities including DNA methylation, histone deacetylation, chromatin remodeling, gene imprinting and noncoding RNA regulation. In this review, we will provide a general overview of genes, proteins and microRNAs that are involved in the development of ESCC, which aims to enhance our understanding of molecular mechanisms implicated in ESCC development and progression.

Abstract 3872: Identification and characterization of ITGA7 as cancer stem cell marker in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are widely accepted as a specific subpopulation of cells responsible for cancer initiation and progression. CSCs have yet to be identified in ESCC that have an increasing incidence in developed countries. Our recent study in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has led to the identification of ITGA7 as a functional CSCs marker. ITGA7+ cell population is endowed with stem cell-like properties and high tumorigenic and metastatic potential. ITGA7+ CSCs isolated from ESCC cell lines possessed higher self-renewal activity and were sufficient for tumor initiation, differentiation, and metastasis compared to ITGA7- ESCC cells. Functional studies using lentiviral-based overexpression and suppression systems demonstrated that ITGA7 can promote tumor initiation and metastasis through a deregulated FAK-Raf-MEK1/2-ERK signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Further characterization of ITGA7+ population may provide a prognostic biomarker for ESCC outcome prediction and a potential therapeutic target.

Citation Format: Xiaoyan Ming, Li Fu, Liyi Zhang, Xinyuan Guan. Identification and characterization of ITGA7 as cancer stem cell marker in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3872. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3872

G1 checkpoint establishment in vivo during embryonic liver development

Background

The DNA damage-mediated cell cycle checkpoint is an essential mechanism in the DNA damage response (DDR). During embryonic development, the characteristics of cell cycle and DNA damage checkpoint evolve from an extremely short G1 cell phase and lacking G1 checkpoint to lengthening G1 phase and the establishment of the G1 checkpoint. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing these transitions are not well understood. In this study, pregnant mice were exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) to induce DNA damage at different embryonic stages; the kinetics and mechanisms of the establishment of DNA damage-mediated G1 checkpoint in embryonic liver were investigated.

Results

We found that the G2 cell cycle arrest was the first response to DNA damage in early developmental stages. Starting at E13.5/E15.5, IR mediated inhibition of the G1 to S phase transition became evident. Concomitantly, IR induced the robust expression of p21 and suppressed Cdk2/cyclin E activity, which might involve in the initiation of G1 checkpoint. The established G1 cell cycle checkpoint, in combination with an enhanced DNA repair capacity at E15.5, displayed biologically protective effects of repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and reducing apoptosis in the short term as well as reducing chromosome deletion and breakage in the long term.

Conclusion

Our study is the first to demonstrate the establishment of the DNA damage-mediated G1 cell cycle checkpoint in liver cells during embryogenesis and its in vivo biological effects during embryonic liver development.

MiR-324-5p inhibits proliferation of glioma by target regulation of GLI1

OBJECTIVES

To study the effects of the miR-324-5p on the glioma cells proliferation via the targeted regulation of the glioma-associated oncogene 1.

METHODS

The luciferase reporter gene was used to test whether the glioma-associated oncogene 1 was the target of the miR-324-5p microRNA. The glioma-associated oncogene 1 expression was detected by Western blot. The proliferation and cell cycle were evaluated by MTT assay and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The glioma-associated oncogene 1 is a target of the miR-324-5p. An over-expressed miR-324-5p could reduce the cell survival rate and increase the G1/G0 phase rate in the glioma cell lines.

CONCLUSIONS

The miR-324-5p can inhibit proliferation of the glioma cells via the targeted regulation of the glioma-associated oncogene 1.

