Cell detachment rates and confluence of fibroblast and osteoblast cell culture using different washing solutions

The advancements in the cell culture studies have led to the development of regenerative medicine concept. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of some washing solutions, including phosphate buffered saline (PBS), sodium chloride (NaCl), and ringer's lactate (RL) on the rate of detachment and confluency in fibroblast and osteoblast cell culture. Baby Hamster Kidney 21 clone 13 (BHK21/C13) fibroblast cells and 7F2 osteoblast were cultured on T25 flasks for 3-4 days. Three treatment groups were classified on the basis of different washing solutions used in the moment before trypsinization: PBS, 0.9% NaCl, and RL. Each group was measured for the detachment rate and cell confluence. The measurement was done in 2 passage numbers. The use of PBS, NaCl, and RL washing solution showed that detachment time was less than 5 minutes for the fibroblasts and 3 minutes for the osteoblasts. There was a significant difference in the rate of fibroblast cell detachment (p=0.006) and osteoblast (p=0.016). The capability of fibroblasts and osteoblasts to achieve a confluence of 106 cells/well on the first and second measurements was almost the same between the washing solution groups. The use of physiological 0.9% NaCl solution as a washing solution in fibroblast and osteoblast cell culture has almost the same effectiveness as PBS to help accelerate cell detachment in less than 5 minutes without influencing the capability of cells to proliferate.

Palmitic acid of Musa Paradisiaca induces apoptosis through caspase-3 in human oral squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Despite apoptosis processes being conserved, cancer cells have developed mechanisms to inhibit apoptosis by altering anti-apoptotic molecules or inactivating pro-apoptotic. The aim of this study was to determine the palmitic acid of Musa paradisiaca var. sapientum (L) Kunz (MP) stem extracts against human oral squamous cell carcinoma (hOSCC) through caspase-3.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of MP stem were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Computerized models of chemically active compounds were used to predict anticancer activity. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in Artemia salina Leach and hOSCC (OM-1) culture at concentrations 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, and 10 µg/mL respectively. The expression level of caspase-3 on hOSCC was measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA).

RESULTS

We found seven chemically active compounds in the ethanol extract and 15 compounds in the ethyl acetate extract of MP stem. The major component was hexadecanoic acid of palmitic acid derivates, and this was predicted to have anticancer activities as apoptosis through caspase-3 stimulants. However, cytotoxicity effects against hOSCC culture were assessed by values of the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 15.00 µg/mL for the ethanol extract, and an IC50 of 10.61 µg/mL for the ethyl acetate. There was a significant increase of caspase-3 level on treatment groups compared to control.

CONCLUSIONS

Hexadecanoic acid of MP stem extracts has anticancer activity by inhibiting cell growth of hOSCC culture through caspase-3 stimulants.

Super-Response to Guselkumab Treatment in Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis: Age, Body Weight, Baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, and Baseline Investigator's Global Assessment Scores Predict Complete Skin Clearance

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease that often leads to a diminished quality of life. Goals of treating patients with psoriasis have shifted with more focus on achieving near or complete clearance of the skin. Guselkumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-23, is effective in treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the baseline characteristics of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis achieving super-response (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index [PASI] 100 response at Weeks 20 and 28) after commencing guselkumab treatment.

METHODS

Pooled data from VOYAGE-1 and VOYAGE-2 studies identified super-response; baseline demographic, disease, and pharmacokinetic characteristics were compared with non-super-response. A stepwise logistic regression analysis identified which factors were potentially predictive of super-response status, with significance level of 0.1.

