sFlt-1 (soluble Flt-1) potently inhibits angiogenesis by binding extracellularly to VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). In the present paper, we report that hypoxia down-regulates sFlt-1 expression...Full Text Available
Background & Aimsβ-catenin signaling within the canonical Wnt pathway is essential for pancreas development. However, the pathway is normally down-regulated...Full Text Available
BackgroundEsophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most aggressive carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract. We assessed the relevance of Slug in measuring the invasive...Full Text Available
BackgroundGlucocorticoids down-regulate cytokine synthesis and suppress inflammatory responses. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist RU486 may exacerbate the inflammatory...Full Text Available
Normal cells, both in vivo and in vitro, become quiescent after serial cell proliferation. During this process, cells can develop immortality with genomic instability,...Full Text Available
BackgroundHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) E2 plays several important roles in the viral cycle, including the transcriptional regulation of the oncogenes E6 and E7, the regulation of the...Full Text Available
Purpose : To detect differentially expressed genes in the patients with uterine cervical cancer during the radiation therapy. Materials and Methods : In patients with biopsy proven uterine cervical cancer, we took a tumor tissue just before radiation therapy and at 40 minutes after external irradiation of 1.8 Gy. Total RNAs isolated from non-irradiated and irradiated tumor tissue samples were analyzed using the differential-display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR). Complementary DNA (cDNA) fragments corresponding to differentially expressed messenger RNAs(mRNAs) were eluted, and cloned. The differential expression of the corresponding mRNAs was confirmed by reverse northern blot. Differentially expressed cDNA bands were sequenced. Nucleotide sequence data were analyzed in the Gene Bank and EMBL databases via the BLAST network server to identify homologies to known genes or cDNA fragments. Expression pattern of down-regulated clone was ...
Short synthetic single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ssODNs) can be used to introduce subtle modifications into the genome of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We have previously shown that effective application of ssODN-mediated gene targeting in ESC requires (transient) suppression of DNA mismatch repair (MMR). However, whereas transient down-regulation of the mismatch recognition protein MSH2 allowed substitution of 3 or 4 nucleotides, 1 or 2 nucleotide substitutions were still suppressed. We now demonstrate that single- or dinucleotide substitution can effectively be achieved by transient down-regulation of the downstream MMR protein MLH1. By exploiting highly specific real-time PCR, we demonstrate the feasibility of substituting a single basepair in a non-selectable gene. Howev...
LIMD1 is a tumour suppressor gene (TSG) downregulated in ∼80% of lung cancers with loss also demonstrated in breast and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. LIMD1 is also a candidate TSG...Full Text Available
BackgroundAs EBV-associated gastric cancer has unique features that are different from EBV (-) gastric cancer, EBV is considered to have a key role in gastric carcinogenesis. It...Full Text Available
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are known to modulate intracellular effectors involved in cardiac function. We recently reported homocysteine (Hcy)-induced ERK-phosphorylation was suppressed...Full Text Available
AIM: To evaluate the biological and clinical characteristics of miR-622 in gastric cancer.METHODS: We analyzed the expression of miR-622 in 57 pair matched gastric neoplastic and adjacent non-neoplastic...Full Text Available
Cadmium (Cd) exposure causes glucosuria (glucose in the urine). Previously, it was shown that Cd exposure of primary cultures of mouse kidney cells (PMKC) decreased mRNA levels of the glucose...Full Text Available
Rats or mice acutely exposed to high concentrations of ozone show an immediate and significant weight loss, even when allowed free access to food and water. The mechanisms underlying this systemic response to ozone have not been previously elucidated. We have applied the technique of global gene expression analysis to the livers of C57BL mice acutely exposed to ozone. Mice lost up to 14% of their original body weight, with a 42% decrease in total food consumption. We previously had found significant up-regulation of genes encoding proliferative enzymes, proteins related to acute phase reactions and cytoskeletal functions, and other biomarkers of a cachexia-like inflammatory state in lungs of mice exposed to ozone. These results are consistent with a general up-regulation of different gene families responsive to NF-#kappa#B in the lungs of the exposed mice. In the present study, we observed significant down-regulation of different families of mRNAs in the livers of ...
Sida rhomboidea. Roxb leaf extract (SRLE) is being used by the populace of North-East India to alleviate symptoms of diabetes and obesity. We have previously reported its hypolipidemic and anti-diabetic properties. In this study, we report the effect of SRLE on (i) in vivo modulation of genes controlling high fat diet (HFD) induced obesity and (ii) in vitro 3T3L1 pre-adipocyte differentiation and leptin release. Supplementation with SRLE significantly prevented HFD induced increment in bodyweight, plasma lipids and leptin, visceral adiposity and adipocyte hypertrophy. Also, SRLE supplementation reduced food intake, downregulated PPAR?2, SREBP1c, FAS and LEP expressions and up-regulated CPT-1 in epididymal adipose tissue compared to obese mice. In vitro adipogenesis of 3T3L1 pre-adipocytes was significantly retarded in the presence of SRLE extract. Also decreased triglyceride accumulation, leptin release and glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate ...
