Hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha signaling in fractionated radiation-induced lung injury: role of oxidative stress and tissue hypoxia

To investigate the relationship of HIF1alpha signaling to oxidative stress, tissue hypoxia, angiogenesis and inflammation, female Fischer 344 rats were irradiated to the right hemithorax with a fractionated dose of 40 Gy (8 Gy x 5 days). The lung tissues were harvested before and at 4, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22 and 26 weeks after irradiation for serial studies of biological markers, including markers for hypoxia (HIF1alpha, pimonidazole and CA IX), oxidative stress (8-OHdG), and angiogenesis/capillary proliferation (VEGF/CD 105), as well as macrophage activation (ED-1) and cell signaling/fibrosis (NFkappaB, TGFbeta1), using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. HIF1alpha staining could be observed as early as 4 weeks postirradiation and was significantly increased with time after irradiation. Importantly, HIF1alpha levels paralleled oxidative stress (8-OHdG), tissue hypoxia (pimonidazole and CA IX), and macrophage accumulation consistent with inflammatory response. Moreover, changes in HIF1alpha expression identified by immunohistochemistry assay parallel the changes in TGFbeta1, VEGF, NFkappaB and CD 105 levels in irradiated lungs. These results support the notion that oxidative stress and tissue hypoxia might serve as triggering signals for HIF1alpha activity in irradiated lungs, relating to radiation-induced inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrosis.

Characterization and expression analysis of KAP7.1, KAP8.2 gene in Liaoning new-breeding cashmere goat hair follicle

Keratin-associated protein is one of the major structural proteins of the hair, whose content in hair has important effect on the quality of cashmere. In order to study the relationship between HGTKAP gene expression and cashmere fineness, the quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was firstly used to detect the levels of KAP7.1, KAP8.2 gene expression in the primary and secondary hair follicles; semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect whether KAP7.1, KAP8.2 gene are expressed in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney tissues; and in situ hybridization(ISH) to detect KAP7.1 gene expression location. qRT-PCR result showed that the expression of both KAP7.1 and KAP8.2 gene in the secondary hair follicles are significantly higher than that in the primary follicles, relative quantitative analysis obtained that KAP7.1 was 2.28 times, while KAP8.2 was 2.71 times. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR results revealed that KAP 7.1 and KAP8.2 mRNA were not detected in the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney tissues, demonstrating that KAP7.1 and KAP8.2 were specially expressed in hair follicles, participating in hair formation. Moreover, KAP7.1 gene has a strong expression in the cortical layer, inner root sheath of the primary follicles and the cortical layer, inner root sheath and hair matrix of the secondary hair follicles by ISH analysis. Taken together, the evidence presented here indicated that in the formation of cashmere and wool, differential expression of these two genes in the primary and secondary hair follicles may have an important role in regulating the fiber diameter.

Combination of Tevatron searches for the standard model Higgs boson in the W+W- decay mode

We combine searches by the CDF and D0 Collaborations for a Higgs boson decaying to W+W-. The data correspond to an integrated total luminosity of 4.8 (CDF) and 5.4 (D0) fb(-1) of pp collisions at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. No excess is observed above background expectation, and resulting limits on Higgs boson production exclude a standard model Higgs boson in the mass range 162-166 GeV at the 95% C.L.

Inclusive search for standard model Higgs boson production in the WW decay channel using the CDF II detector

We present a search for standard model (SM) Higgs boson production using pp collision data at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV, collected with the CDF II detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 fb(-1). We search for Higgs bosons produced in all processes with a significant production rate and decaying to two W bosons. We find no evidence for SM Higgs boson production and place upper limits at the 95% confidence level on the SM production cross section (sigma(H)) for values of the Higgs boson mass (sigma(H)) in the range from 110 to 200 GeV. These limits are the most stringent for m(H) > 130 GeV and are 1.29 above the predicted value of sigma(H) for c = 165 GeV.

Plasma levels of JAK2 mRNA in patients with chronic myeloproliferative diseases with and without V617F mutation: implications for prognosis and disease biology

The association of V617F JAK2 expression levels with disease behavior has not been studied in patients with nonchronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) myeloproliferative disease (MPD). We found plasma levels of total JAK2 mRNA to be higher in patients with non-CML MPD (n=175) than in CML patients (n=45) and normal controls (n=58) (each P<0.001). Overall survival was studied in 68 patients and showed positive correlation with levels of total and mutant JAK2 mRNA in patients with the V617F mutation, but not those without the mutation. These findings suggest that total JAK2 expression levels play a role in the biology of the disease in V617F-positive patients, and a therapy aiming at downmodulating the expression of the total JAK2 mRNA should be considered. In conclusion, we studied JAK2 total and V6217F mutant mRNA levels in plasma. We show high levels of JAK2 expression in MPD patients and these levels correlate with survival.

