A splice acceptor variant in RGS6 associated with intellectual disability, microcephaly, and cataracts disproportionately promotes expression of a subset of RGS6 isoforms

Intellectual disability (ID) is associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, suggesting a common underlying genetic factor. Importantly, altered signaling and/or expression of regulator of G protein signaling 6 (RGS6) is associated with ID and numerous psychiatric disorders. RGS6 is highly conserved and undergoes complex alternative mRNA splicing producing ~36 protein isoforms with high sequence similarity historically necessitating a global approach in functional studies. However, our recent analysis in mice revealed RGS6 is most highly expressed in CNS with RGS6L(+GGL) isoforms predominating. A previously reported genetic variant in intron 17 of RGS6 (c.1369-1G>C), associated with ID, may provide further clues into RGS6L(+GGL) isoform functional delineation. This variant was predicted to alter a highly conserved canonical 3' acceptor site creating an alternative branch point within exon 18 (included in a subset of RGS6L(+GGL) transcripts) and a frameshift forming an early stop codon. We previously identified this alternative splice site and demonstrated its use generates RGS6Lζ(+GGL) isoforms. Here, we show that the c.1369-1G>C variant disrupts the canonical, preferred (>90%) intron 17 splice site and leads to the exclusive use of the alternate exon 18 splice site, inducing disproportionate expression of a subset of isoforms, particularly RGS6Lζ(+GGL). Furthermore, RGS6 global knockout mice do not exhibit ID. Thus, ID caused by the c.1369-1G>C variant likely results from altered RGS6 isoform expression, rather than RGS6 isoform loss. In summary, these studies highlight the importance of proper RGS6 splicing and identify a previously unrecognized role of G protein signaling in ID.

A novel prognostic signature and therapy guidance for hepatocellular carcinoma based on STEAP family

BACKGROUND

The six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate (STEAP) family members are known to be involved in various tumor-related biological processes and showed its huge potential role in tumor immunotherapy.

METHODS

Biological differences were investigated through Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and tumor microenvironment analysis by CIBERSORT. Tumor mutation burden (TMB), immunotherapy response and chemotherapeutic drugs sensitivity were estimated in R.

RESULTS

We established a prognostic signature with the formula: risk score = STEAP1 × 0.3994 + STEAP4 × (- 0.7596), which had a favorable concordance with the prediction. The high-risk group were enriched in cell cycle and RNA and protein synthesis related pathways, while the low-risk group were enriched in complement and metabolic related pathways. And the risk score was significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration. Most notably, the patients in the low-risk group were characterized with increased TMB and decreased tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score, indicating that these patients showed better immune checkpoint blockade response. Meanwhile, we found the patients with high-risk were more sensitive to some drugs related to cell cycle and apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The novel signature based on STEAPs may be effective indicators for predicting prognosis, and provides corresponding clinical treatment recommendations for HCC patients based on this classification.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 4-(4-aminophenoxy)picolinamide derivatives as potential antitumor agents

Cancer is a leading cause of death in humans. Molecular targeted therapy for cancer has become a research hotspot as it is associated with low toxicity and high efficiency. In this study, a total of 36 derivatives of 4-(4-aminophenoxy)pyridinamide were designed and synthesized, based on the analysis of the binding patterns of cabozantinib and BMS-777607 to MET protein. Most target compounds exhibited moderate to excellent antiproliferative activity against three different cell lines (A549, HeLa and MCF-7). A total of 7 compounds had stronger inhibitory activities than cabozantinib, and the IC₅₀ value of the most promising compound 46 was 0.26 μM against the A549 cells, which was 2.4 times more active than that of cabozantinib. The structure-activity relationship of the target compounds was analyzed and summarized, and the action mechanism was discussed. The acridine orange (AO) staining assay and cell cycle apoptosis revealed that compound 46 dose-dependently induced apoptosis of A549 cells, and blocked the cells mainly in G0/G1 phase. The IC₅₀ value of compound 46 on c-Met kinase was 46.5 nM. Further docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations signaled that compound 46 formed four key hydrogen bonds to c-Met kinase, and these key amino acids played a major role in binding free energy. In addition, compound 46 also showed good pharmacokinetic characteristics in rats. In conclusion, compound 46 is a promising antitumor agent.

[A time-series study on the association of ambient temperature with daily outpatient visits of eczema in Huizhou city]

Objective: To explore the impact of environmental temperature exposure on eczema visits. Methods: Eczema clinic data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019 were collected from the Huizhou Dermatology Hospital, and data on meteorological factors (average daily temperature and relative humidity) for the same period were derived from 86 meteorological stations of the Guangdong Provincial Climate Center. A distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was used to assess the lagged effect of environmental temperature exposure on eczema, and a natural smooth spline function was used to control the nonlinear confounding of humidity. Results: There were 254 053 eczema outpatient visits at the Huizhou Dermatology Hospital within four years, with an average of 173.89 visits per day. The relationship between daily average temperature and the number of visits was non-linear (U shape). The risk of eczema increased by 2.20% (1.19%-3.21%) for every 1 ℃ decrease for the low temperature, and increased by 2.35% (1.24%-3.5%) for every 1 ℃ increase for the high temperature. The effect of high temperature was greater than that of low temperature. In all cases, 1.60% (0.44%-2.68%) of eczema outpatient visits were attributed to low temperature and the attributable number was 4 065 (1 128-6 798), while 6.33% (1.40%-10.87%) of eczema outpatient visits were due to high temperature and the attributable number was 16 082 (3 557-27 616). Conclusion: Both high temperature and low temperature are associated with increased risk of eczema.

Tear inflammatory cytokines and ocular surface changes in patients with active thyroid eye disease treated with high-dose intravenous glucocorticoids

PURPOSE

To evaluate high-dose intravenous glucocorticoid treatment on tear inflammatory cytokines and ocular surface parameters in patients with active TED. Correlations between tear inflammatory cytokines and clinical parameters were also investigated.