TH1 cytokine secretion was examined in response to synthetic peptides of the 85A component of the major secreted, fibronectin-binding antigen 85 complex from Mycobacterium tuberculosis in seven different...Full Text Available
Cytokines produced by Th2 cells are responsible for the pathogenesis of asthma. Th1-biased immune responses caused by attenuated salmonella have the potential to relieve asthmatic symptoms. We evaluated...Full Text Available
Abstract Elevated temperatures resulting from climate change pose a clear threat to reef-building corals; however, the traits that might influence corals- survival and dispersal during climate change remain poorly understood. Global gene expression profiling is a powerful hypothesis-forming tool that can help elucidate these traits. Here, we applied a novel RNA-Seq protocol to study molecular responses to heat and settlement inducers in aposymbiotic larvae of the reef-building coral Acropora millepora. This analysis of a single full-sibling family revealed contrasting responses between short- (4-h) and long-term (5-day) exposures to elevated temperatures. Heat shock proteins were up-regulated only in the short-term treatment, while the long-term treatment induced the down-regulation of rib...
Nitric oxide (NO) and related molecules such as peroxynitrite, S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), and nitrotyrosine, among others, are involved in physiological processes as well in the mechanisms of response to stress conditions. In sunflower seedlings exposed to five different adverse environmental conditions (low temperature, mechanical wounding, high light intensity, continuous light, and continuous darkness), key components of the metabolism of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), including the enzyme activities L-arginine-dependent nitric oxide synthase (NOS), S-nitrosogluthathione reductase (GSNOR), nitrate reductase (NR), catalase, and superoxide dismutase, the content of lipid hydroperoxide, hydrogen peroxide, S-nitrosothiols (SNOs), the cellular level of N...
...comAbstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), once thought to be a rare tumor in North America, is a rapidly increasing type of cancer in recent years in the United States. Current treatment modalities to halt the disease progression are only marginally effective. The mainstay treatment ...In addition, NM was shown to down-regulate urokinase plasminogen activator (by fibrin zymography) and up-regulate tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (by reverse zymography) in another HCC cell line, Sk-Hep-1. MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities were further modulated by cytokines, inducers and inhibitors, including NM. In ... Our results suggest that NM is an excellent candidate for therapeutic use in the treatment HCC by inhibiting critical parameters in cancer development and progression, such as proliferation, invasion and metastasis, and by inducing apoptosis. Last update: 2 September 2011 JavaScript seems ...
For the purposes of energy forests, biological pest control should be interpreted as any method of using natural organisms or their products for the regulation of herbivores, below the economic threshold. The organisms include the energy forest crop species and natural enemies of pest herbivores. Examples are provided of three-trophic-level interactions, including some on willows and poplars. Bottom-up effects may be particularly strong in juvenile Salicaceae, which are used in energy forest production, because plants are growing vigorously, and many herbivores respond positively. Some major pests on willows and poplars appear to have weak top-downregulation, and they may be influenced most by bottom-up effects such as plant resistance through genetic variation, ontogenetic aging and physiological aging. Balancing the bottom-up and top-down forces in energy forests may be difficult in short-rotation crops, but harvesting may prove to be ...
A rat thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, TSH) receptor cDNA was isolated that encoded a protein of 764 amino acids, M_r 86,528. Transfection of the cDNA caused COS-7 cells to develop a TSH-sensitive adenylate cyclase response and the ability to bind "1"2"5I-labeled TSH; both activities were similar to those of rat FRTL-5 thyroid cells and not duplicated by lutropin. The gene represented by the cDNA was assigned to mouse chromosome 12 and human chromosome 14. Northern analyses identified two species of mRNA, 5.6 and 3.3 kilobases, in FRTL-5 thyroid cells; the transcripts appeared to differ only in the extent of their 3' noncoding sequences. There were minimal amounts of the two mRNAs in rat ovary, and neither was detected in RNA preparations from rat testis, liver, lung, brain, spleen, and FRT thyroid cells, which do not have a functional TSH receptor. TSH decreased both mRNA species 3- to 4-fold within 8 hr in FRTL-5 thyroid cells; down-regulation was ...
Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) promotes tumor cell adaptation to microenvironmental stress. HIF-1 is up-regulated in irradiated tumors and serves as a promising target for radiosensitization....Full Text Available
Abstract Background/Aims: Transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) initiates and maintains epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which causes disassembly of tight junctions and loss of epithelial cell polarity. In mature hepatocytes during EMT induced by TGF-b, changes in the expression of tight junction proteins and the fence function indicated that epithelial cell polarity remains unclear. Methods: In the present study, using primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes at day 10 after plating, in which epithelial cell polarity is well maintained by tight junctions, we examined the effects of 0.01-20 ng/ml TGF-b on the expression of the integral tight junction proteins, claudin-1, -2 and occludin, as well as the fence function. Results: In adult rat hepatocytes, TGF-b induced EMT, which was ...
High salinity is one of the main factors limiting cotton growth and productivity. The genes that regulate salt stress in TM-1 upland cotton were monitored using microarray and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) with samples taken from roots. Microarray analysis showed that 1503 probe sets were up-regulated and 1490 probe sets were down-regulated in plants exposed for 3h to 100mM NaCl, and RT-PCR analysis validated 42 relevant/related genes. The distribution of enriched gene ontology terms showed such important processes as the response to water stress and pathways of hormone metabolism and signal transduction were induced by the NaCl treatment. Some key regulatory gene families involved in abiotic and biotic sources of stress such as WRKY, ERF, and JAZ were differentially expressed. Our transcriptome analysis might provide some useful insights into salt-mediated signal transduction pathways in cotton and offer a number of candidate genes as potential markers of tolerance to ...