Epigenetic regulation of pluripotent genes mediates stem cell features in human hepatocellular carcinoma and cancer cell lines

Activation of the stem cell transcriptional circuitry is an important event in cancer development. Although cancer cells demonstrate a stem cell-like gene expression signature, the epigenetic regulation of pluripotency-associated genes in cancers remains poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the epigenetic regulation of the pluripotency-associated genes NANOG, OCT4, c-MYC, KLF4, and SOX2 in a variety of cancer cell lines and in primary tumor samples, and investigated the re-activation of pluripotency regulatory circuits in cancer progression. Differential patterns of DNA methylation, histone modifications, and gene expression of pluripotent genes were demonstrated in different types of cancers, which may reflect their tissue origins. NANOG promoter hypomethylation and gene upregulation were found in metastatic human liver cancer cells and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) primary tumor tissues. The upregulation of NANOG, together with p53 depletion, was significantly associated with clinical late stage of HCC. A pro-metastatic role of NANOG in colon cancer cells was also demonstrated, using a NANOG-overexpressing orthotopic tumor implantation mouse model. Demethylation of NANOG promoter was observed in CD133+(high) cancer cells. In accordance, overexpression of NANOG resulted in an increase in the population of CD133+(high) cells. In addition, we demonstrated a cross-regulation between OCT4 and NANOG in cancer cells via reprogramming of promoter methylation. Taken together, epigenetic reprogramming of NANOG can lead to the acquisition of stem cell-like properties. These results underscore the restoration of pluripotency circuits in cancer cells as a potential mechanism for cancer progression.

Receptors, endocytosis, and trafficking: the biological basis of targeted delivery of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides

The problem of targeted delivery of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides can be resolved into two distinct aspects. The first concerns devising ligand-oligonucleotide or ligand-carrier moieties that bind with high selectivity to receptors on the cell type of interest and that are efficiently internalized by endocytosis. The second concerns releasing oligonucleotides from pharmacologically inert endomembrane compartments so that they can access RNA in the cytosol or nucleus. In this review, we will address both of these aspects. Thus, we present information on three important receptor families, the integrins, the receptor tyrosine kinases, and the G protein-coupled receptors in terms of their suitability for targeted delivery of oligonucleotides. This includes discussion of receptor abundance, internalization and trafficking pathways, and the availability of suitable high affinity ligands. We also consider the process of oligonucleotide uptake and intracellular trafficking and discuss approaches to modulating these processes in a pharmacologically productive manner. Hopefully, the basic information presented in this review will be of value to investigators involved in designing delivery approaches for oligonucleotides.

Hematopoietic chimerism in liver transplantation patients and hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in adult human liver

Liver transplantation (LT) is a cure for many liver diseases. Blood chimerism of donor origin can develop after LT, which raises the possibility of the existence of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the liver. We characterized the blood chimerism in a large cohort of 249 LT patients and analyzed putative HSPCs in adult human livers. The overall incidence of chimerism was 6.43%, of which 11.11% was among short-term (1 day to 6 months) and 3.77% was among long-term (6 months to 8 years) LT patients. Hematopoietic Lin(-) CD34(+) CD38(-) CD90(+) populations have been demonstrated to generate long-term lymphomyeloid grafts in transplantations. In human adult livers, we detected Lin(-) CD34(+) CD38(-) CD90(+) populations accounting for 0.03% ± 0.017% of the total single liver cells and for 0.05% ± 0.012% of CD45(+) liver cells. Both Lin(-) CD34(+) and Lin(-) CD45(+) liver cells, from extensively perfused human liver grafts, were capable of forming hematopoietic myeloid-lineage and erythroid-lineage methylcellulose colonies. More importantly, Lin(-) CD45(+) or CD45(+) liver cells could be engrafted into hematopoietic cells in an immunodeficient mouse model. These results are the first evidence of the presence of putative HSPC populations in the adult human liver, where the liver is a good ectopic niche. The discovery of the existence of HSPCs in the adult liver have implications for the understanding of extramarrow hematopoiesis, liver regeneration, mechanisms of tolerance in organ transplantation, and de novo cancer recurrence in LT patients.

CONCLUSION

The human adult liver contains a small population of HSPCs. In LT patients, there are two types of chimerisms: transient chimerism, resulting from mature leucocytes, and long-term chimerism, derived from putative HSPCs in the liver graft.

