Oral and topical boswellic acid attenuates mouse osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

Boswellic acid is a plant-derived molecule with putative anti-inflammatory effects. This study was performed to determine whether oral or topical administration of boswellic acid can attenuate joint damage in a mouse model of osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODS

Levels of boswellic acid were measured in the blood and synovium of mice treated with oral or topical boswellic acid. OA was generated by surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). Therapy with oral or topical boswellic acid was initiated one day after surgery and continued for 12 weeks, when knees were harvested and scored histologically for degree of cartilage loss, osteophyte formation, and synovitis. Microdissected OA synovium was stimulated with IL-1β or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of boswellic acid and cytokine production by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or multiplex enzyme linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

Topical treatment resulted in synovial concentrations of boswellic acid 2-6-fold higher than that measured in plasma. Cartilage loss was significantly reduced in mice treated with oral or topical boswellic acid compared with vehicle control (P < 0.01 for both oral and topical therapies). Likewise, treatment with either oral boswellic acid or boswellic acid ointment reduced of synovitis (P = 0.006 and 0.025, respectively) and osteophyte formation (P = 0.009 and 0.030, respectively). In vitro, boswellic acid was able to inhibit IL-1β and TLR4 mediated induction of several inflammatory mediators from OA synovial explant tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant synovial concentration and therapeutic efficacy can be achieved with topical boswellic acid treatment. These findings suggest that boswellic acid has potential as a disease-modifying agent in OA.

The results of surgery for colorectal hepatic metastases following expansion of the indications in 2005

AIM

Safety and survival were investigated in patients treated according to expanded surgical indications for colorectal hepatic metastases.

METHOD

A retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients who underwent resection of colorectal hepatic metastases at Zhongshan Hospital from 2000 to 2010 was conducted. The patients were divided into two groups based on a change in the surgical indications introduced in 2005. Patients in Group I underwent hepatic surgery between 2000 and 2004 and those in Group II between 2005 and 2010. The clinicopathological data and survival rates of both groups were analysed.

RESULTS

There were 530 patients who underwent hepatic surgery between 2000 and 2010. After the expansion of surgical indications, the rate of surgical resection rose from 25.1 to 35.1% (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in perioperative mortality (2.2% vs 0.9%) or morbidity (20.9% vs 29.8%). Recurrence occurred in 27.5% and 36.7% in Groups I and II, respectively, and 5-year overall survival was 43% and 49%, respectively (not significant).

CONCLUSION

Expanding the indications for surgical resection of hepatic metastases increased the resection rate but had no significant effect on survival.

Associations between coronary heart disease and individual components of the metabolic syndrome according to glucose tolerance status

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether the contributions of individual metabolic syndrome components to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk vary in patients with different glucose tolerance.

METHODS

A total of 1619 patients were included in this cross-sectional study. CHD, metabolic syndrome and glucose tolerance were assessed using coronary angiography, anthropometric and biochemical parameters, and an oral glucose tolerance test, respectively. Associations between CHD and components of metabolic syndrome were determined using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was the only CHD risk factor in patients with both CHD and metabolic syndrome who had normal glucose tolerance, after adjustments for age, smoking and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration. In patients with CHD plus metabolic syndrome and prediabetes, the most important risk factor was hypertension; additional risk factors were high postprandial blood glucose (PBG) and low HDL-C. In patients with CHD plus metabolic syndrome and diabetes, high PBG was the strongest risk factor, followed by hypertension, high FBG and high waist circumference.

CONCLUSIONS

Individual components of metabolic syndrome contributed variously to CHD across different glucose tolerance statuses.

Correlation between plasma amino acid profiles and the various stages of hepatitis B infection

The amino acid metabolism in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is significantly changed. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between the amino acid profiles and varying clinical stages of HBV infection, and investigated their significance. The plasma amino acid concentrations in 115 patients with HBV infection and 32 healthy donors were detected and analyzed, and the main indicators of liver function were measured. Correlation analysis was performed between the amino acid profiles (Fischer's ratio, branched-chain amino acid to tyrosine ratio [BTR]) and the key indicators of liver function in patients with HBV infection. Fisher's ratio and the BTR of patients with HBV infection was found to differ from that of the healthy controls, and was also found to significantly correlate with the stage of HBV infection. Changes in the BTR were closely related to the level of key indicators of liver function, and a significant relationship was detected between the Fischer's ratio and the BTR (r=0.928, p<0.001). These results suggest that Fischer's ratio and the BTR can indirectly reflect the degree of liver cell injury. Determining and tracking the plasma amino acid profiles could, therefore, be used for the diagnosis, treatment selection, and prognosis of patients with varying stages of HBV infection.

Vaspin Serum Concentration in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Carotid Plaque

Objective:

To examine whether there is an association between the serum concentration of vaspin and the presence of carotid plaque in early stage type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods:

Patients ( n = 61) with T2DM within 3 years of diagnosis were divided into those with and those without carotid plaque. Fasting serum vaspin levels, measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay, and blood pressure were compared between these two groups and also with an age-matched, apparently healthy control group ( n = 26).

Results:

Fasting serum vaspin concentrations were significantly higher in patients with T2DM without carotid plaque than in controls, but significantly lower in T2DM patients with carotid plaque than inthose without. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant positive association between the presence of carotid plaque and systolic blood pressure and a significant inverse association between the presence of carotid plaque and fasting serum vaspin concentration.