In a previous study, to identify genes of importance for hepatocellular carcinogenesis, and especially for processes involved in malignant transformation, the authors investigated differences in gene expression between adenomas and carcinomas by DNA microarray. In the present study, the authors investigated AW434047, one of the sequences that was upregulated in carcinomas. The investigation led to the identification of a novel gene, which the authors named hepatocyte malignant transforming factor (HMTF), of unknown function whose expression was increased in hepatocellular carcinomas. Northern blot and in situ hybridization also demonstrated high levels of HMTF in rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, lymphocytes in the spleen, colon mucosal epithelia, spermatocytes, and granule cells of the hippocampus. Reduction of HMTF by RNA interference (RNAi) in N1 cells, an HCC cell line, caused suppression of cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Suppression of proliferation ...
We investigated possible mechanism(s) where honokiol induces apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells. MTT assay showed that honokiol has strong inhibition on SMMC-7721 cells in a dose-dependent manner. SMMC-7721 cells after honokiol treatment display morphological characteristics such as cell shrinkage, detachment from the culture plate, formation of apoptotic bodies, change to a round shape, and marked nuclear condensation and fragmentation after 32258 staining. Cell apoptosis was measured by Annexin-V/PI staining and alternatively, by the subG0/G1 percentage of the cell cycle analysis followed by FACS. An obvious loss of ??(m) and a quick burst of ROS was detected when honokiol reached 4?g/ml, which was coincident with the high apoptosis percentage in our previous research. Up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2 were observed, suggesting that honokiol-induced apoptosis was associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and ...
Glypican-3 (GPC3), a membrane-bound heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is found to be overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possible role of GPC3 in the development of HCC. In this study, RNA interference (RNAi) with a GPC3 small hairpin RNA (GPC3 shRNA) was used to identify the effects of GPC3 on the regulation of malignant behaviors of HCC. MHCC97-H, a highly metastatic human HCC cell line in which GPC3 mRNA and protein levels were detected as the highest among the 4 HCC cell lines assessed in this study, and was thus selected as a cell model for in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results showed that down-regulation of GPC3 can significantly inhibit the proliferative and invasive ability of MHCC97-H. Compared with the parental HCC cells, GPC3-silenced cells exhibited attenuated capacities in developing tumors in nude mice, while the growth of tumor xenografts derived from these cells dramatically ...
Wnt signaling negatively regulates adipocyte differentiation, and ectopic expression of Wnt-1 in 3T3-L1 cells induces several downstream molecules of Wnt signaling, including Wnt-1 inducible signaling pathway protein (WISP)-2. In this study, we examined the role of WISP-2 in the process of adipocyte differentiation using an in vitro cell culture system. In the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells, WISP-2 expression was observed in growing cells and declined thereafter. In the mitotic clonal expansion phase of adipocyte differentiation, WISP-2 expression was transiently down-regulated concurrently with up-regulation of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein d expression. Treatment of 3T3-L1 cells in the differentiation medium with lithium, an activator of Wnt signaling, inhibited the differentiation pro...
The work scope of 'Biological Research for the Radiation Protection' had contained the research about ornithine decarboxylase and its controlling proteins, thioredoxin, peroxiredoxin, S-adenosymethionine decarboxylase, and glutamate decarboxylase 67KD effect on the cell death triggered ionizing radiation and H_2O_2(toxic agents). In this study, to elucidate the role of these proteins in the ionizing radiation (or H_2O_2)-induced apoptotic cell death, we utilized sensesed (or antisensed) cells, which overexpress (or down-regulate) RNAs associated with these proteins biosynthesis, and investigated the effects of these genes on the cytotoxicity caused by ionizing radiation and H_2O_2(or paraquat). We also investigated whether genisteine(or thiamine) may enhance the cytotoxic efficacy of tumor cells caused by ionizing radiation (may enhance the preventing effect radiation or paraquat-induced damage) because such compounds are able to potentiate the cell-killing or cell ...
The titers of several preparations of kuru. Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, and scrapie viruses were reduced by only 1/10th or less by high doses of gamma radiation of 50 kGy and by only 1/10th-1/1000th...Full Text Available
ABSTRACTThe immune response to Neisseria gonorrhoeae is poorly understood, but its extensive antigenic variability and resistance to complement are thought to allow it...Full Text Available
Although trefoil factor1 (TFF1; previously named pS2) is abnormally expressed in about 50% of human breast tumors, its physiopathological role in this disease has been poorly studied. Moreover,...Full Text Available
Transcription activation of sulfur metabolism in yeast is dependent on two DNA binding factors, the centromere binding factor1 (Cbf1) and Met4. While the role of Met4 was clearly established by showing...Full Text Available
The GntR-like protein NorG has been shown to affect Staphylococcus aureus genes involved in the resistance to quinolones and ?-lactams, such as those encoding the NorB and AbcA transporters. To identify the target genes regulated by NorG, we carried out transcriptional profiling assays using S. aureus RN6390 and its isogenic norG::cat mutant. Our data showed that NorG positively affected the transcription of global regulators mgrA, arlS, and sarZ. The three putative drug efflux pump genes most positively affected by NorG were the NorB efflux pump (5.1-fold), the MmpL-like protein SACOL2566 (5.2-fold), and the BcrA-like drug transporter SACOL2525 (5.7-fold). The S. aureus predicted MmpL protein showed 53% homology with the MmpL lipid transporter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the putative SACOL2525 protein showed 87% homology with the bacitracin drug transporter BcrA of Staphylococcus hominis. Two pump genes most negatively affected by NorG were NorC (4-fold) and AbcA (6-fold). ...