METHODS

This prospective pilot study included 15 moderate-to-severe and active TED patients. Control group consist of 15 sex and age-matched healthy subjects. All TED patients were treated with high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone with cumulative dose of 4.5 g during the therapy subdivided into 12 weekly infusions. Tear concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by multiplex bead analysis in TED patients at baseline and 12 weeks after treatment. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI), tear break-up time (TBUT), corneal fluorescent staining, and Schirmer's test were obtained from TED and controls.

RESULTS

All baseline cytokine levels except for IL-17A were significantly elevated in active TED patients compared with controls. Concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and VEGF were significantly decreased at 12 weeks compared with baseline. OSDI and TBUT showed significant improvement at 6 and 12 weeks. There were significant positive correlations between IL-6, IL-8, and CAS, and negative correlation was found between IL-6 level and TED duration before methylprednisolone treatment. The reduction of IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF were positive correlated with the reduction in CAS at 12 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

High-dose glucocorticoids treatment improved ocular surface symptom, increased the tear film stability, and decreased tear inflammatory cytokines in active TED. The reduction of the inflammatory cytokines is consistent with the improvement of clinical parameters.

Circulating miR-374b-5p negatively regulates osteoblast differentiation in the progression of osteoporosis via targeting Wnt3 AND Runx2

Osteoporosis is defined as an aging-related skeletal disorder involving deterioration of bone mass and bone structure, and consequently, increased risk of fractures. Emerging evidence indicates the dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the progression of osteoporosis. However, whether such associated miRNAs control osteoblast differentiation or constitute therapeutic targets remains elusive. In the present study, we found elevated circulating miR-374b-5p level associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis. miR-374b-5p served as a critical suppressor of osteoblast differentiation. We further identified that miR-374b-5p directly targeted Wnt family member 3 (Wnt3) and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) through its 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTRs). Moreover, the antagonist of miR-374b-5p could promote bone formation in ovariectomy (OVX)-induced mice. Together, our results revealed that miR-374b-5p directly targeted Wnt3 and Runx2, negatively regulating osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Collectively, circulating miR-374b-5p in the serum might serve as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis.

A multicenter, open-label, phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of JMT-101 in patients (pts) with advanced colorectal cancer (ACC)

e16025

Background: JMT101 is a fully human monoclonal IgG1 antibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This study aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of JMT101 alone or in combination with chemotherapy in ACC. Methods: This is an open label, dose-escalating, phase I clinical trial. The pts with ACC and naïve to systemic EGFR-targeted therapy were assigned to receive JMT101 monotherapy (JMT101 group, pts with wild-type RAS ACC and had experienced failure of at least one standard regimen) or JMT101 in combination with mFOLFOX6/FOLFIRI (combination group, pts with wild-type RAS/non-BRAF V600E mutant ACC). JMT101 was infused intravenously by accelerated titration and traditional "3+3" dose-escalation scheme. The initial dose of JMT101 monotherapy was 0.5 mg/kg (q1w), and sequentially escalated to 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, and 10.0 mg/kg (q2w). Until the dose of JMT101 group was escalated to the higher dose and sufficient safety data were obtained, the dose of the combination group would be escalated sequentially from 6.0, 8.0, to 10.0 mg/kg (q2w). The primary endpoints were safety and tolerability. The secondary endpoints were clinical efficacy and pharmacokinetic parameters. Results: From April 2017 to December 2019, 16 enrolled pts in JMT101 group (13 males, 3 females, median age 59.5 [27-64] years) and 7 in combination group (4 males, 3 females, median age 49 [39-68] years) were evaluable. The dose of JMT101 was escalated to 10.0, 8.0, 6.0 mg/kg in JMT101 group, mFOLFOX6 group and FOLFIRI group, respectively. Dose-limiting toxicity was not observed, maximum tolerated dose was not reached, and treatment-related SAE was not reported so far. JMT101 monotherapy and combination therapy were associated with grade 1 (15 and 7 cases), grade 2 (10 and 7 cases), and grade 3 (5 and 5 cases) AEs. In all groups, the most common AEs were skin rash (81.3% [13/16] in JMT101 group, 100% [7/7] in combination group), proteinuria (62.5% [10/16] in JMT101 group, 28.6% [2/7] in combination group) and oral mucositis (86.0% [6/7] in combination group). JMT101 monotherapy and combination therapy resulted in partial response (2 and 4 pts), objective response rate (12.5% and 57.1%), disease control rate (56.2% and 100%), and disease control > 24 weeks (4 and 3 pts). Conclusions: JMT101 shows good safety, tolerability, and antitumor activity in pts with ACC. Clinical trial information: 20160904 .

Identification of genetic loci associated with growth traits at weaning in yak through a genome-wide association study

A multilocus GWAS was performed to explore the genetic architecture of four growth traits in yak. In total, 354 female yaks for which measurements of body weight (BW), withers height (WH), body length (BL) and chest girth (CG) at weaning were available underwent genotyping with the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip (770K). After quality control, we retained 98 688 SNPs and 354 animals for GWAS analysis. We identified seven, 18, seven and nine SNPs (corresponding to seven, 17, seven and eight candidate genes) associated with BW, WH, BL and CG at weaning respectively. Interestingly, most of these candidate genes were reported to be involved in growth-related processes such as muscle formation, lipid deposition, feed efficiency, carcass composition and development of the central and peripheral nervous system. Our results offer novel insight into the molecular architecture underpinning yak growth traits. Further functional analyses are thus warranted to explore the molecular mechanisms whereby these genes affect these traits of interest.