SU-E-I-75: A New Method for Prostate Cancer Localization Using Multispectral MRI

PURPOSE

To develop a new method for automatic localization of prostate cancer using multispectral MRI data.

METHODS

Multispectral MRI including MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), T2 weighted MRI, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI, has been used for cancer target localization. The combination of multiple MRI imaging technologies provides more useful information than one single technology alone about prostate cancer and has advantages for target definition in radotherapy treatment and quantitative evaluation of tumor response. However, manual cancer localization using multispectral MRI dataset is a tedious task and prone to inter-/intra-observer variability. Automatic localization methods using multispectral MRI data is highly desired. In this paper, a fuzzy fusion framework for automatically localizing prostate cancer with multispectral MRI data is presented. Firstly, for each kind of MRI images, a membership function is created to calculate the membership-degrees of image elements belonging to cancer region. Secondly, a fuzzy fusion operator is used to fuse different membership- degrees corresponding to the same regions. Lastly, the Result of fusion is further adjusted with fuzzy region growing process, leading to the final membership-degree map. And cancer volume is finally defined by setting up a threshold on the map.

RESULTS

The new method was tested with one multispectral MRI patient dataset and results from our experimental study are compared with the one obtained form a manual method performed by an experienced pathologist. Quantitative analysis shows that the specificity is 98.89%, sensitivity is 62.85% and accuracy is 95.42%, respectively. It illustrates the feasibility of utilizing this framework in the clinical application.

CONCLUSIONS

The feasibility study shows the new method reported in this paper achieves automatic localization for prostate cancer and can be easily implemented in clinical applications. We are currently conducting a clinical study for testing the effectiveness and reliability, and further developing this method. *supported by NSFC-81171342 support by National Science Foundation of China (NSFC-81171342).

Mechanisms regulating the nuclear translocation of p38 MAP kinase

p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is of fundamental importance in a cell's response to environmental stresses, cytokines and DNA damage. p38 resides in the cytoplasm of resting cells, and translocates into the nucleus upon activation, yet the exact mechanisms remain largely unclear. We show here that the phosphorylation-dependent nuclear translocation of p38 is a common phenomenon when cells are stimulated with various stresses. On the other hand, the nuclear export of p38 requires its dephosphorylation, and it is exported both in a MK2-dependent and a nuclear export signal (NES)-independent manner. Although different p38-regulated/activated protein kinase (PRAK) mutants all dictate the intracellular localization of p38, results from a PRAK-deficient cell line indicate that it plays no role in this process. Microtubule depolymerizing reagent nocodazole and dynein inhibitor EHNA both block the nuclear translocation of p38, demonstrating roles for microtubules and dynein in p38 transport. Taken together, stress-induced nuclear accumulation of p38 is a phosphorylation-dependent, microtubule- and dynein-associated process.

Biological barriers to therapy with antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides

Attaining the full therapeutic utility of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides will require understanding of the biological barriers that stand between initial administration of these drugs and their final actions within cells. This review examines some of the key barriers that affect the biodistribution of oligonucleotides both in molecular form and when they are associated with nanocarriers. An understanding of the biological processes underlying these barriers will aid in the design of more effective delivery systems.

Effect of Allium sativum (garlic) diallyl disulfide (DADS) on human non-small cell lung carcinoma H1299 cells

This study was undertaken to elucidate the effect of diallyl disulfide from Allium sativum, an oil-soluble organosulfur compound found in garlic, in suppressing human non-small cell lung carcinoma H1299 cells. A potent increase in apoptotic cells has accompanied 1) a decrease in cell viability, 2) an increase of the fraction of G2/M-phase cells by up to 48.80 %, and 3) a transient increase of the phospho-p42/44 (phosphorylated p42/44 MAPK) in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. These results indicated that diallyl disulfide could induce apoptosis in human non-small cell lung carcinoma H1299 cells via, at least partly, G2/M-phase block of the cell cycle, related to a rise in MAPK phosphorylation.