The epidermal compartment is complex and organized into several strata composed of keratinocytes (KCs), including basal, spinous, granular, and cornified layers. The continuous process of self-renewal and barrier formation is dependent on a homeostatic balance achieved amongst KCs involving proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. To determine genes responsible for initiating and maintaining a cornified epidermis, organotypic cultures comprised entirely of stratified KCs creating epidermal equivalents (EE) were raised from a submerged state to an air/liquid (A/L) interface. Compared to the array profile of submerged cultures containing KCs predominantly in a proliferative (relatively undifferentiated) state, EEs raised to an A/L interface displayed a remarkably consistent and distinct profile of mRNAs. Cultures lifted to an A/L interface triggered the induction of gene groups that regulate proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. Next, differentially expressed microRNAs ...
Objectives: We have previously shown that chronic exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (less than 2.5 ?m in aerodynamic diameter, PM(2.5)) pollution in conjunction with high-fat diet induces insulin resistance through alterations in inflammatory pathways. In this study we evaluated the effects of PM(2.5) exposure over a substantive duration of a rodent's lifespan and focused on the impact of long-term exposure on adipose structure and function.Methods and Results: C57BL/6 mice were exposed to PM(2.5) or filtered air (FA) (6 hours/day, 5 days/week) for duration of 10 months in Columbus, OH. At the end of the exposure, PM(2.5)-exposed mice demonstrated insulin resistance (IR) and a decrease in glucose tolerance compared with the FA-exposed group. Although there were no significant differences in circulating cytokines between PM(2.5)- and FA-exposed groups, circulating adiponectin and leptin were significantly decreased in PM(2.5)-exposed group. PM(2.5) exposure also led to ...
Inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is an appealing method for decreasing the immunoresistance and augmenting T cell-mediated immunotherapy. A major impediment to this strategy is the impact of conventional PI3K/mTOR pathway inhibitors on T cell function. In particular, rapamycin, is a well-known immunosuppressant that can decrease the activity of the PI3K/mTOR pathway in tumor cells, but also has a profound inhibitory effect on T cells. Here we show that Honokiol, a natural dietary product isolated from an extract of seed cones from Magnolia grandiflora, can decrease PI3K/mTOR pathway-mediated immunoresistance of glioma, breast and prostate cancer cell lines, without affecting critical proinflammatory T cell functions. Specifically, we show that at doses sufficient to down-regulate levels of phospho-S6 and the negative immune regulator B7-H1 in tumor cells, Honokiol does not significantly impair T cell ...
The insulin signaling pathway, involving protein kinase B (PKB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), mediates the biological response to insulin and several growth factors and cytokines. To investigate the correlation between glucose transporter (Glut) biosynthesis and the insulin signaling pathway activated by novel compounds of Liriope platyphylla (LP9M80-H), alterations in Glut and key protein expression in the insulin signaling pathway were analyzed in the liver and brain of ICR mice treated with LP9M80-H. An in vitro assay showed that the highest level of insulin concentration was observed in the LP9M80-H-treated group, followed by the LP-H, LP-M, LP-E, and LP9M80-C-treated groups. Therefore, LP9M80-H was selected for use in studying the detailed mechanism of the insulin signaling pathway in animal systems. In an in vivo experiment, LP9M80-H induced a significant increase in glucose levels and a decrease of insulin concentration in the blood of mice, while their body ...
Exogenous adenosine 5{prime}-triphosphate (ATP) mobilized intracellular calcium in human carcinoma A43l cells and in Swiss 3T3 and 3T6 mouse fibroblasts by increasing inositol trisphosphate similar to well down growth factors (platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), bradykinin (BK), serum). Calcium mobilization was examined by video imaging of fura-2 fluorescence is single cells, following the radioactive isotope {sup 45}Ca, and monitoring the decrease in fluorescence of cells loaded with chlortetracycline. Uridine 5{prime}-triphosphate, but not other nucleotides, mimicked ATP. Single-cell analysis revealed synchronous responses in 10 sec to ATP, BK or serum, while PDGF (3T3) and EGF (A431) produced slower signals with significant cell-to-cell variation. PDGF desensitized 3T3 cells to ATP and BK added 100 sec later but ATP or BK did not desensitized to PDGF. Homologous desensitization was seen with all agonists. Heterologous desensitization was also ...
Antisense- or RNAi-mediated suppression of the biosynthesis of nutritionally inferior storage proteins is a promising strategy for improving the amino acid profile of seeds. However, the potential pleiotropic effects of this on interconnected pathways and the agronomic quality traits need to be addressed. In the current study, a transcriptomic analysis of an antisense C-hordein line of barley was performed, using a grain-specific cDNA array. The C-hordein antisense line is characterized by marked changes in storage protein and amino acid profiles, while the seed weight is within the normal range and no external morphological irregularities were observed. The results of the transcriptome analysis showed excellent correlation with data on changes in the relative proportions of storage proteins and amino acid composition. The antisense line had a lower C-hordein level and down-regulated transcript encoding C-hordein. The production of the S-rich B/gamma- and ...
Antisense- or RNAi-mediated suppression of the biosynthesis of nutritionally inferior storage proteins is a promising strategy for improving the amino acid profile of seeds. However, the potential pleiotropic effects of this on interconnected pathways and the agronomic quality traits need to be addressed. In the current study, a transcriptomic analysis of an antisense C-hordein line of barley was performed, using a grain-specific cDNA array. The C-hordein antisense line is characterized by marked changes in storage protein and amino acid profiles, while the seed weight is within the normal range and no external morphological irregularities were observed. The results of the transcriptome analysis showed excellent correlation with data on changes in the relative proportions of storage proteins and amino acid composition. The antisense line had a lower C-hordein level and down-regulated transcript encoding C-hordein. The production of the S-rich B/ - and D-hordeins ...