Balance of Emission and Dynamical Controls on Ozone During the Korea-United States Air Quality Campaign From Multiconstituent Satellite Data Assimilation

Global multiconstituent concentration and emission fields obtained from the assimilation of the satellite retrievals of ozone, CO, NO2, HNO3, and SO2 from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2, Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere, Microwave Limb Sounder, and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)/OMI are used to understand the processes controlling air pollution during the Korea-United States Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign. Estimated emissions in South Korea were 0.42 Tg N for NO x and 1.1 Tg CO for CO, which were 40% and 83% higher, respectively, than the a priori bottom-up inventories, and increased mean ozone concentration by up to 7.5 ± 1.6 ppbv. The observed boundary layer ozone exceeded 90 ppbv over Seoul under stagnant phases, whereas it was approximately 60 ppbv during dynamical conditions given equivalent emissions. Chemical reanalysis showed that mean ozone concentration was persistently higher over Seoul (75.10 ± 7.6 ppbv) than the broader KORUS-AQ domain (70.5 ± 9.2 ppbv) at 700 hPa. Large bias reductions (>75%) in the free tropospheric OH show that multiple-species assimilation is critical for balanced tropospheric chemistry analysis and emissions. The assimilation performance was dependent on the particular phase. While the evaluation of data assimilation fields shows an improved agreement with aircraft measurements in ozone (to less than 5 ppbv biases), CO, NO2, SO2, PAN, and OH profiles, lower tropospheric ozone analysis error was largest at stagnant conditions, whereas the model errors were mostly removed by data assimilation under dynamic weather conditions. Assimilation of new AIRS/OMI ozone profiles allowed for additional error reductions, especially under dynamic weather conditions. Our results show the important balance of dynamics and emissions both on pollution and the chemical assimilation system performance.

Magnetic-Field Tuning of Light-Induced Superconductivity in Striped La_{2-x}Ba_{x}CuO_{4}

Optical excitation of stripe-ordered La_{2-x}Ba_{x}CuO_{4} has been shown to transiently enhance superconducting tunneling between the CuO_{2} planes. This effect was revealed by a blueshift, or by the appearance of a Josephson plasma resonance in the terahertz-frequency optical properties. Here, we show that this photoinduced state can be strengthened by the application of high external magnetic fields oriented along the c axis. For a 7 T field, we observe up to a tenfold enhancement in the transient interlayer phase correlation length, accompanied by a twofold increase in the relaxation time of the photoinduced state. These observations are highly surprising, since static magnetic fields suppress interlayer Josephson tunneling and stabilize stripe order at equilibrium. We interpret our data as an indication that optically enhanced interlayer coupling in La_{2-x}Ba_{x}CuO_{4} does not originate from a simple optical melting of stripes, as previously hypothesized. Rather, we speculate that the photoinduced state may emerge from activated tunneling between optically excited stripes in adjacent planes.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and its association with lipid profiles

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori, HP) infection in subjects receiving routine physical examination and its associations with age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and lipid profiles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Clinical information of 22,103 individuals who took routine physical examinations, including that on age, gender, height, weight, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and data of HP infection were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

H. pylori infection rate in 22,103 subjects taking routine physical examination was 44.5 %. More men tended to be infected with H. pylori than women (45.9 % vs 42.8 %; p < 0.01). The highest positive rate group was in the age group of 30-39 years (46.8 %) and the lowest rate was in the age group younger than 30 years (40.5 %). The obese had higher infection rate than the non-obese (p < 0.01). Mann-Whitney U test was used to explore the relationships between lipid profiles and H. pylori infection. There were significant associations among HDL, triglyceride and HP infection (p < 0.01). However, significant differences were not confirmed between cholesterol, LDL and H. pylori infection.

CONCLUSION

H. pylori infection was common among subjects receiving physical examination in Shanghai and it was most significantly associated with HDL and triglyceride, indicating that H. pylori might be a new cardiovascular risk factor (Tab. 3, Ref. 23).

[A systematic evaluation of the assessment methods of spasmoidc dysphonia]

To review the available subjective and objective evaluation methods used in the assessment of the spasmodic dysphonia.A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed,web of science,EBSCO and Ovid database,date limited from 2000 to 2015,language limited English,using the following key words: "spasmodic dysphonia" OR "spastic dysphonia" AND "evaluat*" OR " diagnosis" OR "treatment" OR "assess*".Screening the titles and abstracts,and reading the full text,studies met the inclusion criteria were enrolled.The references of eligible publications were manually searched to identify additional studies.A total of 967 literatures were retrieved.Finally,twenty-three papers were enrolled in the study according to the inclusion criteria.Evaluation methods were mainly divided into subjective and objective,including perception,subjective self-assessment;and aerodynamic,acoustic analysis,respectively.The assessment of spasmodic dysphonia should be multidimensional.

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta protects muscle satellite cells from apoptosis after injury and in cancer cachexia

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ), a transcription factor expressed in muscle satellite cells (SCs), inhibits the myogenic program and is downregulated early in differentiation. In a conditional null model in which C/EBPβ expression is knocked down in paired box protein 7+ (Pax7+) SCs, cardiotoxin (CTX) injury is poorly repaired, although muscle regeneration is efficient in control littermates. While myoblasts lacking C/EBPβ can differentiate efficiently in culture, after CTX injury poor regeneration was attributed to a smaller than normal Pax7+ population, which was not due to a failure of SCs to proliferate. Rather, the percentage of apoptotic SCs was increased in muscle lacking C/EBPβ. Given that an injury induced by BaCl₂ is repaired with greater efficiency than controls in the absence of C/EBPβ, we investigated the inflammatory response following BaCl₂ and CTX injury and found that the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a proinflammatory cytokine, were robustly elevated following CTX injury and could induce C/EBPβ expression in myoblasts. High levels of C/EBPβ expression in myoblasts correlated with resistance to apoptotic stimuli, while its loss increased sensitivity to thapsigargin-induced cell death. Using cancer cachexia as a model for chronic inflammation, we found that C/EBPβ expression was increased in SCs and myoblasts of tumor-bearing cachectic animals. Further, in cachectic conditional knockout animals lacking C/EBPβ in Pax7+ cells, the SC compartment was reduced because of increased apoptosis, and regeneration was impaired. Our findings indicate that the stimulation of C/EBPβ expression by IL-1β following muscle injury and in cancer cachexia acts to promote SC survival, and is therefore a protective mechanism for SCs and myoblasts in the face of inflammation.