Prenatal and birth complications in autism

OBJECTIVES

Prenatal and birth history as potential sources of risk factors in relation to the onset of autism were examined.

METHODS

A cohort of 164 families of autistic children referred to The Autism Center at New Jersey Medical School-UMDNJ, Newark, New Jersey, over a two-year period was studied. Intake prenatal and birth history information was obtained from each family and reviewed by a clinician.

RESULTS

Prevalence rates in this cohort for vaginal bleeding, prolonged labor and prematurity were higher than comparable rates reported nationally and in New Jersey. Clustering of multiple prenatal risk factors was observed. This clustering was associated with the age of the mother, but uncorrelated with birth order.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support the general hypothesis that systemic problems at the prenatal stage may form a distinct dimension of risk associated with autism.

L-nucleosides containing modified nucleobases

The synthesis of base modified L-nucleosides is described with pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines, pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines, benzimidazoles, and imidazo[1,2-a]-s-triazines as nucleobases. The conformation of the nucleosides is studied and the antiviral activity is evaluated.

Increased excretion of a lipid peroxidation biomarker in autism

It is thought that autism could result from an interaction between genetic and environmental factors with oxidative stress as a potential mechanism linking the two. One genetic factor may be altered oxidative-reductive capacity. This study tested the hypothesis that children with autism have increased oxidative stress. We evaluated children with autism for the presence of two oxidative stress biomarkers. Urinary excretion of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-isoprostane-F2alpha (8-iso-PGF2alpha) were determined in 33 children with autism and 29 healthy controls. 8-iso-PGF2alpha levels were significantly higher in children with autism. The isoprostane levels in autistic subjects were variable with a bimodal distribution. The majority of autistic subjects showed a moderate increase in isoprostane levels while a smaller group of autistic children showed dramatic increases in their isoprostane levels. There was a trend of an increase in 8-OHdG levels in children with autism but it did not reach statistical significance. There was no significant correlation between the levels of the biomarkers and vitamin intake, dietary supplements, medicine, medical disorders, or history of regression. These results suggest that the lipid peroxidation biomarker is increased in this cohort of autistic children, especially in the subgroup of autistic children.

Genetic transformation of two species of orchid by biolistic bombardment

We report here the transformation of two species of orchid, Dendrobium phalaenopsis and D. nobile,by biolistic bombardment. Calli or protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were used as target explants. Gold particles (1.0 microm) coated with plasmid DNA (pCAMBIA1301) encoding an intron-containing beta-glucuronidase gene (gus-int) and a hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) gene were introduced into the PLBs or calli using the Bio-Rad PDS-1000/He Biolistic Particle Delivery System. Calli and PLBs were then chopped up and pre-cultured in 1/2-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.4 M mannitol for a 1-h osmoticum treatment before bombardment. Immediately after bombardment, the calli and PLBs were transferred to 1/2-strength MS medium without mannitol for recovery. Putatively transformed plantlets were obtained by selection and regeneration on medium supplemented with 30 mg/l hygromycin. The highest efficiency of transformation was obtained when selection was conducted at 2 days post-bombardment. For D. phalaenopsis and D. nobile, respectively, about 12% and 2% of the bombarded calli or PLBs produced independent transgenic plants. Integration and expression of the transgenes were confirmed by Southern hybridization and Northern hybridization. No nontransformed plants were regenerated, indicating a tight selection scheme. However, separate incorporation of the gus gene and the hpt gene was observed, and in one transgenic line the gus gene was integrated into the genome of the transgenic plant, but not expressed.