RESULTS

A subset of patients randomized to guselkumab comprised this post hoc analysis (n=664); 271 patients achieved super-response vs 393 with non-super-response. Patient age at study entry and baseline body weight (≤90 kg vs >90 kg), PASI, and Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score were significant predictors of super-response status, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 0.98 (0.967-0.993; p=0.003), 1.42 (1.026-1.977; p=0.034), 0.97 (0.955-0.993; p=0.007), and 0.66 (0.433-0.997; p=0.048), respectively. More patients with super-response achieved an early response: Week 2 PASI 75 (5.5% vs 1.8%) and Week 8 PASI 100 (22.5% vs 3.3%) vs non-super-response. Median serum guselkumab concentrations through Week 28 were slightly greater in patients with super-response vs non-super-response.

CONCLUSION

Guselkumab was more likely to achieve early clinical responses (complete skin clearance) in younger patients, less obese patients, and patients with less severe psoriasis.

Five-year maintenance of clinical response and health-related quality of life improvements in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis treated with guselkumab: results from VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic disease requiring long-term therapy.

OBJECTIVES

Physician- and patient-reported outcomes were evaluated through week 252 in VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2.

METHODS

In total, 1829 patients were randomized at baseline to receive guselkumab 100 mg every 8 weeks, placebo or adalimumab. Patients receiving placebo crossed over to guselkumab at week 16. Patients receiving adalimumab crossed over to guselkumab at week 52 in VOYAGE 1, and randomized withdrawal and retreatment occurred at weeks 28-76 in VOYAGE 2; all patients then received open-label guselkumab through week 252. Efficacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) endpoints were analysed through week 252. Safety was monitored through week 264.

RESULTS

The proportions of patients in the guselkumab group who achieved clinical responses at week 252 in VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2, respectively, were 84·1% and 82·0% [≥ 90% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)]; 82·4% and 85·0% [Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) 0 or 1]; 52·7% and 53·0% (100% improvement in PASI) and 54·7% and 55·5% (IGA 0). HRQoL endpoints were achieved as follows: 72·7% and 71·1% of patients (Dermatology Life Quality Index 0 or 1: no effect on patient's life); 42·4% and 42·0% [Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary (PSSD) symptom score = 0] and 33·0% and 31·0% (PSSD sign score = 0). As measured in VOYAGE 2 only, approximately 45% of patients achieved ≥ 5-point reduction in Short Form-36 physical and mental component scores, and 80% reported no anxiety or depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores < 8). Similar findings were reported for adalimumab crossovers. These effects were maintained from week 52 in VOYAGE 1 and week 100 in VOYAGE 2. No new safety signals were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Guselkumab maintains high levels of clinical response and improvement in patient-reported outcomes through 5 years in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

Safety of guselkumab in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis treated through 100 weeks: a pooled analysis from the randomized VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2 studies

BACKGROUND

Long-term evaluation is required to confirm the safety profile of newer biologic agents.

OBJECTIVES

To report on pooled safety data from the ongoing VOYAGE 1 (NCT02207231) and VOYAGE 2 (NCT02207244) trials through 100 weeks of follow-up.

METHODS

Patients were randomized to either guselkumab 100 mg at weeks 0 and 4 and every 8 weeks thereafter; placebo at weeks 0, 4, 12 followed by guselkumab 100 mg at weeks 16 and 20 and every 8 weeks thereafter; or adalimumab 80 mg at week 0, 40 mg at week 1, and 40 mg every 2 weeks thereafter. Patients who received adalimumab crossed over to guselkumab at week 52 (VOYAGE 1) and at/after week 28 based on clinical response (VOYAGE 2). Open-label extensions, in which all patients received guselkumab, started at week 52 (VOYAGE 1) and week 76 (VOYAGE 2). Rates of adverse events (AEs) per 100 patient-years (PYs) are presented through 100 weeks of follow-up.