Evaluation of common variants in CNR2 gene for bone mineral density and osteoporosis susceptibility in postmenopausal women of Han Chinese

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a major health problem with important genetic factors in postmenopausal women. We thoroughly evaluated the relationship of CNR2 polymorphisms with osteoporosis in a cohort of 1032 osteoporosis patients and 2089 healthy controls from Han Chinese postmenopausal women. Statistically significant differences, depending on different genotypes, were presented.

INTRODUCTION

Osteoporosis is a major health problem in postmenopausal women, which is a multifactorial disease in which genetic determinants are modulated by hormonal, environmental, and nutritional factors. An important clinical risk factor in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis is the presence of genetic polymorphism in susceptibility genes. The aim of our study was to investigate whether CNR2 gene, which attributes to osteoporosis susceptibility in some populations, is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) or osteoporosis in Han Chinese postmenopausal women.

METHODS

We examine 39 SNPs covering the region of CNR2 gene in 3121 Han Chinese postmenopausal women, consisting of 1032 osteoporosis patients and 2089 healthy controls, to evaluate the association with BMD and osteoporosis.

RESULTS

We found that rs4237 and rs2501431 were significantly associated with BMD and osteoporosis (corrected p = 0.020085 and 0.017199) in our sample, and the TT genotype of rs2501431 and the AA genotype of rs4237 had lower lumbar spine BMD and femoral neck BMD compared with the other genotypes. Additionally, analyses by haplotypes indicated that two haplotype blocks, containing rs4237 and rs2501431 respectively, in the CNR2 gene significantly associated with BMD and osteoporosis (both global permutation p < 0.001), and a risk haplotype (ATTT) in the block of rs3003336-rs2501431-rs2502992-rs2501432 had almost 4-fold increase in the cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide further supportive evidence for an important role of CNR2 gene in the etiology of osteoporosis and suggest that it may be a genetic risk factor for BMD and osteoporosis in Han Chinese postmenopausal women.

High-resolution color doppler ultrasound examination and related risk factor analysis of lower extremity vasculopathy in type 2 diabetes patients

This study aims to investigate the value of high-resolution color Doppler ultrasonography (HR-CDU) in the evaluation of lower-extremity vasculopathy (LEV) and its related risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Two hundred forty T2DM patients were selected, who underwent lower-extremity arterial HR-CDU. The patients were divided into the LEV group (V group) and the nonvasculopathy group (A group). The V group was then divided into the mild (B group), moderate (C group), and severe (D group) subgroups. The relevant clinical parameters were simultaneously recorded. The results showed that the lesion-positive detection rate of HR-CDU was significantly higher than that of clinical examination. The age, disease duration, smoking history, blood pressure, blood sugar, fibrinogen (FIB), C-reactive protein (CRP), uric acid (UA), and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in the V group were higher than in the N group. In the logistic regression analysis, smoking history, age, disease duration, FIB, UA, and fasting blood glucose were independent risk factors of T2DM LEV. The incidence of LEV in T2DM patients increased significantly with increasing age, UA, FIB, CRP, UAE, disease duration, and smoking history, and the vasculopathy level became more severe. In conclusion, age, disease duration, smoking history, blood pressure, blood sugar, FIB, CRP, UA, and UAE are the related risk factors of LEV in T2DM patients.

Transposon variation by order during allopolyploidisation between Brassica oleracea and Brassica rapa

Although many studies have shown that transposable element (TE) activation is induced by hybridisation and polyploidisation in plants, much less is known on how different types of TE respond to hybridisation, and the impact of TE-associated sequences on gene function. We investigated the frequency and regularity of putative transposon activation for different types of TE, and determined the impact of TE-associated sequence variation on the genome during allopolyploidisation. We designed different types of TE primers and adopted the Inter-Retrotransposon Amplified Polymorphism (IRAP) method to detect variation in TE-associated sequences during the process of allopolyploidisation between Brassica rapa (AA) and Brassica oleracea (CC), and in successive generations of self-pollinated progeny. In addition, fragments with TE insertions were used to perform Blast2GO analysis to characterise the putative functions of the fragments with TE insertions. Ninety-two primers amplifying 548 loci were used to detect variation in sequences associated with four different orders of TE sequences. TEs could be classed in ascending frequency into LTR-REs, TIRs, LINEs, SINEs and unknown TEs. The frequency of novel variation (putative activation) detected for the four orders of TEs was highest from the F1 to F2 generations, and lowest from the F2 to F3 generations. Functional annotation of sequences with TE insertions showed that genes with TE insertions were mainly involved in metabolic processes and binding, and preferentially functioned in organelles. TE variation in our study severely disturbed the genetic compositions of the different generations, resulting in inconsistencies in genetic clustering. Different types of TE showed different patterns of variation during the process of allopolyploidisation.

DDIT3 overexpression increases odontoblastic potential of human dental pulp cells

OBJECTIVES

Human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) with multi-potential differentiational capacity can undergo odontoblastic differentiation when stimulated with proinflammatory cytokines. However, factors linking proinflammatory stimuli and their odontoblastic differentiation have, as yet, not been completely understood. As an apoptotic transcription factor, DDIT3 plays a crucial role in the inflammatory reaction and in osteogenic differentiation. Thus, we hypothesized that DDIT3 may participate in odontoblastic differentiation of HDPCs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Immunofluorescent staining was used to detect expression of DDIT3 in HDPCs and effects of TNFα, on its nuclear accumulation. HDPCs that overexpressed DDIT3 were developed and their proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation abilities were examined. qRT-PCR was employed to detect mineralization-related genes, including ALP, runt-related transcription factor-2 (Runx2), osterix (OSX), dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein 1 (DMP1) and osteocalcin (OCN). Western blot analysis was performed to detect expression of DSPP protein.

RESULTS

DDIT3 was expressed in HDPCs. TNFα treatment enhanced mRNA expression as well as nuclear accumulation of DDIT3 (slightly). DDIT3 overexpression reduced HDPC proliferation, however, it increased their calcium nodule formation and expression of OSX, DSPP, DMP1 and OCN.

CONCLUSIONS

DDIT3 may be a factor that links proinflammatory stimuli and differentiation of HDPCs.