Proliferating oligodendrocytes are present in both active and chronic inactive multiple sclerosis plaques

The proliferation marker Ki-67 labels cell nuclei in the G(1), S, M, and G(2) phases of the cell cycle. We used Ki-67 immunohistochemistry to quantify proliferating glial cells in brain tissue sections from twenty-four patients, comprised of multiple sclerosis, normal brains, and other neurological disease controls. Glial proliferation was greatly increased in MS lesions when compared with control brain white matter. Both actively demyelinating/early remyelinating plaques and chronic inactive plaques of long standing often displayed large numbers of glial cells in the proliferative cycle. The bulk of these proliferating cells were of oligodendroglial lineage in the MS plaques. Ki-67 positive macrophage/microglial lineage cells were largely restricted to acute lesions. The finding of increased numbers of proliferating oligodendroglia in most MS plaques, regardless of disease duration or activity state, indicates that the MS brain is capable of recruiting unexpectedly large numbers of new oligodendrocytes over long periods of time. The factors within the MS plaque microenvironment that provoke new oligodendrocyte generation and their subsequent loss still need to be identified.

Cavernous angioma of the brain stem simulating diffuse pontine glioma

Brainstem vascular malformations can sometimes simulate other conditions such as multiple sclerosis and pontine glioma. We report a case of brainstem cavernous angioma for which clinical course and radiologic appearance were suggestive of a pontine glioma. The diagnosis was uncertain until the clinical and radiologic evolution made it clear that the patient had a cavernous angioma. We suggest that brainstem angioma be considered as a differential diagnosis for pontine glioma.

Up-regulated p75NTR neurotrophin receptor on glial cells in MS plaques

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of the neurotrophin receptor p75NTR on glial cells within MS plaques.

BACKGROUND

In recent studies on the pathogenesis of MS white matter plaques, we found large populations of inflammatory and resident glial cells, including oligodendrocytes undergoing cell death, and identified increased expression of Fas receptor and ligand death pathway signaling molecules on the same glial cell types. In another study, the p75NTR was shown to induce apoptotic death of maturing oligodendrocytes when exposed to NGF in vitro.

METHODS

We used immunohistochemistry and in situ reverse-transcription PCR to detect p75NTR expression on inflammatory and resident glial cells in MS plaques and used TUNEL staining for fragmented DNA to detect cell death.

RESULTS

Up-regulated p75NTR messenger RNA and protein were demonstrated in both oligodendrocytes and microglia/macrophages in MS plaques but not in control white matter. However, only a fraction of p75NTR expressing oligodendrocytes was also stained by TUNEL.

CONCLUSIONS

Glial cell expression of p75NTR receptor is up-regulated during MS plaque formation. The exact role of this receptor in glial cell death and/or survival in MS remains to be elucidated.

[A preliminary report of the effect of levodopa and carbidopa for childhood amblyopia]

PURPOSE

To explore the short-term effect of levodopa and carbidopa in 36 children (4.5-14 years) with refractory amblyopia.

METHODS

36 cases of incurable childhood amblyopia treated with occlussion with visual acuity stably for 6 months were retreated by levodopa and carbidopa 1.5 mg/kg, 0.38 mg/kg respectively for 3 months. Visual acuity, fusional and stereoscopic function, retinal light sensitivity and scotomas were observed at 1 and 3 months after tablet taken. Medicine side effects were observed.

RESULTS

At 3 months, the visual acuity of 88.89% eyes were improved(average 2.27 +/- 1.26 line), fusional and stereoscopic function were restored in 10 and 6 cases respectively. Retinal light sensitivity significantly increased, scotomas disappeared in 19 eyes and contracted in 6 eyes. The basic cure rate was 42.86% Less side effect were found.

CONCLUSION

Average dose levels(1.5/0.38 mg/kg) of levodopa and carbidopa were an effective and secuity method to improve visual function of refractory childhood amblyopia.

Fixation-off and eyes closed catamenial generalized nonconvulsive status epilepticus with eyelid myoclonic jerks

PURPOSE

Eyelid myoclonic jerks have been described in fixation-off-sensitive (FOS) epilepsy, but their relationship to nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) or to catamenial exacerbations is little reported.

METHODS

We describe a woman of normal intelligence with catamenial periods of prolonged NCSE who exhibited various intra- and interseizure thresholds of polyspike suppression when her eyes were open, with particular visual inputs and with antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment.