RESULTS

Through week 52, observed rates for guselkumab- and adalimumab-treated patients, respectively, were 262·45 per 100 PYs and 328·28 per 100 PYs for AEs, 6·20 per 100 PYs and 7·77 per 100 PYs for serious AEs (SAEs), 1·22 per 100 PYs and 1·79 per 100 PYs for serious infections (SIs), 0·28 per 100 PYs and 0·40 per 100 PYs for malignancies other than nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), 0·56 per 100 PYs and 0·40 per 100 PYs for NMSCs, and 0·47 per 100 PYs and 0·40 per 100 PYs for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Rates among patients treated with guselkumab through week 52 and week 100, respectively, were 262·45 per 100 PYs and 210·41 per 100 PYs for AEs, 6·20 and 6·29 per 100 PYs, for SAEs, 1·22 per 100 PYs and 1·06 per 100 PYs for SIs, 0·28 per 100 PYs and 0·38 per 100 PYs for malignancies, 0·56 per 100 PYs and 0·39 per 100 PYs for NMSCs, and 0·47 per 100 PYs and 0·38 per 100 PYs for MACEs. Among patients treated with adalimumab, rates of AEs, SAEs, SIs, malignancies, NMSCs, and MACEs showed some variability before and after crossover to guselkumab, although no new safety signals were noted after crossover.

CONCLUSIONS

The safety profile for guselkumab remains favourable through 100 weeks of treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

Maintenance of Response With up to 4 Years of Continuous Guselkumab Treatment: Results From the VOYAGE 1 Phase 3 Trial

Abstract not available.

Use of dose-exposure-response relationships in Phase 2 and Phase 3 guselkumab studies to optimize dose selection in psoriasis

BACKGROUND

Guselkumab is an anti-interleukin-23 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between dose-response and exposure-response of guselkumab in Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies to optimize dose selection.

METHODS

Serum guselkumab concentrations in Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies (VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2) were measured using a validated immunoassay. Efficacy assessments included Physician's Global Assessment (PGA), Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI).

RESULTS

In Phase 2, a positive dose-response relationship was observed for PASI and PGA (5-mg through 100-mg dose regimens). Exposure-response analysis showed that patients with steady-state trough serum guselkumab concentrations ≥0.67 μg/mL achieved the highest levels of efficacy (PGA 0/1: 90.0%; PGA 0: 70.0%). The guselkumab 100-mg every 8-week (q8w) dose regimen, safe and well-tolerated in Phase 2, provided the highest serum guselkumab concentrations among all regimens studied and was selected for Phase 3. In Phase 3, 72.5% of patients achieved guselkumab concentrations ≥0.67 μg/mL at week 28, the level associated with the highest clinical responses in Phase 2, with patients achieving response rates of IGA 0/1: 91.2%, IGA 0: 55.3%, PASI 90: 83.8% and PASI 100: 49.1% at week 28.

CONCLUSION

The 100-mg guselkumab q8w dose regimen, based on the dose-exposure-response relationship from the Phase 2 study, produced the target serum concentration associated with high-level efficacy in the majority of patients in Phase 3. Phase 3 data further confirmed that guselkumab 100mg q8w is the optimum dosing regimen for treating patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

Anxiety and depression in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis and comparison of change from baseline after treatment with guselkumab vs. adalimumab: results from the Phase 3 VOYAGE 2 study

BACKGROUND

Anxiety and depression are clinically significant comorbidities associated with psoriasis. Improvements in psoriasis are known to decrease anxiety and depression. Guselkumab, an anti-interleukin-23 monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated efficacy and safety for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE

Assess improvements in anxiety and depression with guselkumab vs. placebo and adalimumab using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

METHODS

In VOYAGE 2, a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo- and adalimumab-controlled study, patients received placebo (through week 16 followed by crossover to guselkumab), guselkumab, or adalimumab through week 24. HADS consists of two subscales measuring anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D), with scores ranging from 0 to 21 and higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. Scores ≥8 indicate instrument-defined anxiety or depression. Severity of psoriasis was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI).