Replication of plus-strand RNA viruses depends on host factors that are recruited into viral replicase complexes. Previous studies showed that eukaryotic translation elongation factor (eEF1A) is one...Full Text Available
AIM: To investigate the effects of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) on the differentiation of colonic lamina propria fibroblasts (CLPF) into myofibroblasts in vitro.METHODS:...Full Text Available
Normal brain development requires a series of highly complex and interrelated steps. This process presents many opportunities for errors to occur, which could result in developmental defects...Full Text Available
It has become increasing clear that alterations in cellular metabolism have a key role in the generation and maintenance of cancer. Some of the metabolic changes can be attributed to the activation...Full Text Available
A mild reduction in mitochondrial respiration extends the life span of many species, including C. elegans. We recently showed that hypoxia-inducible factor1 (HIF-1) is required for...Full Text Available
PurposeTo address the roles of the stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1) α in the course of experimental corneal neovascularization (CNV).MethodsCNV...Full Text Available
The tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is mutated in the majority of colorectal cancers and is best known for its role as a scaffold in a Wnt-regulated protein complex that determines...Full Text Available
We compute the limiting distribution, as n approaches infinity, of the number of cycles of length between gamma n and delta n in a permutation of [n] chosen uniformly at random, for constants gamma, delta such that 1/(k+1) <= gamma < delta <= 1/k for some integer k. This distribution is supported on {0, 1, ... k} and has 0th, 1st, ..., kth moments equal to those of a Poisson distribution with parameter log (delta/gamma). For more general choices of gamma, delta we show that such a limiting distribution exists, which can be given explicitly in terms of certain integrals over intersections of hypercubes with half-spaces; these integrals are analytically intractable but a recurrence specifying them can be given. The results herein provide a basis of comparison for similar statistics on restricted classes of permutations.
The effects of dietary plant and yeast cerebroside (glucosylceramide), a major sphingolipid in plants and yeast, on atopic dermatitis (AD) like symptoms were investigated in a mouse model. After 7 wk of feeding with a diet containing maize glucosylceramide, plasma IgE levels became significantly lower and in contrast, the levels of interleukin (IL)-12, which induces cellular immunity, became significantly higher in the AD mice than in the controls. However, the sphingolipid constituents of the skin fraction in the maize glucosylceramide fed group did not contain sphingoid bases of plant origin, such as 8-unsaturated sphingoid bases. The results of the present study indicated that dietary plant glucosylceramide prevented AD-like symptoms in AD model mice via regulation of Th1/Th2 balance. P...
Hyperthermia (HT) is a strong adjuvant treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy because it causes tumor reoxygenation. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms of how HT enhances tumor oxygenation...Full Text Available
During protein synthesis, aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) and release factors1 and 2 (RF1 and RF2) have to bind at the catalytic center of the ribosome on the 50S subunit where they take part in peptide bond...Full Text Available
Whether the lusitropic potential of short-term exercise in aged rats is linked to an augmentation in the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 (GH/IGF-1) axis and an alteration in the...Full Text Available
The aim of this study was to determine the relationships of bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and estradiol in pubertal female athletes. The participants were 170 healthy adolescent girls (13?15?years) who participated in competitive extramural athletic programs, i.e., sports games (n?=?49), track sprinting (n?=?24), rhythmic gymnastics (n?=?23), swimming (n?=?24) and cross-country skiing (n?=?17). The control group (n?=?33) consisted of girls who took part only in compulsory physical education classes at school. The whole-body BMD and femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD and BMC were measured using DXA, and the volumetric BMD was calculated. Venous blood samples to determine the concentration of IGF-1, IGFB...
This paper reports regulation of hypoxia inducible factor-1 ? (HIF-1 ?)in hepatoma cells by irradiation. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2), a chemical mimic agent for hypoxia research, was utilized to induce the stable expression of HIF-1 ? in HepG2 cells. The HepG2 cells were irradiated to different doses to observe the changes of HIF-1 ?. The level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assayed by fluorescent microscope and flow cytometry (FCM). The results showed that there were obvious changes in expression of HIF-1 ? after HepG2 cells exposed to radiation, and the changes were positively related with the irradiation dose from 1 Gy to 5 Gy. Moreover, contents of incellular ROS were negatively correlated with above levels of HIF-1 ? from 1 Gy to 3 Gy. The results indicate that irradiation may enhance hypoxic cells HIF-1 ?, and the reduction of intracellular ROS can contribute to the regulation of ionizing radiation on HIF-1 ?. (authors)
Redd1, a recently discovered stress-response gene, is regulated by hypoxia via hypoxia-inducible factor1 (HIF-1) and by DNA damage via p53/p63; however, the signaling pathway by which its expression is induced by hypoxia has not been elucidated. We demonstrated that the up-regulation of Redd1 transcription by hypoxia and high cell density (HCD) depends on cooperation between Sp1 and HIF-1#alpha# downstream of the PI3K/Akt pathway.
There is very little quantitative documentation of actual improvements resulting from the installation of new general ventilation systems in industrial settings. Therefore the performance of the common mixing design principle was compared to the displacement design principle by means of an intervention study in a workshop (V = 12,000 m[sup 3]), where thermoplastics were moulded. An experimental signal-response tracer gas technique was used. In terms of supplying fresh air to the zone of occupancy the displacement system was better than the mixing system by a factor of 2. In terms of the exposure level to a simulated contaminant (tracer gas) the displacement system was better by a factor1.5-18. (author)
Summary The aim of this cross-sectional study was to find possible relationships between insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), adipocytokines (leptin and adiponectin) and twitch contraction (TC) characteristics of the knee extensor (KE) muscles in healthy physically active postmenopausal women (n = 28, 64-78 years old). We hypothesized that IGF-1 is related at least to isometric TC peak torque (Pt) as the highest value of isometric torque production and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque, and there will not be any relationships between TC characteristics and leptin and adiponectin. During the measurement of MVC torque and twitch contractile properties of KE muscles, the subjects sat in a custom-made dynamometric chair with the knee and hip angles equal to 90degree and 100degree, re...