Stem cell collection in unmanipulated HLA-haploidentical/mismatched related transplantation with combined granulocyte-colony stimulating factor-mobilised blood and bone marrow for patients with haematologic malignancies: the impact of donor characteristics and procedural settings

Unmanipulated haploidentical/mismatched related transplantation with combined granulocyte-colony stimulating factor-mobilised peripheral blood stem cells (G-PBSCs) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor-mobilised bone marrow (G-BM) has been developed as an alternative transplantation strategy for patients with haematologic malignancies. However, little information is available about the factors predicting the outcome of peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection and bone marrow (BM) harvest in this transplantation. The effects of donor characteristics and procedure factors on CD34⁺ cell yield were investigated. A total of 104 related healthy donors received granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) followed by PBSC collection and BM harvest. Male donors had significantly higher yields compared with female donors. In multiple regression analysis for peripheral blood collection, age and flow rate were negatively correlated with cell yield, whereas body mass index, pre-aphaeresis white blood cell (WBC) and circulating immature cell (CIC) counts were positively correlated with cell yields. For BM harvest, age was negatively correlated with cell yields, whereas pre-BM collection CIC counts were positively correlated with cell yield. All donors achieved the final product of ≥6 ×10⁶ kg⁻¹ recipient body weight. This transplantation strategy has been shown to be a feasible approach with acceptable outcomes in stem cell collection for patients who received HLA-haploidentical/mismatched transplantation with combined G-PBSCs and G-BM. In donors with multiple high-risk characteristics for poor aphaeresis CD34⁺ cell yield, BM was an alternative source.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha attenuates hepatic fibrosis in rats

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) is a central transcriptional regulator of hepatocyte differentiation and function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of HNF4alpha on attenuation of hepatic fibrosis.

METHODS

The adenoviruses carrying HNF4alpha gene or containing siRNA targeting HNF4alpha were injected through tail vein on two distinct hepatic fibrosis models either induced by dimethylnitrosamine or by bile duct ligation in rats. Moreover, HNF4alpha, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related and fibrotic markers in hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and liver tissues were detected by real time PCR, immunofluorescence or immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that decreased expression of HNF4alpha and epithelial markers accompanied by enhanced expression of mesenchymal markers occurred in fibrotic liver. More importantly, forced expression of HNF4alpha remarkably alleviated hepatic fibrosis and improved liver function with suppression of EMT in both fibrosis models. In contrast, downregulation of HNF4alpha by siRNA aggravated hepatic fibrosis and decreased the expression of E-cadherin in association with the enhanced expression of vimentin and fibroblast-specific protein-1. In vitro study revealed that HNF4alpha could suppress the EMT process of hepatocytes induced by transforming growth factor-beta1 and increase the expression of liver-specific genes. A similar phenomenon of the EMT process was observed during the activation of HSCs, which was abrogated by HNF4alpha. Additionally, HNF4alpha deactivated the myofibroblasts through inducing the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and inhibited their proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that HNF4alpha is critical for hepatic fibrogenesis and upregulation of HNF4alpha might present as an ideal option for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.

Optical negative refraction in ferrofluids with magnetocontrollability

We numerically demonstrate optical negative refraction in ferrofluids containing isotropic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, each having an isotropic Ag shell, in the presence of an external dc magnetic field H. The all-angle broadband optical negative refraction with magnetocontrollability arises from H-induced chains or columns. They result in hyperbolic equifrequency contour for transverse magnetic waves propagating in the system. The finite element simulations verify the analyses using the effective medium approximation. Experimental demonstration and potential applications are suggested and discussed.