Trap healing and ultralow-noise Hall effect at the surface of organic semiconductors

Fundamental studies of intrinsic charge transport properties of organic semiconductors are often hindered by charge traps associated with static disorder present even in optimized single-crystal devices. Here, we report a method of surface functionalization using an inert non-conjugated polymer, perfluoropolyether (PFPE), deposited at the surface of organic molecular crystals, which results in accumulation of mobile holes and a 'trap healing' effect at the crystal/PFPE interface. As a consequence, a remarkable ultralow-noise, trp-free conduction regime characterized by intrinsic mobility and transport anisotropy emerges in organic single crystals, and Hall effect measurements with an unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio are demonstrated. This general method to convert trap-dominated organic semiconductors to intrinsic systems may enable the determination of intrinsic transport parameters with high accuracy and make Hall effect measurements in molecular crystals ubiquitous.

Effects of modified LDL and HDL on retinal pigment epithelial cells: a role in diabetic retinopathy?

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Blood-retina barrier leakage in diabetes results in extravasation of plasma lipoproteins. Intra-retinal modified LDLs have been implicated in diabetic retinopathy (DR), but their effects on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and the added effects of extravasated modified HDLs are unknown.

METHODS

In human retinas from individuals with and without diabetes and DR, immunohistochemistry was used to detect ApoB, ApoA1 and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers. In cell culture, human RPE cells were treated with native LDL (N-LDL) or heavily-oxidised glycated LDL (HOG-LDL) with or without pretreatment with native HDL (N-HDL) or heavily-oxidised glycated HDL (HOG-HDL). Cell viability, oxidative stress, ER stress, apoptosis and autophagy were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, dichlorofluorescein assay, western blotting, immunofluorescence and TUNEL assay. In separate experiments, RPE cells were treated with lipid oxidation products, 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC, 5-40 μmol/l) or 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE, 5-80 μmol/l), with or without pretreatment with N-HDL or HOG-HDL.

RESULTS

ApoB, ApoA1 staining and RPE ER stress were increased in the presence of DR. HOG-LDL but not N-LDL significantly decreased RPE cell viability and increased reactive oxygen species generation, ER stress, apoptosis and autophagy. Similarly, 4-HNE and 7-KC decreased viability and induced ER stress. Pretreatment with N-HDL mitigated these effects, whereas HOG-HDL was less effective by most, but not all, measures.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

In DR, extravascular modified LDL may promote RPE injury through oxidative stress, ER stress, autophagy and apoptosis. N-HDL has protective effects, but HOG-HDL is less effective. Extravasation and modification of HDL may modulate the injurious effects of extravasated modified LDL on the retinal pigment epithelium.

Mechanisms of modified LDL-induced pericyte loss and retinal injury in diabetic retinopathy

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

In previous studies we have shown that extravasated, modified LDL is associated with pericyte loss, an early feature of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Here we sought to determine detailed mechanisms of this LDL-induced pericyte loss.

METHODS

Human retinal capillary pericytes (HRCP) were exposed to 'highly-oxidised glycated' LDL (HOG-LDL) (a model of extravasated and modified LDL) and to 4-hydroxynonenal or 7-ketocholesterol (components of oxidised LDL), or to native LDL for 1 to 24 h with or without 1 h of pretreatment with inhibitors of the following: (1) the scavenger receptor (polyinosinic acid); (2) oxidative stress (N-acetyl cysteine); (3) endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (4-phenyl butyric acid); and (4) mitochondrial dysfunction (cyclosporin A). Oxidative stress, ER stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis and autophagy were assessed using techniques including western blotting, immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, flow cytometry and TUNEL assay. To assess the relevance of the results in vivo, immunohistochemistry was used to detect the ER stress chaperon, 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein, and the ER sensor, activating transcription factor 6, in retinas from a mouse model of DR that mimics exposure of the retina to elevated glucose and elevated LDL levels, and in retinas from human participants with and without diabetes and DR.

RESULTS

Compared with native LDL, HOG-LDL activated oxidative and ER stress in HRCP, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis and autophagy. In a mouse model of diabetes and hyperlipidaemia (vs mouse models of either condition alone), retinal ER stress was enhanced. ER stress was also enhanced in diabetic human retina and correlated with the severity of DR.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Cell culture, animal, and human data suggest that oxidative stress and ER stress are induced by modified LDL, and are implicated in pericyte loss in DR.

Registration of wheat lines carrying the partial stripe rust resistance gene Yr36 without the Gpc-B1 high grain protein content allele

While the high-temperature adult plant resistance gene Yr36 represents a promising source of quantitative and potentially race non-specific resistance to wheat stripe rust (causal organism Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici), its tight linkage (0.3 cM) with the high-grain protein content gene Gpc-B1 may hinder its introgression in certain cases, such as in soft wheat varieties requiring low grain protein content or in lines where the Gpc-B1 allele may be associated with a yield penalty. The development and registration of two donor lines, one tetraploid (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum; PI 656793) and one hexaploid (T. aestivum L. ssp. aestivum; PI 664549), each carrying the resistant wild emmer (T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) allele for Yr36 linked with the non-functional Gpc-B1 allele, are intended to overcome this potential limitation. Meiotic recombination events breaking the linkage between these two genes were discovered during the systematic screening of a population of 4,500 F₂ durum plants (cv. Langdon background) used to fine map Yr36. One of the critical recombination events was selected for fixation by self-pollination and transferred to a California adapted spring hexaploid background (breeding line UC1110₅₊₁₀) through five generations of backcrossing. Genotypic and phenotypic data confirm the presence of Yr36 and the non-functional Gpc-B1 allele in both registered lines.

Negative words on surgical wards result in therapeutic failure of patient-controlled analgesia and further release of cortisol after abdominal surgeries

BACKGROUND

The perception of pain is germane to the environmental stimuli. Nurses on surgical wards are the main contributor in influencing patients' psychophysiological fettle. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of different words, negative or positive, from nurses on postoperative pain therapy with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).