Biopharmaceutical R&D complexes are major emission sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may pose potential health risks for staff on site and residents nearby. In this paper health risk assessments were performed for the VOCs in the ambient air of a typical biopharmaceutical R&D complex in China. Results showed halogenated and alkyl compounds were dominant components among 24 major VOCs from 9 selected sampling sites, inside or around the complex. The principal component analysis (PCA) indicated VOCs were generated predominantly from the biopharmaceutical research activities (factor1 (F1), 71.6%) and traffic vehicles (factor 2 (F2), 15.4%), which were confirmed by contour maps of five selected VOCs (benzene, toluene, chlorobenzene, methylene chloride and n-hexane) simulated...
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of some decontamination agents against skin contamination of {sup 60}Co and {sup 137}Cs, the experiments were carried out in this study. In the experiments, pig skin was used instead of human skin, {sup 60}CoCl{sub 2} and {sup 137}CsCl were used the liquid sources of skin contamination. To examine the effectiveness of decontamination agents, skin decontamination was tried using soup, EDTA, DAERICON which was developed for decontamination of radionuclides on the surface of building structure, and new decontamination agents such as IOCON, TRICON, and CHARCON, which were developed in this study. The absorption of radionuclides through the skin was evaluated by the gamma-ray detection on the surface of sample skin after radionuclides were penetrated into the skin during 16 hour soiling time. The results of this absorption experiment indicated that 11.5% and 3.2% of initial amounts of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 60}Co, respectively, were penetrated into the ...
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of some decontamination agents against skin contamination of "6"0Co and "1"3"7Cs, the experiments were carried out in this study. In the experiments, pig skin was used instead of human skin, "6"0CoCl_2 and "1"3"7CsCl were used the liquid sources of skin contamination. To examine the effectiveness of decontamination agents, skin decontamination was tried using soup, EDTA, DAERICON which was developed for decontamination of radionuclides on the surface of building structure, and new decontamination agents such as IOCON, TRICON, and CHARCON, which were developed in this study. The absorption of radionuclides through the skin was evaluated by the gamma-ray detection on the surface of sample skin after radionuclides were penetrated into the skin during 16 hour soiling time. The results of this absorption experiment indicated that 11.5% and 3.2% of initial amounts of "1"3"7Cs and "6"0Co, respectively, were penetrated into the skin. In the experiment to ...
AbstractPurpose: To implement and examine the feasibility of a three-dimensional (3D) ultrashort TE (UTE) sequence on a 7 Tesla (T) clinical MR scanner in comparison with 3T MRI at high isotropic resolution. Materials and Methods: Using an in-house built saddle coil at both field strengths we have imaged mid-diaphysial sections of five fresh cadaveric specimens of the distal tibia. An additional in vivo scan was performed at 7 Tesla using a quadrature knee coil. Results: Using the same type of saddle coil at both field strengths, a significant increase in SNR at 7T compared with 3T (factor1.7) was found. Significantly shorter T2* values were found at the higher field strength (T2* = 552.2 126 s at 7T versus T2* = 1163 391 s at 3T). Conclusion: UHF MRI at 7T has great potential for imaging...
Utilizing form factors calculated within the light-cone sum rules, we have evaluated the decay branching ratios of $B_s\\to \\phi\\gamma$ and $B_s\\to \\phi \\ell^+\\ell^-$ in a single universal extra dimension model (UED), which is viewed as one of the alternative theories beyond the standard model (SM). For the decay $B_s \\to \\phi \\ell^+\\ell^-$, the dilepton invariant mass spectra, the forward-backward asymmetry, and double lepton polarization are also calculated. For each case, we compared the obtained results with predictions of the SM. In lower values of the compactification factor1/R, the only parameter in this model, we see the considerable discrepancy between the UED and SM models. However, when 1/R increases, the results of UED tend to diminish and at $1/R = 1000 \\mathrm{GeV}$, two models have approximately the same predictions. Compared with data from CDF of $B_s \\to \\phi \\mu^+ \\mu^-$, the 1/R tends to be larger than $350 ...
A 9Cr-1Mo steel with properties improved over other ferritics in the ranges from 9 to 12% Cr and 1 to 2% Mo and over the widely used 2 1/2 Cr-1Mo steel has recently been developed. The main changes in the modified alloy, compared with the standard alloy, include: addition of niobium and vanadium, to improve the alloy's elevated-temperature strength properties; a specified range for each element; and a specification for nitrogen, which is not listed for the standard 9Cr-1Mo. Microstructural work has indicated that the improved strength of the modified alloy comes from two factors: (1) fine M/sub 23/C/sub 6/ precipitate particles nucleate on Nb/C, N, which comes out first during the heat treatment; and (2) the vanadium enters M/sub 23/C/sub 6/ and retards its growth at the service temperature. Mechanical properties discussed were Charpy-impact, tensile, and creep properties. Other properties included were: thermal expansion coefficient, ...