Conclusion:

A significant inverse association was found, in patients with T2DM within 3 years of diagnosis, between serum vaspin concentration and the presence of carotid plaque.

Engineered domain-based assays to identify individual antibodies in oligoclonal combinations targeting the same protein

Quantitation of individual monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) within a combined antibody drug product is required for preclinical and clinical drug development. We have developed two antitoxins, XOMA 3B and XOMA 3E, each consisting of three mAbs that neutralize type B and type E botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT/B and BoNT/E) to treat serotype B and E botulism. To develop mAb-specific binding assays for each antitoxin, we mapped the epitopes of the six mAbs. Each mAb bound an epitope on either the BoNT light chain (LC) or translocation domain (H(N)). Epitope mapping data were used to design LC-H(N) domains with orthogonal mutations to make them specific for only one mAb in either XOMA 3B or XOMA 3E. Mutant LC-H(N) domains were cloned, expressed, and purified from Escherichia coli. Each mAb bound only to its specific domain with affinity comparable to the binding to holotoxin. Further engineering of domains allowed construction of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) that could characterize the integrity, binding affinity, and identity of each of the six mAbs in XOMA 3B and 3E without interference from the three BoNT/A mAbs in XOMA 3AB. Such antigen engineering is a general method allowing quantitation and characterization of individual mAbs in a mAb cocktail that bind the same protein.

Polymorphisms in the IL-13 and IL-4R genes are associated with the development of renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Cytokines are the important modulators that bind to their relevant receptors in response to some stimuli to mediate the homeostasis. It has been suggested that the imbalance of immune system of the host might affect the generation of diseases, including cancers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We investigated the association between six functional polymorphisms of IL-4, IL-13, and IL-4R genes and susceptibility to renal cell cancer in a hospital-based study, including 620 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients and 623 controls. Logistic regression model was used to assess the genetic effects on the development of RCC.

RESULTS

Overall, individuals with IL-4R Ile50Val CT/TT genotypes had a 0.34-fold significantly decreased RCC risk (CT/TT versus CC), and the T variant allele was associated with a decreased risk of RCC in a dose-response manner (Ptrend=0.009). In addition, we also observed that IL-13 C-1055T and Arg130Gln polymorphisms could decrease the risk of RCC [TT versus

CC/CT

odds ratio=0.36, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.16-0.78; AA versus GG/GA: 0.66, 0.44-0.97, respectively]. Furthermore, a multiplicative interaction association between the combined IL-4R Ile50Val and IL-13 C-1055T genotypes was observed to decrease the risk of RCC (P=0.036).

CONCLUSION

IL-13 and IL-4R may play an important role in the etiology of RCC.

Recent advances in antiangiogenic agents with VEGFR as target

Angiogenesis is required for invasive tumor growth and metastasis and constitutes an important point in the control of cancer progression. Its inhibition may be a valuable approach to cancer therapy. Antiangiogenic agents are designed to attack the tumor vasculature and cut off the tumor's supply of nutrients. Systemic blockade of angiogenesis has been recently approved for the treatment of several types of human cancers. Antiangiogenic therapy presents various advantages as compared to conventional treatment. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered to be one of the most important regulators of angiogenesis and a key target in anticancer treatment. VEGF binding to its receptor (VEGFR) leads to cell proliferation and new vascular formation by tyrosine kinase (TK) pathway. VEGF/VEGFR pathway is becoming attractive target for anticancer drug design. It is believed to be important in the control of angiogenesis. Antiangiogenic therapy based on inhibition of VEGFR was reported to be powerful clinical strategies. In this review, the authors describe the existing literature regarding VEGFR inhibitors in the last few years. We attempt to cover all essential publications on the medicinal chemistry in terms of chemical structure, pharmacological profile and structure-activity relationships.

Diurnal expression of the thrombopoietin gene is regulated by CLOCK

BACKGROUND

Most physiologic processes exhibit diurnal fluctuations controlled by the circadian regulation of sleep-wake behavior and feeding cycles. In addition, many cell types express endogenous circadian rhythms that affect cell-specific processes. Independent reports support the hypothesis that thrombopoietin (TPO) is under circadian control.

OBJECTIVES

The current study tested the hypothesis that CLOCK, a circadian transcription factor, may regulate Thpo, the gene encoding TPO.

METHODS

Circadian gene expression patterns were analyzed in mice and in human cell lines, Small interfering RNA was used to knock down CLOCK expression in cell lines, and gene expression was also examined in Clock(Δ19/Δ19) mutant mice.

RESULTS

It was found that there was a diurnal rhythm in the expression of Thpoin vivo in mice, and that this was associated with concomitant rhythms of protein abundance. Thpo was rhythmically expressed in human cell lines, consistent with the gene being directly or indirectly regulated by the circadian clock. Silencing of CLOCK in the Huh7 human hepatoma cell line led to a significant reduction in the rhythmicity of Thpo expression. The expression of Mpl in murine marrow also displayed diurnal rhythmicity in vivo. In Clock(Δ19/Δ19) mutant mice, Thpo and Mpl expression was disrupted and there was an increase in the number of mature megakaryocytes, but no change in the ploidy distribution within the megakaryocyte population.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings establish that Clock regulates Thpo and Mpl expression in vivo, and demonstrate an important link between the body's circadian timing mechanisms and megakaryopoiesis.