Analysis of Kerr effect in resonator fiber optic gyros with triangular wave phase modulation

We present an in-depth analysis of the Kerr effect in resonator fiber optic gyros (R-FOGs) based on triangular wave phase modulation. Formulations that relate gyro output to the rotation rate, the Kerr nonlinearity, and other fiber and gyro parameters are derived and used to study the effect of Kerr nonlinearity on the gyro performance. Numerical investigation shows that the Kerr effect results in a nonzero gyro output even when the gyro is at stationary, which is interpreted as an error in the measurement of rotation rate. This error was found to increase as the frequencies of the two triangular phase modulations deviate from each other, and is not zero even if the intensities of the two counterpropagating beams are exactly the same. For fixed frequencies of the triangular phase modulations, there exists an optimal intensity splitting ratio for the two counterpropagating beams, which leads to zero gyro error. Calculation shows that the measurement error due to the Kerr effect for an R-FOG with a hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber as the fiber loop can be one to two orders of magnitude smaller than an R-FOG with a conventional single mode fiber loop.

Gene expression profiling in the developing rat brain exposed to ketamine

Ketamine, a non-competitive N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is associated with accelerated neuronal apoptosis in the developing rodent brain. In this study, postnatal day (PND) 7 rats were treated with 20 mg/kg ketamine or saline in six successive doses (s.c.) at 2-h intervals. Brain frontal cortical areas were collected 6 h after the last dose and RNA isolated and hybridized to Illumina Rat Ref-12 Expression BeadChips containing 22,226 probes. Many of the differentially expressed genes were associated with cell death or differentiation and receptor activity. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software identified perturbations in NMDA-type glutamate, GABA and dopamine receptor signaling. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) confirmed that NMDA receptor subunits were significantly up-regulated. Up-regulation of NMDA receptor mRNA signaling was further confirmed by in situ hybridization. These observations support our working hypothesis that prolonged ketamine exposure produces up-regulation of NMDA receptors and subsequent over-stimulation of the glutamatergic system by endogenous glutamate, triggering enhanced apoptosis in developing neurons.

HLA-mismatched hematopoietic SCT without in vitro T-cell depletion for myelodysplastic syndrome

Allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) is currently the only curative treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, many patients cannot find an HLA-matched donor. We have developed a new protocol for HLA-mismatched (including haploidentical) HSCT using G-CSF-primed BM plus G-CSF-mobilized PBSCs without in vitro T-cell depletion. A total of 36 patients diagnosed with high-risk MDS (RAEB (refractory anemia with excess blasts) or RAEBt (RAEB in transformation)) underwent transplantation from HLA-mismatched family donors. All patients achieved sustained myeloid engraftment. The cumulative incidence of grades II-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) was 60% and that of grades III and IV aGVHD was 15%. The 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD was 56%. After a median follow-up of 17 months, 4 patients had relapsed and died and 25 patients were still alive. The 2-year probability of leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 65%. Patients transplanted within 7 months of diagnosis had better LFS (89 vs 43% ). Severe aGVHD decreased the LFS significantly by increasing non-relapse mortality (NRM). This study confirms that HLA-mismatched HSCT is a treatment option for MDS. Patients with high-risk MDS benefit from receiving HSCT early in the course of the disease.

One novel and two recurrent mutations in the keratin 5 gene identified in Chinese patients with epidermolysis bullosa simplex

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is a group of inherited skin diseases, characterized by the formation of intraepidermal blisters. We performed genetic analysis of the keratin 5 (KRT5) gene in two Chinese pedigrees. One novel missense mutation was identified in a patient with sporadic EBS (general, non-Dowling-Meara). Sequence analysis showed a heterozygous T > A transition at nucleotide 1730 of KRT5, changing phenylalanine (Phe) to tyrosine (Tyr) at position 577 of the keratin 5 (K5). In addition, two recurrent mutations c.1649delG (p.Gly550AlafsX77) and c.508G > (p.Glu170Lys) in KRT5 were identified in Chinese patients with mottled pigmentation EBS and localized EBS, respectively. None of the mutations were found in any unaffected family members or in an additional 100 unrelated control samples. These results suggest that these mutations are pathogenic and might be one of the potential causes of EBS in these Chinese patients.

Search for supersymmetry with gauge-mediated breaking in diphoton events with missing transverse energy at CDF II

We present the results of a search for supersymmetry with gauge-mediated breaking and chi(1)(0) --> gammaG in the gammagamma + missing transverse energy final state. In 2.6+/-0.2 fb(-1) of pp collisions at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV recorded by the CDF II detector we observe no candidate events, consistent with a standard model background expectation of 1.4+/-0.4 events. We set limits on the cross section at the 95% C.L. and place the world's best limit of 149 GeV/c2 on the chi(1)(0) mass at tau(chi(1)(0)) << 1 ns. We also exclude regions in the chi(1)(0) mass-lifetime plane for tau(chi(1)(0)) approximately < 2 ns.