RESULTS

Among 989 patients randomized (with baseline HADS measurements), mean HADS-A and HADS-D scores were 6.8 ± 4.2 and 5.3 ± 4.2, respectively; 38.6% of patients reported HADS-A ≥8 and 27.7% HADS-D ≥8 at baseline. At week 16, a significantly greater proportion of guselkumab patients with baseline HADS-A or HADS-D ≥8 reported HADS-A <8 (51.4% vs. 25.9%; P < 0.001) or HADS-D <8 (59.2% vs. 27.0%; P < 0.001) vs. placebo patients. At week 24, a greater proportion of guselkumab patients with baseline HADS-A or HADS-D ≥8 reported HADS-A <8 (58.4% vs. 42.9%; P = 0.028) or HADS-D <8 (59.8% vs. 46.4%; P = 0.079) vs. adalimumab patients. PASI improvements correlated with improvement in anxiety (r = 0.27; P < 0.0001) and depression (r = 0.25; P < 0.0001) scores in patients with baseline HADS-A or HADS-D ≥8. Greater improvements in HADS were also observed at week 16 in guselkumab-treated patients vs. placebo using a more stringent cut-off of HADS ≥11.

CONCLUSION

Guselkumab treatment was associated with greater improvements in symptoms of anxiety and depression scores in patients with psoriasis compared with placebo and adalimumab.

Patient-reported symptoms and signs of moderate-to-severe psoriasis treated with guselkumab or adalimumab: results from the randomized VOYAGE 1 trial

Background

How patients experience the symptoms/signs of psoriasis is highly relevant for assessing treatment response.

Objectives

Compare outcomes with guselkumab, placebo and adalimumab utilizing the novel, validated Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary (PSSD).

Methods

VOYAGE 1 is an ongoing, phase III, double‐blinded, controlled trial of patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. Patients were randomized to guselkumab 100 mg every 8 weeks; placebo‐to‐guselkumab 100 mg every 8 weeks; or adalimumab 40 mg every 2 weeks. The PSSD was self‐administered to assess symptoms (i.e. itch, skin tightness, burning, stinging and pain) and signs (i.e. dryness, cracking, scaling, shedding/flaking, redness and bleeding) of psoriasis (0–10 [absent‐to‐worst‐imaginable]) every 24 h. Symptom and sign summary scores were derived (0–100) based on average scores of the individual symptoms and signs. Proportions of patients with clinically meaningful improvements and symptom‐ and sign‐free scores of 0 were evaluated across treatment groups at weeks 16, 24 and 48.

Results

At baseline, 652 of 837 randomized patients had PSSD scores. The proportion of patients achieving clinically meaningful improvements in PSSD summary scores was significantly higher in the guselkumab group compared with the placebo group at week 16 (P < 0.001) and compared with the adalimumab group at weeks 24 (P = 0.002) and 48 (P < 0.001). The proportions of patients achieving PSSD symptom and sign summary scores of 0 (i.e. symptom‐ and sign‐free) were significantly higher for guselkumab vs. placebo at week 16 and vs. adalimumab at weeks 24 and 48 (all P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Based on PSSD scores, greater improvements in symptoms and signs of psoriasis were reported by patients treated with guselkumab compared with placebo at week 16 or adalimumab through 48 weeks.

Effects of sequential deletions of residues from the N- or C-terminus on the functions of epsilon subunit of the chloroplast ATP synthase