Fish retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) can survive and regrow their axons after optic nerve injury. Injured RGCs express anti-apoptotic proteins, such as Bcl-2, after nerve injury; however, upstream effectors of this anti-apoptotic protein are not yet fully understood. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play a crucial role in cell survival against various stress conditions. In this study, we focused on HSP70 expression in the zebrafish retina after optic nerve injury. HSP70 mRNA and protein levels increased rapidly 2.3-fold in RGCs by 1-6 h after injury and returned to control levels by 1-3 days. HSP70 transcription is regulated by heat shock factor1 (HSF1). HSF1 mRNA and phosphorylated-HSF1 protein rapidly increased by 2.2-fold in RGCs 0.5-6 h after injury. Intraocular injection of HSP inhibitor I s...
Bone marrow is one of the most radiosensitive organs. Irradiation causes a marked decrease in the total number of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. The reticular meshwork structure of marrow stromal cells, however, is relatively resistant to irradiation. Unimpaired stromal cell structure has been thought to be a prerequisite for the repopulation of hematopoietic cells during recovery from the effects of irradiation. The reticular framework is maintained by cell adhesion apparatuses such as gap junctions. The in vitro radiobiologic survival values of a cloned stromal cell line, H-1/A, were studied (n = 1.8, D0 = 138 cGy). Radiation doses of up to 4000 cGy had no detectable effects on the production of colony-stimulating factor1. H-1/A cells communicate with each other via gap junctions as determined by the sensitive dye-transfer method. Gap-junctional communication between H-1/A cells was resistant to different levels of irradiation (500 ...
Bone marrow is one of the most radiosensitive organs. Irradiation causes a marked decrease in the total number of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. The reticular meshwork structure of marrow stromal cells, however, is relatively resistant to irradiation. Unimpaired stromal cell structure has been thought to be a prerequisite for the repopulation of hematopoietic cells during recovery from the effects of irradiation. The reticular framework is maintained by cell adhesion apparatuses such as gap junctions. The in vitro radiobiologic survival values of a cloned stromal cell line, H-1/A, were studied (n = 1.8, D0 = 138 cGy). Radiation doses of up to 4000 cGy had no detectable effects on the production of colony-stimulating factor1. H-1/A cells communicate with each other via gap junctions as determined by the sensitive dye-transfer method. Gap-junctional communication between H-1/A cells was resistant to different levels of irradiation (500 ...
Using electron spin resonance, lattice position and dynamic properties of Mn2+ ions were studied in 0.5 and 2 % manganese doped SrTiO3 ceramics prepared by conventional mixed oxide method. The measurements showed that Mn2+ ions substitute preferably up to 97 % for Sr if the ceramics is prepared with a deficit of Sr ions. Motional narrowing of the Mn2+ ESR spectrum was observed when temperature increases from 120 K to 240-250 K that was explained as a manifestation of off-center position of this ion at the Sr site. From the analysis of the ESR spectra the activation energy Ea = 86 mV and frequency factor1/?0 ? (2-10)x10^(-14) 1/s for jumping of the impurity between symmetrical off-center positions were determined. Both values are in agreement with those derived previously from dielectric relaxation. This proves the origin of dielectric anomalies in SrTiO3:Mn as those produced by the reorientation dynamics of Mn2+ dipoles.
Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder characterized by a widespread microangiopathy, autoimmunity and fibrosis of the skin and of various internal organs. Microangiopathy is characterized by a reduced capillary density and an irregular chaotic architecture that lead to chronic tissue hypoxia. Despite the hypoxic conditions, there is no evidence for a sufficient compensative angiogenesis in SSc. Furthermore, vasculogenesis is also impaired. An imbalance between angiogenic and angiostatic factors might explain the pathogenetic mechanisms of SSc vasculopathy. As far as angiogenic factors are concerned, within the most important are vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-?), fibroblast growth factor -2 (FGF-2), angiopoietin 1 (Ang-1), stromal cell-derived factor1 (SDF-1/CXCL12), endothelin-1 (ET-1), monocyte chemoattractant ...
Pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBD) chemicals are antitumor antibiotics inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis. An indole carboxylate-PBD hybrid with six-carbon spacer structure (IN6CPBD) has been previously demonstrated to induce melanoma cell apoptosis and reduce metastasis in mouse lungs. This study aimed at investigating the efficacy of the other hybrid compound with four-carbon spacer (IN4CPBD) and elucidating its anti-metastatic mechanism. Human melanoma A375 cells with IN4CPBD treatment underwent cytotoxicity and apoptosis-associated assays. Transwell migration assay, Western blotting, and ELISA were used for mechanistic study. IN4CPBD exhibited potent melanoma cytotoxicity through interrupting G1/S cell cycle progression, increasing DNA fragmentation and hypodipoidic DNA contents, a...
Eukaryotic genomes encode a zinc finger protein (ZPR1) with tandem ZPR1 domains. In response to growth stimuli, ZPR1 assembles into complexes with eukaryotic translation elongation factor1A (eEF1A) and the survival motor neurons protein. To gain insight into the structural mechanisms underlying the essential function of ZPR1 in diverse organisms, we determined the crystal structure of a ZPR1 domain tandem and characterized the interaction with eEF1A. The ZPR1 domain consists of an elongation initiation factor 2-like zinc finger and a double-stranded {beta} helix with a helical hairpin insertion. ZPR1 binds preferentially to GDP-bound eEF1A but does not directly influence the kinetics of nucleotide exchange or GTP hydrolysis. However, ZPR1 efficiently displaces the exchange factor eEF1B from preformed nucleotide-free complexes, suggesting that it may function as a negative regulator of eEF1A activation. Structure-based mutational and ...