METHODS

1500 ASA I-II patients, who underwent abdominal hysterectomy, were screened and 771 were randomized into one of four groups. In the no words group (NW, N.=35), no words was delivered. The positive (PW, N.=248), partially negative (NW1, N.=241) and totally negative (NW2, N.=247) groups received corresponding words when treating with morphine PCA, the words were given singly at the 3(rd), 6(th), 12(th), 18(th) h and repeatedly at the 3(rd) and 6(th) h, and each group was redivided into six subgroups according to varying time points. Pain intensity, morphine consumption, side effects, overall sedation and satisfaction scores were recorded and plasma cortisol was tested.

RESULTS

A total of 614 patients completed the study. Negative words expressed significant influence on pain therapy at the 3(rd) and 6(th) h after surgeries (P<0.01), and this effect was more convenient in repeatedly treated patients (P<0.001). Positive and the 12(th) and 18(th) h negative words displayed little role in pain management. Morphine consumption, side effects, satisfaction and cortisol level converted with the change of the pain intensity. No intergroup differences were observed in patients' overall conditions.

CONCLUSION

Negative words on surgical wards influenced postoperative pain management at the earlier period of time after abdominal surgeries associated with the HPA axis activation.

Prevalence of insomnia and associated symptoms in patients with cancer

9098

Background: High rates of insomnia have been reported in patients undergoing treatment for cancer. The etiology of insomnia in these patients is unknown, but may be related to psychological factors (anxiety or depression), pain, treatment-related toxicity, or other co-morbid medical conditions. Insomnia has been linked with increased rates of depression, decreased quality of life, and increased fatigue in other patient populations, and is therefore important to understand in the context of cancer. Methods: The Patient Care Monitor (PCM; Supportive Oncology Services, Memphis, TN) is a validated software package assessing oncology-related patient symptoms using a 11- point Likert scale. This instrument is administered routinely to patients at each office visit at most community oncology clinics within the Accelerated Community Oncology Research Network (ACORN). Cross-sectional patient-reported data from 11,445 consecutive patients evaluated at ACORN sites are presented here. Results: The mean age of the sample was 61.5 (±14.2; range 18–95), and 74.3% was female. 25% had received chemotherapy within the prior month. The sample size by tumor site was as follows: breast- 3,316; GU- 2,966; GI- 1,634; hematologic- 1,373; lung- 1,224; head and neck- 501; skin- 321. 55% of the pts reported trouble sleeping, with 26% describing this trouble as moderate or severe. Mean values from patient reported symptoms on the PCM are reported below. 21.9% of patients without insomnia had recent chemotherapy, compared with 27.5% of patients with insomnia who had recent therapy (p<.001). Conclusions: Insomnia occurs commonly in patients with cancer, and is associated with significantly increased fatigue, pain, and depressed mood. Additional research will explore changes in insomnia over the course of treatment, and relate these to possible etiological factors.

[Table: see text]

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Imaging and therapy for Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric cancer

4644

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been identified in a wide variety of malignancies, including gastric carcinomas. The virus encodes kinases that phosphorylate nucleoside analogs such as 2’-deoxy-2’-fluoro-5-iodo-1-beta-D- arabinofuranosyluracil (FIAU). We hypothesized that it might be possible to use the viral enzyme to specifically concentrate [125I]FIAU or [131I] FIAU in tumor cells harboring virus and thus deliver imaging and therapeutic radiation. Bortezomib is a potent stimulator of viral kinase expression in EBV tumor cell lines. Methods: We imaged lytic induction in vivo and evaluated the effect of [131I] FIAU on human cancer xenografts in SCID mice. These include a tumor line engineered to constitutively express the EBV thymide kinase (EBVTK), and a control engineered with a sham vector (SHAM), as well one EBV-associated human gastric tumor (KT tumor). Mice were treated with buffer, bortezomib (2μg/g), or radiolabeled FIAU or radiolabeled FIAU and bortezomib in combination. For imaging, mice, [125I]-FIAU and SPECT/CT were used. For therapy, 131I-FIAU was used and tumor dimensions were monitored with calipers. Results: SPECT/CT imaging with [125I]-FIAU of tumor-bearing SCID mice showed selective concentration of radiotracer in tumor tissue in EBVTK (3/3) and in EBV-associated KT tumors (3/3) when animals were pretreated with bortezomib. Treatment with buffer had no effect on 3 EBVTK tumors and 3 SHAM tumors all of which increased in volume. Treatment with 1.6 mCi of [131I]-FIAU alone led to tumor response in 3/3 mice with EBVTK tumors and 0/3 mice with SHAM tumors. Treatment with [131I]-FIAU alone had no effect on EBV KT tumor xenografts (0/3) and all tumors increased in volume. Treatment with bortezomib induced modest responses in all KT tumors. However, treatment with bortezomib and [131I]-FIAU led to marked tumor regression (>80%) in EBV-associated KT tumors (3/3). Conclusions: Treatment with bortezomib leads to selective concentration of radiolabeled FIAU in the EBV-associated tumor xenografts. In combination with [131I]-FIAU it leads to tumor regression.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Randomized study of early intervention compared to standard intervention with darbepoetin-alpha (DA) for chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA) in early stage breast cancer (ESBC)

19538

Background: Dose dense chemotherapy (DDC) with sequential doxorubicin/ cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel Q 14 days has an established place in the treatment of ESBC. However, moderate/severe CIA is a common consequence and therapeutic intervention is frequent. We sought to determine if early intervention at the onset of anemia with DA could reduce the emergence of more severe anemia during therapy and maintain quality of life compared to later intervention. Material and Methods: Non-iron deficient (ferritin > 50) patients (pts) with hemoglobin (Hb) levels >11.0 g/dl scheduled to receive adjuvant or neoadjuvant DDC for ESBC were recruited. Pts were randomly assigned prior to chemotherapy to initiate treatment with DA 200 μg q2w SQ when Hb < 11.5 g/dl (early intervention, EARLY), or DA 200 μg q2w SQ when Hb < 10.0 g/dl (standard intervention, STD) with end of treatment defined as 14 days after the last cycle of chemotherapy. Dose escalation for inadequate response of < 1 g/dl after 6 weeks of DA and dose withholding/reduction for Hb >13 g/dl were pre-specified. Results: The complete sample of 149 pts have been accrued (median age of 53.1, range 28.7 - 74.5). Analysis of fatigue ratings show a trend towards lower fatigue scores in EARLY at Hb nadir, and at end of study,(ANOVA, Group x Time interaction, p=.07). Discussion: Early intervention with DA significantly reduces the risk of developing moderate/severe CIA and increases time spent in the target range during DDC for ESBC.