RESULTS

In one episode, on the first day of the woman's menstrual period, bursts of bilateral synchronous polyspike activity were briefly suppressed with visual fixation but were more lastingly suppressed after administration of lorazepam (LZP). During another period of NCSE, the SE was completely suppressed by visual fixation on objects and patterned checkerboard screens and by ocular convergence, was incompletely suppressed when her eyes were open in a dark room and when her eyes were open without visual fixation, but was not suppressed by mental activation alone.

CONCLUSIONS

FOS polyspike bursts with eyelid myoclonic jerks may exhibit catamenial exacerbations, varying from completely suppressible with visual fixation to nonsuppressible during NCSE. These findings suggest an interplay between humoral factors, AEDs, and seizure threshold in this condition.

Rice dwarf phytoreovirus segment S11 encodes a nucleic acid binding protein

The function of rice dwarf virus segment 11 and the corresponding segments of other phytoreoviruses is not yet determined. The amino acid sequence of Pns11, encoded by segment 11, contains a putative zinc finger and five flanking basic regions at the C-terminus. The full-length Pns11 protein and three truncated derivatives, which lack the N-terminus, the zinc-finger or the C-terminal five basic regions were expressed in Escherichia coli and their nucleic acid binding properties were studied. Pns11 interacts with single- and double-stranded forms of DNA and RNA in a sequence-nonspecific manner. The truncated derivative which contains both the zinc-finger and the C-terminal basic regions has the same binding properties as the full-length Pns11. However, removal of either of these domains prevents binding activity. The binding activity of Pns11 was drastically reduced when the blots were treated with a high concentration of EDTA. Moreover, Pns11 extracted from infected rice also binds to single-stranded RNA. These data suggest that RDV Pns11 binding activity is structure-dependent and it may play an important role in virus replication and/or genome assortment.

[Effect of dietary selenium and germanium on the precancerous lesion in rat glandular stomach induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine]

N-Methyl-N'-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) was administered (100 mg/L) in drinking water in 100 Wistar rats for 24 weeks to induce the precancerous lesion in glandular stomach. 77 rats with the precancerous lesion in glandular stomach were divided into 3 groups randomly at the 25 thweek. Yeast selenium (Yse, 4 mg/L) and carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide (Ge-132, 600 mg/L) in drinking water were administered respectively in the corresponding treatment groups: 100 ml/MNNG in drinking water was administered in the treatment group, and 100 ml/MNN in drinking water was administered in the treatment group and control group for another 5 weeks. The experiment ended at the end of the 37th week. The results showed that the incidence of glandular stomach cancer in the Yse group was significantly lower than that in the control group; the infiltrating depth of glandular stomach cancer in the Yse group and the Ge-132 group was remarkably shallower than that in the control group. These findings suggest that Yse and Ge-132 have some preventive effect on the precancerous lesion in rat glandular stomach induced by MNNG.

Structure of a precursor to the yeast mitochondrial tRNAMetf. Implications for the function of the tRNA synthesis locus

A transcript from the yeast mitochondrial tRNAMetf gene has been isolated from a petite deletion mutant, ND40. RNA sequence analysis demonstrates that it has a 5' unprocessed extension of 28 nucleotides, and capping experiments with guanylyltransferase reveal that the first nucleotide has a 5' di- or triphosphate. A comparison of the RNA sequence with the tRNAMetf gene sequence reported here shows that transcription initiation occurs at a sequence homologous to a nonanucleotide segment implicated as a promoter element of yeast mitochondrial DNA. The 3' end of this transcript is identical to the mature tRNAMetf and carries a CCA sequence. The transcript can be processed in vitro to yield a mature tRNAMetf and thus appears to be a bona fide tRNA precursor. This tRNA precursor accumulates in the absence of the mitochondrial tRNA synthesis locus whereas mature tRNAMetf can be made from the same gene in the presence of the locus. This data provides clear and convincing evidence that the synthesis locus codes for a 5' tRNA processing function.