To study the regulation of adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in human adipocytes, omental adipose tissue was obtained from healthy subjects and digested in collagenase. The isolated adipocytes thus obtained were suspended in Medium 199 and cultured at 37 degrees C. Cell viability was demonstrated in adipocytes cultured for up to 72 h by constancy of cell number, cell size, trypan-blue exclusion, and specific /sup 125/I-insulin binding. In addition, chloroquine induced an increase in cell-associated /sup 125/I-insulin at 24, 48, and 72 h after preparation. Thus, isolated adipocytes retained their ability to bind, internalize, and degrade insulin. LPL was measured as activity secreted into the culture medium (CM), released from cells by heparin (HR), and extracted from cell digests. A broad range of heparin concentrations produced a prompt release of LPL from a rapidly replenishable pool of cellular activity. When cells were cultured in medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum, ...
The steroidogenic factor1 (SF-1, also known as NR5A1) is a transcription factor belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily. Whereas most of the members of this family have been extensively characterized, the therapeutic potential and pharmacology of SF-1 still remains elusive. Described here is the identification and characterization of selective inhibitory chemical probes of SF-1 by a rational ultra-high-throughput screening (uHTS) strategy. A set of 64,908 compounds from the National Institute of Health's Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository was screened in a transactivation cell-based assay employing a chimeric SF-1 construct. Two analogous isoquinolinones, ethyl 2-[2-[2-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-7-ylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate (SID7969543) and ethyl 2-[2-[2-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-ylmethylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate and (SID7970631), were identified as potent submicromolar ...
The human olfactomedin 4 gene (OLFM4) encodes an olfactomedin-related glycoprotein. OLFM4 is normally expressed in a limited number of tissues, including the prostate, but its biological functions in prostate are largely unknown. In this study, we found that OLFM4 messenger RNA was reduced or undetectable in prostate cancer tissues and prostate cancer cell lines. To study the effects of OLFM4 on prostate cancer progression, we transfected PC-3 prostate cancer cells with OLFM4 to establish OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cell clones. The OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cell clones were found to have decreased proliferation and invasiveness compared with vector-transfected control PC-3 cells in vitro. In addition, nude mice injected with OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cells demonstrated reduced tumor growth and bone invasion and metastasis compared with mice injected with vector-transfected control cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that OLFM4 may exhibit its anticancer effects through regulating cell autophagy by ...
The influence of serum, IGF-1 and TGF-{beta} on the differentiation of preadipocytes was examined in primary cultures of porcine adipose tissue cells. In serum-supplemented or serum-free, IGF-1 (1 and 10 nM) had no effect on total cell number. However, IGF-1 (10nM) increased adipocyte number only in serum-supplemented (1% pig serum) cultures, whereas TGF-{beta} (15 pm) reduced the adipocyte number in the presence and absence of IGF-1. Replication of preadipocytes was analyzed with a ({sup 3}H) thymidine assay. Preadipocyte proliferation (cpm in adipocyte fraction) was increased by IGF-1 (10nM) only in cultures containing pig serum. TGF-{beta} had no effect on preadipocyte proliferation specifically, but slightly increased total ({sup 3}H) thymidine incorporation in cultures with serum. Glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) specific activity was decreased by adding TGF-{beta} to serum-free cultures but TGF-{beta} had little effect in serum-supplemented cultures. Cellular secretion of ...
The influence of serum, IGF-1 and TGF-#beta# on the differentiation of preadipocytes was examined in primary cultures of porcine adipose tissue cells. In serum-supplemented or serum-free, IGF-1 (1 and 10 nM) had no effect on total cell number. However, IGF-1 (10nM) increased adipocyte number only in serum-supplemented (1% pig serum) cultures, whereas TGF-#beta# (15 pm) reduced the adipocyte number in the presence and absence of IGF-1. Replication of preadipocytes was analyzed with a ["3H] thymidine assay. Preadipocyte proliferation (cpm in adipocyte fraction) was increased by IGF-1 (10nM) only in cultures containing pig serum. TGF-#beta# had no effect on preadipocyte proliferation specifically, but slightly increased total ["3H] thymidine incorporation in cultures with serum. Glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) specific activity was decreased by adding TGF-#beta# to serum-free cultures but TGF-#beta# had little effect in serum-supplemented cultures. Cellular secretion of IGF-1 was ...
The results of investigation into a new series of Z-even nuclei - precursors of delayed protons (PDP) -"6"5Ge, "8"9Se, "9"3Kr, "8"1Zr, and "8"5Mo are presented. PDP were obtained by irradiation of targets in the following reactions: Zn(He, 2n) "6"5Ge, 22 MeV; "4"0Ca("3"2S, 2 pn) "1"9Se, 100 MeV; "6"0Ni ("1"60, 3 n), "7"3Kr, 75 MeV; "5"2Cr ("3"2S, 3n)"8"1Zr, 110 MeV; "5"6Fe("3"2S, 3n)"8"5Mo, 120 MeV. The targets (self-sustaining foils of thickness approximately 1.2 mg/cm"2) were placed at an angle of 15 deg to the direction of the ion beam. Upon irradiation targets were moved downwards into a measuring position. The spectra of protons, X and gamma-rays, and also the spectra of p - x, p-#gamma#, x - #gamma# coincidences accompanying the decay of "6"5Ge, "6"9Se,"7"3Kr and "8"1Zr, and "8"5Mo were measured. The measured half-lives are equal, to 31.5+-1.9, 27.3+-0.5, 28.5+-1.1, 6.3+-0.5, and 5.6 +-0.9 s respectively. The experimental spectra are compared with the calculated ones. The proton ...