[Table: see text]

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Phase II trial of nab-paclitaxel (nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (ABX)) + capecitabine (XEL) in first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC)

1053

Background: ABX and XEL both have substantial single agent activity in MBC. Taxane and anti-metabolite doublets improve response rate and TTP and longer survival. ABX administered weekly has an excellent safety and efficacy profile with maintenance of dose intensity. This study was designed to test the safety and efficacy of ABX + XEL given in a novel combination schedule. Methods: This phase II, multicenter open label study utilized ABX 125 mg/m2 IV on day 1, 8 and with no premeds and capecitabine 825 mg/m2 PO BID days 1–14 on a Q 3 week cycle. The primary endpoint is objective response rate, with evaluation performed after every 2 cycles. Entry criteria include measurable MBC by RECIST criteria, age >18, PS 0–2, no prior chemo for metastatic disease, > 6 months since adjuvant fluoropyrimidine and/or paclitaxel. Results: The full sample of 50 patients (pts) have been enrolled; data from 43 pts are available for analysis. Median age is 58 (range 23.7–90.6). 37% received prior adjuvant anthracycline and 33% prior adjuvant taxane. Median number of metastatic sites is 2 (range 1–7), with most common sites of disease liver, 53.5%; bone, 51.2%; and lung, 14%. 226 cycles of therapy have been delivered. 5 pts required a dose reduction in XEL (3 pts to 650 mg/m2; 2 to 550 mg/m2) and 4 pts had dose reduction in ABX to 100 mg/m2. XEL dose reductions occurred due to hand-foot syndrome (3), neutropenia (1), and fatigue (1). ABX dose reductions occurred due to mucositis, diarrhea, fatigue, and neuropathy (1 pt each). 10 pts had grade 3–4 non-hematologic AEs: 3 hand-foot syndrome, 4 fatigue, and 3 GI. Hematologic AEs included 4 with grade 3 and 1 with grade 4 neutropenia, and 2 with grade 4 febrile neutropenia. The most common AEs of any grade were GI (30), dermatological (23), fatigue (15), neuropathy (12), and hand-foot syndrome (11). The incidence of Grade 1–2 neuropathy was 25% (no grade 3–4). Of 38 pts available for analysis of response, the overall response rate is 47.5%: PR 39.5%, CR 8%. Total of 15 pts have stable disease, 20 pts have completed 6+ cycles.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

The wheat and barley vernalization gene VRN3 is an orthologue of FT

Winter wheat and barley varieties require an extended exposure to low temperatures to accelerate flowering (vernalization), whereas spring varieties do not have this requirement. In this study, we show that in these species, the vernalization gene VRN3 is linked completely to a gene similar to Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). FT induction in the leaves results in a transmissible signal that promotes flowering. Transcript levels of the barley and wheat orthologues, designated as HvFT and TaFT, respectively, are significantly higher in plants homozygous for the dominant Vrn3 alleles (early flowering) than in plants homozygous for the recessive vrn3 alleles (late flowering). In wheat, the dominant Vrn3 allele is associated with the insertion of a retroelement in the TaFT promoter, whereas in barley, mutations in the HvFT first intron differentiate plants with dominant and recessive VRN3 alleles. Winter wheat plants transformed with the TaFT allele carrying the promoter retroelement insertion flowered significantly earlier than nontransgenic plants, supporting the identity between TaFT and VRN-B3. Statistical analyses of flowering times confirmed the presence of significant interactions between vernalization and FT allelic classes in both wheat and barley (P < 0.0001). These interactions were supported further by the observed up-regulation of HvFT transcript levels by vernalization in barley winter plants (P = 0.002). These results confirmed that the wheat and barley FT genes are responsible for natural allelic variation in vernalization requirement, providing additional sources of adaptive diversity to these economically important crops.

Enzymatically-targeted 131I therapy for herpesvirus-associated malignancies

3010

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) are associated with tumors including AIDS-related lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Kaposi’s sarcoma. Both viruses encode kinases that selectively phosphorylate nucleoside analogs such as ganciclovir and FIAU. We hypothesized that it might be possible to use the viral enzymes to specifically concentrate 131I-FIAU in tumor cells harboring virus and thus deliver therapeutic radiation. Bortezomib is a potent stimulator of viral kinase expression in gammaherpesvirus tumor cell lines. Methods: We evaluated the effect of 131I-FIAU on human cancer xenografts in SCID mice. These included a tumor line engineered to constitutively express the EBV thymidine kinase (EBVTK), and a control engineered with a sham vector (SHAM), as well 2 EBV(+) Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) lines, and 1 KSHV(+) primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cell line. Mice were treated with buffer, bortezomib 2 ug/gm, or I-FIAU, or I-FIAU and bortezomib in combination. For imaging, mice, 125I -FIAU and SPECT were used. For therapy, 131I-FIAU was used and tumor dimensions were monitored with calipers. Results: Treatment with buffer had no effect on on 3 EBVTK tumors and 3 SHAM tumors all of which increased in volume. Treatment with 1.4 mCi 131I-FIAU alone led to tumor responses (>90% volume reduction at 10 days) in 3/3 mice with EBVTK tumors and 0/3 mice with SHAM tumors. Treatment with 131I-FIAU alone had no effect on BL (0/3) or PEL (0/9) xenografts and all tumors increased in volume. Treatment with bortezomib induced modest responses in all tumors but had no greater effect on EBVTK tumors than SHAM tumors. However, treatment with bortezomib and 131I-FIAU led to marked tumor regression (>95%) in each of the virus-associated tumors (3/3 BL, 9/9 PEL). SPECT imaging with 125I-FIAU showed selective concentration of radiolabel in tumor tissue in the EBVTK tumor (2/2) and in viral tumors (6/6) when bortezomib was administered. There was no selective concentration in the absence of bortezomib treatment in the viral tumors (0/8). Conclusions: Treatment with bortezomib leads to selective concentration of labeled FIAU in the herpesvirus-associated tumor xenografts evaluated and to regression of tumor when the isotope is 131I.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Screening a library of FDA-approved drugs identifies agents that induce lytic viral infection in EBV-associated tumors

