Sodium salicylate induces the expression of the immunophilin FKBP51 and biglycan genes and inhibits p34cdc2 mRNA both in vitro and in vivo

Novel 5-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-substituted-2,3-dihydro-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione derivatives: Promising anticancer agents

A series of 5-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-substituted-2,3-dihydro-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione derivatives was synthesized and 13 of them were selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity. Seven of the investigated compounds, 3i, 3j, 3k, 3o, 3p, 3q, and 3r, displayed high anticancer activity in the primary assay. These compounds have been selected for a full anticancer screening against a 60-cell panel assay where they showed non-selective broad spectrum and promising activity against all cancer cell lines. Compounds 3j and 3k proved to be the active members in this study compared to 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide as reference drugs, respectively. Compounds 3j and 3k were identified as promising lead compounds.

Identification, structural characterization, and tissue distribution of Tsg-5: a new TNF-stimulated gene

Using DDRT-PCR, we compared the mRNA content of untreated and TNF-treated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Among differentially represented fragments, we identified and cloned a novel TNF-stimulated gene named Tsg-5. This gene, mapped to mouse chromosome 14, has three exons that can be alternatively spliced giving rise to two mRNA species, one spanning three exons and another that skips the second exon. Analysis of full-length Tsg-5 cDNA revealed a potential start codon within exon 2 encoding an ORF of 40 amino-acids. No homology with known mouse or human sequences, neither at the nucleotide nor at the amino-acid level could be found in public databases. In MEFs, Tsg-5 is induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and IL-1 beta, albeit with distinct kinetics. TNF-induced Tsg-5 expression is NF-kappa B-dependent as it was inhibited by MG132, lactacystin, Bay 11-7083, and Bay 11-7085. Analysis of Tsg-5 expression in vivo revealed that the gene and its encoded polypeptide are constitutively expressed in the thymus and ovary, whereas, in LPS-treated mice, Tsg-5 mRNA can be detected in the spleen, lung, and brain. Our data suggest that Tsg-5 encodes a new, rare transcript, with a very tight regulation of expression and differential splicing.

Differential expression of IGFBP-5 and two human ESTs in thyroid glands with goiter, adenoma and papillary or follicular carcinomas

Here, we describe the identification of three human genes with altered expression in thyroid diseases. One of them corresponds to insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 (IGFBP5), which has already been described as over expressed in other cancers and, for the first time, is identified as overexpressed in thyroid tumors. The other genes, named 44 and 199, are ESTs with yet unknown function and were mapped on human chromosomes seven and four, respectively. We determined by RT-PCR the expression level of these genes in ten samples of disease-free thyroid, ten of goiter, nine of papillary carcinoma, ten of adenoma and seven of follicular carcinoma and the significance of observed differences was statistically determined. IGFBP-5 and gene 44 were significantly overexpressed in papillary carcinoma when compared to normal and goiter. Genes 44 and 199 were differentially expressed in follicular carcinoma and adenoma when compared to normal thyroid tissue.