Ten truncated mutants of chloroplast ATP synthase epsilon subunit from spinach (Spinacia oleracea), which had sequentially lost 1-5 amino acid residues from the N-terminus and 6-10 residues from the C-terminus, were generated by PCR. These mutants were overexpressed in Escherichia coli, reconstituted with soluble and membrane-bound CF(1), and the ATPase activity and proton conductance of thylakoid membrane were examined. Deletions of as few as 3 amino acid residues from the N-terminus or 6 residues from the C-terminus of epsilon subunit significantly affected their ATPase-inhibitory activity in solution. Deletion of 5 residues from the N-terminus abolished its abilities to inhibit ATPase activity and to restore proton impermeability. Considering the consequence of interaction of epsilon and gamma subunit in the enzyme functions, the special interactions between the epsilon variants and the gamma subunit were detected in the yeast two-hybrid system and in vitro binding assay. In addition, the structures of these mutants were modeled through the SWISS-MODEL Protein Modeling Server. These results suggested that in chloroplast ATP synthase, both the N-terminus and C-terminus of the epsilon subunit show importance in regulation of the ATPase activity. Furthermore, the N-terminus of the epsilon subunit is more important for its interaction with gamma and some CF(o) subunits, and crucial for the blocking of proton leakage. Compared with the epsilon subunit from E. coli [Jounouchi, M., Takeyama, M., Noumi, T., Moriyama, Y., Maeda, M., and Futai, M. (1992) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 292, 87-94; Kuki, M., Noumi, T., Maeda, M., Amemura, A., and Futai, M. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 4335-4340], the chloroplast epsilon subunit is more sensitive to N-terminal or C-terminal truncations.

Photoinactivation of photosystem II by cumulative exposure to short light pulses during the induction period of photosynthesis

Photoinactivation of Photosystem (PS) II in vivo was investigated by cumulative exposure of pea, rice and spinach leaves to light pulses of variable duration from 2 to 100 s, separated by dark intervals of 30 min. During each light pulse, photosynthetic induction occurred to an extent depending on the time of illumination, but steady-state photosynthesis had not been achieved. During photosynthetic induction, it is clearly demonstrated that reciprocity of irradiance and duration of illumination did not hold: hence the same cumulative photon exposure (mol m(-2)) does not necessarily give the same extent of photoinactivation of PS II. This contrasts with the situation of steady-state photosynthesis where the photoinactivation of PS II exhibited reciprocity of irradiance and duration of illumination (Park et al. (1995) Planta 196: 401-411). We suggest that, for reciprocity to hold between irradiance and duration of illumination, there must be a balance between photochemical (qP) and non-photochemical (NPQ) quenching at all irradiances. The index of susceptibility to light stress, which represents an intrinsic ability of PS II to balance photochemical and non-photochemical quenching, is defined by the quotient (1-qP)/NPQ. Although constant in steady-state photosynthesis under a wide range of irradiance (Park et al. (1995). Plant Cell Physiol 36: 1163-1169), this index of susceptibility for spinach leaves declined extremely rapidly during photosynthetic induction at a given irradiance, and, at a given cumulative photon exposure, was dependent on irradiance. During photosynthetic induction, only limited photoprotective strategies are developed: while the transthylakoid pH gradient conferred some degree of photoprotection, neither D1 protein turnover nor the xanthophyll cycle was operative. Thus, PS II is more easily photoinactivated during photosynthetic induction, a phenomenon that may have relevance for understorey leaves experiencing infrequent, short sunflecks.

Malate regulation of Mg(2+)-ATPase of chloroplast coupling factor 1

The regulatory effects of malate on chloroplast Mg(2+)-ATPase were investigated and the mechanism was discussed. Malate stimulated methanol-activated membrane-bound and isolated CF1 Mg(2+)-ATPase activity. The γ subunit of CF1 may be involved in malate regulation of the enzyme function. Modification of γ subunit at one site of the peptide by NEM may affect malate stimulation of ATPase while at another site may have no effect. The effect of malate on the Mg(2+)-ATPase was also controlled by the Mg(2+)/ATP ratio in the reaction medium. The enhancing effect of malate on Mg(2+)-ATPase activity depended on the presence of high concentrations of Mg(2+) in the reaction mixture. Kinetic study showed that malate raised the Vmax of catalysis without affecting the Km for Mg(2+) ATP. The experiments imply that the stimulation of Mg(2+)-ATPase by malate is probably correlated with the Pi binding site on the enzyme. The regulation of ATPase activity by malate in chloroplasts may be relevant to its function in vivo.