2002

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with a variety of tumors including AIDS lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We hypothesized that drugs used in practice might alter viral gene expression in tumor cells in ways that might be important to understand. For example induction of lytic viral gene expression leads to expression of immunodominant CD8 T cell antigens and expression of the viral thymidine kinase (which phosphorylates ganciclovir and other nucleotide analogues). Methods: A library of FDA-approved drugs that includes 2720 agents was screened to identify those that upregulated EBV lytic gene expression. The screen involved a Burkitt’s cell line with a recombinant GFP-EBV that assayed the impact of agents on replication of the complete viral genome, and assay of a lytic promoter reporter construct. Results: The assay identified 146 agents in the whole virus replication assay, 195 agents in the promoter assay, and 54 agents that were active in both assays. Agents with activity could be grouped into 4 families: anti-tubulin drugs, glucocorticoid and other steroid hormones, DNA damaging agents and nucleotide analogues (including cytarabine and gemcitabine), and the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. Anti-tubulin drugs and nucleotide analogues were less active in thes whole virus assay than the promoter assay whereas bortezomib showed similar activity in both assays. Followup studies confirmed that bortezomib is a potent viral lytic activator that increases expression of the viral thymidine kinase and virion production in several different Burkitt’s lymphoma and primary effusion lymphoma cell lines. Although bortezomib decreases NFKB levels, in vitro investigations with an IKB repressor suggests that inhibition of NFKB alone does not account for lytic activation. Conclusions: Many cancer chemotherapeutic agents are upregulators of EBV lytic expression. Bortezomib is among the most potent. As strategies for using lytic induction therapeutically evolve, these agents may have an important role to play.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Volatile anaesthetic effects on phospholipid binding to synaptotagmin 1, a presynaptic Ca2+ sensor

BACKGROUND

Volatile anaesthetics have important effects on synaptic transmission in the CNS. Depression of excitatory transmission involves reduced transmitter release via unidentified presynaptic mechanisms. Synaptotagmin 1 is a synaptic vesicle-associated protein that regulates Ca(2+)-evoked transmitter release involving critical Ca(2+)/phospholipid interactions within its C2 domains.

METHODS

We analysed the effects of halothane and isoflurane on the binding of purified recombinant rat synaptotagmin 1 C2A, C2B and C2AB domains to radiolabelled phospholipid liposomes.

RESULTS

Halothane and isoflurane had no significant effects on the maximal binding or Ca(2+) dependence of binding of synaptotagmin 1 C2 domains to mixed phospholipid vesicles composed of either phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylinositol/phosphatidylcholine.

CONCLUSIONS

Inhibition of synaptic vesicle exocytosis by volatile anaesthetics does not appear to involve an effect on the critical Ca(2+)/phospholipid binding properties of synaptotagmin 1, a Ca(2+) sensor involved in regulating evoked Ca(2+)-dependent neurotransmitter release.

Intersubgenomic heterosis in seed yield potential observed in a new type of Brassica napus introgressed with partial Brassica rapa genome

This paper reports the observation on the intersubgenomic heterosis for seed yield among hybrids between natural Brassica napus (A(n)A(n)C(n)C(n)) and a new type of B. napus with introgressions of genomic components of Brassica rapa (A(r)A(r)). This B. napus was selected from the progeny of B. napus x B. rapa and (B. napus x B. rapa) x B. rapa based on extensive phenotypic and cytological observation. Among the 129 studied partial intersubgenomic hybrids, which were obtained by randomly crossing 13 lines of the new type of B. napus in F(3) or BC(1)F(3) to 27 cultivars of B. napus from different regions as tester lines, about 90% of combinations exceeded the yield of their respective tester lines, whereas about 75% and 25% of combinations surpassed two elite Chinese cultivars, respectively. This strong heterosis was further confirmed by reevaluating 2 out of the 129 combinations in a successive year and by surveying hybrids between 20 lines of the new type of B. napus in BC(1)F(5) and its parental B. napus in two locations. Some DNA segments from B. rapa were identified with significant effects on seed yield and yield components of the new type of B. napus in BC(1)F(5) and intersubgenomic hybrids in positive or negative direction. It seems that the genomic components introgressed from B. rapa contributed to improvement of seed yield of rapeseed.

Permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery upregulates expression of cytokines and neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the spinal cord and urinary bladder in the adult rat

The expression pattern of proinflammatory cytokines, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) in the spinal cord and the bladder in response to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was investigated. In this connection, the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 in the lumbosacral spinal cord and the bladder as determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction was upregulated. In the spinal cord, the immunoreactivity of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta was mainly localized in the ventral horn motoneurons contralateral to MCAO. In the bladder, TNF-alpha was mainly expressed in the inflammatory cells. The expression of nNOS immunoreactivity as well as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) staining in the spinal cord and bladder was also markedly increased in response to MCAO. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial expression of nNOS paralleled that of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in the spinal cord. On the other hand, there was no noticeable change in gene expression and immunoreactivity of SP and CGRP. The present results have shown that cytokines and nNOS expression are elevated in areas far removed from the primary site of ischemic infarct, namely, the lumbosacral spinal cord and bladder. This together with some neuronal deaths maybe linked to the dysfunction of the latter in a clinical stroke. On the other hand, the apparent lack of SP and CGRP changes following MCAO suggests that the two neurotransmitters are not directly involved.